TOXIC WORDS

One of God’s most beautiful gifts to mankind is speech. Speech distinguishes people from animals. Isn’t it a tragedy that mankind would take that beautiful gift of speech and misuse it by cursing, abusing and misusing the name of God Himself? Some will say, “Well, I just curse a little.” That is like saying, “I just kill a little.” or “I just commit adultery a little.” We are living in a filthy, vulgar, rotten-talking generation. To speak right, we must think right. Rejecting thoughts that oppose themselves to godliness will remove the temptation for ungodly speech.

We need to watch our thoughts for they become words. Our words become actions and our actions become habits. If we can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all. We should never define a person by their shortcomings; everybody has some assets. Even a broken clock is correct two times a day. Some people are so insecure that they can only feel good about themselves by tearing down others with their criticism. If we look for the best in people and not the worst, we will always find something good in everyone.

Words never die. The Bible is full of stories and instances of false accusations being made against godly people. False accusations can derail a career, disrupt unity and wreak havoc in a person’s life. We need to make sure that we have our facts straight before we accuse another person of anything. Once our words have been spoken we can never take them back. The words we speak and what we think about needs to meet God’s standards and should be acceptable to Him. There is no finer test of true Christianity than the ability to control our words. 

We take poison into our beings when we say or repeat unkind words about others. Speaking without thinking is tantamount to swallowing deadly poison. Now, poison will either kill us or make us deathly ill. We must always assume what we say will be quoted. It is offensive to God and should be to all of us when we worship and praise Him, sit under the teaching of His word, enjoy the fellowship of believers and then we threaten the unity of the Holy Spirit by our words that reveal bitter hearts.

Death and life are in the power of the words we speak. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) NIV If we use our words properly, there will be a tree of life. But if we use our words improperly, then the result is death. Whichever way we use out tongue we can be sure we will eat the fruit. If the words that come out of our mouths are evil, we know the heart is evil. We do not get bad fruit from a good tree, nor can we have good fruit from a bad tree.  The Bible is very clear. We must master our words. There are no blurred edges. “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.” (Proverbs 21:23) NIV Calamity is a strong word and the Bible uses it deliberately. Calamity means a disaster or dire distress.  King David wrote, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil.” (Psalm 141:3-4) NIV

TOXIC WORDS

Much can be said about a person’s character by the words they use. Robert Frost, the poet, once said, “Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and cannot and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.” Dynamite is stored and moved with great caution because of the knowledge we have of the power it possesses to destroy. Likewise, Christians have something as powerful as dynamite. Yet, very often it is handled as if there is no danger at all. It is the words that come out of our mouths. We need to examine the importance of controlling the words we speak

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What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. Careless words reveal the true inner character of the speaker. Careless words show what sort of person we really are. Toxic thoughts left alone become the toxic waste that sinks into our heart. They will eventually contaminate our whole life. They affect our self-image and out attitude towards life and others. When something is “toxic” it is poisonous and it can harm us. When we constantly dwell on wrong thoughts, these thoughts become “toxic” and these “toxic” thoughts become “toxic words.”

Gossip is particular toxic. The toxic words of a gossiper are like a deadly cancer, which spreads a deadly infection. Gossip destroys people, tarnishes more reputations, breaks more friendships and splits more churches than anything else. Gossip is told quickly, heard quickly and spreads quickly. Worst of all gossip is quickly believed. People will confess to theft, adultery and even murder but hardly anyone confesses to gossip. It is wise to avoid people who gossip. Suppose we put one “rotten” apple in with a barrel of “good” apples? That one “rotten” apple will cause all the “good” apples to rot.

As the moral climate of our society has been deteriorating, lying and deceit have become major problems. God considered lying to be such a serious matter that He included the avoidance of it as one of the Ten Commandments. “Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16) KJV Satan is the origin of every lie. Lying has a snow balling effect. Unless it is stopped, it becomes fatal. One lie leads to another and then another lie to try and cover up the previous lies. God warns us about lying. The Bible tells us that God has sealed the destiny of “liars.” “All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with brimstone and fire.” (Revelation 21:8) KJV Notice that God uses the word “all.” If a person steals they can return the item. However, if a person spreads lies about someone the far reaching effects can never be undone.

A divisive person who speaks divisive words is a troublemaker. They sow discord, stirs up trouble within families, friends, on the job and especially in churches. Those who speak divisive words are usually jealous of another’s success and will say anything to try and discredit that person. When we encounter a person who speaks divisive words we need to identify them and use the Bible as our guide in dealing with them.  Apostle Paul didn’t mince words when he wrote about a divisive person. “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful. He is self-condemned.”  (Titus 3:10-11) NIV Our words and our actions are a reflection of our character and faith

 ANGELS

The study of angels is a fascinating subject. Everything God wants us to know about angels is found in the Bible. They are one-way messengers from God “to” us and they are “never” our messengers “to” God. No one in Scripture ever prayed to an angel and neither should we. They are not go-betweens or mediators between God and us. Jesus is the only one empowered for that role. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.” (1 Timothy 2:5) KJV

It is a breech of the first of the Ten Commandments to worship any manifestation of angelic presence.  “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” We are never to worship angels. Our worship belongs only to God. We should never confuse angels, whether visible or invisible with the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity. Angels do not indwell us.  Only the Holy Spirit seals us and indwells in us when He has regenerated us. The Holy Spirit is all knowing, all present and all-powerful. Angels are mightier than men, but they are not gods and they do not possess the attributes of the godhead.

Angels are not omnipotent. Omnipotent is having unlimited or universal, power, authority, or force. Scripture affirms that “all power” belongs to God. The earliest manifestation of God’s power is seen in the creation of the world in which we live. Jesus’ power was evident through the many miracles He performed. He had the power to raise Lazarus from the dead. There are many other verses in the Bible where God reveals this powerful aspect of His nature.

Angels are not omnipresence. Omnipresence means being present everywhere at once.  Only God is omnipresence. Even though angels are created beings they are limited by space. They cannot be present everywhere at once. An angel, object or person can only occupy one place at a time. King David tells us that he could not escape the presence of God. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 1:397-10) NIV

Angels are not omniscient. Omniscient means a state of being all knowing. The attributes of all-knowing and unlimited knowledge belong to God alone. “For God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything.” (1 John 3:20) NIV. Angels cannot read the mind of any human being nor do they know the day and hour when Jesus will return to earth. “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32) NIV

Angels can see and observe events on earth. They rejoice when one sinner repents. Jesus said,” In the same way, I tell you there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.”(Luke 15:10) NIV Isn’t it exciting to know that we have a heavenly host of angels watching and celebrating with us at the moment one sinner repents and receives the gift of salvation?

DEALING WITH CONFLICT

Conflict is a controversy, disagreement or opposition between people. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:24-25) NIV With these words, Jesus described the dangers of conflict. If conflict is left unchecked and unresolved, it can tear apart an organization, a family, friends, a team, and a church. The Bible is full of incidents of conflict. It can be found from Genesis to Revelation. The scope of conflict covers a time from “before” the foundation of the world until the “end” of this age. If we will study the various examples of conflict in Scripture, we can understand much about human nature, about how God’s laws and principles work and about the consequences of behavior, which contradicts God’s plan. Conflict is always constantly being waged between Satan and God’s people. Read: (Ephesians 6:13) KJV

Lies and deception are the basis of many conflicts in the Bible. Conflict was first introduced to us in the Bible in the third chapter of Genesis. The serpent was a creature used by Satan to tempt Eve. Satan’s goal was “dominion” over everything, including God. God’s goal was to create a race of people with whom He could have fellowship. Satan used lies to convince Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge. The result was sinful behavior by Adam and Eve. The” blame game” started that day. Notice the hypocrisy of Adam and Eve when they shifted the blame for their own sin. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. (Genesis 3:12-13) KJV This conflict introduced by Satan drove a wedge in the relationship between humans and God.

The reason conflict resolutions are so difficult is that we are hesitant to place ourselves in uncomfortable situations. First, we must be “willing” to resolve the conflict. We cannot know peace with God unless we are at peace with one another, and we cannot know peace with others unless we are at peace with God. Sometimes we are unwilling to humble ourselves and admit that we may be wrong or do what it takes to resolve conflicts. The longer we wait to resolve conflict, the harder our hearts can get. We should never let days, weeks, months, or even years pass by without resolving conflict. If we do, we will always be the loser.

Honesty is the best way to resolve any conflict.  We must stop the “blame game” and humbly acknowledge our own faults by being honest. It is hypocritical to blame someone else for the whole problem when we can’t see our own faults. We need to take action quickly. As time passes, the facts get distorted. It isn’t long before we can’t remember what we did or said. If we believe that someone has done anything to hurt us or harm us we are to go to that person in “private” and talk to him or her about it. We should never allow resentments to ripen into a secret malice or wound, which is the most dangerous inwardly. Jesus never said we are to gossip about our conflicts with others. He did say, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his faults, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.” (Matthew 18:15) NIV The best time to resolve a conflict is today!

WEEDING OUT THE POISONOUS ROOT OF BITTERNESS

Bitterness is known in the Bible as spiritual poison. It can be an unseen enemy, growing like a tumor in our mind and spirit. It can affect our mental and physical condition. It is easy to blame God and others and allow bitterness to take root in our hearts when things go wrong in our lives. We are given a warning in (Hebrews 12:15) NIV. ”See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no “bitter root” grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Bitterness works underneath the surface in people. It starts out as a small seed of hurt. This seed can grow fast and fester into a very dangerous thing. We can learn a valuable lesson from the weeds in our yard and garden. If the weeds are left alone when they first appear they will eventually grow out of control and take over the yard and garden. They will choke out the good plants. If bitterness is left alone, it will take control and wreak havoc in our lives. Like the weeds, bitterness has to be dealt with as soon as its roots appear in our hearts.

Bitterness is really when we harbor anger and un-forgiveness towards others. Even Christians can get hurt. Holding on to hurt is like grabbing a rattlesnake by the tail. We will get bitten. The poison from the rattlesnake can cause physical death. As the poison of bitterness spreads through our personality, spiritual death will occur. The way we deal with our hurt makes all the difference in the world. If that hurt is not handled in the right way, bitterness will take root in our spirit. In the end it will be “bitterness” and not “being hurt” that will destroy us. There is no joy, no creativity and no positive power flowing through our lives if we become full of bitterness. Bitterness can cause physical problems. In his book, “None of These Diseases,” S.I. McMillan says, “Anger, left alone, will show itself in at least 50 diseases.” Dr. Norman Wright, a professor of psychology at Biola University in California and a Christian writer agrees with McMillan.

We can become bitter against ourselves. This happens when we live in self-pity. We feel rejected, we wallow in self-pity and our self--image is poor. It may be because of some sin or failure in the past. We realize that if we had to do it over again, we wouldn’t do it for a million dollars. But we can’t “un-ring the bell.” So we go along in life nursing a grudge against ourselves. We soon learn that bitterness becomes a heavy burden and we have a hard time forgiving ourselves. We must accept the fact that we are not perfect and must learn to forgive ourselves. We need to “reject self-pity” and instead be quick to give thanks for “all the blessings” in our lives.

Forgiveness is liberating. Things will occur when the forgiveness process is complete. Harsh feelings may be replaced by feelings of love, concern or empathy towards those who have hurt us. Our negative feelings will disappear. We will find it much easier to accept the people who have hurt us without feeling the need to try and change them. Our concern about the needs of other individuals will outweigh our concerns about what they did to us. Un-forgiveness is devastating to our spiritual, emotional and physical health. However, emotional and physical life. Forgiveness is for our benefit, “forgiveness” brings health to our spiritual and this is good news!

READY OR NOT SOMEDAY IT WILL ALL COME TO AN END

 There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things we collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.

Our wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what we owned or what we owed.

Our grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear. Our hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter where we came from or what side of the track we lived at the end.  It won’t matter whether we were beautiful or brilliant. Even our gender and skin color will be irrelevant. So what will matter? How will the values of our days be measured?

WHAT WILL MATTER

·        What will matter is not what we bought but what we built, not what we got but what we gave.   

·        What will matter is not what we learned but what we taught.

·        What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate our example.

·        What will matter is not our competence but our character.

·        What will matter is not how many people we knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when we are gone.

·        What will matter is not our memories but the memories that live in those who loved us.

·        What will matter is how long we will be remembered, by whom and for what.

·        Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

CHOOSE TO LIVE A LIFE THAT MATTERS

Source: Michael Josephson

 STORMS IN LIFE

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that makes a big difference. A life jacket is certainly a small thing that can make a difference. Experienced fishermen and seamen know the benefits of wearing a life jacket. A life jacket could be the difference between life and death. But, as we know, people don’t always listen to good advice and so every year people drown.

Our lives are like the ocean or the seas. Sometimes our lives are calm and serene. At other times, our lives are turbulent as the winds and waves of adversities beat against us. Even Jesus experienced problems and heartaches. He had many storms in His life.

It is true that sometimes we create our own storms in our lives and have no one to blame but ourselves. We learn there are consequences to our actions. Sometimes there may be storms caused by others that we have no control over. No matter the reason behind the storms, God is always in control. James wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (James 1:2) NIV

Soviet novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn was sent to prison 10 years for his dissident writings. After 10 years in prison he wrote, “Bless you, prison, and bless you for having been my life. It was there lying on that rotten straw, that for the very first time I understood the purpose of life is not prosperity as we have been made to believe, but the maturing of the human soul.” It is during adversities that we learn what really matters in life and what doesn’t. We can’t really appreciate freedom if we have never been to prison. We cannot appreciate good health if we have never been sick. We cannot appreciate being warm if we have never been cold. Troubles teach us patience, humility and the true values of life.

We cannot stop the storms of life from coming our way. They will come. This is a fact. Some storms will last a brief while, while others last longer. Some storms will be mild and some will be severe. Apostle Paul was on a ship that was caught in a severe storm. It was only when the time was right that he told the men on board to abandon ship and swim for safety. (Acts Chapter 27) There were 276 men on board and not one of them perished. (Acts 27:37-44) NIV Paul was certainly a great man of faith. Yet, he spent more time in prison than he did out of prison. He was beaten, stoned and even left for dead on one occasion. Paul learned “humility” through the things he suffered.

• It is the irritant in the oyster that produces the beautiful pearl.
• It is the crushed flower that produces the perfume.
• It is carbon pressure under the tremendous pressure of tons of earth that produces a diamond.

The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire. Christians are not immune from storms in life. There are some difficulties that can only be accomplished in our character brought about by suffering and trials. The life storms we encounter can be our greatest teacher.

BIBLE PROPHECY

Bible prophecy is a God-given revelation of the future. There is a reason that one fourth of the Bible is devoted to prophecy. God wants His people know what is going to happen in the future. Some of the prophecies have already been fulfilled and the rest are still waiting to be fulfilled.  Biblical prophecies are different from other prophecies in that all of them do come to pass and they are fulfilled “exactly” as foretold.  In fact, the Bible’s own standard is that if a person is known to have given a false prophecy, that person should be put to death. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5) NIV

Fulfilled prophecy is one of the most powerful proofs that the Bible truly is the Word of God. The Old Testament was written over a 1,000 period and contains hundreds of references to the coming of the Messiah. The chances that “all” these predictions came true “exactly” as written are beyond most human comprehension. The chance of one man fulfilling just eight Old Testament prophecies has been calculated at one in one hundred billion. This is a number which is millions times greater than the total number of people who have ever walked the planet. Think about those odds for a moment.

Jesus prophesied to His disciples that the beautiful temple would be destroyed. He said that not one stone would be left in place. (Matthew 24:1-2; Luke 21:6) NIV It happened exactly as Jesus had prophesied to His disciples. The Romans under Titus completely destroyed Jerusalem and the temple buildings in 70 A.D. (Source: Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian.). Stones were even pried apart to collect the gold leaf that melted from the roof when it was set on fire. Excavations in 1968 uncovered a large number of these stones toppled down by the invaders. There were 1.5 million Jews killed during this massacre. The Jews that escaped the Roman massacre fled to different countries all over the world. (Source: Flavius Josephus.) Even after they fled to other countries they were tortured and killed. Read the prophecy of Moses that was written in approximately 1410 B.C. “The Lord will “scatter” you among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other and among those nations you will find no rest.” (Deuteronomy 28:64-65) NIV Who can ever forget Adolph Hitler’s Holocaust? 

God promised the Jews that one day He would bring them back to their homeland. The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel spoke of a day when the nation of Israel would be born in one day. This happened exactly 100% as God said that it would. “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own homeland.” (Ezekiel 36:24) NIV Ezekiel wrote these words in approximately 585-573 B.C. “Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a country be born in one day or a nation be brought forth in a moment?” (Isaiah 66:8) NIV Isaiah wrote these prophetic words in approximately 701-681 B.C.  This prophecy was fulfilled in one day when Israel became a nation on May 14, 1948 after 2,900 years. This is a historical fact. Prophecies which have not yet been fulfilled are of great interest to Christians and especially so today. This is true because we see many prophecies beginning to come to pass in our own generation. God’s prophetic clock continues ticking.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

• Should we have a bad day at work;
• Think of the person who has been out of work for a year or longer.

• Should we despair over a relationship gone bad;
• Think of the person who has never known what it’s like to love and be loved in return.

• Should we grieve the passing of another week end;
• Think of the struggling person who is working twelve hours a day, seven days a week just to be able to feed and clothe their family.

• Should we complain about having to walk anywhere for anything;
• Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

• Should we find ourselves at a loss pondering what life is all about;
• Let’s be thankful. There are those who didn’t live long enough to get the opportunity.

• Should we find ourselves the victim of other people’s anger, bitterness, ignorance, or insecurities;
• Remember that things could be worse.

• If we find ourselves stuck in traffic, don’t get upset;
• There are people in this world for which driving is an unheard of privilege.

• Should we notice a gray hair in the mirror;
• Think of the cancer patients taking chemotherapy who wished they had hair to examine.

• Should we find ourselves complaining about the price of food;
• Let’s remember the starving people all over the world who would love to eat just the scraps from our table.

• Should we complain about the cost of heating bills in the winter;
• Let’s remember the homeless people who sleep outside in the cold.

 “In everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) KJV

THE BITTERNESS OF BETRAYAL

THE BITTERNESS OF BETRAYAL

The simple definition of betrayal is for someone to be disloyal. Someone close to us has probably betrayed most of us during our lifetime.  Being “betrayed” by someone we trusted is one of the most painful experiences in life. We feel hurt, depressed and angry. It is a horrible experience. It is hard to get to the point of forgiveness towards someone who has betrayed us in such a painful way.

King David knew the sting and bitterness of betrayal. His son Absalom and Ahitophel, one of David’s closest officials and counselor betrayed him. Absalom and Ahitophel “betrayed” David by joining together in a conspiracy to overthrow him so that Absalom could ascend to the throne. They gathered together an army and King David had to flee for his life. Their evil plan didn’t work and in the end both of them died. Ahitophel hanged himself. (2 Samuel 17:23) KJV Absalom was on a mule. “The mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair while the mule he was riding kept on going.”(2 Samuel 18:9-10) NIV David could have felt relieved and happy when he was told of Absalom’s death.  Instead, he wept. (2 Samuel 18:33) NIV It is plain to see in this scripture that David still loved and forgave Absalom after being betrayed by him.

David wrote from his heart about being betrayed by a close friend. “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” (Psalm 41:9-10) NIV David turns away from the one who had stabbed him in the back and looks instead to the Lord for mercy. Of all the sorrows of life, this is certainly one of the bitterest---to be betrayed by one who has had close association with us.  It is a sorrow that Jesus experienced in the betrayal of Judas. (John 13:21) NIV Judas belonged to the inner circle of the disciples who were closest to Jesus. Judas became remorseful when he realized what he had done and went out and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:5) KJV

Benedict Arnold betrayed his country.  George Washington and Benedict Arnold were great leaders fighting for the same cause against the British in the American Revolutionary War, also known as the American War of Independence. Today, George Washington is remembered as a great American legend for all the good he did for his country. Benedict Arnold is remembered as a traitor for his “treachery and betrayal” against his own country.

Several years ago a close friend betrayed me. The betrayal came as a complete shock to me. I can honestly say, “I didn’t see it coming.” I was speechless. How could such a trusted friend be so cruel? Our friendship lay in shambles. I wept. I found out later it was because of envy and jealousy this person harbored in their heart against me. I never had a clue. It is said that people come into our lives for a REASON…a SEASON…or a LIFE TIME. This person came into my life for a REASON. I was severely tested. I learned that character is both developed and revealed when we are “betrayed” by someone close to us. We can choose to become “bitter” or better.” We can hold on to the emotional hurt or we can forgive. I chose to “forgive” and to become “better.” I am a “victor” and not a “victim.”

LAWLESSNESS IN THE END TIMES

The basic condition for a civilization is that there be law and order. Obviously, this is coming to an end. A pattern of lawlessness is dominating our society today that was found throughout history in civilizations that were in the process of decline. It is a pattern evident in nations that rejected God’s word as the ultimate authority in their lives. We have become a nation obsessed with crime, violence and immorality. In the last four decades there has been a strong move in our whole society to throw off the “fetters” of law, particularly Biblical restraints. “Let us break their chains, they say, and throw off their fetters.” (Psalm 2:23) NIV A “fetter” is anything that serves to restrain or restrict. Biblical “fetters” have been removed from our nation.

The world has entered a time of dramatic and ominous change. Today we call wrong right and right wrong. Many secular as well as religious authorities recognize that these are days of extraordinary times. Even the most seasoned newsmen who have “seen it all” are in awe of world developments in recent years. We have reached the day in which the prophet Isaiah wrote about thousands of years ago. “Woe to them that call evil good and good evil.”(Isaiah 5:20) KJV It is a fact that darkness and light cannot occupy the same space.

Our universe is a universe of law. Sometimes things appear chaotic, but this is in appearance only. The tiniest cells operate with incredible order. Planets move through the heavens with precision. Natural lives proceed all around us in a complex and well-organized system. The exception to this, of course, is “man” who has fallen into sin and who has refused to live by God’s order. The Bible teaches us that in His timing God always judges lawlessness. What would our world be without law? It would be something like a six way intersection with out a stoplight and automobiles speeding through at 100 miles per hour from all directions. For sure, it would be a world in which few of us would want to live.

Man has pushed the self-destruction button. Foundations of godliness have crumbled. Things that were once considered sacred are now scorned and ridiculed. Immorality and violence are out of control. More people have been killed in warfare in this century than at any other time in history. Devastating weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical & biological) are now available. For the first time in human history we now have the capacity to destroy ourselves. We are trying to build a peaceful world, but there is no peace within people’s hearts.

The world is drowning in discouragement and uncertainty. As we approach the end times, the Bible indicates that the human race will become exceedingly lawless.  It is apparent that the complete disobedience to Biblical law creates an atmosphere of wickedness and lawlessness.

 “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.”  Source: Ariel Durant. Ariel was a Russian born American writer and Historian. (May 10, 1898-October 25, 1981)

THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

Spending time in the wilderness is nothing new to Christians. There are times when it seems everything is going great in our lives. There are other times when it seems everything that could go wrong goes wrong. It is during these times we feel we are marching across a desert without water, no shade and just dust and heat. We feel isolated and alone. We need to understand one thing. In the life of a believer, God has a purpose for allowing us to go through a “wilderness experience.” I will share with you three of my own personal “wilderness experiences.” One of my “worst wilderness experiences” came to me in August of 1996. I was diagnosed with cancer and it seemed that time stood still. It was hard for me to focus on anything except I had cancer. I felt so alone even though I knew that I had God, a multitude of Christian friends and family that were standing by me and supporting me. No one could walk this path for me. My turn had come to be tested” on the backside of the desert. This was a time that I had to literally walk by faith. I did not know if I was going to live or die. All I knew was that God had a plan and purpose for my life that I could not see at the moment.

Another wilderness experience came when my husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2001. At the time we had been married for almost 44 years. I could not fathom losing him. I asked God to heal him but God did not heal him. My husband took his heavenly flight to heaven on March 31, 2004. I was at peace knowing his suffering was over and he was in a better place and free from all suffering. Yet, I still had agonizing pain in my heart and felt so alone. I wondered how I could go on without him. I put my faith and trust in God and started taking one day at a time. Each day got a little easier. Six months after his death, Hurricane Ivan came roaring into our area. Its effect was total devastation. I didn’t know where to begin or how to deal with all this chaos. All of my friends, neighbors and family members were dealing with their own problems and devastation. I prayed for wisdom and knowledge to help me make the right decisions. There are always “scammers” that come pouring into areas that are hard hit by hurricanes, tornados and flood. God helped me make all the right decisions.

Hurricane Dennis came roaring into our area just 9 months after Hurricane Ivan. My yard looked like a bomb had been dropped on it. There were trees on the ground everywhere. To compound my “wilderness experience,” my brother in law died on the very day Hurricane Dennis hit our area. Now, I had a funeral of a loved one to attend in the midst of all this turmoil. It took a crew from Arkansas two days just to remove the trees that had been blown down in my yard. When Dennis was done, it would go down as one of the most powerful events in the month of July 2005 with 150 mph winds at its peak. I wondered where God was in all this mess. I found myself sitting in a lawn chair in my back yard feeling totally stunned, overwhelmed, isolated and alone. Tears flowed easily.  I knew my husband would know exactly what to do and I didn’t have a clue. Oh, how I missed him and his ability to comfort me in stressful times and make the right decisions. I was reminded of the story of Job. He lost everything in one day. He was stricken with painful boils. Yet, Job continued to trust God. For Job’s obedience, trust and faith God restored to him more in the end than he had in the beginning.

THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

Part 2

In the Bible, the number 40 always represents God testing man. Moses spent the first 40 years of his life in Pharaoh’s palace as a Prince over Egypt. One day he killed an Egyptian soldier and had to flee for his life. (Exodus 2:11-15) NIV He wound up on the backside of the desert tending his father in law’s sheep. (Exodus 3:1) KJV Moses stayed in the desert for 40 years. (Acts 7:30) KJV He went from being a Prince over Egypt to being a poor shepherd taking care of sheep. During this time God taught Moses to be a leader and a servant for Him. At the end of these 40 years, God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. (Exodus 3:10) KJV Moses spent the next 40 years of his life wandering around in the desert leading a group of complaining people. This was a progression of  “learning” and “testing” for Moses. During this time God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for the nation of Israel on Mt. Sinai. (Exodus 20:1-17) KJV

There is one thing that we can count on and that is God does nothing in the believer’s life that does not have a purpose in it. Keep in mind that Moses went from living in a palatial palace to living in the desert with sheep. He was also working for someone else. No doubt Moses probably had accepted the fact that he would spend the rest of his life in the desert-tending sheep. But, God had a plan and purpose for Moses.

·        The first 40 years, Moses learned to be somebody.

·        The second 40 years, Moses learned to be a nobody.

·        The last 40 years, Moses learned to help everybody.

What is the greatest temptation that faces Christians in a long time in the wilderness? It is the danger to drift slowly from the Lord. It begins slowly and then begins to mushroom out of control if it isn’t checked. God is right there with us when we are going through a “wilderness experience.” God tests our faith during these times. He is training and developing character in us. If we find ourselves on the backside of the desert and it is not for sinful reasons, then we can rejoice because God is preparing us for something that only we are able to accomplish because of His special preparation in our lives.

I started a ladies Bible study group after my bout with cancer. I did not want to do it. I had never taught a class of any kind in my life. I gave God all kind of excuses on why I was not the one to lead a Bible study group. Then the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance a scripture. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? And I said, here I am, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) KJV I said, “Yes, Lord I will go and be your servant in whatever you want me to do.” I am thankful for all of my wilderness experiences and for obeying God for His calling on my life. My life has been greatly blessed and enriched by the multitude of women that God has allowed to cross my path in our Bible study group over the years.

THE ROOSTER THAT MADE HISTORY

Roosters hold special memories for me. I grew up out in the country on a farm and we always had a rooster that crowed early every morning seven days a week. He never failed to crow. He was our alarm clock. He crowed at approximately 5 o’clock every morning. He was letting us know that the night was just about over and a new day was dawning.

God has used the animal kingdom to do mighty things. He used a donkey to carry our Savior into Jerusalem. (Matthew 21:2-7) NIV He used a great fish to swallow Jonah for his disobedience. (Jonah 1:17) NIV God used a donkey to speak to Balaam. (Numbers 22:28-30) NIV Jesus and His disciples began what would be His final journey to Jerusalem. On the way they stopped in Capernaum. Evidently, Jesus had not yet paid the “temple tax.” The “temple tax” was a tax given annually by every Jewish male over 20 years of age for maintaining the temple. This “temple tax” was based on (Exodus 30:13-16) NIV It is never recorded that Jesus carried any money and so He instructed Peter to go fishing and keep the first fish he caught. Do you know what was in the mouth of that fish? There was a coin, which Peter used to pay the “temple tax” for Jesus and himself. (Matthew 17: 24-27) KJV

God used a rooster that made history. Jesus told Peter that “before” the rooster crowed three times on the night of His betrayal and arrest that Peter would deny knowing Him three times. (Matthew 26:34) KJV Pete was adamant that he would never deny knowing Christ. Now, this was just an ordinary rooster. He didn’t try to bark, sing like a bird, or bray like a donkey. Crowing was the only thing he knew to do. Jesus was arrested and brought before Caiaphas, the high priest. Peter waited outside while Christ was being spit on, hit with fists and slapped. During the night Peter was asked three times if he knew Christ and three times he said no. On the third denial, immediately the rooster crowed and Peter remembered what Jesus had told him. He went out and wept bitterly.  (Matthew 26:75) KJV

The job of the rooster was not considered in this world to be important. The rooster crowing was a common thing. We may think what little we do is a common thing and it goes un-noticed, but it doesn’t. The rooster was not ashamed. He didn’t care who heard him…. a king, a poor man, or whoever; it was all the same to him. The lesson here is that we learn that we don’t have to do what others do. We don’t have to try and be like someone else. We do what we can do because everyone is different. When we became Christians, we did not become spiritual robots

The rooster was faithful. He crowed whether he felt like it or not, in season or out of season. He didn’t care if it was raining, cold or hot weather. The job of the rooster wasn’t too popular. His job was to wake people up early in the morning. No doubt, some people may not have liked hearing a rooster crowing that early in the morning. He crowed anyway. Our job is to wake up people to sin in their lives and this is not always popular. But it’s the job God wants us to do. The rooster did his job well and left the rest to God. As Christians, we need to do what God has called us to do and don’t worry about the details. Leave the rest to God.

THE SHOUT OF A FORGIVEN MAN

Forgiveness is an emotion that defies description. It is the relief of an enormous burden lifted, of a debt canceled, of a conscience at rest. Guilt is gone and peace is enjoyed. To King David, it meant the forgiveness of his great transgressions that he had tried to hide and the cleansing of his spirit from deceit. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and plotted the death of her husband Uriah. He steadfastly refused to confess his sins. He tried to sweep it all under the rug.  Maybe he thought that “time would heal” everything. He became a physical wreck. Nothing seemed to work out right for him anymore.

What happened? David’s conscience started to bother him. Physically, mentally and spiritually David was wasting away because of his un-confessed sins. He was under great distress. He finally came to the place in his life where he dealt with his sins. David made a full confession of his sins to God and asked for forgiveness. He came totally clean with the Lord. David opened his heart to God in transparent honesty and held nothing back. He poured out his heart to God and he was forgiven. This was the first step in achieving spiritual contentment.

David wrote Psalm Chapter 32. While David was trying to hide his sins, the worry and fear that he would be found out took a physical toll on his body. He wrote that “God’s hand was heavy” upon him. (Psalm 32:4) NIV This is a reference to God’s chastisement He became like an old man physically. He finally came to the place where he was willing to acknowledge his sins & confess his transgressions to the Lord. (Psalm 32:5) NIV The one who had been so hard and impenitent is now contrite and broken. With deep gratitude he acknowledges that God is his “hiding place.” Whether we like it or not, there is a heavy spiritual and physical price to pay for un-confessed sins in our lives.

David could talk about “joy” in his life by the end of Psalm chapter 32. He had experienced relief after being burdened with the terrible sins in his life. He was able to worship and praise the Lord again. Why? He solved his “sin problem” the right way. He told the truth about his sins and cast them down before the Lord. He got it into the open and God forgave him.

David was a man of faith despite all his weaknesses, fears, doubts and sins. His life illustrates a trust in God and an intense desire to know Him. Because of these qualities, God was able to use David mightily, molding and shaping him into “A man after His own heart.” (Acts 13:22) KJV

Various people have various problems. We all have our own sad problems of pain, heartache, suffering, and trouble. While it is true that we all have burdens, which vary from person to person, there is one common denominator. There is one reality with which we all struggle day by day. We all must deal with “sin.” There are only two ways to deal with sin, man’s way or God’s way. If we deal with sin man’s way, we will try to hide it. When we handle our sins God’s way, then it is handled correctly. It will cease to bring pain and destruction into our lives & we will experience spiritual contentment.

THOUGHTS ON DEATH

Every human has a terminal disease. The disease is death. We fear death and we will do anything and pay anything just to postpone death for a few hours. There are some that will not even talk about death. Denying death does not change the inevitable. Everyone dies. However, death is not the end for Christians. It is only the beginning of our eternal life. Apostle Paul wrote that death is a necessary part of life. “Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.” (1 Corinthians 15:36) NKJV A seed dies when it is planted in the ground. It actually decomposes. It must cease to exist in its original form as a seed before it can come to life in its final form as a plant.

Jesus applied the same analogy to Himself. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24) NIV Jesus had to die before he could bear the fruit of our salvation. The same is true for us. We can’t be raised from the dead until we have died. In a sense we are not really buried or cremated; the reality is that we are “sown” just as a “seed” is sown. From that seed a new life will explode. This view is unique to Christianity all over the world

We received our natural bodies from Adam. Our “natural” bodies are perfectly suited to our earthly environment. This is the only realm in which our “natural” bodies can live. Our “natural” bodies became perishable as the consequence of the Fall of Adam. The body ages, gets sick, deteriorates and dies. No one is immune. We came from the dust and we will go back to the dust. “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) NIV

There is hope for every born again Christian. Our glorified bodies that we will possess in heaven will not be subject to sin, sickness, pain or death. Our human experience related to the original Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden will be gone forever. This is good news! Who wouldn’t want to go to heaven?

SUPPOSE WE COULDN’T DIE

·        The blind would remain blind.

·        The paralyzed would never walk.

·        The mentally disabled would never have a normal mind.

·        Those terminally ill would never terminate.

·        Aching hearts would continue to ache and never be healed.

•  If humans were immortal, eventually there would be no more room or resources left on this planet to sustain immortal beings.

HABITS~NOT~ DIETS

Healthy Suggestions…Always consult with your doctor before going on any weight loss program. Plan on losing weight slowly. The first habit we must learn is to keep track of our daily calorie intake. Too much of anything gets stored as fat. Five small meals, each eaten three hours apart, can speed up our metabolism and allow the body to absorb and utilize more nutrients, stabilize blood sugar and increase our energy levels. Eat off a small plate. Eat only what you need and not what you want. Stop eating when you are full.

Exercise is very important to losing weight and keeping it off. Walk at least 30 minutes a day, three to five times a week. When first starting any exercise program, start out slowly and gradually increase the intensity. It is human nature to look for quick fixes. However, when it comes to fat loss, there are no short cuts. For permanent weight loss we must make a deliberate decision to change our eating habits for life.

Eliminate sugar. A diet with lots of sugars has too many calories and too few nutrients. Sugars include white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey and molasses. These supply calories and little else nutritionally. Added sugars are in foods like candy, bakery products, ice cream, soft drinks as well as jams, jellies and plus any sugar we add at the table. Choose fresh fruit instead of foods that are loaded in sugar.  Drink plenty of plain water.

Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium to help reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

Choose a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol to reduce the risk of heart attack and help to maintain a healthy weight. In general, foods that come from animals are naturally higher in fat than foods that come from plants. Choose lean meat, poultry without the skin, fish, dry beans and peas often. They are the choices lowest in fat. Bake, broil or roast these meats. Avoid fried foods.

Read nutrition labels on canned and package foods you eat to find out the calories per serving and the grams of fat per serving.  Decide what changes you can make for a healthier life style and start by making small changes.  Switch to low fat salad dressings or adding an extra serving of vegetables. Choose healthy low fat foods until healthy eating becomes a habit. Avoid fast foods.

Build a rainbow on your plate. In general, the more colorful the food, the more health boosting benefits you will be eating. Load up your plate with different colored vegetables. Indulge yourself once in awhile. If you allow yourself to eat what you want once a week or every ten days, it will not affect your weight loss that much. You will also feel less deprived. The goal is to eat healthy, lose weight and keep it off permanently.

HABITS~NOT~DIETS

Helpful Hints…Always consult with your doctor before going on any weight loss or exercise program. We need to get off the roller coaster of dieting once and for all by developing habits that we will be able to maintain for the rest of our lives. It may take a little more discipline, patience, and hard work this way, but the end results will be worth it all. There is a Five Word Diet Plan…and the only one that works: Eat Less and Move More!

Yo-yo dieting is not healthy. When someone goes on a fad diet and loses a lot of weight they usually gain it back plus several extra pounds when they go off the diet. Why is this? It is because they have not learned the secret of changing their eating habits for life. Fad diets are only a “temporary fix” for a “permanent problem.”

There is not a trendy diet or magic pill that will make us lose weight and keep it off forever. The key is to strike a balance between “calories in and calories out” by eating less calories and exercising more. We can lose weight and keep it off for life if we will just take the time and effort to change our eating habits.

• Avoid processed foods, or at least foods where you can’t pronounce the ingredients. Keep foods as natural as possible.

• Eat a variety of foods to get the energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need for good health.

• Eliminate sugar.

• Eat less fat

• Choose whole grains.

• Eliminate junk foods.

MODERATION IS THE KEY TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Most Americans eat too much of the wrong foods. You don’t have to make drastic changes in your daily intake of food, just take a few simple steps at a time and let them become a “behavioral change” for the rest of your life.

Plan on losing weight slowly. Everyone wants fast results, but you can’t undo bad eating habits over night. Plan ahead. Teach yourself to like healthy foods and dislike unhealthy ones.

Never give up, even after you have failed a few times. When you fail, start over. 

A CRITICAL SPIRIT

What is a critical spirit? A “critical spirit” is an obsessive attitude of criticism and faultfinding, which seeks to tear down others. The only criticism that is ever constructive is that which is expressed in love to “build up” and not to tear down. It is always expressed face to face and never behind someone’s back. The person with a critical spirit usually dwells on the negative, seeks for flaws rather than good. They are complainers, usually upset, and generally have a problem or a complaint about something. They often have little control over their tongue and temper.

There is something very damaging about a critical spirit. Over time, when left un-checked, it prevents one from seeing and appreciating all that is truly good in the world and all that God is actively doing. A critical spirit is like putting on sunglasses at night. Everything in life begins to take on a dark, drab color. Critical people not only hurt themselves but they are also affecting others as well. Those who have a positive attitude will avoid those who have a critical, negative attitude. People that are critical usually lack self-esteem. They criticize other people because that makes them feel better about themselves.

Having a critical spirit and a reckless judgmental attitude is setting up ourselves as God. A critical spirit discourages others. Rather than looking to others with a critical spirit and judging them, we should rather look to ourselves and judge ourselves. Only by evaluating ourselves will we be able to resist the temptation to evaluate others. God is the ultimate judge of all things. We usually don’t have all the facts and we certainly don’t have the ability to look into someone’s heart. Therefore, as believers we should never engage in the kind of absolute criticism and condemnation that so many people do.

Negative and critical people come with warning signs. They live in a state of perpetual doom and gloom. They begin every sentence with negative statements. They make snide and disrespectful remarks to and about others. They are obnoxious and spread negativity like poison and they are ultimately the people who cause us the most negative stress in our lives. This kind of attitude has no place in the life of a Christian. A critical attitude can hinder our walk with God and suck the joy and energy from our lives. I have learned when I encounter a negative person to never listen to their nonsense.

Discovering and removing the negative influences in our life will help us more than we realize. Studies show that our own thoughts, attitudes and behaviors are a reflection of the people we spend the most time with. Those who are negative and critical often make mountains out of mole hills. Each day, we are faced with a decision and need to say to ourselves, “I can either allow these people to ruin my day and my actions for that day, or I can choose to rise above them, completely remove them from my life, or speak motivating words to them and move on.”

WHAT IS WRONG WITH GOSSIP

What is gossip? Though the word “gossip” does not appear in the Bible, the concept does. Funk and Wagnall’s Dictionary defines gossip as “idle talk or malicious talk about others.” Gossip is second or third hand information that someone dumps on you without your prior consent and without the consent of the person being gossiped about. Gossip is not just a bad habit. Unfortunately, some Christians do not usually consider gossip and its related activity as sin. However, gossip is a seething disease of corruption from the mouth. Gossips use their mouth as a weapon…a weapon that is always aimed at people to fulfill Satan’s desire to “steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10) NIV

What is a busybody? A “busybody” is a close relative to gossip…a person who meddles in the affairs of others The Bible places a busybody in the same company as murderers, thieves, and evildoers. “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” (1 Peter 4:15) KJV Gossip is an enemy to God and everything holy-----a cancer that spreads a deadly infection to the body of Christ. Gossip always distorts and exaggerates and is never a reliable source of truth.

Slander is a word that has an interesting origin. It comes from the word “devil.” According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, slander means: “malicious talk, to spread damaging information, to defame, and to speak evil of others.” Slander is the work of Satan and those who slander are on his team. The Bible says that Satan is called the “accuser of the brethren.” (Revelation 12:10) KJV The Bible defines slander as accusatory speech that is injurious to a person’s “name” and “reputation”…the act of smearing someone. Gossip and slander color people’s perceptions of an individual unfairly and unjustly without their knowledge or consent.

Gossip is the most deadly poison on earth.  Like bullets fired from a gun, words cannot be taken back. Gossip and slander can ruin reputations, families, break up marriages, separate friends, destroy communities and even divide churches. One of the hallmark qualities of a true friend is someone who refuses to gossip about you behind your back. Talebearers usually avoid speaking directly to the one they are demeaning. Have you ever noticed the speech that “tears down others” travels like a brush fire, but news of repentance and restoration seems to move along at a “snail’s pace?” As believers, we should avoid all association with persons who gossips. Apostle Paul wrote, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11) NIV

We need to think before we speak. Is it true, is it helpful, is it inspiring, is it necessary, and is it kind? If what we are about to say does not pass these tests, we should keep silent. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29) KJV The root of both gossip and slander is simply this: saying something about someone that ought not to be said.