"The godly offer good counsel;" Psalm 37:30

Autum Print Mommy & Me Apron Set Listed!

2010-10-11T20:02:00.000-04:00

See it HERE!

Preparation for Spiritual Warfare ~ Daily Devotional

2010-10-11T13:44:00.000-04:00

Preparation for Spiritual Warfare

Monday, October 11, 2010

Read | Ephesians 6:10-13

Believers are caught in a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, but the Lord has provided everything we need to stand firm against the forces of evil. Why, then, do Christians fail so often and give in to temptation and sin? I think there are a number of reasons.

We are unaware of the battle. Even if we know about spiritual warfare, during everyday life, it’s easy to forget an invisible war is raging around us. Our inattention makes us prime candidates for an attack.

We are ignorant about the Enemy. Satan is free to bombard us with one scheme after another when we don’t recognize his tactics or understand his goals.

We are untrained for warfare. Believers are soldiers whether they want to be or not. God’s Word is the training manual that gives instruction for discerning deception, resisting temptation, standing firm in faith, and walking in integrity.

We allow Satan a foothold. The primary battleground for Christians is the mind. If we begin to listen to the Tempter and consider the benefits of his suggestions, he will gain a foothold into our thoughts, feelings, and desires. Left unchecked, the foothold will become a stronghold, and we’ll soon find ourselves mired in sin.
The time to prepare for warfare is now. You cannot afford to be complacent and unaware of your Enemy, or you will quickly become his victim. Begin filling your mind with God’s Word, and obediently listen to the Spirit’s inner warnings. That’s the way to experience the joy of victory in Christ.

Knowing and Trusting the Lord ~ Daily Devotional

2010-10-04T11:37:00.000-04:00

Knowing and Trusting the Lord

Monday, October 04, 2010

Read | Psalm 9:7-10

How much do you trust God? Before answering, consider these scenarios. Do you really trust the Lord when everything seems out of control and He appears absent? . . . when He’s called you to move in a certain direction that seems illogical and risky? . . . when painful circumstances continue, making you wonder if the Lord really cares?

We all have times of doubt when our expectations of God are dashed by the reality of our situation. Many of us want to trust Him more but aren’t sure how to do so.

David reveals that the key lies in knowing the Lord (v. 10). Distance in our relationship with Him results in a lack of faith, but those who are intimately acquainted with Christ find it easier to trust Him wholeheartedly.

Whenever you are tempted to doubt, remember these three essential truths about the Lord:

• He is completely sovereign (Psalm 103:19). God has everything in His control even when we can’t perceive it.

• He is infinitely wise (Romans 11:33-36). The Lord knows every side of the situation (inside and out) and every event (past, present, and future).

• He loves perfectly (Exodus 34:6). Without exception, He always chooses what is best for us, even if it’s not easy.

We grow in faith, not by trying harder to believe but, rather, by pursuing the Lord. This involves doing all we can to get to know Him—in particular, spending time in His Word and talking to Him in prayer. Then our trust in Him will grow as we learn that He never forsakes those who seek Him.

Rose Cottage Creations

2010-10-04T11:33:00.000-04:00

There will be a GIVEAWAY when Rose Cottage Creations reaches 20 followers!

Walking by Faith ~ Daily Devotional

2010-10-02T16:59:00.000-04:00

Walking by Faith

Saturday, October 02, 2010

Read | Colossians 2:5-7

Christians generally associate faith with their salvation experience, and rightly so. By believing in Christ, we enter into a relationship with Him. But that’s not the end—afterwards comes a lifetime of walking with Him.

Since the word walk is used to describe behavior and conduct, we may mistakenly conclude that after salvation, the Christian life is all about performance. But today’s verses clearly state that we walk with Christ in the same way we received Him—by faith. This means we place our trust in Him for every circumstance of life. To help us under-stand this, Paul uses some phrases which describe how confidence in God grows:

“Having been firmly rooted”—At the moment of salvation, believers are “planted” in Christ. Our roots grow deep as we anchor ourselves in the Lord, drawing our spiritual nourishment from Him.

Being "built thereupon”—The believer’s life is built on the foundation of the Savior through obedience. God wants us to choose precious and valuable building materials that will last into eternity (1 Cor. 3:10-15).

“Established in your faith”—In time, as we begin to understand more about the Lord and how He operates, our trust in Him increases, and we experience stability even in the winds of adversity.

In our goal-oriented society, it’s easy to forget that walking in Christ is a process. While on earth, we never “arrive” but are slowly transformed along the way. As we trust the Lord, our hearts will overflow with gratitude for all His blessings and the stability He offers in every circumstance.

~~ GIVEAWAY WINNER ~~

2010-10-01T23:29:00.001-04:00

Congratulations Heather! You are the winner of the $25 Border's gift card! Please PM your mailing info to be at bnteasley@gmail.com or facebook.com/brandy.teasley. Also, let me know if you would rather have an e-gift card (sent from borders.com directly to your e-mail address within 24 hours) or the standard plastic gift card in the mail. :-)

Tune in next month for another GIVEAWAY! Any Giveaway ideas, leave them in the comments section below!

From Ordinary to Great ~ Daily Devotional

2010-10-01T13:52:00.000-04:00

From Ordinary to Great

Friday, October 01, 2010

Read | Acts 4:13

Anyone who studies God’s ways soon realizes they are quite different from man’s. Worldly wisdom says that extraordinary people and abundant resources are needed for great tasks, yet the Lord often chooses the small and insignificant to achieve His purposes on earth.

For example, Christ selected a rather unimpressive group of men as disciples, yet after being filled with the Spirit, they “turned the world upside down.” During His ministry on earth, Jesus fed thousands with a child’s meager lunch, and He viewed the widow’s two small coins as a greater offering than all the other generous donations (John 6:5-12; Luke 21:2-3).

God specializes in using people who aren’t naturally qualified to accomplish His tasks. Moses was a verbally impaired 80-year-old shepherd who liberated a nation. After Gideon hid from the enemy, God made him a valiant warrior. David was the overlooked youngest son who killed a giant with a small stone and became Israel’s greatest king.

God isn’t looking for impressive people; He wants willing ones who will bow the knee in humble submission. Being weak and ordinary doesn’t make you useless. Rather, it positions you for a demonstration of divine power in your life. He takes insignificant ones and delights in making them great.

Have you ever considered that your lack of ability, talent, or skill is the ideal setting for a great display of Christ’s power and glory? If you are willing to submit to His leading and venture into the scary yet rewarding territory of faith and obedience, He will do great things in and through you.

God-called

2010-10-01T13:49:00.000-04:00

Photo Credit

How is being a God-called preacher any better or any more spiritual than being a God-called farmer? If God has called you, and you follow, that is of the utmost importance, and the titles are but that exactly, titles. No one is better than another if both are in God's will. If God has given you a mission field of a home rather than a mission field of South Africa, then be content knowing that you are in God's will just as much as one who is called by God to a different mission field. Do not strive to do more than God has given you, for it will bring only grief and heartache, and your real mission field will suffer. If God has called you to Cambodia, then go, and rest knowing that you are in God's will as well, but resist the temptation of pride and the down-looking upon others that it brings. If God has called you to preach, men, then do so, but remember from whence you came, and think not less of a man who chooses the plow rather than the podium, through prayer and study led decision making in God's holy name. God does not see titles, God sees hearts, so should we seek to see beyond the tangible and temporal. Tread with caution, for the road is narrow, and the mind is prone to wandering. In everything, take all thoughts captive and lay it all at the feet of Jesus, the precious Lamb of God and the Righteous Lion of Judah. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

Mother Roasting

2010-09-30T19:27:00.002-04:00

Mother Roasting

Mother roasting refers to the almost universal practice of keeping mothers warm immediately after the birth and in the weeks that follow. It is believed to seal the gateways, which have been opened by the birth, and to keep wind and cold from entering a vulnerable new mother’s body.
In cultures all over the world, mothers, and thereby babies, have been kept warm through various means. In Malaysia rocks are heated and placed over the new mother’s shrinking abdomen. In other parts of Southeast Asia, new fathers traditionally light a fire that is kept burning for weeks near (or under) the mother’s bed. In still other parts of the world, sand, oil, and herbs are heated and applied to the mother in various fashions. American women, meanwhile, rarely find themselves near a fire after they have their babies, and, more often than not, are offered a cup of ice water and a cold pack for their bottom!
It is always important for new mothers to stay warm, especially during these upcoming chilly and windy months. I have compiled a toasty postpartum treatment, one you can put together for yourself, or one you can give as a thoughtful baby shower gift. The practice of warming a new mother need not be as exotic and unwieldy as building a fire under the mother’s bed, and can be as simple as a placing herbs in a pot and boiling the water. Try it during your postpartum, and see if you don’t feel rejuvenated and deeply nourished.

Warm Oil Massage

Mothers in India know the benefits of warm oil massages post-birth; along with their babies, they are traditionally given warm oil massages each day after birth for 40 days. Many benefits arise from postpartum massage, including the gentle realignment of ligaments and tissues, which have been stretched from pregnancy and childbirth. Uterine massage also helps decrease bleeding and provide relief from those nasty after pains. Luckily, self -massage is just as effective.

Materials

Sesame oil
4 ounce plastic bottle with shampoo top
Glass measuring cup
Essential oils – try lavender, geranium, jasmine, vanilla, or clary sage

Instructions

Fill the plastic bottle with sesame oil, leaving some room at the top for essential oils. Add 20 to 40 drops of your desired essential oil or blend. Place in the measuring cup. Pour boiled water over measuring cup around the bottle of oil and let sit for five minutes. Be sure the room is sufficiently heated. Squeeze a small amount of warm scented oil into your palm. With an open palm, massage your scalp. Gathering more warm oil, move to your face, putting special attention on your temples and jaw. Slowly massage the entire ear, holding it between thumb and forefinger. After your face, apply oil to entire body, which will allow the oil to seep into the tissues, providing nourishment and heat. Then move back to the neck and shoulders, which deserve deeper strokes and are often sore immediately after birth. To the arms apply long, vigorous strokes, except at the elbow and wrist joints, which receive a circular motion. The breasts can benefit from some light easy massage, and the oil has the added benefit of soothing sore nipples. Moving over the abdomen in clockwise circles aids digestion. The uterus can be gently massaged as well, although in the early days this may cause cramping. If you can, reach around to your back, rubbing out any kinks. Take special care around the hips and buttocks, which can be especially sore after delivery, but a firm touch here can aid the ligaments in reconnecting and finding their proper place. Legs should be treated like the arms, long strokes everywhere but the knee and ankle joints, which get circles. Finally, massaging the feet is pleasurable and immune enhancing. Use your thumbs to dig into the soles of the feet. Gently pull on each toe.

Nursing Tea and Sitz Bath Herbs

Tea is another form of warmth, and one that can help in producing and maintaining mama’s milk supply, aid digestion, and heal sore bottoms. If you have a thermos, make some of the nursing tea in the morning, pour it into the thermos, and sip from it throughout the day. Sitz bath herbs are another excellent way to provide heat and healing to tears, episiotomies, or cesarean scars. They can also be brewed in the morning and strained whenever you are ready for a bath. The extra can be put in a peri bottle and used as a rinse after using the restroom. It is so soothing!

Materials

Nursing Tea
1/3 part fenugreek seeds
1/3 part fennel seeds
1/3 part anise seeds
Sitz Bath Herbs
2 ounces comfrey leaf
1 ounce calendula flowers
1 ounce lavender flowers
1 ounce rosemary
1 ounce sage leaves
½ cup sea salt (add at the time of bath)

Instructions

In the morning, boil 2 to 3 tsp of the tea in a teapot. Let steep for up to ten minutes. Strain and put in thermos. Drink throughout the day. Simultaneously, put a handful of the sitz bath herbs (except the sea salt) in a soup pot, or around 2 to 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then shut off the heat, and cover until ready to use. When you are ready for a bath (ideally after your massage), strain the herbs directly into the bathtub, or if you prefer into a sitz bath. Add sea salt to bath just before stepping in. Drink your tea in the bath!

Belly Wrapping

Wrapping the belly, or uterus, is another universal postpartum practice. Besides warming the abdomen and uterus, wrapping the belly also decreases bleeding, speeds weight loss, and reorients a mother with her core muscles. All it takes is a strip of fabric 8 to 12 inches wide and about 5 feet long along with a few pins to secure.

Instructions

Place the fabric above your pubic bone and rising to your navel. Wrap the fabric around your waist like a sash.

Wrap the fabric alternately using diagonal and straight wraps until you reach the end of your strip. Secure with pins. Keep your belly wrapped for the entire day and night if it’s comfortable. Most women love the feeling of tightness in the area that was so stretched during the previous months. In some cultures, the wrap itself is a sign of motherhood.

I hope these postpartum care practices bring you and your loved ones a restful and rejuvenating postpartum period. Mothers deserve it and the entire family will benefit. In baskets for new mothers, I have also included a hot water bottle, great for achy, sore muscles and easing after pains. Babies of course, need to be kept warm too. Skin to skin contact is the best way for babies to stay toasty, but I have included a hat as well.

::::::::::::

Shannon Staloch is a mother and a midwife in Oakland, California. Having had her second baby recently, she can attest to the restorative powers of roasting moms postpartum! She keeps a blog at hakimamidwifery.
Thanks to Aviva Jill Romm and Raven Lang for their contributions to the care of postpartum women, and whose work I relied on for this article.

Best Bread Ever! Recipe

2010-09-30T19:00:00.000-04:00

Recipe courtesy of Sarah Mae from the Homestead Blessings DVD!

Ingredients (makes two standard loaves or one 16 inch loaf):

2 1/2 cups warm water
4-5 cups whole wheat or whole white wheat flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbs (1 packet) of yeast

Directions:

-Add water, 2.5 cups flour, salt, oil, and honey – mix together.
-Mix in the yeast.
-Mix in the rest of the flour one cup at a time, until you have a nice dough (not too sticky, not too “floury”, add, add more if needed. I ended up adding about 2/3 more to my loaf).
-Knead (punch and roll around that bread for about 5-10 minutes) and let rise for 1 1/2 hours in a warm place (ideal temp is 80 degrees).
-Punch down, separate into two sections (or leave whole for a 16 inch loaf), and put into greased loaf pan(s). -Use a fork to poke several holes into the top of the dough.
-Let rise again for about an hour and then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (50-60 minutes for 16 inch+ loaf) until lightly golden brown and slightly hollow sounding when you thump on the top with your fingernail.

Apple Pie! Recipe

2010-09-30T12:09:00.002-04:00

Apple Pie!

Pie Crust Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
I teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
hint: If this is your first time making this pie crust, make a double batch to be sure you have enough crust.

Pie Crust Utensils
1 Mixing Bowl
Rolling pin
Knife
Measuring spoons
Measuring Cups
Dough Blender (in picture, I know, it sounds electric, but it isn't)
Cutting Board
9 inch Pie Pan (smaller is ok, but no bigger)

First Step: Mixing the Pie Crust Ingredients
Warm the butter in the microwave until it is soft, but not melted.
Mix in a large bowl:
2 cups all-purpose flour
I teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
Then cut in using the dough blender:
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Second Step: Chill the Pie Dough
Wrap your pie crust in plastic wrap. Then place in refrigerator for 20 or more minutes, while you make the pie filling.

*

Apple Pie Filling Ingredients
For the apple pie filling you need:
5 Tart Peeled Apples
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

First Step: Slice Apples
Peel and slice your apples.
Soak them in water with a tablespoon of lemon juice. This will prevent the first apples cut from turning a funky color.

Second Step: Mix Filling
Mix in large mixing bowl:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vinegar

Third Step: Mix Apples
Now, drain the water off of the apples and mix them with the spices.

*

Now that you have finished the filling, it is time to assemble your pie.

First Step: Cut
Now that your pie crust has had plenty of time to cool, divide it into two, equal halves.

Second Step: Rolling Pie Crust
Roll one of the balls of pie crust out until it is around 1/8th of an inch thick.

Third Step: Putting Crust in Pie Pan
Once you have rolled out the dough, wrap it around the rolling pin and unroll it onto your pie pan.
Once you have shaped it to fit the inside of the pan, take a fork and poke holes in the bottom of the crust. This will let the steam out as the pie bakes.

Four Step: Filling Apple Pie
Dump all of the apples in the pie. Place about 4 chunks of butter on top of apple filling. This will give the filling rich flavor.

Fifth Step: Putting Top Pie Crust On Pie
Ok, we're almost done!
Roll out the remaining pie dough and place it on top.

Six Step: Forming Edge of Pie Crust
Create a pattern around the edge of the pie by using the back of a knife.

*

Baking Apple Pie:
Cut long strips of tinfoil and place them around the edge of the pie.
This will prevent the crust's edge from burning while it bakes. You will want to take the tinfoil off about ten minutes before the pie is done. This way, the apple pie will have a golden brown edge.

Bake your pie at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

hint: Place a cookie sheet covered in tinfoil on the lowest oven rack (not on the same rack as the pie) to prevent any overflow from reaching the bottom of the oven--easy cleanup!

Brush With Egg White:
For a glossy effect, brush a small portion of egg white on top of the crust when you remove the tinfoil.

Enjoy!

Doing Good to Our Husbands

2010-09-30T11:32:00.000-04:00

This Post is by Crystal over at Serving God and Family. Go check out her blog, she has lots of other goodies too.

“…and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” Ephesians 5:33

This verse has come up several times recently, as has the issue of wives not respecting their husbands in the manner in which they speak about them when they are frustrated with something their husbands are or are not doing. This is a pet peeve of mine, mostly because it is highly disrespectful to the husband being slandered, and he is not present to defend himself. I am often reminded during times like this that there are always three sides to any story; the wife’s side, the husband’s side, and the truth.

I am sure we all get a bit frustrated with something our husbands are doing or are not doing, however, we must be very careful and cautious how we speak about our husbands to other women (or men) in an effort to vent our frustrations. The person we ultimately should be taking our concerns to is the Lord, as He is the only one who can search the heart and convict of sin. There are times where a wife (or husband) may need to seek godly counsel on an issue, but even that should be carefully prayed about beforehand. Our marriages are a sacred union that is supposed to be an earthly symbol of the relationship between Christ and the Church (His Bride). Interestingly enough, God’s word tells us the operating order of the marital relationship in Ephesians 5:22-33. We need to remember this order as it may be very helpful during times of frustration where it becomes easier to say and do things that dishonor our husbands, thus dishonoring ourselves and our families.

Many times I think wives have this idea that everyone else’s marriage is perfect, and fall into coveting what other women have. Scripture tells us quite clearly in Exodus 20:17 that we are not to covet anything that belongs to anyone else. There are no perfect marriages. Every marriage has its frustrations and things that need to be worked through. As Christians we are constantly being conformed into the image of Christ, which leads me to believe no one is a perfect wife or husband. We all sin daily, and we are all in need of God’s grace and mercy. We need to keep this in mind when we begin finding fault with everything our husbands do or don’t do.

One thing I think wives tend to forget is that we are the ones called to be the “keepers at home”, not our husbands. So, if a husband doesn’t clean dishes or help out around the house, he is not necessarily sinning. In most cases I think our husbands feel inadequate to help around the house because most of us wives (whether we will admit to it or not) have a certain way we like things, and often times we’ll follow our husbands around correcting everything they are not doing “our way”. Or we simply get frustrated when we find that our husbands didn’t clean the kitchen or make the bed in the manner we like it done, and then we find ourselves asking why we asked for help in the first place.

I believe that every woman has been tainted by feminism in one way or another. This becomes very evident to me when wives (including myself) complain about their husbands not helping around the house, or more specifically not being able to read our minds on what we want done and how we want it done. Getting frustrated with our husbands over issues as I have just mentioned are not sin issues in our husbands (or even character flaws) they are sin issues in us! Often we demand or expect things of our husbands that they are not biblically required to do, nor do I believe they were created to think as we do when it comes to matters of managing the daily chores of a household. If it were so, then God would never have created woman to be man’s helpmeet (Genesis 2:18). Our husbands are our ministry according to Genesis 2:18, so we need to be very careful with what we demand of them and how we speak of them to other people when we are frustrated.

My husband and I were talking about this issue last night, and he made a statement that I think rings true for most women, and I think it stems from the feminist movement and that is “Women think they are part of some “sisterhood” that allows them to complain about their husbands with other women without restraint”. I think my husband’s observation hit the nail on the head. As fallen women, the Lord tells us that our desire will be to lord over our husbands in an effort to control them, but that our husbands would be the ones ruling over us (Genesis 3:16). The feminist movement has been tooting the horn that women are being oppressed by their male counterparts and thus we have ample reason to complain. This mentality goes against everything the Lord tells us a wife should be.

We are to love and respect our husbands (Ephesians 5). Our husbands should be able to trust us with their honor and dignity (Proverbs 31:11). When we tell other women, even those who we are close to, about all the faults our husbands have, we paint a less than honorable picture of our husbands which ultimately shames him and us. This is surely not doing “good” to our husbands (Proverbs 31:12), which shows more evidence of our own selfishness, pride and sin than it does proving how uncharitable our husbands are to us. Even in the case of an unbelieving spouse who does not have a desire to obey the Lord, the wife really needs to be careful with how she speaks of her husband, because how does she know that she won’t be the very one the Lord uses to bring salvation to her husband? (1 Corinthians 7:16). If the believing spouse is constantly slandering her husband and airing all of his flaws and sins, then how is she being a godly helpmeet to him, especially given that she is not without sin?

God is purposefully acting in our lives (Romans 8:28-29) and is not caught off guard by the situations we find ourselves in. Our focus should always be on Him and not ourselves (Hebrews 12:1-2). When we complain to others about the things that our husbands do that get on our nerves we are actually being very narcissistic, while slandering our husbands in the process. If our husbands are sinning, then we should confront them AFTER much prayer, asking the Lord to guide us in confronting our husband through His word. When the time comes to confront our husbands, we need to proceed in meekness with much humility and gentleness. Mrs. Martha Peace gives some wonderful biblical advice in her book “The Excellent Wife” on how we should confront our husbands on sin issues: (p.42-44)

1. We need to be sure to choose the right time. (Ecclesiastes 3:1,7)

2. Make sure we are choosing the right words and not lashing out in anger and frustration. (Proverbs 15:28)

3. We need to make sure that when we confront our husbands about a sin issue that we are also comforting to him as well. (Revelation 2:2-3)

4. We need to be specific with what sin our husbands have committed and offer a biblical solution. This is why we need to search the scriptures BEFORE confronting our husbands. (1 Thess. 5;18, Ephesians 4:25, Philippians 4:6, and James 1:19-20)

5. We also need to remember to communicate a spirit of unconditional love. No matter what sin our husbands have committed we need to show unconditional love for them, just as Christ shows towards us who belong to Him and have been given MUCH grace through His blood. (Romans 5:8)

We also need to remember that we are sinful and not perfect. This means that our husbands have a duty to correct us as well, and how we respond to correction speaks very loudly about where our own hearts are. “Even if your husband reproves you in an angry or unkind manner, you are still responsible before God for how you respond back” (Peace, 2005, p.45).

One thing that every godly wife should be doing each day is praying for their husband. I am not talking about praying that he would do things that make our lives easier! If your husband is sinning and you have confronted him about the issue, and he continues in his sin, then you need to pray that the Lord would change His heart so that GOD will be glorified. Either way we should be praying for our husbands. Many of our husbands work out in the world and are constantly under attack from the enemy who seeks to destroy everything that the Lord has made good, especially our marriages. We need to remember that many of our husbands labor very hard to provide for our needs, and even our wants. God created woman to be a “helper suitable” for the man (Genesis 2:18). We need to keep that in mind every day and ask ourselves “is what I am doing helping my husband or harming him?” Slandering and complaining about the shortcomings or flaws in our husbands to others is most certainly NOT helping them, but is ultimately bringing harm to him and our families.

Three books I recommend for wives who seek to the glorify the Lord in their marriages are “The Excellent Wife” by Martha Peace, “Passionate Housewives Desperate for God” by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald, and “Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother” by Carolyn Mahaney. All of these books have helped me to understand the biblical role of a wife and while often times convicting, these ladies offer biblical evidence and support that have greatly encouraged me over the years.

I pray that each day you will pray that the Lord would search your heart and reveal and sin or ill will you may have towards your husband. Ask the Lord to show you YOUR OWN short comings, and then repent of your sin. Our husbands are our #1 ministry and we need to remember that our job is to do good to them, not harm them with slanderous words. Soli Deo Gloria!

Serving God and My Family,

Crystal <>< (SAHM)

Gratitude in the Storms of Life ~ Daily Devotional

2010-09-30T09:47:00.000-04:00

Gratitude in the Storms of Life

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Read | 1 Thessalonians 5:18

If you are not in a difficult time, you likely will encounter one soon. Jesus promised that we will have many hardships in this life (John 16:33). And was He right!

As unpleasant as trials are, there’s still much reason for giving thanks. Yesterday, we looked at three provisions believers can count on during adversity: God’s presence, a pathway through the trouble, and potential to grow. Today, Let’s explore two more.

Protection. God doesn’t necessarily keep believers from suffering or disappointment. Stopping the storms may be our goal, but from His point of view, the adversity may be necessary to mature us spiritually. But the Father offers protection by staying with us in the struggle. Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, we are promised that God indwells us and will never leave. What’s more, we have assurance that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). So our ever-present God walks with us through the hardships, providing guidance and speaking truth into the situation.

Peace. While difficulties cause many people anxiety, believers have God’s peace. This inner serenity does not depend on whether circumstances improve. Rather, it’s a result of our relationship with Him. Our main focus shouldn’t be on fixing the problem but on our dependence upon God.

As we recognize the Lord’s provision during trials, we can genuinely express gratitude. Doing so will enable us to fix our eyes on Him rather than on our circumstance. We often don’t know what the purpose is for each ensuing trial, but we do know that our God is good and trustworthy.

God’s Provision ~ Daily Devotional

2010-09-30T09:45:00.000-04:00

God’s Provision

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Read | Matthew 14:22-34

No one gets through life without trials. Realistically, you are either in a storm, just getting out of a one, or about to enter a turbulent time. That is the bad news. Thankfully, we serve a good God who provides beautifully—especially during the dark periods of life.

Today’s passage tells of a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus provides for us today just as He did for His disciples in that unsettling situation. Today, we will focus on ways that He does this.

First, the Father gives Christians His presence and the promise that He will never leave (Hebrews 13:5-6). This is, perhaps, the greatest gift because from this awareness, He offers a sense of comfort, courage, and confidence.

Second, the Lord blesses His children with a pathway through trouble. He is in total control of our storm and will use the trial for His purpose. We may not understand, but we can trust His hand to guide us and accomplish good. Sometimes the reason and benefit of a difficulty will becomes obvious, while in other cases, it may never be clear.

Third, the Father offers believers the potential to grow. Hardships are exercises in trust and times to learn more fully who God is and how great His power and love are.

No one enjoys trials. But remember to express gratitude for God’s hand in your life and the way He will use the adversity. Hardships are chances to trust your Creator and to know Him better. Of course, they are painful, but don’t waste the opportunity to become all the Lord has planned for you.

Equipped for the Valley ~ Daily Devotional

2010-09-28T15:01:00.000-04:00

Equipped for the Valley

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Read | Psalm 27:11-14

If a sermon is worth listening to, make it a habit to write down the important points. Writing etches wisdom deeper into your heart and mind, which is where you build a foundation of biblical theology.

Christians cannot afford to let a message wash over their ears and drift away: believers who aren’t listeners may panic upon walking into a spiritual valley. Since they’ve retained very little teaching, their understanding of the Lord will be limited. People with a shaky theological foundation don’t realize:
1) God is upholding them through their difficulty (Isaiah 41:10);
2) it has purpose (Romans 8:28-29); and
3) they must surrender to His work in their life or be set aside—still a believer but useless to the kingdom (Romans 12:1-2). Consequently, a believer without a solid biblical foundation may seek out counsel from worldly “problem solvers” who offer only temporary release from pain and fear.

David, the psalm’s author, said that he did not fear evil (Psalm 23:4). He knew God. What did he have to be scared of when the One who controls everything was on his side? How could he be stifled by anxiety while in the Spirit’s comforting presence? The writer held God to His promises and God delivered (Psalm 23). But the psalmist had to know those pledges in order to believe that the Lord would keep them.

A spiritual relationship heavy on emotion but light on facts falters in a valley. Believers must know how Scripture applies to life. Unless you have a belief system that can withstand pressure, pain, and criticism, you are at risk. Start building your biblical foundation so it will help you in times of need.

I Have Something That Money Can't Buy

2010-09-27T14:50:00.001-04:00

The kids practicing "I have something that money can't buy" for church (Gateway Baptist Church). Joshua is a goofball. ♥

The Believer’s Valley Experiences ~ Daily Devotional

2010-09-27T10:45:00.000-04:00

The Believer’s Valley Experiences

Monday, September 27, 2010

Read | Psalm 23

Where there are mountains, there must also be valleys—it’s a simple fact of the created world. The same is true in our spiritual life. To reach the place where God is leading us, we must sometimes traverse “the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4).

Spiritual mountaintops are wonderful spots to rest awhile. At such times, we feel close to God and sure of His love. But we get to those high places by toiling through the valley, where we discover His character, the truth of His promises, and our own weakness. There are aspects of the Lord that we see only as we journey though shadow.

God is a jealous shepherd—He wants His followers relying entirely upon Him. He draws us through valleys in order to remove every habit, thought pattern, or external crutch that we use instead of trusting Him. In the low places, those suddenly seem inadequate. We discover whether our faith, courage, and wisdom are self-created or from the Lord.

While walking in valleys is an inevitable part of life, believers aren’t left comfortless. Verse 5 is about having needs met, including the desire to be soothed. Here is the image of a tender shepherd rubbing oil onto an animal’s scraped skin. God promises assurance, healing, and safety, even in hardship.

Believers can shout, “I trust God,” from the mountain because they have learned to live by faith in the valley. Walking in the shadow of evil is difficult and frightening work. But when we surrender to whatever the Lord has to teach us in this dark place, our spirit is quieted and our faith is strengthened.

~~ GIVEAWAY TIME ~~

2010-09-26T23:43:00.000-04:00

I am so excited to be able to offer my dear readers, whom I am so blessed to be able to fellowship with, a FREE $25 GIFT CARD to BORDERS BOOKSTORE!!

Borders has good prices on lots of different Christian Living titles, a large majority that would be of great inspiration to a Christian woman after God’s own heart.

Rules are simple, just do the following, each of which will earn you a separate entry, and leave a separate comment for each entry.

*Follow this blog with Google Friend Connect and/or Blogger. (1 Entry)

*Post a comment stating what book(s) you might like to have and why. (1 Entry)

*Share this blog on Facebook or Twitter. (1 Entry)

* Share a testimony about how the Lord has proven faithful in your life, maybe even when things looked bleak from earthly perspective. (2 Entries, leave your first comment as your testimony, and your second entry only needs to say “second entry” or something similar)

On Saturday, October 2^nd, 2010 I will randomly select one winner (via random.org) and I will announce the winner! (Yay!!) Once I announce the winner, they will need to e-mail me their mailing information so that I can send their FREE $25 BORDERS GIFT CARD out to them, so be sure to subscribe to this feed for updates after you post your comments!

Blessings!

Are You a Threat to Satan? ~ Daily Devotional

2010-09-25T19:48:00.000-04:00

Are You a Threat to Satan?

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Read | 1 Peter 1:6-7

On two separate occasions, the Bible records that Satan petitioned the Lord to test a believer (Job 1:6-12; Luke 22:31-34). In both cases, God agreed. The Devil did his best to break the faith of first Job and later Peter, but he failed both times.

Do you suppose that Christ and Satan have ever discussed you? I think most people are too humble to assume such a conversation has happened. So let me ask the question a different way: Is your life making an impact worth talking about? I had to ask this of myself—am I serving God sufficiently to make Satan feel threatened?

Preachers and missionaries aren’t the only people who make the Enemy nervous. Any believer who is determined to obey the Lord is a threat to the Devil, particularly when sharing the gospel. God calls on you to witness to certain people because you have just the right knowledge, story, or temperament to reach them. Fearing that the unbeliever might choose salvation because of your testimony, Satan gives you plenty of opportunities to fail. He hopes you’ll be too discouraged to continue serving the Lord. The Enemy would like nothing better than to thwart God’s plan for believers’ lives by undermining their faith. That being the case, we might all be surprised how often our names pass between Jesus and Satan!

Although you may think you aren’t important, God knows your true value. Friend, as a Spirit-filled believer, you have amazing potential to serve the kingdom. Satan sees that, and he will try to make you stumble. If you fall, lean on the Lord as you get to your feet and carry on.

Satan's Strategy ~ Daily Devotional

2010-09-24T10:46:00.000-04:00

Satan's Strategy

Friday, September 24, 2010

Read | Luke 22:31-34, 54-62

All of us make tracks through the valley of failure. The question is, How are you going to respond? Plenty of people give up and exchange a vibrant kingdom-serving life for a defeated existence. But failure need not be an end. It's a chance for a new beginning living in Christ's strength.

Peter had a life-altering failure. Jesus warned that Satan had asked permission to "sift" the disciple like wheat (Luke 22:31)—vigorous shaking is required to separate wheat kernels from debris. The Enemy wanted to shake Peter's faith hard in hopes that he'd fall away from Jesus like chaff.

Peter fervently believed the promise he'd made to Jesus: "But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I." (Mark 14:29). But Satan knows a few things about the power of fear. What's more, he realized that the disciple would be wounded by his own disloyalty. A man with tattered pride can't help but question his usefulness.

When Satan sifts believers, his goal is to damage our faith so much that we're useless to God. He wants us shelved far from the action of the Lord's kingdom. Therefore, he goes for our strengths—the areas where we believe ourselves to be invincible, or at least very well protected. And when the Devil succeeds, we are disappointed and demoralized. But we don't have to stay that way.

If we are willing, God can use failure to do spiritual housecleaning. Peter laid down his pride and instead put on the Holy Spirit's courage. Thereafter, he risked humiliation, persecution, and death to proclaim the gospel. Failure was the catalyst that brought forth greater faith and true servanthood.

Does God Cause Us to Sin? ~ Daily Devotional

2010-09-23T18:58:00.000-04:00

Does God Cause Us to Sin?

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Read | Isaiah 45:6-9

Yesterday’s reading affirmed that God is in everything from natural disasters to family disputes. Nothing touches a believer’s life unless it comes through His permissive hand. And He brings about good from even our worst experiences (Romans 8:28). But believing in divine sovereignty over all the events of earth implies a connection between holy God and our sin. Then, just how are they related?

Read this carefully: God neither instigates sin nor leads anyone into temptation. He is holy, so He can’t be in the presence of sin. He is just, so He demands payment for wrongs. And He’s loving and merciful, so He desires that all people know Him and His saving grace. To lure people into wrongdoing and then judge them for disobedience would be contrary to His character.

Even before we make a wrong choice, the Lord knows what the repercussions will be. And He uses the evil circumstances related to our sin as a teaching tool.

We have a certain amount of free will—the Lord allows us to step out His will and pursue our own agenda. He knows that sin reveals the flesh’s weakness and arrogance. Once we realize our frailty, He teaches us to die to self and to rely upon Christ’s strength (Galatians 2:20).

Giveaway Ideas?

2010-09-22T11:58:00.003-04:00

I am toying with the idea of doing a giveaway of sorts on my little ol' blog here, and I was wondering what, exactly, my mainstream readers would be interested in.

Any ideas, leave them in the comments below!

As always, may God bless His faithful, and many Thanks!

Simple Homemaking Tip of the Week

2010-09-22T11:26:00.004-04:00

Make sure to purchase a plunger for every bathroom in the house. No guest wants to suffer the embarrassment of having to ask for the plunger. :-)

Is God in Everything? ~ Daily Devotional

2010-09-22T11:10:00.003-04:00

Is God in Everything?

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Read | Romans 8:28-29

Is God involved in everything that happens throughout the world? How you answer that question is important. What people believe about the Lord’s sovereignty affects both their trust in Him and their reactions to struggles. Moreover, believers’ thoughts on God’s dominion influences their compliance with His requirements. For instance, “in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) would be an impossible standard if God were only partially in control of what’s going on.

Believing God is present in the positive aspects of our lives is easy. Reconciling hardship to His promises of provision and love is tougher. But think about this: If the Lord has reason to provide a job promotion, might He not also have reason to orchestrate a job loss? If He gives good health, might He not also allow sickness, as He permitted in Job’s life (Job 2:6-7)?

The Bible says that the Lord’s ways are not like our ways (Isaiah 55:8). He has a master purpose for involving Himself in every aspect of believers’ lives—namely, conforming them to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). Jesus’ life was not easy or sweet. He suffered shame, abuse, ill will, and persecution even before He faced the cross. If we are to be like Him, then we must expect that God’s loving hand will sometimes hold a tool for reshaping us.

Every believer is encircled by God’s protection (Psalm 34:7), so nothing touches our lives unless He permits or directs it. Bitterness and blame cannot take root if we accept that every good and bad thing comes with God’s knowledge and permission. We can trust Him to do right by us (Romans 8:28).

~In Touch Ministries~

Mama, Do You Like Your Children?

2010-09-21T00:45:00.002-04:00

Yet another wonderful and thought provoking post from Kelly over at Generation Cedar.

I stood talking with a woman at the checkout and her 5-year-old was climbing first up her leg, then squealing, then dropping to the floor, still holding her mother’s arms, jerking her downward, demanding to be picked up, running round and round while the mother’s face grew more tense, trying to focus on our conversation–both of us attempting to ignore the giant elephant of this demanding child.

“I have two and I’m exhausted”, she said. “They’re wild.”

Wild. Her words played back as I drove home. The lady appeared to be a Christian–I know at least that she attended church regularly.

Lately it seems that I see too many mothers not enjoying their children. Some of them say so right out loud. They scramble to go places, to find activities to entertain them. It seems impossible to them to just be at home for any length of time with their children, playing, hanging out, soaking them in.

Just being….something, I think maybe children need more than anything.

What is the problem?

I sit frozen at my computer after typing that question. I think of so many things, intertwined, reciprocating, and it’s impossible to make a list.

I think of mothers and fathers who simply lack the wisdom and understanding of basic child-training. I think of a new wave of parenting among Christians that shames parents for even believing that the Bible teaches they have authority over their children. What do we do with that?

I think of parents too busy to engage in child training if they did understand it; too consumed with other pursuits to roll up their sleeves and perform the arduous task of raising children.

I think of how the birth control mentality we embrace inadvertently distorts our view of children and makes them a burden before they even arrive.

I think of the sheer lack of time parents spend with their children that hinders the natural friendship and affectionate bond that should exist which draws us to enjoy them.

I think of our addiction to entertainment and distraction and how it destroys family relationships.

I think of so many organizations that subtlety pull the already-fragmented family in different directions–physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I think of a century of feminist dogma that convinced us that motherhood was peripheral, at best, and not worth our full attention.

I think of the utter death of the “Christian soldier about my Father’s business” in the 21st century.

And I think of how all these factors become a vicious cycle that reaffirms our decision to stop having children–godly offspring that were intended to “speak with the enemy in the gates”.

I think of apathy among Christians, and a lack of theological depth and a flippant belief system.

What we believe affects how we live.

And if we believe that “it doesn’t really matter–this way or that, whatever works for you” we all end up swirling around in this cesspool of confusion and consequences from rejecting the wisdom of God.

Yep, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stick with “Do You Like Your Children”.

Everything’s connected. It’s about our whole world view.

That’s my life message.

And we’re going to have to do a lot of rewinding to get to liking our children again.

Who Causes Children–It Matters What You Think

2010-09-21T00:33:00.004-04:00

Excellent article written by Kelly over at Generation Cedar. Check out the rest of the wealth of information and follow them over there. You won't regret it! :-)

(The Crawford Family ~ Generation Cedar)

In trying to understand our culture’s current attitude toward children and the common practice of birth control, one has to dig, if you will, or peel back many different layers of thinking.

In speaking about a friend of mine who has seven children, another friend (strong believer) commented, “I just don’t think they know what they’re getting themselves into”. The comment has played over in my mind all day, because it reveals a strong delusion that even Christians have suffered. The delusion is that we cause children to be born. And if you believe that humanistic idea, then it completely changes your perspective on children. If WE cause children, then we obviously have the right to prevent them. And her statement insinuates that “they” have made some kind of mistake by having all these children, and “they” are going to pay for it.

Biblically speaking, WE do not create children. To think so is arrogant and grossly pompous. We can only prevent them, nothing more. And if God indeed is the One who creates our children, and gives us our children, and calls them gifts from Himself, then only those who prevent them should have to give an explanation. Don’t ask me to explain why my body is doing exactly what God created it to do! You explain to me why you are refusing to let yours! How it must grieve the heart of God to hear a child of His talk about His gifts as some kind of mistake (“they don’t know what they’re getting themselves into”)! THEY have nothing to do with it!

We have to regroup our thinking, push away the culture’s brainwashing, and get back to the basics: God created male and female. He said it is good for them to marry, share an intimate relationship, and reap the natural results of that relationship. In case we have forgotten, he did not give us a “what if” option of turning off our ability to bear children if the circumstances are not just right, or if we just don’t want the responsibility of raising children. It was man’s idea to prevent the birth of children; those who haven’t chosen to work against their body’s natural design should certainly not have to give an answer…no more than I should have to give an answer for why I breathe.

And let me clarify: in case you think I feel hostile toward those who practice birth control, I do not. Rather, I am angered at the lie that Christians have bought into and inevitably use against those who do not practice bc. It is interesting to note, most people who believe that it is OK to practice birth control have at least some problem with allowing God to be sovereign over your family size. Why is that? Feel free to enlighten me.

I type this with love in my heart and a smile on my face :-) …Practice birth control if you wish; but understand that it is not God’s natural design, and stop treating it like it is. I love my fellow BC users, but I would like to experience the joy of having a full quiver without all the disdain. Spread the word!

Reflection Friday

2010-08-27T11:52:00.000-04:00

The Test Of Genuine Repentance

2010-08-27T11:49:00.001-04:00

by Britt Williams on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 8:13pm

"If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes."
-Leviticus 26:40-43

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
-2 Corinthians 7:10

Jesus placed the doctrine of repentance at the pentacle of gospel declaration when He proclaimed...

Luke 13:3 Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

We must not be deceived: repentance is an absolute condition for regeneration.

"Man cannot turn to God without first turning from sin."
-Richard Taylor

Make no mistake, the Biblical Gospel executes an ultimatum that forces men to choose between their sin and God's Christ. Throughout the N.T. we see that Jesus and the Apostles always communicated the full expression of God. They never cloaked the message, they never sought to soften the blow of that gospel hammer. All through the Gospels and into the Book of Acts, the message of the cross is presented in all its brutal power and beauty. The Apostolic preachers always demanded that men forsake all their sin. However, today's gospel message is void of Biblical repentance, if not by direct exclusion, then by subtle implication. Repentance preaching, they say, is "too negative, too offensive, an affront to modern rules of decorum." Thus, the modern pulpit no longer confronts sin, but appeals to the carnal and selfish motivations and desires of the sinner. Therefore, the church is now filled with multitudes who have never been made to see that God commands repentance. True, they may be familiar with the term, yet sadly, utterly void of its fruit. Yes, many will say they have repented, but when pressed, their repentance, must be repented of. Oh saint of God, the only thing worse than no repentance, is false repentance.

But thank God, we have His Word to test the validity of our repentance.

In our text, I see five criteria that must be met to pass this Biblical test of genuine repentance.

I. THE CRITERIA OF CONFESSION.

Leviticus 26:40a If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me...

Genuine repentance will side with God against itself. It will, as they say, come clean. Those who have truly repented will admit they were wrong and their sin is wicked.

Psalm 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
When folks are hesitant to acknowledge they are wrong...

It is only logical to conclude that no man can turn from sin without first admitting that he is guilty of sin. Thus, confession is the most basic element of Biblical repentance.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Confess: {Greek} hom-ol-og-eh'-o, To assent, to acknowledge, but above all to make covenant.

The word "iniquity" used in our text, is more far reaching than merely a single act, it means perverseness. True repentance opens the inner eye of the heart to clearly see the gross rebellion displayed in independence from God.

Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Covereth: {Hebrew} kaw-saw', To clad self.

Those who embrace Biblical repentance offer no evasions, no excuses, or rationalizations. They will denounce not only acts of sin, but the principle of sin that dominates fallen nature. Such men will see that they, within themselves, are altogether unprofitable. Thus, repentant men no longer trust themselves. They see themselves, apart from Jesus, as dangerous and capable of the vilest transgression, and they will admit it. And notice, our text reveals a confession for not only personal, but historic sin.

Leviticus 26:40b ...and the iniquity of their fathers

They're willing to condemn the philosophies and false concepts that led them into a life of rebellion. Likewise, they will rightly see the indoctrinations of a carnal upbringing or a secular education in the light of God's Word. And such confessions will be ripe with shame and grief for the disgrace brought upon the Gospel.

Psalm 38:18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

Too often today, men are more concerned with the consequences of their sin than the dishonor brought upon God and His kingdom. Such attitudes are far from the spirit of true repentance.

II. THE CRITERIA OF ZEAL AGAINST SIN.

Leviticus 26:40b-41a ...and that also they have walked contrary unto me; 41And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies

Genuine repentance produces a hatred against our former sins.

2 Cor. 7:11 ...yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

As real faith produces works, genuine repentance always inspires a holy zeal against sin. Where there is no zeal and hatred against sin there is only vain repentance. When our denunciations of sin are met with the desperate and frantic hushes of "now-now" and "oh-my" we are among men who still secretly sympathize with sin. Nowhere in the Scriptures do we find the Spirit of God coming to the rescue of sin being exposed. True repentance delivers us from that heart sentiment with sin and sets us free to side with God against our sin. It is by faith in the finished work of Christ that we are placed in union with Him and His cross. Hence, the cross is the only thing that can separate us from the shame and guilt of our sin.

"Confession of sin implies rejection of sin. Its power is broken only as we come into harmony with the Cross. But the Cross is no place of concealment, of hiding, of covering sin. It is the place where we break with sin, the place of exposure, of guilt, of open shame."
-L.E. Maxwell

Separation, by the cross of Christ, is the key to being freed from sympathizing with sin. Forgivness is more than merely a judicial pronouncement, but an experiential cleansing. The man who has genuinely repented of his sin won't be offended if you publicly denounce his former sins because Calvary has effectively severed him from his past. On the other hand, oppression, confusion, and uncertainty are often by-products of sin.

2 Tim. 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

So, when men are super-sensitive with the confrontation of sin it reveals a lack of genuine repentance. Notice the word "contrary" in our text, it is a strong term, meaning...

Contrary: {Hebrew} ker-ee', Hostile.

True repentance provokes us to confess/agree that while in any sin we are/were against God and God is/was against us.

So often we hear professing Christians offer telling statements of how they viewed their life before conversion. They say...

"I loved God."

"God was with me."

"God blessed me."

These concepts are all in direct opposition to God's Word and true, Biblical repentance. Hence, those who refuse to acknowledge the utter breach that sin causes in the divine/human relationship have not truly repented.

III. THE CRITERIA OF HUMILITY.

Leviticus 26:41b ...if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled

Genuine repentance produces a humility of heart that readily receives correction from God's Word. When men chaff under the application of the Word of God their repentance must be considered suspect.
For true repentance is to turn from self-government to submission to God's Word. The unteachable spirit prevalent in today's church reveals a void of Biblical repentance. So often men become frustrated, testy, and angry when sin is denounced. This ought not be where true repentance has been exercised.

IV. THE CRITERIA OF ACCEPTANCE.

Leviticus 26:41c ...and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity

Genuine repentance agrees with God's judgment of sin. Now, we know that Jesus has died in our stead on the cross. But do we believe God's judgments, as expressed in God's Word, are truly just? The judgment of God is dodged and ducked in this hour by men who unconsciously believe they are too harsh. At Calvary, God displayed His utter abhorrence for sin. See the bloody, beaten, and tortured Christ, this is what God thinks about sin. True repentance heartily accepts this brutal expression.

Psalm 58:10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

We don't delight in the destruction of the wicked, but we side with God. I recall a backsliden preacher who had deceived his family, his church, and committed gross sin complaining to me when I pressed him about his trangression, "Cut me some slack, everybody wants to stone me." Such words reveal a lack of genuine repentance.

Perhaps the most hated doctrine of the Bible is the doctrine of hell. Yet, hell is only harsh in the eyes of the unrepentant. And in reality, the greatest terror, the most pressing danger for the sinner is not hell, but God Himself. The most catastrophic moment in the existence of the sinner, is not his introduction to hell-fire, but when he must face the God he spurned for his sin.

Rev. 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

V. THE CRITERIA OF GRACE RENDERING A MORAL CHANGE.

Leviticus 26:42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

Genuine repentance reaps the full promises of deliverance expressed in the Gospel covenant. Today, many have reduced repentance to mere sorrow for sin. Yet, we read in 2 Corinthians that there is a sorrow that is worldly and useless/worthless. The most basic definition of repentance is a change of mind in regards to sin.

Repent: {Greek} met-an-o-eh'-o, To think differently or afterwards to reconsider.

But to think differently about sin is more far reaching than many suppose. Repentance turns our preference for sin into an abhorrence for sin. Such a change of mind and heart will always yield a corresponding change in our behavior.

"Repentance is a change of mind, as regards to God and towards sin. It is not only a change of views, but a change of the ultimate preference or choice of the soul. It is a voluntary change, and by consequence involves a change of feeling and of action toward God and toward sin."
-Charles G. Finney

This is why the fuller definition of repentance is to turn from all sin.

Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Accordingly, to call men to repentance is to communicate God's demand that men cease sinning.

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

Though such a thought is unpopular, it is irrefutably Biblical:

Psalm 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not...

John 8:11 ...go, and sin no more.

1 Cor. 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not...

Few, whether in the church or otherwise, take such claims serious. "No one can stop sinning," they say.

2 Peter 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin...

"When there is no fear, there is no change of conduct. Where there is no change, there is only a vain 'repentance.' For it lacks the fruit for which God purposed it - the salvation of man."
-Tertullian

Thus, without a moral change there is no real repentance.

According to the Word of God, these five critera must be met to prove our repentance genuine: Confession, zeal against sin, humility, acceptance, and moral change. I ask you, dear reader, is your repentance thorough and God-honoring, or is it shallow and incomplete?

-B.W.

True, genuine repentance is always marked
by certain Biblical criteria

Ignoring their debauchery in the name of diversity? Confusing Tolerance & Love

2010-08-26T12:53:00.000-04:00

by Marla Kracke on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 3:45pm

This is a short article from a great resource www.pluggedinonline.com It has great movie reviews.

CONFUSING TOLERANCE & LOVE

Respecting others and embracing the multiplicity of humankind is, at its roots, a virtue. It engenders racial harmony. It enables men and women to appreciate one another’s uniqueness. It even allows punk rockers and country music aficionados, Scream devotees and 102 Dalmatians fans to peacefully coexist. But that virtue can become a liability for teens unable to distinguish between diversity and perversity.

When Plugged In suggested to teens that a concert featuring an openly gay band spewing pro-homosexual lyrics isn’t exactly appropriate for Christian teens, we figured it wouldn’t generate much controversy. We were wrong.

Amid a flurry of PC buzzwords, reader Becky scolded, “There is nothing wrong with opening with a gay band. It’s great that they are open about their sexual preference. Being gay does not make them different in a bad way, or bad people. Maybe we need more gay bands to be open so then there won’t be as much homophobia. I think we need to keep an open mind and respect others’ preferences and style and even learn a little from them.”

A girl named Vickey stated, “I am really upset about your comment on homosexuality. You make it sound like it’s a horrible thing. I thought that if you believed in Christ, you were supposed to love your neighbor and not judge people.” Yet another parroted, “I think you should remember the verse about not judging others.”

Students of scripture realize that the same Jesus who said “Do not judge or you too will be judged” (Matt. 7:1) also commanded, “Stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgment” (John 7:24). In order to make a “right judgment,” believers must judge. The reason this can seem confusing is that there are two meanings of judge. One means to condemn, the other means to evaluate.

While we are forbidden to condemn (that’s God’s job alone), we are required to evaluate. Without “judging” in this context, we’d be unable to discern the difference between the atrocities committed by Adolph Hitler and the humanitarian efforts conducted by Mother Teresa. Or Jesus’ sacrificial death and Judas’ suicidal hanging. But somehow, teens have gotten the idea that loving someone means never evaluating or criticizing their actions.

Speaking the truth in love—now that’s real love. It’s how Christ dealt with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). He forgave her and told her to leave her life of sin. He didn’t say, “I’m okay. You’re okay. It’s just an alternate lifestyle.” But many teens ignore God’s desire for us to lovingly confront sin. They instead pride themselves on being “open-minded,” “tolerant” and “respectful” of immorality. This raises the question, “How long will it take some youngsters to go from respecting sin to experimenting with it?”

“Tolerance” and “love” are two very different things—a truth young people must grasp. We’re called to love all men in the name of Jesus, not ignore their debauchery in the name of diversity. Sin is a big deal to God. So much so that He allowed Jesus to die on a cruel Roman cross to rescue us from its grip. Glossing over evil—whether our own behavior or something the entertainment media has produced—is to say in essence, “What you did is really of little value to me. God, my view of sin is different from yours, and frankly I’m not that disturbed by it.” Though it is of utmost importance that young people learn to reach out in love to everyone, it is equally vital that they not take this apathetic, tolerant approach to sin.

God Bless!

Do you really want to be like Jesus?

2010-08-26T12:49:00.000-04:00

by Marla Kracke on Monday, November 30, 2009 at 3:28pm

ANOTHER ARTICLE THAT I HAPPENED ACROSS TODAY DOING A SEARCH FOR A SCRIPTURE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT BROUGHT TO MIND: Good stuff!!!!

Jesus Did Get Angry, Sometimes Even Violent!

One of the things that I hear quite a bit in the e-mails people send to me is that I'm not loving like Jesus. There's not a day that goes by where someone doesn't e-mail me to tell me that I'm filled with hatred, but Jesus was loving and understanding towards sinners. They accuse me of failing to be like Jesus. I would like to address such allegations against myself and others like me who stand uncompromisingly against the evils and wickednesses of our time. I would like to present to you some Biblical FACTS about the Lord Jesus Christ, facts that you've probably never heard before (or have heard, but never wanted to accept). The FACT is that Jesus was NOT always the loving pacifist that so many heathens and believers would like to make Him out to be.

The FACT is that Jesus DID get angry sometimes...real angry...so angry that He actually fabricated a whip of cords, went into the temple, and started beating people. Jesus started flipping their tables over, hurling everything onto the temple floor. People were fleeing the temple for fear. They probably said ,"This guy has gone crazy...we're out of here!" Jesus let their doves go free (costing them a financial loss). He threw their money all over the floor...

"And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables" -John 2:15

Can you imagine? Is this our Precious Saviour acting like a mad man? Yes, it most certain is. Jesus was very angry to put it mildly. What do you think would happen to someone who did today exactly what Jesus did back then in the temple that day? The person would immediately be arrested and charged with created a public disturbance, assault with a deadly weapon, trespassing, vandalism of public (private) property, etc. The judge would force the person into mandatory psychiatric counseling. If an undercover police officer were present at the time of the violent incident, the person would probably have been killed on the spot. So don't tell me about how loving Jesus was all the time. Yes, Jesus was more loving than any person who ever lived, but He also hated sin like no other...

"Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." -Hebrews 1:9

Jesus was a perfectly balanced individual, He loved righteousness and equally hated sin. Ninety-five percent of all Christians love righteousness far more than they hate sin. In fact, MOST professed Christians don't hate sin at all; rather, they live in it. Jesus did not go to gay parades and pass out pizza. Jesus never would endorse Harry Potter like Christianity Today magazine does. Jesus hated sin and preached against it.

Jesus Wasn't Hesitant to Offend People with the Truth!

Jesus reminds a woman about her adulterous affairs

Many people have accused me of being unloving, failing to be like Jesus. Why? Simply because of my direct approach. Was Jesus direct? In John chapter four we read about the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at the well. In John 4:18, Jesus tells her that she is an adulterer (Matthew 5:32). Wow! Can you imagine meeting someone for the first time and they bring up your adulterous relationships?

Jesus hurts someone's feelings

Did you ever read that passage of Scripture where Jesus made someone sorrowful...

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." -Matthew 19:21-22

The truth needed to be spoken! Jesus didn't kowtow and beat-around-the-bush. No, Jesus said what needed to be said.

Jesus calls a group of religious people "evil" snakes

It was not uncommon for Jesus to speak harsh words to those whom He felt needed to hear them...

"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." -Matthew 12:34

Wow!, Jesus called those religious people "evil." Doesn't sound like a very nice thing to do, huh? The diversity committee wouldn't have liked Jesus' outbursts of contempt and hate speech very much would they? Jesus would have been very unpopular in today's apostate world. Jesus even called them "vipers" (deadly snakes).

Jesus calls one of His own Disciples "Satan"

Jesus didn't discriminate, He evidently seemed to hate everyone, even His own disciples. Listen to what Jesus said to the Apostle Peter when Peter showed concern for Christ's well-being...

"But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." -Matthew 16:23

Wow, Peter was only trying to be a friend. Peter couldn't have been anymore sincere. Gee Whiz, you'd think Jesus would have been a little more understanding with those closest to Him. Rather, Jesus called Peter "Satan." Wow!, talk about hate speech.

Jesus accuses one of His disciples of being "a devil"

Jesus, while at the dinner table with His disciples, called one of them a "devil"...

"Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" -John 6:70

Jesus' didn't seem to regard His own family either...

"Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?" -Matthew 12:47-48

Wow!, Jesus sure had a different side to Him that most people don't see (and don't want to see).

Jesus taught that many people will one day burn in Hell

Everyone likes to think about the "God loves you" Jesus, but no one wants to think about the "You're going to burn in hell" Jesus. Well, here He is...

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" -Matthew 25:41

Huh? Can it be? Is the Loving Saviour actually saying that people will one day burn in the torments of an everlasting fire? Yes, that is exactly true.

Jesus said, do it my way, or burn in Hell when you die!

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." -John 14:6

Wow!, doesn't sound very diversified does it...do it My way or burn in hell! In fact, Jesus was extremely adamant that there is ONLY ONE WAY TO HEAVEN...

Simply put, it's Jesus or hell. Oprah Winfrey is on the wrong path. Many people are on the wrong path.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The problem with so many people is that they love people and things, but not God. We are living in a wicked world that speaks and sings of love, while simultaneously sacrificing God and His Word on the alter of sinful compromise. The wicked world wants to achieve unity between the righteous and the wicked, but there can be NO unity. Why? Because God's holiness cannot be compromised...God never changes (Malachi 3:6). The same God that hated homosexuality back in the Old testament hates the same abominable sin today. Christ-honoring Christians will never stop preaching against the vile sin of homosexuality (or any other sin for that matter). Why? Simply because God never changes.

It is a dangerous thing to hold to a lopsided view of the Saviour. Jesus loves people, so much that He died upon the cross for all of us (John 3:16). Yet, Jesus shelled the corn (preached hard) and spoke the truth when it needed to be spoken. Jesus was no wimp, no spineless coward, no compromiser...Jesus was a man's man, the Son of God, God incarnate. Jesus cared for others and loved His family and friends. However, love cannot supercede truth. True love occurs within the framework of truth. If love is not based upon truth, then it is not God's love. I love you enough to tell you the truth, even though I may risk becoming unpopular or being disliked for it.

So to those of you who think that Jesus never spoke a harsh word or never criticized someone else's religion...you are very wrong! Jesus was quite outspoken and didn't worry about offending people. Jesus was much rather willing to be divided over truth, than to be united by error. In so doing, you will discover that the loving Saviour at times flipped over tables, threw people's things on the floor, assaulted them with a whip, and then drove them out of the building. If you don't like me, you'll hate Jesus. Jesus told some people that they would one day be weeping and gnashing their teeth after being cast into outer darkness (Matthew 8:12). You wouldn't have liked Billy Sunday either. Jesus was no respecter of persons and spoke the plain truth without apology. That's what you call "tough love." Let us follow in the Saviour's footsteps by doing the same. God deliver us from this weak-kneed generation of television believers.

An article for those that are being constantly attacked for "judging" or testing things by the Word of God

2010-08-26T12:45:00.002-04:00

by Marla Kracke on Monday, November 30, 2009 at 12:57am

If you have any discernment or concern for true biblical standards because of your love for the Lord, you are almost considered proud, holier than thou or judgmental. Well, so be it. The Lord Jesus Himself spoke THE TRUTH in love. He didn't beat around the bush about it. Even to the women at the well. He told her the truth of her life that she was shacking up with a man. I do not intend to quit speaking truth due to people becoming irritated or offended. I love people & want to see them set free & that happens by understanding TRUTH!! My hubby & I have been set free from so many false teachings! I praise God for setting people & TRUE teachings that line up with God's word right in front of us so that we could not miss it. Yes, we have been offended...or shall I say OUR FLESH has been offended....but, thank God that was part of being SET FREE!!!!! - Marla

Now here is the article:

This question, “Is it right to judge?” is one that puzzles many sincere Christians. A careful and open-minded study of the Bible makes it clear that concerning certain vital matters, it is not only right, but a positive duty to judge. Many do not know that the scripture commands us to judge.
The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, “Judge righteous judgment.” Jn. 7:24. He told a man, “Thou hast rightly judged.” Lk. 7:43. To others, our Lord asked, “Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?” Lk. 12:57.
The apostle Paul wrote, “I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.” I Cor. 10:15. Again, Paul declared, “He that is spiritual judgeth all things.” I Cor. 2:15. It is our positive duty to judge.

False Teachers and False Teaching

“Beware of false prophets!” (Matt. 7:15) is the warning and command of our Lord. But how could we “beware” and how could we know they are “false prophets” if we did not judge? And what is the God given standard by which we are to judge? “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8:20. “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16), Christ said. And in judging the “fruits,” we must judge by God’s Word, not by what appeals to human reasoning. Many things seem good to human judgment which are false to the Word of God.

The apostle Paul admonished believers, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Rom. 16:17, 18. This apostolic command could not be obeyed were it not right to judge. God wants us to know His Word and then test all teachers and teaching by it. Notice also that it is the false teachers who make the “divisions,” and not those who protest against their false teaching. And these deceivers are not serving Christ, as they profess, “but their own belly,” or their own “bread and butter,” as we would put it. We are to “mark” and “avoid them.”

“Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (II Cor. 6:17, read verses 14-18). “From such turn away.” II Tim. 3:5. “Withdraw yourselves.” II Thess. 3:6. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Eph. 5:11. “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” Rom. 12:9. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” I Thess. 5:21. It would be impossible to obey these injunctions of God’s Word unless it were right to judge! And remember, nothing is “good” in God’s sight that is not true to His Word.
The apostle John wrote, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [test, judge] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” I Jn. 4:1. Again he wrote, “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh . . . If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” II Jn. 7, 10, 11. This scripture commands us to judge between those who do, and those who do not bring the true doctrine of Christ.

Whenever a child of God . . . supports Modernist (liberal, compromising) missionaries or teachers, he is guilty before God, according to this scripture, of bidding them “God speed” in the most effective way possible. And he thereby becomes a “partaker” with them of their “evil deeds” of spreading soul damning poison. How terrible, but how true! Arouse yourself, child of God. If you are guilty, ask God to forgive you and help you never again to be guilty of the blood of souls for whom Christ died. When we are willing to suffer for Christ, we can readily see the truth of God’s Word on this tremendously important matter. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him.” II Tim. 2:12.

Misunderstood and Misused Scripture

One of the best known and most misunderstood and misapplied scriptures is “Judge not” (Matt. 7:1). Let us examine the entire passage:
“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matt. 7:1-5.

Read this again carefully. Notice that it is addressed to a hypocrite!–not to those who sincerely want to discern whether a teacher or teaching is true or false to God’s Word. And instead of being a prohibition against honest judgment, it is a solemn warning against hypocritical judgment. In fact, the last statement of the scripture commands sincere judgment–“Then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” If we take a verse or a part of a verse out of its setting, we can make the Word of God appear to teach the very opposite of what it really does teach. And those who do this cannot escape the judgment of God for twisting His Word (II Pet. 3:16). Let this be a warning to us never again to take a text of scripture out of its context.

Many who piously quote, “Judge not,” out of its context, in order to defend that which is false to God’s Word, do not see their own inconsistency in thus judging those who would obey God’s Word about judging that which is untrue to the Bible. It is tragic that so much that is anti-scriptural has undeservedly found shelter behind a misuse of the scripture just quoted. The reason the professed church of Christ is today honeycombed and paralysed by satanic Modernism is because Christians have not obeyed the commands of God’s Word to judge and put away and separate from false teachers and false teaching when they first appeared in their midst. Physical health is maintained by separation from disease germs. Spiritual health is maintained by separation from germs of false doctrine. The greatest peril of our day is not too much judging, but too little judging of spiritual falsehood. God wants His children to be like the noble Bereans who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11.

Romans 2:1-3 is also addressed to the religious hypocrite who condemned himself because he was guilty of the same things for which he condemned others.
James 4:11-12 refers to an evil spirit of back-biting and fault finding, not to judging whether teachers or teaching agree or disagree with God’s Word. The Bible never contradicts itself. To understand one portion of scripture we must view it in the light of all scripture. “No prophecy of the scripture is of any private [isolated] interpretation.” II Pet. 1:20. “Comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” I Cor. 2:13.

The “wheat and tares” parable of Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, is much misunderstood. First of all, our Lord is talking about the world, not His church–“the field is the world.” He goes on to say that “the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one.” Matt. 13:38. They are the two groups in the world; children of God–those who have received Christ (Jn. 1:12), and the children of the devil–those who reject Christ (Jn. 8:44). When any of the “children of the wicked one” get into [come around] the professed church of Christ, as they have always done, a definite procedure for God’s children is set forth in His Word. First, it is their duty to tell them that they have “neither part nor lot” in Christ (see Acts 8:21-23 and context). If the children of the devil do not leave voluntarily, as is generally the case, God’s children are commanded to “purge out” (I Cor. 5:7) these unbelievers. But God’s people have disobeyed His Word about this, and so unbelievers [and disobedient brethren–II Thess. 3:6, 14, 15] have gotten into control, as is now the case in most denominations. Therefore, those who purpose to be true to Christ and His Word are commanded to “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (II Cor. 6:17), regardless of property or any other considerations.

When we obey God’s Word, we can trust Him to take care of all the consequences of our obedience.

By Franklin Huling

It should say .....no biblical discernment allowed. If you have any discernment or concern for true biblical standards because of your love for the Lord, you are almost considered proud, holier than thou or judgemental. Well, so be it. The Lord Jesus himself spoke THE TRUTH in love. He didn't beat around the bush about it. Even to the women at the well. He told her the truth of her life that she was shacking up with a man. I do not intend to quit speaking truth die to people becoming irritated or offended. I love people & want to see them set free & that happens by understanding TRUTH!!

Correction isn’t Condemnation

2010-08-26T12:43:00.000-04:00

Correction isn’t Condemnation

via Marla Kracke

Many people seem to think that it is a sin to call sin by its rightful name, or at least they give that impression anyway. They will even go so far as to use Jesus’ words as a means to justify this; they say, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1 KJV). But what did Jesus really mean here? According to the Greek, the word for ‘judge’ is ‘krino’; it essentially denotes the idea of condemnation. Thus it has to do with ‘condemning’ or ‘sentencing’ a person for committing a crime. Moreover, the context in which Jesus used it has to do with eternal consequences. In other words, when a person judges another person in this way they are essentially attempting to make a ruling on the fate of that person that only God has the right to make.

Therefore, ‘krino’ is not to be confused with the words ‘rebuke’ or ‘admonish’, which essentially mean ‘to correct’. Yet people seem to believe that they are one and the same. But are you really condemning or sentencing a person to the lake of fire when you tell them that they need to repent? When you really think about it, even if we were to condemn such actions and beliefs as those that are contrary to what the Bible identifies as good works, that would only mean that we are condemning actions and beliefs, not actual people.

After all, we already know the fate of sin because the Bible makes it very clear that God will remove it from existence at some point (Isa. 2:4; Rev. 21:3-4). But we don’t know what will become of each individual in the Day of Judgment. For anyone could change at any point as long as there is opportunity to repent. Only God knows the heart. And frankly, I am certain that some will be shocked when they get to heaven and see that there are people there whom they were sure wouldn’t be there; likewise, many who think that they are going to heaven will end up in the lake of fire because they took it upon themselves to shun the will of God and condemn God’s children to hell for speaking out against their moral crimes. (Matt. 7:21-23)

Therefore, the idea that there is something wrong with calling sin by its rightful name is, in itself, wrong, because it is a blatant misrepresentation of what Jesus really said about not judging. You see, Jesus isn’t speaking to those who are in good standing with God and use His word as a means to discern both good and evil; He is speaking against those who think so highly of themselves that they would dare try to usurp the authority of God over others by speaking in His stead without His guidance. Hence Jesus is speaking against hypocrisy, and this can be seen very clearly in the following words:

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” – Matthew 7:3-5 KJV

Note: this should be taken as a warning to those who condemn and speak out against people for doing things that they are also guilty of doing, but not as a warning against those who are walking according to God’s will while speaking against hypocrisy.

Moral Correction is a Sign of Love not a Symptom of Hatred
Listen, do you really love your brothers and sisters in Christ? Then prove it by warning them when you see that they are in error. Christianity is not a ‘whatever will be will be’ religion. It serves a definite purpose. And that is to glorify the one True Living God! If we aren’t doing this then we need to be corrected, and should welcome such admonition into our lives as something that is God breathed. For as members of the body of Christ we share a moral responsibility to look after each other in this way. This “do not judge” stuff is nothing more than an excuse to avoid answering to that responsibility.

And this is where the rubber meets the road so to speak: if we really love Jesus Christ we will share Him with others. Not merely by giving them a devotional thought to make them feel comfortable, but also by issuing a swift rebuke if need be. For those who are truly walking with Christ will live by and speak of the truths that they have learned from Him in the dark, and thus bring His message to light before others who need to hear it, even if that means they will have to put themselves in harms way for doing so.

We aren’t called to be comfortable, but to be the salt of the earth; and it’s time to get serious about God! We are standing on the knife’s edge of eternity; the Lord is coming soon; and we need to collectively sound the moral trumpet of warning from the rooftops! We need to stand up for Jesus Christ and show the world that our allegiance goes out to the Lamb of God who desires to take away the sin of the world. Thus we need to be the voice that cries out in the darkness and the hands that pull sinners out of the fire; we need to be the arms that embrace them and the feet that won’t stop moving until we have accomplished all that God has called us to do.

Therefore, break the silence of the sin of omission and warn others of the impending doom that is about to befall the whole world. Hold up the banner of Christ’s righteousness today and let everyone with whom you come into contact know that you not only take God seriously, but that you love them enough to warn them of the destructive fate that lies ahead of them if they don’t repent of their evil ways and return to God. For there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for those who refuse to heed the warning; yet inexpressible joy will be felt by all who receive Jesus Christ into their hearts by welcoming His warnings to them to turn away from their sins.

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” – Revelation 3:19-22 KJV

~by Christopher S. Esty

Meaningful Mondays

2010-08-16T15:09:00.000-04:00

Consider my affliction and please deliver me.

Plead my cause and redeem me.

Salvations not for the wicked for they don't seek Your Word.

Great are Your tender mercies, Lord.

Revive me according to Your lovingkindness.

Revive me that I may seek Your Word.

Revive me according to Your lovingkindness.

Revive me, oh Lord.

You give me understanding according to Your Word.

Great peace for those who seek Your face.

I long for salvation, my lips shall praise Your name.

I rejoice in the treasure of Your keep.

Revive me according to Your lovingkindness.

Revive me that I may seek Your Word.

Revive me according to Your lovingkindness.

Revive me, oh Lord.

All my ways are before You,

let Your hand become my hand.

My soul longs for and adores You.

Let my cry come before you, oh Lord.

Revive me according to Your lovingkindness.

Revive me that I may seek Your Word.

Revive me according to Your lovingkindness.

Revive me, oh Lord.

Oh, revive me.

Revive me.

Simple Saturdays

2010-08-14T13:28:00.002-04:00

Today's Simple Saturday Tip:

If you are like me and like to print out and save good and helpful articles when you run across them online, here is a good way to organize them:

Get pocket folders, labeled by category, sort the papers into the corresponding folder, and store on a bookshelf, in a drawer, or anywhere that you would like.

Have a blessed weekend!

Reflection Friday

2010-08-13T14:00:00.004-04:00

katastolē

2010-08-10T13:31:00.001-04:00

The New Testament Greek Lexicon

Strong's Number: 2689

Original Word

Word Origin

καταστολή

from (2687)

Transliterated Word

Phonetic Spelling

katastolē

kat-as-tol-ay'

Parts of Speech

TDNT

Noun Feminine

7:595,1074

Definition

a lowering, letting down

a garment let down, dress, attire

Translated Words

KJV (1) - apparel, 1;

NAS (1) - clothing, 1;

Verse Count

KJV

NAS

1 Timothy

Modesty and Distinction

2010-08-10T13:14:00.004-04:00

MODESTY AND DISTINCTION

Modesty Defined

Actually, the English word modest appears only once in the King James Version of the Bible:

1 Timothy 2:9-10 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

The Greek word for apparel in this text is Katastole, meaning a long dress. Kata meaning down - a garment flowing down; and Stole - a long garment, covering or wrapping.

The Greek word for modest is Kosmios, meaning orderly, well-arranged, decent, modest, harmonious arrangement, or adornment. Modesty is also Biblically applied to one's demeanor or behavior. This same Greek word is translated good behavior in 1 Timothy 3:2 in the qualifications of bishops.

Therefore, sisters are instructed to wear modest long dresses (Kosmios Katastole). This Kosmios Katastole not only specifies that the article of clothing should be a dress, but also specifies that the dress should be of a suitably long length.

The definition of modesty involves both one's manner of dress and inward qualities. Biblical modesty starts within a person but is ultimately demonstrated by their outward appearance.

Modesty in the Ecclesia

The context of 1 Timothy 2:8-11, in which verses 9 and 10 address modesty, relates to public assemblies. Especially during public worship, women are cautioned to be careful lest their outward adornment pose a distraction both to themselves and to others. At all times, when we assemble ourselves together in the Ecclesia, we sisters should deliberately seek to cover our flesh with shamefacedness, simplicity and self-restraint. Our apparel should be Kosmios Katastole - a long, modest dress. Do short dresses, sleeveless dresses, tight dresses, sun dresses, and low cut dresses fit God's definition of modesty? If not, then they are inappropriate in any public setting, and especially in the Ecclesia.

Some do not apply this scripture to this "modern day." But God's view of modesty is not variable. It does not depend on the cultures that men create. It does not depend on the weather. We read of no special circumstances in the Scriptures which set aside this teaching and give liberty for women to display their nakedness. Therefore, we must assume that even in this evil and perverse generation, God still expects us to maintain His standards of modesty.

Some may reply: "Who can say exactly how much exposed skin is too much?" Consider this: Is anything more fleshly than the flesh itself? Does anything embody the carnal nature more than the body itself? Perhaps a better question to ask is: "What does God think of our flesh?" Understanding this, shouldn't we endeavor to keep as much of our flesh covered as possible, especially during the assembling of ourselves together - when we should be seeking to glorify God, and not ourselves?

Some other questions to think about:

How "vile" is this body (Phil 3:21)?
Is my body really a "body of sin" (Rom. 6:6)?
How shameful is nakedness in the sight of God (Exo. 28:42; Isa. 47:3, Rev. 3:18)?
Why did God clothe Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:10,21)?
Why were the priests commanded to not walk up steps to the altar (Exo. 20:26)?

How Shameful is Nakedness in the Sight of God?

As the social cultures decline more and more toward moral degradation, we ought not be surprised to see more and more nakedness. Regardless of how the world undresses and exhibits flesh, we must be aware of the shame of nakedness, and seek to dress modestly. Our dress and behavior must be holy, peculiar and different from the world. There is no doubt that the standard set by the world today is vastly different from the Biblical standard. The customs of the western world today urge women to uncover their bodies and the fashion of these latter days glorifies nakedness. Today nakedness is common and is displayed and viewed by many without blush or shame.

Should we amend the scriptural standards of modesty and discretion to comply with the prevailing opinions of our culture? Shall we follow God's principles only as far as the bulk of mankind would follow them? Do we claim our culture as our moral guide? Surely not!

Think of the kinds of people that are popular today in fashion design. Selah. These are the kinds of people (clearly at utter enmity to God's Holy ways) that are deciding what the women of America and other western countries will wear (or not wear). You do not have to purchase the high priced fashions of those like Versace to be affected by their ideas because their influence always trickles down through the fashion industry as a whole and copies of their trends are even seen at Wal-mart and K-mart.

There was a thought-provoking syndicated newspaper column written for the Chicago Sun-Times on June 8, 1979, by the late Mike Royko, who reportedly was not religious:

On Fashion
"Year after year, a handful of suspicious-looking characters who call themselves clothing designers issue their commands:

Wear your dress short and wear boots and look like a hooker. . .
Now dress like a gypsy fortuneteller.

Now look like a farm wife.

Now wear spike heels.

Now show your thighs.

And every time the pimps of fashion give the word, all these enlightened female persons obediently trudge to the clothing store."

There is no comparison between God's Scriptural dress requirements and what is acceptable and popular at the moment in our evil society, which bounces around from one evil imagination to the next. God's moral requirements transcend all the ages.

Nakedness Defined

If we depend on man to define nakedness we get a multitude of conflicting opinions. In some eras exposing the foot or the ankle in a public setting would have been considered nakedness. In other times there would be varying degrees of exposing the leg all the way up to the loins; and likewise exposing different levels from the neck down past the bellybutton to the loins. Even during the same time period opinions differ from one extreme to the other in different areas of the world.

What was Adam and Eve's opinion? After the fall of man in the Garden in Eden, Adam and Eve were aware that they were naked and sewed fig leaves together and made aprons to cover their nakedness. The Hebrew word for apron is chagowr which means a girdle or belt which apparently only covered the loins. God was not satisfied with man's solution to covering the shame of nakedness and made coats of skins to cover them. The Hebrew word for coats is Kethoneth which means a tunic or long coat. The same Hebrew word is used for the coats of the priests including the high priest (Exo 28:4, 39, 29:5, etc.).

It appears that even today in most of the western world that men and women have come to the same conclusion as Adam and Eve: choosing to cover their nakedness just in the area around the loins that an apron might cover.

Unlike the world in which every man "does that which is right in his own eyes," we must search out God's mind on the matter of specific nakedness in the Scriptures. We get a hint in Exodus 28:42 of a specific area of the flesh that God defines as nakedness. God required specific clothing for the priests to insure that their nakedness was covered -

And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

There is another reference to nakedness in Isa. 47:1-3. This time nakedness of women is specified:

Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate. Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen:

God is using the illustration of a woman's shame in nakedness to foretell the shame that would come upon the nation of Babylon. In doing so, God gives us another definition of nakedness relating to a woman. Note the similarity to the previous definition regarding the nakedness of a man.

From these two passages we see that God views uncovering our flesh above the knee as nakedness.

What does Kosmios Katastole - long dress - modest apparel mean if it is not a definition of fashion that continues to this day for God's children? When the question arises, "when would clothing be too short?" we can feel confident in the answer, "at least when it is above the knee."

There is no verse in the Old Testament or the New Testament that presents a pointless moral teaching for the Ecclesia of God, and there is no human practice of a moral character which the Word of God does not claim to regulate (Heb. 4:12). These Scriptural definitions of modest dress and nakedness apply to all God's children in every age: Adam and Eve, the Israelites, the believers of the first century, and the Christadelphians of today.

We should not allow ourselves to be led by ungodly men, but by God. We should not walk (or dress) in the counsel of the ungodly, but our delight should be in the law of God (Psa. 1). We may take the warning of Rev. 3:18 to the Laodicean Ecclesia of our day:

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

God knew full well that in our present time the Ecclesia would be dealing with both spiritual and physical nakedness that apparently is so common that it would not be obvious to many (but of course obvious to God!).

Nakedness is associated in the Scriptures with not thinking clearly: with drunkenness (Hab. 2:15) and with lunatic minds. In Luke 8:27 the Gadarene lunatic ware no clothes but when he was cured of his lunacy he was clothed and in his right mind (Luke 8:35).

Nakedness was also a sign of the degradation the people of God learned from Egypt. While Moses was communing with God, many of the camp of Israel fell to idolatry and evil actions which included various stages of undress: Moses saw that the people were naked and this nakedness was a shame . . . for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame. . . (Exo. 32:25).

In Isa. 20:4 prisoners were marched away naked so their shame would be public and magnified. Again and again the Scriptures portray nakedness as a shame (Gen. 9: 21-25, Rev. 3:18, 16:15, etc.).

How can we apply these lessons to ourselves? Let's now go to our mirrors and our closets. Do we see any shorts, dresses or skirts that expose the thigh? What about swimsuits? I have not yet found a swimsuit that can be considered modest by Scriptural standards. Many of the so-called modest swimsuits today barely cover what our undergarments cover. Surely if we were caught by brothers or any man besides our husband in our undergarments we would shriek with utter mortification and run for the nearest hiding place. Do we feel the same about being seen by men in our swimsuits? Is there a difference? It may be that any bathing suit you can buy today shows portions of a woman's body that only her husband should be allowed to see.

Distinction

Male and female were created different, both physically and emotionally. From the beginning God set their distinctive functions - specifically, in the divinely established order of authority. This was God's express intention and He has instituted certain social standards to strictly maintain this difference. Any blurring of this difference between men and women is an abomination to God. The scriptures require godly women to carefully maintain their feminine distinction with modest feminine clothing and meek, quiet feminine behavior.

By nature there is a marked difference between the male and female, even in the animal kingdom. It is a shameful thing to destroy the lines of demarcation that God has established. It is not only a shame unto the person, it is an "abomination unto the LORD thy God":

Deut. 22:5: The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Around the late 1960's and early 1970's the unisex look was introduced. Webster's dictionary defines unisex clothes as suitable for both sexes, not distinguishing between male and female. Through the last 30 years the unisex look has not only become fashionable but also acceptable. The unisex movement coincides with the great increase in and promotion of open homosexuality in our society. The unisex movement also coincides with principles of the women's liberation movement which seeks a different place for women than that set out by the Creator.

With this departure from women's God-appointed role has come a serious breakdown in the strength of the family unit. In the 1960's runaway husbands outnumbered runaway wives 300 to 1. Today, runaway wives out number departed husbands nearly two to one! The divorces in America today are initiated by women two to one.

Like the Garden in Eden, the fall of our society in the latter days is a direct result of women's desire to act on their own, independent from any submission to man or God. Women have again boldly stepped out of their place and again the results are tragic, reaching even into the Ecclesias of the Living God.

Until the last few years women wore robes or dresses that covered all or most of their legs. This was true world wide. Only in the last generation has this standard of women's dress been changed in the world.

Over the last 50 years (for the first time in the history of the world) it has become not only acceptable but also fashionable for women to wear pants. Historically, W.W. II factories were the first time slacks started being worn by a large mass of women. At the same time short hair, cigarettes, and immodest behavior and dress began to become acceptable feminine behavior.

Historically pants pertain to men. Today pants still are the article of choice for the great majority of men.

The word breeches in the Bible may have reference to pants. The word breeches appears five times in the Bible: Exodus 28:42; 39:28; Leviticus 6:10; 16:4; Ezekiel 44:18 and it is always used in relation to men. When referring to clothing, the phrase gird up the loins is also found five times in the Scriptures and again is always used only in relation to men.

Job. 38:2-3 (40:7) - Then answered the LORD . . ., Gird up now thy loins like a man. . .

A man might wear a long robe or covering, but underneath that he wore breeches as not to show his nakedness. If he needed to work or fight which required running or climbing or such, he would tuck his coat in a belt and it would be out of his way. Yet his breeches kept him modest.

If the breeches which are mentioned only in relation to men in the Bible really are the same type of clothing as the pants worn by the men in our modern society, then women wearing pants today could fall into the category of being an abomination to God as stated in Deut. 22:5. It's a thought-provoking question that each sister must test on her own conscience.

Even today pants are a symbol of the man and the man's authority. The standard public restroom picture signs have a figure dressed in a skirt and a figure dressed in pants. No one is ever confused as to which is which, even in this permissive society. For years we have heard the saying, "You can tell who wears the pants in that family." Pants are not only men's clothing, but they have come to represent man's authority.

There is no question that pants pertain unto men, both historically and Scripturally. Today, it is acceptable in the western world for women to wear pants, but they originate from men. Basically, pants are a style of men's clothing that now many western women also freely wear.

Some say the abomination mentioned in Deut. 22:5 does not pertain to the present dispensation. However, there is a difference between the Moral Law and the Ceremonial Law. For instance, right in Deut 22, verse 22 prohibits adultery, verses 23-27 prohibit rape, verse 30 prohibits incest. God's moral laws stand through all ages and dispensations. Christ's death abolished the Ceremonial Law, but not God's moral laws.

Rom. 8:3-4 - For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,
Romans 3:31 - Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

God does not change His feelings about moral sin. Of the gross moral sins mentioned in this one chapter in Deut. 22, only verse 5 is said to be an abomination to God. It should be taken seriously.

Is it not still an abomination to God for women to wear that which pertains to a man? What if it is an abomination to God for a women to wear pants or jeans or overalls?

Can pants, shorts or jeans which show a woman's form, and hips (and even the outline of her undergarments) be considered modest apparel? That is a question for each sister to consider. Some sisters do not relate the men's breeches of the Bible with the "women's" pants of today. Some sisters consider their loose pants to be more modest than dresses and skirts. But even among these sisters most would not think of wearing even their most modest and formal pants to Memorial Meeting. There is something troubling about pants to most every sister.

Whatever we choose to wear, we must make our choices with the intention of upholding and establishing the clearest possible distinction between men and women that God set in order from creation. The holy women of old mentioned by Peter lived by the moral restrictions of Deut 22:5:

I Peter 3:5 - For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands.

God visibly separated his people Israel from the world around them in food, dress, farming, worship, etc. You could always distinguish a Jew by his dress and his behavior. With these distinctions of separation, the Jews survived 1,900 years without a home land. The Jews today are one of the few existing ancient cultures. It was God's wise laws and providence that preserved their identity.

God also desires to preserve the identity of the Ecclesia. We must strive to remain separate in dress and behavior from the world around us that we might not be swallowed up into the masses of those who know not or choose to obey not God's Holy Ways. When Christ appears will he find the faith distinctively preserved in the earth?

A Woman's Most Important Clothing: Righteousness and Humility

I Peter 3:3-5 - Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

A sister's dress should be an expression of a meek and quiet spirit, intended more to please the sight of God than the sight of men.

I Peter 5: 5-7 - Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Job 29:14 - I have put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

Our earnest hope and desire is that by God's grace we may soon to be arrayed in another special type of clothing that God has designed - fine clean and white linen garments of salvation and robes of righteousness.

Revelation 19: 6-8 - And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Isaiah (61:10) speaks of being clothed with the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness.

First we must concentrate on clothing the heart with a meek, quiet spirit and with being clothed with humility and righteousness. If our hearts are clothed with this type of clothing we will delight to do God's will (Psa. 40:8; Rom. 7:22) and will make sure that the clothing of our bodies is pleasing to God.

Has God Spoken?

On any and every issue of life the first question we should ask is: Has God spoken? And if He has, we will not find his commandments grievous nor allow His Word to fall to the ground.

On the matter of modesty, dress and distinction, God has clearly spoken and we would do well to meditate on what He has said. We do not want to be as those who God says when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not (Isa. 65:12).

Let the king's daughters first be clothed with humility and with the robes of righteousness that we may be all glorious within (Psa. 45:13) and then let us clothe ourselves with distinctly feminine and modest coverings (Prov. 31:22) that the word of God is not blasphemed.

The King James Bible

2010-08-09T12:25:00.000-04:00

THE KING

JAMES

BIBLE

By Pastor Dennis Dills

THE PRESERVED WORD

We have seen the moral fiber of our nation crumble before our eyes. Who would ever have believed we would see the things we see today? Surely, we are living in the closing moments of the day of Grace. The Lord Jesus Christ is about to come for His children.

We ask ourselves, “How has our moral principles been destroyed?” “Why is there so much confusion in our land on what is right and what is wrong?” “Why is there so many different bibles?” “Which one should I use and study?” Let us try to answer these questions.

The Devil is the author of confusion. He has always been out to destroy lives of individuals and destroy the biblical principles that govern the survival of people and nations. His best weapon to do so is to put question marks around the WORD OF GOD, THE BIBLE. This he has been doing since man was created in the Garden of Eden.

Look at the question mark and the change the Devil made in the Word of God in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Do you see the question mark causing Eve to doubt the Word of God? Now notice her answer and the changes that are made.

Genesis 3:2-4 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Now you see where Eve and the Devil have changed what God has said. The Devil does his work by changing and altering the Word of God. His methods have not changed today either. That is the reason for so many different versions (or perversions) of the Bible. These are given to confuse men and women in order to keep them from giving their lives to the Lord.

CONFUSION

Multitudes are confused about which Bible is the correct one. Many arguments are made in defense of certain translations. Some argue that they study from a certain version simply because it is easier to understand. The real question that should be asked is not “is it easier to understand?”, but “does it come from God?”

Over the past one hundred years, the Devil has really been changing and perverting the Bible. The sad fact is that many preachers (or hirelings?) have jumped track and endorsed many different versions. Many have even gone from one version to another and then to others. The Bible has been changed and revised so many times that now people are confused about which Bible is the one that is Divinely inspired of God.

GOD THUNDERS A WARNING

God has a warning concerning the tampering of the BIBLE………

Revelation 22:18,19: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

The Bible is the only rule book man has to live by that will hold his morals high and bless his soul. When it becomes perverted, man becomes perverted in his thinking. Each time the Bible is revised or rewritten, many things are changed and often times omitted.

By now you probably are asking, “Which Bible is the correct one? The AUTHORIZED KING JAMES BIBLE, is the correct one. As a matter of a fact, if you don’t have an Authorized King James Bible, you need to throw it away and get one. Most all revised versions have been rewritten from the King James Bible.

When the Revised Version came out, many thought it was good. They began to study from it. Preachers endorsed it and began preaching and teaching from it. Later, it too was not sufficient, so another version came out and then another and then another etc.

Many made such spill over the “Good News For Modern Man” book. It carried the lime light for a while and faded away. The paraphrased “Living Bible” made the scene with its vulgarity, and many went wild over it. Now multitudes have jumped over the “New International Version (NIV). It too, has changed the meanings of many verses and also omitted several others. Books that are called Bibles are being produced every day. This will continue until JESUS COMES.

WARNING

Woe unto the preacher or teacher who will endorse these perversions and feed young converts these changes of the Word of God. The NIV has become more popular than any other perversion of our day. It could very well be the “One World Bible”.

Many will say, “But the King James bible is hard to understand”. Others will say, “The new versions are easier to understand”. Just remember that the Bible has come from God and not man. If we want to know more about the Bible, we must know the author of the Bible. Nobody knows more about the Bible than the author of the Bible. The Author of the Bible is God.

The Bible was written by over forty writers but they were led by the same Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Peter 1:20,21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Therefore, to know the Bible, we must know the God of the Bible. In order to know the God of the Bible, we must have a personal relationship with the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. To know Jesus Christ, we must first be introduced to Him by the Holy Spirit. This is accomplished through the preaching of the Word of God. The preaching of the Word of God brings conviction to the sinner. The sinner then has the choice of accepting or rejecting the plan of salvation as introduced to him through the Bible. So you see, it is important that the Bible be not altered to change its meaning. Look at what God says:

Isaiah 55:8,9: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Man will never be able to understand the Bible unless he obtains his understanding from God through the teaching of the Holy Spirit. It takes the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon our study of the Bible to teach us the truths we need to know.

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

THE BIBLE IS NOT UNDERSTOOD BY NATURAL MAN

The Bible cannot be understood by the man or woman who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. The Bible calls the lost man a natural man.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The first thing that must be done in order to start understanding the Bible is to make sure you have given your heart to the Lord. The next thing you should do is not to forsake the study of it daily. As you study, you will find many, many verses you will not understand. Don’t fret or worry about that, just keep on studying. Remember, a new born baby does not eat steak the day after its birth. It has to grow until it has teeth and able to chew. You will have to do the same. Don’t let the Devil ruin your Christian life by trying to substitute the Bible (The King James) with another version (perversion). The Devil’s goal has always been to destroy the Bible and then he can destroy our lives, our homes, and our country.

To alter or change the Word of God is to change the plan of God for man. God has chosen His Word to convict, convince, and convert man from the penalty of sin. Man may try to change the fact of the New Birth, Heaven, or Hell in his so-called better translations, but this will not change the mind of God. It may soothe the minds of men but it will not change the facts. God’s Word is forever settled.

Romans 10:13-15,17: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Why should man even try to change the old King James Bible? It has brought more to Jesus and done more for mankind than all of the other so-called bibles put together.

SATAN ATTACKS

If the Devil cannot make people change versions of the Bible, he will attack them in another avenue. Usually, he tries to get people to doubt the Inspiration of the Bible. He places clouds of doubt upon the Bible by saying that the Bible is full of errors and contradictions. The Authorized King James Bible is without error and contradictions. Any so-called contradictions will be found between the ears and not between the covers of the Bible.

Remember, the Bible is the most hated, despised, and fought against Book that has ever been on the face of the earth. The reason the Devil hates this book is because it exposes him for who he is, a master deceiver. He has always fought the Word of God. The Bible is the most protected and preserved book available to man. God promised that He would preserve the Bible.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

The King James Bible is the most fought against Bible today. This alone should cause the skeptics, the mockers, and the scoffers to stand up and take notice. Man would have to be blind and willingly ignorant not to be able to see this.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The Devil has introduced so many different bibles until there is so much confusion in the land. Our children and grand-children are the ones who will really suffer. This nation is in real trouble because it has forsaken the Word of God. Who would ever have believed that it would one day be wrong to read the Bible and pray in our public schools. But long before prayer and Bible reading was taken out of our schools, it was taken out of our homes. We the parents have allowed the Devil to rob us of a real heritage from the Lord.

ATTACKS FROM WITHIN

Some publishers have been taking liberties with the text of the King James Bible. These changes are being made to the King James Bible without changing the name of it. Many do not even know this is being done. This shows how deceitful and wicked the Devil really is. We will give you the changes that are being made that we know about. Please check your Bible to see if yours has been changed. Remember, we are talking about Bibles that are marked King James.

They have taken the liberty to not capitalize the word “spirit” in many places. To capitalize the “s” in “spirit” is proper when referring to the Holy Spirit. Check the following verses in your King James Bible to see if they have been tampered with. These should have the word “Spirit” capitalized.

1. Genesis 1:2

2. Genesis 41:38

3. Judges 3:10

4. Judges 6:34

5. Judges 11:29

6. Judges 13:25

7. Judges 14:6

8. Judges 14:19

9. Judges 15:14

10. I Samuel 10:6

11. I Samuel 10:10

12. I Samuel 11:6

13. I Samuel 16:13

14. I Samuel 16:14

15. I Samuel 19:20

16. I Samuel 19:23

17. II Samuel 23:2

18. I Kings 2:16

19. II Chronicles 15:1

20. II Chronicles 18:23

21. II Chronicles 20:14

22. II Chronicles 24:20

23. Job 33:4

24. Isaiah 40:13

25. Isaiah 48:16

26. Isaiah 59:19

27. Isaiah 61:1

28. Isaiah 63:10

29. Isaiah 63:11

30. Isaiah 63:14

31. Ezekiel 11:5

32. Ezekiel 11:24

33. Matthew 4:1

By making these changes the Devil has set out to deny the deity of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches a Trinity, One God, manifested in three Persons. The Holy Spirit is not a force, He is a Person. He is honored with a capital “S”.

Now, we will give you some word changes that have been made.

OLD TESTAMENT CHANGES

1. The word rereward changed to rearward in Numbers 10:25, Joshua 6:9, Joshua 6:13, I Samuel 29:2, Isaiah 52:12, and Isaiah 58:8.

2. The word his changed to this in Deuteronomy 17:20

3. The word or changed to and in Joshua 19:2.

4. The word travail changed to travel in Numbers 20:14.

5. The word emerods changed to hemorrhoids in I Samuel 6:4,5,11,17.

6. The word sin changed to sins in II Chronicles 33:19

7. The word flieth changed to fleeth in Nahum 3:16.

8. The word ye changed to he in Jeremiah 34:16.

9. The word lender changed to leader in Proverbs 22:7.

NEW TESTAMENT CHANGES

1. The word further changed to farther in Matthew 26:39.

2. The word winefat changed to winevat in Mark 12:1

3. The word ensample changed to example in I Corinthians 10:11, Philippians 3:17, I Thessalonians 1:7, II Thessalonians 3:9, I Peter 5:3, and II Peter 2:6.

4. The word hoised changed to hoisted in Acts 27:40.

5. The word we changed to who in I Thessalonians 5:14.

6. The word throughly changed to thoroughly in II Timothy 3:17.

7. The word inhabiters changed to inhabitants in Revelation 12:12.

If your King James Bible has been tampered with, check some of your older Bibles that you have and you will see the difference. This shows how subtil the Devil is.

All of these changes may have not occurred in your Bible, but if any have yours has been corrupted. Different publishers are changing different places. Who gives them the liberty?

There should be no question about which Bible to read and study. There is only one Bible that is Divinely Inspired, Inerrant, and Infallible, THE KING JAMES BIBLE. God has promised us good success in life if we will honor His Word. Don’t let the Devil steal your blessings and blind your eyes by placing question marks in your mind concerning the Bible.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Psalms 119:9-11: Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Let the arguments cease. Look in the front of your Bible to see if it is a copy of the AUTHORIZED KING JAMES BIBLE. If it does not read this, throw it away and obtain a copy. Then, read it, study it, and meditate upon it. Direct your life with it. Guide your home with it. We need to live by the Word of God. If we live right by the Word of God, then we can die right by the Word of God.

By now many have probably gotten many arguments with the contents of this booklet., but there is coming a day when the arguments will stop.

Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

Philippians 2:9-11: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Many will say that the version you carry and use is not important. This is another tactic the Devil presents. It is time that God’s people realized that it is important what they carry for a Bible. Many people carry these perversions simply because they do not know any better. They have not stopped to analyze the seriousness of the matter. But now, YOU ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE, YOU HAVE READ THE TRUTH.

Our children are being raised and spiritually raped in a cold lax environment concerning spiritual things. If preachers and church leaders do not hold to something our children will fall for everything. It is high time that we get seriously concerned about the Word of God. People have turned a deaf ear to the truth.

Jeremiah 6:15,16: Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

If God’s people desire to know the truth they must have an open mind. If your mind is closed, then you will be offended at the truth. An open mind and an open heart will bring the truth to the soul every time. We will all stand and give an account of how we have handled God’s Word. It is wrong to tamper with His Book.

Please earnestly pray for God to show you the truth. Don’t allow the Devil to convince you that this issue is of little or no importance. The only WEAPON we have against the Devil is the Word of God. When we are confused about the Bible then we will have trouble fighting him.

Remember, the Devil hates the Bible because it is and it declares the truth. The Devil hates the truth. He is not of the truth.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The Devil also hates the Bible because it tells him where he is going:

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Posting courtesy of: Bible Way Baptist Church

FREE NURSING COVER from uddercovers.com!! ACT NOW! :-)

2010-08-06T13:43:00.004-04:00

I just ordered this nursing cover after hearing from an online friend that she got a free nursing cover through this same promotion.

These covers have an adjustable neck as well as a rigid neckline to easily peak in at baby to see how they are doing, and it only cost me $9.95 USD for shipping (and that works out to less in Canadian right now BTW).

If you are interested in a free nursing cover, please go to www.uddercovers.com and choose a cover, then enter the code "breastfeeding" into the cart. The code will remove $32 from your purchase amount! Some of the fabrics are backorderd, others are available. I ordered the “Maria” fabric, so pretty and feminine!

Photo Courtesy of uddercovers.com

The Christian’s Duty to Love Children

2010-08-06T12:11:00.001-04:00

Repost from HERE! If you enjoy this post, please go to their blog and follow it for more timely wonderful words of wisdom!

It grips my heart with anguish every time…every time a professing Christian exhibits the opposite of God’s heart concerning children…the overt result of a world-conditioned-mind, rather than a mind that has sought to know the ways of God. “Shew me Thy ways, O Lord, teach me Thy paths.” This was the cry of David’s heart, a man after God’s own heart. Oh shouldn’t it be ours too!

Anyone with a large family (3 or more children) has experienced the comments, sometimes sheer curiosity, sometimes sheer ridicule. No matter the intention, the reactions of others reveal a thinking process that has so evolved from God’s original design for families, that His purpose is hardly acknowledged in the Christian community. While my heart does ache for the many of His people who have not accepted children as the blessing He meant for them in their own families, perhaps the greater grief comes from their refusal to embrace His design and support those who do. As I often ponder the negative reactions of Christians to large families, I keep hearing the words of Scripture, and I wonder on what authority they have based their religion. God’s Word is so explicit about God’s heart toward children. Consider the following and really ponder the meaning of these words:

“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Psalm 127:3

If I had an apple tree that bore only 1 or 2 apples, I would not consider that to be a healthy tree, or by any means one that was a “reward”. The “fruit of the womb” implies proliferation and an abundance of reproduction.

“As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man: so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:” Psalm 127 4, 5

If I were a warrior, I would certainly want more than an arrow or two in my quiver. The Bible says the man who has lots of children will be happy. That is such a different thought than the one given by most people today!

“Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive pants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.” Psalm 128:3, 4

Olive plants, fruitful vines--again the picture is fertility and abundant reproduction. This is considered a GOOD thing by the Lord!

“And did not he make them [husband and wife] one…and why one? Because he desires godly offspring.” Malachi 2:15

Yes, one of the main purposes of marriage is to produce children.

So, if I am a Christian, do I not desire to have the mind of Christ? Do I not ask with David, “Lord, teach me thy ways!”? And if so, what must my response be to those who have allowed God to be sovereign over the area of children in their lives? Can I uphold the name of Christ on one hand, and blaspheme his Word on the other? (“That the older women may teach the younger women to love their husbands and children…so that the word of God be not blasphemed.” Titus 2:4,5) If God said be fruitful and multiply, and have lots of children, why on earth are His people being criticized on this point by His own people?!

A further debate lies in the very invention, promotion and outcome of current birth control methods. God did not invent birth control; we did. And when we did, were we not saying, in essence: “God, when you created our bodies, you messed up. See, I am wise enough to know that I am not supposed to have a bunch of children. But you forgot to create a shut-off valve. So, in my superior wisdom, I must intervene and correct that which you failed to do.” You see, birth control and medicine are two opposite entities. Medicine is used for promoting health and life, a practice Jesus himself condoned. God did not create sickness and death, they are a result of sin. Birth control, on the other hand, is a preventer of life; it seeks to impair what was not broken. It takes a perfect creation, a normal function, and alters it to prevent it from functioning according to its design.

Birth control was first promoted by a radical, diabolical feminist named Margaret Sanger, who was determined to “release women from the bondage of motherhood”. She also believed that monogamy in marriage was ridiculous and thought women should be able to do what they wanted, when they wanted, and with whom they wanted. Well, she came a long way in accomplishing that purpose through the widely accepted use of artificial birth control methods. The rate of infidelity and divorce has soared since that time around 1960 (A tragedy that was predicted and strongly fought against by the church during the campaign of Sanger). (Another note about the birth control pill: most oral contraceptives have multiple strategies for preventing children, including an abortafacient method that sometimes allows conception, but prevents the fertilized embryo from attaching itself to the uterine wall, resulting in a spontaneous abortion unbeknownst to the mother.)

While it is not my intention to debate the moral ethics surrounding birth control, I felt compelled to share those few things in order to explain how far from God’s thinking we have gotten. It is not only normal but expected for a Christian to practice the above methods of child-prevention (Sanger’s idea). However, if a couple decides to believe what the Scriptures say, and accept the fruit of the womb as His reward (God’s idea), it is often treated as something akin to criminal activity. This bizarre, paradox running rampant right here in the church!

Regardless of your beliefs on the use of preventing children, if you are a believer, you cannot escape the truth about children written in God’s word. To offer anything other than support to the family not practicing birth control is anti-scriptural and is absolutely unfounded reasoning. Time or culture has not changed God’s word. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He still loves children and so must we.

What About Women Wearing Pants?

2010-08-04T10:56:00.001-04:00

Priceless Woman Ministries

by Brother Potter

For I have not shunned to declare unto you ALL the counsel of God. -Acts 20:27-

And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, AND WEAR OUR OWN APPAREL: -Isaiah 4:1a-

What does the Bible say about a saved woman wearing pants? Is it even an issue with God? Or is it merely a matter of preference or opinion to be left up to individuals to do what is right in their own eyes? Since we believe the Bible, more specifically, the King James Bible, to be the FINAL AUTHORITY (not tradition, opinions, or how one "feels" led), let’s start there.

Deuteronomy 22:5 - The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

After reading this verse, what things pop into your mind? Earrings and necklaces on men, long hair on men, short hair on women, dresses on men, and of course, pants on women. Notice the word "abomination" is used to describe how God feels about cross-dressing. I looked it up in Webster’s Dictionary.

abom.i.na.tion -’ba:m-*-’na--sh*nn 1: something abominable 2: extreme disgust and hatred : LOATHING

That’s pretty strong language, wouldn’t you say? While most church members react in disgust to Sodomites who parade down the street in dresses, they readily accept and even defend women wearing pants. According to God’s Word, it is no more of an abomination for a man to wear a dress than it is for a woman to wear a pair of pants.

"Yeah, but that’s in the Old Testament, so it doesn’t apply to Christians today."

Ah yes, the battle cry of the liberal and the carnal church member. Let’s deal with this objection by considering some other abominations found in the Old Testament.

Leviticus 18:22 - Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Leviticus 20:13 - If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Would anyone care to argue that sodomy is no longer an abomination unto God? This principle is repeated in the New Testament (Romans 1:23-32 and I Corinthians 6:9.)

Proverbs 6:16-19 - These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Do we now have liberty to sow discord among the brethren? To be prideful? To lie? To kill innocent people? Of course not! It would be absurd to think so. These principles are also repeated in the New Testament (Matthew 5:22, 15:19, Mark 7:21-22, Luke 1:51, Acts 5:3, Romans 1:25, 1:30, 12:10, I Corinthians 8:12-13, Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 4:25, Colossians 3:9, I Timothy 1:9, 3:6, 6:3-4, II Timothy 3:2, James 4:6, I Peter 3:5, 4:15, I John 2:11, 2:16, 2:21, 3:4, 3:15).

People seem to be playing "pick-n-choose" with Old Testament verses. They want the twenty-third Psalm, the hundredth Psalm, and all the OT verses that won’t affect their lifestyle, but then they try to explain away any OT verse that would have any effect on how they live.

II Timothy 3:16 - ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and IS PROFITABLE for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Is not Deuteronomy 22:5 scripture? If so, then it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. Preachers, will you be like so many of the liberals of today and cut these verses out of your Bible as Jehoiakim did? Or will you stand like Paul and be able to say,

"And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house," - Acts 20:20

"Yeah, but I thought all guidelines for how a Christian is supposed to live were in the New Testament"

Let’s look at I Corinthians 10:1-11.

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Throughout this passage Paul continually uses the Old Testament to prove something. Focus on verses 6 and 11. Paul tells us that those OT writings are for us today. I suppose Paul would be called a legalist or a Pharisee by the liberals. Just because something is in the OT does not negate it from being applicable for us in the church age. Any commandment or teaching in the OT that is repeated in the NT is for us.

"Yeah, but Deuteronomy 22:5 is not repeated in the New Testament"

Wrong. In fact, the New Testament is even more specific. I Timothy 2:9 says,

" . . . that women adorn themselves in modest apparel . . ."

"Apparel" today is a very general term that means "any article of clothing." But did you know that in 1611 the word "apparel" meant "loose, long flowing garment?" Look it up in an old Oxford English Dictionary that has the archaic meanings of words. Furthermore, the Greek word is katastole which is an EXACTING WORD, and it is the ONLY place in the Bible where it is used. There are lots of words for clothing, attire, etc., but this word comes from a verb form which means "to lower." It denoted a loose-fitting outer garment, which was LONG. Paul used this word specifically to tell women that they are to wear long DRESSES. Pants, miniskirts, tight dresses, etc. can not fit the definition of this exacting word. Consult your Vine’s Dictionary for verification of this word definition.

The fact that God wants a CLEAR distinction between the appearance of a man and a woman is also repeated in I Corinthians 11 when Paul deals with the issue of hair length. God is very concerned with the outward appearance of a saved person. To believe otherwise is to profess ignorance of the Word of God.

"Yeah, but what makes you think that pants are a man’s garment?"

Good question. I have a four part answer to this which demonstrates that pants always pertain to men, even today.

"Breeches" were an article of clothing designed by God for the priests who were all men. The word does not occur very often in scripture, but in every case it’s men’s apparel (Exodus 28:42, Leviticus 6:10, 16:4). According to my Hebrew lexicon, "breeches" means "trousers that extend to the knee, below the knee, or to the ankles." This would include pants, shorts, or culottes.
Until the advent of Hollywood and the movie screen, everyone (including lost people) knew that pants were men’s apparel and dresses were women’s apparel, and they dressed accordingly. Our culture’s (and sadly most churches’) acceptance of cross-dressing has resulted largely from the influence of television, the placement of women in the workforce, and the pressures of twentieth century feminism.
The universal symbol for designating a men’s bathroom is a stick figure wearing a pair of pants. The universal symbol for designating a woman’s bathroom is a stick figure wearing a dress. Coincidence? Hardly. Even our sinful society recognizes that there is a difference in a man’s and woman’s clothing.
Pants are a symbol of authority, as evidenced by the saying " I’m the one who wears the pants in the family." Sadly, most women might as well wear the pants, since they rule their homes anyway!

"Yeah, but pants are not really that immodest"

The following is from What in the World Should I Wear? by Mrs. Cathy Corle:

"A friend of mine told me that her decision to restrict her wardrobe to dresses and skirts came as a result of a ladies’ class. All the arguments and reasons that could be given were unheeded until the lady who was speaking said, ‘Let me just demonstrate something to you.’ She asked the ladies in the audience to close their eyes momentarily. She held up a large picture of a woman in an attractive, modest feminine skirt and blouse. She asked the ladies to open their eyes. Then she inquired, ‘What is the primary focal point to this picture? Where did your eyes first fall naturally?’ The audience agreed that their eyes were first drawn to the face of the woman in the picture.

"She once again asked the ladies to close their eyes. When they opened their eyes they were looking at a large poster of a woman in a sport shirt and blue jeans. She asked, ‘Now, be honest with yourselves, and tell me where your eyes first fell naturally when you looked at this picture?’ Many of the ladies in the crowd were surprised to find that most people’s eyes first focused upon the hips and crotch area that were so vividly emphasized before they ever noticed the woman’s face.

"If this happened in a crowd of ladies, how much more would it be true of men? For my friend, Joetta, this was all the ‘evidence’ that was needed."

To this I say, "AMEN!" Christian women should always be aware of Matthew 5:28,

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. "

"Yeah, but wearing pants may be wrong for some saved women, but I’m not ‘convicted’ about it."

So you’re not "convicted" about wearing pants? Big deal. Does that give you permission to rebel against the Word of God? You must ask yourself, "What is the FINAL AUTHORITY on deciding what I believe and how I live? The Bible? Or how I ‘feel’ convicted?"

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Human feelings are very deceptive. We cannot rely on them. Any "leading" you may feel to do or not to do something that is contrary to the Word of God is not of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit NEVER leads contrary to the Bible, but He always leads according to the Bible.

Ephesians 6:17 - And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

I John 5:7-8 - For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

Many people claim not to be "convicted" about forsaking church attendance, drinking alcohol, smoking, gambling, cursing, fornication, adultery, and all manner of activities clearly forbidden in the Bible, but that does not make it all right for them to do these things. I John 4:1 warns us,

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

To try and say that wearing pants may be wrong for some saved women and not for others is to engage in moral relativism which strips all authority from God’s Word. God does not have two sets of standards. He is no respecter of persons.

Acts 10:34 - Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Wearing pants is either wrong for ALL saved women, or it is wrong for none. In deciding if something is right or wrong, our first consideration must ALWAYS be what the Word of God says, not how we may "feel convicted."

Ecclesiastes 12:13 -14 - Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Follow the Bible, and you’ll be doing what is right. Follow your feelings, emotions, leadings, etc., and who knows what you’ll be doing?

"Yeah, but wearing pants is not really that big of an issue, and they are much more comfortable and practical to wear"

It’s kind of funny that for nearly 6000 years, women always wore long dresses, but only since the last 40 years, a dress is suddenly "impractical" to wear. You cannot change history to validate what you want to make acceptable for today. Nowadays, women think that they cannot so much as rake a few leaves without adorning themselves in a pair of pants.

If you saw a man wearing a dress, what would you call him? Uh-huh, you would have no trouble knowing that it was wrong, and an abomination to God (even if his dress had a fly). But we have been conditioned by the world and erring brethren that a pair of pants is a good and acceptable thing for a woman to wear today. Just because it is common does not make it right. In fact, I believe that it is all part of Satan’s plan to further defile mankind by mixing the genders. Have you noticed how wimpy the boys are getting and how masculine the girls are getting? Women’s sports are becoming the rage. We would rather have our girls learn how to "Kill ‘em on the court" than to learn to be chaste and skilled at homemaking. This is how we have come to put our women in military combat positions. We would have never even considered this 20 years ago, but now we are eliminating the difference in the sexes that God made.

Oh there will always be a difference in gender, because there HAS to be. But now, the emphasis is not on the beauty of a girl’s femininity (which brings out the masculinity in a man). NOW the emphasis in the difference in BODY PARTS! There is no longer the striking difference between a beautiful woman in feminine attire, long pretty hair, and a masculine man that practices chivalry. (Put a real feminine woman around a man and see how chivalrous he becomes.) Now the difference is emphasized in her physical body difference, which is leads to lust and a degradation of womanhood! (and manhood too). A feminine woman is in her rightful place of an elevated position. But as soon as she steps down off her pedestal to wear pants and be "equal" to a man, it drags everybody down, which is exactly what Satan wants. The devil is still whispering in Eve's ear to destroy mankind.

If you look at it, you’ll find it was usually the woman that lead in the matters of sin and error. You can begin at the garden, through Israel’s idolatrous apostasy and even into recent history, with cults, Charasmania, and other errors. Now the boys are wearing earrings and have long hair, while the girls are wearing pants and chopping their hair off, even though this is forbidden in scripture (I Corinthians 11). To top it off, most preachers will not preach against short hair and pants because this would affect a majority of the women in his congregation including his wife and daughters! (Say amen right there.)

Although I am a man, I have testimonies of women who say that an ankle length dress is far more comfortable than a pair of pants. But the ultimate question that you are going to have to ask yourself is this, "What’s more important? Being comfortable? Or obeying the Word of God?" I think we all know the answer to that one.

The End

Biblical Predestination

2010-07-29T01:21:00.004-04:00

This article is courtesy of Bible Truths.net.

Predestination, a Horrible Decree or God's Omniscience?

There is usually much mysticism experienced when man discusses the subject of predestination. There are admittedly many nuances and various types of predestination taught by man. To address every flavor of predestination advanced by the various religions would be beyond the space limitations of this material. Therefore, I shall focus on the core issues of predestination.

Many have charged God with being a respecter of persons based on their understanding of predestination. However, the Bible plainly asserts and affirms God is no respecter of persons. "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said," we are told, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10: 34, see also Rom. 2: 6-11, Eph. 6: 9, Col. 3: 25, Jas. 2: 1). Any doctrine, then, that places God in a position of being an arbitrary respecter of persons is patently false. Not only did Peter declare that God is no respecter of persons, but he proceeds to unmistakably show those whom God accepts. "But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Some confuse and equate Divine foreknowledge and foreordination:

"(1) Calvin's definition. Reprobation was, for Calvin, involved in election, and Divine foreknowledge and foreordination were taken to be identical. Calvin's mode of defining predestination was as the eternal degree of God, by which He has decided with Himself what is to become of each and every individual. For all, he maintains, are not created in like condition; but eternal life is foreordained for some, eternal condemnation for others. Calvin confesses that this is a 'horrible decree…'" (The International Standard Bible Enclyclopaedia, vol. 4, pg. 2436).

However, God can know a matter before hand without predetermining the matter to the point that the people (in this case) are excluded, as far as their will and participation are concerned (see more later). Some religionists, nonetheless, maintain such a radical view of predestination that in stressing the sovereignty of God, they have totally eliminated the will and role of man.

Our English word "predestinate" is from the Greek proonzo. "Pro, beforehand," W.E. Vine comments, "and honzo, denotes to mark out beforehand..., foreordain...." Indeed, predestination is a biblical subject: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son..." (Rom. 8: 29). Again, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will…" (Eph. 1: 4, 5).

Predestination as taught in the Bible. The scriptures teach the foreknowledge of God. God is able to "declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things are not yet done..." (Isa. 46: 10). Since God's scheme of redemption was planned from the original creation, it is obvious that God knew Adam and Eve would sin, etc. (I Pet. 1: 20, Eph. 1: 4,5, cf. Matt. 25: 34, Rev. 13: 8, 17: 8). Even though God knew Adam and Eve would sin, he did not force or program them to sin. As free moral agents, Adam and Eve elected to commit sin (Gen. 3). Man's will is involved in his salvation, not God's irresistible coercion (Jn. 3: 16, Matt. 11: 28-30). Nonetheless, God knew some would accept before they accepted (Acts 18: 9-11). Hence, some were "ordained to eternal life" because God knew they would obey the gospel when they heard it (Acts 13: 48, cp. Rom. 10: 16).

Predestination as taught by man. "God hath decreed in himself from all eternity by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeable, all things whatsoever come to pass," writes man (Philadelphia Confession of Faith, ch. 6, para. 2-4). Calvinism teaches that man is so depraved that he cannot accept God's grace without a special, irresistible working of the Holy Spirit, independent of man's will. It is often in this vein that man teaches that God decided who would be saved and who would be lost before creation and that this decree was arbitrary on God's part (not involving man). Hear John Calvin:

"In conformity, therefore, to the clear doctrine of the Scripture, we assert, that by an eternal and immutable counsel, God has once for all determined, both whom he would admit to salvation, and whom he would condemn to destruction. We affirm that this counsel, as far as concerns the elect, is founded on his gratuitous mercy, totally irrespective of human merit; but that to those whom he devotes to condemnation, the gate of life is closed by a just and irreprehensible, but incomprehensible, judgment. In the elect, we consider calling as an evidence of election, and justification as another token of its manifestation, till they arrive in glory, which constitutes its completion. As God seals his elect by vocation and justification, so by excluding the reprobate from the knowledge of his name and the sanctification of his Spirit, he affords an indication of the judgement that awaits them." (Institutes of the Christian Religion, translated by John Allen.)

There have been many religious discussions relative to the role of God and man in man's salvation. It seems man is determined to pervert God's simple plan for man's salvation in either teaching man earns his salvation (God's grace not needed) or in asserting salvation is all of God (man's obedience not involved). The scriptures consistently teach and exemplify both God and man's part in the salvation of man. Man must believe, repent, confess Christ's deity, and be baptized in order to be saved. Since man is not sinless, God provides the necessary grace whereby obedient man can be saved. However, God's grace is not "grace alone," as the Calvinists contends (see addendum).

One early debate involving the matter of predestination was conducted between Augustine of Hippo and Pelagius. In fact, Augustine originally taught John Calvin's five-point system of predestination. Augustine taught that man has nothing to do with his own salvation. Man has inherited the totally depraved nature of Adam and Eve to the point they are spiritually incapable of availing themselves of God's grace, he further contended. As a result of the depraved Adamic nature being inherited, babies are born in sin and with a sinful nature. Augustine argued that the only way any are saved is by God intervening and choosing some whom he calls his elect to be saved. This choosing is totally arbitrary and independent of those chosen. Those thus chosen, cannot ever be lost or fall from grace. To the converse, those not arbitrarily chosen before the foundation of the world to everlasting life are irrevocably doomed to hell, having absolutely no hope of salvation, regardless of what they do or do not do. Such a doctrine as formulated by Augustine constitutes true "Calvinism" today.

Pelagius, on the other hand, taught that each man is created free just as Adam was and that each man must choose whether he will serve God or the devil. All men, contended Pelagius, are not sinners because Adam sinned, but because each man himself has violated God's law. Pelagius argued that when God extended the plan of salvation, it is for all who will obey, not just a few whom God arbitrarily chose, totally independently of themselves. Each man may cooperate with God and be saved through his faith and obedience to God's will.

It is tragic that most who "ruled" on the results of the debate at the ecumenical Council of Ephesus (AD 431), favored the views of Augustine. It is equally sad that many continue to embrace the godless doctrine of Augustine today under the name of Calvinism.

God is a God of love and ultimate equity. God's grace that brings salvation is accessible to all (Tit. 2: 11-14). God's elect are those who appropriate God's grace in simple submission to his will. Election is begun, continued, and climaxed in man exercising his free moral agency and choosing to accept God's extension of his grace (I Pet. 1: 2; I Thes. 1: 4-8; 2 Pet. 1: 5-11).

In closing, biblical predestination is proof of God's omniscience. Furthermore, biblical prophecy is predicated on God's foreknowledge and predestination (a marking out beforehand). Moreover, the fact that God knew that only a few would accept his Son is also indicative of God's love in sending his Son. "The few" who will be saved are not a group whom God arbitrarily and totally without any participation on their part, choose to be saved, but those who "enter in at the strait gate" and follow "the narrow way" (Matt. 7: 13, 14).

Addendum: The Christian stands in grace (1 Pet. 5: 12), grows in grace (2 Pet. 3: 18), and is to be strong in grace (2 Tim. 2: 1). Grace (charis) is God's favor. We are called by grace (Gal. 1: 15), justified by grace (Tit. 3: 7), and we are established by grace (Heb. 13: 9). The Bible also says we are saved by grace (Eph. 2: 5, 8). However, are we saved by grace alone? Beloved, Paul said God's grace "brings salvation", but he also affirmed God's grace "hath appeared to all men" (Tit. 2: 11). God has certainly done his job in universally extending grace. If it were just a matter of salvation by grace alone, all would be saved. However, only a few shall be saved (Matt. 7: 13-14). Hence, there is more involved than grace alone! Man must appropriate God's grace. It is true grace is a gift from God, man cannot earn it (cf. Rom. 11: 6, Eph. 2: 8-10). Some confuse earning and accepting. Man can and does receive God's grace in vain (2 Cor. 6: 1). Christians can also "fall from grace" (Gal. 5:4). In the wonderful text of Ephesians two, we have two elements, grace and faith, and two players, if you will: God and man. Paul wrote, "For by grace are ye saved through faith..." (vs. 8). Grace emanated from God, but faith is man's responsibility. No, grace alone does not save. Man seems determined to attach "alone" to grace, belief, and baptism. Man has participation in his salvation - from the beginning (accepting grace) to the end (continuing in grace, Acts 13: 43). Grace reigns through righteousness, man's humble obedience (Rom. 5:21).

Discipline

2010-07-26T12:59:00.005-04:00

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

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

"Some fathers exasperate their children by being overly strict and controlling. They need to remember that rearing children is like holding a wet bar of soap – too firm a grasp and it shoots from your hand, too loose a grip and it slides away. A gentle but firm hold keeps you in control." ~ Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man

Discipline.

It is a very touchy subject.

Know that I am not here in an attempt to claim 'holier than thou' or anything of the sort. The good Lord knows that I have had my share of difficulties on the subject. I am here to share my understanding of the subject and what I have learned from experience and example.

Some people see or hear the word 'discipline' and automatically think BAD. People hear that they need to discipline their children, and they automatically think that they need to hit their child in their anger each time that the child does something foolish, as children do, to 'nip it in the bud' before the action becomes a habit. Some people read of the rod in Proverbs 22:15 and think that the rod is to be used all the time for every simple act of disobedience in order to drive foolishness from the heart of the child.

My friend, discipline means to train your child, not break your child.

I am not against 'spanking' or the rod of correction at all. It is biblical, when used in the right way. I am simply insisting that the rod is for extreme and sinful circumstances, as a last resort.

Truly, from experience, if you "...teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deuteronomy 11:19) and do it well and in line with God's Word, spanking should be few and far between.

A fact that I have learned, children get into less trouble when they are with you, as opposed to when they are left alone or to themselves. Elizabeth Krueger expanded on this in her publication of Raising Godly Tomatoes (all of which is available online via her website, free to read).

Here is an excerpt from her book, chapter seven, on what Tomato Staking means:

"Every gardener knows what I mean by "tomato staking". A tomato plant grows fast, big, and wild. If left untended, it soon sprawls out into an unwieldy heap. As the fruit grows, it weighs the plant down to the ground. Propping by this time is too late. Any attempt to retrain and redirect the growth of the branches will result in breakage and substantial loss of the fruit due to rot, disease, and pests.

On the other hand, a tomato plant which has been properly cared for, will produce an abundance of excellent fruit. From the beginning it must be watered, cultivated, pruned, fertilized, examined for pests, and staked up. The branches will grow the way they were propped and trained, and when the fruit is large and ripe the branches will have the strength to hold those beautiful tomatoes up off the wet ground. What a delight!

Think of your child as a tomato plant. Most parents provide too little staking for their growing young tomatoes. They care for them intimately when they are babies, but soon afterwards, begin letting them grow their own way. They feel uncomfortable assuming authority over their children and resort to the “Putting Out Fires” method of parenting. They try desperately to overlook misbehavior and avoid conflicts, unless forced into it by the magnitude of the offense or by their own anger. Serious character flaws and bad behavioral habits, once established, are very hard to change, just like the neglected branches of a tomato plant. Catching problems now and then won’t begin to make a dent in the problem. And just like the sprawling, unattended, unstaked tomato plant, there comes a point when it's simply too late. Your child’s heart will become firmly fixed in the position it has been growing for all the many hours in between your sporadic corrections and over the years when you’ve allowed outside influences and peer pressure to do your staking job for you."

So, at the root of the basics of training your child, or disciplining your child and teaching him self-discipline, is keep him 'staked' to you, keep him with you when possible, and address even small issues as they arise and immediately, or they will turn into big issues later.

Next, live the example you preach.

We all know and even studies have shown that children follow more by example than by instruction.

For example, if your child has anger problems, and if you are trying to teach him to control his anger, spanking him in your anger towards him, yelling at him, and the like are NOT going to help! In fact, they will just make your problem BIGGER! In this instance, the rod should be spared enough so that his first impression is not to violence. In this instance in particular, provoking your child to anger is VERY very unstable ground. Do not allow him to yell at you, but lower your voice first and refuse to yell at him, explaining that you will talk with him about this issue, but not until he calms down enough to be civil. BE THE BIGGER PERSON here, and set the example of the action or character that you want to see in your child.

If you have a child who wants to be with you, no matter how tempting it is to get aggravated at his tendency to be underfoot, do not discourage him. Children need to learn that they can always come to mommy or daddy, and they will always be welcome. They need the assurance of knowing that they come before the dishes, the computer, the laundry, and all else material.

Next, be swift, precise, and consistent in addressing issues. Have a zero tolerance policy, but also while keeping the above in mind. Be unwavering in your expectations, but be gracious and gentle with your children, just as our Father in heaven is gracious and gentle with us each time we fail. It is very tempting to let the flesh reign and get aggravated, and it is even more tempting to let that aggravation show, but it is ESSENTIAL that you take all thoughts captive and let your actions and words only resemble those of our Lord Jesus Christ. If God were to strike us down with lightening each time we fail in our walk with Him, I can assure you that I would have been nothing but a scorched spot on this earth a long time ago! We are called to be long suffering, and I think that especially applies to raising our children. Parenting with Grace and Truth I heard it called once. We have received grace, so should we freely give it. As Jesus gently shepherds His sheep, so should we gently shepherd ours.

When the rod is necessary, I have found that this procedure helps:

FIRST: Tame your own thoughts and feeling that will be naturally inclined to anger and bitterness. Take it to God in prayer, and seek His guidance on the subject at hand.

Take the child aside, away from others (No spanking should be done in public. We do not seek to embarrass or humiliate our children) and explain to him, calmly and gently, what he has done wrong, and why it warrants physical punishment. Give him an example from Scripture of his sin (I also believe that the rod should NOT be used if the behavior is not a sin against God. I know that people will sometimes take the "honor thy father and thy mother" commandment and say that "My child didn't do what I said so that is a sin against God!" and then spank each time the child does not do what they say, or when they do what they were told not to do, which leads to quite a lot of spanking. I do not support that at all. A child is going to disobey you, as the parent. That is just something that you are going to have to come to terms with. I am speaking of the rod for TRUE Scriptural sin.) and then tell him what he is going to receive as punishment. (I never condone any more than five 'pops' for any child, and less for those younger than four.)

Then deal it to him swiftly. When it is over, ask him if he can tell you why he received the punishment, and after he answers, ask him to tell you what he can do in the future to correct the problem and prevent further correction.

When he answers correctly and adequately, let it be a done deal. Drop the subject.

Do not remain mad at him. Forgive, and wipe the slate clean (Grace).

Upfront I will warn you that YOUR LIFE WILL SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE A BROKEN RECORD!! But know that through that repetition, you are helping to add concrete thoughts into your precious child's mind that will stay with him for the rest of his life, and that will prevail when all else seems to scatter.

KEY POINTS:

(Yes, I know that this is a big order to fill, and may seem impossible to many. I fail many times; in no way do I claim perfection. These things are essential, though, and they do help tremendously.)

~ Never raise your voice in anger. It only provokes, it does no good.
~ Discipline means to train, not break.
~ Keep your children with you as much as possible.
~ The rod is a means of correction when all else has failed. Overusing it will only lead to a lack of fear and appreciation of it.
~ Correct in private when it comes to physical correction.
~ When you have to physically correct a child, do it and then do not dwell on it.
~ As much grace that has been given to you, freely give back to your child.

Put these things into practice in your home and I promise, it will benefit.

I claim no perfection, and I claim not to have it 'all figured out', I only claim to know what I have learned and have put into practice in my own house. What works for us, I seek to share as to guide others who may be having troubles of their own that may be similar to what I had before.

All for God's glory.

Amen.

Our baby is five months old!

2010-07-19T09:58:00.005-04:00

Sarah Jean ~ 5 Months

Yes, it's correct. Sarah is five months old already! It seems like just yesterday she was a tiny little newborn, now she is a thriving little baby curious about the big world around her, needing mommy less and less every day. I know, I know, it happens. Babies grow up, it's just the natural way of things.

It's a happy thing, but it's a sad thing too.

It's sad because I am afraid that I might not have any more babies.

It sounds like an irrational fear, but it is very real to me.

Some may say that I have no right to be sad for that reason looking at the five blessings that God has graciously gifted me, and that might be true, but it doesn't erase the pain that this fear brings.

I know that being 'Quiverfull' means accepting whatever God has planned for our family, be it fifty children or none, and I know that if I have no more, it is God's will and God's will alone, but does that mean that I cannot be sad because I would love to have more babies to raise up for His service?

Just because I have five here on earth to do just that with, does that mean that I am not allowed to want more?

Why does that make me crazy?

Some may ask where this fear comes from. Well, I'll tell you.

A few weeks ago, Danny glanced up at me as we were talking about Texas, what the future might hold for us, etc, and he said, "I really don't think that we are going to have any more kids."

Let me remind you that this is the man who has always known at the 'time of conception' that I was going to be pregnant, and this is the man who has never been wrong about the sex of the baby also at said time of conception.

I know. Most everyone is going to tell me to brush it off. What do men know anyways, right? (Men in the loose sense of the term, as mankind compared to God.) But I am still left with the sinking feeling that he may be right.

I am fully aware that, while everyone whom I know disagrees with me, God took my baby as a judgment on our house. For three years, God had been pulling us to Texas, and for three years we ignored Him. Well, not the entire three years. The majority of it, we prayed as we ought, that God's will be done and that He would open a door for us.

We continued that prayer for a long time. Then, about four months ago, we began to feel that familiar tug, only it was so much stronger this time! It was a command to go forth! I knew it, but we put our foot down, so to speak, and refused. We had a home, we had a wonderful church family, we had everything settled and set the way that we liked it. We didn't want to uproot our family and move halfway across the country, away from all that we had ever known, into 'the land of the unknown.' We didn't want to leave our church. Why would God ask us to leave such a wonderful church after we had just joined it?

So, we began looking for land or a home in Cleveland, GA. (Near our church.)

Let me tell you, I am not exaggerating in the following words:

EVERY SINGLE door of opportunity that we found was slammed shut before us! We found really cheap land with a camper that we could build on, it was sold right after we looked at it and began considering it. We found another nice piece of land that was totally fenced in that we could live on and build on, and it too was sold immediately after we called about it. We even looked at a piece of land that we knew we couldn't afford, and it had been put under contract literally minutes before we called. We found cheap houses within our price range that we could make do, and they were either sold or taken off the market almost immediately once we considered them. Coincidence? You tell me.

So, while we had been looking for a place to buy, we saw rental properties ALL OVER the area that we wanted to live in. Literally, we saw about twelve rentals on the way to church!

This home searching went on over the course of about two months.

Once we came to realize that it would be impossible for us to buy a home, given the above conditions, we decided to rent. The next day, we went out to gather phone numbers on the rentals on the way to church, and THEY WERE ALL RENTED OUT! Every single little last one of them!

This is the point where I mentioned that perhaps we should look back into Texas, but again, we brushed it off and turned our backs on it.

Again.

Again.

Again we told God "NO!"

Again we decided to lean unto our own understanding, instead of acknowledging Him.

Then we found out that we were pregnant.

We were filled with Joy! Another blessing for God!

Again, we felt the calling to go to Texas, but we definitely didn't want to make the move now with me being with child and all! Surely we should stay!

Then I was struck with sickness.

I NEVER get UTIs, but I did. Really bad and really sudden. I had a fever of 102.9 for seven days. During that time, I was delirious almost, completely out of it. All I could really do was lay on the couch and writhe in agony, and drag myself to the bathroom when I needed to, and this is all on the meds too! (The meds were safe for the pregnancy, I got them from my OB and I did my research before I took them. All it really affected was my milk supply which was remedied with frequent nursing.) I really don't even remember this time, but I remember that Danny was there, doing his best to take care of me and the kids and bringing Sarah to me when she needed to nurse.

I knew then. My gut feeling told me that my baby was no longer with me, but I didn't want to hear it. My pregnancy symptoms that were coming on strong before, slowly left me. Then, I started cramping and bleeding. Little by little, my body, so fearfully and wonderfully made, told me everything that I didn't want to hear, and my cries for mercy went unanswered.

I prayed. I sought the Lord. I asked why, I asked what to do. I finally got on my knees and sought God's will for my life.

I got the message.

Our God is a great and merciful God, and my children are not truly mine, but His. My baby is waiting for me in Heaven, and I will see him again one day, but God chose to take him home early because of our ignorance.

(I am not saying that all pregnancy losses are a judgment from God. I am just speaking of this one of ours.)

God has spoken, we have finally yielded, and He has granted us a peace that is beyond description.

This wonderful overflowing peace is like a mighty river in my fragile soul. It bubbles up from the deep and secret place where the Spirit resides, and rushes forth over all that I am. It stays it's course throughout my mind, my spirit, my soul. It calms the fears, it overcomes the doubts, and it strengthens me when I feel as though I cannot stand any more. It is wonderful. It is amazing. It brings blessed tears to my eyes as I share this with you. I wish I could let everyone in to sample just a fraction of this peace. Your world would never be the same again.

Am I leaping for joy to be leaving family behind? No. Not at all.

Am I pulling at the reigns to leave everything that I have ever known behind to take this leap of faith? Not exactly.

But it has to be done.

What the Lord has in store for us, I don't know, but whatever it is, it must be great!

This is why we must go. Not because we just simply want to. We don't even understand it ourselves! But God's will be done, in full and complete submission and humility, all for His glory.

Praise be to God in the highest!

Amen.

House cleaning for the move has begun!

2010-07-07T13:15:00.003-04:00

As you know from my previous post, we are moving to Texas in September. In order to do that efficiently, we must lighten our load a bit, and this means giving up some things that we have labored and worked very hard for. Our livestock and chickens in particular. We just sold our rooster and eight of our hens, and I have a guy coming today for the chicken hardware and eggs, as well as a guy coming tomorrow for our little buck, Jack, and one of our does. So, we have four Buff Orpington hens and two broilers that fell off a Fielddale truck that still need homes, as well as our other two does. It is difficult to see my little farmstead breaking apart, but I know that it is necessary in order to follow God's calling. I will still be tending the crops because we are still getting fruit from them, and it will also be a good selling point.

Tomorrow our listing agent comes to take pictures of our house so she can put it on the market. Hopefully we can close quickly, but we know it can take a long time. We will probably be staying here until it is sold, or until mid-November at the latest, but we are still planning for September, because the entrance interviewing for the Austin Police Department is in October, and we will be overnighting Danny's background history packet by the beginning of next week. Praying that everything works out according to God's will.

This week and next will be filled with laundry, de-cluttering, sorting, packing all non-essentials, finishing up household projects, and prayer. Much prayer. We will be getting rid of or leaving our livingroom furniture and our washer and dryer since they would take up a bit too much space for such a long-distance move. We are looking into buying a pull-behind trailer so that we don't have to worry about renting one. The kids will be going through their toys and sorting for donations to a local church or charity, so that all of their toys will fit into one big blue plastic trunk. I will be sorting through papers and filing what I want to keep and recycling what we do not need. Clothing will be washed and directly packed aside from nine days worth of outfits that will travel with us. All nick-nacks will be packed, and all seasonal or non-essential kitchen items will also be packed.

There are some ceiling tiles that we need to fix. We are going to finish uncovering and refinishing the hardwood floors, and we are going to sand down and finish the kitchen cabinets. Wood is just so much more attractive in my opinion. :-)

So, lots of things are brewing, and only by the grace of God. All for His glory, even the steps of faith that we are about to take. It is scary, but God has granted us peace on this decision in Him and I am gradually being able to let go of the fear of the unknown and let that peace reign and the excitement take over!

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Prayer Request: We are moving.

2010-07-06T11:37:00.003-04:00

If you will, please pray for us. We are going to be making the move to Austin, TX this coming September. God set this in our hearts three years ago, and once we let go of what we thought would be better for us so that God could work, He began opening doors for us to follow through with His will. It will be a bit tough, going out into unknown territory so far away from anyone that we know, and family, not knowing what exactly to expect, but we are trusting the Lord and He has given us a peace that lacks an adequate definition of words. God has granted us just enough provision to get there, but not back, so that makes me a bit nervous if I let the 'me' side take over, but I must decrease and He must increase, so taking all thoughts captive and stepping out of my 'comfort zone' of 25 years to follow God and my husband to the place that He has prepared for us.

Thank you,
~Brandy~

Photo Credit

Wordle!

2010-06-26T02:09:00.002-04:00

Wordle is so cool! Try it!

Learning to Lean

2010-06-24T14:22:00.003-04:00

Photo Credit

Becoming a mother, especially a mother to many young blessings from the Lord, has taught me many things, and so it continues to teach me as time goes on.

I have learned to be selfless, to put others, especially my children, before myself and my own wants and desires.

I have learned what true innocence looks like by the way that my children look at me, with complete trust and faith in me and my abilities.

I have learned the complete and utter sobering fact of failure, when I betray that complete trust in any way and break that faith that they have in me.

I have learned the necessity of forgiveness, both of others and of myself.

I have learned to take everything to the feet of Jesus and lay it there, asking for and seeking His instruction and guidance on the matters at hand, from small to big.

Now....

I am learning to lean.

Learning to lean on Christ, and allow Him to carry me through the storms. Learning to lean on Him and His ways as He guides me through each day that passes.

I cannot do it on my own. The good Lord knows that I have tried; tried and failed miserably.

I read a church sign once that said: "The only place that you can go alone is away from God."

I can testify to that truth.

Leaning on your own power is dangerous, both to the mind and the heart.

Getting to a point where you think that you can do it alone, without the help of God, or those whom He places in your life, is a very spiritually dangerous place to be.

In these bodies of flesh, we are blind. Blind to the things of God, blind to the line between right and wrong, and blind to the paths that God has laid before us, the paths that Satan does his best to trample and overlay with other, more inviting and 'see-able' roads.

As the Psalmist says: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105) Apart from God, and His light (the Bible) we have nothing, and we are subject to be swayed easily, resulting in losing our way in Christ.

We have to humble ourselves: we do not know it all, we do not know it better, and we still have things to learn. We have to humble ourselves: there are other godly women and men who do know it better than us, and we need to heed their advice, measuring it by the Bible, even if they are younger than us. Timothy was younger than many that he ministered to, yet he was much more spiritually mature and 'in tune' with God than they. In times gone by, with age came wisdom. Sadly enough, the product of this emerging generation paints a different picture. Seems that age, now, brings a cutting arrogance and ignorance, because the elders (a majority) feel like they have the smarts and degree under their belts, and no one can tell them what to do, especially someone who is younger than they.

God help me if I ever get to that point.

God bless the grandmothers and grandfathers of this generation. That majority has it right.

Intelligence and knowledge are completely separate from wisdom.

Someone once said that knowledge is pointless without the wisdom to know how to use it. I think that goes for both book knowledge and spiritual knowledge.

Knowledge can be obtained by physical means. Reading, studying, etc.

Wisdom in only obtained as a gift from the Spirit. That gift is something that one must humble themselves and ask for, and seek enthusiastically and willingly.

I watched a movie last night in which one of the characters said: "We cannot fill a cup that is already full," speaking of training a young man in their ways of life. The same can be said of the Christian. The Spirit cannot (or will not) fill the cup of a person who thinks that they know it all already.

Lord, help me to empty myself of me so that I can be filled with You!

Learning to lean. Learning to trust. I suppose they go hand in hand.

I prepare for the future, as God gives me the resources to prepare with. All else, I leave in His holy and capable hands. God never speaks ill of preparing, and being ready for whatever He may put on our plates in the future, but He does speak ill of worry, and trying to take things into our own hands.

Learning to lean means learning to forget everything that we once thought to be true or 'common sense,' and leaning into God and His Word for guidance and support, seeking His Truth over all else.

My husband once said: "Joel (his boss) doesn't provide for my family, God does." Oh how true that is. The paying job is just a means that God uses to provide, as well as through the hands of others.

Learning to lean means learning to trust. Learning to trust means having the humility to know that you don't have it all together and you don't know it all, but God does.

Faith means believing it.

The "Operational Definitions of Character Qualities" shows humility as the opposite of pride, with the description of: "Recognizing that God and others are actually responsible for the achievements in my life. James 4:6"

I cannot stress enough how important that is in anyone's spiritual walk with God.

It's all about Him. It's all for Him and His glory. It's not about me. My success is not mine, but the Lord's. My life is not my own, for I was bought with a price, therefore, I must glorify Him in both my body, and my spirit, because they are His (1 Corinthians 6:20).

If it's about me, then it should be changed because it should be about Him.

Learning to lean on His promises, and learning to humble myself to be used of Him.

All for His glory do I not shirk.
All for His glory do my hands work.
All for His glory does my mind think.
All for His glory does my mouth speak.

That is my creed.

I know it's difficult, and downright hard at times, but that is my aim, my higher goal.

All for His glory.

"mimkhatah" style headcovering sewing tutorial

2010-05-27T12:07:00.008-04:00

First, you will need a 20"x14" rectangle of the material of your choice, and a 46" length of the trim of your choice. (Fabrics that are not too stiff work best.)

1 - Hem the edges:

(I did a 1/2 inch hem with a zig zag stitch all the way around.)

2 - Gather the sides:

And the other side

*It will look like this when both sides are gathered:

3 - Pin on the trim...

(Make sure it is centered!)

Then sew it!

Tah-Dah!

Not so bad. :-)

"The godly offer good counsel;" Psalm 37:30

Autum Print Mommy & Me Apron Set Listed!

Preparation for Spiritual Warfare ~ Daily Devotional

Preparation for Spiritual Warfare

Knowing and Trusting the Lord ~ Daily Devotional

Rose Cottage Creations

Walking by Faith ~ Daily Devotional

~*~ GIVEAWAY WINNER ~*~

From Ordinary to Great ~ Daily Devotional

From Ordinary to Great

God-called

Mother Roasting

Mother Roasting

Warm Oil Massage

Materials

Instructions

Nursing Tea and Sitz Bath Herbs

Materials

Instructions

Belly Wrapping

Instructions

Best Bread Ever! *Recipe*

Apple Pie! *Recipe*

Doing Good to Our Husbands

Gratitude in the Storms of Life ~ Daily Devotional

God’s Provision ~ Daily Devotional

Equipped for the Valley ~ Daily Devotional

I Have Something That Money Can't Buy

The Believer’s Valley Experiences ~ Daily Devotional

The Believer’s Valley Experiences

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Are You a Threat to Satan? ~ Daily Devotional

Satan's Strategy ~ Daily Devotional

Satan's Strategy

Friday, September 24, 2010

Read | Luke 22:31-34, 54-62

All of us make tracks through the valley of failure. The question is, How are you going to respond? Plenty of people give up and exchange a vibrant kingdom-serving life for a defeated existence. But failure need not be an end. It's a chance for a new beginning living in Christ's strength.

Peter had a life-altering failure. Jesus warned that Satan had asked permission to "sift" the disciple like wheat (Luke 22:31)—vigorous shaking is required to separate wheat kernels from debris. The Enemy wanted to shake Peter's faith hard in hopes that he'd fall away from Jesus like chaff.

Does God Cause Us to Sin? ~ Daily Devotional

Giveaway Ideas?

Simple Homemaking Tip of the Week

Is God in Everything? ~ Daily Devotional

Is God in Everything?

Mama, Do You Like Your Children?

Who Causes Children–It Matters What You Think

Reflection Friday

The Test Of Genuine Repentance

Ignoring their debauchery in the name of diversity? Confusing Tolerance & Love

Do you really want to be like Jesus?

An article for those that are being constantly attacked for "judging" or testing things by the Word of God

Correction isn’t Condemnation

Meaningful Mondays

Simple Saturdays

Reflection Friday

katastolē

Modesty and Distinction

The King James Bible

FREE NURSING COVER from uddercovers.com!! ACT NOW! :-)

The Christian’s Duty to Love Children

What About Women Wearing Pants?

Biblical Predestination

Discipline

Our baby is five months old!

House cleaning for the move has begun!

Prayer Request: We are moving.

Wordle!

Learning to Lean

"mimkhatah" style headcovering sewing tutorial

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Best Bread Ever! Recipe

Apple Pie! Recipe

~~ GIVEAWAY TIME ~~