A Lesson From Mathematics

Place value only works in mathematics. Even those of you who struggled in this subject probably recognize the concept. The value of a digit is based on the place it occupies in a series of digits. The digit "2" in the number 257 has more value than that same digit in the number 132. Because of its place. It's a very convenient tool... in math. But too many carry it over to life. Whole civilizations, not the least of which the one I talk about a lot in this blog, have been built around the value assigned to a soul based on its place in society. You were born into the slave "place" ? You are value-less.

By God's grace, heaven does not view things this way, unless one wants to quote the theological truth that if any man's place is "in Christ", he is a new creation. Utterly valuable. Because of Jesus.

For certain, place does not equal value once one is in the Kingdom. If the Spirit of God endows one with 2 gifts, and another with 5, Heaven, that did the endowing, does not assign more value to greater giftedness, but rather to faithfulness.

The old "woman's place is in the home" adage is taken in a negative way by almost all who hear it. That's because we assume that home-women are less valuable, and that men who want their women at home must be making a value judgment. Some are. Some aren't.

Of those who are, some are assigning a higher value to a mother and wife, and of course that is not true either. Value is not gift- or gender- or race- oriented. Value comes from the first day we were created, when God pronounced us all good. Not denying what happened a couple chapters later, only saying that value and place aren't the same thing.

Paul encouraged masters and servants alike to be faithful. Men and women have seriously differing roles and rules but are equally valuable. The old and the young, ditto. Even nations and nationals vary greatly, and God says He can use their diversity without tampering with their worth.

We are told to hold fast that which we have, not that which someone else has. To be faithful to our death. Not to bury anything. The prizes are given out to the "good and faithful servants," not to the "good and valuable" ones.

No one, absolutely no one, will be able to say to Jesus on that Day, "...but look where you placed me!" Place is not value.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com

There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

The Woman, The Children, and The Dragon

The Book of Revelation, product of the Spirit working in the apostle called John, is more manageable than you might think, once you get serious about deciphering its codes.

In the midst of all the serial action, the series of seals, the series of trumpets, the series of bowls, there are snapshots of characters and situations that the Spirit wants you to see. One of the most memorable pictures is in the 12th chapter. There one finds a woman, a child, then more children, all of which are threatened by a 7-headed dragon. I'm usually a literalist, but the Spirit Himself tells me not to be in this chapter, and even gives me identities of most characters.

The woman (1-2) at first glance seems to be Mary. Who else could have given birth to a male child that would rule all nations (5)? Hold that question until you read verse 6 and verses 13-17. There, the very same woman is airlifted to a secret destination where she is protected from the dragon's wrath for three and one half years.

The three and a half years in Revelation is the time of tribulation. Sometimes the number is 42 months. Sometimes "a time, times, and half a time." Sometimes 1260 days. But the time period is the same. I personally believe that the entire story of earth's destruction bit by bit , Revelation 4-19, takes place in three and one half years. Seals, trumpets, bowls, everything.

Well, Jesus' mother was not whisked away into a wilderness. That picture is reserved for another entity of Scripture. God promises Israel in Hosea 2 that He will "allure her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her..." I believe that it is at this juncture of history, the Tribulation, that God calls a remnant of Jews, 144,000 to be exact, and personally appears to them and saves and forgives them.

Israel goes to the wilderness, therefore Israel must be the woman who brings forth the child Jesus into the world. Yes, a woman that is sun and moon and 12 stars can only be the same thing Joseph of Genesis saw in his dream: the people of God.

The woman has other children. The nation of Israel, approached by the Son of God in the first century, by and large rejected the message. But the first disciples and the first churches and the Scriptures and the Messiah Himself: all Jewish. All Israel. Truly, "Father Abraham had many sons..."

So a woman has some children. One is caught up to Heaven. The others are chased by the dragon. And the woman herself is protected from further harm. The only unidentified creature now is the dragon himself. But that one is taken care of by the text. He is identified as the old serpent, as in the Garden, the Devil or evil one, and Satan or the enemy.

Yet even here, in dragon form, we know he does his work through humans. That Devil-filled king called Herod is alluded to as the one who sought to devour Jesus as soon as He was born. Later in the text the same dragon will be using, we know from other texts, the antichrist.

The context of the chapter is war in Heaven. This is a war that Satan loses. He is stripped of his heavenly credentials and dumped on Earth, angry as anyone has ever been. At this very juncture, the similarly angry man of sin who has been waiting all these centuries to be released, leaves the pit. The restrainer lets go. The captive rises and is inhabited by the fallen angel himself.

He is especially violent against the woman and any of her seed, as they represent the thwarting of his attempt to gain again world domination. He has lived in anger during the centuries as he was stopped in his quest and humiliated before Heaven. No more of this. He knows his time is short, and he begins conquering immediately. All Christians must go. Jews he pursues first, but the elect are carried away from his reach, as we saw earlier.

One intriguing bit of information is hidden in verses 15 and 16. The enemy will somehow unleash a flood to destroy the hiding Jews. But a natural phenomenon will keep the flood from having any effect.

Some have said this is a flood of lies or a flood of people as in Jeremiah. But there is a sense of factual truth to it.For John is not alone in predicting a flood. Daniel says (9:26) that one of the end marks of the destruction of Israel in the last days shall be a flood. Amos 8:8 and 9:5 predict a time when flooding as in the Nile River will affect God's people. The place of hiding hinted at by one prophet is the Valley of Achor, surely a geographical spot prone to flooding.

So we have the final condition of Israel and the Church. Some of it is no different than today. Israel is hated worldwide. True Christians - the ones who preach sin, and judgment, Christ the only Way, Truth and Life - those kinds of Christians, are also despised. Those who despise them are exposed as Satan-inspired in Revelation 12.

Can you imagine a world where knowing Christ will bring instant death? To see it in your mind's eye, a quick look at places like North Korea today will help bring things into focus. God have mercy on His people. Their greatest trials and their greatest victories are still ahead.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

1 John 1 - Chapter 1 of John's Letter Explained

1 John 1 is not addressed to converts or Born Again Believers! How can this be I hear you say, and if it is not addressed to Spirit Born believers, how have 'Bible scholars', ministers, pastors and theologians missed this crucial understanding of God's Word? Under the title Recipients in the NIV Study Bible they clearly state 1 John is aimed at believers, but notice, they conveniently choose 1 John Chapter 2 to erroneously prove their point i.e. they go straight to Chapter 2 and in the process by-pass Chapter 1. Why do they do that? Easy, the NIV is the work of Bible intellectuals and theologians who are men with their own agendas. Unfortunately these agendas are not The Lord Jesus Christ's agenda and they never were.

Now, there are two factors of error or gross misunderstanding at work here. The first and most important factor is the error of reading the epistles as if they were, and are, written for the benefit of the converted alone. In fact this is a common failure of most 'Christian teaching'. The second factor of error, which leads to the first error is this: Paul's epistles are aimed at the converted or those being called; that is, Spiritually aware, so the above mentioned 'authorities' jump to the conclusion that all the epistles that follow Paul's epistles are also written to the same audience; to disciples, Spiritual beginners and mature Born Again believers alike. This is what I call 'one size fits all' preaching or, preaching as if to people all with same level of Spiritual maturity, but as I will prove, this is definitely not the case and especially in 1 John 1.

As an example, let's consider this; everyone is in church on a Sunday and a Spiritual message is delivered. Now this message maybe for those new to The Faith or it maybe for Spiritual children or it maybe for mature believers; some will say "is there a difference?" Well Paul certainly thought there was because he withheld his meaty teaching from certain congregations because they weren't ready for it:

1 Corinthians 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

I have only ever met one minister who differentiated or separated his flock for teaching. Why did he do this? After I have explained 1 John 1 I hope you will understand why he did.

So if 1 John 1 is not aimed at Born Again Believers, to whom is it aimed and what is the issue at stake here in this passage of Holy Scripture? Is the issue sin? Well yes, of course it is, but then again, no, it's more than that. The emphasis is more to do with attitude toward sin, a preparedness to admit to being a sinner, a willingness to confess those sins for the first time - honesty and truthfulness. Being prepared to not live in a state of denial; a state of mind of not kidding oneself - Truth, but before I get into the meat of this passage we need to understand the opening verses of 1 John 1.

1 John 1:1-5 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; Verse 2; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us Verse 3; That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Verse 4; And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. Verse 5; This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."

Look at these opening verses carefully. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard..." John is immediately setting the scene, style and approach of this letter or as some have commented - this sermon - a letter to be read aloud to the Churches, but what is the style or approach of this letter? It's as if it is all new to the listeners and of course, it is, because the first five verses amount to a declaration and the word 'declare' appears twice; verses 3 & 5. Now only new news is declared - no one ever declares old news, so these opening verses must be for the benefit of those who have not heard this message before; they were new to this message and teaching. Why would John 'declare' this news to those already converted? They already believe, don't they? Have they not heard this message before? Of course they have, they knew very well that the Apostle John was an original disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you noticed, too, the other important point here, a point more important than it being a declaration? I have put it italics along with the word 'declare' - "That you also may have fellowship with us". We need to understand this crucial point! This is telling us that these people are not yet in fellowship with the brethren of that Church; they are not yet in fellowship with the congregation of that church area and if you ignore this Truth then you do so at your peril.

OK, let's now move on to the meaty part of this chapter, and notice, John opens it with the word 'IF' (the biggest word in the world!) and he says it five times.So let's go through these five verses, one by one, and reveal the real message or Truth within them:

1) Verse 6: "IF we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:"

Straight away, John is stating an obvious fact; how can we say we have fellowship with The Lord Jesus Christ and walk in darkness; it's impossible and it is a total contradiction in terms and in Spiritual reality? So who are they that walk in darkness? Who do you think they are; the fairies at the bottom of your garden!!?? Why, it's those who are still in the world and are of the world and are not saved - they are the lost, they are those who live in darkness and they walk in darkness and, therefore, cannot "do The Truth". Why can't they "do The Truth", because The Truth is not in them? Why and how is the Truth not in them, because they have not been called of the Father to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit!? They are not Born Again or Born from above. So why did John make this challenging, opening statement? Why, to help these potential new converts to examine themselves to see if the Father was calling them to His Son or not - to see if they were "doing The Truth". Furthermore, if we say we have fellowship with Him and we are not disciples or Born Again, then we are liars - plain and simple.

2) Verse 7: "But IF we walk in the light, as He is in The Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Now what is John saying here when he says: "If we walk in The Light, as He is in the Light"? Let's be clear, the word 'in' here is a poor translation, because the Lord Jesus Christ is The Light, so He has to be able to walk 'in' the light for all The Light emanates from Him in the first place. The Lord Jesus Christ never walked in light that came from elsewhere or from another source, and I will rewrite verse 5 for the proof of this fact:

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Returning to verse 7, what is John saying here? He is saying 'If we?' Well, do we or don't we, do we walk in The Light or not, or perhaps more importantly; how can we walk in The Light? That's easy, or maybe it's not so easy. We begin to walk in The Light by confessing our sins, being baptised and receiving the Holy Spirit - becoming a Born Again son or daughter of God. Now we walk in The Light. Now we have fellowship one with another as brothers and sisters as Jesus' Blood has cleansed us from; now notice this - ALL SIN. All sin means all sin, not some of our sins but all of them!! Past, present and future, and don't let any blasphemer tell you otherwise.

3) Verse 8: "IF we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

OK, here's a question: What type of person is going to say they have no sin? Is a non believer going to say this or someone the Father is calling? Or, in this case, are these potential converts going to admit that they are sinners or not; are they going to say that they have no sin or confess that they do have sin? If they are going to say they have no sin they are then deceiving themselves. In this scenario of 1 John 1 the Father is probably calling some of them, and this question will challenge them and convict them, but not the others. Some of them will not have The Truth and some of them will have The Truth, so who is not going to be truthful? Now notice the last part "The Truth is not in us". If The Truth is not in someone, then they are of the world and not Born Again; they do not have the indwelling of The Holy Spirit. Now, if the Father is calling someone [John 6:44], this potential convert's awareness of sin is automatically enlivened; he or she will be made aware of their sins for the first time in their lives. Anyone reading this passage of Scripture, too, will also be convicted of their sins for the first time in their lives if they are being called. This is the whole purpose of 1 John 1.

If, on the other hand, we think this verse applies to True Believers or to those Born Again, let's try and apply it to them and see if it makes any sense. As an aside, I ask this question, for there are multiple thousands of mainstream Christians out there, who have been Baptised (albeit erroneously into the trinity) and do believe that this verse applies to them, and then they wonder why they find no relief from guilt and no peace - the peace that passeth all understanding. This means they do not live under grace.

OK, I've digressed a little there, but a necessary digression. So, is a Born Again son or daughter of God going to say they have no sin? Hello! Excuse me! Well, the first thing a switched on believer will say to this question is something like this: I have a body of sin that sins, but I, the Born Again Spiritual new man, do not sin because I cannot sin, so that means I can tell you quite plainly that I have no sin, apart from the sin in my body of sin which is no longer me, it's just a vessel that I reside in until I am resurrected and my body of sin dies. This also means that by telling you I have no sin I cannot be deceiving myself and the Truth is definitely in me. Please read my articles: "The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ - His True Grace, Not the Watered Down Religious Version!" and "Was the Apostle Paul a Schizophrenic? - Romans 7:14-25", for a full explanation of what it means to be truly forgiven, sinless and living free under His glorious grace.

Now bearing all this in mind, can you now see the nonsense of trying to apply this verse to Born Again believers? This verse can only apply to those approaching the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time - potential new converts. John is using this statement to invoke or prompt repentance within the souls of these new people whom the Father may, or may not, be calling to His Son.

4) Verse 9: "IF we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (emphasis mine)

John says, if we confess our sins. Now when do we do that? Well we know don't we, at the time of our calling and/or at the time of our Baptism? We need to understand, too, that confession of sins is a one off event, repetitive confession of sins is not required of Born Again sons and daughters of God. Please see my article for the proof of this Biblical truth: "Is Repetitive Confession of Sins, Biblical?" Moving on, John then tells us that if we do confess our sins the Lord Jesus Christ is faithful and just to forgive us sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, not some or only part of our unrighteousness, but all our unrighteousness.

Born Again sons and daughters of God have already confessed their sins, they are now walking in The Light and The Truth is now in them, so why would John re-teach this fundamental again, is he into preaching to the converted? No. True Believers who keep on believing are cleansed of all their sins and this cleansing takes place at Baptism. This verse, as with the whole of 1 John 1, can only apply to those new to the Faith and/or non believers being called. John here is encouraging those who were hearing the message to confess their sins for the first and only time.

5) Verse 10: "IF we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and his Word is not in us."

This verse just confirms and sums up what has already been said with the added dimension of telling the new converts that if they profess to be of The Lord Jesus Christ and they say that they have not sinned they make Our Lord out to be a liar as well, and His Word and Truth is not in them. By contrast, how could this verse apply to Born Again sons and daughters of God? Quite simply, it couldn't, because those Born of God cannot sin, so this statement could only be aimed at or only apply to those being called out of this world of sin and into His glorious Light.

Charles Crosby

http://yes2truth.com.istemp.com/index.html

If you wish to learn more please e-mail me at yes2faithatyahoo.co.uk If you do wish to e-mail me please replace the 'at' with @ - thank you

There are no contradictions in the Holy Word of God only the evil corruptions of men, within its pages, who have deliberately created them to meet the requirements of their satanic religious agendas - Charles Crosby

Revised and edited 7th September 2008

The Story of Chosun - Part 14

Enter, once more, Japan. Seven of Chosun's worst years are spent battling invaders from just across their waters. Some background first: In 1568 King Myunjung dies before a successor is chosen, so his queen chooses Sun-jo. Reforms follow, but miss the mark of reforming the King. This will prove to be a costly omission soon.

There are few Japanese living in Chosun in the late 16th century, and they are limited to three settlements. To correct this, the Japanese government sends a message asking for the old relations to be restored, which would involve for one thing, freer trade status. Yes, says Chosun. But in far southwestern Pusan only. Other traders are to be seen for what they have been through the centuries: pirates. Not too pleasant to Japan's ears.

It is during this critical time, when unity of purpose is needed by the vulnerable Chosun, that the formation of political parties for non-political reasons erupts into national division. Factionalism for trivialities is seen as one reason the soon-to-occur invasion by Japan is a success. Clan warfare develops, personality issues take center stage. No longer right or wrong, but my party vs. your party. Even criminals are defended by their political buddies.

Korea's status in other ways: Morally much better. They still followed their leaders, they always have. But their leaders have changed. Incredibly, the Korean mind-set is to follow whoever is at the top, blindly. There is an almost Biblical rigidity to this command, yet even Biblical principles allow for civil disobedience when Christ's truth is at stake. For the Koreans, it seems there are no exceptions, as witnessed in the North to this day! How else explain the following of one like Kim Jong-il?

Other reasons for Japanese success: 1. Since the Chosunese are at peace, there are not many military trainees. 2. The peninsula has no firearms at all.

What about Japan itself? It was never one great mass. It is feudalistic. There is constant civil war. It seems that the multidude of islands is one great battlefield. The family of Wun has ruled for 200 years at this point. But The rising Hideyoshi is instrumental in bringing down the emperor and replacing him, though not with the same title.He remains a warrior, thirsty for world domain. His first target is to be China . Korea will be the first step toward this goal. And the last.

The King in Korea is asked to be a part of Japan's intentions against China: No, says Sun-jo. China is our mother. China is probably feared more also. So Korea braces itself for an invasion, believing Mother will greatly assist her, for her own purposes.

1592, the "Im-Jim" year. 250,000 soldiers invade, bringing 300,000 firearms. Kato and Konishi, two rival generals, are put in charge. But their differences are one reason they do not win a permanent victory. It is helpful that the Japanese mimic Korea's greatest weakness of the time: dis-unity.

Interestingly, General Konishi is a Roman Catholic convert of Portuguese missionaries! One sees in the art work of the period, soldiers carrying flags upon which are emblazoned the cross of Christianity! One only can imagine what a Japanese victory in the Far East might have meant for world religion.

Seoul must be evacuated. A horrible destruction spreads across the country. The Royal party escapes first to Kaesong, then Pyongyang, then farther north still, to the Chinese border at Uiju. The people despise their king from that day.

And, Koreanesque, within a few days of the beginning of the invasion, people begin to return to their homes. They even try to adjust to Japanese rule. After all, they've adjusted so many times before!

The Military is sent to the Im-Jim River, halfway between Kaesong & Seoul. It is fooled by the Japanese, who pretend to go. An argument develops in the Korean camp as to whether they are gone or not. A General takes some people with him to prove he is right. But they are not gone. A great defeat follows.

This is of course only one of many war stories that have been passed down. Generally speaking, there is a seven year period of defeat, that, according to historian Hulbert, "was not because they were not brave nor because luxury had sapped the vitality of the noble classes, but it was because no one would work with anyone else. It was because they saw in war nothing but the chance of personal advancement. And so each one deplored the successes and rejoiced in the failures of every other."

This is a disease that can still sap the vitality of a people, even the church. And speaking of the church, 16th century Korea still awaits the arrival of vital Christianity. Is it not sad to you that the only introduction the Korean people have so far to the things of Christ is the Japanese flag bearing a cross? How long does it take for the populace to overcome this militaristic view of Christ, an image that should never have appeared in representation of our Lord, whose only mission was to save sinners and befriend them for eternity.

May our generation correct once and for all any false impressions Koreans might still have of the suffering and risen Saviour. Let us go in and let us not fail in raising up the truth of Jesus.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , ovber 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com.

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Defeating the Giants

Defeating the Giants

1 Samuel 17: 50 - 51

"So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword."

Like David, most of us have faced giants before, whether it be the giant of unforgiveness, insurmountable debt, physical illness, addictions, oppression or depression, we have all faced circumstances in our life that seem beyond our ability to overcome. And the more we focus on the giant, the more terrifying it becomes. Goliath had held the entire Israelite army at bay for 40 days. Day and night he would harass them and they had become paralysed by fear . Paralysis be it mental or physical occurs when we are overcome by fear and intimidation . In our heads we start to say , I can't do it, nothing is ever going to change, its hopeless, I don't care any more, is God even real? The conversation in our minds has turned from hope to hopelessness and the voice of the enemy has become louder and more frequent than the voice of God. What we focus on draws our energy and our emotions and we will always move in the direction of our most dominant thoughts. The more we focus on the GIANTS in our life the more they control us.

David, was too young to go to war and had stayed back home with this father Jethro. On one particular visit to his brothers, Goliath made an appearance and bellowed out his usual intimidation's. Instead of running for cover, David was indignant, "who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?". David believed that Israel had the power of God on its side and no matter how big or how nasty this Giant was, no one was greater than the God of Israel. The victory that day had been won in David's mind long before it was won in the natural. The armies of Israel had been paralysed by fear, but David had refused to be intimidated.

David was a 'make it happen kind of guy', rather than a person who hoped it would happen, or reacts to what happens. The difference lies within. The bible teaches us that the power to overcome lives within you. Ephesians 3: 20 " Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to that power that works in us" In other words, He is saying it is up to you. You must stop procrastinating, waiting for others, or blaming the past. So many times it's much easier to embrace the role of a victim, a loser, or of the one who's not smart enough, not good enough, not educated enough or not financially sound enough. When you accept such limitations for yourself, the giant will always roar and they become true for you.

Do you really want to change? Are you willing and ready to give up perceptions and behaviors that have kept you paralysed instead of soaring with the eagles? Start by replacing wrong thought patterns with rights ones. Isaiah 54: 17 " No weapon formed against you shall prosper." When thoughts of fear, worry and intimidation begin to speak, shout, stop! And declare the power of God to that giant. Its time to become as indignant as David was about Goliath, and get some fight back into your spirit.

Pray.

God I thank you that there is nothing going on in my life right now that you have not already given me the power to overcome. Help me to renew my mind and break the power of fear and intimidation. I choose to put my trust in your word, not what the circumstances say. Thank you that today there is victory over every giant in my life in Jesus name. Amen!

Yours faithfully
Carolyn Evans-Hale
Subscribe to my Facebook Group for weekly devotionals.
http://www.faithforeverydayliving.com

Some Questions About Religion

It's all the rage, you know. Down with "religion", up with Jesus. I understand the concept, but I'm beginning to question the premise. In fact, I have a lot of questions for religion-bashers.
You who despise "religion", could you tell me which Biblical apostle you are quoting in your anger? Which Bible writer actually condemned religion? If the Bible does not condemn it, what is your basis? Do you know where the word religion is found in your Bible, and do you know what it means?

May I answer? The Greek threskeia means "a ceremonial observance." A form of worship. The King James translates the word into "religion" a few times, and into "worshipping" once. In none of the "religion" passages is anything negative connotated. In Colossians 2:18, however, where the word is "worshipping", the apostle rebukes angel religion.

He warns believers that there are false teachers out there who are puffed up with pride because of their supposed relationship with angels, and who are therefore pushing their angelic religion on to the Body. That sort of "religion" is condemned. Strange that the strongest false teachers of our day have a similar emphasis. As is my custom, I will not name names. But the state of Kansas that I mentioned in a previous blog, is the source of much of this angelic religion.

Religion is a positive word in the Scriptures. It is our brother James who points out that there is pure, undefiled religion and then there is vain religion. In both cases, these religious practices have nothing to do with the Sunday meeting. A man whose religion is pure is one who cares for such as the orphans and widows, and one who keeps away from the defilements of this world. A man whose religion is useless is one who cannot control his tongue but still keeps on telling himself he is a true believer. Notice, he has a religion. He does "worship", and maybe with great enthusiasm. But his religion is vain.

Let me be charitable then to the attackers of religion and suggest to them other questions. Did you really mean "down with bad religion" ? Are you talking about the quiet forms of worship versus the louder more "free" expressions? Truly dead formality deserves a shake-up. But are you sure your target is even then a valid one? When you divide churches between the quiet and the loud, are you sure that the loud ones are the ones following Jesus? Could some of them have a vain religion? And could you have missed some pure ones on the other side?

Is a quieter method of getting God's work done to be despised? Is it possible that some who are quiet in church actually are very vocal in their own prayer times? Is it possible that the quiet ones love the Lord with their gifts as much as the loud vociferous types?

Are some good things being thrown out in the name of this revolution? Like song books? Like use of Bibles? Like rich doctrinal teachings replaced by scanty messages so that there is more time for shouting? Is it not true that there will come a time when people can no longer endure sound teaching? Is it not true that they will heap to themselves teachers because they have itching ears?

Is it possible, forgive me for suggesting it, that there are men among us trying to upset the old order so that they can come to power in a new one? Will their new hyped-up style that is meant to replace "religion", itself deserve the title "religion" in just a matter of weeks? Can people be at this fever pitch for long periods of time? How many new "signs and wonders", real or imagined, can be introduced to the people of God before they see it as just ho-hum and a new form of ceremonial observance?

Bottom line, for those who seek the presence of God, is the sign of that presence some miraculous show, or is it in fact a changed life? Though most of the "healings" in your non-religious meetings cannot be substantiated, even if they were real, do they compare to the standard God has set for His people in terms of holiness, and transformation, and repentance from dead works?

Only questions. But it seems to me, important ones.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , ovber 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Why is Jesus 'Immanuel'?

Any teachers reading this? Have you ever had a student who gave you homework, rather than the other way around? I've got a student like that in my Korean Sunday School class. When she doesn't get it, she's not shy about asking help. I imagine most of the questions she asks would be tough going for a lot of Sunday School teachers. See if you know the answer to this one:

In Matthew 1:21, an angel appears to Joseph to give him some very special instructions, including the naming of the Baby that's about to be born. The name given is "Jesus." Which means Savior. Saving from sins. Only God can do that, by the way. Israel has had many saviors that saved from enemies, but only one Savior that saved from sins. With me so far? That was not the question.

Matthew adds on, and we believe he is being directed by theSpirit, that all this is happening to fulfill a prophecy. Well and good. Which prophecy? Isaiah 7:14. "A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call His name Immanuel, God with us." In 2 more verses of Matthew, after he quotes Isaiah, we see Jesus born, and the name given as the angel directed, Jesus.

Pretty glaring isn't it? It's obvious that Matthew was not contradicting Matthew.But he really believed that the naming of the child Jesus fulfilled the prophecy about a special child being named Immanuel. How can this be, my student wanted to know.

I explained to her that to this day we call this child Immanuel, because we know he is "God with us." Songs are written to Immanuel. So it was fulfilled. But something said I needed to go a little deeper. So I came home & did my homework, and here's my report. My student will get a copy, and so will my internet readers.

When this message was first given to the prophet Isaiah, about 700 years before Jesus, there seems to have been an immediate fulfillment. Hebrew scholars who want you to do away with this Jesus-is-the-Messiah message, will point you to the next chapter, Isaiah 8, where the prophet, and a prophetess who had been a virgin up to that point, bring forth a son. The name Immanuel is not given to that child, but the term is used later on in chapter 8, as though Immanuel had already been born. Case closed, says the Hebrew scholar. This has nothing to do with Jesus of Nazareth.

But Matthew was a Hebrew too. He knew the Bible, as did the Spirit who led him to quote Isaiah 7:14. The answer to this riddle is more fully answered in terms of dual fulfillment.

For example, what does the idea "Out of Egypt have I called my son" mean? The Israelites were led out of Egypt? Yes. The "son" a collective term for all those redeemed on that special day? Sure.

But Jesus is a part of this one too. Remember, His mother had to take Him to Egypt as a young child? So now it also means, "Jesus was brought out of Egypt back to Nazareth." It can also allude to the fact that we, believers in Jesus, have been saved from "Egypt", the world's kingdom, by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Passages can thus have a local and and a much larger application. True, a prophetess, a young lady, had a son and technically fulfilled the prophecy. But also true, and a greater truth is that a virgin - who remained a virgin all during the birthing process of Jesus- gave birth to a Son Who saved us from our sins, Jesus, and therefore made it clear to us that God is with us. We will call Jesus "Immanuel" forever.

Well, student of mine, how did I do? Thanks for the question. And keep them coming.

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com - There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs , ovber 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

By God's Good Grace Alone

I breathe; I stand; I urinate; I laugh; I cry; I drive a car; I break bad habits; I feel; I knock; I cogitate; we can make love, my wife and I; I can admire and adore; I sit; they revile me; we please people; I try hard and don't give up; we possess things; I act gracefully; I repent and forgive; I read and write;

We play with each other; I experience joy and sorrow, peace and turmoil; I walk; I talk; I listen; we pick things up with our hands; I tie my shoe laces; we have family; we know love; I help someone; I feel good about it; I trust and respect others; I produce children;

We watch them grow; they develop--physically and spiritually, and ideas for living--from us; I have a gender, a personality, and a uniqueness; we stub our toes; we experience all emotions from bliss to anguish; I choose--we choose--they choose;

We can dance and sing; I can think and imagine; I can stay up or lie down; we can work; we can rest from work; we can reflect on the good we've done; I can balance my life; I can them and they can help me; I can know things and share this knowledge; I can choose and then live by my values;

We share the experience of life; we can love or hate; I can choose to accept his offer of divine salvation; finally, I will die.

We will all die one day... having lived. By God's good grace alone we can live forever.

Copyright 2009, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Steve Wickham is a safety and health professional (BSc) and a qualified lay Christian minister (GradDipDiv). His passion in vocation is facilitation and coaching; encouraging people to soar to a higher value of their potential. Steve's key passion is work / life balance and re-creating value for living, and an exploration of the person within us.

Tragedy in North Korea

Kim Ae-Sang was interviewed at a town that borders North Korea. This withered 32-year-old had been knocking on doors when she finally came to a Korean family that would talk with her. Her story was so typical but still so hard to grasp.

She had left her five- and seven-year-old with the grandfather in Hamhung, NK. She was desperate for food because since the factory where she worked shut down, no food rations were being given out. Her husband went to the countryside hoping to work for food. For some reason he never returned. So she stripped some copper from machinery at her old factory and headed for the border, hoping to sell the metal for food there.

It's 300 miles to the crossing point into China from Hamhung. People have to wait long hours for a train to take them there. Starving and cold, at least 20 of the prospective passengers die every night. When the old train finally took its heavy load of passengers slowly towards China, it took so long that eight of Ae-Sang's fellow travellers died.

She had no ticket. Not even a permit to travel. So the railway guards had beaten her. She got to the border, still hoping to sell her metal. But border guards caught her and confiscated the copper. Still she planned to cross the river, with nothing to take into China but herself and the clothes on her back. Her new plan was simply to beg for food.

After teaming up with a younger woman, she found a guide who offered to help cross the river. His plan was to sell both women upon arrival in China. Then the guide found out that Kim Ae-Sang was married. He took the other girl, and Ae-Sang ran away.

Now what to do? Stay in China where she might find work and survive, or go back and save her children somehow?

We who know Christ believe that humans ought not to be having to make choices like that. Dads should not have to leave homes because there is no food or money or work. Moms should not have to leave children. Men should not be preying on others' misfortunes. And governments should not create conditions whereby only a few have the right to "normalcy."

There are more tragic things, to be sure, like eternal damnation, souls without Christ. Put all those tragedies together and one has the country before us. If ever there has been a nation that collectively said, "Help us!Pray for us!" it is this one.

This story was told ten years ago by Jasper Becker in his classic account of North Korea.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

The Sabbath in the Book of Acts

There is a 4000 year tradition of Sabbath in the Old Covenant. There is a strong Sabbath example and doctrine in the life of Jesus. Into the future via Jesus and the prophets, we can see a Sabbath just before the Millennium, and a Sabbath during the Millennium. Only the Gentile church is in question. Now the history of the beginnings of the church, both Jewish and Gentile, is found in the next book of the Bible, Acts. Just what happens to the Sabbath after the resurrection of Jesus? Do the Jews change? Do the Gentiles demand a change? Above all, what does God say, if anything, about this day?

First, there is essentially no mention of a Sabbath day until the 13th chapter. But I consider this passage quite interesting in our search for the Sabbath truth.

Acts 13:14. "But when they [the apostles] departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down."

It was Paul's custom, as it was Jesus', to attend synagogue services and to teach at them. They were, after all, Jewish rabbis. Following this introductory word, Luke relates the very lesson Paul taught, after which the Jews filed out. But...

Acts 13:42, 44. "...when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath... and the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God."

I find it interesting that Gentiles cared not one whit that they were entering into some Jewish practice. They had heard about this Jesus phenomenon and wanted in. So the first totally Gentile meeting of saints recorded in Scripture is on the Sabbath. This so angered the Jews that they became jealous and opposed Paul. So Paul says he will from now on go to the Gentiles. Do you think that Paul then told these Gentiles that they should change the rest day now? They were not worried about a seventh day rest. Why should Paul have been? And I ask humbly and carefully now, why should we be?

Though this history is sound and exemplary, most persons looking for light on the subject in the book of Acts want to go to Acts 15. Sabbath is not mentioned in that chapter, but perhaps it is important we stop there for awhile. A conflict arises over circumcision. This practice , like the Sabbath, and the tithe, was linked to Judaism. It seems to Paul and later the whole church that such a thing as the cutting of the flesh ought not to be bound onto Gentile believers as a requirement for salvation or even as a necessity for growth in the Lord. It seemed to them that this sign is purely a part of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. A list of basics requirements of Gentile believers is then drawn up and distributed, and is accepted by us today as the bare minimum of the law of Moses that we should enjoin on new believers in Messiah. The list is as follows:

1. abstain from things polluted by idols

2. abstain from sexual immorality

3. abstain from things strangled, and blood

All else, conclude the leaders of the day, would be considered "troubling" to Gentiles now turning to God. The emphasis is to be on the grace of God, not the law of God, from this day on. Well now. What a shocking statement to men who as children memorized whole books filled with laws, every one of which was required for acceptability before a holy God!

So Jewish believers will continue on with the Sabbath and other laws of Moses, but Gentiles... Is that truly what is being said here? A double standard? Or are the Jews likewise to be totally free from their tradition and from Moses? We must look seriously at this whole legal matter later. For now, the last words about Sabbath in Acts:

Acts 16:13, 17:2, and 18:4 tell of several more Sabbath meetings, where Paul meets with Jews on their "turf" and explains to them the way of salvation, with a variety of results. There seems to be little light in this book about what to do with Sabbath. There is even a mention of a first-day meeting, in the evening, but no reason is given why. Does the day not matter any longer? Why, Acts 2 records daily meetings, house to house, and daily additions in membership. The church was a constant every-day thing. Was not one day above another any longer? What of the beautiful pattern established by Moses and all the prophets, and Jesus Himself? Can any other New Testament writer help us out?

Space fails me here, but yes, there are other New Testament insights as to whether Sabbath is for us today. I encourage my readers to continue this search throughout the rest of Scripture.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Why Husbands' Prayers Are Sometimes Not Answered

Actually there are a number of reasons a man might not receive from God. Perhaps he is not praying in God's will. Perhaps he is harboring some grievous sin. But in the context of this word from I Peter, we must point out that prayers can be hindered by a wrong relationship with his wife.
And Peter (I Peter 3:7) points out exactly what that wrong relationship would be: (1) Not understanding her and therefore treating her according to common understandings, and (2) not honoring a fellow citizen of Heaven.

(1) There are places we should never go when trying to discover facts about a woman. The local bookstore. The local theater. The local magazine rack. The dictionary. The brain of a man. Or even the woman herself, who knows only partially. As with any created item, one must go to the Creator's Manual.

Our Father has told us what women are all about. First, they came out of man and are therefore a part of him. Whether married or single a woman is part of man. She was not created to be independent or lead. She desperately needs to follow her man. [ And man were created to follow his Lord]

Women who are driven to lead are unhappy women. Women without a proper cover in the home are grouchy and irritable. They need to be smothered with attention and affection by their love leader. Men who don't understand their wives make the household a sorry place to dwell and evidently upset Heaven too.

For when woman is treated poorly, trampled on because of her weakness, pushed up to leadership, etc, she eventually cries out to God, and in some cases cries out against her mate. How does the heavenly switchboard respond to two prayers that are diametrically opposed? Perhaps to just ignore both? Thus Peter's comment that prayers can be hindered by an ignorant male.

(2) Perhaps even more significantly, a man needs to remember that it will not always be like today. Today women are told to submit, even to the point of silence in church. She is never encouraged to lead her husband or any man in the assembly. But Jesus said that in that other land, we will be like the angels of heaven in terms of our gender.

Even now there is no male or female in the Spirit of God. God can illumine a woman as well as a man as she reads the Holy Scriptures. Women can have their prayers answered as well as men. Women receive respect for their faith as well as men. And they will be rewarded on the basis of their service, not their gender.

These women we treat so lightly are going to the same Heaven by the same grace that shed the same blood for us. It is not wise to demean them. Though some day we will be equal in gender, they may be far our superior in the Kingdom. Lording it over a wife is no different a sin than a pastor lording it over God's flock. Your domain was not given you so you could be a little emperor, sir, but so you could be a little Christ. A Christ-ian.

Our wives are precious gifts to be honored as such, not just because we are their lord as they are to honor us, but also because they are our most important associate through this life. They are the test we have been given to determine our place in eternity. Oh be careful! Love them. Know them. Protect them at all costs.

And your prayers will have a better chance of "going through."

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Paradise - A Garden in a City

A preacher once told me, when you're trying to show how crooked a stick is, just find a straight stick and lay it beside the crooked one. I haven't followed that wise advice always. I've often, for example, contradicted Kim Jong Il, who claims that his version of Korea is a Paradise. Communist propaganda has shared that imagery often through its history. The worker's Paradise.

Have you ever chuckled when you realize that these founders of atheistic states use Biblical imagery to describe their strange concoctions?

Today I lay before you and Mr. Kim and the workers of the world the straight stick. The real thing. The Bible's description of Paradise. Those who are averse to Biblical literalism will have trouble with this. But I believe in a literal God who sent a literal Saviour into a literal world to save literal mankind from its literal sins. A literal reward is in store for them, totally out of this world.

The presence of the tree of life in the middle of the garden called Eden in Genesis 2:9, ties Eden to the place that John calls Paradise (Hebrew, Pardace, "forest, orchard" ) in Revelation 2:7, where the tree surfaces again.So anything that can be said of Eden can be said of Paradise. Not only that, but the descending city of God called the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and 22 likewise contains that tree. That's three names for the same incredible capital of the New World. The Bible actually speaks much of this place, enough to make us desire it with all our heart if we are His.

The original man and woman were placed in a simple garden. But they encouraged an unwelcome guest there, and defiled the entire place. God could not allow them to partake of eternal life in their sinful condition. They were cast out.

Paradise was then hidden from man's view by angel guards who to this day do not allow any unauthorized persons to enter. Can a garden be uprooted and taken into the sky, or was this place somehow disconnected from the mainland to begin with? That seems to be the greatest mystery, one which we will thoroughly understand when we need to.

Meanwhile, Jesus says that in His Father's house are many dwelling places (John 14) and that He has gone to prepare a place for us. We assume he has been building this city, house by house, over the years until now it is a luscious place that combines the finest architectural styles of heavenly beings with the natural wonders of the original "park" (the oriental meaning of Paradise ).

Did Jesus really believe in a place called Paradise? Oh yes. He would not have lied in His dying breath - or any breath. He promised his cross-fellow that on that very day, after the pain, after the shame, they would be together in Paradise (Luke 23:43).

Other famous house guests include the apostle Paul, II Corinthians 12:4, who became a believer in a literal Paradise one day when he was suddenly whisked up to the place himself. His fleshly pride would not have been able to bear the talking about such splendors that he saw, if he had not been given from then on a grievous thorn of reminder, 12:7.

Oh it's real. It's coming. Just as we have always heard. Jesus promised it to all just as He promised it to the thief, in Revelation 2:7, " To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God."

Pray for North Korean believers today. Pray that they will overcome the Satanic torment that follows them into concentration camps and hunger and loss. Pray for Western Christians too, that they will overcome riches and comfort and lukewarmness.

For the city with the garden is only for overcomers.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

Why Was Jesus Born?

Why was Jesus born? The Bible provides a number of reasons. God the Father and Jesus agreed from the foundation of the world that Jesus would come and give his life as the sacrifice for the sins of mankind (I Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8). Therefore, one reason Jesus was born was to give himself as the ransom for the sins of mankind.

Another important reason for the birth of Jesus was to be a king. When Pilate questioned him during his trial before his crucifixion, Pilate asked him if he were the king of the Jews (John 18:33). Jesus answered that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). It was not the time for him to establish the Kingdom of God

Jesus did not come the first time to establish his kingdom. He came the first time to suffer for us, to give his life a ransom for many, and to be born into the royal family of David. He will sit on the throne of David and rule in the Kingdom of God.

Pilate asked Jesus clearly if he were a king. Here is how the gospel according to John records Pilate's question and Jesus' answer in John 18:37:

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (KJV)

Jesus here clearly states that he was born to be a king. Jesus came into the world to bear witness of the truth of God and to preach the good news of the coming Kingdom of God. However, he noted that his kingdom was not of that time. It was to be a future kingdom as he explained more clearly elsewhere.

One of things that the angel Gabriel stated in his announcement to the virgin Mary of the future birth of Jesus is that God would give him the throne of his father David. Here is how the gospel according to Luke records it in Luke 1:30-33.

"And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (KJV)

God sent the angel Gabriel to tell the virgin Mary that the son she would bear would be the son of God and that he would have an eternal kingdom over the house of Jacob. Jacob was the patriarch whose named God changed to Israel (Genesis 35:10).

Many people associate only the Jews with the House of Israel. However, Jacob or Israel had 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:22-26). They were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

David was a great king over the 12 tribes of Israel. His son Solomon reigned after he died (I Kings 2:10-12). After the death of Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. King Rehoboam ruled the Kingdom of Judah, which had its capital in Jerusalem. King Jeroboam ruled the Kingdom of Israel, which had its capital north of Jerusalem in Samaria.

The virgin Mary was a descendant of King David (Luke 3:23-31). She was of the royal family. Today, she would be called a princess. She knew well what the angel Gabriel meant when he said that her son Jesus would reign over the House of Israel. She knew that he would be a king over a literal kingdom just as her forefather David was a king over the House of Israel.

While David's rule was temporary, the reign of Jesus will be forever. As the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel's famous oratorio The Messiah says "king of kings forever and ever hallelujah."

Why was Jesus born? He was born to be bear witness of the truth of God and to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God. He was born to be the savior of the world. He was also born to be a king. He will be the King of Kings in the Kingdom of God. Jesus will reign as the King of Kings forever in the Kingdom of God. That is indeed good news.

Alan D. Campbell lives in Brandon, Florida. For more good news, please see his blog The Good News of the Kingdom of God at http://goodnewsofthekingdomofgod.blogspot.com

Dying with Jesus

One thing we've got to admit about the current crop of Muslims. They really believe what they believe. Death is considered part of the bargain when you enter Islam. Have we ever seen so many people willing to give away their lives?

Well, as a matter of fact, yes. Through the years the Christian Church has seen more of its people sent to an untimely death than any religion or people group on earth or in history. As many as seventy million may have paid the ultimate price for their faith.

Just dying, or just suffering, is not that to which God's people are called. But dying with Jesus. Remember the old song?

"Dying with Jesus by death reckoned mine.Living with Jesus a new life Divine.

"Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine, moment by moment, O Lord, I am thine."

Peter says that the mindset that agrees, "Jesus suffered, so must I," is a healthy one. It is the norm for us. We've lived enough in the flesh. We've had enough of this life. Let's lay it down and experience the new life.

This is where Islam falls so tragically short. When Muslims die they are sent to the prison where the dead wait for their judgment at the "resurrection of damnation." A blaze of pain and seconds of "glory", then that's it. When we die with and in Him, whether virtually now or in actuality later, we go to be with Jesus, our spirits free from these old bodies, and basking in the light of His Presence.

I remember the mental fight I had when I had to go in for a certain medical procedure. I'm a pretty cowardly guy in my natural man. I almost did not keep my appointment. But the benefits were there. The doc said I had to do it. And when I woke up, I knew it was all worth it. I felt great!

That's how it must be here. Entering into death on a regular basis, unafraid, knowing that Doc has prescribed these operations to bring us out perfect and happy on the other side. Arm yourself with that attitude, says Peter. Suffering and martyrdom and laying our lives down, it's our norm. Live with that mindset and life will certainly look different than it does now.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Judging and Offending

We are a peculiar people, the people of earth.
We strive for everything from power to wealth. Sometimes we see ourselves as super human, with the ability to leap tall buildings with a single bound, but some times we can't even open a jar without help.
Many people, even Christians, don't realize that, there will be others that will judge, and others, that will offend.

Offenses come in many different varieties and forms.
Some times they are subtitle, and sometimes, they are direct, and hurtful. Many times Christians will become offended, by the world, which according to Scripture, bring about drastic measures to come down upon them by God, as punishment for hurting one of His Children, but also offences will come from the word of God.
Many Christians are still carnal minded, not truly understanding what the word actually is stating.

Here is an example.

I wrote an article on the Biblical teachings of the Curse of Israel. Some were offended and desired me to retract what I had written.
I refused, and they became offended even further. I cannot change what the Bible states as fact.

Jesus was sent to the House of Israel first. They rejected Him and the gentiles accepted Him. This is Bible. I cannot change that.

Here is part of the message I have written called The Curse of Israel pt.1.;

Mal 3:9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Pro 1:23-31; Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity( destruction the King James Version); (5) the devastation of war (Jer.46:21 (6) adversities of any kind (Pro.27:10).); I will mock when your fear cometh;.

As you can see, God had established many curses upon His own people for their rejection of His Laws. But this curse shall be lifted from them at the end of days, when they accept Jesus as Christ.

The world(Carnal man, 1st Adam.)

Matthew 18:6-7;

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
For an unbeliever to offend one of the Lords Children is common today. Christians, all around the world are persecuted, hated, offended, and murdered, for no other reason than that they believe in Jesus Christ, as the Son of God.

Many people offend a Christian, because of the way we think, act, and testify of the Lord Christ.
Our actions are different than the world. We do not do what they desire us to do. We do not commit adultery, run around the streets, drunk, on drugs, committing riotous acts, as they do.

1st Peter 4:3-5; For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
This is the way the world desires us to act. We cannot commit willful sin, we cannot accept any sin, no matter who they are, being, children, friend, family nor fine neighbor. Life is precious, but it is not the end.

We are commanded by Christ, who is the head of all things concerning the church, to be separate from the acts of the world.
Romans 13:12-14; 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.

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering(Wanton, lewd, immodest behavior.) and wantonness, (lasciviousness.)(The softness, delicacy and weakness in men, which are characteristic of the female sex, but which in males are deemed a reproach; unmanly delicacy; womanish softness or weakness. Voluptuousness; indulgence in unmanly pleasures; not in strife and envying.) (Webster.)
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

We are hated because we stand up for the commandments of God. We cannot be partaker of homosexuality, drunkenness, adultery, riotous living, we cannot accept this madness, that the world says, is freedom of sin to all. But we must warn them of their sin, and the consequences of they sin they commit.

We are judged by the world as, trouble makers, and lyres.

We are judged by the world as, dangerous people supporting Israel, and righteousness. We are called names, persecuted, and hounded, because we will not accept, the new world order, a one world religion, and the rejection of any man calling himself Father. We are hated, and judged, by the world because we will not be partaker of joint worship with the religions, that reject Christ as Lord and Savior. We cannot be married to God, and sleep with the Devil.

The Christian(Carnal Minded.)(Christians are in Last Adam.)

Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
This is speaking of the unruly among some Christians. Those that are trying to teach things that are contrary to sound judgment.

We are commanded to avoid and mark them, and their teachings, as not Biblical.
Jud 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
This happens very little in todays world because of apostasy in the mainstream church world, as per Biblical prophecy.

Many churches today and, yes, many pastors, are not use to being strong within the bounds of the church body. We as ministers must control those that teach within the church, and be sure of the doctrine that they teach.

We must not forget the Commandment of Christ;

1Titus 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

We also see the power given to ministers, from God, in Romans;

For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Is one church better than another? No. They all have their faults, but we remove ourselves from any Church that does not teach the sound doctrine, that was delivered to us, from the Holy Spirit. We must remember that there is only, One Lord, One Faith and One Baptism. This is stated in Old Testament writings and also in the New Testament Book of Revelations.

There can no longer be ministers, nor Churches, that speak evil of one another, for we are the light of the world. If we are fighting among ourself, saying that this Church is bad, or that Church is bad, then how can we all come together as Christ commanded? How can we prove to the world that, Christianity is the only way of living, that God will accept? How can we prove to the world that, Christianity is the only way of salvation and that Jesus is Lord?

Mat 7:21-23; Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
None of us are immune to making mistakes.

1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. The key here is to learn from them and ask forgiveness.

Is there hope for these hypocritical Christians? Yes.

Lets read; Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Rom 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
Think about it. Ars.

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries
A.R.Smith Ministries
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

The Perfect Unity Of Daniel And John

Have you ever considered just how much Daniel and John have in common? As young men, both had a personal relationship with the Lord. They were both considered "beloved" of God. Defiantly strong for the Lord as young men, they both grew into long-term servants of God whose ministry involved prophecy. Both lived until their 90's, when both received the vision of the end of the world, much of which overlaps. Both received these visions as men in captivity to their respective Empires.

Their prophecies were given by the same Spirit, so you would expect common threads running through both. Away, please! with the notion that John was an "intuitive" thinker who created his own wild vision of the end of the world, with generous borrowings from Daniel's work. I've actually heard such talk in church settings. May God have mercy on those who corrupt His Word.

John was an old ex-fisherman, a life-time disciple of Jesus, and a man full of the Holy Ghost. He was appointed of God to be one of twelve men to lay the foundational teaching stones of the church. His book of Revelation was placed last in the list of accepted books for a reason. And the warning within the book of "don't add-don't subtract" has led all true believers of Jesus to understand that John has been given the final word to the church. Oh how we need to listen!

But in the portions we will hear, there will be a clear resemblance to the tune the Spirit played through Daniel.

John sees in Revelation 13 a beast rising from the sea. Daniel (chapter seven) saw the four winds of heaven stirring up the "Great Sea" out of which came four beasts, the fourth of which was the same as the one before us now. The Great Sea is the Mediterranean Sea. The fourth beast of Daniel and John's beast here are meant to represent the final world power before Christ comes back. Most recognize this to be the power that incorporated all powers before it, but centered in the Mediterranean region. So when John sees his beast here, he connects with Daniel in identifying him with the last formation of the Roman animal.

John's beast has seven heads. This characteristic is missing from Daniel's, yet the total number of heads seen by Daniel is also seven, if one includes all four beasts that he saw. The Spirit's object in the Daniel beast seems to be to predict what world powers are coming, one at a time, whereas in John we are being shown a conglomerate of all the world powers at once. The seven heads when thought of as kingdoms are normally considered to be, in chronological order, Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the 10-nation confederation that flows out of Rome at the end. Following Daniel's order, we would start with Babylon, then go to Medo-Persia, then instead of Greece alone would be the four divisions of the Grecian Empire: Greece, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, and finally Rome (in both of its forms.) The "heads" of the beast are key elements in identifying antichrist later.

Back to Revelation 13. The beast has ten horns. So does Daniel's. The number ten in Daniel's and John's prophecies is always referring to a ten-nation confederation flowing out of the final world power, Rome. So it is in Daniel 2 and 7, the statue and the animals, toes and horns. Ten. Rome will be colossal and powerful at first. It will then shrink to the background noise of human history, stretching as those long legs of the statue and then resurfacing as a pair of feet with ten toes. The imagery is perfect. We are headed for another Roman Empire, somehow divided into ten parts. Each part will have its own "crown" or seat of government, thus the beast we see has ten crowns.

These are a few of the similarities between John and Daniel. How God used these men! Their united voice confirms God's end-time program.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Jesus and Paul and The Problems

My Love - A Poem About One's First Love

There are three main reasons why someone comes to Christ and receives Him as Lord and Savior of their lives and drives men and women to their knees before Him.

One reason is through a realization of the holiness of God and the unholiness, wretchedness of man and the complete realization that God is everything and you are nothing. Second reason is brought about with a very real and overwhelming fear of God's wrath and the final expression of His wrath being hell. Plus, the reality of what we really deserve from God is to spend the rest of eternity separated from Him in hell. Third reason comes about by falling head over heels in love with the loving Savior, Jesus Christ.

To fully realize how much Jesus Christ loves you and how much you mean to Him. My reason for first accepting Jesus Christ into my heart and life was reason number three. No one introduced me to Him, He just revealed Himself to me in a personnel, intimate way that I will never forget. At the start of my freshmen year in high school, all of my childhood friends moved away and I was left alone. In addition, I did not feel a lot of love at home from my parents and my one younger brother. I entered high school alone, feeling unwanted, unloved and consequently became depressed.

Looking back at my freshmen year, I would say the hardest part of being and feeling alone was not actually being alone or feeling disconnected from people but instead feeling that I wasn't valuable enough, for anyone to want to get to know me.

I always knew about God but I did not know Him; there is a tremendous difference between the two. Growing up, my parents would often take my brother and me to church. And during elementary school I would go to Bible class which was held once a week in a trailer and lasted about an hour. Church and Bible class is where I learned about God and some of the stories in the Bible. However, as far as I can remember, no one really taught me how to know God personally and intimately. Having no one to talk to during my freshmen year, I decided to take on the endeavor of getting knowing God by talking to Him.

My getting to know God started in conversations with Him, actually, I'm the one that did all of the talking so I guess it wasn't much of a two way conversation. Many times these conversations took place in an oak tree. However, whenever I talked to God I would request one desire, which was for God to take my life literally. Looking back, I realize that I wasn't getting to know God and certainly had no real clue to who He was. For God is the God of life and not death. And when one realizes God's love for them and embraces that love then one cannot help but to live life to the fullest. Jesus said, "..I have come that they may have life and life to the full." (John 10:10).

God is a rewarder of those who seek Him, no matter how one starts the seeking process. A couple of months into my freshmen year of high school, God sent me a friend and someone that He can talk through. His name was Ken Caster and he was a junior at my school. I met Ken while I was sitting alone at the lunch table in the cafeteria. As I was eating Ken approached me and sat down. He then did something that no one else had ever done, he asked me my name.

Ken did not immediately start preaching to me about Jesus. Really he didn't talk at me, spilling out theological and evangelical useful information. Instead, he simply started asking questions about me, he started to get to know me. I did not know it the time but it was at that moment I was talking face to face with God; for by just seeking to get to know me, Ken was displaying the character and heart of Jesus. For in every believer God lives and when we walk in obedience in accordance with God's holiness and His love then Jesus, who is also God (John 1:1-3,14), is manifested through the life of the Christian.

After several weeks from the first meeting with Ken I started going to Campus Life, there I met more of Ken's friends who quickly became my friends. Campus Life was a ministry which met once every other week. During the meetings there would be an icebreaker, then an open discussion about contemporary issues and how they relate to the Christian life. At the end of every discussion, a leader or someone would wrap up the discussion and the meeting would close with a social time. Someone working with Campus Crusade for Christ were in charge of these meetings. I am sure that during these meetings, Ken or someone told me about Jesus but I don't remeber anyone telling me the Gospel or salvation.

Towards the end of March of my freshmen year, Ken invited me to see a Christian comedian named, Ken Davis in concert. It sounded fun so I agreed. In April Ken and some of his friends picked me up and took me to the concert. During the show I could not remember the last time, if any, I laughed and not only laughed but laughed so hard, that at times it was hard for me to breath. Towards the end, when the laughing stopped, Ken Davis proceeded to tell us about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This was the first time when I heard about the Man, the God and the Savior that I would fall in love with.

At the end of his message Ken Davis asked everyone to bow their heads and not to think about anything. He asked, while heads bowed, to let the Holy Spirit move and allow God to talk to our hearts.

This night was the first night when God spoke and I listened. While my head was bowed God did speak to me, not with words but with His love and I began to feel and sense Jesus Christ's presence, His loving presence, all around me and inside of me, and for the first time in my life I did not feel alone. Then Ken Davis asked if anyone wanted to accept Jesus into their heart and if so to come up front.

Without thinking, I slowly stood up with my head still bowed and I slowly made my way up to the stage. As I was making my way up I began to lift my head and shame started sliding off me like butter and acceptance started to clothe me.

While I was walking down the aisle and up towards the stage, I did not look to the right or to the left but looked straight ahead then up towards the heavens, it was like I was looking straight into the loving eyes of the Savior.

For it was that night I saw the face of my love but it wasn't my fleshly eyes that beheld Him but my spiritual eyes that beheld Jesus Christ, my love. It was that night I knew I would never again be alone. After much rejoicing with Ken Caster and his friends I went home and headed up stairs to my bedroom.

In my bedroom alone but yet not alone I made a vow I said, "Jesus, I want to live for you no matter what. If it is cool or uncool, if it is the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do, I will live for you. Since then I started conversing with God and now I try to do the majority of the listening. When God speaks to me, many time I hear his words and feel His arms around me and His love warming my heart and spirit on cold, dark nights.

It was on one of those nights that I wrote my first poem called "My Love." Other poems would follow mainly about Jesus, which comes from my new heart that I received the night when I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart and life, at a Christian comedian concert in April of my freshmen year of high school.

My Love

I remember when I first fell in love,
your gentles like a dove,
your voice calling me
to be your love.

I remember when I first held your hand,
as I promised to cherish you
in this foreign land.

When times come when I feel lost and scared,
I hear your voice saying,
"You have nothing to fear,
remember you are mine,
All of this because I care."

For I know, I am the apple of your eye,
before you I was nothing but now I am something,
by the result of your love that will never die.

There was a time, long ago
when you proved your love for me,
and showed me once and for all,
You will never let me go.

For my sins you died upon a tree,
with powerful action,
on the cross,
you displayed your love for me.

When I heard you had died, I started to cry,
but tears of sadness turned to tears of joy,
when you arose and appeared by my side.

Soon you told me you had to leave,
to prepare a place for me,
where we will be together for eternity.

My love, there are still times when I feel discouraged,
when I grow suddenly afraid and loose all courage,
tough still I am quick to rejoice,
for you have promised me,
you will come back for me,
and with your sweet voice,
call me by name to join you in eternity.

Jeff Dalton
317-902-2266
http://www.gracereminders.com
Reminding people of God's grace with one word at a time

Christians Against Proselytizing Among Israel

CAPAI -- Christians Against Proselytizing Among Israel -- is an organization headed by Moshe-Mordechai van Zuiden. Is there an equivalent organization of Jews against Jewish proselytizing among Christians? I doubt it.

I am opposed to anybody - Jew, Israelite or Gentile - becoming a convert to the counterfeit Christianity of "traditional Churchianity." Such popular error misrepresents true Christianity with its Babylonian mystery religion dressed up in the drag of "Christianity."

True Christianity, as taught by Herbert W. Armstrong, merely announces the soon coming Kingdom of God to be established by King Messiah, Yeshua. We don't seek converts or believe it's our responsibility to "save" the world. If God wants to save the world, it will be saved. There's no contest between God and the devil, contrary to traditional myths.

I encourage Moshe-Mordechai van Zuiden and others to call upon Jews not to be hypocrites against "Christian" proselytizing while remaining in a self-imposed exile, far away from the Jewish homeland, and having the chutzpah to preach against Jesus in such professing countries, as I've seen on too many forums. Mind you, these forums I refer to were not legitimate Jewish responses to efforts to convert them.

Jews Should Follow Judaism to Israel!

May faithful Jews not confuse ersatz New York with Eretz Yisrael. Israel needs American Jews and American Jews need Israel! Such a great influx of American Jews into Eretz Israel could help sweep away the suicidal peace process and restore Israel to its right mind.

A Jewish Homeland

Weren't the Jews prophesied to return to Israel? Are the Jews ethnic Jews or merely converts? How should Israel treat their resident Arabs? Why does the world focus on Jerusalem for all the wrong reasons?

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

God's Specific Sign Of The End Of The Age

The Gospel has been making inroads world-wide for many centuries. It is at its all-time greatest expansion today. The Gospel is on every continent and in every country. But there are cultural groups, some say several hundred, living in those countries that have not a word of Scripture in their native language. Do those groups all qualify as "nations" in the Bible sense? Will Jesus wait until every man, woman, and child has had a chance to hear a word of Scripture in his own language? Is that the requirement? Then what of the millions who have already died without hearing that Word?

Or was Jesus' statement about the Gospel being preached in all the world (Matthew 24) before the end would come, general on purpose, adding only one more backdrop for the condition of the world when He is about to come? It is true that the world will not end until the Gospel has gone around the world, but that process has taken many hundreds of years, and may take many more. It cannot be a "sign", for no one knows exactly when it is fulfilled. In fact, is it fulfilled now?

In the verse following this "gospel" sign, 15, is a statement that is so specific that it far overshadows all that has been said so far. I believe it is the answer the disciples were seeking. It is backed up by Scripture and followed up by an action scenario that leads quickly to the end of the world!

Let me make that last point again. It will change forever your idea about the end times. If you are able to grasp what I am sharing here, you will be able to lay aside human opinions that have for so long governed Matthew 24. The point is this: There is absolutely no textual need for any break between verse 15 and verse 31. That is, the "sign" mentioned in verse 15 kicks off a series of events that leads in a relatively short time to the very revelation of Jesus Christ in the clouds. This is one understanding you will not receive in most other discussions of this passage available today. It sweeps away theories. It frees itself from historical speculation. It ties itself directly to passages in Daniel and Revelation and leads God's people to see that One Spirit spoke to all. The message is awesome, even frightening at times, but not confused.

Do you see it? A signal is given, panic ensues, worldwide trouble follows this, so bad that the time period is shortened by God Himself, more false prophets appear, Jesus comes! Those who see the beginning of this series of events will most likely see its end (Matthew 24:34). Otherwise it could not be considered a sign. If the "abomination" took place in the first century but I live in the twenty-first, why should I think it was signaling anything?

Granted, in A.D. 70, armies did encircle Jerusalem, and the Roman conquerors destroyed almost (but only almost) everything standing. And the Temple was defiled by Caesar's general Titus ( atype of abomination). And those in the vicinity panicked and ran (hence, "desolation"), not necessarily because Jesus had told them to (for the unsaved Jewish community had long since written Jesus off) but because that's what you do when you are met with such a forceful attack. Yes, Jews were protected in neighboring Edom, at Petra, etc. But the rest of chapter 24 did not happen. Jesus did not return to Earth! And the instructions given to us remain intact: "Let him that reads understand." I think no one was reading about this catastrophe in A.D. 70. But we read. And more and more, we understand. This event has not yet occurred, though the Jews of the first century had a very real dress rehearsal.

I realize that what I am proposing will set interpretation of predictive prophecy study back many years, but that's a great idea. Let's set it back, in fact, to the days when it was first spoken, and read for ourselves what Jesus said! For He said that after the abomination of desolation takes place, He will come. Good enough for me. Once one knows what that phrase means, he has a grasp of when Jesus will come.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

For North Korea, The Lamb That Was Slain

Whether in North Korea or North Chicago, "MAY THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING!"

It was shouted over the waves as the ship passed out farther and farther from the world these Moravian missionaries had known. They had just sold themselves into a life of slavery for the sole purpose of bringing the Gospel to an island of slaves where the Gospel was forbidden. Motivated not by glory or money or power but only by the Worthiness of Him Who died on the accursed tree, these men made eternal history on that day as their haunting cry reaches deep into the caverns of our own selfish hearts still.

Why do we love North Korea and the victimized people there? Why should we daily pray for them, send money on their behalf, go to visit them via Bibles or tracts or our own person? Is it because they are worthy? Is it because we need "something to do for Jesus" ? Is it because they are in pain and we have seen their needs? Because we want to make them happy in this life? Why, any pagan with any kind of a heart at all can feel sorry for a North Korean. How is the Christian motivation different?

The answer that comes resoundingly back from Heaven was voiced so exquisitely many years back by Paris Reidhead, missionary, preacher, and much more. Brother Reidhead tells in the classic sermon Ten Shekels and a Shirt of his own experience of human compassion on the "poor Africans" and his desire to "improve on the justice of God" by giving the heathen a chance to go to Heaven. Well, these are not motives to be spurned. We all understand the call of missions, and videos of lepers and dying children that grip our hearts. But it is not enough.

The preacher was spoken to in the depths of his soul one night, as he was complaining about the fact that these "monsters of iniquity" had no interest in the things of which he spoke, and asking how could God have sent him there in compassion when they cared not one whit for the light of the Gospel?

God simply said, "I didn't send you here for their sakes. I sent you here for My sake."

Try that on in relationship to the subject at hand, Christians working for the North Koreans. God sends us to these precious souls, as lost as the Africans, many of whom have no desire for any more light than that which Kim allows, I say, He sends us not for their sakes, but for His own. He died for them. He deserves a hearing. He deserves their obedience, their devotion, their forever love.

It was God who hung on the cross. Never can man understand or repay this wonder. Never can man suffer more than did the God of Heaven murdered by His own creation. Our sympathy must be turned to the Creator and what He did, and not focused on the hurts of the created. And that includes our own hurts.

I can feel this message as deeply as I have ever felt anything in my life. I cannot say that it has permeated my being and changed all my personal desires. But oh! how I want it to. Let the plaintive call go forth in our hearts every day...

"May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!"

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.