Hello Everyone! Please pray for Lisa. She was diagnosed with endocrine cancer. Pastor Mike, a fellow Believer and You Tuber is asking for prayers. Below is a web page at Caring Bridges.com:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lisabowen
Thank you all for your prayers. GBU & HJD!
Just wanted to let you all know that we will be hosting the Happy Jesus Day room at Stickam tonight starting at 9pm. We haven’t been doing the God Chat as of late for various reasons, but we will be there tonight! Hope to see you there.
In this chat room, we have the opportunity to meet fellow Christians as well as nonbelievers and people of other faiths - with our hope of sharing the Gospel our main focus. Stickam offers features you just can’t beat -
GBU and HJD
As Believers we should pray unceasingly for every aspect of our lives. However, Jesus teaches us not to pray like the pagans who pray boastfully. Matthew 6: 5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
There are times when we learn of an individual who is suffering from either financial, emotional, mental, medical or even spiritual hardship. Oftentimes our first instinct is to help but we are reluctant, perhaps because we do not know the person directly or are not comfortable with what is required to help that person. There are even times when our own selfishness gets in the way. We don’t want to part with our time, money or resources. Although daily prayer keeps us in direct contact with our heavenly Father and is something that we should do regardless, it also gives us an immediate response to the person in need, regardless of what “physical” help we can offer. This is a request from my home to yours, for that type of prayer.
In James 5, we learn what we should do when we come across a person in trouble. The passage goes further to encompass all aspects of our lives. James 5:13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Prayer warriors are needed. In our local community, our youth group’s attention was focused on a young women name Torey. Torey is 13 years old and attends a local middle school. Torey suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. Her mother and family have set up a website to share Torey’s journey with the rest of the world.
Many of us have had family members and friends whose lives have been devasted by terminal illnesses. Recently, The Happy Jesus Day youth group has prayed and offered support for young Coleman through the Caring Pages.com website. Those of you who have a connection with our Happy Jesus Day website and the You Tube accounts of ChristoferL and DianaMarie777 have supported Coleman with your prayers. We now ask if you would support Torey and her family through prayer as well.
The web address is:
http://blog.myspace.com/toreysjourney http://www.myspace.com/toreysjourney
It is very difficult as parents to see our children suffer. I can’t imagine as I look at my three beautiful healthy children, how difficult the journey must be for Torey and her family. I thank you in advance for your support of prayer. God bless You and Happy Jesus Day!
At Luigi’s church they have a weekly husband’s marriage seminar. At the session last week, the minister asked Luigi, who was approaching his 50th wedding anniversary, to take a few minutes and share some insight into how he had managed to stay married to the same woman all these years.? Luigi replied to the assembled husbands, “Well, I’ve a-tried to treat-a her nice, spend the money on her, but best is that I took-a her to Italy for the 20th anniversary!”
The minister responded, “Luigi, you are an amazing inspiration to all the husbands here! Please tell us what you are planning for your wife for your 50th anniversary.”
Luigi proudly replied, “I’m a-gonna go and get her.”
** I received this little bit in email - and it made me chuckle - but it also made me think of the need we have in our marriages to have strong lines of communications with our spouses. While I don’t think anyone would actually leave their wife in Italy for 30 years, making their marriage technically 5o years old, there are ways that husbands and wives can fall apart from each other while still appearing to be a happily married couple. We can grow cold and silent, uncaring about the other, living completely separate lives despite sharing the same bed.
Remember that your spouse is your partner, and the better your communication is, the better your marriage will be.
GBU and HJD
How much do you love money? I received the following joke in the email today, and wanted to share it with you… it made me think - how much do people REALLY love their money?
Morris and his wife Esther went to the state fair every year, and every year Morris would say, ‘Esther, I’d like to ride in that helicopter.’ Esther always replied, ‘I know Morris, but that helicopter ride is fifty dollars, and fifty dollars is fifty dollars’
One year Esther and Morris went to the fair, and Morris said, ‘Esther, I’m 85 years old. If I don’t ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance.’ To this, Esther replied, ‘Morris that helicopter ride is fifty dollars, and fifty dollars is fifty dollars.’
The pilot overheard the couple and said, ‘Folks I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say a word, I won’t charge you! But if you say one word, it’s fifty dollars.’
Morris and Esther agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word. When they landed, the pilot turned to Morris and said, ‘By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn’t. I’m impressed!’
Morris replied, ‘Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Esther fell out, but you know fifty dollars is fifty dollars…’
Now I know this is a fictional story, but it seems as if we do love money this much. How many friends and family have we watched hit rock bottom, had the resources to help, but instead decided it wasn’t our problem? How many times was that vacation we’ve been planning, or that new item we’ve been saving up for mattered more than the well being of someone we know who might desperately need some assistance? Just something to think about.
There is a huge amount of misunderstanding that comes into the word ‘believe’ when it comes to Jesus Christ. Many believe if we simply ‘believe’ we are saved, and boiled down to its core, that is true, but we know that there is a difference between believing Jesus existed, believing He is the Son of God, believing He was God incarnate, and believing in His Way, or His teachings. How is it we are born again? Today, I would like to explore this a little.
If someone believes Jesus existed as a man, then they are believing what billions have believed. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and even some Atheists believe that Jesus was literally a man who lived in the first century. They do not dispute this, but this belief does not bring them salvation. If it did, then everyone who met Jesus in His life would be saved including the Pharisees, Pilate, and all who opposed Him. We know this is not the case.
Believing He is the Lord, the Son of God, would seem to be sufficient, but there is far more to it to simply believing in His existance or His divine nature…
James 2:19
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
If the demons believe there is one God and yet they are condemned - what can be said for those of us who reject Jesus Christ and His Way?
Jesus Himself had the following to say concerning some who call Him Lord…
Matthew 7
21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
It is plain to see that many who call Jesus ‘Lord’ are not saved, but why? They do not do the will of His Father. Jesus goes so far as to call them evildoers! So how could someone be an evil-doer yet still prophesy, drive out demons, and perform miracles? The name of Jesus is powerful! God honors His Son as He sees fit. But just because God honors the name of His Son, that doesn’t mean God necessarily approves of the one who speaks His name.
Luke 10:20 …do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
What matters is NOT that ’spirits’ submit to us, because they aren’t submitting to us but to the name of Christ. What matters is our names are written in Heaven. I believe people get caught up in the fever of the name of Jesus can supernaturally move mountains - but they are celebrating over the wrong thing.
Through Christ, God has offered salvation, but the path is narrow, and few will find it. Why is that? I believe its our understanding of the word believe and how it impacts our mindset.
John 14:15
“If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
I we truly believe in Christ - we will love Him. If we love Him - we will strive to be as He was on this planet. He becomes our role model. We will do as He taught us.
For example, I believe dieting and exercise will lead to weight loss. In fact, I KNOW it will, but if I know these things and do not do them, then I won’t lose any weight at all… at least not because of dieting and exercise.
If I believe in Jesus Christ - I will do what He taught - and I will become a child of God through the Holy Spirit under the grace and forgiveness He poured out through His Son.
None of us are perfect - and we all fall short of the Glory of God - but we have no excuse for not striving daily to be more and more like Christ. Jesus gave us clear teaching and demonstrations as to how He wants us to live our lives, and we can know what He taught through the Gospels as if we wrote them our selves, but if we do nothing to put those teachings in effect in our lives, then we are not truly ‘believing’ in Him the way we need to be.
Luke 6:46
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
Christians have to constantly be striving towards being more like Christ. He knows who is born again and who is ‘born pretend’. He knows our hearts and knows if we are making genuine efforts to be as He wants us to be. We can fool ourselves; we can fool others; but we cannot fool our Father.
Matthew 7
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
“inwardly they are ferocious wolves…”
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21″Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
“He who does the will of my FATHER…”
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
“Away from me, you evildoers!”
Matthew 10:16?Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
“harmless as doves…”
Ephesians 6
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
We must love each other…
We must humble ourselves…
We must repent…
We must forgive…
We must heal…
A refusal to do so makes us out to be liars against the Gospel…
A refusal to do so exposes us as wolves…
Among the sheep…
May God help us all in this war. The Spiritual War.
Excuses
We all have em - and they all stink… no matter what your belief is… Christian, Atheist, or otherwise - it seems everything is spawned from excuses…
Jesus teaches us to rise above the urge to strike back…
Matthew 5
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus calls us to ignore the attacks, insults, and such - yet we all too often fall short. What happens when someone says - hey man - you’re an idiot? Typically the person who was offended replies with his own insult, and so on and so on.
Galatians 5:15?If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other
We are blessed who participate on Youtube are blessed the sense that we have seen this. We have seen how people attacking people has devoured whole accounts. We’ve seen atheists destroyed in attacks with fellow atheists - and we’ve seen Christian ministries go from powerful tools of God to insignificance because of their refusal to humble themselves and simply do as Jesus teaches. The thing about the teachings of Christ and His Apostles is you can see them demonstrated in all walks of life, regardless of the titles assigned to people.
The excuses used to justify the continuation of drama and tension boils down to eye for an eye, but the answer out of this is - the way to end the cycle of drama is not eye for an eye - its turn the other cheek… and to love our enemy.
What does that do? If someone calls you an idiot - and you refuse to bite back - what does that do to the one who cast the insult? It either leaves them boiling in their own anger, which leads to self-destruction or it touches their heart and changes the whole situation.
Ultimately though, it ends the dispute - because you refuse to feed the fire of hatred.
For those of you who follow Jesus - you know exactly what I am talking about - as I am sure you’ve seen this lesson play out in your own lives… for those who don’t yet know Christ - I pray that you’ll give this simple principal a shot - test the Lord in this - and see if it isn’t so. See if the circle of drama isn’t stopped when you simply humble yourself and let it go.
I thank you for your time,
GBU and HJD
ChristoferL
To all my brothers and sisters in Christ…
I want to apologize to all of you for the part I have played in the ever escalating drama that is going on between Yokeup and myself. I preach that we should love our enemies, and that we should seek peace in all situations, but I have been unable to even keep the peace with a man who professes Jesus to be His Lord as well.
While it is absolutely true that I strongly disagree with the way Jeff treats non-believers; while it is true that I believe his behavior has been anything but Christ-like; I cannot say that I have been an example of Christ in response to him. I could have and should have handled the whole thing in a better way.
You see, I don’t know what God’s plan is for Jeff. I know that what he is doing goes completely against the grain of what Jesus is leading me to do, but I have forgotten that the wrath is God’s alone. If God wants Jeff to change, Jeff will change. If Jeff refuses to conform to the teachings of Jesus Christ, then it will be his downfall, as God will not be mocked, but maybe Jeff is exactly as Christ wants him. Who am I to judge?
I have written Jeff; I called Jeff on the phone; I have made videos refuting his techniques; and he has done nothing but harden himself to every thing I have tried to share with him. I can do no more. I sat here last night, thinking of how I would respond to his public declaration that I am a lukewarm, watered down Christian. How would I respond to him comparing me to Joel Olsteen? And after praying on it, and sleeping on it, the following is my response…
God bless you Jeff. If you believe I am lukewarm, then I will let my life speak for itself. Jesus knows my heart. God bless you Jeff. If you think I am watered down, then I pray it is the water of the river of life, and may I forever be soaked in it. If you believe I am like Joel Olsteen, all I can say is amen! He also professes Jesus Christ to be his savior, just as you do, just as I do. I forgive you for the things you’ve done to hurt myself and my ministry.
God bless you Jeff, I see you are on fire for the Lord, but I pray you will not forget to heed His words in your zeal. God bless you Jeff, as I pray you are filled with the Holy Spirit, completely and utterly filled with His Gospel. God bless you Jeff, as it is an honor to be your brother in Christ, and I look forward to laughing about all this drama when we meet in heaven. I pray you’ll forgive me for anything I have done to hurt you or your ministry.
I love you Jeff, and I believe that we are all on a path of maturing in the Spirit. I believe we are all falling short of the Glory of God, but that He will make a way for us to be as One, so that others will know that Our Father did indeed send His Son.
With that, I pray we are all blessed in the grace and forgiveness of God, and that we strive to be as One as our Savior commands.
God Bless you all…
ChristoferL
A great video discussing the sexual sins of David Koresh by Jeromestein4u!
Hundreds of New Testaments torched in Israel
(CNN)– Police in Israel are investigating the burning of hundreds of New Testaments in a city near Tel Aviv, an incident that has alarmed advocates of religious freedom.
Investigators plan to review photographs and footage showing “a fairly large” number of New Testaments being torched this month in the city of Or-Yehuda, a police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, said Wednesday.
News accounts in Israel have quoted Uzi Aharon, the deputy mayor of Or-Yehuda, as saying he organized students who burned several hundred copies of the New Testament. The deputy mayor gave interviews to Israeli radio and television stations after word of the incident surfaced about two weeks ago.
Soon he was talking with Russian, Italian and French television stations, “explaining to their highly offended audiences back home how he had not meant for the Bibles to be burned, and trying to undo the damage caused by the news (and photographs) of Jews burning New Testaments,” The Jerusalem Post reported.
Aharon told CNN on Wednesday that he collected New Testaments and other “Messianic propaganda” that had been handed out in the city but that he did not plan or organize a burning. Instead, he said, three teenagers set fire to a pile of New Testaments while he was not present. Once he learned what was going on, he said, he stopped the burning…
read the full story by clicking here…
Michelle2chat, a sister from Youtube, just put up a video I think states the opposition we should all have against attacking atheists as Christians. It is one thing to try to correct someone in love, but its another to attack the atheist endless and enjoy it. That’s sadism.
After a short hiatus, Cajun Punk is back on Youtube! WoooHooo! Check him out and say hi if you get a chance! GBU Joram, you were missed!
Some of you are aware that Fellowship of the Martyrs (FOTM) is under attack on Youtube for their teachings on marriage. In fairness, I am not completely up to date on what their teaching is, but apparently they dispute the validity of marriages that are made outside of the will of God. Apparently, if a couple marries and they aren’t following God, or they aren’t believers, they believe God doesn’t honor that marriage and it is completely ok to walk away from the marriage. If I have I am misunderstanding their teaching I trust that someone will correct me on this, but the truth of the matter is it doesn’t matter if I am misunderstanding them or not in the context of what I am about to write.
I have been heavily criticized for the way I read the Bible, and how I take in the scriptures, however, I have always been led (by the Holy Spirit, I believe) to read the scriptures in a tier of authority.
I read the Bible in this manner…
Jesus comes first - what He said goes, and if it contradicts anything that the Apostles or the Old Testament (OT) professes in any way, then Jesus trumps those things, and I follow Him. This scripture has always seemed to drive this point home to me:
John 21
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)
21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
No matter what, I must follow Jesus. Period.
I consider the writings of the Apostles to be next in the line of authority. If anything they wrote opposes anything in the OT, and it doesn’t contradict Christ, then it stands.
Finally, there is the OT, which is full of lessons, but I cannot accept it as equal to Christ because Christ gave different (whether we call His commands new, enhancements, clarifications, expansions, or whatever other term people have dreamed up) commands that directly opposed the OT. The following scripture demonstrates this.
Matthew 5
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
To me, I believe that Jesus brought us a better covenant, and because it is better, it is different than the former covenant.
Luke 22
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Thus, in the case of what FOTM is suffering, they would never be faced with this if they had not looked for ways around marriage in the OT. If they were to simply accept what Jesus taught concerning marriage and divorce, there would be nothing against them in this regard. Jesus said no divorce except for adultery, period. There were no provisions for marriages outside the ‘will of God’ or ‘covenant of God’. Besides, Paul addresses marriage to an unbeliever in 1 Corinthians 7!
We must follow Him, above the Law of Moses, above the writings of the prophets, above even the Apostles, it is Jesus first. People can rationalize around this all day long. They can declare that Jesus is God and thus His words are also the words of the OT, but they cannot reconcile why Jesus directly opposed things from the OT. They can declare that God never changes, and I believe this, but we have to trust that Jesus knows more about what is going on than we do, or than the Jews did…
Mark 10:5
5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied.
6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’
7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one.
9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
Luke 24:44
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 15:25
But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
Don’t get me wrong, the OT is a needed component of the Bible, but I do not accept it as equal to the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. Perhaps I lack an in depth knowledge of the OT. Perhaps I am wrong here, but I don’t think so. I think one of the biggest problems with Christianity is that we try to reconcile the Old Testament to the teachings of Christ when we should recognize a clear difference between the two.
2 Timothy 2
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
So many times we hear, keep our eyes on Christ, and thats exactly what I try to do… above all else.
Talking to my wife today it became obvious that while I am good at professing principles I often forget practicalities and the nature of reality. What am I talking about? I am talking about our walk with Christ, and how we all fall short even though we technically should know better.
For instance, I speak against violence, and yet I cannot say without a doubt that I would not fight for my life and the lives of my family if pushed into a life or death situation. I would like to believe that I would fall to my knees and trust the Lord in such cases, but no one can really know what they will do in those kind of situations until they are in them. When I speak against violence, war, or death penalties, I don’t do so in order to judge those who approve of such things. I speak against them because in principle, its how a follower in Christ should speak. If we would all grasp onto the principle of peace, then we might really change the world, but I can’t fault others who don’t have a measure of faith to accept peace at all costs.
When I speak against anything, be it murder, theft, lying, hypocrisy, adultery or looking in lust, divorce, religion… I do so from a principle point of view, not a practical point of view, and it doesn’t necessarily reflect the reality of my life. While I would like us all to embrace the principles of Jesus Christ, I know that we all fall short of them.
I preach about where I want to be in life, not necessarily where I am. I just felt moved to let you guys know the obvious… and that is that I also fall short of the Glory of God. I am not perfect, and if I am a ’saint’ it’s only through the grace of God. I am no better than anyone else, and I pray that I haven’t left any of you with a false impression.
May God bless us all - and help us find maturity in the Holy Spirit.
Last night my whole Mac computer died. Inexplicably, without reason, it just went. This ole e-mac is pushing 6 years old and that’s pretty good considering the e-mac was designed for five years of service or so (from what I am told). I was panic stricken.
You see, Di and I have stretched our means to their limits, having a hefty mortgage, two car payments, and all the joyous bills that come with living - lol. I struggled to get the system operating again, to no avail. Hour after hour, things just weren’t working out.
At one point, I just stopped and prayed. Lord knows without the Mac our HJD ministry would be in flux. The Youtube videos would all but cease. Even my emails would be difficult to respond to.
Yes, I could go out and buy a budget PC to do the job, but last time that happened (when my i-mac died about 6 years ago), it was a blazing mess.
Well, like an answer to my prayers, I suddenly had the idea to partition my hard drive in two. And wouldn’t you know it, I was able to get the system running again? I’ve never partitioned a hard drive before, but out of no where the idea came to me. Its not very stable, and I certainly don’t trust the thing, but for now it is running. God will provide. He always does, and I take this band-aid fix for the computer as an example of His glorious ability to aid me when there seems to be no way out.
Glory be to God!
When I posted the lyrics to Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman yesterday, I thought that everyone would know the song. To my surprise, some of you have never heard it, so here’s a link to his myspace page (click here)… on this page, Matt has four songs. The fourth song is Blessed Be Your Name! Now everyone can hear it!
GBU and HJD!
Today I heard an interesting message, and thought I would share a wonderful part of it with you all… perhaps you’ve heard the song, “Blessed Be the Name” by Matt Redman? I am sure if you have, you’ve noticed this song calls out for us to praise the Lord in good and bad situations. Maybe you’ve heard sermons that preach this, or just come to this conclusion in your own walk with Christ on your own? Either way, I heard an interesting reason why we are told to praise Him in bad times…
Psalms 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. (kjv)
or - as the verse is worded in modern translations…
3 Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. (nasb)
“inhabitest” and “enthroned” comes from the Hebrew word “yashab” which is a verb that is defined in the Strong’s Concordance as meaning “to dwell, remain, sit, abide”.
This means God is present in the praises of Israel - which all the followers of Jesus Christ have been grafted into (Romans 11)…
Thus - when times are tough, and you feel like God is not there for you, when you praise Him, according to King David, God will be present. Praise the Lord He is SO good to us!
Blessed Be Your Name
by Matt Redman
- - -
Blessed Be Your Name - In the land that is plentiful - Where Your streams of abundance flow - Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name - When I’m found in the desert place - Though I walk through the wilderness - Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out - I’ll turn back to praise - When the darkness closes in, Lord - Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord - Blessed be Your name - Blessed be the name of the Lord - Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name - When the sun’s shining down on me - When the world’s ‘all as it should be’ - Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name - On the road marked with suffering - Though there’s pain in the offering - Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out - I’ll turn back to praise - When the darkness closes in, Lord - Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord - Blessed be Your name - Blessed be the name of the Lord - Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be the name of the Lord - Blessed be Your name - Blessed be the name of the Lord - Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away - You give and take away - My heart will choose to say -Lord, blessed be Your name
Things are feeling pretty rough today so I just thought I would write about tension. Things have been pretty hectic the last month or so around our home because of circumstances beyond our control, but never the less, they are taking their toll. The problems aren’t directly related to me or my wife or our children, but they are indirectly straining all of our relationships in ways I never expected.
In life, every time we put ourselves out for someone else, we are striving to take a portion of their burden off of their shoulders. It’s one of the easiest ways to explain what it is to help another in need. The problems come into play when we take on more than we can chew. Sometimes we do things knowing the weight we will bear is great, while other times we have no idea how great the weight will actually be. In these things we do, we create strain.
Where does one draw the line with the help one offers? When is enough enough? I struggle with this regularly, unsure of what point a situation goes too far. Surely we are to help others as much as possible, but there comes a point where we can be taken advantage of. Surely we should do all we can, but there comes a time when we might do so much that we destroy all that made it possible to help in the first place.
I am reminded, in this time of strain, that you can give a man fish to eat, or you can teach him how to fish for himself.
I guess I am asking for prayer in a round about way - pray for us to know how to teach others to fish - there is a time to feed and a time to teach - and I think I get confused about what time is what sometimes. Thanks for reading my rant.
Many have endeavored to make themselves justified in their ridiculous actions against unbelievers by noting that Jesus did not come to bring peace, but a sword… but they twist the scriptures to suit their needs… They support war, death penalties, and even insulting attacks against others under their interpretation. This is prevalent particularly on social networks such as Youtube. I am writing this because I honestly feel they are caught in a deception of Satan, and its my hope that this article will reach those it needs to and touch them to reconsider their stance. Let’s examine the scripture they are using to validate their hatred.
Matthew 10
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to turn ” ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
36a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
In this, they try to make the sword a literal sword. Through that they excuse everything from war to bitter and painful statements. They ignore the intimate relationship of the division, and are blind to the fact that the division is caused by acceptance of God’s truth, not by anything men do by way of our own actions. However, the Gospels are great in the sense that there are four accounts of Jesus’ teachings that help us understand what He truly meant, particularly with difficult passages such as the one found in Matthew 10. Consider how the lesson is shared in the Gospel of Luke, chapter twelve.
Luke 12
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!
51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.
53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
The sword is the Word of God, and this is confirmed by the writings off Apostle Paul…
Ephesians 6
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Does the Word of God divide? Well, that is answered in Hebrews 4:12
Hebrews 4
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
It certainly does! Some accept it, some don’t. The ’sword’ was never one of metal but one of truth. Now there is another passage that people use to try to justify violence…
Luke 22
36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.
37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”
“That is enough,” he replied.
Now, the way I read this, Jesus told the disciples to get swords so that He would be counted amongst the transgressors. Further more, if He was telling the disciples to arm up, how is it two were enough? Many have told me that I am reading it incorrectly, however, it is the author of Luke, not I, who starts the passage with Jesus saying get a sword; Jesus mentioning how He must be numbered with transgressors; followed finally. Jesus acknowledging and accepting the two swords as being sufficient. Still, many refuse to accept the obvious. Why? Sad as it is, Paul tells us why…
1 Corinthians 2:14
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
I am not saying those who say the ’sword’ issue justifies everything from war to bitter attacks are unsaved, but I am suggesting that they are following their flesh, and not the Spirit. So what is a warrior of Christ supposed to look like? Let us let scripture paint the image of the true warrior for Christ…
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God
1 John 4
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
2 Timothy 2
3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.
Philippians 4
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
James 5
7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.
8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
9 Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Galatians 5
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
The Warriors of Christ are obvious - and those who are blinded in deception are obvious… which one are you?
Hello Everyone It is glad to be back writing another post…although this one is not going to be as happy as many of you have expected…I am glad that I attended a Christian retreat up in the Buatiful Colorado mountains for 1 whole week studying the Gospel of Mark with others…and learned alot…
As a side note I am also happy about my grades…about a B average for Spring Semester…
But after all the glitter and gloss I finally looked at the Bill for Summer Semester…and when I saw it I am just outraged by this outrageous cost for just 8 credits….about $2000………………0_0
Every semester it just gets higher and higher and higher and I am more outraged with my parents who are stuck with this bill for now until I wil probably handle it when I graduate and be stuck with around 40,000$ debt to payoff, and I will be middle aged by the time I pay off that debt- So is it really worth that much? Considering I am going to a Public and not private school I pay much less-
So private students spend around 20,000$ for each semester they attend- therefore when they graduate they will typically around a $200,000 debt to payoff…..don’t ask me how they plan to payoff a quarter of a million dollar debt…I have no idea…and believe me even if you had 10 scholarships, a 4.0 gpa and Valedictorian of your high school……your still going to have a debt to pay..I have met many students with those statistics and even they are having a hard time paying for school….everytime I walk into the financial aid I see about 10 students in line waiting for someone to talk to….and when I talked to the financial aid counselor she pretty much told me that the Financial aid office only helps incoming freshman and your major college financial scholarships will have to work for you…which are virtually impossible to get…(basically told me: sorry buddy your pretty much screwed)
And just to show that I am not lying about the price of college tuition I will post several internet newspaper articles, youtube videos and a few others…just to show that I am not the only one upset about this ultra-controversial topic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHqJh4LMHag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bl2gbCgWZA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBklnacsbrQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2B8Vxh08EM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flPcv0Ztoes
http://www.amazon.com/Great-American-College-Tuition-Rip-Off/dp/0971349827
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21420361/
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-04-30-college-tuition_N.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_tuition
http://withoutpoliticians.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/college-tuition-is-ridiculous/
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/add-it-up/4494.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_scITeVDA0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h2E-QfEOzg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKa11FCRvEI
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_19_56/ai_n13675420
Here is what I think about College Tution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8fI-dGWT74 (where the clock tower is the administration building blowing up, students are the ones in Guy Fawkes masks- because studetns are now numbers)
Greetings All! Diana and I haven’t really been able to keep up with our online ministry the last two weeks because ‘real life’ has grabbed us by the throat and won’t let go! We are learning and growing greatly in the Lord, although I, for one, wish there was a way to learn some of these lessons minus all the stress.
We have have spent money in ways we never intended; spent time in ways we never have before; and done things we never thought we’d do - but in it all there were lessons to be learned. God is great and His methods are far beyond my understanding.
We are going to make a greater effort to actually attend the HJD God Chat tonight in stickam.com - and I am working on a new video for the Youtube channel - but I thought I’d offer up a vague update for the blog to those of you who are wondering what’s been happening.
GBU & HJD
Hi all once again…I saw this bulletin and really love this and decided I would share with all - it is a repost from a bullitin:
” Hi all…This is a Re-Post
Below is a bulleting message given by a wonderful brother in Christ. If the Holy Ghost leads you then would you please, either pray for or participate in this worldwide revival event.
God bless…
AT: http://www.theabalonekid.com/id103.html
A first time worldwide video event that began on June 7, 2007 made possible by the blessings of our God through YouTube.
Those of you who love our Lord and Savior, come and participate in the call to revival and the sure hope of the coming of The Christ for His church.
Help me to send this message to all those you love. Pray for us who love each of you that God bless us in this faithful work.
I am the least of the brethren. I love our Lord. Let us join together giving Him all glory and praise and being found in Him at that moment He calls us up to be with Him. And then Eternity!
May He richly bless you for your faithfulness. He is Lord, and we, His church and bride to be.”
Every birthday that comes and goes is sort of like turning of yet another page in this short story we call life. While living within the story it may seem like forever, in contrast to the world around us we are but a flash in the night. I have been gifted year after year by the Lord, and yet each year is like a second passed in eternity.
So if a year seems long to me, what have I accomplished in this span of time? What have I done that my Lord can look to with joy? As I search for things I think He might be pleased with, I realize, there aren’t enough moments I can present. For all my desires to be a reflection of Christ, I can’t even claim to be a poor rough sketch of His majesty.
Perhaps I should be down and depressed, being fully aware that I have fallen short yet again; perhaps I should hang my head low and sob to myself as I live with my own iniquities; but I don’t have to. That is the beauty of His grace.
Even now, as I strive to discover my way in this world, I know that He loves me and that ultimately, His will shall be done. I know that even my failures are calculated into His grand desire, and that my successes are only possible in His love.
You see, every year that passes, I really do become a little wiser; a little more faithful; a bit more mature; but all of this leads me to become more aware that He is the reason for all things, and all we need to to make it through to the other side is believe.
Thirty-nine and counting, and I am more convinced and in love with the Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah, than I was the day I first realized He was calling to me. May the turning of the page make this all the more obvious.
GBU and HJD
Nowhere in God’s word does it say that once you have accepted His Son as your Lord and Savoir that your life will be trouble free. In fact many times it tells us that He will purge out the impurities in us to make us like more like Him. I am quite confident that purging is not a pleasant process.
Malachi 3:2 “But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal or like a strong soap that whitens clothes. 3He will sit and judge like a refiner of silver, watching closely as the dross is burned away. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold or silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD.
As you can see in this passage, refining is a process that requires work, patience and discomfort, to put it mildly. Sometimes the pain of change (purging) seems overwhelming. But in fact, the process is character building, making us more like Him.
So where does this leave the Believer who accepted Yeshua thinking that all their troubles would miraculously disappear? Looking in the New Testament we find that we must suffer,
1 Peter 4:12-18
12Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13Instead, be very glad–because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world. 14Be happy if you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God will come upon you. 15If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. 16But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his wonderful name! 17For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God’s own children. And if even we Christians must be judged, what terrible fate awaits those who have never believed God’s Good News? 18And “If the righteous are barely saved, what chance will the godless and sinners have?”
Although, we are told in the above passage to expect trouble, it is how we perceive that expectation. If we choose to be negative and fearful that trouble is going to come, rather then be positive and secure knowing He is with us, then the troubles will seem un-bearable. However if we realize the trouble we endure is ordered by God, and although our understanding of it is limited, we can have peace, even through the fire.
John 16:33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Yes, the road is rocky, and sometimes the rocks appear like large boulders blocking the way, but the fact is, knowing and committing our lives to Yeshua the Messiah, is the only hope we have. Assuredly, the day draws near when our Lord returns to claim those that are His. I want to be found standing on a solid foundation, what about you?
Matthew 7 (Jesus says)
23But I will reply, `I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized. 24?Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock.
God bless you - and Happy Jesus Day!
Acts 5 (NASB)
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?
4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.
6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.
7 Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.”
10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.
Acts 5, regardless of the translation you read, never actually says God killed Anaias and Sapphira. It is something that most Christians have always assumed, but that is certainly not what the scripture stated.
Upon prayer, and study, and thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that its our flesh that says God killed them because we see it as an act of revenge. It would certainly be His right to take their lives as the wrath is His alone. Thus, we figure, they died because they lied!
But if we seek out an answer through the Holy Spirit, we will find it’s not God’s will that they should perish but that they should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)? Ever been caught lying? Its a traumatic experience, is it not? The shame, embarrassment, and disgrace; our heart almost leaping through our chests as our pulse pounds through our veins and our heads swimming in a desperate spiral of emotional distress… I believe it was the attack of the guilty conscience that killed Ananias and his wife Sapphira. I believe they had heart attacks or stroes realizing that they did indeed lie to God and that Peter did indeed know they had lied.
Now one could argue that God may not have killed them but He allowed them to die, but allowing them to die is not the same as killing them. Just some food for thought.
GBU and HJD
Hello all, this is my first blogging post on here, therefore it may not be perfect, anyways, I wanted to discuss an Issue that Christoferl Has addressed in one of his recent videos, and I have received an email a few days ago from a Muslim telling me about Islam and the such.
I responded by adding a comment to his page stating that I was a follower of Christ and simply could not accept the Basic Tenets of Islam because Islam teaches a different Jesus, and since it teaches a different Jesus, it teaches a different Gospel.
Of course this comment was subsequently removed, and I am not surprised by this action.
However, I agree in a sense, that I need to be somewhat “tolerant” of other religions and such, in a friendly manner, while this is true, I could not simply go full force and be completely “tolerant” of Islam because Islam denies Christ as the Son of God, and the Savior of Mankind.
Here is an excellent video done by a youtuber about the issue:
In a way, I can see that I need to be friendly towards Muslims and not be bashing my Bible over their heads yelling at them they will go to hell.
However, on the other extreme I don’t want to simply be agreeing with the tenets of Islam which outright deny Christ throughout the Koran.
Simply put, While I am loving towards Muslims, I must gracefully decline the offer to Islam, because Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
As you can see, if you completely accept Islam, you would have to deny Christ and the Gospel. for Paul Says in Romans 1:16 “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Here is an Excellent website comparing the Koran Views on Jesus Christ versus the Bible and what it teaches:
Dear Friends, while it is important to be a friend to those who are Muslim, we need to show them and the world that Christ IS the Only way to Salvation, and there is no other way.
