Thursday, May 31, 2012

HOW TO AVOID EVOLUTION INDOCTRINATION THIS SUMMER

So here we are, schools are closing for another long hot summer and we need to find things to do with the kids. This is nothing new, as we parents have been doing this for generations. What is becoming more and more important is how we educate our children about the immediate world around them. We know we cannot trust the public school education system and if we are not vigilant, some of the garbage being taught in some Christian colleges can be just as dangerous! 


For instance, Wheaton College is the well known alma mater of one Billy Graham - America's greatest 20th Century evangelist. But in the past decade, some professors there have adopted the old earth theory of some evolutionists! More and more Christian schools, pastors and some seminary people are thinking they can be both believers in Evolution and the Bible! It does not work that way! To be kind, I will not quote the Bible verse which the Lord Jesus has about all of this and lukewarm beliefs!

What we have to guard against is the slow brainwashing of our children, if we are not careful. Take for example, the St. Louis Zoo. Admission is free (parking is not if you use their secure parking lot). Because of that, many parents in the Midwest go there and I suspect that this summer, it will be the same nationwide! There is something magical about zoos, kids and summer....and there should be! 



DID YOU DESCEND FROM THIS?!
But the minute you enter the St. Louis Zoo, go through doors and turn left (!!), you enter the Natural History room. Sitting right up from is Charles Darwin, and from there, it is all downhill. You get to see Lucy, who is an ape that man supposedly descended from! The Zoo even has a document on Natural Selection Activities which parents and entire classrooms can do, while at the Zoo, to understand their theories! 


Make no mistake about it - Evolution is still a theory. They say we are simpletons and crazy to have Faith in the God of the Bible, Who created everything in 6 actual days. It actually takes more Faith to believe in Evolution than the Bible! Why? There is NO missing link and carbon dating is a wild hare guessing game! The father of Evolution Charles Darwin (who stole this theory from his grandfather, Erasmus Darwin) himself was so blown away by the millions of Cells in the human eye, that he was close to ditching his theory....and here is what he himself said about his own made up theory "“…I am quite conscious that my speculations run beyond the bounds of true science….It is a mere rag of an hypothesis with as many flaw[s] and holes as sound parts.” Charles Darwin to Asa Gray, cited by Adrian Desmond and James Moore, Darwin, (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1991) pp. 456, 475.


WATERFALL IN AT STARVED ROCK, IL.
So this summer, as you and I take our kids to Museums and wonderful natural surroundings and state parks etc, let us use this God-given opportunity to share with them the wonders of God the Creator! As the bright-eyed Johnny or Sarah or the twins stare up in fear at Dinosaur fossils or the Grand Canyon, talk about the Behemoth, spoken of in Job 38 and Job 39
Talk about the Great Flood of Genesis
Talk about the Spirit of the Lord hovering over the circle of the globe right before  He spoke the world into being. 
Talk about the stars of Job 38 - Pleaides and Orion at the Planetarium. 
Talk about the fish of the sea at Sea World and Leviathan whom you cannot catch with a fishhook! 


In fact, study Genesis Chapter 1 and then go straight to Job chapters 38 and 39 so we can be fresh off the Word to relate and apply it to the beautiful creation out there! Do these things my friends! Practice them, they pray with the kids to thank God for giving us all this beauty out there as we have some down time with the kids and enjoy their summer vacation with them!


(St Louis Zoo image courtesy Google images)

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

CENTERING CONFUSION

CP - THE PATH AWAY FROM CHRIST
(Book Recommendation included)
Imagine my horror when I learned that a friend of mine told me recently that she was going to a retreat so she can focus on her "Centering Prayer". Why? I have seen that kind of slippery slope before, when someone, whose Christian walk I once cared about, went from practicing this CP and other mystical mediation....to becoming a FULL FLEDGED BUDDHIST!!!


Centering Prayer is part of the Contemplative Prayer movement which leads one into a silent position "before God" so we can empty ourselves, in order to "hear from that same God". The official definition from their Centering Prayer website calls it " a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God's presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship".


The problem is, this is NOT what we are supposed to be doing! In actuality, what this does is lead many away from the TRUE Meditation and systematic study of the Word of God, to an altered state of consciousness and need for more and more intense EMOTIONAL fulfillment. The person involved in CP is then no longer fully engaged in the Word of God and seeking revelation and illumination THROUGH His Word, but is now seeking to find his/her true identity via the "inner self" and calling it God! They are now seeking after an 'experience' rather than an Encounter with the Living God, through His Word and His Holy Spirit!


Nowhere in the thoughts and discussions of those who are fully engaged in this heresy, is the Gospel proclaimed and prayed into. What happened to this one person, who ended up walking away from Christ and the Church and started chanting pagan Hindu mantras and adopting Buddhist/Zen ways....was that she was told was okay, by their "gospel writer" and CP "guru" Thomas Merton - ""Contemplative consciousness," say Merton, is "a trans-cultural, trans-religious, trans-formed consciousness … it can shine through this or that system, religious or irreligious"(Thoughts on the East, p.34).


If this CP nonsense is "trans-religious" according to the CP's top man Merton, this movement has ALREADY REJECTED JESUS - and He will reject them on the Day of the Lord, in front of God's Courtroom! When He said in John 14:6 "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE", Jesus meant the ONLY way! He said the Way is Narrow and only a FEW find it. This CP thing, through which you can now find inner peace and meditate through, not just the so-called "God of Christianity", but the 300 pagan and/or animal gods of Hinduism and the philosophy of Buddhism will lead many straight into hell!

How can I, a man of God and supposedly of "Love" say such a thing? Well, I know a Chinese brother who was once a Buddhist, who told me over and over what they believe and what it means. For some of these professing Christians to now join the ungodly Centering/Contemplative or Breath Prayer movement to get closer to their concept of "God", they have to deny the reality of what these 'religious systems' (which Merton promotes above) teach and what they really are - a gateway to eternal separation from God!


Here are some of the Contemplative Prayer authors to stay as far away from as possible: Thomas Keating; Brennan Manning or anything by Teresa of Avila and anything by Richard Foster! Beware of these people and their books! BE DISCERNING! GOD DEMANDS IT OF US!


BOOK RECOMMENDATION:



For Many Shall Come in My Name by Ray Yungen
Book Information: 
ISBN 978-0-9721512-9-0
Retail - $12.95
Softbound 224 Pages

Description: An Ancient Wisdom is drawing millions of people into mystical experiences and preparing the world for the end of the age ... find out how. Most people believe the New Age has been long gone from our society, and if practiced at all now it is only by unconventional fringe types. For Many Shall Come in My Name reveals this is not the case. In fact, quite the opposite has occured. The New Age movement (a term not normally used by its proponents) has permeated virtually all aspects of our society. This “Ancient Wisdom” spirituality can be quite readily encountered in the following fields: Business, Education, Health, Self- Help, Religion, and Arts & Entertainment. This book examines them all.

Author Bio: 
Ray Yungen, author, speaker and research analyst has studied religious movements for the last twenty years. He is also the author of A Time of Departing. He is available for radio and television interviews and for seminars, conferences and college assemblies. His exuberance for life and his love for Jesus Christ and for people are evident in his writing. Mr. Yungen resides in Salem, Oregon.

Table of Contents
1. The Age of Aquarius and its meaning in today's world
2. New Age practices like Reiki and yoga 
3. Harry Potter and real witchcraft 
4. The law of attraction and Oprah 
5. Present day New Age prophets
6. Yoga in the public schools 
7. Tantric sexuality and its spiritual risks
8. The Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) 
9. Wicca and its growing appeal 
10. The occultic explanation of the Holocaust 
11. Interspirituality and the coming false Messiah 
12. The New Age as a force in politics 
13. New Age hostility toward the church 
14. The New Age in light of biblical prophecy

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart....Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)


(IMAGE BY GOOGLE IMAGES)

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

THOSE WHO ARE WISE WILL ARISE


Last night as I studied for one of the four messages I will be recording at the TV studios on Thursday morning, for my weekend PLUMBLINE TV show (on WLCF TV ), I was reading about Jesus Christ and His rebuke to the Church at Ephesus in Revelation Chapter 2. What strikes me about this and the Word of Rebuke from the Head of the Church - THE LORD HIMSELF - is the parallel between the Ephesian and American churches!

The key line of His rebuke/complaint against them was "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first". (Revelation 2:4 ESV)....sadly, this can be said about us!  In all heated and fiery debates about this issue or that, what is sorely missing in the Discussion is the Name of Jesus! Yes, Jesus, the Creator of the World....the Creator of Life....and yes, even the Creator of Marriage (Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:4).

As the secular humanists in the elite media/government/academic circle of power and the Church hierarchy go back and forth on the primary and important issues of Religious Freedom, what we are not hearing from either camp is the Name and Work of the Lord Jesus. This saddens both the Father and Him Who died on the Cross for us.

Our prayer and exhortation this day is for ALL in the Body of Christ, and that includes under-shepherds (pastors, who are servants just like us) is what Jesus said in the very next verse. Because if we do not follow the prescription that He gave to the Ephesian Church, which was the Gateway church to Europe as America is for missions for the rest of the world, Judgment Day will not go well.

Here is the Prescription from Jesus: "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent....(Revelation 2:5 ESV).

However, the Bible does not leave us without Hope or encouragement as we note here "But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments.....(Psalm 103:17-18 ESV)

Think on these things today as you pray and walk in His Marvelous Light, in Jesus' Holy Name, amen.

(image by Google)

Monday, May 28, 2012

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN


Honor, Pride, Respect... Remembrance
by AVA ASTON
Most of my regular blog readers come here to read the random thoughts bouncing around the Greek Girl's noggin & have a laugh or hopefully two.  Today however is not about me or any of my usual muckery.
It's Memorial Day, some think of it as the official kickoff to Summer.  For countless American Heros and their families, it is about something much more important.  As you celebrate a day off and spend time with you friends and family, my wish is simple one.  Pause to think of the men and women who for generations have stood up and paid the ultimate price in order to provide the freedom we enjoy today.
Life is busy, people are busy, and days go by so fast it is hard to imagine that just a few decades ago life was much slower, much more simple.  People meant so much more than a line item in a twitter feed.  A smile, a kind word, a simple "Thank You for Your Service" to a random stranger who you notice happens to be a veteran.  Something that takes just a few seconds can mean so much to a veteran and or the loved ones of Veterans who are no longer with us today.
Veterans are important to me not only because I am married to one, or because my mom works as a Veterans Advocate, but because they are the backbone of our country. They deserve our respect, they deserve to be honored.  So as you enjoy your time off, amid the fun, sun, cooking and sales, take a moment to think of those who are no longer with us who paid the ultimate sacrifice.  Every day that I life my life free and able to pursue whatever my little Greek heart desires, I Carry With Me, a little piece of  the men & women who died so I can live free.
"A hero is one who has given his or her life to something bigger than one's self." - Joseph Campbell
 CHECK OUT HER PATRIOTIC AND INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC ON ITUNES! 

Sunday, May 27, 2012

A NICKEL AIN'T WORTH A DIME ANYMORE

WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP?
The great and eloquent (!!) "wordsmith" Yogi Berra once said "a nickel ain't worth a dime anymore" when he was at the 1955 opening of a new ice cream shop in the Bronx. The famed New York Yankee catcher from the "Hill" in St. Louis was lamenting, jokingly, the cost of a cone going up to 10 cents!

What else "ain't worth a dime anymore"? When you think about the state of society and the future of our kids, it is enough to make a strong man shudder with fear and trembling. Do we really want our children to face what we know is a completely depraved and apostate society coming down the pike at us? We have no choice, unless End Time events spin out of control at warp speed, the anti-Christ is revealed and Jesus ends it all?

In the meantime, we have to live daily and plan and teach and guide our children. Now, more than ever, we have to teach the ways of the Lord with a more critical emphasis on Perseverance. This is the direction I sense the Lord leading me into. There is a strong Biblical reason for this. Jesus Himself says that "he who stands firm to the end, will be saved" (Matthew 24:13 NIV)!!!

What we're seeing today is the acceleration of the "Falling Away" predicted by the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians....or the Apostasy. An apostate is one who has once believed something of the Truth of God in Christ, but like the parable portion of the seed cast on hard ground, his faith never really took root to become real!

More and more, with this happening, the horrible thing is Scandal of the American church slide into oblivion! It is not just the current issue over gay so-called "marriage" which is exposing the weak underbelly of today's so-called Christian leaders, but their entire modus operandi. These guys would rather build empires unto themselves with their mega-churches and programs than take a stand for Jesus and the Truth and then let the chips fall where it may.

This is nothing new. Apostate Jerusalem of 2600 years ago was in the same position we are in today. The rulers and the religious leaders mouthed words to the Holy God of Heaven, but behind closed doors, they bowed down to pagan gods and idols. The only difference in 2012 is this: the pagan gods and idols are pride, power, prosperity and plush pulpits. God sent the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel to warn them, to no effect. The LORD finally said "I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one (Ezekiel 22:30 NLT)


WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP?

Who will stand in the Gap for the Lord? Since the death of the great American preacher/prophet David Wilkerson, no one is. Franklin Graham tries, but is constantly persecuted and put outside the tent. The current situation is a perfect example. The government says religious institutions have to provide free contraception and what we call, the abortion morning-after pill to women, under the new federal health care law. After the initial controversy in February where both Catholics and Evangelicals united against it, a "compromise" was reached and now, only US churches' Employers (like hospitals, nursing homes, christian schools etc) now, will be forced to provide the contraception!

Even though Baptist and other christian hospitals and employers will be affected, only the Roman Catholic church leadership is saying or doing anything about it! When the US president declared he was in support of gay "marriage", only the Roman Catholic Bishops, all single men by their church rules, are taking a stand! Forty three Catholic institutions have filed a Religious Liberty Lawsuit against the Contraception Mandate. Not one Evangelical operation has followed suit - no pun intended!

Instead, what do we have? Well, we have a controversy with the son of one of the pillars of American Christianity and Biblical Teaching (Dr. Charles Stanley). Andy Stanley is the leader of an affluent circuit of multi-campus mega-churches called NorthPoint. His recent sermon on May 3, 2012 has caused such a controversy that the 3rd most influential church leader in America is in danger of being seen as weak on defense of Biblical Integrity and Truth as the first two.

Apparently, Andy Stanley has refused to listen to counsel to explain his seeming glorification of the homosexuality, vis a vis the modern dysfunctional family, in this particular church issue. This occurred during his sermon where, from listening to the clip myself, it sounded as if he had a self restrained view of sin and made light of the entire mess....while correctly addressing the adultery part of that problem. You can watch the part of the Stanley message which caused the controversy here on YOU TUBE. The laughter from his congregation tells a lot of who far from God's Will we have slid away!

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The bottom line is this. God's problem is SIN. In His Courtroom on Judgment Day, the charge against all of us is this - We have sinned against God. That's it! If we do not have the Perfect Son of God as our Advocate and Defense Attorney, as most of us do, the trial will not go well. This compromise and making light of the Word of God, to be in sync with a corrupt and perverted society is what is going to doom the American church on Judgment Day. Unlike what Stanley said in his nice-sounding message (to unsaved secular ears, that is),  Holy God does not care about what pundits and media say. He will have it His Way!

This kind of flim flam teaching is just one of the reasons why most of our youth lose their Christian faith, if they had any, the minute they walk onto a college campus. When over 57% of US evangelicals, who are supposed to be born-again Christians, tell George Barna they believe there are other ways to heaven than belief in Jesus Christ, the future American church is toast! These people are no more Christian than the parking lot of the church they go to and it is the watering down and compromise of hard, strong Biblical Truth which led us there.

The new thing with those in sinful lifestyles is that you not just have to love and welcome them (which is true) but we now have to affirm and accept that and then ignore the Bible and compromise the Word! If it is a choice between Conviction and Compromise, what will it be, my friends?

Who will stand in the gap for the Lord? Is our faith worth more than a dime anymore? To quote a line from the great Christian movie COURAGEOUS "where are you men of courage?!!" Yes, indeed.

(image by google)

Friday, May 25, 2012

DO YOU HAVE THE NEXT PAGE....

START YOUR OWN USED BIBLE DRIVE TO HELP POOR VILLAGERS WORLDWIDE
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV)
Most Americans have a large number of Bibles sitting on their shelves with almost all of the collecting dust. There may even be a coffee table version adorning the center table in the living room, which may or may not be a family heirloom.


As more and more of our professing Christians ignore the Sufficiency and Timeless Principles of the eternal Word of God, we will see even less people with a Biblical Worldview. Why is this important? It is significant, because in these evil times, with every single one of God's commands, statues and the nuclear family under assault, we see a church and its pastors so weak that they cannot even defend the fundamental principles of Biblical Christianity.

However, in the extremely poor and needy Third World countries, there is a massive hunger for the Word of God. This led a friend of my family, and extended family - Steve Schmidt - to start LOVE PACKAGES in Butler, Illinois in 1975. Steve was called by the Lord Who showed him that the vast amount of used Christian literature sitting in his closet, could be used by folks around the world who could never afford the materials we take for granted and throw away here in America! Butler is about less than an hour away from my home, but has had such a massive impact on the world that Steve keeps getting requests from countries, now in the Western hemisphere, asking for Bibles and Sunday School materials!



Over the 37 years of this ministry, which has been featured in national media (both secular and Christian) most of the major evangelical publishers from LIFEWAY to Standard and others now ship Love Packages truck loads of resources (new and used) directly, which hundreds of volunteers sort out and package into easily identifiable skiffs for shipping in 20 Foot containers to more than thirty five countries! You can read more about this ministry and their outreach by clicking here: LOVE PACKAGES.


One of the stories I hear more and more from Love Packages and independent missionaries and even American Soldiers on duty in some of the past wars include people sharing pages of the Bible. There are people in far away villages who share pages from the same ONE Bible, then swap them after they are finished reading them and so on and so on, until the pages cannot be read anymore.


One poor woman was so proud of her Bible one day, she showed an American missionary her Ziploc bag full of SIX pages of the Holy Word! When the American gave her a copy of her own Bible, there were tears everywhere! This story is repeated many times around the world. We all know the stories of the Communist Vietnamese using the pages of the Bible for toilet paper and US GI's volunteering for latrine duty, so they could retrieve those pages, wash them off and saving them to read! In a small village in Ghana called Guno, we have a story which is repeated several hundred times worldwide - an ENTIRE VILLAGE with just ONE thoroughly-used Bible and THAT one, in the safe custody of the chief Village Elder!


I have been a Gideon Bible Society member since 1995 and been involved in Bible distributions in Colleges, nursing homes, outside High Schools etc and the apathy, outright hate and disrespect for the Living Word of God is incredible! U.S. Colleges are becoming more and more hostile to our outreach, even though we are legally entitled to stand on public streets and hand out free copies of the Book! Yet in Russia, the Caribbean, the Phillippines and elsewhere, we would be fortunate if the local pastor has ONE copy of the Word of God.


The bottom line of all of this - Cherish His Word. The more you read it, the more you will love it. When your bible has gotten so old and used because you read and study it so much, please don't leave it on the shelf, but start a used Bible drive in your church. Ask the church leadership to put out a box in the foyer and ask others to do the same. Then call up Steve Schmidt at Love Packages at 217-532-6701 and ask him how to get the package of used bibles out to him. The Lord will provide the means and fund to ship them out. In the meantime, pray for those who are less fortunate than you, and watch the blessings flow! Amen.

Monday, May 21, 2012

LIKE DRINKING POISON by NIKKI HAHN


“We harm no one through bitterness as much as we harm ourselves. Someone told me, “Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” In the face of evil and suffering, responding to God or others with bitterness, distrust, accusations bears no good fruit. Responding in honest brokenness and turning to God in submission, faith, and trust yields untold riches of peace and comfort.” - Randy Alcorn, If God is Good, page 425
If there’s one thing to think of today, please focus on this. Bitterness is like drinking poison. Your hate and anger will only harm you. The poison will spread throughout killing everything that made you a good friend or a good family member. Instead of people enjoying your company, they will talk about how once you were someone filled with light and love.
NIKKI HAHN, AUTHOR/BLOGGER
Don’t let the seed of anger when it first falls from the flowering weed to germinate in your soul. Don’t let it establish roots and take over until no one can recognize you anymore. Today think of the people in your life that have angered and hurt you and release it to God. Let Him handle your hurts. Let Him seal the wound on your heart with His sacrifice on the cross.
Then, answer this question from the same book (If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil):"How many of us fail to express gratitude for those ordinary days, wishing instead for something better? If you’ve had a single ordinary day recently, why not thank God for it? Don’t wait for an extraordinary day when you feel wonderful and everything goes your way. That day may not come. And if it does, God’s hand will be no more in it than in all your other days.” - Page 413; Randy Alcorn; If God is Good; Multinomah
Fight unforgiveness by telling God what you are grateful for in your situation. Ask Him to help you forgive and let go. The true path to freedom is by unshackling your soul from the past and taking those first steps forward into your future. It’s by giving others the same mercy He gave you when He sent His Son to the cross for your sins.
Finish this sentence: I am grateful for ________________ in spite of ___________ 
NIKOLE HAHN IS A PROLIFIC BOOK REVIEW & WRITER! PLEASE VISIT HER WEBSITE BY CLICKING HERE.

PRAYER IMPRINT


A CHALLENGE TO PRAY

Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord 
by failing to pray for you. 1 Samuel 12:23 


I will pray for you!


How many times have you said these words? Do you actually follow through? Or has it become a statement used as a conversation piece to make someone feel better? How serious is this phrase to God?


by Carla McDougal
As you read the verse above who does Samuel say we sin against when we fail to pray for one another? The Lord! God calls us to pray for each other, lift one another up, and to cry out in pray for the needs of others. This was instilled in Samuel at an early age. Hannah, his mother, was unable to conceive a child. She cried out to God for a son and made a vow to Him...


If You will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life. 1 Samuel 1:11


God heard her cry. Answered her prayer. And, she followed through with her promise to God. Samuel's mother's example left a "Prayer Imprint" on his heart. Throughout the scriptures we find example after example of Samuel praying for others. I love the fact that when he says he will pray, he did it right then... read 1 Samuel 7:5.


Understanding the importance of following through with "I will pray for you" is the beginning. Now, do you believe your prayers make a difference? Do you mean what you pray or do you just say the words out of duty? Get ready to be blown away...


Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16


Pray for each other so that - you - may be healed? Praying for others heals me? How? This word, healed, in the Greek actually means, to make whole; to free from errors and sins. Wow! I never thought of that before. When I take the time to pour out my heart on behalf of others, I am affected. A prayer imprint is forever embedded in my heart. My relationship with Jesus deepens. Oh Lord, remind me to pray for others!


Challenge for the (rest of this) Week... When you tell someone that you will pray for them... Do It! Follow through with that commitment to pray. In fact, here is a Double Challenge... when you tell someone you will pray do it right then... in the grocery store, on the phone, at work, at church, during exercise class, in the yard. I find if I pray right then I am more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's nudge to pray later! Almost as if it becomes a Prayer Imprint reminding me to continue that prayer commitment. 


CARLA CAN BE REACHED FOR MORE INSIGHT AND POWERFUL TEACHING AT HER WEBSITE.
PLEASE CLICK HERE

FLIRTING WITH DISASTER


Part 2 - RUN LIKE HELL!
We're flirtin' with disaster, ya'll know what I mean 
And the way we run our lives it makes no sense to me 
I don't know about yourself or what you wanna to be, yeah 
When we gamble with our time we choose our destiny...(Molly Hatchet, 1979)


Yesterday, we looked briefly at the possibility of pitfalls when people play with fire by indulging in what they think is "innocent" flirtation in offices. This is not limited to offices, but men of God and pastors face the same thing when the council females of any age, one on one in their offices. Neither of these actions are wise at all - no way!

I believe in the Sufficiency of Scripture, in that, the Bible has both the illustrations and the examples for us to learn from, glean and then follow as we seek to improve and grow as men and women of God. There are two perfect examples of Temptation and let us look how each person involved dealt with it.



JOSEPH (Genesis 39: 1-12) was tempted by the boss' wife while serving Potiphar, the head official in Egypt. He was obviously a lot younger and a single man so Potiphar's wife began to eye him. She made several blunt approaches and, with integrity, he politely but firmly, declined them all. The final time she tried to seduce him, she actually laid her hands on him and grabbed his coat as he escaped her evil clutches. Joseph, for lack of better terms, ran like hell!


EVE (Genesis 3:1-6) was negotiating with a snake who told the first lies of Creation. He deceived her. She took the forbidden fruit and offered it to the man, Adam, who stood there and watched the entire thing without saying a word, and they both ate it. This was in direct defiance and disobedience to the Word of God and here we are today.


Joseph ran. 
Eve will stand. 
Joseph paid a temporary price.
Eve brought the entire race down.
Joseph later gave life and food to many because God favored him.
Eve led and will lead billions to hell for their sins against Holy God.


How can people avoid this? How can we NOT flirt with disaster? Without writing an entire book on this, which I can do, here are some bullet point steps:

TO AVOID FLIRTING WITH DISASTER:

- Take heed, less ye fall....realize this can happen to you and do NOT get full of sinful pride. Man is not that good. Even the strongest can and WILL be tempted.
-  Realize that, as the song says above, in certain ways, we DO "choose our destiny". The devil tempted Eve and lied and twisted her thinking but here is what the Bible says "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6 ESV)...
- Realize therefore, the devil CANNOT make you do it. You can walk away! Do NOT negotiate with sin! Do not stand there when she bats her sexy eyes and asks you to lunch, and say "I will think about it, when the answer is NO, I can't go to lunch with you, I am a married man"! Here is what God says you should do from James 4:7 "Submit therefore to God and stand against Satan, and he will flee from you (Aramaic Bible - Jesus spoke Aramaic).
-  Realize the devil is a coward and when you call on everything you have learned from years of church, small group or even if you do not go to church...there were some things called "Marriage vows" - rebuke the sorry son of perdition, Satan and his female acolyte he sent to tempt you and watch him leave you alone! But you have to mean it!
- Realize the devil will only get what you give him. Give him nothing. Give him a firm stand against sin and then give him Jesus, the Name of Jesus and the Word of Jesus to "get thee behind me Satan".
- Realize, when all else fails, you can still run like the wind! Flee immortality, my friends, do not flirt with trouble! Life is full enough of some major stuff, let's not bring pain, emotional scars and suffering to our loved ones by this kind of garbage.
- Realize that we MUST guard our hearts as we are commanded by a God who said this: “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”(Malachi 2:16 ESV). The Lord is saying here "make sure all your flanks are covered" and especially your mind. Don't be flattered that the best looking person in the office or wherever is making a play for you. This is a test of your character, so let us not fail the One Who died for us on the Cross!

Finally do not soil the Testimony God has given you, for the passing cheap thrills of expensive perfume and flesh, which mask the stench of death and destruction. 

Father God, in the Name of Jesus, help us to understand Your Word, Your commands to us, Your demand that we walk in Holiness and Righteousness and never let us take our eyes of the Prize of Christ. Lord, You know that sometimes we are weak and the evil one can attack when we are distracted and not expecting a full assault on our hearts, minds and our very souls. Give us the strength to remember Jesus and do as He did, quote the Word back to evil and just say "it is written" and Father God, that Word, Your Word, will be all we need to rebuke sin, the flesh and the devil and flee the other way, so that we will be free from the fruits of unrighteousness all the days of our lives, in Jesus Holy and Mighty and Strong Name, amen and amen!

(images by google images)

Sunday, May 20, 2012

FLIRTING WITH DISASTER


Part 1 - WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
We're flirtin' with disaster, ya'll know what I mean 
And the way we run our lives it makes no sense to me 
I don't know about yourself or what you wanna to be, yeah 
When we gamble with our time we choose our destiny...(Molly Hatchet, 1979)


Thus began one of the more popular Southern Rock songs by Molly Hatchet. It is pretty interesting that the first line of that song ends with "ya'all know what I mean"! No we don't! What do you mean? This is the issue with Flirting, whether it's with disaster or destiny! We know where it could lead - DISASTER! Before we go any further, let's define what flirting is.

Webster's Dictionary says it is "moving erratically; behaving amorously without serious intent and showing superficial or casual interest or liking ( i.e. flirted with the idea ). It can also mean "experimenting and/or to coming close to reaching or experiencing something —used with with "flirting with disaster"!



At some point in our lives, we have all this. We are liars if we deny this. Most times oft flirting is used in relation to expressing interest with a member of the opposite sex. It can be a superficial or real, but unless you put a stop to it, a person really is "Flirting with Disaster"!

Looking at the dictionary definition of this, none of it sounds as wholesome as it should be. Let us see, the definition says the following words: erratically, amorously, superficial, experimenting or coming close to reaching or experiencing something! It does contain the words "flirting with disaster"! Does any of this sound edifying or Christ-like? No, it does not.



I have never heard the word "flirting" used in any other context except with making "nice" with somebody on the phone, in the office or even church. The temptation is to respond to a nice compliment about your appearance or something you did, but being ten times as nice about it, especially if the person saying it is very attractive. And MARRIED men, I am telling you, unless you have a grip on yourself through regular prayer and biblical grounding, you are going to fall fast on hard....in fact you will be gambling with your family, future and finances. You are creating a destiny from which they may be no return.


Jesus said in Matthew 5:28-29But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell"!

So are we to gouge our physical eyes out? No! We SHOULD draw on all the resources which Father put in us to gird up and guard up our spiritual hearts and souls when confronted with "flirting eyes" which are meant to lead you down a path you should not go.



Two things before wrapping up Part 1 of this short series on Flirting. If someone misconstrues the fact that you are just a friendly person (man or woman) and takes that to mean you are interested in them, inform them immediately. I speak from experience because this has happened to me in the past decade. Not only did I write that person a letter confirming that I had no interest whatsoever, with me being a very contented and happily married man, but I wished them the best. I also offered to pray for any requests she may have. Also, I informed my wife I was doing it and my 70 year old mentor and best friend in the Lord. So, don't gamble - get proactive and clarify immediately your intentions. In my case, I HAD NO intentions, but my personality was misunderstood. Should I stop being an agreeable sort because of this? Yes and no - yes, in the sense that I should realize not everyone will be open to Authentic Christian Joy and no, in the sense that if Jesus is the Lord of your life, you will NOT sin! It is as simple as that!


Secondly, remember that people are hurting, lost and or needy in these last days. They may have better clothes, cars and cabins than you and even smell better than your spouse, but inside they are empty and probably trapped in relationships which God did not ordain. God is your Father in Law. (I know He is Who arranged my marriage when I was a wild and crazy guy and "flirting with disaster" as a single young man in the 1980's. He has a sense of humor and gave me a wife who was a teetotaler and daughter of a Southern Baptist preacher!)

Most flirting starts and continues daily in offices. So be wary of vulnerable members of the opposite sex looking for a willing ear who will listen and empathize with them.  I have seen too many second marriages of co-workers happen because this kind of them, and after hours drinks at the pub lead to adultery, divorce and disaster. GUARD YOUR HEART



TOMORROW:  PART 2 -  "RUN LIKE HELL"!

Saturday, May 19, 2012

IF I WERE THE DEVIL


Stirring the pot one soul at a time..
by AVA ASTON
 a popular figure on the Faith and Freedom Patriot Circuit, a woman of God and a real Greek-American with a sense of Humor! Ava will be appearing here, regularly, from time to time! Her music can be found on iTunes. Ava's website is www.avaaston.com. I have some of her cds and like them a lot. Ava is also a blogger. Here is a great message as she engages in the culture wars alongside us! (Bernie)
I was recently introduced to a video on YouTube that really made my heart hurt.  Just so you know, there are things that make the Greek Girl's heart hurt like an abandoned or abused animal, a child with a disability or hearing about a fallen American hero.  But this really made my heart hurt in a whole different way.
AVA WITH CHRISTIAN ACTOR STEPHEN BALDWIN
The video was put together by someone who had heard a 40 year old recording of Paul Harvey.  Unfortunately we recently lost him and his amazing voice, but thanks to technology we still have his wisdom to cherish. What got me was that this monologue from Mr. Harvey was so blunt and talked about what is happening to our society with such clarity.  I absolutely couldn't believe my ears.
Before I go on, in case you weren't aware, there are some things that as an aspiring recording artist I really hold true to myself, and am very passionate about.  In today's world we are bombarded with so many negative influences, images, and given such horrible sources of inspiration.  Everyone from our teachers who are sleeping with their students, to our politicians caught in sexual scandals, even our doctors, lawyers and law enforcement are caught in corruption all around us.
Now, don't even get me started on those in the entertainment industry.  It just blows my mind!  Everything from the clothing these celebrities wear to the lyrics in the songs that artists sing, where they go, and so on.  The Grammies this year... a total debauchery.  That performance given by Nikki Minaj literally made my eyeballs burn. Just a few weeks ago Rihanna was photographed yapping it up, stuffing dollar bills in a strippers undies acting like a clown in a strip bar.  Yet these people are idolized and glorified by not only people but the media as well.
What's my point?
Watch this quick little video and keep in mind it was 40 years ago that this was recorded.
Now, you know what I am talking about.  That is why, it is my intense desire to be a positive role model.  Not only for our youth but for everyone.  Call me a square, but I love God, I love my family, I love my country, I love animals, and I sincerely care that when someone listens to one of my songs or watches one of my videos that they can be rest assured their eyeballs will not burn out. I'm not saying people in the entertainment industry should dress or act like they are in a convent.  However many could learn a lot from looking to some of the classics.  You know back in the days when music artists actually sang songs vs. studio auto tune concoctions, and had some common decency.  The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Doris Day, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Mathis, Patsy Cline...  see where I'm going here  ~ Music, people not muckery.
Imagine what would happen if people in the entertainment industry took the influence they have on society just a little bit more seriously. Maybe, just maybe it would thwart the devils plan.... I for one am going to try.
Blessings, Love & Music~
Ava xo :D
www.avaaston.com (BLOG: CLICK HERE)

Friday, May 18, 2012

OUT WITH THE OLD NATURE!


And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind... (Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV)


There is too much talk of alternate lifestyles with so-call Christian ministers of the Gospel, standing up in public, wrestling with whether they will vote for this political candidate or that. Both black and white preachers are debating with themselves on TV, if God meant what He said or not...and whether they are on the wrong side of History or not...blah blah blah...


I saw a black baptist minister from Maryland on the O'Reilly Factor a few nights ago who backed off voting for a person who supported gay so-called 'marriage' because his "BASE" was against it?! What??!! His base? That is the so-called flock that he is supposed to be under-shepherd for as pastor, supposedly under Christ!!! This is what we are dealing with in the church, with alleged men of God, walking in their old nature and following the World rather than the Spirit Who saves.


God does not care about all of this twisting oneself into a pretzel to satisfy this or that group. We have all sinned. They are compounding it and sealing their own fate...including those preachers. 


Therefore, rather than these people and their kind shaking their fists against God, demanding that He condone their sins and lifestyles, they need to pay attention to this verse above and beg forgiveness and repent for offending Him. This way, it will not go so bad for them on Judgment Day!


This is not a matter of selective outrage over one issue but just one example. 
For instance, Dr. Jim Daly of Focus on the Family reports that almost 40% of their calls on their Pornography Addiction hotline is from pastors (anonymously). 
Adultery and divorce are higher inside the church than the secular world outside the four walls. 
Single parents, starting from mid-teen years are up. More women go to church than men....and on and on... 
Sin abounds because they think grace aboundeth even more.


Yet, God has a major problem with all sin - gay, straight, white, black, brown, young, old, rich, poor and more. 
Isn't it high time we stop acting like sons and daughters of disobedience and live life OUTSIDE the flesh?
Isn't it high time we put aside the tempting passions of the Flesh and our ungodly temporary desires and look forward to that which is eternal and pure and righteous and holy?
Isn't it high time we stop acting like those who are heading for fiery destruction and belong to the God of this world and start acting like Children of our Great God and King?

Yes, it is! Let it begin now! Right now, in Jesus' Name!



Father God, I thank You for the Spirit of Discernment and Wisdom and ask that You seal all Your Words fully into my heart, mind, body and soul, that I may not sin against You! I ask that You convict us of our wayward ways and refocus our eyes on the Lord, the Author and Perfector of our Faith, Who for the Joy set before Him, endured the Cross, even on to death. Help us to keep crucifying our sinful self daily that we may have His Eyes and see as He would and obey as He did and therefore live as He did so we may see you unencumbered by this world, in Jesus' Holy Name, amen.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

MY CAR IS MY PRAYER CLOSET




THIS IS SO TRUE! MY CAR IS NOT ONLY ONE OF MY PRAYER CLOSETS BUT A MOBILE WORSHIP SANCTUARY! I HAVE PULLED OFF INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS TO PRAY, CRY, SING OUT TO GOD AND MORE. LOUD PRAISE AND WORSHIP MUSIC FOLLOWS ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE WITH THE WINDOWS UP AS I SING TO MY GOD! I GUARANTEE YOU WILL LOVE THIS PIECE BY CARLA MCDOUGAL , A POPULAR AND FREQUENT WOMEN'S MINISTRY LEADER, WHO IS OUR FREQUENT GUEST HERE! PRAY FOR CARLA AND HER GROWING OUTREACH MINISTRY!!!  (Bernie)

Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, 
and serve Him in truth with all you heart, for consider what great things 
He has done for you (1 Sam 12:23)


A brief encounter. For a moment in time. Never to be forgotten. A lump forms in my throat. Humbleness envelopes my heart. Let me set the scene.It was one of those Saturdays. Errands filled my agenda. Pulling out of the driveway I began praying, Lord, I don't want to miss a moment with You. This prayer continued to marinate in my heart as I blurted out, What do you have planned? I can't wait to find out! 


Within minutes I approached a busy intersection. Noticing the light turning yellow, I slowed down. All of the sudden, out from nowhere two ladies wearing bright yellow shirts bolt in front of my car. Shock electrified me from head to toe. After a quick recovery, I noticed the first woman running to the car beside me. And, the other women approaching my door. I hesitated for a split second then rolled down the window. I must admit I was not thrilled about this situation. I mean, come on I was at a red light with a number of cars lined up behind me. 


CARLA MCDOUGAL
Something quickened within me. Immediately, when my eyes met hers I knew she and I were sisters-in-Christ. In this brief encounter she shared her testimony...


"Hi! My name is Crystal Williams. Jesus saved me from the pit of drug   addiction. I represent Restoration Houston Ministry, a faith based Christian organization, that reaches out to those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction. A place addicts can be rehabilitated through the power of Jesus."


Our conversation continued, "So Crystal, are you a believer?" Radiance glistened from her face as she replied, "Yes Mam' my Jesus set me free! He's my Lord and Savior." Tears welled up in both of us. Without realizing it, I grabbed her hands and pulled her head into the car window. An outpouring of prayers gushed from my lips, "Thank You, Jesus, for saving Crystal. I praise you for rescuing her from drugs. I ask for Your protection over her and that the enemy never get a foothold again in her life. And... " By this time she was praying in her own special language. It was then I realized God answered my earlier prayer with a brief encounter at a red light. 


Don't forget, all of this took place between a red light and a green light. To my speculation about three minutes. Hmm, I can't help but wonder if God tweaked the timing of that light for a special appointment He planned. The light turned green, we hugged and I proceeded through the intersection. Oh, and of course I gave to the ministry with a full heart of love. 


Glancing into the rear-view mirror I saw a sight I will never forget. Crystal jumping into the air with her arms reaching to the sky as if to say, "Praise you Lord Jesus. Thank you for loving me enough to allow a special brief encounter with a sister-in-Christ!" Needless to say, a smile adorned my face, a warmth embraced my soul, and praises filled the car. 


Immediately, thoughts rolled in like Did anyone else notice this moment? If so, what were they thinking? Tears gently softened my cheeks. Realizing how God answered my prayer in almost seconds overwhelmed me. My car is my Prayer Closet! 


Challenge... Is your car your Prayer Closet? Are you ready to experience a sweet brief encounter that can change your for life? Pray while in your car. Use this time to spend in communion with the Lord. Pray this prayer and then watch what Jesus does today... Lord, I don't want to miss a moment with You. What do you have planned? I can't wait to find out! 


Be ready. Be willing. Be watchful! 


From My Heart to Yours,
Carla McDougal
carla@reflectivelifeministries.org
CLICK HERE FOR CARLA'S WEBSITE