HORROR: U.S.CLERGY RANKED # 8 IN INTEGRITY!

PASTORS RANKED LOWER THAN COLLEGE TEACHERS!

CHECK OUT THE LATEST SURVEY BY GALLUP BELOW.... THEN WEEP!

Survey above courtesy The Gallup Organization

"Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach..." 1 Timothy 3:2 (ESV)
The word for overseer above, in the original language of the New Testament, translates into elder. Every pastor is an elder of his church and the qualifications of this position are, without question, directly from the Mind and Mouth of God. He spoke it and we had better believe it. So what part of that don't we get? 

Why are pastors...and the rest of "clergy" listed by Americans lower than College Teachers, who are corrupting our young people with pluralism, evolution and alternate lifestyle glorification - thereby minimizing and even pronouncing hatred of the Word of God? Why? Why are only 52% of Americans seeing American pastors/clergy as being men of integrity, honesty and NOT 100% or close to it....as it used to be when men like Billy Graham and David Wilkerson were in their forefront?

Could it have something to do with Congressional investigations of "Health and Wealth" Prosperity gospel "preachers"?  
Could it be these same guys with their "Word Faith" theology telling people on late night TV to sow their $1100 into these people's ministries and "shazzaaam" - all your bills will be paid and $10,000 checks will show up in the mail and you will drive a BMW i740..."because God wants you to"?
Could it be folks went to church and Sunday School all through living at mom and dad's...even youth group...then even raise their hands or said a prayer....but it meant nothing to them?
Could it be they sit in...or used to sit, in a pew Sunday after Sunday and listen to a nice sounding Bible lecture, technically correct from the text, but it had absolutely NO relation to their lives or what they have to face at work or school on Monday morning?
Could it be somebody like Rob Bell telling them there is no place like hell, so live and believe what you want, because ....well, you know the rest of the claptrap!
Could it have something to do with one high profile sex scandal after another - from biblically unqualified men like Eddie Long to Jack Schaap over in Indiana?
Could it be calls and requests for money week after week for this worthwhile project after another - all good things - but they see no leadership from the pulpit or change in the conditions of the heart of society?

It could be (and is) a myriad of things. But no matter what the combination of factors, this is really a foul odor before the Lord. We have persecuted Persians risking their lives to preach and reach and lead thousands to Christ in Iran and the rest of the world...beaten and jailed. We have Chinese saints beaten, blinded and jailed for not being part of the official church there, because they want to follow the REAL Christ of the REAL Bible. The result of that is there are over 300 million Christians underground in China....I can go on and on, but we know all of this.

I have been reading some troubling in depth surveys by Barna in the past few years and it is getting worse out there. People wonder how Hitler and other dictators can capture the minds and even hearts of normally sane people. Well, how would you explain the coming rise of Anti-christ?! Well for one thing, it is easy to be intellectually lazy and then use the term "Spiritual" to define any so-called "relationship" one has with God. It is also easy to be biblically illiterate when you have well-known seminaries pumping out pastors who just teach enough to say a prayer, pass the plate, shake hands and see you next week, while building their resumes and tenure...it is easy because "that's what we pay you for"!!!!

Just two days ago, I had a conversation with a gentleman from a well known Missionary Baptist church, whose pastor just got up and walked out...then moved to Louisiana to, as they found out, "pastor" yet another church for more money! You wonder why people think we have no integrity? I know of another senior pastor of a politically active liberal congregation whose wife caught him in Las Vegas with another woman and then divorced him. He was also misusing a church credit card....and on and on....it is no wonder Clergy is ranked just higher than chiropractors and psychiatrists in occupation in the Gallup poll above!

What can we do about this? What can we do if the church leadership and committees do not demand accountability from these guys in the pulpits? Well, we walk out and find a church which does that! Don't feed the beast which is helping the culture destroying our future generations. Above all, pray for all pastors, clergy and church leadership here and around the world. We have more than anybody else, at anytime in history....with less and less to show the Lord for it! Oh, the horror of it all.....

NEW PARADIGM; NEW YEAR; SAME MISSION

Reflecting on the Faith Walk in 2012,  there have been so many small victories with  eternal consequences to so many people, that it boggles the mind. There are some things I can't really talk about, because only the Lord should know these things: from the saintly brother who works hands on with the persecuted church worldwide to praying for the lost spouse of a close friend...the work of the Lord MUST pick up in 2013! 

We are in a new phase of the battle for souls...the battle which demands us to lead others to realize there is more. 
There is more to life than selling your birthright for a bowl of stew....or a fake disability SSI check.
There is more to life than expecting some incompetent politician in a far away city to pay for...(you name it) with borrowed Communist chinese money.
There is more to life than chasing your own tail in pursuit of somebody's definition of success or happiness.
There is a whole lot more than that, my friends!

There is peace
There is joy
There is happiness
There is contentment
There is an oasis in this rathole called the world. No matter how they dress it up, they cain't put lipstick on a pig. This is one corrupt, evil world. No amount of gun confiscation will stop a sicko who saw the same movie stars now campaigning against guns, or playing those video games like Halo etc, no amount of laws; no amount of this or that hand-wringing will stop that natural impulse of men who are out of control - SIN!

So what are we to do? Do we go over the Spiritual, Moral, Societal Cliffs along with the rest of the country and world? Do we participate in their debauchery? Do we get depressed with them at the latest NYSE crash or NASDAQ plunge....or big ticket items plunge? NO NO NO and NO! Amen! As we always tell folks: THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS FOR THE WORLD...AND AS BAD AS IT GETS FOR THE BELIEVER (IN CHRIST)!! That's true! 

What does the world have but its systems, through and with which, they have to perform contortions, black magic and sleight of hand to create illusions! They have to lie, cheat, deceive and they have their loudspeakers in the media - news and Hollywood, whose god is their celebrity culture, to assist in that!

WE ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVE A 3500 YEAR OLD DOCUMENT, WITH 66 BOOKS, WRITTEN BY 40 MEN OVER 1500 YEARS. WE HAVE THAT, AND AN INVISIBLE SPIRIT CALLED GOD LIVING INSIDE OF US! ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS SAY JUST ONE SIMPLE WORD - AND FOR THAT - THEY HATE US!!!!! 

Why? Because that ONE SIMPLE WORD IS - JESUS!!! Ha! They will never understand the Iranian pastors who are beaten and tortured daily by moslem leaders or the teenage girl in Pakistan or the children in this school in Kenya who were protected by huge beings in White with flashing swords.....they will never get it, because we have the HOPE. they DO NOT!  THAT HOPE is within - the Peace that passeth ALL their understanding!

So the new Paradigm for 2013 is the same Mission from the Apostle Peter 1960 plus years ago. The only thing "New" about it is the NEW and RENEWED push for Excellence and Evangelism with Energy! Those things were woefully lacking in the past few years across the west! It is flourishing big time in the Persecuted Lands!  Here is the Word from the Lord through Peter: "But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect...(1 Peter 3:14-15 ESV)


Let's briefly break this down with the KEY WORDS in BOLD BLUE:
SUFFER: Unlike those in other lands who actually physically suffer for our simple Faith in Christ, we suffer from being continually being marginalized, maligned and now mandated by government to give in to unbiblical concepts (gay 'marriage'; free abortion pills etc). But as we know from all through Scripture, suffering is required for the saint's sanctification! This life is the testing ground as well as the training ground, for eternity!
BUT, we see in the next phrase: "we ARE blessed"!
Next: 
HAVE NO FEAR - A true believer in Christ, powered by faith, prayer and sometimes fasting, is actually fearless in sharping the Hope of all Hopes - Jesus and Eternal Life in heaven! Scripture explains scripture right here "...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control....(2 Timothy 1:7 ESV). That means - the Holy Spirit, Who is both God AND lives in us, knows no fear! How could He? He is God too!!
NOR BE TROUBLED - When we step out fearlessly in faith and get shot down...or we see even so-called Christians falling by the wayside or when our efforts bear no apparent fruit....then, press on....don't even look back; wallow in self-pity or debate it....press on and move on. Leave it alone!
HONOR CHRIST THE LORD AS HOLY - What He is saying here is...if you do all of this (have no fear and even so, when things look bad, move ahead)...and more, it remains imperative to remember ALL we do is not about us, but Christ and the Holiness of God!
ALWAYS BE PREPARED - That means ALWAYS!! We may be called upon at any time to take a stand! They tell Christian pastors and chaplains all the time, in all levels of American government that they cannot pray in the Name of Jesus, if they wish to be part of this or that "Official" prayer service, government oriented breakfast or opening some session of a government meeting etc. Do we sign that death warrant for our souls OR walk away and tell them to file it wherever they wish? A co-worker or distressed cashier or waitress may ask you why you look so happy all the time when we owe $16 Trillion in debt or society is going down the sewer...be prepared - pull out Jesus and give them Heaven...in less than 4-5 minutes!  Both sharing the good news of salvation and Jesus and being prepared to take a stand, requires us to be as sharp as a tack and able to give your testimony and how that other person can have one even better, in less than 5 minutes! Any true Christian can tell what Jesus has done for him or her in an instant!
MAKE A DEFENSE - This one requires us to know what we are talking about! Just as we don't run a marathon just from running from our car to the house daily, we don't go into Satan's temporary playground (the World) unarmed; unprepared; unread and under the same sin that they are suffering from. Be knowledgeable on the basics of Christianity and especially the EXCLUSIVITY OF CHRIST! This is the big one which the world - the pluralistic world - wants to hit us with constantly, in order to discredit us! So stay in prayer and the study of the Word...and in fellowship with men of God who are more knowledgeable than you or I!

The rest of the verse rounds off these present tense phrases so we can comprehend WHY we are doing these things. People are going to ask us WHY (should I....); WHERE ( was God when....): WHAT (do I need to do to be saved when I am already a "good" person)....WHO (or WHOM, do I say His Name is?) If we are ready to answer all of this when they ask, about the HOPE which they can see, feel, touch and which is ALL over our faces, we just might be waking again in the Exhortation which this verse has for us for 2014!

Finally, knowing and doing all of this will not work, if we don't do it in love...the same Love that Jesus showed when He would walk up to, or call anyone over. It is that same Love (agape) which led Him down from Heaven to a dirty cold manger/stable. It was the same Love which took him from the Throne of Heaven to the Cross of Calvary. So we are to love and care for people like He did and still does. People don't care to know how much we know, until they know how much we care!

Let's therefore, get back on point in 2013. Let's step into our calling with the fresh oil of a new year and let's do it with verve, passion and energy!

(LISTEN TO CHRISTIAN RADIO HERE FROM TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA HERE. GRAPHIC ABOVE COURTESY THIS WONDERFUL STATION!
ANY OTHER IMAGE, COURTESY GOOGLE IMAGES

SUNDAY SCHOOL LOST OUR CHILDREN...

.....BUT GOD HIMSELF REVEALS TRUTH!

How did we lose our kids - good 'church' kids - to the world when we are the best at playing church. When we have the best electronics and entertainment gadgetry to keep the youth in pews. When we have e-bibles; paraphrased bibles; backpack bibles; water-proof bibles; metal-cased bibles; study bibles; men's bibles; womens' bibles; Pentecostal bibles; bible on dvd; audio bibles, YouVersion Bibles; Gideon Bibles....and TONS OF DUSTY BIBLES ON SHELVES IN AMERICAN HOMES....because nobody is ready them!!!!!! Nobody, that is, except the ONLY 9% of American Adults who have the only view that counts with God - A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW! It is even worse with our teens/college aged young people. Only 1% of them  read/know/live what the Word of God says!

Back in 2009, Ken Ham wrote the Christian book shocker of the Decade when "ALREADY GONE" hit the book stands. It was an indictment against EVERY adult Christian - leader and parent - who have ever pastored, been a church elder/deacon, or taught in a church in any capacity. I remember buying several copies and handing the book out to Fellowship of Christian Athlete and youth leadership to make them aware of what was happening around us. If you have not read this book, I recommend it again.  This book will depress and sadden you...and if it doesn't, we need a heart check to see if people are really walking in the Light of the Lord!!! For decades, we have been losing our children to the world -RIGHT IN OUR CHURCHES...AND UNDER OUR NOSES....while we pat ourselves on the back. We started losing them  from 8 years and up through youth group, and it began- believe it or not - with Bible stories! 

READ GENESIS 2 FOR LOCATION OF GARDEN OF EDEN

How can simple, true and beautiful Bible stories cause us to lose our children to the world through first the public school and then the college systems? There are several reasons. But what you and I, as mature members of the family of God, should focus on fixing is the sadly broken method of telling a very wise child about the wonderful deeds and wonders of the Amazing God of Heaven! We are not going to get these kids...and young adults, who are more tech-savvy than we are...who know more garbage and evolution than we do....and who can tell us about the mechanics of alternative, deviant sexual behavior which they learned in school...we are not going to make disciples of these youngsters by just telling them a disobedient prophet named Jonah got swallowed up by a big fish and lived under a large leaf, when 100,000 got saved after he (Jonah) preached!

These same youngsters will think we're deluded and old fashioned. They will sit it out with us until they get their drivers' licences and beater cars and can drive themselves to some yoga class, meditate like buddha, drink lattes and then become good little pagans....i.e. lost pagans, too boot! I have been thinking about this as the Word of God has been stunning and amazing me over and over this past month of December 2012! God has continued to give me revelation after revelation. Even while watching an older movie called "The Nativity Story", which is a mainstream accurate Hollywood production, it hit me. We would not know a thing about any of this...and all live and die like fools, if the God of heaven did not look down and send His Son down to live in Nazareth after revealing Him to dirty poor sheep herders and Zoroastrian Persian priests who studied the prophet Daniel!

DANIEL'S TOMB IN SUSA, IRAN!

Why can't we show our young people - from 8-18, that Scripture explains Scripture?
Why can't we shepherd them through richness of the Old Testament Prophets whose writings are more important today than ever?
Why can't we serve up the Full Counsel of God, in Chronological context to our young minds to flesh out the Plan of God for mankind and the not-so-hidden secrets of God, which are right under our noses in those dusty bibles?

Why? Because we have a bunch of lazy, unimaginative and passionless church leaders who are more interested in keeping numbers and their church building turf under their control, than the control of the Holy Spirit is why! Young people see that and want no part of it.

Here are some examples as we wrap up this essay. I know for a fact God exists. I know Jesus is real and the Holy Spirit lives in me and testifies to all three of the Trinity. I know the Word of God - the Bible - is fully alive and sometimes wants to leap out of my hands. 

1. So when God said the following in JEREMIAH 15:1 "Then the LORD said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go!" 

I know Moses and Samuel and the Works they wrote (Moses with the Torah; and the Books of Samuel, in part) are real. Why? Because God said so! He has just told the great (and my favorite prophet of all my other favorite prophets) Jeremiah, that Moses and Samuel are still alive, were once walking on the earth and did pray for their people to be spared. We know that from the ancient Scriptures!

2. Even more exciting is this verse from EZEKIEL 14:14 (ALL FROM ESV): "And the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD"

ESTHER & MORDECAI'S TOMB!

This is even more exciting! God has just confirmed the existence in history of Noah! All the evolutionary thinking from the secularists and humanistic science about the Great Flood, has been put to the lie here! Then God mentioned a highly favored man - Daniel, who is still buried in the islamic republic of Iran. The great prophet is buried in a huge mausoleum, maintained as a sacred site in Susa, Iran! Susa is one of the very oldest cities in the known world! It is over 3100 years old too!! Job is both an amazing story in the History of Mankind, but he is also believed to be only the very SECOND book of the Bible! There are no tombs for Noah and Job as there are in Persia (Iran) for Esther and Mordecai (see photos here).

HAMADAN, IRAN- TOME OF ESTHER & MORDECAI!

3. Not only did God the Father talk about some of HIS Favorite saints here, but God the Son did it too!!! Yes indeed, He did and it was right here: "When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. (Luke 11:29-30 ESV)!

Again, this is amazing! Jesus Himself is using His Knowledge (which comes from the word out, by lunch or soon after!"

I can do on and on, but we see the issue here - God Himself is quoting His own Work! Well then, THAT GOD, is the GOD I want, need, desire to follow and already do follow for the rest of my life.  If only we could share this fire and zeal for His House to consume us to the point where we have to teach the young ones coming up behind us....if only....we can reverse the trend which Ken Ham found in "Already Gone"!

ONE STONE AT A TIME

Read John 1:43-50 here

Excitement fills the air. Philip can hardly contain himself. Joy oozes from his face. His search for the Messiah is over. He desires to shout from the mountains... The long awaited Messiah is come! Please see for yourself the Son of God is HERE! 

CARLA MCDOUGAL
AUTHOR OF MY PRAYER CHAIR

Tears flow. Heart pounds. Philip rushes to find his friends. In the distance he sees someone resting under a fig tree. Philip dashes as quick as possible. Urgency causes his heart to beat even faster. Approaching the scene, he realizes it is Nathanael taking a midday nap. Shalom, Nathanael. Wake up! We found the Messiah, the Son of God, in Nazareth! There is not a second to waste. Come see for yourself!  

Waking from his slumber, Nathanael raises his head. In a moments notice he finds himself following Philip. Thoughts arise like, There is no way this is the Messiah. He is to come from Bethlehem, not Nazareth. This little obscure village? No way! 

Knowing Nathaneal's heart, Jesus greets him with a smile. Nathanael is caught off guard. Without thinking he says, "How do you know me?" Jesus' answer confirms it all, "I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael immediately falls at Jesus' feet. Tears pour. Praises spew  like a springtime flood. This is Him whom our forefathers spoke of in the Torah. He stands before me! The Son of God! 

Encouragement fills Jesus' heart. His team is building One Stone at a Time. His love for His disciples grows ever so strong. Excitement is in the air. He thanks His Father for the men who will journey with Him. Sweet tears emerge.   
___________________________________________________

Imagine this moment. The birth of a new relationship. The scene could have looked totally different if Nathanael acted on his first thoughts, Nazareth is too small a town for the Messiah, the King of Kings, to come from. This has got to be a joke. Wow, he would have missed the blessing of walking side-by-side with Jesus on this earth!

What about you? Do you allow first impressions to dictate your life? Seek Him and you will find Him. Don't miss the journey God has planned for you with Jesus. As you engage in conversations with the Lord make sure to listen. He knows you inside and out. Bow at His feet and proclaim, You are the Son of God! 

CHECK OUT CARLA'S MINISTRY HERE!

CARLA IS THE AUTHOR OF THE UPCOMING BOOK "MY PRAYER CHAIR"!

THE CHRISTMAS STAR & PANIC IN JERUSALEM!

Sometime ago I wrote a post headlined "THEY IGNORED HIM...." which is based on what the Bible says about a very minute detail of the Maji (or wise men) from the East's encounter with King Herod. Please recall with me, the stunning fact that the high priests of Israel and their flunkies actually KNEW WHERE the Messiah was going to be born "Bethlehem" but then they just haphazardly just confirmed it to Herod! Not just that, but using their head knowledge of the Scriptures, they told the facts...but forgot they represented God! Then they went back to their private business playing "church". I explained in that post how "They Ignored Him" then and why nothing has changed now! 

These priests were as responsible for Herod committing atrocities against every two year old boy, by giving him the exact location of the Blessed Event! They even went back to their routines as the foreign born Magi came to the Jews own backyard, told these same religious goofballs of their own Messiah's Star!!!!

CLICK HERE TO READ PREVIOUS POST: "THEY IGNORED HIM....."

THE CHRISTMAS STAR
Now here is the kicker! The Jewish high priests, scribes, pharisees and teachers of the Law...KNEW THE LAW! They KNEW that NUMBERS 24:17 PREDICTED "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth" The Hebrew word for STAR here is "KOKAB"...which is the same word in Matthew 2:2 which the Persian Magi said to Herod and the Jerusalem religious leaders "here is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."

This verse is the fulfillment of the Numbers 24:17 prophesy! Yet I found something even more outrageous than the post from last week on. Let's read again this following portion of Matthew 2:3 ESV "When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him"

Now, check this AGAIN! God said in Matthew 2:3b "ALL JERUSALEM WITH HIM (Herod)"! It is even WORSE in the original language, my friends! The word ALL in the Greek is "pasa" which means "every piece, all, every part of etc etc"...so that included men like Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimethea, Gamaliel and Saul (later Apostle Paul). All of these church leaders were in cohoots with the corrupt evil killer Herod, to maintain not just their puny little power but their hold on the souls of their misled people!

Here are the same people, who claimed they were looking for their Messiah but hoping he would bring political and economic benefit to them - sort of like modern political leaders - but when mysterious men from the East, whom these same religious geniuses knew were speaking the Truth, appeared with the confirmation of the Numbers 24:17 star....these same so-called "Messiah-seeking" religious leaders...and "all of Jerusalem" - WERE TROUBLED????!! Troubled?!

So they not only sold out the exact location to Herod from Micah 5:2 gave him the intel to do whatever he wanted, once he (Herod) presumably let the Magi unknowingly do his dirty work. Remember this is the same Herod who killed his own two sons because he didn't want them to lose his throne to them as his successors! Why would men, who called themselves Levite priests and followers of Moses and the Law, so evilly disparage and plot against the Messiah like this? Again I say, the blood of those two year old boys whom Herod had slaughtered are as much on the dirty hands of these priests - from Gamaliel to Caiaphas, as it is on Herod's.

The reason why this is so important is we see the same thing today in modern Western Christianity.  We see the same thing when preachers would rather keep their status quo than rock the gates of hell by rugged evangelism and prophetic preaching about the Wrath that is getting set to fall on America and the world. 

They are afraid to preach against evil as in the case of the school shootings in Connecticut.

They are afraid to call for national repentance and prayer while watching end times storms hit the north east, knowing it will continue to happen.

They are afraid to call sin for what it is - sin. 

They are afraid to hold themselves and thus, national and communities leaders accountable for their actions against God and His Word.

They are afraid to step on toes of wealthy tithers by preaching the prophets and proper eschatology.

They are afraid to stand up for the persecuted church worldwide, and some are like even like the church in Germany which sang louder as the trains with Holocaust victims went screaming by.

In fact, the modern western church is just plain afraid and is a lukewarm pile of spittle in the Savior's mouth (Revelation 3:16). This is the same Savior and Messiah, Whom that same bunch, who loved this world and Herod sold out more than 2000 years ago! Nothing has changed...or as King Solomon said "there is nothing new under the sun"!

SO, is this a message of Hope for Christmas Eve? Well, YES! It is a message of Hope! What the Birth of the Savior in Bethlehem did over 2000 years ago was enable each one of us to be be a minister unto the Lord until Messiah Himself returns to set up His Kingdom in the same Jerusalem, which Herod thought belonged to him! Those of us who love His Appearing and Love the True accounts of Star of Bethlehem and the Nativity of our Lord and Savior are now called "....A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9)!

This is second greatest Gift of Christmas and the Birth of Jesus!

The greatest Gift of Christmas is Jesus - He Who saves His people - YOU AND I - from our sins!!!!

The result of this Gift? The result is True Salvation and Eternity in Heaven with the King, Whose Star appears in prophesy in Numbers 24:17 and in reality over Bethlehem in Judea....Whose Star, men from across dark, dangerous deserts over 1200 miles away saw and followed....Whose Star of Wonder, Star of Night we celebrate this Christmas Eve night! Amen.

LESSONS LEARNED IN A SNOWY DITCH

OKAY...MY FORD DOESN'T EXACTLY LOOK LIKE THIS BUT.....(lol)

I learned a couple lessons from being stuck at the bottom of a seven foot ditch, nose down in the snow. It happened while driving home two nights ago, in a blinding blizzard, with the road disappearing all of a sudden in the white-out. After getting over the initial shock, and wondering (while not blaming anyone for not stopping) when I was going to get out of this mess, I came to terms with a few things.

First, I wish to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for not just pulling me out of the ditch (via the tow truck guys) but for sending Law Enforcement guys from the County Sheriff's department to check on me regularly. He woke me up the morning after, with Psalm 27 (SEE BELOW) in my heart and wish to surrender it and pray it back to Him right now:

Secondly, however, I think the most important thing I could share with anyone, who has gone through similar circumstances with either vehicles or illness or even sudden trauma with a family member/loved one is this - never lose sight of the source of your Strength! It is easy to freak out in the midst of a catastrophic event. But when God gives you His peace, He never takes it away! I am not trying to prolong this event as many have experienced a lot worse in their lives. But I have to share what God gave me there!

What is so amazingly beautiful is His Presence! While staring out at a blinding blizzard and the nose of my unharmed Ford Taurus face down in a snow bank (seven feet down from the road), Holy Spirit kept leading me back to the book of Jonah! I did not fully understand why....since I did NOT think I was sinning like Jonah and disobeying God! Then the next day (Friday December 21...or as the Mayan calendar calls it- "the end of the world"), I read the Prayer of Jonah and found out what God wanted to remind me of and learn WHILE PRAISING HIM - EVEN IN THE STORM! Here is the portion of Scripture which He used to guide me. I got quite a few lessons and directions for ministry out of this from Jonah 2:

Those who pay regard to vain idols
forsake their hope of steadfast love.
But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the LORD!”  (Jonah 2:8-9 ESV)

FROM verse 8, I am to preach even more fervently against idolatry, paganism and false doctrines in today's Laodecian  so-called evangelical church! I am to teach of the coming judgment and wrath for all unbelievers and those who reject the Son of God!
FROM verse 9, I am to praise Him...constantly! I am to praise and trust and obey even when I am in a ditch or on the mountaintop singing with the angels! Recalling the famous song by Casting Crowns "Praise You in The Storm"..you and I should lift our hands in praise - at ALL TIMES
FROM verse 9 again, I am to promise both to fulfill and then perform to His expectation, the fulfillment of those vows and promises I made before Him, ever since I began making them! 
FROM verse 9 again, I am to proclaim HIS WAY HIS SALVATION HIS TRUTH always (which I am already doing, but I know, this was His way of comforting me while I waited for the tow trucks to rescue me out of that predicament!).  

God provides, my friends! He wants us to remember and reaffirm WHY He has saved us...why He has saved us forever (so we will never lose our salvation)...WHAT He has saved us from...and why He expects us to live for, with and IN Him, while fulfilling the Great Commission!
Amen!
Psalm 27

New King James Version (NKJV)

An Exuberant Declaration of Faith 

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
² When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
³ Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
⁵ For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.

MERRY'S CHRISTMAS - BEST BOOK THIS SEASON!

Not only is "MERRY'S CHRISTMAS" the most recommended book (eBook and Paperback) of this wonderful Christmas season, but it is a fun, warm and delightful book for the whole family. I recommend this for your eReader immediately, if possible! It is a fast read and worth your time to slow down, and remember the real joy of the season (second only to Christ).

The tale is adapted from an original screenplay by super talented professional movie producer/writer Susan Rohrer. Ms Rohrer has written other books in recent years, two of which are based on her solid Christian faith. One of those books is called "The Holy Spirit - Amazing Power for Everyday People" and the other is for single young women - "Is God saying He's the one?" Susan is an Emmy award winning producer; humanitarian and an author of this really inspiring novel.

The story revolves around Merry Hopper, a single (oft lonely) waitress who is immediately lovable to the reader. She is hired as a part - time family consultant by a wealthier widower whose children appear to have lost their joy and characteristics as young children....until they met Merry! The story takes a sharp turn when Merry discovers she is in love with her boss - Daniel...who is promised to another - Catherine (daughter of the bank president/owner)! Things quickly come to a head when Catherine, who is accustomed getting just about anything she wanted, soon discovered that she has competition! She confronts Merry who not only graciously steps aside from the pursuit of her own personal happiness, but actually assists her "arch-enemy" Catherine in the latter's remake of her persona as the "perfectly humble and gracious Christmas party host"! You should read the rest of the book to find out how it ends - on Christmas Day, no less!

AUTHOR SUSAN ROHRER

This book is written with a very humorous yet personally engaging flair and should be Hallmark Christmas movie of the week! I give it five stars and encourage you to read it this coming weekend, the final weekend before Christmas, as you wind down your shopping and caroling! Look out for more warm, personable books by Susan Rohrer in the months and years to come!

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL 46 REVIEWS AND TO PURCHASE EITHER THE PAPERBACK OR EBOOK EDITION OF MERRY'S CHRISTMAS!

THEY IGNORED HIM!! LET'S NOT DO THE SAME!

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN THE CITY OF JERUSALEM!

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (Matthew 2:1-6 ESV)

The above passage is familiar to all who know the full Christmas story! As we look at this amazing event - the Birth of the Savior (and He was actually born closer to the Feast of Tabernacles around September 30 rather than December 25), we are discovering different nuggets and jewels from the Kingdom of God! 
We found out that the Shepherds were the First Pastors (READ THAT STORY BY CLICKING HERE).  That would be the Shepherds of Bethlehem who watched their flocks by night.
We found out that the prophesy of the PLACE of His birth (which is quoted above) was specifically spoken of by the Old Testament prophet Micah, many hundreds of years ago! In fact that same prophesy is quoted above in Matthew 2 (in red)!

But what I wish us to take a look at is the following verse which has been troubling me for three days now: ".....When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”....(Matthew 2:3-6 ESV)

To be more specific, let us look at this part here "....the chief priests and scribes of the people....told him (Herod)....for so it was written by the prophet"!!! 
These priests - scribes and pharisees - KNEW THE MESSIAH WAS GOING TO BE BORN IN BETHELEM.
These priests - scribes and pharisees - KNEW THE ENTIRE SCRIPTURES (BECAUSE THEY STUDIED BOTH THE HEBREW SCROLLS AND THE SEPTUAGINT) SPOKE OF THE COMING MESSIAH, YESHUA THE KING, ALL THROUGH THE HAFTARAH OR THE BOOKS OF THE PROPHETS.
These priests - scribes and pharisees - KNEW THE WORD OF GOD, BECAUSE THEY LONGED FOR THE MESSIAH TO RESCUE THEM FROM ROME.
These priests - scribes and pharisees - KNEW ALL OF THIS.....AND DID NOTHING WHEN THE LORD SENT THE MEN FROM THE EAST TO INQUIRE!

THEY DID NOTHING!! NOTHING!! This is the church today! God could send the wisest prophets, missionaries, prayer warriors...and more. He could, would and does send warning after warning after warning to us to take heed, repent and get things right with Him as a country and personally. He even takes His Hands off and lets certain catastrophic events happen - yet we do NOTHING...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING....just like this religious people who could rattle off the written word....then go back to their comfortable surroundings! They went back to sleep....we are sleeping today! We are no different than those people!

You know the old story about the flood and the man who waited at the top of the house for God to rescue him, from the waters rising all around him. You remember that a boat came...and the man refused help. He said "I'm waiting for God to rescue me!" Then a helicopter dropped a ladder down and the man refused to go up into the safety of the chopper. He said "I'm waiting for God to rescue'" Well, the man drowned and stood before God where he complained to God "where were you while I was waiting on the roof and the flood was rising all around me. Why didn't You rescue me, God"
Finally God had enough and said "I sent you a boat and a helicopter and you refused them!!!"

Things happen to us because we refuse to recognize, read and react to the signs all around us. As America and its church sink further into the morass of its own making, we have only ourselves to blame.
We have ignored the news and whereabouts of the Messiah, when He was and IS always within reach. 
We have ignored and refused the prompting of the Holy Spirit daily in the church and in most, even in their own lives.
We have ignored and refused to bend the knee to the Lord and Savior and instead turned to sinful and morally bankrupt world systems to rescue us from all kinds of stupid cliffs....when we should be more concerned about rescuing as many as possible from the coming judgment!

This Christmas season, let us resolve to NOT be like these priests - scribes and pharisees - who not just knew where the Savior is, and refused to go to Him for ALL America's problems! Let us go to Him NOW and seek forgiveness; hope; compassion and His Eternal Love, Peace and Joy - the true message of Christmas! 

SHOULD CHRISTIANS STAY SILENT WHEN TRAGEDY HITS

PRAYER VIGIL IN NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT

Well, the answer to that question is NO! As America faces Judgment (yes JUDGMENT) from God for its mounting sins against Him, more and more events like Hurricanes Katrina (2005), Sandy or Tornadoes that destroyed Joplin Missouri (2011)...or the current horrific massacre like the loss of over 20 children in Newtown, Connecticut are going to draw people's attention to the time-worn question of "HOW CAN GOD LET THIS HAPPEN"?!!!

Whether it is an earthquake in Haiti or a Tsunami in the Far East where hundreds of thousands of lives are lost and millions affected, God always gets the blame - either the blame FOR it, or the blame for ALLOWING it to happen! We can go even farther than that - World War II and the Holocaust where six million of our Jewish brethren were murdered by the Germans and Hitler. Did God cause that? When the great American President Franklin D. Roosevelt REFUSED to allow the SS St Louis to land in the United States 1939 with 937 Jews fleeing Hitler by ship, and they were forced to return to Europe and sure death, did God cause that? NO! FDR did! They even made a movie out of it called the VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED.  We can look at the ill-fated voyage of the SS St Louis some other time. By the way, the Prime Minister of Canada Mackenzie King did the same thing as FDR!

Apart from natural disasters like tsunami, earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes, criminal acts like what happened in Newtown are simply acts of Evil. 
It is the same evil of national socialism (Nazism) which caused the Nazi Holocaust.
It is the same evil of communism and Stalin killing 30 million Russians.
It is the same evil of communism and Mao killing 40 millions Chinese, some of it in an effort to wipe out Christianity.
It is the same evil of demonic tinhorn dictators like Castro, Pol Pot, the Ayatollah, Saddam....and on and on....
It is the same evil and political calculation to stay as far away from getting involved by FDR and Canadian PM Mackenzie King (re: the Voyage of the Damned).
It is the same evil at Columbine, Aurora, Waco, Jamestown Guyana...and now Newtown, Connecticut.
It is the same evil of 55 million abortions in America since Roe vs Wade in 1973.
It is THAT evil which entered the world in Genesis 3 and the Fall of Man.

The world refuses to blame Satan and the evil he has wrought on mankind since he ushered in SIN into the world, because the world has walked hand in hand with what the Bible calls 'the god of this world'. Former Pastor and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was asked by Fox business anchor Neil Cavuto the usual question which secular media people always  asked "How could God let this happen?" During Hurricane Sandy, people in the media, who do everything to dishonor, disregard and just plain "diss" God from their "exalted" chairs on ABC, NBC etc were asking the same question.

Maybe, as both a pastor and political commentator, Gov. Huckabee's answer was not as fully fleshed out as say Rev. Franklin Graham's or David Wilkerson's would be, but he was on the right track. Huckabee said "It’s an interesting thing. We ask why there’s violence in our schools but we’ve systematically removed God from our schools. Should we be so surprised that schools would become a place of carnage? Because we’ve made it a place where we do not want to talk about eternity, life, what responsibility means, accountability. That we’re not just going to have to be accountable to the police, if they catch us, but we stand one day before a holy God in judgment…  Maybe we ought to let [God] in on the front end and we would not have to call him to show up when it’s all said and done at the back end".

Well, the good former pastor is now catching a lot of flack from it from secularists in the public square, both on the left and the right. Forget what those people think, was Governor Huckabee CORRECT? Yes. Should he have answered it that way? Maybe or maybe not, but he WAS asked a question. What was a man of God supposed to say? This is going to be a debate coming up soon, right before the evil and corrupt American culture tries to enforce laws against Christian speech, but watch for this phrase in the next two years "Freedom of Worship". US government officials at the highest levels are starting to use it both in this country and abroad. It is meant to silence Christ followers from proclaiming God's Truth of Salvation, Hope, Love, Sin, Pain, Death, Evil and the coming Judgment....and to prevent men like Huckabee from saying precisely what he said above. It is okay to preach inside your church, but "just don't take your Jesus" into the marketplace of ideas. 

When horrible shootings like Newtown or Virginia Tech happens, and well-known American pastors do not speak up, they leave a vacuum for secularism, pluralism and the growing "inter-faith" movement. You are moving to see more and more of this as the True Hope of Jesus Christ is watered down, as the followers of the god of this world play into the Hands of Biblical Prophesy. When the tragedy of Columbine happened, the good people of Colorado allowed a deeply moving service led by Rev. Franklin Graham where he brought the true comfort and hope of Christ to a grieving nation. However, we have not seen that sort of Gospel-centered message since (in response of national tragedies), except for Franklin's dad, Billy, at Washington DC's National Cathedral a few days after Evil from the Middle East hit us on September 11, 2001. 

So it is up to the people of God - us Christians - to pray for the salvation and comfort of the people of Newtown and especially the families of those who lost their precious young children, who are now in the loving Care of the Savior. It is up to us, the followers of Christ, to keep sharing the Gospel of our Lord and Savior...to keep sharing how folks can be saved from their sins...to keep sharing how to be delivered from evil and temptation and sin...to keep sharing, no matter what the world will say about us. Remember, my friends, the world hated our Lord Jesus, long before they hated us. What makes us think that they will love us now?! So be mindful WHO is watching us - God. He has the power of life and death - both now and in Eternity. He is the One to Whom we are accountable first and foremost. Let us now go and love others to Him. Evil is going to ramp up in these last days. God will get the blame. But the world will be sent to eternal shame.  Let's win many to Glory and Heaven, while there is still time. 

So, should Christians stay silent when evil and tragedy like Newtown hit? No...and a thousand times NO! We speak loudest when we speak directly to our God in prayer and through our love to our fellow man, regardless of what the world says.
Amen