Saturday, November 30, 2013

Thought for the evening of Sun December 1, 2013


Verse


"O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men."

ps 107:8


Thought


If we complained less, and praised more, we should be happier, and God would be more glorified. Let us daily praise God for common mercies-common as we frequently call them, and yet so priceless, that when deprived of them we are ready to perish. Let us bless God for the eyes with which we behold the sun, for the health and strength to walk abroad, for the bread we eat, for the raiment we wear. Let us praise him that we are not cast out among the hopeless, or confined amongst the guilty; let us thank him for liberty, for friends, for family associations and comforts; let us praise him, in fact, for everything which we receive from his bounteous hand, for we deserve little, and yet are most plenteously endowed. But, beloved, the sweetest and the loudest note in our songs of praise should be of redeeming love. God's redeeming acts towards his chosen are for ever the favourite themes of their praise. If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our sonnets of thanksgiving. We have been redeemed from the power of our corruptions, uplifted from the depth of sin in which we were naturally plunged. We have been led to the cross of Christ-our shackles of guilt have been broken off; we are no longer slaves, but children of the living God, and can antedate the period when we shall be presented before the throne without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Even now by faith we wave the palm-branch and wrap ourselves about with the fair linen which is to be our everlasting array, and shall we not unceasingly give thanks to the Lord our Redeemer? Child of God, canst thou be silent? Awake, awake, ye inheritors of glory, and lead your captivity captive, as ye cry with David, "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name." Let the new month begin with new songs.



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God Waiting

Our Daily Bread Cover December 2013


During the Christmas season we wait. We wait in traffic. We wait in checkout lines to purchase gifts. We wait for family to arrive. We wait to gather around a table filled with our favorite foods. We wait to open presents lovingly chosen.






via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/1UA274xo1OM/

Thought for the morning of Sun December 1, 2013


Verse


"Thou hast made summer and winter."

ps 74:17


Thought


My soul begin this wintry month with thy God. The cold snows and the piercing winds all remind thee that he keeps his covenant with day and night, and tend to assure thee that he will also keep that glorious covenant which he has made with thee in the person of Christ Jesus. He who is true to his Word in the revolutions of the seasons of this poor sin-polluted world, will not prove unfaithful in his dealings with his own well-beloved Son.


Winter in the soul is by no means a comfortable season, and if it be upon thee just now it will be very painful to thee: but there is this comfort, namely, that the Lord makes it. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the buds of expectation: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes over the once verdant meadows of our joy: he casteth forth his ice like morsels freezing the streams of our delight. He does it all, he is the great Winter King, and rules in the realms of frost, and therefore thou canst not murmur. Losses, crosses, heaviness, sickness, poverty, and a thousand other ills, are of the Lord's sending, and come to us with wise design. Frosts kill noxious insects, and put a bound to raging diseases; they break up the clods, and sweeten the soul. O that such good results would always follow our winters of affliction!


How we prize the fire just now! how pleasant is its cheerful glow! Let us in the same manner prize our Lord, who is the constant source of warmth and comfort in every time of trouble. Let us draw nigh to him, and in him find joy and peace in believing. Let us wrap ourselves in the warm garments of his promises, and go forth to labours which befit the season, for it were ill to be as the sluggard who will not plough by reason of the cold; for he shall beg in summer and have nothing.



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John 1:1-2, 14

“[The Word Became Flesh] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=John+1:1-2,+14

15 INJURED IN RALLIES

TBN Founder Paul Crouch Dies at Age 79 After Chronic Heart Problems

Paul Franklin Crouch, co-founder of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), is dead at age 79, reported his grandson Brandon Crouch on Saturday.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/tbn-founder-paul-crouch-dies-at-age-79-after-chronic-heart-problems-109811/

POPE TO VISIT JORDAN ON HOLYLAND TROP

Friday, November 29, 2013

Thought for the evening of Sat November 30, 2013


Verse


"Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels."

re 12:7


Thought


War always will rage between the two great sovereignties until one or other be crushed. Peace between good and evil is an impossibility; the very pretence of it would, in fact, be the triumph of the powers of darkness. Michael will always fight; his holy soul is vexed with sin, and will not endure it. Jesus will always be the dragon's foe, and that not in a quiet sense, but actively, vigorously, with full determination to exterminate evil. All his servants, whether angels in heaven or messengers on earth, will and must fight; they are born to be warriors-at the cross they enter into covenant never to make truce with evil; they are a warlike company, firm in defence and fierce in attack. The duty of every soldier in the army of the Lord is daily, with all his heart, and soul, and strength, to fight against the dragon.


The dragon and his angels will not decline the affray; they are incessant in their onslaughts, sparing no weapon, fair or foul. We are foolish to expect to serve God without opposition: the more zealous we are, the more sure are we to be assailed by the myrmidons of hell. The church may become slothful, but not so her great antagonist; his restless spirit never suffers the war to pause; he hates the woman's seed, and would fain devour the church if he could. The servants of Satan partake much of the old dragon's energy, and are usually an active race. War rages all around, and to dream of peace is dangerous and futile.


Glory be to God, we know the end of the war. The great dragon shall be cast out and for ever destroyed, while Jesus and they who are with him shall receive the crown. Let us sharpen our swords to-night, and pray the Holy Spirit to nerve our arms for the conflict. Never battle so important, never crown so glorious. Every man to his post, ye warriors of the cross, and may the Lord tread Satan under your feet shortly!



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

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Attending To Our Words

Our Daily Bread Cover November 2013


A week after C. S. Lewis died in 1963, colleagues and friends gathered in the chapel of Magdalen College, Oxford, England, to pay tribute to the man whose writings had fanned the flames of faith and imagination in children and scholars alike.






via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/61DndjgPe6Y/

Thought for the morning of Sat November 30, 2013


Verse


"And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."

2ch 25:9


Thought


A very important question this seemed to be to the king of Judah, and possibly it is of even more weight with the tried and tempted O Christian. To lose money is at no times pleasant, and when principle involves it, the flesh is not always ready to make the sacrifice. "Why lose that which may be so usefully employed? May not the truth itself be bought too dear? What shall we do without it? Remember the children, and our small income!" All these things and a thousand more would tempt the Christian to put forth his hand to unrighteous gain, or stay himself from carrying out his conscientious convictions, when they involve serious loss. All men cannot view these matters in the light of faith; and even with the followers of Jesus, the doctrine of "we must live" has quite sufficient weight.


The Lord is able to give thee much more than this is a very satisfactory answer to the anxious question. Our Father holds the purse-strings, and what we lose for his sake he can repay a thousand-fold. It is ours to obey his will, and we may rest assured that he will provide for us. The Lord will be no man's debtor at the last. Saints know that a grain of heart's-ease is of more value than a ton of gold. He who wraps a threadbare coat about a good conscience has gained a spiritual wealth far more desirable than any he has lost. God's smile and a dungeon are enough for a true heart; his frown and a palace would be hell to a gracious spirit. Let the worst come to the worst, let all the talents go, we have not lost our treasure, for that is above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Meanwhile, even now, the Lord maketh the meek to inherit the earth, and no good thing doth he withhold from them that walk uprightly.



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

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2 Peter 3:10-11

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives”



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=2+Peter+3:10-11

Texas Churches to Take Part in Black Friday Alternative 'Bless Friday'

As millions of Americans go to the stores for frenzied shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, a group of Texas churches have sought to provide an alternative.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/texas-churches-to-take-part-in-black-friday-alternative-bless-friday-109776/

Largest Pentecostal Groups in the US Gather in Historic Meeting to 'Heal Scars'

Leaders from the Assemblies of God and Church of God in Christ participated in a historic meeting in Springfield, Mo., earlier this week, marking the first time two of America's largest Pentecostal movements gathered for dialogue.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/largest-pentecostal-groups-in-the-us-gather-in-historic-meeting-to-heal-scars-109773/

Expectations of Troublous Times



via parablesblog http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/expectations-of-troublous-times.html

Priscilla Shirer Talks Women and the Church, Moving From the Pew to the Pavement and Why Christine Caine Is at the Top of Her List

Priscilla Shirer, popular Bible teacher, author and conference speaker, recently spoke with The Christian Post about her new book, God Is Able, in which she unpacks Ephesians 3:20-21 to explain how Christians can personally apply the Scripture's proclamation that God can "do exceeding abundantly above and beyond anything that you can ask or think." The married mother of three also shared her views on women in ministry and why Christians need to get out of the pews and onto the pavement.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/priscilla-shirer-talks-women-and-the-church-moving-from-the-pew-to-the-pavement-and-why-christine-caine-is-at-the-top-of-her-list-109486/

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thought for the evening of Fri November 29, 2013


Verse


"Spices for anointing oil."

ex 35:8


Thought


Much use was made of this anointing oil under the law, and that which it represents is of primary importance under the gospel. The Holy Spirit, who anoints us for all holy service, is indispensable to us if we would serve the Lord acceptably. Without his aid our religious services are but a vain oblation, and our inward experience is a dead thing. Whenever our ministry is without unction, what miserable stuff it becomes! nor are the prayers, praises, meditations, and efforts of private Christians one jot superior. A holy anointing is the soul and life of piety, its absence the most grievous of all calamities. To go before the Lord without anointing is as though some common Levite had thrust himself into the priest's office-his ministrations would rather have been sins than services. May we never venture upon hallowed exercises without sacred anointings. They drop upon us from our glorious Head; from his anointing we who are as the skirts of his garments partake of a plenteous unction. Choice spices were compounded with rarest art of the apothecary to form the anointing oil, to show forth to us how rich are all the influences of the Holy Spirit. All good things are found in the divine Comforter. Matchless consolation, infallible instruction, immortal quickening, spiritual energy, and divine sanctification all lie compounded with other excellencies in that sacred eye-salve, the heavenly anointing oil of the Holy Spirit. It imparts a delightful fragrance to the character and person of the man upon whom it is poured. Nothing like it can be found in all the treasuries of the rich, or the secrets of the wise. It is not to be imitated. It comes alone from God, and it is freely given, through Jesus Christ, to every waiting soul. Let us seek it, for we may have it, may have it this very evening. O Lord, anoint thy servants.



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

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Thought for the morning of Fri November 29, 2013


Verse


"Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people ... Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."

le 19:16, 17


Thought


Tale-bearing emits a threefold poison; for it injures the teller, the hearer, and the person concerning whom the tale is told. Whether the report be true or false, we are by this precept of God's Word forbidden to spread it. The reputations of the Lord's people should be very precious in our sight, and we should count it shame to help the devil to dishonour the Church and the name of the Lord. Some tongues need a bridle rather than a spur. Many glory in pulling down their brethren, as if thereby they raised themselves. Noah's wise sons cast a mantle over their father, and he who exposed him earned a fearful curse. We may ourselves one of these dark days need forbearance and silence from our brethren, let us render it cheerfully to those who require it now. Be this our family rule, and our personal bond-SPEAK EVIL OF NO MAN.


The Holy Spirit, however, permits us to censure sin, and prescribes the way in which we are to do it. It must be done by rebuking our brother to his face, not by railing behind his back. This course is manly, brotherly, Christlike, and under God's blessing will be useful. Does the flesh shrink from it? Then we must lay the greater stress upon our conscience, and keep ourselves to the work, lest by suffering sin upon our friend we become ourselves partakers of it. Hundreds have been saved from gross sins by the timely, wise, affectionate warnings of faithful ministers and brethren. Our Lord Jesus has set us a gracious example of how to deal with erring friends in his warning given to Peter, the prayer with which he preceded it, and the gentle way in which he bore with Peter's boastful denial that he needed such a caution.



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

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First Impressions

Our Daily Bread Cover November 2013


As I shopped for groceries one day, I was perceived as a thief by one person and a hero by another.






via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/J0BDB9vT5SY/

Psalm 136:1,26

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.”



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=Psalm+136:1,26

NETANYAHU VOWS TO BANISH DARKNESS OF IRAN NUKE PROGRAM

Recommended Acapella of "I Need Thee, O I Need Thee" by Sam Robson



via Bible Prophecy Blog http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2013/11/recommended-acapella-of-i-need-thee-o-i.html

A Rationale for Premillennialism: The Need for a Visible Reign of Jesus on Earth



via Bible Prophecy Blog http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2013/11/a-rationale-for-premillennialism-need.html

SPACE HOSTS BUSY ON THANKSGIVING

THE VATICAN TO CLAMP DOWN ON SLACKERS-CLOCK IN AND OUT

Happy Thanksgiving: Jesus is the horn of plenty

Romans 8:14-17:



For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.



The Westminster Larger Catechism succinctly explains the verse's benefits of this adoption as sons of God-



What is adoption?

"A. Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children, have his name put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, are under his fatherly care and dispensations, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory. "



Think of that for a moment...how great and bountiful this gift is.



At Thanksgiving we often see the American symbol of the 'horn of plenty' also known as the Cornucopia. The horn is filled to overflowing with harvest items from this time of year, such as this depiction from American Greetings freebies :






Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, whereby all those that are justified are given gifts from HIS harvest of plenty. Picture the overflowing cornucopia of plenty from Jesus with His harvest treasures:



--received into the number of his children,

--have his name put upon them,

--the Spirit of his Son given to them,

--are under his fatherly care and dispensations,

--admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God,

--made heirs of all the promises, and

--fellow-heirs with Christ in glory.



All Christians have these and so much more to be thankful for. I know I am grateful for the opportunity to be grateful to Jesus forever.


'Bridge Ministry' Gives Thanksgiving Dinner to Over 1,000 Homeless People Living Under Bridges

A Georgia pastor began a small "bridge ministry" by feeding 50 homeless people who live under bridges and sharing the Gospel with them seven years ago. However, last weekend that number grew to 1,500 people who were in need of a pre-Thanksgiving dinner that was prepared and served by hundreds of volunteers.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/bridge-ministry-gives-thanksgiving-dinner-to-over-1000-homeless-people-living-under-bridges-109686/

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Thought for the evening of Thu November 28, 2013


Verse


"Seeking the wealth of his people."

es 10:3


Thought


Mordecai was a true patriot, and therefore, being exalted to the highest position under Ahasuerus, he used his eminence to promote the prosperity of Israel. In this he was a type of Jesus, who, upon his throne of glory, seeks not his own, but spends his power for his people. It were well if every Christian would be a Mordecai to the church, striving according to his ability for its prosperity. Some are placed in stations of affluence and influence, let them honour their Lord in the high places of the earth, and testify for Jesus before great men. Others have what is far better, namely, close fellowship with the King of kings, let them be sure to plead daily for the weak of the Lord's people, the doubting, the tempted, and the comfortless. It will redound to their honour if they make much intercession for those who are in darkness and dare not draw nigh unto the mercy seat. Instructed believers may serve their Master greatly if they lay out their talents for the general good, and impart their wealth of heavenly learning to others, by teaching them the things of God. The very least in our Israel may at least seek the welfare of his people; and his desire, if he can give no more, shall be acceptable. It is at once the most Christlike and the most happy course for a believer to cease from living to himself. He who blesses others cannot fail to be blessed himself. On the other hand, to seek our own personal greatness is a wicked and unhappy plan of life, its way will be grievous and its end will be fatal.


Here is the place to ask thee, my friend, whether thou art to the best of thy power seeking the wealth of the church in thy neighbourhood? I trust thou art not doing it mischief by bitterness and scandal, nor weakening it by thy neglect. Friend, unite with the Lord's poor, bear their cross, do them all the good thou canst, and thou shalt not miss thy reward.



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

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How To Enjoy Things

Our Daily Bread Cover November 2013


In his book Daring To Draw Near, Dr. John White writes that several years earlier God had made it possible for him to acquire a lovely home with many luxuries. His feelings about the house fluctuated dramatically.






via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/ulWNQTKwggc/

Thought for the morning of Thu November 28, 2013


Verse


"For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth."

3jo 3


Thought


The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. If the first had not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretence. Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value. Doctrines held as a matter of creed are like bread in the hand, which ministers no nourishment to the frame; but doctrine accepted by the heart, is as food digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up the body. In us truth must be a living force, an active energy, an indwelling reality, a part of the woof and warp of our being. If it be in us, we cannot henceforth part with it. A man may lose his garments or his limbs, but his inward parts are vital, and cannot be torn away without absolute loss of life. A Christian can die, but he cannot deny the truth. Now it is a rule of nature that the inward affects the outward, as light shines from the centre of the lantern through the glass: when, therefore, the truth is kindled within, its brightness soon beams forth in the outward life and conversation. It is said that the food of certain worms colours the cocoons of silk which they spin: and just so the nutriment upon which a man's inward nature lives gives a tinge to every word and deed proceeding from him. To walk in the truth, imports a life of integrity, holiness, faithfulness, and simplicity-the natural product of those principles of truth which the gospel teaches, and which the Spirit of God enables us to receive. We may judge of the secrets of the soul by their manifestation in the man's conversation. Be it ours to-day, O gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence to our daily walk among men.



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.








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1 Chronicles 16:8

“Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.”



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=1+Chronicles+16:8

CHANUKKA IN ISRAEL STARTS TODAY

KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.



ITS NOT ONLY THANKSGIVING IN AMERICA.ITS ALSO THE FIRST DAY OF HANNUKAH IN ISRAEL.HAPPY HANNUKAH ISRAEL.



CHANUKKAH INFORMATION

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday7.htm

CHANUKKAH SCRIPTURES

http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2007/12/hannuka-day-1-8-scriptures.html

http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2007/12/7s-and-maccabees.html






via EVENTS IN TIME (BIBLE PROPHECY LITERALLY FULFILLED)(BY GOD) http://israndjer.blogspot.com/2013/11/chanukka-in-israel-starts-today.html

SC Pastors Opposed to County Proposal to Allow Bars Next to Churches

Pastors in a county in the heart of South Carolina are expressing their opposition to a local government proposal that would remove the zoning buffers between bars and houses of worship.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/sc-pastors-opposed-to-county-proposal-to-allow-bars-next-to-churches-109677/

Timothy Keller Waxes Poetic About the 'Magic' and Pleasures of Sex in Marriage

NYC megachurch pastor and influential author Timothy Keller was recently asked "why sex outside of marriage is so destructive" and in his response spoke personally about the intimacy he has enjoyed with his wife over the years.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/timothy-keller-waxes-poetic-about-the-magic-and-pleasures-of-sex-in-marriage-109667/

The Coming Kingdom (Part 21)



via Bible Prophecy Blog http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2013/11/the-coming-kingdom-part-21.html

Photographer treks to Siberia to reach unknown village

I look at this website called MyModernMet . My Modern Metropolis "is where art enthusiasts and trendspotters connect over creative ideas." There is some beautiful art, amazing photography, travel photos of exotic places, and interesting and thought-provoking concepts.



Today I watched this 8-minute video. It is of a photographer named Sasha who spent an inordinate amount of money and incredible amount of time to reach an unreached people group in northern Siberia...so he could take their photograph and give them the picture. Here is the MyModernMet blog entry about it:



Beautifully Rare Portraits of People Living In Remote Siberia

"Camera phones and social media make it quite easy to see photographs of yourself on a daily basis. However, there are some areas that don't have the same advanced technology and Chukotka, a remote region in Siberia, is one of these places. ... Leahovcenco photographed local individuals in their everyday lives and, immediately after taking a photograph, he would make a print and hand it directly to his subjects. For many, this was the very first time they had ever had their photograph taken."



Here is Sasha's explanation about his trip:

Two years ago I had the amazing opportunity to go literally to the end of the earth to photograph people who never had their photo taken. At schools, churches, homes and hospitals I could give people a moment to forget their troubles and just smile for the camera. But while shooting with nomadic reindeer herding families it was me who was most deeply touched by the experience. For although my hosts had few material possessions they shared with me something rare in the world – a sense of peace and satisfaction with life. We hope to engage humanity’s deep rooted fascination with nature and desire to understand humanity. Perhaps by getting a glimpse of this nomadic way of life we will reflect on this modern world and what in our lives is truly important.



We have within us this innate desire to connect. To explore, to find out why. We long for answers as to life's questions, and we love to explore this world and see the unique aspects of this planet which supports our very life. Since after the Fall, we have congregated and collected and tried to find out why and where and who. (Genesis 11:4)



God put in us this desire to know and seek. (Ecclesiastes 3:11). It's a given that His children yearn for Him.



"My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God." (Psalm 84:2)



But does the lost soul also yearn for that which he does not know? Yes, they do. Romans 1:19-20 states it, God's general revelation of Himself is made plain to them through His creation.



"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."



Gill's Exposition explains General revelation as opposed to Specific revelation. Specific revelation is hidden from the pagan.



"There are some things which could not be known of God by the light of nature; as a trinity of persons in the Godhead; the knowledge of God in Christ as Mediator; the God-man and Mediator Jesus Christ; his incarnation, sufferings, death, and resurrection; the will of God to save sinners by a crucified Jesus; the several peculiar doctrines of the Gospel, particularly the resurrection of the dead, and the manner of worshipping of God with acceptance: but then there are some things which may be known of God, without a revelation. "



General revelation as shown in Romans 1:19-20 is given plainly to every living person on earth just by virtue of being alive on earth and experiencing its majesty. And so they are without excuse. Here is Gill again:



"...even the very Heathens have some notion of him, as that there is a God; and by the light of nature it might be known that there is but one God, who is glorious, full of majesty, and possessed of all perfections, as that he is all powerful, wise, good and righteous: and this is manifest in them, or "to them"; by the light that is given them: it is light by which that which may be known of God is manifest; and this is the light of nature... "



It is this drive which propels explorers to deduce the machinery of the eternal, to peek behind the administration and organization of the world's tribes to examine what connects us in our common humanity. It is God which connects us, but the specifics of that revelation are hidden from most. Yet they seek, scout, search and scrutinize. Even to the uttermost parts of the earth.



If you have specific revelation of Jesus today then that is your Thanksgiving, It is the knowledge of all things, He who is the only important person in the universe, He who is creator and King. He made you and holds your soul in His hand.



If you wonder about the deep things of the world, they whys and wherefores, if you have a seeking yearning heart, then you are alive with general revelation. You can pray to God for more, for the urge to repent of your sins which are the blinders on you preventing you from seeing Jesus in His glorious specific revelation. Humanity is all the same, all one kind in the sense that we are all made in the image of God, (Genesis 1:27) and that we were all made by the same hand-



"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:16)



When we get there at the conclusion of all things, we will truly be one united humankind, seeing and knowing fully. I am excited to think that in that Day, no distance will separate me from my brother and my neighbor, no harsh snow or inhospitable clime will stop me from visiting with peoples who are made in His image and are glorified into His image. There will be no long trek to find far-flung people in order to connect. We will be connected by the glory of the living and present Jesus. And that will be a Day!









Nanook of the North






Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Place Of Water

Our Daily Bread Cover November 2013


East Africa is one of the driest places on earth, which is what makes “Nairobi” such a significant name for a city in that region. The name comes from a Masai phrase meaning “cold water,” and it literally means “the place of water.”






via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/4QJU1O3IgPg/

Thought for the evening of Wed November 27, 2013


Verse


"The forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."

eph 1:7


Thought


Could there be a sweeter word in any language than that word "forgiveness," when it sounds in a guilty sinner's ear, like the silver notes of jubilee to the captive Israelite? Blessed, for ever blessed be that dear star of pardon which shines into the condemned cell, and gives the perishing a gleam of hope amid the midnight of despair! Can it be possible that sin, such sin as mine, can be forgiven, forgiven altogether, and for ever? Hell is my portion as a sinner-there is no possibility of my escaping from it while sin remains upon me-can the load of guilt be uplifted, the crimson stain removed? Can the adamantine stones of my prison-house ever be loosed from their mortices, or the doors be lifted from their hinges? Jesus tells me that I may yet be clear. For ever blessed be the revelation of atoning love which not only tells me that pardon is possible, but that it is secured to all who rest in Jesus. I have believed in the appointed propitiation, even Jesus crucified, and therefore my sins are at this moment, and for ever, forgiven by virtue of his substitutionary pains and death. What joy is this! What bliss to be a perfectly pardoned soul! My soul dedicates all her powers to him who of his own unpurchased love became my surety, and wrought out for me redemption through his blood. What riches of grace does free forgiveness exhibit! To forgive at all, to forgive fully, to forgive freely, to forgive for ever! Here is a constellation of wonders; and when I think of how great my sins were, how dear were the precious drops which cleansed me from them, and how gracious was the method by which pardon was sealed home to me, I am in a maze of wondering worshipping affection. I bow before the throne which absolves me, I clasp the cross which delivers me, I serve henceforth all my days the Incarnate God, through whom I am this night a pardoned soul.



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.








via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-evening/~3/8DwcOijFqqE/1127-pm.html

Thought for the morning of Wed November 27, 2013


Verse


"Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord."

zec 3:1


Thought


In Joshua the high priest we see a picture of each and every child of God, who has been made nigh by the blood of Christ, and has been taught to minister in holy things, and enter into that which is within the veil. Jesus has made us priests and kings unto God, and even here upon earth we exercise the priesthood of consecrated living and hallowed service. But this high priest is said to be "standing before the angel of the Lord," that is, standing to minister. This should be the perpetual position of every true believer. Every place is now God's temple, and his people can as truly serve him in their daily employments as in his house. They are to be always "ministering," offering the spiritual sacrifice of prayer and praise, and presenting themselves a "living sacrifice." But notice where it is that Joshua stands to minister, it is before the angel of Jehovah. It is only through a mediator that we poor defiled ones can ever become priests unto God. I present what I have before the messenger, the angel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus; and through him my prayers find acceptance wrapped up in his prayers; my praises become sweet as they are bound up with bundles of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia from Christ's own garden. If I can bring him nothing but my tears, he will put them with his own tears in his own bottle for he once wept; if I can bring him nothing but my groans and sighs, he will accept these as an acceptable sacrifice, for he once was broken in heart, and sighed heavily in spirit. I myself, standing in him, am accepted in the Beloved; and all my polluted works, though in themselves only objects of divine abhorrence, are so received, that God smelleth a sweet savour. He is content and I am blessed. See, then, the position of the Christian-"a priest- standing-before the angel of the Lord."



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.








via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-morning/~3/8TMDhLE8Irg/1127-am.html

US ISRAEL DRILL-DON'T MENTION IRAN-SAUDI WANTS NUKES

Colossians 3:16

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=Colossians+3:16

If You Want to Walk on Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat, Says Priscilla Shirer on New Book 'God Is Able'

Priscilla Shirer, Bible teacher, best-selling author and popular conference speaker, takes hold of two brief but weighty verses from the Book of Ephesians to remind readers that "just because God can doesn't mean He will," and "just because He hasn't doesn't mean He won't." The bottom line, according to Shirer, is to remember "that He is able" — but you won't ever know it unless you take God at His word and put your faith to the test.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/if-you-want-to-walk-on-water-you-have-to-get-out-of-the-boat-says-priscilla-shirer-on-new-book-god-is-able-109613/

Northern Calif. Community Donates Food to Church After Thieves Steal Thanksgiving Dinners

Thieves broke into a Sacramento, Calif., church last week and stole Thanksgiving food that the congregation intended to give to those in need, but the giveaway became even bigger than planned after the surrounding community rallied to support the church.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/northern-calif-community-donates-food-to-church-after-thieves-steal-thanksgiving-dinners-109616/

Episcopal Church Files New Motion Against Breakaway SC Diocese

The Episcopal Church has filed a new motion against a diocese that broke away from the liberal mainline denomination over theological differences and the treatment of its bishop.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/episcopal-church-files-new-motion-against-breakaway-sc-diocese-109609/

Creflo Dollar's World Changers Church Providing 3,000 Boxes of Thanksgiving Essentials to Needy Families

Pastor Creflo Dollar's World Changers International Church in Georgia has sent 3,000 boxes with everything needed for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in the Atlanta area, as part of the "Thanksgiving Feeding Families" initiative.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/creflo-dollars-world-changers-church-providing-3000-boxes-of-thanksgiving-essentials-to-needy-families-109579/

Hobby Lobby Takes Its Case to the Supreme Court



via Bible Prophecy Blog http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2013/11/hobby-lobby-takes-its-case-to-supreme.html

National Cathedral to Begin Charging Entry Fees Next Year

One of the largest churches in North America will soon be charging entry fees for visitors who are there for sight-seeing purposes.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/national-cathedral-to-begin-charging-entry-fees-next-year-109571/

Drudge evokes Chamberlain's "Peace for our time"; Obama and precursor to holocaust?

Today's Drudge web page has a brilliant evocation of the WWII historic moment by Neville Chamberlain.



Obama has returned from Geneva Switzerland claiming to have been a party to brokering a deal to a nuclear deal between Iran and six Western powers. Iran wants nukes, so they can obliterate Israel , and wipe them from the map . (Psalm 83:4). Israel doesn't want Iran to have nukes because they don't want to be obliterated. Israel lost and six Western powers signed a pact to allow Iran to effectively continue making nukes. The powers who signed it were the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council: U.S., UK, France, Russia and China, plus Germany -- and of course Iran. That's the nutshell.



[Israel leaders Denounce Geneva Accord ; The US defends it ]



Let's take a look back through history so we can see the parallels and treacheries of appeasement, and perhaps why Drudge presented us with this picture. I believe we are wading in deep prophetic waters today. Drudge's deliberate evocation of the dramatic moment of appeasing Hitler prior to the eruption of WWII may indeed be more prescient than he knows:






He named the photo 'onc.jpg' which I assume is short for 'Obama Neville Chamberlain'. Here is the historic photo of Neville Chamberlain, left, which I put next to Drudge's Obama photo manipulation.




So what does it mean?



In September 1938, Neville Chamberlain was Britain's Prime Minister. Here is the historical background to the September 1938 Munich Agreement in which Chamberlain famously returned from brokering an agreement with Hitler and said "We have peace for our time." The following is from War History Online :



-------------------begin War History Online-------------------



The nation of Czechoslovakia, created in 1919, had amongst its diverse ethnic groups 3.5 million Germans living on the Czech-German border, the Sudetenland. When the Czechoslovakian president, Eduard Benes, visited Hitler in Germany he was subjected to one of Hitler’s harangues about oppression and the Sudeten German’s right to self-determination. Hitler wanted to use the Sudetenland as a pretext to invade Czechoslovakia despite his generals cautioning him against the idea.










From left to right: Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, Mussolini, and Ciano,

before signing the Munich Agreement, which gave the Sudetenland

to Germany. Wikipedia pic

Czechoslovakia: the “last major problem”


On September 15, 1938, Neville Chamberlain (pictured), Britain’s Prime Minister since May 1937, visited Hitler at his home in Berchtesgaden and listened as Hitler proclaimed that Czechoslovakia was the “last major problem to be solved”. Despite his generals’ advice and nervousness, Hitler threatened war unless the Czech and British governments accepted his demands that the Sudetenland be peacefully incorporated into the Reich.


Chamberlain was not unsympathetic. Like many British politicians before him, he felt that the post-WWI treaty signed at Versailles had been unnecessarily unjust against Germany and the French’s determination to impose the Treaty to the letter overly harsh. Furthermore, a strong Germany, the British felt, would act as a useful buffer against the Soviet Union. Therefore, Chamberlain listened to Hitler and purposefully pursued a policy of appeasement.


When Chamberlain relayed Hitler’s demands to Benes, the Czechoslovakian president knew he had no choice. Neither Britain nor France would come to his rescue, despite their alliances, and his country could not face going to war single-handedly against the might of Germany. Reluctantly, Benes agreed to Hitler’s demands.


Chamberlain returned to Hitler, satisfied that, through his diplomacy, he had averted a war. But Hitler was now demanding more, namely the right to the immediate occupation of the Sudetenland.


Chamberlain was again prepared to accept these new demands but his government was not. A stalemate had been reached. Europe seemed on the brink of war until the unlikely figure of Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, stepped in as mediator and suggested a meeting between himself, Hitler, Chamberlain and the French Prime Minister, Edouard Daladier. The Czechoslovakian government was not invited.



-------------------end War History Online-------------------



The Zionist leadership in the British Mandate of Palestine wrote in February 1938 that according to "a very reliable private source—one which can be traced back to the highest echelons of the SS leadership," there was "an intention to carry out a genuine and dramatic pogrom in Germany on a large scale in the near future." source

Wikipedia notes of Chamberlain's premature statement,



"It is primarily remembered for its ironic value: less than a year after the agreement, following continued aggression from Germany and its invasion of Poland, Europe was plunged into World War II. "



The Holocaust Encyclopedia recounts the dramatic days prior to the eruption of war in Europe and Hitler's abandonment of one agreement and pact after another:



"Britain and France essentially acquiesced to Germany's rearmament (1935-1937), remilitarization of the Rhineland (1936), and annexation of Austria (March 1938). In September 1938, after signing away the Czech border regions, known as the Sudetenland, to Germany at the Munich conference, British and French leaders pressured France's ally, Czechoslovakia, to yield to Germany's demand for the incorporation of those regions. Despite Anglo-French guarantees of the integrity of rump Czechoslovakia, the Germans dismembered the Czechoslovak state in March 1939 in violation of the Munich agreement. Britain and France responded by guaranteeing the integrity of the Polish state. Hitler responded by negotiating a nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union in the summer of 1939. The German-Soviet Pact of August 1939, which stated that Poland was to be partitioned between the two powers, enabled Germany to attack Poland without the fear of Soviet intervention. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland ."












British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain

cheerfully greeted by Adolf Hitler

at the beginning of a meeting on 24 Sept 1938,

where Hitler demanded annexation of Czech

border areas without delay

WWII had begun. Appeasing Hitler did not work. The entire world was thrown into one of the worst wars in history and the near genocide of the Jewish population in Germany.



Just as the bible shows us pictures and types of Christs (Jonah, Mt 12:39-40, or Adam, Rom 5:14) the bible also shows us pictures and types of antichrists (Antiochus, for example). If Hitler was also a picture of the antichrist, and the Holocaust was a picture of the genocide to come in the Tribulation, then what parallels do we see today with what is happening between the US, France, Germany, Britain and Iran, Russia and Saudi Arabia?



Many.



Let's start with what we know and work backward. The bible is truth and we know what we know from it because it is the word of God. Iran and Russia et al will attack Israel. (Ezekiel 38:4-6, 8). We know that there will be a final antichrist who will embody sin fully and completely. (2 Thessalonians 2:3). We know he will go after the Jews and Israel in the worst genocide there shall ever be, or will be again. He will also go after the Christians. (Revelation 12:13-17). We know sometime in the future, people will be clamoring for peace but while they are saying it, sudden destruction will come upon them. (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Kind of like Chamberlain saying we have peace for our time and then sudden destruction came anyway.



Did appeasing Hitler work? No. Will appeasing Iran work? No, the bible shows that Iran is a satanic regime hell-bent on world domination on behalf of their Allah, who is satan. Their hatred of Jews and of the nation Israel (and thus their hatred of God) knows no bounds and will not be stopped. The bible shows this. The LORD will use Iran as a judgment on His people Israel and so that the nations will know that God is alive in the world and holy, and is defending His people (Ezekiel 38:16).



The parallels of the Iran appeasement and the Germany appeasement have many similarities. One difference is that the Gog-Magog war will not break out until Israel believes itself secure. (Ezekiel 38:8). However, the convergence of so many prophetic indicators from a variety of prophetic spheres can't be denied. [Falklands quake largest ever recorded ]



Whether this is the moment, or that will be the moment we don't know. (Matthew 25:13). But the similarities between history's appeasing one antichrist type who hated Jews and started a holocaust, and today's appeasing another antichrist type who hates Jews and will start a holocaust, are seen in the dramatic photo that Drudge, either knowingly or unknowingly, presented us today. Read this Wikipedia overview of Hitler's Third Reich and think of the similarities to the coming Antichrist regime:



"Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are common names for Germany during the period from 1933 to 1945, when its government was controlled by Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist German Workers' Party, commonly known as the Nazi Party. Under Hitler's rule, Germany was transformed into a totalitarian state where nearly all aspects of life were controlled by the state. Nazi Germany ceased to exist after the Allied Forces defeated the Wehrmacht in May 1945, thus ending World War II in Europe. "



"After Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by the President of the Weimar Republic Paul von Hindenburg on 30 January 1933, the Nazi Party began to eliminate all political opposition and consolidate their power. Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934, and Hitler became dictator of Germany when the powers and offices of the Chancellery and Presidency were merged. A national referendum held 19 August 1934 confirmed Hitler as sole Führer (leader) of Germany. All power was centralised in Hitler's hands, and his word was above all laws. "



Keep praying, the Lord our God will propel His events forward until His will is accomplished. But at all moments, He works good on behalf of all those who love Him, no matter the world's circumstances and events.



And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.



It is exciting to watch His prophetic word come alive and to think we may be seeing the beginnings of his final prophecies come to pass. It is just as exciting to see His providential outworking in our lives day to day. Either way, and both ways, it's all good. The Lord our God is Holy, His son is Faithful and His Spirit is ministering to us right now. As Christians we are extremely blessed, because we have the great treasure of Jesus, and we have the opportunity for wisdom in knowing the bible through the Spirit's illumination. This means we can pray for the people and events that are shaping our world today. And who knows, tomorrow our world may be in heaven.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For further reading



Israeli author: “I think this deal makes an Israeli strike inevitable.”



The Futile Search for a Secular Savior



Understanding Gog and Magog



The Coming Man of Sin, part 1


Real Love

Our Daily Bread Cover November 2013


A few years ago, my friend’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Since then, Beth has been forced to make tough decisions about her mom’s care, and her heart has often been broken as she watched her vibrant and fun-loving mom slowly slipping away. In the process, my friend has learned that real love is not always easy or convenient.






via Our Daily Bread http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/odb/feed/~3/LujqKPp9eRw/

Monday, November 25, 2013

Thought for the morning of Tue November 26, 2013


Verse


"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might."

ec 9:10


Thought


"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do," refers to works that are possible. There are many things which our heart findeth to do which we never shall do. It is well it is in our heart; but if we would be eminently useful, we must not be content with forming schemes in our heart, and talking of them; we must practically carry out "whatsoever our hand findeth to do." One good deed is more worth than a thousand brilliant theories. Let us not wait for large opportunities, or for a different kind of work, but do just the things we "find to do" day by day. We have no other time in which to live. The past is gone; the future has not arrived; we never shall have any time but time present. Then do not wait until your experience has ripened into maturity before you attempt to serve God. Endeavour now to bring forth fruit. Serve God now, but be careful as to the way in which you perform what you find to do-"do it with thy might." Do it promptly; do not fritter away your life in thinking of what you intend to do to-morrow as if that could recompense for the idleness of to-day. No man ever served God by doing things to-morrow. If we honour Christ and are blessed, it is by the things which we do to-day. Whatever you do for Christ throw your whole soul into it. Do not give Christ a little slurred labour, done as a matter of course now and then; but when you do serve him, do it with heart, and soul, and strength.


But where is the might of a Christian? It is not in himself, for he is perfect weakness. His might lieth in the Lord of Hosts. Then let us seek his help; let us proceed with prayer and faith, and when we have done what our "hand findeth to do," let us wait upon the Lord for his blessing. What we do thus will be well done, and will not fail in its effect.



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.








via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-morning/~3/yr5Hu92WkXo/1126-am.html

Thought for the evening of Tue November 26, 2013


Verse


"They shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel."

zec 4:10


Thought


Small things marked the beginning of the work in the hand of Zerubbabel, but none might despise it, for the Lord had raised up one who would persevere until the headstone should be brought forth with shoutings. The plummet was in good hands. Here is the comfort of every believer in the Lord Jesus; let the work of grace be ever so small in its beginnings, the plummet is in good hands, a master builder greater than Solomon has undertaken the raising of the heavenly temple, and he will not fail nor be discouraged till the topmost pinnacle shall be raised. If the plummet were in the hand of any merely human being, we might fear for the building, but the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in Jesus' hand. The works did not proceed irregularly, and without care, for the master's hand carried a good instrument. Had the walls been hurriedly run up without due superintendence, they might have been out of the perpendicular; but the plummet was used by the chosen overseer. Jesus is evermore watching the erection of his spiritual temple, that it may be built securely and well. We are for haste, but Jesus is for judgment. He will use the plummet, and that which is out of line must come down, every stone of it. Hence the failure of many a flattering work, the overthrow of many a glittering profession. It is not for us to judge the Lord's church, since Jesus has a steady hand, and a true eye, and can use the plummet well. Do we not rejoice to see judgment left to him?


The plummet was in active use-it was in the builder's hand; a sure indication that he meant to push on the work to completion. O Lord Jesus, how would we indeed be glad if we could see thee at thy great work. O Zion, the beautiful, thy walls are still in ruins! Rise, thou glorious Builder, and make her desolations to rejoice at thy coming.



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.








via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-evening/~3/Tad5Fnq6cQU/1126-pm.html

Hebrews 12:28

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,”



via Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=NIV&search=Hebrews+12:28

ANGOLA BANS CULT OF ISLAM FROM COUNTRY

Mars Hill Megachurch Donates 1,500 Coats to Poor, Homeless Throughout Washington State

Mars Hill Church collected over 1,500 coats for people in need throughout the Seattle community as part of their three-week long coat drive in partnership with several organizations.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/mars-hill-megachurch-donates-1500-coats-to-poor-homeless-throughout-washington-state-109531/

Yahweh's Book - The Manuscripts of the Bible



via parablesblog http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/yahwehs-book-manuscripts-of-bible.html

Angola Reportedly Bans Islam, Destroys Mosques



via Bible Prophecy Blog http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2013/11/angola-reportedly-bans-islam-destroys.html

Megachurch Pastor Perry Noble on 'What's the Big Deal About Homosexuality?'

Senior Pastor Perry Noble of NewSpring Church in South Carolina dealt with the question, "What is the big deal about homosexuality/gay marriage?" as part of a sermon series called "You Asked For It" on Sunday. This was the most asked question the megachurch received.



via The Christian Post Church & Ministries http://www.christianpost.com/news/megachurch-pastor-perry-noble-on-whats-the-big-deal-about-homosexuality-109459/

COMET ISON OBSESSION HEATS UP TO UNORESIDENTED SCOPE

Does the fruit of Mark Driscoll's works show he is a false pastor and a wolf?












Creative Commons

Plagiarism is a serious issue these days in academia, publishing, and journalism. In 2005 Judy Hayden called academic plagiarism a "crisis ". In publishing, both Fareed Zakaria and Doris Kearns Goodwin were exposed as plagiarists when portions of each of their works were shown to be plagiarized. Yet for all that, plagiarism increasingly seems to be brushed off these days as a minor mistake.



Salon.com wrote further, "Goodwin, the elder, is a serial plagiarizer who has been welcomed back with open arms by the TV punditocracy." As for Zakaria the journalist , last year "Zakaria was suspended ... by Time magazine and CNN for lifting several paragraphs from a New Yorker magazine essay and using them in his Time magazine column. Zakaria apologized, calling it a "terrible mistake."



Academia has plagiarizer checkers, whereupon the Professor submits the student's paper to a site and software automatically checks for similar language or lifted portions. This is now as much a standard task for Professors to perform as actually grading the papers.



One would think that plagiarism would have no place in Christian circles. But it does.



Increasingly, pastors are routinely exposed for plagiarizing sermons and failing to give proper attribution, passing them off as their own study and work product. I wrote back in May that our own pastor was asked to leave due to serial plagiarism, among other reasons. It has sadly become a common problem in the pulpit.



With so many pastors attaining celebrity status and writing books, going on tours and giving interviews, the temptation to plagiarize their for-profit work product exists for them as much as it does for secular writers. Just as with any sin, it can creep in, lie in wait, inoculate the bearer to its evil, and then sear the conscience.



In my opinion, that seems to be what happened to Mark Driscoll.










Wikimedia commons,

Mars Hill publicly released photo



Readers might know that he crashed the Grace Community Church Strange Fire conference last month and attempted to pass out his un-vetted books at the conference. Then when he was caught, he spoke falsely about what happened, claiming that his books were confiscated and he was abruptly escorted off the grounds by guards. Photos, eyewitness accounts, and video proved those to be lies, almost immediately.



I chose not to write about it because there has been so much ink already on Driscoll that I thought the event was tawdry and over the years there has been plenty to show that he has engaged in acts which in my opinion at least, bring him below reproach.



This week, Mr Driscoll was interviewed on the Janet Mefferd show regarding Driscoll's new book, "A Call to Resurgence". (Interview link below). Mefferd, who is familiar with the work of Dr. Peter Jones, and in preparing for the Driscoll interview, noticed that 14 pages of Driscoll's book were extremely similar in tone, language and concept to Dr Jones's, and there was no direct citation nor was there proper attribution. Were the pages plagiarized?



Mefferd asked Driscoll about this. The interview became heated on Driscoll's part, and unfortunately he began to attack Ms Mefferd. Pastor Driscoll said that Mefferd was being unkind, rude, grumpy, and trying to give Driscoll orders. He said she was unChrist-like, had no experience as an intellectual property attorney or judge.



Then he hung up on her.



"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 3:15)



Part of Driscoll's reasoning was that like Zakaria had said, the 14 pages of eerily similar content in his book to Jones's was "a mistake."



Later,Ms Mefferd related that her former newspaper editor emailed her after examining the evidence, saying, "He works on the plagiarism issue with the American Copy Editors Society, listened to the interview and said that group would agree with my assessment of plagiarism in the Driscoll case. Just thought you all would like to know!"



Yet Ms Mefferd is receiving a lion's share of blow-back simplybecause she asked Driscoll about the plagiarism, and Driscoll isn't (yet) repentant about the apparent plagiarism nor his behavior on the interview with toward a woman of the faith.



Pastor Wade Burleson wrote of this issue,



"Mark Driscoll is a pastor. He is not a scholar. It could be that he made a "mistake" by not realizing the seriousness of selling a book where he appropriated the thoughts and ideas of another author as his own. It could be that Mark truly didn't know how to give proper credit to Dr. Jones in his book's footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography. ... Pastor Mark Driscoll might not be clear about the scholarly way to give credit. However, what Pastor Mark Driscoll should know how to do is to treat someone who calls him out on his error ."



In researching this issue, I came across Driscoll's own FAQ about use of material from his blog, church web pages, and sermons and sermon transcripts. It seems that Pastor Mark Driscoll is perfectly clear about intellectual property, plagiarism, and attribution. When it comes to using his own work-product, that is. After reading Driscoll's FAQ on plagiarism, I ask us all, at what point do we stop giving benefit of the doubt?



The FAQ states,



"If I use material from one of Pastor Mark’s sermon’s [sic] do I need to cite him as the source of that material?

"Yes. If you don’t cite him, you are plagiarizing. If you use content from one of Pastor Mark’s sermons or from one of his books, you need to attribute the content (whether it is a quote or paraphrase) to Pastor Mark. Also, even though we make transcripts available of our sermons, this does not mean you can take the transcript and deliver the sermon as though it is your own. This too is plagiarism."



I have a concern here about two things mainly.



1. After a pattern of sin has become entrenched in a pastor's life, without any evidence of repentance, and with bad fruit more constant than good, when do we stop giving benefit of the doubt and saying things like "He is working for the Kingdom of God?" How does it honor Jesus to ignore a pastor's pattern of a variety of sins where there is no repentance, and when the evidence points to his sin's entrenchment and a seared conscience?



Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:5)



Remember, 'ravenous' means they are always hungry and they never stop eating. The root of the word 'ravenous' in Latin means to plunder, take by force.



2. Why doesn't the Church take plagiarism seriously? Plagiarism is lying and stealing. Pastors called to shepherd the sheep on behalf of the name of Jesus the Christ should not lie. It seems a moral given. Yet we have become soft on the benchmarks the bible gives on sin in the sheep and especially the pastors, and especially of they are celebrity pastors. Pastors and elders must be above reproach. (1 Timothy 3:2,10; Titus 1:7).



So I ask again, why do churches put up with lying, unrepentant pastors? Why do they overlook patterns of sin and the bad fruit they produce? It is not about me being mean, or judging another or forgetting I am a sinner too. When a pastor who sins grievously according to the standards outlined in the Word, whether he repents or not, he has violated those standards. If you hired a doctor at a hospital and found out later he never went to medical school, would you keep him on? Of course not, he is not qualified. Pastoring is a matter of qualifications, and those were set by Jesus, the highest authority that exists. Yet there seems to be an easing of standards and more and more avoidance in applying them in discipline when it comes to pastors. Why do we let the wolves gobble us up?



In his 1991 essay titled Should Fallen Pastors Be Restored? John MacArthur wrote, "Gross sin among Christian leaders is a signal that something is seriously wrong with the church. But an even greater problem is the lowering of standards to accommodate a leader's sin. That the church is so eager to bring these men back into leadership is a symptom of rottenness at the core. ... By all means we should be forgiving. But we cannot erase the consequences of sin. I am not advocating that we "shoot our wounded." I'm simply saying that we shouldn't rush them back to the front lines, and we should not put them in charge of other soldiers. The church should do everything possible to minister to those who have sinned and repented. But that does not include restoring the mantle of leadership to a man who has disqualified himself and forfeited the right to lead. Doing so is unbiblical and lowers the standard God has set. "



Oh, and what happened to the pastor I mentioned who was asked to leave due to 4 years of plagiarizing sermons on a weekly basis, even passing off the original pastor's personal anecdotes as his own? Within 5 months, he was quickly hired as interim pastor at a nearby church. Yes, the search committee was aware of the reason he had left. They hired him anyway.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Enough is enough from Mark Driscoll. We should state plainly that his fruits are not from the Lord.



1. Driscoll claims to see visions of congregants in the act of adultery , and claims these pornographic visions are from the Holy Spirit.



2. Driscoll speaks crassly about sex from the pulpit, crossing the line of propriety especially by focusing on adult content in front of congregations and children are present. MacArthur wrote a 4-part series about Driscoll's Rape of Solomon's Song preached by Driscoll in Scotland a few years ago. MacArthur stated that Driscoll defended his talks, "It's frank but not crass," Mark Driscoll told a Sunday congregation in Scotland just less than 18 months ago. But then he continued by paraphrasing Solomon in a way that was totally crass and not even remotely close to what the Holy Spirit intended. (A CD copy of that shocking message, entitled Sex: A Study of the Good Bits of Song of Solomon was recently sent to me [MacArthur] by some deeply offended and concerned Christians in the UK. It is primarily the reason I'm doing this series. )" Dr MacArthur said that Driscoll engaged in "scurrilous soft-porn" from the pulpit. One should consider that blog series a rebuke by an elder of the faith to Driscoll. And yes, Driscoll was privately contacted by MacArthur before the blog series was published.



2a. It should be noted that the New York Times reported , "Mark Driscoll’s sermons are mostly too racy to post on GodTube, the evangelical Christian “family friendly” video-posting Web site. With titles like “Biblical Oral Sex” and “Pleasuring Your Spouse,” his clips do not stand a chance against the site’s content filters ."



3. Driscoll swears from the pulpit like a longshoreman. "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." ~James 3:10



4. Driscoll runs roughshod over deacons and employees, engaging in guerrilla-like tactics (Mark & Jonna Petry for example) of firing them when they question his leadership or his doctrine. (John 12:42)



4a. Driscoll does the same with congregants who won't get aboard his metaphorical vision bus and won't align themselves unquestioningly with Driscoll's vision for his own leadership of Mars Hill. He calls it 'blessed subtraction' and boasts that it is by 'God's grace' that there will be a 'mountainous pile of dead bodies under his bus'. More here . (Matthew 6:21).



5. He makes a mockery of the pulpit and ignores rebukes and discipling opportunities from elder men of the faith. "Nevertheless, I have written Mark privately with my concerns. He rejected my counsel. ... Mark Driscoll’s response to that admonition and the things he has said since have only magnified my concern." More here.



6. I mentioned the Strange Fire Conference intrusion in October, where Driscoll and another pastor came uninvited, passed out their books (which were doctrinally opposite to the Conference's teaching objective) and lied about the incident- we know this because many eyewitness and video testimonies surfaced almost immediately which contradicted what Driscoll had tweeted. (More here )



7. And now this objectively analyzed plagiarism incident where not only the plagiarism is exposed but Driscoll dealt harshly and made ad hominem attacks to a sister of the faith and acted not in grace but in childish pride by hanging up. (1 Peter 3:15; Proverbs 14:17; For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God, James 1:20)



There are more examples of course. I do not like spending time listing these examples. They give me no joy and only engender heartbreak for a man who claims to serve my precious Lord. I am sorrowful for the congregants he is a poor example to. I am saddened that he has given such opportunity to pagans to mock us and our Holy Jesus.



"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone," (Colossians 4:5-6)



Christianity has standards. We have standards for entry, for behavior once converted, and for pastors who are supposed to be leaders.( Jeremiah 3:15, Proverbs 27:23, James 1:22 , Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 3:15)



Is Mark Driscoll a shepherd after Jesus's own heart? The question must be asked, at what point do you stop saying that a crass, lying, plagiarizing, childish, sex-obsessed, porn-vision pastor who goes rogue, refuses to submit to authority, and sullies the pulpit with profanity is doing Kingdom work? When?



-----------------------------------

For Further Reading--



Janet Mefferd's Interview with Mark Driscoll (ftp://ftp.srnprograms.com/Driscoll)



Janet Mefferd Show



Chris Rosebrough/Fighting for the Faith,"Allegations that Mark Driscoll Plagiarized Dr. Peter Jones "



Wiki Classroom: Avoiding Plagiarism


Pastoral Plagiarism: 10 Do's and Don'ts



What are the biblical qualifications for pastors?



Thom Ranier: 10 Things members desire in a pastor

ALLEGED TEXT OF IRAN AGREEMENT

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Thought for the evening of Mon November 25, 2013


Verse


"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

ro 9:15


Thought


In these words the Lord in the plainest manner claims the right to give or to withhold his mercy according to his own sovereign will. As the prerogative of life and death is vested in the monarch, so the Judge of all the earth has a right to spare or condemn the guilty, as may seem best in his sight. Men by their sins have forfeited all claim upon God; they deserve to perish for their sins-and if they all do so, they have no ground for complaint. If the Lord steps in to save any, he may do so if the ends of justice are not thwarted; but if he judges it best to leave the condemned to suffer the righteous sentence, none may arraign him at their bar. Foolish and impudent are all those discourses about the rights of men to be all placed on the same footing; ignorant, if not worse, are those contentions against discriminating grace, which are but the rebellions of proud human nature against the crown and sceptre of Jehovah. When we are brought to see our own utter ruin and ill desert, and the justice of the divine verdict against sin, we no longer cavil at the truth that the Lord is not bound to save us; we do not murmur if he chooses to save others, as though he were doing us an injury, but feel that if he deigns to look upon us, it will be his own free act of undeserved goodness, for which we shall for ever bless his name.


How shall those who are the subjects of divine election sufficiently adore the grace of God? They have no room for boasting, for sovereignty most effectually excludes it. The Lord's will alone is glorified, and the very notion of human merit is cast out to everlasting contempt. There is no more humbling doctrine in Scripture than that of election, none more promotive of gratitude, and, consequently, none more sanctifying. Believers should not be afraid of it, but adoringly rejoice in it.



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Thought for the morning of Mon November 25, 2013


Verse


"To preach deliverance to the captives."

lu 4:18


Thought


None but Jesus can give deliverance to captives. Real liberty cometh from him only. It is a liberty righteously bestowed; for the Son, who is Heir of all things, has a right to make men free. The saints honour the justice of God, which now secures their salvation. It is a liberty which has been dearly purchased. Christ speaks it by his power, but he bought it by his blood. He makes thee free, but it is by his own bonds. Thou goest clear, because he bare thy burden for thee: thou art set at liberty, because he has suffered in thy stead. But, though dearly purchased, he freely gives it. Jesus asks nothing of us as a preparation for this liberty. He finds us sitting in sackcloth and ashes, and bids us put on the beautiful array of freedom; he saves us just as we are, and all without our help or merit. When Jesus sets free, the liberty is perpetually entailed; no chains can bind again. Let the Master say to me, "Captive, I have delivered thee," and it is done for ever. Satan may plot to enslave us, but if the Lord be on our side, whom shall we fear? The world, with its temptations, may seek to ensnare us, but mightier is he who is for us than all they who be against us. The machinations of our own deceitful hearts may harass and annoy us, but he who hath begun the good work in us will carry it on and perfect it to the end. The foes of God and the enemies of man may gather their hosts together, and come with concentrated fury against us, but if God acquitteth, who is he that condemneth? Not more free is the eagle which mounts to his rocky eyrie, and afterwards outsoars the clouds, than the soul which Christ hath delivered. If we are no more under the law, but free from its curse, let our liberty be practically exhibited in our serving God with gratitude and delight. "I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds." "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"



Devotional provided by Heartlight®

© 1996-2013. All rights reserved.








via Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/hl-devos-spurgeon-morning/~3/mTHHN3nDInE/1125-am.html