Celebrating the Quad Centenial of 1611 King James Bible

            The new year will mark the 4^th Centennial of the KJV. While this was not the first English translation, it has become one of the most widely used, in its modernized form, of all the early English translations. John Wycliffe was the first to translate the Bible into English that was widely circulated in manuscript form (before the printing press). It became illegal because of his stance against the Catholic Church’s teachings on several things in England in 1409. The manuscripts usually had a date before 1409 to circumvent the religious ban. Interestingly, because Wycliffe translated word for word from the Latin Vulgate, there wasn’t any way to distinguish it from other English translations so later Bible commentators from about 1600 through 1799 mistook the banned manuscripts as orthodox translations.

William Tyndale translated the New Testament in 1525 and later began a translation of the Old Testament but did not finish it before his death. Myles Coverdale took Tyndale’s translation and with only minor adaptations made it into the Great Bible version which was adopted as the Authorized Version by the Church of England during the reign of King Henry VIII. After his death, Edward I became king at age eight, and he named Lady Jane Grey as his successor in his will. She was queen for nine days. The movie about her depicts some of her arguments with the religious leaders of the day. She believed in individual salvation by grace, not works based salvation, and she believed the Eucharist did not turn into Christ’s body and blood. She was beheaded in the Tower of London in 1553 and was succeeded by her cousin, Mary I, Queen of Scots who reinstated the Roman Catholicism as the state religion resulting in many English Reformers fleeing the country.

John Calvin led these Reformed Protestants in Geneva where these scholars produced the Geneva Bible. This translation was actually a revision of the Great Bible and Tyndale’s Bible based on the original languages. Then came the Church of England’s Bishop’s Bible which failed to displace the Geneva Bible in the hearts and parlors of the common folk. The Roman Catholics subversively imported the Douay-Rheims translation in 1582.

King James VI of Scotland convened the Hampton Court Conference in 1604 with instructions that the Bishop’s Bible, then the Authorized Version of the Church of England, as the primary guide so as to keep the words recognizable to readers, and the translation to be true to the ecclesiology of the Church of England.

Forty-seven scholars divided into six groups and translated sections of the book, each completed by 1608. The King’s Printer, Robert Barker published the Authorized Version in 1611 which was sold loose leaf for ten shillings, and bound for twelve shillings.

This volume opened the eyes of many ordinary people like you and me. Suddenly, God’s word was there for all to read, albeit not all people could read. However, it has been one of the most published Bibles since the first day ink was set to paper. However, there have been many modernizations made to the original 1611 text. For example…

1611 version of 1 Corinthians 13:

1. Though I speake with the tongues of men & of Angels, and haue not charity, I am become as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I haue the gift of prophesie, and vnderstand all mysteries and all knowledge: and though I haue all faith, so that I could remooue mountaines, and haue no charitie, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestowe all my goods to feede the poore, and though I giue my body to bee burned, and haue not charitie, it profiteth me nothing.

1769 version:

1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Comparing the two, besides the punctuation and spelling changes, the word no is substituted erroneously for the word not. In the original Greek the word  μή mē (may) is a primary particle of qualified negation and is adverbially translated not. It is apparent that the 150 something years between the first publication of the King James Version and the 1769 published version the English language had undergone tremendous changes indicated by the nearly 24,000 changes between the first edition and the 1769 Oxford text edition. The substance is the same, no matter what language a person reads. While the words may be spelled differently, and some of the meanings of the words have shifted with modern usage, we can still be astounded that the Bible has remained steadfast since Moses wrote the Law and the Apostles wrote their epistles. 

(A lot of this history came from Wikipedia. While I generally take this source with a huge grain of salt, the sources for this piece on Wikipedia are quite authoritative. You might also want to check out The King James Bible Trust)

Psalm 32

Have you ever taken a cat to the vet?


(This is not our cat Scooter, but a stand in actor.)

Like all good owners ,we had to take our cat to the vet and the caterwauling he set up all the way there and all the way back! (that’s where that word comes from, you know= CAT—er—wailing)

I was grateful it was only a 30 minute drive. “Out, out, I want out,” he wailed all the way there.

I can imagine it was much like David’s misery which he describes in Psalm 32. Our cat didn't have unconfessed sin, but he was sick. Unconfessed sin makes people bodies sick.

Look at verse 3…When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.


It is like borrowing money from a friend knowing you can’t pay it back. After awhile you start avoiding your friend. Soon, you’re ducking down hallways and going the long way around just so you won’t bump into your friend. Then you want to avoid your friend at all costs because you have built a wall. (Can you tell this happened to me?) The person you borrowed from doesn’t care about the money, never did care about it, and most likely never truly wanted you to pay it back. Your friend loves the fellowship with you, and would much rather have you than the money. That’s how God is. He wants that relationship with you, but sin breaks the fellowship on your part, not His part because He promised to never leave or forsake you. David finally understood this.

Psalm 32 – the ungodly can be reinstated into godliness. David is prostrate in repentance and worship. This was after Nathan had confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba. We get a peek into his heart in this Psalm.

His bones became old. Now, I’m growing older and I have more aches and pains than I ever had when I was younger. Just to get out of bed sometimes sounds like a tool box being turned over with all the clanks and grindings.

He was howling all day. Imagine that. King James translates it roaring. The word means literally “a rumbling or moan”, so I translate that as CAT-er-wailing.
He says in verse 5: I confessed my sin to You, and I have not hidden my iniquity; I said, I will confess over my transgression to Jehovah; and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Glory! There is something so incredibly important here. First we see David angry at the injustice, then he is deeply repentant when he recognizes his own sin. (2 Samuel 12:13), Then he is prostrate (2 Samuel 12:16) for his son, fasting, seeking God in the hope God may have mercy and let his son live. David understands the deep necessity of confession in order to be right with the Lord and how God forgives. It is essential that we know beyond doubt that God forgives our transgressions.

Without that knowledge, we cannot worship from our heart. Without that knowledge, Satan builds a web of guilt and shame around us to keep us from Worshipping God.

Psalm 32:11 Be glad in Jehovah and rejoice, you righteous ones; and all the upright in heart, shout for joy.

David addresses it again in Psalm 51. He tells us Who to go to to get right with God. We can't do it on our own. God can.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me out from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

We have established that there is much more to worship than singing and praising, although that is part of worship. The word Worship means to bow low and to serve. In actions, it means,

Obedience regardless of the apparent cost, as Abraham obeyed.  
Sacrifice as ordained by God.  
Confession and repentance is crucial to experience worship as God would have us experience it.

Then God gives us a renewed, sparkling clean and a right spirit (some translations state steadfast spirit). It can be done from a distance as the Children of Israel did when God came to the Tabernacle, but is that how we should worship? It involves the heart (will), and the ears (understanding).

Worship is a constant and continual state when we are right with God. We can barely understand how the Holy Spirit indwells, how much we miss of true worship in these frail bodies, temporary tents we inhabit for such a speck of time. What a blessing it is to have the Holy Spirit joined to body and soul to help with our worship. It is a fascinating, imagination stretcher to contemplate worship in the proper setting (God's Heavenly Temple) and in the proper dress (our bright, white linen robes of righteousness), surrounded by millions of angels all of us singing a new song of the Lamb. I can't wait.

Sin is contagious, righteousness is not

I read those words this morning and my brain came to a screeching halt. They come from Haggai 2:12-13. Something cannot be made holy by merely touching the thing with the holy thing. However, an unclean person  touching something will make it unclean. This is the Old Testament, and it has far reaching meaning into the New Testament such as the old adage "One bad apple will spoil the whole barrel." Any sales executive knows that one person with a bad attitude can infect the whole floor of sales representatives, or clerks, or secretaries which will infect everyone else. It is contagious.

This is exactly why the world can have such power over Christians. The ways of the world insidiously creep into our thought processes and we think, "What's the harm in that?" First thinking about it, then the thoughts consume our mind, then action follows thought and without actually realizing it, we've become entangled in Satan's World Wide Web.

Righteousness is not contagious, nor can it be transferred to another by sheer will power or thought process or even prayer. Our own righteousness is our own by birth right, being born again into the Spirit through the blood of Christ. It is individual, personal, and directed to each soul. We need do only one thing which is believe God exists (which must happen before anyone can be saved) and believe in Jesus. God does everything else.

In order to live the abundant life provided by Jesus, one must unlock every secret compartment of the heart and allow God to fill that God-sized hole in the soul. Keeping one part unsurrendered will hinder Christian living and God's power in your life. It is very similar to two people rowing a single boat in opposite directions. Unless there is a current stronger than one of the rowers, the boat goes no where and if the strongest rower, rows against the current the boat's forward motion slows to a crawl. It's like the two steps forward and one step back; progress is half what it could be. Surrender and live abundantly, full of joy.

Red Cross bans Christmas across the Pond

It seems the Red Cross of Great Britain is valiantly trying to become a completely neutral charity. Isn't that an oxymoron? 

Scanning this article (click the title), I was chagrined at first, and then it became funny, especially in the last paragraph. It seems the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) tried to find a less prickly symbol than the cross five years ago and amidst boos, hisses and criticisms finally gave up the task.

This was just going to be a simple story, written before I went to bed. Now, after all this research into the background of the Red Cross, where it came from (American Red Cross came through the efforts of one Clara Barton). The ICRC  began in Switzerland due to one man's observation of a battle fought in 1859 in Suferino where 40,000 men on both sides fell wounded and dead with no medical help. Henry Dunant persuaded locals to minister to the wounded without prejudice. An amazing feat.

The hooha concerning the religious nature of the symbol, a cross, is what spurred the international committee to try to design another symbol. Purely for neutrality since the Muslim countries were beginning their own Red Cross organizations. Somewhere in the first part of the 20th century, they adopted the Red Crescent which was immediately adopted by Russia and several Muslim countries. I'm confused now.

If the thing is not religious in nature, then why must they conjure up a Red Crescent, a Red Crystal and what's up with this Red Lion and Sun thing? The Red Star of David is nationally recognized in Israel, but the Jews adopt the Red Crystal for protection in international conflicts.

Can't the leadership of the Red Cross discern that we are divided along religious lines no matter what their symbol is?

So the Brits can't have Christmas decorations in their 430 Red Cross stores, yet they can sell Christmas cards with angels and nativity scenes "to help the charity".

"Rod Thomas, a Plymouth vicar and spokesman for the Reform evangelical grouping in the Church of England, said: 'People who hold seriously to their faith are respected by people of other faiths. They should start calling themselves the Red Splodge. All their efforts will only succeed in alienating most people.'"

So what would that look like? A coffee stain? A wine stain? I agree with Vicar Thomas. Holding true to one's faith does instill respect, at least on the surface. Sometimes it instills loathing because of Who is being worshiped. 

According to a report in The Guardian, the respect is only a veneer. The news paper reports a diplomatic cable accuses Iran of using the cover of the Red Crescent to smuggle arms and agents into other countries during their war with Israel in 2006. I will give you the link to that story rather than plow through thousands of cables to check the accuracy of the report. I'm going to bed now. If you have the energy and do check this report about the smugglers of Iran, would you let me know in the morning if it's true? Thanks... g'night.

Arise and shine for the light has come

I love that verse found in Isaiah 60:1. I use it all year round, but at this time of year it reminds us that God is faithful and always fulfills His promises.

Isn't it interesting that God wrote this in the past tense? To Isaiah, it was as if the Light had already come when it would be centuries before Christ would be born. I love it when God talks in the past tense because it makes it so done-dealish. It's a fact, Jack. No questions, Sessions. Isaiah already had his Messiah, the time/space continuum just hadn't caught up with God, yet.

So, I hold on to this verse all year, because it is an assurance to me that God is who He says He is, and God has done what He said He would do. Since God is so very consistent and constant, this is the assurance that all the rest of prophecy will come about just as it was foretold and is written.

Best cake ever

In honor of the Holidays, I dug up this recipe again and am re-posting it. I hope you enjoy :)

Hey everybody,

I wanted to share this favorite recipe of mine. I've had it for years and years and it never fails

BEST RUM CAKE EVER
Ingredients
1 or 2 quarts rum
3 cups flour
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 cup dried fruit
1 teaspoon soda
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup nuts

Before you start - sample the rum to check for quality. Good - isn't it?
Now go ahead.
Select a large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc.
Check the rum again. It must be just right.
To be sure rum is of the highest quality, pour one level cup of rum into a glass and drink it as fast as you can. Repeat.
With an electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a fluffy bowl. Add 1 seaspoon of thugar and beat again. Meanwhile, make sure that the rum is of the quinest fality. Cry another tup.
Open second quart if necessary. Add 2 arge leggs, 2 cups fried druit and beat till high. If druit get stuck in beater, just pry loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the rum again, checking for tonscisticity.
Next, sift 3 cups of peper or salt (it really doesn't matter). Sample the rum again.
Sift 1/2 pint of lemon juice. Fold in chopped butter and strained nuts. Add a babblespoon of brown thugar, or whatever color you can find. Wix mell.
Grease oven and turn cake pan to 350 gredees. Now pour the whole mess into the cover and toss toward open hole and akeb.
Check the rum again, and bo to ged.

to make my cheeks hurt from laughing so hard. I am NOT advocating drinking. But this is just so halarious!

Ruined

I fight to open my eyes, but something inside me warns me not to wake up. My stomach hurts. My head feels heavy. And who’s vacuuming? Don’t they know I’m trying to sleep? Where am I, anyway?

“Happy birthday dear Chloe, happy birthday to you.” I blow out the six pink candles, straighten the princess birthday crown on my head, and eagerly anticipate a giant piece of angel food cake with strawberry frosting and my most favorite ice cream—chocolate, chocolate chip.

“Oops, Mommy, I dropped ice cream on my princess dress. Now my life is ruined.”

“No worries, sweetie, Mommy will take care of it. Mommies can fix anything.” Mommy kisses me on the cheek, and I know everything will be okay.

The incessant vacuuming is joined by talking. Loud talking. Hey, am I invisible here? It sounds like someone is moving silverware around—dropping it onto a metal tray. Would everyone please stop making so much noise? I just need to get some sleep. There is way too much commotion going on here. What’s the crisis, anyway?

Mom brings our blue mini-van to a screeching halt in front of Madison Middle School. I am late for school…again.

“Do you have your science project, sweetie?”

“Yes, Mom.” I roll my eyes. “Why do you always question me? I’m a teenager now—I can take care of myself.”

I wrestle the white display board out the back sliding door.

“Oops, the spring fell off the board. Oh, great. Now what am I supposed to do? I’m already late for first period. My life is ruined.”

“No worries, sweetie. I’ll take care of it. I’ll just run home, grab the glue gun, come back and have this board fixed before your science class. Remember, Mommies can fix anything.” She blows me a kiss and mouths “everything will be okay” before speeding away.

The vacuuming stops. My stomach cramps. The loud talking is replaced by hushed voices. I strain to hear, but can only make out a few words. Missed. Pieces. Bleeding. The vacuum starts up again. Good grief, how big is the room, anyway?

“Oh, Eric, I wish you didn’t have to leave tomorrow. How am I going to live without you?”

“Sshh, baby, I know.” Eric pulls me tighter into his embrace. “It’s only for a few months, and then I’ll be home for winter break.”

“But what if you meet some college girl who steals your heart away from me?”

“Hey, I already told you, nobody’s going to steal my heart. And, besides, the love we’re going to share with each other tonight will bond us together as one. Forever.

Eric lies back on his bed and tugs at my arm. His parents are gone for the evening; my parents think we’re at a movie. Eric and I have been dating for two years. Everyone calls us the perfect couple. He was captain of the Debate team—I was co-captain. He plays bass in the youth group worship band, I sing lead. We both volunteer at the city soup kitchen.

We’d been talking for weeks about how we would spend our last night together, and I really did want to give myself to Eric completely, but…

“I don’t know, Eric. The Bible says this is wrong.”

“Come on, Chloe. We love each other. And it will only be this one time. Then we’ll wait until we’re married.”

Eric gently caresses my cheek with the back of his hand. His tender kisses on my neck make me melt in his arms. As he slowly begins unbuttoning my blouse, I hesitate, pushing his hand away from my now exposed bare skin.

“What if, you know—something goes wrong?”

“Relax, Chloe, I got protection from the school nurse.”

Eric returns to my buttons and I stop listening to the still small voice and start reacting to my passionate desires.

It all happens very quickly. Not quite like I’d pictured…or seen in the movies.

“Oops.” Eric abruptly rolls away from me.

“What’s wrong?” I reach for the blanket…suddenly ashamed of my nakedness.

“Uh, nothing. Just a little slippage. No worries.”

“Chloe, Chloe. Can you hear me?”

I hear her voice. I don’t want to open my eyes. I have intense pain in my lower abdomen. I know what that vacuuming was. My life is ruined.

“The nurse said everything went fine, sweetie. It’s all taken care of. See? Mommies can fix anything.”

She kisses me and I know…everything is not okay.

This story has been brought to you by me, but written by Sheri Gordon who can be contacted at writingsbysheri@gmail.com. She graciously gave me permission to reprint it. You can click on the title above and find more stories by Sheri. I read it this morning and cried for women in America who take this awful step. It hits home in a way that a 30-minute sermon never could.

Bradley Manning's "awkard moment"

Ann Coulter has a diatribe about Bradley Manning and the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" uproar. In my opinion, it is a lot harsh against homosexuals who, I believe are misguided and deceived by Satan. They will defend their lifestyle and will shove it in everyone's faces because they want us to accept homosexuality as a normal lifestyle.

While reading the comments to this, there were some good arguments, but also some things were brought up that I do not feel edified for reading. I do not understand why people cannot seem to understand that homosexuality is a perversion. But, no matter what, if there were none but homosexuals on the earth, God would have still sent His Son to die for them.

As I grow older, I understand better the premise of loving the sinner, but hating the sin. I'm still trying to learn the differences between those who are wicked and  God has given up to themselves, and those who act wickedly but whom God sees hope for. That is a toughy.

Danny Wallace tells his story

Danny Wallace was molested by his father from ages 5 to 17, sold to other men, carried on homosexual affairs throughout his marriage, contracted HIV/AIDS - and has been delivered. How? He got real with God, and God honored his authenticity.

You can learn more about his powerful testimony at www.dannywallace.org

Obama calls for freeze on federal pay

All I can say is it is about time!!!

Julian Assange and Wikileaks...

I learned in high school that very few people can be trusted. When once a "squealer" always a squealer became my alarm system. As I was grew up, I found out that tactics and schemes devised by teenagers were child's play when compared to those of adults in corporate America.

This rule applies to Julian Assange and his Wikileaks site. No country is safe from him. Since he has been able to penetrate into the secret realms of the United States, we can be sure he is busily working, just like a termite, to uncover secrets of other countries. All for a few hits on his website and to see what kind of stir he can cause. It certainly isn't responsible journalism. To even compare it to journalism is laughable in a sarcastic sort of way.

Back in the 1800's Yellow Journalism became a fashion trend, hype became the normal way to sell Dr. Quack's Stress Relief Medicine (filled with alcohol or Laudanum or both); the years  have only made the trends more slick and, for the most part, harder to detect. This sort of irresponsible bleating of secrets is nothing short of criminal. Not even Russia, nor any other cold war enemy ever used this tactic. Of course, that was war between governments and was carried on with less emotion and clearer heads.

If one does a study on this man, Assange, one will find a heinous person who advocates pornography, child exploitation, and other perverted sexual things. Therefore, one doesn't have to wonder at the appalling lack of regard for human life or societal balance this man has.

Be on the watch. He's ferreting out secrets from other countries and rest assured he will make them public. I won't be surprised if he causes a world war. It won't be the first time one man has caused world turmoil, and it won't be the last.

I am appalled that the U.S. has allowed these leaks. This is proof that the lackadaisical national security mindset of the Democrats is far from safe and in a galaxy far, far away from security of the fourth kind.

Faith of a child

"Would you like to take a walk with me?" my grandfather held out his huge hand.

Eagerly, I jumped up and ran to him, my tiny fingers barely able to grip his. I was somewhere between one and two. I remember I was fascinated by the sun in the trees; and Granddad asked this question of me every day. As we would walk down the gravel road, he was very careful of the ruts, holes and rocks for us both.


I, on the other hand, walked with my face toward the sun, watching the play of light in the leaves. I had no notion where I put my feet or which direction I was walking, but always trusting that Granddad would never let me fall or wander from the path we trod together.

I do not know why I have this memory, or why it has stayed so vibrant with me for more than five decades (that makes me sound old). I'm walking, safe and secure with my eyes lifted above, no fear of where my feet were going.

This is how it should be with God. If we hold on to His hand, if we trust He will not lead us into temptation and will deliver us from evil, then we can keep our eyes lifted to Him and never fear where our feet are walking. Even when we drop our eyes for that fleeting instant, He is there to grab us and lift us from the depths as He did Peter in the storm. There is nothing He cannot do. 

Stuck in a rut?

Yep, we've all felt that way at one time or another. I get that way whenever I don't study my Bible for a few days.

What you are feeling is an emptiness, like you are sitting on the edge of a cliff.

Take this promptly to God. Seriously, don't stop to smell the coffee and don't do anything until you've spent time on God's lap or at His feet. Ruts are dangerous. Satan just loves it when Christians suddenly look up and the sides of the rut are higher than their heads.

Galatians 5:16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
That word desire means there is something that is longed for, something in particular and it is on the verge of unleashing toward anything that will fill that void or satisfy that hunger.

What void? What hunger you ask. When a person feels unsatisfied, there is a hankering to eat more or drink more to fill the void. We've all been on diets and felt that desire to eat everything in the fridge. That is exactly what Paul is talking about. He goes on to list some things that the flesh desires. This is not in anyway to suggest that you would do this... it is a warning that this is what could happen. Beth Moore coined the phrase in her book, "Godly People Can Do Ungodly Things". It's very true. When we are constantly expecting that body-jarring emotion when we go to church or when we hear that favorite song, we can make our mind numb to the more subtle nuances of God's blessings. There is so much more to God than a spectacular high. Those kinds of highs are more like dessert and precious few people can eat dessert before the main meal and still do the main course justice.

Don't think that you will always be in the fiery chariot. Our emotions play tricks on us and Satan uses these to influence us into making choices that are ungodly. Try, instead, to focus on your love for God.

Have you ever been in love? That first flush of goose-pimply, heart fluttering adrenalin rush when ever you even think of the person much less be in their presence. When all you want to do is just please that person with whatever means you can devise, use or imagine. Then you settle into a comfortable relationship and your love grows deeper and greater than the day before. This is the time that God is most pleasing to His children and is pleased by His children.

That is the kind of emotion and pleasure that survives these little flat places in our lives. It is the time that God gives us for inner rest. Who wants to always be climbing to the mountain top or tumbling down to the valley all the time? I don't... it is what makes life exciting, granted, but I also want that quiet time to focus on just Him and me. We all need that quiet time with Him so our love and our relationship can blossom. Use the time wisely by talking to Him about everything and pour out your thoughts, your feelings, your heart to God so that He can fill you up with His Spirit and the fruit will come pouring out of you. When you get to this point, there are no more ruts. Oh, you’ll find the occasional pot hole, but you won’t be stuck in a rut up to your neck again.

Psalm 4:1 Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness. You gave room to me in distress. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer. 2 O sons of men, until when shall My glory be for a reproach? Will you love vanity? Will you run after a lie? Selah. 3 But know that Jehovah has set apart the godly for Himself. Jehovah hears when I call to Him. 4 Tremble and do not sin. Speak within your own heart on your bed and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and trust in Jehovah. 6 Many are saying, Who will make us see any good? O Jehovah, lift up the light of Your face on us. 7 You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the time their grain and their wine grew. 8 I will both lie down in peace and sleep; for You alone, O Jehovah, make me dwell in safety.

Classics that are MUST reads

Something interesting on Facebook caught my eye. It was a list of 100 classics that some Brit said almost no one had read more than six on the list. I've read thirty of them. So I've listed those that I've read and added some more of my own that I believe are must reads.

The Bible

Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye

Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne

Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

Edgar Allen Poe complete works

The House of the Seven Gables Nathaniel Hawthorne

Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Kim by Robert Louis Stevenson

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Odyssey by Homer

 No Time for Sergeants by Mac Hyman

The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

Ben Hur Lew Wallace

The Virginian by Owen Wister

Silas Marner by George Elliot

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway

The Winds of War Herman Wouk

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

Emma by Jane Austin

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin

Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

1984 by George Orwell

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

The Complete novel set of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Montegomry

Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Lewis Stevenson

Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

Dune by Frank Herbert

Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White

Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Complete Works of Shakespeare (or at least one of his plays)

Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

By no means classics but still quite interesting:
Star Wars -- various authors
Star Trek novels -- numerous authors
All of Georgette Heyer's novels
 

This is by no means a complete list of must reads. Some deal with some very ugly issues, some are quite thrilling (Ben Hur and Scarlet Pimpernel for example). I am quite intrigued because I know I’ve read quite a few more than these that are considered classics, but I can’t remember their titles or author’s names. If you can’t remember one or the other, then you can’t Google. Perhaps you’ve read some that I don’t have on the list!


What are some classics that you've read and remember fondly?

God is Compassionate

The perpetual covenant of peace...
There is a promise of peace to Israel who is currently dispersed into the nations, scattered around the world. Isaiah prophesied that Israel would need a much larger space because her descendants would be coming home and inheriting the nations.

Conversely, the children of the desolate (that is the Gentiles, Goyim) far out number those of the married woman (Israel). Israel was charged with being the Light of the World and of converting others to know God. Yet, they got confused with God’s command to have nothing to do with the inhabitants of Canaan. They were legalistic concerning the infection of the wickedness from the surrounding nations, and yet, they embraced that wickedness over and over. Finally, God had to scatter the ten tribes of Israel because of their stubbornness and their idolatry. All that can be found in the third chapter of Jeremiah.

However, even with all her wickedness, God’s greatest desire was for His wife to return to Him.

Isa 54:4 Do not fear, for you shall not be shamed, nor shall you be abashed, for you shall not be wounded. For you shall forget the shame of your youth, and you shall not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.

That word widowhood comes from a Hebrew word
אלמן ‘almânal-mawn' – Prolonged from H481 in the sense of bereavement; discarded (as a divorced person): - forsaken

God discarded Israel, (but is keeping track of her. We know this because in the Revelation, God seals His chosen witnesses Revelation 7:3 saying, Do not hurt the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Then announces 12 thousand from each tribe will be sealed.) This is precisely what God did to Israel because of her iniquity. He cast her off as a divorced woman. Jeremiah 3 is the dictate of the divorce decree. There are many other references that point to her iniquity, but this one suffices. The bright spot of hope is that this is not forever. God will gather His chosen people to Himself.

Soon God will be wooing His beloved and all will be forgiven once the stubborn necks are bowed and the stiff knees are bent. All the Jews will recognize that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Jesus prophesied this in Matthew 23:39 For I say to you, You shall not see Me from now on until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

There are all kinds of examples in the Bible of sin and consequences.

Adam – the sin of unbelief—he repented – but the consequence was physical death.
Cain – the sin of murder – he did not repent – he wandered the earth.
Abraham – the sin of lying which sprang from unbelief of God’s ultimate protection -- he did repent – he got his wife back
Sarah – the sin of unbelief and laughing at God – she did repent – bore a son, Isaac
Jacob – the sin of unbelief and he deceived brother/father – he repented -- wrestled with God and preserved a nation.
Joseph – the sin of pride – he repented – he saved Israel in Egypt
Rueben – the sin of sleeping with his father’s wife – do not know if he repented – passed over for royalty (Jesus did not come from his line.)
Simeon—the sin of murder. He killed a tribe for offense to sister -- passed over royalty
Judah—he married foreign wife, did not teach his sons in the way of the Lord – he did repent—from him came the royal lineage and through him came Jesus
Moses – disobedience, lack of self-control, in a fit of temper he struck the rock instead of speaking – for this he did not go to Canaan.

And that is just in Genesis and Exodus. Those were sins against God.

Our selfish acts of disobedience will result in consequences. Nothing happens in secret that will not be exposed to the light. The most wonderful thing is that the LORD forgives the past. His great compassion is far beyond understanding. If we were to be asked to give our first born son to pay for the lives of the most wicked of people who had nothing of worthy to give back, our hearts would be granite and our faces be flint. Yet, God has mercy for us because while we were yet sinners, Christ willingly died for us.

What happens to our past moral and spiritual failures when we repent of our sins and claim God’s forgiveness? I keep going back to these verses. Because He is God, He can do this.

Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more."

Because I am not God, it is much for difficult for me to forgive. I want to give my brother-in-law a good shake and ask him, “What were you thinking? How dare you do that to my sister?” I want to shake my Bible in his face and scream “Shame on you.” But, is that God’s way or my own anger? It doesn’t matter what sin is committed, God will forgive. Except the unpardonable sin and that is the sin committed by the self-righteous bigot who attributes the deeds of the Holy Spirit to the Devil.

Heb 10:17 also He adds, "their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more."
But, once repentance is accomplished, once the pride is gone and the spirit is broken, once forgiveness is asked for, God reaches down and takes that sin, tossing it where it can never again accost, accuse or indict. That sin is as if it had never been committed. But, we are not like that. We hold on to it. We wallow in it. We add up all the sins done to us or to those we love and make walls of them. What we don’t realize is those walls have built in speakers that drown out the voice of God. Those walls harden the heart. Those walls steal our joy, destroy our peace, kill our fellowship with God. Those walls are built with supplies from Satan.

Isa 38:17 Behold, for peace was bitter to me, most bitter; but You loved my soul from the pit of destruction; You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

I understand this intellectually, certainly. How it works is beyond my understanding. Peace is as allusive as a wisp of fog when we harbor feelings of anger, bitterness, or unforgiveness towards our siblings in Christ. We lash out, unthinking of how the words can slice and dice. We use the Bible as an offensive Sword, and I do mean that in both senses of the word. It is offensive to God for us to use His Word to decimate our brothers and sisters.

We are Children of God. We bear His name. We are charged with bringing the Light of the Gospel to the world through the Great Commission. Jesus said the way the world would know Him was by our love for one another. We should be acting and speaking in such a way that whoever we meet, where ever we go, someone says, “I covet what they have.”

Any Christian who has back slid down that slippery slope into the Valley of Death, must understand that the LORD has called all of us back to Himself as a much beloved, betrothed wife. Because of Christ, God will never reject us. He treasures us far above rubies. We should treasure each other far above diamonds at the very least.

Lt. Col. Allen West about Islam terrorists

I agree with him! We need leadership in Washington who understand exactly what we are up against and be LOYAL to our Christian nation.

Dealing with anxious thinking...

I had to drag this out of archives. It is speaking to my heart especially today because I am dealing with anxious thinking. Of course, we all have things that happen, troubles that are common to man, but we can't help getting anxious sometimes.

There are times when a little fear is good... like when walking across a swinging bridge that has no guardrails and the drop down is about 100 feet or so to cold rushing water. Did that one time and my heart still pounds at the thought of it.

Those times don't come around very often. God says we are not to worry. Jesus said, "Do not worry." Angels have told men, "Do not fear." I don't know how many times this is said in the Bible and we all do it. I do it.

Worry is a sin.

So how do we deal with worry? I love what Dale Carnegie said, "Figure out what's the worst thing that could happen, then make a plan if that thing happens and set the whole thing aside." We worry about things that 90% of the time do not happen. Why is that?

When we are anxious, it affects our thinking. It clouds our thought process and we are consumed about what might happen... then it never does, or rarely does.

Unfortunately, anxious thinking or negative thinking can become a habit and we never realize what we are doing to ourselves. When walking into a room, have you ever thought, "Gee, everyone is staring at me, I must look awlful." Or "No one will like me here, they all think I'm stupid."

Seriously... think about that. Maybe one person... maybe two, might think that but, trust me on this, a room full of people have a room full of thoughts and they are not all centered on you! Well, perhaps if you are the Governor or the President, they might. Get a grip on those negative thoughts! (I'm talking to myself, here.)

What are some other ones?

"If I don't do this with no mistakes, I've failed."
"This is a total disaster. I made an absolute mess."
"Everybody hates me, I'm going to go eat worms."

And lately, this one has been cropping up more and more:
"I can't find a job! No one wants to pay for my experience. I'm too old.

That is stinkin' thinkin'. Face the fact the world does not revolve around you. We do not live in a world of black and white... but in a myriad of colors and shades. The likelyhood of any event striking instant dislike for you in the breasts of a roomful of people is nil and none. You do not have to do a poll on that to find out.

The bald fact is, our thoughts should not revolve around our own selves, but we should consistently and constantly keep our eyes on Jesus. If Peter had never taken his eyes off Jesus, then he would never have sunk in the waves... or denied him three times.

Jeremiah 17:5 So says Jehovah, Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and who makes flesh his arm, and who turns aside his heart from Jehovah. 6 For he shall be like a juniper in the desert, and shall not see when good comes. But he shall live in parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land that is not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah, and Jehovah is his refuge. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters. It sends out its roots by the stream, and it will not fear when the heat comes; but its foliage will be green; and it is not anxious in the year of drought, nor will it cease from yielding fruit.

Birth control free under Obamacare

This month, a committee comprised of experts will meet to decide what preventive care should be provided to women free of charge under "Obama's medical overhaul".  One of the things being considered is birth control, or using the nice term, Family Planning. What it really means is abortion in its most extreme sense and contraceptives in the less extreme.

Associate Press reporter Richard Alonso-Zaldivar asks the question, "But what part of that is preventive medicine?" I'd like to know the answer to that question as well.

How many senators and representatives stood up to Pelosi and Obama declaring they would not vote to use public funds for abortions? Enough to have ground that monolith to a legislative halt. Yet, how did that amendment under the guise of women's  health make it into the bill? According to its author, Sen. Barbara Mikulski D-Md, it was clearly understood it was about family planning. Again, what is meant by family planning by every abortion clinic from here to Timbuktu? Abortion. Were the legislators horns waggled? Come now. Surely, they watch the news regularly. Surely, they knew what "family planning" meant. After all, Mikulski said it was clearly implied it was woman health. There is little doubt about the true meaning because our nation's largest provider of abortions, Planned Parenthood, is pushing their agenda in the matter.


Some physicians state emphatically that family planning saves lives and promotes health. Certainly, if we do not consider the life of the baby, that may be true. Do they mean by promoting health in the same way removing a tumor helps prevent cancer from spreading? Surely not. Yet, the morning after pill which aborts any fertilized egg is considered contraceptive by the Food and Drug Administration. Dressing it up and calling it something else doesn't change what it actually is, just like calling poop excrement doesn't change the smell.

Our society has lost so much self-control that abstinence isn't even considered as a viable solution to preventing pregnancies. Yet, it is the only contraceptive which is 100% effective that does not cause damage to the womb or death to a living human being who has no voice to say, "I want to live!"

Why was that amendment left in the bill? Because the U.S. government set a goal to reduce unplanned pregnancies by 30% by this year. The CDC also says one half of the 6,000,000 U.S. pregnancies each year are unplanned. Amazing statistics posted by the American Pregnancy Association; only 26,000 pregnancies end in a stillborn child. Does that resonate with anyone else?

I shiver to imagine what God thinks of this offering innocents to the god Convenience. How now shall we give honor to the LORD God Almighty and remain silent about those who are speechless?

Fetuses found in a dumpster...

Every time I think mankind can't get anymore deviant I hear of another atrocity. An ABC affiliate ran a story about a Pro-Life group finding aborted fetuses tagged with the mother's name and the date of the abortion in a dumpster behind an abortion clinic.

I cannot imagine the pain those babies felt, nor the pain of the mother's after the abortion. I can only cringe in horror at what that group found inside garbage bags inside the dumpster. It reminds me of the Holocaust. Blatant disregard for life is bad enough, and God says punishable by death. But to toss those little bodies in the trash can and then in the dumpster is coldness to the nth degree. Although, I shouldn't be surprised or shocked because its abortion and the abortion thought process is that it is merely tissue and a parasite within the mother's womb.

If that is truly the case, then why do so many women have such terrible feelings of loss after an abortion? Why do they have groups now that gather together to support one another, name their baby and let balloons go with their baby's name attached? 

I know those aborted babies will be in heaven, just like those babies in ancient times that were offered to Molech, as the Bible says "caused to pass through the fire." In other words those infants were placed in the stone or metal hands that were close to a burning furnace and were roasted to death, an offering to a demon.

This is just another symptom of the End Times. The love of man has gone cold, yet while there is life there is still hope. I do not know how much longer God will hold His wrath in check, but I'm praying it won't be much longer. I'm praying that those women who have had an abortion will find peace within their souls and will speak out on the issue. I'm praying for our soldiers being forced into something they never wanted. Mostly, I'm praying for our country that God will have mercy on us.

Dr. David Jeremiah and the White House disagree on economics

Yesterday, the White House liaison, Joshua DuBois spoke with Dr. Jeremiah about his remarks concerning the direction Pres. Obama's economic policies is taking the U.S.

David Jeremiah is currently preaching a sermon series on the Last Days, and his new book The Coming Economic Armageddon: What Bible Prophecy Warns about the New Global Economy  he is rather vocal about the coming disasters predicted by the Bible concerning global economy as well as events that must happen which set the stage for the Great Tribulation. (You can watch his sermons on ION Television at 7:00 AM Central Time.)

OneNewsNow reports David Jeremiah spoke with DuBois and he said, their conversation was "cordial" and that they had to agree to disagree about the economic policies. In Jeremiah's statement, he said,

"In this important dialogue about the future of our country and the resolution of the issues that we are currently facing as a nation, there must be room for criticism and debate, and each of us should feel the responsibility to speak out. Joshua knows of my concerns and left the door open for further discussions in the future.

"Please remember to pray for our nation and for our president!"

Amen to that! Jeremiah also stated on AFR's Today's Issues that he meant what he had said. He also affirmed that all Americans should be able to voice their opinion without reprisal.

Our nation is taking giant leaps toward socialism. It is not a place where we would like to reside no matter how attractive the marketing package makes it sound. All we need do is learn from history, the most recent is Spain and Greece. More distant, but still memorable, is Russia. Can we forget the long lines where a size 8 foot was handed a pair of size 11 boots? Can we forget the way the Russian government ordered people to jobs they had no affinity for? Regardless of artistic talent, some were forced into something else. The discontent rose to the same level as the end of the Czar era which is why the collapse of the old Russia. It is also why the Berlin Wall fell.

Obama's lack of laissez fair, which is “leave it alone and it will work itself out”which means  equilibrium is the natural state and shifts in supply and demand will bobble the economy but not devastate it, exhibited in printing more paper dollars thus reducing the value of the dollar only perpetrates inflation. Why he can't see that baffles me. He's got PhD-advisers who have spent thousands of hours studying economics and they can't see it? Why can't we ever learn from history? Why is human nature so ego-centric that we must believe that even though it happened in the past, we're smarter now and we can keep it from happening. Poppycock!

So, Dr. Jeremiah, I salute you. Please keep voicing your opinion and I will keep praying for your safety and for the safety of these great United States.

Judge awards legal fees to lesbian teen

The article appears in the Sun Herald. I find it disheartening that our schools can't decide certain things for impressionable aged children. A child says that her rights were abused because she made an issue of wanting to bring her girlfriend to the prom.

This is the thing that bothers me the most, why must homosexuals insist on in-your-face tactics? If she'd just shown up at the prom with her girlfriend they probably wouldn't have said or done anything about it. But this girl, egged on by some homosexual rights activists and sanctioned by her parents thinks that she is forever a lesbian even before her body is completely matured and her mind is far from maturity.

I heard a psychologist, who specializes in this on American Family Radio (AFR) a while back, who stated teens often mistakenly assume feelings they have for friends are true homosexual feelings when actually they are confusing feelings of orientation with belonging and caring. A majority of teens are brain damaged until after age 20-23, how can they know?

The teen says she was tricked into going to a sham prom while everyone else went somewhere else. Really? How shocking that kids would treat her so when her big mouth had spoiled their prom plans.

To hear Ann Heche's story is quite an eyeopener. She slipped into that lifestyle because her father left her mother because he "just couldn't stand it any longer and had to live an openly gay lifestyle." He died from AIDS. She loved her father so much that she had to explore the lifestyle to identify with him. Her mother told the story in an interview on AFR. I think it so sad that people fall into the web of Satan's seduction.

Dr. David Jeremiah and the White House

It will be very interesting to see how this situation plays out.

Dr. Jeremiah indicated the dangerous direction this country is being led, and voiced his opinion of that while being interviewed about his new book. That isn't news. A call from the White House is.

Joshua DuBois is the presidential liason to faith-based organizations and it was he that put in the call to Dr. Jeremiah concerned about the comment. It will be very interesting to see what will happen next. I know Dr. Jeremiah well enough to know he won't back down from his comment. So what will happen next?

It should be enough

I am studying some of my writings to see how I might coalesce them into a seamless coherent thought, mostly for my children, but possibly for a book when I found this treasure which I needed desperately to hear. How marvelous God is to give us just what we need when we need it for encouragement and strength and boost when we feel our lowest.

Is it so bad to want to see results of prayer?

We just cannot know or understand God's ways. We ask, and we receive. Then we ask, and then we receive. It seems to be a results motivated prayer life.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Why isn't that enough?

We are told in many different ways, but most clearly through Paul to, worry over nothing, to pray about everything.

Phi 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

So the mature Christian should be able to leave everything in God's hands and be comfortable with how He answers our prayers. It is rather difficult to just let go and let God. God showed me in no uncertain terms that His will is done for those who love Him. And sometimes... sometimes He is waiting on us to conform to His desires and to let go of our desires.

It all boils down to Trust. When we know our God has plans not to harm us, but for our good, then there is no way we can go wrong. It's just those trials and painful tribulations, and that dark valley of death that we know we must walk through that gets us all twisted into knots.

Has He ever failed me? Never.

Will He ever fail me? Never.

That must be enough. Take another breath. Live another day. See the sun, feel the rain and it will be for all our troubles are nothing to His power and His love.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD rejoices over you. He will quiet you with His love. Or as The Message puts it, Your GOD is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.

The names of God

I have a list of God's names hanging on the wall; my sister gave it to me several years ago. I hunted down a more comprehensive list and this is what I found...

EL, Elohim, El Shaddah, Adonai, Jehovah-The LORD, Jehovah-Jireh- The LORD provides, Jehovah-Rophe=The LORD heals, Jehovah-Nissi=The LORD our banner, Jehovah-M'Kaddesh=The LORD Who sanctifies, Jehovah-Shalom=The LORD our peace, Shepherd, Judge, Jehovah Elohim=LORD God, Jehovah-Tsidkenu=The LORD our righteousness, Jehovah-Rohi=The LORD our Shepherd, Jehovah-Shammah=The LORD is there, Jehovah-Sabaoth=The LORD of Hosts, El Elyon=Most High, Abhir=Mighty One, Branch, Kadosh=Holy One, Shaphat=judge, El Roi=God of Seeing, Kanna=Jealous, Palet=Deliverer, Yeshua=Savior, Gaol=Redeemer, Magen=Shield, Stone, Eyaluth=Strength, Tsaddiq=Righteous One, El-Olam=Everlasting God, El Berith=God of the Covenant, El-Gibhor=Mighty God, Zur=God our Rock, Sun of Righteousness, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Ancient of Days, Melekh=King, Angel of the Lord, Father, Alpha Omega, The First and the Last, I AM, Word, Almighty, Jesus, Christ, Sophia=Wisdom of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit...
This list was compiled by Lambert Dolphin

The names of God are so powerful and bring a surge of assurance. Am I in turmoil? Jehovah Shalom will settle my spirit. Am I sick at heart or body? Jehovah Rophe will heal me. Do I need guidance down life's path? I must only follow the Shepherd's voice. Overwhelmed by attacks of the Enemy? El Elyon Abhir, the Most High Mighty One will fight the battle holding up the Shield to protect me, for the war has already been won. Sweating in the heat of battle? The Branch will shade and Jehovah Jireh will provide all I need. Sophi is ours for the asking says James. Lest we forget, Jehovah Sabaoth-The LORD of Hosts will certainly be sitting on the Great White Throne on that terrible day of judgement. But, never fear, ElOlam, our Everlasting God will spread His mighty wings, mounting us up and we shall reign forever with Christ our LORD.

Wife beating in the Muslim mindset

I read a singular interesting debate over on One Man’s Blog which I do not frequent but found by accident through a series of clicks. Does anyone identify with me here? I can get so lost in Internet Land by following links that I forget what my original quest was all about. Well, this morning, I did not forget. The subject is Wife Beating. I saw a video on YouTube in which two men were discussing the proper etiquette for beating one’s wife. It sickened me so I’m not putting up a link to it. You can find it easily by Googling wife beating.

The debate which I have linked depicts the seduction Satan has over Muslims. I do not know if Lalla is a man or a woman, although one reference seems to indicate female gender. The point of discussion was whether Islam allows wife beating as a form of chastisement and discipline within marriage. After reading this debate, I have come to understand that I do not understand the Islam mindset or Islam religion. Someone in the debate admonishes us to not gauge the religion by what Muslims say/do, but to read the Qur’an  in its original language in order to get the full, proper meaning.

Just as we Christians preach context, context, and we study hundreds of commentaries, the Greek and Hebrew languages so that we get a proper understanding, and we are constantly saying not to judge Christianity by the plumbline of Believers but of the True Plumbline of Jesus Christ, it would seem the followers of Allah have the same mindset.

I have not studied the Qur’an. I have seen what Muslims can do in the fanatical state of the Taliban. I understand that Christians have done some bloody things in the name of Jesus, too. Things like the Inquisition come to mind. There are many who say, well those who were oppressing the humble back during the Inquisition were not Christian at all. I agree. While none of the Muslims who participated in this debate ever said that Muslim wife beaters were not true believers, they did imply that wife-beating Muslims did not understand the proper reading of the Qur’an. That the word in Arabic Daraba would properly be translated as to “set a clear example” in the verse that triggered the discussion Surah 4:34.

Also, these Allah followers insist that the Qur’an does not “allow” wife beating, but “limits” it. Really? Jesus told the Sons of Thunder, “He who is not against Me is for Me.” That is exactly what is happening here. When something is not forbidden, but limited then that something is being allowed. Period.

Can you see the subtlety here? The implication that is trying to be made is that wife beating is not allowed, not that it is forbidden. The problem with that is the accepting of sin and limiting of sin. God tells us the things that are forbidden, that are sinful both in exactitude as well as in implication. God points out the actions of man against man is the lack of love for man. God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. To disobey this command is to sin.

To treat another person in such a way that one would never treat himself is a sin. Regardless of any limits. God never put a limit of conduct on murder, or stealing, or rape, or incest. Because domestic violence is prevalent around the world, are we to take it as a normal happenstance? No, we are not. It isn’t just the wife that is being harmed here. It is the children who are being taught a way of life that is not normal and is wrong in the eyes of God and mankind.

Paul wrote to Timothy that the last days will be filled with self-indulgent humans whose love for mankind goes ever colder. If we Christians do not turn the fire up, we will be sucked into that cold and we’ll never hear those coveted words, “Well done My good and faithful servant.”

Transportation national bank

Did anyone else notice the story yesterday with the Triple A spokeswoman? "They" are talking about a national bank which would allow "private" investors fund public works, namely roads and bridges, and that would allow the market place to decide where/when/what public works should be done.

That is probably the scariest story yet.

We already have a huge government which pays workers almost twice what any private/corporate sector worker gets paid. Now, we'll be having a national bank with "private investors". Doesn't anyone understand that we already have a scandal concerning Obama campaign contributions? Now, a national bank in the works which will let the market place determine where roads and bridges will be built and fixed. That means rural America will be back to traveling gravel roads because everyone knows commerce centers will get their roads and bridges while farmers and "hicks", since we're used to gravel and dust, will get more of the same.

But that isn't the worst of it. The scariest part is having a national bank owned by the government, funded by private investors. Shudder. We already have people sleeping in welfare hammocks feeling entitled to money that I worked hard to earn, now the government wants private investors to fund public works that we already pay taxes for AND they want to raise taxes on gasoline by at least 25 cents per gallon. So which is it? Private investors or taxes? Will this be another, "Oh you have to pass it in order to find out what's in it" kind of bill?

No thank you. I've had enough of that to last two lifetimes... oh, wait, it's now a debt even our great grandchildren won't be able to pay. When is enough enough, America?

Mississippi Judge slaps criminal contempt on attorney

Judge Talmadge Littlejohn asked everyone in his courtroom to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance on Wednesday. A civil rights attorney refused.

Does the judge have the legal right to order the Pledge said and to order Attorney Daniel Lampley to jail with criminal contempt? In a word, yes. The legal definition of chancery is a court that can order acts performed, so technically, Judge Littlejohn can.

Respect for our Flag and for our National Anthem is not mandated or constitutionalized. It is traditional. You can check out Flag Etiquette here.  It is common practice and patriotic. Americans love the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, we are mostly patriotic. Why wouldn't someone say the pledge of allegiance?

If he is a Jehovah Witness, then he is not allowed to salute the flag or say the pledge. It is what they believe. Does a judge's order win out over religious belief? How sad that this question should even come up.

No, I do not know this attorney's religious belief. I just happened to know one reason why a person would not stand during the National Anthem, salute the flag or say the pledge of allegiance. Would I go to jail if a judge ordered me to renounce Jesus? You betcha, I would. I would die for my beliefs. As it so happens, a lot of soldiers and sailors have died just so anyone could worship as their conscience leads them to worship. If that happens to be Jehovah Witness, then so be it, although I pray that all Americans would come to know Jesus Christ as their savior and LORD. You just cannot legislate religious belief.

Joy and pleasure

And here is a puzzle that I cannot seem to wrap my mind around, but it is true to the core, I can lose happiness and be sad but I have not lost my joy because I know that my joy comes from the Lord.

I can be depressed but I have not lost my joy. Despair flees because of my joy.

I have not lost my joy because I am so confident that He loves me.

And because He is love,
I understand love better.
Because I understand love better,

I can live a more pleasing life to Him.
Living a pleasing life to Him gives me more joy.
More joy gives me more pleasure even when I am sad; and this all stems from my firm foundation in Him.

Without Him I would have no clue what pleasure actually is or how deep that it goes into the fibers of my being. I would never know the true difference between the fickleness of Happy and the permanence of Joy.

Isn't that an astounding thought? Selah.

Here on earth I have an inkling of what it will be like in Heaven and because of that clue, I yearn more for Him and my dissatisfaction comes not from lack of earthly things but from desiring a closer relationship with Him. But, if that relationship gets too intense, I have to draw back because I cannot hold it all, fathom it all.

The closer I get to Him the more I want Him, the more I want Him, the more I love Him. The more I love Him the greater is my desire to please Him.

All of this started from His first loving me. Selah. While I was wicked and filthy, He loved me.

My pleasure is a direct gift from God and is derived from abiding in Him as He abides in me. That is my heart attitude and there is no place for a splinter to come between us.

Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!5 A voice came from the throne, saying: Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both small and great! 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying: Hallelujah because our Lord God, the Almighty, has begun to reign! 7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory,because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. 8 She was permitted to wear fine linen, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.9 Then he said to me, "Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!" He also said to me, "These words of God are true." 17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Anyone who hears should say, "Come!" And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift. Revelation 19

"For we will sing a song of celebration. We will shout out with praise for the Bridegroom will come, the Glorious One. We will look on His face; we will go to a much better place. So dance with all your might, lift up your hands and clap for joy, for the time’s drawing near when He will appear. And OH! We will stand by His side, a strong, pure, spotless Bride. And we will dance on the streets that are golden, the glorious bride and the great Son of Man. From every tongue and tribe and nation, we’ll join in the song of the Lamb." Living Proof Ministries II CD

TV Weatherman lost his job because of his faith

This experienced (21 years of it) weatherman, Jon Cash,  is an evangelist during his off hours at the station. Because of that, he was fired.

Imagine that… being fired for professing Jesus as LORD and caring enough about the Lost that you share Jesus regularly. Isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Absolutely. No qualifiers or quantifiers, it is our commission given by Jesus. He also said that we will be persecuted because of Him. That means no rose garden, folks.

Cash has reluctantly filed a law suit, not for himself particularly, “…but to vindicate our God-given right to worship as defined in the Constitution and federal law.”

But the station manager said if Cash was a full time evangelist, it was “bad for business”. So is it about worship? No. Is it about off hours time consumption? How could it be since he wasn’t taking time away from his duties at the station. Is it an image thing? Ah. Maybe that is the culprit. But, I believe what it actually boils down to is money. If what the station manager said about being an evangelist is bad for business, then it is all about money.

Since the morning show was the area’s top rated show, then how could it be about money?

I say good luck to him with the law suit. When I was fired because of my Christian beliefs, (actually said in a letter!), I realized it wasn’t my beliefs. Those were just an excuse. What it was really about was I was doing exactly what God wanted me to do, and those whose Lord was not God were offended by my obedience to Him. And they were exceedingly jealous. I have lost three jobs because of my beliefs. Two of those said it out loud, and another used another excuse.

Here is the harsh reality, Christians. When we obey God, there are stormy seas ahead. He equips us with all the stormy weather gear, but it won’t do a bit of good if we don’t put it on. God will always provide for His children, and He will always provide for His will to be done. Rest in that and happy sailing. Always remember that we are ships with full sails—sails full with the Holy Spirit Wind, and the rudder of God’s Word.

Odds of life on another planet

I found this article to be very interesting and someone asked how this affected theology...

What an interesting question! We have several different angles to look at, but one of them is would life as we know it survive on this planet?

After reading the article we see a several things that would be detrimental to life as we know it, basically grass, trees, animals, humans. For one things the planet's orbit is about 37 days, and there is nothing said about a wobble in rotation. Our annual orbit coupled with the wobble in our rotation gives us our seasons and the different temperatures around the globe. That gives the earth, plants and such the opportunity for rest. Biblically, we know that the ground needs to lie fallow every seventh years in order to be optimally fruitful. 

Next is the problem of temperature. Since the planet is tidally locked, meaning one side constantly faces the red dwarf sun and the other side constantly faces dark space, there is no relief or rest for the sunny side nor warmth for the dark side. The scientists estimate the average temperature is around -24 degrees to 10 degrees Fahrenheit which is the average between blazing sunny side and freezing dark side.

Can people live in that kind of environment? Yes. But, can they sustain themselves? I seriously doubt it.

I do not believe there a place in the universe exactly like earth, nor are there humans. We get this from the Bible. God tells us there is only one Satan. God has locked him to this earth. The perfect sacrifice of Jesus was here, for us, forever. Our purpose is to display the manifold wisdom of God to those principalities and powers of the heavenlies. 

God may have a plan for those other planets at a later time, but the discovery of such does not change God's word or His character. He remains constant.

Stories I have written

Here are my stories which illustrate the Fruit of the Spirit. I wrote then in different order than Paul listed them, however, in studying this over the years, Paul listed the Fruit in several of his writings, but never as complete a list as in Galatians 5:22. I believe that is by divine design because I seriously doubt it is possible for Christians to exhibit the whole Fruit 100% of the time simply because we are human with human nature which we battle all the time. For us to truly be Christ-like having the mind of Christ, we must be pliable to God's will and when we do that, we become far above rubies.

Love

Joy

Peace 1

Peace 2

Long-suffering

Kindness

Kindness part deux

Goodness

Goodness part deux

Faith

Meekness

Self-control 1

Self-control part 2

Other stories that I have written...

This Is Freedom

A Refreshing

A True Love Story