How Can I Be Silent?

Christ, Our Only Hope

2011-10-25T00:53:00.000-04:00

“For every one look at your sins, take ten looks at Christ.” - Robert Murray McCheyne

I'm starting to really appreciate and understand this piece of advice from McCheyne. Seeing one's sin without seeing Christ leads to immense depression! O may I never ever lose sight of Christ!

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.
- I Need Thee Every Hour, written by Annie Hawks

Evidence of God's Grace

2011-09-28T22:45:00.000-04:00

I, by God's grace, am evidence of God's grace. Such a simple and amazing thought, yet one that has never crossed my mind before.

Here's what brought on this post during my reading time today:

"The doctrine of grace tells us that creation was God's gratuitous act, not necessitated in any way. Moreover, life is covenantal, and both the law of the covenant and its mercy represent God's grace. We are in all our being evidence of God's grace. As St. paul says, in 1 Corinthians 4:7, 'For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?'" - R. J. Rushdoony, "To Be as God: A Study of Modern Thought Since the Marquis de Sade, pg 201

"180 the movie" - 33 minutes that will rock your world!

2011-09-26T14:14:00.000-04:00

Click it.Watch it.Share it.You won't regret it. 180 the Movie website.

Gospel Centered Marriages for a Glorious Church - an event you won't want to miss!

2011-09-14T16:52:00.001-04:00

Go to an NCFIC conference. Just do it. It's worth every single cent. It really is. One is coming up in October, and it's filling up fast - so sign up if you can.

This particular conference features lectures from Paul Washer, Joel Beeke, Scott Brown, Doug Phillips, and Kevin Swanson. This is a great lineup of speakers you won't want to miss - knowing the NCFIC, this conference is bound to be edifying, thought-provoking, convicting, and beneficial to every heart. Check out this link for more information: http://www.ncfic.org/gcm-about

And if you can't make it to that one....there's the Sound Doctrine for a Glorious Church conference (December 6-10)! http://www.ncfic.org/sound-doctrineand...the REunited conference (December 10-11)! http://www.ncfic.org/reunited

A Quick Telephone Audio Effect in Adobe Premiere Pro using Adobe Soundbooth

2011-09-14T16:36:00.001-04:00

I love the simplicity of this effective technique:http://youtu.be/zABCrVY8R18(Sorry, YouTube would not allow me to embed this video.)-M.

The Process of Film Scoring

2011-09-07T19:43:00.001-04:00

Well, I came across an enlightening lecture on the topic of composing music for film. There are 6 parts on youtube.

Current Reading List.... ahhh, it'll never end!

2011-08-13T18:49:00.005-04:00

I love reading, but I've reached a point where I've taken on more than I can chew! Due to some pressing research, some of the books I'm in the middle of will have to be set aside for now.

This is what I'm currently reading through:

From top to bottom:

Kindle: I'm reading A Weed in the Church by Scott Brown (This book has my full endorsement and may be found for free download at this link.)

Screenplay by Syd Field

The Family Daughter by Sarah Bryant

To Be As God: A Study of Modern Thought Since The Marquis de Sade by R. J. Rushdoony

Mega Memory by Kevin Trudeau

Lighting for Digital Video and Television by Jackman

The Five C's of Cinematography by Mascelli

WARNING: Just because they're listed above does not mean each book is recommended reading, I'm doing research. I could possibly do reviews on them down the road, but I have other priorities.

Three-Point Lighting

2011-08-08T00:30:00.005-04:00

As of late, part of my free time has been spent on doing research on a variety of topics. Thought I'd share links, videos, and articles here and there of what I've uncovered.

Media College has a brief article on basic three-point lighting (explaining what the purpose and location of each of the three lights ought to be).

The article: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/three-point/

And the very enlightienng (haha) three-point lighting simulator: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/three-point/simulator.html

It's basic lighting, simple to understand.

DIY Follow Focus (To my fellow filmmakers)

2011-08-01T01:07:00.005-04:00

This post is for my fellow filmmakers. I discovered an amazing diy follow focus, check this video out:

(You may want to fast forward to get to the actual diy project.)

A follow focus costs an arm and a leg, I think this diy project is a great idea. :) We're about to make one for our DSLR, we'll post pics soon!

Tools: Merely an experiment

2011-07-31T17:59:00.000-04:00

Tools (t2i experiment) from Michelle Payne on Vimeo.

So, thought I'd compile some of the clips I shot from messing around with the t2i while dad installed cabinets. I have a long ways to go in learning this amazing camera. I hope to improve upon my skills in shooting in low lit rooms.

50mm lense

Adobe Premiere

T2i

a hard-working father

and tools

Pouting Royalty

2011-07-31T00:34:00.012-04:00

This morning, I read 1 Kings 21, and I was utterly appalled by the behavior of King Ahab.

He coveted Naboth's vineyard, and asked Naboth if he could have it. Naboth said, "The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee."

What'd Ahab do? He pouted. He whined. Over a vineyard. (See 1 Kings 21:4-6) How embarrassing, what childishness! This guy was King?

Perhaps, in comparison to King Ahab we may not be as "dramatic" in our pouting when things don't go our away, but nonetheless - discontentment is discontentment.

As daughters of the great King of kings, have we any right to be discontent?

Lord, please take away even the slightest hint of an Ahab attitude from me! I desire to echo Paul,

Philippians 4:11-13 "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

What Fifteen Minutes a Day Can Do and Five Biblical Instructions for How to Get Wisdom

2011-06-08T10:50:00.002-04:00

Thought this was extraordinary and worth posting on the blog. Maybe someone here will be inspired? I think I'm ready to tackle something big now!:

"Now finally I want to mention five Biblical instructions for how to get this wisdom. First, desire wisdom with all your might. Proverbs 4:8 says, "Prize her highly and she will exalt you; she will honor you for your embrace." These are not cheap words. To prize something and to embrace someone are signs of intense desire and love. Wisdom must be valuable for us. We must be willing to sell all in order to buy it: "Seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure" (Proverbs 2:4). Blessed is the graduate who walks through the commencement line more hungry for wisdom than when he entered school, for he shall be satisfied.

Second, since wisdom is found in the word of God, we must apply ourselves in study and meditation to know the word and do it. "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." (Psalm 19:7). Therefore, we must devote ourselves to know and understand the testimonies of the Lord. And here I commend not only faithful Bible study but also regular reading of great books on theology and Biblical interpretation, books that distill the wisdom of the greatest students of the word over the past 1900 years.

Now, I know what you are thinking: I don't have the time or the ability to get anywhere in books like that. So I want to show you something really encouraging. When this was shown to me about four years ago by my pastor it changed my life. Most of us don't aspire very high in our reading because we don't feel like there is any hope. But listen to this. Suppose you read about 250 words a minute and that you resolve to devote just 15 minutes a day to serious theological reading to deepen your grasp of Biblical truth. In one year (356 days) you would read for 5,475 minutes. Multiply that times 250 words per minute and you get 1,368,750 words per year. Now most books have between 300 and 400 words per page. So if we take 350 words per page and divide that into 1,368,750 words per year we get 3,910 pages per year. This means that at 250 words a minute, fifteen minutes a day you could read about 20 average sized books a year! When I heard that I went home, analyzed my day and set aside the 15 minutes just before supper to read Jonathan Edwards' big book, Original Sin. And I did it in a couple of months. Then I turned to something else. I was absolutely elated: reading that I thought never could get done was now getting done in a 15 minute slot that would have been wasted anyway. Therefore, I encourage you, there is hope. Choose some classics that you've always wanted to read (St. Augustine's Confessions, or City of God; John Calvin's Institutes; Martin Luther's Commentary on Galatians, or Bondage of the Will; John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections, etc.) and set aside 15 minutes, maybe just before you go to sleep, to read. You will not be the same person next year at this time. Your mind will be stretched, your heart enlarged, your zeal more fervent. Above all you will have grown in wisdom. And it may not be long until someone says of you: "the words of his mouth are as deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a gushing spring" (Proverbs 18:4).

The third thing we should do to get wisdom is pray. Solomon was not born a wise man. He prayed for wisdom and God said, "Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold now I do according to your word" (1 Kings 3:11). And Daniel admitted that in himself he had no wisdom (2:30) but he said, "To thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for thou hast given me wisdom and strength, and hast made known to me what we asked of thee" (Daniel 2:23). And we have seen how Paul prayed that the churches might be given "spiritual wisdom" (Colossians 1:9) and that they might have "a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God" (Ephesians 1:17). And finally James puts it as clearly as we could wish: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God" (James 1:5). The wisdom that leads to true and lasting happiness is not natural or inborn. It is supernatural. It is a gift of God. Therefore if we would "get wisdom" we must pray.

The fourth Biblical instruction for how to get wisdom is to think frequently of your death. Or to put it another way, think of the shortness of this life and the infinite length of the next. Psalm 90:12 says, "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." There is scarcely any thought that will purge our priorities of vain and worldly perceptions like the thought of our imminent death. O how cleansing it is to ponder the kind of life we would like to look back on when we come to die. There is great wisdom in such meditation. Therefore, think often of your dying.

Finally, there is one last, absolutely essential thing to do if you would "get wisdom": you must come to Jesus. He said to the people of his day, "The queen of the south will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold something greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42). What an understatement. Greater than Solomon indeed! Solomon spoke God's wisdom. Jesus is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30). Others had spoken truth; he is the truth. Others had pointed the way to life; he is the way and the life (John 14:6). Others had given promises, but "all the promises of God find their yes in him" (2 Corinthians 1:20). Others had offered God's forgiveness; Jesus bought it by his death. Therefore, in him are "hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). To know and love and follow this Jesus is to own the treasure of ultimate and eternal happiness. Therefore, the command, "Get wisdom" means first and foremost "Come to Jesus! Come to Jesus!" in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom."

- John Piper, sermon Get Wisdom

Don't trust your heart!

2011-05-30T23:10:00.004-04:00

Our culture tells us to follow our heart. It's a popular message, but pay no heed to it. It's not worth it and it's definitely toxic.

Here's what the Lord says about following our hearts:

Proverbs 28:25-26 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

Day3- A photo from a high angle

2011-05-30T18:30:00.001-04:00

Meet Oliver my goose! (Thanks Michael for buying such a great birthday gift, and taking an amazing picture. My bro is genius. I merely did some minor editing.)

Kelsey, does this count? Is this considered a high angle?

Well, either way, I think Oliver (also affectionately known as simply "Goosy") would say it was a high angle from his perspective. ;)

Day 2- A photo of what you wore today

2011-05-24T21:46:00.004-04:00

30 Day Photo Challenge
Day 2- A photo of what you wore today

*cough* So, I was supposed to post on Saturday night. We were soooo exhausted after the party - BUT, we had sooo much fun.

Here's what we wore:

We attended a party on Saturday and guests were encouraged to dress up like characters in a musical. I was Mary Poppins, Michael was Caractacus Potts .

30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 1

2011-05-20T10:06:00.007-04:00

Michael and I are joining in on my dear friend's 30 day photo challenge. We thought it would be a great way to be well, challenged in photography. Between building a house and other random spontaneous things, we just won't promise amazing photos. :)

Day 1- A photo of yourself

Yeehaw!

My bro took the photos. I edited them.

Pretend these pics were posted yesterday (19th), I wanted to post them last night, but my internet was giving me problems!

Day 2 should be interesting if we get around to taking picture on Saturday. :)

Annd... Kels, you have the most brilliant ideas.

People Do Not Drift Toward Holiness

2011-05-18T23:58:00.001-04:00

Sent to you by Michelle via Google Reader:

People Do Not Drift Toward Holiness

via Desiring God Blog by Josh Etter on 5/14/11

Hard work is not the opposite of grace, it is the result of experiencing grace.

D. A. Carson explains:

People do not drift toward Holiness.

Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord.

We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.
(For the Love of God, Volume 2, paragraphing mine)

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More than a Mess

2011-05-05T10:15:00.003-04:00

Filled with remnants of memories dating back to almost five years ago, a quaint cabinet shelf patiently awaited it’s turn to be unburdened.

The young woman hurriedly carried the pandemonium of collected items to a new location. With a heavy sigh, she began to sift through the daunting disorder.

A piece of ribbon here. A faded scrap of paper there. Notes everywhere. An old forgotten recipe. The clutter seemed endless.

Well, what a fine mess this is.

Gingerly picking up an old white envelope, the young woman realized this “fine mess” was more than mere random scraps of papers. These scraps of papers, pictures, and various articles of information held reminders of mountains and valleys travelled through and conquered - an act not done on her own, undoubtedly!

The God of all creation, being a God of order - a trait certainly not reflected in the young woman’s disordered collection - could still be clearly witnessed.

An overwhelming flood of memories came upon the young woman as she sifted through the variety of paraphernalia.

A college acceptance letter - rejected by her own choice and by God’s grace - a reminder of a life-changing decision and lesson in humble submission and obedience to Christ. Joy.

An old ribbon and card - a heartbreaking memory of a precious confused girl, but still, hope remained.

A sheet of paper with faintly scribbled addresses and a tiny picture of a baby nephew - sweet memories and conversations with family, and desires of seeing them savor Christ.

A small green note card - reminder of a serious yet sadly neglected commitment. She slides this into her Bible.

Pink envelopes with cheerful encouraging letters - a reminder that a good friend is a rare jewel, especially one that cares to make much of Christ.

Notes from time spent attempting to wrap a human mind around things divine - time not wasted.

Memories of failures, memories of victories. Sorrow and joy; friends lost, friends made; dreams forgotten, dreams still alive and thriving.

Each item a reflection of God’s all-sufficient grace and divine providence in every chapter, paragraph, sentence, and even punctuation mark of her life.

Without condoning disorder, it’s undeniable: the God of order can indeed bring beauty out of chaos. It’s unexplainable; it’s beautiful.

- written by Michelle P., May 3, 2011

Contentment Defined

2011-04-15T21:05:00.003-04:00

Jeremiah Burroughs, in his work "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment," defines contentment as:

"A sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and Fatherly disposal in every condition"

Did he say "in certain conditions"? Nope. He says in every condition. Wow.

I copied the quote from a sermon I listened to a few months ago. After a quick google search, I found that you can read "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" right here. Sweet. =)

Busy Spring Days

2011-04-15T20:55:00.001-04:00

Why has Michelle's little corner of the blogosphere been neglected and left to collect dust? This is why:

The snake we found in the chicken coop. She ate two little chicks, tried eating the mother (unsuccessfully, but the result was a dead chicken), squished a chick, and ensured it's own death sentence. Believe me, it's not boring here in Arkansas. (BTW, it was a very long snake.) See the lump my bro is pointing to? That's where the little chicks are. :(

We planted potatoes - without putting them in dirt. Kelsey, I'll let ya know if it works!

In Lowes store. 50% off bagged bulbs/plants - we bought potatoes, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, oriental lilies, among other things. BTW, that is NOT my doll. Just wanted to clarify that. ;)

Dad and I hard at work on the construction site. Using a nail gun is an art every proper young lady should acquire. Right? :P

Lady Jane the cat sneaking into the garden. Note the tomato and pepper plants!

This is in the flower garden.

Fearless Japanese warrior. He wasn't too happy to be caught.

"Oooooh! Look, a wasp! It landed on the window, let me smoosh it with my trusty hammer!" (I was merely posing, I'm not that not-so-brilliant. Seriously. ;) )

The guys hard at work!

The chicken that died and two of her little chicks.

(See Kelsey? I did it! I updated my blog, and posted pics like I said I would! You should be proud of me. =) )

Film-related Experiments

2011-03-06T20:03:00.003-05:00

So, these are just some random experiments in film my bro and I have done in the past few months.
Enjoy!

Tale of Two Michaels (Duplicating a Person on Premiere Test) from Michelle Payne on Vimeo.

The Sound of Guineas from Michelle Payne on Vimeo.

T2i and HV20 Test: Attempt to get similiar look from Michelle Payne on Vimeo.

The Undeniable Existence of God from Michelle Payne on Vimeo.

Simple Camera Rig - After Effects from Michelle Payne on Vimeo.

Depraved Indifference

2011-02-24T16:50:00.001-05:00

What is Love?

2011-02-14T21:54:00.005-05:00

Today's American culture, in contrast to the Word of God, proclaims a vastly altered connotation of what true love is. Consequently, there is an immense amount of confusion and heartache in everyday relationships. In this article, we will examine both views and learn how to cultivate a biblical mindset of true love.

In one word, our culture's definition of love is “selfishness.” We are inundated with ads, movies, books, and magazines that unashamedly promote a you-centered outlook on life. Phrases similar to, “love yourself,” “life is all about you,” and “your best life now” have slowly but surely crept into pulpits across America. In some cases, this message of selfishness is more subtle than others. For example, let's study this quote from a poem often recited in weddings,

“I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you... I love you, because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good. And more than any fate could have done to make me happy.”
-Roy Croft

The above quote sounds cute and harmless to many, and while the one who penned it and those who quote it may be sincere, the love the author speaks of is, unequivocally, one of selfishness. This selfishness under the guise of the word love is toxic and detrimental to life. It is based upon a fickle sandy foundation. What happens when a husband decides he no longer feels like a better person when he is with his wife? What happens if a wife sees a negative trait in her husband that she believes could hold her back from becoming a better person? Should they give up on their marriage? Should they throw in the towel and divorce? The answer is a resounding NO!

In order to gain a better grasp of how selfish the world's definition of love is, the antithesis must be contrasted. This antithesis comes from the Bible which is profitable for correction, reproof, doctrine, and instruction in righteousness. Innumerable examples of God's love can be traced throughout History, but for the sake of time we will briefly examine the greatest one, Jesus Christ. He lived a blameless and perfect life, yet he willingly suffered through ill treatment. He was spat upon, mocked, beaten, bruised, and brutally executed. Why? Rather than justly bring immediate judgment upon mankind for transgressing the Law, God being rich in mercy sent His Son to pay our debt. Because of His love, He was not willing that any should perish. There was no obligation on the Lord's part to display this magnificent act of love, He had every right not to. Imagine what the world would be like if men, women, and children displayed this sacrificial love to one another. As Christians, our behavior toward the people around us -whether they be friend or stranger, saved or unsaved – ought to reflect the love our Heavenly Father displays toward us so that His name be praised. Our attitude should not be one of, “what may I gain from this relationship,” but instead it must be, “what may I give in this relationship.”

There are numerous ways in which we may exercise selfless love as opposed to selfish love. The latter is, in reality, paradoxical. The first epistle to the Corinthians defines love as patient and kind. Next time a sibling or friend does or says something that does not deserve patience and kindness, hold your tongue and think of the great love of God displayed on the cross. Think of a patient and kind way to respond. Look for opportunities to serve your family and others, including those who you believe least deserve kindness. Love does not seek to serve self. When your eyes are off you and upon Christ, you will begin to understand what it means to truly and sweetly love. Selflessly loving cannot be done in our own strength. We must be ever dependent on Christ; because, apart from His grace we will not succeed. The apostle Paul poetically expresses life without true love,

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”

Without love, all our talents and good deeds are meaningless. Through His grace, by learning and applying God's Word, we will learn to love unconditionally as He does. It has been said a student will be like his teacher. Who is your teacher? The world and it's celebrities? Or Jesus Christ and the great cloud of witnesses, both past and present, of whom the world is not worthy?

- written October 2010

New Look

2011-02-09T19:46:00.006-05:00

Special thanks to my very dear friend Kelsey! She's a genius - well, she's always been a genius. ;)

Kelsey has been experimenting with html and offered to help my blog. (She didn't use the word "help", she was nice about my disorder.) ;) The poor blog was in shambles. So I gladly gave her access to it, and BAM! It looks beautiful. She not only gave it a new look, she kindly reordered my gadgets - or are they called widgets? Can't remember.

Kelsey, what would my blog have done without you? You're my hero. :)

Take a walk over to her blog and check out her amazing photography skills. The dear girl is such an inspiration.

Thanks so much for taking the time to do that, Kelsey! God bless you.

-Michelle

P.S. I LOVE the expanding text feature that she added!

The World is Watching

2011-02-08T13:04:00.015-05:00

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." - 2 Corinthians 5:20

Ever stopped to think that...

the world is watching you, dear Christian.

The world is watching the way you...

communicate.
go about your daily tasks.
dress.
react.
entertain yourself (and others.)
spend your time.
and more.

Those of us who call our self "Christian" represent Christ - whether we like it or not. The world's impression of you may be their impression of Christ. The way you go about your day - whether it's a walk through the park, a tweet on twitter, the way you interact with family and enemies, and even your behavior in church may cause them to think well or negatively about Christ.

May it not be said of us,

Romans 2:24 "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written."

2 Samuel 2:14 "Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme..."

I tremble to think of such a grand responsibility. Lord have mercy on me.

Jehovah Tsidkenu by Robert Murray McCheyne

2011-02-07T21:55:00.011-05:00

Note: "Jehovah Tsidkenu" means "The Lord Our Righteousness"

I once was a stranger to grace and to God, 
I knew not my danger, and felt not my load; 
Though friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree, 
Jehovah Tsidkenu was nothing to me.

I oft read with pleasure, to soothe or engage, 
Isaiah's wild measure and John's simple page; 
But e'en when they pictured the blood-sprinkled tree 
Jehovah Tsidkenu seemed nothing to me.

Like tears from the daughters of Zion that roll, 
I wept when the waters went over His soul; 
Yet thought not that my sins had nailed to the tree 
Jehovah Tsidkenu—'twas nothing to me.

When free grace awoke me, by light from on high, 
Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die; 
No refuge, no safety in self could I see— 
Jehovah Tsidkenu my Savior must be.

My terrors all vanished before the sweet name; 
My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came 
To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free— 
Jehovah Tsidkenu is all things to me.

Jehovah Tsidkenu! my treasure and boast, 
Jehovah Tsidkenu! I ne'er can be lost; 
In thee I shall conquer by flood and by field— 
My cable, my anchor, my breastplate and shield!

Even treading the valley, the shadow of death, 
This "watchword" shall rally my faltering breath; 
For while from life's fever my God sets me free, 
Jehovah Tsidkenu my death-song shall be.

- Robert Murray McCheyne

Last week, I made time to watch several of the sessions from the live stream of the 2011 Desiring God Pastors Conference. While it is geared for pastors, I was tremendously blessed, challenged, convicted, and encouraged as I listened to John Piper, Joel Beeke, Paul Miller, Jerry Rankin, and Francis Chan speak about this year's topic: Prayer.

My favorite session was John Piper's talk about Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne: He Kissed the Rose and Felt the Thorn: Living and Dying in the Morning of Life Robert Murray McCheyne. If you only listen to one session from the pastor's conference, go for this one. Dad listened to it after I raved about it for days and he also greatly appreciated it. He went on to share the sermon with a friend of his.

Listen/watch Piper's message on McCheyne here.
There's also a biography written by a close friend of McCheyne here.

I haven't read the biography, but I'm sure it's really good and I hope to acquire a copy soon.

A Peek into the Heart of Francis Chan

2011-01-31T10:32:00.002-05:00

Here's an article I recently came across about Francis Chan: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/12/22/“christian-famous”-pastor-quits-his-church-moves-to-asia/

Praise God for such a wonderful testimony. I found the article to be quite encouraging and insightful as to where Mr. Chan's heart is.

Matthew 6:19-21 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Where's your treasure, where's your heart?

A Biblical Husband and Family

2011-01-27T21:52:00.020-05:00

The following was written on the 27th, I'm finally getting around to clicking "publish post":

Martians have not abducted me.* Just thought I'd make that clear.

Between building a house, keeping a clean house while living on a construction site, studying, working on some projects, and doing other normal or even random things, it's been somewhat busy here at home. :)

Last Saturday (22nd), we had the great privilege of attending and filming the wedding of two dear godly friends of ours. It was absolutely amazing. The video footage us amateurs collected certainly won't do justice to how precious the day was. After the reception, we drove home two hours rather than spend the night in that area. (We had originally hoped to fellowship with a dear church in that part of the state.) Well, while I certainly would have loved to spend Sunday with the dear saints there, I'm so glad we didn't stay. We arrived home at around 2am and woke up at around noon (Yikes!) - or maybe it was just me who woke up so late. :P I can't remember. We woke up sick. :(

Now why am I boring everyone with these details on my blog? Because I have a very special amiga in FL who I think might possibly enjoy reading these details. :) *waves at Kelsey*

My readers may also be wondering... why is my post titled "A Biblical Husband and Family?"

I'm getting there. Let me get back to my account.

So where was I? Ah, yes. We woke up. At noon. We were sick. So we rested. Later in the evening, dad came up with the genius idea of having us all gather to watch a sermon. He selected... *drum roll please*... one of my favorite sermons: A Biblical Husband and Family.

It's a magnificent, beautifully true sermon that I think everyone could benefit from - whether married or unmarried. Thought I'd post it on my blog just in case I haven't already.

In Christ,

-Michelle

*For the record, I don't believe aliens exist. :P

Always Ready Contest Results Are Here!

2011-01-07T09:14:00.001-05:00

Thanks everyone for the support and encouragement, the results are in. Well, they've been in for some time now. :) We made it into the list of honorable mentions. I almost fell out of my seat and would not have believed my ears had my brother not sat next to me when the big news was delivered. Needless to say, we were all thrilled. And you know what else excited us? A very dear friend won the contest, I hope you will take the time to read or watch her beautiful God-glorifying work. (Well done, Sharon!)

Here's my family's project on YouTube (it can even play in HD.)

While working on the project, I tried my best to remind myself of the following verses:

Colossians 3:17 "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

and

Colossians 3:23 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"

Now that's the perspective I desire to have in all I do - work as if I'm working unto God. Now why is it so easy to forget that?

And here's another thought: Apart from God, all our efforts in anything are in vain - even if they're noble...

-Michelle

Here's a link to my initial post about this contest.

Farewell, adios 2010.

2011-01-01T19:36:00.000-05:00

Much to my chagrin, I am not a poet, it pains me a great deal to write poetry. Although, I do love reading a good poem, writing poems is not my gift. Nonetheless, as I reflected upon 2010 and thought on 2011, I felt prompted to spout my musings in the form of... you guessed it, poetry.

A year has passed away with all it's hopes and dreams,
It's pains and pleasures too, are all a memory,
To ponder and to cherish, for all He's brought us through,
A firm foundation for all times, is Christ our rock and refuge.

Undeserved, innumerable! are His blessings from above,
Including those memories of trials great and small
For all things work together, all things work for good,
To them who follow and love Christ Who suffered above all.

A new year with new schemes, new choices to be made,
Let us dare to honor Him, despite what lies ahead.

- penned by Michelle on the first day of the year of our Lord 2011.

Happy new year! :)

My Obnoxious But Helpful Tick Depopulator: The Guinea Fowl

2010-12-22T14:12:00.002-05:00

How Can I Be Silent: The Long-Awaited (Official) Return

2010-12-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

A page turned, a new chapter begun, and hopefully, new sentences soon to appear!

Yes, I tried hard to avoid my baby - my very first real blog. But alas, I am quite impressed upon that she should once again thrive with a regular production of words - words that will encourage, remove strongholds, and lift up our great Savior - and share what I've been learning!

My reasons for returning to the blogosphere are as follows:

1. Mrs. Morecraft inspired me to write. :) (She's amazing, be sure to sign up for her class in January.)

2. To hone my writing skills. It has been said the pen is mightier than the sword. My desire is to wield my pen skillfully and carefully. Whether I communicate through the mediums of writing or film, my hope is to become an effectively clear and concise communicator.

3. So that Christ's name be proclaimed!

4. To encourage others.

5. To share what I've been learning, by God's grace!

As a side note, did you notice, How Can I Be Silent got a facelift? I'm still not finished modifying/updating the blog though. Sadly, I don't approve of this new look. I couldn't find what I was looking for in looks and functionality. However, what held my interest was having three columns as opposed to two - and I love the color blue. I'm at the point where I just want to design my own template.

For the Truth!

Michelle

PS: Obviously, this writer takes delight in making lists.

Special Announcement: Our New 60 Second Film - The Undeniable Existence of God

2010-11-13T19:37:00.006-05:00

Note: Haven't revamped the blog yet, but you'll probably see a post or two between now and then. :)

Shortly after arriving home from the SAICFF and Film Academy, I received two emails in my inbox about Creation Science Evangelism's Always Ready Video contest. I brought it up to my father, and he thought it would be a great idea to submit something. That being said, for about two weeks we've been working diligently on making a 60 second film proving the existence of God. My father wrote the script, my brother found public domain pictures and removed the background from some of them, and I composed the music and worked with the editing software in putting the film together. Each evening for the past week, I'd log onto skype so dad could see how far we've come each day and he could give me some advice and vision of what he thought would make the film better.

We saw this as a great opportunity to get our feet wet in the art of making films for God's glory. We prayed over this project many, many times, so if there's anything good in it - it's because of JESUS. :)

Three interesting observations:

1. First time working with After Effects - it is simply amazing software.
2. Music was made using the computer's keyboard. (I had problem's with my Casio music keyboard, it broke - so the music did not meet my expectations. But I just know that God is sovereign even in the "small" things.)
3. Software and computer used: Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Garageband - so we used a PC and a Mac. :)
4. This is my favorite observation - Dad and I spent lots of time working on this together, and it was so cool making a film under his guidance. I think it's our first serious creative project together that we completed - other than building a house.
5. Last observation: This list should have been retitled "Five interesting observations." ;)

Oh! So you're probably wondering where the film is. You may find it at this link:

It is titled, The Undeniable Existence of God: http://wildfireapp.com/website/302/contests/69631/voteable_entries/10676359

And if you like it enough, you're more than welcome to vote for it. Keep in mind one vote per day - voting ends on the 28th.

Soli Deo Gloria!

-Michelle

Stay Tuned

2010-11-13T01:49:00.004-05:00

Dear friends,

It's been almost a year since you last heard from How Can I Be Silent.

The silence a mystery, abrupt but apparently, not forever.

Stay tuned, if you wish. Lord willing, I should soon be able to put some effort into revamping the site and then begin typing out some posts. It'll be a new start for How Can I Be Silent.

Enough of that later. Stay tuned.

For His Glory,

Michelle

Free - Watch "The Mysterious Islands" - No Login Info or Credit Card Required

2009-12-18T22:56:00.004-05:00

It was brought to my attention that to acquire the free audio file mentioned in my last post, you had to give your credit card information and start an account with that particular web site. Although, they don't deduct money from your card for starting an account and downloading free audio files, it is a bit inconvenient.

Ah, but what I am about to share is free. You don't need a credit card and you don't need an account. :) It has something to do with Mr. Doug Phillips, his son Joshua, Dr. Morris, Charles Darwin, and the Galapagos Islands. Can you guess what it is? :)

Well, I won't keep you waiting, here is what I am going to share. You may watch the entire film, "The Mysterious Islands", at this link for a limited time: Click here. (Thanks to the American Family Association.) Make sure you click on "Mysterious Islands Full Movie." I do hope it works, I noticed a few comments complained of the audio and video getting ahead of each other.

I'm soooo excited about my readers seeing this film! My family has viewed it on DVD quite a few times and we have greatly enjoyed it. The message and wonderful video footage are sure to leave a lasting impression.

About the Film

"The Mysterious Islands is a fast-paced film that tracks their journey of discovery as they walk where Darwin walked and engage with the amazing animals that he chronicled during his Voyage of the Beagle. Their mission: to determine whether the Galapagos Islands are a laboratory for evolution, as Darwinists claim, or a showcase for creation.

Along the way, the film examines intriguing questions that Darwin failed to answer, or that he just got wrong: Why do the animals on these islands appear to have little fear of man? Why have some of the creatures of the Galapagos developed such unusual characteristics? Are these phenomena evidences of evolution or something else? Does natural selection produce new kinds of animals, or just variations within the same kinds?

This beautiful documentary takes viewers deep beneath the ocean waves among hundreds of white-tip sharks, over lava fields covered with salt-spitting marine iguanas, and to the unusual habitat of blue-footed boobies and flightless cormorants. Featuring the only team of Creationists and Christian scientists to shoot a documentary on the Galapagos during 2009 — Darwin’s anniversary year — The Mysterious Islands brings a fresh perspective on Charles Darwin and his theory and presents sweeping cinematography of one of the most remote, desolate, and fascinating island chains in the world."¹

¹ http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/news_and_reports/the_mysterious_islands_new_gal.xml

Today Only! Free! The Promise

2009-12-18T15:03:00.003-05:00

Everyday, BlueBehemoth.com lists two free audio files.

One of the free ones listed today contains a very gripping message from Mr. Doug Phillips called The Promise. (He was one of the speakers at the Sufficiency of Scripture conference.) Thankfully, it is free today, and I greatly encourage you to download it and listen.

If you do have the opportunity to listen, we'd love to hear your thoughts regarding The Promise. I still remember my reaction when I heard it for the first time - it was convicting and pierced right through me. I've never heard this topic preached in such a way as Mr. Phillips preached it. The audio is located at this link.

For His glory,

Michelle

Back from the Sufficiency of Scripture conference

2009-12-16T19:47:00.000-05:00

Hey friends!

I know some of you were looking forward to my posts about the SOS conference last weekend. I'm sorry I wasn't able to "blog live" as planned. I stayed up till midnight everyday at the conference because I was busy getting ready for the next day or (Saturday night) in the hotel lobby talking with my dear friends who were there. :)

But don't fear! I'm working on some posts that will come out soon about my days at the conference.

In the meantime, you can see great pictures and some video clips from the conference at the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches blog.

God bless,

Michelle

Day Two: The SOS Conference: "Do Not Learn the Way of the Gentiles"

2009-12-16T16:31:00.004-05:00

Thursday, December 10, 2009

At around 6pm, Scott Brown began his sermon titled, Do Not Learn the Way of the Gentiles.

ATTN: My notes will never be as great as the sermons themselves. After the Father Daughter Retreat I attended earlier this year (yes, I know I need to write about that experience) and after attending the SOS conference, I am convinced I need a class on taking notes. :) Halfway through a sentence I'd write, the speaker would say something really cool and I'd forget the other half of the sentence I was in the process of writing. :( Or the the speakers would speak faster than my handwriting. Or the power point would go to the next slide faster than my handwriting. :( Or - I'll stop and get to the notes... :) And not to mention, I don't have all the Scripture references.

Notes: Do Not Learn The Way of the Gentiles - Scott Brown

The sufficiency of Scripture is the sufficiency of God.

The war against the sufficiency of Scripture is the consistent theme of Scripture. (I never thought about that, and now that I think about it.. it's pretty obvious!)

The sufficiency of Scripture must be defined.

Regarding the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scriptures, there is both a "positive" and a "negative" side. There is a blessing and a curse. We can read about this in the following verses:

2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

Isaiah 30:1 "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:"

The sufficiency of Scripture is a 6,000 year battle from Genesis 1:1 to this very day.

The battle throughout the Bible:

Adam and Eve struggled with the sufficiency of Scripture when the serpent said, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1)

Noah trusted the sufficiency of Scripture.

Nimrod despised the sufficiency of Scripture and held to the sufficiency of man.

Abraham and Sarah struggled with the sufficiency of Scripture - sometimes they held to it, sometimes they did not.

Moses sometimes faltered in his trust of the sufficiency of Scripture.

King David stated, "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul." (Psalm 19:7)

Kings and prophets called people back to the sufficiency of Scripture.

The Pharisees rejected the sufficiency of Scripture.

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man rejected the sufficiency of Scripture.

The early church was threatened with abandoning the sufficiency of Scripture regarding the Gospel. (Galatians 3:1)

The sufficiency of Scripture must be defined.

The doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture is given to us in Psalm 19:7-9:

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

Scripture is without error - without fault - in every area.

French pastor Louis Gaussen wrote in his book, published in the 1800s, regarding the sufficiency of Scripture:

"It is God speaking in man, God speaking by man, God speaking as man, and God speaking for man!"

The sufficiency of Scripture:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

Scripture is all the spiritual food you will ever need. It is pure, it needs to be added to subtracted from.

The regulative principle of worship.
The Bible teaches us how to worship.

"Whatever is not warranted by Scripture is forbidden." - John Knox

If Scripture is not sufficient for worship, then worship can be anything anyone wants it to be. (Fortunately, Scripture is indeed sufficient.)

There are five assumptions that contradict the sufficiency of Scripture.
1. The red letters are the most important part.
Scofield popularized this.

......

(my notes are incomplete, please see the link referred to in the conclusion)
.....

Scripture is a whole and you cannot detach a single section or genre. You are the problem, not God, if you have a problem with a certain part of Scripture.

Scripture is complete, and you cannot add to it or subtract a single words from it.

Revelations 22:18 "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:"

"Ignorance of Scripture is the mother of error, not of devotion." - Watson

You can cast yourself on every word of Scripture.

Scripture forces a battle and you will have scars if you fight it. (The world hates Truth. Scripture is Truth.)

The sufficiency of Scripture brings a vision of hope and happiness when it is received as the Word of God.

You may read a better more flowing post concerning this sermon/lecture at the NCFIC.org blog.

Stay tuned for the next post. :)

Day Two: Creation Museum and the Start of the SOS Conference!

2009-12-10T22:22:00.009-05:00

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Memory from yesterday: Last night: We checked in at the hotel and dad gave the girl at the desk a million dollar bill. Her response? She receives many tracts from the folks who spend the night there to attend the Creation Museum - the hotel was only twenty minutes from the museum. Way to sow seeds! I was encouraged to hear that there were others out there doing something to spread the Gospel. Of course, tracts don't save people. God is the one who saves people. Nonetheless, at times, God will use tracts as a means to save people. (Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, was one such man in whose life God used a Gospel tract to save him.)

Today:

5:30am Wake up.

We woke up to a cold windy Ohian winter day, thankful of course, for the warm clothes, warm cinnamon rolls for breakfast, heater, and great anticipation for the day's events.

After waking up and packing up our things (we moved to a different hotel today), we took the elevator to the first floor for a fresh breakfast provided by the hotel. It was a bit crowded that morning in the breakfast area, so my family basically scattered. My brother and I ate seated around the fireplace while mom, dad, and my sister ate seated at a table. Shortly, however, we were the only ones there and were able to enjoy breakfast together. During our lovely breakfast (I ate a cinnamon roll), the friendly older lady who managed the hotel's breakfast, engaged in conversation with us. Dad told her we were going to the Creation Science museum, which was the perfect springboard to talk of spiritual things. This lady seemed to have a fear of God - she read the Bible every morning, prayed, attended church, and acknowledged that she would not be able to get through life if it weren't for "the good Lord" as she said in her country accent. :) Getting onto the topic of evolution and Creation, the lady admitted that she and husband came to the conclusion that God could have used evolution to create the world. She quoted a verse that mentions one day with the Lord is like a thousand years. (2 Peter 3:8) For an excellent refutation by Ken Ham on that objection, please visit this link. Dad reasoned with her and even shared the Gospel with her. She seemed to really appreciate that friendly conversation and even, while seeing us struggle with the camera, offered to take a picture of us all. (We were quite thankful, it is quite difficult for me to get a picture of the family with me in it. :) )

9:15am Check out of hotel.
10am Creation Science Museum
After checking out of our hotel, we drove to the Creation Science Museum which happened to be about only twenty minutes away. Upon arrival, they were already open, so right after we found the perfect parking spot for our big white van, we ran through the cold wind into the museum!

To be honest, I have never seen a museum so well organized that promoted a purely biblical worldview of Science. It was phenomenal and I highly recommend that everyone visit. :) It's so refreshing to visit a Scientific museum promoting real Science from a biblical worldview. The museum features many rooms with different aspects of Creation Science. The manikins and sets were created quite well and some were even animated and spoke. Some of the dinosaurs in the exhibits even moved and roared! The museum explained thoroughly not only Science but His Story from the Creation, to the questioning of whether God's word was sufficient - remember the serpent sowed a seed of doubt, "Did God really say that?" - during the fall of man in the garden, to the great battles for the sufficiency of Scripture throughout the ages. Visiting the museum was indeed quite a treat! We even saw, from a distance, John Moore (director of The Widow's Might) and the Botkin family (the Botkins are also involved in film) - see Homeschool Dropouts and Return of the Daughters.

After we wrapped up our visit to the Creation Museum, we hurried to check into our new hotel so that we could change into some nicer "church" clothes. Once again, we hurried. We hurriedly ate our lunch and scurried over to the convention center where the conference was being held.

Apparently, I pointlessly rushed my lunch. We arrived at the convention center and spent a good amount of time walking around the different tables representing different ministries that were there to advertise and sell their materials. Although there were many great and unique ministries there (and Christian businesses), I think my favorite table there was HeartCry. They were giving out resources (DVDs with Paul Washer sermons), HeartCry magazines, and little booklets. For the paying resources, they had signs propped up on their table stating that they were very willing to freely give Paul Washer's books free of charge or for a small donation if someone was not doing well financially. This day, we were able to converse with Paul Washer's brother-in-law. :) His British accent is pretty cool.

Tables ranged from Franklin Springs media (they made the West Ladies' Homestead Blessings DVDs, The Terri Schiavo Story, Inherit the Land, and several other DVDs), Ken Ham's Answers in Genesis, Sermon Audio, Vision Forum, Voddie Baucham Ministries (his sweet family was there at that table), and many other ministries or businesses.

Eventually, we found seats in the big main conference room and sat beside a sweet family from our church. Scott Brown, the host of the SOS conference, was introduced and then, one by one, the various speakers of the conference were introduced. Each speaker gave a short synopsis of what they would speak on. The most sobering speaker to stand up and share briefly what he would preach during the weekend was Paul Washer. There was a strange feeling that came upon me as he soberly explained his inadequacy to speak on such an important topic. Here is what he said, paraphrased, based off my foggy memory:

I have been given the most difficult task at this conference. The impossible task of speaking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How can any man adequately explain such a thing. Pray for me.

The moment he said that, I had the feeling that something remarkable would happen.

Stay tuned for the next post...

Day One: Farewell Ozarks, Hello Ohio!

2009-12-09T23:59:00.002-05:00

8am - Depart from home.

8:30pm Arrive in Ohio.

Yes, I'm currently in freezing Ohio with my family and attempting to "journal" each day that I'm in this area for the Sufficiency of Scripture Conference. I've been looking forward to this conference ever since our pastor mentioned it a few months ago, he really desired that every member of his church attend this conference. And by God's grace, here I am with my family in Ohio. This should be interesting, huh. By the way, if for some reason, (tiredness, no time, etc.), you don't hear from me, please have mercy. Please forgive. I'll try to make up for it after the conference. :)

So after packing some last week and doing some serious major preparations - like setting up chickens, dog, and parakeet with food and water

while we're gone, making it easy for the neighbor

to check on the animals, fixing the van (two suicidal deer hit our van Sunday night), etc*, we finally made it in the van this morning at 8am. And after a "million" stops along the way for the restroom, shopping, and eating, we finally made it in Ohio! We had some fun conversations on the way here and listened to some Selah and Lou Priolo's sermon (found at the

bottom of the following link) How to Identify Idols of the Heart - which is a really good sermon that I've been meaning to blog about. Paul Washer, in his sermon A Biblical Husband and Family, spoke very well of Priolo's book.

After, riding in a vehicle for approximately 12 1/2 hours on a cold windy somewhat snowy day, I'm a little tired and want a shower. So this is where I shall bid farewell for the night. :)

* It's sooo much easier to use etc rather than list all those boring details. :) Seriously. Who wants to hear of my troubles in selecting skirts and blouses?

"Love Yourself. Yes, You!"

2009-11-07T22:55:00.001-05:00

You need to love you! That's what you must do - according to some people.

No, I'm not talking about Oprah or Dr. Phil. And no, I'm not talking about Eastern Mysticism. Although, they do vigorously promote such a message.

There is a self-esteem gospel being preached from the pulpits. Yes, you heard that right - the pulpits. The proponents of the self-esteem gospel take passages like Mark 12:31 and twist it to mean some sort of "self-esteem" message.

How?

Well, let's cruise on over to Mark 12:31 and see what it says:

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

The self-esteem gospel reasons that because the text says we must love others as we love ourselves, we must first love ourselves in order to obey the commandment to love others. Yes, these proponents of the self-esteem gospel believe Jesus is saying that you need to love yourself. Why? So that you may effectively love others.

So what's the problem? What's the big deal? What's wrong with a "Jesus was telling you to love yourself" message? Interestingly, the problem with that teaching is the fact that Jesus was NOT telling us to love ourselves. We already love ourselves!

2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves...

Philippians 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

Consider this: We all want what is best for us. We would much rather have some fresh food rather than moldy food. We would much rather have joy than intense suffering.

Another point to consider is that when we are in the center of God's will, we will be so satisfied in Him that we will not need to boost our "self-love" or "self-esteem." We will be content and too occupied with HIM and HIS agenda to worry about "self-esteem."

In wrapping this post up, I believe it would be well to listen to the following two minute Paul Washer clip:

If you cannot see the player on this post, go directly to this link for the audio clip: http://howcanibesilent.podbean.com/2009/11/07/what-paul-washer-says-about-loving-yourself/

--
The above audio clip is an excerpt from “Cameron Buettel Interviews Paul Washer” which can be found at this link in its entirety: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLxmyjzzVCw

Edited Post: A Proper Understanding of Romans 13

2009-10-10T23:03:00.003-04:00

Brothers and sisters in Christ, grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Below, you will find the link to a newsletter I received in my inbox. (I actually received it in August, but just got around to reading it last night!) Although the newsletter contains many items of importance, I desire that you primarily notice the article at the very end which is written by Pastor Chuck Baldwin. Yes, he ran for President (and I would have voted for him if I had been old enough), but I hope you will set aside your political preferences to read how he expounds upon the incorrect and correct interpretations regarding Romans 13. It is imperative that we all have a correct understanding of the Scriptures. Why? Because,

2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

As always, we must be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11.

Love In Christ,

Michelle

-----

The following link will open the International News and Christian Prayer Update newsletter in PDF format: http://a-servant.tripod.com/articles/nu_08-26-09.pdf On page three is the article by Pastor Chuck Baldwin.

Any thoughts?

What Is Your Life Made Of?

2009-10-08T16:00:00.005-04:00

Is your life made of things that perish - wood, hay, stubble? Or is your life made of silver, gold, precious stones?

Click here to view video. (Come on, it's only seven minutes!)

¿Practica lo que predica?

2009-10-06T19:45:00.000-04:00

Si enseñamos una cosa con nuestros labios y otra con nuestras vidas, aquellos que nos escuchan nos van a decir, “'Medico, cúrate a ti mismo' (Lucas 4:23). Usted dice, 'Arrepiéntete.' Donde esta tu propio arrepentimiento? Usted dice, 'Sirve a Dios y se obediente a Su voluntad.' Usted le sirve a El? Es usted obediente a la voluntad de El?”
-Charles Spurgeon en su libro The Soul Winner, paginas 40-41

Do You Practice What You Preach?

2009-10-06T15:59:00.002-04:00

If we teach one thing by our lips and another by our lives, those who listen to us will say, "'Physician, heal thyself' (Luke 4:23). You say, 'Repent.' Where is your own repentance? You say, 'Serve God, and be obedient to His will.' Do you serve Him? Are you obedient to His will?"
-Charles Spurgeon in his book The Soul Winner, pages 40-41

"Oh that God would make us dangerous!" - Jim Elliot

2009-08-31T13:18:00.001-04:00

"We are so utterly ordinary, so commonplace, while we profess to know a Power the Twentieth Century does not reckon with. But we are "harmless," and therefore unharmed. We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle-to-the-death with principalities and powers in high places. Meekness must be had for contact with men, but brass, outspoken boldness is required to take part in the comradeship of the Cross. We are "sideliners" -- coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are too much like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous!"
- Jim Elliot

John Bunyan on Contentment

2009-08-13T17:54:00.001-04:00

"If we have not quiet in our minds, outward comfort will do no more for us than a glass slipper on a gouty foot." - John Bunyan

Responsibility - Martin Luther

2009-08-03T17:55:00.000-04:00

“You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.”
-Martin Luther

A Day Spent with Members of a Cult

2009-07-25T22:52:00.001-04:00

After driving down a dirt road for several miles, imagine pulling into the driveway of a small but welcoming little home tucked deep in the great Ozarks of Arkansas. There is green all around and the house just seems to blend right in with the country. With it's welcoming look, there is this strange feeling. Something is not right. Your spirit feels restless.

Once parked in the driveway, a short but very cheerful 91 year old woman comes out to greet you. You've never met her before, but she looks you in the eye and hugs you as if you were a dear relative she had not seen in years. After meeting her husband, the darling couple invites you into their home right away.

All is cheerful. But still, something just feels wrong.

Beckoned into the house, you comply to the old couple's wishes and walk in. Upon taking one glance at the inside of the inviting little house, you take a step back. You're surprised.

No, the house is not messy.

Literature of a certain cult are all over their shelves and coffee tables. Their walls and shelves were carriers of different artwork and trinkets of African/Eastern religions. Now you know for sure that something not only seems wrong - something is wrong!

The above is precisely how I felt last month when we visited the home of "Joey" and "Mary."* Now I'm sure my readers are wondering, "Michelle, how on earth did you end up there if you had never met them before?"

Well. I can thank my daddy for that.

I distinctly remember when it all started considering it was a very special day for me - I picked up my new driver's license. As dad and I were applying for my new license, he realized he was short on cash and decided to run over to the bank nearby. So while dad was off on a fun adventure (it seems like all the exciting things happen to him), I sat all alone at the Department of Motor Vehicle's office. -sigh-

While at the bank, dad asked the bank lady if she knew where the farm extension was so he could learn about organic gardening. A short old lady heard his question and answered, "You're speaking my language! I've been organic gardening for fifty years!" Dad got her and her husband's number and so started the beginning of a new adventure.

The next day or so, we headed over to Joey and Mary's home. We were all so excited! And boy were we in for a surprise!

Upon entering their home, dad immediately noticed the Baha'i literature all over their living room. His initial thoughts were to say, "Have a nice day! Everyone in the car, we're leaving." However, he realized they needed to hear of Christ and Him crucified just like the rest of the pagan world.

After giving us a tour of their lovely garden, Mary invited us back in for a drink and cookies (yum). As we all sat around the table, somehow, dad and Mary started talking about politics as we all listened intently. And from politics, dad swung into the topic of religion. Dad wasn't gonna spend an evening with his family at a cult member's house for noth'n! We shared the common view that there were government conspiracies - yet, she still believed Obama was going to fix everything. During the conversation, she "confessed" (as if we didn't know from all the literature in their house) that she and her family practiced Baha'i. She and Joey have been practicing Baha'i since 1940 - they believe they will one day be gods and that all are headed to heaven.

This sweet elderly couple believed:

1. Much should not be expected from youth. (Low expectations = complacent youth - normally.)
2. In a Jesus. "Yes, I believe in Jesus too!" was her claim. (Obviously, the Jesus they believed in is not the real Jesus Christ!)
3. However, when confronted with Scripture such as Psalm 7:11, Mary's emphatic response was, "That's not my God!" Dad just smiled and replied, "Oh, I know that Mary."
4. A healthy life is something to cherish, yet a fetus is just a blob.
5. She knew all about Science, because she was a Science teacher. And she believed Darwinian Science was true Science. (It's not!)
6. All roads lead to heaven. We are at different stages of our path to truth. And the after-life is like a cosmic university. (Again, Michelle exclaims: That's not true!)
7. Upon meeting my brother Michael, she remarked, "Michael! Did you know that is the name of an angel? One day you will be an angel too!" (In the Holy Bible, where's the doctrine of humans becoming angels when they die?)
8. Because they had attended different churches growing up, they thought they knew what Christianity was. They believed they knew much about the Bible. (From what I heard them talk about, they certainly did not know what real Christianity is.)
9. The ideology of humanism.

Although we did disagree on mostly everything, it was actually a pleasant conversation and Mary even wanted to adopt my family. (Which, is not happening. My brothers and sisters in Christ are my family! ;)

Mary and Joey were very sweet and hospitable to us. However, being a "very good sweet person" isn't going to get someone into heaven. (See Romans 3:12) We've all broken God's Law in one way or another. It broke my heart to see their spiritual blindness - it broke my heart to hear how proud she was that most of her twenty-five family members practiced Baha'i. Something I should make mention of if that of the two, Joey, who is a quiet gentleman, seemed to be the most interested in what dad had to say. Please pray that God would open their eyes and that they would come to the real Jesus Christ who is mighty to save.

That was my day spent with a dear humanist/pro-death/globalist/universalist/Baha'i/believer in fake Jesus/feminist/darwinian evolutionist - *takes a deep breath* - friendly couple!

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.

----

* Although the story is a true account, names of the two cult members were changed.

John Bunyan on Prayer

2009-07-21T22:42:00.002-04:00

“Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer”
- John Bunyan

Ouch. What is worse than a massacre?

2009-07-13T23:17:00.000-04:00

What is worse than a massacre? People who know what it takes to get to heaven, and be right with God, and don’t tell anyone. -Mark Cahill

Wise Words from George Washington

2009-07-06T05:55:00.002-04:00

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
- George Washington, First President of the united States of America

Independence Day: When Americans Feared God

2009-07-04T23:30:00.003-04:00

Peering down into the corridors of America's history, I see brave men and women of honor. Contrary to today's popular opinion – held as fact by many historians – the vast majority of the founders of the united States of America did indeed fear God. They, along with their families, fought for and helped the birthing of a new nation. And as with any birth, great pains came with the birth of this nation. Families suffered great losses. Fathers, brothers, and sons dying to keep America alive – fighting for our freedom. Mothers, sisters, and daughters suffered great losses. If the writer could use one word to describe America's beginnings, it would be: sacrifice.

July fourth marks a special day in the calendar of those living in the United States. On July of 1776, two hundred and thirty-three years ago, fifty-six men signed a document. Signing this document resulted in officially sparking a revolution. A revolution that would change the course of history for the land of my birth. This document entitled "The Declaration of Independence", declared independence from a government that oppressed them: the government of Great Britain.

Growing up, from elementary school to High School (except for my last year of school), I had always been taught America's founding fathers declared independence from Britain because of taxation without representation. I've been to public school, Christian private school, and home school – taxation without representation is all I remember reading about it in class from the school's curriculum. They left out a very important fact: there were twenty-seven reasons for declaring independence. Not just one.

Here are the twenty-seven reasons (if you read the entire document, you will see that the founders of America were indeed very religious). Keep in mind, the word "he" refers to the king of Britain at that time in history:

1. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

2. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

3. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

4. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

5. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

6. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

7. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

8. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

9. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

10. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

11. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

12. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

13. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

14. For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

15. For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

16. For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

17. For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

18. For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

19. For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

20. For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

21. For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

22. For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

23. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

24. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

25. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

26. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

27. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

Those are the twenty-seven reasons as to why America's founding fathers declared independence. In signing this document, these men put their lives on the line. Nonetheless, they were courageous.

As I write, holding these great men and women in high esteem, I hold the Creator in higher esteem. And so did many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. I will let them speak for themselves, here are their own words:

Benjamin Rush, who in his day was considered one of the three most prominent founding fathers, also founded America's first Bible society:

Dear Sir:
It is now several months since I promised to give you my reasons for preferring the Bible as a schoolbook to all other compositions. Before I state my arguments, I shall assume the five following propositions:

1 . That Christianity is the only true and perfect religion; and that in proportion as mankind adopt its principles and obey its precepts they will be wise and happy.

2. That a better knowledge of this religion is to be acquired by reading the Bible than in any other way.

3. That the Bible contains more knowledge necessary to man in his present state than any other book in the world.

4. That knowledge is most durable, and religious instruction most useful, when imparted in early life.

5. That the Bible, when not read in schools, is seldom read in any subsequent period of life.

- from a tract he wrote titled "A Defense of the Use of the Bible as a Schoolbook." Read the whole letter, it is quite fascinating to read about a prominent figure desiring the Bible in schools!

John Witherspoon, was a clergyman and president of Princeton University:

"I shall now conclude my discourse by preaching this Savior to all who hear me, and entreating you in the most earnest manner to believe in Jesus Christ, for "there is no salvation in any other". ... If you are not reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, if you are not clothed with the spotless robe of His righteousness, you must forever perish."

- Other fascinating quotes by John Witherspoon may be found here.

John Hancock, politician, well-known for leaving the biggest signature on the great document remarked:

"I have the most animating confidence that the present noble struggle for liberty will terminate gloriously for America. And let us play the man for our God, and for the cities of our God; whilst we are using the means in our power, let us humbly commit our righteous cause to the great Lord of the Universe, who loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity. And having secured the approbation of our hearts by a faithful and unwearied discharge of our duty to our country, let us joyfully leave our concerns in the hands of Him who raiseth up and pulleth down the empires and kingdoms of the world as He pleases; and with cheerful submission to His sovereign will, devoutly say, "Although the fig tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail and the field shall yield not meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet we will rejoice in the Lord, we will joy in the God of our salvation." [Habakkuk 3:17-18]"
- Other fascinating quotes by John Hancock may be found here.

Roger Sherman, politician and lawyer:

"I believe that there is one only living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the same in substance equal in power and glory. That the scriptures of the old and new testaments are a revelation from God and a complete rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him. ... I believe that the souls of believers are at their death made perfectly holy and immediately taken to glory: that at the end of this world there will be a resurrection of the dead and a final judgement of all mankind when the righteous shall be publically acquitted by Christ the Judge and admitted to everlasting life and glory, and the wicked be sentenced to everlasting punishment."
- United States Founding Father, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Signer of the United States Constitution, Roger Sherman, "The Life of Roger Sherman", Lewis Henry Boutell, (Chicago: a.C. McClurg and Company, 1896), pp. 272-273

George Washington, well-known for being first President of the united States of America:

It would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect. ... No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency. ... We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.

- First Inaugural Address

Samuel Adams, politician:

Principally and first of all, I recommend my soul to that Almighty Being who gave it and my body I commit to the dust, relying upon the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins." - United States Founding Father, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, "Father of the American Revolution", Samuel Adams, "Last Will and Testament"

Patrick Henry, great patriot remembered for his words "Give me liberty or give me death!":

"This is all the inheritance I can give to my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed." - United States Founding Father, Patrick Henry, "Last Will and Testament"

Alexander Hamilton, military officer and lawyer:

"The attempt by the rulers of a nation to destroy all religious opinion and to pervert a whole people to atheism is a phenomenon of profligacy [act of moral depravity]. ... To establish atheism on the ruins of Christianity to deprive mankind of its best consolations and most animating hopes and to make a gloomy desert of the universe." - United States Founding Father, Signer of the Constitution, Alexander Hamilton, "The Papers of Alexander Hamilton", Harold C. Syrett, editor, (NY: Columbia University Press, 1979), Vol. XXI, pp. 402-404, "The Stand No. III", New York, April 7, 1798

This fourth of July, as I contemplate the status of my dear country, I think of how America's founders would be devastated, horrified, and mournful to see the America of 2009. God has been kicked out of the public schools, people's version of God is that of being tolerant of sin, it's legal to murder babies here, homosexuality is glorified in the schools and through other forms of influence, and the government is selfish; it's corrupt, the people are apathetic as to what is going on in the government - or are blind as to what is truly going on. The list goes on and on.

Christians, let us remember to pray that America would once again declare independence. Independence from sin and Satan and that she would return to her biblical foundations. That is something that can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit. We're in the midst of a great spiritual battle. Repent and pray.
----
All quotes after that of Benjamin Rush, were found on http://www.partyof1776.net/

*Did all the men and women of that era fear God? Of course not, but there were many in the land that did. People looked to God as being supreme. Immorality existed, but it was not rampant and glorified as it is in the America of today. There was deception going on in 1776 as there is today, but unlike today, 1776 carried many prominent public leaders that did indeed want to honor the Almighty God of the Bible.

A Tale of Two Sons

2009-07-01T23:14:00.002-04:00

I must say, this is the most amazing and insightful sermon on the story of the prodigal son I've ever heard! Mom, dad, and I stayed up late watching it the other night. John MacArthur certainly delivers a rich sermon from such a short passage!

I've never fathomed how rich that passage in the Bible was! It's incredible!

Click here to see video.

Walking Away From Truth

2009-06-29T23:21:00.003-04:00

"Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened."
- Winston Churchill

Making Sacrifices for God

2009-06-22T15:53:00.001-04:00

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him." - C. T. Studd

Serving the Lord... in Marriage?

2009-06-17T00:51:00.003-04:00

Recently, a young Christian lady brought the topic of marriage to my attention. She wondered, how can a woman use her marriage to serve the Lord? I think the question is a good one and deserves a good honest reply. In a world where biblical family models are looked down upon, this is an issue that should be addressed.

I for one, must confess to be extremely influenced by the feminist culture in which I live. If she would have posed the same question to me last year, my thoughts would have been something along the lines of "I can better serve God as an unmarried woman." But we must remember how God designed life before the fall of man. Life was perfect. In that perfect design, woman was created to be man's helper.

How Marriage Between a Godly Man and Woman Can Glorify God

1. It's God's design.

(As seen in Genesis 2.)

2. God thinks highly of marriage.

Throughout Scripture (Ephesians 5:22-33 is one of many many places), God likens His relationship to His church as marriage. He is the groom and the church is His bride. It is clear that God holds, with great esteem, marriage between one man and one woman.

3. God's design is good.

Genesis 2:18 "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

This reinforces my first point. Who said it was not good for man to be alone? Who decided to make a help meet for man? The LORD God. The Bible says of creation, in Genesis 1:31,

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

4. Raising a new generation of arrows.

Psalm 127:3-5 "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."

You see? The LORD is greatly glorified through a biblical family model! Of course, one must keep verse 1 of Psalm 127 in mind:

"Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

If God is not the foundation - if God is not in it - then there will be great problems.

What a noble ministry that is - to raise up a new generation of arrows to pierce the enemy! In this culture where the average family only wants a few children (obvious some can only have a few, but there are many who only want a few), I think you should take a peek at this video: Muslim Demographics

5. God desires that young women marry.

1 Timothy 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

6. A Chance to Die.

Being part of a biblically grounded family requires sacrifice in many aspects. It's learning not to be so individualistic. Many family members in today's society may sleep under the same roof but not really know each other. Each member has their own little separate world. The Devil is working overtime to break up the family unit in any way He can. Considering the family to be public enemy number one, Aleister Crowley (known as the "wickedest man in the world" and the father of modern Satanism), said of the family:

"Horrid word, family! Its very etymology accuses it of servility and stagnation... think what horrid images it evokes from the mind. Not only Victorian; wherever the family has been strong, it has always been an engine of tyranny... Curse them! They are always in the way." - Magick Without Tears by Aleister Crowley, Chapter LII: Family: Public Enemy No. 1

While the wife is to be a helper, the godly husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for it. Now that is a wonderful sacrificial love! I know it's not something that many of us see regularly in this crazy god-hating culture, but that is God's amazingly beautiful design for the husband and wife.

Ephesians 5:22-33"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."

I think Paul Washer is right on with his priorities. On his Twitter account, he has written under his bio: "Husband. Father. Missionary. Preacher." Yes, in that same order, that is the response given to people when they ask him, "So what do you do?"

Conclusion and Warning

Of course, not every young woman will get married. Some will remain single; some will get married. God has a plan and reason for both. (He uses all things for good.) But I do believe we (women) were designed to be helpers to men. I know it's not a popular belief, but it's true! Eve was created to be by Adam's side. Why, even the feminists are helpers to men! Who, you may ask? Evil men like Karl Marx. See Achieving Feminist Class Consciousness and So, Is Radical Feminism a Socialist Front?.

While on the topic of marriage, I must urge you to guard your hearts, ladies. One can err on either side. You can be like I was - moderate feminist deciding you don't need men at all. Or you can err by being uh, "boy crazy." Wasting your life by day-dreaming constantly about Prince Charming or thinking a young man likes you just because he greeted you kindly. I think you ladies get what I'm saying. Guard your hearts. Purity isn't just a physical thing. We must remain pure spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus says lust is the same as adultery. Job says in Job 31:1, "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" We must make a covenant with our heart, we must guard our heart - in all areas.

A.W. Tozer on True Disciples of Christ

2009-06-15T00:21:00.000-04:00

The true follower of Christ will not ask, "If I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?" Rather he will say, "This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let come what may!"
--A.W. Tozer

People who are crucified with Christ have three distinct marks:
1. they are facing only one direction,
2. they can never turn back, and
3. they no longer have plans of their own.
--A.W. Tozer

God Commands All Men Everywhere To Repent

2009-06-08T22:40:00.003-04:00

If my six-year-old daughter was out on the road playing in front of my house and I saw a huge truck barreling around the corner, what would I do in that moment? Out of my love for my daughter I would not gently invite her to step away from the street. I would command her to change her direction, and get off the road! Why? Because of my love for her. I know that the truck would not be able to stop in time and it would run her over and kill her. The same is true of the Father's love for us. Out of his love, he commands us to repent, because at any moment the truck of sin and death could run us over for playing on the road of rebellion!" - Rob Price

American Idolatry

2009-06-02T12:32:00.004-04:00

Here in America, even among professing believers, idolatry is predominant. Very predominant.

While neglecting God's Word, these evangelicals will flock to their TV sets every week with their eyes glued onto the television set. What thing do they find so special as to require their immediate attention?

Two words: American Idol.

I've heard other professing Christians mock those like me who think such a show is abominable saying, "Oh, people make such a big deal of something just because it has the term 'idol' in it."

Here's my argument:

Would you watch something called American Fornicator? Or American Adulterer? Or American pornographer?

I certainly can't use the 'What Would Jesus Do?' question anymore because of everyone's warped concept of Jesus. At church a few years ago, a young lady was telling me all about a horrid rated R film she watched - all I remember is that it was absolutely horrifying and it did not fit the Philippians 4:8 description. I threw the 'What Would Jesus Do?' question, and to my dismay, the young lady responded emphatically and sincerely:

"Yes! Jesus would watch that film!"

Then she began to explain how she saw different characters representing different characters in the Bible.

ANYONE CAN MAKE ANY STORY COINCIDE WITH A BIBLE STORY!!! That doesn't mean it's God-honoring!

Here are some sad examples of that:

Example One

Example Two

Example Three

Now concerning American Idol, let us ask the question who is being elevated? Oh sure, the contestants have sung "Christian" music, but that doesn't mean much. Even the Devil quotes Scripture! (Luke 4:1-13)

American Idol is certainly not pro God. And it certainly should not be promoted by professing Christians.

Idolatry should be taken seriously.

The Bible says,

1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

Galatians 5:19-21Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Chronicles 24:18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.

Leviticus 19:4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I [am] the LORD your God.

Let us follow King Josiah's example by putting away "the idols, and all the abominations."

2 Kings 23:24 Moreover the [workers with] familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

Ravenhill on Legalism

2009-06-01T12:43:00.000-04:00

When there’s something in the Bible that churches don’t like, they call it 'legalism.'"

-Leonard Ravenhill

Charles Spurgeon on Amusements

2009-05-26T21:06:00.001-04:00

I have nothing to say against recreation in its proper place. Certain forms of recreation are needful and useful; but it is a wretched thing when amusement becomes a vocation. Amusement should be used to do us good “like a medicine”: it must never be used as the food of the man. From early morning till late at night some spend their time in a round of frivolities, or else their very work is simply carried on to furnish them funds for their pleasures. This is vicious. Many have had all holy thoughts and gracious resolutions stamped out by perpetual trifling. Pleasure so called is the murderer of thought. This is the age of excessive amusement: everybody craves for it, like a babe for its rattle.

- Charles Spurgeon

Charo Washer's Testimony

2009-05-24T22:37:00.002-04:00

Amazing, simply amazing!

Click here to see the video.

How to get email subscriptions on your blog. Via Feed Burner.

2009-05-24T11:30:00.022-04:00

I'm not quite sure how to get these pictures to show up bigger on this post. Sorry. What you can do is click on the picture, and it'll take you to a bigger version of the picture. :-)

1. Visit http://feedburner.google.com/ It will ask for your Username and Password. Type that info in and log in.

2. Once you're signed in, you should arrive at a page similar to the following:

Where it says "Burn a feed right this instant. Type your blog or feed address here:" type in the url of your blog. For my blog, I'd type in http://www.howcanibesilent.blogspot.com/

Now click next.

3. You should arrive at a page like this. Choose atom and click next.

4. You should arrive at this page and click next.

5. After clicking next, this is what you should see:

Click next.

6. You should arrive here. You don't need to select what I have selected... but you can if you want. :-)

Click next.

7. You should be here. Now we're going to explain how you get ahold of that code for e-mail subscriptions. :-)

See the tab "publicize"? Click on that.

8. Now you're at a new page. (Hopefully.) Click on "Email Subscriptions". It's on the left side of the page.

9. At this new page, click "activate."

10. After clicking activate, this is what you should see:

Select "Blogger" where it says "Use as widget in" and then click "go".

11. Now you should be at another new page. This new page is blogger.com and it's going to ask for your un and password. Give blogger that info. Sign in.

12. Once signed in, you should be here. Click add widget.

13. You should be here. And see the little box there. Now it should be on your blog. :-)

The End.

Joel Osteen, It's Just the Truth

2009-05-19T00:36:00.001-04:00

This.

Is.

Simply.

Awesome.

It's Just the Truth from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

The Dangers of Neglectfulness

2009-05-18T10:43:00.001-04:00

"The neglected heart will soon be a heart overrun with worldly thoughts; the neglected life will soon become a moral chaos; the church that is not jealously protected by mighty intercession and sacrificial labors will before long become the abode of every evil bird and the hiding place for unsuspected corruption. The creeping wilderness will soon take over that church that trusts in its own strength and forgets to watch and pray."

- A. W. Tozer

Nerd Talk. Free.

2009-05-14T22:20:00.007-04:00

DISCLAIMER: Michelle is not responsible for any computer damages. As a matter of fact, she's not responsible for any damages that may come about because you decided to listen to her advice. Proceed at your own risk. (Haha)

My hope is that this post would equip believers! :) I'm going to share what I like to use for software, and it's free - the software and this post! Can it get any better than that?

Open Office - Can't afford to buy Microsoft Office?? No problem! Open Office is free! And best of all, it works GREAT! I've been using it for quite a few years and am quite content with it!

GIMP and Inkscape - Can't afford stuff like Photoshop or Corel for graphics? Try GIMP and Inkscape. Don't send me hate mail though if it's not as a good as Corel or Photoshop - I haven't used them. However, I have seen work done with GIMP and Inkscape. It's not bad at all! (I'm still learning how to use them.)

Mozilla Firefox - Firefox is an amazing web browser! It's quite simple yet cool. The ad blocker is phenomenal! (That needs to be added separately.) I don't know about Mac users... but I heard that Windows won't function properly without Internet Explorer. So don't uninstall it. :)

Audacity - Sound recording software. You can record multiple tracks.

Filezilla - Great for transferring files. I've used it to upload the pages when dad had his business website.

AVG - Good anti-virus software!

Picasa - Simple photo software for simple nice editing and organization.

Gmail - My favorite e-mail provider. :) You can do a bazillion things with your google e-mail account - and you don't have to deal with crazy photo ads! IM, webcam, and e-mail can be done on one page - and it doesn't look cluttered. I finally got dad to switch from yahoo to gmail... and he now loves it. The bazillion things include Picasa Web Albums, Feed Burner, Google Analytics, Blogger, Web History, Google Documents... I think I've only scratched the surface. :)

Nvu - Html editor for web design.

Joomla! - If you want a clean fancy site without doing too much nerdy work - then this seems to be pretty cool. I tried it once on a free web hosting account. I really liked it.

Blender - 3D Animation Software

Hopefully, this was useful to someone out there. The reason I know about the above software is because of friends.... I figured I'd just pass the great resources on.

Todd Bentley and His Tattoos

2009-05-11T10:59:00.003-04:00

I made a new friend last night which resulted in reading her post on Todd Bentley. In her post, she mentioned something about his tattoos... so I googled "Todd Bentley Tattoos." Boy, was I in for a surprise! (OK, so knowing who Todd Bentley is... I shouldn't be surprised.)

For those of you who don't know who Todd Bentley is, I encourage you to visit this link.

Here's what I found concerning his tattoos:

Jesus Death Mask ~ Todd Bentley ~ Witchcraft Jesus Death Mask ~ Todd Bentley ~ Witchcraft mckenzie Todd Bentley’s raised arm reveals Jesus’ dead face with a subliminal monkey etched in his beard! Above the tip of the beard, is a subliminal Oni a “Buddist guardian devil” of Hell! JESUS IS UPSIDE DOWN ~ OLD SATANIST WISH In general, the Oni is a fearsome supernatural creature. They have been described variously as guardians of Buddhist hell, demons who act as torturers there, pranksters, devourers... EMMA-O: King of Hell. He lives the good life in a large castle covered in gold, silver, pearls and jewels . . . Google EMMA ~ O ~ Oni http://patholliday.com/dlguard/cart/index.php?page=2&c=30

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Humanities Books free love

Ten Shekels and a Shirt

2009-05-11T10:20:00.000-04:00

I have talked with people that have no assurance that sins are forgiven. They want to feel safe, before they’re willing to commit themselves to Christ. But I believe that the only ones whom God actually witnesses by His Spirit and are born of Him, are the people, whether they say it or not, that come to Jesus Christ and say something like this, “Lord Jesus, I’m going to obey you, and love you, and serve you, and do what you want me to do, as long as I live even if I go to Hell at the end of the road, simply because YOU ARE WORTHY TO BE LOVED, AND OBEYED, AND SERVED, and I’m not trying to make a deal with you!”

-Paris Reidhead

From the sermon "Ten Shekels and a Shirt" - highly recommended.

Two young Moravians heard of an island in the West Indies where an atheist British owner had 2000 to 3000 slaves. And the owner had said, "No preacher, no clergyman, will ever stay on this island. If he's ship wrecked we'll keep him in a separate house until he has to leave, but he's never going to talk to any of us about God, I'm through with all that nonsense." Three thousand slaves from the jungles of Africa brought to an island in the Atlantic and there to live and die without hearing of Christ.

In the late 1700's a British planter owned an entire island in the West Indies off the coast of South America. Several thousand black slaves toiled in the sugar cane fields under the burning sun. The atheist planter vowed that no missionary would ever set foot on the island to talk about God. 3000 slaves were doomed to live and die without hearing of Christ.

Two young Germans in their 20's from the Moravians sect heard about their plight. They sold themselves to the British planter for the standard price for a male slave used the money they received for their sale to purchase passage to the West Indies. The miserly atheist planter would not even transport them.

The Moravian community from Herrenhut came to see the two lads off, who would never return again, having freely sold themselves into a lifetime of slavery. As a member of the slave community they would witness as Christians to the love of God.

Family members were emotional, weeping. Was their extreme sacrifice wise? Was it necessary? As the ship slipped away with the tide and the gap widened. The housings had been cast off and were curled up on the pier. The young men saw the widening gap. They linked arms, raised their hands and shouted across the spreading gap "May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering."

This became the call of Moravian missions. And this is our only reason for being...that the Lamb that was slain may receive the reward of His suffering! Amen.

-Excerpt from sermon ""Ten Shekels and a Shirt""

A Practical View of Christianity

2009-05-04T13:08:00.003-04:00

The observance of one commandment, however clearly and forcibly enjoined, cannot make up for the neglect of another which is enjoined with equal clearness and equal force. Pg 143

True practical Christianity (never let it be forgotten) consists in devoting the heart and life to God; in being supremely and habitually governed by a desire to know, and a disposition to fulfill his will, and in endeavoring under the influence of these motives to "live to his glory."

Experience warrants, and reason justifies and explains the assertion, that Persecution generally tends to quicken the vigor and extend the prevalence of the opinions which she would eradicate. For the peace of mankind, it has grown at length almost into an axiom, that "her devilish engine recoils back upon herself." Christianity especially has always thriven under persecution. At such a season she has no lukwarm professors; no adherents concerning whom it is doubtful to what party they belong. The Christian is then reminded at every turn, that his Master's kingdom is not of this world. When all on earth wears a black and threatening aspect, he looks up to heaven for consolation; he learns practically to consider himself as a pilgrim and stranger. He then cleeaves to fundamentals, and examines well his foundation, as at the hou of death. When Religion is in a state of external quiet and prosperity, the contrary of all this naturally takes place. The soldiers of the church militant then forget that they are in a state of warfare. Their ardor slackens, their zeal languishes. Like a colony long settled in a strange country, they are gradually assimilated in features, and demeanor, and language, to the native inhabitants, till at length almost every vestige of peculiarity dies away.

- Pg 210

It seems in our days to be the commonly received opinion, that provided a man admit in general terms the truth of Christianity, though he know not or consider not much concerning the particulars of the system; and if he be not habitually guilty of any of the grosser vices against his fellow creatures, we have no great reason to be issatisfied with him, or to question the validity of his claim to the name and consequent privileges of a Christian. The title implies no more than a sort of formal, general assent to Christianity in the gross, and a degree of morality in practice, but little if at all superior to that for which we look in a good Deist, Mussulman [Muslim], or Hindoo [Hindu].

- Quotes from "A Practical View of Christianity" by William Wilberforce

WARNING: If you choose to purchase "A Practical View of Christianity", keep in mind there are many many many BIG words and the chapters are long. (Probably because Wilberforce was a politician, ha.) For me, at least, reading the book has been a daunting task. :-) (I have two more chapters left!)

Something to chew on: A "Great" Wimp and Whoremonger

2009-04-28T03:00:00.007-04:00

Recently, a pastor posed a great question for me to chew on.

In Hebrews 11, we read about men and women of the Bible who...

...through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

-Hebrews 11:33-38

Immediately, after reading such a description, one would imagine (at least I would) these men and women were bold, courageous, daring, faithful, close to perfection, and firm in their faith.

Aha? But...is that so?

In Hebrews 11, let's look at two heroes of the faith: Samson and Barak. Whoa! Why on earth are they listed in Hebrews 11?! Samson was a whoremonger who let a woman use him (Judges 13-16). Barak was a wimp - although God promised victory for Israel (Judges 4:6-7), he wouldn't go to battle unless Deborah went with him (Judges 4:8).

Now here's the great question:

How is it that Samson - a whoremonger, and Barak - a wimp - are listed in Hebrews 11??

After chewing on that question for some time, this is the question I would ask in return (if the person I am speaking with is a Christian):

"How is it that your name, considering you're imperfect, can be found in the Lamb's Book of Life?"

However, after chatting with father about the question (dad figured it out), the answer he (the pastor) was looking for is... (drum roll, please)...

While a Christian may become unfaithful at times, God remains faithful at all times - God keeps His promises! He will take care of His children! We may choose to go wander off the path, but God will set us straight eventually! Look at Jonah. Look at David. Look at Peter. Regardless of their inclination to disobedience, God remained faithful.

Of course, this is not meant as an excuse to dive into lawlessness; because we love Jesus, we'll strive to honor Him! Now let us, with His grace, be found faithful to Him!

Thanks to the lil' bro for the artwork... :-)

A Description of Today

2009-04-27T17:20:00.003-04:00

In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.

-William Booth

Why I Can't Celebrate Ishtar - er, I Mean Easter

2009-04-05T22:23:00.005-04:00

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

This morning, I had the great privilege of hearing a bold man of God preach an unpopular message.

Pastor John Wofford spoke out against a pagan holiday. Now to some, that would be no big deal. But it is. He spoke out against a holiday Christians all over the world celebrate. Easter.

Is Jesus Christ really the one behind the holiday?

Are there pagan practices involved in this "Christian" holiday? If so, is it OK since "we're not really bowing down to false gods?"

I know this post is really strange. It goes against what we have grown up with. (I grew up looking forward to Easter!) That being said, it will make much more sense if you listened to the sermon.

Pastor Wofford explains things with much clarity. I encourage you to set aside your preferences and listen to what this man has to say. He's preaching Truth. The rock hard Truth. Rock hard Truth tends to shake our little world, but it will result in setting us free!

Soooo.... download the audio, stick it on your ipod... and then share your thoughts.

It can be accessed on this player, click on the sermon titled "Easter Sermon":

Or... you can download it directly to your computer here:

Easter Sermon 4-5-2009 - Audio

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Note: After this post, I'm going to do something crazy. :) I will be away from blogging, FaceBook, IM, etc for a little while. I believe there's a time for everything. Even a time to be quiet. :) God seems to be getting my attention concerning certain things in my life. I hope to come back refreshed and with a vision of what the Lord wants from me. I covet your prayers. In the meantime, check out the links on the right hand side of the blog!

The Hard Truth: God Doesn't Hear the Prayers of Most People

2009-03-20T23:54:00.000-04:00

Please hear me out before you comment. I know the title may seem bizarre to many. Years ago, I would have considered someone who made such a statement a little extreme.

Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

The other night, I was talking to two young ladies. One was a Christian and the other wasn't. My Christian friend asked me if God hears the prayers of the lost.

My response was that God does not hear the prayers of the wicked.

I could tell that my friend was a bit taken back with my reply. And with today's sugar-coated "Christianity" permeating the churches, it's no surprise that anyone would be shocked at such a statement! Many people tend to have a warped concept of God. I know I did. It really makes sense once you think about it and see what the Scripture says.

What makes you so sure God doesn't hear their prayers? And who are you to say the lost are wicked?

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled* to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

*reconciled means restored. Man's original relationship with God was severed [broken] when Adam and Eve rebelled. Through Jesus Christ, our relationship can be restored. Read Romans 5:12-21 for more on that.

To go on building my case, I must first establish what "wicked works" are and how they make someone an enemy of God.

What does "wicked" mean? In Webster's 1828 Dictionary, "wicked" is defined as:

Evil in principle or practice; deviating from the divine law; addicted to vice; sinful; immoral. This is a word of comprehensive signification, extending to every thing that is contrary to the moral law, and both to persons and actions. We say, a wicked man, a wicked deed, wicked ways, wicked lives, a wicked heart, wicked designs, wicked works.

...The wicked, in Scripture, persons who live in sin; transgressors of the divine law; all who are unreconciled to God, unsanctified or impenitent.

Wickedness is sinfulness. The Bible says sin is transgression [breaking] of the Law (1 Jn 3:4). The Law [Ten Commandments] is God's holy standard of good. If you're brutally honest with yourself, you will find that you have not followed the two greatest commandments:

Mark 12:29-31 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

If you love God, you won't dishonor Him and you'll always put Him first. If you love God and put Him first, you won't lie, steal, commit adultery (Mat 5:27-28), or blaspheme His name. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you won't do them wrong either. Have you always loved God with your all? Have you always loved your neighbor as yourself? To say "yes", would be lying.

1 Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Even if you break God's Law only once, you are still a lawbreaker. How many times does someone have to murder another person to be called a murderer? Once.

Fine. Apart from Jesus Christ, we're all wicked. Now why won't God hear the prayers of the sinful?

If you are rebelling against God, He will not hear your prayers.

Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

The truth in these verses should not be shocking, it is nothing new. Throughout Scripture, we find many instances of God choosing not to hear people:

Psalm 18:41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

Proverbs 1:28-30 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

1 Samuel 8:18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

Isaiah 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Jeremiah 11:11-14 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them. Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble. For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.

Jeremiah 14:11-12 Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.

Ezekiel 8:17-18 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them

Micah 3:4 Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.

Zechariah 7:12-14 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

What prayer does God hear?

James 5:16b The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Psalm 145:18-19 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

He hears the prayers of them who fear Him!

Why is it so important to fear God?

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

It is clear, God hears the prayers of those who fear Him and walk in His ways. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge! Fear of God causes men to depart from evil! It is crucial that we fear God. If you don't fear God, there is a problem. Without fear, how can you be saved? You must realize you are in danger. You must realize you are a sinner in the hands of an angry God. When Christians fall into sin, it is because they have lost their fear of God. They have lost sight of His holiness.

How does one repent and come to Christ if, apart from Christ, everyone is His enemy?
In Acts 10, we can read about Cornelius the centurion.

Vs 31-31: And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

How is it that the angel said Cornelius' prayer was heard? Cornelius was not saved until later on in chapter 10.

The answer to that question is simple and is found in vs 2 and vs 22. It gives us a description of Cornelius.

Vs 2: A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

Vs 22: And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.

He did what? He feared God!

Vs 3-4 tells us:

He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

An angel appears to Cornelius, says his prayers to God are heard, and tells him to go look for the Apostle Peter (Acts 10:5-6.)

Peter, as we can see in verses 34-43, visits Cornelius and shares the Gospel with him.
Notice what Peter says in vs 34-35 of Acts 10. It is another reminder of how important it is to fear God.

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

As a result, Cornelius and his house [they also feared God, vs 2], were saved. Peter gives an account of what transpired:

Acts 11:13-15 And he [Cornelius] shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

Cornelius truly feared God. And as a result of that healthy fear, the Lord saved him!

James 4:6 ...God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

How can someone be humble before God and not fear Him?

1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Are you righteous? Or are you doing evil? If you answer yes to the latter, please get right with the Lord before it's too late. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. He is the only one who can make us righteous.

Romans 3:22 ...the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe...

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Explanation for title: Matthew 7:14. It gives a great explanation.

The Problem With Immediate Justice

2009-03-14T17:32:00.002-04:00

Lately, I've been messing around with Apple's video editing program "iMovie."

In January, the Lord gave dad the opportunity to preach to a youth group. The footage in the following video is from his sermon.

The Problem With Immediate Justice.

The idea of God stopping all evil is appealing. It does sound like a good idea. Right?

I know my editing skills aren't that great yet. I just started learning how to edit video with iMovie, so maybe in the future I'll have some better stuff to share. :-)

Weeping For Lost Souls

2009-03-06T23:47:00.000-05:00

Click here to see video.

Opportunities, opportunities, opportunities.

2009-02-26T00:45:00.002-05:00

An opportunity can be defined as:

“...a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.” - dictionary.com

Throughout our daily lives - our everyday activities, anything we do - we have numerous opportunities to shine the glorious light of the Gospel in this lost and dying world.

Am I taking a hold on those once in a lifetime opportunities? Are you taking a hold on those once in a lifetime opportunities?

What are we doing? I don't know about you, but as for me, I find myself (consciously or unconsciously) making reasons as to why I can't reach out. When I stop and look, I find that my reasons are poor excuses. A wise man once told me, “no excuse is a good excuse.” Ouch.

A few months ago, some of my Tia's [Aunt's] students became my friends on a social networking site. I have had this great opportunity to shine. At first, I did start chatting with them because I could bug one of my parents for help... then, it just got to the point where I couldn't ask mom and dad for help all the time. So I had a lame excuse. My excuse? My Spanish isn't so great. I thought the excuse was good enough... and then lo and behold, one of my Christian friends who does NOT speak/write Spanish was using google translator to converse with one of the students. Ouch. Ever felt like kicking yourself? I did. I had to check my heart. What are my priorities? Am I willing to “suffer” (if you can call it that) through some embarrassing grammatical and spelling mistakes in Spanish for the sake of Jesus? It's no big deal. The power is not in the messenger's eloquent writing or speaking. The power is in the Gospel. I'm just a messenger. I'm dirt. Clay. I'm meaningless without Christ.

If we truly desire something, we'll put our all into it. We'll do whatever it takes to make it happen.

If we love Jesus, we'll love what He loves.
If we love Jesus, we'll hate what He hates.
If we love Jesus, we'll obey Him.

I like how Mark Cahill* said it:

"What you love, you talk about. If you love the Minnesota Vikings [an American sports team], you talk about the Vikings. If you love your college, you talk about your college. If you love your family, you talk about your family. If you love Jesus Christ, you will talk about Jesus Christ. So I always tell people, If you want to become a better witnesser, fall more in love with Jesus Christ."

Where's your heart at? Are you missing out on any opportunities?

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* Mark Cahill is an author and speaker. You can acquire a free copy of his book (English or Spanish) at http://www.markcahill.org/

Si vives en América latina, también puedes consiguir el libro de Mark Cahill gratis. Para más información, visite: http://www.evangelismobiblico.com/2008/12/libro-de-mark-cahill-gratis/

Blessed are You....When You're Persecuted.

2009-02-13T23:35:00.008-05:00

by Genevieve

For the first time this week, I was exposed to the extremes in which people will falsely accuse Christians just to further their own agenda. At my "Religion in America" class, the teacher’s primary goal throughout the class was to “open the students minds to the truth in all religions.” If we did not succumb, the chances of us getting a passing grade were slim to none. She spent at least 20 minutes of the class openly mocking Bible believing Christians perspective of sin, hell, and Jesus Christ. She went on to say, “Christians don’t even know what is in the Bible, they don’t read it, who hear has even read the Bible let alone owns one?” Thankfully I brought my study Bible to class that day and replied, “I have one in my backpack that I study daily.” She glared at me, and then said that I was an exception.

Click here to read the rest...

Repent... and Witness!!! A Call to All True Christians!

2009-02-10T06:30:00.001-05:00

What is worse than a massacre? People who know what it takes to get to heaven, and be right with God, and don’t tell anyone. -Mark Cahill

Do you have a burning passion for the Lord and obeying his command to go out and witness? Do you have compassion for the lost? Do you yearn to be around other Christians who are far from the word "fake"? Do you want get out of your comfort zone? Do you want a challenge that will bring glory to God?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you do not want to miss out on this.

For more info, check out the pdf flyer.

I attended this camp last summer; I can honestly testify that God has used this camp to shove me out of my comfort zone and to examine my goals and priorities.

Grey is in.

2009-02-05T05:33:00.002-05:00

While black and white has gone out of style, grey has become the cool. No, I'm not talking about clothing. I'm talking about our convictions. So perhaps, I should say, grey has always been the cool for the world – but it has not always been so in the church buildings. I'm afraid that grey is slowly but surely seeping into the pulpits.

Today, in the world and the church buildings, a war is going on between absolute truth and relative “truth.”

In a world of absolutes, there is black and white; right and wrong; left and right. Absolutes exist regardless of circumstances. For example, lying is always wrong no matter the situation.

In a world of relativism, grey is in and black and white does not exist; right and wrong are defined by each person's preferences. Following your heart is the way to go. For example, lying is wrong depending on the circumstances – such as time, place, or whether or not you believe it to be wrong. Right and wrong is relative [dependent on] to certain factors. An example of relativism is this: I believe 2+2=5. You believe 2+2=4. If we were relativists, we'd say we are both correct. But the truth? Someone is incorrect. To sum relativism up... relativists say truth can be different to each individual – and that each individual is right. That is relativism.

Now, we know both cannot be true. There is either:

A) Absolute Truth

or

B) Relative Truth

How do we know which one is true?

By turning to Scripture, we find absolutes do exist. Romans 2:15 states that the Law (ten commandments) is written on our hearts. God has give us a conscience [“con” means “with” and “science” means “knowledge”] to help us distinguish between right and wrong.

We know God exists because, just as building = builder, creation = Creator. The evidence of a Creator is all around us “so that men are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20).

We know that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven – not another name, but the name of Jesus Christ – because John 14:6 is clear. Scripture is not open to private interpretation based upon the circumstances of different people, different situations, or different preferences. (If you profess to be a follower of Christ and you deny God's absolute truths, then you don't believe God and you call him a liar.)

On the other hand, we find relative truth to be a lie from the Devil. With relativism, you can shape a god to suit yourself based upon how you feel, how you think, and what you want.

A relativist may say to a true Christian, “Your beliefs are fine. They work for you. However, I personally don't believe God would send people to hell just because they haven't accepted Jesus Christ. What about the millions who've never heard of Jesus?”

I like how Ray Comfort would respond, “Your god would never send anyone to hell because your god is a figment [an invention] of your imagination.” To the latter question, I would say... “People go to hell because they are workers of iniquity [law breakers]. And if you are concerned about the millions, why aren't you telling them about Jesus? As I said before, people are without excuse.”

How to make a relativist admit there are absolutes.

Relativist: There are no absolutes.

Absolutist: Oh really? Is pedophilia wrong?

Relativist: Um, yeah! Duh! (Any normal person would say pedophilia is wrong.)

Absolutist: Why is it wrong? How do you know it's wrong? What if the pedophile believes it's right?

How do you, relativist, respond to that? There are absolutes. It is only logical and right.

Relative “truth” is no truth at all. Relative “truth” is a lie. Relative “truth” is from the Devil – the father of lies. (John 8:44)

Following the heart.

Contrary to the messages we hear from Disney movies, man should not determine what is right by following their hearts (Jeremiah 17:9). If men were to follow what seems right, doing so will lead to destruction (Proverbs 14:12). Men are depraved (Romans 3:10-18). Apart from Christ, there is nothing good about us. If there is any good in us, it is because of Christ (1 John 1:9).

We have seen that, although the may world prefer to believe in relative “truth", absolute truth is real truth. Reality can be painful. But reality is always better.

John 8:32 "...the truth shall make you free."

So... although grey is “in” for the world, black and white is in my Guide [Word of God] to life.

Questions? Comments? Objections? Bring 'em on!

White as Snow.

2009-02-04T12:18:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures of last week's ice storm. One day, we got ice and the next day we received some snow.

All this beautiful snow reminds me of Isaiah 1:18.

"..though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

White as snow! Oh the joy of knowing Jesus!

ice storm...

2009-01-30T23:49:00.003-05:00

For a glimpse into my part of the world: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/6235926.html

If you don't hear from me for about a month... that's probably why! We're doing well, so don't worry. :) In the meantime, check out the links on the right side of my page. There are some cool sites in English and Spanish.

Love ya'll! God is good! All the time!

Is The Gospel Real To You?

2009-01-22T00:00:00.004-05:00

I hope this short video challenges you.

Is the Gospel real to me? Is it real to you? If it is, what are we doing about it???

If for some reason, the video does not show, click here.

No to the Comfort Zone

2009-01-17T00:53:00.012-05:00

Friday, I attended my mom's naturalization ceremony. She, along with over a hundred other people from different nationalities, became American citizens. (I'm proud of my mom!) I really enjoyed being in one room with so many people from different countries - I like hearing all the different accents!

We arrived at around 9am and the ceremony did not begin until about 11:15am. As the time drew closer to the ceremony, the staff encouraged people to go out in the hall if they wished to walk around. Because we had been seated in one place for so long, I welcomed the opportunity.

Now here's where my little adventure begins.

I went out into the hall and sat down on the bench. Seated next to me, was a man sitting all alone.

Michelle you should speak to him.

What?! Me??? Start a conversation with a complete stranger??? With no Gospel tract to break the ice!? Um, no. I don't think so. I don't like starting conversations!

So I had this battle going on through my mind for several minutes: Talk to him. No! Talk to him. No! Talk to him. No!

Finally, I gave in. With sweaty hands, I smiled and nervously turned to the gentleman, "Are you going to be an American citizen today? Or are you here to watch a family member?"

Bingo!!!

The gentleman was so willing to talk. He happened to be Mexican, he had four beautiful daughters, and he served in the military for eight years. Really polite gentleman.

Suddenly, another adult joined in the conversation. Oops. Michelle normally lets other people do all the talking when that happens.

Yes, I want to kick myself. What a great way to start witnessing in 2009, right?

I did have a small victory. I randomly started a good conversation with a complete stranger. Oh, but that is not enough.

If hell is real, I need to do more than have delightful conversations about family and military service. The conversations need to be swung from the natural into the spiritual; the spiritual is what will matter two hundred years from now.

With God's help, I hope to be bolder than ever in 2009. And it obviously won't be easy. Whatever you do, get out of the comfort zone. For those of you who are already out of the comfort zone, get farther away from it and don't get near it - don't even get a centimeter near that horrid comfort zone!

Are you in your comfort zone? Are you sitting comfortably in it? If you are, it's about time you picked up the book of Acts. Are you struggling to stay out of it? That's a good sign. Keep fighting!

One more question: When you're getting out of your comfort zone, are you ready to give an answer of the hope that is in you? Memorize Scripture. It's sharper than any Sword! If I were to only use one thing in witnessing, I would totally forget about apologetics and I would work solely with Scripture.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Learning to be bolder with you.

-Michelle

Dinosaurs, electricity, and wrath.

2009-01-13T13:18:00.024-05:00

"Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him..."
- Isaiah 53:10

Paul Washer is among one of my favorite preachers. Why? Because he doesn't preach the half truth. He preaches the whole truth.

A few years ago, I remember having a conversation with dad about God. I said something like, "I'm so glad we don't have to fear God. He's so loving."

Let's just say dad was shocked at my statement. He reasoned with me, but to be honest, I didn't really comprehend why my statement was wrong. I didn't see why we should fear such a loving God. A few years after that incident, I came across a TV show where Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron talk about the use of the Law - then it all made sense!

As I look back on my conversation with dad, I can now really see I had a totally distorted view of God. That is not the God of the Bible!

Yes, God demonstrated His love for us on the cross. Yes, God is love. Yes, God so loved the world to the point of sending His only Son to pay our fine. But many (like me) have viewed God as a Barney the dinosaur god - a god that only loves and would never be angry.

We are to fear God. See: Deuteronomy 13:4, Psalm 2:11, Psalm 22:23, Psalm 25:14, Psalm 33:18, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 31:30, Proverbs 3:7, Acts 9:31.

We should fear God.

A healthy fear is good. It stops us from doing stupid things.

When I was just 3 years old, mom told me not to touch the electricity outlet. Guess what I did as soon as she left the room? I touched it. Not only did I touch the outlet, I also felt a wave of electricity. When mom came in the room, little Michelle rubbed her hurt finger and pointed at the outlet, "Don't touch that, mommy! It's hot! Don't touch that!" After I was electrocuted, I had a healthy fear of electrical outlets to the point of warning my mother. That fear prevented me from playing with the outlet. I knew what the repercussions would be if I played with it.

Why don't I jump out my second floor window? I fear the results. I know that if I jump out my window... it would not be a pretty scene. Breaking the law of gravity carries repercussions.

Don't wait till you feel the wrath of God - for then it'll be too late to pull your finger out of the outlet. If you haven't already, look into the mirror (ten commandments), then you'll see guilty written all over your face. Fear what will happen in result of breaking God's law. Then look at the provision that God has provided in Jesus Christ.

2009

2009-01-04T19:15:00.007-05:00

Another year of life has passed away, and yet another has begun.

As I look behind to 2008, I can honestly say that I am glad it is truly behind me. At the same time, I am thankful for all of its heartaches and joys.

So much has transpired for me in 2008. I made new enemies, but the Lord blessed me with even more new friends who share the same heart; I cried, but joy came; I failed many times, but God helped me up - and in doing so, I realized how imperfect I am and how perfect Jesus is. Such a thought has caused me to value His great sacrifice for me even more. Trials came to me and my family, but so did patience and reliance on God.

God has taught me so much. I still have more to learn.

I am grateful for is this: I am not who I was. I am not the same Michelle from January 1, 2008 - that's all because of Jesus Christ.

The Bible is so true when it likens people to clay and God as the potter. (Isaiah 64:8) I am clay. God is the potter - molding me to what he wants me to be.

Does that mean I'm perfect? Oh, I'm so far from it. I'm still in the process of being molded.

It's like the story of King Josiah in 2 Kings 22-23. The book of the law was read to Josiah (2 Kings 22:11). Josiah knew he was guilty - he was very repentant. God saw his change of heart and blessed Josiah (2 Kings 22:19-20). Josiah didn't take God's grace for granted, he didn't use it as an excuse to live lawlessly. In 2 Kings 23, we can see that Josiah noticed there were things in his kingdom that needed to change because they did not honor God. He saw the need for change and did something about it. He didn't stop changing at 2 Kings 22, he continued in 2 Kings 23. Same thing should apply to the lives of Christians. When we get saved, that does not mean we have a license to live lawlessly. Instead, we will begin to see things in our lives that need to be changed - and by God's grace, change them.

As I look to 2009, I am psyched! A new year is before us. Let's make it count for Jesus! Let's really deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him!

Let's learn from last year's lessons and not commit the same mistakes. Let's really strive to lift Jesus high. Let's not just say that we want to, let's really do it!

"It's perfectly legal!" Oops.

2008-12-29T22:09:00.007-05:00

For about a year and some change, I have always carried Gospel tracts in my purse. Let's just say I'm always ready for battle!

As a regular customer at Walmart, I'd always share Gospel tracts while shopping. I never had a problem. If someone declined a Gospel tract, I'd smile, respect their choice, and move on. I don't shove the Gospel down people's throats - actually, I've never seen anyone do such a thing.

This adventure to the store was different though. While shopping and going about my little mission, I handed a tract to an employee. This employee happened to be the assistant manager and he apparently believed I committed a horrible crime by handing him a Gospel tract. He told me it was not allowed.

Surprisingly, I was quite confident. I had a mission. No one was gonna get in my way. Plus, I had my rights. Right? Ha. I explained to this gentleman that, as a shopper, I had a right to share Gospel tracts.

Oops.

I sincerely believed that I had a right. But after doing some research, I found that I was sincerely wrong. I misunderstood some information. Not cool.

*Bangs head against computer desk.*

After explaining my imaginary “rights” to the assistant manager, he still didn't care about my claims. Still polite and respectful, I turned to leave. I guess he wanted to make this situation bigger, so he called the manager on his little radio thing.

"I have two solicitors..."

Wow. I felt like such a dirty criminal. Harmless little me? A solicitor? Why not say, "Sir, I have two customers..."

Oh, did I mention dad was with me? Yeah, he's the other "solicitor." I love my fellow "solicitor."

So the manager appeared. A big man. Well, big compared to me. Scary, right? Well, I wasn't too freaked out when we started talking. I'm an American citizen!! I have my rights! Why tremble? This man wouldn't listen either. His excuse was this: If he allowed us to hand out our literature, he must allow anyone else to do the same. (And it wasn't like I was handing them out left and right non-stop!) Again, I clung to my imaginary “rights.”

Oops. Again.

*Bangs head against desk for the second time.*

Seeing he wouldn't change his mind, I was left with no choice but to stop.

What did I learn through this experience?

1. Be 100 plus % sure of what your rights are before you fight for them.

2. I don't think getting in trouble because you were furthering the Gospel is listed as a sin anywhere in the Bible. :) Don't beat yourself up if you're like me. (I hope you're smarter than me.)

3. Because Walmart is private property, they have the right to tell me what I can and cannot do on their property. A professional told me that I must ask permission from Walmart to hand out tracts in the store or parking lot - and even to leave tracts on windshields. If they ask me to stop handing out tracts, I must obey them.

4. I can wear t-shirts and buttons with a Christian message on them while in a private business. I am also allowed to have conversations with a person (where conversations normally take place) and hand them a tract if they're interested. If Walmart asks me to stop witnessing, I am left with no choice but to move onto another store if I want to witness verbally.

I hope my readers aren't too disappointed in finding that I was a solicitor. (Oh, what a horrible crime I committed.) I'm thinking about starting a support group to help horrible people like me. Donations of anything sweet and delicious are more than welcome.

-----

Christian with legal questions? Contact: http://www.christianlaw.org/

¡Feliz navidad!

2008-12-25T16:06:00.003-05:00

Today is probably the most materialistic day of the year.

It is my hope that we will never forget why the King of kings humbled Himself and came down to earth. He had every right to not come down here.

Jesus came down to reconcile our relationship with God.

We broke God's law; therefore, we deserve His full fury.

But because God is loving, He sent down His only Son to pay our fine - that whosoever believes in Him, would not perish but have everlasting life.

Isaiah says, "it pleased the LORD to bruise him..." and "...he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

That is the love of God. God's love isn't that He'll overlook sin - He doesn't, because He's just.

God's love isn't that He'll give money and sports cars to those who seek Him - He never promised that.

God's love isn't that life will be a piece of cake - He didn't promise that either.

God's love is demonstrated through the cross. He sent Jesus down here, to redeem mankind from the curse of sin.

With those thoughts in mind...

During the summer, I met a lovely sister who is on fire for the Lord! Guess what she did yesterday? She spent Christmas Eve witnessing in NY! How awesome is that? I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas Eve than to go out witnessing.

Enjoy the video!

Que Dios le bendiga!

- Michelle

John Piper and the prosperity Gospel.

2008-12-21T00:17:00.007-05:00

In this short (very short - so you busy people can watch it) video, John Piper exposes the prosperity gospel for what it really is - no gospel at all.
This is great!

Jesus didn't say "your best life now" would come to those who lived contrary to the world and followed Him.

This is what He said would come:

John 16:32-33 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Amidst tribulation, the Christian has true joy and peace in knowing that Jesus Christ is their victorious King and He has rescued them from what they deserve - the wrath of a holy and just God.

“Anti what?”

2008-12-19T12:53:00.005-05:00

Antinomianism.

Although that's one big word, it comes with a thought-provoking definition.

an·ti·no·mi·an·ism (ān'tĭ-nō'mē-ə-nĭz'əm)
n.
1.Theology The doctrine or belief that the Gospel frees Christians from required obedience to any law, whether scriptural, civil, or moral, and that salvation is attained solely through faith and the gift of divine grace.
2.The belief that moral laws are relative in meaning and application as opposed to fixed or universal.

-dictionary.com

Antinomianism is another tool the Devil is using to deceive people. There are people who have “asked Jesus into their heart” and now live lawlessly. But because of antinomianism, they think they're still heavenbound. Antinomianism simply says “Claiming the name of Jesus and remaining the same is ok.” This doctrine goes hand in hand with “do what thou wilt” - a Satanic philosophy.

The Bible is crystal clear, I don't see how this is a topic of debate. You can't be saved and live lawlessly at the same time.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

...turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness...

Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [license to sin], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Does some mere professor sneeringly enquire, “What, are we always to live to God’s glory, and are we to do nothing but what would glorify him? This is laying down very straight rules, and making the road to heaven very narrow indeed.” Do you think so, friend? Then I will tell you plainly my solemn suspicion about you,—I am persuaded that you do not know the Lord, for if you did, the way of holiness would be your delight, and you would not ask for licence to sin. I can understand your sinning, but I cannot understand your finding pleasure in it if you are a real Christian.

- C.H. Spurgeon

No, I'm not saying good works will get you to heaven. Ephesians 2:8,9 is clear. But let's not forget about James 2. Works are the results of true faith.

Foolishness.

2008-12-12T23:30:00.007-05:00

1 Cor. 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

We can find an example of the truth of this Scripture in Ted Turner. (Founder of CNN - the Communist - er, I mean the Cable News Network.)

"So, I began to lose my faith. And the more I lost it, the better I felt. I mean, it starts out with this notion that we're all horrible. We're all born with sin and we're so bad that this wonderful person... and I'm sure Christ was a wonderful person. If he was here today, the way his stuff has been twisted around, he'd probably be sick at his stomach to see it... But at any rate, he had to come down here and suffer and die on the cross so that with his blood our sins would be washed away. Weird man, I'm telling you."

-Turner, Ted, "Humanism's Fighting Chance," The Humanist, vol. 51 (January/February 1991), pp. 13.

Because the cross is foolishness to the perishing, we must bring in the law so as to bring understanding to the sinner. How will they truly understand what sin is, except through the law?

Galatians 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

The law gives us understanding. After the sinner understands, they will see that, without Jesus Christ taking our place, we are doomed.

The Reality of Hell: Part two of two

2008-12-10T21:30:00.001-05:00

Click here for part one of two.

Who goes to hell?

Bad people go to hell. Good people don't go to hell. But don't give a sigh of relief just yet!

Do you think you're a good person?

When a person sins, they break God's law; for sin is transgression of God's law (1 Jn. 3:4). The Apostle Paul did not know what sin was but by the law (Rom. 7:7).

If you've lied, you are a liar. If you've stolen something, you're a thief. If you even look with lust at someone, you're an adulterer at heart (Mat 5:27,28).

If you break only one commandment, it's the same as breaking every single one.(James 2:10)

We are all guilty of breaking God's perfect law. (Rom. 3:12) Because you are guilty of breaking His law, He cannot let you into heaven. (1 Cor. 6:9-10, Rev. 21:8) Eternal torment is the lawbreaker's destination.

1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

If God is so loving, why would He send people to hell?

God is a perfect and holy judge. He is good. Because God is good, He must punish sin.

Let's just say, God forbid, that a man brutally murdered a little girl (imagine if it were a family member) and left her body in a ditch. The criminal is caught and is now before the judge. The judge says, “The evidence is undeniable. You are a murderer and a rapist, but because I'm loving, I will let you go free.”

Such a judge would be unjust to let such a wicked deed go unpunished! God is a just judge. Not only does He see the deeds done in light, but those done in darkness also. God is so just, that He will not only punish murdering rapists, but also liars, thieves, and adulterers.

God didn't even spare the angels that rebelled. You think He's gonna cut some slack for humans who are lower than the angels (Heb. 2:7)?

2 Peter 2:4-10 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

How to avoid hell.

The Lord is not “willing that any should perish.” (2 Peter 3:9) Jesus even said that it was better to remove your eye or hand than to be cast into hell (Mt 5:29-30)

But how do you not go to hell? Our only hope is in Jesus.

Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Jesus has the keys of hell and of death! He has conquered the grave! The only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ (Jn 14:6).

God is good and loving in that He made a way for us to be saved. John 3:16-18 explains it quite well.

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

We must turn from our sins (repent) and turn to Jesus. We must put our faith in Him to be saved from the wrath of a just and Holy God.

If you're not saved... please, run to the Savior. What if this is your last minute?

For those who are saved, I hope the reality of hell encourages us to become bolder in the proclamation of the Gospel. If hell is real and horrible, every Christian should share their faith.

If you're unsure about your salvation... it is wise to examine yourself. (2 Cor 13:5) What if your wrong? What if you're pretending? Do as Philippians 2:12 says and “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

If you don't believe hell exists...and your belief is true, you have nothing to lose; however, if you're wrong, you have everything to lose.

Don't be wrong. Examine the evidence.

The Reality of Hell: Part one of two

2008-12-09T21:00:00.004-05:00

“There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than the doctrine of hell, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of scripture and, especially, of our Lord's own words; it has always been held by the Christian Church, and it has the support of reason.”
-C. S. Lewis

There are all sorts of beliefs regarding the place of torment which the Bible calls hell. Some believe hell is a horrible place to be in, while others believe it's one big party. There is also the belief that hell is just a metaphor – a place where you cease to consciously exist. Oh, and let's not forget there's also the belief that there's no such thing as hell. As you can see, there are many different beliefs surrounding the controversial topic of hell.

It's like a huge buffet – you could pick whatever belief suits you best! Ah, but that wouldn't be right. Why? Because picking the wrong one could end up being the worst choice you have ever made. And then, if you pick the right belief regarding hell, how does that help you in the afterlife?

Along with those different beliefs, comes the most asked question concerning hell.

“If God is so loving, why would He send people to hell? Wouldn't He just let me into heaven – regardless of my beliefs and what I have done?”

Before we answer the above, we must uncover the truth as to whether hell is in fact real or not. And if hell is real, what is it? Is it a place where you cease to be conscious? Is it a place of eternal torment? Is it a big party?

Myth or fact?

If hell is a myth, then we have absolutely nothing to worry about. But if it's real... we must find out what it is and what type of people go there.

Here at How Can I Be Silent, we believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. It is perfect – without mistakes. We can rely on this precious Book.

Well, how do you know that?

Since the answer to that question will take time away from our current topic of interest (hell), I encourage you to click here and read the well-written articles or listen to the audios available for free.

If hell does not exist, then Jesus is a liar. Jesus cannot lie. (Titus 1:2). Jesus is truth. (John 14:6)

If we consult Strong's Concordance, we will learn the following about the word 'hell'...

Throughout the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for hell is “sheol.” Which means “hades or the world of the dead.”

In the New Testament, we find several Greek words for hell:

“Geenna,” which is “used as a name for the place of everlasting punishment.”

“Hades,” which means “place of departed souls.”

“Tartaroo” is from the word “tartaros” and means “to incarcerate in eternal torment.”

The Bible is clear in English just as it is in Greek and Hebrew. Hell is a place of perpetual punishment – a place where bad people go.

What's hell like? Well, it's definitely not a big party.

Jesus described hell as a place where “their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:43-44)

People in hell are in agony – and they will have no relief.

In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus shares a story about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus.

“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he [the rich man] said, I pray thee therefore, father [Abraham], that thou wouldest send him [Lazarus] to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

We can learn several things about our topic of interest in this passage.

- Those who are in hell, are in torment. Being in torment is being in extreme pain.

- Those who are in hell have their senses. They will feel. The rich man begged for just a drop of water to quench his thirst.

- Those who are in hell are burning. Imagine burning forever and ever and ever and ever and ever... no relief.

- Those who are in hell have the constant reminder of their foolish decision to choose hell – there is a gulf separating them from those who have chosen everlasting life. The rich man saw Lazarus and Abraham, but he could not reach them.

- Those who are in hell do not want their family to go there, because it is so horrible. The rich man begged that Lazarus would be sent to warn his brethren. But Abraham knew that people are without excuse. (Rom. 1:20, Rom. 2:15)

Hell is not a cool place to be in. Literally.

Stay tuned for part two...

This makes me joyful.

2008-11-25T10:17:00.005-05:00

...God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ...
- Apostle Paul

Enjoy these embedded YouTube videos - it is my hope that they will inspire and motivate you to share the Gospel. I'm really pumped!

Tiffany preaching the Gospel after a guest speaker from FIRE spoke at Montclair State University:

Luke preaching the Gospel in a talent show at his university:

Hector preaching the Gospel in the smoking section at LaGuardia Community College:

Y en español, aqui encuentras Oscar compartiendo su fe en Costa Rica:

Let's not waste our lives gratifying our flesh. Let's be faithful and share the Gospel!

No, I have not read Twilight.

2008-11-20T18:49:00.009-05:00

Nor do I plan to read or view Twilight.

For those of you who have absolutely no clue as to what I'm talking about, here's the skinny:

Twilight is a Romantic novel about two teenagers: a human girl named Bella and a very handsome vampire guy named Edward. These two characters find themselves attracted to each other, but there's a problem. Edward has a secret. Edward is a vampire. Vampires want blood.

In her own words, here's what inspired author Stephenie Meyer to write Twighlight:

I woke up (on that June 2nd) from a very vivid dream. In my dream, two people were having an intense conversation in a meadow in the woods. One of these people was just your average girl. The other person was fantastically beautiful, sparkly, and a vampire. They were discussing the difficulties inherent in the facts that A) they were falling in love with each other while B) the vampire was particularly attracted to the scent of her blood, and was having a difficult time restraining himself from killing her immediately. For what is essentially a transcript of my dream, please see Chapter 13 ("Confessions") of the book.¹

Dramatic. Suspenseful. Romantic. Entertaining. Right? Sure. But that doesn't mean we should read/watch it.

On November 21st, 2008 (in one day and a few hours), the movie Twilight will be released in theaters. Thousands and thousands of people have been waiting and counting the days for that film to come out. (Imagine if we put that much thought into our Savior and His second coming!)

Why say no to Twilight?

1.Vampirism:
There is no such thing as vampirism, you may think. Ah, but that is not true. That's like saying there is no such thing as a witch. Bill Schnoebelen, who is now a servant of the Lord, was a vampire. You can read his testimony in the book Lucifer Dethroned. Schnoebelen was involved in Wicca, Mormonism, Satanism, and Masonry. As a vampire, he dealt with an intense lust for blood. Sometimes, he'd even sleep in a coffin!

God hates sin. Why wittingly promote something God hates?

Deuteronomy 18:10-13 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

2.Mormonism:
Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, is a Mormon. Mormonism, contrary to the beliefs of popular preacher Joel Osteen, is a false religion. It's blasphemous. It's unbiblical.

On her official web site, Meyer mentioned that she is a graduate of Brigham Young University.² The following is from BYU's mission statement:

“The mission of Brigham Young University--founded, supported, and guided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--is to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life. That assistance should provide a period of intensive learning in a stimulating setting where a commitment to excellence is expected and the full realization of human potential is pursued.”³

In an interview with Amazon.com, Meyer was asked what book had the most significant impact on her life. Her answer? The Book of Mormon.⁴

Before you tell me that Mormons are going to heaven, please read the articles at this link and then write me if you still have doubts. (For a good article in Spanish, click here.)

3.The value of a soul.
I don't usually like promoting Focus on the Family's PluggedIn resource (or the whole ministry for that matter)... just because I believe their reviews are mostly lame. This is my reaction at the end of each one: Oh wow! God's named was misused only a few times? There were only a few scenes of one person dressed really immodestly? Only some crude language? Other than those wicked things, it's a great film to enjoy? Awesome! I can't wait to see that movie. (Sarcasm.)
But, I must admit, whoever wrote the book review on Twilight actually amazed me – compared to what I normally find on the site.

I encourage you to check out the review - but here's one quote:

“Consumed as she is with young love and the unblinking conviction that as a human she's nothing more than an awkward ugly duckling, she not only refuses to let anything or anyone stand between her and Edward, but also her self-determined destiny of vampiric perfection and immortality. Not her family. Not her friends. Not her life. Not even her soul—when Edward attempts to convince her that becoming a vampire will doom her to eternity without hope of salvation. "Compared to the fear that he didn't want me, this hurdle—my soul—seemed almost insignificant," she thinks. And then, a few pages later she says to Edward, "So let's both just be hopeful, all right? Not that it matters. If you stay, I don't need heaven."⁵

[Added emphasis.]

That is a lie from the Devil! Being a vampire isn't a good thing. Souls are valuable! If our souls aren't valuable, then Jesus died in vain.

In the review of the film, PluggedIn mentions the following:

“"Oh my g-d" is interjected a handful of times.”

Isn't that alone enough reason to not see such a film? Blasphemy is taking the name of the Lord God Almighty – the one who gave you your very breath – and bringing it down to a filthy curse word. If that realization doesn't just grieve you, I'm not sure what to say except... examine yourself. (I say that lovingly – with concern. If you're saved, you're saved – nothing I say can unsave you.)

4.Love not the world.
I saw the trailer. It looks like it'll make a fun movie to go watch. Besides, everyone else is raving about it. Why not join in the fun? No. Look at the Scriptures; please, love truth more. Forget about the odd looks you'll get from friends if you choose to abstain from popular things that go against Scripture. Don't give into the pressure you'll receive from friends. (Believe me, I've received lots of it – it's not fun!) If they put pressure on you, explain to your friends why you cannot support things like Twilight. If your friends are really good friends, they'll respect your choice. Maybe they'll even want to politely reason with you – be respectful and direct. In those types of situations, the truth has come out as to who my real friends are.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Conclusion:

I would never read a romantic novel about a girl and a.... beautiful lesbian. Why would I read a novel about a girl and a... handsome vampire? What's the difference? They're both bad. Not good.

Pastor Joe Schimmel hit the nail right on the head when he said the following (KEEP IN MIND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HARRY POTTER):

----------------------------

Now it's interesting because there's justifications being made you know, by certain leaders in the evangelical or the professing Christian church. In fact - sadly, very sadly - Christianity Today said this:

"We think you should read the Harry Potter books to our kids. The literary witchcraft of the series has almost no resemblance to the 'I am god' mumbo-jumbo of Wiccan circles."

"Author, Rowling has created a world with real good and evil..."

....I rewrote what Christianity Today wrote... ...I just changed sorcery, you know, to sexual deviancy. And let's just read it if it was promoting sexual deviancy. What would it say?

"We think you should read the Harry Potter books to our kids. The literary pedophilia of the series has almost no resemblance to the crazed group NAMBLA (North American Man Boy Love Association)."

OK, now what's wrong with that?...

...

Chuck Colson. He endorsed the series and said:

"It may relieve parents to know that the magic in these books is purely mechanical, as opposed to occultic -- that is, Harry and his friends cast spells, read crystal balls and turn themselves into animals. But they don't make contact with a supernatural world." -- Chuck Colson

By the way, that's totally bogus. OK, you read the Harry Potter Series - which I don't encourage you to do - but they constantly are in contact with the supernatural world, spirits, and so forth. The movies portray that as well.

... I rewrote that one a little bit as though he's talking about sex - sexual perversions instead of occultic perversions. And I read...

"It may relieve parents to know that the bestiality in these books is purely mechanical as opposed to supernatural -- that is, Harry and his friends rape women, molest children, have incestuous relationships, and have sexual relations with animal... but they don't make contact with a supernatural world. It's not a kind of real life sexual perversity the Bible condemns."

----------------------------

How does the above apply to this post? Well, I'm sure there are many comments from Christians concerning Twilight similar to the one's for Harry Potter. So just replace Harry Potter with Twilight.

Final thought: Does Twilight promote evil? Or good?

¹ http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight.html
² http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/bio.html
³ http://unicomm.byu.edu/president/missionstatement.aspx
⁴ http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Book-1-Stephenie-Meyer/dp/0316160172
⁵ http://www.pluggedinonline.com/read/read/a0004206.cfm

Note: Quote from Pastor Joe Schimmel taken from “THE OCCULT AGENDA: PART ONE HARRRY POTTER: A SPIRIT CONSPIRACY”

Ready to give an answer?

2008-11-17T22:26:00.006-05:00

What is apologetics?

The word “apologetics” comes from the Greek word “apologia” which means “to give defense or reason.” To know apologetics is to be ready to give a defense of the Gospel to the many questions and objections out there. You have probably come across many questions like:

“What evidence do you have for the existence of God?”
“If God is so loving, why is there so much suffering in the world?”
“What's the difference between Catholicism and Christianity?”
“What about people who have never heard of Jesus? Are you saying that they're going to hell?!”

Do you have answers?

Let's look at how people in the Bible dealt with skeptics...

Introducing the most famous skeptic in the New Testament... (drum roll please) .... doubting Thomas. We can read about him in John chapter 20.

John 20:24-31 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Thomas had doubts: “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Jesus didn't condemn him for doubting; instead, he gave evidence: “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”

Thomas could not deny the evidence, all he could say was: My Lord and my God.

Something interesting to note is that this man who was once a skeptic, died for preaching the Gospel in India.

Another example of a doubter is John the Baptist.

Matthew 11:2-6 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

John had doubts: Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

Jesus gave evidence (Jesus fulfilled OT prophecy): Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

The Apostle Paul dealt with skeptics. Acts 19:8 says, And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Are you going to have the answer to every single question out there? Of course not. There is so much information out there. Even the smartest person in the world knows only a small fraction of everything there is to know. But just think, how much time do most people spend on studying to be ready to give an answer? Do you spend more time playing video games or working to be the best musician than you do studying to be ready to give an answer? Where is your heart at? What is important to you? (No, I'm not saying it's bad to play music or play video games... it's just like money. Is money evil? No. But when it blocks everything else out – when it becomes an idol, it becomes evil.)

I must also bring up that if you do study apologetics, don't forget the Gospel! Apologetics does not save a man; but by having answers, you will help pull down barriers of questions.

The other day, I was telling a dear brother in the Lord how I was relieved that I was not able to speak to the Jehovah's Witness who left some literature at my house last week. Why? Because I wanted to study their beliefs first. Well, he helped me realize how foolish that statement was. Stick to Biblical evangelism! Jesus used it. The apostles used it. Why make an exception? (Seriously, what was I thinking?)

Not having all the answers is not an excuse to neglect preaching the Gospel. Really folks. God's given us all a conscience (Rom 2:15). Man is without excuse (Rom 1:20). Just be faithful and preach!

I want to leave you with an important thought before I end this post. Our goal is not to win arguments. Our goal is to win souls! Also, do not become prideful because you have “more knowledge” than others.

Colossians 4:5-6 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

2 Timothy 2:24-26 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Be compassionate and bold!

In closing, as apologist Charlie Campbell said, apologetics will fortify your faith, equip you, and will hopefully challenge others.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Philippians 1:7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

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For more on apologetics: Visit www.alwaysbeready.com

Filled with the Holy Spirit?

2008-11-05T16:37:00.004-05:00

"After Jesus returned to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers, just as He said He would. God kept His promise to rescue humanity from death—Pentecost was the giving of the life of the Spirit to humanity. The Messiah had suffered and died, and His body was placed in the grave. Three days later, in the deathly coldness of the darkened tomb, a faint sound was heard. It was the sound of a human heartbeat within the frigid and lifeless corpse of Jesus of Nazareth. That one tiny sound brought with it implications that resounded in thunder throughout the universe. The Father had accepted the Son’s sacrifice. Death had lost its sting! Jesus Christ burst from the grave holding the keys to death and hell. All that was necessary now was for the disciples to take the message of eternal life to those who were sitting in the shadow of death.

However, there was a problem. The chosen disciples were frozen with fear. Despite three years of intense training, they ran in the face of danger.

They had been given the keys of the kingdom, but they hid behind locked doors. They needed power from on high.

When the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost (see Acts 2), the immediate result was that the fearful disciples became fearless. They were empowered to be witnesses. They didn’t remain inside and have a time of worship. Nor did they stay for a time of fellowship, or carpet the room and invite the world in. They went out. The gas was in the tank, the spark had ignited the flame, the power was there, so they put their foot down and headed in the direction of the unsaved. In James 3:6 we are told that the tongue is set on fire by hell. At Pentecost, God gave man a new tongue —set on fire by heaven.

It is evident in contemporary Christendom that many who profess to have the power of the Holy Spirit have not had the same experience as the disciples. They shake and quiver, rattle and roll...but they are still hiding inside. As Bill Bright found, only two percent of believers in America regularly share their faith in Christ with others. How could anyone who claims to possess the power to witness not be a witness of Christ?

If you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit living in you, but are you filled with the Spirit? Are you filled to overflowing? Are you like the fearful disciples before Pentecost, or are you like the faith-filled disciples after that day? Are you warning sinners about the wrath that is to come, which is the only thing that will matter on Judgment Day? Evangelistic zeal is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. If fear is prevalent when it comes to sharing your faith, then perhaps you need to be filled with the Spirit, something you and I are commanded to be (see Ephesians 5:18).

How do you do that? In order to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit, you must be emptied of self. It’s said that we don’t need more of the Holy Spirit, but He needs more of us. Get on your knees in a quiet place and invite the Spirit to reveal any hidden sins to you. Confess all known sin and submit your entire being—your mind, emotions, and will—to God. Give Him complete control of your daily life. Seek His face, until you are so filled with the Holy Spirit that your love for Jesus will overflow to others as you go out into the world with the gospel of salvation."

- Excerpted from the School of Biblical Evangelism: Lesson 27 The Empowering of the Holy Spirit

The elections.

2008-11-05T00:57:00.005-05:00

So many thoughts and emotions come when I think of what has transpired in America today.

I love my country; I love my people.

I shudder to think of what may possibly happen in the next few years.

But as Bill Dyer said in his post,

"Congratulations to you, Sen. Barack Obama, junior senator from Illinois, on becoming the President-elect of the United States of America."

Americans, let's hope for the best. Let's pray for our leaders. Let's be bolder than ever in proclaiming the Gospel (I'm speaking to myself as well). America is in desperate need of a Savior - no matter who was elected for President.

I am comforted in knowing that although the new leader of my country is against many things that are dear to God... JESUS CHRIST IS KING! THE BATTLE IS ALREADY WON!

In closing, let us remember Psalm 2:

Psalms 2

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

God will win.

We know what the outcome will be. Let's be faithful.

-Michelle

The Occult in our culture.

2008-10-30T22:11:00.009-04:00

The dark side of Halloween. (Is there even a “light” side???)

Fingerprints.

Halloween is, to be bluntly put, smeared with the devil's fingerprints.

Gasp!

Wait, hear me out! Don't leave!

Let's be reasonable and use logic here. Why, we don't even need to look at the holiday's history to see that it goes against everything the Bible stands for; we can use the gift of sight that God has given us. Does Halloween match up with “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”? (Philippians 4:8) Of course, there are some stubborn people out there who would say, YES! WWJD? JESUS WOULD CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN!

Before we go on, I want you to remember that October 31st is the day the Lord has made! I am not telling you to hide in your house tomorrow. God made October 31st; God made everyday. Don't let Satan get glory, use Halloween to glorify God – share the Gospel. It's not everyday you get lots of lost people knocking on your doors. :)

History.

About two thousand years ago*, in a land far far away (now Ireland), the Celtics celebrated a festival called “Samhain.” The Celtics believed that the spirits of the dead roamed around the earth to cause mischief at that time. They would try to appease these spirits with offerings of food and drink. (Hmm. Trick or treat?) Forgetting that Jehovah God is the Lord of the harvest, they “built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.” They were involved in divination, idolatry, human and animal sacrifices, performing rituals for their false gods... things that are an abomination to a HOLY God! Oh, and did I mention they would wear costumes during the festivities? Come on children, let's celebrate Samhain (pronounced sow-in) – er, I mean Halloween!¹

It's pagan! The Celtic people practiced a religion called Druidism.

“This religion included belief in the immortality of the soul, which at death was believed to pass into the body of a newborn child. According to Julius Caesar, drawing on a biased account of the cult written by Posidonius, a Stoic philosopher and historian, the Druids believed that they were descended from a supreme being...” “The Druids were well versed in astrology, magic, and the mysterious powers of plants and animals...”²

“The Druids taught the existence of one god, to whom they gave a name 'Be' al,' which Celtic antiquaries tell us means 'the life of everything,' or 'the source of all beings,' and which seems to have affinity ['affinity' means 'relation'] with the Phœnician Baal. What renders this affinity more striking is that the Druids as well as the Phœnicians identified this, their supreme deity, with the Sun. Fire was regarded as a symbol of the divinity. The Latin writers assert that the Druids also worshipped numerous inferior gods.”³

You've probably heard of the Phœnician people before – under another name – the Canaanites. These people are in Bible history! What does the Bible have to say about the people of Canaan?

Leviticus 18:3 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

Zephaniah 2:5 Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

Why would the Lord not want Israel to follow in the footsteps of Canaan? Why would the Lord destroy the Canaanites?

Again, we find our answer in the Scriptures.

Deuteronomy 20:17-18 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee: That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

Ezra 9:1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

Psalms 106:34-40 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.

The acts of these Canaanite people are abominable [repugnant] in the eyes of a Holy God! Why should we imitate their practices?

Another question of interest that we should ask ourselves is this: Who is this deity named 'Baal' whom the people of Canaan worshiped?

In Webster's 1828 Dictionary, we find “baal” defined as the following:

“An idol among the ancient Chaldeans and Syrians, representing the sun. The word signifies also lord, or commander; and the character of the idol was varied by different nations, at different times. Thus Baal Berith is supposed to signify the Lord of the Covenant; Baal Peor, or rather Baal Phegor, the Lord of the dead. Ps. cvi, Baal Zebub, the god of flies, &c.”

The Lord of the dead? Folks, I think we all know who that is! The devil himself!

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Satan is the god of this decaying world.

Filter, filter, filter – through God's Word!

Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Throughout the Bible, death is a horrible thing. It's nothing we should celebrate or promote. The reason we have death is because of sin. We have sin because of man.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If death wasn't such a big deal, then Jesus Christ died in vain.

Conclusion: Truth or Feeling

The more I study Halloween, the more I am horrified to realize that the people who promote Christianity say nothing of this diabolical festivity. It's diabolical. The same goes for books such as the Harry Potter series and Twilight... diabolical. I've come the realization that I must say something about this wicked thing.

In the Old Testament, we read about King Manasseh and what he did to make the Lord angry.

2 Chronicles 33:2-9 But [King Manasseh] did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses. So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

Ouch! Manasseh did “much evil in the sight of the LORD.” Which means, God takes things like idolatry, witchcraft, wizards, talking with the dead, and magic seriously. God hates evil!

If you continue to read the rest of chapter 33, you will find this:

The Lord warned Manasseh. (vs. 10)
Manasseh would not listen. (vs. 10)
The Lord punished Manasseh. (vs. 11)
Manasseh humbled⁵ himself before the Lord and repented.⁷ (vs. 12-16)

Must we wait till God brings us down to our knees as Manasseh was? That sounds a little painful! God takes sin seriously.

Why are the church leaders being silent on this issue? I've only heard one preacher (when I was there in person; I've heard several over the Internet) speak ill of, for example, the Harry Potter books. Want to know what's really sick? Christianity Today (a popular 'Christian' magazine) promotes the Harry Potter books.⁷

In the end, what “Michelle did or didn't do” does not justify anything. Again, filter, filter, filter everything through the Scriptures and only hold onto the good stuff. Don't go off of your feelings, don't go off of my writings. The Bereans filtered the apostle Paul's words - someone who I would never think to question - through the Scriptures.

I rest my case. Thanks for making it this far. I love you guys!

*We could go even farther than 2,000 years ago... we could go back to the garden when the serpent said, “Yea, hath God said.” But for the sake of time, the writer has chosen to go back to the Celtics.

Sources used in this post:

The Holy Bible: Authorized Version (KJV)

¹ http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=713&display_order=1&mini_id=1076

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572079/Halloween.html

http://encarta.msn.com/sidebar_762512416/From_Bulfinch%27s_Mythology_Druids.html , http://phoenicia.org/pagan.html

² http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761554223/Druidism.html

³ http://encarta.msn.com/sidebar_762512416/From_Bulfinch%27s_Mythology_Druids.html

⁴ http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/search/word,compromise

⁵ James 4:6 ...God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

⁶ 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

⁷ http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2000/january10/29.37.html

Mankind Deserves Nothing But Judgment

2008-10-22T23:48:00.003-04:00

“What? How could you say that?”

We have sinned – broken God's perfect law, the Ten Commandments.

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

The law makes sin exceedingly sinful, therefore making judgment reasonable.

Romans 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

“Michelle, it's not like everyone has murdered someone!”

Commandment #9: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” Ever lied? Someone who robs a bank once, is a bank robber. If you've lied, you're a liar.

Commandment #6: “Thou shalt not kill.” 1 John 3:15 says “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” If you have done that, then you are a murderer.

Commandment #8: “Thou shalt not steal.” Value of the item is irrelevant. If I were to take 50 cents out of your pocket, I would be a thief. You wouldn't appreciate that. Cheating on a test is stealing the answers. Burning a CD or DVD illegally is stealing someone else's hard work. If you've stolen, you are a thief.

Commandment #9: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Just looking with lustful thoughts at someone is the same us committing adultery! Ever done that?

I won't attempt to go through the rest of the commandments, but just think... we have six more cannons pointing right at us!

Because we are all law breakers - yes, all of us, just read Rom. 3:23 – we deserve Judgment. What are the consequences of sin? Hell. A place the sinner will spend eternity (forever) in – a place where there is torment day and night. There will be no relief. Zero. You can read about it in the story of the rich man and Lazarus located in Luke 16.

Here and now is where we must decide as to to whether we want to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season or suffer affliction with the people of God for a vapor of time. (Heb. 11:25)

And no, I'm not being judgmental! This is GOD who said this through His WORD. I'm just being a messenger. I say these things because I LOVE GOD and because I LOVE my neighbor as myself. (The two greatest commandments. Matthew 22:37-40) As a Christian, I am supposed to blow the trumpet and warn people. (Ezekiel 33)

The law leaves us guilty and without excuse (Rom. 3:18.) We have nothing left to do but flee to cross!

God's judgment is reasonable. He is angry with sinners.

I encourage you to read Jonathan Edwards' sermon titled “Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God.”

To read it in English, click here.

To read it in Spanish, click here.