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8-28-11 / The Marriage Bed Undefiled Hebrews 13:4 / Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. As usual, we want to get to the root of these words – why? So we can have a more intimate understanding of what was originally written. We must always remember that, no matter how good you think your translation of the Bible is, it is always just that – a TRANSLATION. I personally use the King James Version of the Bible, one of the most popular translations. Some modern translations have steered clear of certain themes that are central to understanding Christianity, such as blood and hell. King James refuses to do that – as a matter of fact, many Biblical scholars would debate that this translation is one of the most meaty translations available, word for word. YET – it is still only a translation. Therefore we use tools, such as Strong’s Concordance, to discover the original meanings of the words, and get a better understanding of what the authors originally wrote. Let’s begin with the word “marriage” (Hebrews 13:4) – it means “nuptials, marriage, wedding”. This should be self-explanatory. BUT – before we go any further, we must acknowledge that the Biblical model of marriage, which we uphold as God’s model for marriage, is between one man and one woman. In today’s society, they are trying to change this, and in turn, teach that it is morally acceptable for two men, or two women, to be married. According to the Bible, this is perversion. The marriage may be honored in the eyes of man, as are many other things – but in God’s eyes, it is sheer and utter abomination – He HATES it. As a matter of fact, when a nation descends into such moral depravity, God must bring judgment upon it. So we must understand that marriage – the joining of a man and woman in the sight of God – Biblically speaking, is solely between ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN. Anything else is a twisted version of holiness that the devil tries to feed us – when we buy into these lies, we subject ourselves to God’s judgment. Continuing on, we look at the word “honourable” (Hebrews 13:4), which means “valuable, costly, honored, esteemed, beloved, dear, precious, had in reputation”. We can easily read that God’s value of marriage is VERY IMPORTANT! This was one of the first institutions that God created – we read about two accounts in Genesis 1 and 2 – the first alluding to the second, in a way. Let’s begin with Genesis 1:27-28: “27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” We read in verse 28 – “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it” – there can be no multiplication without a joining of a man and a woman. But, it appears that God had not yet given grounds for marriage – according to this scripture, a person could simply say that it is God’s will for a man and a woman to get together just for the sake of procreation. It is important to remember a couple of things: #1 – At this point, mankind was in spirit form. All male and female spirits were created in Genesis 1, but there were no earthly bodies until Genesis 2. This command went out to mankind, and became a part of who we are. It is obvious to see that mankind has a desire to procreate – it is like a built-in urge within our body. #2 – God furthered our understanding of procreation being between a husband and a wife in Genesis 2, when Adam and Eve first met. God has a time to teach us things that we need to know. In Genesis 1, there was no written understanding of the future bonds of husband and wife. It may have been spoken to them, but it was not recorded in scripture for us to read. BUT – we do read it in Genesis 2. So, if we only used one scripture to justify that God’s original plan was to let men and women sleep around, get pregnant and have lots of babies, we could almost get by with that with Genesis 1:27-28. HOWEVER, that would not be “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), knowing that God instituted marriage in Genesis 2. As a matter of fact, Adam even understood the principle – we read of his prophetic utterance in Genesis 2:24 – “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” These words proceeded forth from Adam, in the presence of Adam Female (later named Eve) and God. Some may debate that Adam and Eve were never married, but we plainly see the word “wife” in Genesis 2:24. Adam KNEW God’s will here – for man and woman to be joined, and in the eyes of God, they would be as one flesh. Back to Genesis 1:27-28 – how do we know that even though in Genesis 2, God institutes the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman, we still cannot sleep with whoever we want to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth”? Well, there are two words that are prominent in the Bible – FORNICATION, and ADULTERY. Understanding these two words will help us to understand that God hates it when we decide to come together in any sexual union outside of marriage. Let’s discuss each word with the Biblical meanings, so we can get a better understanding of the words. I found one word in the New Testament, translated from the Greek, “porneia”, which appears to me to be the mother-load of all Biblical definitions on the word. FORNICATION (G4202) – “illicit sexual intercourse (adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, beastiality, incest), idolatry” – comes from (G4203) – “to prostitute one’s body to the lust of another, to give one’s self to unlawful sexual intercourse (to commit fornication), metaphorically to be given to idolatry, to worship idols (to permit one’s self to be drawn away by another to idolatry) – comes from (G4204) – “a woman who sells her body for sexual uses (a prostitute, a harlot, one who yields herself to defilement for the sake of gain) (any woman indulging in unlawful sexual intercourse, whether for gain or for lust), metaphorically an idolatress” – comes from (G4205) – “a man who prostitutes his body to another’s lust for hire, a male prostitute, a man who indulges in unlawful sexual intercourse, a fornicator” – akin to (G4097) – “to sell” This is quite the load of definition! But we need to understand these things to really understand the idea of “fornication” – the idea of giving your body to someone who you are not married to, temporarily, for the sake of gain (financial, emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, etc). Any gain of this type is not in line with God’s will – it is totally about satisfying our lust outside of the marriage covenant. How convenient! We can decide to sleep with whoever we want, whenever we want, without any of the effects of marriage. No need to commit to helping one another in time of need, supporting one another, cherishing one another – this is only about satisfying our carnal needs. And it is inherently selfish, as well as evil. Some may say that if two people decide to sleep together and end up staying together, then that is the same as marriage. But the Bible teaches us that marriage is a covenant, and a man and wife should have no problem entering into a covenant with one another, if they want the benefits that come with marriage. In short, fornication is a very selfish act, totally built upon satisfying ourselves regardless of the will of God, and it brings judgment in our lives. So let’s continue on with “adultery” to understand what it means biblically. ADULTERY (G3431) – “to commit adultery with, have unlawful intercourse with another’s wife” – comes from (G3432) – “an adulterer, one who is faithless toward God, ungodly” In short, the difference between adultery and fornication is that in adultery is invading the marriage covenant between a husband and a wife. I believe that adultery is a worse crime – you have not only defiled your body by sleeping with someone you are not in covenant with, but you have defiled the covenant of two who are joined, because you had to fill up your lusts. And in this day and age where people are so easily emotionally wounded and look outside the marriage covenant for temporary satisfaction, adultery runs rampant. And we fail to realize the destruction we allow to enter into our marriage – divorce, emotional fraud, selfishness, betrayal, lies…the list goes on. And the same for fornication - God gave us the gift of virginity, so that when we finally become married, we can share our bodies with someone we truly love. That experience will be a monumental experience for a husband and wife who are engaging in union for the first time. However, if we decide to throw away that gift to satisfy a temporary lust, we are actually robbing ourselves of a wonderful experience that we could have had later. Enough about adultery and fornication – I hope we can discern that anyone who would even dare try and say sex outside of marriage is according to the will of God would be subject to explain why God is so aggressively against fornication and adultery – in deed and in thought. We are called out of this world – not that we physically leave the world, but that we are to choose to obey God, rather than the ways of the world. Let’s continue with Hebrews 13:4 – the word “bed” (Hebrews 13:4) simply means “a couch, cohabitation, the male sperm, chambering, conceive” and it comes from a word that means “to lie outstretched, to be appointed, to lay”. This is simple enough – the word “marriage bed” simply refers to the place where the man and woman choose to join in union. Outside of marriage, the man and woman DEFILE themselves in the act – within marriage, the husband and wife are SANCTIFIED by God as ONE FLESH – therefore, there is no defilement – the act of union between a husband and wife is UNDEFILED. The word “undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4) means “unsoiled, pure” and it comes from a compound word which means “un-“ and “to sully or taint, contaminate”. In other words, the effects of defilement – in lamen’s terms, to make dirty – do not happen. God honors the union of the husband and the wife – it is their gift to share with one another. We did a pretty in-depth definition of “fornication” and “adultery” – therefore, I am not going to get deeper into the words “whoremongers” and “adulterers”. I think we can see the idea that those who sleep together outside of the marriage covenant are clearly out of the will of God. The word “judge” (Hebrews 13:4) means “to distinguish, to decide, to try, to condemn, to punish, etc.” God will bring righteous judgment upon anyone who decides to continue in sexual sin – in this life, and in the next. God’s desire is that we would repent, and come into a closer walk with Him. Therefore, He amply warns us of the consequences of our actions, to lead us in repentance. Without the fear of God, we will not be led into righteousness. We must have a healthy, holy fear of God to lead us in our walk with Him – otherwise, we will be more willing to be led of our lusts, which lead us into destruction. To finish this lesson, I would like to post a section from 1 Corinthians 7, verses 1-5. Paul is teaching the church the value of the union of marriage according to God. We must realize that he often preached to people who were married for years, and even had more than one wife. But he began to make the paths straight, by preaching according to the will of God. It is God’s Word that will help set out feet upon the straight paths. 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 1Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. In short, when you give yourself to another in marriage, you belong to that person – and they belong to you. If both partners see it in this light, they will be careful so as not to abuse the other, understanding that the other has power over them as well. And Paul teaches that a husband and a wife must render due benevolence to one another – in other words, within the bonds of marriage, it is the will of God for the husband and the wife to come together, to avoid being overcome by the temptation of the devil. In short, I hope that we can see that it is God’s will for us to marry, if we wish to be intimate with someone. There is so much more that we can discuss on this subject, but that will be for another time. God bless!

8-21-11 / Be Ye Angry, and Sin Not Ephesians 4:26-27 / 26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27Neither give place to the devil. Anger can be one of our biggest enemies in life. Not that anger is bad – but often the way we approach anger is where the sin results. The Bible teaches us about anger, and how we can deal with it in a holy fashion in our lives. It is important to always remember that God must etch His spirit, His desires, and His will in our lives. We can try to pretend to be like God, and it is good to obey His commandments, but more important is to spend time soaking in the presence of God. Being in His presence will transform our desires from something unholy to something holy. Let’s take a look at some of these words, and try to understand what is being said. The word “angry” (Eph. 4:26) means “to provoke or enrage” and its root meanings come from a word that means “to stretch oneself, to reach out after, to desire”. Anger has many facets – it is an emotion - it is a desire – it is a thought – it is a feeling. It can be like being on a roller-coaster ride – you begin going up the ramp, ready to go into an intense downward plunge, and begin your travel through the turns and loop-de-loops. Suddenly, you are back at the beginning of the ride – and it is time to do it all over again! There are other ways to describe anger, but often the “ride” that you take results in harmful repercussions – either for you, or for someone else. This is the point behind the unholy anger versus holy anger – what is the end result? Even in holy anger, there is a good outcome. For instance, there are times when God brings us through situations that cleanse us. We must remember that He loves us, but He hates the sin that destroys us, so very carefully, He deals with us level by level, working to purge out that which is unholy in our lives. He deals with us as with children. His anger is still based around love – He loves us, and aims to help us grow. Therefore, His anger is holy. On the other hand, our anger is not always based upon love and edification, but upon carnal justification, pride, hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc. There is quite a list that describes why we become angry. We become angry because we don’t get our way, because someone hurt us, because someone likes someone else more than us…because – because – BECAUSE! WE always have a reason to justify our actions – but that doesn’t make them holy. We can end up using our tongues to destroy others in anger, we can say things we don’t mean in anger, we can destroy things that belong to others when we are angry… there are so many things we could list. I bet if we took the time to think about what happens when we get angry, we would realize that our anger is often the unholy type! It is not based upon God’s love, but rather man’s carnal reasoning, which is in DIRECT opposition to God! Remember, when mankind fell into sin, we inherited many traits of the devil in our will – it is passed down through the blood. God, as a loving parent, seeks to help us learn that which is right, and He deals with us on a personal level daily, so that we don’t become “hateful”. Sometimes it feels like we are totally justified in our anger. Whenever something happens that we don’t like, we feel our blood begin to boil, and our mouth gets ready to run a hundred miles an hour, and we are ready to fight. Yet we fail to realize how this is bondage! If you cannot have something happen to you without getting ready to pitch a fit, then you are in bondage to anger! You have not yet learned how to overcome the unholy anger that reigns in your life. Remember – you are not the only one who has this fight! All of us war against anger everyday. Most of the time, it stems from things not going the way we think they should go. We don’t realize that God is in control of all things! He allows things to happen for a reason – sometimes it is to teach us to pray, and how to overcome situations and circumstances in our lives. God wants to bring us to a place where every little thing in life doesn’t tick us off. Hopefully this helps us to realize that we all need help in this department, and God has exactly what the doctor ordered – the blood of Jesus! 1 John 1:9 - 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That word “unrighteousness” simply means “not righteous”. When we acknowledge that we have things in us that are not right, and that God can help us with those things, we can proceed forth in God’s plan of redemption – redeeming us from the wickedness that controls our thoughts and actions. Remember – without God’s redemption, there is no salvation. But we must also remember that God’s redemption is a daily process – He is purging out the old carnal man day by day, to make room for the new spiritual man. He is making us into the image of Christ. Back to Ephesians 4:26-27. The word “sin” means “to miss the mark” – it is a word we hear all the time, but sometimes we lack understanding on the pure meaning of the word. Sin is much more than just lying, cheating and stealing. It is anything that goes contrary to the will of God, even to the tiniest degree. When we realize that, we realize how truly wicked we are, and how desperately we need a Saviour. Even in our best intentions, we can never truly match up to the perfect will of God – we can only do it step by step. So God is very gracious towards us, and extends His grace as a platform to help us grow in our fight against the sin that tries to defeat us. He knows exactly where our heart is, and honors our faith in Him, and our desire to follow Him, as righteousness. In Genesis 15:6, we see that God counted Abram’s faith as righteousness. Without faith, we cannot have righteousness – we must first believe in Him, and then obey Him. The word “wrath” (Eph. 4:26) means “rage” and comes from a root word which basically means “surrounded by anger”. Wrath, in a sense, is a very strong form of anger – anger is at one level, and wrath is a stronger level! Let’s make a scenario. You go to work, and your boss says something nasty to you. You become very angry – full of wrath. You feel like your boss is a jerk, and you would like to tell him off! You may even get to a point where you actually do that, or instead you go home and take it out on the dog. Your anger has gotten out of control. You are not in control of your life – the anger has control over you! It may not always have control over you – but all it takes is something to set you off. Does this scenario sound familiar? You have wrath in your life! It is time to bring it to the feet of Jesus, and let His blood wash you clean of any unholy anger and wrath. The word “place” (Eph. 4:27) means “a spot, an occupancy, a license, a room”. Who do we give room to? The devil! Remember what is written in Ephesians 4:27 – “Neither give place to the devil”. Have you ever heard the old saying, “You act just like the devil”? There is a nugget of truth in this saying. The reason is that we have given the devil a place in our heart, and He will operate through our lives. If we choose to retain our wrath, and not bring it to the feet of Jesus, it will continue to rule our lives. We think we are free to tell people off, but the sad truth is that we are in bondage to our anger, and we have been deceived by the devil, who continues to harm us and others around us by our acts of anger. Remember, anger can be like a fire. If you have ever seen someone go into a rage, you well know that they will do things that they never would have dreamed of doing. This is the devastation that can be caused by wrath. Have you ever heard of road rage? How about a crime of passion? Manslaughter? Things happen in the heat of the moment, and if we have not given Jesus permission to cleanse us of these desires, we are truly a slave to our anger. So why would we want to continue in our anger? It feels good! It feels great to tell someone off who has hurt you – but would Jesus like that? Would we want them to tell us off? Would Jesus tell them off? This is the hard thing about parting with our unholy anger – it feels good, like a drug. We are justified in our anger – at least to ourselves. But in God’s eyes, we are setting ourselves up for destruction. Remember, if you do not forgive others their sins, you cannot be forgiven either. To wrap up this message, I would like to give some scriptures that we can dwell upon to help us realize that anger in its unholy form is a curse and a sin, but it can be overcome through the blood of Jesus! Romans 12:19-21 / 19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Ephesians 4:31-32 / 31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Proverbs 30:8 / 8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Matthew 7:3-5 / 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

8-14-11 / Holy Ghost (Part 2) 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Let’s talk just a bit about some of the words that Jesus spoke, so we have some more understanding. Even some of these words are words that we use daily, and we have some understanding of, but it never hurts to take a deeper look at words that you think you understand, so that you can take a new look at it, or a deeper look at it. “Pray” (John 14:16) means “to interrogate, to request, to ask, to beseech, to desire, to intreat, and to pray”. I find the word “interrogate” interesting. We are talking about interrogating God! But we are interrogating His will with requests – we need to also make sure that our requests are according to His will, and this comes with spending time in the Word of God, and spending time in prayer. NOTE – the best way to learn who God is is to get alone with him. Another way to look at the word “pray” would be “to beg”. Do we get earnest with our prayer requests to God? Do we honestly expect Him to make real changes to this earth without some real blood, sweat and tears in our prayers? Even Jesus sweated blood during His prayer in the garden, before He was carried away by the Roman centurions. “Comforter” (John 14:16) means “an intercessor, a consoler, an advocate”. The Holy Ghost is very similar to the female side of God – The Word of God designates the Holy Ghost as a “He”, but if you read about some of His characteristics, you see that He is a comforter – He is skilled in the emotional needs of mankind, for both men and women. God never designed for us to be alone. He wants us to be comforted at all times, and when the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, dwells with us, we can be sure that at any time we want God’s presence and peace in our lives, He will be there, no matter what is happening in this world. “Abide” (John 14:16) means “to stay, to continue, to dwell, to endure, to be present, to remain, to stand, and to tarry for”. This promise is not a fleeting promise – Jesus is talking about the Comforter abiding with us. He is basically moving in! Where is He moving into? Our hearts! He wants to live within the area of our will, and bring unity to our will and God’s. His design is to lead us in all truth at all moments, so that we are led by the truth, and steadily and surely we grow in the image of Christ. Our will will be transformed daily by the restorative ministry of the Holy Ghost, until our desire is totally consumed by God’s desire. This is how we are truly made in the image of God – when we lay down our will at His feet, and allow His will to have full sway in our lives! “Ever” (John 14:16) means “perpetual, age, course, eternal, forever”. The implication is that God did not send the Holy Ghost for only a few years, or for only a few Christians. The Holy Ghost’s ministry of dwelling within man began after Jesus’ ascension, on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. From there, it has continued in the church age. It even had a rebirth, a revival, in the modern Christian church at Asuza Street in the early 20th century. We will cover more on this in detail. But the important thing to learn here is that God has never quenched the Holy Ghost fire, contrary to what many preachers today preach. The Holy Ghost is still a very powerful part of the Christian ministry these days, and those who teach that He is not active are sadly mistaken, and sadly without the true power of God that emanates from the presence of the Holy Ghost. “Know” (John 14:17) means “to be aware of, to feel, to have knowledge of, to perceive, to be sure, to understand”. God says that those who know the Holy Ghost are intimate with Him. If you have never felt the true power of God, maybe you are not yet intimate with the real ministry of the Holy Ghost. Those who have felt His power, they cannot deny that they felt something. There are some who convince themselves that it was in their mind, or that they hallucinated. But why have to go to such extremes to justify a real feeling from God? Even the very Bible that we teach from speaks of the glory of God falling, and men falling to the ground! His glory is so strong that the human body cannot stand in His presence. Do you know Him? Not just that you have heard of Him – have you ever felt Him, and gotten intimate with Him? Have you ever praised Him with all of your heart, and felt the warmth and the bubbling up on the inside, like you are a bottle of champagne ready to pop? The feelings that God give do not equate with any drug or alcohol that this world can offer – they are not in any comparison with His perfect design, His perfect bliss! “Comfortless” (John 14:18) comes from the Greek word “orphanos”. I include the exact word because of its direct correlation with the English word “orphan”. It means “bereaved, parentless, fatherless”. Jesus is like a parent to us. Some teach that He is the same as God the Father, but as we discussed last week, God has three parts – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. We learned that Jesus is made in the express image of God (Hebrews 1:3), and therefore we can discern that He has a Father nature, just as His Father has a Father nature too. Jesus also has a Mother nature too. We have read many times in the Bible that Jesus had compassion on people, and how He cried and wished that He could hold Jerusalem as a hen holds her chicks – under her wing. But Jerusalem would not allow this – they denied Jesus as their Christ. Jesus has a parent nature, and since He had to leave to be with the Father, the promise (which came from the Father) was that the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, would be sent to help lead us and guide us in the image of Christ! “Come” (John 14:18) is a pretty self-explanatory word, but nevertheless, it means “to accompany, to appear, to bring, to enter, to grow, to resort, to be set”. Jesus wanted to accompany us, but He must also be with His Heavenly Father – therefore, He sent the Comforter in His name, to continue on with the ministry that He began. What began through the Father was accomplished in the Son, and what was accomplished in the Son was continued through the Holy Ghost. The Father gave the first commands, upon Mount Sinai – the Ten Commandments and the Old Testament covenants, the instructions for building the Old Testament Tabernacle, etc. These laws continued through the first five books of the Bible, called the Torah. When Jesus came, He brought a new covenant through His blood. Mankind no longer needed to offer animal sacrifices and go through all of the rituals that were originally part of the law, since Jesus was the fulfillment of the law. Now, mankind could find true atonement through Him! And then the Holy Ghost was sent to minister to mankind, and to help lead us and guide us in all truth. The next verse I want to focus on is John 14:26, which reveals to us that the Comforter is the Holy Ghost! John 14:26 / 26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. We see that in the last part of this verse, the Holy Ghost was designed to teach us all things that Christ taught us. And in John 12:49, we read that Jesus only spoke what the Father told Him to speak. John 12:49 / 49For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. Therefore we see a pattern. The words that Jesus spoke initially come from the Father, and are given to the Son. The Son, who is a faithful steward of the Word of God, tells people only what God the Father tells Him to tell. Then in like manner, the Holy Spirit also delivers the words that Jesus delivered, which originally came from the Father. This is like water that flows downhill. Then in like manner, we receive the word from the Holy Ghost, and it is our turn to deliver the words that He taught us, and not teach our own agenda. It is very important to not teach our own agenda! You can teach the Word of God, but be out of the will of God, and your message will not accomplish what God has brought it forth to do. It must be taught according to His will. Even Jesus taught in John 16:12 that there were many things he would like to teach the disciples, but they were not yet ready for them. In due season, the Holy Ghost would reveal according to God’s will, according to His timeline, not according to ours. The main point I want to bring out of this verse, however, is that Jesus is specifically designating the Comforter as the Holy Ghost. He is not the Father – the Father sends the Holy Ghost. He is not the Son – He will come in the name of the Son (in the authority of the Son). This way we don’t get confused and teach that Jesus is both the Son and the Holy Ghost. “Send” (John 14:26) means “to dispatch, to transmit, to bestow”. He could not be sent to live within us until Jesus paid the price. Once His blood was shed, it could be applied to the heavenly mercy seat. From that point, it was as if His blood penetrated our hearts from then until now. We are now free to have God’s spirit dwell within us. Before then, His glory could only dwell behind curtains in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. However, now His glory can dwell on the inside, within this bone and sinew and flesh. As a matter of fact, when some people get filled with the Holy Ghost to a very strong degree, it will even look like their face and body is glowing with His radiance. I hope we can understand from these Scriptures that the Holy Ghost was sent after Jesus ascended to the Father, and that He is also known as the Comforter. There are some who teach that the Holy Ghost does not operate any more – that He was only sent during the time of the apostles who wrote the Bible. But remember that those apostles laid hands on disciples, and they too became filled with the Holy Ghost. Even consider Timothy, who Paul wrote about in 1 Timothy 4:14 how he received the gift of the Holy Ghost. 1 Timothy 4:14 / 14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. It didn’t end with Paul, nor with Timothy. The church began to grow, and more Holy-Ghost filled disciples continued to do miracles in the name of Christ. We can read about these works in the early writings of the church. It is true that there was a period where the Holy Ghost fell silent for the most part, as the church began to be crafted around rituals and the following of man, rather than a sincere heart after the will of God. However, as I mentioned earlier, in the early 20th century, we read of a place called Asuza Street, where a revival broke out that affected the church world-wide! The Holy Ghost was poured out in such a manner that the atmosphere in the church building (a renovated barn) was thick with the presence of God, like a mist in the air. People grew back arms, they were healed of cancers, they received their sight, etc. I even have a book that testifies to the miracles that came forth at Asuza Street. And it did not end there! There were many denominations of Holy-Ghost filled Christians who began to preach with boldness about Christ, and miracles came forth – signs followed the believers! Has God quenched His spirit in these last days? Certainly not! But if we continue to resist against His ministry, and His calling to fill us with His spirit, we will not be able to operate to the degree that He wants us to be able to. He sent His Holy Spirit to help us accomplish the true will of God the Father, which was sent forth in Christ Jesus – the redemption of mankind. Can we receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost today, just as the disciples in the Bible received it? Most certainly! It is a gift that is given to whoever is willing. I will wrap up with a scripture in Acts 2:38-39 / 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. It was a promise to everyone who the LORD called, not just the early church! If we want the gift, it is available for us too! Let us reach out and receive it in Jesus’ name – AMEN!

Tekoa Camp Meeting Central Standard Times on August 4, 2011 and August 5, 2011 9:30 to about 12:00 or 12:30 19:00 to about 20:30 or 21:00 Live feed during those times at stevebrownministries.com (Steve Brown Ministries)

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, 'I love you, and I pray you enough.' The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.' They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?' Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?' 'Well..I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away & has her own busy life I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said. 'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' Ma y I ask what that means?' She began to smile. 'That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.' Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory. I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear. I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting. I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger. I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye. Then, she began to cry, and walked away. They say, it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them. TAKE TIME TO LIVE..... To all my friends and loved ones, I PRAY YOU ENOUGH.......

7-31-11 / The Mercy of the Lord Hosea 6:6 - For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. “Mercy” comes from a Hebrew word that means “goodness, kindness, faithfulness” and it goes back to a root word that means “to be reproached or ashamed, to be good or kind”. Mercy, in its highest form, is not a thing to be taken lightly. It is one thing to have mercy on someone when the end result is going to be easy, but what if being merciful would tarnish your name? Would you still be merciful, or would you simply blend in the crowd and do what everyone else would do – cast the first stone? Jesus’ mercy is one of the most astounding parts of God for us to understand. How could a man, who is perfect, be willing to take on ALL of the punishments of mankind upon his shoulders, in spite of our wicked, treacherous nature? Because He is full of mercy! There are many Christians who don’t believe that murderers should be allowed to go to heaven. Well, let’s see what the Bible says about this. I want to present a couple of cases in the Bible of people who blatantly murdered others. The first individual is King David. A slight bit of background: King David was anointed by God (through Samuel, the prophet) at a young age. He was the one who, by the hand of God, slew Goliath and saved the camp of Israel from the Philistines. He was a mighty warrior, and a man after God’s own heart. He wrote many songs unto the LORD, and was on the run for a long time from King Saul, who was jealous of his anointing. He never cursed the LORD in the midst of his trials, and finally the day came when King Saul was killed in battle. King David took the throne in God’s timing, and began to be at peace from all of his enemies, through the LORD. He then sought to build a temple for the LORD. The LORD had blessed him in all of his ways, and his heart truly sought after the LORD. As King David wrote in Psalm 138:1, “I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.” His heart truly was after the LORD. But something else creeped in at a moment that David was not ready for – lust. He spied a beautiful woman named Bathsheba taking a bath one day (2 Samuel 11:2), and so he asked who she was (2 Samuel 11:3), and they told him that she was Bathsheba, the WIFE of Uriah the Hittite! David should have run – he should have immediately used this as a warning. As a matter of fact, he should have immediately looked away, but he let his guard down, and he let lust have its way in his life. He sent for her to come to him (2 Samuel 11:4) and knew her in the Biblical sense (her husband was off at war), and sent her home. She brought back a report that she was pregnant (2 Samuel 11:5), so David conceived a plan (first lust, then adultery, now deceit) – he brought Uriah the Hittite home from war, asked him how things were going in battle, and sent him to his wife with a huge amount of food (2 Samuel 11:6-8). So far, it seems that King David has it all figured out! Uriah will go home, sleep with his wife, and when he finds that she is pregnant, he won’t be so suspecting – but there was one problem. Uriah refused to go sleep with his wife – he chose instead to sleep with the servants of King David (2 Samuel 11:9). He was a very loyal man! When King David asked him why he refused to go home, he said that he simply couldn’t do such a thing, knowing that his brethren were out in the fields and at war, while he was in comfort (2 Samuel 11:10-11). So David comes up with another plan – he will get Uriah drunk! Surely this will change Uriah’s mind – normally a bit of alcohol makes people change their way of thinking. But Uriah’s mind still was not swayed – his heart was still not changed. Kind David surely did get Uriah drunk, but Uriah still refused to sleep with his wife (2 Samuel 11:12-13). So King David has one final idea – kill off Uriah, take Bathsheba to be his wife, and the whole thing is covered up in the sight of man. He sent a letter to Joab, the captain of the forces, BY THE HAND OF URIAH, that states that Uriah was to die in the war (2 Samuel 11:14-15). Joab found a spot in the war where the tough part of the battle was going to be, and he purposely put Uriah there. He, too, was lacking in the moral discretion department at this time (even throughout his life). They had war, and Uriah, among other Israelites, lost their life that day (2 Samuel 11:16-17). Joab sent word unto King David that Uriah was dead, and David played it off as if it was all part of the standard routine (2 Samuel 11:18-25). Finally, it looked like David was getting away with his plan – he let Bathsheba have her mourning period for her husband, and then he took her to wife. So far, so good – no one has seen what King David has done – EXCEPT FOR THE LORD (2 Samuel 11:26-27). When we finish 2 Samuel 11, we see that the LORD was displeased with King David. I am going to fast-forward a bit here, so that this part of the lesson doesn’t go too long. But at first, David genuinely thought he was getting away with not only lust, but also adultery, deceit, and finally murder. And to top it off, he got the wife that should still belong to another man – all because of the lust that he allowed to have reign in his heart. God sent a prophet named Nathan to expose the sin, and David repented when he knew that his sin was found out. If he hadn’t repented, God would have pronounced a sentence of death upon him. We can read the entirety of the repercussions that King David experienced because of his disobedience in 2 Samuel 12: - The sword will never depart from his house. - God will raise up evil against King David out of his own house - God will give King David’s wives to his neighbor, who will lie with them in the daylight for all people to see There are more repercussions as we read through the Bible – some of his children are murdered, and he is constantly on the run. We would think that God has only exacted punishment upon David, and not love, and certainly not mercy. But in the midst of all of this, God did not leave King David. He certainly chastised him for his disobedience, as a loving father. And, admittedly, the punishment was a great one. But how great a sin was it to take another man’s wife, and then have him killed, and then marry his wife, and try to keep it all hidden? Consider one more person from the New Testament – Saul. Many Christians say they don’t believe a murderer should be forgiven, but then they will quote from one of the many books that Paul wrote in the New Testament. The Book of Acts tells us of Paul’s pre-Christian mission to destroy Christianity. Let’s take a quick look at his works before he met Christ on the road to Damascus: Acts 8:3-4 / 3As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Acts 9:1-2 / 1And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. Why would God choose to use someone like this? Contrary to what many might believe, Paul earnestly thought he was doing the will of the LORD – punishing all those who came against the LORD. What he did not understand was that the LORD was the very one he was persecuting – he did it ignorantly (1 Timothy 1:13). But the LORD chose him as an example of His longsuffering (1 Timothy 1:16). Paul ended his course faithfully – he finally got a glimpse of the true prize in God, and became on fire for God, and God used his bad start for good, as a testimony to all those who thought that they were never good enough for God’s forgiveness. We could go through a long list of sins and find people in the Bible who overcame these sins by the power of Jesus Christ. But most important, think upon your own sin – the punishment that we truly deserve for what we have done. Consider what Paul teaches to the church of the Corinthians: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 / 9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. We all begin somewhere – what is more important is how we finish. We may begin our life in Christ coming from a life of total moral foolishness, being even devil-worshippers, or involved in mass sexual sins. But God is faithful to cleanse us of ALL unrighteousness, if we come to Him. One last thought – why did David receive the repercussions he received for his wrong, but Paul did not? Although Paul suffered during his walk with Christ, the word does not say that God punished him specifically for his past – rather, his hard road was a by-product of his service to the LORD. But David knew that which was right. He was not ignorant to his sin, and therefore he did receive earthly chastisement. Let us learn from their examples and press on into the mercy of Christ!

You'll know you have the Holy Spirit when... 1.You seek to be constant in joy 2. You seek to be constant in prayer 3. You seek to be constant in thanksgiving Hinderers of thankfulness, rejoicing & prayer are... 1.Doubt about God's character & Word 2.Selfishness 3.Worldliness 4.Critical spirit 5.Impatience 6.Spiritual oldness 7.Rebellion

16.It was the perfect weather for leaf watching, and my wife, Julie, and I were all set to spend the weekend with friends in the north Georgia mountains. “Don’t you want to come along?” Julie asked our 15-year-old son, Mark. He wasn’t interested. “Enjoy the leaves,” he told her. “I’ll be fine here by myself.” Julie and I drove up in our car after work on Friday. Saturday morning, we hiked along the mountainside, drinking in the dazzling colors. “I could spend all week out here,” Julie said. “Me, too,” I answered. We headed back to the cabin, had dinner, and then played cards by the fireplace. I stared at the smoke rising from the chimney. All of a sudden, I was overcome with a terrible feeling. Go home, a voice seemed to urge me. I couldn’t explain it, but I wanted, no, needed, to go home. “hal, you’re being silly,” Julie said. But the urge kept getting stronger and stronger. “I’ve got to leave,” I said. “If you want to stay, you can get a ride back with everyone else tomorrow.” Julie stood up. “No, I’ll go with you.” We barely spoke on the two-hour trip back. I felt guilty. We were missing the best leaf watching by driving in the dark. But I couldn’t ignore this urge. Finally, we pulled into the drive. The lights were on in the house, but something was strange. The windows seemed to be fogged up. Julie opened the door. Smoke poured out. “Mark!” she yelled. We dashed inside and found him asleep on the sofa. Shaking him awake, Julie grabbed him. I grabbed the source of the smoke—a pillow set too close to the fireplace—took it outside, and threw water on it. Mark had built a fire to keep warm, and some embers had flown out when he forgot to replace the screen. The whole house could have gone up if we hadn’t gotten there just then. I stared in wonder at the smoke hanging in the air. Just like the smoke that triggered the urge to go home. God please help me to heed those unexplainable urges, knowing they come from You.

7-24-11 / To Believe a Lie 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 / 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. The key to this set of scriptures is the last few words – “believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness”. God gives us all a chance to repent, but if we don’t have a genuine love for the truth, we will choose to push it aside in favor of what our flesh wants – the lie. Here is the premise. Satan comes to tempt you with sin. We all know that sin always appears appealing, and here is the point. It even looks so good to the point that your life temporarily appears better with it than without it. The pleasure received for the moment seems worth the pain that will be endured later, or maybe, it seems that everything will be alright in the long run. This is the deceivableness of sin, and it is a very costly thing. Let’s give it a scenario. You are at work, and a person that you are attracted to suddenly begins dropping hints at spending alone time with you. You are married, but what do you do? Is this what you look at as the chance of a lifetime, or as a chance to flee from something very dangerous? Sadly, this very scenario has entrapped countless people these days, and it dates much farther back than “the office”. We can read of sexual sins going way back. What about theft? You have an opportunity to steal something that doesn’t belong to you, and no one will find out (at least it seems). Or, you might be able to take credit for something that you didn’t do. Lying? “One little white lie won’t hurt anything”…”It is better if they don’t know”…”This will be the last time”....etc. We begin to create a series of lies to cover up something we don’t want being exposed, believing that our life is better living with the lies than with the truth. We could continue to craft scenarios, but the idea is that sin always looks like it makes life better. It is like the spice on the bland food, the color in the painting, the gas in the tank – at least it seems. But the reason that we view sin as the most appealing is that we have not yet developed a love for the truth. We may be saved, but up to what level? Are we barely saved, where we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but are still barely able to live the Christian lifestyle? Or maybe we have conquered many things in our lives through the blood of Christ, but there is still some gray areas in our lives that we don’t want to relinquish. Let’s talk about the consequences of sin. These are in black and white – there is no gray area with the consequence of sin. James 1:14-15 teaches us about the ministry of sin in our lives. James 1:14-15 / 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. It begins with lust – temptation. We can choose to use our spiritual weapons (prayer, Word of God, praise, etc.) to war against the temptation, or we can choose to yield to the temptation. What does James mean when he says that “lust hath conceived”? It means that our will and the serpent will (the carnal desires) have joined in union, as in even a sexual fashion. So as when a husband and wife join together as one, they conceive a child, when you join your will to the lust, you conceive – SIN. Sin then has a ministry of death that it births in your life, with the mission to send your soul to hell. Now, sin will never tell you of its end. It only gives you the sparkly lights, and the ringing bells and whistles. It takes you on a roller-coaster ride of satisfaction on a track that ends at a brick wall. Imagine the joy of riding a roller-coaster – the ups and downs, the twists and turns, only to see a sudden brick wall of fire that you are going to slam into. The problem is, you are already buckled into the roller coaster, and there is no way out. By the time you see the end, it is too late, and you crash and burn without a way out. So it is when a person goes to hell. They live the lifestyle of sin, with its fun for the moment. Who cares what tomorrow brings. Sex – drugs – rock and roll – all is okay. And they go and go and go, working constantly to feed the flesh, never realizing that they are in total bondage and darkness to the ministry of sin. They think that they are really free to do what they want, not realizing the chains that grab their soul. See if they can go one day without their daily fix, and see what it does to their bodies. People with drug addictions howl, and shake, and scream, in desperate need for the one thing they have been feeding themselves. But once they get their fix, they are just fine – until the drug wears off, and then it is back for more. Suddenly, they hit the brick wall – terminal cancer, homelessness, prison time, or even sudden death. What a way to end up their lives. And then, there comes eternity. They awake in a place of torment, filled with volcanic levels of fiery heat, burning smoke that is thicker than blood, screams, agony, hunger, thirst, and no rest. They watch the countless other souls who are damned to spend eternity in the same place they have now went to – all because they loved not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Be not deceived. If there was no hell, and no judgment, and no sin, Jesus would never have had to come. But he came – why? Because He has no desire for any of us to enter into the place of judgment. Before we continue – what is your sin? Do you realize the effects that it has on you, both physically and spiritually? When you continue in sin, you give the devil authority in your life to steal, to kill, and to destroy anything he can get his hands on. Your finances – your family – your possessions – etc. Why would you allow him to do this, knowing that you can shut the door in the name of Jesus? Obedience to the Word is what will stop the devil from destroying what you own. Let’s return to 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12. When we choose to refuse the love of the truth, and choose to refuse to repent of our wickedness, God will allow us to believe a lie. What is the lie? We begin to believe that our sin is really okay. And we go through life believing this lie. We drink it up like poison from a rattlesnake, sip by sip, and it slowly kills our conscience, leaving us in a spiritual coma, maybe never waking up. There will be people who profess to be Christians today who will spend eternity in hell. Why? Because they profess Christ with their mouths, but in deed they continue to be wicked people. They steal, and kill, and lie, and are so full of pride, not confessing their sin, but continuing in their wickedness, all in the name of God. God has called us to be perfect. This means it is time to begin to believe the LORD. It is time to begin repenting of our wickedness. What will you choose? Do you need a million scriptures to make up your mind? Normally I give so much scripture, but this time only a couple are necessary to expose sin. It is time to quit blaming everyone else, and time to make amends for our own wicked actions. Take time to consider if your life lines up with the Word of God. If it doesn’t, it is time to begin repenting. Many today will tell you that you can do whatever you want and repent later, but this is a lie that will send you straight to hell. God has commanded us to be holy. Please do not despise His word. If you have not been living holy, but you desire a genuine change, now is the time! It is time to pray unto the LORD and ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and to come into your heart and cleanse you, and make you a new creation. If you refuse Him, you may not have tomorrow. Don’t be deceived and put Him off. Many who thought they had tomorrow are now spending eternity regretting their decision in extreme pain and sorrow. PLEASE – heed the warning of the LORD, and while there is still time, give your whole heart unto Him.

This is a song from Toby Mac called City On Our Knees http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s52kGgFzRKI

We are here on Earth because God made us. Because He being God chose to give us the breath of life, we are indebted eternally to Him. So, while we are on this earth we should surrender our selfishness, evil thoughts and sins in our life to Jesus and truly want Him to rule our lives. We then repent of our sins and ask Jesus to live in us. He will if we are truly repentant and belive on Him. From then on we don't keep living life as we used to live. We live our lives for Christ. We seek to do His will, walk in His ways and obey His laws which are written in the Bible. Our lives will look differently and people will notice it. When they do, share the gospel and tell them how Jesus gave you a new life and set you free from your bondage to sin.

The followers of John Wycliffe undertook the first complete English translations of the Christian scriptures in the 15th century. These translations were banned in 1409 due to their association with the Lollards.[28] The Wycliffe Bible pre-dated the printing press but was circulated very widely in manuscript form, often inscribed with a date earlier than 1409 to avoid the legal ban. As the text translated in the various versions of the Wycliffe Bible was the Latin Vulgate, and as it contained no heterodox readings, there was in practice no way by which the ecclesiastical authorities could distinguish the banned version; consequently many Catholic commentators of the 15th and 16th centuries (such as Thomas More) took these manuscript English Bibles to represent an anonymous earlier orthodox translation. William Tyndale translated the New Testament into English in 1525. In 1525, William Tyndale, an English contemporary of Martin Luther, undertook a translation of the New Testament.[29] Tyndale's translation was the first printed Bible in English. Over the next ten years, Tyndale revised his New Testament in the light of rapidly advancing biblical scholarship, and embarked on a translation of the Old Testament.[30] Despite some controversial translation choices, the merits of Tyndale's work and prose style made his translation the ultimate basis for all subsequent renditions into Early Modern English.[31] With these translations lightly edited and adapted by Myles Coverdale, in 1539, Tyndale's New Testament and his incomplete work on the Old Testament became the basis for the Great Bible. This was the first "authorized version" issued by the Church of England during the reign of King Henry VIII.[6] When Mary I succeeded to the throne in 1553, she returned the Church of England to the communion of the Roman Catholic faith and many English religious reformers fled the country,[32] some establishing an English-speaking colony at Geneva. Under the leadership of John Calvin, Geneva became the chief international centre of Reformed Protestantism and Latin biblical scholarship.[33] These English expatriates undertook a translation that became known as the Geneva Bible.[34] This translation, dated to 1560, was a revision of Tyndale's Bible and the Great Bible on the basis of the original languages.[35]Soon after Elizabeth I took the throne in 1558, the flaws of both the Great Bible and the Geneva Bible (namely, that the Geneva Bible did not "conform to the ecclesiology and reflect the episcopal structure of the Church of England and its beliefs about an ordained clergy") became painfully apparent.[36] In 1568, the Church of England responded with the Bishops' Bible, a revision of the Great Bible in the light of the Geneva version.[37] While officially approved, this new version failed to displace the Geneva translation as the most popular English Bible of the age – in part because the full Bible was only printed in lectern editions of prodigious size and at a cost of several pounds.[38] Accordingly, Elizabethan lay people overwhelmingly read the Bible in the Geneva Version – small editions were available at a relatively low cost. At the same time, there was a substantial clandestine importation of the rival Douay-Rheims New Testament of 1582, undertaken by exiled Roman Catholics. This translation, though still derived from Tyndale, claimed to represent the text of the Latin Vulgate.[39] In May 1601, King James VI of Scotland attended the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland at St Columba's Church in Burntisland, Fife, at which proposals were put forward for a new translation of the Bible into English.[40] Two years later, he acceded to the throne of England as King James I of England.

7-17-11 / Can God Trust You? So often, people wonder if they can trust God. This is understandable, if you are not a believer. You have not decided to give your heart whole-heartedly to the LORD – as a matter of fact, you haven’t decided to do it at all. But once you take on the name of Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, it is time to walk a new walk, and part of that is learning to trust Him, and walk with Him daily. But I am not focusing as much on us trusting Him, as the flip-side to the coin – Can God Trust You? If God gave you $1 million dollars today, what would you do with it? Would you blow it on beautiful homes, vacations, cars and clothes? Would you live a riotous lifestyle filled with sex and drugs? Or would you be faithful with the money entrusted to you? Would you use it to help those who were less fortunate? What would you do? Could God trust you with what is His? It doesn’t even have to be just money – there are so many gifts that God gives us - many that we even take for granted. Are we faithful with those gifts? Luke 16:9-12 / 9And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? The word “mammon” means “confidence, wealth, or avarice (greed)”. The word “unrighteousness” means “(legal) injustice, mor. wrongfulness (of character, life or act), iniquity, and wrong”. It even has a root word that mean “treacherous”. Jesus says to make friends of the mammon of unrighteousness. In short, he is saying to be faithful (be friends) with the wealth of the world – to treat it in a friendly, godly manner. One of the meanings of “friends” is “an associate” – treat the money as if it were for a company you were an associate for – with credibility and honor. The word “fail” means “to omit, to cease, and to die”. There are a couple of other scriptures that use the same Greek word for “fail”, “eklipo” – Luke 22:32 and Hebrews 1:12. Let’s look at how the word “fail” is used in these scriptures. Luke 22:32 - 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Jesus prayed that the Father would not allow Satan to harm Simon Peter to the point that he could not stand. We take prayer so lightly, but what if our prayer is the very thing that helps our faith “fail not”? Hebrews 1:12 - 12And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. This word “fail” has a connotation of “to cease, to die”. It cannot be nailed down to one meaning, so it is important to understand a word in the context of the text. The LORD honors our faithfulness to the riches of this world. When we do not blow our money, nor flash it, nor spend it crudely or selfishly, but we are godly stewards of the money we are entrusted with, God sees and takes note of our faithfulness. Tell me – who would you rather give a million dollars to, a shopaholic or a wise spender? A party-til-you-drop guy, or someone who gives to those in need, while managing his money appropriately? So it is with God – He will give more to those who are wise and faithful investors. The word “faithful” means “trustworthy, believing, sure, and true”, and it comes from a root word with a wealth of description – “to convince (by argument, true or false), pacify, conciliate, to assent (to evidence or authority), to rely (by inward certainty), agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) confident, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield”. Here is a way we can use the meanings of the word to describe what our faithful behavior brings in action – #1 – We convince God, and others, and ourselves, through our faithful living. #2 – We pacify any doubts of where we stand when we are faithful. #3 – We conciliate ourselves to God by trusting Him and being faithful to Him. #4 – We assent to God’s authority and honesty by our faithfulness. #5 – We rely on God’s Word rather than our understanding by our faithfulness to Him. #6 – We agree that God’s Word is the ultimate authority by our faithfulness. We could continue to dissect each word and its correlation to the key word “faithful”, but just take time to consider that being faithful means that we must trust God’s Word more than our own carnal reasoning, and be willing to follow wherever He leads, whether it is convenient or not. The word “unjust” means “unjust, wicked, treacherous, heathen, and unrighteous”. If we consider that Jesus is effectively discussing polar opposites here, then the opposite of “faithful” is “unjust, wicked, treacherous, heathen and unrighteous”. Sure we don’t want God to judge us in this manner, but when we choose to obey evil rather than good, we will be unfaithful, or wicked. “Commit to your trust” means “to have faith in, to credit, to entrust, to believe”, and it comes from a root word meaning “persuasion, conviction, reliance, assurance, belief, faith, and fidelity”. Even deeper, it means “to not hide”. In short, Jesus is saying, “Can God Trust You?” If you were God, looking at your life, would you trust you? Have you been faithful to God to the point that if He was telling others about you, He would give a report like He gave to Satan about Job: “there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil”? There have been many people in the Bible that had favourable testimonies – just take a good look at Hebrews 11, called the Hall of Faith, to see many righteous men of God WHO BY FAITH wrought many powerful works in the name of God: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the harlot Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. If Hebrews 11 were written today, would your name be mentioned in God’s Hall of Faith? Do you mightily believe in God to see miracles come to pass? Look at Abram’s (later called Abraham) righteousness, documented in Genesis 15:6 - 6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. The word “counted” means “to plait or interpenetrate, to weave or to fabricate, to plot or contrive, to think, to regard, value, and to compute”. God knows that we can never truly be righteous on our own – look at Isaiah 64:6 (all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags). So God is so gracious, He counts our faith for righteousness. When we actively choose to believe God’s Word over the ways of the world, God counts it to us for righteousness. And even greater – when we choose to believe God, it truly changes our nature. The Word of God transforms our corrupt nature into the nature of Christ. There is a principle in Luke 16:10 – “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” Do you believe that God has provided for you sufficiently for your situation? Or do you covet more? When we learn to be content and give thanks in all things, we become like Paul who says in Philippians 4:12, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” God gives us what we have need of, and He is watching to see if we will be faithful in the little. He has always blessed those who follow Him, and not only financially. Some people’s relationship with God is more like “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours”. They agree to be a Christian based on what God can do for them, instead of simply worshipping God, and being content and faithful with what they are given. Sometimes God wants to see if we are faithful with other’s possessions. There are many who say, “Well, it’s not my money.” Or, “It’s not my problem.” What kind of a faithful attitude is that? Jesus says, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 19:19). As the old Golden Rule states in Matthew 7:12 (paraphrased), “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. To truly live this lifestyle takes some humility and selflessness. Do you have the attitude that every piece of money that you own belongs 100% to you, or do you give thanks and reverence to God for the money that you have been given? There are many that refuse to give tithes (the portion of money that rightfully belongs back to God) and offerings (gifts of thanksgiving) to God for what He has blessed them with – and then they wonder why their money never seems to last. There is scripture to back up God’s stand on tithing. Haggai 1:3-11 / 3Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? 5Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 6Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 7Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 8Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. 9Ye looked for much, and, lo it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. 10Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit. 11And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands. We basically expect God to do everything for us according to our will, but we are not willing to bow down to His will. But who is God – Him, or us? Who can make the heavens and the earth – Him, or us? When you choose to refuse to give what is God’s portion back to Him, you have effectively stolen from the hand of God, and therefore God “steals” from you the blessings that you would have had. Where does the true increase come from? From the hoarding of money? From covetousness? Or do they come from the hand of God? Do we acknowledge that He can verily provide for our every need, or do we withhold God’s portion from Him because we don’t believe Him at His word? His word will not return void, but it will accomplish that which He has ordained it to do (Isaiah 55:11). If we choose to disobey God’s Word and withhold what is rightfully His, then He will in turn withhold every blessing that He would have originally given you. Please, take heed to the disciplinary word of God in Haggai 1, and choose to put God first, and be faithful, lest a curse, a drought, come into your life, and strip away all that you own. God goes so far as to call us “thieves and robbers” when we refuse to pay our tithes to God. Take a look at Malachi 3:8-12. 8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. 12And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts. The reason the devourer (the devil) was operating so strongly in the lives of the Jews was that they were stealing from God, which gave the devil an open door in their lives to kill, steal and destroy all that was theirs. Why not give God what is his? Do we acknowledge that God is our source? He is the creator of life, He is the one who put the resources in the earth that help us make our living, He is the one who blesses us with wisdom to make money, He is the one who provides us with sun and rain, with dirt and seed…yet we still feel as if we are entitled to refuse God what is rightfully His. There was a time in my life when I didn’t tithe, and every penny was always spent. I never had enough – many times I was very hungry, and making it from day to day was a burdensome chore. But when I finally began to give God what was rightfully His, the tithes and offerings, I have been much more blessed. God is good on His word. As a good friend of mine who is a prophet says, “Believe it and receive it, doubt it and do without it”. But we still will receive a spiritual and physical drought in our lives as long as we choose to refuse to give God what is rightfully His. Some may say, “But what about the wicked who prosper?” A Psalmist wondered the same question – why do these wicked men prosper? Read what God revealed to the Psalmist about those who seem to just be “getting by” – Psalm 73:18-20. 18Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 19How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. 20As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. If you read the whole psalm, it is a very moving psalm – considering that some people just seem to never have it bad, and the world is all theirs, no matter how wicked they are. But also consider this scripture – Proverbs 13:22 - 22A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Sometimes God will allow a wicked man to heap wealth, just so He can give it to the righteous in the end. We see this in Exodus, when the children of Israel were leaving Egypt, that they were able to ask from the Egyptians of what they had need of, and the Egyptians readily gave it to them. We could go into this in more detail, but the point is that God has everything under control, and it is not for us to covet more than we have need of – what He has blessed us with. Let’s take a look at Luke 6:38 - 38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Are we afraid to give, thinking that we won’t have enough for ourselves? Consider being faithful to the principle God has set forth here – when you give, you will receive IN GREATER ABUNDANCE THAN YOU GAVE!!! The mystery is hard for the human mind to comprehend, so it must be taken by faith. When you choose to obey God and give, you will receive much more than you gave. We can see this principle at work in the Bible in the story of Elijah and the widow woman. Elijah was a prophet of the LORD sent to Zarephath to the house of a widow woman. Consider God’s words in 1 Kings 17:9 - 9Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. Now God saw ahead and knew that the woman had basically nothing left, due to the drought that God had called upon Israel. But He pronounced that she would be able to sustain Elijah in spite of her lack. When Elijah got there, she was ready to give up – she only had a handful of meal and a little oil, and was ready to make her last meal and die. She even had a child, but they both had lost hope. But Elijah gives her the Word of the LORD – If you feed me first (GIVE), the LORD will never let your little run empty (AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU). And the widow woman obeyed the voice of the LORD, and it was done unto her according to the promise of God. Our God is capable of making manna rain from the heavens – He can make water come out of a rock. Why do we have so much trouble being faithful to what He has asked of us? Take a look at Acts 20:35 – “35I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Do we understand this principle, or are we always more willing to receive than to give? There are true blessings in giving – the end blessings of giving (ETERNAL) far surpass the end blessings of receiving (NOW). But do we neglect our heavenly treasure in trade for our earthly treasure? Take a look at Matthew 6:31-32 / 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. God knows what you have need of. He is not opposed to praying for things that you have need of, but we can be assured that He knows what we have need of. Consider that there were times when God led His people to places where they didn’t even have basic necessities, such as food or drink. They were REQUIRED to pray for what they had need of, so that God could supply it supernaturally for them. Sometimes God will lead you into a drought to cause you to pray, so that He can answer your prayer, and be sanctified and glorified. In summary, God is for you, not against you, but it is up to you and me to choose to be faithful to Him in whatever He has entrusted us with. Whether it is a lot or a little, be assured that God can do whatever He wants with our amount, no matter the size. To God be the glory!

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The pouring rain matched my mood. The hospital information desk where I volunteered one morning a week had had only a couple of inquiries in four hours. With a sense of wasted time, I drove through the sodden streets to attend a noontime concert at our local library. I left my umbrella at the door . . . and stepped into an empty auditorium. The weather was bad, but was I going to be the only one here? As the flutist, in her long, green dress, walked onto the stage, I wanted to sink into the floor to spare her this embarrassment. Following her came a man and a woman. The man sat down at the piano, while the woman positioned herself behind him to turn the pages. Surely they weren’t going to go ahead with the concert—three performers before an audience of one! But the flutist, with a little bow, lifted her gleaming instrument and launched into a Mozart sonata. At its close, I discovered what a disconsolate sound two clapping hands make in an empty room. The flutist bowed again as the pianist set out a second score. The numbers were listed on the sheet I’d picked up at the entrance. They played the entire program. When they finished, I went forward to thank them. “To think you played it all for just one person! I wish a thousand had been here!” The soloist looked at me curiously. “Just one person?” she asked “But . . . if one person isn’t important, how could a thousand be?” One listener at a concert. One hospital visitor seeking directions. What if totals are a human concept . . . what if God counts always one by one? God,let me serve with gladness the individuals You love.

Rain pelted my Volkswagen Beetle. I put the wipers on high and peered through the windshield. Storm clouds hovered above Highway 301 as far as I could see, blotting out the sunset. Lightning blazed across the horizon and thunder rumbled. Forget making it all the way to North Carolina. I needed a place to stay for the night before the wind blew me off the road.But where? I was right smack in the middle of the Georgia swamplands. There was nothing for miles. No motels, not even a gas station or a convenience store where I could stop.Normally, I didn’t mind driving alone, but I was worried. I was heading straight into the path of the storm. And it sure looked to be a nasty one.The rain was really coming down now. Wait, what’s that? I squinted. There it was: a brightly lit sign.MRS. SMITH'S INN.I pulled off the road and stopped in front of a gracious Southern home. Wrap around porch, wicker rocking chairs, and all. The porch swing swayed violently in the wind.I ducked my head and dashed up the steps. At the door, an older woman greeted me with a sweet, motherly smile. “How can I help you, dear?”“Do you happen to have a room for the night?” I asked.“I’m so sorry,” she said. “There’s a convention in town, and we’ve been booked solid for weeks. I’m afraid every room in town is taken.”Dejected, I slowly turned to go. Another clap of thunder.“Wait,” she said. “I’ll set up my hideaway bed in the kitchen. You can have my room.”I breathed a prayer of thanks and signed the register.“Out of curiosity,” the woman asked, “why did you decide to stop here?”“I saw your sign from the highway. It had such a welcoming glow.”“My sign?” she said. “Why, that old thing hasn’t worked for ages.”God, I am grateful that Your guiding light never goes out.

I Am A Woman, I Am A Mother, I Am the Keeper and Sustainer of LifeMy willingness to carry life is the revenge, the antidote, the great rebuttal of every murder, every abortion, and every genocide. I sustain humanity, Deep inside of me, life grows. I am death's oppostion.I have pushed the hand of darkness today. I have caused there to be a weakening tremor among the ranks of those set on earth's destruction. Today a vibration that calls angels to attention echoed thoughout time. Our laughter threatened hell today.I dined with the greats of God's army. I made their meals, and tied shoes. Today, I walked with greatness, and when they were tired I carried them. I have poured myself out for the cause today.It is finally quiet, but life stirs inside of me. Gaining strength, the pulse of life sends a constant reminder to both good and evil that I have yeilded myself to Heaven and now carry its dream. No angel has ever had such a priviledge, nor any man. I am humbled by the honor. I am great with destiny.I birth the freedom fighters. In the great way, I am a leader underground resistance I smile at the disguise of my troops, surrounded by a host of warriors, destiny swirling, invisible yet tangible, and the anointing to alter history, Our footsteps marking land for conquest, we move undetected through the common places.Today I was the barrier between evil and innocence. I was the gate keeper, watching over the hope of mankind, and no intruder trespassed. These is not an hour of day or night when I turn from my post. The fierceness of my love is unmatched on earth.And because I smiled instead of frowned the world will know the power of grace. Hope has feet, and it will run to the corners of earth, because I stood up against destruction.I am a woman. I am a mother. I am the keeper and sustainer of life here on earth.Heaven stands in honor of my mission. No one else can carry my call. I am the daughter of Eve. Eve has been redeemed. I am the opposition of death. I am a woman.Christianna Reed Maas, 2010

The snow that had fallen during the night blanketed the pavement. Snow-packed icy patches, left from previous snowfalls, were hidden, giving trouble to unsuspecting motorists. A neighbor drove toward the crest of the hill and almost reached it. Suddenly, the wheels of his car began to spin. He couldn’t move forward, and when he tried to back off the ice, his car veered sideways.He sat helpless, then three boys ran over to push the car, trying to give it enough leverage to clear the ice. The wheels continued to spin and slip. A passerby paused to survey the situation, then moved in to put his shoulder against the car with a powerful push. The car responded to that extra help, and my neighbor was on his way once more.When I am tempted to think that my efforts are unimportant, that what I do is of no influence, I remember that fourth man. What if he had only stopped to watch the hopeless struggle? Suppose he had just walked on, thinking that what he did wouldn’t matter? But he acted—and made all the difference.When opportunities come, God help me to be quick to do what I can do.

How long has it been since you told your relatives, parents, brothers, sisters, friends etc... that you appreciate them. What have they been to you over the years? Please, please take a minute... can you spare it? Of course you can. Tell those people how much you appreciate them. I left a note to those I appreciated and I didn't wan't to do it), but Oh! the blessing and encouragement I felt after I did it. Many people replied and encouraged me... Just because I took a minute out of the day God gave me to bless those I care for. Please do it without expecting anything in return. But if someone does reply, be thankful. They took a minute also to tell you how much they appreciate you. Thankyou, and May God bless you.

THE LORD'S PRAYER "The Prayer"in blue type and GOD in red typeeach with a response. "Our Father Who Art In Heaven" Yes?Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.But – you called ME!Called you?No, I didn't call you.I'm praying.Our Father who art in Heaven.There – you did it again!Did what?Called ME.You said,Our Father who art in HeavenWell, here I am.What's on your mind?But I didn't mean anything by it.I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day.I always say the Lord's Prayer.It makes me feel good,kind of like fulfilling a duty.Well, all right.Go on. Okay, "Hallowed be thy name . ." Hold it right there.What do you mean by that?By what?By "Hallowed be thy name"?It means, it means . . good grief,I don't know what it means.How in the world should I know?It's just a part of the prayer.By the way, what does it mean?It means honored, holy, wonderful.Hey, that makes sense.I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before.Thanks. "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done,on earth as it is in Heaven" Do you really mean that?Sure, why not?What are you doing about it?Doing? Why, nothing, I guess.I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control,of everything down here like you have up there.We're kinda in a mess down here you know.Yes, I know;but, have I got control of you?Well, I go to church.That isn't what I asked you.What about your bad temper?You've really got a problem there, you know.And then there's the way you spend your money --all on yourself.And what about the kind of books you read?Now hold on just a minute!Stop picking on me!I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at church!Excuse ME.I thought you were prayingfor my will to be done.If that is to happen,it will have to start with the oneswho are praying for it.Like you -- for example.Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups.Now that you mention it,I could probably name some others.So could I.I haven't thought about it very much until now,but I really would like to cut out some of those things.I would like to, you know, be really free.Good.Now we're getting somewhere.We'll work together – You and ME.I'm proud of You.Look, Lord, if you don't mind,I need to finish up here.This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. "Give us this day, our daily bread." You need to cut out the bread.You're overweight as it is.Hey, wait a minute! What is this?Here I was doing my religious duty,and all of a sudden you break inand remind me of all my hang-ups.Praying is a dangerous thing.You just might get what you ask for.Remember,you called ME -- and here I am.It's too late to stop now.Keep praying. ( . . pause . . )Well, go on.I'm scared to.Scared? Of what?I know what you'll say.Try ME. "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us." What about Ann?See? I knew it!I knew you would bring her up!Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories.She never paid back the money she owes me.I've sworn to get even with her!But -- your prayer --What about your prayer?I didn't -- mean it.Well, at least you're honest.But, it's quite a load carrying around all that bitternessand resentment isn't it?Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her.Boy, have I got some plans for her.She'll wish she had never been born.No, you won't feel any better.You'll feel worse.Revenge isn't sweet.You know how unhappy you are --Well, I can change that.You can? How?Forgive Ann.Then, I'll forgive you;And the hate and the sin,will be Ann's problem-- not yours.You will have settled the problemas far as you are concerned.Oh, you know, you're right.You always are.And more than I want revenge,I want to be right with You . . (sigh).All right . all right . .I forgive her.There now!Wonderful!How do you feel?Hmmmm. Well, not bad.Not bad at all!In fact, I feel pretty great!You know, I don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight.I haven't been getting much rest, you know.Yeah, I know.But, you're not through with your prayer are you? Go on.Oh, all right. "And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil" Good! Good! I'll do that.Just don't put yourself in a placewhere you can be tempted.What do you mean by that?You know what I mean.Yeah. I know.Okay.Go ahead. Finish your prayer. "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power,and the glory forever." "Amen" Do you know what would bring me glory --What would really make me happy?No, but I'd like to know.I want to please you now.I've really made a messof things.I want to truly follow you.I can see now how great that would be.So, tell me . . .How do I make you happy? YOU Just Did !