Great New Sites

"Out of the Wilderness" Showcase #7 is up at NickQueen.com. Every week, Nick spotlights three new Christian blogs. Check them out. For a real blogroll-worthy site, don't miss Amy's Humble Musings.

Last week's showcased blogs were also an excellent bunch. Cognitively Dissonant has a great post on the US educational system. Stirring commentaries on culture, politics, religion, current events and trends abound in Espresso Roast. Ashley of The Christian Soldier does not mince words and speaks plainly about the truth of God.

Enjoy.

My Hilarious Dad: How Do You Decide Who To Marry?

Kids say the funniest things:

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

1) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10

2) No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -- Kirsten, age 10


WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

1) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. -- Camille, age 10

2) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married. -- Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age).


HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

1) You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. -- Derrick, age 8


WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

1) Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8


WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

1) Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)

2) On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. --Martin, age 10


WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?

1) I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. -- Craig, age 8


WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

1) When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7

2) The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. -- Curt, age 9

3) The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. -- Howard, age 8


IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

1) I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have sex with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out. - Theodore, age 8

2) It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)


HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?

1) There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? -- Kelvin, age 8


And the #1 Favorite is........ HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

1) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. -- Ricky, age 10

I’m My Daddy’s Pet

She comes running as I eased my car into our driveway.

“Who let you out?” I asked while swinging the car door shut behind me. She just trills and rolls the back of her head to the ground. She lets the rest of her body follow until she is lying on her side.

I picked her up and gave her a hug. She has learned to tolerate this maneuver and just purred heartily along. She used to hiss and kick and scratch through it when she was still a kitten. Yes, she’s a big cat now.

I put her back down on the pavement. She runs ahead of me as I opened the gate and walked towards the house door. As usual, when I get there, she will be pushing at the door with her paws as though to tell me, “Open, open, open.”

I unlocked the door and just like a ritual, she shoots through it and runs straight to the family room where the house door to the garage is. She pokes her head through the pet door there and she’s in her “supply station” once again.

It’s a small wonder why, even though the garage is not her favorite spot in the house, it is the first place she visits when she comes home. That’s where the cat food and her water bowl are. Sometimes, when she decides to bed down right there, you have to come pull her out to enjoy the privilege of her company inside the house.

Which brings me to my Father in heaven. He, too, has seen to it that I am amply provided. I have a roof above my head and walls around me just like Kitty’s garage. She has her cat food, I have my Atkins diet. She has fur, I have clothes on my back.

Just like I ensure Kitty gets her supplies replenished, God made sure I knew he was going to make sure my needs are met. He said so in his Word. He said that if I heed the locusts he sends to my life, rend my heart and surrender myself to him he will do this:

You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. (Joel 2:26)

As someone he has adopted through Christ into his family, I enjoy the privileges he has promised to his people. And the promises as to food and clothing aren’t few:

He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat. (Psalm 147:14)

He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. (Psalm 111:5)

The righteous eat to their hearts’ content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry. (Proverbs13:25)

I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food. (Psalm 132:15)

My Father in heaven says I don’t have to worry about such things:

So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (Matthew 6:31, 32)

I tell you, I have yet to see my Father let me down on all these. If I ever go hungry, it is always because I have neglected to step out of my tent to collect my manna, so to speak. But never for lack of supply.

And, yes, I do get a hug from him too a lot. I guess it’s because I have ceased to kick and scream at him the way I did when I did not know Jesus Christ yet as my personal Savior and LORD.

It’s fun to be Daddy’s pet. And his lap is always open to anyone that wants it.

Praise be to your Name, my Father.

In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

Kingdom Concerns--This Week: Where Is Your Jerusalem?

I am of the strong persuasion that mission is the heartbeat of God. Just as strongly, I am convinced that mission does not only mean fields of work in far off lands. Mission fields are right outside our front doors, maybe even right inside our own households. The Pacific Northwest, for example, covers 40% of the entire land mass of the US. Yet only 10% of the people that live there go to church. It remains the most unchurched region in all United States.

In Acts 1:8, the LORD Jesus Christ pointed out a geographical order of priorities, if you will, in witnessing: first in Jerusalem, then all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. To me, it raises the concern that if believers do not take care of their Jerusalem (homes, neighborhood, school, workplace, church, city of residence and vicinity), they might not even be around later to take care of their Judea and Samaria (their state, their region) and their ends of the earth (wherever else the LORD may lead them.).

A couple of bright mother lodes of information that affirm this came to my attention one morning last week. And, what do you know, one of them is a website called Back To Jerusalem. I picked all these up from that morning's broadcast of Home Word, a youth ministry radio program hosted by Dr. Jim Burns airing at a local station. His guest, Dr. Ron Cline, commented on how other missionary-sending nations (China, Korea, etc.) are adequately covering the 10/40 window, where all of the 50 least witnessed countries in the world are located. Listening to Dr. Cline makes one wonder why we in the US insist on sending our workers that far out when from just what we perceive in the news, we could really use them right here within our borders.

Check out this link to "Back To Jerusalem" and be prepared to be surprised because it is not about what you might think it is:

http://www.backtojerusalem.com/

Here's an excerpt from the website's vision page:

As you read these pages, please remember that the Back to Jerusalem movement is not a crazy pipe-dream of a few fanatical Christians that may or may not happen. It is something that is already happening! Right now there are already hundreds of Chinese missionaries working outside China in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Thousands more are in training, learning languages such as Arabic and English that will be put to use on the mission field.

A team of thirty-six Chinese missionaries departed China in March 2000 for a neighboring Buddhist country. They were the first contemporary team of Back to Jerusalem missionaries, the first-fruits of a great flood to come. Few people around the world knew of this event, but their going was the result of years of prayer and planning. On that day China once again became an active participant in worldwide mission.

During the training and orientation for those 36 pioneers, each one was asked to give their testimony. Many tears flowed as they told their stories. All of them had suffered much for the Gospel in China. Most had been arrested, imprisoned, beaten and tortured because of their testimony for Jesus Christ. They had all faced extreme hardship, separation from family, forced starvation, sleepless nights and perils on every side.

Despite tremendous opposition, all 36 of these house church missionaries had faithfully preached the Gospel throughout China for years, establishing churches and seeing more of God’s power manifested through their ministries each month than most Christians see during their lifetimes.

As the Back to Jerusalem vision unfolds, you may start to hear reports of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists coming to Christ in places where the Gospel has long struggled to make an impact. When this happens, don’t be amazed at the Chinese Christians, we are just sinners saved by grace and undeserving of any attention. Rather, be amazed at the wisdom and manifest beauty of God’s plan. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:25

We hope you will be encouraged and challenged by the Back to Jerusalem vision, and moved to prayer and involvement in the fulfillment of the Great Commission in these last days, until "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." Revelation 11:15"

More on this next Monday, April 4, 2005, when we will feature Dr. Jim Burns of Home Word and some of his own tips on how to serve the mission field right in our own backyard. There's plenty more where this comes from.

I Serve A Risen Savior

It is almost time to retire for the night. I ponder the day just past. I made it through a weekend of packing, loading and unloading as we executed our plan for the big move, taking the bulk of our belongings in a rented truck from the store back to our home. It was very much like moving into a new home again. I thank all of you who prayed for sustaining grace for myself and my family. I felt buoyed in spirit all throughout. It should all be downhill now from here till the end of the month.

This morning at church, as elder, I was asked to pray for the cup during communion. I remember thanking the Father for my LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. It was his blood that flowed from his broken body on the cross that provided once and for all cleansing, washing away mankind's sin. It gave the finality that the blood of bulls and goats lacked.

In Florida, Terri Schiavo continued to dehydrate and starve. She was given her last rites. Police arrested protesters who attempted to give her water.

What a week it had been. I remember musing over what an agonizing sacrifice death on the cross is. The LORD's tongue at one point was said to have stuck to the roof of his mouth because it was parched from thirst and all the blood he lost. I imagined how dry Terri Schiavo's tongue must be each hour that passes by without liquids supplied to her body.

I was in thirst, too. In my heart, that is. I so wanted to share my thoughts in writing here but could not until these last remaining hours. Still, even though it was hard on my body, I was thankful for the distraction of having to attend to the "last rites" we needed to perform on our possessions at our business. At least, it turned my attention to something productive.

In the end, it is the melody of a hymn sung this morning at church that lingers in my mind and quenches the longing in me for refreshment. The title of the song is "He Lives." In its first line it said, "I serve a risen Savior."

Living water persists within me, welling up and nourishing my spirit. He lives, alright. He lives! Christ rose from the dead. Terri will have her day still. And she will never thirst again.

Eternal thirst awaits some that hover about her to make sure she will never drink again in this life.

Mocking The Death of Jesus--Terri Being Killed By Judicial Fiat

I have struggled all week to maintain my anticipation of the joyous celebration of easter, while Terri Schiavo is being starved and dehydrated to death in Florida. I have been torn between highlighting the LORD's triumph over sin and death and screaming with my tiny little blogosphere voice over the injustice being imposed upon a helpless person by a court system that has seen if fit to rule on the side of death instead of heeding God's timeless instruction to choose life.

Leave it to Chuck Colson to find for me the Christian perspective that connects what to me, at least, has seemed two extremely significant historical events that negate each other. Unable to put it in better terms, I quote here completely his commentary today titled, "Between Life and Death, Lives In The Balance" in a BreakPoint page of the Prison Fellowship website:

Between Life and Death
Lives in the Balance

March 25, 2005

On Good Friday Jesus died as a substitutionary atonement for the sins of mankind. This is what Christians commemorate. In dying, Jesus established, as a defining mark of a Christian society, the principle of human dignity and the sacredness of life. Fallen sinners—all made in the image of God—are so precious in God’s sight that He would sacrifice His only begotten Son for them.

What an irony this presents this year. Jesus died so that we could be free and saved. It was a noble death, if there ever was one. But another death occupies the headlines today, one that mocks the death of Jesus. It is Terri Schiavo who is being killed by judicial fiat. For what reason?

She is being killed so that society can get rid of a nuisance. She is being killed so her husband can be free to marry the woman he has lived with for years and who has borne his children. Her husband, allegedly, profited from the damages paid because of the medical injury to Terri. She is being killed so that medical funds can be saved.

Good Friday marks a day on which God established the principle of the sanctity of life once and for all. One man died so that all men could be free. The Terri Schiavo case marks the triumph of utilitarianism over that Christian view of life. It is victory for the likes of Peter Singer, the ethicist at Princeton, who favors infanticide and euthanasia and who argues that the governing ethical principle in life has to create the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

But no life is safe in a utilitarian society. I am seventy-three. One of these days a committee of doctors could say that I am too inconvenient or cost too much to keep alive. “It is time,” as former Governor Lamb once provocatively said in Colorado, “to do my duty and die and get out of the way of the younger generation, like leaves swept up off the streets.”

The retired folks in Florida and elsewhere, many of whom are privately thinking they really would like to keep this principle of assisted suicide intact because they may want to avoid suffering, are turning the decision of whether they live or die over to others. Do they really want to do that?

We used to say in law school, “Bad cases make bad law.” This is a very bad case. Medical data concerning Terri is old and ambiguous. There is conflicting testimony about whether she really is in a persistent vegetative state. She certainly does not look and act like she is in one. She was not being maintained on life support. She was simply being fed and receiving water as any other human being would expect. So if we can kill Terri, who is next?

Thundering out of the heavens this Good Friday come God’s words: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses, now choose life so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God.”

I shudder to think what is going on in the heavenly councils at this moment, as on this day of all days, black-robed judges in courts are ordering that an innocent woman starve to death. Choose life? Can anyone hear those words today?

Forgive us, Father, for our lack of trust in you and the enabling grace that you provide. Forgive us, LORD, for choosing our own way instead of yours. Have mercy upon our land.

I continue to pray that you root out from our country's halls of leadership, justice, education and information those that are ungodly and immoral. I pray you replace them all with the God-ly and the morally upright.

As the song goes, LORD, "Flow through this land until every man praises your name once more."

In Jesus' Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

Sharpest Double-Edged Sword Against Enemies--Part 3

(Continuing from where we left off last Tuesday, March 22, 2005, we write the final piece on this series here.)

Of the future glory of Zion, for both Jew and Gentile, the LORD spoke through the prophet Isaiah:

"If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you." (Isaiah 54:15)

"'...no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
'This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,' declares the LORD."
(Isaiah 54:17)

To Ebed-Melech the Cushite, because he trusted the LORD, God spoke through Jeremiah the prophet:

"But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.'" (Jeremiah 39:17, 18)

Zechariah the father of John the Baptist assured against enemies as he prophesied in song about Jesus Christ:

"...salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us..." (Luke 1:71)

"...to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear..." (Luke 1:74)

The LORD Jesus Christ himself, in comparing God to the judge in the parable of the persistent widow, spoke of the timeliness of God's justice to those that are faithful in their prayers:

"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?" (Luke 18:7)

In a dream, the LORD Jesus Christ spoke to Paul in Corinth:

"For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." (Acts 18:10)

Thus, the author of the book of Hebrews exhorts:

"So we say with confidence, 'The LORD is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:6)

Yes, these were promises spoken to specific people in specific circumstances. But the common thread that ties them together is that they were all spoken to God's chosen ones; those whom he calls his people, his children, his faithful ones.

We worship a God who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. If you are a child of God in Jesus Christ, these promises hold true to you in your circumstances today and tomorrow as they held true to our brothers and sisters of yesterday.

Praise be to your Name, Father. Your faithfulness bridges generations and stretches to the sky.

In Jesus' Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

Moratorium On Humor

I know, LORD, that I have dedicated Wednesday posts to showing your humorous side. In the light, though, of the travesty being committed on justice and life in the Terri Schiavo case, I declare a moratorium on this site to that rather only two-week old practice.

I pray, LORD, that you give your blessing to Bob and Mary Schindler's emergency appeal to the Supreme Court in behalf of their daughter Terri. I pray that you prevail upon the US Supreme Court justices that the appeal may flourish.

I pray for Terri Schiavo's survival. I pray that she will be given all possible opportunities and means to recover. Father, if you are willing, heal Terri.

I pray for our check-and-balance system of government. Please, LORD, guard its integrity. Thank you that the President and Congress have gone as far as they could to act, and if need be, to err, on the side of life.

Now, LORD, please grant wisdom to the US Supreme Court justices. I ask, dear God, that you prove me wrong in my suspicion of the courts' contempt of the will of the citizenry manifesting in their repeated rulings against Terri's life. May it not be, Father, that the rulings were mere assertions of "turf" at the expense of an innocent, helpless woman. I pray for your mercy, otherwise.

In Jesus' Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

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

I could use a little prayer help. My family is in the final two weeks of transitioning our business to its new owner. It is the most difficult phase as we remove items from the store that belong to us and move them back to our home. It also gets in the way of blogging as my internet connection used to come from the store. This has gotten in the way of timeliness in my posts. I hope to resolve all these in a week or two.

God bless you all.

Sharpest Double-Edged Sword Against Enemies--Part 2

(Continued from last week's Thursday, March 17, 2005 post.)

As we have mentioned last week, many are the enemies of the man who seeks to walk righteously before his Father in heaven. But God's Word brims with promises of deliverance to his people against enemies. And God's promises are absolute.

David wrote a song about the LORD's temple being the king's stronghold--because the LORD himself is his stronghold:

"For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD." (Psalm 27:5, 6)

Even when God rejects, as signaled by momentary defeat in battle, David expresses his confidence in the LORD:

"With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies." (Psalm 60:12)

The writer of Psalm 97 continues to echo God's promise against his people's enemies. The psalmist does this while joyfully celebrating the LORD's righteous reign over all the earth:

"Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked." (Psalm 97:10)

The same confidence reverberates even while the author of Psalm 112 eulogizes to the godly man:

"His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes." (Psalm 112:8)

In Psalm 118, the psalmist writes a hymn of thanksgiving and deliverance from enemies:

"The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies." (Psalm 118:7)

Solomon assures young men, as long as they preserve sound judgment and discernment:

"Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." (Proverbs 3:25, 26)

Solomon continues in his assurances:

"When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him." (Proverbs 16:7)

Through the prophet Isaiah, God reminds Israel of his promises:

"All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.
"Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them.
"Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all."
(Isaiah 41:11, 12)

(Come back Thursday, March 24, 2005 for the final post on this.)

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

Breaking News

U.S. District Judge James Whittemore, a Clinton appointee, refused to order the reinsertion of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube early Tuesday morning. Read more....

LORD, thy will be done. We remain steadfast in our hopes in you. Often, the farthest our vision takes us still falls short compared to what your all-seeing eye could see. Your purposes are sovereign.

At least, with what has happened this morning, my eyes see clearer how needful this nation is of intercession in prayer, especially in behalf of the weak and the helpless, in behalf of those that have bought into the culture of death for convenience, and in behalf of the justice system in which courts have thrown out the Ten Commandments and along with it God's direct order, "You shall not murder."

Kingdom Concerns: Terri, The Nation, The World

It is difficult to ignore what a couple of columnists at Foxnews wrote today regarding Terri Schiavo. John Gibson brings up the lack of moral ground Michael Schiavo stands on to remain as the legal guardian for Terri. Correctly, Gibson points out that Michael and Terri's marriage exists only for the purpose of killing her. Meanwhile, Florida courts continue to recognize this sham of a marriage. And some are in an uproar that Congress and the President found it necessary to get involved?

David Asman comments on how little a chance really Terri Schiavo is being given. This inspite of how little even neurologists know about brain recovery.

Here's a good, concise "what you need to know" fact sheet on Terri Schiavo's case from family.org's Citizen Link page.

Praise the LORD for the will of the US Congress to right a clear wrong. Join the American Center for Law and Justice Committee to Defend the Constitutionality of Terri's Law.

Elsewhere in the country, become a "Defend The Ten" prayer partner. Visit the Liberty Counsel page where you may commit to pray daily for the Ten Commandments case that Mat Staver argued on March 2, 2005, until the United States Supreme Court releases its opinion in June.

In a related issue, Cal Thomas writes, "Whether they now have a 60-vote majority, or not, Republicans should change the rules so they reflect the constitutional intentions of the founders." He is referencing the Democrats' threat to shut down the Senate if the rules they made regarding filibusters are changed. Democrats not wanting to abide by the principle of majority rule? Their party needs a name change. What's at stake? Here's an excerpt from the same column:

As former White House counsel C. Boyden Gray has said, "What we are doing is not changing rules, but restoring the status quo that existed for some 200-odd years."

The public is rightly growing tired of these inside-the-beltway political games.

From same-sex marriage, to abortion, to less controversial issues, judges have imposed their views on the law instead of allowing the people, through their elected representatives, to make law.

The Family Research Council honored Mike Johnson, the Alliance Defense Fund attorney who argued and won the landmark case upholding the Louisiana Marriage Protection Amendment. Read More...

The American Family Association makes a good point in asking: Should taxpayers be forced to give nearly a half-billion dollars a year to support PBS? Columnist George Will says no. Click here for more and to take the poll...

Eureka, the United Nations gets something straight for a change. On March 8, the UN approved a resolution that calls for an international ban on human cloning. Chuck Colson comments:

That’s a development to be welcomed and encouraged. And so is the support of more than eighty other countries, from Poland to Italy to Costa Rica and Honduras. They all voted for the ban. We need to strengthen those alliances and develop policies that span the traditional divides between First-World and Third-World countries, between pro-life and pro-choice, between conservatives and progressives.

As Wesley Smith points out in the Weekly Standard, “Pro-cloners frequently claim that their adversaries are merely a collection of Taliban-like religious fanatics seeking to impose their religious views on science. But the diverse and multicultural coalition which came together in the UN vote proves that assertion isn’t true.”

Just over eight years after the “biotech century” began with the cloning of Dolly the sheep, we’ve taken a first big step toward containing this technology and establishing the principle that human dignity must be respected first. Coming from the UN, an organization that is not generally known for its respect for human dignity, that’s a victory worth celebrating.

Pray, Brother. Nothing is beyond God's arm that he could not reach it.

Praise be to your Name, dear LORD.

In Jesus' Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

For Terri: One More Time Around the Blogs--This Week

I am beside myself at the outrage. Terri Schiavo is a living, breathing human person. But I have seen animals accorded more rights and given better treatment. Where have the courts of this land gone? I thought justice was there to protect life.

Bloggers I consider brothers and sisters in Christ write their minds out on this issue. I believe you would want to know what they have to say, too.

"Just one more step towards limiting 'free will' with 'free kill.'" That's a quote from Evangelical Underground.com. Read more...

Transforming Sermons, Wittenberg Gate, theJesusfreak, and viewpoint all provide excellent reads.

Byron is just right on at a ticking time blog. Look for his specific post titled "The Murder is Underway."

And I agree with J.A. Gillmartin's prayer at The SHEEP'S CRIB.

LORD, please heal our land. We confess and please forgive us for usurping your sovereignty over life. Humbly, we ask that you heal us of our self-centeredness and pride.

In Jesus' Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

Sharpest Double-Edged Sword Against Enemies--Part 1

Satan's hordes war against and subvert God's people.

Dictators and terrorists persecute Christians around the world.

Extremists swear, "Death to America." North Korea brandishes its nukes. South American drug cartels bomb the life out of US citizens with a steady barrage of addictive substances. Pornographers ruin lives and homes. The ACLU wants to sue Christianity out of American life. Abortionists deny unborn babies any right to life. Same sex couples want to take US society down the same path as Sodom and Gomorrah. Liberals would rather see criminals protected while denying the same for the likes of Terri Schiavo.

The next driver in the freeway could suddenly get into a deadly rage and do you in. The work place politics-conscious co-worker. The hostile unbelieving kin. The home invader. The inhospitable neighbor. The school bully.

Countless are the enemies of the man (and I use the word generically to cover both genders) that seeks to walk righteously before God. Whether he brings them on to himself or not, they are there. But he has the best news going for him. God's promises belong in the category of life's few absolutes. And God's Word is replete with promises pertaining to his children's enemies.

Take for instance Moses' instruction on how the priest should address the army before battle:

"For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." (Deuteronomy 20:4)

Or, as Moses spoke to Israel about God's blessings for obedience:

"The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven." (Deuteronomy 28:7)

Then there was Elisha whose servant was afraid that they were grossly outnumbered as the king of Aram's armies surrounded Dothan. Before praying so that God would open the servant's eyes so he too could see the hills crawling with God's horses and chariots of fire, Elisha told the servant:

"'Don't be afraid...Those who are with us are more than those who are with them'" (2 Kings 6:16)

The author of the book of 2 Kings reminded his readers of the LORD's command when he made a covenant with the Israelites:

"'Rather, worship the LORD your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.'" (2 Kings 17:39)

In the book of Job, Eliphaz and Bildad just did not know any better about their friend's plight, accusing him even of not being on the right side with God, but their confidence in the LORD was still dead on:

"In famine he will ransom you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword." (Job 5:20)

"Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tents of the wicked will be no more." (Job 8:22)

(More on next week's Tuesday and Thursday, March 22 and 24, 2005 posts.)

My Hilarious Dad--This Week: The Bear

Here is this week's humor post. This one has had its run of e-mail forwards and sermon comic breaks so some may be familiar with the story line. I like this particular rendition, though, because of its rather cinematic appeal.

The Bear

An atheist was walking through the woods one day in Alaska, admiring all that evolution had created. "What majestic trees! What a powerful river! What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. Turning to look, he saw a 13-foot Kodiak brown bear beginning to charge towards him.

He ran as fast as he could down the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw the bear rapidly closing on him. Somehow, he ran even faster, so scared that tears came to his eyes. He looked again and the bear was even closer.

His heart pounding in his chest, he tried to run faster yet. But alas, he tripped and fell to the ground. As he rolled over to pick himself up, the bear was right over him, reaching for him with its left paw and raising its right paw to strike him.

"OH, MY GOD! ..."

Time stopped...
The bear froze...
The forest was silent...
Even the river stopped flowing ...

As a brilliant light shone upon the man, a thunderous voice came from all around,

"YOU DENY MY EXISTENCE FOR ALL THESE YEARS, TEACH OTHERS THAT I DON'T EXIST AND EVEN CREDIT CREATION TO SOME COSMIC ACCIDENT. DO YOU EXPECT ME TO HELP YOU OUT OF THIS PREDICAMENT? AM I TO COUNT YOU AS A BELIEVER?"

Difficult as it was, the atheist looked directly into the light and said,

"It would be hypocritical to ask to be a Christian after all these years, but perhaps you could make the bear a Christian?"

"VERY WELL," said God.

The light went out...
The river flowed...
The sounds of the forest resumed...

The bear dropped down on his knees, brought both paws together, bowed his head and spoke:

"Lord, thank you for this food which I am about to receive."

(I say AMEN to that. ---SDO)

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Out of the Wilderness Showcase #5 has three more new Christian blogs up at NickQueen.com. Check them all out: Violet's latest post at promptings has served today as an affirmation to me personally on the direction I sense the LORD is guiding me towards. Lady4Jesus has a nice, personal, and neighborly touch to it. Find wit and motherly identification, moms out there, at my three pennies worth. There's something in it for all parents, too. All new blogs project fine Christians writing them and just loving on the LORD in doing it.

It Is Not Painful To Die

My pastor's wife flew home from out of state with the good news. Her dad, himself a retired pastor, is doing fine.

Just days before, her dad suffered a massive heart attack. Through a series of curiously placed events which can only be satisfactorily attributed to God's intervention--which is another story fit for a whole 'nother post--he is now walking and very much alive. That's after flatlining four times and consequently being zapped as many times before finally reviving.

What caught my attention, as the story was related, was what this old pastor said after literally coming back from the dead--clinically, at least. He said, "I just found out that it is not painful to die."

I know I'm a little out of context here, but somehow that statement is so much less startling now that I have been a believer for some time and have become acquainted with what God has to say about death:

"Where, O death, is your victory?
"Where, O death, is your sting?"
(1 Corinthians 15:55)

In what seemed like a near-tragedy, this seasoned servant of the LORD came out doubly blessed with a more profound understanding of what his Father in heaven has said about his experience:

"When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge." (Proverbs 14:32)

Truly now, by heart and in the Spirit, this faithful minister has KNOWN exactly what God meant when he said:

"Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!" (Romans 5:9)

Surely, in his lifelong walk with the Father, he must have preached many times about death thus:

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Hebrews 2:14, 15)

Or,

"I tell you the truth, if a man keeps my word, he will never see death." (John 8:51)

Or,

"For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end." (Psalm 48:14)

But now, having himself been compelled by his failing heart to plunge headlong into that "zone" most of us prefer to push in the periphery of our consciousness as a "bridge we'd rather cross when we get there," with perhaps but memorized verses bouncing back and forth in his fading mind, he comes back with absoluteness in the absolute certainty of what God promised:

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26)

"But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself." (Psalm 49:15)

"...he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces..." (Isaiah 25:8)

He understands, these promises pertain to a fulfillment beyond life here on earth. But that he is now gifted with the privilege to still speak about it in this life, he knows with unprecedented clarity:

"...that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." (John 3:15)

In his innermost conviction, where language is not sufficient for expression, he echoes the apostle's persuasion:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD." (Romans 8:38, 39)

Having endured physical distress of the magnitude that he did, and the equally drastic medical response made necessary, there is still to this day some discomfort in each walking step this loyal man of God takes. Yet, deep in his soul there must be this peace few like him will know:

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)

Oh, what triumph over death resides in you, LORD! What victory:

"I will ransom them from the power of the grave;
"I will redeem them from death.
"Where, O death, are your plagues?
"Where, O grave, is your destruction?"
(Hosea 13:14)

I pray, Father, that you fully restore this proven soldier. Send him forth some more to proclaim for you how we are to be of good cheer for your Son has overcome the world.

In Jesus' Mighty Name, I ask it, LORD. Amen.

Kingdom Concerns--This Week

Time may be running out. You can help save Terri Schiavo. Read these important action items. Follow the links in this family.org page for the CitizenLink Action Center and more information. Add your name to the American Center for Law and Justice Petition to Save Terri Schiavo's Life.

In California, attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund say they will appeal today’s decision by California Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer to declare the state’s marriage laws unconstitutional. Read the rest of the story...

Liberty Counsel lists action items to promote a Federal Constitutional Amendment on Marriage. Help preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

The communist nation of North Korea once again tops a list of countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith. Saudi Arabia again held the second spot on the list, followed by Vietnam, Laos, and Iran. Five of the top ten nations on the list are dominated by Islam, ccording to the 2005 "World Watch List" as compiled by Open Doors USA. The ministry notes that Islamic countries are becoming increasingly hostile to Christianity. Read the details...

Above all, please pray. Pray for God's intervention. After all, it is evil that insidiously persists in expanding the smog of lies to crowd out the light of the truth of God. Evil pursues death. God's truth is life.

Terri Schiavo's case is but a symptom. Something in the underlying conscience of the nation desperately needs healing that only God's hand could provide.

Same sex marriage ultimately pursues the corruption of the nation's future citizenry by poisoning the minds of the nation's young. The devil knows that God's kingdom belongs to such as these. What better way to usher in the death of a great nation than by twisting the moral fiber of its youth.

And around the world, who better to partner with in murdering and muzzling believers than despots and thugs in oppressive totalitarian regimes.

I pray LORD for your forgiveness and mercy. Prevail, O LORD. Chase evil from our land.

Bring comfort to our brothers and sisters around the world. Sustain them with your grace. Honor their faithfulness. May their sacrifice result in the ever widening ripples of your Kingdom's expansion.

In Jesus' Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

One More Time Around The Blogs--This Week

viewpoint has a great post on Why Churches Decline. It pays to heed the lessons pointed out in the experience of the Church in the UK.

Byron's A Ticking Time Blog led me to a sobering assessment on author Rick Warren in Tim Challies' Blurring of Lines & Shame For The Gospel at CHALLIES.COM.

rooftop blog asserts that Trade Has Been the Trojan Horse for the Gospel in China.

Brad Todd in Fundamentally Right touches on the difference of the human rights situation in China and the USA. While you're there, check out his post on the connection between persecution and evil.

There is an incredible photograph of life in a mother's womb at theJesusfreak. Plus, Mike Bennet's nod on some fine blogs.

Help Amy kill a monster and win a free book at Amy's Humble Musings.

Ron Stewart continues on his Biblical Reliability series at the northern 'burbs blog.

Don't miss J.A. Gillmartin's post on his blog readings that have Kingdom Concern impact. See his posts on Terri Schiavo, Ward Churchill and Hilarity Clinton, too.

Ed Heckman of The Greatest Pursuits points us back to Amy's Humble Musings where Vox Apologia VIII is now up. Check the entries out.

At The Wittenberg Gate, Dory features Kate Adamson, a double brain stem stroke survivor who will take part in a rally for Terri Schiavo in Florida.

At Transforming Sermons, Milton Stanley, Sr. offers sound advice in Using wisdom literature wisely. I share your need to take a weekend break, Brother. Church trumps computer this side of the blogosphere, too.

Preacher shares rubber-meets-the-road witnessing in his account at Evangelical Underground of his interaction with "Bricker," a confessed Muslim inmate.

I pray that the LORD will visit you all in a powerful life-altering way as we worship him this weekend.

In Jesus' Mighty Name, I ask it. Amen.

Holy Spirit

God, you are spirit. Spirit speaks with spirit. Thank you, Father, for your gift of the Holy Spirit. The Counselor, the Comforter, is essential in our walk with you. It is the Holy Spirit's ministry that leads us to discernment.

Countless are the believers' testimonies to a sudden rush of understanding upon praying to receive Jesus Christ as personal Savior and LORD. As though night turns into day, the Bible takes on a meaning that was really always there but seemed shielded from awareness until the muddling veil is lifted by a confession of faith in Christ.

Father, the Holy Spirit is the one whom you spoke of from long ago:

"...I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you." (Proverbs 1:23)

"And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." (Ezekiel 36:27)

The LORD Jesus Christ himself, in the company of his disciples, spoke of the Holy Spirit:

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:16, 17)

"'Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." (John 7:38, 39)

The Holy Spirit serves as God's seal upon the believer, his deposit, his guarantee:

"He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Corinthians 1:21b, 22)

He fulfills an important role in God's grand scheme, in God's great redemptive plan:

"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." (Galatians 3:14)

Great is the wisdom that the believer avails himself of through the ministry of the Holy Spirit:

"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him." (1 John 2:27)

Great is the joy that is revealed through the ministry of the Holy Spirit:

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17)

He ministers to the believer in prayer. He intercedes in the believer's behalf in dire times when it is difficult to express to the Father the innermost longings of the heart:

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." (Romans 8:26, 27)

The Holy Spirit connects the believer to the heart and mind of God:

"We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."
(1 Corinthians 2:12)

The Holy Spirit is our spiritual "power outlet." We "plug into" him in order that we may rise above faintness of heart. He is the Spirit by whom we call God, "Daddy":

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." (Romans 8:15)

Hallelujah! Keep your children filled with the Holy Spirit, Father.

Let your children's worship rise to the heavens and fill your nostrils with the sweet aroma of our praises and thanksgiving.

For you alone are worthy.

In Jesus' Mighty Name, LORD, I pray. Amen.

My Hilarous Dad

LORD, you are hardly ever regarded as funny. You are often remembered only for your anger, wrath and love. Yet, you created laughter. You have made it such an important part of our lives that it is said, "Laughter is the best medicine."

Man can appreciate humor. Now since you created us in your likeness, Father, you must be hilarious yourself. How else do we explain creations like the platypus and halibut and skunks? Why would you make a donkey speak or send fishermen against heavyweight intellectuals in the courts of Jesus' days?

Now, certainly, there is the serious side or you, LORD, and we ought to take your teachings with utter respect. There is power demonstrated in Moses' staff turning into a snake. But to have Moses' snake eat Pharaoh's magicians' snakes for an encore. Definitely, there is awe in that. And, I must add, fun.

So, LORD, I decided to honor your humorous side here. If I may, I would like to do it every Wednesday of the week. If I happen to not find anything funny to share sometimes, I pray you allow me to share something inspirational instead.

Here's my first try.

This one has been lying in my "Humor" CD for a couple of years now. I can't recall anymore how I got hold of it--very likely by e-mail--but a by-line attributes it to a certain Cathryn Conroy.

It goes like this:

They Said THIS in a Church Bulletin?!

Heavens to Betsy! When you're spreading God's word, it's important to pay attention to commas and spelling and proper phrasing. If you don't, you may end up saying something other than what you really intended. And sometimes the result is pretty humorous.

The following are all real excerpts from church bulletins nationwide that were collected by the good people at RinkWorks.com in a Web site section they call "Things People Said." Who needs professional comedians when everyday folks are just as funny? When read by churchgoers--perhaps sneaking a peek during the sermon--they must have had to suppress a laugh!

Quoted from church bulletins:
After today's service, coffee and donuts will be served at the basement. Please come down and say hell to the pastor.

Thursday night: Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

The rosebud on the altar this morning is to announce the birth of David Alan Belzer, the sin of Rev. and Mrs. Julius Belzer.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

O come all ye faithful, sin in exultation.

Don't let worry kill you. Let the church help.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Children will be led in sinning and Bible study.

This afternoon there will be a meeting in the south and north ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.

This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

There will be a baked bean supper next Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Music to follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Marriage: An Institution To Be Endured. (This was the subject of a sermon that SHOULD have read, "An Institution To Endure.")

And this humorous church anecdote is also offered by RinkWorks.com:
One Sunday, a pastor preached an emotionally-charged sermon about temperance. With great passion, he said, "If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river." With even greater emphasis, he added, "And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river." And finally, he exhorted the congregation, "And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river." Amen! He sat down.

The choir director then stood very cautiously and announced with a pleasant smile, "For our closing song, let us sing Hymn No. 365: 'Shall We Gather At The River.'"

Who says church is boring?

LORD, please forgive my frivolity. But if this lightens some brethren's burden somewhat, I pray make it useful for your glory's sake.

In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Is Trouble Looking For You?

"Life has a way of throwing a curve ball at you."

"You can drive as carefully as you can but what about other reckless drivers?"

"There's only so much I can do. I'm overwhelmed."

LORD, in your able hands and all-seeing vision, these common expressions of distress would be unnecessary. Could it be that we subject ourselves to needless anxiety just because we forget what you have already promised?

"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." (Nahum 1:7)

How easily we forget that even over calamity, you have promised us comfort:

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." (Psalm 46:1-3)

Against man's terror and harmful intent, you have given your assurance:

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me." (Psalm 138:7)

When sin assaults and temptation persists you are our rampart:

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:2)

In those times when you yourself allow tests and trials in our lives, it is for a purpose that benefits us (such as when you want to surface an attribute of a man's character that he may not be aware of; or when error needs to be corrected):

"For men are not cast off by the LORD forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men." (Lamentations 3:31-33)

At such times, we are to wait for the LORD. For blessed are all who wait for him:

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." (Psalm 27:14)

It is not beyond God to provide a trouble-free life. But then, what need will we have of God's comfort? In hard times, we appreciate a helping hand. We experience the comfort of God so we may comfort others:

"For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." (2 Corinthians 1:5)

Indeed, if we only lean constantly on your promises, Father, distress will find no room. Worry, we will realize, is sin. For you have invited us into your rest:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Help our forgetfulness, LORD. Grant us your peace.

In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

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My apologies to my blogging siblings. I am not quite current on issues and events as I am temporarily limited in online access. I am in the middle of a business transition and having to rebuild internet access at a different venue. Will resume watch on current events as soon as the rebuild is complete. God bless you.

Not One Sparrow Will Fall

We were at the store when my wife took my daughter's call. "Bad news, Mom. Sweetie died."

Sweetie is-or was-our pet parakeet. She has endeared herself to our hearts because she reminded us so much of our daughter when she was a toddler.

Back then, my daughter kept our attention glued to herself with her cute precocious antics. She would climb onto a table and address us as though she was rallying us to some supreme never-say-die cause. Only, she was speaking in gibberish because she had yet to advance to intelligible in her language skills. She started reading before anyone could teach her how and she amazed us with her ability to construct creative figures with plastic connect-together toys.

Sweetie was kind of like that. I would greet her when I come home, "Sweetie-pie, Sweetie-pie. Hello, Sweetie-pie." She would perk up and respond with major squawks and tweets. Then she would clamber all over her perches and move from one bird toy to the next, swinging all of them, climbing over hanging balls, ringing little bells with her beak.

When she notices that the computer or TV has got us distracted, the screeches and chirps would resume and the toys would be dancing and tinkling. I never thought such a tiny creature could cause such a huge commotion.

One time I happened to practice a worship song with my guitar right next to her cage, she just warbled along. When I stopped, she would stop. When I start singing again, she would sing too.

Sweetie's passing away is a mystery to us. We were sure she had adequate food and water. The cage was clean. She was in her usual bubbly mood when we left.

What is not mysterious is the grief we all feel. Sweetie was family. She was somebody we all looked forward to coming home to. She was this small, charming creature who has now rendered our home too quiet. She was this little dynamite who no longer occupies this generously-sized cage that is now so visibly absent from where it used to sit.

LORD, when you and I first walked together, you taught me to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). You taught me back then that on this side of glory, there will be times when this will be hard to do. I choose to obey, LORD. For "To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15:22).

I do see cause to give thanks. As I imagine Sweetie's motionless body lying on the cage floor, she reminds me of the sparrows you spoke about in your Word:

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father." (Matthew 10:29)

Thank you that you regard us more valuable than many sparrows (Matthew 10:31b) but you allow nothing to happen even to them that is not according to your purpose.

Thank you, Father, for if you have a number for each hair on our heads (Matthew 10:30), you cannot be unaware of our grief. Thank you that you share in our grief.

Thank you that while a bird may be "insignificant" compared to us, your children, you can teach us inspite of its demise about how you would go to great lengths to be attentive to us so that we need not fear evil (Matthew 10:31a).

Goodbye, Sweetie.

Thank you, Father.

In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Dad Does Not Spare The Rod

Father, I have spoken with you at length about your love. If I may, let me dwell here this time on that facet of your character that elicits conviction, reverent fear and holy respect. I am talking, LORD, about your justice and discipline.

We tremble at the thought of it but here is where we also experience you as the supreme parent:

“Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:10, 11 (NIV)

In this age of grace, LORD, it is easy to brush off the idea of discipline as we enjoy the outpouring of your love. Yet, it is precisely out of love that you correct those you hold dear:

“Because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” Proverbs 3:12 (NIV)

It is frightening but it gives us a more complete view of your character. In justice and discipline, more of God is revealed:

“Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.” Job 5:17, 18 (NIV)

Discipline afflicts the erring believer. This does not mean that the rebellious scoffer goes scot-free:

“Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law; you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.” Psalm 94:12, 13 (NIV)

Yes, discipline is painful, difficult and humbling. In your hands, though, Father, there is a sweetness to correction. For while it is tough, to your child it is love that drives, directs and finishes it:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:16, 17 (NIV)

We need only remember, Jesus suffered the cross for our ultimate correction. From utter humiliation, he is now risen above all.

Let all glory be to the Name above all names.

In Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Though The Mountains Be Shaken

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken...

I could be flippant, LORD, and say that that’s a line straight out of a mushy romance novel or some old time theater script. I know better. Coming from you, Father, it is the sweetest expression of your love and faithfulness to your people:

Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)
“’Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”

It is perfectly beautiful because your faithfulness is perfect:

Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.”

It is a faithfulness that recognizes the frailty and imperfection of flesh. It affords grace when even the most nimble feet stumble in the minefield of sin:

2 Timothy 2:13
“If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

We understand, Father, that unfaithfulness on our part has its consequences. No matter, we also know your love remains. You are faithful. You are holy and faithful. Holiness and faithfulness, they are frightfully awesome to comprehend:

Isaiah 46:11
“...What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.”

Loving you back, worshiping you, adoring you, being faithful to you, serving you. If we sacrificed our all we would still not measure up to your faithfulness and love. How can we outgive a God who has spared nothing, not even his one and only Son, to be true to mere created beings who even have the nerve to thumb their noses at the purity of his affections?

Father, let your glory be magnified on earth as it is in heaven.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

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The US Congress can act to help save Terri Schindler-Schiavo. Here's how.

The latest on the US Supreme Court hearing on the Ten Commandments is adequately covered at the Evangelical Underground. The rooftop blog posts a very interesting view on the issue.

ATTENTION: Parents of elementary school students. Here is an alert from the American Family Association.

36 Christian Ways To Reduce Stress

A good friend and Brother in Christ e-mailed this one to me. I thought it made a lot of sense so I’m sharing it here.

LORD, I pray you make of what follows a blessing to those who find it here.

It goes this way:

An angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with God-ly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can.)

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe

36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

May the foregoing please you, LORD. Make it useful to those who read it and for your Kingdom’s purposes.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.

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Today is the day! The US Supreme Court hears oral arguments today on the public display of the Ten Commandments. Please, continue to pray that Christian attorneys make a compelling case delineating between acknowledgment of religion versus establishment of religion. Pray also that the LORD's wisdom prevail over the justices.

Here's a more active way of helping out in the Terri Schiavo case from theJesusfreak blog.

More from the same blog, if you're interested in finding out just how blogs are influencing public opinion, catch a glimpse of it here.

Please continue to pray that Terri Schiavo's life---and the nation's conscience---may be spared.

The Benefits Package

LORD, as I have mentioned a lot in this site, I belong now in your family (John 1:12). While I have also written already about living forever with you, here’s one more quote from your Word that just puts it so sweetly:

John 5:24 (NIV)
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

Awesome, Father, but I know the blessings do not stop there. The wealth of your household overflows. If I may, let me count some more of the benefits enjoyed by those that have received your Son as their personal Savior and LORD.

Our sins were forgiven:

Colossians 1:13-14 (NIV)
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Christ came into our lives:

Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Colossians 1:27 (NIV)
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

We now live the great adventure for which God created us:

John 10:10 (NIV)
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
“...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

What a joy it is to belong to your household. Father, I pray that the far corners of the earth will be reached soon with the wonderful news of your Son.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name, I ask it. Amen.

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Please, continue to pray for Terri Schiavo and the Supreme Court hearing on the Ten Commandments.