Raised to Walk Podcast

Early voting has ended in the midterm elections and Election Day is Tuesday.  Many in America see it as a turning point, there is much at stake.  Locally, we have a big fight brewing.   Ted Cruz is defending his senate seat from challenger Beto O'Rourke.  You might have heard of him. I already decided almost a year ago that I would not again give my vote to Cruz (I wrote about that here), but right up until the day before early voting started, I was still conflicted about how I would handle my vote if I was not going to vote for Cruz.  Should I vote for O'Rourke?  Should I write in a candidate or should I leave it blank and not vote for that race at all? And what about the other races?  Greg Abbott is the Number One enemy of public education in Texas and has made it his mission for the past couple of years to do all he can to dismantle it, turning it over to private companies and following the path of failure down which Devos led Michigan schools.  My first thought was to write in Joe Straus as a protest against the brownshirt-like[1] actions  of[2] Republicans following[3] Abbott's lead who censured Straus on his way out.  (This happened to Sam Houston as well.) What to do?  It was not an easy decision because I have been a diehard Republican my entire life.  It is completely engrained in me to always support Republi...

Sometimes our fears hold us back from experiencing God’s blessings.  Sometimes we need to be brave enough to step out of our comfort zones. ~ By Faith, Nancy Gavilanes, pg. 93 Before ascending to Heaven, Jesus told his disciples, “and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. “ (Acts 1:8)  From the beginning, personal testimony has been a key component of Jesus’s “marketing strategy” in spreading the message of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Paul gave as validation for his message references to others who had seen the resurrected Jesus, including 500 at one time. (1 Corinthians 15:38)  Peter, as well as John, assures the church that he was sharing what he himself had witnessed. (2 Peter 1:16, 1 John 1:3)  He was not telling a story he had heard, but one he knew to be true because he had witnessed it first hand. As apologist Lee Strobel taught our class on Evangelism at Houston Baptist University, everyone has a testimony.  If you are a believer in Christ, you have a story of how you came to faith. [1]   A personal testimony where you share, “This is how I was before Christ. This is how I met Christ, and this is what he has done for me since then.”  As Nicole Howe points out in her essay on Augustine’s Confessions in An Unexpected Journal, “Spiritual autobiographies give back to others what God has given to us by inspiring them with the truth of what God has done and can do through our example."[2] However, often when we think of sharing our personal testimony, we focus solely on our conversion and the time before, almost as if that is the end of the story . . . and that is not the case at all.  By Faith by Nancy Gavilanes is her personal testimony of how she came to know Christ as Savior; however, it does not fall into the trap that so many personal testimonies do.  The main focus of the account is one that is in Christ, one of walking it out and following where God leads even when the destinations are completely unexpected. An Unexpected Journey She begins with an overview of growing up with a Christian background, but one which did not have deep roots.  Like many, she put her own goals and ambitions front and center, placing the role of God in her life on a back burner.   She shares the origins of her passion for writing and her strong and  determined desire to write about the premier events of the sports she loved. All of which she achieved, but, like so many, when she reached her goal she found it empty. This began her search to find the One who promised not only eternal life, but purpose and true meaning in this life as well. I have talked to people who have told me that they know they need Jesus, that they know he is who he says he is, but that “they’re not ready.”  They aren’t ready to make a commitment, give up their self will, and submit to him.

The 23rd Psalm is familiar  to many.  It is a reminder of God’s faithfulness and evokes beautiful mental imagery.  We can imagine beautiful hillsides, lush pastures, and the peaceful streams.  Even in our Biblically illiterate culture, if people know any passage of Scripture, it is likely to be this one. It is encouragement in times of trouble, but more than that, it is a declaration of victory. We have been studying Psalms 23 for the past eight weeks in our third grade Sunday school class, going through it verse by verse.  It talks about God’s love and care for us, who He is and the roles He takes in our lives.  He is our Shepherd, our Provider, Our Protector, and our Guide.  If you’ve read the Psalm once, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. But more than that, this Psalm is a battle cry.  It is a song of warfare.  It is a song of faith where David “calls the things that are not, as though they were.” (Romans 4:17) David’s Back Story To understand the full import of the Psalm, we have to look at David’s back story. He grew up in Bethlehem during the reign of King Saul, the first king of Israel.  He was the youngest of eight brothers, and while they were off taking care of other responsibilities for the family, he had the lowly job of shepherd of his father’s flocks (the same job Rebekah was performing when Abraham’s servant happened across her. Genesis 24 ) Saul had been skating back and forth across the line of God’s commands  (1 Samuel 13:7-14,) and finally he went too far.  He was to completely destroy the Amalekites, but instead, he kept the plunder for himself (1 Samuel 15).[1]  Because of that willful action, the kingship of Israel was removed from  his family. God sent Samuel the town of Bethlehem[2]  and invited Jesse, David’s father, to come as Samuel made a sacrifice. As each son came out before he, Samuel thought, “He must be the one,” but each time God said no.  Like the Prince searching for Cinderella, Samuel asked, “Is there anyone else?” and so David was sent for.  He didn’t even rank high enough in his family’s mind that they didn’t include him until asked.  ( Samuel 16:1-13 ) When David came before Samuel, God told him, “He is the one” However, unlike Cinderella who left her pots and pans and rode off with her prince into the sunset, David went back to his sheep.  And there he stayed, we don’t know exactly how long, but time passed until there was trouble at the border with the Philistines.  When David was sent to take supplies to his brothers at the front, he heard the Philistines, led by Goliath, mocking the Israelites. (1 Samuel 17:22-23) This infuriated David and he asked, “Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26)  His brothers, both dismissive and indignant,

Many people want to find God.   There are many books on the subject which promise to put you on the path to find Him.  Most of religions of the world make the claim to make you one of His own.1  However, there are some people who want to find God without religion. They might say (and many do), “I’m spiritual, not religious.” They might not want to follow anyone’s guidance or rules.  Or, as happens frequently, they have been hurt by a faith community in the past and want to now avoid it entirely. So is it possible?  Can you find God without religion?  In order to answer this question, let’s first look at who God is as well as the definition of religion. Who Is God? We have always believed in something other: a Creator God, a pantheon, even the desired end of “nothingness” in Buddhism is logically something beyond what we know.  We have a sense of right, a belief that there is an absolute truth and order . . . a law . . . and by extension a Lawgiver.  In order for there to be an absolute rightness and absolute justice, there must be One who is absolutely righteous, absolutely just, a perfect Being. Those Thomas Aquinas referred to as “virtuous pagans,” such as Plato’s Socrates and Aristotle, explored this concept long before the Christian church.  Plato’s perfect forms were beyond matter and beyond space, the ultimate reality, and Aristotle believed in a perfect self-consciousness with a separate essence from the created world.  But it was Anselm in the Middle Ages who set about to clarify and distinguish the God Christians worshiped from the pantheons surrounding them through the nature and quality of His Being. Anslem’s reasoning, which became known as the “ontological argument,” is that God is the maximally great being.  He is the greatest thing that we can conceive of, beyond all other things.  The second part of his argument for God is that as actual things are greater than our ideas of the thing, that if we can conceive of a maximally great being then there must be such a being because if He was not actual . . . then we would be able to conceive of something greater. This is a simplified form of his argument, and as an argument for the existence of God, I know this sounds a little circular . . . Philosophers love to debate it. However, for the purpose of this discussion, I just want to point out what we mean by God: He is the Greatest Thing, being absolutely perfect, all knowing, all powerful, absolutely just, and outside of space and time.  That is God. If the thing you are searching for is something other than that . . . that isn’t God. How Should We Respond to God?

My daughter started an Instagram account for our dog recently, @fernandothepup. I thought it was a sweet idea, a way to give her sister who just went to college her Fernando fix. I didn’t realize that dog accounts are actually a big thing on Instagram. Did you know this? She’s had a brand contact her already. This is a dog God did actually send us because I definitely did not seek him out. When God Sends You a Dog One day my youngest said, “Mom, a dog followed me home.” I was more focused on a strange stray dog, I told her, “You’re fine.” Then my tenderhearted middle daughter had to go and check on this stray dog. This was the beginning of the end. She and her friend found him laying on the sidewalk panting in the September Houston heat. She said, “Mom, can we take him to a shelter?” I looked at this black dog that could be any sort of a mix between a boxer, pitbull, and a hound and I thought, “he will be put to sleep if we take him there.” Houston is notorious for abandoned animals and shelters and fosters are overflowing. It is very difficult to get a dog into a no-kill shelter and most of the rest will put them to sleep after three days. If I knew a little more about dogs, I probably would have been able to tell right away that this wasn’t a “lost” dog. I am now fairly certain he was dumped because even in his excursions made during the occasional times he has escaped, he has always stayed close to home. He is not dumb; he knows who feeds him. According to the vet, he was about a year and a half when we took him in. Once he got his energy back, he was very rambunctious, as the vet said, he had “puppy brain.” He would jump on people in excitement, chewed everything up, and was so strong he could pull my girls off their feet when they took him for a walk. I think he got past the point of cute little puppy stage, was too much for someone to handle and so they dumped him, because when we took him in he had scratches all over him, was losing hair in places, and had callouses on his legs where it looked like he had been laying on concrete. But being unaware at the time, we tried to find his owner. As you can tell, no luck. We tried a local foster organization and had very limited interest. Partly due to the fact that during this time I was trying to keep up with graduate school as well as the activities of three girls and I didn’t have the time to spare to spend afternoons sitting at adoption days. Two years later, we still have this dog and now my girls are attached. A Picture of Redemption My youngest named him “Fernando” and my girls play his theme song for him all the time. I gave him the middle name “Sylvester” and I think it suits him. Fernando means “redeemed” and Sylvester means “strong in spirit.” He is a redeemed puppy, brought in from the wilderness. This unwanted dog that most people are afraid of on sight has become an object of love for the entire family. My youngest always says, “Fernando is the best dog, we are so lucky we found him.” I’ll be honest,

It is written, "The Lord loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor 9:6-7) It's one of those things even those who are a stranger to Scripture are familiar. It resonates with us because no one wants a “gift” that is grudgingly given. When the first Tabernacle for the Lord was built in the wilderness, the Israelites were instructed to bring as they felt led. (Exodus 35:4-6, 21, Exodus 36:2-5) Again, when the Davidic Temple was built, the gifts were voluntary and David, while he was not allowed to build the temple himself, he did stock the supplies for his son, Solomon, to use in the construction. (2 Chronicles 29:1-9) He gave the most of all. Ezra's reconstruction was also voluntary. (Ezra 1:1-6) There are offering amounts proscribed in the Old Testament; however, it is clear when building His house, the special place where the Spirit of God would dwell, that it was important to God that all gifts be given without compulsion. He wants a willing heart. It is a picture of the transaction of salvation. We give of ourselves willingly, we choose to come to God, and in exchange, Christ sacrificed himself for us so that he could redeem us from the consequences of the wrongs we have done. But it must be willing, we choose. The Sacrifice of Generosity Before Christ, the relationship between God and man was one of sacrificial offerings. This was true not only of the Jews and their God, Yahweh, but also with the Gentile nations and their gods. Offerings had to be made for the gods to be appeased and hear their prayers. The picture painted by the Levitical offerings is one of construction. The offerings of sacrifices of animal blood covered the sin of the person, and on Yom Kippur the nation, creating a holy space for the Spirit of God to dwell. There are accounts in the Jerusalem Talmud of the appearance of the Ruach Kodesh, the Holy Spirit, which left the Temple in Jerusalem permanently in 30 A.D. But beyond the offerings before the priests, there are references to other sorts of offerings that spoke before the presence of God. Giving to the poor and defending the weak, the embodiment of justice and mercy also witnessed on behalf of the giver in the court of God. Job was known as a generous man, one who gave to those in need. The Israelites were instructed strongly that there should never be a person in need even though there would always be those who had needs among them. They were to fill those needs without begrudging the gift. The Jews who asked Jesus to heal the servant of the Roman official used the Roman’s generous gifts to the poor as a justification for raising him to Jesus’ notice. Gifts speak. Offerings brought as tithe are an acknowledgement of the true Giver and Provider of those resources. It is thanking God for his blessings. It also keeps wealth and the occupation of making money from claiming an unholy place in our minds. Those who are truly free from the love of money are those who freely give. Short Circuiting Your Blessings Sometimes we give and we understand the purpose. We know where that gift is going and how God uses it to his purpose. But many times we do not. It may seem as if the time, resources, and talents that we have given, believing it to be the will of God, seem to accomplish nothing but rather are thrown into a bottomless pit. God gives us a few instructions about giving.

All of us know someone who is not a believer in Christ.  Many of us likely know someone who is not only an unbeliever, but one who is aggressive in their unbelief.   If the subject of religion or faith comes up, they bring up an area in which they think Christians or Christianity itself reflects poorly and hammer relentlessly against your faith.  At times, religion doesn’t even have to come up at all, knowing you are a Christian, they will bring it up using you as a target for their bully pulpit. If you have experienced anything along these lines, or someone you care about is an unbeliever, Atheist Delusions by David Bentley Hart is for you . . . it is not for your unbelieving friend . . . it is for you.  Not that an unbelieving friend couldn’t benefit from reading this book.  However, in Peter’s exhortation to “always be ready” to give an answer for the “hope that is within you,” the qualification is to do so “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15) and Hart provides very strong answers in this book. Hart is a theologian, a visiting professor, and is referred to as a “polemicist.”  Atheist Delusions is an overview of how frequently and consistently full historical context is ignored in order to serve a humanist agenda.  Hart sets the record straight on a number of distorted narratives and he begins with this note: Perfect detachment is impossible for even the soberest of historians, since the writing of history necessarily demands some sort of narrative of causes and effects, and is thus necessarily an act of interpretation, which by its nature can never be wholly free of prejudice.[1] This is important to remember as often information is presented as an unbiased and clear view of history, when in fact, the presentation is a result of a very distorted lens.  Everyone, even historians, bring preconceptions and a particular worldview to the table.  Beware  of those who are not honest about it. Hart’s intention with the book is to present a more even handed history of the church for the first five centuries,[2] or if one does not believe a Christian can do that objectively, a reader will at least have to consider the case Hart makes as it is much more fully sourced and comprehensive than the standard church detractors. Specifically, he states: My chief ambition in writing is to call attention to the peculiar and radical nature of the new faith in that setting: how enormous a transformation of thought, sensibility, culture, morality, and spiritual imagination Christianity constituted in the age of pagan Rome; the liberation it offered from fatalism, cosmic despair, and the terror of the occult agencies; the immense dignity it conferred upon the human person; its subversion of the cruelest aspects of pagan society; its (alas, only partial) demystification of political power; its ability to create moral community where none had existed before; and its elevation of active charity above all other virtues. Stated in its most elementary and most buoyantly positive form, my argument is, first of all, that among all the many great transitions that have sparked the evolution of Western civilization, whether convulsive or gradual, political or philosophical, social or scientific, material or spiritual,

+It’s been an eventful week. Barbara Bush, the wife of our 41st president went home on April 17th and her funeral was held at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston on April 21st.[1]  First families from the Clintons on attended to show their respect and demonstrate that a person is not defined solely by their political affiliation.  Across the pond, two other momentous occasions occurred.  Prince William and Kate welcomed their third child and second son, Prince Louis.[2]  In contrast to this joyous occasion, a battle was being waged over the life of another little one, Alfie Evans.[3] Before we discuss baby Alfie, let’s return to Barbara Bush.  Millenials will not remember her time as First Lady, but she was known as gracious and welcoming.  A friend of public education, she made literacy her cause while in the White House.  After leaving the White House, she and Bush Sr. spent much of their time in Houston and after she passed, many local residents shared fond memories of interacting with her.  She was friendly to everyone and loved kids. Sixty-Five Years Ago in Midland, Texas The part of her life that wasn’t often discussed in the many years she was in her public eye was not her famous sons, but the daughter that they lost.   When their daughter, Robin, was only three years old . . . Not much older than Alfie Evans . . . She began feeling tired and did not want to go out and play.[4]  Concerned, Barbara took her to the doctor and the diagnosis came back.  It was a strange disease called Leukemia, one that not was much known about and for which there was no cure.  The doctor told the Bushes, “There is nothing that can be done, just take her home to die quietly.” Today in Liverpool, England Today in England, there is a battle waging over a little one named Alfie Evans.  Alfie’s parents took him to the doctor sixteen months ago after suffering seizures.  The doctors have not been able to diagnose the cause.[5]  He had been in the care of Alder Hey Hospital during that time and the issue is the doctors have told the parents that there is nothing more that they can do for him; however, they refused to allow the parents to take Alfie to any other provider. Alder Hey told the Evans the same thing doctors told the Bushes about their daughter, Robin, “There is nothing more we can do, make her comfortable, and take her home to die.” The Fighting Spirit Like the Evans, Ms.

The Trinity is one of the biggest issues encountered when discussing the Christian faith with those who believe in God, but not quite the God of Christianity. Mormons, Muslims and Jews all believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; however, they believe in a strictly monotheistic God, one being and one person (’yachid’ in Hebrew meaning a solitary numeric one), while Christians are monotheists who believe in God who is three persons in one being (’echad’, a composite oneness in unity and essence). In the course of the conversation, the yachidist (( ‘Yachidist” versus “echadist” are terms I am using to distinguish between types of monotheists.  Christians are monotheists as we believe there is one God, unique in being and essence, who is three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit.) We are “echadists.” “Yachidists” believe God is solitary, one person and one being. “Yachid” is the Hebrew word for a numerical one. “Echad” can mean a numerical one, but it also means a compound unity. Such as in Genesis 2:24 which says that a man and wife become one (echad) flesh. The Shema, “Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is One.” Uses “echad.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) )) monotheist might say something along the lines of “The Jews of Jesus’ day had no concept of multiple persons in the Godhead. The trinity is a later invention forced on the church by Constantine and incorporated beliefs of Babylonian/Egyptian/Greek/take-your-pick paganism”(( A note on pagan beliefs and the Trinity: I’ve read a lot of mythology. I have never come across a belief or a depiction of gods that in any way approaches the Christian understanding of the Trinity. The gods of mythology are all individual persons and individual beings. The closest thing in my mind is the Hindu belief in gods who present themselves as different “avatars” throughout time. However, this does not parallel the Orthodox belief in the Trinity, but rather the heretical belief called “modalism” where there is a single god, (yachid) who appears in different forms at different times. )) Many people believe this, but it is not at all true. Two Powers in Heaven by Alan Segal explores and analyzes the early rabbinic commentary against those who believed there were “two powers” in heaven. Segal writes from a position that opposes Trinitarianism and that is considered orthodox within modern Judaism. He was a “yachidist,” a strict monotheist. Segal did not believe that there are “two powers” which are God and he considered the belief in “two powers” a heresy; however, he did recognize that this belief was found within Judaism in the first century and earlier. The book researches the first arguments against the “two powers heresy” and explores the possibilities for the targets, including Christians, Gnostics, and sects of Judaism. The Origins of Modern Judaism Before I review the actual book, I would like to give a brief history of the origins of modern Judaism. During the Second Temple period, there were a number of sects of Judaism. Through reading the New Testament, we are familiar with two of those sects, the Pharisees and the Sadducees; however,

So what is the origin of Easter?  The answer is extremely obvious, yet skeptics and even some Christians seem to think it is a perversion of the Apostolic faith. This is far, far from the truth.  Apart from the move of the Sabbath observance, one of worship, communion, and reflection, from the seventh day of the week to the first because it was considered "the Lord's Day," (( Acts 20:7 (Likely written by 64-65 AD giving an account which occurred approx. ) John in Revelation 1:10 (written 90 to 95 AD), Ignatius of Antioch, the Letter to the Magnesians (written approximately 110 AD), the Didache (written between 70 to 120 AD), Justin Martyr, the First Apology ))  the observance of Easter Sunday was one of the first annual observances of the church.  (( The observance of the death and resurrection of Christ was practiced since the inception of the church; however, there were differences.  The followers of Peter and Paul observed the Paschal Sunday while the followers of John the Beloved observed the date of his death, Nissan 15, whatever day of the week it happened to fall.  This was the internecine controversy of the early church which came to be known as the "Quarterdeciman controversy.". It was not reconciled until 300 years later at the Council of Nicea along with the setting of the calculation of Easter. )) Sunday, sometimes referred to the "eighth day" and signifying the new beginning, is considered the Lord's Day because that is the third day after he was crucified and when he rose from the dead. Easter is the Whole Point Easter marks the great day, the pivotal point, the day when the Earth and the Heavens changed.  It was the day when Christ broke the chains of death and the grave and when he fulfilled the promise given to Adam and Eve that: And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." Genesis 3:15 NASB (( The "seed of the woman" in this verse is singular, "He," Because there is only one person in history who was born solely of woman and not man.  This is the first prophecy of the virgin birth, long before Isaiah spelled it out (Isaiah 7:14) )) Of course, it was not called "Easter" as "Easter" is a Germanic word that this remembrance of the Resurrection came to be known by in countries with languages of Germanic origins. It was known as Pascha in the earliest Aramaic, then Greek, then Latin, speaking church . . . And still is in the Orthodox church. Why "Pascha" Why was the day of the Resurrection known as the "Paschal" Sunday? From Goshen, Egypt to a Cross in Jerusalem The story begins long before a dark day in 30 A.D. There once was a people who were foreigners in the land, invited to stay by the ruler of the world power of the day.  They made it their home, investing in the welfare of their host country. However, there came a time when a new ruler came to power who had forgotten the promise made to this people and saw them simply as a resource to dominate and exploit.  He made them slaves, took away their rights, and imposed upon them ever changing conditions that were impossible to meet. There was nothing they could do . . . At least not in their own power.  The military force was too great, the laws . . . being the will of the ruler . . . were against them,

It's amazing the things you miss when you take a break from online media.  I checked my Facebook feed today after a short break and found a slew of unbelieving friends slamming evangelical Christians.   Some of the claims they were making made absolutely no sense and the posts they were sharing made assertions that were just not true at all. But reading a little farther apart from all of the bogus information, the kernel of the issue are comments by Jerry Falwell, Jr., giving a pass to Trump 's infidelity that was recently exposed. (( Avery Anapol, “Lawyer Paid $130k to Silence Adult-Film Star over Sexual Encounter with Trump: Report,” Text, TheHill, last modified January 12, 2018, accessed January 29, 2018, http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/368779-trump-lawyer-arranged-130k-payment-to-adult-film-star-to-stay-quiet. ))  This particular instance happened over a decade ago, but the other party was paid off right before the election to keep silent. (( Mark Berman, Frances Stead Sellers, and Paul Farhi, “Porn Star Stormy Daniels Detailed Alleged Affair with Trump in 2011 Interview - The Washington Post,” last modified January 19, 2018, accessed January 29, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/porn-star-stormy-daniels-detailed-alleged-affair-with-trump-in-2011-interview/2018/01/19/8bdd1a50-fbb5-11e7-ad8c-ecbb62019393_story.html. )) So let me just get this out there, none of this comes as a surprise.  Not that Trump had an affair, not that he paid off his affair partner, and not that Falwell would give him a pass. (( Paula Bolyard, “Jerry Falwell Jr Provides Cover for Trump Porn Star Affair,” PJ Media, January 24, 2018, accessed January 29, 2018, https://pjmedia.com/faith/jerry-falwell-jr-provides-cover-trump-porn-star-affair/.  Best call out ever on Falwell's CNN interview.  )) We did not need this latest revelation to know that.   At this point, we should just expect that Falwell will excuse anything and everything the candidate he supported does.  (( Julia Manchester, “CNN Anchor to Falwell Jr: How Many Times Does It Take before You Stop Defending Trump?,” news, The Hill, January 25, 2018, accessed January 29, 2018, http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/370730-cnn-anchor-to-falwell-jr-how-many-times-does-it-take-before-you.  In this interview, Falwell excuses Trump saying that this was before he became a Christian.

At the beginning of each New Year, most of us start with new resolution and good intentions. It is a time for fresh starts and new beginnings. We resolve to read more, to eat right, and to follow through on that exercise program. But according to research, only 8 percent (( Kelsey Mulvey, “80% of New Year’s Resolutions Fail by February - Here’s How to Keep Yours,” News, Business Insider, January 3, 2017, accessed January 3, 2017, http://www.businessinsider.com/new-years-resolutions-courses-2016-12. )) of us follow through on those New Year’s goals and 80 percent of resolutions are given up by February. Such good intentions but life gets in the way. There is a difference between an intention and a resolution. The Bible is full of people who began with good intentions, such as the man of God who heard God’s voice, but thought he was done when he wasn’t, or Solomon who had high ideals when he succeeded his father, but then got caught up in his own press. They had that in common with two other people in the Bible that we typically view as villains, Balaam and Herod the tetrarch. Balaam, who was paid to curse Israel, in the end gave one of the most well known prophecies regarding the birth of the Messiah, one that features prominently around the Christmas season. “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” (Numbers 24:17)   That is the part we focus upon, but you have to read the whole verse to get a sense of the scope of what was going on: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.” Sounds a little extreme doesn’t it? But there is even more drama. On Balak and Balaam The story begins in the book of Numbers, Israel had been wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years because they had refused to enter the land of Canaan and lost the opportunity for the blessing. Aaron and Moses also missed the promised land because they did not follow God’s instructions precisely. ( Numbers 20:2-12) They were wandering through the desert, moving from place to place, with the Promised Land always in sight. When moving to a new location, Moses asked permission of the ruling power of the land to pass through, promising not to disturb anything. In a continuing pattern, the ruler refused to allow passage through their land (Numbers 20:14-21 interaction with Edom). This antipathy escalated with the king of Arad attacking and capturing a group of the Israelites. This led to a war between Arad and Israel where Israel utt...

When reading the Bible people often ask “What does that mean?” Some things are very clear, such as God’s plan of salvation. Some points of connection in God’s overarching theme throughout the Bible are clear such as God’s command to put the blood of a slain lamb on the entrance to the home, saving the Israelites from death in the tenth plague of Egypt was a foreshadowing and a physical confession in the salvation of God . . .Yeshua. Why All the Differences of Opinion in the Christian Church? However, we often enter murky waters beyond that when it comes to making a connection between the Old Testament and the New. Some of the most spirited, and often vicious, debates in the church over the past two millennia have related to the doctrine of the church. How are we saved? It is for all (John 3:16, John 3:9) or only for a select few? Can we choose to come to God or are we compelled irresistibly by God? Is salvation complete at the moment of confession or is it a progressive process? Each of these questions have caused massive rifts within the body of Christ. What we individually believe about each of these issues is very often dictated by our denominational background. We believe a certain way because that is what we have been taught. Each of these positions have been vigorously defended over time and each side has a fair number adherents. However, just because a number of people believe a certain thing does not make it true. So, how do we determine what a particular passage of Scripture really means? How are we to understand it? How do we interpret it? Rediscovering the Original Context of Scripture All of the words Jesus spoke were to Jews within the land of Israel who followed the Levitical laws and the sacrificial system established at the time of the Exodus. Every letter of the New Testament was written by a Jew (except for perhaps Hebrews) that was raised in that environment since birth. Every word spoken and written was either by or to people who saw the observance of the Day of Atonement as a mandatory act, one that was required to be observed each year in order to have their name written in the Book of Life. We can’t have any sort of meaningful conversation about the big questions in Christianity until we look at how each of the concepts underlying our doctrines were originally understood by observant Jews. By observant Jews, I mean those of the Second Temple period. Jesus and his apostles would not recognize very much in the practices of modern Judaism. A Christian researching this era must also understand that even the Talmud and the Mishnah, Jewish commentary on Scriptures and practices, postdate Christianity by at least two centuries and only reflect the beliefs of one particular sect of Second Temple Judai...

Would God be happy with your house?   Psalm 101 tells us what God expects from us, how he wants us to live, and what the lifestyle of people who are called by his name is supposed to look like. It addresses both our own actions as well as those with whom we associate.  Actually, the associations are part of the life of personal integrity David commits to in verse 2.   I will be careful to live a blameless life—    when will you come to help me?I will lead a life of integrity    in my own home. Then begins a description of what that life of integrity looks like.  Isn't it interesting that the very first item listed is a guard against what he sees. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.  (Psalm 101:3a) “Vile and vulgar,” how much of what is presented as entertainment in our culture today is described by those two words?  Is there anything vile and vulgar that comes into your sphere?  Movies, TV shows, magazines, news, music, and Internet sites visited, would they all pass muster? Then David moves on into associati...

“It’s not all about you.” We say that to people sometimes. We may be in the middle of a conversation about something and they make it all about them, completely missing the point. Because their focus is directed inward, towards themselves rather than outward to others, they miss the point and don’t understand what is being said. We had a talk in Sunday School about a person with that failing. No, it wasn’t on Moses’ pharaoh, Daniel’s Nebuchadnezzar, or Paul’s Agrippa. It was 1 Kings 3 and the account of Solomon who asked God for wisdom. Solomon is known for many things such as the wisest man that ever lived and one who had wealth beyond imagination. We celebrate him as a hero of the faith and someone to admire; however, in truth he is one of the most conflicted characters in the Bible. We often put these people recounted in the Bible on pedestals, and yes, there are many things to admire. Hebrews chapter 11 lists many to follow in example. But while we can admire certain actions, we have to always remember that no matter how great a person was in faith, they are still fallen and corruptible human beings. Accounts of those failings are given as well. Just because a person in the Bible did a certain thing does not mean that God approved of that action. Abraham pimped out Sarah. Jacob lied and swindled. David was an adulterer and a murderer, and Solomon thought it was all about him. If you know who Solomon is, I’m sure you know the story. God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him that because of his love for his father, David, that he would give him anything that he asked. In response, Solomon asked for wisdom and discernment, to know the difference between right and wrong, in order to judge God’s people fairly. He knew that the job was too big to do on his own and that it was only possible through God’s help. Because of this selfless request motivated by the desire to serve others and to serve them well, God gave Solomon what he didn’t ask for, wealth, a great name, and promise for a long life, conditional on if he continued to follow God’s precepts. Solomon was at a critical point in his life. He was beginning his reign. He had already made a couple of missteps by marrying the Pharaoh’s daughter, which was prohibited by Levitical law, placing his trust in an alliance with man rather than God. He also continued to attend the worship of pagan idols. He loved God, but he had his feet in both camps. That God offered him a request is evidence of God’s faithfulness. In the dream, God did not say it was on account of Solomon he came, but David. This was a generational blessing. This was Solomon’s opportunity to step into a closer communion and fellowship with God himself. He made the right request, but we can see in many ways he had a misapplication. He made it all about him. How do we know this? A little later in the book of 1 Kings we find out that not only did Solomon take pharaoh’s daughter for a wife, but he took many wives. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. (1 Kings 11:3) ((A note on 1 Kings 11:3. Reading this verse, it struck me that it states there were 700 “royal” wives.

I don't watch the Duggars and don't have an opinion on them other than holding the opinion that you shouldn't be taking about "God's Will" in relation to family size unless you are actually raising a baby the way we were naturally designed to do, which is extended and on demand nursing and weaning between ages 2 to 3 rather than at 6 months. Google, I guess, seems to think I am interested in them as this article was suggested in my feed. The headline: Jim Bob and Michelle Keep Calling Their Kids Servants The uproar began over an update on the Duggar's Facebook page that showed a couple of the boys helping out with the dishes. But wait, that's not all. The accompanying caption included a comment saying that they have a "servant's heart." Some people are ticked. Seriously. If you read the Bible and understand the reference and context, you are probably laughing right now . . . But really . . . People are serious about this. The author goes on to say that this has been an ongoing "controversy" with the Duggars and that one of the daughters raised a ruckus when she said a sister-in-law had a "servant's heart." Some think sis is being dissed. The Culture We Live In However, this article is an example of two things. One, a society that thinks that a child should not be expected to do anything other than play video games and be shuttled to soccer. There is nothing wrong with expecting kids to do housework and teaching them that life isn't centered around them. The second thing is it is a CLEAR illustration that Biblical references in general and Christian concepts in particular are completely foreign to large segments of our society. In an interview with The Atlantic, Michael Wear, President Obama’s former director of faith outreach efforts, talked about this unfamiliarity. As an illustration, he shared a story of a speech that he wrote which included the phrase, “even the least of these. (( Wear's reference, "even the least of these," if from Matthew 25 and Jesus' account of the Final Judgment where he will separate those who are his followers from the rest.. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me." When these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty, and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"))” Other staffers kept editing it, they did not understand what it meant at all and thought it was a typo. (( Emma Green.

Atheists and cessationists are those who hold two very different belief systems. One says that there is no God, the other believes in God and Christ as Lord, so what could they have in common? Definitions First, let’s define our terms: Atheist: An atheist is one that believes that there is no God. Buddhism is one of the few religions that believes that there is no God. It is atheistic. Theist: A theist believes that there is a God or multiple gods. Most religions of the world are theistic. They believe in some sort of Supreme Being even if they disagree on who that being is. Deist: A deist is a form of a theist, one who believes there is a God. This is usually explained as being a Creator God but one who is not concerned with His creation. In fact, the idea that this God interacts with His creation is strongly rejected. Agnostic: An agnostic is one who just comes out and says that they have no idea. There are two main forms of agnostics. Some say that they personally do not know if there is a God. Others will say that it cannot be known that there is a God, he may be there but we will just never be sure. Cessationism: Cessationists are Christians, normally in the Protestant tradition, who believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament have ceased and that miracles are not possible today. Continuationism: In opposition to cessationists, continuationism is the label for those who believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit did not cease, that they have continued since Pentecost, and that miracles are possible today. What Does Cessationism have in Common with Atheism With our definitions in place, how could there be anything in common between atheists and cessationists when one believes that there is no God, the other professes Christ as Lord? Worldviews in a Nutshell: Atheists: There is no God. There is nothing outside of the natural world. It is a closed system Deists: There is a Creator, but he doesn’t bother with us. He went away. It is a closed system not because God is not there, but because He chooses it to be. Cessationists: There is a God and he came to save us, but he doesn’t bother with us anymore. He doesn’t speak to us. There is no prophecy today, and any claim to spiritual gifts is false and from a deceiving source. Christ is Lord, but until we get to heaven, we are living in a closed system. While cessationists do believe in God and specifically in Christ, like atheists, the most strident cessationists argue very strongly against miracles and the possibility of God actually speaking to a person. The cessationist believes in a modified form of a closed system, not because there is no God, but because God chooses it to be so. I recently read a polemic against a popular Bible teacher in which the author comes just short of calli...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnYo-X5c4mE Subscribe on Youtube Should Christians celebrate Christmas? Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is coming. But along with the Christmas season, come those who criticize and bash it. It is easy to respond to attacks from atheists and Christian cults such as the Jehovah Witnesses that don’t believe anything should be celebrated; however, often Christians have a hard time responding to those who have bought into the propaganda stemming from spurious works such as James Frazier’s “The Golden Bough” ((James Frazier. The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion. (London, UK: Macmillian, 1890).)) and believe that anything related to Christmas, and even the origin itself, has pagan roots. Video on Youtube: Should Christians Celebrate Christmas. Each of the spurious claims could be addressed; however, the question is not whether people used one element or another in pagan religions. After all, pagans made sacrifices on altar, used incense, and burned lamps with oil in worship, all of which are proscribed by God in the Old Testament for use in Jewish worship. It isn’t about the trappings, it is about the purpose and the focus. And I will argue that based on the example set by the Feasts of the Lord that every Christian should feel free to celebrate Christmas because it fulfills three purposes. The first purpose is to look to the past and remind us what God has done for us The second purpose is to look at the present and give thanks for what he has given us The third purpose is to look to the future and build the community. Purpose #1 of Celebrations: Remember What God Has Done The first purpose is to remember what God has done for us in the past. In Leviticus, ((Leviticus 23 contains instructions for the Feasts of the Lord.)) God gave Moses instructions for feasts days that were to be observed by the Jewish people: the spring feasts which included Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and Shavout, and the Fall feasts, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The spring feasts were a continual reminder of God’s deliverance of the Jewish people from their bondage in Egypt. The purpose of holy days, or holidays, are to be a reminder of what God has already done. At Christmas, we look back to that day when the angels were able to finally announce that the long looked for Redeemer had come. Purpose #2 of Celebrations: Give Thanks to God The second purpose of the times of celebration was to give thanks to God.

We know of the Bible as the story of God's plan of salvation for mankind. From the first page to the last, we see that he had the end in mind from the very beginning. However, most of the time we see just two parties to the story: the Triune God and mankind, those inhabitants of the third heaven and the first. However, there is another group that plays the role, the divine council. Part of the group referenced in Ephesians 6:12 which refers to the unseen realm ruled by principalities, two of which are named in a brief reference in Daniel 9. There are a few explicit references to these beings in the Bible along with many references that are implicit. Without understanding that yes, there is an actual unseen realm and a variety of beings who inhabit it and that some of the words spoken in the Bible are judgments against them, we can completely miss the context of what certain passages are saying. Supernatural Overview Dr. Michael Heiser has made an extensive study of the Divine Council. An expert in ancient Near East languages, he has collected over 4,800 references related to it. This 168 page book is a synthesis of those resources and gives an overview of the structure and dynamics of the conflict from Genesis to Revelation. The book reminds me of Mere Christianity. But while Lewis began at square one beginning with a defense that there must be a God and then follows with arguments as to why the Christian God rings true in every area, this book is written for a Christian audience. Heiser assumes that the reader believes in God and that Christ is the Redeemer of mankind; however, be prepared to check every other assumption you have regarding the make-up of the heavens at the door. I'll admit, when I first came across his blog, drmsh.com, and read about the Divine Council, it was uncomfortable. It didn't fit with what I had been taught in Sunday School, Bible study or church. But having that information, when I read through the Bible, there were passages that opened up to me. There was significance where before it had been just words. What Do You Really Believe The book begins with the question, "Do you really believe what the Bible says?" The chapter continues point out that while as Christians we profess to believe in a God, Creator, and Redeemer who is outside of space and time, very often we act like confirmed skeptics when it comes to supernatural accounts in the Bible. We skip over the parts that are hard, make us uncomfortable, or don't fit within the worldview we've created. What it covers The make-up of the heavenly government of G...

There is an interesting passage in the book of 1 Kings about the voice of God, a man of God and a prophet. It was the in time of the divided kingdom, Jeroboam was the first king of the northern nation of Israel after the people had revolted against Solomon’s successor, Rehoboam (over taxes . . . Go figure.) (1 Kings 12:6-17) The figure of Jeroboam is a conflicted one. He was told by the prophet Ahijah of the coming divide of the kingdom and that God would give him a portion. (1 Kings 11:26-39) Up to this point, he had been a faithful servant of Solomon; however, Solomon must have heard of this word because like Saul before him who made repeated attempts to kill David, Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam. (1 Kings 11:40) The full dynamics of Jeroboam and is reign are a story for another day, what is relevant to this story is that after becoming king, in order to secure the allegiance of the people of Israel and to keep them from traveling to Jerusalem and the Temple, he built not one, but two alternate places of worship in Israel, one in Bethel and one in Dan. (1 Kings 12:29-30) Not only were they altars, but he created golden calves to worship. (1 Kings 12:28) (We know how well a golden calf worked out for Israel last time don’t we? (Exodus 32) ) There had been some other things that went on prior to this, but this was the last straw. Now enters the man of God. He is never named, but it says: At the LORD’s command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving just as Jeroboam was approach the altar to burn incense. God said “Go,” so he got up and went, arriving “just in time” to confront Jeroboam at the altar (just one more example of the synchronicity of God.) Once there, he does exactly what the LORD commands him to do: Then at the LORD’s command, he shouted, “O altar, altar!” This is what the LORD says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense and human bones will be burned on you.” 1 Kings 13:2-3 Not only was Jeroboam trying to facilitate Israel abandoning worship at the Temple of the LORD as they were commanded, (Lev 17:2-4, 1 Kings 3:2) but the places were ones where pagan priests were sacrificing as well. They were mixing the holy and the profane. So God sent some nameless guy from Judah to go to pronounce judgment. Not only does He give the man a word, but He also gives and performs a sign to confirm that this man is truly speaking for Him. That same day the man of God gave a sign to prove his message. He said, “The LORD has promised to give this sign This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground.” 1 Kings 13:3 NLT Not only did God give the one sign, but when Jeroboam in his anger tried to seize the man of God, he gave a second: When King Jeroboam heard the man of God speaking against the altar at Bethel, he pointed at him and shouted, “Seize that man!” But instantly the king’s hand became paralyzed in that position and he couldn’t pull it back. At the same time a wide crack appeared in the altar and th...

You hear people often say, “I’m spiritual, not religious.” The Roseburg shooter who targeted Christians in his shooting rampage at Umpqua Community College last October identified himself this way. ((Michael E. Miller and Yanan Wang. Ore. shooter left behind online portrait of a loner with a grudge against religion. The Washington Post. Published October 2, 2015. Accessed January 17, 2016. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/02/ore-shooter-left-behind-online-portrait-of-a-lonely-youth-with-a-grudge-against-religion/)) Author Ann Rice, who at one point identified as a Christian, ((Gloria Gaither. Anne Rice: Interview with the Believer. Crosswalk. Published October 24, 2008. Accessed January 17, 2016. http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/anne-rice-interview-with-the-believer-11583377.html)) began her walk away from Jesus in 2010 with this claim.  ((Joan Frawley Desmond. The Strange Inner World of Anne Rice: Vampire Novelist Leaves the Church. The National Catholic Register. Published August 4, 2010. Accessed January 17, 2016. https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/the-strange-inner-world-of-anne-rice/)) She didn’t like church or organized fellowship, but she wanted to connect with Jesus on her own terms. It only took two years just being “spiritual” before she denied Christ entirely. ((Stoyan Zaimov. Anne Rice Explains Leaving Christianity, Says Belief is Not a Choice. The Christian Post. Published September 18, 2012. Accessed January 17, 2016. http://www.christianpost.com/news/anne-rice-explains-leaving-christianity-says-belief-is-not-a-choice-82011/)) I’ve even met put themselves in the Christian camp who say this. Yes, they say, they are Christians, but they don’t want be labeled “religious” but “spiritual.” What is usually going through my head is, “Well isn’t that precious” and I’m tempted to say, “So what spirits are you into?”

As I looked over my Facebook feed for the first time in 2016, I saw a number with good intentions and many with much self-determination.  Advice on how to make your goals, “set your intentions,” and make this first day of 2016 the first day of a new you. It made me realize that the desire for something new is something that God has placed in our hearts.  It is part of our makeup, coded into our very cells and innermost desires, that we want and need a fresh start.  That desire, that yearning, is part of what draws us to him, that makes us look beyond yourself for the new. That is the message of the Gospel and God’s promise throughout time, the good news in Christ.  In him, we are made new. One of out of many of my favorite verses in Isaiah is 44:22, “I, the Lord, made you and I will not forget you.  I have swept away your sins like a cloud.  I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist.” [caption id="attachment_2049" align="aligncenter" width="885"]

For the past several days, I've been compiling information on local services for Easter and Holy Week.   Aside from the Easter and Christmas Christians, there really are people out there that don't have a church they would feel comfortable walking into if they felt so led.  This was my little contribution by removing one excuse from the equation. I think I've mentioned before that I've always attended churches that were far in the Protestant spectrum of the family of Christ.  I did attend a Methodist church for five years.  There were two things that held me back from becoming a member.  The first is that I never heard them give an altar call in the service, not once.  The second was that part of the responsive readings including a pledge to the "Catholic" church. I realize that catholic is the Greek word for "concerning the whole."  I'm just sharing this so you can get an idea of how completely not-about-catholic-practices I was.  I thought Mardi Gras was only a New Orleans event until Kingwood held its first one.  I had never heard of Ash Wednesday until all the news stories came out about Rick Santorum attending an Ash Wednesday service. (( Santorum Attends Church on Ash Wednesday; Gingrich Skips It.  National Journal.  22-2-2012.  Accessed 2-4-2015.  )) And I literally did not know what "Maundy Thursday" was, I hadn't even heard of the term, until I looked it up this week after seeing all these services that were to be held. Ash Wednesday In a nutshell, Ash Wednesday is the kick-off to the official countdown to Easter. The day begins the season of Lent, which includes 40 days of fasting , prayer, and repentance ending on Resurrection Sunday.  The time is in memory of the 40 days of fasting Jesus spent in the wilderness before he began his ministry. In general, Protestants haven't been really big on set times of repentance, prayer, and fasting, but the spiritual disciplines have always been a part of the Catholic church as well as the denominations more closely aligned with it such as the Lutherans, Anglicans, and Episcopalians. At the Ash Wednesday service, the sign of a cross is placed on the congregant's forehead in ashes from the previous year's Palm Sunday palm branches. (( Mark Hart.  Why Do Catholics Put Ashes on Our Heads on Ash Wednesday.  Life Teen. Accessed 2-4-2015.  )) In addition to Jesus's time of temptation in the wilderness, throughout the Old Testament the wearing of sackcloth and ashes has been a sign of repentance and humbling oneself before God and was modeled by people such as Job, Daniel, David and Ezekiel (what Ezekiel's ashes were made of is a question for another day.) In reading about the history of Ash Wednesday, the early church continued the use of sackcloth and ashes as an outward show of repentance.  Tertullian recommended it to his followers in the early second century as did Eusebius in the fourth.  By the end of the tenth century,

This past week was my turn to teach the lesson in the third grade Sunday school class and the lesson was on Daniel in the lion's den. (Daniel 6)   Each week over the summer, the lessons have focused on a different aspect of God. God is Holy. God is Omniscient God is Omnipotent - Shadrach, Meschach, and Abendego in the fiery furnace God protects me - (Daniel in the lion's den) As I was preparing for the lesson, it kind of bugged me that this week's focal point, God protects me, was out of the flow of the other focal points which were all "God IS." So I decided to look at the names of God to find one that conveyed the meaning of "God protects me" but could be stated as "God IS."'   Jehovah Nissi:  God is my Banner The name I used in the lesson was Jehovah Nissi, which means "God is my banner." This name is used in Exodus 17:15 when Moses builds an altar to God and gives thanks for their victory over the Amalekites.  This was the battle where as long as Moses had his arms lifted with the staff of God in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage in the battle.  When he lowered them, the Amalekites started winning.  So Aaron and Hur held his arms up while Joshua led the Israelites to victory. I explained that there are different names for God in the Bible for different aspects of who He is, because he is so awesome that one is not enough.  For example, Jehovah Rapha means "God is my healer." We talked a little bit about how God had saved the Israelites again and again after bringing them out of Egypt.  How he had fought for them.  That he delivers. Jehovah Nissi, The Lord is my Banner means: he is over us, he protects us, and he will bring us through. I asked them if they knew the song, "His banner over me is love."  They had never heard of it.  That was a Sunday school and VBS standby when I was growing up.  I guess it's not cool enough for Jump. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8EDjWA-0SY  What Has God Done for You Lately? As we were doing a craft, I asked them if they had any answered prayers this week. One little girl had been praying for her aunt who was fighting brain cancer.  The cancer was no longer active and growing and she had improved enough that she could walk and do things on her own. Jehovah Nissi: God is my banner (and Jehovah Rapha.) Another little girl said that she had been worried about hurting herself while doing an activity.  She prayed about it and she didn't hurt herself. Jehovah Nissi: God is my banner. A little boy said his mom was pregnant and he had prayed that she didn't get sick.  And she didn't get sick. Jehovah Nissi:  God is my banner. A little girl said that her grandma and grandpa had fallen into a lake and the water was really cold.  Her grandma prayed and the water got warmer.

Do you know what today is?  It is the day of Pentecost.  The anniversary of the beginning of the church and the day the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples waiting for commissioning in Jerusalem. After Jesus rose on the third day after his crucifiction, he appeared to his disciples and others, explaining many of the Scriptures for the next 37 days.  Forty days after Passover, he ascended into heaven.  Before he did, he told them to preach the Gospel to all nations, but before they went, they were to wait upon the Holy Spirit. So they went back to Jerusalem and waited.  Waiting, watching, and praying. Ten days later, on Shavout,  the Holy Spirit fell upon them, baptizing them in spirit and power. What is Shavout/Pentecost Pentecost is the Greek word for "fiftieth" referring to the 50th day after the Festival of Harvest.  Since the New Testament was written in Greek, this is the word most Christians are familiar with. ((Pentecost. Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed 8-6-2014.)) However in Hebrew, the day is referred to as Shavout.  The word refers to the 7 weeks that are counted to the day.  Sheva is the word for "seven" in Hebrew and shavua is the word for "weeks."  Shavout is the completion of 7 weeks of 7 days. Shavout and The Festival of Harvest So what is all the counting about in the first place and what is the significance? When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He asked them if they were willing to follow his commands and be His people.  It is interesting in the passage that recounts this, He asks very specifically and they say "Yes," more than once.  (Exodus 19:1-19 and Exodus 24:1-15) We always have free will. Then Moses went on Mount Sinai to get the instructions from God to keep the covenant. In those instructions, God told them they must celebrate three festivals in his honor: The Festival of Unleavened Bread (Passover) The Festival of Harvest (Shavout) The Festival of Final Harvest (Sukkot)  "Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor.  First, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. No one may appear before me without an offering.  "Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest when you bring me the first crops of your harvest. "Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season, when you have harvested all the crops from your fields. 17 At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign,

Are there certain smells that you associate with specific people?   The smell of Old Spice always reminds me of my dad.  He wore it for years and it was one of my go-to gifts for him for a long time. Peppermint reminds me of my grandma because she would always give us a peppermint lozenge when she had her coffee.  It was a special thing. As I mentioned in other posts on detecting scents in the spirit, I try to make a note of what I experience, when it happened, and what was going on.  I try to identify the smell if  I can, but I'm not always able to.  Sometimes it's a familiar smell, but I just can't place it.  Sometimes, it's just not a smell I recognize. The Sanctuary Smell There is one particular smell that I experienced frequently, but I didn't know what it was. It was a light floral smell, a little bit soapy, but really fresh and really clean. And there was always a feeling that went along with it, a fullness and happiness.  It is an awesome smell and every time I experience it, I feel like I've been blessed, that I've received a special gift from God. I didn't know what it was so I started calling it the Sanctuary Smell when I wrote it in my notes, because that is the closest thing I could compare it to, what I imagine the sanctuary of God to smell like. Sometimes I would describe it to people, and often then would say, "Oh, yes!  I've smelled that." But other than the awesomeness of it, I didn't know what it meant specifically.   There didn't seem to be a common thread through the times when I experienced it, nothing that I could put my finger on.     For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved  2 Corinthians 2:15 NASB Experiencing the Sanctuary I've experienced it a number of times, but these are the two occurrences that stand out most vividly. One was last year, January 6, 2013, to be exact.  It was Sunday, the Day of Ephiphany, and the youth pastor at our campus, Jonathan Gray, was giving the message. It began during the worship time, during the offertory song when Judith Roberts sang, "Mighty Wind" (Let it Overflow.)  You could feel the presence of God and there were just waves and waves of the sanctuary fragrance. Then again during the message.  It got to where I could tell when Jonathan was building up to a main point because there would be a wave of the sanctuary fragrance about thirty seconds before it, like it was preparing people's heart to receive ...

As I scanned through my Facebook feed the other day, I came across a share from one of my pastors.  It was a photo of a attendance sign at a church that included the following: He is currently on a missionary trip in South America.  I guess, this struck a cord with him because apparently other cultures have trouble understanding our usage of the word "just." // Post by The Sacred Sandwich. What is "Just?" Just can mean several things.  It can mean righteous and upstanding. adjective 1. guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness: We hope to be just in our understanding of such difficult situations. 2. done or made according to principle; equitable; proper: a just reply. 3. based on right; rightful; lawful: a just claim. 4. in keeping with truth or fact; true; correct: a just analysis. 5. given or awarded rightly; deserved, as a sentence, punishment, or reward: a just penalty. (( Just. Reference.com. Accessed 27-5-2014. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/just. )) It can also be a word describing limitation: 11. by a narrow margin; barely: The arrow just missed the mark. 12. only or merely: He was just a clerk until he became ambitious. (( Just. Reference.com. Accessed 27-5-2014. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/just. )) So why do we use it so much in our prayers? I don't think most of us use it in the context of saying that God is just meaning righteous and holy. I think we mostly use it in our prayers as if we are uncertain, timid, in asking our Heavenly Father for something when he has already given us "every gracious blessing in the heavenly realm" and said that any who come to him in faith can claim every promise of blessing he has made. Are we limiting God when we put "just" as a qualifier in our prayers? Yes, he can do anything that He wants because he is all powerful.  But since he gave us free will, he doesn't take that back and he doesn't impinge on us. When we ask God in our prayers, "Just do this."  Maybe the Holy Spirit is sitting there saying, "Okay, I had all these other blessings sitting here ready for you too, but if that's all you want . . . " More than "Just" - Thrive I'm going to stop using "just" in my prayers.  I don't want "just" anything.   I want it all, everything God has for me.  And Jesus said,

Sunday, someone in my Bible Study asked me if I could pray for them this week.  She was facing some decisions regarding her job situation.   This is something we've discussed and prayed about several times over the past year. It's not a question of finding a job.  She is very blessed in that it always seems that she has a variety of choices.  The issue is "which" job is the right one for her. I guess it's been awhile since we discussed her job. She had started with a company that was a new launch, that was faith based, and I had thought things were going well.  But she said, "I thought God was leading me to another company."  She started that job a few weeks ago. Then she said, "But I think what I was hearing was something else." There are situations coming up in this new job and she is looking once again. Does God Still Speak to Us? Often when you start the conversation of whether or not God still speaks to His people, some Christians will object by saying that is supplanting Scripture with "new revelation." No.  Not only is that conflating two completely separate issues, but it is a straw man argument, a logical fallacy. Start with What You Know for Sure What we can know for sure is what is written in Scripture. In order to really know you are hearing the voice of God, a firm foundation in Scripture is absolutely essential because that is the plumb line ( Amos 7:7-8 ) for testing everything you are hearing. The Word of God, Scripture, is written by men inspired by God and every single word holds as true for us today as it did for the people in the time it was written. Everything else is held to that standard.  If you receive a "revelation" or "direction" that deviates from what it says in Scripture, then you know for sure that it is not from God because God doesn't change (Malachi 3:6 KJV ) and his Word doesn't either. ( Num 23:19, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Luke 21:33 ) I am the Lord, I change not. Malachi 3:6 KJV If you don't agree with that, if you are under the mistaken assumption that this incredible collection of writings which was written over a period of approximately 1,500 years by more than 40 different authors, (( McDowell, Josh. Evidence for Christianity. 2006. Page 20. ))   with more than 2,500 prophecies, 80% of which have already been fulfilled, (( Ross, Dr. Hugh. Fulfilled Prophecy: Evidence for Reliability of the Bible.  Reasons to Believe. 23-8-2003. Accessed 19-5-2014. http://www.reasons.org/articles/articles/fulfilled-prophecy-evidence-for-the-reliability-of-the-bible )) and that describes scientific truths that have only been discovered in the last 100 years, (( Ross, Dr. Hugh. The Big Bang – The Bible Taught It First.  Reasons to Believe. 1-7-2000. Accessed 19-5-2014. http://www.reasons.org/articles/big-bang---the-bible-taught-it-first ))  if you think all this could have come about by human effort, I have to say you are extremely credulous. It's hard enough for that many writers, even half the number, to come up with a consistent storyline that doesn't contr...

Many of us are familiar with the verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, "Quench Not the Spirit;" however, not everyone will agree on what it means.  There are a few guidelines one should follow when interpreting a passage of Scripture. The first guideline is to read it in context.  Not only in the context of the entire passage, but also in the context of to whom it was written as well as when. God's Word stands forever and it is as true and relevant for us today as the moment it was written.  It is also true that there are layers of meaning to Scripture.  Those layers, however, do not negate the most simple and obvious interpretation. So what is the context of that passage? Context of 1 Thessalonians This letter was written to the church at Thessalonica by Paul and it is one of his earliest letters.  It is dated around 51 AD and was written from Corinth.  It is primarily a letter of encouragement to the young church there and clarified a few points they were confused about regarding Christ's Second Coming (that is still a point of confusion for many)  and the importance of being ready at all times. The final chapter, chapter 5, begins with a warning to always be ready for Christ's return for it will come suddenly.  Then the next section of verses talks about how they should behave and handle themselves as Christians. If someone was a new Christian and learned nothing else except for these next 10 verses, they would be doing pretty well. 12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. 14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil. 1 Thess 5:12-22 The letter then ends with Paul commending them to God and asking them to pray for him and each other. [widgets_on_pages id="6"] The Holy Spirit and Discerning of Spirits Reading the verse in context of the rest of the passage, particularly examining the verses it follows which is all about the Second Coming and being prepared for the return of Jesus, it is very obvious that the operation and guidance of the Holy Spirit is a primary key in the ability to do that. Do not stifle (quench) the Holy Spirit - Do not deny the gifts of the spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:31) Do not scoff at prophecies - God does speak to and through his people.  He is a personal God who wants a personal relationship. Test everything that is said - We have to have discernment and good judgment,

There was a smell and a sense of something that seemed to be moving throughout the room.    I was at the Woodway Campus attending a class called Missio Dei, Mission of God.  A ten week class, each week a featured speaker would share about the ministry they were involved in.  Some were involved in international missions, some national, and others were with local city based missions within in the church. As I have mentioned before, one thing that I experience on a fairly regular basis is the scent of spirits, which is one way God uses the gift of discerning of spirits in my life.  Sometimes I know what the smell represents.  Other times, it will take experiencing it several times before I can see the common factor and identify the source. This was one that I hadn't experienced before.  It smelled like an alcoholic.  Not alcohol itself, an alcoholic.  Imagine if someone had been drinking for days until the drunken smell came out of their pores. That is what it smelled like. I was thinking, "What is this?"  I was more curious than anything else.  It seemed like an odd setting to have that particular smell and I couldn't tell if it was focused on or coming from someone. I left thinking that it was an interesting experience and made a note of it, but I didn't think much more about it. Two weeks later in the last class of the series, I smelled it again. This time it freaked me out, because the day after the first time I smelled it, something had happened and there was a major drama. When I smelled it this time I was thinking, 'What is going to happen next?" As the class was ending, I actually asked the little group at our table if we could have a closing prayer just with us.  I didn't say, "Hey, there's a demonic spirit here and can we pray about it."   We just prayed and I slipped in a few words against it as I did. When I got in the car, it was like I could sense it around my neck.   I called a friend as I was driving home and had her pray for me. By this time, the smell freaked me out. A couple of months pass and I was in my Hebrew class and I smelled it again.  Someone came in late to class and it came in with her.   It seemed it came in alongside her and then moved throughout the room. But this time I was excited because I knew what it was. It was discouragement. As she came in she talked about her day, the word "discouragement" kept coming to my mind.   She's a teacher, there was a lot of stress going on at school, and she drives two hours one way to come to this Hebrew class. She had already had a long day and after class was over, she would have another two hour drive before her day was done. After class was over, I caught up to her in the hall and asked her if she had been stressed when she came in.  She said yes and shared a couple of other things that had gone on.

The passage in Genesis 33 is an interesting one. It is an account of Jacob's return to the land God promised to Abraham after sojourning with Laban for 20 years. (Gen 31:41) It seems to me that during all this time, up unto this point, Jacob was riding on the faith of his fathers. Yes, he had the experience at Bethel on his way to Paddan-Arm (Gen 28:5) where he would meet his wives and make his fortune where he saw God in a vision and the dream of the stairway to heaven. (Gen 28:10-15) God gave him the promise that he would be with him, but even after that, Jacob's response was one of questioning, and a little uncertainty. Then Jacob made this vow: "If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the LORD will certainly be my God." It wasn't one of "Awesome, let's go." He said, "IF God prospers me and does what he said he will do, THEN I will serve him and he will be my God." (Gen 28:20-21) Faith is trusting that God will do what he says BEFORE you see the outcome. It is knowing it will come to pass because God said it. Jacob’s response was not faith. Then you know the story. He went to his uncle, fell in love with his cousin Rachel, worked seven years to earn the right to marry her, was tricked into marrying Leah, and worked an additional seven years for Rachel again. (Gen 29:14-30) Even though he was family, his status was basically one of a hired hand; he had no personal wealth or resources. Then he bargained with Laban to earn his own flocks and there was the funny business of the spotted and speckled flocks that they agreed would be Jacob's. (Gen 30:25-33) After the agreement, Laban took the existing spotted and specked flocks and hid them. Jacob did some manipulating as well. He only bred the strongest ewes to the spotted and speckled rams, and then there was the thing about the striped birch branches in the water when the ewes were mating. Up Against Impossible Odds Obviously that was the belief that what the sheep saw when they were mating affected the coat of the lambs. I thought this was odd until I researched the genetics behind the color of a sheep's coat color. It is also abundantly clear that Jacob did not have faith that God would bless him, because he felt like he had to make God's promise come about through his own works (the speckled branches in the water.) That whole interaction between Laban and Jacob was one of manipulation. Jacob was a good work horse for him and Laban didn’t want to lose him. So he agreed to the terms Jacob suggested that on a solely natural basis,

Passover is viewed differently by different people.  If you are Jewish, it is one of the main holy feasts that is observed whether you are particularly observant or not.  It is part of your cultural identity.  If you are a Christian, it may be several things.  You may know it from the Exodus story from Sunday School, or you may be familiar with it from how often it is a part of the account of Jesus's ministry in the New Testament.  If you are into Biblical prophecy, both those fulfilled and those yet to come, you see it as one of God's appointed times and Passover and the surrounding feasts were all fulfilled through Jesus's death (at the same time as the slaughtering of the sacrificial lamb,) resurrection (on First Fruits,) and the coming of the Holy Spirit (Shavout/Pentecost.) I've seen it as all those things, but through a convergence of events, this year I realized . . . really realized . . . that it is also about deliverance. What is Passover? We all respond to a good story.  While screenwriters use actors events from imagination to tell a story, God uses his creation, both the world around us and individuals in specific times and specific places with supernatural precision, to speak to us.  He made us, so he knows how to reach us.  Dry facts and information just won't cut it.  So he creates works through the people he made in his image, even with all our messes and screw ups, to show us he loves us, he has a plan for us, he is working to deliver us, and to stand firm and believe in the promises he has given us. And then he tells us to remember it, to recount it, to mark and remember the days so we don't forget his goodness. So where does this story start? In Genesis 17, God made a promise to Abraham that he would give him the land of Caanan, but not yet, because the sins of the Caananites were not yet great enough for judgment. His covenant was reaffirmed with Isaac, and then his son Jacob.  When a devastating famine hit the land of Caanan and Jacob and the eleven sons who were with him were wondering what to do, God had already moved Joseph, the son Jacob had thought was lost, into a position of authority in the land of Egypt where provisions were already in place waiting for them.  (Gen 41:37-53) They were able to go and walk right into the blessing, even though by the account (after all, the brothers sold Joseph into slavery, Gen 37:18-36) they didn't deserve it. And then they stayed there for 430 years. They didn't go back to the land God had given them after the famine was over.   I wonder if there were opportunities, promptings by God, to do so that were ignored because they were comfortable at the time where they were at. [box type="info"] It reminds me of the first Christians. Jesus's command to them was "Go" and preach the Gospel to the nations. But instead they were hanging out in Jerusalem where they were comfortable. It wasn't until the severe persecutions began under Nero in 64 - 65 AD that they began to disperse.[/box] Over time, there were regime changes in Egypt and rulers came to power that either did...

It's Valentine's Day, and most of us are focusing on notes, sweets, and spending time with loved ones.  But in looking at the root of the holiday, there is a deeper meaning and lessons to be learned. Like many of our holidays ("holy days,") Valentine's Day began as an observance on the church calendar marking the death of a saint, a believer who numbers among the "great cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 12:1 that we can be encouraged by and take example from. Love Stands Valentine was a priest in Rome during the rule of Claudius II in the late third century. (( St. Valentine.  Catholic Online. Accessed 14 February 2014.  http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=159  )) This was still prior to the Edict of Toleration and Claudius did not look upon Christian and their illegal religion kindly.  In addition to this, he was very active on the military front. So there were two things going on.  First, Christian were being persecuted for their faith.  Second, Claudius banned young men from getting married.  He needed them in his military campaign and believed a wife was a distraction. [box type="info"] In his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 7,) the apostle Paul actually recommended the same thing. Not that he was against marriage, but because at the time of the writing the Christian were being severely persecuted by Nero. When you are married, your decisions don't just affect yourself, but your spouse and family as well and that can influence the decisions you make. He was advising that it would be easier to stand for Christ in the crisis they were currently facing without having obligation to others.[/box]   Valentine ignored both of these edicts.  He continued to help and support his fellow Christian and he still performed marriages. He stood firm for his faith. "I think we must bear in mind that it was a very permissive society in which Valentine lived," says Father O'Gara. "Polygamy would have been much more popular than just one woman and one man living together. And yet some of them seemed to be attracted to Christian faith. But obviously the church thought that marriage was very sacred between one man and one woman for their life and that it was to be encouraged. And so it immediately presented the problem to the Christian church of what to do about this." "The idea of encouraging them to marry within the Christian church was what Valentine was about. And he secretly married them because of the edict." . . .  "What Valentine means to me as a priest," explains Father O'Gara, "is that there comes a time where you have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe. And with the power of the Holy Spirit we can do that -- even to the point of death." (( Kithcart, David.  St. Valentine, The Real Story.  CBN.com.  Accessed 14 February 2014.  )) ~ CBN Because he continued to perform marriages, he was arrested.

Have you ever had times where you just know that God is talking to you through a series of events or messages? Sometimes I get that through Facebook.   Sometimes different friends, all unconnected to each other, will post encouraging messages on the same topic in such a short period of time so that when I scroll down my feed, it is almost like one continuous stream. Yes, I have awesome friends, but I also believe that God is always speaking to us . . . and some people are listening. I see a lot of streams of encouragement, but Monday there was a definite stream, but it was more of a warning . . . a call to be ready . . . to be prepared.  For what exactly, I don't know. But it started the day before in my Bible Study.  We have been in the book of John and Sunday we were on John 19:1-42, which is an account of Jesus's trial. The religious leaders wanted to get rid of Jesus because he exposed their hypocrisy and threatened the status quo.  So they falsely accused him and sent him before Pontius Pilate because they didn't have the authority to have him killed. Pilate didn't really want to have anything to do with it.  He wanted to set Jesus free and said every way he could that he didn't take responsibility for Jesus's death, that he washed his hand of it. The religious leaders cornered Pilate by saying, "If you don't kill him, you are no friend of Caesar's." A lot of the commentary on this was that Jesus was killed for solely political reasons. But I don't agree with that.  It was only a political reason because Pilate was being a putz and wasn't willing to stand up to the bullies. He allowed them to manipulate and control his decision.  Just because they said that he had to crucify Jesus or be a traitor, it does not mean that that was actually the truth. The truth was, there were continuous conflicts between the Roman government and the Jews. Everything wasn't peace and light, and then suddenly Jesus came along. Pilate could have just told Caesar, "So here's the deal.  The Jewish religious council can't stand this guy Jesus because he calls them out.  But he hasn't actually done anything wrong."  He could have stood for truth and justice and done the right thing. But instead, Pilate operated out of fear and allowed the Jewish leaders to define the narrative instead of actually seeking  truth. And this was the quote that I think defined the whole class. // Post by Carla Alvarez. When we stop listening to God and operating out of fear, all kinds of horrible things can happen. . . .

The start of 2014 has been . . . interesting so far.  The new year started with some situations that needed to be resolved.  Two weeks in, I can say that clarity has been given for one issue and focus and direction is coming in another.  Doors are opening, (after all, we are in the Jewish year 5774, the year of open doors) and I'm excited to see what God has for me around the corner. But the very beginning of 2014 started out wonderfully.  It started with fellowship with wonderful friends and the first minutes of 2014 brought an answer to prayer, a really fast yes, and what I know is the beginning of a breakthrough. Blessings by Text The first day of 2014 started out with blessings by text from friends and family.  I've written them down in my prayer journal and have made them a part of my morning devotion for the year. From my mom: Numbers 6:24-26:  The Aaronic Blesssing May the Lord bless you and keep you, (Watch, guard, and keep) May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you (enlighten, kind, merciful and giving favor) May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. (tranquility of heart and life continually through the new year.) Jesus loves you and so do we. :) A pretty awesome welcome to bring in the new year. Positioned for Promise And from my friend Katherine: Are you positioned for promise? And I had to ask myself, "Am I?"  Am I in the exact place God wants me?  The place where his blessings for my life are waiting? At that particular moment, I wasn't sure.  That was actually a prayer that I had a few weeks before, that I and the people I was with would be in exactly the right position that God had for us and that we would know it. And so she gave me a verse Proverbs 3:6: Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. ~ NLT The NIV translates "seek his will" as "Submit to him".  The NASB translates it as: In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Part of the way to prepare yourself for seeking and walking in his will is given in Philippians 4:4-8 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. If the primary fruits of the spirit are peace, joy and love, those should be evidenced in our lives.   Jesus said that he came so that his joy may remain in us and that our joy may be full. (John 15:11) If we are an anxious, stressed-out grumpy Gus,

A week ago my daughter, Avery, came home from a church LEAD team party bubbling with stories of her friends.  She had a candy cane in hand and showed me the card with a poem about candy canes.  I'm sure you've seen it: Look at the Candy Cane What do you see? Stripes that are red Like the blood shed for me White is for my Savior Who’s sinless and pure! “J” is for Jesus My Lord, that’s for sure! Turn it around And a staff you will see Jesus my shepherd Was born for Me! They had a discussion about the real meaning of Christmas and what the season was about using the candy cane as a teaching tool. At the end, she said a kid asked, "What does the peppermint mean?" Which I thought was interesting that he asked that.  As I've mentioned in several other posts (here, here, and here,) I very frequently will smell fragrances/odors that are an indication of spirits that are operating.  (Yes, it's weird . . . but it's true.) I don't always know what the scent means, but sometimes I do either from someone else confirming it or through repeated situations. And mint is one scent I know absolutely, positively what it means. MINT = SALVATION When I smell mint, I know that the presence of the Holy Spirit is there to convict to the saving knowledge of Jesus. I'm sure that wasn't the intent of the original candy manufacturer, but it is a cool coincidence. History of the Candy Cane So I decided to research the history of the candy cane. One of the first articles I happened across was one extremely hostile toward Christianity on Snopes.  But the Wikipedia article actually had multiple references that agreed on the origin. In 1670, a song leader of a church in Cologne, Germany, was at his wit's end trying to maintain some semblance of order with the children during the living nativity in their worship service. Kids, Christmas, and animals in church.  What do you expect?   All sorts of exciting things can happen. He had to find a way to calm the chaos. So he did what every other adult that is not the parent does with children to keep them quiet . . . he gave them sugar. But he was smart about it.   He didn't just hand candy out in church . . . he knew the parents, and probably the pastor, just would not go for that at all. Instead he went to the candy maker and asked them instead of making it a regular straight stick of candy, to put a hook at the end to represent the shepherd's crook, thus tying it in with the nativity scene. Huge, HUGE hit. Churches across Germany began to also hand out candy canes during the nativity scene and it gradually spread to other areas of Europe. Candy Canes and Chaos The story of the kids, Christmas, and candy canes reminded me of Robert Fulghum.  He was a minister for many years, but he is best known for his essay, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten."

Sometimes people complain about the Christmas celebrations beginning too early, but our Thanksgiving service on Sunday was awesome highlighting the reason we are have reason to give thanks. The Word Became Flesh: A Cause for Thanks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrnJiMEqYJk (Verses referenced in the video) In my distress I called out to the Lord, And he answered me. I cried out from the depth of Sheol and you heard my voice. Jonah 2:2   Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His lovingkindess is everlasting. ~ Psalm 118:1-2   In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God. John 1:1   He was in the beginning with God. ~ John 1:2   All things were made through Him and without Him, nothing was made that was made. ~ John 1:3   In Him was life, and the life was the LIGHT of men. ~ John 1:4   And the LIGHT shines in the darkness, and the darkness understood it not. ~ John 1:5   He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. ~John 1:10   He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ~ John 1:11   He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. ~Isaiah 53:3   Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies ~ John 11:25   And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. ~ John 12:44-46   God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? ~Numbers 23:19   So will My WORD be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. ~ Isaiah 55:11   But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name ~ John 1:12   And the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:14   "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?" ~Proverbs 30:4   "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." ~ Isaiah 9:6   The Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. ~ Deuteronomy 18:15-19   "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." ~Isaiah 40:11   "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;" ~ Isaiah 11:2  

One of the benefits of living in the South is the ability to grow citrus in your backyard.  Instead of having to run to Kroger to pick up a few lemons to make lemon bars or oranges for fresh juice, we can step out the back door.  A winter fruit, they are a bright spot during dreary days. While researching citrus varieties, I remembered the oranges we received in our treat bags at Christmas and I was curious to see if there was actually a connection between citrus and Christmas and discovered that there is.  Not only is there a connection between citrus and Christmas, but it is derived from an account from the life of St. Nicholas, the Christian saint on which our modern figure of Santa Claus is based. While I do remember getting oranges in my stocking and bags at church at Christmas time when I was young, not being Catholic, I had no idea of the origin of the association.  As a matter of fact, I had never even attended a service in a Catholic church other than a wedding until the a few years ago for a community event hosted there.  Not only did I grow up in Protestant churches that were as far from Catholic as you could get, but I also attended a private Christian school that taught church history with an extremely anti-Catholic slant.  I came out of it thinking that the Catholic church was the evil empire and the source of all heresy. It wasn't until a few years ago when I started really reading the Bible cover to cover (rather than just "reading from it" as a friend puts it) and looking at not only what the Bible really says but source documents of who the church fathers over the centuries actually were that my perception of the Catholic denomination as a whole started to change.  There was a of disagreement on doctrine, some of it heretical, but far from being lukewarm Christians that muddied the faith through syncretism with the paganism around them, they were passionate defenders of the faith. St. Nicholas was one of those early church fathers who was so sold out to Christ that he devoted his entire life to advancing the Kingdom of God. Who Was St. Nicholas Nicholas was born in Patara, Turkey (now known as Demre)  to Christian parents. (( Was St. Nicholas a Real Person?  St. Nicholas Center. Accessed 18 November 2013. )) Different accounts state 260 AD and 280 AD for the year of his birth.  Due to the fact that he was appointed as bishop during the Diocletian persecutions, which began in 303 AD, and the fact that it is well established that he was appointed as a young man in his 20's, it's probable that the latter date is more accurate. His spent a lot of time with his uncle, who was an abbot at a nearby monastery.  After Nicholas's parents died of the plague, his uncle cared for him.  Like Hildegard of Bingen, he was raised within a monastery from an early age.  After he finished his education with his uncle,

The other week was Fall Riot at Second.  It's kind of a kick off for the fall programs at the church for middle and high schoolers.  It's the main time when the church really encourages the kids to invite their friends to come with them to church.  It's not the only time.  After all, we are always supposed to be ready to tell others about Christ ((1 Peter 3:14-15, New Living Translation.  Biblegateway.com)) and welcoming them to be part of our church family.  But in in the weeks leading up, the primary focus is "invite your friends" What is Fall Riot? Every week, the junior and senior high students have a "Live" service on Wednesdays.  The adults are kicked out of the main worship center (we get stuck in the gym :) ) and the service, music, and message is all for them. Fall Riot is an amped up version of that, and like I said, there is a heavy focus on inviting their friends.  In the beginning, there is food and games outside the church.  Once the service starts, there are performances by local schools, music, a message and words from student leaders at Second that are members of the different schools. One of the things that I thought was very cool is that they bring the different schools together.  Even though there are some school rivalries, they encourage everyone to support each other. [caption id="attachment_678" align="alignnone" width="613"] Avery and her friends ready for Fall Riot[/caption]   Power Prayer and Fall Riot This year, two of my girls went.  It's always on a Wednesday night and literally everything at the church shuts down for Fall Riot; no Awanas, no family night dinner, no Bible studies.  They did have choir practice, but other than that, the focus is on Fall Riot and they encourage the adults to volunteer. Since my youngest daughter wasn't going to a class, I was expecting that we would just be hanging out at home until it was time to pick up the girls.  But at about 3:30 pm, I checked my email and there was an update from Pastor Quanidos's assistant that the Power Prayer class would be that held that night and that "had a special opportunity" to participate in Fall Riot. That was it. I picked up everyone we were taking and went to find out what the plan was.  I had Peyton with me and at that point I really didn't have time to find someone to watch her.  Pastor Q  just said "bring her."  So I did. We had a very brief class and then Pastor Q told us that those who wanted to stay would be the prayer team.  There were tons of adults volunteering in different areas, the game area, food, those who would counsel people that made a decision for Christ, etc.  What we were going to be doing was intercessory prayer as the service was going on, and then after the pastor had given the invitation for those who wanted to accept Christ, we would go up and pray for those people who had an individual prayer need. The coolest thing about this was how he told us to pray for them.  He said if they had a problem with drinking,

What is the synchronicity of God?  A week ago, the director of my Bible study asked if anyone would share their testimony of how they came to know Jesus as their personal Savior.  Several people shared their story.  As I listened, I was thinking, "I should really video these." So, I brought my tablet on Sunday planning to ask a few of the people who shared the week before if I could record them.  Becky just happened to be the first person that I asked.  And this is her story: Hit by a Freight Train http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdpUHv9uIVM Is that not an amazing testimony of God having his hand in circumstances?  All of these "just happened to" occurrences.  If any one were not perfectly in line, she most likely wouldn't have lived. This is called: Synchronicity syn·chro·nic·i·ty the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.   A word coined by Jung to say, "We know there is a connection here, but we just don't know what it is." (( Synchronicity. Wikipedia. Accessed 12 September 2013. )) It's God. More specifically, the overwhelming love of God that can take circumstances outside of his will to work within it. It is Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ~ NASB (( Romans 8:28 (New American Standard Bible.)  )) There is No Such Thing as Coincidence A friend once told me that there is no word for coincidence, meaning random chance, in the original Hebrew language.  The equivalent word, mikreh, means "a happening from God." But Hebrew - loshon hakodesh - is the holy tongue; the language in which G-d Himself spoke; the language in which He gave us His holy Torah. Therefore, there can be no true equivalent to any Hebrew word in another language. Literally translated, mikreh means ìkarah míHaShem - it happened from G-d. The word itself testifies that nothing, absolutely nothing, occurs without His guidance, and this holds true from the most major to the most insignificant event. (( Jungreis, Rebbetzin. Coincidence or Mikreh. Hineni.org. 7 April 2005.  Accessed 12 September 2013. )) Also on Sunday during the praise time, another person shared that she was driving on the freeway and felt that God was telling her to pull over.  She did and a second later there was a huge accident, the cars right behind her were involved and if she hadn't pulled over, she would have been as well.

Thursdays are usually my thankful posts, but there has been so much this week and I want to talk about something else tomorrow.  What has been absolutely amazing to me is just how many answered prayers I've seen over the past of weeks. Big stuff .  . . fast yes's. What is a Fast Yes? God answers prayer all the time, but sometimes our idea of the right timing is not His.  We are to pray according to His will, not ours and that doesn't always look the way we expect. An answer to prayer can be: Yes No Not yet. His Will is the Best Outcome We have been having monthly prayer breakfasts for our Bible study.  The class itself usually has between 50 and 70 people.  The prayer breakfast from 10 to 15.  It's just a time to fellowship and pray. In this Bible study class, there had been a lot of brain tumors and eye problems, to the point where it was almost a little freaky being in the class.   I don't need either of those issue. In February, a person in the class had a seizure.  When they took her to the hospital, they discovered she had a tumor the size of a golf ball in the front part of her brain.  It was really a shock.  She wasn't someone you would expect to have a problem like this . . . I guess no one is. The class prayed for her.  People went to go see her, so much so that her husband had to cut it off and say no more visits. She had the surgery.  She recovered very quickly and she had more clarity than she had had in a long time. Before that, it had seemed to me that she was under a heavy, heavy load and carrying it pretty much on her own.  There had been some conflict and separation in the family.   But during this crisis, her family came together and there was restoration. It would have been awesome if she had been healed through a miracle rather than surgery, but the aftermath of a miracle in this situation would have been much different. The tumor would have been gone, but the family situation would have been exactly the same, and Mom would have gone on struggling on her own and the rest leaving her to it. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! ~ John 14:13-14 A restored family gives more glory to God and has more lasting benefits than an instantaneous miraculous healing.  I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. ~ Psalm 27:13-14 KJV Give Us a Fast Yes So after this whole situation had occurred, we had a prayer breakfast.  During that time, we thanked God for her fast recovery and the healing of her family and my main prayer was that God would give us the wisdom, insight, and discernment to know if what we were praying for was not in his will, and that we would persevere and keeping praying for the "not yet's," but I asked him to give us some fast yes's so that we would be encouraged while we were doing so. And we started getting the fast yes's.  I noticed this several months ago, but the past couple of weeks, there have been a lot of fast answers.  It's almost like you can see things being moved through prayer.

Discerning of spirits is one of the "knowledge" spiritual gifts.  It can be used to determine the source of what appears to be manifestations of the power and speech gifts versus false signs.  It is also used in identifying situations that need intercession. So how do you develop the gift of discerning of spirits? First of all, every single experience should be tested against the Word of God. ((1 John 4:1. King James Version. Biblegateway.com. )) If you think that you have this gift or if you want to develop this gift (we are told to desire the gifts,) it is very important to make reading, studying, and memorizing the Word of God part of your daily lifestyle.  You have to have a solid foundation to work from. It is also important to be with a group of like-minded believers.  First, to test what you are experiencing to see whether it is from God or not and to judge your assessment.  Second, to learn from. Another important consideration when you are developing your gift is looking at who you are under authority to.  The one obvious authority is your church, but this could also be other organizations you are involved with. When it comes to spiritual authority, be very careful who you put yourself under. (( Hebrews 13:7, 17. New Living Translation. Biblegateway.com ))  If you are under someone who is completely whacky and goes offroading from the Word of God and doing their own thing . . . obviously you are going to have issues developing proper discernment as to what is from God and what isn't.  They won't be able to give you proper feedback either. But the opposite situation can also hinder the development of your gift.  If you are in a church or under the authority of an organization that denies one or all of the gifts, you probably won't develop that gift at all, or if you do, it will be severely stunted.  And again, you won't have anyone to help train you.   [widgets_on_pages id="6"]   Awhile ago I was considering volunteering for an organization.  I was so certain I was going to get involved in it that I bought the books, started looking at options for childcare, set aside the days for the volunteer training, and sat down to fill out the volunteer training application. I filled out the whole application, all 12 pages, initialed the agreements on the Statement of Faith, but when I got to the last paragraph before I signed it there was a final agreement that I had to acknowledge. It basically said that different denominations believed different things but that it didn't prevent the church from working together.  Which I completely agree with.  . But then in the next sentence it said that you agreed not to discuss or participate in, and then listed a whole laundry list of things like deliverance, healing . . . basically any of the power gifts were a no. In comparison, I understand that things like speaking in tongues makes people uncomfortable.  It's not my gift, but I know a lot of people that have it. But there is a difference between refraining from using a gift out of consideration for someone else and flat out denying them.  And I felt like that was what I would be doing if I signed it.  The wording was just so odd.  I did send an email to the contact person asking for clarification.  The response I got was: "Thanks, we'll update the application." So, I took that as a No from God.  This was not a group I was to get involved with. I don't know if there is a connection between this or n...

So what exactly is the "discerning of spirits?" It is one of the Gifts of the Spirit.  The King James Version translates it as "discerning of spirits."  The English Standard Version translates it as "distinguish between spirits." (( 1 Corinthians 12:10. King James Version. Biblegateway.com.  )) I think that both are true. Purpose of Discerning of Spirits As with all of the spiritual gifts, the purpose is to build up the body of Christ.  Each person is given a gift that is meant to work in coordination of another.  Because of that, Paul instructs the church: Quench not the Spirit. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:19 KJV The discerning of spirits plays a role into building up believers to be mature in their faith.  It is one way that they can test the source and prove what is good. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:21 KJV Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 KJV And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. ~ Phillipians 1:9-10 NIV But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. ~ Hebrews 5:14 NIV So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. ~ 1 Kings 3:9 NIV Another purpose of the gift of the discerning of spirits is for intercession.  Most of the things I have experienced have not been to determine the source (test the spirits,) but it is a notifier, a wake up alarm, to be praying for the person, situation, or place. [widgets_on_pages id="6"] Is Discerning of Spirits Necessary for Today? Personally, it just puzzles me why the thought that God gives spiritual gifts to believers to help them grow and be more effective in their walk so bothers some people.

Most of the time when I'm in the car I'm either listening to my theme CD or KSBJ, but the other day I had the radio on a regular station and "People Like Us" by Kelly Clarkson came on.  Even though I know it is a completely secular song, it struck me how closely the words reflected the battle that the Christian walk is. Just as C.S. Lewis pointed out in his essay "Myth Became Fact" (God in the Dock) that we have a certain yearnings built into our DNA that were expressed in myth and fulfilled in Christ, many songs . . . the good ones anyway . . . are a cry out for the gifts God has promised us:  love, peace, and joy. The songs are a desire of the heart.  But rather than directing them towards and expecting them to be fulfilled by other people, which will only lead to disappointment and discouragement, direct them to God and then listen to them again.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWbMz_aBlMU For example, I highly doubt Gym Class Heroes had God in mind when they wrote "Stereo Hearts," but our hearts literally are a stereo for God.  The DNA in each one of us creates a melody ((Roach, John.  "Your DNA Is a Song: Scientists Use Music to Code Proteins."  National Geographic News.  21 October 2005.  Accessed 19 July 2013.   ))  and we are a unique song to Him.  And I'm pretty sure Emelie Sande wrote "Next to Me" with an individual in mind, but Jesus is the only one who can stay on the pedestal of her expectations without falling off. Many times when we think of walking out the Christian faith, we think that if we mess up, we won't be good enough.   We think other people are more righteous, have more faith, or are just "different" than us.   Other era's were "easier" and those we consider "saints" were more "suitable." But that's just not true, the heroes of the faith were people just like us.  They messed up. They got discouraged.  They felt like the odd man out and had to deal with difficult people. Moses was so worn down by Israelites griping in the wilderness he told God, "Just kill me now if I have to keep listen to these people complaining." (("Numbers 11:10-15 (New Living Translation.) Biblegateway. )) Nehemiah not only faced an overwhelming task, but he had to deal with infighting among the Israelites as well as attacks from the neighboring Samaritans while trying to accomplish it. (("Nehemiah 1-6 (New Living Translation.)  Biblegateway )) The primary reason Paul became the voice of the Christian faith was because he had to write so many letters to the churches about their internal conflicts and heresy.   He had to deal with a lot of backbiting, betrayal, and Christian religious leaders trash talking him. (("1 Corinthians 4:18-21. (New Living Translation) Biblegateway. )) There has never been smooth sailing. The only account in the Bible I can think of where there wasn't conflict and drama in accomplishing a task is that of Jonah.   Yes, he had trials,

You often hear people say: "They give me the willies" "You look depressed." "It was a very tense situation." "I felt someone looking at me." When someone talks about picking up on the emotion of a person or the spirit/atmosphere in a situation, we understand what they mean.  Ninety-three percent of communication is communication by something other than words. (( Thompson, Jeff.  Is Nonverbal Communication a Numbers Game.  Psychology Today.  9 October 2011.  Accessed 5 August 2013. )) Discerning of Spirits Meaning But many times the concept of "discerning of spirits" is foreign, or a little uncomfortable for people. Or they may think you are talking about discernment. Discernment:  The ability to judge well. (in Christian contexts) Perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual direction and understanding Perception of that which is obscure. Synonyms:  discrimination, perspicacity, acumen, judgement, insight, judgment, penetration Discernment is used in discerning of spirits, as it is in the use of other spiritual gifts as well, but the "discerning of spirits" is something distinctly different. [widgets_on_pages id="6"] Spiritual Warfare:  The Two Camps The passages in Isaiah 14, ((Isaiah 14:12. New Living Translation. ))  Revelation 12, (( Revelation 12. New Living Translation. )) and Ezekiel 28 describe a war in heaven, a battle between the angels of God and the angels of darkness.  Satan was once the "mighty angelic guardian" (( Ezekiel 28:13-19 New Living Translation.  Biblegateway.com  )) above all the other angels in the presence of the Lord.  However, because he decided to exalt himself and be like The Most High God, he was cast out of heaven with the angels that were his followers. This was the origin of the demonic realm.  There is a theory based on the book of Enoch that dark angels are something other than demons and that demons are actually the disembodied souls of the Nephilim, the offspring of the Sons of God and the daughters of men mentioned in Genesis 6. (( Genesis 6:1-4. )) Regardless of exactly what they are and how they came to be, there is more than what we see in the readily apparent world around us.  Some of those things are of God and under God's authority.  Some are not.  Do Christians Have to Worry About Demons? I never really thought much about this question until a little over a year ago. After all,

One part of the Holocaust memorial service, at least here in Houston, is the testimony of Nazi descendants telling the story of what their parents or grandparents did, expressing their repentance, and seeking forgiveness from Holocaust survivors and their descendants.  It is a very powerful moment. It is also one that gets some people a little agitated.  The concept of identificational repentance (( Croucher, Rowland. Identificational Repentance - Repenting for the Sins of Our Ancestors. John Mark Ministries. 11 December 20013.  Accessed 29 July 2013. )) really bothers some Christians who think that since we're saved by grace that we don't have to deal with any other baggage. Not only is the testimony of the Germans one of forgiveness, but their story is also one of how exposing and repenting of those actions not only set them free personally, but it has transformed their city.  (Here is an article on the power of identificational repentance.) (( Greig, Dr. Gary S. The Biblical Foundations of Identificational Repentace as One Prayer Pattern Useful to Advance God's Kingdom and Evangelism.  Kingdom Training Network. The King's Seminary. April 2001.  Accessed 29 July 2013. )) Unclean Hands So what does this have to do with this book? Our hands aren't clean. One of the horrors of the Holocaust was not just what the Nazi officials did, but the fact that so few people stood up and said anything.  Not only did they not do anything, but they closed their eyes and ignored what was going on.  They would sit in their churches and sing louder when the trains would roll by so they wouldn't have to hear the cries of those being taken to the death camps. Here in the United States, Texas is considered a major destination for victims of human trafficking.  According to statistics, in 208, 38 percent of all calls to the National Trafficking Resource Center hot line were dialed in Texas.  Between 2001 and 2006, the total number of persons prosecuted for human trafficking in the United States tripled.  In the same period, the number of persons prosecuted for sex slavery increased four times. (( Human Trafficking in Texas: More Resources and Resolve Needed to Stem Surge of Modern Day Slavery. Texas Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights.  August 2011.  pg 3. Accessed 29 July 2013.  )) That is what is going on today in Houston.  At the 2006 Department of Justice National Conference on Human Trafficing, the interstate I-10 corridor was identified as one of the main routes for human traffickers.  Two cities along the I-10 corridor figure prominently as centers identified with a particularly high level of human trafficking:  El Paso and Houston. (( Human Trafficking in Texas: More Resources and Resolve Needed to Stem Surge of Modern Day Slavery. Texas Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights.  August 2011. pg 4.  Accessed 29 July 2013.  )) If you ask someone to explain what human and sex trafficking is, the odds are that they would describe it as either something happening in another country or rare cases of citizens of foreign countries being brought into the U.S. However, that is not the case.

This month has been very interesting so far.  When I look back over my notes, there have been quite a few "lessons" in God's training program. One of the overreaching arcs of what I've been learning in the past year is about spiritual warfare:  what it is, what it actually looks like, and what we are supposed to do about it.  Volunteering in a prayer ministry, I've come to realize that there is more demonic interference in our lives than I would have believed before. I don't know why that was a surprise to me.  After all, God tells us that the battle is spiritual (("Ephesians 6:12 (New Living Translation)" Biblegateway )) . . . but it was. It's been a learning process.  It's like as soon as I come to the realization of something, God says, "Okay, it's time to go a step further." If you are familiar with deliverance, none of this will come as a surprise.  If you are someone who thinks that Christians can't be oppressed by evil spirits, you might get a little worked up over the rest of this post . . . but I'm just telling you . . . this is what I experienced, part of it was confirmed by two other people.  I would also suggest that you go through the New Testament and reread what it says about spiritual warfare and our role in it. The Scent of the Spirit About a year and a half ago, I started recognizing certain scents when the Holy Spirit was present.   They weren't always the same and the smell varied depending on what was going on at the time, what the Holy Spirit was doing.  Then later I started smelling different smells, ones that weren't good.  It didn't always happen, sometimes a month or so would go by between experiences. In the beginning, I was just thinking "Oh wow, this is cool."  Then I started paying attention to what was going on, what the different scents represented, and if it was a signal to intercede for something.  Just a little backstory. She Doesn't Look that Good A month ago, I volunteered for the first time in a Sunday School class.  A little girl came in and she just looked down and out.  Imagine a picture of the "spirit of heaviness," (("Isaiah 61:3 (King James Version) Biblegateway. )) and that is what she looked like.  Her face was a yellowish gray color and besides her demeanor, the thing that I noticed was that around edges of the lower half of her nose there was a blue cast. I had noticed the same thing on someone else a few days before.  I don't know why, it just stood out to me. I volunteered in the class again last week.  This time, that girl's sister was in the class instead (there was a mix up the time before.)  She sat down next to me and was burbling along about her family.   She told me that she hadn't been able to memorize her Bible verse from the week before because her sister had torn up the card it was on. I asked, "Does your sister do things like that very often?" She said, "Oh, I can't even tell you what she does.  She starts scratching people and she doesn't stop until my mom or dad give her a job to do!" Then she showed me her cheek where she had a fingernail gouge where her sister has scratched her.

While it may seem cliche, I am very thankful that I live in a country where we can worship God freely and openly without infringement.  As of today anyway. Just because it is that way now, it doesn't mean it will always be that way if we do not guard it carefully.  There is a huge force to minimize (( Hallowell, Billy. "NYC Teacher Claims She was Harassed, Then Fired Over Her Christian Faith." The Blaze. 23 May 2011.  Accessed 3 July 2013  )), to trivialize ((Unruh, Bob. "College Defends Prof Who Mocked Christians." WD. 23 January 2010. Accessed 3 July 2013.   )),and even to criminalize (( Klukowski, Ken. "Pentagon May Court Martial Soldiers Who Share Christian Faith." Brietbart. 1 May 2013. Accessed 3 July 2013.   ))  Bible believing Christians.  We are the new group that is on the government "watch lists." (( Starnes, Todd. "Us Army Labeled Evangelicals, Catholics as Examples of Religious Extremism." Fox Nation. 5 April 2013. Accessed 3 July 2013. ))   People are being penalized ((  Harthorne, Michael. "Video Shows men attacking religious protesters at Pridefest." Komo News.  3 July 2013.  Accessed 3 July 2013.   ))  for standing firm for their faith. It is also significant that the day we are celebrating our independence, the citizens of Egypt are fighting for theirs in an uprising against Morsi and his Islamist Muslim Brotherhood regime. (( Kingsley, Patrick. Chulov, Martin. "Mohamed Morsi ousted in Egypt's second revolution in two years." The Guardian. 3 July 2013.  Accessed 3 July 2013.  ))  One where sharia law (( Brown, Ed. "Morsi's New Egyptian Sharia Law Constitution Jails and Abuses Christians." DC Xposed. 20 January 2013. Accessed 3 July 2013.   )) is the law of the land, Christians are being shot within their churches (( CFI Field Staff.  "Coptic Church in Egypt Burned by Muslim Crowd."  Christian Freedom International.  7 October 2011.  Accessed 3 July 2012.   )) (( "6 Coptic Christians in Egypt Shot Dead as They Left Christmas Mass."  Assyrian International News Agency.  7 January 2010.  Accessed 3 July 2013.  )) (( Laessing, Ulf. "New clashes erupt between Coptic Christians, Muslims in Cairo." Reuters. The Christian Science Monitor.  7 April 2013.  Accessed 3 July 2013. )) (( Hennessy-Fiske, Molly, Hassan, Amro. "Egypt: Shooting, clashes at Coptic Christian sit-in injure at least 60."  Los Angeles Times 15 May 2011. Accessed 3 July 2013.   )) , and women are treated as chattel (( Ibrahim, Raymond.  "Egypt's Sex-Slave Marriage."  The Gatestone Institute International Policy Council.  5 July 2012.  Accessed 3 July 2012.   )) . We are not immune to despotism.  We are not so sophisticated and evolved that what is happening in other countr...

One day I was browsing through the bookstore at my church while waiting to pick up my kids and I came across this book, Nine Days in Heaven, by Dennis and Nolene Prince. The book is an update of one originally written titled Scenes from Beyond the Grave in 1859 by Marietta Davis, a young woman who was in a coma for 9 days, during which time she had an experience of heaven.  The Princes updated the language (the original book is linked below and it is much harder to follow) and moved some of the content to an appendix for better flow. A member of a Baptist church in Berlin, New York, Marietta's family was very devout; however, she herself was not.  The community in which she lived had experienced a revival the preceding winter.  She had participated, but remained unconvicted. In August of 1848, she fell into a coma.  The doctors could not revive her.  When she awoke nine days later, she described her experience of both heaven and hell.  She was a completely transformed person and then claimed Jesus as her Savior. The account describes her story of being met by an angel.  Her first view was a tour of heaven.  She described being overwhelmed with the beauty and the sense of unity; however, she was also very aware of her own sinfulness that kept her from joining in with those praising God. She was also shown hell.  Her description is one of despair and hopelessness of being separated eternally from the Father. Layers of Heaven One of the things that struck me when I read it was a concept that we "grow" into heaven, that there are layers.  It reminded me of several of C. S. Lewis's books, specifically The Last Battle from the Chronicles of Narnia series and The Great Divorce. In The Last Battle, the loyal followers of Aslan are overwhelmed and thrown into a hut.  This hut represents their death and passing through to "Aslan's country."  The travelers are told to go "further in and further up" and the discover that the further they go, the bigger it is.  Similar to getting to know God.  The more you learn about him, the bigger and more awesome you realize he is. The Great Divorce is also a portrayal of hell and a journey to heaven.  In this Lewis very clearly illustrates someone "growing into" heaven. I thought it was really interesting that Lewis's portrayal in his fiction and Davis's account of her experience are very similar. Do Babies Go to Heaven? One of other interesting accounts was that of the ...