For more info on the event, go to www.12waystoknow.com

For parts 2, 3, 4 : CLICK HERE

When’s the last time you went to Disney World? Have you ever wondered, “Why in the world does one of the most beloved childhood icons parade around in a wizard’s cap, practicing sorcery and casting spells with a big happy smile on his face”? Why has such an abominable act of forbidden magical power been watered down to a form of innocent playfulness? And why do he and his cohorts reside in a “magic kingdom”? Is this really something we should expose our children to? What is the final cost of this entertainment? What are the spiritual ramifications? Seriously, keep reading…

I read a film summary of the 1940 Disney’s Fantasia, categorized as one of the greatest films. It can be found here . I highly recommend reading the entire synopsis, as it focuses on two major themes throughout the film: sorcery (the use of magic and spells to evoke power) and scientific creationism (as set to Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring).

“The segment opens with the Sorcerer (named Yen Sid, or Disney spelled backwards) practicing his craft, calling up a smoky spirit in the shape of a bat that he changes into a misty butterfly.” - excerpt

“Left alone in the sorcerer’s underground cavern after the Wizard yawns and then retires, he (Mickey Mouse) sees that the mystical Wizard has left behind his tall, pointed magical hat. The glowing, powerful blue hat is decorated with white stars and a crescent moon. Mickey dons it and pretends to be the Wizard. Dabbling with spells, he extends his arms toward a broom leaning against the wall. He brings one broom to life with a bluish and white glow, and lures it to stand upright … He soon falls asleep and dreams of power - he has reached greater heights above the earth on a high pinnacle in space - he pictures himself controlling the paths of clouds, stars, planets, and comets in the sky. Even the waves of the ocean and lightning bolts obey him.” - excerpt
Disney Sorcerer Mickey Fantasia Magic Canvas Art

A smoky spirit that changes into a misty butterfly? This is a children’s cartoon, and it depicts a sorcerer casting magic to call upon a spirit that changes form? He dreams of commanding the heavens, the oceans, and the lightning. So… basically, Mickey is dreaming about being a mighty one; a “god”. Hmm, the innocence is wearing a little thin, don’t you think? Sorcery and witchcraft is forbidden, and we should not dabble in the occult. Keep reading…

I walked in to my daughter’s room one morning and heard one of her CD’s playing on her radio. It was Cinderella; and as I walked in the narrator was saying, “The fairy godmother has magic to do”. WHAT? It hit me like a ton of bricks. That was shocking to me and I am disgusted that my child is exposed to such filth. My child is innocent and unknowing. She needs to be fed wisdom, not deceit. We should not be supporting such sin. It should be shocking, because The Almighty has declared this, and we’re playing with fire if we don’t take heed:

Exodus 22:18
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

Deuteronomy 18:10 - 13
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee
13 THOU SHALT BE PERFECT WITH THE LORD THY GOD.

Leviticus 19:31
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

Galatians 5:20 - 21
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 envyings, murderers, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Encyclopedia.com
“Magic, witchcraft, and sorcery generally function at the level of the individual, and often in opposition to organized religions.”

Sesame Street now has a character named Abby Cadabby. Wanna know what her special characteristic is? She’s a mystical “new age” fairy, complete with fairy wings and a magical wand. When she needs something, she summons her powers by moving her wand and casting a spell or saying a chant. I don’t need to go any further.

Don’t be fooled; she’s not a butterfly, and she’s not a princess.

So, I’m going to propose a new character to Disney and Sesame Street; the character will go to the highest bidder. The new character is called Harley. She’s a harlot dressed to the nines. To water it down, we’ll encourage the studios to call her a “lady of the evening”. Since she’s a lady, little girls can look up to her. Her special characteristic is that she spreads her love around to people of all kinds so that she teaches against discrimination. Then she gives the money she earns from her services to charity to promote good will to humanity and world harmony. Doesn’t that sound like fun and innocence and a great way to teach our children??? She would be such a good role model for our children.

Now look kids, I’m not saying magic isn’t real. It certainly is. The matter at hand is whether or not we come to grips with the critical fact that it is FOR-BID-DEN. Period. Black magic, white magic? No. Magic is magic. What The Almighty says is wrong is what we should say is wrong. But we’re so hesitant to say it; we compromise. If has been deemed forbidden and detestable by the Almighty Father, then it is evil. Period. I know what you’re thinking, “C’mon, Dave, they’re just stories, You’re crazy, You’ve gone off the deep end.” Well, we have to call things by what they are. Sin is sin. Would you let your child get high on crack or crystal meth? Would you prostitute your daughters? Of course not. Even if it made them happy and cheerful? Is there any goodness in that? There is no profit. Keep reading…

I tell you this: my desire it to reside in the Kingdom of The Mighty One, Yahweh. And our true Savior will be our King. His Kingdom will crush all other kingdoms, including the “magic kingdom”. It will lay in ruins. So make a stand. Make a stand in the face of evil. As parents, we can give our children something better than what we had growing up - knowledge and wisdom, regardless of how we’ve turned out today. Don’t let personal experiences be the measure; let the Scriptures be the measure. Be the better example that your children need and teach them TRUTH. And the TRUTH WILL SET THEM FREE from this world of false happiness. Search your hearts and re-evaluate what your children [and grandchildren] are exposed to. They are a generation that will make a difference. I’ll keep you informed as things develop. I wish many blessings to you all. May Almighty be with you all.

If you have read this far, then I am blessed with your kindness.

David

I am excited to announce that Presenttruth.com will now be run in cooperation with The Beehive. Donations now made to Presenttruth.com will be tax-deductible. Thank you for your continued support of Presenttruth.com and please check out www.Thebeehives.org for more on this exciting new partnership.

This is really intense so be prepared. It is interesting to note that Buddhism teaches in the last days that Maitreya would come. The foundation is being prepared for some serious deceptions.

What do you think? Click Here for Original Source

So what does it mean to Fear God? Does it mean to be afraid because He is so scary and powerful? No. When in doubt with something in scripture, go to the bible to interpret itself.

If you go to Proverbs 8:13, you will see a verse that talks about the Fear of God or Fear of the Lord. 8:13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil…” So let’s make it simple. Fearing God= Hating Evil.

It is also interesting to read Proverbs 8 and 9. In these two chapters it is as if Wisdom has been personified as a person. Wisdom speaks as though it were a member of the citizens of the universe. Read it, you will be blessed.  Something to note, in Proverbs 9:10,11 we can see the way in which we can obtain wisdom and understanding. As you read through Proverbs, you will notice that if you have Wisdom and Understanding in life, then you will also have wealth, health, and countless other blessings.

Verse 10 says “The fear of the Lord(hating evil) is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” I would say that knowledge of God is a two way street. It involves you investing time in getting to know who God is and what He is about, but it also involves Him getting to know you. Remember in Matthew we see people who have cast out demons and done miracles but He says “I never knew you.” So there is more to knowing about God and the deeper idea is having a relationship with Him.

Read Proverbs 8 and 9 and you will see some amazing wise words from the wisest man that ever lived. As for Fearing God, the only way we can hate evil is to ask God to give us the same feelings for sin that He has. We naturally love evil and sin and all that it is. I believe only God can implant that enmity in us that He has for sin. After all, sin is what has seperated us from Him and His sole desire in the universe is to find a way to restore man back to the place He originally intended…with Him.

This morning I read a prophecy of Christ in the book of Isaiah:  “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”  So when He is oppressed and afflicted, He is silent.  And did you notice that it says twice that He didn’t open His mouth?  We see this prophecy fulfilled in Matthew:  “Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?’ But Jesus remained silent.’”  “When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, ‘Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?’ But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.”  And to my amazement as well.  I have such respect for someone who can be silent, who can refuse to open their mouths in the face of insult, lies, gossip, and falsehood.  I really look up to those people, because I don’t keep my mouth shut.  Mine is the first to open in reply, whether it’s to defend self, or to use sarcasm, wit, argument, or just plain facts to justify self.  But here we see Jesus Christ, in the face of outright lies that could result in torture and death for Him, opening not His mouth.

Though it was unbelievably hard for Christ to remains silent in His situation, it shouldn’t be so difficult in my situation.  The things that get a response from me are so harmless and benign that there is no comparison with Christ’s circumstances.  A wrong part ordered, an annoying phone call from a telemarketer, a person holding up the checkout line while their husband keeps looking for that sauce – if I do keep my mouth shut it doesn’t mean my mind is not starting to boil over with frustration and angry words.

I’m beginning to realize that God is not so interested in me being Christ-like and quiet in some big test of my life, but in the little tests every single day.  “It is the little things of life that develop the spirit and determine the character. Those who neglect the little things will not be prepared to endure severe tests when they are brought to bear upon them.  Remember that the character building is not finished till life ends. Every day a good or bad brick is placed in the structure. You are either building crookedly or with the exactness and correctness that will make a beautiful temple for God. Therefore, in looking for great things to do, neglect not the little opportunities that come to you day by day. He who neglects the little things, and yet flatters himself that he is ready to do wonderful things for the Master, is in danger of failing altogether, Life is made up, not of great sacrifices and of wonderful achievements, but of little things.”  In Heavenly Places, page 226.

God worked with Jeremiah on this same point.  Jeremiah was fussing and whining to God about how all the wicked seem to prosper, and God told him to focus on his own life, and stop worrying about the wicked.  His spiritual strength was so weak he could even keep up with the wicked, and God had much bigger plans for him!  “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” The lesson given to the prophet of old may well come home to you and me today. If we neglect the minor tasks of life, how can we undertake the greater responsibilities that may come to us? If we succumb to the smaller temptations of everyday life, how can we overcome in the greater crises of life? If we cannot endure the lesser troubles of life, how can we withstand the terrible tribulations that will yet come upon us? And finally, if we fail to meet the situations of the present day with faith and trust, how will we be able to stand the almost unendurable hardships and almost overmastering delusions that will come upon us during the “time of trouble”?

Next week we’ll continue our discussion and look at ways to keep silent in the “little things” that we encounter every single day.

Make time for God’s Word today!

Mark

I enjoyed every minute of my trip and it is so exciting to see what is happening. For more info check out www.rome.itiswritten.com . The concert going on during the meetings that Pastor Boonstra speaks of was possibly the loudest concert ever :). What a night for God to speak louder than the noise in the street.

I had to share something that I just cannot keep to myself. As a lifelong church going Christian, I have learned much of the many ideas that circle Christianity. There are so many who have theories on what is the way to happiness. We have books about ‘The purpose driven life’ and many ideas on the meaning of life. I want to recommend a book to you if you have not read it. The name of the book is Steps to Christ by EG White. This book has been such a blessing to me. It has helped me see that if I am not joyful in this life, if I am not a blessing to my friends, If I am not excited about being a Christian then I am a fake, lonely, miserable human that no one will enjoy being around and I will end up hating myself.

I just got back from a trip to Rome, italy for a few days and I saw something that I believe can be a lesson to us. You see as Christians, we can get very busy hunting for the truth. We can get so obsessed with it that we forget what Christianity is all about. In Rome, I ate the same meal pretty much for 5 days. It was pasta, salad, bruschetta, and a pizza. Now I must tell you that I recently learned alot about health and I can tell you that the majority of what I ate was not healthy. White flower in a few different forms just does not do a body good. As I walked around Rome, I noticed that something was VERY STRANGE. I guess I just have to say it “There were no obese people!!!. I mean yea I saw a few here and there but the masses were thin and looked healthy. I saw what they ate and trust me it was not lifegiving healthy food . So I thought to myself, why does everyone here look so healthy i.e. thin and in shape and even happy.

So here we go with the spiritual tie in. I walked about 25 miles in a few days touring the streets of Rome. Then it hit me. I was not the only one who was walking. The Romans(modern day of course) are an active bunch. They don’t sit in their cars for a one hour commute each way to work and they walk all over the place. It made me realize that even though the diet was white flour, gelato, and cigarettes that with exercise they were keeping the weight off. Sure there are some other reasons but this to me was the biggest. I noticed the obesity was much higher in classes that sat all day i.e. upper class businessmen that did not walk to work but clearly drove etc. I can talk more about that in a later post.

The point is this. We need a good spiritual diet. It should ideally consist of the pure truth from the word of God. We also need to exercise our faith. As we look at the Judgment seen in Matthew 25 we can see that it may even be possible in that day that some did not have the purest truth i.e. spiritual diet possible but they did have a great spiritual exercise program.

So How do we do this? We do this by uplifting and serving our fellow man. This means that the mechanic needs to be honest and do his best to fix the car that someone brought to him. This means that the business person needs to be honest at work and on time and do their all as this is their duty. These are just a few examples but the point is we need to go the extra mile. We need to go out of our way to help others around us. It is our duty as Christians. We will never make a difference in the world unless we gain the reputation of being loving and kind to anyone around us.

Are Christians known as those who are a huge blessing to the world around or are we at times content with going to hear more truth and filling up with it like it is a gas station or another spiritual meal. If we don’t leave our morning devotions or church or prayer meeting after being spiritually fed, then we will get spiritually constipated and spiritually obese.

Just like the human body can eat healthy food and yet someone still be unhealthy overall, so the in the spiritual we need both good spiritual food and good spiritual exercise by working for the uplifting of those around us. This is in the home, work, church etc.

I saw something in Rome that stuck out to me. I saw Basilicas that were so grand that I wonder how anyone can see the unselfishness of Christ in these magnificent buildings. Christ was a servant and He was poor and was not selfish. I guess it seemed as though these elaborate buildings were not Christ like. They seemed as though they represented a spiritually obese church that was not actively serving others. This was seen by the vast amount of homeless elderly women in Rome.

Get active in your physical and spiritual life and you will not be constipated in either. Yea it’s true, exercise induces better digestion. So with more exercise in both, we will have more appetite in both to continue to grow.

What do you think, is Chrisianity Obese? Are you spiritually Constipated? Leave a comment.

blessings,
Jared

Punishment, Providence or Prophecy? from Carlton Knott on Vimeo.

by Rochelle Willis

Whew, last week went by like a world wind. It never seems like there’s enough hours in the day. Competing priorities contend for limited time, how is one to decide what wins out? I’ve learned a secret, and that is to let God decide for me. Each morning, I give Him my list and I tell Him, “Father, I know that there is no way that I’m going to get all these things done.

I’m not even sure that these are the things you want me to focus on today. What is on your list?” You see, I’ve come to recognize that even if I don’t get to check off all the items on my list, that’s okay as long as God’s list gets checked off. I know that as long as I do God’s list, then I would have accomplished all that I needed to do for that day. What a relief! You can’t even imagine the pressure that takes off of me; it’s a great stress minimizer.

Speaking of stress, how do you deal with the stressors in your life? By stressors I am simply referring to anything that causes you stress. Interestingly enough, what might prove stressful to one person may not prove stressful to another. For example, I like public speaking having to do that for me is not stressful, however, for someone else that thought is terrifying. Nevertheless though our stressors are different, we all have something that causes us sleepless nights or untold fret and anxiety? It seems like everyone that I bump into these days are dealing with some major issues. A family of four facing eviction, marriages that have hit the rocks, or a middle aged woman dealing with stage four Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but is too afraid to tell her boss when she’s hospitalized. Apparently they agreed to have her work from home; she’s used up all her sick days and doesn’t want to get fired. Now it may not be that serious for you, but I know we’re all dealing with something, especially in this current economic environment where many are bent low under the burden of financial hardships. So I ask you again, how do you deal with the stressors in your life?

Now to be fair we have to establish the fact that stress of itself is not bad and is actually a normal part of life. However, when the intensity and duration of that stress extends beyond an individual’s ability to respond positively then it becomes bad. Stress not only affects us mentally and emotionally but it also affects us on a physiological level. “British cardiologist, Peter Nixon, explains that increased stress and arousal causes numerous changes in body functioning that eventually interfere with immune function, protein synthesis, and cardiac function. Repetitive stress also uses up the body’s reserves, leading to increased stress on other physiological functions. This, in turn can result in heart disease, cancer, or depression.” Alternative Medicine, The Definitive Guide. p. 351. As you can see stress has far reaching effects. Under the category of stress I also want to lump toxic emotions, such as anger, bitterness, resentment, etc. These emotions are as a poison to the body. The following quote sums it up perfectly, “the relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, and distrust all tend to break down the life forces, and invite decay and death.” Ministry of Healing, p. 241.

In the past few weeks I’ve had the privilege of consulting with a few people on health related issues. Without fail, in spite of the physical issues, the number one problem was stress and emotional turmoil. For example, I spoke with an individual suffering with fibroids and under an enormous amount of stress. As I began to research the problem, I learned that fibroids are linked to estrogen dominance. One of the causative factors of estrogen dominance is stress. Yet the effects of stress and toxic emotions go deeper. Are you a chronic worrier? Did you know that chronic worry upsets the hormonal balance and can deplete the cells of much needed oxygen? Worry can result in raised blood pressure due to over stimulation of the heart and contraction of the small blood vessels. Furthermore, anger stops digestion. A study was done by Doctor Walter Bradford Cannon of Harvard University on the effects of anger on digestion, using a cat as a test subject. The cat was given a meal and X-rays were done to trace the movements in stomach during digestion. The cat was relaxing and digestion was going normal, until the doctor pinched the cat’s tail. The cat became upset and instantly the movement of the stomach ceased. If anger can stop the digestive process it can also interfere with other vital processes as well.

Since we cannot escape from stress, we must learn how to respond to it in a healthy way. We must also learn how to free ourselves from toxic emotions. This is where Godly Trust comes in. As I mentioned in our last article, Godly Trust is the first of the eight laws of health, known by the acronym GODSPLAN. Godly Trust is the only true remedy for stress. If you are ever going to find rest in stress, you must anchor the ship of your life to something outside of yourself. You must build on something stronger and tougher than you are. The foundation that you build on must be immovable. It must be able to withstand a 9.5 magnitude earthquake, a death in the family, a foreclosure and any other disaster that comes your way. If you trust in your job, you can lose it; a spouse, they can leave you; a house, it can be foreclosed; your money, the stock market can crash. You see everything in this life is transitory, it’s not guaranteed. Trust in divine power is the only thing that comes with a guarantee. Why? Because God is self sustaining and all life is derived from Him. He has no beginning nor does He have an end. His very word is what holds up this earth and prevents it from spiraling out of control. He’s omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere at the same time). I mean what can truly beat that.

Greatest of all is the love that He has for you and me. According to Jeremiah 1:5, before you were formed in your mother’s womb He knew you. He says in Jeremiah 17:11, “For I know the thoughts I think toward you…thoughts of peace and not of evil.” Do you know that He even numbers the very hairs on your head (Luke 12:7)? Now that must be some kind of love. And even more, He wants to help you. He wants to take away the stress that keeps you up all night. He wants to help you overcome that anger that’s paralyzed you for years. He invites you to come to Him if you are weary and heavy laden. He’s offered to take your stress and give you rest (Matthew 11:28-29). He promised that He would take care of all your needs according to His riches in glory. Now you must understand that God’s wealth is off the Richter scale, the Fortune 500 list of the wealthiest people in this world is nothing compared to God’s what God’s got.

Speaking from personal experience, there is nothing more reassuring than to know that the God who created this universe has me in the palm of His hands. There is no greater peace than knowing that I can turn the reins of my life over to Him. I use to stress over the future, but I no longer need to. Sometimes, I hear people say “nobody has all the answers,” and I’ll chuckle to myself and say “well, God does.” How reassuring to know that. I’m not privy to seeing the future, but the one who is in charge of guiding my life is. He has an eternity of experience in this field. All His clients are satisfied. Though He may not choose to prevent stressful situations from coming my way, He’s always there to see me through it.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding…it shall be health to thy navel and marrow to thy bones.” Proverbs 3:5,8

The other day I was driving with an outspoken man, who happens to also be a Christian.  The radio was set to an AM station that was radically conservative.  The talk show person was carefully lambasting the current President for his decisions, second guessing everything, and bashing the decisions being made in the powers that be regarding healthcare and the like.  My friend frequently joined in to add his wisdom, and when we parted ways the thing that struck me the most about my friend was not that he was a Christian, but that he felt so strongly about how our nation was not being run.

It made me think back to Jesus.  His life and ministry showed a complete un-involvement with the local politics of His day.  On one occasion when a religious political group tried to trick Him into teaching tax evasion, He was quick to tell them that famous quote:  “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars, and unto God the things that are Gods.”  Jesus was not involved in politics, because He had something more important to do:  Share the Good News (Gospel) of the Kingdom of His Father.  Not that legislation and governance is not important, it is.  But Jesus would not; He could not, take time and energy away from the Gospel.  And it’s the same with His followers.  He wants you and I to take the Good News to every person, and not to get sidetracked with causes that most of us have no control over except to consume our time in discussing and analyzing the different factors involved.

I read something the other day that addresses this point well:

I worry about the trend surge of power among U.S. Christians, who seem to be focusing more and more on political means. . . . The trend troubles me because the gospel of Jesus was not primarily a political platform.  The issues that confront Christians in a secular society must be faced and addressed and legislated, and a democracy gives Christians every right to express themselves.  But we dare not invest so much in the kingdom of this world that we neglect our main task of introducing people to a different kind of kingdom, one based solely on God’s grace and forgiveness.  Passing laws to enforce morality serves a necessary function, to dam up evil but it never solves human problems.  If a century from now all that historians can say about evangelicals of the 1990s is that they stood for family values, then we will have failed the mission Jesus gave us to accomplish: to communicate God’s reconciling love to sinners. . .

Nowadays, as the U.S. grows increasingly secularized, it appears that church and state are heading in different directions.  The more I understand Jesus’ message of the kingdom of God, the less alarm I feel over that trend.  Our real challenge, the focus of our energy, should not be to Christianize the United States (always a loosing battle) but rather to strive to be God’s kingdom in an increasingly hostile world.

Philip Yancey

The Jesus I Never Knew

What is your focus?  To learn daily more about God’s kingdom, and His way of doing things, or the current President?  Politicians come and go, State of the Union addresses change, but our focus, our mission, is to follow the plans of the Prince of Peace.  Everything else is simply a distraction.

Make sure to spend time today studying God’s agenda!  We’re praying for you!

Mark

At first I recieved an email with some fairly graphic and bold language that I have now found out was doctored somehow. The original posts make it much more clear.

The entity that is holding the meetings is from the U.S and is called ‘It is Written’. The speaker will be Shawn Boonstra and the hype is understated if you ask me. Why?

Well here is the thing. The event will NOT be televised. The reason being was due to costs. I would say there may be other reasons as well. Currently there is word that the meetings are being threatened to shut down. As one could figure, any meeting like this is a threat to the devil’s measley kingdom here on this earth but it is even more of a threat due to where it is being held.

Do you realize the blood shed by the leaders of Rome for over 1260 years? This was the superpower of the earth. This is the beast of Revelation 13. She will rise again.

I think Protestantism will shine in all it’s glory during these meetings. Rome and billions of her followers are in darkness as to who Jesus really is and what lies ahead for us in eternity. The greatest buildings in Rome were built by the sale of indulgences. That is the forgiveness of sins, which Christ alone can do.

By God’s grace, these meetings will start a flame of hope that will flourish in the streets of Rome. Let’s pray and send emails of encouragement to the group in Rome. Now is the time.

Here is a link to the site and videos thus far: Click Here

The change of heart by which we become children of God is in the Bible spoken of as birth. Again, it is compared to the germination of the good seed sown by the husbandman. In like manner those who are just converted to Christ are, “as new-born babes,” to “grow up” to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. 1 Peter 2:2; Ephesians 4:15. Or like the good seed sown in the field, they are to grow up and bring forth fruit. Isaiah says that they shall “be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3. So from natural life, illustrations are drawn, to help us better to understand the mysterious truths of spiritual life. {SC 67.1}

Not all the wisdom and skill of man can produce life in the smallest object in nature. It is only through the life which God Himself has imparted, that either plant or animal can live. So it is only through the life from God that spiritual life is begotten in the hearts of men. Unless a man is “born from above,” he cannot become a partaker of the life which Christ came to give. John 3:3, margin. {SC 67.2}

As with life, so it is with growth. It is God who brings the bud to bloom and the flower to fruit. It is by His power that the seed develops, “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” Mark 4:28. And the prophet Hosea says of Israel, that “he shall grow as the lily.” “They shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine.” Hosea 14:5, 7. And Jesus bids us “consider the lilies how [BEGIN P.68] they grow.” Luke 12:27. The plants and flowers grow not by their own care or anxiety or effort, but by receiving that which God has furnished to minister to their life. The child cannot, by any anxiety or power of its own, add to its stature. No more can you, by anxiety or effort of yourself, secure spiritual growth. The plant, the child, grows by receiving from its surroundings that which ministers to its life –air, sunshine, and food. What these gifts of nature are to animal and plant, such is Christ to those who trust in Him. He is their “everlasting light,” “a sun and shield.” Isaiah 60:19; Psalm 84:11. He shall be as “the dew unto Israel.” “He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass.” Hosea 14:5; Psalm 72:6. He is the living water, “the Bread of God . . . which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” John 6:33. {SC 67.3}

In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. {SC 68.1}

As the flower turns to the sun, that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven’s light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ. {SC 68.2}

Jesus teaches the same thing when He says, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. . . . Without Me ye [BEGIN P.69] can do nothing.” John 15:4, 5. You are just as dependent upon Christ, in order to live a holy life, as is the branch upon the parent stock for growth and fruitfulness. Apart from Him you have no life. You have no power to resist temptation or to grow in grace and holiness. Abiding in Him, you may flourish. Drawing your life from Him, you will not wither nor be fruitless. You will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. {SC 68.3}

Many have an idea that they must do some part of the work alone. They have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright. But every such effort must fail. Jesus says, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness,–all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly,–by abiding in Him, –that we are to grow in grace. He is not only the Author, but the Finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way. David says, “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Psalm 16:8. {SC 69.1}

Do you ask, “How am I to abide in Christ?” In the same way as you received Him at first. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.” “The just shall live by faith.” Colossians 2:6; Hebrews 10:38. You gave yourself to God, to be His wholly, to serve and obey Him, and you took Christ as your Saviour. You could not yourself atone for your sins or change your heart; but having given [BEGIN P.70] yourself to God, you believe that He for Christ’s sake did all this for you. By faith you became Christ’s, and by faith you are to grow up in Him–by giving and taking. You are to give all,–your heart, your will, your service,–give yourself to Him to obey all His requirements; and you must take all,–Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper,–to give you power to obey. {SC 69.2}

Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.” This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ. {SC 70.1}

A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in [BEGIN P.71] His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love –this is the subject for the soul’s contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness. {SC 70.2}

Jesus says, “Abide in Me.” These words convey the idea of rest, stability, confidence. Again He invites,”Come unto Me, . . . and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. The words of the psalmist express the same thought: “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” And Isaiah gives the assurance, “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” Psalm 37:7; Isaiah 30:15. This rest is not found in inactivity; for in the Saviour’s invitation the promise of rest is united with the call to labor: “Take My yoke upon you: . . . and ye shall find rest.” Matthew 11:29. The heart that rests most fully upon Christ will be most earnest and active in labor for Him. {SC 71.1}

When the mind dwells upon self, it is turned away from Christ, the source of strength and life. Hence it is Satan’s constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ. The pleasures of the world, life’s cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections–to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind. Do not be misled by his devices. Many who are really conscientious, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating them from Christ he hopes to [BEGIN P.72] gain the victory. We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength. Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him. Talk and think of Jesus. Let self be lost in Him. Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears. Say with the apostle Paul, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you. {SC 71.2}

When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself. Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie–to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this. But let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, and He will preserve us. Looking unto Jesus, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand. In constantly beholding Him, we “are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. {SC 72.1}

It was thus that the early disciples gained their likeness to the dear Saviour. When those disciples heard the words of Jesus, they felt their need of Him. They sought, they found, they followed Him. They [BEGIN P.73] were with Him in the house, at the table, in the closet, in the field. They were with Him as pupils with a teacher, daily receiving from His lips lessons of holy truth. They looked to Him, as servants to their master, to learn their duty. Those disciples were men “subject to like passions as we are.” James 5:17. They had the same battle with sin to fight. They needed the same grace, in order to live a holy life. {SC 72.2}

Even John, the beloved disciple, the one who most fully reflected the likeness of the Saviour, did not naturally possess that loveliness of character. He was not only self-assertive and ambitious for honor, but impetuous, and resentful under injuries. But as the character of the Divine One was manifested to him, he saw his own deficiency and was humbled by the knowledge. The strength and patience, the power and tenderness, the majesty and meekness, that he beheld in the daily life of the Son of God, filled his soul with admiration and love. Day by day his heart was drawn out toward Christ, until he lost sight of self in love for his Master. His resentful, ambitious temper was yielded to the molding power of Christ. The regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit renewed his heart. The power of the love of Christ wrought a transformation of character. This is the sure result of union with Jesus. When Christ abides in the heart, the whole nature is transformed. Christ’s Spirit, His love, softens the heart, subdues the soul, and raises the thoughts and desires toward God and heaven. {SC 73.1}

When Christ ascended to heaven, the sense of His presence was still with His followers. It was a [BEGIN P.74] personal presence, full of love and light. Jesus, the Saviour, who had walked and talked and prayed with them, who had spoken hope and comfort to their hearts, had, while the message of peace was still upon His lips, been taken up from them into heaven, and the tones of His voice had come back to them, as the cloud of angels received Him–”Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20. He had ascended to heaven in the form of humanity. They knew that He was before the throne of God, their Friend and Saviour still; that His sympathies were unchanged; that He was still identified with suffering humanity. He was presenting before God the merits of His own precious blood, showing His wounded hands and feet, in remembrance of the price He had paid for His redeemed. They knew that He had ascended to heaven to prepare places for them, and that He would come again and take them to Himself. {SC 73.2}

As they met together after the ascension they were eager to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23, 24. They extended the hand of faith higher and higher with the mighty argument, “It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:34. And Pentecost brought them the presence of the Comforter, of whom [BEGIN P.75] Christ had said, He “shall be in you.” And He had further said, “It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.” John 14:17; 16:7. Henceforth through the Spirit, Christ was to abide continually in the hearts of His children. Their union with Him was closer than when He was personally with them. The light, and love, and power of the indwelling Christ shone out through them, so that men, beholding, “marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13. {SC 74.1}

All that Christ was to the disciples, He desires to be to His children today; for in that last prayer, with the little band of disciples gathered about Him, He said, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word.” John 17:20. {SC 75.1}

Jesus prayed for us, and He asked that we might be one with Him, even as He is one with the Father. What a union is this! The Saviour has said of Himself, “The Son can do nothing of Himself;” “the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” John 5:19; 14:10. Then if Christ is dwelling in our hearts, He will work in us “both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. We shall work as He worked; we shall manifest the same spirit. And thus, loving Him and abiding in Him, we shall “grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” Ephesians 4:15.  {SC 75.2}

Full Story

So why in the world could Haiti be better off today? Well let’s see. Two weeks ago and for the last few years for that matter, Haitians have been eating dirt…No seriously. Click Here for Full Story on Eating Dirt

So why would they be better off now? Well two weeks ago no one on planet earth was giving a thought to the poverty and awfulness that Haiti is. It is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and one of the worst in the world. I don’t fully understand why Haiti and Dominican Republic which are the left and right half of the same island with very similar populations, why they are SO different in prosperity. I won’t go Pat Robertson here so don’t worry, but I do find it interesting that the world no longer believes in a God with judgments. If Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed today, God would be the last one most ‘Christians’ would blame or give responsibility to. Interesting to say the least.

So now here we are and sadly tens of thousands have died but hey it got the world’s attention to the poverty and wretchedness of this poor country. Do you realize that if the 500+ Million dollars from around the world via the UN actually goes to Haiti it will in a great way revitalize the country. Sad but true.

Why do we wait until disaster or death to do something? Africa is awful…what are we doing about it? Why do we send flowers to the dead but when they are alive we could not care less.

I think it may be time to think about how to live life to the fullest potential and be a blessing to those in need today before we have to be rushed upon a scene like this one.

It may work now you know, sending people around the world to Haiti but imagine if all of these other little earthquakes that have been shaking Venezuela and Cayman and other places were as devistating. You want to see the world go into a tail spin, watch what happens when disasters hit about 10-20 of the largest cities on earth…God help us…and He will.

Sadly if you were to look around at the majority of churches in America, you would wonder if anyone has ever heard this speech. What we should be asking is, What does God think about our deliberate racism in 2010? I mean after all, we have black churches, white churches (so I hear, a dying breed though:), spanish churches, korean churches, etc.

I really don’t understand how we can justify our actions and still seek God’s blessings. Who is responsible? I believe all parties are responsible as clearly we have put pride before repentance. Strangely we wonder why Jesus hasn’t returned. Are you kidding me? I think that some of us believe we will have a white section in heaven, a black section, china town, and on and on.

Ask yourself and be honest, why do I feel the way I do about other cultures? Deep down we have a problem that satan wants us to foster. It is time to stop that and plead with God for forgiveness. Racism is alive and well in 2010 and I would love to see a group of people say that we have had enough and we will love one another as Christ loved us. God please forgive us.

It is powerful and if you haven’t heard it, you will be so glad you did. It emphasizes why character development is most important. In light of the events going on in the world, now is the time to turn to God.

Click Here to Listen

Christ has promised that He has a new home (mansions) prepared for us. We look at the bible and realize that so many great patriarchs realized that this world was not their home. They were all looking for a better place.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:

¹⁰For he(Abraham) looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

¹³These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

¹⁴For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

¹⁵And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

¹⁶But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

God is not pleased with catastrophe. This world is showing signs of it’s age and the effects of sin on the earth. I read one report that Haiti had over 15 aftershocks after the major 7.0 earthquake.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:

⁷For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

⁸All these are the beginning of sorrows.

If these are the beginning, then what is it exactly that God is trying to show us? Why does He wait to come and take us to those heavenly homes? We must learn what the answer to that question is.

May God be with all of those in Haiti that are in such a time of need. Lord come quickly.

I need your help before the show on Wednesday. Please click the following link and answer just 4 questions so that Chris and I can get some feedback on where people’s thoughts and feelings are at in the current situation we as humanity find ourselves in. Thanks for your help. CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY

I am finding that there is a great lack for Leaders in the world we live in. To be more specific, there is a great void for Men who claim the name of Christianity to be men of principle. This quote strikes me:

The greatest want of the world is the want of men,–men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.–Education, p. 57. (1903) {CM 54.4}

I could not have said it better. What happened to men? I see many women that are seeking to live godly lives but so often I see men living like cowardly lions.

What is the solution? For one, we could begin praying for leadership and in particular pastors. They need to know that the members support truth no matter the results. We need to pray for and with our leaders. We need to be redemptive in all of our interactions. We also need to hold more people and leaders specifically ACCOUNTABLE.

Why are we so afraid to hold someone accountable. I recently watched a panel discussion of some of the leaders of my denomination and I must say I was saddened by what I saw. God, when will you have men like the men of old? Where are the Joshua and Calebs on the earth today?

It may be time to stop looking for someone and be that someone that people are looking for. You are a leader in your own sphere and it is high time to exercise your godly influence. People of any age can read right through a hypocrite. Do not be one. Live by principle no matter the circumstance and God will work mightily on your behalf.

I am burdened by this and pleading with God to show me some sign of hope for the earth. We need leaders now more than ever before. Why has the church been swept away into Hollywood? Because Hollywood has men and women that have decided to be a leader. They appeal to our worldly lusts because I dare say we have not had enough leaders that have been bold enough to tell us what SIN is and how the Power of God is at our disposal to overcome.

He will have a people. Revelation 7, 14. -Jared

A few months back I was hanging out with my friend Clare, who’s about 6 years old.  She has an older brother, and like all older brothers I’m pretty sure he likes to tease.  In fact, one day I asked her older brother what he’s been doing on his summer break from school, and he thought for only a moment before he replied:  “Pestering Clare.”  So when Clare was driving in our car one day, I asked her, “How has your summer been?”  “Fine!”  “Has your brother been pestering your?”  “Yes.”  “What does he do to pester you?”  “I forgot.”  She forgot?  I know she’s not old enough to start getting a bad memory like the rest of us old folks, and so I thought I’d help her to remember a little.  “Does he take your books?”  “I can’t remember.”  “Does he lock you out of his room?”  “I can’t remember.”  “So does he pester you?”  “Yes.”  “How?”  “I forgot.”  And she went back to her book she was reading to my wife, and that was the end of the discussion.  But it wasn’t the end of the topic in my thoughts.  Clare taught me an important lesson that day.  Many times we think we can’t forget something, which is pretty true.  But we can choose not to remember.  And this is what Clare was doing.  Instead of concentrating on the little annoyances of her brother, she chose to not remember them and think about them.  There was more to her summer to think about than his pestering her.  So she thought about other things, and “forgot” his pestering.

It seems to me that God does this as well.  He tells us that when we confess our sins, He chooses to remember them no more. “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”  “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Isaiah 43:25, Jeremiah 31:34.  It’s like if you where to go and ask Him a week after you have already confessed a sin and asked again for His forgiveness, “Will you please forgive me for such and such?” and He would reply, just like my friend Clare, “What sin?  I forgot.”

How can we reach the point of not holding onto little grievances and always remembering for years and years the things that others have done to us?  Here’s a little suggestion:  Don’t focus on the hurt or the unkind word or the pain; focus on something else.  Clare doesn’t get up each day and rehash over and over again in her mind what her brother has done to her yesterday, and last week, and last month,.  She gets up and focuses on the positive, and as she thinks about the positive, she forgets the negative.  And when I try to get her to think about all the things her brother has done to her, she refuses to dig up the past.

It’s a lot like our media today.  When it’s a slow day, they will run and rerun and rehash some of the most insignificant and trivial news items.  Like someone speaking out during a congressional hearing.  We hear about it over and over and over again on the different networks.  But if there is something else that comes up, like a natural disaster, or an airplane that crashes, suddenly we all “forget” about that trivial item and focus on the big news.  And if some news anchor were to start rehashing the trivial matter over again, we would forget him and turn the channel.  And it’s the same with us.  Focus on the things that are eternally important.

We are to keep our eyes constantly fixed upon heavenly things. We are to search the Scriptures, that with quick understanding we may discern the truth, and see the light, fixing the eye of faith upon the land that is afar off, but brought nigh by belief in the word of God. The common, earthly attractions of this life are to be eclipsed by our knowledge of spiritual things, that we may set our affections on the things that are above, and not on things that are upon the earth.

Let’s “forget” the hurts and move on this New Year!

Mark

The truth is that the majority of our resolutions are abandoned after about two weeks. We fail a couple of times and then we think ‘what’s the point?’ I am a failure, or I just don’t have time.

I think if you are serious about a resolution you have to take the following steps: 1. Commit it to God. Ask Him to help you to be faithful to this. You have to admit you are weak and in need of His help. He is able to assist in our decision. 2. Do not give up. It is easy to skip exercise or eat that sugar or gain a few pounds and too easily want to give up.

Never give up. This is the so important. Whether your resolution is spiritual or physical or mental, do not give up. To help out with this, don’t look at your resolution as a goal for this year only. Look at this year as the beginning of the next decade. So in 10 years, will the decisions and path you are on, lead you to where you want to be.

I personally have my mind set on eternal things. I want to see my life in perfect Harmony with my Creator in the next 10 years if time remains that long. I will first though focus on today. Tomorrow I will focus on the same. Day by day I am going to seek the power of God in my life to do all that He has shown me to do. I know now that this is the only way to have joy and be a ’success’ in this life in preparation for the life to come.

So be of good courage. The devil is a defeated foe and Christ is looking to do great things in your life and through your life in the coming year. I would recommend 3 books that will be a huge blessing to you in the coming year. These are all to be read along with some serious daily bible study. This is the year to be able to know what the bible says to you. I am not as concerned about what it says to my friends, I want to know what God is trying to tell me through His word.

So the 3 books are these in this order. 1. Desire of Ages by E.G. White. 2. Steps to Christ by E.G. White. 3. Ministry of Healing by E.G. White. Google them and you can find them. Email me and I can get them to you for cheap as well.

To God Be the Glory in 2010. We are just one step closer to eternity. We must ask ourselves this question as we enter this year. Why has God waited 2000 years since Calvary to return? What is He waiting on? I believe He is waiting on something.

blessings,
Jared

I for the first time in my life decided to wake up and do nothing before I had a time of study and prayer with God. This past year I finally got the habit going and now I look forward to waking up each morning and studying the truth that God has in store for me that day. I realized more than ever the power of prayer and the effect that it has on me personally. I see the value in intercessory prayer more than ever before. Last but not least, I have been convicted over the last few months that both study and prayer are vital but in addition to those, we must serve those in need all around us. This includes our families first. This includes friends and then all those just down the street that are in need of hope and encouragement. In 2010, I am going to be about the business of being a blessing to others. I don’t know exactly what that will look like but I know that it will be laced with unselfishness.

I challenge you to do the same. Make study, prayer and service apart of your life and see if you don’t find that peace and joy that you are really looking for. What has your walk looked like over the past year? What will it look like in 2010? Please leave some comments below.-Jared

In reading the Gospel accounts of Christ I am always impressed with His focus.  It was always on people, not on the program.  He took the time to stop and talk to a lady who was already healed of a long illness; He interrupted His sleep time (or His prayer time) to talk late into the evening with Nicodemus; He postponed His trip to Jerusalem to spend time with a guy sitting in a tree; and He delayed one of His bigger miracles – feeding thousands of people from only a few morsels of food – in order to make sure the people were all sitting down and ready to eat.

In my life I find many times when I get rude and short with others, when I get impatient, and when I get frustrated, it’s usually because I’m focused on the program, or even how the person is getting in the way of my program.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons we have so much stress in our lives.  We need to get our focus back on what is important to Jesus – people.

Last evening my wife and I were shopping.  I love the holiday season!  The lights, the decorations, and the music, I just love this time of the year.  But I started thinking about how much the decorations and presents can take the place of just plain being nice to others.  An e-mail from my friend Dean reminded me of this today, and I wanted to share it with you.  It’s a paraphrase – a Christmas version, if you will – of 1 Corinthians 13:

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,

but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,

but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity,

but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. Video games will break, pictures will fade, clothes will be worn out, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

Let’s make this Holiday season a time where we focus on people, those dear to us, and don’t let the program of everything else get in the way!

Happy Holidays!  We’re praying for you this season that you will get closer to Jesus Christ, the reason for our existence!

Mark Ferrell

We now have our first items ready to go in the store. The funds from these will be shared between Presenttruth.com and the speakers who are featured on the discs. The first one’s loaded up are from our ‘Last Day Events’ weekend in Atlanta a few months back. They are absoutely amazing. Thanks for your continued support of Presenttruth.com.

blessings, Jared         Click Here to see the store

There is a noise in the Christian church. That noise is sometimes the music. It is sometimes the preaching. It is sometimes the hours upon hours of programming for kids. Is it possible that we spend so much time playing church that we forget about Christ?

It is one thing to say you know Christ, it is an entirely different for Christ to say He knows you. As you go through the coming week, think about the ‘gift’ of salvation that is so powerful to change lives. Seek for true religion by doing the works that Christ did. By living as Christ lived, we will become more like Him. This is His method. If we do not do this and all we do is go to church once or twice a week and fill our minds with spiritual food then we will become ’spiritually constipated’.

Here is a great article on the power of Christ in the world today. Full Story

Full Story

In the article is gives some credit to ‘Nature’. I would suggest when reading the article just replace that with -Nature’s God-

Full Story

Would Christ react the same today to His church on the earth as He did long ago?

Would He weep over the condition of His church as He did nearly 2000 years ago?

I personally believe God has a true church on the earth. It is identified as ‘the remnant’ in the book of The Revelation. There are characteristics of that movement such as ‘keep the commandments’, have the ‘faith of Jesus’, known for their ‘Patience’ and other details.

I then look at the spirit that Christ had, one of fidelity and meekness yet courageous. I will be honest I see very little of this today. What happened to men of old that would stand for the right though the heavens fall? What happened to leaders like Joshua that would go against the grain and be willing to stand up to the other 10 who opposed Him.

Men who knew they were on the Lord’s side because they knew the Lord. I almost laugh as I write this because it seems there are so few who are willing to lose a salary or a job or something dear to them so that they may be true to purpose and true to their God.

I posted a story a few days ago on presenttruth.com about the integrity of Elijah and his courage in the midst of Israel’s apostasy. Do you think there are still men like that today?

I know what many say. ‘That the church is growing and that we are recieving rich blessings all of the time”. Do we really believe this?

STOP EVERYTHING FOR JUST ONE MOMENT: Do you really believe God is bestowing and lavishing His blessings and His Spirit onto His church today in 2009? I am serious. Is He?

If not, we need to ask why not? Could it be that we have abandoned Him. That we have abandoned the life He would have us to live and have chosen our own selfish path. We are the most selfish generation barring that of Noah’s day. We have churches debating building bigger buildings and adding new this and new that when in a majority of the earth there is not even clean DRINKING WATER!!!

REALLY???!! Is this God’s church? If you believe so, then I think it is time we act like it. It is time to go back to the basics of Christianity and see what makes the followers of God really His? If He came today, would He claim us as His own? It is about time one of us asked if we were doing all that we can to be in the boundaries of God’s blessings. We hoard the blessings of heaven rather than act selflessly and serve our fellow man.

I do not think God has abandoned His church. He has a true bride and He will one day soon return for Her. She needs some cleaning up though and He will one day soon begin the ‘extreme makeover’ if you will. I pray that when He does that, that I will be faithful to Him even if He asks me for some sacrifices that might be hard for me to make. I never want to have anything in my life so dear to me that it is hard for me to give up for my Savior. How about you?

God will have a bride ready to meet Him. Let’s strive to get to know Christ through a daily experience so that when He returns for His bride we will be recognized by Him and He will say those words ” You are mine, I redeemed you, now come with Me….Home.

The Facts:

1. God is saddened by the amount of evil on the earth and He regrets making man. He declares He will destroy the earth in 120 years. Gen 6:3,5,6

2. Noah finds Grace in the Lord’s eyes and the Lord states that He will save Noah and his household due to Noah’s Righteous life. Gen 6:18, Gen 7:1

3. Noah and His family are saved from the flood that destroyed the earth. They are on the ark for over a year until the waters subside and they exit the ark. They are greeted by a rainbow a little while later and it is a sign that God will never again destroy the earth by a flood.

Ok, so what about all of that time while Noah was building the ark? Do we know any details there? Here are a few:

Amid the prevailing corruption, Methuselah, Noah, and many others labored to keep alive the knowledge of the true God and to stay the tide of moral evil. A hundred and twenty years before the Flood, the Lord by a holy angel declared to Noah His purpose, and directed him to build an ark. While building the ark he was to preach that God would bring a flood of water upon the earth to destroy the wicked. Those who would believe the message, and would prepare for that event by repentance and reformation, should find pardon and be saved. Enoch had repeated to his children what God had shown him in regard to the Flood, and Methuselah and his sons, who lived to hear the preaching of Noah, assisted in building the ark. {PP 92.2}

The building of this immense structure was a slow and laborious process. On account of the great size of the trees and the nature of the wood, much more labor was required then than now to prepare timber, even with the greater strength which men then possessed. All that man could do was done to render the work perfect, yet the ark could not of itself have withstood the storm which was to come upon the earth. God alone could preserve His servants upon the tempestuous waters. {PP 92.3}

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Hebrews 11:7. While Noah was giving his warning message to the world, his works testified of his sincerity. It was thus that his faith was perfected and made evident. He gave the world an example of believing just what God says. All that he possessed, he invested in the ark. As he began to construct that immense boat on dry ground, multitudes came from every direction to see the strange sight and to hear the earnest, fervent words of the singular preacher. Every blow struck upon the ark was a witness to the people. {PP 95.1}

Many at first appeared to receive the warning; yet they did not turn to God with true repentance. They were unwilling to renounce their sins. During the time that elapsed before the coming of the Flood, their faith was tested, and they failed to endure the trial. Overcome by the prevailing unbelief, they finally joined their former associates in rejecting the solemn message. Some were deeply convicted, and would have heeded the words of warning; but there were so many to jest and ridicule, that they partook of the same spirit, resisted the invitations of mercy, and were soon among the boldest and most defiant scoffers; for none are so reckless and go to such lengths in sin as do those who have once had light, but have resisted the convicting Spirit of God. {PP 95.2}

As sin became general, it appeared less and less sinful, and they finally declared that the divine law was no longer in force; that it was contrary to the character of God to punish transgression; and they denied that His judgments were to be visited upon the earth. Had the men of that generation obeyed the divine law, they would have recognized the voice of God in the warning of His servant; but their minds had become so blinded by rejection of light that they really believed Noah’s message to be a delusion. {PP 95.3}

But Noah stood like a rock amid the tempest. Surrounded by popular contempt and ridicule, he distinguished himself by his holy integrity and unwavering faithfulness. A power attended his words, for it was the voice of God to man through His servant. Connection with God made him strong in the strength of infinite power, while for one hundred and twenty years his solemn voice fell upon the ears of that generation in regard to events, which, so far as human wisdom could judge, were impossible. {PP 96.2}

Had the antediluvians believed the warning, and repented of their evil deeds, the Lord would have turned aside His wrath, as He afterward did from Nineveh. But by their obstinate resistance to the reproofs of conscience and the warnings of God’s prophet, that generation filled up the measure of their iniquity, and became ripe for destruction. {PP 97.2}

The period of their probation was about to expire. Noah had faithfully followed the instructions which he had received from God. The ark was finished in every part as the Lord had directed, and was stored with food for man and beast. And now the servant of God made his last solemn appeal to the people. With an agony of desire that words cannot express, he entreated them to seek a refuge while it might be found. Again they rejected his words, and raised their voices in jest and scoffing. Suddenly a silence fell upon the mocking throng. Beasts of every description, the fiercest as well as the most gentle, were seen coming from mountain and forest and quietly making their way toward the ark. A noise as of a rushing wind was heard, and lo, birds were flocking from all [BEGIN P.98] directions, their numbers darkening the heavens, and in perfect order they passed to the ark. Animals obeyed the command of God, while men were disobedient.

–There is much more but I think those summarize that Noah was faithful to His calling.

I see a parallel today with the world we live in. There are many that do not wish to speak of a coming crisis. They say that it does not do any good. I wonder if there are elements in this story that God has shown us that we could adapt for today. I believe there is a balance and that we need to be balanced. Noah testified of His belief through not only preaching but building.

May the God who saved Noah, save each one of us who are diligently seeking Him today. -Jared

The chances are that one in five of the people there find “spiritual energy” in mountains or trees, and one in six believe in the “evil eye,” that certain people can cast curses with a look — beliefs your Christian pastor doesn’t preach.—

So is it really possible that there are some in your church that have some new age beliefs? Even closer to home, is it possible you have adapted some new age or ‘eastern’ teachings that you have no biblical basis for? Many of us may be guilty.

You might be amazed at how many of the most modern new age ideologies have made their way into the common person’s home. Yoga and many of it’s forms have a basis in the new age. Alternative medicine and a whole bunch of teachings ranging from chakra to common things a chiropractor has shared with you that are not biblically sound.

Hollywood and all that it entails is full of the teachings of many things that have no biblical basis. Many years ago a person would be burned by thinking that one could ’speak to the dead’-necromancy. Today we call this a christian teaching that our loved ones have come back to share ‘truth’ or to comfort us. We need to be careful. Make sure all that you do in life can be based on what you profess to believe. If that is the bible then you better have a basis for it.

Check out the Full Story

There is alot of stir over this thing but I have to ask how it effects me? I am sad to say that in the majority of cases, news like this only tends to scare people. I hadn’t posted anything on it due to something that I have started to really believe. What is it that would make me say something so crazy? I guess it is Revelation 13. I understand that there may be news worthy items around the world like this that lay the ground work for the National Sunday Law that will come to pass one day. The thing is that it will begin in the United States. Shouldn’t all eyes be on the United States? Once we start discussing enforcing a day of worship then there is reason to be of concern. Notice that the U.S already has the necessary laws on the books, it is just a matter of enforcing them.

Let’s go back to this though. Am I being blind to the news around? I don’t think so. Here is why. Like I said before, I keep my eyes on the U.S. If we start some crazy talk out in the open like this going on in Germany then that is reason to perk the ears. I would like to tell you that I think there is something even more important than that though…you and I.

We are at the center of this war. This Great Controversy was not started over a sunday law. It was started over whether God was fair and whether His law was fair. It will end on the same points. So having read Revelation 13 and 14, I see something of more importance that a German Sunday Law. Something called Revival.

Let me ask you a very personal question. Take all of the time you have spent searching and reading the news in the past week and compare that to how much you have contemplated the life of Christ. How about compare it to how much time you have served the needs of the poor and suffering around you. If there is an imbalance then we are in trouble. I have a hard time finding enough time for things that matter in this world and then I turn on the news..(I am smiling because you and I both know the news will make you want to kill yourself in about 5 minutes-I am being extreme but it is depressing)

Let’s focus on Christ. Plain and simple. Let’s live like Him. Let’s love like Him and then I believe He will do a great work through those who are daily making time for Him. You may say you know Christ..but does Christ know you? If I could call Him up and ask Him, would He he say “oh yes, john or susie so and so, they are always doing my will. They serve others, they don’t waste time on the news that is distracting, they are mine”.

I would hope He would say that. Unfortunately, we can get so caught up in life that we barely have time for that daily experience with Christ. Praying, Studying, and also Contemplating/Meditating and doing some real soul searching so that tomorrow will be better than today.

This is my passion and desire. I am tired of fear killing the Christian joy and hope and peace. We are going to live forever…let’s start living with that hope that is visible in our lives. Israel, Iran, Pope, Sunday Law, can all become a distraction if they take up more time than our walk with God.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below and let me know. -Jared

more on the Sunday law in Germany : Click Here

USA TODAY-Reducing consumption of a protein found in fish and meat could slow the ageing process and increase life expectancy, according to the research.

Scientists have long believed that an ultra low calorie diet - aproximately 60 per cent of normal levels - can lead to greater longevity. Full Story

A friend of mine sent me a wonderful story published long ago with commentary on the life of Elijah. Below are a few high points that stuck out to me. The original was much longer and if you are interested in the full version from the ‘Review and Herald’ please let me know.

The people of God today are in need of men and women who are willing to stand for the truth even if it is difficult and unpopular. Will you be one of those? The following is absolutely awesome…

Elijah, with stern and commanding voice, cries out, “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” Not one in that vast assembly dare utter one word for God, and show their loyalty to Jehovah.  {RH, September 30, 1873 par. 8}

What astonishing deception and fearful blindness had, like a dark cloud, covered Israel. This blindness and apostasy had not closed about them suddenly, but it had come upon them gradually, as they had not heeded the word of reproof and warning which the Lord had sent to them because of their pride and their sins. They, in this fearful crisis, in the presence of the idolatrous priests and the apostate king, remain neutral. If God abhors one sin above another, of which his people are guilty, it is of doing nothing in a case of emergency. Indifference or neutrality in a religious crisis is regarded of God as a grievous crime; and equal to the very worst type of hostility against God. {RH, September 30, 1873 par. 9}

The people upon the mountain prostrate themselves in terror and awe before the unseen God. They cannot look upon the bright, consuming fire sent from Heaven. They fear that they will be consumed in their apostasy and sins. They cry out with one voice, which resounds over the mountain, and echoes to the plains below them with terrible distinctness, “The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.” Israel is at last aroused and undeceived. They see their sin and how greatly they have dishonored God. Their anger is aroused against the prophets of Baal. With fearful terror, Ahab and Baal’s priests witnessed the wonderful exhibition of Jehovah’s power. Again is heard, in startling words of command, the voice of Elijah to the people, “Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And the people were ready to obey the word of Elijah. They seized the false prophets who had deluded them, and brought them to the brook Kishon, and there Elijah, with his own hand, slew these idolatrous priests.  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 1}

The judgments of God have been executed upon the false priests; the people have confessed their sins, and have acknowledged their fathers’ God; and now the withering curse of God is to be withdrawn, and he will again refresh the earth with dew and rain, renewing his blessings unto his people.  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 2}

Elijah addressed Ahab, “Get thee up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” While Ahab went up to feast, Elijah went up from the fearful sacrifice to the top of Mount Carmel to pray. His work of slaying the pagan priests did not unfit him for the solemn exercise of prayer. He had performed the will of God. After he had, as God’s instrument, done what he could to remove the cause of Israel’s apostasy, in slaying the idolatrous priests, he could do no more. He then intercedes in behalf of sinning, apostate Israel. In the most painful position, he bowed with his face between his knees, and most earnestly supplicated God to send rain. Six times successively he sent his servant to see if there was any visible token that God had heard his prayer. He would not become impatient and faithless because the Lord did not immediately give the token that his prayer was heard. He continued in earnest prayer, sending his servant seven times, to see if God had granted any signal. His servant returned the sixth time from his outlook toward the sea, with the discouraging report that there was no sign of clouds forming in the brassy heavens. The seventh time he informed Elijah that there was a small cloud to be seen, about the size of a man’s hand. This was enough to satisfy the faith of Elijah. He did not wait for the heavens to gather blackness, to make the matter sure. In that small, rising cloud, his faith hears the sound of abundance of rain. Elijah’s works are in accordance with his faith. He sends a message to Ahab by his servant, “Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.”  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 3}

Elijah’s Humility.

Here Elijah ventured something upon his faith. He did not wait for sight. “And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 4}

Elijah had passed through great excitement and labor through the day; but the Spirit of the Lord came upon him because he had been obedient, and had done his will in executing the idolatrous priests. Some would be ready to say, What a hard, cruel man Elijah must have been! And any one who shall defend the honor of God at any risk, will bring censure and condemnation upon himself from a large class. The rain began to descend. It was night, and the blinding rain prevented Ahab from seeing his course. Elijah, nerved by the Spirit and power of God, girded his coarse garment about him, and ran before the chariot of Ahab, guiding his course to the entrance of the city. The prophet of God had humiliated Ahab before his people. He had slain his idolatrous priests, and now he wished to show to Israel that he acknowledges Ahab as his king. As an act of special homage, he guided his chariot, running before it to the entrance of the gate of the city.  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 5}

After his first appearance to Ahab, denouncing upon him the judgments of God because of his and Israel’s apostasy, God directed his course from Jezebel’s power to a place of safety in the mountains, by the brook Cherith. He honored Elijah by sending food to him morning and evening, by an angel of Heaven. Then as the brook became dry he sent him to the widow of Sarepta and wrought a miracle daily, to keep the widow’s family and Elijah in food. After he had been blessed with evidences of such love and care from God, we would suppose Elijah would never distrust God. But the apostle tells us he was a man of like passions as we, and subject, as we are, to temptations.  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 8}

Elijah should have trusted in God who had warned him when to flee, and where to find an asylum from the hatred of Jezebel, secure from the diligent search of Ahab. The Lord had not warned him, at this time, to flee. He had not waited for the Lord to speak to him. He moved rashly. God would have shielded his servant, and would have given him another signal victory in Israel, in sending his judgments upon Jezebel, had he waited with faith and patience.  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 12}

Weary and prostrate, Elijah sat down to rest. He was discouraged, and felt like murmuring. He said, “Now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” He feels that life is no more desirable. He expected, after the signal display of God’s power in the presence of Israel, that they would be true and faithful to God. He expected that Jezebel would no longer have influence over the mind of Ahab, and that there would be a general revolution in the kingdom of Israel. When the threatening message which has come from Jezebel is delivered to him, he forgets that God is the same all-powerful and pitiful God that he was when he prayed to him for fire from Heaven, and it came, and for rain, and it came. God had granted every request; yet Elijah is a fugitive, far from the homes of men, and wishing never to look upon man again.  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 13}

How did God look upon his suffering servant? Did he forsake him because despondency and despair had seized him? Oh! no. Elijah was prostrated with discouragement. All day had he toiled without food. When he guided the chariot of Ahab, running before it to the gate of the city, he was strong of courage. He had high hopes of Israel, that, as a nation, they would return to their allegiance to God, and again be reinstated in his favor. But the reaction which frequently follows elevation of faith, marked and glorious success, was pressing upon Elijah. He was exalted to Pisgah’s top, to be humiliated in the lowliest valley in faith and feeling. But God’s eye is still upon his servant. He loves him no less while he is feeling broken-hearted and forsaken of God and man, than when, in answer to his prayer, the fire flashed from Heaven, illuminating Carmel.  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 14}

Those who have not borne weighty responsibilities, who have not been accustomed to feel very deeply, cannot understand the feelings of Elijah, and be prepared to give him the tender sympathy he deserves. God knows, and can read, the heart’s sore anguish under temptation and severe conflict. As Elijah slept under the juniper tree, a soft touch and pleasant voice aroused him. He starts at once in his terror, as if to flee, as though his enemy, in pursuit of his life, had indeed found him. But in the pitying face of love bent upon him, he sees not the face of an enemy, but a friend. An angel of God has been sent with food from Heaven to sustain the faithful servant of God. His voice says to Elijah. “Arise and eat.” After Elijah had partaken of the refreshment prepared for him, he again slumbered. The second time the angel of God ministers to the wants of Elijah. He touches the exhausted, weary man, and in pitying tenderness says to him, “Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.” Elijah was strengthened, and pursued his journey to Horeb. He was in a wilderness. He lodged in a cave for protection at night from the wild beasts.  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 15}

Here God met with Elijah through one of his angels, and inquired of him, “What doest thou here, Elijah?” I sent thee to the brook Cherith, I sent thee to the widow of Sarepta, I sent thee to Samaria with a message to Ahab, but who sent you this long journey into the wilderness? And what errand have you here? Elijah mourns out his bitterness of soul to the Lord. “And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and break in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 16}

Then the Lord manifests himself to Elijah, showing him that quiet trust, and firm reliance upon him, will ever find him a present help in time of need.  {RH, October 7, 1873 par. 17}

The servant of God may have courage, knowing that he has a pitying Heavenly Father who reads the motives and understands the purposes of the soul. Those who stand in the front of the conflict, who are reined up by the Spirit of God to do a special work for him, will frequently feel the reaction, when the pressure is removed, and despondency may press them hard, and shake the most heroic faith, and weaken the most steadfast minds. God understands all our weaknesses. He can pity and love when the hearts of men may be as hard as flint. To wait patiently and trust in God when everything looks dark, is the lesson his servants must learn more fully. God will not fail them in integrity. E. G. W.

Do you ever wonder if God is big enough to save someone no matter what version they use? I know that some might call me an apostate for saying something like that but seriously?! I believe some will make it into the Kingdom of Heaven that have not so much as read the first page of the bible or heard the name Jesus Christ. I believe God will judge us based on the light that we follow. Some will never have the light that you or I may have.

Now having said that, I for one am in a heap of trouble due to the amount of ‘blinding’ light that I am aware of. I will absolutely be held to a higher standard than that of someone who doesn’t know what I know.

What do you think? Is God able to save even those that may not realize they worship Him?

Anyway, that is beside the point. What can we learn from this fiasco as Christians living in the last moments of earth’s history? Here are my 2 points.

1. Be Honest.

The whole world knew something was up from the get go. What is one of the richest men on earth doing at 2:30 in the morning driving away from his house. Anyone that gets in an accident in their neighborhood has bigger issues than just running to get milk. The lesson here is that honesty is best. The whole world knew something was up and he should have been honest from the get go. Any type of Deceit will catch up to us and will haunt us.

2. Be Content:

If you just take a few moments to look at the ‘elite’ or wealthy or rich of the world, you will see that they typically are not happy and are always seeking after more than they have. Wealth is a road that usually doesn’t lead anywhere good. As we look in the bible, there are so many characters with obscene amounts of wealth. We see Nebuchadnezzar, Solomon, Abraham, David, the Rich Young Ruler, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimithea just to name a few wealthy men in the bible. The majority of these ended up seeking God with all of their heart but it was not an easy path along the way.

Their money or power led to circumstances that would not confront the majority of us. Anyone that has a lot of money or power or both is going to be faced with temptations that are very hard to withstand. The bible says that money is not the root of all evil but that “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs-1 Timothy 6:10

We can also see from the story of the Rich Young Ruler that he loved money. Tiger has recently hit over 1 Billion with a B in net worth and I am sad to say that that much money not well channeled with get to one’s head. We sometimes forget that though one is a RICH human, he or she is still human and still tempted by the same things.

I have to take the positive out of this story. Tiger is going to have to step back and get a reality check that though the world one day seems as your oyster, the next day it can come tumbling down. Thanksgiving Day, this man was on top of the world. Black Friday, he was crashing fast in more ways than one…

What if God in His mercy has allowed this man to come crashing down in order to get his attention. What?! We think God has forsaken Tiger Woods?! Let me remind you that the most powerful man on the earth, that worshipped the sun and himself, (that being Nebuchadnezzar) God sought after and eventually won Him. I will look forward to meeting King Neb in heaven as we bow at our Savior’s feet together.

It is easy to come to a point in one’s life just like Neb, where you say to yourself “is this not great Babylon that I have built” or in Tiger’s case-”What is beyond me? I am barnone, the greatest and most widely known athlete on the planet earth. I am rich, I have a beautiful family, I can have anything…

Sadly, the selfishness that the devil encourages in us will never be satisfied unless we find a Savior that can satisfy that eternal desire for more.

Learn from this and pray that God will fulfill His word’s that He will one day bring in the great men of the earth to His fold.

-Jared

And then it hit me. As I prayed for God’s protection, I thought to myself…Is there any reason that God should hear my prayer and have angels guide this plane to a safe landing? Why do I deserve to be saved from death when others die in plane crashes all of the time?

Solomon says: ECCLESIASTES 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

I honestly could not come up with any great reason why God should save me in any event of disaster. Am I doing some great work on the earth that cannot be done by another? Now, I must say that God has people doing wonderful things for Him around the earth. We do not need to think that if someone dies that they were not doing a great work…look at the martyrs etc.

I realized that the great fear of death is no more than a fear of not being ready for our name to come up in Judgment. I confess my sins to my God daily and I believe in assurance of Salvation. I think many times though, we seek to ‘barter’ with God and unfortunately, this is not a correct perception of how God works.

Did we forget that He left eternity..heaven…and glory to come to this earth to redeem us awful sinners. That is a kind of love that is not easily understood.

I did realize this: Time is short. Lives end every moment. Probation closes on someone every second or more around the world. God is looking to finish this saga of good and evil and He is seeking to save any that come to Him for salvation.

We don’t need to be afraid of anything in the world except not abiding in the arms of Christ day by day. He is our only hope. It may sound cheesy, it may sound too whimsical but it is the truth. We have one hope of peace…one of hope of true joy…one hope of contentment and satisfaction in this world…and that is through Christ.

God has every reason to keep you alive as long as you glorify Him in your life. As long as you and I seek to do the will of God, He will use us as a blessing to others. When we get confused and seek to use those blessings He gives us for our own selfish benefit, then we have reason to be concerned. He is faithful and this verse brings me hope:

¹ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Does it matter? Well, you have seen the hype/attention that global warming has recieved over the past few years. How about Al Gore? He is making a career of this thing. World Leaders meet in a few days to discuss. Who are we to trust anymore?

Below is an interesting article on the matter as it continues to unfold. I personally can’t believe the evil that continues to apparently unfold in this world. Some days you just want to turn the news off once and for all you know? So where is the hope in all this? The hope for me is that whether or not the climate is warming, cooling, or staying the same…Christ is still interceding on our behalf….the earth is still waxing old…and a war is still going on for your soul and mine.

Will someone please stand up with me and choose to seek help from a Savior that is looking for just a small group to get these final events rolling. (search 144,000). I am so tired of the apathy that even seeks to take hold of me day in and day out. It is so hard to balance living a life of love and showing mercy… and standing for the truth even though it may cut at times. It is so easy to judge and be critical yet Christ continues to remind me of how deeply in trouble I was and continue to be in if I do not rely on Him solely.

So the balance of love and mercy and truth and courage. The balance of a watchman and that of a loving and lovable Christian. May God show us the way to walk.

Oh, I almost forgot…The Climate Link

Listen as to why a watered down gospel and lowering Christian standards will never finish the work. WARNING: this is not a light hearted sermon and may offend. CD Brooks is a man of God as fully exemplified in this sermon. This sermon is specifically addressed to those of the Seventh-day Adventist faith

Yet even a partial review of the emails is highly illuminating. In them, scientists appear to urge each other to present a “unified” view on the theory of man-made climate change while discussing the importance of the “common cause”; to advise each other on how to smooth over data so as not to compromise the favored hypothesis; to discuss ways to keep opposing views out of leading journals; and to give tips on how to “hide the decline” of temperature in certain inconvenient data. Full Story

Do your own research on the benefits of water and the side effects of soda.

WATER

I have recently been studying the benefits of water and staying hydrated. Water is directly related when there is a hormone imbalance in women. It is directly related to constipation. It is directly related to pure blood or sludgy blood. The list goes on and on…I will add more here soon.

#1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

(Likely applies to half the world population)

#2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak

That it is mistaken for hunger.

#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as 3%.

#4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs For almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

#5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of Water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain

For up to 80% of sufferers.

#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term Memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on

The computer screen or on a ! Printed page.

#8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of Colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast

Cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop Bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water

You should drink every day?

COKE/SODA

I am compiling more accurate data in regards to what Soda really does to the human body. The truth is that the worst thing about soda is its effect on your stomach acids. It tricks your stomach into thinking the ph has changed. When this happens, your food will not digest properly. When food doesn’t begin to break down in your stomach then the body has to do something with it. It typically will not be able to digest the fats in your diet and thus you will gain weight.

Another thing about Soda is the refined sugars that are in it. Refined sugars will lower your immune system. Sugar has a direct result on the ability of your white blood cells to fight off infection and disease. We can see the results of poor diet and such in one of the fastest growing diseases in the world: Diabetes.

Diabetes at least type 2 is lifestyle related and can be lifestyle reversed. Do not believe it is inherited or incurable.

Below is the old post that started some good discussion: It may or may not be true but is at least good for some laughs. It has been verified as false based on the site called Snopes.com. Surprisingly enough, people trust snopes.com. I think we need to be careful with snopes.com because it is an opinion site as well. Conclusion of the matter?- If you believe your body is a temple that God seeks to dwell in, then it should be clean so that you can hear the small voice that is calling out to us day by day. Sadly in this world, that voice is being drowned out by everything from music….to Soda.

Fun Opinions:

#1. In many states the highway patrol carries Two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

#2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will begin to be eaten away in days… (try this with raw pork and plan for good entertainment)

#3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the Toilet bowl and let the ‘real thing’ sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes Stains from vitreous China.

#4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

#5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

#6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola To the rusted bolt for several minutes.

#7… To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke Into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen Grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

#1. One of the active ingredients in Coke is phosphoric acid

Phosphoric Acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major Contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.

#2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup! (the concentrate) the Commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

#3. Some distributors of Coke have been using it to clean Engines of the trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a glass of water?

or Coke?

The event, which happens every five years, began with the decapitation of thousands of buffalo, killed in honour of Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power. Full Story

Was I a fan of Bush? I respected him as our president and that was all I am asked to do.

So about that crazy article title. Read this:

Daniel 2:21-And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

Well here we are 2000 years later and sadly enough, still hypocrisy is rampant. At this Intel plant, they don’t want to break the Sabbath, yet they come out to protest and end up getting in fights…real nice. Full Story

Pope BenedictXVI

Archbishop Rowan Williams said he came away convinced there was no “dawn raid” on his church by Rome, telling..Full Story

Check out this latest story regarding Mary. Full Story

JERUSALEM:

Since he became the…Full Story

The majority of Jews, still believe that the Messiah has yet to come at all to the earth. This is why it will be a great deception even to Jews when Lucifer comes to this earth as an angel of light appearing to be the long awaited for ‘Messiah’

Dating to about 842BC, the …Full Story

“I met Rabbi Joe Kagan at Weimar Institute in CA. His family had come from Eastern Europe where his aunt had been raped while a priest stood over her with a crucifix saying, “This is what you get for killing Christ.” So you can imagine the feeling of many Jews towards Christianity. American Christians are not at all like Europeans.

His family moved to the US while he was young. At age 13 he debuted at Carnegie Hall as a cantor. He had a beautiful, tenor voice. He received a very high education and became a rabbi. I met him in his later years in 1978 after he had been on Ronald Reagan’s staff in Sacramento as their research man. If there were any questions about any subject, he was the one that did the research and found the answers.

He had a very negative attitude towards Christianity. He would never touch the New Testament. However, he knew the Jewish Old Testament (Torah) extremely well as a highly educated rabbi would. One day he got hold of a book called “Patriarchs and Prophets” by Ellen G. White. He read it with astonishment and wanted to know who this Ellen White was. That is when I met him. He was asking who is this Ellen G. White, and what university did she attend. We told him she only had a 3rd grade education. “Then, where did she learn Hebrew?” he asked. We told him that she never knew Hebrew, but was the most prolific female writer in history and that this was only one of her books.

He was amazed at her knowledge, saying that the information in this book (Patriarchs and Prophets) is Mishnaic. The Mishnah is part of the Hebrew scholarship. He said the Mishnah had only been translated into English 30 years ago and that only high-level rabbis knew this information. This is the history of my people and it is very, very accurate. He also said that you have to know Hebrew to be able to write like this because her sentence structure is not English, it’s Hebrew…The rhythm, the meter, the arrangement of words and expressions are not English. He said it’s as if she wrote in Hebrew and it was translated into English.

My family and I developed a strong friendship with Joe, his wife and son. As we studied the Bible and some Ellen White books together one day, he said, “I am convinced that Ellen White was inspired by the same source that inspired the Hebrew prophets. I want to become a Christian. I accept Jesus Christ as my Messiah.” Now, he would not have come to Christ through reading the Bible. Even though the Hebrew Bible is full of prophecies pointing to the Messiah, it took Ellen White’s writings to prove to him that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of all the Hebrew prophecies.. And only then did he pick up the New Testament and read about his Jewish Messiah.

Many times I saw him cry. I was in the middle of a painting commission for a large mural called “Christ The Way of Life” for the world headquarters of the Seventh Day Adventist church in Washington DC. He became very involved with that painting. The painting had originally been inspired by James and Ellen White who had commissioned an engraver to do a black and white drawing of the subject. He confirmed to me that Ellen White’s concept was very accurate on the whole plan of salvation in both the Old and New Testament, but that the engraver had misrepresented her concepts. So he helped me in many details to make the painting historically and theologically accurate; especially regarding the sanctuary section, the Hebrew writing on the cross and the last supper scene. He told me to paint Jesus and his disciples at an oriental style table, sitting on mats on the floor - not Roman couches as the medieval artists painted. Further, he said their heads would be covered and he made sure I painted the wine, the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs and their symbolism exactly as they would have been. He approved of the whole painting and we had an unveiling ceremony at the Auburn SDA Church in late 1979. He had written a song to go with the painting and sat at the organ as we unveiled the painting. He wept as he sang the words of Jesus on the cross quoting Isaiah, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” He sang and sang and wept and wept, his whole body shaking. There was not a dry eye in the whole church. His voice was so beautiful.

The original painting hangs in the new SDA world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland where they have posters and Bible studies of the painting. I could never have done it without the inspiration of Rabbi Kagan and Ellen White. I wish they were still alive!

We were at his secret baptism in the Bear River above Sacramento on Saturday night Dec. 22, 1979. There were four of us present. He could not even tell his wife and son that he was now a Christian. As he came up out of the cold water praising God and singing to his new Messiah, he said, “I am now a completed Jew. I have now accepted the Old and New Testament and the Messiah that all Jewish prophets told us about!”

I was recently in Europe giving some workshops on art and some of my archeological work in the Middle East. I happened to meet a Jewish family from Israel. Shalom David was originally from Iraq and his wife from Chile. They were now attending a college in Europe where I met with quite a bit of opposition to the writings of Ellen White. This Jewish family invited me to their home for Shabbat (Friday night supper.) It was a most enjoyable occasion as his wife and beautiful children sang and celebrated the arrival of Sabbath as Jews have done for thousands of years. I told them the story of Rabbi Kagan and he got very excited. He said, “The same thing happened to me! I would have rather burned the Bible then touch it! I wanted nothing to do with Christianity, but I also read the writings of Ellen White and the Spirit of God was on that woman. Her writings are as if she wrote in Hebrew. You can definitely hear the Hebrew rhythm, meter and expressions in her books. I also believe she was inspired by the same source as the Hebrew prophets. And she has helped me fall in love with Jesus Christ, my Messiah.”

I just met yesterday with a rabbi living here in California - Rabbi Ben. It was a follow up to a Sabbath meal I was invited to this last Sabbath with him and a group of Adventists. He went through the whole ceremony at the meal just like Rabbi Kagan and as my new friend (Shalom David) in Europe had. So yesterday we were talking over Hebrew ceremonies and how they are still effective in healing disease.

Rabbi Ben told me that he has also had the same experience. He hated the Bible but that Ellen White brought him to Christ and helped him read the New Testament and fall in love with the Messiah. He also told me that he had gone to visit one of the most influential rabbis in America who is in his 90s who must remain unnamed. While in this rabbi’s library talking, he was scanning the many, many books on his walls and there he saw the book “Patriarchs and Prophets” by Ellen White. Rabbi Ben asked him about it and where he had gotten it, “Why do you have this book by a Christian author?” The rabbi said, “This as a very authoritative source on our history.”

I recently shared this testimony on T.V. at 3 Angels Broadcasting Network. My phone has been ringing day and night by interested people from as far away as India and Australia saying, “we want to know more about Joe Kagan and Ellen White.”

(This story was most likely from a few years back)

I need your help though. There is a great opportunity to host some very special events around the country in the coming months. There are two ways in which to help make this happen. The first is please pray that God will bless these events and that He will be lifted up. The second is that instead of asking for money to bring or take speakers to various places, I am asking that you donate to a sky miles account. If you have an American Express card, you most likely earn points on each purchase you make. Another way to earn points is via Delta and/or one of it’s affiliates.

I have someone that has agreed to pay for the transfer fees if there are some who have some miles they are willing to donate. I have the account ready and the funds ready to take care of the fees. Please if possible, consider donating some miles to Presenttruth.com. This will not cost you anything and it will go a long way in sharing the gospel with as many as possible. The extra blessing now through Dec 29 is that all mile transfers receive a 50% bonus from Delta.

Thank you for your consideration and help.

blessings,
Jared

email me at jared@presentruth.com

P.S. I want to share that last month was the biggest month ever for Presenttruth.com. Over 18,000 visitors from over 150 countries around the world. What a blessing

I hope by the end of the week, we will have our store set up so that anyone who was not able to attend the weekend can order the cd’s or dvd’s. Stay Tuned

Global warming, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, continuing terrorist threats and the economic meltdown have people in a gloomy, even end-of-days frame of mind. Filmmakers are tapping into worries about humanity’s future with apocalyptic sagas…Full Story

I did not post this to glorify hollywood. I personally am a recovering addict to anything and everything that hollywood created. I know that victory is being given to me from heaven as my desires and tastes are changing.

I posted this because I saw this preview as one of the most intense depictions of the end of time and yet I will say this: I still do not believe the reality of the time of trouble has been depicted here. I believe we are going to see things WORSE than in the preview come onto the earth. You have to add in all of the deceptions and disease etc and couple that with these events of meteors and asteroids and earthquakes etc and then we get a sense of the awesomeness of that day.

We need not fear though, because Christ wins this war. The battles we face day in and day out are apart of the great war between the forces of good and of evil…of Satan and of God. That will bring people peace. Take advantage of the opportunity that hollywood has marketed and share with people the error of the ‘2012′ theory and what peace we can have knowing the Victor of the battle on a day to day basis.

I have a story for you already.  I have not yet shared this with anyone else.  The other day I watched as a lady on a wheelchair approached the bus stop where everyone was waiting for the metro bus to come.  This lady was begging for money apparently and seemed rather saddened by the response of the people.  She turned her chair around and sat there for a moment like she was thinking.  While she sat the traffic started to clear up for a moment.  Then she started to move her way out into the middle of the road.  At first I thought she was just trying to cross then I realized he wasn’t headed for the medium but strait for the center of the road.  She knew that buses, dolmushes, and cars don’t stop for pedestrians.  I’ve seen plenty of examples of that.  This lady was trying to commit suicide, so out of shock the photographer in my pulled out his camera and took a picture…lol.  Seconds after a pedestrian quickly went out in the street and garbed the wheelchair and pushed her to safety.  I could see her cover her face in sorrow when he was taking her to safety.  What a sad case, so many needlessly suffer.  I may have picked up on more of what was happening more quickly and acted better on it if I knew the language, but the Lord has chosen to keep me humble by not giving me the gift of tongues, at least not yet.  I’ve attached the picture I took.  Feel free to pass it around.

Having said that, I want to be reunited with my Creator in the way He intended life to be..Eden Restored. I believe the Bible has guidelines of truth that have been mixed up in this world and that many are searching for what is the real truth. I personally believe that God raised up a movement in 1844 that would share the truest gospel on the earth since the day’s of Christ. I believe that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the church of that movement. Unfortunately at times I have thought that all we needed to do was get the gospel to the world i.e every country and then Jesus would say…job well done. Nice Preaching…

Well, I thought wrong. If you look to Revelation 7 and 14. Look to Matthew 25 and Isaiah 58, and you will see that we have a work of service to our fellow man first. We are to be servants and as Revelation 7 clearly shows us…only servants will be sealed. I have been guilty of playing church for too long.

Read those chapters in the bible and see what God shows you. I would like to show you some statistics below that show that we are losing the battle on numbers in this world. At the rate of my own church(and other denominations in Christianity as a whole are in a similar boat), we will never catch up to the growth in the world’s population. So though we may be baptizing nearly 3000 a day(like at Pentecost, good news right?? , why do always forget that those were church leaders being baptized on the day of Pentecost…not unbelievers ??), so though we are baptizing many, we are losing and will never succeed in the mission we thought was our mission…

Our mission is to duplicate the character of Christ. When we allow Christ to do this in us…then He will do mighty things through His church. Until then, we will tout numbers like the ones below that may sound good but sadly they are not good.

Including inflation etc, these numbers are not encouraging. I love my church and I know that it is God’s church-the apple of His eye. The Bride He is longing to be reunited with. Also look at retention…we are not doing a good job making disciples.

Secretary’s Report - accompanied by the statistical report.  Here are some points of interest:

• Membership stands at 16,049,101.  Accessions during the past 4 quarters was 1,029,206-the 7th year in a row with over one million.  This averages out to be 2,818 per day in 2008.
• The retention rate, however, is low.  Church audits have been requested of each division.  One division reported a loss due to the audit of 300,000.  However, one division which did an audit earlier show rates of 8.3% and 6.65% during the past two years.
• War-torn countries in East Central Africa Division left many members in fear but now the greatest crisis is behind them.  Church life is back to normal.
• Many divisions report excitement over the Follow the Bible as this Bible traveled around the world highlighting Adventists strong belief in the Scriptures.
• The North American Division has boldly launched initiatives designed to reach 100,000 baptisms.  30% more baptisms year-to-date than last year!

Treasurer’s Report-Highlights

• Worldwide tithe in 2008 was up 8.56% over 2007 - 43% of this increase was due to exchange rates.
• Due to the exchange rates the gross tithe from the 12 divisions other than North America exceeded that of North America for the first time.
• The majority of the GC funds are invested in fixed income which has been helpful during this volatile time resulting in a net increase rather than a net decrease as has been the case with many businesses.
• Budgeting constraints were put in place including a freeze on wage increases as well as the hiring of additional office personnel except in critical areas.  Travel budgets have been cut back by 20%.
• Major study was given to GC appropriations to the world divisions resulting in significant adjustments in the next few years.
• The gift of “Extraordinary Tithe” of several million has impacted the mission around the world and coming at a most crucial time when the economy is down.  With each approved project a percent of the appropriation is to be used for assessment to assure the effective use of these monies.

Full Story

Click Here to Listen

extraterrestrial alien life

What are your thoughts on this? Hebrews 1:2 tells us that Christ created the worlds…notice that is plural and not singular. So biblically we know that there are others out there. Also in Job it appears as though other worlds also meet in heaven. What say you?

I have heard this text many times and it has always had a context of dying for some reason. In other words, no greater love has someone than to die for someone else. To the strongest example, I always looked at Christ as our greatest friend, laying His life down and dying for us.

What about this though?

We live in such a busy world and for me, more and more I see that the greatest asset someone has is their time. By the use of our time, is the greatest way to show people we care.

Now think about Christ. He laid down or in other words…put aside His kingly ‘God’ position in the universe and came to the earth on a mission to bring us back to be with Him. He laid His life down both in death and in priorities.

Do you make time for those around you in your life? When was the last time you laid down your priorities to help someone else. How far do we take this? Do we help someone even if it means we will miss lunch? Even if it means we will miss our final exam? I challenge you to see how you can apply the principal of setting aside your own priorities…selfish or not..and putting others before yourself. We might even say ‘a golden rule’ type lifestyle.

Some of us actually walk away and stop going to church, stop praying, stop studying etc…and then one day in some way…we find ourselves back in church, back studying and praying. What made the difference?

For me, what really got my attention was a few years back listening to some sermons while I was driving a 4 hour commute 4 times per week. I would listen to these messages like nothing I had ever heard before that made me realize this world would not last forever. This really woke me up.

What did it for you? Leave some Comments below…

I have been studying as of late why Jesus waits to help His people and how long will we wait until something happens on this earth. We have enough crisis etc to keep us distracted but what is Christ waiting on?

I submit to you that He is waiting on you. You see, a long time ago there arose something called ’sin’. At the root of this sin was pride and selfishness. Sadly enough, I am sure that you see it in the lives of those around you and if you are honest, you will admit even you at times have it.

I have been blessed lately to read enough things to see that there may indeed be a few steps to ‘curing’ this selfishness.

There is a chapter in the bible in the book of Matthew. Chapter 25 describes that there will be two classes when Christ judges the earth. There will be those that helped others and those that did not.

Also, in Isaiah 58, there is a cure for our problem of ineffectiveness on the earth. We need to serve the needs of those around us. This may include feeding the poor both in the United States and abroad. This may include meeting someone for lunch to encourage them. It may be thanking your pastor for his dedication to the ministry. This may include doing something for someone that honestly probably doesn’t ‘deserve’ anything but if you really think about it…we deserved nothing that we have today and yet Christ came to save us in our nasty condition.

Go and help someone this week. Ask the Lord right now, who in your life needs some help. Who may need help that most would not think they do? There are many that hide their needs. Maybe you can encourage someone that needs it.

If we do this, we will begin to see some amazing things take place on this earth.

I was sent this book that is free to view online. It is a deep read but is cutting edge if you ask me on the journey of food and a way to better health.

Full Book

I have been studying some interesting things lately on health and one of the most fascinating is how digestion works. This article is not as crazy as it sounds.

As shown in the charts below, the U.S. has 1,321 billion barrels of oil (or barrels of oil equivalent for other sources of energy) when combining its recoverable natural gas, oil and coal reserves. Full Story

Also, here is a concoction to boost your immune system this winter. I have taken it and it is strong but oh so healthy. It has many different properties that help build up different parts of your immune system.

‘Nature’s Flu Shot’

Juice 6 fresh lemons

1 bulb of garlic-not a clove but the whole bulb

1 tbsp of raw honey

1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper (180,000 hu or higher if you can)

2 tsp. ground ginger

Pineapple juice

-Put all of the ingredients(except pineapple juice) in a blender and blend until smooth.

-strain into a jar/glass

-add enough pineapple juice to make 1 quart(32.oz) of liquid

At first sign of cold, sinus, or flu symptoms, take 1 cup of Nature’s Flu Shot every 3-4 hours until symptoms are gone.

—-This thing works, and if you want to boost it up for the swine flu going around…add 1 tsp of ‘turmeric’ which is the substance in curry that has the ‘curcumin’—–which boosts your T-cells

Enjoy… SEE ALL THE PICTURES

Christ described the last days as a troubling and frightful time: “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth…. Upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity” (Luke 21:26, 25).

What did Jesus give us to prepare us for these calamities? What was his antidote to the fear that was going to come?

He gave us the illustration of our Father watching the sparrow, of God numbering the very hairs on our heads. These illustrations become even more meaningful when we consider the context in which Jesus gave them.

He told these illustrations to his twelve disciples, as he sent them out to evangelize the cities and towns of Israel. He had just endowed them with power to cast out demons and heal all manner of sickness and disease. Think of what an exciting moment that had to be for the disciples. They were given power to work miracles and wonders! But then came these fearful warnings from their Master:

“You won’t have any money in your pocket. And you won’t have a home, not even a roof to sleep under. Instead, you’ll be called heretics and devils. You’ll be beaten in synagogues, dragged before judges, thrown into prison. You’ll be hated and despised, betrayed and persecuted. You’ll have to flee from city to city to avoid being stoned.”

Now picture these men wide-eyed as they listened to Jesus. They must have been gripped with fear. I imagine them wondering, “What kind of ministry is this? Is that what the future holds for me? This is the bleakest outlook on life I’ve ever heard.”

Yet, in this very same scene, Jesus told these beloved friends three times: “Fear not!” (Matthew 10:26, 28, 31).  And he gave them the antidote to all fear: “The Father’s eye is always on the sparrow. How much more will it always be on you, his beloved ones?”

Jesus is saying, “When doubts flood in— when you’re at your wits’ end and you think no one sees what you’re going through—here is how to find rest and assurance. Look at the little birds outside your window. And run your fingers through your hair. Then remember what I told you, that these small creatures are of immense value to your Father. And your hairs are to remind you that you’re of much greater value to him. His eye is always on you. And he who sees and hears your every move is near.”

That is how our Father cares for us in hard times.

A surprise Vatican decision, announced 10 days earlier to make it easier for Anglicans to become Roman Catholics while retaining aspects of Anglican liturgy and identity, had left some wondering whether Rome would embrace married Anglican clergy in large numbers. Full Story

When the sermon is done, it’s time for communion, and the pastor guides attendees through the ritual. Later, worshippers exchange Facebook and e-mail addresses so they can stay in touch. Full Story

God made that… Nice….Full Story

National Geographic Story

Full Story