Give Reality A Chance! 2008 Articles...

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“These signs will accompany those who believe…”

By Julie Lucas

Nov 21, 2008 - No doubt that many of you have heard about the Gay Rights Activists running into a church in Lansing, Michigan, throwing propaganda pamphlets around and screaming that “it’s okay to be gay”, while protesters outside yelled obscenities and phrases like “Jesus was a homo”…wait, I thought Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had a child?

We Christians have no one else to blame for this particular situation; other theological issues aside. As always, I preach AGAINST “man’s theology” that has crept into the church by leadership unwilling or unable to address it or completely ignorant of its tight grip around the throat of the modern day US church! “How did we get to this?” I’ve heard many ask. Let me say this without any reservation or hesitation….

YOU COMPROMISED!!! Did I say it loud enough? If I had a megaphone and I was standing outside the doors of Mount Hope Church in Lansing I would be yelling….YOU COMPROMISED!!!

How harsh, some of you might be saying to yourself; but you get it! Others of you simply don’t get it at all! For those of you who are completely clueless as to the harsh attitude towards Mount Hope Church…of course it isn’t just Mount Hope Church, it is all the churches in our nation who DO NOT call it’s members to holiness and righteousness, who simply deal with the problem by sending them out for counseling instead of dealing with issues in a completely biblical way! Counseling can only be effective up to a certain point; then no more.

NOT ONCE did Jesus ever stop preaching and recommend that one of the folks in his audience “seek counseling”. Jesus dealt with the issue right then and there!!!!!!!!!!! Did I say it loud enough! NOT ONCE!!!!!

For those of you who still don’t know what I am talking about, let me spell it out for you in a detailed, yet simple to understand format…

Okay, so what is the missing piece of this mind boggling puzzle the church as a whole stands and scratches its head, saying “we are praying and doing the best that we can!” Really? Has any church or ministry offered deliverance from the tormenting spirits of homosexuality?

Yes, my friends, homosexuality isn’t caused by some genetic flaw, it isn’t the way God “made us”, it isn’t environmental, it wasn’t playing with dolls for boys or climbing too many trees for girls, it wasn’t their mother paying too much attention or their father ignoring them, it wasn’t even being molested as a child….let’s face it my Christian brothers and sisters, most of us don’t even know why….but I can tell you as matter of fact, as Jesus delivered all those He encountered in His ministry; it is a tormenting spirit! Simple as that! Tormenting the poor soul until they give in to their lustful desires and then it has “a foothold”. Once the foot hold has been established, the poor soul stands very little chance of regaining any self direction; torment is ongoing and continuous.

If and only if, that person is delivered from that tormenting spirit will they ever know completely their freedom! Sad but true; even in Christian ministries that deal with helping homosexuals out of that lifestyle, they completely overlook the spiritual aspect of their condition, leaving them to deal with these horrible things under there own will power. That usually doesn’t last long. Sure they have the Holy Spirit to help and guide them, but it is no different than if you had a deer tick attached to your body, sucking your blood and getting bigger by the minute…you wouldn’t just stand there, feeling hopeless and praying “dear Lord please deliver me from this tick”…you would find a doctor who could help you remove it safely and heal the wound so it wouldn’t get infected or infested by another tick! Same principal applies here…Jesus said Himself that “it’s not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12) Who are the “doctors” in this scenario?…. CHURCH PASTORS, LEADERS, DEACONS, ELDERS, etc…..wake up and don’t let another soul perish!!! I really am begging now! I’m on my knees!

What seems as obvious as the nose on every homosexuals face should be the tormenting spirit that resides inside! We have compromised ourselves out of teaching the true bible, because it seems so illogical, so nonsensical, surely Jesus wasn’t delivering people from a “spirit”, it had to have been just a virus or bacteria, because it is just too unbelievable even for many of us Christians to believe that “demons” exist. Surely the bible was referring to something else? No my friends, it wasn’t!

The only way we are ever going to be effective in the world is if we teach and preach THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH! Not with words of hate, but with words of love. You can NOT preach a message about leaving the homosexual lifestyle without offering them REAL healing and deliverance! Not some phony blanket “deliverance” ceremony where everyone leaves with what they came in with! Deliverance ministry is most often one on one, it is messy, exhausting, time consuming, not fun, not always monetarily profitable and at times dangerous; but EVERY leader in the Christian community should be able to do it like knowing the Ten Commandments or the “Our Father”! That my friends is how Christians can be effective in their communities and heal those who come to us for help…including the homosexuals! Forget about political agenda’s and begin at the grass roots. Stop laying blame, pointing fingers or putting up banners of harsh accusations and criticisms. Offer them the way out…REAL help, not just words! We will never reach those that Jesus came to save if we COMPROMISE! If not for me, do it for Jesus, because He said…

“And these signs will accompany those who believe…” Mark 16:17

[One of several sources: 'Gay fascists' storm church, attack members (One News Now)]

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 Our Duty for the Next Four Years

by Julie Lucas

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Romans 13:1

As we learn of the election of the first Black president in American history, one would like to imagine that this will go far in healing the racial divide that has been so contentious and oppressive in our nation. As Christians it is our duty to follow the path of kindness, gentleness, meekness and humility; to serve our newly elected President, Barak Obama within the capacities of our Christian witness.

Then Jesus came to them [His disciples] and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Matthew 28:18

Nothing passes by without God knowing about it and being in complete control. There are circumstances that we may not understand, for we currently “see through a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12) but His plans are not our own. His ways are not our ways.

We as committed, bible believing Christians want to see our nation return to a path of Godliness; however that has never been the case, not for any nation. Even Israel succumbed to the whims of evil leadership. America has come as close as it is possible while Satan still has sway over the human heart. The “apple of God’s eye” remains and shall always remain (apart from some seriously flawed doctrine of man) Israel. It is God’s ultimate desire to see all of Israel redeemed and He has a plan to accomplish that goal. We may not understand this plan, but as we see biblical prophecy unfold before our very eyes, take heart and know that “all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) That would be YOU my friends.

Remain firm in your convictions, never giving even one inch to compromise or hypocrisy, while at all times exhibiting ALWAYS the fruits of the Holy Spirit; “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). In this time of national testing, we need to receive a passing grade in order to be found faithful and worthy in the eyes of our Lord. We do NOT have to win the war, for the battle belongs to Him, but we do have to give of ourselves the best service to His cause, never forgetting for one moment that He always has our best interests at heart.

The next four years will be bitter battles for those of us committed to saving the lives of all unborn children, maintaining the sanctity of marriage and redirecting our judicial system in a Godlier direction. We will undergo trials and tribulations of our faith, moral character and will, however we must NEVER “become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). When the day comes when we stand before our Maker and give an account of our life, we will be able to do so with a clear conscience and a cleansed spirit, hoping always to hear those words “well done my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

President-elect Barak Obama has a battle ahead of him also. He is now charged by God to lead this nation, one of the largest super powers in history, in a way that conforms to God’s standards. Let us pray daily and without ceasing that he will be able to serve this nation in a way befitting that of one anointed by Him. President Obama has been chosen for this time; let us ALL act honorably and above reproach.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1Timothy 2:1-2

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The Bore-Me Wars And The Church!

By Julie Lucas

Sept 12, 2008 - There is a debate raging that is far more interesting than presidential candidate Barak Obama (D-IL) referring to Governor Sarah Palin (R-AL) as “lipstick on a pig”. The important topics up for discussion are being eclipsed by the ridiculous diatribe that has plastered the media, news papers and TV outlets all day. Whether Barak Obama is a sexist pig attempting to call a ruby red-lipped kettle black is irrelevant at this juncture. He didn’t take Hillary as his running mate, probably out of fear and not so much sexism, and his open-mouth, insert-foot statement was, in my opinion, a poor choice of words but probably not an intentional, thought out statement to slam the female powerbase; a very important constituent group if he wants to win this election. However, I could be wrong (it wouldn’t be the first time); the bible does say “out of the mouth the heart speaks”. (Matthew 12:34)

Be that as it may, there really are other more interesting things to talk about; this for instance....

Of course the populace that has weighed in on this meaty morsel is very interesting and to my joyful surprise has taken a very clear cut and biblically accurate position on the matter. (Check them out at the link above)

For thousands of years women have been barred from holding positions in the church such as teaching, preaching, evangelizing and the like. It has taken the shear necessity of the church to include women in teaching, evangelizing or sending them out into the mission field. Funny thing is; God has been ordaining women for His ministry long before the “men of the church” figured out that women actually have a vital and crucial role in the organization and leadership within the church structure. These women simply followed God’s calling and ignored the temper tantrums of the surrounding male order.

As it became more common place in secular society for women to do comparable jobs as men; to attend schools of higher learning, to become doctors, lawyers, scientists, astronauts, politicians, ambassadors, Prime Ministers; the church began to permit women into the inner sanctum of the church hierarchy; depending of course on the denomination. As the church began to thaw to the old vestiges of male dominance purported by men like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and church “fathers” like Tertullian and yes, all you die hard reformationists, Martin Luther taught of the inferiority of women too. The Greek intellectual influence on the ancient church is undeniable. But like all great things, rampant sexism, even within the church walls, must come to an end.

As women embark into new and uncharted territories, the heart and soul of the church (which happens to be mostly women) will also change. Not that the bible or scripture has changed in anyway, but its interpretations will begin to line up with the way in which God had intended it to be. The modern day Christian who contends daily with the onslaught of information is a truth seeker. And the seeker of truth will eventually find it, or at the very least come to terms with its meaning. The seeker of truth will impart that wisdom to others and eventually that truth will become the norm and the archaic, Greek philosophical views superimposed on biblical theology will look like the dim witted attempt by Satan to yet again enslave another group of people. Let’s be honest, isn’t that exactly what Satan has in mind anyway. Keep whomever he can keep enslaved to something. He really isn’t particular....any useless enslavement will do. For us to give merit to any form of human enslavement is to serve the evil one and NOT the One who died for us.

This very truth is something that our devout, Christian abolitionists recognized all to well. The fact that it may have appeared scripture endorsed or at the very least permitted slavery did not deter these brave men and women in their quest to see every one free from the tyranny of human slavery. And sadly, at the time, there was a great deal of endorsement of slavery within the church walls.

Let’s pray the church as a whole will wake up, or at the very least those dedicated to the truth will separate themselves out of the service of false teachings and into the direct light of truth! Being a truth seeker is not only exciting but is its own reward!

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Signs and Wonderings....

By Julie Lucas

Sept 3, 2008 - It is with a very sad heart I write about this subject today. As more revelations unfold concerning the behind the scene events that took place in Lakeland Florida, I grieve for Todd Bentley, his family and those who were devoted to his ministry.

I have been to many, many ministry conferences and meetings where the outpouring and power of the Holy Spirit has been scheduled in advance to appear. It is typically accompanied by a great deal of promotion and advertising in order to bring in the crowds. We go to see the miraculous signs that are promised but I always leave wondering: Why isn’t Jesus enough?

His life, His death and His resurrection was so that when we seek His face we can ALL have freedom from the demonic forces that once held us captive. We can live our life in spiritual peace and harmony. We don’t need to go to some ministry conference or spend time in some meeting promoted by men to learn about more of men’s created doctrines. We are NOT to be followers of men.

I see many who are hungry, yearning for a touch from God, yet unwilling to do what it takes to be “cleansed of all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9) in order that we may be completely filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the power of the Holy Spirit within you that will give you the necessary tools to see miracles in your life; to gain healing and deliverance. There are a few who have been genuinely anointed by God to go out into all the world and set the captives free, however these folks are not as common place as you might think. Most of the pastors, preachers, clergy and priests are dealing with their own demons, issues and troubles to ever be effective in ministering to you. They’re hearts are usually in the right place, but they too admittedly don’t see the kind of “fruit” in their own lives and the lives of their flocks that would or could be at all beneficial to you in your time of crisis.

I know I’ve said this before, but sadly the current Christian leadership here in America are ill equipped, inexperienced, or haven’t grasped the full truth and application of scripture to be able to minister to the spiritually sick. And yes, I know they have all gone to some Theological Seminary or Divinity School, but many think that is all it takes to know what God is about. In many cases “ Divinity School” is a hindrance to knowing God completely because most schools only teach biblical doctrine with which that particular denomination understands. This approach often leaves many critical biblical truths out or explained as irrelevant or unimportant to our church today. We also know there is nothing like on the job training to really teach you that you in fact DO NOT know all there is to know about biblical reality. When this occurs the pastor or elder may simply fall back on doctrine’s of men and not seek God’s face for the true answers. When we as the flock finally discern that we are missing out on something really important, then what follows turns into chaos as we stumble around in the dark searching from one ministry, to the next denomination, to the next charismatic leader for answers or we fall away hurt and disappointed.

I am also very weary of hearing “do not put God in a box” to justify false teachings or to promote unwise biblical principals. To teach a single part of God’s character is to miss completely who God is. If anyone questions this approach, then we go directly to the “touch not Mine anointed” (Psalm 105:15) which is yet another scripture verse used by Satan so we will not “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1) or question the false doctrines of some teachers within the body of Christ. You can be sure that if you hear either of those two phrases used in ministry you should just pack up your bible and your concordance and run like your hair is set on fire!

Those that base their ministries on “signs and wonders” are pandering to an audience that is looking for something other than the true and real God.

Jesus said: “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Matthew 16:3-4

Still, the question for me remains: Why isn’t Jesus enough?

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Are ‘Christian Mystics’ just another body part I don’t understand?

By Julie Lucas

Aug 13, 2008 - Let’s begin by defining the term “Christian Mystic”. I was unable to find a specific definition for “Christian Mystic” because, I discovered later, is an oxymoron. The Houghton-Mifflin Dictionary defines a “mystic” (adjective) as 1) Of or relating to religious mysteries or occult rites and practices. 2) Of or relating to mysticism or mystics. 3) Inspiring a sense of mystery and wonder. I like the third definition because certainly God does inspire a “sense of mystery and wonder”, but He has laid out for us a divine path to Him through the Bible. This unfortunately is where “Christian Mystics” part company. Much of Christian “mystical” doctrines are derived from the “Gnostic Gospels”, the oral traditions of the Jewish Kabala and/or the “special revelations” given to those who follow this “mystical” tradition.

The Bible warns us sternly: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1. Instead of taking a wait and see attitude, asking the Holy Spirit for discernment or placing these experiences up against the direct teachings of the Scripture many within the body of Christ run down rabbit trails looking for the next “meeting of power” where claims of chariot rides around the cosmos and slain into a catatonic state is not only hoped for but demanded. Those who are unable or do not wish to achieve this emotionally charged spiritual euphoria are told they have not been baptized in the Holy Spirit or worse yet are accused of having a “religious” spirit. They may go away hurt or disillusioned with the “church” as a whole, not realizing that this movement is really just the fringe element of the body of Christ. This movement began as a desire to break away from the religiosity of the traditional church and have a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. You don’t have to leave your church to do that. You don’t even have to go to church at all. You don’t have to do anything special, except have a desire to know God, be holy and seek His face everyday, in your life, in your communication with Him and to read His word with the heart to know and understand Him.

So to get back to the question: Are ‘Christian Mystics’ just another body part I don’t understand? After a great deal of research and investigation I have determined for myself* (see special note below) that those involved in this movement may be teaching false doctrine but those sitting in the pews and taking it all in may just be simple casualties in the constant spiritual battle that is being waged around us. We know that Satan comes to “kill, steal and destroy”. He has a great deal of patience in waiting to hit you with the blow that will send you reeling. If you do not have the Word of God implanted in you mind, spirit and body you will be shaken to the core, fall away from the faith, back slide or worse yet renounce Christianity as false because your experience turned out to be deceitful.

I don’t usually include “stuff” from other ministries because I don’t want anyone to call me a follower of “so and so” or a supporter of some “guy/gal” but I think that this is a much needed warning to those who may be falling prey to some of this very shaky philosophy.

WHO ARE the "NEW MYSTICS"?

By Andrew Strom

Since I am hoping this may be our last post about Lakeland for awhile, I need to put forth a very specific warning about certain ministries while I have the chance. Todd Bentley has long been numbered among the 'New Mystics' in the Prophetic movement - but there are others that I need to warn about also. These are literally the most dangerous ministries (operating in a strange "power") that I have ever come across in the Christian church. That is the only reason why I feel I must "name names" in this email - and I do so with great sadness.

The first of them is Jill Austin - from 'Master Potter' ministries. I have seen her live in person, and sadly I regard her as one of the most dangerous of all. A minister from England described one of her meetings as follows: "The weirdest three hours I have ever had to endure... she spoke of the times that she meets with the Angel Gabriel and other spiritual beings, next we moved on to portals between this world and the next and then finally to how she was going to open up a portal to Heaven in the room that we were all in. Now things started to happen, really crazy things and strange noises... As [she] moved around the room ministering to individual people they were crashing to the ground, bouncing up and down, running around as if on fire and making all sorts of sounds... My Vineyard friend was the first to crash to the floor. Since that day his church has taken on a different guise, it is not the same church any more."

In a very similar vein is Patricia King - who operates in the same area of "portals", jewels, 'angels', drunken jerking, etc. There is real power in a lot of this - and I urge people to stay well clear.

John Crowder is another one. With his 'Drunken Glory' tours and his "toking the ghost" and every other deceived thing - you cannot even imagine how "off-beam" this guy is. Words sadly fail me.

And then there are the "fellow travelers" - men like Ben Dunn, Dave Vaughan, Justin Abraham, Joshua Mills and many others who have imbibed of the same weird spirit out of Toronto and the Prophetic movement. It is just awful what is going on out there. So sad.

It is tragic to have to put out warnings like this, but my hope and prayer is that it will prevent great harm from coming to Christ's precious sheep. I hope you can hear my heart in this, my friends.

(Julies Special Note: *You need to always search out these things on your own in union with the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that you will not be tossed back in forth by the doctrines of man; but to know God’s word for yourself so that you can stand firm when the storms of life try to knock you from your firm foundation.)

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What did Jesus consider scripture?

By Julie Lucas

Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” Matthew 22:29

July 16, 2008 - Jesus was speaking to the Sadducees who on that day had come to question Him about scripture. Apparently they did not believe in the resurrection as predicted in scripture. This could apply to our current Christian Church today. Even though many carry one, statistics show that very few actually read it on a regular basis. The others who do read it accept wholeheartedly the doctrines ascribed to it by man. In fact, another poll out recently found that a majority of “church goers” believe that all roads lead to God. Sound complicated? Well it really isn’t. There is this amazing thing called a Concordance which takes nearly every Greek and Hebrew word and gives you the definition for yourself, so if you are researching a subject, especially those “doctrines of men”, you will have all the information available to you to discern for yourself if the meaning being attributed to that verse is correct.

Now back to our topic: What did Jesus consider scripture?

The answer is really not as easy as you might think. There were two versions of the Old Testament used by Jews before the Church came into existence. The Hebrew version, which was used in Palestine, contained all of the books that are found in the present-day Old Testament of a Protestant Bible. This list is called the Palestinian Canon. Contrary to popular belief, this canon has been lost and is no longer available to us today. What we now have is a Hebrew canon based on the Septuagint, some documents that were available at the time of this canon’s writing and information based on Jewish oral tradition.

Several centuries before Jesus' time, the Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt translated the Old Testament into Greek. This Greek translation included a few books that are not present in the later written Hebrew version. Their list of books is called the Alexandrian Canon, and the translation is called the Septuagint. The earliest complete Bible manuscripts, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, and the Codex Alexandrinus all contain the Septuagint version of the Old Testament.

The books that are on the Alexandrian list but not on the Hebrew list are those that make up the Old Testament Apocrypha. It is historically accurate to say that Jesus was familiar with the Apocrypha, however we may never know if He embraced their teachings. There are well over 300 quotations from the Old Testament books in the New Testament. Many of the quotations attributed to Jesus in the New Testament not only include the current day Old Testament but several books that can be found in the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible and others that were not previously known but found later amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls. Most notably, Jesus refers to a book called “The Blessing of the Wise” when giving the “Beatitudes” found in Matthew 5 and Luke 6. Volumes of books have been written concerning this subject and we don’t have enough room to cover all of the materials, theories and documentation available to us today.

How many other books Jesus may have considered “scripture” may never fully be known and as I continue my search for the truth, I hope to get to the end of it and can formulate my own opinion based on the relevant facts. It is clear to me however, Jesus considered more that just what is contained in our current, modern day Protestant version of the Old Testament as authoritative scripture.

It is also evident that the New Testament authors were not only familiar with what is now considered “extra-canonical books” but quoted from them as well. The books not included in the “Apocrypha” include Enoch I and Jubilees. There may be others, but at this time I am unaware of them.

I did not decide to write this to add confusion to an already murky and much debated subject, but to encourage YOU to think for YOURSELF! Get a Concordance if you do not already own one. Read some of the authentic extra-biblical texts for yourself. I do not include the Gnostic Gospels in this list of extra-biblical texts because they simply are too unsupported to consider legitimate. I also never consider anything that takes away from the deity of Jesus or obviously contradicts what is already written in our canonized bible. Do the research and take a walk through the past that when you come to the end of it, you will discover it was well worth the effort!

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Church Declare YOUR Independence!

By Julie Lucas

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

June 27, 2008 - It is no secret that our government has over stepped its authority, gone beyond its God given rights and trampled upon the rights of the Church by implementing laws and restrictions that fly in the face of Gods Holy command to go into all the world and preach the good news! The United States is no longer a country that encourages freedom of religion or the voice of our God given moral leadership.

The IRS is currently investigating the violation of the 501(c)(3) tax exempt status of “Liveprayer.com” an online prayer and devotional site that reaches millions of committed and God fearing Christians.

“The New York Times has broken the story that Bill Keller, founder of Liveprayer.com with over 2.4 million subscribers to his Daily Devotional and host of the Liveprayer TV program, is under investigation for possibly violating his tax exempt status in speaking out last year against former Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's Mormon beliefs.” [IRS Investigating World's Leading Internet Evangelist (Christian Newswire)]

When did it become a violation of the law to speak out against moral, religious and political issues?

In an unparalleled and extremely effective attempt to silence his opponents, then Senator Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX) introduced an amendment on June 2, 1954 to the 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt regulations to the Internal Revenue Code that essentially prohibits all 501(c)(3) organizations from "participat[ing] in, or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office." It was approved without debate, testimony or comment from those this amendment would affect. This was later expanded to include all “propaganda” of any kind. You might find it interesting to know that in MEESE v. KEEN, 481 U.S. 465 (1987) the U.S. Supreme Court defined “propaganda” in its “neutral sense” that “no substantial part of the activities will be propagating any message (not simply that it will refrain from propagating lies and distortions.)”. As a part of the 501(c)(3), all churches must agree that no substantial part of their activity will be “carrying on propaganda” about anything. Simply put this includes preaching the gospel; fortunately for us no one has been enforcing this legal precedent.

The IRS currently has no specific office that directly monitors 501(c)(3) activities and the so called “violations” are only taken into account when groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) or Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU) file formal complaints or legal briefs. In what I would consider a huge development in this ongoing conflict, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) member of the US Senate Finance Committee has organized an investigation of the highly lucrative ministries of Joyce Meyer, Benny Hinn, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long and Paula White. This investigation has yet to reach a final conclusion.

The current investigation of Bill Keller with LivePrayer.com stems directly from his belief that Mormonism is a false religion and speaking out against Mitt Romney’s religious faith (R-MA) has put him squarely in the IRS’s line of fire!

There was a time “during the Colonial Period that ‘Election Day’ sermons were given encouraging voter participation as well as encouraging individual voters to vote with a Biblical worldview. Unfortunately, because of the intimidation of these liberal interest groups, this is no longer the case. Many churches have been intimidated into silence on the critical moral issues that our country now faces.” Jay Sekulow, ACLJ.

What can you do to help?

You can support the Fair Tax which would eliminate the IRS code altogether and replace it with a national sales tax. Find out more by going to FairTax.org or joining a local chapter of Fair Tax supporters.

Let your government representatives in the House and Senate know that you want them to continue to fight in favor of “The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act” and/or repeal the questionable amendment to the code completely.

Support the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) as they continue to fight for the freedom of our clergy in our government and in the courts!

Encourage your church and associated ministries to temporarily forgo their tax exempt status and register as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Incorporate until these inappropriate restrictions have been lifted.

Copy/paste this in an email or include a link to this article to everyone you know! Get the word out!

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Can any Christian cast out a demon?

By Julie Lucas

June 20, 2008 - I love these kind of questions because they are about my passion: casting out those pebbles in the shoe of your Christianity!

The simple answer to this question is YES, but sadly not every Christian is prepared to do so! Every Christian who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit and has a firm knowledge of scripture can cast out demons.

I have been told by many who are in the “business” of casting out demons that it takes a calling from God to be able to do it. In this I disagree, I think every Christian CAN and SHOULD cast out demons as a part of our ministry, but the preparation for doing so is a maturity that stands the tests of trials and tribulations. I like to use Jesus’ ministry as an example of how we should begin, proceed and end.

The questions that need to be answered here before any type of “casting out” is performed: 1) Are you mature enough in the Lord? In the beginning of Jesus’ ministry He was led out into the desert to be tempted by Satan. Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights. Be prepared, if God calls you to any type of ministry you will be tempted and refined by the Fathers hand. As a mature Christian fasting should be a routine part of following God, is it a part of yours?

2) Do you know enough scripture to do battle with your spiritual enemy? When Jesus was in the desert being tempted by Satan he rebuked him with Scripture. He did not come up with His own argument that sounded good and right to Him. Jesus simply said: "It is written” and followed this rebuttal to Satan’s temptations with scripture.

3) Do you have any demonic spirits of your own that could interfere? This is not a disqualifier; however it should be something that you should deal with eventually with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Forbidding any and all demons to interfere with the “casting out” session is sufficient, if you have enough experience and knowledge. For instance, Paul was not at all wary of “casting” anything out! He was a proficient professional, in spite of the “thorn in his side”!

If you meet the above criteria and are aware of your own demonic forces that come against you (either inside or out) from time to time than you are well prepared to do battle with the devil.

He is evil and he will make every effort to scare you and to use childish tactics and past fears to attempt to scare you away from this endeavor.

My advice, read up on the topic from people who have conducted deliverance in the past. Self-deliverance is also possible and recommended when you feel you are being harassed (and all of us are) by those little devils. Calling in a Catholic priest is really only recommended when you come up against a particularly strong and dangerous one, but again not necessary. It can be dealt with if you following the promptings of the Holy Spirit and include other prayerful and mature Christians in the battle.

This battle can be won, and to answer the original question again for emphasis: YES, every Christian CAN and SHOULD be prepared to “cast out demons”!

Now the trick is, recognizing what is demonic and what isn’t? Now GO GET ‘EM!

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One of those days....

By Julie Lucas

June 9, 2008 - Have you ever had one of those days when you say to yourself “I should have stayed in bed!” Last week I had one of those. With the exception of finally figuring out why my computer keeps crashing and fixing it; it had been all but fruitless. The laundry is so high I can’t see the light at the bottom of the pile, which is where my kids shoved the flash light while making a tent out of the dirty sheets and blankets. I can’t find it so I figure I will eventually step on it ...ouch! The dust bunnies blow by like tumble weed in Texas through the house and the gnats are so thick outside I can’t water my tomatoes without half of them flying up my nose or in my ears. By the way, gnats taste pretty good so at least when the food shortage crisis hits us here NO ONE in Suffolk will starve! I wonder what mosquito’s taste like? It could be a real buffet out here!

It is those frustrated moments in life that I am so glad that God is in my life. I remember life BC (before Christ) and it really could be quite harrowing. Having a beer now is to enjoy the taste and relax as opposed to getting a good buzz on so I wouldn’t care. I am so glad to know that now a “bad” day won’t have to turn into a bad week, month, year....

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

I don’t know if you have noticed, I’m not really one to share my “feelings”; my husband is convinced I should have been a man, but as his luck would have it I’m a chick!

I think that happens a lot in Christianity. We want to put up a good front! “How’s your day going” a church acquaintance may ask. Of course your pat response is “I’m blessed in the Lord today, sister (so-and-so)!” you say with a great big smile. The entire time you just need a hug! I guess if you burst into tears and asked for a hug they might send you to a therapist, so I wouldn’t recommend that. But we need to be real folks. Ministry is what Jesus has asked us to do every day, and putting on a fake smile and making nice-nice is not what Jesus had in mind. People know fake. Those that you may be ministering know fake too. Sometimes it is in your worst moment you touch people.

Take my formerly unsaved mother for example. I know this will surprise most of you to know, but I’m not perfect........okay you can stop laughing now. She lives with us and it has been hard. She is hyper-critical and bored. I am laid back and super busy. Not a great combination. She sits around and thinks up all the things I should be doing to “improve” what is already a pretty idyllic life and when I try to explain I just don’t have the time to pull it off or simply don’t have the desire to “make it happen”, well things can get rather explosive around here. Did I mention I don’t have a lot of patience for adults? I have a ton for kids, but when it comes to grown ups I think they should know better by now....even if I don’t. Anyway, for years I would feel really guilty when I would let her push me to my limit and explode on her. I would sit around and whine to God about what a horrible example for Christ I was being and maybe He should send someone else to minister to her. I am serious, I felt just awful. I would lay in bed and cry/whine to my husband, who quite frankly isn’t too much better at behaving right than me.

But then one day my mother and I were in the car together and she was telling me how she just doesn’t think she is good enough to be a Christian. Christians, according to her, should be perfect, almost angelic, and that, in her words is “not me!” Since she brought it up, I asked her if she thought Mark and I were perfect, and after several minutes of howling laughter she finally calmed herself down enough to say “NO!” I then asked her if she thought we were loved by God and saved, at least enough to eeeck our way into heaven? She looked at me very lovingly and said “yes”! I said, “well then you don’t have to be perfect either. Just recognize you’re not perfect either and you need the love and grace of Jesus.” She just kept saying she just couldn’t be what she thought a Christian ought to be. I didn’t press it, I just let the Holy Spirit do His miraculous work. And after a year or so and many loud and obnoxious examples of what a dirt bag Christian I am, she gave her life to Jesus. She still drinks, smokes, worries, doesn’t go to church and sits around thinking up things for me to do but....she has changed. I have seen her heart soften ever so slightly. I have seen her forgive when forgiveness was OUT of the question! I have seen her read her bible when she is looking for answers. She doesn’t threaten to move out as often. She doesn’t lock herself in her apartment and refuse to answer the door as often. The depression that I saw her suffer with ALL her life is nearly gone. Even her face that used to be full of worry and pain, smiles more, laughs more and even tells me she loves me more!

You would have to know my mother to understand what an incredible miracle all of that is. So, even on your worst day you can still be a witness for the Lord! Although I wouldn’t recommend acting like me.....

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The Hemorrhaging Church!

By Julie Lucas

May 21, 2008 - According to George Barna of the Barna Research Group, Christians are hemorrhaging out of the church and many books have been written in an attempt to explain why. Some of the reasons detailed in an upcoming book, If God Disappears: 9 Faith Wreckers and What to Do About Them, David Sanford uncovered through “listening to stories of those who exited the church”.

Among these reasons included hurt feelings, doubts that go unanswered and feeling God has abandoned them. Mostly, I think it is simply bad theology! Really, let’s get biblical about this. So many churches are too quick to dismiss biblical teaching in lieu of the worldly approach. I mean really, the world has statistics! Most people come to church because they rightly recognize that the “worlds” approach is a colossal failure. They turn to the church for help and guidance. Granted some fall away because the requirements “to be Holy as I am Holy” are just too difficult and they would much rather continue to struggle as long at they can have their sin.

But others fall away because the church doesn’t know how to deal with crisis situations and sends them to the so called “Christian” therapists that analyze with their secular teachings and slap a little prayer on the beginning and the end and call it “Christian”. I am certain that there are very good, if not great, biblical counselors out there that don’t compromise the truth and successfully make good Christ centered recommendations and yes, some of those recommendations are indeed rejected because of their requirement to give up sinful behavior, but these I am afraid are few and far between.

To use a more personal example...myself, when I came to know Christ I entered the church with a great deal of worldly baggage. When I remarried, my husband too entered the marriage with a great deal of worldly baggage. When we both were slinging worldly garbage at each other our church sent us to several very nice, highly qualified, licensed, yet biblically lacking, Christian counselors. The several set of counselors we went through took the very secular psycho-babble approach to fixing marital problems. Just about the time we were ready to throw in the towel, buy a duplex and live simple but separate lives, a miracle happened. We were counseled by a husband/wife team who are NOT licensed counselors, didn’t graduate from Regent School of Counseling and don’t read Psychology Today. They took the gloves off, didn’t ask us “now how did that make you feel”, didn’t call me a co-dependent, didn’t give Mark another book to read, just simply laid out our behavior next to scripture. They simply said; if your behavior does not line up with Gods word then your marriage will fail...for certain!

How were we to change when we had not had any good role models in our lives nor did we have a clue how to do it? But we were committed to doing what the bible instructed and when we had a disagreement on a biblical teaching this couple was front and center to steer us in the right direction. They were tough, they didn’t mince words and they weren’t about to waste their time. If Mark and I had shown any indication of giving them lip service they would have thrown us out. As it should have been!

An excellent example of dealing with someone who isn’t ready to do it Gods way is in 1 Corinthians 5. It details a situation in which a man had married his father’s wife and was not going to repent, yet still wanted to remain in the church. Paul instructed them...

When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 5:4-5

Very few churches today are willing to discipline members of their congregation for fear someone will leave, yet people are leaving anyway. Very few churches have the in house resources to deal with everyday marital problems, abuse, addiction and the like. Churches are hospitals for the spiritually infirmed. Jesus said...

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice .' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:10-13

Just as a child can smell compromise and fear a mile away; if you don’t believe me just ask any kindergarten teacher? A Christian who is seeking the true Christ can also recognize biblical compromise when he sees it, even if he/she doesn’t know exactly what true biblical teaching is yet. They also know when they are being sent back into the “world” for answers because the church doesn’t know how to handle many of the problems that overwhelm our society today. Many do not rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance, but fall back on an already spiritually bankrupt world.

And it is this hypocrisy that has deeply infected and wounded the church to the point of massive hemorrhage. And as any good doctor will tell you, if the right treatment is not performed the patient will die!

[Source: 'Lost' Christians Greatest Crisis in American Church, says Author (Christian Post)]

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Don’t Settle for Anything Less than Freedom!

By Julie Lucas

May 9, 2008 - There are a few unconventional Christian organizations that support the gay and lesbian lifestyle. One group in particular, Soulforce, which “fights religious and political oppression of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders” hopes that Joel Osteen, Pastor and world renown best selling author, will join them at their Houston picnic and welcome them to his church on Sunday.

I am sitting here laughing a little at the sight of all those unique, untraditional, and very precious people with their tattoos and multiple piercings filing into this upscale, ultra-conservative, and as traditional as you get Lakewood Church in Houston. Based on Pastor Osteen’s teachings I would have to say his congregation would have no clue what to say, how to minister to them or even where to start. I doubt if their “Celebrate Recovery Ministry” is equipped to handle this type of issue. They probably would refer them to some nice support group like Exodus International and ask them not to return until they have made the appropriate lifestyle changes. I’m just guessing here that this is not a can of worms our gentle and non-judgmental Pastor cares to open. I will of course keep you posted if our illustrious Pastor decides to join them!

Quite frankly, demonic deliverance isn’t something MOST churches are prepared to address. If you go looking for a church here in Hampton Roads that believes that you can love God, be a Christian and have a demon living in you, you would be thrown head first out the front door by their ushers and rebuked in front of the entire congregation as a heretic. It is for this reason that we have such a serious problem with backsliding and those who are struggling with sin issues, unable to extricate themselves here in America. They silently suffer without any relief. Of course the squeaky wheels are offered counseling which NEVER addresses the “demon” issue, because, according to the new and improved contemporary western theology, it isn’t possible to have, in their words, “what fellowship can light have with darkness” (2 Corinthians 6:14). If you know your bible and your scripture you will not be fooled by this little deception straight from the pit!

2 Corinthians 6:14 addresses marrying, being in business and/or having a relationship with someone who is not a believer; it says “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” It is used completely out of context by those who have been deceived by bad teachings and led unwittingly down the primrose path by Satan to keep wonderful, Jesus loving people in bondage.

Would anyone call Paul, a.k.a. ‘Saul of Tarsus’, the man who wrote 2/3rds of the New Testament as not loving Jesus? Not being a Christian? Well here is what the bible has to say about Paul:

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

Yes ladies and gentleman, this incredible man of God was given a “thorn in [his] flesh, a messenger of Satan...” , something the bible also calls a demon! I say this to prove that YES, a demon can reside in a body that also has the Holy Spirit living inside and guiding them as well!

How can such an impossible thing actually take place? How does this happen? Our bodies have limitations only to us, not the spirit. A spiritual being is like gas or vapor, it can take up the smallest of volume as well as expand to the volume of the container. The bible calls us vessels with a spirit, soul and flesh. Once you become a Christian and ask the Holy Spirit to come and live in you the demons must vacate, but only the spirit. They move to the flesh. They can live inside or attached outside in which they inject their thoughts, feelings, desires and wishes into your mind. It is there that they either win or lose. You can reject what they want and do as the bible asks or you can do as they wish, thinking all the while it is your own thoughts and desires driving you to the ultimate goal. If they succeed in getting you to sin, they can move in on a more permanent basis....something the bible calls “giving the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27). If you reject them and they do not already have a foothold on you (this is a very important point), this is what the bible calls “submit to God” by doing as the bible instructs, “resist the devil” rejecting their suggestions, and “He will flee from you” (James 4:7).

If however, they already have a foothold by some sin, prior to Christianity or present, and have taken up residence in your flesh, removing them maybe a little more time consuming. Many times this foothold was gained by previous sin in our lives prior to our conversion to Christianity. They just move out of your spirit and reside in your flesh, hoping at some point they can change your mind and win back access to your soul or spirit. This is what we call in ‘Christianese’ as “backsliding”.

Backsliding is not a simple process. If you have a particularly nasty demon like the one of homosexuality it can torment you and torment you and torment you until you eventually give into its desires and just go for it! Eventually, especially if you really love God, you may become convinced that you were born like that, or it is your DNA and you have no choice in the matter, you will join a group like Soulforce so you can at least stay connected to God, while not be tormented constantly by this thing that you are now convinced is simply YOU. Other really nasty ones are ANY sexual, compulsive and addictive spirits to name but a few.

If you are not convinced that this is true, try to “resist” those urges and see just how miserable your life and your sleep, if you actually get any sleep, become. One of their favorite torture tactics, effectively used by the military as well, is sleep deprivation. If they can keep you awake and sleep deprived long enough they can eventually get their way and gain control. They will also give the host the most horrible dreams or in the case of homosexuality, homo-erotic dreams to keep you in that constant state of unrest and internal strife!

This torture tactic is used in other situations in which you desire to be free from sin or a bad habit. I am not talking about physical additions like alcoholism or drug abuse, although prior to the actual addiction it was most definitely a demon leading you astray. Once you’re hooked they just sit back and enjoy the ride. What may be horrible and life ending to you is quite frankly music to their ears....if they have ears?

I was asked once if a demon can read your mind and know what you are thinking? It is a common teaching in the church that demons can not read your mind and they do not know what you are thinking, but this is false. It is in the mind that they begin their work. It is in the mind that they convince you to act in a way contrary to Gods word. Once you act, they are in! The entire time they know what you are thinking and they counter your thoughts/arguments with their own arguments.

It is only in the name of Jesus do we have any power. They respond to the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit can protect you, lead you and guide you. If you are reading this and think that maybe some of your problems may not be all “You”, then go to the bookstore and check online for books that can help you to understand in a practical and biblical way. Reject anything that says a Christian is dealing with ONLY their fleshly desires. I am not saying we don’t have our own fleshly desires, I am just saying that those are easy enough to deal with. When some issue in your life takes up more than a few minutes of thought a day, it could be a demon! If it is a recurring issue that you just can’t seem to be able to control, it could be a demon! If it is something that sends you into therapy, it could be a demon!

Resisting the devil takes commitment and hard work. Much of the effort will come from your own will and passionate desire to be free! If you are a Christian don’t settle for anything less...unless you are Paul, a.k.a Saul, then you already know “His grace is sufficient”....for the rest of us, work, work, work!

[Source: Gay group reaches out to Lakewood Pastor Joel Osteen (Houston Chronicle)]

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A Warm Welcome to Pope Benedict XVI!

By Julie Lucas

April 18, 2008 - Even though I am a Protestant, today and for the next five days I am declaring myself a Catholic! I would like to ask all the other Protestants in the spirit of unifying our body under Christ to join me! I would also like to ask my fellow Protestant compatriots to refrain from any negative, anti-Catholic rhetoric! Because the bible says: We are all “ONE in Christ Jesus!” (Galatians 3:28)

I am thrilled that the Pope is in the US! He brings a great deal of clout to the moral issues that seem to be dragging our nation down into the abyss of historical irrelevance. A once proud and God fearing nation, we now consider the picture of Jesus unconstitutional. Our fore Fathers would be amazed today at how quickly we have fallen into depravity!

From the White House Wednesday, the Pope in his address to the nation spoke positively of our nation’s principles that were the foundation of our government and society. “From the dawn of the Republic, America's quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God the creator,” said the pope.

His words touched me deeply and as I looked upon the largest crowd ever on the White House lawn it gave me hope that maybe in some moment of compassion, God will look past our nation’s sin and see our heart!

Source: Pope Hails America's Founding Principles (CNS News)

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Gods Will Isn’t So Mysterious!

By Julie Lucas

April 4, 2008 - There is this saying and I have no idea where it comes from but it says: “bloom where you are planted”! When applied to God’s purpose for our lives: we need to simply do what the bible asks us to do in the circumstances in which we find ourselves. We don’t need to create circumstances; God will put us in the position that He needs us. Really, we live a life of one divine test after another.

God has many ways in which he reveals His plan and will for our lives, but I think it always returns back to our future with Him. Not our future here on earth, although He does have many missions for us to accomplish here on earth, but our future in eternity.

It all begins with what is our purpose, our reason for being. I have heard many, many different explanations as to why we are here, but I think if you have read and researched the scripture long enough you will get a clear picture. God created a race of beings that are “made in His image” (Genesis 1:27) to have fellowship but more importantly to be an eternal line of priests. Not because God needs a bunch of “creatures” who will bow down, wave palm branches and sing His praises for eternity. He doesn’t NEED us to worship Him, He does however need us to LOVE Him! Why, you might ask yourselves?

It is very simple: He needs a line of “priests” He can trust. At some point in time, prior to our creation, Satan and his angels made a decision to run things their way; do their own thing; to go against God’s plan for His created creatures. They were deemed to be untrustworthy. In fact, some of the angels even chose to leave their ordained heavenly realm and make children, a.k.a. Nephilim, with human women. NOT POSSIBLE, I can hear you saying....oh, it’s possible....

And in Genesis...

These Nephilim were the “giants” of that time. Hard to say how big they actually were, but they must have been pretty large since Joshua says he was like a “grasshopper” in comparison.

I say all this not to add confusion to this subject of Gods will for our lives, but to show you that Satan, his angels and apparently other angels have left their own abode for reasons we can’t fully understand, but we are a race of creatures in which He has chosen to redeem as an order of priests....because we have tasted both evil and good and we have CHOSEN Him! We were NOT created to do God’s bidding; we were created to choose Him. God has set before you “life and death” so “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19) God wants those who have known both, have been tested in God’s unique way, found to be worthy and can now be trusted with His creation. This is a very crucial point.

In the Old Testament the Israelites were selected to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). In the New Testament it says we are chosen “like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). So we are being chosen as a “holy priesthood” not just for now but for eternity.

Those of us who have chosen to follow Christ will be priests not only in that thousand year reign of Christ on earth but in the new earth, the New Jerusalem that will come down from heaven. (Revelation 21)

Okay, so if God doesn’t NEED us worshipping Him, why is it so important that we serve Him as a priest? For what possible purpose does God need an eternal kingdom of priests?

Satan in his former glory must have been something to behold, but “iniquity” was found in him (Ezekiel 28:15). He was found to be untrustworthy. So God came up with another plan. He will create a being in “His” image and give him a choice. In the garden Adam and Eve had a choice to eat or not to eat from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. Sadly for us, they chose to eat and attain the knowledge of evil, since they already knew God, they knew good. To know evil is to know Satan. Now we live in a world where good and evil exist together but not in harmony. Everyday we make choices; to do good or to do evil.

In this world of perpetual testing, we are subjected to Satan’s constant bombardment from every angle. He does not want to lose one of us. He does not want any of us to become the “priesthood” that God has predestined for those of us who choose it. Because quite frankly, Satan has his own priesthood that he is creating and your reward will be a “lake of fire”. Satan deceives many, don’t be one of them.

Why does God need this eternal priesthood; one that has known both good and evil and has, by his own will, chosen God. We know from Genesis God is a creator. It is not clear if God created anything prior to His creation described in Genesis, nor is it clear whether He has destroyed other creations or civilizations prior to us, but if you go by earths past history as laid out by paleontologists, archeologists, and other great scientists you can see how God has created many, many unique creatures and has destroyed or allowed to simply go extinct many others. It is also clear by the new discoveries that are so frequently announced in the news, in documentaries and scientific journals that God is still creating right here on earth. Does He do this through specific species evolution or simply creates them as a new, unique creature is unclear. But we know He LOVES to create!!

If you simply look at the universe with all its exceptional beauty, vast uniqueness, and attention to detail you can see the imaginative genius that is behind it all. My personal opinion is that God does not intend to stop creating. We are not the end all, be all of His existence. We are the beginning of a new order, a new arrangement that involves a unique species as “priests” over a continuation of God’s creation. Creatures that He can trust to rule and reign over other created beings; minus Satan and his rebellious band of thugs and followers. Simply based on God’s creative nature and what He has described in His word we can look forward to a future full of such wonders as our mind can not comprehend.

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What is sin?

By Julie Lucas

March 28, 2008 - A survey out last week by Ellison Research found that a majority of Americans believed in sin whether they were religious or not. However, the difficulty was actually identifying what sin actually was?

Since I am a Christian I will have to say I am partial to the Judeo-Christian version of sin. Many say it only applies to the Ten Commandments....so can you recite all ten? Me either, so here is the abbreviated version...

Most of us can honestly say that we have broken most of them...okay, most of us probably haven’t committed murder or knowingly worship some other god or even set up some little Buddha in our house, but we have probably done all the rest at some point in our life. However, does that mean that if something is not listed in the “big ten” then it is not a sin?

NO WAY!!! Jesus expounded on many of these. He went so far to say if you THINK about a woman with lust you have committed adultery in your heart. But what about things like abortion, getting drunk, illegal drugs, premarital sex, homosexuality, pornography? Much to my relief, according to this survey most recognized these as sin.

And a minority of evangelicals went so far as to say “it is sin to work on the Sabbath, not attend church, drink alcohol, dance, play the lottery, watch an R-rated movie, or not tithe 10 percent of their income to church or charity.”

Wow, with all this confusion about what sin is and is not, how is anyone expected to keep it straight?

According to our Christian bible, if we are “born-again” we have the Holy Spirit to help us make these decisions...thank God! But I also think that if you read and KNOW the bible for yourself, you are adept at making these moral decisions for yourself.

Really, is drinking a sin as some denominations tell you? No in fact Jesus drank of wine. The bible only warns us about drunkenness.

Is working on the Sabbath a sin? Because the New Testament says we do not live by the law then I would have to say no, but I think this one is a matter for much debate. I personally try to take a Sabbath only because I am prone to laziness and this is an excellent excuse! Sometimes if I’m feeling really religious I’ll take two Sabbath days.

Is dancing a sin as some denominations advise? No, in fact David is reported in the Old Testament to have danced before the LORD on many occasions. However, the dancing done in night clubs could NOT be considered dancing before the LORD and I have my serious doubts about the Macarena too...just kidding, kinda?!?!

Is not attending church a sin? Well a majority of Pastors and church goers will tell you it most definitely is, but the bible does not say you need to attend a formal, traditional setting. It does say you should not forsake the fellowship of believers, but it does NOT say you have to go to “church” to do that.

Is not tithing 10% of your income a sin? I think it is (my personal opinion) because I have seen directly the financial blessings that are poured out when you do! It gives God the opportunity to show you how He cares about everything in our lives not just the so called big things.

What about the lottery or R-rated movies? Well most consider the lottery gambling and R-rated movies have been given a pass among most Christians, but we are called to “guard our hearts and minds”. Most of the subjects in R-rated movies, not to mention the offensive language and sexual content are things that we should not only NOT allow entrance into our minds we should never even entertain them as a thought...thoughts eventually lead to action!

There are a myriad of things not mentioned above or in this survey that are sin and if you have the Holy Spirit He can help guide you in those things that you may not understand. For instance, some denominations claim it is a sin to have sex with your spouse unless it is for the specific purposes of procreation and if your denomination teaches that and you WANT to believe it then by all means, allow the church to place man made constraints on you, but if it is important to know the truth then YOU search the scriptures, YOU do the research and YOU take it to God. He WILL answer you if you are serious in knowing the truth. This pertains to ALL issues that you are unsure about.

[Source: Study: Behaviors Americans Consider 'Sinful' (Christian Post)]

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Why are so many Americans dancing naked these days?

By Julie Lucas

March 14, 2008 - David Kupelian wrote a great piece that was reprinted on WorldNetDaily called Why so many Americans are embracing witchcraft. It was originally printed in the January 2008 Whistleblower Magazine and is a subject most of us don’t really understand but should.

Most of us live very busy lives! We go around blindly unaware of the spiritual situation around us. Unless we have been endowed by God with a gift of ‘spiritual discernment’ then we don’t really recognize when the demonic spirits are on the move, kicking it up a notch, testing the resolve of Christians and attempting to take over churches, cultures, people and nations. Some have been endowed with a gift of ‘wisdom’ so they rightly have discerned that America is in trouble....but why? What could possibly be the reason? Apathy? Short sidedness? Ineffective teaching? Deceptive teachings? False prophets?

We see Gods hand of favor being pulled away for lack of wisdom, insight and discernment brought about by the disunity and ineffectiveness of the church. But I think this could be a good thing. The more our nation takes a turn for the worse, the more united Christians will be regardless of denominational affiliation. It will be simply a matter of survival and God forcing many to “choose this day whom you shall serve”. The fence sitters will be a thing of the past. We ARE currently the church of Laodicea; luke warm and Jesus WILL spit us out if we don’t change!

Now we face an immerging enemy; blatant, brazen and less disguised; those that do NOT fear the LORD, but openly embrace witchcraft and sorcery. The influence Hollywood has had on this phenomenon is without argument but the Church too plays an enormous role. Why, you might ask, would the Church have any influence on the influx of witchcraft in our country? Here are my reasons why:

The church today has a difficult time directly influencing the culture in anyway, even though a large portion of our population still attends a formal, traditional church setting. The church has relinquished its power and authority for a more meaningless, yet financially viable role as social club. In fact, they quite often embrace the things of the world. For instance, a church youth group may go see Harry Potter movies for their fun night out. Adult church groups may go see the movie Golden Compass or any of the other demonically influenced movies available today. Don’t laugh, IT REALLY IS HAPPENING! In all fairness, some Pastor’s may be unaware that these particular events are occurring within their church, but if the congregation had been told directly from the pulpit the type of movies, TV programs, games, music and books they should avoid then there would be no confusion by anyone. But as it stands they don’t and thus are partly to blame.

The church although it may have the ear of the parent’s, they rarely, if ever directly tell them the treachery of allowing their children to indulge in our cultures type of entertainment. Nor do they give them a reasonable explanation as to why these things should be avoided by them as well. In fact, the church does not take seriously the direct attack of Satan upon its members by these influences. Quite often they are oblivious to these issues; surrounded by the bubble of their own Christian sphere of friends. Or simply don’t see Satan as a threat to them at all!

But I think the foremost reason as to why our culture is embracing witchcraft is they are not getting spiritually fed at church. We are created spiritual beings, albeit trapped inside this demanding body, so we are innately drawn toward spiritual things. For it is only through the spirit can you know and have a relationship with God. The church talks a good game but so many give little guidance as to how to SAFELY connect with God in a spiritual way.

Some churches give classes as to how to be a better Lutheran, Presbyterian, or Catholic. Even if you are in a non-denominational church you are required to attend classes about how to serve your church better and the requirements for being a better member. Where are the classes on holiness and righteousness? What about fasting to connect better with God? Forget those stupid classes on how to be a better person by being a “greeter” at the front door, or how to properly “pass the plate”...let’s see some classes on what was so right with Job and so wrong with his friends? I did see once a class on the “Prayer of Jabez” but did anyone take the time to discuss why God chose to hear from him? Who does God listen to and who does he choose to ignore and why? How about a class on that? No one wants to break the bad news to anyone that God does choose to ignore some peoples prayers. No one wants to be the bad guy or make any wise judgments at all! Who around is willing to remove the plank from their brothers eye? Who around is willing to remove the plank from their own eye?

On the flip side of this lack of spirituality, we now see a disturbing trend in classes on Christian mysticism, disguised as discovering your gifts from the Holy Spirit. Classes on “How to be a prophet” completely ignoring the fact that it is God who chooses HIS prophets....NOT any one church, person or teacher. It is NOT a learned behavior; it is a gift! These classes are complete with lessons on how to ‘practice’ your gift and giving what they call a safe environment to do so; in other words, if you are wrong no one will judge you! We see classes in “How to speak in tongues” as if it were a lesson like Spanish or Latin. In many cases ‘words of knowledge’ have become little more than the Christian version of soothsayer. If you attend these classes and desire to receive one of these gifts BEFORE God has tested and refined you....you WILL receive a counterfeit spirit and a counterfeit gift. This is tantamount to Church sanctioned witchcraft!

The article discussed above takes a look at Wicca’s and other forms of witchcraft that are having a surge in America but failed to look at the church and its own sanctioned version of witchcraft. No one wants to take a stand against that for fear you will be tarred and feathered! I know FIRST HAND that if you take a stand against any of the shenanigans going on in the charismatic movement you will be singled out and they will want to lay hands on you and deliver you from the spirit of “religiosity”! This leaves them and all those involved in the counterfeit spiritual movement open to embracing any other counterfeit doctrines of men, to include some Wicca practices.

Then if you are in a mainstream denomination that is NOT charismatic, you will rarely ever hear about the spiritual aspects of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They would rather not move in these gifts at all than to go in the direction where they could possibly be made to look foolish. Knowing what is genuine is work; hard, hard work which requires a great deal of wisdom and discernment on the part of leadership. So they just avoid it all together by stating that the gifts of the Holy Spirit left with the apostolic age.

Our churches need people who are willing to do the HARD spiritual work that will result in mature churches that can NOT be deceived by man’s doctrine. Not churches that would rather keep them busy moving furniture for scrap book meetings, setting up tables for clothing swap night, printing out bulletins that will be thrown away at the end of service, pouring over financial records to determine who is giving the most and the least, counting the number of people who attend service, picking the color of drapes and carpet....it is no surprise to me that American’s are embracing witchcraft. Where else can they find a meaningful spiritual connection and the charismatic folks, to their credit, won’t let you dance around naked...well not yet anyway!

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No Apologetics Necessary?

By Julie Lucas

March 5, 2008 - Anyone that defends the faith of Christianity earns the title “apologist”. Men like Lee Strobel a journalist who wrote “A Case For Christ” detailed his journey through the New Testament to uncover the facts behind Jesus life, His resurrection and to show that He really was the son of God. He also wrote another best selling book “A Case for Faith” which lays out the arguments against believing in Christ because of those all too nagging questions like, “If God is love, why is there so much suffering in the word” or “Why would a God of love eternally torture some in Hell?” He uses his investigative prowess to answer these barriers to faith. He is not alone of course, since Christ’s ascension there have been a long line of prominent apologists. They find that our commission to “preach the good news” requires us to grapple and be able to answer some of these tough questions if we are to successfully reach the lost.

Or does it?

In some denominations of Christianity there is a belief that you have to be chosen or preordained to be saved. But does God predestine men for salvation? For those who follow the teachings of men like John Calvin for instance, they believe that God selects those who will be saved and the “irresistible grace” that forces a person into that salvation knowledge of Christ. Are these teachings accurate? Does God really select who will be saved? Wouldn’t that negate our free will?

Jesus said: “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew 11:27

Does this simple verse mean that God reveals Himself only to those He chooses?

Another verse used to justify this teaching is...

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

Of course this verse is talking about Jeremiah, a formidable Old Testament prophet, but many use this to say that God knows all of us and had predestined us to serve Him.

This is where searching the scriptures is crucial in knowing the truth FOR YOURSELF!

Many, many church denominations follow a great deal of the Protestant reformation teachings. This predestination theology is but a part. What does YOUR church believe? If you don’t know, find out! Is it more important to know the truth or to live blissfully in deception?

Here is what the bible says:

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4, emphasis mine.

And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:15, emphasis mine.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16, emphasis mine.

Jesus said: “I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.” Luke 12:8, emphasis mine.

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Acts 2:21, emphasis mine.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:10-13, emphasis mine.

I do, however, agree that there are individuals set apart for the purposes of God, Jeremiah for instance, and God has a preordained plan for them before they are born. For most of us we are just typical, everyday people doing the “grunt” work. That does not mean however than we mean any less to Him than those who were predestined to be martyrs or special saints. Most of us won’t die a martyr’s death thank goodness, but we are set apart from the world none the less. Sometimes doing the average menial labor in the spiritual foxholes can be just as trying to our souls as being abandoned in a prison and beheaded all the while knowing your Lord and Savior could have spared our life. It is in these trials and tests that measures a man’s character and resolve; making him worthy to be a priest for eternity!

A great resource if you care to look into the theology of predestination further is: http://www.lifeandpeace.com/book7b.pdf.

And as always, NEVER take my word for it....look it up YOURSELF!

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When can a Christian divorce?

By Julie Lucas

February 27, 2008 - If you have been married for more than fifteen minutes you know there are many things about your spouse that DRIVE YOU CRAZY!!! But when do they become serious enough to divorce?

The bible says that the only justifiable reason for divorce is infidelity and/or if your spouse is an unbeliever and they are the one pursuing the divorce. These situations do not REQUIRE you to divorce, of course if there is anyway you can forgive and move on, with Christ’s help it is better to stay together.

But there are other very serious issues, that although the bible does not mention these as a reason for divorce, are certainly responsible for a majority of divorces here in America. Issues such as verbal, physical or sexual abuse; substance addiction, pornography addictions, financial irresponsibly, just to name a few. Are we justified in divorcing our spouse over these reasons? They certainly sound reasonable! Well, I have to go with the bible, you should not divorce. But here is my personal advice that you probably won’t hear from a pastor, but can help speed along a reconciliation that will make your marriage stronger or free you in a God ordained way.

If your spouse is engaging in seriously destructive behaviors it is not only damaging you but will also be very damaging to your children as well. You need to take a stand, but do it in love and in Christ. All things should be done with the hope of reconciliation. Begin by examining your part in your spouses’ destructive behavior: Are you a codependent? Do you contribute to the atmosphere of conflict and strife? Make lists, contact friends and family, meet with a counselor on your own. After you have examined yourself, make the necessary changes and see if the behavior of your spouse improves. Sometimes our spouse plays off of our own issues.

If, at this juncture, your spouse is the same or worse, you will need to take the next step. You should never take this next step alone, meet with your pastor, and get support from friends and family. I am not saying you need their permission or their input; you will need friends and family to fall back on when you need emotional and spiritual support. Pick people who are safe and responsible. Do NOT choose anyone who justifies or supports your spouses’ bad behavior. You need to select a date and time safe for you to leave, set up legal parameters such as a separation agreement or another agreement that will safeguard you and your children’s best interests. Then establish separate residences until your spouse changes these destructive behaviors. If your spouse is dangerous then you may not want to disclose the location. Make all the necessary safe guards YOU feel are necessary. Only YOU know exactly how much danger you are in! NEVER, EVER mention or use the word “divorce” as a weapon. The entire purpose of this temporary separation is to work on reconciliation. Even if you feel your spouse is a danger, it is amazing what the work of the Holy Spirit can do if unencumbered by people trying to pretend the situation does not exist. It is at this time when the “truth can set you free”. Either your spouse will come to terms with their shortcomings, or the Holy Spirit will make a way so you can be free.

If your spouse chooses to continue in their bad behavior then you need to be patient and wait. Sometimes this takes a very long time to work itself out, but you made that commitment when you married them that it would be “for better or for worse”. But never give up hope that they will change. You need to wait patiently and in love for the impending divorce to be initiated by your spouse or your eventual replacement. This will most likely involve infidelity and if so, you are then free to pursue a divorce on your own if you so choose.

If you take all these steps with a great deal of fervent prayer, and in kindness, gentleness, patience and love the outcome will be peace for you!

If you marriage does end in divorce, always keep the door open for a reconciliation until the time you remarry. The next time: DO NOT BE UNEQUALLY YOKED! Marry only someone who takes as seriously as you do your relationship with God!

My favorite book on marriage is: Help Me I’m Married by Joyce Meyer. Her funny, common sense approach is refreshing. If you need some good old fashion advice to solving those everyday problems that simply drive you crazy; she is your read!

If however, your marriage needs a little more help but you or your spouse is not up for counseling, try Boundaries in Marriage by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.

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Falling in Love with God’s Heart

By Julie Lucas

February 22, 2008 - Can you remember the first time you fell in love? It could be romantic love or it could be the love of a family member, friend or simply something or someplace. Most of us have encountered many different forms of love in our life, but I am talking about that love you would die for, go to war for, you would sacrifice everything for, the kind of love that keeps you awake at night and wakes you up early in the morning.

For many of us it is our family; most importantly our children. The doctor hands us this tiny baby and for the first time you get to look into the eyes that will melt your heart everyday for the rest of your life. From that day forward you can only think about their welfare. How to protect them, love them, teach them and shelter them. How to discipline them in love without breaking their spirit but making them men and women of high moral character.

I wonder, on the day that God created Adam and Eve if He did not feel this same kind of love and adoration? If He did not have those same hopes? But then something went horribly wrong. Satan swooped in and tempted Gods most beloved creation to sin. And Adam and Eve took the bait. I think that this blue print of parental care is the way in which God teaches us His true love, compassion and character.

To know Him really is to love Him, but do you really know God’s heart? If you read the Old Testament it is rife with warnings, calamities and God’s unforgettable wrath. What many of us seem to miss is His love and compassion.

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:13, NIV, NIV.

.When God sent a prophet like Isaiah, Joel, Jonah or Ezekiel, He really hoped that the nation they were prophesying to, Judah or Israel, would turn from the sin they were committing and embrace His ways; God’s call to holiness. Jonah had some success and Nineveh turned from its sin, albeit temporarily, and was spared disaster. That is His hope for all of us. You might ask yourself, what sin could possibly be so terrible as to destroy an entire nation of people?

Let’s begin here. They lusted after idols, which are really nothing more than demons...

Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices. Ezekiel 6:9, NIV. Emphasis mine.

No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 1 Corinthians 10:20, NIV. Emphasis mine.

They committed adultery and prostitution...

your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution! I have seen your detestable acts on the hills and in the fields. Jeremiah 13:27, NIV. Emphasis mine.

You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and provoked me to anger with your increasing promiscuity. Ezekiel 16:26, NIV. Emphasis mine.

They practiced witchcraft...

all because of the wanton lust of a harlot, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft. Nahum 3:4, NIV. Emphasis mine.

And to make matters worse, they sacrificed their own children to idols or demons. This alone would make me pretty “wrathful”...

You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags. Isaiah 57:5, NIV. Emphasis mine.

You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. Ezekiel 16:21, NIV. Emphasis mine.

On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house. Ezekiel 23:39, NIV. Emphasis mine.

When your children disobey or blatantly and wantonly go against your best interests for them, you know they are setting themselves up for hurt and pain. If your child drinks or takes drugs and carouses with other teenagers the potential is quite high for being harmed in an accident, harming someone else or generally getting hurt is more ways than we can account. You stay awake all night; your heart is filled with pain and anguish for them. So just think how horrible things must have gotten for God to have been so grieved that he had to destroy all man from the earth.

The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. Genesis 6:5-6, NIV.

Many of us concentrate on the God who “destroys”, when we should really concentrate on the God who was “grieved” and “filled with pain”; just as we are when our own children take the road that leads to destruction.

God is not so mysterious that we can not understand Him. His call to holiness and righteousness is not only a way in which we can have a closer and more meaningful relationship with Him. But it is a way to spare us the malevolent bondage that Satan seeks for all God’s followers.

Then the dragon [also known as Satan] was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 12:17

Satan’s entire purpose and job on this earth now is to make war with the Saints. Make God the love that you would sacrifice everything for, because isn’t that what He did for you?

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

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Rapture: Truth or Fiction?

By Julie Lucas

Posted February 6, 2008 - Since there has been so much talk recently on TV, magazines, tabloids and new books published about the “end times”, I would like to address the “rapture”. Does it have any biblical text to back it up?

Most Christians really don’t question this “rapture”; it is a part of most Protestant teachings. The “rapture”, for those of you who may be unfamiliar with this term, means that Christians will be taken out of the earth prior to or during the great tribulation period in order to spare God’s people or the “Church” suffering. Although there is nothing specific that states the “church” will be “raptured” from the earth before or during the tribulation it is just assumed. The great tribulation is the Super Bowl of the “end times”. This period will be when the entire event’s depicted in Revelation will take place, ending with the New Jerusalem. I don’t think the “rapture” is going to be anything like the ‘Left Behind’ series but there does seem to be some biblical basis for it for this assumption.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

This verse could however apply to the time in which Jesus judges the entire earth at the end of Revelation. This does not stipulate that this event described above will take place before or even during this great time of tribulation. If it happens after all these things discussed in Revelation occur, well then it is not much of a “rapture” is it? It would just be a sequence of events that would occur as the entire world gets judged. To me and most others, the “rapture” implies that we, as Christians, will not have to suffer through the events of the great tribulation.

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. Revelation 3:10

This verse was spoken to the Church of Philadelphia in Asia, whether any of this applies to us or our generation really is up for great debate.

I think what is more convincing evidence for the “rapture” is the story of Noah and Lot. Everyone knows the story of Noah in Genesis 6. Noah was the only man who found favor in the eyes of the Lord at that time.

The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:5-8

God destroyed the entire earth, save Noah, his family and the animals specifically selected by God.

The other story in Genesis 19 is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; to include the escape of Lot and his daughters for Abraham’s sake.

By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis 19:23-26.

There is other evidence throughout the bible that God’s servants are spared, rescued or even given great places of great rank during times of exile and trouble. I still haven’t answered affirmatively if there will be in fact a “rapture”. The evidence would point towards God’s mercy for those who are faithful.

Jesus said: “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36

But there is also a great deal of evidence that those who belong to Him will also be tested during this great tribulation. God has given specific instructions concerning His people.

And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who DID NOT have the seal of God on their foreheads. Revelation 9:3-4, emphasis mine.

Assuming there is no “rapture”, it would be easy to conclude from this verse that there would be a remnant of God’s people left on the earth at this time. However, this verse could apply to those who give their lives to Christ AFTER the “rapture” and the great tribulation has begun.

For I know God’s heart, so I’m placing my bet on the “rapture” to take place before the worst part of the great tribulation! But in the words of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to King Nebuchadnezzar when he was about to throw them in the fiery furnace because they refused to bow down and worship the idol he set up...

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No Politics in the Pulpit?

By Julie Lucas

January 29, 2008 - Is a smile, a polite handshake and a “no-politics-in-the-pulpit” policy good for America? My answer of course is NO!!!! Did I say NO strong enough? Did anyone miss the NO!

Joel Osteen, one of the most popular televangelist on TV today, author of several books to reach the New York Times Best Sellers List and was named “Most Influential Christian in America” in 2006 by The Church Report, has declared that politics has no place in his pulpit. Osteen has also been criticized by many for preaching too much on prosperity gospel, which focuses on good health and prosperity for Christians, and not enough on sin.

What is his major concern for not doing so? “Osteen noted [in his interview with the Christian Post] that what he doesn’t like is when Christian leaders get a label because they become too political. ‘That’s what I don’t like. When it’s too politicized,’ he stated. ‘There’s a fine line there, but I think we can’t just sit back and let everybody else express their views. I think it’s important that we as believers in Christ express our views.’” But not by a politician who will be running your country, administering laws, making life or death decisions, I presume! I am not criticizing his ministry as a whole, only this aspect.

Politics in America is deeply intertwined with religion whether the atheists, ACLU or the AU like it or not. If that were not the case, would every candidate be espousing some religious belief? Clinton carrying around her bible and quoting scripture. Obama declaring “I am a Christian” in light of Muslim accusations. Romney defending Mormonism. Huckabee espousing his Christian philosophy. Giuliani gets the backing of CBN’s Pat Robertson even though he claims to be Catholic. And McCain who has written movingly and mentioned in passing how his faith has sustained him through all his horrendous ordeals.

Clearly religion matters to voters! The way a country is managed matters to God! My conclusion: If the moral condition of your nation matter’s to God, then the leaders that get elected not only matter to Him, but should ultimately matter to me as well. I know I have been hitting this subject hard and heavy recently, but it is vitally important for the survival of our religious freedom and our nation.

I have heard the argument “render unto Caesar’s what is Caesar’s; render unto God what is God’s” as a way of dismissing God’s participation in the political landscape. This verse, clearly taken out of context, is talking about money, not politics. When Jesus returns in Revelation it will be to judge and govern the nations. In the Old Testament nations were destroyed because of their harsh actions toward the people, the idols that they worshipped, and the lack of justice in the land. Our nation is standing on the edge of total annihilation, not by some terrorist, not by some whacko extremist, not by some bomb or biological threat, but by a God who seeks justice. He may use these tools mentioned to bring about His desired end, but it will be solely our undoing. We may not see it in our life-time but if we continue on the un-Godly, immoral path of flawed legislation, lack of true justice and not protect the innocent, you can be sure God will reign down His justice at some point in our history.

With that little apocalyptic lecture said, should the clergy avoid discussing politics in the pulpit? Only if they don’t care about God’s justice. Ignoring God’s justice will not make it go away...

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'

"But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.

 " 'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD Almighty.” Zechariah 7:9-13, NIV

[Source: Joel Osteen: Politics is Good, But Not in My Pulpit (Christian Post)]

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Gideon’s Best!

By Julie Lucas

Posted January 23, 2008 - There is a crisis in today’s modern Church. Books like “Revolution” by George Barna attempt to explain this mass exodus by men and women as people who are seeking a more meaningful religious experience. Another explanation is presented in a more recent book by David Morrow called ‘Why Men Hate Going to Church’. This book interestingly enough takes a whole different approach to this mass exodus by blaming the feminization of America. David Kupelian with WorldNetDaily read this book and states that David Morrow attempts to document “the feminization of the modern Christian church, which the author says caters to women, children and the elderly by creating a safe, boring, predictable environment. Although many men, he insists, really do desire an authentic faith experience, they consider run-of-the-mill church services to be tedious and irrelevant. (Interestingly, this is much the same observation some critics of public education have made about today's schools – that they're geared more toward holding girls' attention than boys'.)” [Source: If God is everywhere, why do so few people find Him? (WorldNetDaily)]

I too am one of those who left the church to seek a more fulfilling relationship with the Lord and quite frankly as a woman I did not feel any sense that the Church was catering to women; quite the opposite. For me personally, the churches that I checked out didn’t have a meaningful women’s ministry or very challenging bible study courses for my taste. Most churches put the women in the service areas such as day care, Sunday school, catering for events, visiting the sick or new members, and the like. I am NOT saying that these areas are not important; I am just saying that sometimes this can grossly under utilize the gifts in which many women have been endowed.

Sadly, most traditional churches are run exclusively by men, for men. Then you have the churches operated by a women pastor or a great deal of women in leadership with a good balance of biblical teaching and guidance, but they are in no better condition than the ones run exclusively by males. What’s up with that??

My personal observations have been that they don’t cater to women, most churches cater to society. They don’t give the tough, hard messages for fear they will lose members or lose tithe money. Some give classes hoping to mature the believers that are truly seeking that deeper relationship, but then require, even belittle or ostracize those individuals who do not attend Sunday-go-to meetin’. Thus putting the emphasis NOT on their personal relationship with God, but on Sunday; where you simply get no fellowship with other believers, you just sit dutifully and listen to the sermon. Then following the service everyone runs for the Golden Corral. Most churches do a great job with praise and worship and cater that to a very entertaining and riveting experience. But how many leave feeling any different than they went in??? Any more holy? Any more righteous? Where did it all go wrong?

I’ve heard many say that God has not yet released His full anointing on the church. We are all just waiting on Him. Of course, I disagree. Let me start with scripture...

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” Luke 8:4-8

Jesus went on to explain to His disciples: “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” Luke 8:11-15

Simply put, most churches are catering to the seedling that did NOT fall on good soil. Thus we have a crop choked by thorns, thistles, briers, starving for water and beat down by life. I am not talking about those truly in need of a good, gentle, safe place to heal from the wounds of the world. I am talking about those who refuse to extricate themselves from the thorns, thistle and briers of the world and refuse to drink from the “living” water so their roots can go deep and strong. You know those who have one foot in the world and one foot in the Church.

Then there is the good soil Christian. They don’t need to go to church but many still do. They don’t need to sit in a pew every Sunday or even participate in the programs because their meaningful experience with God is EVERYDAY! They worship by themselves, with friends and/or family. They pray by themselves, with friends and/or family. They reach out to others not through some program set up through their Church or some other ministry, but to their neighbors, co-workers and friends. They drink daily from the cup of “living” water. They hear from God and He directs their steps. They don’t need any other guidance than that of the Holy Spirit. To many this idea is tantamount to blaspheme; but to me I’ve seen these people. In home Churches, in fellowship gatherings, at celebrations with like minded people....this is the future of God’s church. That is why the “building” called the Church is in crisis, when in fact God’s just looking for an army of Gideon’s best! This is God’s Church!

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Preacher: Make it YOUR business!

By Julie Lucas

Posted January 16, 2008 - Everyone in ministry is well aware of the restrictions placed on them by the IRS code 501 (c) (3) for non-profit groups, which include most churches and ministries. Here is some history on this restriction...

Lyndon B. Johnson, then Senate Minority Leader, added a floor amendment to provide that IRC 501(c)(3) organizations may not "participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office." Johnson stated ". . . [t]his amendment seeks to extend the provisions of section 501 of the House bill, denying tax-exempt status to not only those people who influence legislation but also to those who intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office." 100 Cong. Rec. 9,604 (1954). [Source: IRS Publication, Election Year Issues]

Now the church and the ones called into ministry by God run scared of having their tax exempt status taken away. More recently, in Iowa, Pastors were receiving threats that “sermons on election issues would result in prison”. WOW that is pretty bold! But they are only idle threats made by anonymous persons; no doubt some of the ACLU and AU supporters.

Many groups like the Liberty Counsel, American Center for Law and Justice, and the Rutherford Institute have made it their business defending the rights of Christians, churches and ministries who come under fire by this rogue IRS code.

“Pastors should throw away the muzzles that some wish to impose on them and replace them with megaphones,” asserted Mathew Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, in a statement. “It was sermons of pastors that fueled the American Revolution.”

My plea to all pastors, ministers, preachers and teachers is the same! The Lord has not given you a “spirit of timidity”....Do not be intimidated by the world but do what YOU KNOW in your heart God has called you to do! For you have not yet suffered to the point of shedding blood...

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Hebrews 11:32-34

God has called you to minister to a nation that was founded on Christian principles. Do not abandon your anointed posts for how do you know that you have not been called “for such a time as this”?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

Make the laws of our nation YOUR business. Make the morality of our country YOUR business. Make the leader of our land YOUR business! And start in YOUR pulpit!!

Source: Pastors Encouraged to Preach on Political Issues During Primaries (Christian Post)

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Prosperity Gospel: Real or Counterfeit?

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. Luke 16:13-15

Posted January 9, 2007 - The “prosperity gospel” has long been attacked by leaders in the Christian community as a false message meant to lead men and women of God astray. But no matter how many of these leaders stand before the body of Christ and explain, rationally and biblically the errors of their ways, still many, many buy into it (so to speak) and are led down the wide path to destruction. This issue again has come to light as Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) continues his investigation of some extremely wealthy “prosperity gospel” ministries.

The bible warns numerous times of false prophets who will deceive many. But could this gospel of prosperity really be included in this warning? Could our modern day prosperity gospel teachers be like the “Pharisees” of old? Well let’s look at the biblical text in which they base their message on and YOU can decide for yourself...

And my personal favorite “prosperity” verse:

Are these verses really saying that if you follow in Gods ways that He will prosper you financially? No, I’m afraid not. God is simply saying that you will prosper, as your soul prospers. And anyone who follows His ways know that peace and joy in our world really is about as close as you get to true prosperity. If you don’t believe me just ask Brittney Spears about her prosperity. Would she trade it ALL for true peace and joy?

In any event, if the prosperity gospel were a true reflection on the prosperity God intends for you to have, Peter and John, the apostles of Jesus, would have been the richest men on earth; but in fact they claimed to have no money. This verse is also an excellent example of God’s prosperity for the lame man…

 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. Acts 3:1-7, NIV.

I bet that day, if you had asked the lame man which was more prosperous to him: money or healing? I’m sure you can guess what he would have said.

So are the prosperity gospel teachers using your money that could be more wisely spent on the poor and needy and splurging on their own selfish needs and desires? I don’t know? I try to judge everything by scripture, so let’s see what Jesus said to the rich young ruler who wanted to get into heaven. This rich young man claimed he had kept all the commandments of God…

 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:21-23, NIV

I’m not sure how long the prosperity gospel has been around, but I do know one thing, it is a decidedly foolish use of scripture. And to rely on the doctrines of “men” is also not wise. Rely only on God’s word and if you are still unsure, lean on the Holy Spirit to help you understand…

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Evangelical Smackdown!

Posted November 14, 2007 - The past week or so seems like it has been one presidential candidate smackdown after another! It goes without saying the Democrats are getting ugly, but things are really getting heated up for the Republicans too.

First Pat Robertson endorses Rudy Giuliani (R-NY), then the National Right to Life endorses Fred Thompson (R-TN) and rumor has it, Dr. James Dobson is planning to endorse Mike Huckabee (R-AR).

Evangelicals are now boycotting Pat Robertson and Randall Terry, Founder of Operation Rescue is leading the protest at CBN! National Right to Life is taking hits about statements made by Fred Thompson and his idea that abortions should be a decision for each individual state to make and not a federal decision. And poor John McCain (R-AZ) he can’t get any evangelicals to endorse him and really he is the most entertaining of the bunch! Maybe not the best candidate, but hands down he has the right attitude!

Ooooops, I almost forgot about Mitt Romney (R-MA) but he is Mormon and among us evangelicals, really what chance has he got?

I am not saying that evangelicals can agree on much, but it really should be universal that the premeditated murder of innocent babies in the womb should take the front spot. If God is not with us then what chance do we have even if we have the best Army and weaponry in the world? Right about here is where I would place a few really great scripture verses to make my point, but if you can’t see where it is that I am coming from, then you are completely deceived and nothing else I say will sway your decision (but in the future I won’t let that stop me)!

My Mom and several unnamed sources say Dennis Kucinich’s (D-OH) wife is HOT (for those of us who still don’t understand the current slang, “hot” just means she is exceptionally attractive, even for Dennis Kucinich) ! One good YouTube video of her and he could be our next president! Sorry I sound so cynical.

Seriously, is there anyone else out there that thinks our country should have a scavenger hunt to look for our moral character?

 

Sources:

Evangelicals Boycott Pat Robertson (Christian Newswire)
Protest at CBN: Reproving Pat Robertson for Backing Rudy Giuliani; Randall Terry, Founder of Operation Rescue, to Lead Protest at CBN (Christian Newswire)
Fred Thompson Rejects GOP's Pro-Life Platform Plank (CNS News)

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Pastors, Don’t Be Next!

Posted November 12, 2007 - In an interesting legal twist in Finland, a Pastor is on trial for criminal discrimination as a result of refusing to work with a homosexual female Pastor. I say this, not because I am concerned that Finland is going to take over the world and we will be subject to Finnish law, but because we have right here in our own country enough legal maneuvering to concern us. [Pastor on trial for refusal to work with female minister (WorldNetDaily)]

On November 7th, the Congress approved the deceptively named Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that would put many Christians in the work place in a very compromising position. Let’s say you have a scripture verse as your screen saver and it offends the worker in the next cubicle...well off to court you could go! Then moving along to simply having a bible or any other Christian paraphernalia located on your desk and someone deems it offensive, again, off to court you could go! Oh, the litigation will never end. You think getting a Christmas tree put up in your office is controversial; you just wait and see what will happen next if this Act passes the Senate too!

This piece of legislation opens the doors for all kinds of future misuse by radical judges, and we all know there are plenty of those just waiting for the opportunity to make a radical precedent. This ushers in the imposition of same sex marriage, civil unions, health benefits and more on states who have voted against it in the past.

This approved bill has banned “most employers from considering a person's ‘actual or perceived sexual orientation’ when it comes to hiring, firing and promotion decisions.” This poorly thought out bill does not exempt religious bookstores or businesses. “Churches and the military are exempt from the bill's provisions.” [Republicans Say ENDA 'Takes Dead Aim at Religious Freedom' (CNS News)]

To me it is not a stretch then that the future of this Act and others like the hate crimes bill will lead directly to including the military and churches in these provisions. I am not trying to be an alarmist here, but I see a very scary trend in our country. Then we will be following in the footsteps of our world neighbor, Finland, to whom taking a stand for your religious beliefs has now become criminal!

Make sure your call, email, write or FAX your congressmen in Washington! Yeah, it’s that important!

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Tax-Exemption Under Fire by Senate!

Posted November 8, 2007 - In case you missed it yesterday, a full frontal assault is now being waged to revoke the tax-exempt status of several well known televangelists. The Senate Finance Committee spear headed by Republican Sen. Charles Grassley has launched an investigation into allegations of abusing their tax-exempt status. Those included in this investigation are Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, Joyce Meyer and Paula White. They are all required to submit financial records by December 6 th.

The Senate Finance Committee may or may not have a legitimate claim to their investigation, but it is crucial to understand that the waters are being tested for a full assault on the rights of ALL CHURCHES to claim a tax-exempt status. This investigation is just the beginning of a new push to change legislation, not just for religious broadcasting, but for all religious tax-exempt status holders in general.

It really should go without saying that all religious organizations should be set up with a legitimate system of checks and balances or join fiscally responsible groups such as the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability at ECFA.org. The nation, if not the world, has a sharp eye on our financial integrity as well as our moral character. We are representatives of God in everything, including our financial duties! Everything we do should be done to the glory of God!

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU) have been pushing for the removal of tax-exemption for Churches and ministries for years. Or maybe they have just been using tax-exemption as leverage to keep those church leaders and ministers who dare to speak up quiet. In any event, if the government pushes this issue to the next level it will only blow up in their faces. The leverage that they have had for so long will be gone and those who were only in it for the money will move on to some other scam. But those who are committed to holiness and righteousness will no longer have a reason to sit back and say nothing. The gloves will come off and with the unified voice of the Godly Christian men and women of America, being encouraged by their church leadership who now have no reason to be silent, can take on with full steam all the evil’s that prevail in this country. I personally think it would be the best thing to ever happen to Christianity since....well, we came to a new world to worship God in freedom!

I for one will be praying that this is the event that will set in motion the true freedom for our Church!

Just a side note: When you consider giving a donation to an established ministry, please check each of them out at MinsitryWatch.com first! They are a great organization who keep track of the spending of some of these ministries or will disclose if they refuse to release their financial records. It’s easy to check and well worth it if you ask me!

See these related articles:

Republican Senator Investigating Televangelists ( Washington Post)
MinistryWatch.com Praises Sen. Grassley's Call for Financial Disclosure (Christian Newswire)
Joyce Meyer Ministries Statement Regarding Senator Grassley's Letter (Christian Newswire)

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Speak up Baptists!

Posted November 2, 2007 - Holding a sign “Thank God for dead soldiers”, the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas has gained a reputation for being fanatics, in a not so good kind of way. They protest at funerals of soldiers killed in the war. One father has fought back and won! In fact he was just awarded 10.9 million for his pain and suffering. Westboro Baptist Church plans to appeal and feels confident that they are in the right.

I know every Christian pundit out there has given their two cents on this horrifying and tragic misrepresentation of God’s love. It is to this end that Christians receive the name of judgmental hypocrite. But really, I would like to just clear the air about all our seriously poor, albeit well earned reputation!

Not all of us feel this way about those in bondage to homosexuality. The church as a whole has done a serious disservice to the gays in our country. We have not given them hope, and isn’t that what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about?

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Jesus did not come to condemn the world, He came to save it; to set it free; to give us hope. Without hope we have nothing! We have not given the homosexual community a reason to hope that they could be set free from the chains that they are bound by. I know many feel they have no choice but to live as they do. Some, no doubt, want to live a lifestyle that would afford them a family and a life of fulfilling commitment.

I haven’t heard too many of the churches take a stand against Westboro Baptist Church. I know the few that have are relegated to the last page of the paper, if it is reported on at all. We need to take a serious, hard-line stand against anyone who claims to speak for God but seriously misrepresents the gospel. I for one am horrified!

I would like to encourage all other Baptist churches to SPEAK OUT against Westboro Baptist Church! They are fundamentally wrong in their approach. If they are so bent on the destruction of homosexuality, then they should reach out in love and give them hope, not condemnation!

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Let the Holy Spirit Be Your Guide

Posted September 19, 2007 - Bible interpretations abound. Is the King James really the bible version used by God? As if God needs His own bible in case He forgets a verse. Are you a Calvin or Hobbes...kidding...are you a Calvin or a Wesley? Do you follow the interpretations of “ancient interpreters” or “modern scholars?

There have been so many books written on every topic and verse in the bible with everyone claiming to have the corner on the market of knowledge, for that particular scripture verse anyway. There are books written on how to study the bible. There are books that will take you through the bible in a year. There are books that give your favorite preacher, author, or speaker their personal opinions on their favorite scriptures on each page. In some cases, almost every verse has their personal take. There are bibles that tell you how to apply each verse to your life. There are bibles that remove all reference to gender and make it entirely gender neutral (how they pulled that one off I’m sure I don’t want to know)! There are blogs, websites, magazines, books, videos, DVD’s, CD’s, papers, thesis, conferences, classes, seminars and so much more to choose from. If you are feeling really nervy and want to thoroughly confuse yourself, just Goggle a bible topic and see how many “opinions” you will get.

Okay, so you understand what it is I am saying. The task of bible study is daunting and to simply sit down and read the bible is a complicated business. For many of us brave enough to tackle this insurmountable project we have discovered it is a lifetime labor of love. For us it will take a lifetime to unlock the unfolding mysteries within its sacred pages. For those of you who have never picked one up and said “it is just too difficult and I don’t really believe in God anyway”; you condemn words with no evidence, you criticize what you do not know and pick apart those who find comfort, peace, joy and enlightenment among its pages. You seriously are missing out on one incredible journey!

For others still it is just downright painful and perplexing, but are condemned by our church family for not reading it daily! Legalism has set in and you find yourself reading it without any rhyme or reason. You have joined bible study groups, gotten the workbook, maybe a bumper sticker and even tried to memorize a few verses. You still come away saying, “what was that?” or “how does anyone really get anything from that?” Seriously, what is a person to do?

Did God set it up this way? To be complicated beyond reason and too difficult to fathom?

The answer is yes He did! The bible and its verses can be broken down into one of several different categories...

One and two are easily understood enough and I believe that this is the “milk” to which Paul speaks of in Hebrews 5.

Three and four are more easily understood by the mature and I believe this is the “solid food” to which Paul speaks of in Hebrews 5. The most important part of this is not that the Christian is more “mature”, but the additional explanation that is necessary to explain it, the “but by who” part, is accomplished by the HOLY SPIRIT. Sure, there are many, many interpretations out there done by the most scholarly of men. Some incredibly enlightened explanations have come from those who have barely, if at all, graduated from high school. Because the explanation does not come from them but the One who created them so it is beyond rationalization.

Five....well, you’ll never get the explanation to those verses because you aren’t meant to and no matter how scholarly the “interpreter” may seem, it will only be misinformation.

So what next? You want to understand the bible but you feel wholly inadequate? Good, that is exactly where you should be.... you were never meant to read the bible alone. You have a Helper, a Comforter and a Teacher to assist you! I’m not saying that extra-biblical books and texts are not helpful, but they should all be brought along side the bible as you are led by the Holy Spirit. Pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit to help you understand...He will, that is His job.

If you are not a Christian or have not asked Jesus into your heart you will never get the true meaning and never will you understand the mysteries that it unfolds no matter how many other books you read, scholars you speak to or websites you Google.

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Provided by the Library of Congress

 

Overcome Evil with Good!

Posted September 11. 2007 - On the anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, we all think back to where we were, how we felt and who we were with as we watched, many of us live, the tragedies unfolding in New York, Washington DC and in a little field in Pennsylvania.

We called family, friends and loved ones just to hear their voices. For most of us our hearts were broken...today I can’t even watch the images on TV without being brought to tears and humility.

We are called to “pray for our enemies and bless those who curse us”. Matthew 5:44-45. This does not mean we pray for their success or their well being. This means that we should pray that the Lord will reveal their sin, they will turn from their ways and seek God’s face. This is the real meaning of love...to pray they will come to salvation knowledge of the one true God; not some weird, man-made, “kill the infidel” god. Pray that they will be released from the bonds of Satan and experience the love of Jesus.

We should NEVER pray evil upon our enemies because vengeance belongs to the Lord.

He is a God who loves “righteousness and justice”! Psalm 33:5

Some would say that going to war is not a part of God’s plan, however I would disagree. I feel it is our duty as a country “under God” to set free those living under Satan’s tyranny and injustice. To give others the opportunity that we all take for granted right here at home. To be set free to hear the “good news”! Something that our fore fathers thought important enough to go to war so that future generations could live free, and it wasn’t nearly as horrific as the conditions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Wouldn’t you want someone to set you free from a brutal dictatorship that ruled with injustice and cruelty! I think that is something God could get behind.

I’ve heard it said that not everyone wants to be free and we should not force “our form” of freedom on someone else. Let’s not forget for one moment that it is not about us. It is not about you and it is not about me. It is about them. It is about “their” form of freedom and they all should have the opportunity to experience it.

The evil perpetrated on 9/11 will not be forgotten, however, it is our duty as Christians to “over come evil with good”. In addition to praying for our enemies, David Paine and Glenn Winuck, co-founders of MyGoodDeed.org have come up with another way we can turn a tragedy into a day of hope... turn “9/11 into a day of service, charity, and good deeds”. [Source: In 9/11 remembrance, a turning to good deeds (Yahoo News/Christian Science Monitor)]

So do something for someone else today in remembrance of the sacrifices of our fellow citizens on September 11, 2001! And as always...pray!

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Be brave church and eat your meat!

Most church signs in front of their buildings display very nice passages like... “What is missing in CH RCH!” or at Christmas time you might see, “Jesus is the reason for the season”. If they are really bold and daring they might put up signs saying: “God’s last name is not dammit!” or “It’s a baby not a choice!” As long as that is all they say and they do not make themselves a threat to the liberal agenda.

But one church in Wichita, Kansas has had something different to say this year! One of their more recent signs identifies their biggest abortion peddler as the biggest politician in the state of Kansas as well. This makes Spirit One Christian Center in Wichita my “ HERO CHURCH OF THE DAY!”...well every day until I find another church willing to stand up for holiness as they have.

George Tiller, aka “Tiller the Killer” is Kansas’ most notorious late term abortionist in the state. He not only is under fire by the media, Bill O’Reilly in particular and many other conservatives but has had criminal charges filed against him by the state Attorney General Phil Kline. Dr. George Tiller has posted a few signs of his own: “Women need abortions and I am going to do them, (signed) George Tiller, MD.” (see photo at http://www.dr-tiller.com/biography.htm)

But this is not why I bring this all up. It is because the church that has joined in the fray and taken a stand against this man and abortion in general is now being audited by the IRS.

Why would the IRS care, you might ask yourself?

They are not being audited because they have made some financial infraction, but because they have entered the realm of politics; a serious violation of their 501 (c) 3, tax exempt status. You see, to be “tax exempt” you must never, never, never mention politics or any other hot issue that could be considered a political matter. You can talk about society, morality and it’s affects on our personal lives, but if it is a subject that could affect the outcome of an election or the way in which our judicial system is operated, then it is off limits.

To be more specific, the IRS tax code that dictates tax exemption, you must be in part a religious organization and “no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda”. You might find it interesting to know that in MEESE v. KEEN, 481 U.S. 465 (1987) the U.S. Supreme Court defined “propaganda” in its “neutral sense” that “no substantial part of the activities will be propagating any message (not simply that it will refrain from propagating lies and distortions.)”. As a part of the 501 (c) 3, all churches must wave their first amendment rights and agree that no substantial part of their activity will be “carrying on propaganda” about anything. Under this extremely loose definition, preaching the gospel would be considered “propaganda”! Currently, there is no specific branch of the IRS that oversees non-profit organizations and the IRS tends to only penalize those at its discretion. Only those organizations that manage to become a ‘blip’ on their radar screen are really ever penalized. Spirit One Christian Center has been picked up on their radar and they are now in jeopardy of losing their tax exemption.

“The IRS in a letter to the church said it was concerned about signs on the church building criticizing politicians, as well as e-mails, and Web site postings involving political activity.” (The Church Report, 2007)

This is the biggest intimidation tactic the government and the secular, liberal interest groups like the ACLU and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU for short) have on churches, ministries and organizations out to promote the gospel and try to maintain our country’s moral integrity. Much, I fear, of this country’s moral integrity has been lost due to this piece of legislation alone!

Church leadership and its congregations run in fear of the government. No one is willing to lose a piece of the financial pie. The church doesn’t want to lose its tithe and the congregation doesn’t want to lose its tax deduction! Another seriously sad affliction perpetrated by man on the precious body of Christ!

There was a time “during the Colonial Period that ‘Election Day’ sermons were given encouraging voter participation as well as encouraging individual voters to vote with a Biblical worldview. Unfortunately, because of the intimidation of these liberal interest groups [ACLU, AU], this is no longer the case. Many churches have been intimidated into silence on the critical moral issues that our country now faces.” Jay Sekulow, American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).

Not only are we not rendering unto Ceasar what is Ceasar’s, but we are definitely not rendering unto God what is God’s! Who cares if the IRS takes your tax exempt status away? Who cares if you have to send them a percentage of your proceeds? Jesus did not die on the cross so that we could line our pockets with what turns out to be a measly amount of money for most churches anyway. Trust God and preach the truth. You may find His rewards far outweigh the piddly little amount of tithe money you receive from people.

Some churches and ministries have begun putting away the “baby food” and are now eating the “meat” and serving the “meat” as Limited Liability Corporations (LLC’s) and Incorporations! If that is all it takes to make a difference, does that really seem like such a sacrifice? Not like anyone is going to nail you to a cross or anything....well unless you consider bad publicity and media outrage being nailed to a cross. I do hear it is just as painful!

[Source: IRS Investigates WichitaChurch (The Church Report)]

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What is killing our black American's?

Posted August 8, 2007 - Approximately 1,452 black American’s are killed daily here in the US and no one in the “drive-by” media cares enough to report it! Is it because they don’t care? Or would it simply be professional suicide? For the liberal media elitists it is both. Some web sites have mentioned it, small time blogger’s (like myself) and a few brave clergy have spoken up, but why isn’t there more talking and even more listening?

Living and ministering, ironically in the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan, is Pastor Joseph Parker of Campbell Chapel AME Church in Pulaski, Tennessee. He is making an effort to be heard but what he is saying isn’t really being embraced with open arms. What is killing these black American’s? It is NOT the Ku Klux Klan, it isn’t McDonald’s Big Mac’s, AID’s, gang violence or drive by shootings.

Pastor Parker states emphatically that "Planned Parenthood kills more black people in three days than the Klan has killed in its entire history of existence." [Sources: Abortion #1 killer of blacks, says Tennessee pastor (One News Now)] When I saw that headline, I thought it was a little sensationalized, but then I checked out the stat’s!

The statistics are astonishing. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, black women are almost four times as likely as white women to have an abortion. On average, 1,452 black babies are aborted every day in the United States. [Source: BlackGenocide.org]

If all that isn’t horrifying enough, another Guttmacher statistic states that 43% of those women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27% as Catholic. [Source: Guttmacher.org] Who is shepherding these women? Who has told them what they mean to God? Who has told them what their babies really mean to Him?

He knew us all, not just Jeremiah as this bible quote references. He knew us all before He formed us in the womb. Children are a precious gift from God, to be cherished and raised to know Him.

Children are a reward, not a curse. This is the message we should preach. We should love and embrace them all...even those born out of wedlock or in some other unwanted circumstance.

We desperately need Pastor’s, especially black Pastor’s, to step up to the pulpit and preach the good news AND the bad news! If the mother doesn’t want them, there are many, many other women who would gladly open their arms and their lives to raising, caring and loving those precious gifts from God. We need more to take up the cause; to promote adoption instead of abortion. If you don’t feel confident or comfortable with the subject, invite a guest speaker. Ask someone from Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater, a representative from a local Christian adoption agency, myself, anyone who is familiar with this topic or all of the above. This is a topic that should not be swept under the rug or ignored. These are lives in need of saving. This is the “religion our Father accepts as pure and faultless”......

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

If you are a woman in this precarious position, you are NOT alone! You can contact me and/or Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater for help.

And Pastor’s, keep Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater on your speed dial...they have the will, desire and the resources to help these women in their time of need. Also, consider doing fund raisers in addition to offering them your churches time and/or resources, whatever they might be, to CPC’s mission to save even one.

You can email me at jclucas@TidewaterCrossSection.com..

You can contact Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater (KeimCenters.com) at 499-4444 (24 hours/day). They have clinics throughout Hampton Roads.

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The Spirit of Freedom!

By Julie Lucas

Posted July 1, 2007 - I have copy of John Trumbull’s ‘Signing of the Declaration of Independence’ hanging prominently in my living room with this scripture verse framed below: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

It really is something to gaze upon this inspirational work of art and know that those men put everything on the line so that we may be free. To each other they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.

But Jesus; He paid with His very life. He hung on a cross to set us free; but it is a freedom of a completely different kind. He didn’t come so we could be free to say whatever we like, to pursue happiness on our own terms or even to contract war, peace or establish commerce. Many would say that Jesus died to set us free from the penalty of sin, but in truth He set us free from so much more....

Most of us recognize this verse was not just for the Israelites in Judah, but also for us today. Isaiah wrote about a time when Jesus would be sent to bind up the broken hearted and to set us free from the chains of Satan’s control.

Just simply saying a prayer and asking Jesus into our hearts doesn’t guarantee we will be set free from many of the problems that trouble us. Free from the “penalty” of sin, yes, but many of our pre-Christian troubles hold on, plague us endlessly until we are worn out and unable to serve God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength. It is to this subject I wish to speak. Homosexuality is one problem in particular that continues to plague the church and one no one wants to or even seems capable of addressing. The question is this: Is homosexuality a choice, genetic or simply a lack of self control? Yes, even some Christians have agreed with secular scientists that it could possibly be genetic; a disorder at birth like hydrocephalus or a clef palate.

Shame on us (bible believing, followers of Christ) for not telling the world the truth for fear someone might think we are “crazy”...Really? Like the secular belief that we evolved from monkey’s isn’t a bit touched in the head. Or maybe, we just simply don’t believe the truth ourselves.

It is amazing to me, 2000 years after Christ, we are still arguing about what causes homosexuality. It is only the rise of some amazing technological advances that even puts this whole genetic predisposition to homosexuality argument on the table. Are we born like that? Is it a choice? What could possibly be the explanation? Research study after study has proven nothing. The answer is very simple, but you need to know scripture to fully understand it!

I do not expect those who are not Christians to understand this concept, but if you are a Christian...to say it is a genetic predisposition is, quite frankly, a sin! It absolutely proves your lack of knowledge in biblical doctrine. As a Christian it is YOUR responsibility to ensure you are moving in the direction of maturity; not your pastors, church elders or anyone else. If you claim to be a Christian then you should also believe that the bible is the inerrant word of God. If you do not, then to claim you’re a Christian is a complete misrepresentation of the faith.

Lecture aside, back to the issue at hand: Is homosexuality a choice, genetic or something we are born with?

The answer to this question lies deeply embedded in scripture. It can’t be missed, but so many Christian leaders and ministries, including Dr. James Dobson’s ‘Love Won Out’ ministry seems to do just that! ‘Love Won Out’ began with a couple who were immersed in the homosexual lifestyle and with Gods love, He won out! They hold conferences nationwide to help homosexual’s overcome these desires and demonstrate how to serve the Lord in a Godly, biblical way. All great and necessary teachings, but I think they miss the entire root of homosexuality. They try to explain it in terms of poor self esteem, broken relationships, bad role models and abuse. They encourage those who are struggling to lean on God and He will give you strength to over come these desires! Please don’t misunderstand me, ‘Love Won Out’ is a GREAT ministry and it does hold out hope to all of those trying to overcome homosexuality, but for many homosexuals that urge NEVER goes away and it becomes a daily, almost arduous chore, not to give in to those urges. For many, they fail.

Here is the root of their problem, it is NOT them or their flesh, it is NOT a bad gene, a bad relationship, some horrible event in their lives; although that may have been what opened the door, but it is simply a demonic presence. Something that needs to be cast out!

These ‘powers of this dark world’ are none other than our own home grown ‘demons’. Nothing more, nothing less. Simple and to the point! The kind that Jesus spent most of His ministry casting out of people.

In the ‘end of the age’ or judgment day, according to the bible:

So with just these two verses alone, although I could give you many, many more examples, the bible clearly says our struggle is not our flesh (or our genetic code), it is with the thing that ‘causes sin’!

I have seen first hand how harsh and critical my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are and how quick to judge a homosexual or any other person they see struggling in their sin. My advice to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ: Don’t be so quick to judge the homosexual man or woman; because I guarantee you, YOU are dealing with a few demons of your own! Most importantly they need your love and Christ’s compassion.

To everyone else: If you have ever been hurt by one of us (bible thumping Christians), I would like to ask you for your forgiveness! Please forgive me and any other Christian who has ever hurt you because we judged you! That is not what Jesus has sent us to do! You are a precious gift, made in His image! Never, ever let someone tell you different, no matter who it is!!!

If you struggle with a demon of homosexuality or any other sin issue that keeps your heart, mind, soul and strength preoccupied and unable to do the work of God, seek deliverance; because Jesus died so YOU could be free!

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

Make today YOUR Independence Day!!!

If you are looking for an experienced Deliverance Ministry, start with Stan and Betty Johnson with Glad Tidings Ministry.

If you would like to find out more about Focus on the Family’s, ‘Love Won Out’ Ministry, please visit them on their website..

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Perseverance Equals Character...or so they say!

Posted June 6, 2007 - Presently my walk with God is something akin to the Book of Job. Not that my entire family has been taken away, my fortune has ended up in ruin or my body racked with pain and open sores...well racked with pain sometimes, but mostly my current journey is just about brokenness of spirit and His never ending love through it all. I read Job a lot because it gives me comfort in knowing that He is there, He knows what I am going through, He speaks to me through it all, that this affliction will build my character and healing is coming...eventually.

We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. Romans 5:3-5

It is this supernatural ‘pouring out of love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit’ that I wish to talk about right now. One of my best friends is suffering a broken heart. Her life has been full of personal heart ache and tragedy, but now her 17 year old daughter, to whom she has sacrificed most of her life and personal happiness to raise, is leaving. It isn’t just an empty nest that she is so profoundly aware, it is the deep loneliness that will soon follow and the pain she has endured from a teenager who not only doesn’t see the sacrifices she has made but....well, hates her. Her daughter hates her and is moving far away just to get away from her. She is moving in with her father who is mentally ill and can be at times very brutal. No amount of convincing can persuade this young girl from this very poor choice. Born out of guilt, she will only end up hurt...deeply and painfully hurt. Her mother knows this and her heart is broken. Her trust does not rest in the Lord, so she comforts herself in alcohol and leaning on her close friends. This is where I come in....

After a long and arduous few days at the hospital this past week with my mother who has cancer, we were finally able to bring her home. The nurses and doctors have been great throughout this entire process, and the remainder of the next few years will be a real test of my strength...on many levels. The evening I brought my mother home and after days of very little sleep at all, I was looking forward to my first night of uninterrupted sleep; something I desperately needed and at that moment deeply treasured. I had just sat down to wind down and have a cold beer, after feeding and bathing my children, cleaning up the kitchen, family room, bath room, their bedrooms, caring for my mother, meeting with the home health care nurse, and doing several loads of laundry, I was completely exhausted and I thought my duties were over for the night. My soft pillow and peaceful bed were calling my name. Then the telephone rang...I debated....should I answer or just go to bed. My husband was working very late that night and I thought, ‘it could be him?’ I answered....a very drunk friend on the other end stated she was on her way to my house...I begged her not to drive if she had been drinking but it was too late, she was almost there and wanted to give me a few minutes warning. My heart sank....I really felt like crying, but I knew she needed me, so I gave myself one of those ‘buck up ole girl’ pep talks and prepared myself for a few more hours of no sleep. She arrived, and for the next several hours she drank all of my beer, finished a bottle of wine and sulked. I convinced her to sleep it off on my couch. After midnight I was finally able to drag myself up the stairs and I threw myself into an exhausted heap, barely able to pull the covers over my aching body. The next thing I heard was BROUGGHHEHHHAHTAHTHTHAHHHAH (Q - sound effects) as my friend hurled her entire day’s undigested food and drink onto my walls, floor, toilet, sink, bath mat, curtains....she really didn’t miss anything. I am known for having a pretty nasty temper when I am pushed beyond the limit and as I laid there in bed listening to this for about five minutes....I just prayed.... ‘Lord she does not need me going in there and screaming at her...but God....I AM SERIOUSLY ABOUT TO LOSE IT!!!!!’ (That would be me screaming at God)

And this is where the supernatural love of the Holy Spirit showed up....as I sat up, threw the covers back in anger, I was about to LET HER HAVE IT....and suddenly.....I was wide awake and not an ounce of exhaustion was left, my body no longer ached, my heart filled with compassion for her....something that believe me at that very moment I could not have ‘mustered up’ if I would have had all day to try. I felt as if I were the one being given a gift, a precious unexplainable gift, and yet I was comforting someone else. She just stood there in a drunken stupor, apologizing over and over...but completely unable to help herself. I got a bucket, a mop, some Pine Sol, and Clorox wipes and cleaned that bathroom all the time reassuring her that it really was okay. And it really was! I told her a story about a very horrible time in my second marriage where I drank several bottles of champagne by myself, and puked all over my husband at that time and his new girl friend. Needless to say I didn’t make a good impression on anyone and I certainly wasn’t very convincing in getting my wayward husband back. No idea who cleaned THAT mess up? I can laugh about it now because....well if you think about it, it is pretty funny, but at the time it was humiliating and heart breaking. My friend felt much better, probably because she hadn’t done anything quite that embarrassing, the bathroom was nice and clean and I had just received an incredible gift from God.

This supernatural gift He gives is received in our hearts. It can’t be explained, although I do give an honest effort. To know Him is to feel Him in the deepest parts of your soul. He is real. It isn’t a rush of adrenaline as some may try to explain...if it had been I could have really lit into my friend, leaving no stone unturned. But that was not Gods plan for her that night. He had nothing but compassion for her plight and used me to give her some comfort with no more guilt and no more condemnation....a gift that I received as well. It was completely a win-win....and no sin situation!

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A Parenting Revolution!

Posted May 23, 2007 - George Barna with The Barna Group, has a new book out called Revolutionary Parenting that is a must read for all parents that are at all interested in raising a ‘Godly’ child in today’s culture.

If you happen to be one of these parents, George Barna, through his extensive research on this subject, has divided parents up into three main groups: ‘parenting by default’, ‘trial and error’ and ‘revolutionary parenting’. The latter being the least favorite approach. ‘Parenting by default’ and ‘trial and error’ define parenting success in terms of the child’s survival and aging; while ‘revolutionary parenting’ defines success in terms of the child’s ability to know, love and serve God.

Many parents really do think that success is their child’s ability to examine, explore, and experiment in life, while all the time maintaining straight A’s and getting into an Ivy League college, without drinking or doing drugs to the point that they are thrown in jail or need to go to rehab. This of course would ruin all chances of an upwardly mobile future in business or other highly motivated, degreed profession of their choice. They must make a lot of money or at the very least have the equivalent social status...thus the child has become a success in life. Other parents simply give up hope that they can have any positive affect on their child’s life, especially once they hit puberty, let alone affect their spiritual life, and their only hope is for survival. By the way, those are my observations, not George Barna’s.

My goal as a parent is, of course, revolutionary. I don’t believe children should be shipped off to a government run baby sitting service. I don’t believe children should play Nintendo all summer vacation, if at all. I don’t believe that dating should be permitted until it is time for them to marry, because really what is the point in dating? (That’s an article for another time) I don’t believe children should be the focal point of existence. Getting a job is beneficial for more reasons than making money. I believe children are dumb down and are not expected, therefore are not achieving adult maturity when they reasonably could. Our society doesn’t expect real adult maturity until at least after the second divorce and even then if you make enough money you will get a pass on your irresponsibility! My goal is to inspire my children to love God with all their heart, all their mind and all their soul...and everything else will fall into place.

If your goal is to be ‘revolutionary’, I recommend this book!

(Source: Research Shows Parenting Approach Determines Whether Children Become Devoted Christians - Barna.org)

FYI: The Barna Group is an organization set up to conduct research for churches, families and organizations that provides “leadership and unique, strategic information and resources that help facilitate spiritual transformation in America”.

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Denominational Rifts…They will be mended!

Jesus prayed for His believers: "My prayer is not for them [His disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:20-23

Posted May 18, 2007 - Complete unity, huh? That is a tall order for anyone in the human race. It seems we Christians can’t even agree on the simplest of things, like, colors for the sanctuary, or chairs versus pews, or who should be sent out on missions, or where we should send them when a decision is finally made, or where should the tithe money go, or….it’s draining just thinking about it. Most church organizations are set up with a hierarchy to decide these mind boggling decisions but when it comes to theological doctrine there is a whole other tier that makes these important resolutions. While the general Christian, mostly unaware of the vast differences among denominations (and non-denominations for that matter), accepts the theological dogma placed before them, volunteers for the immeasurable array of programs offered and trots on blissfully uninterrupted except for the occasional internal scandal or mishap.

These theological differences are enormous and make up a wide variety of discord throughout the body of Christ. Most of them silly and frivolous! Shame on all of us for making a mountain out of a mole hill! Dividing the body into little pieces that don’t communicate with the other parts, even those parts just across the street! I’d like to view many of these differences as just the unique expression of each part in the body that makes up the whole. It is not our differences that should separate us, but the differences that make us one!

There most definitely are doctrines and beliefs that are opposite from those preached by Jesus and His apostles, but I am not talking about those obvious disagreements. I am talking about the subtle differences….areas that we should agree to disagree but recognize that ALL are needed to fulfill the great commission and to honor Jesus’ prayer for His church! Each separate denomination and those that are of no denomination at all make up a vital and important part….Him being the head of course. So instead of acting like His ‘hind quarters....lets try to take up the rightful position that He has ordained.

Unfortunately, we in our own folly and sin, don’t recognize the direction we should be going and it is in this moment that Jesus redirects our path through great trials and tribulation. Sadly I think that is what is headed our way!

Jesus’ prayer for His church will be answered! And hey, if anyone could get their pray answered it would be Him!

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Need some ‘Gender Clarity’, anyone?

Posted May 11, 2007 - Cedarville University in Cedarville, OH, is offering a seminar entitled ‘Gender Clarity in the Midst of Confusion’. My first thought: really who is confused about their gender?

This seminar gives a Biblical view of what it means to be a man or a woman in today’s confused society. When I heard about this seminar initially, and of course being the natural cynic that I am about courses offered at universities, I automatically assumed that it was for those individuals who are unsure of their gender… you know those we lovingly refer to as ‘transsexual’ or quite possibly the new and even more confusing ‘metrosexual’! Imagine my surprise…okay I really wasn’t that surprised but I was definitely disappointed to find out that this ‘gender clarity’ that they refer to really is a discussion on complementarian versus egalitarian and the influence of feminist theology on our God given roles as Christian men and women. Again, Christians complicating a trip to the bathroom!

Seriously, I would have preferred that they give a class on how to help transsexuals or even the metrosexuals feel more comfortable being who God created them to be…but no!

Essentially, egalitarian is equality among the sexes in ministry as well as in the home. Complimentarian is the role of males and females compliment each other, while the female role in the home is that of submission. It is most notable that men are traditionally ‘complimentarian’ and women ‘egalitarian’ for all the obvious reasons. It is quite complicated indeed because it takes a great deal of spiritual maturity to discern that God is ‘complimentarian’ as well as ‘egalitarian’…they are not mutually exclusive. You can be mutually submissive as well as compliment each others strengths and weaknesses: a doctrine of equal, but different is my take. If God had intended women to participate only in the areas of church and home to which men approve He would not have given us spiritual gifts that work without the direct influence of a man’s input.

Anyone with half a brain cell knows that within a marriage each person has strengths and weaknesses. The old adage ‘opposites attract’ really has some good spiritual foundations. God knows that in marriage to really be ‘one’ your gifts must fit together like pieces in a puzzle. If either of the parties involved in that relationship thinks their piece of the puzzle is more important or less important than the others, then the marriage becomes out of balance and falls over! Those pieces fit together perfectly and it benefits EVERYONE if all involved parties assume the position of humility and recognize the right arrangement! A puzzle could never be complete if each piece were vying for the bottom, left hand corner spot or attempting to put itself on top of the other pieces. Marriage and society breaks down completely when we either try to suppress the gifts of one sex or the other or we place greater importance on a strength that may be attributed to only one gender or the other. In a marriage it takes a great deal of maturity and discernment to know where your pieces fit. The church has seriously failed in helping less discerning couples recognize where each of their pieces fit and thus our divorce rate is the same as outside of the church. Very tragic!

It causes me great pain to see marriages and ministries either fail or not completely fulfill their intended destiny because the church has such a lopsided view and places the pieces of the body of Christ’s puzzle into positions that just don’t fit! It also makes me uneasy when universities offer biblically based seminars on ‘gender clarity’ when it is quite obvious that the church is clearly out of balance and on this subject many have checked their common sense at the door.

There are so many ways a church or ministry can help the general public utilizing the gifts of all it’s members. Find out what you and your church can do and just DO IT!

Seriously, I would rather see a seminar on how to give the ‘transsexual’ or ‘metrosexual’ gender clarity…it would be less confusing and a whole lot more helpful!

(Source: Cedarville Continuing Ed. Program)

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Partial-Birth Ban Fight Not Over!

Posted April 24, 2007 - On April 18th, in a 5-4 ruling the Supreme Court upheld the national ban on partial-birth abortion. The ruling followed the consolidated cases of Gonzales v. Carhart (05-380) and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood (05-1382).

It is no secret that partial-birth abortion is one of the most gruesome procedures conducted under the guise of a medical procedure ever perpetrated on the unborn and its mother. In a partial-birth procedure “the doctor pulls one or both legs out of the birth canal, causing what is referred to by some people as the 'partial birth' of the fetus. The doctor subsequently extracts the rest of the fetus, usually without the aid of forceps, leaving only the head still inside the birth canal. An incision is made at the base of the skull and a suction catheter is inserted into the cut. The brain tissue is removed, which causes the skull to collapse and allows the fetus to pass more easily through the birth canal.” (Source: Wikipedia) No medical evidence has yet shown that this procedure is EVER necessary to save the life of the mother.

Following this decision, Planned Parenthood Federation of America is taking up a massive nationwide campaign against this decision and petitioning all state representatives to not recognize this decision and in their own words, “I want to send a message to every politician who thinks the Supreme Court's reckless decision is a green light to endanger women's health: We won't let you get away with it!”

Endanger a women’s health…really? Planned Parenthood is the real threat and danger to women. How do you think a woman who has any conscience at all and has had this procedure will feel when this finally hit’s home: she has just murdered her baby by having its head punctured and its brains sucked out? Not sure how much secular psychology will help heal this deep wound to her heart.

Immediately following this decision, Congressman Nadler and Senator Boxer introduced legislation that would not only overturn the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, but would prohibit any congressional endeavor to protect the life of the unborn on a federal level. The fight has not ended with this Supreme Court ruling.

Planned Parenthood is a very organized and powerful organization here in the US. Not many plans they have supported have ever gone down in defeat. We can chalk this one up as a small victory for pro-life, however this is no time to waste in showing your support for this ruling. Please let the American Center for Law and Justice know you support their efforts in this ongoing battle, either with your dedicated daily prayers, a donation and/or your signature on one of their petitions.

And please take time out of your busy schedule to let YOUR Representatives know that you are in favor of this ruling and it should be upheld in our state, no strings attached. They will have your full support when the time comes that this ruling should be challenged, not just in our courts but in both the US and VA Houses!

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My Prayer: ‘May our Sovereign Lord Heal our Nation!’

Posted April 18, 2007 - Our country sat stunned on Monday as one of the worst massacres in US history took place in our own back yard; Virginia Tech!

We’ve listened as the mass media has attempted to blame the university’s president and police for not shutting down the campus, not canceling classes, not doing more… In the coming weeks, we will no doubt hear an endless dialog about gun control, immigration problems, and any issue that could remotely be connected to this situation; but no one will want to hear the truth. The next days, weeks and possibly months will be filled with the who, what, when, where and the why’s of this tragedy, but these events can only be explained in the darkness of evil and healed only in the light of real truth.

Following 9/11 our nation mourned, turned our face to God and on bended knee petitioned God for guidance and direction to help us heal. On our nations capital our government officials held hands and sang our national anthem, which includes in the last stanza the following words:

I’m not sure if they sang this part or if even know the last stanza of our anthem. I DO know that day’s later, it was back to their old back biting, partisan, sinful ways! Hillary Clinton rolling her eyes as President Bush addressed a heart broken nation. They were not at all interested in taking our nation in a better direction. It is our responsibility to change this! We must stop endorsing candidates who do not hold to the supreme guidelines lay down in scripture. We must rise up and run for public offices when those seats are void of a worthy candidate. We must take action against groups like the ACLU, AU, and Planned Parenthood when they attempt to destroy our God given rights and lead our country and youth down the path of destruction. We must return our God to the throne that covers our nation.

HamptonRoads.com is holding an online vigil where you can leave your comments and prayers about this tragedy. Most of the comments and entries mention God and prayers, not unlike the out pouring of our hearts on 9/11. However, in the days following the 9/11 tragedy and the similar tragedy in Columbine, we returned to life as usual. Our prayers ceased, our petitions to God went silent and our hearts, once again, grew cold.

Our nation continues in its government sanctioned sin and the people continue living their everyday lives, void of prayer, repentance or reverence for a God who truly loves us and only seeks the best for our lives and our country. God will only intervene, bless and protect a nation that has given Him permission to do so. We have not only taken away His divine influence in our nation, but we have refused His divine presence into our government, schools and public proceedings. He is a God who will only go where He is welcome. Where He is not wanted, Satan will reign supreme.

It is only in times like these we want to hear from Him. It is only in times like these we look to Him and ask “why?”! But do we want to hear the answer?

The answer is set before us: “…if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

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Weak and Wounded Christians, I Implore You, Take Up Your Armor!

Posted March 29, 2007 - Jesus’ life, death and resurrection served one purpose and one purpose only; to set the captives free! In doing so, we can live our lives abundantly, return to fellowship with God through the Holy Spirit and have eternal life in Him!

In John 8:31-32 “Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’" Jesus then declared in John 8:44 that because “you belong to your father, the Devil”, we are unable to know the truth. But Jesus came to set us free from Satan’s hold so that we may not only know with our minds but experience in our hearts and with our lives Gods truth to the fullest.

For most Christians it is not news that Satan is our enemy and “roams around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour”. It is news however, that Satan is having great success in devouring as many Christians as he can, going about unencumbered because the leadership refuses to see his trade mark signs and deal with them immediately. For many congregations, they don’t have enough spiritual discernment and guidance to recognize Satan’s handy-work and if they do, then they would not even know where to begin or even how to deal with it. And quite frankly if discipline were to happen, that person would probably leave the church anyway, so to the pastor and elders, what would be the point. Sadly, not taking a stand renders us all ineffective, by default!

Throughout Jesus’ ministry here on earth, He set out to free as many “captives” as possible. By preaching a message of repentance, driving out demonic forces that encumbered their walk with God, and pointing them in the direction of holiness and righteousness through a belief in Him as the Son of God.

About His death Jesus told His disciples “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45. He ransomed us from Satan. What power and authority we have right now in His name.

In His resurrection, He showed His power over death and that we too shall have this same power and eternal life. Jesus told His disciples: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12. Wow, we could be doing greater things?

At His ascension into heaven, Jesus had one final and extremely important thing to say to His disciples and all Christians in general: "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." Mark 16:15-18

I include this litany of scripture verses not to bore you but to show a theme that is present throughout Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. This diatribe is only meant to reveal that we have been given the power over demonic forces and their deadly poison, to show the world we belong to Him and are no longer subjects of Satan.

Due to Satan’s tremendous success in keeping us in darkness in the matters of spiritual warfare, it is no mystery to me that the Christian body as a whole looks no different than the world. We are powerless and to the rest of the world, what is the incentive to give your life to Christ? We don’t drive out demons from among our midst because we think all it takes is to ask Jesus into our hearts and miraculously Satan’s horde flees; in turn many of us remain weak and wounded. Most of us grow in our personal relationship with God none the less, while we rightly recognize our feeble condition. Many attribute this feeble condition to the recognition that God is just keeping us “humble”. For someone like Paul, this is true: “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

But for the rest of us…get serious! When was the last time God gave YOU such “surpassingly great revelations” that you needed a “messenger from Satan” to keep you humble? No?…me neither! When was the last time YOU laid hands on someone and they were instantly healed? Not recently?….me too! When was the last time YOU drove out a demon? Never?....oh, what a sad state! I know there are exceptions to this, but I am talking to the majority of us average, Christian Joe’s and Jane’s! I am also saying this to help encourage myself because I am also a weak and wounded Christian who grows in faith, hope and love every day but I am daily seeking my freedom from darkness through active warfare!

It is also fact that God uses demonic forces to test us. If you do not believe this, let me refer you to the great book of ‘Job’. But seriously, who among us is like ‘Job’ that we are even at the point in our walk that we are ready to be tested? Not many of us have reached the point in our walk with God where He would say about us: “There is no one on earth like him [Job]; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." (Job 1:8, partial) For most of us, we haven’t even gotten to the point where God can discipline us yet or we simply can’t get past it!

Whatever place you are presently in your walk with Christ, let me encourage you today to take up your “full armor of God” and fight against the demonic forces that are attacking you, either inside or out, you DO have to deal with them. To ignore them or not realize they even exist only makes us like the rest of the world…weak and wounded!

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Interspecies Cloning Making Headlines, again…

March 27, 2007 - In a recent report on NewsMax.com another attempt is being made to legitimize the barbaric research of cloning.

Several British scientists are trying to get a license from the government that would essentially permit them to use the egg of an animal when researching with human DNA. This I would hardly term “interspecies” cloning. That would insinuate that these eggs would be brought to full term. That will not be the case in this situation or so they say. The much needed materials would be extracted and the egg destroyed. (Source: Scientists Propose Interspecies Cloning - NewsMax.com)

But what is to stop them from bringing something to full term? The law? Their own conscience? Thus far, not much has gotten in the way of innovations in science and technology. In this particular situation, scientists and researchers are driven forward by the misguided thought that they will bring a great deal of advancement using this form of technology.

Christians and the very religious believe that it is tampering with God’s work, while others believe that it is messing with “mother nature” and that is never good. Some have the forethought to know that the creation of a mixed species or another species of life altogether could bring upon us a great deal of anguish for future generations.

May I remind everyone of another “experiment” unleashed on North America: The Africanized honey bee, or as the media coined them, “killer bees”. These bees did not turn out to be the insidious bee species that Hollywood movies and outlandish documentaries attempt to portray; we are very fortunate. However, these bees do attack and kill people and animals from time to time and I’m certain it is not a pleasant way to go! We really could have lived without this “advancement”.

Do we really want to put ourselves in the hands of scientists experimenting on some new species? I know I don’t! The safe guards that would be in place could never overcome the threat of “human error”!

I’m afraid, however, this research will not be held back. Many of the governments of our world have no doubt already tapped into this boundless resource, we just don’t know about it…uh, oh, I’m starting to sound like one of those conspiracy nuts…but don’t we all wonder these things from time to time? Not like our government here in this country actually asks our permission for anything they are doing!

Before I start sounding like George Noory, Art Bell or one of those nuts that call into “Coast to Coast” I will stop here….well I would just like to conclude with this:

The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. (Revelation 9:7-10)

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I Respond to: “A Woman is Truly Free"

Posted March 16, 2007 - Recently I’ve received some email concerning my article “A Woman is Truly Free, But Only in Christ”. I would just like to share one of them with you and my response to this particular one. (Name withheld)

Email From “Some Guy” - Norfolk

My response:

I too am personally affronted when women are told to submit to men, no matter what, which sadly is something that many churches teach. This is one of the many reasons why I do not attend a formal, traditional church and do not recommend it to others. This infamous “submission doctrine” that is so misunderstood and seriously misrepresented by our Christian church has the entire secular world at odds with fundamental Christians and is used to keep many women in bondage to humanism, secularism and other “religions” that are truly not Godly. It is understandable that anyone would be offended at telling women that they should “submit to men” unless you understand first that the Bible also says:

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21) This verse not only applies to Christians as a whole, but to husbands as well as wives. This is a lesson that takes much sacrifice on both parts to always think of the other first and put their needs before your own.

A special instruction was given to men, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25) This required sacrifice is above and beyond anything that was ever a part of the social order of that day in any part of the world. It really is a beautiful description of Gods intentions for a husband’s attitude toward his wife within marriage.

The first portion of this verse “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” (Colossians 3:18) is the portion so often used to keep women in bondage to men, but if you notice, it also says “as is fitting in the Lord”. We are never to submit to something that clearly does not “fit” with God’s word.  I believe this was an instruction to do what is “fitting” more than an instruction to “submit” because submission is something we are all required to do with one another. We are also called to be “wise”. This attribute is lacking in most people so it is no surprise to me that many within the Christian church do not understand or misrepresent this verse completely apart from what God may have intended for us as women. When men use submission to rule over their wives harshly or exclude them from God’s blessings they are simply living in sin.

I believe as you do that women who are “subjected to such harsh judgment” within a church or specific denomination should find a more loving and biblically responsible place to grow in the Lord. However, there are many churches and denominations that hold to this misinterpretation of doctrine, but love their women as “Christ loved the church” and do “submit one to another”. These examples really have much to offer women in the form of fellowship and guidance, they are only lacking when a women has a particular call on her life and is not afforded the opportunity to grow in the way in which God would be leading. It is in these circumstances I recommend a separation from that church or denomination. In all things we are called to peace, so instituting a battle to gain your rights is never an option that I would recommend. Leaving peacefully, quietly and keeping an attitude of love is always a better option.

Thanks Archie for such a great response and maybe this will help women who are being abused by the misuse of a beautiful Christian principal make right choices to maintain their freedom in Christ, wherever that may lead!

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Christian-Republican or Christian-Democrat, We Are All One In Christ!

Posted March 14, 2007 - In a recent study conducted by The Barna Group which looked at the political affiliations of Christians based on their claims to be “born again”, “evangelicals”, “church attendance”, to name a few, they came up with some interesting findings.

For instance, “51% of Republicans have spiritual convictions that qualify them as born again Christians, compared with 38% of Democrats. However, since Democrats outnumber Republicans among registered voters by a 10-point margin (31% to 41%), the born again vote balances out. This means that, if the 2008 election were held today, among born again voters, 37% would vote as a Democrat, 38% would be entering their ballot as a Republican, with the remaining born again voters being unaffiliated.” (Source: The Barna Group)

Overall this study showed it did not matter what subset group you belonged within Christianity, Christians still make up a large portion of BOTH the Democrat and Republican parties.

I, for one, am stunned… For instance, how can you be a Christian and hold to the liberal leanings of the Democrat party? Their support for ungodly things such as abortion on demand; support for gay marriage; support for the removal of God from schools, government and everything else. What gives?

So I decided to find out what a Christian-Democrat really believes…

They, quite frankly, are tired of the Republican elitism with their scandals, dishonesty and inability to look after the honest, hard working man. They believe in energy independence for the US and complete separation from the monopoly of oil companies that appear to be in bed with the leadership of the Republican party.

They believe in an increase in minimum wage for the struggling and economically depressed. They feel this will bring about a positive change in their living conditions and this gives them a hand up instead of a hand-out.

They embrace improvements in the welfare system that include better care for the handicapped, indigent, children living in impoverished conditions, before and after school meals and the like.

They believe economic prosperity comes from the working man and embraces unions that will help to keep the working conditions fair, honest and safe. They believe that government plays a vital role in maintaining these safe, fair and honest working conditions.

They want to see health care reform that includes everyone and doesn’t discriminate against the poor. Everyone should be able to see the appropriate doctors without having to get permission from their “primary care” physician, less red tape and paperwork, and more cost efficient. Prescriptions should be available to everyone regardless of means to pay.

They want to see social security protected for not only them, but for future generations to come. They feel privatization is too risky and support government intervention through increased taxes as a wiser choice.

The protection of our environment should be a top priority to ensure a pristine earth for future generations. They for the most part support the science behind global warming and feel this is of paramount importance.

Of course this does not cover all the issues important to most Christian Democrats. There is no doubt I have left many things out, but it would seem that their top priority is for helping the person on the lower rung of the ladder of life. So no one is left behind, life is fair, honest and safe…a common thread throughout much of their philosophies.

For them, abortion is an issue that should be left between the “woman, her doctor and God”; gay marriage is better left to the individuals involved, and religion is best left at Church or to be taught at home. But for many Christian-Democrats, they are very conservative on these issues; it is the other issues listed above that keep them in the Democrat party.

The Republicans have a lot of trouble convincing the public of their desire for positive change because of the hypocrisy of their leaders, lack of follow through while in command, inability to do what their constituents elected them to do and the mass liberal leanings of the press. It is an uphill battle for the Republicans and their own leadership is much to blame.

Whether Democrat or Republican, Christians stand on a solid belief in Jesus, we just don’t always share the same approach to solving a problem. If Christians left the Republican AND Democrat party, became independents, voted our beliefs and nominated OUR OWN independent representatives, you would see how fast the Republicans and Democrats found common ground and got some real problems solved.

[My sources included Christian-Democrat friends, family and acquaintances. Other media sources included, but were not limited to: ChristianDemocrat.us, DemocratsforLife.org, Democrats officially against gay marriage amendment (Roanoke Times), Evangelical Body Stays Course on Warming ( Washington Post)]

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St. Valentine’s Day, “Agape” Style!

Posted February 14, 2007 - Legend has it that Valentine’s Day was named after a Christian priest who lived in Rome almost two thousand years ago and disobeyed a Roman law in the name of love. “Claudius the Cruel” had forbidden young couples from marrying because he needed a fierce army and believed that single men made better soldiers. St. Valentine, as he was later to be known, broke the law and married young couples in secret. When Claudius found out he had Valentine killed. And now St. Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love in remembrance of courage and strength.

We should celebrate St.Valentine’s Day all year long. We should find ways to show our spouse, loved ones and yes, even our enemy’s that we love them whenever we have an opportunity to do so. The Bible exhorts us to “love one another”, “love your neighbor as yourself”, “love your enemy’s” and of course my personal favorite, “love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” I read that and my soul understands the true meaning of “agape” love, which by the way is the way God’s love is described for us and incredibly hard to do unless we swallow our pride and crush all desire to always be right.

I did a Bible Gateway search and came up with 697 examples using the word “love”, but God is not limited to just 697 ways to love us. It is evident to those of us who love Him that He also loves us, but for some it is very difficult in the circumstances that we may sometimes find ourselves in to really feel God’s love. It is in those times I rely on verses like this to remind me of how much He loves me.

Take time everyday to show love to someone who may not know God’s love or who is going through the “valleys” of life and may not be able to “feel” God’s presence as clearly as you are able at this time.

We all run across the driver in full “road rage” mode, or the stressed out mother at the check out counter with screaming, undisciplined kids, or the waitress who is a little too impatient and rude for you, or the person in line who doesn’t have enough cash to pay for their items, or the person talking too loud on their cell phone, or the senior in line taking too long for our comfort, or …well you get the point. At some point in our lives we have been one, or all of these things and we just hoped for a little mercy from those around us. Don’t give them “the look” (or hand gesture) that shows them that you are not a person to be messed with, instead, show them a gentle look, say a kind word and a hand that fills a need.

Let the impatient driver cut in in-front of you, play games with the undisciplined children in the cart ahead of you, say a heart felt thank you to the waitress who is rude, pay the extra cash for the person who can not pay, smile and be patient with the elderly in line, tell everyone to “take their time”…while all the time remembering that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) and that you have not “in your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Hebrews 12:4). You never know what kind of day that person is having and instead of adding to their despair, add love… “agape” style!

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Just so You Know, An Update on Planned Parenthood of Virginia

Posted February 9, 2007 - Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia is very proud of themselves and the work they are continuing in their long time efforts to retain abortions on demand for everyone, trample upon the God given sanctity of life and destroy the sexual morality of our society.

Over the past few weeks, Planned Parenthood has aided in the defeat of House Bill 1883 Targeted Regulations for Abortion Providers (TRAP):

Well that would have been a shame…for them! The following Virginia legislators to vote no in the defeat of this bill…

They have also aided in the defeat of House Bill 2797. In part this bill read "Life begins at the moment of fertilization and the right to enjoyment of life guaranteed by Article 1, § 1 of the Constitution of Virginia is vested in each born and pre-born human being from the moment of fertilization."  The shame and disgrace for allowing a life saving bill to go down in defeat goes to the following Virginia legislators (last names used to save space)….

If you see your representatives listed above and you feel that they are not representing your interests or the interests of our unborn, please do not hesitate to let them know…and remember THEM next election day! As you can see, it’s the representatives that we elect that make these decisions and it is your vote that can make a difference in the life of the unborn.

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A Woman is Truly Free in Christ, But She May Not Know It!

Posted February 6, 2007 - I have been reluctant to address this issue because it can be so divisive, however I feel after researching this subject, praying earnestly, and seeking God’s face in this matter, I hope I can shed some light in a way that might be helpful to other women like myself; women attempting to fulfill the calling on their life by God only to be told that you can not preach or teach because it is forbidden by scripture.

I would like to put forward an argument based on solid Biblical history, historical records of our nations past and for what it is worth, assist in setting some “captives” to this way of thinking, free!

Throughout the 19 th century a movement of social reform and civil rights began to take hold throughout America and England that was propelled through that time in history by great evangelical pastors such as Benjamin Lundy, Charles Finney, Lyman Beecher, Nathaniel Taylor, Harriet Beecher Stowe to name a few…these social changes were known as the “emancipation” or “abolition of slavery”. At the time, such beliefs were considered dangerous and provoked men to violence. Many believed that slavery was ordained by God and used verses such as this to back up their beliefs:

However, those afore mentioned great men and women in history believed that all men, including those that were at that time slaves should be free. They strongly believed that slavery was a sin and should be rooted out and destroyed immediately. Praise God they held to the passion of their convictions! Praise God they did not acquiesce to the mind set of the day and today we enjoy the great anointed gifts of men and women such as Bishop T.D. Jakes, Serita Jakes, his wife, Pastor Tony Evans, Cici Winans and her family, there are so many that I could go on… Past history has given us great black men such as Rev. Henry Highland first African-American to deliver a sermon to US Congress, Rev. Hiram Rhodes Revels first African-American Senator and Rev. Frederick Douglass first African-American appointed to office in four different presidential administrations. Overall a very impressive list of black Americans!

No one today, at least no one in their right mind, would advocate slavery of any kind here or anywhere else in the world. There are always exceptions to this but I am not talking about them, I am talking about the redeemed servants of Jesus Christ.

Fast forward to today. It is common for many denominations to exclude woman from everything except teaching Sunday school for children and serving meals. For many this is a wonderfully fulfilling service, one that is greatly needed but for those women that God has called to a different service, they are left confused, feeling abandoned and alone. The calling on their hearts are so strong that if they do follow their calling they are relegated to the missions field, perhaps leaving their current denomination for one that is more accepting or staying in an attempt to reform their denomination. I would not advocate the latter solution because it does not promote peace or harmony within the denomination or the church as a whole.

So why all the harsh words and strong stand against women serving in the ministry of Christ? It comes down to several verses. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:11-12: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent”. While he was encouraging the teaching of women even though at that time they weren’t given that opportunity, he restricted them from sharing their learning with men.

Some say this prohibition means women should never teach men. They believe Paul was saying because Eve was deceived, women are more easily misled and therefore should not teach men…because of course, men are not easily fooled or at least Adam was not…oh wait, he was…do you see where I am going with this? Some think Paul was addressing certain issues in Ephesus, because in other Scriptures, Paul actually recognizes women who were teaching and evangelizing alongside him (Romans 16:1-3; Philippians 4:2-3). Because women in Ephesus were uneducated Paul was warning that they could be misled by false teachers trying to lead new Christians away from the emergent church. Whatever scripture you use, a valid argument could be made for excluding women from teaching, preaching or evangelizing. However, there really is strong evidence that woman were not only included in ministry, but were embraced.

Junias of Romans 16:7 was considered “outstanding among the apostles”. An apostle, according to Webster’s Dictionary is “one sent on a mission” and “one of an authoritative group sent out to preach the gospel”. This definition is in line with scripture. Dorcas in Acts 9:36 was called a “disciple”. Again, according to Webster’s Dictionary a “disciple” is “one who accepts and assists in the spreading of the doctrines of another”, in this case the gospel of Jesus Christ. This also lines up with scripture. In Romans 16:1, Phoebe was called a servant or “deaconess”. A “deaconess” is defined as “one chosen to assist in the church ministry”. It would seem Paul had a very strong and loving relationship with many women in the ministry and spreading of the gospel.

Really it comes down to this for a woman who feels she has been called to ministry…do you want to hear Jesus say “well done my good and faithful servant” or do you want to hear “t ake the talent from him [or her as this case may be] and give it to the one who has the ten talents.” Matthew 25:28 We will all sit before Jesus and account for our lives on the terms that we are given… of course if you choose to follow the strict, legalistic terms of these scripture verses and you feel in your heart you are being obedient to Christ, then by all means do what you feel in your heart that God has called you to do… “no condemnation in Christ Jesus”. He judges the heart….

Because of the wonderful, Godly Christian men and women who fought hard during the suffragette movement so that we could have the right to vote, own property and other civil liberties, women are also now free to pursue God’s calling on our lives regardless of church or denominational affiliation.

So where do we go from here? Well if you are in a denomination or under the leadership of those who feel leadership is best left to men, then you need to submit to their authority and learn what God has in store for you right where He has planted you. Unless God specifically frees you to go, He may still be teaching you a lot through the Godly leadership of men He has placed over you. If you are feeling trapped and that God has a calling on your life beyond the church that you are currently attending, submit to Him and go where He leads. But first and foremost…seek peace not division!

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Abortions Down, Hope Up!

Posted January 24, 2007 - Since this is “Sanctity of Life” week, I feel I should pass along some good news to those of us who hold the life of the unborn as a precious and wonderful gift from God, regardless of its timing or circumstances!

According to the Virginia Department of Health abortions decreased in the year 2005 from 9,269 to 8,949. Although my personal opinion is that 8,949 is still 8,949 too many! But it would appear that the hard work and efforts of the “Pro-Lifer’s” seems to be paying off. No US statistics are available at this time, but I am hopeful these will be down too!

The past year has been a real grass roots effort, not just in Virginia but across the nation, to see many of the abortion legislations overturned or reformed to be more supportive of the unborn child. I for one am very hopeful even in light of the new Democrat majority, which in my estimation has never proven to be very supportive of the unborn child.

Take for example an act that would seem to really help both the mother and child during an abortion procedure. At the end of last year’s legislative session, the majority of the US House voted to support HR6099, the “The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act”. This act in part requires abortionists to provide any woman seeking an abortion after 20 weeks past fertilization a brochure explaining that there is “substantial evidence” that the abortion will cause pain to the unborn child, and to advise her of her right to request the administration of pain-reducing drugs to the unborn child. How could this possibly be something that EVERYONE would not want to support???

It may interest some of you to know which of our Virginia representatives voted in support of this act and who did not. Supporters included Jo Ann Davis (R), Thelma Drake (R), Randy Forbes (R), Virgil Goode (R), Bob Goodlatte (R), Eric Cantor (R), Frank Wolfe (R), and Thomas Davis (R). Those who did NOT support this act included Bobby Scott (D), James Moran (D) and Rich Boucher (D). Not surprisingly, split right down the party line. That is just appalling to me!!

Other than all the medical risks involved, the other little item no one warns women about when they are contemplating getting an abortion is “Post-Abortion Syndrome”. Many women feel a deep sense of sadness, regret and emotional distress following the abortion. The symptoms of this syndrome include guilt, anxiety, avoidance behaviors, psychological numbing, depression, re-experiencing events related to the abortion, preoccupation with becoming pregnant again, anxiety over fertility and childbearing issues, interruption or disruption of the bonding with present and/or future children, self-destructive behaviors and anniversary reactions. On a less scientific note and more just personal observation, of my close friends and personal acquaintances that underwent an abortion they were pregnant within a year of the abortion and married the “guy” to whom they were dating at the time. Most of them are now sadly divorced.

Okay, you get rid of a burdensome baby and gain guilt, anxiety, depression….that will last you a lifetime, unless of course you receive God’s forgiveness. That really doesn’t sound like a very good trade to me, even from just a common sense standpoint.

I would like to close with this: There are wonderful couples out there that are unable to have children of their own and would love the opportunity to fully embrace, raise and spend their lives adoring a child, your child if the case may be. Most adoptive parents will fully cover all expenses related to the pregnancy, birth and adoption. Many couples will also agree to “open adoption” and may consider visitation as a part of the adoption contract. So please, before considering an abortion, consider adoption first.

A really great resource offered here in Hampton Roads is the Crisis Pregnancy Centers of Tidewater. Please consider supporting their ministry by volunteering, donations of baby items, or financial support. I know it would be GREATLY appreciated.

To find out more about Crisis Pregnancy Centers of Tidewater, please log onto KeimCenters.com or call (757) 499-4444.

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Help me…I have a plank in my eye!!

Posted January 17, 2007 - After many trials and tribulations in your Christian walk (assuming that when you are reading this you are a Christian, if you aren’t you really have no idea what great blessings you are missing), one day you wake up and realize that you have finally mastered your flesh, attained the goal to which you have so long strived, achieved a major triumph in your battle over your flesh, and as you are dancing your victory dance, you turn around and fall flat on your face as you trip over the plank in your eye! Ouch!

When you are on the road to “Christian maturity”…in this flesh, that really is a euphemism, however, as we seek Gods holiness and righteousness, there comes a time when we have to own up to the fact that we might possibly have a “plank” still left in our own eye.

“How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Luke 6:42

Will I ever be “plank-free”, you ask yourself? Will I ever reach that holy and righteous place that seems to so elude us…well, at least those of us who are seeking it? I think the answer is no, Paul said it so well…

I think the good news in all of this is that the plank does get smaller, well that is if you continue to “abide in Him”!

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18

One day you wake up, do your small, but humble victory dance, knowing full well you still have a plank in your eye….and low and behold, you don’t trip over it!

You realize that although I am not in the sin that I once was, I am not where I used to be (a Joyce Meyer motto)! And you also get a real understanding of who you really are: I am a beautifully crafted, masterfully made, highly refined, much loved, sin bag, devoid of hardly any holiness and certainly not worthy of a God who has shown you more mercy, kindness and love than you could have ever imagined, and given you peace that really does “surpass all understanding”!

Praise God for that! I’m saying all of this in hopes that it will encourage someone, somewhere that they SHOULD rejoice in their victories but to let you know that God is there to catch you when you fall! When we fall, turn them into a life lesson. From “glory to glory”, amen!

Be strong in the Lord and “run the race” as if it were your last race!

The Restoration of All Things

Posted January 10, 2007 - Every year, generation and century beyond Christ’s birth, death and resurrection we seem to come up with some new angle or “revelation” to God’s holy words, otherwise known as the Bible or scriptures! We come up with new versions of the Bible: King James Version, New King James Version, New International Version (Life’s Application is top notch), Amplified Bible, American Standard Version, New American Standard Bible (my other personal favorite), Young’s Literal Translation, New Life Version, Darby Translation…the list goes on and on! And with each “version” meant only to help us have a better understanding of God’s word, comes the ongoing interpretation and explanation of those verses that to some of us are unexplainable. Beyond even that comes the inevitable “misinterpretation” or scripture verse that is taken out of context to which it is written because someone has been given a special word from the Lord or special knowledge not available to the rest of us. Sometimes it is that we have not taken into account the entirety of the Bible and use certain verses to support a special teaching. In other cases it is just completely out of order and needs to be rejected out right in order to maintain adherence to God’s word so no one will be led astray!

A new teaching that needs to be brought out into the open light of day; a teaching about “the revealed truth from God’s Word about the ultimate salvation of all people…known as ‘The Restoration of All Things’”. This new teaching goes on to say “Jesus Christ will bring every person into the Kingdom of God by the end of time. The Law of Jubilee (Leviticus 25) says God will set all men free ... for God's law demands that Jesus Christ redeem all that was lost in Adam.” (Source: Free In The Lord Ministries) The scriptures used to back up their “Gnostic” claims:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21 (emphasis mine)

These scripture verses and several others are taken completely out of context in order to support a claim that ALL people will be restored to God! That sounds so nice, but does not support at all what the remainder of God’s Word says!

Stan Johnson with Glad Tidings Ministry, brought this to my attention and in a letter to a minister teaching this very thing, he made the following comment:

People believing and teaching this have been deceived, and they are deceiving others as God so strongly warned in his letter to Timothy.”

If I had not read or studied the Bible in full, it would make a VERY compelling and generous argument; however, the Bible as read in its entirety does not support any of these claims!

Reading, studying and memorizing God’s word will help us to not be “tossed back and forth” by every wind of teaching!

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Titus 1:9

This whole so called “revealed truth” can be put to bed with this one simple verse, although there are many, many, many more to choose from that say this very thing:

That doesn’t sound like “ALL will be restored” And it is no accident the following verse states:

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