For those of you who do not know, the church I used to belong to allowed a huge injustice by accepting a wrong done to our pastor. It seems as if I shall never get over this. The grief is unbearable because my pastor has done absolutely nothing Biblically wrong to warrant this forcing of his resignation.
The 5 people that are The Boss of this church piled up a bunch of half truths and out right fabrications to make a "case" against this lovely man of God.
I know beyond any doubt that when Christian disobey God, when they listen to Satan's whispers and begin to do Satan's work for him, that God will not stand for it. His is the vengence and the judgement. Judgement is coming to that church unless repentance comes first.
This feels like divorce only much worse because it involves so much cruelty towards God through His man, the Shepard charged with God's flock. The fact that a few have blinded the many is nothing new in this Spiritual war. But, it doesn't make it taste any better.
One thing that has helped me to get through this is Abel's blood.
To me, Abel's blood calling out to God reminds me that being a believer in God does not protect us from earthly harm... in fact, it brings it ever to the forefront and is a constant risk.
The world hates Jesus. Just as Cain hated Abel and struck him down because Cain saw the promise of Jesus in his brother and hated that all the more. The injustice of that cries out for God's vengeance. The fact that God did not immediately strike down Cain exemplifies God's forbearance and how He is even now with unbelievers, and even more so with believers.
God allows the natural human course (as coarse as that can get) to show believers several things...
1. His justice is mightier and better than anything we can think up for revenge.
2. Abel's righteous blood was spilled. When injustices exist, they scream to be put right. That is something that God gives us, this sense of balance to make things right and to correct injustices. That's the conscience, the fibers of the heart, that God has written His law upon.
3. It does not take Man pointing his finger at an injustice for God to notice that it has happened. He sees it immediately upon the happening of it... Just because God seemingly does nothing about it right away does not mean that Justice will not prevail... it just means that God is longsuffering and sees a much larger picture.
God gave me a verse for comfort...
I have called you my servant, have chosen you
And not cast you off: fear nothing, for I am with you;
be not afraid, for I am your God. I strengthen you,
I help you, I support you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:9b-10
Because He walked with bare feet, He knows the pain of my blisters.
Because He had no pillow, He knows the crick in my neck.
Because He knew hunger, He knows my craving for sweets.
Because He held a baby, He knows my love for my children.
Because He built a chair, He knows why I must sit down.
Because He stilled the sea, He knows the storms in my heart.
Because He wept, He knows my terrible grief.
Because He knows my grief, my tears roll down His fingers and my trembling chin is lifted by His palm. His eyes so full of love spread healing balm throughout my being and
Because He loves me, I am at rest.
Because He died for me, I can enter the throne room of God. Gina Burgess
Fixen to...
Fixen to…
I was lounging on the beach on a mini-vacation several years ago, minding my own business. I was with several female friends and this little trip was a Mother’s Day present to all of us from our husbands. They were going to take care of the toddlers all weekend long while we got to rest, relax and recoup from Mommy Things. Theirs is a different story than this one.
On the beach this fellow from the North sat down close to our group. One of the girls politely asked, “I’m fixen to go to the room, does anyone need anything?”
This fellow sits up and says in a stilted sort of way, “Pardon me, could you please explain what ‘fixin’ to’ means? I have heard that since I’ve been down here on vacation and I do not know what it means.”
Obviously, this fellow was from the far reaches of the North to have never heard this before. After all, people from the North are saying “fer” instead of “for”. They’ve been doing this for a long time. Just watch any PBS show or Today Show. Good Morning America doesn’t count because Robin Roberts is from the South. She speaks beautifully, but there are those minor slips on occasion.
Any Southerner knows what “Fixen To” means, but can it be explained? “I’m fixen to get ready.” “I’m fixen to go to the store.”
It is the warning bell, and the announcement of A Happening. The mind and heart are set on a course of immediate action. Northerners insist upon putting an apostrophe behind the n because they view the word as ‘fixing’, which does not make any sense. I believe that is their point. We must prove them wrong with clear, logical, and precise reasoning.
Fixin’ is an ingredient for a dish and is always used in the plural form, such as hamburgers and all the fixins. It is also a trimming or accompaniment or side dish such as Easter Dinner with all the fixins. Fixing is repairing. Fixing is arrangement, “fixing her hair.” Fixing is to make rigid or put in place permanently. Fixing a game is to arrange a particular outcome. Fixing is also a navigation term. Fixing a situation can mean to smooth it over. Fixing also means to deactivate a cat’s or dog’s baby-making mechanism. However, none of those is what fixen means.
“Fixen to” is a state of being. It is that precise moment or second in time which is the point just before an action is to take place. It is the jumping off point for any Southerner. We have done everything, or almost everything, necessary up to the point of action, but have not committed to the action. We are almost at the decision point of no return. We are poised for the dive. The bell has not sounded. The gun has not been shot. We could still step down from the post and not dive... if, say, something more interesting to do comes along.
My kids were fond of announcing, “I’m fixen to clean my room.” This was to make me think they were being productive children, when in fact, they were finding things to do with their toys instead of putting them away.
The declaration of fixen to do something is what a Southerner does aloud to another person or other persons. We do not say to ourselves, “Okay, I’m fixin to get in bed.” That is ludicrous. Who would announce to the inner being you are about to do something? No, the point is that you have set your mind on a course of action and are seeking something from another. This is what William Penn meant when he said he was fixen to establish a colony. It is what Chaucer meant when he penned the phrase, “Hyr eyen she fixethe on him.”
What that “something” is that you are seeking is always indicated by the words that follow the thing you are about to do. “I’m fixen to go to work, set my lunch out, please.” Or, “I’m fixen to go to the post office, do you have your letter ready?”
Fixen is the Middle English way of spelling this word which has the meaning of setting one’s mind upon something, such as a course of action. It was a verb used regularly in all the best colonial families in all the East Coast colonies. Alas, it is now known as an Americanism which is “chiefly Southern”. Since it is, “chiefly Southern”, then I propose it should be spelled correctly—fixen—in the dictionary.
As for “fer” and “alright” and “changing up”, that is a different rant altogether.
I was lounging on the beach on a mini-vacation several years ago, minding my own business. I was with several female friends and this little trip was a Mother’s Day present to all of us from our husbands. They were going to take care of the toddlers all weekend long while we got to rest, relax and recoup from Mommy Things. Theirs is a different story than this one.
On the beach this fellow from the North sat down close to our group. One of the girls politely asked, “I’m fixen to go to the room, does anyone need anything?”
This fellow sits up and says in a stilted sort of way, “Pardon me, could you please explain what ‘fixin’ to’ means? I have heard that since I’ve been down here on vacation and I do not know what it means.”
Obviously, this fellow was from the far reaches of the North to have never heard this before. After all, people from the North are saying “fer” instead of “for”. They’ve been doing this for a long time. Just watch any PBS show or Today Show. Good Morning America doesn’t count because Robin Roberts is from the South. She speaks beautifully, but there are those minor slips on occasion.
Any Southerner knows what “Fixen To” means, but can it be explained? “I’m fixen to get ready.” “I’m fixen to go to the store.”
It is the warning bell, and the announcement of A Happening. The mind and heart are set on a course of immediate action. Northerners insist upon putting an apostrophe behind the n because they view the word as ‘fixing’, which does not make any sense. I believe that is their point. We must prove them wrong with clear, logical, and precise reasoning.
Fixin’ is an ingredient for a dish and is always used in the plural form, such as hamburgers and all the fixins. It is also a trimming or accompaniment or side dish such as Easter Dinner with all the fixins. Fixing is repairing. Fixing is arrangement, “fixing her hair.” Fixing is to make rigid or put in place permanently. Fixing a game is to arrange a particular outcome. Fixing is also a navigation term. Fixing a situation can mean to smooth it over. Fixing also means to deactivate a cat’s or dog’s baby-making mechanism. However, none of those is what fixen means.
“Fixen to” is a state of being. It is that precise moment or second in time which is the point just before an action is to take place. It is the jumping off point for any Southerner. We have done everything, or almost everything, necessary up to the point of action, but have not committed to the action. We are almost at the decision point of no return. We are poised for the dive. The bell has not sounded. The gun has not been shot. We could still step down from the post and not dive... if, say, something more interesting to do comes along.
My kids were fond of announcing, “I’m fixen to clean my room.” This was to make me think they were being productive children, when in fact, they were finding things to do with their toys instead of putting them away.
The declaration of fixen to do something is what a Southerner does aloud to another person or other persons. We do not say to ourselves, “Okay, I’m fixin to get in bed.” That is ludicrous. Who would announce to the inner being you are about to do something? No, the point is that you have set your mind on a course of action and are seeking something from another. This is what William Penn meant when he said he was fixen to establish a colony. It is what Chaucer meant when he penned the phrase, “Hyr eyen she fixethe on him.”
What that “something” is that you are seeking is always indicated by the words that follow the thing you are about to do. “I’m fixen to go to work, set my lunch out, please.” Or, “I’m fixen to go to the post office, do you have your letter ready?”
Fixen is the Middle English way of spelling this word which has the meaning of setting one’s mind upon something, such as a course of action. It was a verb used regularly in all the best colonial families in all the East Coast colonies. Alas, it is now known as an Americanism which is “chiefly Southern”. Since it is, “chiefly Southern”, then I propose it should be spelled correctly—fixen—in the dictionary.
As for “fer” and “alright” and “changing up”, that is a different rant altogether.
Cancer in the body
There is a soreness like a tooth which has rotted to the bone in my soul. I have felt this twice before. It is called Spiritual Warfare. If you have not experienced it then you are still too young in Christ for it, or perhaps things may not be completely aligned within God’s will in your life. I don’t want to sound harsh, but it is a bald fact. Satan wants to kill, steal and destroy all things godly. He is ever at work, and never tires.
Satan loves to wiggle into a church body to cause havoc and unrest. He plants cancerous cells within the church, and a healthy, praying church will slough off those cells. But, when a church has no knee imprints in the carpet… when a church doesn’t bother with anything other than corporate prayer… when a church has prayer meeting and the only thing that goes on is Bible Study… when a church has a prayer list a mile long, but few praises… when a church has a history and reputation of ousting their pastors with little provocation… when a church has leadership that reigns instead of Jesus reigning, there is Trouble with a capital T in Church City.
Spiritual warfare holds many guises. Sometimes it appears as a tiny crack, sometimes it resembles the Christian Slicer/Dicer. Sometimes it is just Satan planting seeds of doubt, innuendo, half-truths, twisted facts, all delivered with a reasonable voice but absent the ring of truth and fairness.
Sin in churches can get a great foothold through leadership that believes itself above biblical instruction and above the church. What would be the motivation for this kind of sin? Pride. Prestige. A love of drama lends very well to this… desiring to be the center of attention… desiring to appear as the church’s protector and savior. What does that sound like to you?
To me, it smacks of Satan. I have witnessed this and it is horrific and tragic. When men decide to “do God’s will” but have no Biblical support, then Trouble with a capital T in Church City comes and stays awhile. What can possibly cut the cancer out? What can one person do?
Pray. That’s a lot. But, first one must pray with the rightness of heart, a good attitude. Praying in anger never does anyone any good, albeit righteous anger. The problem with that is the brain is so focused on the wrong, that the real reason it all happened is foreshadowed.
Trusting that God is ever in control is the second thing. No one can do anything without Jesus is in it. One must consider that the cancer is deeper and covers more territory (much like an iceberg) than appears on the surface. You have one or two who stirs up the doubt and the self-righteous indignation, then one or two more take up the banner, then another one jumps in with supposed allegations or even suppositions about an event without all the facts. But, those are just the symptoms of cancer.
Where did it begin? Which heart were the seeds of discontent sown? Which mind watered those seeds and nurtured them until fully grown? We don’t see into the hearts of men, but God does.
God has taken all of this into consideration long before America was even born, before Adam’s first child squalled in his mommy’s arms. And He prepared for it. He alone knows what must be done to cut the cancer out so the body of Christ can be fully functional. He may have plans to bring the body to its knees, or to remove the one or two cancerous organs so the body can once again be healthy.
Only God knows which scalpel to used, which catheter to use, which sponge and suction hose to use. Only He can direct the feet of those who bend to His will. The others whose necks are too stiff will wait in the wilderness and never cross over into Beulah Land. That was God’s solution for the Israelites. He wrote letters to the Seven Churches and those letters are alive today. Which church is yours? It is one of them.
If while reading this, God has brought to mind some cancerous cells in your own church body. Pray. Pray as if your life depended upon it. Because, it does. There are churches who have lost their lives because they allowed cancer to grow and consume them. Their love grew cold. They turned from their first love. But there is hope, as long as there is breath there is hope.
For me, I had to make a hugely difficult decision. Should I leave the body that I had grown to love so deeply and so much? Should I hope that one day, someone would pay attention to what I know to be full truth?
The question circles around and around... "With so many saying the same thing, how can it not be true?"
How indeed? Look how many were wrong about Jesus and how many held their tongues because the "authority" was stronger, better entrenched, had greater forces and had the full power of Satan at their backs.
After my own investigation I found that I cannot trust the leadership of this church. I cannot trust what they say, because so much of what they said was lies, twisted facts, innuendos and derogatory implications designed to malign the integrity of a man of God. I chose to leave.
I know this will affect me the rest of my life. It is so much like divorce that I am still reeling from the bruising blows dealt more than a week ago. No sleep. No concentration. Praying, praying and more praying. Why God? How can this happen to a church that claims to be yours and seeking Your will. How incredibly sad. What great judgement will come if no repentance happens.
Satan loves to wiggle into a church body to cause havoc and unrest. He plants cancerous cells within the church, and a healthy, praying church will slough off those cells. But, when a church has no knee imprints in the carpet… when a church doesn’t bother with anything other than corporate prayer… when a church has prayer meeting and the only thing that goes on is Bible Study… when a church has a prayer list a mile long, but few praises… when a church has a history and reputation of ousting their pastors with little provocation… when a church has leadership that reigns instead of Jesus reigning, there is Trouble with a capital T in Church City.
Spiritual warfare holds many guises. Sometimes it appears as a tiny crack, sometimes it resembles the Christian Slicer/Dicer. Sometimes it is just Satan planting seeds of doubt, innuendo, half-truths, twisted facts, all delivered with a reasonable voice but absent the ring of truth and fairness.
Sin in churches can get a great foothold through leadership that believes itself above biblical instruction and above the church. What would be the motivation for this kind of sin? Pride. Prestige. A love of drama lends very well to this… desiring to be the center of attention… desiring to appear as the church’s protector and savior. What does that sound like to you?
To me, it smacks of Satan. I have witnessed this and it is horrific and tragic. When men decide to “do God’s will” but have no Biblical support, then Trouble with a capital T in Church City comes and stays awhile. What can possibly cut the cancer out? What can one person do?
Pray. That’s a lot. But, first one must pray with the rightness of heart, a good attitude. Praying in anger never does anyone any good, albeit righteous anger. The problem with that is the brain is so focused on the wrong, that the real reason it all happened is foreshadowed.
Trusting that God is ever in control is the second thing. No one can do anything without Jesus is in it. One must consider that the cancer is deeper and covers more territory (much like an iceberg) than appears on the surface. You have one or two who stirs up the doubt and the self-righteous indignation, then one or two more take up the banner, then another one jumps in with supposed allegations or even suppositions about an event without all the facts. But, those are just the symptoms of cancer.
Where did it begin? Which heart were the seeds of discontent sown? Which mind watered those seeds and nurtured them until fully grown? We don’t see into the hearts of men, but God does.
God has taken all of this into consideration long before America was even born, before Adam’s first child squalled in his mommy’s arms. And He prepared for it. He alone knows what must be done to cut the cancer out so the body of Christ can be fully functional. He may have plans to bring the body to its knees, or to remove the one or two cancerous organs so the body can once again be healthy.
Only God knows which scalpel to used, which catheter to use, which sponge and suction hose to use. Only He can direct the feet of those who bend to His will. The others whose necks are too stiff will wait in the wilderness and never cross over into Beulah Land. That was God’s solution for the Israelites. He wrote letters to the Seven Churches and those letters are alive today. Which church is yours? It is one of them.
If while reading this, God has brought to mind some cancerous cells in your own church body. Pray. Pray as if your life depended upon it. Because, it does. There are churches who have lost their lives because they allowed cancer to grow and consume them. Their love grew cold. They turned from their first love. But there is hope, as long as there is breath there is hope.
For me, I had to make a hugely difficult decision. Should I leave the body that I had grown to love so deeply and so much? Should I hope that one day, someone would pay attention to what I know to be full truth?
The question circles around and around... "With so many saying the same thing, how can it not be true?"
How indeed? Look how many were wrong about Jesus and how many held their tongues because the "authority" was stronger, better entrenched, had greater forces and had the full power of Satan at their backs.
After my own investigation I found that I cannot trust the leadership of this church. I cannot trust what they say, because so much of what they said was lies, twisted facts, innuendos and derogatory implications designed to malign the integrity of a man of God. I chose to leave.
I know this will affect me the rest of my life. It is so much like divorce that I am still reeling from the bruising blows dealt more than a week ago. No sleep. No concentration. Praying, praying and more praying. Why God? How can this happen to a church that claims to be yours and seeking Your will. How incredibly sad. What great judgement will come if no repentance happens.
Health Care comments...
The more I hear, the more I become afraid that America is being pillaged, soon to be raped by the Demorats in power.
The very idea that our Lawmakers are not reading the bills they are voting on is refuted by my Senator in the video below. I am terrified that the voice of reason will never come back. The wave of socialism is becoming a tsunami and that is the most frightening of all.
I don't know if it is true or not, but the example is excellent: there is a story going around the internet concerning a professor who flunked an entire class because he put them all on Obama's Socialism Grade Scale. He took the highest grade and the lowest grade, averaged them and then gave the whole class the averaged grade. The first test everyone made a C, all those who had not studied were happy for their C, all those who had studied hard were very unhappy. The next test, those who had studied, didn't. What was the use? Their grade would be lower than they deserved, so why put forth the effort? Those who hadn't studied, didn't. They had gotten a grade they didn't deserve, so why put forth any effort? Eventually, at the end of the semester, all the students had an F as the final grade. No one was happy.
Senator Wicker has some things to say about the "new" health care reform...
The very idea that our Lawmakers are not reading the bills they are voting on is refuted by my Senator in the video below. I am terrified that the voice of reason will never come back. The wave of socialism is becoming a tsunami and that is the most frightening of all.
I don't know if it is true or not, but the example is excellent: there is a story going around the internet concerning a professor who flunked an entire class because he put them all on Obama's Socialism Grade Scale. He took the highest grade and the lowest grade, averaged them and then gave the whole class the averaged grade. The first test everyone made a C, all those who had not studied were happy for their C, all those who had studied hard were very unhappy. The next test, those who had studied, didn't. What was the use? Their grade would be lower than they deserved, so why put forth the effort? Those who hadn't studied, didn't. They had gotten a grade they didn't deserve, so why put forth any effort? Eventually, at the end of the semester, all the students had an F as the final grade. No one was happy.
Senator Wicker has some things to say about the "new" health care reform...
High Holidays approaching
I had the opportunity to attend a Rosh Hashanah celebration years ago. The one thing that made me want to leap from my chair, raise my hands as high as Heaven to be grasped by my Beloved Jesus was hearing the Shofar blow. How wonderfully exciting that was. It is so thrilling that it raises goose bumps and you must latch onto your chair to stay seated. There is nothing like it!
You can hear it for yourself here. But, nothing compares to what it is like to be in a room full of people and this sound comes from behind you.
I received this missive from my friends at Chosen People. I thought you might like to see.
Jesus is the Jewel of the High Holidays...
You can hear it for yourself here. But, nothing compares to what it is like to be in a room full of people and this sound comes from behind you.
I received this missive from my friends at Chosen People. I thought you might like to see.
Jesus is the Jewel of the High Holidays...
Shalom!
Thanks for taking a few minutes to read this note. The fall is a time of new beginnings, and our ministries across the globe are gearing up for a new season of outreach. Not only are our workers busy on campuses where we will have the opportunity to reach tens of thousands of Jewish students, but our worldwide staff members are also preparing for the High Holiday season.We will host dozens of Messianic High Holiday services in our congregations, centers and branches. We need your prayers, as we expect many Jewish people who are not yet followers of Jesus to attend these services.
When I think about the High Holidays, I often think of a diamond ring, which consists of both a setting and a jewel. The diamond by itself might be stunning, but it becomes all the more magnificent once it is placed in a setting crafted by a master
jeweler. The festivals of Israel outlined in Leviticus 23 provide us with the
perfect setting for Yeshua (Jesus), who is the shining jewel. Reading the book
of Hebrews and appreciating the sacrifice of Jesus our Messiah is much easier
when you understand something about the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). On that day once a year, the priest was to take the blood of the appointed sacrifices and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat inside the Holy of Holies for the forgiveness of Israel’s sins (Leviticus 16).These sacrifices never took away the guilt and shame of our sin – they were merely preparatory – the setting for the jewel. When Jesus died for our sins, He died once and for all, and you and I can rest in the knowledge that our sins are forgiven.
One meaningful verse during the High Holidays is Romans 5:8, where Paul writes,
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. As an observant Jew, the apostle Paul understood the magnificence of this statement.No longer do we need the sacrifices of bulls and goats. Our salvation does not depend upon our efforts (which were always doomed to failure). Instead, God sent his only Son to pave the way to heaven through His sacrifice. A number of our staff members who are bringing the message of Yeshua to His own people – are furthering their training at our Charles Feinberg Center for Messianic Jewish Studies. One of our goals is to help these current and future leaders graduate from their studies without debt, so that they can go immediately to the mission field and share the glorious message of Jesus our Redeemer with our Jewish people.
This month, you can be of tremendous help! Victor and Julia B. are Israelis studying at the Feinberg Center and are completely dependent upon us in the United States for their financial support. They led a congregation in Jerusalem for more than 15 years but never had the opportunity to be theologically trained. Once Victor completes his studies, they will return to Israel and hope to plant a new congregation in Jerusalem. Your generous support can enable Victor and Julia and their two young sons – and other families like them – to continue studying and ministering in New York City.
There is so much more to learn about the High Holidays, and we have some wonderful information on our website – visit www.chosenpeople.com/highholidays
to learn more. If you would like to attend one of our High Holiday services –
and hopefully bring a Jewish friend who does not yet know the Messiah – please
call us at 212-223-2252 to find out if there is a service near you.Thanks so much for sharing our vision for the future of Jewish ministry.
Your brother
in the Messiah,
Mitch Glaser
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)