The Purpose In Gethsemane

Mark 14:36

"And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt."

If you're a Christian, you face your own private Gethsemane every day in that you surrender your selfish will to the will of God and, thus, walk in the Spirit. But, in between the surrender and the walk is the agony of getting up because the Spirit is willing yet the flesh is weak. There is a war in the members to pull away even in the midst of the taking the first step. How did Christ win the batttle? In the desert, He fought the Enemy with the Word of God (Matt. 4:1-11). In the Garden, the Lord won against the will through prayer. There is power in God's word and prayer. Use both mightily. May the Lord help you and strengthen you through His Holy Word in your Christian walk today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

All those who journey, soon or late,
Must pass within the garden’s gate;
Must kneel alone in darkness there,
And battle with some fierce despair.

God pity those who cannot say:
“Not mine but thine;” but who only pray:
“Let this cup pass,” and cannot see
The purpose in Gethsemane.

- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n.
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in Heav’n.
Then onward from the hill of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring Name.

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.

I want victory in my life! ClickHere

Beyond the Pale

Proverbs 22:28
"Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set."

In the olden days, "Beyond the pale" was an expression (albeit archaic by today's standards, which are ironically beyond the pale) used to describe a certain action that denoted disapproval. I never understood the connection between the described action and the word pale. I reasoned that it had to do something with the blood draining from a person's face out of shock of another person's negative behavior or speech.

Not so.

I've come to learn that the word pale has nothing to do with a deficiency in blood or absence of color. Instead it comes from the Latin word palus, which means, a stake (also the name of the wooden post that Roman soldiers used to represent an opponent during fighting practice).

Pale is an old name for a pointed piece of wood driven into the ground that demarcates a barrier when it is made of such stakes. Pole is from the same root source. Impale is pretty self explanatory, right?

So, the figurative meaning as it applies to the expression Beyond the pale indicates going beyond an area of defense, a safeguard, a barrier. Thus, the ultimate meaning is for a person to to go beyond the acceptable or reasonable. In other words, a person going beyond the normal custom.

I want to point out that there's a BIG difference between going beyond the markers of acceptable behavior, conduct, speech, etc. and moving the markers altogether.

And herein is our problem.

The Bible clearly points out that boundaries are set by our fathers; in this case, men of wisdom who held knowlege, reverence and fear of God. There are fewer and fewer of these men. When men become godless, the family follows. And, whichever way the family goes, so goes society.

If you take the time to read the entire Bible, you will see clearly that God set boundaries from the get go. Let's read Gen. 2:17 for further demonstration of setting limits:

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

Boundaries are placed there for our protection. There's wisdom in the landmarks. Yet, people question them, thinking it a noble cause to question the markers placed by God.

For example, consider these moved landmarks:

There was a time when murdering babies was morally and legally reprehensible and indefensible. Not so any longer. The U.S. Supreme Court (courtesy of the Warren Burger Court) moved the landmark. In fact, it was a "landmark" ruling.

There was a time when marriage was between one man and one woman for life. Not so any longer thanks to divorce, cohabitation, sodomy, fornication and so forth.

There was a time when every department store was closed on Sunday out of observance of the Lord's Day. Not so any longer thanks to an impatient life-style which demands modern day "conveniences" to be readily available at a whim's notice.

There was a time when blood-borne diseases were limited & isolated. Not so with AIDS and HIV, which is a man made disease that resulted from moving the landmark.

There was a time when television and Hollywood censored themselves. Nowadays, there is no blur between the boob tube and the carnal world at large.

There was a time when children respected their parents, especially their father. But, now there is a prejudice against all that is paternal.

I could go on and on, but you get the point. Everything, it seems, is beyond the pale. Even Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal lamented America's predictament in her op-ed piece, "America's Crisis of Character".

In other words, this Nation is beyond the pale.

I am not advocating for a return to simpler days, Reader. I'm advocating and seeking your prayers for a return to Jesus Christ. This great Nation needs to humble itself before its God.

Don't you see that the greatest landmark - yes, it's a beacon, too - is the Cross? Death ends there and life begins. But, only for those who surrender to Jesus (Rom 10:9-10).

The world at large doesn't blink any longer when it comes to going beyond the pale. And that's because the world keeps moving the landmark ever so farther from God that people don't notice that they're marching slowly toward the cliff. Death awaits those who travel this wide, wide path (Matt. 7:13-14).

Don't be one of them. Don't stay on the ungodly path of the world. Choose the straight and narrow way. As it says in Jeremiah 6:16, "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."

Choose Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for He is the way, the truth and the life. I Choose Christ!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus;
There's just something about that name!
Master, Saviour, Jesus,
Like the fragrance after the rain;

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Let all heaven and earth proclaim;
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there's something about that name!

The Heritage of the LORD

Psalm 127:3-5
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."

When I came across  Frans Hofmeester's time-lapse video of his little girl, I couldn't help but smile, laugh and cry because I have 6 daughters (yes, six!) of my own. Each one is growing up too fast for my liking. Each one grows into a beautiful young lady. And when I read the above quoted Scripture, I can't help but praise God for making me the richest man in the world because He has blessed me with six (yes, six!) beautiful daughters. To God be the glory!

Please enjoy the video.

Dear Reader, do not think for one moment and be fooled that Mr. Hofmeester's little girl's development began at birth. This child began developing in utero. In fact, Psalm 139:14-16 declares, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."

Only God knows you best because He made you. Don't think for one second that your existence here on earth was by chance or luck. Only fools gamble. Secondly, don't believe that your existence on earth at this particular moment is coincidental. You were born according to His plan, not your parents'.

I want you to know something else, friend. You might not know this. Perhaps you do. But, I'm going to challenge you today to make a decision to either believe man or to believe & trust in God. Open your Bible and read this passage for yourself and tell me who you will place your trust in.

"As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all."  (Eccl. 11:5)

Reader, what does God say in this passage? He says that you (and not just you personally, but all men) do not know how the Spirit works or how bones grow. God states quite plainly that you don't know God's works.

How are bones separated from the other flesh? How do they grow out of them and hardened? How do the hundreds of cells know which way to migrate within the egg and develop into eyes, ears hands and feet, heart and brain? How do the more solid and substantial parts of the baby's body strengthen while other parts seed are converted into skin and flesh; sinew and marrow?

To put it bluntly and succinctly, only God knows.

I'm sure there is plenty of scientific research that shows the embryo's development and many theories as to human development. Somehow, though, science is at its best when it describes God's creations, whether it be geological entities, the discovery of new universes or the observation of a micro-cellular event such as in utero development. Science is at its worst when it prescribes the reason why things are the way they are.

Therefore, Reader, neither you nor I are cosmic accidents. We are here because God willed us to be here. And, if we are wrought by His mighty and loving hand then no one - NO ONE - has the right to murder an unborn baby. By God's word, abortion (ie, murder) is wrong. According to the Declaration of Independence, it is a denial of God-given rights. Consider:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." (Read it all here: The Declaration of Independence)

Thus, God's work agrees with His word. We can't say that about men. The framers of the Declaration thought this as well, which is why they declared that Government secures these God-given rights and does not bestow them.

And as it pertains to unborn children, their rights and the right to due process are denied when laws are enacted to murder them without due process.

So, who are you going to trust? You can't have it both ways. God will not share His glory with any man.

Children are a precious resource that is God sent and God given. Let's all work hard to protect the rights of every living being, born and yet-to-be born.

I'm Tired of Men's Lies. Today I Choose to Trust Jesus!

If I Wanted America to Fail

Proverbs 29:18
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

Another dire warning to Americans. I cannot think of a more critical presidential election than the one we'll be facing in November 2012. Please pray for this great Nation!

Psalm 1:1-2, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."

Psalm 106:3, "Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times."

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us let us die to make men free
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

If I Were the Devil, Pt. 2

Romans 1:20-22

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools"

I came across the video on Paul Harvey's famous commentary made in 1965. It is a supplement to the commentary I had briefly written about in a post on February 19, 2012. Here's the original link: If I Were the Devil.

Consider the words and the images as you reflect on the state of America TODAY. Pray for this great Nation Under God. The enemy has been steadily at work at removing God from the public and private spheres of life. Refuse to be moved from God's truth and stand firm on God's Word!

I want to stand up for Jesus! Click Here

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, each soldier to his post,
Close up the broken column, and shout through all the host:
Make good the loss so heavy, in those that still remain,
And prove to all around you that death itself is gain.

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song.
To those who vanquish evil a crown of life shall be;
They with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.

In Nothing We Trust

Proverbs 25:28
"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls."

Across the nation, city halls, much like Washington, have become petty, polarized and powerless to deal effectively with the problems they face. Voter engagement is driven down as a result. Mainstream  churches are losing worshippers. Overburdened, crumbling and unruly public schools are prompting parents to pull their children out. Businesses are shuttering their factories & warehouses, leaving behind in its wake, unemployment and helplessness. Labor unions once credited with creating the middle class are now often blamed for the demise of industry. Even the local daily newspapers, once venerated for reporting the news and not editorializing it, have become polarizers in the culture wars.

The bygone days of American institutions holding sway & influence in American culture are things of Norman Rockwell wishful thinking.

In a survey of a Main Street Town in the U.S.A., seven in 10 Americans believe that the country is on the wrong track; eight in 10 are dissatisfied with the way the nation is being governed. Only 23 percent have confidence in banks, and just 19 percent have confidence in big business. Less than half the population expresses “a great deal” of confidence in the public-school system or organized religion.

“We have lost our gods,” says Laura Hansen, an assistant professor of sociology at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass. “We lost [faith] in the media: Remember Walter Cronkite? We lost it in our culture: You can’t point to a movie star who might inspire us, because we know too much about them. We lost it in politics, because we know too much about politicians’ lives. We’ve lost it—that basic sense of trust and confidence—in everything.”

And there is the rub. In that quote - "We have lost our gods" - everything we need to know about the demise of America is encapsulated. God was replaced by Government. People thought that they could govern themselves better without God than with Him.

Please take caution: This attitude of removing God from public life did not begin at the P.T.A. meeting or in the public schools or in the courthouses or in city halls or even in the church. The desire to remove God from public life and private life began in the home.

You see, when God is not the center of your life then you are left to fend for yourself, interpreting the day's blessings and trials through your own lenses, philosophy, mental aptitude, etc. But, the Bible admonishes us, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." (Proverbs 3:5-7)

So when people trust their institutions more than they trust God, or, seek to remove God from private life and public life altogether, is it any surprise that the institutions they've chosen to trust are crumbling?

Government is crumbling, civic life is crumbling, churches are crumbling all because the family is crumbling. And the source of this moral dry rot is the absence of God. By the way, don't think for one minute that we, as a culture, are living in a vacuum. Satan runs right in to that void in your life and public life and fills it with distractions that pertain to lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life (I Jn. 2:16). That's exactly what's happening.

If you want a case study of a nation in decay, study the nation of Israel in the Book of Judges. You'll see what decadence, depravity and destitution look like in all its glory. Sadly, it leads to captivity.

When you are spending more time on Facebook than in the Good Book, then you're bound to find that the fruits of your labor result in nothing. Even your own thoughts come to nothing. Why? Because if it's trash you put in your mind then it's trash you'll get out. You reap nothing but the wind. And then people have the nerve to say, "In nothing we trust"?

In Proverb 25:28, the picture I want you to see is that of a city whose walls have been so nearly destroyed as to be without defense against an enemy; so is the man who has no restraint over his spirit, the source of man's passionate energies. He has no defense against anger, lust, and the other unbridled emotions that destroy him. And the family, culture and society around him.

Dear Reader, if you're American, the time is now to turn back to God. II Chronicles 7:14 states, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Before Nations change, Governments must change.

Before Governments change, people must change.

Before people change, you must change.

And before you change, you must surrender your entire life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Friend, there's no other way (John 14:6). If you're ready for change, if you want to trust in someone other than your Government, if you are tired of the nothingness & meaninglessness of life, then click here: I Want A Real Change In My Life.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is peace
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is love
There is comfort in life's darkest hour
There is light and life
There is help and power in the Spirit
In the Spirit of the Lord

 

Christian Meeting Bombed In Kenya

Psalm 23:4
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."


On March 31st, a bomb attack at an outdoor worship service killed two Christians—a woman and an eight-year-old boy—and wounded more than 30 in the Kenyan city Mtwapa.

Hundreds of Christians were attending the outdoor service when a hand grenade was thrown towards the pastor’s podium. Muslims were also holding a meeting around 300 metres from the scene of the attack. The Islamic preachers were vilifying Christianity in their sermon which could be heard from the location where the Christians were holding their conference.

Kenyan officials blame members of al-Shabaab, a radical Islamic group in Somalia, for the bomb attack. Attacks and kidnappings coordinated by al-Shabaab in last year have prompted the Kenyan military to strike at al-Shabaab targets in Somalia. The Kenyan government has issued a warning of possible attack by the militants during Easter celebrations.

A Barnabas Aid contact in Kenya said that there has been a concerted Muslim backlash against conversions from Islam to Christianity. They have ordered a church in south Kenya to close down within six months.

Barnabas Aid is providing practical support for Christian converts from Islam in Kenya who are suffering as a result of persecution. One of them is a woman whose husband was killed by Muslims after the couple left Islam to follow Christ. We provided her with funds to start up a small business to support her children.

Pray for the wounded and the grieving. Pray these Christians will rest in the knowledge that the Good Shepherd walks with them through this difficult time (Psalm 23). Pray the Lord will give these Christians the grace to continue to meet together and encourage one another. Pray for God's will to prevail in Kenya. Pray also for the perpetrators.

(Source: Compass Direct News)

Looking for God In All the Wrong Places

Proverbs 8:17

"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."

If you're seeking God in the mountain tops or in the gilded skies or in mystical experiences or in a drug-induced state or by star gazing then, my friend, let me tell you: You are going about it the wrong way. You see, in order to find God, you need to look at the one source where His wisdom and will is revealed: the Holy Bible.

Consider the above quoted Scripture. There is a promise made by God to the Reader that will be fulfulled by Him, if you meet the conditions.

The first condition of the promise is that you must love God. Well, do you? If you love God, you must love Jesus.

Look at I John 4:14-16 -

"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."

There's no way around it, dear Reader: If you're seeking God, you must come through His Son Jesus Christ who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." (John 14:6).

And Isaiah 34:16 indicates, "Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them."

Matthew 4:4 further says, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

It's pretty clear that the only place for man to feast on God's every word is found in the Bible.

The second condition is that you must seek Him early. Early in the day; early in your youth; early in your problem. The key word is EARLY, as in the first place, above all things else.

Here's another conditional promise made by God in Proverbs 2:4-5, "If thou seekest [knowledge] as silver, and searchest for [knowledge] as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God."

So, seek God early and through His Word [ie, the knowledge of God]. When you do so, seek His word as if you're looking for silver & gold. That means with an intense, untiring desire. Think about it: How do men seek money? To what degrees do men go to get rich? Reader, seek the salvation of your soul as earnestly as the covetous man seeks wealth. Indeed, what profits a man that he should gain the world and yet lose his own soul?

The weight of your decision - to accept or reject Jesus Christ - will truly be felt in eternity. Do you want to wait until after you die to realize what a great treasure you passed up in knowing God through Jesus Christ His Son?

Ponder this parable by Jesus, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."  (Matt. 13:44)

Stop searching! Put everything aside, friend, and believe what Jesus Christ did for you at Calvary. He is a precious treasure to cherish here and hereafter.

Choose life, eternal life. Choose Jesus! I Choose You, Jesus!

Seeking the lost, yes, kindly entreating
Wanderers on the mountains astray,
"Come unto Me," His message repeating
Words of the Master speaking today.

Going afar upon the mountain,
Bringing the wand'rers back again,
Into the fold of my Redeemer,
Jesus the Lamb for sinners slain.