Thursday, August 30, 2012

SPANISH DELIGHTS

 FROM TWINAS LATINAS MAGAZINE (CHERI Y ANA)
ARROZ CON LECHE
(Rice Pudding)



Time: 40 minutes              
Ingredients:
Difficulty: Easy                     
Price: 
Affordable

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons of rice
3 Cups of milk
6 Tablespoons of sugar
1 Lemon
1 Stick of cinnamon
2 Tablespoons of cinnamon powder

Boil a pot with abundant water. Once the water is boiling, pour the rice and simmer for just 10 minutes. Pour the milk in another saucepan and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve. When the rice has been cooking in water for 10 minutes, strain the rice and add it to the hot milk together with the lemon peel and a piece of cinnamon stick. Leave it cooking for another 10 minutes and turn off heat. 
Remove the lemon peel and pour the content into a flat plate  or individual cups. Do not worry if it seems to liquid as the rice will be absorbing the milk. Let cool for a while and sprinkle a little cinnamon to taste. Keep in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

ELECTION TIME - IN THE PULPIT?

DR. VODDIE BAUCHAM SPEAKS!
Fearless Apologist for the Gospel, brother of all of us in Men's & Family ministry and one of the major conference speakers of America -Dr. Voddie Baucham is not affiliated with anything or anyone but the Lord Jesus Christ...and the Southern Baptist Convention. He does NOT disappoint here. In an age where Biblical Christianity is under assault in the USA by the secular elite in media, academia and politics, as well as, always  under persecution worldwide, bold men of God standing for the Truth stand out! Here he gives the reason to keep proclaiming God's Truth, regardless of what man says or does.

Is the Pulpit Political? from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

EXTRA: WHAT IF JESUS RAN FOR PRESIDENT (WHICH HE DOES NOT NEED TO - HE IS ALREADY THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE!!!)

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

PEOPLE MATTER....BY NIKKI HAHN


Someone told me, “It’s tough to fellowship with people.” He was saying this to me after reminiscing about the good old days. I agreed with him as I have heard that same statement echoed across twitter and Facebook within all age groups. People in real life don’t seem to be reaching out to people beyond their small circle of friends and family. They’ll spend hours on Facebook playing games, sending app requests to others they don’t hang out with, and forwards to people they haven’t spoken to or sent a personal email to in months, but they’ll hang out with the same people at church, never broadening their circle of friends.
I wonder what church would look like if we broadened our outreach?
A blogger reminded me how we should continue to reach out even if we’re doing all the inviting and rarely being invited in return. She shared the same frustration as I, taking time out from people because of the lack of love shown in return. Love is a verb, they say, and we love to quote it, but we have to act on it. Serving the homeless, on a missions field, or in a form of outreach is great stuff, but we are on a missions field every day that we interact with society.
NIKKI HAHN
Whether we’re always inviting or always the one being friendly, we must not give up on people. They matter to Jesus and should matter to us. This year I have reorganized my time, balancing writing, blogging, family, downtime and work to allow for serendipity—to be used by God wherever and whenever.
And sometimes that means shuffling my schedule to have coffee with someone who is hurting.
How are you making people matter (ministry doesn’t count)?

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

GRACE FOR PERFECTIONISTS


Do you try hard to be perfect in every way?
Are you afraid of letting your hear down?
Do you wonder if you are good enough?
Are you tired of trying to succeed?
Watchman Nee has said “Many Christians endeavor to drive themselves by will-power, and then think the Christian life a most exhausting and bitter one.” But will-power or self-help does not work. It’s not about us making ourselves perfect or useful. It’s not about us producing fruit. It’s not about us making ourselves worthy.
Success does not get us into the kingdom of God, failure does not keep us out of there. The only thing than matters is our trust in Jesus.
The fulfillment of God’s promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God’s promise arrives as pure gift. That’s the only way everyone can be sure to get in on it(Romans 4:16, MSG)
It does not matter how perfect (or not) we are.
It’s not about us trying to be perfect.
It’s about us trusting and embracing God and his ways.
The difference between trying and trusting is the difference between law and grace. Either you live in law or you live in grace. Either you exhaust yourself under the law or you rest in God’s free grace.
My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor.12:9 CEB)
But, but, but, you say. No buts, my friend. God is in the business of creating new life. He does not just fix our problems or help us a little bit. God creates new life all together. In us.
MARI-ANNA FRANGEN STALNACKE
Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.(Eph. 2:22, CEB)
When we are new creatures in Christ, God is living in us.
When we live in the Spirit, God works through us.
When we rest in grace, God is active in us, for us, through us.
When we trust God, things will get done.
Simple. Yet so powerful and true.
It’s not about us being or trying to be perfect.
It’s about us trusting God and enjoying the ride.
Grace is a game changer, eye opener, freedom-releaser.
We can quit trying and embrace trusting.
(PRAY WITH ME):Gracious God, Thank you that we don’t need to be perfect. Help us to dare to bear our souls and let us hair down. Enable us to trust you completely and stop trying on our own. Refresh our weary souls. Redeem and restore! Teach us what it is to rest in your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF MARI-ANNA'S WONDERFULLY INSPIRING WORK!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

PRAYER - AMERICA'S LAST TRUE HOPE

Folks across the spectrum are finally awakening to the fact that there is something more afoot in the land of North America than collapsing economies, housing markets and hopes for our children's futures. A large minority of Christians finally have their eyes open and some are starting to read the sign of the times.

Those who are wise will arise to the challenge. This challenge is to Pray - and pray effectively, constantly and fearlessly. The times call for Bold Intercessors - men and women who not only know HOW to pray, but who can pray on the fly.  God is calling out His True Remnant who walk in relationship, according to His Rules, and can call on His Name in humility, obedience and faith. He knows when we need protection from the acolytes of the evil one, most of whom pose as professors of our Faith, when they possess nothing. From experience, each one of our prayer warriors know we pray for each other and cover each other with prayer.

As time goes by, over those upcoming Forty Days, we will monitor the day's prayer Topics briefly here on this site. We will provide a topic per day to press into prayer. We will look at how one prays for those in authority. We will look at what intercession means. We will even look at what imprecatory prayers are. Several American ministries have offered prayer guides and a home for prayer warriors to serve together and thus, stay on the same page.

Here are some of those resources. There is time to sign up for this, but now is the time to begin praying...especially with assorted natural disasters beginning to punish America. Research them and see which one is perfect for you, for such a time as this:
1.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
2.
.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PRAYER GUIDE FOR FREE!

3. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS DOCUMENT FOR STRATEGIC PRAYER - FOR FREE!


Saturday, August 25, 2012

COULD JESUS RUN FOR PRESIDENT TODAY?

WHAT IF JESUS CHRIST RAN FOR U.S. PRESIDENT:
Can you imagine what the mainstream American media would do if the Candidate for President of the United States said the following in His position papers and campaign. The following is based on fundamental Biblical Truths - ABSOLUTE TRUTHS - but written tongue in cheek....to illustrate how far away from Christ we have shifted. The fact is Jesus will return as the King of all Creation, and do away with the world as we know it....and REIGN FOREVER IN ETERNITY - first for 1000 years in the New Jerusalem, then the Eternal State! Hallelujah!

ISSUE 1

THE ECONOMY:
""But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ (Luke 14:28 NLT)
WHAT? This is not how we do things in America? We borrow it from the Communist Chinese, sell worthless bonds on paper, mortgage our grandchildren's future and then claim we brought the bacon home! They would then accuse Him of having no heart or conscience for the homeless and the hungry (even though He said "whatsoever you do for the least of these, you have done for Me!!!)!

TAXES:

"Well, then," Jesus said, "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." His reply completely amazed them (Mark 12:17) 
Because the Lord Jesus never engaged in Class Warfare, since He came on the scene, the Left would accuse Him of favoring the Rich and robbing the Poor to give tax cuts to Wall Street!  Jesus paid His taxes, but because He had Peter go take the Precious Coin out of the Fish's mouth, His opponents would accuse Him of hiding His money offshore (okay, that was a joke!)....(Matthew 17:27 "However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.")

HEALTH CARE:

"Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch Him (Mark 3: 9-10)
Jesus healed people for free. He did it everywhere. He based all of His healing on Faith (the woman with the blood issue, the Roman etc....). The Feds and all state licencing authories would accuse Him on national TV of practicing medicine not just without a licence, but of not using FDA-approved methods! Diane Sawyer and 20-20 would run a prime-time expose on this "Faith-healer" and is He really suited for the Highest office in the Land if He did not use the US Department of Health and Human Services regulations!

ISSUE 2
GAY "MARRIAGE"
-  “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6 ESV)  
There goes the liberal elite in academia, Washington DC/New York/Chicago/LA and fake Christian mainline "churches". They would call the Lord Jesus intolerant and that He never said anything against homosexuality or "gay marriage" or even having more than one wife....never mind His exact quote here! The elite in our colleges and even in the declining mainline protestant denominations will call the Creator of Biblical Marriage intolerant, uninformed and not living in the 21st Century. They would say such things as "why shouldn't two people who love each other, get married" etc etc.....

ISSUE 3:

EVOLUTION
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:1-5 ESV)
Now He's done it! He claims He created the Universe and this earth and all living creatures. Why, this "religious extremist" thinks He even created humans! All PBS, NPR and every public school district, college, university and textbook manufacturer would form a Super Pac with gazillions of Taxpayer money to campaign against this uninformed Man! His political opponents would say that the Creator of Science "missed science class" or believes in the flat earth...which, er...He created ROUND! Brian Williams would run an NBC poll weighted towards the evolution crowd. Chris Matthews and Howard Fineman would decry the use of Faith in a campaign while the British Charles Darwin society would mock "simpletons" who believe in a 6000 year old "tale"!

ISSUE 4:

CULTURE WARS
If you look at a woman with lust in his heart, has already committed adultery. There goes the Hollywood vote....and just about every other cultural icon in this sleazy society). The counter-culture would immediately attack, accusing the Candidate of shoving His "Religion" and morality upon a "free" society. The Author of the Bible would be accused of Bible-thumping and Bill Maher would recommend the King of Kings go back to His Bible Belt!
To add fuel to the fire, He said in Mark 9:42 "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea!"
The Music/Media/Movie industries, the NEA, all the public unions and their liberal alternative lifestyle groups attack this candidate for not just intolerance but hate for, what they take as implying they are teaching and misleading and corrupting young children with indoctrination into immoral lifestyles, contrary to His Father's Word.


ISSUE 5
LIFE
"Thou shall not kill" (Exodus 20:13)
Now He really did it! On the Abortion issue, now the US media has gone nuclear- not only does He not create or believe in an exception for rape, incest and the life of a mother, but He is against Women's Reproductive Rights and is an ancient, archaic and a typical Man....or male chauvinist! Every liberal commentator on MSNBC, CNN and their friends in Planned Parenthood; NOW; NARAL etc (which need no explanation) will call Him heartless, cruel and worse. (By the way, He does claim...and IS - the Ancient of Days!!!!)

ETERNAL LIFE
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 ESV) 
The controversy around this Candidate continues to grow as He makes His most controversial "policy" statement of the campaign! He not only claims to know who was born-again, how many wives they were married to  and the sins they committed, but now liberal theologians; unitarians; 57% of evangelicals, the BBC, the United Nations and every media talking head call Him intolerant and wanting people to live up to the Ten Commandments and ignoring the Separation of Church and state...not to mention the Separation of the Goats from the Sheep! 

UPDATE! NEWS ALERT! BREAKING NEWS:
Jesus Christ, claiming to be the Son of God has just run His most controversial campaign ad ever! Here is the text of it 
"I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE...NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER (AND THEREFORE HEAVEN) WITHOUT ME"
I am JESUS CHRIST, AND I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE!

(images by google)

Friday, August 24, 2012

SEAFOOD RECIPE

In celebration of Friday, let's take a look at this mouth-watering Shrimp recipe from our dear friends from TWINAS LATINAS online magazine. Cheri and Ana have been providing us with delightful recipes each week, as the summer rolls to a close, which have helped to brighten up our days!

Now, those of us with a love for seafood will love today's offering. Click on the link at the end of this message to continue reading! Blessings, my friends!! (Bernie)

   Garlic Shrimp



Timescale: 15 minutes 

Level of difficulty: Easy

Price level: Affordable


Ingredients:

½ kg peeled shrimps
3 cloves of garlic
1 cayenne pepper or a couple if you like it very hot
Olive oil, always better if extra virgin 
Chopped parsley
A pinch of salt


Peel and chop the garlic in slices. Place into a frying pan with olive oil on the stove, and then add garlic together with the cayenne pepper. Stir the garlic until it becomes light brown but be careful it does not burn. 




Tuesday, August 21, 2012

COVETING OR CONTENTMENT?

THE TENTH COMMANDMENT
Exodus 20:17

More and more, in these horrible and troubled times, we see normally measured people falling for an unsavory public conversation, which deliberately violates God's Tenth Commandment. Class Warfare is that of which I speak. But it is more than just this tactic, which is as old as the French Revolution, Karl Marx and every philosophy along these lines.

When one group of people, try to get those who consider themselves victimized by dire economic conditions, by telling them that "if it were not for the guy down the street who has a better car or more money in the bank than you", it is conscious violation of God's Law. However, when we take it upon ourselves to look at the guy next door, who just bought a boat to enjoy the town lake, and envy him, instead of being happy he was able to do that, we are just as guilty as some godless politician who engages in class warfare.

To want and desire what another has is as old a sin as jealousy and lust. Not many are able to satisfied with the blessings Almighty God, in His Wisdom, has given us. How we need to look at this is from God's perspective. When we, who call ourselves Christians, follow the world in hot pursuit of the latest cars, ipads, vacations, snazzy clothes and more, they become our idols! Yes, they do! Immediately, we have just broken the first commandment because we have told Holy God that these material passing things are more important than Him!

Even worse is when we see the guy across the street with his new jet-skis or ride-on mower...or listen to his pampered wife boast of her latest spa visit which enhances her outward appearance...when we see and hear of all of this, the natural tendency is to long to have those things, as well!  If you can work harder and save and not neglect the kids and still have time to worship the Lord daily, well, go right ahead. But if we dwell on what the other guy has and are not grateful for what we have, we dishonor Father.

That job we have - God gave it to us. You and I may have applied for it along with 50 other people, but Who led the employer to hire us?
That home we live in - God gave it to us. If we allowed Him to select the home for us, He will provide for its operation. My wife and I had less than two weeks in 2001 to find a home as our starter home had finally sold, by Divine Intervention. After frantic searches and exploration of several homes shown us by a local realtor, we were on the verge several times of settling...just to meet a deadline. We were returning home, after a long afternoon of open houses, when I took the wrong turn into a neighborhood while looking for Walnut Street, in order to head home. 

Realizing that I was lost in a subdivision, which I had never been in, I decided to turn around using a driveway.  As soon as I pulled into the driveway, I saw the "FOR SALE BY OWNER" sign and a phone number! We called the owner who showed us the four bedroom home (which really needed some "love and attention"). The kids loved the backyard! Eleven years later, we love our home which has had some serious updating and renovating! OH, HOW I LOVE JESUS!!!

We know how we got here. Why would we want somebody else's home over ours? I have been passed over in many aspects of life, but realized long ago that everything happens for a reason in my life. I have complete confidence and trust in the God Who gave me life. When we covet and long for what belongs to someone else, we are telling God that He made a mistake. 

What we should do is not just mind our own business, but do a gut-check to see what we are mastered by.  Are we mastered by owning "things" or are we mastered by the Master - Christ? Are we full of ambition and can't get ahead or are we full of a drive to serve Jesus and see souls brought into the Kingdom more than anything else? 


So, who is your master - your roving eye or the Lord Who infills your spirit with peace, joy and contentment? Just asking.....


(image by google)


Sunday, August 19, 2012

PANTS ON FIRE....

THE NINTH COMMANDMENT

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16)

This 9th Commandment is more than just an exhortation to always deal truthfully with others.  We should ALWAYS do that. Jesus said "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). Shakespeare, a follower of Jesus, said "This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man (Hamlet Act 1 Scene 3)! 

So why does God put such an emphasis on Truth that He made it a permanent Commandment and once which endures throughout time and eternity? Well, God is Truth and there is no deception, turning or floundering around with Him. He says what He says and He says exactly WHAT He means to say!  God is not a man and therefore, cannot lie. When the Son of God - Jesus - stands up in John 14:6 and says "I am the Way, the TRUTH and the Life", you can literally take that as "Gospel" Truth!

This is more than the silly season in America. We are all used to politicians who would say and do anything to be elected to the office of their choice. What is unusual, in the current assault on the Truth, is the disgusting level of deception and distortion in current political advertising! It is not just that but the arrogance and sin of those who, when blatantly caught in lies, but that when called openly on it, they double down and refuse to correct it. Politicians and their campaigns are not alone in this. The American mainstream news media is right up there with them, and thus news anchors from NBC/ABC/CBS/CNN etc as well as their print media, are trusted lower than Used Car salesmen! The level of accountability to Holy God on Judgment Day for these people will be staggering!!! That is, unless they repent of all this wickedness and put their trust in the Savior - Jesus Christ.

Let me tell you how serious God is about lying. A certain well-to-do couple took it upon themselves to sell their property. Apparently, in order to make themselves look good (pride), they promised the brethren of this new group called "the church" or believers in "The Way" (as in the Way, the Truth and the Life - or Jesus), this couple promised to give ALL the proceeds of the sale. This was a practice of the first set of Christians right after Jesus rose from the dead and went back to Heaven in plain sight of all He chose.  Not to be outdone, Ananias (which is Hebrew for GOD IS GRACIOUS) and Sapphira (Aramaic for BEAUTIFUL), apparently were a very rich couple, as not many owned land in such a tightly populated area as Judea of the first century. There were the type of couple in our churches who would wear the best from Bergners daily, drive BMW's or a Lexus and have condos in Florida. Everybody must have loved them, but they committed a fatal error - this promise bore false witness to their neighbors, brothers, sisters and friends in this New Faith in the Messiah Jesus!

The Bible picks it up here:
           "But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (Acts 5:1-11 ESV)

I included the entire 11 verses here to show us, including myself, that God puts a premium on Truth telling. Leave those who lie from the highest offices in the land - from pastor to president of anything to the guy working at the gas station - leave them to God. You and I should ensure that our Yes should always be Yes and our No's be no. The Word promises that ALL LIARS will have their place in the Lake of Fire. We have all mis-represented the Truth in our lives. We have all shaved edges off stories to make them look better. We have this nature in us, which will not be done away with, until we die and move on to be with the Lord, if we are truly saved.

I urge us all to take stock of what we're saying, writing, posting on Facebook/Twitter etc, because God will hold us to account and especially, if it causes another to stumble and does not line up with the Truth.  Were Ananias and Sapphira saved? Yes. They were used by the Lord as an example of what could happen to us if we violate His Trust in us, as His children, and slip up. The consequences can be horrible.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God. But remember this - The Lord disciplines those whom He loves and the fact of the matter is this - GOD LOVES US and does not want us to sin and break His commands....and that's no lie!

(image by google)

Friday, August 17, 2012

WILL WE ROB GOD?

THE EIGHT COMMANDMENT
"You shall not steal." Exodus 20:15
We all know the basics of this Commandment - no shoplifting; no picking someone's pocket (or pocketbook); no walking off with your neighbor's lawn ornament because you like it; no armed robbery etc. We should also NOT cheat on our taxes or fudge numbers on accounts to make sales look better than they are or even walk off from the office with their stapler or post it notes or scotch tape! All of these are no-brainers for any any civilization, as a basic moral way of life. Every responsible member of society has an obligation to this commandment and as Christians, we are held to a different and higher standard than anyone else, in the Eyes of God!

What should concern us is the concept of "Robbing God"! God says in Malachi 3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings." 

How do you and I rob God? I am not just speaking about forgetting to tithe to Kingdom work. (Most of us consider 10% or more off the Gross total (before tax) right after payday, to be the best scenario for biblical tithing. We should not be legalistic, but allow the individual to make their own choices. Giving is a condition of the heart, the obedient heart. It is not for us to determine if, or how, God blesses those who give obediently without malice or claiming anything in return. If your primary purpose in tithing is to get riches or claim your piece of the financial pie, because some prosperity Gospel preacher said so, there will be some reckoning one day!)

So again, just briefly, how can we "rob God"? Here are some thoughts:
- We rob God with our intentions. We can misuse His resources, which He gifted us with or gave us through our jobs and opportunities, by thinking all of this is solely for us...for our entertainment; or lifestyles.
- We rob God by mismanaging what He gave us, even if we are proper tithers. We have all been guilty of inadequate stewardship of personal finances, at one or several times in our lives. The question is, are we willing to change and follow His Word.
- We rob God if we see church and/or ministry leaders using His tithes and offerings for building up  misconceived notions of what the Lord wants - AND SAY NOTHING ABOUT IT! We have seen church after church here in north America and others around the world who believe the "prosperity gospel" lie. We have seen church after church abuse the Lord's money, which should be for missions and sending out evangelists to reach the lost, feed the poor and grow the flock. 
We have seen them rob God by paying themselves and their families and staff; taking fancy vacations and often taking out massive mortgages on their church buildings. We have seen more and more banks foreclosing on churches in recent days than ever before as the bitter fruit of all this disobedience and sin, while communities all around these people go straight to hell! If we remain silent as a part of a congregation or a ministry which does this, we are just as accountable as its leaders!

Finally, we rob God and break His statutes, when we do not walk as He would have us walk. God desires obedience, not our puny sacrifices and self-absorbed "works". This is the most significant facet of the Commandment against stealing.

(Image by Google)

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

GUARD YOUR HEART....

THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT
(Exodus 20:14)
Just a few weeks ago, the most popular evangelical preacher in Indiana was discovered to have committed adultery on his wife, the daughter of another famous charismatic preacher in that state. Strangely enough, the 54 year old married father and husband had just recently completed a sermon series on youth and pre-marital sex, when a deacon accidentally found his cell phone. The preacher had left his smartphone on the pulpit and as the deacon was about to return the phone, a photo popped up in a text from a 17 year old college kid which showed this famous preacher and the co-ed in an extremely uncompromising position.

Within days, this man was fired by the church and is still under investigation by the local authorities and the FBI to see if he ever crossed state lines with an underage girl! How can something like this happen to a man of God? How can he allow himself to fall into not just an adulterous relationship of any kind, but more specifically with potentially a minor? How? How? How? 

The answer is SIN! All kinds of sin are always crouching at the door and many of us choose to answer the knock and invite them in! Sin is exceedingly sinful and too many children of God choose to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short season, after which comes the destructive consequences which last a lifetime or 1000's of years! Too bad King David did not heed the warning of King Jesus, Whose Spirit lived in David at the time he stayed back on purpose to spy on Bathsheba, when he should have been at the head of his army. Here is what Jesus said in Matthew 5: 28 "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart".

King David knew exactly what he was doing. He broke that first rule where his eyes were fixed on a neighbor, knowing fully well who her husband was. Uriah the Hittite was one of David's "Mighty Men" (read 1 Chronicles 11) - Close friends who stood with him for years when Saul was trying to kill him. These mighty men gave their lives to serve this king and Uriah was repaid for his loyalty and friendship by having David kill him and steal his only wife (when David already had other beautiful wives)! The consequences of David's sin are still with us, just as those of, not just this, yet another fallen pastor or anyone who wrecks an entire family by breaking the Seventh Commandment. David's sin led to the completely breakup of mighty Israelite empire which will never be restored until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the 1000 year reign from Jerusalem. There will be no chance of Sin in this Kingdom, because Jesus Himself will be sitting on the Throne in Jerusalem!

Our great God put that Commandment in there for a reason - He wanted a pure, sinless and holy people who would show their loyalty to Him by how we show our loyalty to our spouses and families. It was immediately violated, both before and after the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai to Moses and continues to this day. 

Temptation to sin is as natural as breathing air. It is all around us and we have all been tempted in this sin more than once. The next thing is this - if you are a Bible believing Christian who is up front about who you are and WHOSE you are, the devil has the biggest bullseye on your forehead as well as your back. He, the devil, wants to destroy  the effectiveness of your testimony for Christ. This way, if we give in to his temptation, the world he now controls for a short time more, will look at the rest of us with open contempt and disgust! How many more times should we be have to be called "hypocrites" and worse or have some unbelieving pagan say "I knew he/she was a fake all along"....and more and more, this is happening in youth groups, between choir members or best friends who are married to other people!

If anyone tells you that he or she has never been tempted with this sin, and offered up forbidden fruit for the taking, they have just broken another commandment - LYING! Even worse, they have now opened up themselves to be tempted even more by the devil! Because of this specific pride and stupidity, they are now in MORE danger than the man or woman who humbly seeks God's protection from this evil! 

Christians who flirt with disaster by continually talking about sex or watching provocative TV shows, movies etc are sowing the seeds of their own destruction by opening up with minds to thoughts of the "grass being greener" elsewhere where the first opportunity to grab a hold of that forbidden fruit may not be successfully fought off! The devil can't make us sin. All he can do is serve up the dish. All we SHOULD do is refuse his hand and walk away from it as fast as we can.

God uses several pro-active words to exhort us to go as far away from temptation when this type of thing happens. He uses words like "resist the devil and he will flee from you"..."flee immorality"..."flee the desires of youthful lusts"...in fact the word "Flee" is used quite a bit! In the Greek language it is "pheugo" which specifically means seek the absolute safety of escaping and running AWAY from danger! There is nothing cowardly of doing what a Christian is supposed to do when confronted by a floozy with bedroom eyes, who may dress or smell better than the wife you left at home with the screaming kids and the snotty noses! Run like hell from those types of women (or men)! Literally! Take to heart what the Admiral (NBA star David Robinson) once said "If it comes down to my wife getting hurt and some other women (made a pass at him), his wife is not going to be the one hurt".

This is another way of repeating what Jesus said in Malachi 2:15 "Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth." If we live by these words and stay close to the Word of God....if we love our families as much as we say we love God....and if we CONSTANTLY remember to guard our hearts, there is less chance of actually breaking this most important of Commandments, no matter how intense the spiritual warfare against us and our souls!
Amen

(Image by Google)

Monday, August 13, 2012

IT'S FLANTASTIC! MY FAVORITE DESSERTS:


EXCLUSIVE FROM TWINAS LATINAS (CHERI & ANA) MAGAZINE!
  Assorted Flans



COFFEE FLAN                                   

Time: 1h and 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Price: Affordable

(Flan mold is needed)



INGREDIENTS
  
1/2 tablespoon Water 
2 cups Water
4 tablespoons of Sugar
6 Eggs, beaten 
1 can of sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons of Instant Coffee 
Whipped Cream.

DIRECTIONS:

Fill a large pan or casserole-baking dish (large enough to accommodate a Flan mold) with water and bring it to a boil on the stove top. 

Add four tablespoons of sugar into the flan mold, plus 1/2 tablespoon of water, and heat it until becoming a light brown caramel color (do not burn). Once the caramel is made, take it off the heat.  Carefully add the Flan mold in the middle of the pot or baking dish with the boiling water.

In a mixing bowl add 2 cups of water, the can of sweetened condensed milk, 6 beaten eggs, and 2 tablespoons of instant coffee. Beat well and pour into the Flan mold, over the caramel.

Put the mold back into the pan or baking dish, and cover only the Flan mold with a pot lid, not the entire pot. Leave it boiling but be careful that the water does not boil up and inside the mold.

Water should reach up to about an inch (two centimeters) below the top of the mold. Boil for 60 minutes (1 hour) then remove from heat, and allow to cool. Once cool, turn mold out onto a platter, and top with whipped cream


Saturday, August 11, 2012

SIN IS CROUCHING AT THE DOOR - KEEP IT SHUT

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT
You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13 ESV)

There is a blatant disregard for life in the world, and it did not start yesterday...or even the day before yesterday. It began with the first murder in recorded history - when Cain killed Abel in an act of jealousy. Genesis 4:3-5a: "In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard".

If you examine this horrid sin, it cover the spectrum of emotions:
Envy: - because of Abel's better sacrifice of worship before the Lord. He had given of the first fruits of his labor while, as we see in the passage above Cain only brought AN offering. Our unwanted seconds is not what God demands from us. If you are not prepared to give your best and everything to Him. It is better you and I do not pretend and have total disregard for His Holiness and purpose, because it will not go well for us. Just ask Ananias and Sapphira!

Hatred: - because it led to Cain ignoring the warnings of God to get over himself. He then let sin rule over his wicked heart. (verses 6 and 7 here). You and I have to guard our hearts against letting the devil and his evil schemes infiltrate our minds, even in the purest of environments! It could be a fellowship moment in the church or a family gathering. We should be very careful not to take our eyes off the Lord and His work. Let's cease worrying about what the other guy is or is not doing and focus instead on our own actions and motives.

Pride: - despite being completely wrong in his conduct, Cain acted offended that God would not accept his after-thought, but would accept Abel's. God warned him that "sin is crouching at the door" ready to devour him (which it did). But God also gave him the option to grow out of his hatred and pride and disappointment by "ruling over it" (Verse 7). We ignore the warnings of God (via His Holy Spirit Who lives in us, if we are born again) at our own perils. Remember every thought, acted upon, has terrible consequences.

In the end, because of these three major emotions, the first murder in Biblical history was committed. The original word which God gave to Moses for this Sixth Commandment is "ratsach"...meaning manslaying; killing; murder etc. It basically means the 'taking' of any life: from crimes of passion like Cain's to the willful destruction of human life in the abortion industry.

Abortion is nothing new. Women, from millennia gone by, have been ridding their bodies of God's babies for some of the following reasons: to hide adultery; to keep their figures; to keep from having another child and as a form of birth control so their wanton lifestyles can continue.  Since unredeemed politicians and judges enabled the multi-billion dollar abortion industry to flourish legally, over 55 million American babies have not been allowed to be born. Like Cain, the blood of each of these babies rest eternally and horribly on the souls of every president; doctor; administrator; church leader; judge; man and woman who actively or passively allowed this to happen....unless, like Roe (of Roe vs Wade, which gave us legalized abortion in 1973), they repent and put their complete trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Finally, for the believer and child of God, we must guard our own emotions. In Matthew 5:23, Jesus said “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” This "something against your brother" can lead to hatred if we don't keep "short accounts" and dispatch immediately this emotion. We must do this daily to keep in a right relationship with Father above. This intense dislike of others, for the christian, is similar to murder if we let it fester in our souls and do not get rid of it through reconciliation and if possible, restoration with the person(s) involved.

Therefore, in the long run, it behooves us to walk in a manner worth of our King, Who is the Lord of our lives and Who lives and reigns in love...as well as judgment.  Sin will always be "crouching at the door". Therefore, let us resolve to keep it locked out there, that Faith, Love, Hope and Charity and well as zeal for winning lost souls from the kingdom of darkness, will rule in our hearts! 
Amen.