Get Ready Now

On March 11, 2011, a massive 9.0 earthquake and the resulting tsunami wreaked unimaginable destruction on the northeastern coast of Japan. News reports noted that Japan has been the site of the greatest number of earthquakes in any country of the world, and its people have had the most complete and consistent preparation for earthquake survival ever in human history.


A woman who was in an upper-story office was interviewed in the first day following the quake. She recounted that the office trembled, and then began to shake, but she had felt that kind of thing before. The movement, however, did not stop, but increased. Equipment was toppling, the ceiling was caving in, and the woman was unable to stand up. She poignantly commented, "I suddenly realized I had no plan of escape in mind. I did not know what to do at all."

Amazing. In a place where the liklihood of "the big one" is a constant and real threat, that someone would have no personal plan of action is aslmost unimaginable. Yet, for this woman and many others, exactly what to do when the land shook or the waters suddenly rose and brought immediate and total obliteration was not "top of mind." How could it not be? Jesus warned his followers regularly, "The end is coming, and you must be ready. It will come like a thief in the night, at a moment when you least expect it."







Be ready. Be ready! BE READY! Know the plan, and never be caught unaware.






"So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him" (Matthew 24:44).






Myke Merrill

Do not grow weary

Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.    Heb 12:3

As you enter the house, salute it.  And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And if any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.  Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgement for he land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. Matt 10:12-15

Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.  But all this they will do to you on my account, because they do not know Him who sent me.  John 15:20-21
Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.  So then, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.  Gal 6:9-10

Please Wait to be Seated

When I was a teenager, I worked as a busboy at a restaurant. One very busy Friday evening an older man approached me with a look of both amusement and irritation. He said to me "Son, I've been coming to this restaurant for 10 years, and in all that time I have NEVER seen a sign like that!" He pointed to our "Please wait to be seated" sign sitting at the entrance to the restrooms!

In all the hectic scramble, one of the other employees moved the sign because it had gotten in the way. But in his rush to get on with things, he forgot that that sign bore a message! It had become, for him, just another piece of restaurant furniture. That's what happens when you work around a sign long enough-you forget its message.


As Christians, it's easy for us to become so familiar with God's Word that we forget that we NEED to hear its message. A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel. Prov 1:5  
Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding. Prov 4:1



We forget that God intends to do more than just speak to us--He intends to change us with His Word.  I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. 1 Cor 15:51-52.  We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor 3:18

We cannot expect to be transformed and changed if we begin to treat God's Word like a piece of furniture blending into the background, never to be examined too closely. We must take the time to look at God's Word carefully. We must pray that God, by His Spirit, would show us how relevant it is to our lives.


"But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it" (James 1:25).




Contributor:  Aaron Bartmess

If people do not see the power of God in churches, they will seek the power of another god elsewhere.
Churches today should be able to demonstrate the Power of God in their services because the bible says " you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses"  Acts 1:8  

Our actions and our speech should show the world around us what the Lord has done in our lives.  We should be living epistles which are read of all mankind.  Our testimony should be one of truth and love.  Our speech should be seasoned with salt and light.
My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power. 1 Cor 2:4

Jesus is summoning us to walk in greater power than we have ever known before.  He is entrusting us to complete the mission that He began when He walked in this earth.  
When Jesus chose the twelve, " He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and power to heal diseases." Luke 9:1-3  Jesus is choosing you and I today.   He has given us the same power he gave to the twelve disciples so why are our churches so dead and dying?   People will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good,  traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  holding to the form of religion but denying its power. Avoid these people! 2 Tim 3:1-5   Men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw yourself.  But godliness with contentment is great gain.  1 Tim 6:5-6


  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  John 14:12   Its time for the Sons of God to be made manifest.  Its time that we start walking in the Power of the Holy Spirit and do these GREATER WORKS that our Heavenly Father is commanding us to do! 

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. 2  Tim 1:7
May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints'  inheritance in the light. Col 1:11-12

Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.  Phil 3:20-21 

God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness" —He has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.  We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.  2 Cor 4:6-9 

 





 

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens.  Ephes 1:18-20   

The Wisdom of God

During the space race NASA spent vast amounts of time and money developing a pen that would work effectively in a zero-gravity environment. What did the Russians do to solve the problem? They used pencils.

Man spends countless hours gathering statistics and conducting research to determine the right way to live when all he really needs to do is listen to God!  When we seek God's wisdom we find truths that enhance our relationships and protect us morally and spiritually.

For it is written, " I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will twart." 
1 Cor 1:19  Sometimes what we think is the most clever thing to do is not always the best thing to do because we have not sat down and counted the cost.  In order to make a wise decision we must first seek the hidden wisdom which can only be found in God. 
He is the source of our life and He holds the only wisdom that was decreed before the ages for our glorification.   It is not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age but it is a secret and hidden wisdom that only the Holy Spirit can impart. 

No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him. God has revealed to us through the Spirit.  For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.  So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit.  1 Cor 2:9-13
Contributor: Barnett Gushin  Published: Homiletics December 2004

 

Jesus Take the Wheel

The Department of Transportation once set aside $200 million dollars for research and testing of an automated Highway System. This system would purportedly relieve traffic woes by placing all cars that entered the highway on "super cruise control," allowing them to move in unison as they traveled in heavily congested cities.

Such travel would be made possible by using special magnets embedded in the asphalt every four feet, which would transfer signals between the vehicles and a main computer system. Steering, acceleration and braking would be controlled by sensors, computer navigation systems and cameras along the side of the road. Control would be returned to drivers as they exited the highway.


According to Mike Doble, Buick’s technology manager [at the time], ‘The only thing we can’t do yet is get people to comfortably trust the system. It’s not a technology issue." Mr. Doble asks, 'Would ‘you’ drive, closely spaced, at high speeds, through San Diego?’"

In a paper prepared for the University of California Transportation Center, Sanghyun Cheon writes, “…the extent to which motorists would accept reduced manual control of their vehicles and be willing to travel in automated vehicles at close following distance, on narrower lanes, and at higher speeds is not yet clear.”

The USDOT cancelled the NAHSC program in 1998, citing budget pressures, though many conjecture that the funding actually dried up, at least in large part, due to the public’s lack of enthusiasm (e.g., lack of trust and comfort level with the system) 
 
God has established a system that is intended to assist us as we travel through life--it's called grace! Grace is God's fail-safe system designed to put us in "super cruise control" when dealing with circumstances and relating to people. There is just one difficulty with the system--getting people to comfortably trust it. The truth is, we prefer to retain control of the steering wheel, even though it is this proclivity that drives us to discontentment and endless relational conflict. Rather than insisting on doing life our way, we should be crying out, "Jesus take to wheel!" 
 
Published: 1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories for Preachers, Teachers by Edward K. Rowell, p.209; National Automated Highway Research Program: A Review. TRB Special Report 253.
 
"Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).    Sometimes we have to let go and let God do the work in our lives.   We cannot depend upon what man can do for us because man will always fail us and forsake us but God has promised that He will never leave nor forsake us!   

Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the LORD will have faithful love surrounding him. Psalm 32:10  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act, Psalm 37:5 



How happy is the man who has put his trust in the LORD and has not turned to the proud or to those who run after lies!   Psalm 40:4 



Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah   Psalm 62:8 
 
With the LORD for me as my helper,
I will look in triumph on those who hate me.  It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.  It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in nobles.  Psalm 118:7-9

God our Comfort

In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest's lifelong friend Jenny had endured a childhood of abuse and neglect at the hands of her father. In one scene, Forrest and Jenny visit her old house, and Forrest watches as Jenny throws stone after stone at the weather-beaten old house which held so many painful memories for her.

When Jenny finally quit throwing rocks and began to cry, Forrest said, "Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks.


When we experience pain at the hands of those who are supposed to love and care for us, no amount of rock-throwing can repair the damage.
 
Instead of lashing out, we must turn to God and rest in the comforting promises of our Lord and Savior, the one true "rock" (Psalm 18:2).  The comfort He offers is never in short supply.
 

The Total Christian Guy, Harvest House, 1996, p. 127


The LORD is our rock and our fortress and our deliverer; Our God, our strength, in whom we will trust; Our shield and the horn of our salvation, our stronghold!  For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?  Psalm 18:2, 31  The LORD lives! Blessed be our Rock! Let the God of our salvation be exalted. Psalm 18:46.



Bow down Your ear to us, Deliver us speedily; Be our rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save us.
For You are our rock and our  fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead us and guide us.

Psalm 31:2-3  

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 2 Cor 1:3-5



Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,  fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Phil 2:1-3

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 1 Thess 5:14-15  


Brina Gonzalez writes;


Dear Heavenly Father, You have abundantly blessed me With special loved ones... Who have loved and comforted me Throughout this life of mine. Thank you for being so gracious to me; You take care of my every need. I come to you in prayer Asking You to bless... A very special Loved one. This dear person is in pain; The kind only you can take away. As I send up this prayer Please comfort this loved one; And in your own unique way... Let them feel your presence. It will help them so much to know; That they are never ever really alone. I have complete trust in You... I know that you can hear me; And will answer my prayer. Soon my loved one will know Just how much You and I care for them so. Thank you once again For all that you do; Not just for me, But many others too. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Jesus Christ Paid the Price

For those of us who resent or begrudge God for the suffering and sadness that consistently visit the human experience, we would do well to ponder the words of Dorothy L Sayers:

"Whatever the reason God chose to make man as he is -- limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death -- He had the honesty and the courage to take His own medicine.

And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.  Isaiah 53:2-4

Whatever game He is playing with His creation, He has kept His own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing from man that He has not exacted from Himself. He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair, and death. When He was a man, He played the man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worthwhile."

We have all sinned and are all, therefore, deserving of God's judgment, which includes both physical and spiritual death (Romans 6:23).  If this is not enough to humble us in the face of suffering, then perhaps the realization that God asks nothing of us that He hasn't asked of Himself should help.  Especially in light of the fact that while we are deserving of our pain, Jesus was not.  Add to these considerations the fact that there is one thing Jesus suffered that has not been asked of us--to die for our sins! THAT Jesus did for us.  In light of all of this, we must let the bitter chill of resentment melt away and be replaced by the warmth of eternal gratitude. 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name!  Psalm 100:4  Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 107:1






[Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957) born in Oxford, England, was a renowned translator of ancient literature, essayist, poet, mystery writer, and author of assorted Christian works.]

Here is your Sign

Norman Cates shared the humorous story of a guy who prayed this prayer every morning:
"Lord, if you want me to witness to someone today, please give me a sign to show me who it is."
One day he found himself on a bus when a big, burly man sat next to him.   The bus was nearly empty but this guy sat next to our praying friend. The timid Christian anxiously waited for his stop so he could exit the bus.

But before he could get very nervous about the man next to him, the big guy burst into tears and began to weep.

He then cried out with a loud voice, "I need to be saved. I’m a lost sinner and I need the Lord. Won’t somebody tell me how to be saved?" He turned to the Christian and pleaded, "Can you show me how to be saved?"


The believer immediately bowed his head and prayed, "Lord, is this a sign?" Are you looking for a "sign" to start witnessing?

Speaking the Truth in Love

Galatians 2:11-21  Paul Opposes Peter

(Read Outloud) 

When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.

Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.

The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

"We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners'

Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

"If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!

If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker.

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.  

Two men who lived in a small village got into a terrible dispute that they could not resolve. So they decided to talk to the town sage. The first man went to the sage’s home and told his version of what happened. When he finished, the sage said, "You’re absolutely right." The next night, the second man called on the sage and told his side of the story. The sage responded, "You’re absolutely right." Afterward, the sage’s wife scolded her husband. "Those men told you two different stories and you told them they were absolutely right. That’s impossible—they can’t both be absolutely right." The sage turned to his wife and said, "You’re absolutely right."

Some people really like to avoid a conflict. I should know because I’m one of them. But conflict is a fact of life, in fact many have made the point that conflict, even within the Church is a sign of life--evidence of the fact that people really care. And avoiding confrontation is often a recipe for even greater conflict and pain.

The important question is, how do we manage conflict appropriately within the fellowship of the church.

The passage we read this morning from Galatians is the record of one of the best known conflicts in the early church and in it I see a model for how we should deal with controversy among believers. First, I’d like us to consider the source of conflict and then we’ll look at the soloution to conflict. First let’s look at the source

The Source of Conflict =Fear

12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.

You know what’s really amazing about what happens here between Paul and Peter? It’s that it’s Peter. Peter, who was the first of the Apostles to preach the Gospel to the gentiles. Peter, who had a special revelation from God in a dream, making it clear to him that God had chosen to pour his grace out upon the gentiles making them clean by the blood of Christ. Peter, who stood before the council at Jerusalem and defended the baptism of Gentiles. How could Peter of all people have been snared and caused a conflict over an issue that should have been long settled for him?

There is a principle here that all of us would do well to heed. It is often at the places in our lives we consider strengths that the enemy will trip us up. We become complacent. The Scripture says take heed when you think you stand, lest you fall.  Paul tells us that fear was the key to Peter’s downfall. Fear of what? Of being thought less of, of losing influence? I don’t know, but clearly not fear of God, but fear of men.

And so in conflict even today this fear of what others might think is so often at the heart of conflict, motivating the behaviors and the hurtful words that fuel our controversies. And what is the behavior at the source of conflict...Hypocrisy

13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

Francois Fenelon was the court preacher for King Louis XIV of France in the 17th century. One Sunday when the king and his attendants arrived at the chapel for the regular service, no one else was there but the preacher. King Louis demanded, "What does this mean?" Fenelon replied, "I had published that you would not come to church today, in order that your Majesty might see who serves God in truth and who flatters the king."

Peter was not prentending to serve God for the sake of others but he was pretending that He didn’t associate with the non-law-keeping gentile believers when the law-observant Jews came to visit. Imagin the impact of this behavior on these believers. Yesterday they were OK company but apparently now that the real Christians, the Jewish Christians were here they were persona-non-grata.

What genuinely makes this hypocrisy is the fact that Peter was clearly acting in a way contrary to the belief that he held. It wasn’t that he was siding theologically with the Judaizers, he simply didn’t want them to think less of him.   Hypocrisy, it’s hurtful to people, it discredits the cause of Christ.

There is one final thing in the mix of the source of conflict..Legalism

14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs.

The specific issue of controversy here was legalism. The belief that being truly Christian requires adherence to an external set of standards. I’d like to tell you that after Peter and Paul got this issue straightened out between them it ceased to be a problem, but unfortunately that’s not the case.

One young man asked "I am in earnest about forsaking ’the world’ and following Christ. But I am puzzled about worldly things. What is it I must forsake?" . "Colored clothes, for one thing. Get rid of everything in your wardrobe that is not white. Stop sleeping on a soft pillow. Sell your musical instruments and don’t eat any more white bread. You cannot, if you are sincere about obeying Christ, take warm baths or shave your beard. To shave is to lie against Him who created us, to attempt to improve on His Work."

Does this answer sound absurd? It is the answer given in the most celebrated Christian schools of the second century! Elizabeth Elliot asks "Is it possible that the rules that have been adopted by many twentieth-century; Christians will sound as absurd to earnest followers of Christ a few years hence?" (Elizabeth Elliot, The Liberty of Obedience, Nashville, Abingdon, 1968, pp. 45-46.)

Richard Foster, one of the foremost Christian authors on the topic of Spirtual Disciplines asks us to "Consider the story of Hans the tailor. Because of his reputation, an influential entrepreneur visiting the city ordered a tailor-made suit. But when he came to pick up his suit, the customer found that one sleeve twisted that way and the other this way; one shoulder bulged out and the caved in. He pulled and managed to make his body fit. As he returned home on the bus, another passenger noticed his odd appearance and asked if Hans the tailor had the suit. Receiving an affirmative reply, the man remarked, "Amazing! I knew that Hans was a good tailor, but I had no idea he could make a suit fit so perfectly someone as deformed as you."

"Often that is just what we do in the church. We get some idea of what the Christian faith should look like: then we push and shove people in to the most grotesque configurations until they fit wonderfully!

Holy Vision of the Lord

For several years, my Father had been traveling into many nations on evangelism trips. Then, in 1987, First trip into Poland, he was "Detained" by the Russian KGB. For 4.5 hrs he sat alone in prayer. As he was laying on the floor in prayer, the Lord lifted Dad up into a Holy Vision.

Below him lay a huge map of east & west Europe. He saw great fires erupting in key nations across the map. Jesus told him that those fires were fire of revival. But that in their wake, there'd be Governments shaken away. Dad then asked Jesus in the Vision about the USA. Jesus said to him in reply; "I am sickened with the stench in my nostrils of the piles of SIN from your nation, which it's people keep committing! I am wearied by the murder of millions of my un-born children. I WILL BRING JUDGMENT UPON YOUR NATION! But first, I will send one more Revival to my Church before I begin allowing Judgments to befall your nation! That Vision was in 1987. After 4.5 hours, Dad was released with the shock of receiving full Government Authority to preach the Gospel all across Poland. He made two trips later. Each year he said, he saw revival spreading. Then, the Anti-Communist Movement with Lech Lewessah rose!

Then, came the open door for Pope John Paul to poland.

In every nation he was shown in Holy Vision, first Revival fire fell, then the Government changed. As well, in 1987, God touched a South Afrikaner Preacher to come to USA. Every Church he entered, Revival Fire fell, until it spread across much of the American Church World until after 1997! Then that "Wave of Revival" dissipated almost instantly! On it's heals Judgments began befalling our nation! First in mighty Storms, Hurricanes repeatedly beating across the South, and even up thru the Mid West, destroying billions of dollars of property in their wakes. Then, floods began hitting places that hadn't seen floods in over 100 years. Our Military got drawn and decieved into 3 different Gulf & Mid-East Wars, then 9/11, then the economic collapse of 2008; THen, Obama, "called" by many, liar of change, got elected.

Now in real numbers, over 20,000,000 people have lost jobs, the Dollar is nearly valueless, the Government is nearing financial collapse.

The 3 Wars are now "Two" with a newly added one in Lybia. Our Federal Government has been proven and indighted in smuggling arms to the very Drug Cartels it is supposed to be fighting, Known numbers of "Cells" by hidden terrorists are on the rise. And all the while, Mankind is throwing off in this nation the LAW OF GOD which was written all across the founding of this nation.

Even President George Washington, His Vice President, Treasury Secretary Hamilton & the Secretary of War under Washington, along with Congress not only decreed that every American Citizen was to receive FROM THE NEW GOVERNMENT, but was to read the HOLY BIBLE! AND they PAID FOR IT'S PUBLISHING AND DISTRIBUTION TO EVERY HOME! How far the nation is fallen. Sadly! THe Holy Vision which Jesus showed unto my Father while he lay in prayer under arrest from Polish KGB in 1987, has come to pass! Will America repent? Sadly I doubt it. She and her people have become to prideful in the many generations of God's Blessing bestowed upon her. She takes all she's been benefited with by GOD, and squanders it around the globe to those who hate her, and secretly plot her destruction. And all the while, a President is in rulership, who openly stood in a church, mocking the very Bible which President George Washington declared was the one thing that would keep every citizen safe. I grieve for our beloved nation! Will she rise again? Only IF every Believer rises to bow their knees to Jesus in one huge chorus, crying repentance, help us Lord, and then in one great united swelling army; unites to vote out of office every man and woman that has aided by their actions, by their words, by their in-action, the collapse of our nation in morality, constitution, holy law, and righteous judgments in the court rooms. Will it happen? Maybe one last time, God can be begged for mercy and He will graciously send a Holy Revival that will literally change the heart's of the people, turning them back toward him! Otherwise, like an old drunken crack head street walker, she will continue attempting to buy her international friends until she collapses from within for she will have no more to give away. Yes! This Pastor grieves for his beloved nation. For she and her rulers, slops down the street of history like an old drunken sailor who lost his ability to bend the sails to his command.

When the Lord God, lifted my Father up into the spirit and gave him the Holy Vision with the Map of Europe and Eastern Europe, showing fires of Holy Ghost Renewal; One of the Nations the lord showed Dad, along with the promise of Government Change after the religious revival spread; was HUNGARY!

Please read below! This is but ONE Evidence that when GOD speaks, and the people obey, GREAT RESULTS OCCUR! Now! (IF) All American Believers would seek the Lord, maybe a fresh out pouring of HIS Spirit could bring a true awakening in the USA for the reality that when Governments truly honor God, they are blessed.

[quoting e-mail from Fr. Frank Pavone to me:

One recent pro-life victory took place in Hungary this past April when the Hungarian Parliament passed what is being called the “Easter Constitution” because it symbolizes the re-birth of the Hungarian nation! It plants the banner of the Gospel of Life in the midst of the countries of Eastern Europe that were once part of the atheistic Soviet Union


The new Constitution – which is subtitled “God bless the Hungarians” (the first line of the Hungarian National Anthem) – was signed by President Pal Schmitt on April 25 and will go into effect on New Year’s Day 2012. Included in the Constitution are:

■The protection of life from the moment of conception.

■Prohibitions on …

… the use of human body parts for financial gain

… human cloning



… human trafficking



… and eugenic practices.

■: Article II reads like it’s straight out of

“Human dignity shall be inviolable.

Every human being shall have the right to life and human dignity;



embryonic and fetal life shall be subject to



protection from the moment of conception.”








.

(PRE~MARRIAGE) TEACHING FOR THOSE CALLED INTO MINISTRY

For 16 years, Anna & I have been walking, living, breathing, focused, toward fulfilling the; Being as ONE completed human > two, yet one, yet two, yet one: (Spiritual teaching originally written by the Student Prophet of Jeremiah {Baruck}, of whom Yeshua/Jesus quoted from, in his teaching on marriage......in partnership with Yahweh to be reigning on the Throne of our marriage): Realizing , both from Prophetic Announcements spoken over us repeatedly, and of Holy Visions of us and about us and our marriage; that were received by Proven Ministers, even in some cases receiving the Holy Vision, 05 years before those Ministers first came to stand before Anna & I  prophesying......Some having flown from accross the Continent and from foreign nations......; Of which they stood before us, and in cases, even before hundreds to nearly 19,000 one time: Prophesying, even from Isaiah concerning us and our marriage having been Pre-Ordained and planned by God for His Purpose & Plan. We have been continually reminded of the Lord God; THIS TRUTH! As long as Anna & I focus first on desiring to STAND AS ONE, to fulfill GOD'S PLAN & PURPOSE & CALLING Formost: We live in HIS Blessing.

But, if we run ahead, or, (IF) we focus too much upon the temporal realm of things which do fade away and become of little consequence, (Except from the stand point of answering Yeshua/Jesus; when we part ~As a Living Spirit~ from the temporal Realm into the Eternal Realm} That the REWARDS we receive, when standing Eternally in that other Realm, commonly called HEAVENLIES....... That we are to live here, with the view as Paul the Senator, turned Heavenly Kingdom Ambassador of Christ: BECOMING ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN, FOR THE HOPE OF WINNING SOME TO FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS. This is not to say that we can't have natural pleasures, fun, and enjoyment in true loving relationship with one another: For Anna & I do..... But rather, with the attitude of being "Instant in season, & out of season, 24/7 whenever the Holy Spirit / Yahweh says: "Go here. Go there. Speak to this one or that one. Do this. Do that. First and formost." (IF) You and your spouse can purpose fully set down now, at the beginning of your new relationship and together seriously commit yourselves to the above; while purpose fully with an agreed will; pray the following prayer in full agreement; you will not become hindered, but rather, shall fulfill greater things for Christ Jesus!

 "Heavenly Father, We come to you together, in Jesus' Name, as ONE, seeking of you to help us become the following for your glory. We ask you to cause us each, to be fully melded as you, Father, are with the Holy Spirit and the Son (our Savior). Cause us to become ONE SPIRIT united in purpose~plans~goals, of two spirits. Cause us to function as having become: One Mind, made of two. THat our two hearts will become so melded together, that there are no longer two hearts beating in two chests, but rather! As though there is one heart beating in both our chests together. Amen. Daily, Father: Cause us both to learn to walk fully together as Adam and Eve did, united together, before the Fall. And protect us by your Holy Spirit. So that we and our marriage will be protected by your Holy Spirit all the days of our life in this realm. In Jesus' name, amen." Then, having truly prayed the above prayer; begin earnestly seeking the Lord for daily guidence to show you the full panorama of ministry that HE desires to fulfill in, and with, and thru you each, and thru you : Two yet one.

Realize that there will be times, circumstances, and instances, in which HE may thrust one of you forward, at other times, the other being the main front and center, then at times, HE will cause one of you to be the "door opener" for the other, as the Lord will then bring the other to the for front. Both of you together, must realize that it is not about: WHO'S ON TOP and WHO'S ON BOTTOM! Rather! Learning to see yourselves as: A LIVING WHEEL WITHIN A WHEEL, ready at every moment to perform ministry in the literal manner for that moment which the Holy Spirit desires, for the sake of a hurting world, and for the utmost glory of HIM! This will make you both truly available to minister above and beyond so that years from now, if Jesus does not yet return...... one day, you each will look back and see a wide panorama tapestry painting of ministry affect and effectiveness. This is one letter, you need to have your spouce read. It would behoove you to even print a hard copy and both read it together, and then, store it, or, even frame it, so you are daily reminded. Because as we all move toward that Great Day....... struggles come at times, which will require of you both, to remind yourselves of your greater purpose for living in the Earth, in this generation. "FOR THOSE, WHOM GOD ALMIGHTY CALLED, HE FORE KNEW FROM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH" It is written in God's Holy Inspired Word, saying: ".........God is not a respecter of persons........"

Therefore! As God has called you, and is annointing you, burdening you with a yearning to be HIS in Ministry, before you marry. Or, for the reader who is already married: It is vitally important that together, both the reader and their soon to be, or, now married spouce, begin seeing life in a whole new light. Not ignoring the normal temporal relationship and all that is wrapped up in it; But rather, in purposefully reaching and pulling the relationship into a Heavenly Purposed Marriage Relationship. As you are able to walk out life in this manner, the chances for God's BLessings will be multiplied in all aspects of life. (AND) When hardships do happen......the two of you will be greatly strengthened in that Living Unitedness: A three tiered chord: YOU~YOUR SPOUSE~YAHWEH.




.

To Know Christ Better

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.  More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ.  Philippians 3:6-8 

God looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise and who seeks God. Psalm 53:2


The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.  Matt 13:44  
 
In order for us to know Christ better we must look up to heaven as our ultimate destination and just work backwards from there.  We can reflect the reality of heaven to the people around us who need to know that heaven is real.  Our highest goal in life should be to discover that our righteousness cannot be obtained by being more religious.  It can only be obtained by our sincere relationship with Jesus Christ.  Knowing Jesus Christ should be the more important than anything else or anyone else in your life. 
 
The knowing of Jesus Christ does not mean that you will not have to experience hardships or suffering.  Paul willingly suffered the loss of all things and that he might gain Christ.   He considered things "Filth or Trash or Garbage"  That which we value and hold most dear in our lives may not be what the Lord value's so therefore a change and transformation will be needed in order for us to conform and be transformed into His image.   The flesh with its wants and desires will sometimes have to be crucified daily. 

 
But the one who boasts should boast in this, that he understands and knows Me — that I am the LORD, Jehovah showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. [This is] the LORD's declaration.  Jeremiah 9:24
 
This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent —Jesus Christ. John 17:3             
 
How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death,  in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.  Rom 6:2-4

Chosen Ones

For you are a holy people belonging to the LORD Jehovah your God. The LORD Jehovah your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.  Deut 7:6

Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD— the people He has chosen to be His own possession! Psalm 33:12
I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said to you: You are My servant; I have chosen you and not rejected you.  Isaiah 41:9
 
You are My witnesses" "and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. No god was formed before Me, and there will be none after Me. Isaiah 43:10


Many are invited, but few are chosen. Matt 22:14 
If you were of the world, the world would love [you as] its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. John 15:19
Brothers, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful,  not many of noble birth.  Instead, God has chosen the world's foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world's weak things to shame the strong. God has chosen the world's insignificant and despised things  —the things viewed as nothing—so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something
1 Cor 1: 26-28
Therefore, God's chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness,  and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must [forgive]. Col 3:12-13 
Since you have tasted that the Lord is good. Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:3-5
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9
My sons (and daughters), don't be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in His presence, to serve Him, and to be His ministers. 2 Cron 29:11
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Gal 6:8-10

When a person is weary they will often resort to sowing to the flesh instead of sowing to the Spirit.  When a person is weary they become negligent of the things of God.   Have you ever just become so tired that a simple task of reading your bible became a struggle?  
He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,  But those who wait on the LORD Jehovah Shall renew their strength;  They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.   Isaiah 40:29-31.

We are not to neglect our duty and abandon our post.   We are soldiers in the Army of the Lord.
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. To please the recruiter, no one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of everyday life.  2 Tim 2:3-4 

We must not take our eyes off the Lord. 
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.  You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
Heb 12:2-4 

Is your House in Order?

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy. 1 Peter 1:14-16

So rid yourselves of all wickedness,all deceit,hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, desire the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it in [your] salvation, since you have tasted that the Lord is good. Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-6  You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9 
For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.  2 Peter 2:21

But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that [day] the heavens will pass away  with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, [it is clear] what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be on fire and be dissolved, and the elements will melt with the heat. 2 Peter 3: 10-12  

Great and awe-inspiring are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the Nations. Lord, who will not fear and glorify Your name? Because You alone are holy,because all the nations will come and worship before You,because Your righteous acts have been revealed. Rev 15:3-5

Circumcision of the Heart

What happens when Christ enters our lives?   We experience a circumcision of the heart.    In the Old testament we see that the Jewish people performed a sacred act of the surgical removal of the foreskin.  This became an outward sign of their obedience and their relationship to God in spiritual purification. Circumcision was a sign that one was a citizen of the Nation of Israel and that they had certain rights under the covenant.   The circumcision of the flesh could not create a saving relationship with God.  The circumcision of the heart through repentance leads to salvation. 

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.   For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of Lords, the Great, the Mighty, and the terrible God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.  He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.  Deut 10:16-18

We cannot expect to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling if we are willfully being stubborn and resisting the Lord in certain areas of our heart.   Isn't it funny how we can allow Jesus to be Lord in one area of our hearts and not in another area?   He desires that we serve Him with our whole hearts and our willful obedience to His Word is what He requires.  

Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.  Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it because of the evil of your doings.  Jeremiah 4:3-4

And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.  Deut 30:6

He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal. 
Rom 2:29

We are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus,and do not put confidence in the flesh. Phil 3:3

In Him (Jesus) you were also circumcised with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Messiah.  Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. Col 2:11-12