What I Liked About the Latinos in North Africa

Posted by: Jeff Adams in Ministry Musings, December 2, 2008.
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I continue to reflect on my recent visit to North Africa, seeing a dream fulfilled before my eyes. For 30 years I have said that Latin Americans have the potential to be wonderful workers and representatives of Jesus Christ in places like North Africa. Let me give a couple of specific examples of why I liked what I saw. . First, Latin America culture is normally very warm and personable. Latin Americans who have relocated to places like North Africa seem to have a relatively easy time of making friendships and mixing with people in the context of the local culture. North Americans and Europeans often struggle in this area, being used to guarding their “personal space.” It seems to be much more difficult for them to jump in and mix with the local culture. . Second, many of the Latinos have a wonderfully mature understanding of the doctrine of vocation. They don’t need a “cover” or excuse to live an Islamic culture. Many of them would view this as dishonest or giving the impression that they are there merely to “convert” people. My Latino brethern seem to be very comfortable with who they are and just as they are. Whatever vocation has opened the door for their presence in their guest culture is a legitimate part of their personal identity, and they believe it their biblical responsibility to serve God through that vocation while making a genuine contribution to the community with no expectation of receiving something in return. Seeing the tranforming influence that many of them have garnered as a result is very encouraging indeed.

THREE REASONS FOR PERPETUAL THANKSGIVING DAYS.by Pastor Bulldog

Our Thanksgiving Prayer is to praise the Lord for all of you, wherever in the world you are.

I am thinking of the larger Church of God made up of local churches of Jews and Gentiles who together, as one people with different characteristics and colors, have been reached by the gospel and have accepted it for eternal life with Christ. For this I give thanks and pray that we all should “Pray without ceasing” (1Thessalonians 5:17) . . . until Thanksgiving Day, 2009. I offer three reasons to do this.

Reason #1:
Needed are daily times of remembrances, giving praise to almighty God for his gift of faith, repentance, reconciliation and restoration. Example: the time the Lord's "stiff-necked" and disobedient people, Israel, was returned from exile in Babylon to rebuild the Temple and the walls of Zion.

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The Jews could scarcely believe their ears on hearing that their prayers were answered by Yeshuah's infinite mercy to them in allowing a remnant to return to rebuild the Temple. It was in sorrow they sat on the banks of Babylonian rivers and wept when they remembered Zion and cried out for deliverance (Psalm 137:1).

"And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid" (Ezra 3:11). In like manner, beginning with President George Washington, we have a time set aside for remembrance of God delivering our colonies from tyranny and to enable the completion of our foundation for governing a free people.

Reason #2:
Needed also is to pause and reflect that the kingdom of God is in Spirit, not in material things as impressive buildings and trappings, and that believers are servants and minister to God more than to be ministered to.

(Luke 17:11-13) "And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. (12) And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: (13) And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

Leprosy in the Bible is a picture of incurable sin that separates those who have it from others who are "cleansed" but not healed. By that I mean that mankind lives in a perpetual state of leprous sin inherited when sin was introduced into the world (Romans 3:10; 5:12). There is no cure for leprosy, only cleansing declaration by Priest under careful observation.

Only God can heal, as in the case of Miriam. "And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee." (Numbers 12:13) And only God's blood can atone for our sin state.

Even the most unrighteous person who is tired and weary from the binding cords of their sinful condition, and whose heart is prepared to seek the Lord can be healed. Yeshua said, "Call unto me . . . ", Jesus said, "Come unto me . . .".

Standing afar off, the ten lepers in Samaria knew of the works that would prove Messiah's advent as foretold by the prophets. They realized that the Lord was not obligated to cleanse them, yet they called out for mercy . . . and the Lord has plenty of mercy.

(Luke 17:14-16) "And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. (15) And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, (16) "And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

Thanksgiving is a time believers should offer praise to the Lord that we have been healed from the curse of our inherited sin condition, and that we have been restored to citizenship in heavenly places. The joy, the peace and the miracle should grab our hearts as we reflect on our former state as aliens from the kingdom of God. But God, in His own body, brought about reconciliation . . . think of that! But we should give thanks for that every day.

(Luke 17-19) “And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? (18) There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. (19) And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Interesting to me is how Jesus brings deep conviction in the hearts of men simply by asking questions. But with this stranger (Samaritan with Gentile status), who was so overcome with the evidence of his healing, that Jesus opened the eyes of his heart to realize that he was talking to the promised Messiah. He is worthy to be praised.

I give thanks for the word of God which is inexhaustible in truth and daily – no, hourly – no, minute by minute guidance by the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart. Do you experience conviction when you come upon a question in the Bible?

In addition, have you noticed the number "ten" in regard to the lepers? Notably, it is the number attached to Gentile significance. They were "unclean" residents in Israel, in the North of Palestine, where the ten tribes, after separating from Judah in the south, settled down while settling for heretical practices, so as to be almost on the level of Gentiles. They were the first to be exiled into many places by the Syrians, and Judah was later exiled to Babylon.

Also it is interesting that the ratio could apply to believers in general. Paul said "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:" (Romans 9:6) It is possible that only one in ten church members are true heart believers (My speculation only).

One leper whose faith made him whole, became an example of a true believer in Christ. Sad to say that there are not more, but Jesus discerned the hearts of the nine who went back to their worship and obviously believers with a head knowledge, not a change of heart.

Reason #3:
Finally, needed is for believers to make Jesus a companion, even at the dinner table. Set your affections on things above, things that play on our heart strings, not things that cause salivary glands to activate upon seeing a dead bird. How, then, is our heart attitude toward Jesus as we think of things for which to be thankful?

But what will you do with Jesus? Is he your "chief Shepherd" or are you "the chief turkey" in slacking off like the nine that returned without giving due praise (Please excuse the mixed metaphors)? Will you join Helen and me this Thanksgiving as “we gather together to ask the Lord's blessing” in remembering a few choice admonitions from the Apostle Paul to the churches.

• Remember all creation and give praise to Jesus, the creator, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;" (Ephesians 5:20)
• Remember our inheritance in heaven with Jesus who said, "The Father and I are one." "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:" (Colossians 1:12)
• Remember as grateful people that He is ever present with us. "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (Colossians 3:17)
• Remember the name of Jesus, and that sacrifice in prayer, as in giving, is a far better remembrance, for in Hebrews, He is regarded as "Better." "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15)
• Remember also, what we were like before and how that by His great love and sacrifice we have escaped eternal death and have been given eternal life.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2:4)

Salute to Veterans, November 11, 2008

November 11, 1917, marked the end of "Mr. Wilson's War." "Armistice Day" became "Veteran's Day" to honor veterans of all of our wars.

Thank God for the American "Dough Boy" of WW I.

Shall Never Forget These Heroes of All of Our Wars Who Kept Us A Free People.

Three times in the gospels, Jesus said, And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (Matthew 24:6)

And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. (Mark 13:7)

But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. (Luke 21:9)

WW I Memorial, Kansas City, Missouri.

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Pastor Bulldog's father was an Officer of Field Artillery in France in WW I, and volunteered for the new Air Force Wing of the Army and crashed on take-off. But his guns "gave 'em hell" before he ended his air force career. Just before Pearl Harbor he was medically discharged from the Indiana National Guard with the rank of Colonel.

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Pastor Bulldog was under age for the Navy in WW II, and enlisted in the U.S. Maritime Service, which took him if he could breathe and raise his right hand; trained by the Coast Guard, sailed in the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal and the Pacific and later joined U.S. Regular Army.
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United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Fact Sheet:
America's Wars & Veterans
. American Revolution (1775-1783)
Total Servicemembers .....217,000
Battle Deaths .....4,435
. War of 1812 (1812-1815)
Total Servicemembers.....286,730
Battle Deaths.....2,260
. Indian Wars (approx. 1817-1898)
Total Servicemembers.....106,000
Battle Deaths.....1,000
. Mexican War (1846-1848)
Total Servicemembers.....78,718
Battle Deaths.....1,733
Other Deaths in Service.....11,550
. Civil War (1861-1865)
Total U.S. Servicemembers (Union).....2,213,363
Battle Deaths (Union).....140,414
Other Deaths (In Theater) (Union).....224,097
Total Servicemembers (Conf.) (note 2) .....1,050,000
Battle Deaths (Confederate) (note 3) .....74,524
Other Deaths (In Theater) (Confed.) (note 3, 4).....59,297
. Spanish-American War (1898-1902)
Total Servicemembers (Worldwide).....306,760
Battle Deaths.....385
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater).....2,061
. World War I (1917-1918)
Total Servicemembers (Worldwide)....4,734,991
Battle Deaths.....53,402
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater).....63,114
Living Veterans.....1
World War II (1941-1945)
Total Servicemembers (Worldwide).....16,112,566
Battle Deaths.....291,557
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater).....113,842
Living Veterans (note 5).....2,306,000
. Korean War (1950-1953)
Total Servicemembers (Worldwide).....5,720,000
Battle Deaths.....33,741
Other Deaths (In Theater).....2,833
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater).....17,672
Living Veterans.....2,307,000
. Vietnam War (1964-1975)
Total Servicemembers (Worldwide) ....8,744,000
Deployed to Southeast Asia .....3,403,000
Battle Deaths .....47,424
Other Deaths (In Theater) .....10,785
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater) .....32,000
Living Veterans (note 5, 10).....7,125,000
. Desert Shield/Desert Storm (1990-1991)
Total Servicemembers (Worldwide).....2,322,000
Deployed to Gulf.....694,550Battle Deaths.....147
Other Deaths (In Theater).....235
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater).....1,590
Living Veterans (note 5, 10).....2,269,000
. America's Wars
Total U.S. Military Service During War.....41,891,368
Battle Deaths.....651,030
Other Deaths (In Theater).....308,800
Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater).....230,279
Living War Veterans.....17,456,000
Living Veterans (War & Peacetime).....23,442,000
Source: Department of Defense (DoD), except
living veterans, which are VA estimates as of Sept. 2008.

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And he shall judge among the nations,

and shall rebuke many people:

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)

Pray For Our New Leader

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Barack Obama,

44th President of the

United States of America

Change the American People wanted.

We owe him our allegience.

We owe him our respect of office

We owe him our prayers to Almighty God

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He owes the American People their best interest.
He is capable of greatnes by the grace of God.

His election to this high office is the Lord's doing.

We need to learn what God is doing and walk with Him.

God has used Barack Obama for the Change God wants.

Barack Obama is our Commander-in-Chief

And the Lord Jesus Christ is our King.

OFF MY CHEST, FROM MY HEART!

Blessay No. 10, January 19, 2004

WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR
by Pastor Bulldog

The short time that I served as a medical center chaplain gave me the perspective I was looking for, in that I was able to observe reactions and emotions of those facing life-threatening illnesses. The many times I spent as a patient I also regard as a plus.

I found that it is easy to say, “Oh I have faith. I believe God has the power to heal me,” but eyes and mannerisms of many reveal pain and fright. They are robbed of fighting strength and resolve; “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” The body’s immune system becomes defenseless. But being able to make personal application of divine power through grace establishes great peace. See how that works?

The Bible is full of similes and word pictures to impress upon the minds of the fearful of the power of God, but the cares of the world can dim the apprehension of them. For ears that are dull of hearing, a good jolt of the reality of Biblical truth helps one to “get understanding” and to LET God be God.

So, notice that little word “let”. It’s small, but it is mighty. It means something is possible, but prevented from happening until one will LET it happen. From Webster’s 1828 Dictionary it means, “To permit; to allow; to suffer; to give leave or POWER by a positive act, or negatively, to withhold restraint; not to prevent.” When I think about it, I am reminded of rodeos I have seen and gates which prevent power from breaking loose.

Just imagine this with me. The chutes are to our left over there and it’s the bronco-busting event. There’s Beelzebub in chute #3. All “hell’s about to bust loose.” Cowboys are all over the place holding that mean critter, but he isn’t cooperating. He’s MAD, and he wants out. He’s thrashing, snorting, kicking and bumping against the sides of the stanchion and you hear the crack and bumps and the clatter and you see the dust and straw and it makes you wonder who ever would try to ride that beasr is a maniac.

We’re talking about “major league” POWER there. And the cowboy who’s going to try to tame that pent up beast has climbed up and is ready to drop down on the horse, which he does and that makes the horse MADDER, but cowboys have the bronco tightly tethered until the rider is ready. Finally he’s on and getting himself settled and the horse is saying, “You just wait, Bucko, you’re a dead man.”

He makes sure of his handhold on the rope. Then, when he’s ready, he says, “LET HIM GO.” Raging, bucking, twisting, rearing, stomping – it’s all power broken loose.

That illustration of unleashed power is easy to read and understand. I’ll bet that it is firmly planted in your mind, but it makes me wonder why it is sometimes difficult for one to deeply comprehend the amazing power of God from the illustrations He gave us in the Bible.

Take for example the first time the word “Let” appears in the Bible. “And God said, LET there be light: and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) “Let” is mentioned 14 times in Genesis One in connection with the creation. God unleashed His power by the word of His mouth, “LET.” The word, “LET,” is used in simplicity by Jesus when He commands us to, “LET your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Paul describes Jesus as the personification of power, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints IN LIGHT: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” (Colossians 1:12-17)

There are a lot of “lets” in the Bible and I should not make dogma out of this, but it’s easy to tell what “let” means depending on who is saying it.

• It releases PRONOUNCEMENTS from the mouth of evil and worldly men who mean, “I’m taking over from God.” “And they said, Go to, LET us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and LET us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4)
• It releases PROPHECIES from God through the mouths of men. “And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and LET thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.” (Genesis 24:60)
• It releases PRAISE when spoken by the righteous. “LET my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.” (Psalm 71:8)
• It releases PLEAS from the mouths of righteous and needy people. “LET the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
• It releases POWER from the mouth of God. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness….” (Genesis 1:26)

Do you know what? Almighty God, the author and finisher of our faith through the Lord Jesus Christ, has implored us to learn HOW to LET His power flow through us to accomplish His plan for our lives. LISTEN UP!

“So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

One needs to develop spiritual ears in order to hear what God is really saying to you through His word.

“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, LET HIM HEAR.” (Matthew 13:43)

Eight times in the gospels, Jesus implores, “Who hath ears to hear, LET HIM HEAR.” Let it happen. Let it penetrate. Let it be meditated upon. Throw every useless thought out of your mind.

Eight times in The Revelation, Jesus advises, “He that hath an ear, LET HIM HEAR.” LET Him heal your diseases. LET Him give you faith. LET Him supply your need. Stand back and away from negativity and LET it happen from God. Don’t hold it back.

You who are students of numbers in the Bible know that “eight” signifies new beginnings. Jesus broke loose from the grave on the eighth day. LET that power be released into your spirit, soul and body. Regardless of your affliction, it can be a new beginning.

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And LET him that heareth say, Come. And LET him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, LET him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)

PRACTICE OVERCOMING FEAR AND NEGATIVITY; MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES, MAKE THEM YOUR PRAYERS.

• “LET not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)
• “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. LET not your heart be troubled, neither LET it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
• ”The night is far spent, the day is at hand: LET us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and LET us put on the armour of light.” (Romans 13:12)
• ”If we live in the Spirit, LET us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal 5:25)
• “LET all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” (Ephesians 4:31)
• “LET this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5)
• “And LET the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
• “LET the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16)
  
  (c) Copyright, 2003-2008, All Rights Reserved. The SURVIVORS INTERNET MINISTRY, INTL. Robert N. Adams, Founder-Director,

To purchase the book Click here: OFF MY CHEST, FROM MY HEART.

FATHER, YOU PROMISED!

"ZAIN. Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope." (Psalm 119:49)

Our two boys were a delight to raise. Jeff and David are ten years apart. Helen always said that we raised two only chilldren. Helen and i are "only children," yet our backgrounds were different.

Her parents were extra loving and she learened to love and grew up with her mother's motto in her thoughts - Others. Her mother was a sweet little Southern woman who was a certified flower judge in Virginia and was active in charity work with the Richmond Home for Ladies.

Her father was a high level executive for the Old Dominion state of Virginia. He was closely involved in her rearing in many ways. He peaked her curiosity about the nature of things, gave her a beautiful black Irish setter named Mose, and saw to her education at the historical College of Willliam and Mary. Her security as a child was verrified when she wanted something and she sweetly said, "Daddy, you promised." Actually he had no intentions to forget; he always remembered.

My shildhood days were a little different. I had a good childhood, not without a lot of knocks, however. My parents were divorced. Mother was there for me as best she could, but her work as an expert Gregg Shorthand stenographer opened wide doors of opportunity, mostly a short distance out of town. But for little boys, how does this sound? Mother, you promised. Not the same is it?

The one thing i have always missed and have always wanted was a dad. I would have thought I was in heaven if I could have said, "Dad, you promised." I had a grandfather who did a good job of filling in . . . but it was not the same and I always knew it. During the hard times of the depression, I seem to remember that we did not want for anything. Grandpa made a good salary from his office job on the Santa Fe Railroad.

He was good at drawing pictures and I would ask him to draw a picture for me when he went to work. I didn't have to say Grandpa, you proimised, he always did it. I usually asked for a soldier and he would come home with a great pencil drawing of a Captain of the Horse Marines, a splendid straight-backed figure on a handsome steed.

My three parents were loving and saw that I was in Sunday school and church. But the circus in those days lightened up the atmosphere with a pre-show parade down Summit Street to the fair grounds - elephants, giraffs, tiger and lion cages, floats with pretty women, and a circus band. When Donkey Baseball and carnivals came to town, I would say, "Grandpa, you promised," and he would crack a smile and together we went.

But a father does a much better job of making everything seem just fine. He is good at bringing a boy out of gloom into the sunlight; soothing hurt feelings, or being there to coach you when somebody wants to pick a fight, and to say things like, "Hey, son, that's a good job you did in making that tie rack at school." He's there to say, "It won't hurt after a while. Just hold on, son." Or he might say, "Try a little harder, son. You can do anything you set your mind to. I'm here right beside you."

I found that our heavenly Father is like the good father, such as the one Helen had, will do everything he can for his child including chastening when needed, "for whom he loveth, he chaseneth." (Hebrews 12:6) I tried to be a good father to our boys and with Helen's sage counsel, I think I did okay without ever going to Father School.

The Bible is a good "Father Book" It has a section devoted directly to the secret of being a good father, as well as a good husband, and a good employer and employee, Ephesians 5:20-6:8. The only problem is that while the Bible has solutions too many people have an authority problem and yield to the Devil's tools against conversion: " . . . the lust of the flesh . . . the lust of the eyes . . . the pride of life . . . ." (1John 2:16) They are hard to resist; many don't want to resist.

Today, political spin doctors publish so much untrue trash, so often, that those who do not bother to read up on issues look at the outword appearances, having no spiritual discernment to see in a person what God sees. The ancient computer acronym, GIGO, (Garbage in, garbage out), is an appropriate description of conditions.

To avoid bad information that prevents our making good judgments, our minds and hearts need to be re-programmed. We need to pour in righteous data to push out the worldly sludge. Like compusters, we'll run a lot faster. Re-programming the mind; and memorizing Bible data and repeating it whenever a virus wants to set in, makes one ready to give an account of the hope that is in him to every man that asks.

The best re-programming and mental virus protection for me is Psalm 119. It is repetitious but every verse speaks of David's love for the word of God in a different way. I feel that reading a portion of it everyday is like taking vitamins. If I allow myself to absorb the repitition I find new meaning and I build up a wall against the wiles of the Devil. It is Hebrew poetry divided into sections of eight verses that begin with a letter of the Hebrew allphabet.

As I was reading Psalm 119:49-56, it came to me that here is a section from David's heart that lifts one through the fog of confusion and lets the mind receive direction, and the soul and spirit relax in comfort from the LORD. (Psalm 119:49-56)

• In Verse 49, "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope." the Psalmist essentially said what I find myself saying, "My heavenly Father, you have promised and in you I place my trust."


• The LORD's promises are like a soothing balm to my soul. It takes me back to the time Helen and I invited Jesus into our life to be Lord and Master. (Vs. 50) "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."


• To soul winners and defenders of the faith, scoffers can be unmerciful in their opposition and make you feel wretched. How often are we beat down like trampled saw grass? But the word of God has never failed to bolster sagging spirits. (Vs.51) "The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law." It is not about our hurt feelings. God's word is incouragement and lets me know that I have done well as a "good and faithful servant."


• It is all about remembering the promises of God that he kept by bringing judgments against wicked and evil enemies of God; and his promises to deliver me from the snares of the fowler. (Vs.52) "I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself."


• A sudden blackness of mood and the terror of feeling like I am in a black hole can overtake me by feeling that our nation is forsaking God. It's the Elijah complex. (Vs.53) "Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law."


• But even in the blackest night, the Lord takes my hand and joy comes in the morning because my Father has promised and has given me a new song. (Vs.54) "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage." But in all the days of my pilgramage on earth, I know whom I have believed, who gives me songs in the night." (Job 35:10) And my heavenly Father is a keeper of promises.


• If I go to sleep at night with trouble on my mind, I awake in the morning beginning the day with trouble in my soul. But if my mind is focused on the Lord and his promises, it ls like praying without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17) as Paul commanded. (Vs.55) "I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law."


• And when I awake in the morning after a night of peaceful sleep, my afflictions seem light and bouyed by the Spirit of God who instructed me in the night. The world is still here and it may be full of conflict but I have renewed confidence for the day. (Vs. 56) "This I had, because I kept thy precepts."
  
  In your daily Bible devotions, as you come across a promise of God, claim it and say, "Father you promised, and I have your peace that passes all understanding and with it I have unspeakable joy."
  
  Robert N. Adams
  (AKA Pastor & Mrs. Bulldog)
  "Beloved, wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and bein health, even as thy soul prospereth," (3John 1:2).

"AT THE END OF THE DAY," Blessay 201

"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (1Peter 4:7)

One of my little quirks is that I have a habit of picking up on phrases that become cliches. "At this point in time" is one, but the current catch phrase is "at the end of the day"

It's good to have a new phrase to rattle around in conversation, or rather, end it. It can mean several things and it can mean absolutely nothing. It's like a spoken period, unseen punctuation. Everybody uses it ad naseum.

• Anthropology: The evolutionist said, "Our best guess is that at the end of the day man evolved from a drop of water in space."


• Astronomy: The “star gazer” said, "All kidding aside, our findings show that at the end of the day the moon really is made of green cheese."


• Health: The doctor said, "Bottom line: at the end of the day your back pain should get better in a couple of years. I'll see you then."


• Politics: The Senator says, "There's enough blame to go around, but at the end of the day, blah, blah, blah, and that means more blah, blah, blah!"


• Geriatrics: The pharmacist said, "It's a bitter pill to swallow, but at the end of the day the side effects are compatible with your other side effects."


• Construction: The carpenter said, "Let the chips fall where they may, at the end of the day, at least the dry wall will be finished.


• Religion: Pastor Bulldog says that "at the end of the day let's put an end to the mindless use of this phrase." (Yawn!) Do I hear an 'amen?'

God has a plan for the end of the day but it does not include a time table. God has no time table; he has a dispensation schedule because he exists in eternity past, present, and future where there is no time - heady, isn't it?

"Time" is man's restraint, categorized in heaven with chunks of years of time called "dispensations."

A "Dispensation" is explained in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia this way: "The Greek word (oikonomi´a) so translated signifies primarily, a stewardship, the management or disposition of affairs entrusted to one." Clarke's commentary refers to Dr. Macknight; “the plan which the master of a family, or his steward, has established for the management of the family;” If he is a selfless servant his dispensation is extended. If he is self-seeking, the master will end his dispensation of service and start a new one with a new servant.

The Bible dispensations or divisions in which God sets up man to manage or oversee the conditions, tasks and provisions under which God entrusts to him, are obvious to a committed KJV Bible reader. Understanding them aids the serious Bible lover to understand sound doctrine and reveals the progress of God's plan for the earth as it is guided through the ages to the end of the day and the establishment of the kingdom of heaven.

Two big examples in the Old Testament are: The dispensation given to Adam and Eve, called "Innocence." But at the end of the day he disobeyed God, and they were fired and sent away. A new dispensation was given to them and their families with different conditions. Another dispensation was from the giving of the Law to Moses at Sinai to the exiles of Israel and Judah. The Jews were entrusted with the stewardship of the dispensation of Law, but at the end of the day they disobeyed God and it ended.

We live in a new dispensation today, with the advent of Christ: It's called "Grace,"

• The gospel is the engine that ushers in the grace of God to bring people to Christ. Paul explains it this way: "If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward" (Ephesians 3:2).


• Paul also explains the mission of this dispensation, "Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God;" (Colossians 1:25).


• There are rewards for ministry and consequences for letting our dispensation just go by without doing the work of the "great commission" (Matthew 28:18-20)


• Jesus prophesied of the last dispensation at his second coming, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Revelation 22:12)


• Paul, who gave up his position in Jewry after meeting Jesus on the way to kill Christians, "For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me" (1Corinthians 9:17).


• So while we say "at the end of the day," Paul calls it "the fullness of times” in this dispensation that “he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:" (Ephesians 1:10).

But at the end of the day or in the fullness of times, is the mission completed? No! When it is the fullness of time, it will be too late to lament as Jeremiah did for Israel, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." (Jeremiah 8:20) Why is it so?

Physical Erosion: “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes” (1John 2:16). Our bodies break down from the abuse of civilization. Nothing ever stands still. It has to go one way or the other. When we hear the phrase at end of the day people past 65 years of age, like Helen and me, catch our breath and consider that it can mean that we have not much time to get back our health and to serve Jesus. Every believer is involved. There is so much that physically impaired people can do. But to those who are careless in their lifestyle, civilization clogs not only the arteries, but our service to Christ.

Baby Boomers, tasting the "good life" scarf down every buffet item they see, pastas with three of four kinds of cheese and lots of it, never pass up a barbecue shack, and guzzle a flood of carbonated drinks to wash it down. But not to worry, they go to the gym and work out.

Spiritual Erosion: “And the pride of life” (1John 2:16). Even secular historians, recording the rise and fall of civilizations and empires, use Bishop Usher's system of dating Bible history. Empires only last about 250 t0 300 years, but who is counting? It's called “civilization,” high living, and it decomposes what man is so proud of building up. Even that nation that God has chosen to be his peculiar people, a holy nation, a kingdom of priests: he raised them to the highest pinnacle, but at the end of the day, he brought them down because of their disobedience.

It should be no surprise to us that Jesus said, "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." (Luke 21:34)

So when asked by his disciples when the end would come, Jesus told them it was not for them to know the times or the seasons. It is all under the Father's control; it is for us to render our accountability, and for him to say when the end of the day will come.

"And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." (Acts 1:7) Yet Paul points out that we can know and feel the end of the day at hand, "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you." (1Thessalonians 5:1)

I have had discussions on the end of the day, but what is a day to God? Many have replied with a blaze and cavalier answer, which is like the parable of the five unconcerned virgins in Matthew 25:2. It could be a bad decision. Thinking they have a lot of time, their answer is that whatever the Bible says about the end times, it hasn't happened, so – Alfred E. Newman says, "What, me worry?"

However, the astute every day Bible reader has the advantage over nay sayers in that there are flags and pegs all through the word of God as to the rapture of the church and the return of the Lord to earth and to Jerusalem. It is perfectly clear as the angel told Daniel that the knowledge of it would be revealed. It is progressive revelation.

Peter wrote that one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like one day. Since Usher's dating is accurate enough for man to make a stab at dating, we are almost to the end of the sixth day. or the sixth thousandth year. The seventh day God ordained as a day of rest, which in the seventh millennium, will be a time of rest for the earth and renewal.

At the first end of the day the disciples watched as Jesus ascended into heaven and two angels spoke to them, " . . . why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:3-11)

Is the mission accomplished? Have you invested time in the commission Jesus gave to be witnesses in "our Jerusalem?" The Apostle John, a very positive and upbeat man because of his closeness and love for the Lord Jesus Christ, gave us the inspired hope of the glory of our seeing him as he is. And we shall be like him. "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1John 3:3)

by Pastor Bulldog

CASTING YOUR CARES UPON HIM

Blessay Number 9, by Pastor Bulldog is a sample chapter from our book, OFF MY CHEST, FROM MY HEART, Volume 1. It seems to be timely in that the campaign for President of the United States is so confusing. This Blessay can ease anxiety over the selection and helps to resolve that whoever is elected is God's choice.
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by Pastor Bulldog -
Let me tell you about one of my favorite verses.The reason is because it calmed me down in the middle of an imagined crisis. But, this is not about me. It is about God allowing me to experience some crisis difficulties in my life so that I could pass on to you how He delivered me out of them all. My life is nothing if it is not to be used for this purpose. Pay attention.

I would define “imagined crisis” as that which looms large in the imagination until it is regarded almost as reality. It is called angst and it is very destructive to a person’s bodily systems. In the mind, danger is imminent; it’s about to happen, a kind of sword of Damocles. But, your hope is in a two-edged sword, not one hanging over your head. For believers who know how to wield the sword of the LORD, imminent danger does not have to be considered.

We’re not writing about the times the doctor gets serious with you and informs you that you have six months to live. You cannot help but be shocked, but you cannot stay in that frame of mind. You cannot afford to imagine a dire outcome for one minute after the initial shock. After all, you do have some time to do something about it; to fight against the illness or to intensify your fellowship with the LORD. God will glorified in your body whether by life or by death.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.“ (1Peter 5:7)

I had an “imagined crisis” once, long before I had cancer. It involved a trip in a light aircraft. I am not afraid of dying, but I am afraid of flying.As with everybody else, I would rather stay here for a while. I just don’t like the “sting” of death. I’m a big baby when it comes to pain. My wife will tell you that.

It was late afternoon when we took off. The winter weather was changing threateningly. I had been invited to attend a meeting at a church in Wichita. An evangelist, a seasoned pilot, was going to fly down there to another church and invited me to tag along. Two more went with us, a student pilot and an instructor from a local Bible college.

Starting out, the student pilot had the reins and we took off. It seemed to me to be a too short of a distance take off as we swooped upward and to the right like a carnival ride. It took my breath away. I remember thinking unkind thoughts, “What a hot dog,” “What a cowboy this guy is.”

My eyes must have bugged out as we came so close to Kansas City’s tall buildings. Normal people probably would not have given it a thought, but I confess to not being normal when it comes to flying. From then on, whatever boldness I had deteriorated into white knuckle frigidity. I NEVER DID LIKE FLYING IN THE FIRST PLACE AND I WANTED TO GO HOME!

We landed safely at Cessna field, took care of our transactions and took off again, this time with the evangelist at the controls. But on the way home, it started snowing. “Oh God, please put the snow back into your ‘treasures.’” (Ref: Job 38:22)

It became big flakes and turned into blizzard conditions, destroying visibility. Eventually, the plane started icing up, but nobody seemed concerned. They just discussed whether to land at Emporia or to go on in to Kansas City. Soon there was no need for further discussion. We had crossed the no-turn-back line. All the time the pilot kept looking out at the wings with a flashlight.

The storm was blinding, but strange enough, I now had perfect peace, a change from when we first took off. I had been given a Bible lesson in the sky by a man I did not know, but I now count as a friend.

I have had my share of dangerous moments in my lifetime, especially during the ‘40s, but this caused me more alarm. Let’s just say that I’m getting older. I didn’t need to be white-knuckled because the Bible school instructor who sat next to me had his Bible on his lap, making notes and drawing diagrams and grinning. He ignored the bumps, the shakes and the snow and turned his attention to me.

“Did you ever notice this?” he asked me. Without pointing out my obvious nervousness, he tactfully treated me as an equal and gave me an exegesis of 1Peter 5:7. I would have been happy if he had just explained it to me. Actually, in the mood I was in, I didn’t want to hear it, I could not concentrate on it. Nevertheless, I am forever thankful to this kind man of God for his understanding and discernment. More Christians should have it. After force feeding 1Peter 5:7 to me, it finally sunk in. One good man’s effort paid off for me by him holding my face in the word of God in the midst of my anxiety.

There is nothing that gives total peace like the full understanding of God’s word and the actual practical application of it to your spirit and soul. It has a positive healing effect on your body. “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:" (Proverbs 1:5)

I also understood that it wasn’t until I abandoned my arrogant negative outlook that truth took hold in the context of the passage which included verse 6, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”Then comes vs. 7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Here is proof that He cares for you. Almighty God who spoke the heavens and the earth into existence by His word, had no obligation to humble Himself for our sakes. But He did, as Paul records,

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in ChristJesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he HUMBLED HIMSELF, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:“ (Philippians 2:5-10)

He taught us how to be humble and to get rid of our burdens so that He can exalt us and make us able to execute His plan for our lives, “...that he may exalt you in due time:” Consider it taking off your filthy clothes and casting (tossing, hurling, throwing, junking) them on Him who is humble enough to take them from you.

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:6,7)

“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5)

WHY? BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU!

BARACK BEYOND The THRESHOLD, by Jeff Adams, Ph.D.

Funny how these things work. I knew it was coming, but I wasn’t sure of the time or manner. This afternoon I went to gym, came home and showered. Then, just as I had dried off and put on my shirt, the world changed. Delegate voices sang from the TV in the background as I walked into the bedroom. The great state of Illinois yielded to New York. Ceremonious oratory and flowery introductions raised emotions and expectations to the very top of the Pepsi Center in Denver and spilled over into the world.

Finally, the microphone passed to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton who, amidst more drama, moved that the roll call vote be suspended and that Barack Obama be proclaimed the Presidential candidate of the Democratic Party by acclamation. Speaker Nancy Pelosi put the motion up for a second and was met with united cheers. Then she called for the vote - even louder cheers. Fireworks went off; people screamed and cheered; people wept openly - the world changed, never to return to the way it was. Barack Obama became the first African-American Presidential candidate of a major party in the 232 year history of the United States of America.

This post is not about politics. I want to talk about the world changing. First, a bit of historical perspective.

Though far from voting age, the first Presidential election I remember with clarity was when John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the thirty-fifth President in 1961. He was the first Roman Catholic President. There was no Internet, blogs, or instant global communication, but I still remember the hushed grownup gossip. Some people were convinced that JFK was part of a Catholic conspiracy to take over the country. If elected President, the Pope would take control. Kennedy had already met with him and it was set up, they said. Other religions and denominations would be outlawed or subject to stringent laws. Others were convinced he was a “card-carrying communist.” The real problem, some said, is that he was owned by the Mafia. Those of you who are younger would be surprised to know just how many such rumors were out there. More level-headed people were concerned that he was far too young and inexperienced to be President of the United States. You know the rest.

Now, what’s all this about the world changing? Here are some thoughts running through my mind. Whether Obama wins the Presidency or not, the world has changed.

The world has changed because non-white Americans can now legitimately dream of growing up to become President. A door has been opened. A threshold has been crossed. This may not seem like a big deal, or you may think that the Presidency has always been available to all - unless you happen to be a non-white American. The world has changed because, in the view of many, a legitimate candidate for President finally “gets it” when it comes to change and dealing with the “real issues.” No, this is not about change in health care, foreign policy or taxation. Stop asking for “specifics.”

That is so yesterday. This is a change of paradigm, worldview and spirit. Agree or not, Obama has tapped into the imagination of many of the emerging generation of Americans and a great deal of the rest of the world.

Read the transcript of his speech in Berlin if you still don’t “get it.” To increasing numbers of youth this is not about choosing between conservative and liberal, but about blazing new trails, even if you don’t agree on all the particulars. The world has changed because Obama is neither black or white. You undoubtedly know that Senator Obama is of a white mother and a Kenyan father. Some older African-Americans have complained that he is not “black enough.” Some older Caucasian Americans have complained that he is too black and too connected to that radical black preacher Jeremiah Wright. Precisely. He is neither. Obama is the future.

Win or lose, Republican or Democrat, it makes no difference. Read my lips. Obama is the future. Just a couple of weeks ago we learned that according to current trends non-Latino Caucasians in the United States will be a minority by 2043. African-Americans percentages should not change that much. Obama is the future. You may not like it, but you won’t change it. Obama is the future even if he loses by a landslide. To many younger Americans, black or white, this is not an election about race, but ideas.

They are looking for someone to crush the “good old boy club” on BOTH sides of the aisle. Whether Obama will or can do that remains to be seen. Whether the way he proposes to do it or not lines up with your thinking is not the issue. Someday soon someone WILL change the way we do many key elements of the political process. We have been put on notice.

This is what you must see. The world has changed because the rest of the world has hope that there may someday be a President of the United States who is truly global in perspective. Again, I am just reporting, not saying this is right or wrong. Unless you travel extensively, read obsessively or have an incredible network of international friends, it will be difficult to understand just how much many in the rest of the world who love America and

Americans genuinely despise the current state of political affairs in this country. To many people, just the fact that someone like Obama has made it far as he has restores their faith in America whether or not they agree with all his policies and ideas. Even genuine born again, evangelical believers in other countries are appalled by what they perceive to the be the arrogance and insensitivity of the current administration. They can’t understand why the current adminstration seems to be clueless to even understand, care about or communicate the “real issues,” as they perceive the world. Many people in other countries are following this election closer than some of you, because they understand that what happens here in the world’s only superpower does affect them in real time. When asked, I have seen true shock on the faces of believers in other countries when I tell them that I think George Bush is a genuine believer and a fundamentally decent individual regardless of what you think of his politics. On the first Tuesday of November members of our church will go to the polls and they will vote for McCain, Obama or someone else. Some won’t vote at all. This is America. Those are the options available to us. As Christians we can openly disagree about politics. There is no “Christian candidate.” There may be, though, candidates who are Christians. Conceivably, a candidate who is a genuine Christian may not be the best political candidate in your opinion or mine. That’s the American way of life. It’s always been like that. This is the part that hasn’t changed, thank God!

Here’s what I think we should consider - our mission is not to elect a “Christian candidate” as President of the United States. Christians will disagree about partisan politics - always have. Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ among all the peoples of the world. Consider, pray and vote your conscience. Then, consider how the world has changed and how that affects our mission.

However you cast your vote, or not, here’s what we should be able to agree upon.

The world is different now than two decades ago. It’s not going to go back to the way it was. How can we effectively carry out the mission God has entrusted to us? We are not God-appointed custodians of the way it used to be; we are God-appointed agents of transformation.

What are the issues and questions that are being asked by the emerging generation and by people in other parts of the world? What does the Bible instruct regarding those issues and questions? Our country (and much of the world) is becoming increasingly diversified by globalization. How should the church model the world as it should be according to the Bible? At a time when diversity is fast becoming a reality, should the church lead the way in promoting suspicion, distrust, prejudice and segregation, or should the church model Paul’s description of the church in Ephesians 2 as breaking down walls of separation? I don’t want to spend the rest of my life lamenting how the world is not like it used to be. Regardless of what happens politically, we live in a world that presents opportunities to propagate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a degree unheard of since the First Century. I want to embrace the reality of God’s world as it stands and the opportunities it affords.

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Dr. Jeff Adams is Senior Pastor of the Kansas City Baptist Temple and founder/director of The Shepherd's School of the Ministry, founder/director of Que Dice La Biblia, off-campus by video Bible School for Hispanic Pastors around the world. Jeff ministered for ten years in Central America, becoming Senior Pastor of Miramonte Baptist Church in San Salvador, El Salvador, during the height of their bloody civil war. (http://www.kcbt.org/)

IN REMEMBRANCE OF A GOOD MAN

"Tony Snow Brought the Aroma of Christ to Washington" according to Pastor Tony Beam, Professor, Talk Show Host, and Columnist.

Robert Anthony (Tony) Snow was born in Berea, Kentucky, June 1, 1955, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He died July 12, 2006, in Georgetown University Hospital at about 2 a.m.

Mr. Snow was a television news anchor, political commentator, syndicated columnist, radio host, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. He was also a multi-talented and avid musician. He was ready to play his flute wherever and whenever his friends in the band, "Beats Workin" was featured, even on the street. He also played the trombone, piccolo, accordion, saxophone and guitar.

We remember Mr. Snow as one whom we always looked forward to hearing speak, whether at a Presidential News Conference, or on a television news panel, or on his radio talk show. He had a delightful and easy manner, but was firm with the press when needed, and always was prepared with accurate facts. He could deliver bad news reports and still make us feel okay about everything.

Mr. Snow was one of those individuals admired and loved by everybody with whom he came in contact. He openly showed his love for the Lord and had a good report from those in business, religion, and politics, 1Timothy 3:7.

He was the kind of man others would be glad to emulate, in that, nothing but good could be said about him. He was a beloved family man and leaves his wife, Jill, their son and two daughters, ages 10 to 15.

LIFEBOAT JUDGMENT CALLS, There is one lawgiver, who is able to save . . . James 4:12.

The year was 1945 and the war in Europe was raging to an end. Hostilities in Asia were on-going at a great loss of American lives. I was 17 and in training by the Coast Guard to be a merchant seaman in the US Maritime Service at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, NY.

There were 10,000 trainees with me at the largest training facility of the military services. Training was about seamanship, but it was also about survival; how to man the guns aboard ship with the Navy Armed Guard, how to survive in a flaming ocean after taking a torpedo hit, and how to jump into a sea filled with wreckage from the ship.

Then, we learned about the rules of the life boat. (172 ships were sunk off the Atlantic Coast of the U.S.A. Some residents in Florida reported seeing the smoke of a torpedoed ship).

Our instructor of lifeboat procedure was a crusty old Chief Petty Officer with frosty white hair and a weathered face and a trace of a Scottish accent. He was neat as a pin and his dark blue wrinkle-free CPO uniform was host to many medals of war zones. Even his silence demanded our attention, but when he spoke it was as if he was talking in a raging storm.

"WHAT'S THE FIRST RULE OF THE LIFEBOAT?" he bellowed. We had no answer, so he yelled out "DISCIPLINE!" And again, "I said; WHAT'S THE FIRST RULE OF THE LIFEBOAT?" We gargled out an answer, "D-d-d-iscipline?"

"LOUDER . . . USE THAT VOICE, SEAMAN or DIE – you won’t be heard if you fall overboard. I said ((( DISCIPLINE )))." He sounded like a klaxon.

Many times I have remembered that CPO instructor: but it occurred to me since having accepted Christ as my savior, and becoming acquainted with the discipling of new Christians, how closely related the terms "disciple" and "discipline" are - Hello!

Lifeboat discipline demanded that only the highest rank of the occupants is the official captain of that boat. It made no difference if the highest rank was that of a deck officer, an engineer, the chief steward or ship’s baker. His word is like the law of the “Medes and the Persians.”

Let's assume that our ship is sinking and we are adrift in a lifeboat. Our qualified “captain” is the Purser, a Naval Reserve Lieutenant Junior Grade, an amiable and decent man with experience in buying supplies for the ship and handling the payroll.

He also is an agnostic, completely indifferent to religion, but goes to church when at home when it is expedient and is a Christian in name only. He believes in Maritime Law and unbending in regard to the general rule of law. But recognizing the enormous responsibility facing him could soften his heart. It’s hard to believe that there are atheists or agnostics in a lifeboat.

OR – the same man could be a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He shares his faith when he has opportunity, but does not wear it on his sleeve. He would not try to form a “Church of the Lifeboat.” He had a daily spiritual walk with the Lord, centered on the word of God, the Bible. His hard decisions were dependent upon “What saith the Lord?” or “What does the Bible say?”

"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." Psalm 34:7.

Let's suppose further that an older couple is in the boat and the man suffers from COPD. Other occupants are an expectant mother with her little girl, three Able Bodied Seamen (their rank), and the rest are able passengers. If the sea gets slightly rougher, the boat will sink or capsize. The sea anchor, containing oil to smooth troubled waters, has little effect on an overloaded boat. Regardless of life jackets, they were all in danger of dying at sea.

I would recognize the designated captain and accept his judgment regardless of being agnostic or a believer. He would have to be smart enough to know that a completely lop-sided judgment call could lead to anarchy of a big crowd in a small boat.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God,” Roman 13:1.

Either of the two would advise us of our situation and clarify his position in assuming command of the boat. He would explain the only option open to him, as they all could see, was to order one person to leave. But the believer would also tell us that he had another option. He had faith in a God of miracles and before he chose what seems to men to be the only option, he would want to pray for a miracle.

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:" 1Peter 1:7.

What kind of miracle would God perform? There is only one kind of miracle with God: one that saves. God is not restricted by our imaginations, he has many options. Read your Bible and make a word study of "miracles." Experience your personal miracle of re-birth - spiritually, John 3:3-8.

WHICH OF THE “CAPTAINS” WOULD YOU HOPE TO LEAD YOUR LIFEBOAT? Would you prefer the one who only has trust in man’s ability, or the one who has “the mind of Christ,” 1Corinthians 2:16, and seeks to know "What does the Bible say?"

Isn’t that what we want from every “captain” who makes life or death decisions which affect us? Man without the Lord, being left to his own devices, is adrift in uncertain waters.

RISING UP BEYOND ANGER by Pastor Bulldog

Have you ever been so angry that you felt the veins in your neck throbbing like a bongo beat? Have you ever seen someone whose words "blasted" from their mouth and whose face was an unhealthy magenta. Summer in the city can be hot and cause us to "lose it."

The news can make you hot under the collar and cause stress. But stress can be a good thing if it is a temporary warning that gives you a chance to do something about it. Yet, stress can be silent and unnoticed. If you try to hold it in it can kill you. But stress in any form can be the most life-threatening cause that the Devil uses to turn soldiers of the cross into ineffective non-combatants.

Last Fall the "Border Wars" between two outstanding football teams played here in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium before a vast ESPN crowd of partisan fans. Kansas University, in Lawrence, was 11 and O; the University of Missouri, in Columbia was 10 and 1. Both were ranked in the top five in the nation.

The historical significance goes back before and during the Civil War, when Kansas anti-slavery Jayhawkers made murderous raids into Missouri, across the border, and Col. Quantrel's Rebel Bushwackers rode into Lawrence, Kansas, and massacred over 163 men indiscriminately, contributing to the term, “Bleeding Kansas”. Many of the bloodiest and most fiercely fought North/South battles occurred in eastern Kansas (Union anti-slavery) and western Missouri (Sourthern sympathizers) on the very land where we live.

Our home in Mission, Kansas, is only a mile from the border in the metro Kansas City area, about half-way between the two schools. As a loyal Kansan I watched the game with Helen. As Missouri began to run over KU, I could feel the pressure building in my head and down my neck and shoulders. Helen was tensing up also. But then, KU brilliantly fought back and almost tied the score with a last 5 second chance to win – but they lost.

Here's the silly thing: Helen and I became terribly worked up at the loss to Missouri – and K.U. wasn't even our school – Helen is a Virginia girl and we both went to college in Virginia. So - why did we get so worked up? We immediately had to set our affections on other things to rid ourselves of tension.

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:1-4).

Anxiety that turns into angst, sadness that turns into depression, and disappointments that turn into bitterness and anger are things a Christian does not have to have and it can be managed - immediately.



This is a world full of “babies” who cannot find ways to get along unless it is by "sex, lies, and video tapes" and murders. This is not all about interpersonal relationships entirely. It is about a world gone mad ever since the recorded incident in the third chapter of Genesis.

When all the world seems to be "going to hell in a hand basket", if you are a true "born again" believer with Christ IN you and you IN Christ why do you worry about anything. You don't belong here. Your life is in the heavenlies. You are left here on earth to be conformed into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ and to reproduce other "true" Spirit-led believers.

Abraham "looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10). And he taught his "children of promise," Isaac, and Jacob, to regard their time on earth as a pilgrimage. We are strangers in the earth, having been set free from the curse of sin. We do not need to sin or to be angry, we have the power to overcome and to obey God.

We are the only people who live in two places; enduring our pilgrimage on earth while having peace from God in the heavenles. If things get bad, we can be transported aloft and look down with pity on this sad state of mankind and their toys.

Remember the plea of a man taken into custody who said, "Can't we all just get along"? The answer is "No." Well, maybe for a while, but how long has any peace ever lasted? The greatest argument for universal sin is man himself, especially the arrogant enemies of God who think that they will usher in the Millennium by the inventions of their own superior intellects.

Actually, man is a poor steward of the earth and cannot take care of himself - and cannot find a way to live forever, except in monuments and dedicated buildings, and they all crumble in time. Cynical? No, realistic, actually.

There are millions on the face of the earth who know in their hearts that there is a God who created all things and He is love - but He is also holy and righteous; He is just and no iniquity can come into His presence, yet He is rich in grace and His mercy endures forever. He is not a God who exacts human blood for atonement of sin. It was God's blood shed for our redemption and sin was judged on the body of His only begotten Son.

And to those of us Christians who look agape at the brutality, corruption, double standards, and the no-standards of a corrupt world system, God gives an answer to us and provides a way to keep our perspective in a daily spiritual walk.

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth [Reckon them dead with the old man you once were; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them" (Colossians 3:5-7).

When you feel yourself turning beet red, obey the warning and leap into the heavenlies to the throne of grace where Christ sits on the right hand of God the Father and receive grace and peace. In other words, rise up and simmer down.

(Angry man image by permission, Tulio Silva)
www.theexperience.aminus3.com

ON PLACES OF REFUGE - by Pastor Bulldog

This is a major announcement! I have had a revelation from on high as to who will be the next President of the United States.

It was revealed to me that the next President, good or bad , will be an individual chosen by God. No other candidate comes into focus. (Much depends on our prayers)It is God who sets up governments and leaders and overturns them according to His will and plan.

Remember during these perilous times that God had His way with Saul in taking the kingdom from him for disobedience and giving it to David. The Spirit of God left Saul and entered into David. (1Samuel 16:13-14).

Frightening events seem to happen on a greater global scale and frequency: wars and rumors of wars and natural disorders occur almost with regularity, more than news crews can keep up with; floods, cyclones, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, volcanic eruptions, and famines – first here, then there, then everywhere.

Why should Christians wonder at all of these things. We feel they are predicted, although they cause many heart beats to increase. But one can only take so much and before you grab your head and take more analgesic pills you should ask, "Is there a place to shut it off? If we could just get off the world long enough to assuage the awful stress it would be SO nice!

There is a refuge to which we may run and jump off the world. It is the rightful place of believers whose home is in heavenly places and not here on earth. (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6)

We are here and there at the same time and we can rise above it to find peace in Christ - if He is in us.

”That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” (Hebrews 6:18-20; Psalm 110:4)

What “two immutable things?” They are not exactly known, but I believe it can be reasoned that the first immutable thing, as some suppose, was the oath made to Abraham and sealed with a covenant , in which God swore by himself, that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him, Abraham.

I believe the second immutable thing is a reference to Jesus, a “refuge,” and referring to the cities of refuge God provided for a safe place to flee from the avenger for judgement of crimes made unawares. It is clear that our Refuge from sin gives us "hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;" (Titus 1:2)

CAVE OF REFUGE

There are few who have been covered over with as much stress and angst as David. At times when it seemed impossible to escape certain death he sought refuge . He sougjt refuge for defense and direction from God.

Jesus did the same in that he retreated to a quiet mountain place to be alone with the Father. In David's many afflictions the Lord delivered him out of them all. Once he fled from Saul and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. (1Chronicles 11:15).

David looked to the Lord as his “cave” of refuge when other refuges failed him. Jesus is our refuge, as David speaks of Him prophetically, as a place to which we can flee. (Psalm 142:4-5).

There are times when everything in the world outside is as dark as a cave, but inside it is as bright as outside - as you get alone with the Lord. So, in my recliner and the Bible uploaded on my computer I escape into the recesses of my heart/mine “cave of Adullam.

”CITIES OF REFUGE

The Lord is so loving and protective of those who love Him. No detail escapes His provision of our necessities. For Israel going into the promised land, he provided six cities of refuge for those who shed blood by accident or in defense.

Each of these cities provided sanctuary and safety from avengers. The Levites to whom the cities were given also provided worshipful and religious presence. (Numbers 35:6-12).

However, there is a “flip side” to this reprieve. If any who were granted to live in a city of refuge decided he had had enough and left before their cause was judged, then the avenger was free to hunt him down and kill him. (Numbers 35:26-28).

Peter says this regarding those who accept Christ as their Savior and then turn back; “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” (2Peter 2:20),

Three of the six cities of refuge were west of the Jordon River and three were east of the river, so that all of the 12 tribes of Israel would not be far from refuge.

But here is grace: God provided a path to each city marked by signs showing the way to those who were trying to escape their avengers. (Deuteronomy 19:2-3) Our path to God's grace is through Jesus.

JESUS OUR REFUGE

He is Our Consolation: SO – what should be our prayer? As for me, my prayer would be to pray back to the Lord, “ . . . for my soul trusteth in thee . . . . “ (Psalm 57:1-2).

He is Our Anchor: In the harbor at the Atlantic entrance into the Panama Canal, at seventeen, I stood bow watch, as our ship swung on its anchor with a flotilla of other ships waiting for passage.

What would I do if our anchor did not hold and our ship collided with other ships swinging at anchor – and the rest of the crew was ashore, on a spirits-ual observance?

Our anchor holds, yes it holds and holds! He is Our High Priest: “ . . . after the order of Melchizedek, "priest of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth,” (Genesis 14:18-20) a shadow of our high priest, Jesus.

And by Him we have access by faith within the veil where we find refuge and grace. He said for us to “come unto me and I will give you rest.”