My testimony to God's awesome power

I want to preface what I will tell you by saying that I'm not anyone special or extraordinary. All the amazing things I am about to tell you happened TO me, not because of me. The "before Christ" me is typical of alot of folks you have probably met. I like to ride. I ran with a rough crowd. I did the whole drugs/loose women/wildman lifestyle. I always worked hard, and believed that whatever happened in my life was 100% the result of what I did, and nothing/no one else. I thought I was the one in control. Things seemed to be going well for me, for a while. I had met a wonderful woman, and even though she was a christian, she didn't beat me over the head with it. I had 2 back to back vacations that were a dream for me. One was 9 days at a bike rally for a club I rode with, riding the blue ridge and partying all night and day. The other was 8 days with the woman I mentioned above. I had a decent apartment, nicely set up garage, bike was paid for, a nice hot rod in the drive way, and was workin my dream job. I didn't think I needed God anymore than the man on the moon. I was the guy who used to taunt christians with those tricky bible questions that can be hard to answer sometimes. I used to say "if God is real, how come he don't do miracles like He did back in the bible days anymore?" read on for a good laugh about this... So, I notice that for some reason I begin to be tired all the time. Not sleepy, but dog tired. So tired, it was a struggle to get out of bed sometimes. I went to the doc, and they said I had a flu bug or something. They gave me some cold medicine and sent me home. After a couple weeks, it was not getting better, so I went back to see the doc. He basically told me that I would be fine any day, and that I am making too much of it. I'll be fine any day now. Well, I know I'm no sissy. So I went to another doctor because I knew something just wasn't right. This new doctor ran a whole pile of tests. Things I'd never even heard of before. He even stayed late to interpret some of the results for me. He told me that there was something wrong with my stomach and that if I have any pain that night to go to the emergency room, but otherwise, return tomorrow for more testing so he can figure out what is wrong. It seemed like I found another quack because my stomach felt fine. I was just tired all the time. Well lo and behold, that night, right after I ate dinner, I got the worst stomach pain I have ever felt. I began to vomit. I called one of my sisters and explained to her about the doc, and asked her to take me to the E.R. We got there, and they put me in an observation room to wait for a doc to look at me. Literally, the next thing I knew, I woke up and all my brothers and sisters (3 bros 4 sisters) are there, in this room and they are all red eyed and worried looking. Then the doctor came in, and they all went out except for my one sister. The doctor told me they had removed almost all of my small intestine because of a blood clot, and gangrene. I had 2 surgeries and still needed one more. I had a 60/40 shot at surviving the next 3 days, and if I could get through them, I would probably live, but not the way I had previously. There was nothing I could say - not because I was speechless, but because I had tubes and wires in more places than you can imagine and I was strapped to the bed, and really drugged up. I don't remember being awake very long, but I had the surgery I needed and survived the 3 days. (obviously) The doctor told me that I used to have about 18 ft of small intestine just like everybody else. Now I had just 14" left. There would be no more eating for me, from now on I would get my nutrition from this bag of white stuff that went into my chest through a tube. It turns out that I have a protein deficiency that gives my blood the consistency of jello, and it caused the clotting that nearly killed me. So there I was a formerly strong independant man who felt like he had the world by the tail a few days ago, now I was strapped to a bed, with my belly split in half, stitched together with this thing that looks just like a shoe string, sort of like the way a football is laced up. They said no more motorcycle, no more partying, eating, drinking, working at my job that I loved. IT'S ALL GONE!!! As i lay there in that bed, freinds were pouring into i.c.u. for the 2 weeks I was there. It was creating a scene because there were so many people. Guys from my club drove 2 hours to come and see me. I.c.u. was standing room only with freinds and family. I swear, I never knew anyone would really care if I ever died, and here were all these people who were genuinely concerned for me. One of the guys who rode with the club was a preacher. One day after everybody had left he said to me "cheez, I think that God has a plan for you or you wouldn't be here right now" I said "what would God want with me? I never did nothin for Him. I barely even believe He exists. He couldn't possibly think much of somebody like me" Pastor Jim (that was what we called him) said to me "you have 2 boys, right?" I said "yeah, what of it?" He asked me "have they ever made you mad?" I said "sure, that's what kids do, it's their job!" Then he said "do you still love them?" I replied "sure I do!" Then he asked me "then what makes you think that you have a greater capacity for love and forgiveness than Him who created you?" For the first time in my life, I didn't have an answer!!! So he said to me, I just know that if you will invite him into your heart, it will change things for you. He has a plan for you! You should find out what that is" So I thought about it, and to be honest, I thought that if I tried it, and it didnt work out, I could always go back to being me, and right now I had literally nothing to lose. So together we said the sinner's prayer. I somehow knew right away that whatever happened after this it was going to be ok somehow. I didnt know what it was then, but I know it now to be the peace of the Holy spirit. Somehow I also knew something else. That whole scenario - the illness, surgery, all the drama, was God's doing. Not a punishment, but a HUGE gift. I needed to be humbled big time, and He did that for me. I needed to be put in a place where I would realize how much I needed Him, and He did that for me. I needed to have my eyes opened because I was blind. He did this for me too! Fast forward 3 months - I'm back at my job, but in a new capacity I actually liked even more. I'm still riding. I can eat nearly anything. Oh, and one important thing I left out. When I got sick I was living in the states. (delaware) The woman I had met (she was living in canada) dropped everything when she found out what happened and didnt leave my bedside for a whole week! I tried to tell her to go find herself a "whole man" and she would have none of it. She said God gave me to her, and He gave her a word that I would be healed. I was, and then some, just like i have been telling you! Well, I spent a while mostly just wondering how I was going to begin my walk with Jesus. I had no real experience previously to this. We hired a new kid at work. He heard me talking about what had happened to me, and took it upon himself to urge me onward in my walk with God. You have to know this kid to understand why this is significant. He is very quiet and humble and non-assertive. Once he Knew I had been called, he would not let go of me! He was like a pit bull! relentless! Helping me to slough off the old me. He introduced me to a church not far from where i lived. I'm tellin you I walked in the door and I knew right away this was where God wanted me to begin. When I told the folks there who knew him (including his family and friends) they were amazed because it was so out of charachter. Funny thing is, there were a whole bunch of people there I had known way back in my past that I hadn't seen in a decade or more! Once folks saw me trying, they helped me out quite a bit. Helping me learn, helping me study, attending my baptism and cheering for me. I caught fire for jesus in a big way. So many things changed it is like a whirlwind went through my life and re-arranged everything! praise the Lord!!!!!!! \o/ So there you have it. I previously talked plenty of smack, taunting christians about God and His miracles, and He not only called my bluff but opened my eyes to many other times He had put his hand on my life. The condition I have is not without certain limitations, but if I didnt tell you about it you could know me and never know about what happened to me. Those side effects are so minimal it's hardly worth mentioning. I suppose it helps to keep me in check. To remind me, as I began this testimony. I'm no one special. just a regular Guy. But He loved me anyhow, and gave me gifts far beyond what I could ask for, and certainly contrary to what I actually deserve. And He continues today, almost 4 years later. Oh, and one last thing. Some of you might know something about the medical profession. You will then see the further proof of Gods hand that other's won't unless I mention it. The fatigue I felt had nothing to do with what was actually wrong with me. It was never explained and it hasn't come back. The clotting that destroyed my intestine happens very, very quickly. Had I not been in that doctors office on that exact day it would have killed me. No symptoms I was experiencing would indicate the problem I had. think that was a coincedence? If I had listened to my primary care doc just one more day, I WOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW! Sorry it's so long but i made it as short as i know how. :-)

A FEW GOOD MEN

Most people will recognize the title as the marine slogan. Another common saying is that a good man is hard to find. Jesus went a little further than that and said there weren’t any good men. (Mt. 19:17) For the purpose of this essay, ‘men’ includes women, but it should be noted that women in Old Testament days were not accorded the status they are given in our day. The word ’good’, for our purpose, means just one thing; that is godly. We know, of course, that there are many unsung heroes of the faith hidden away somewhere. Elijah said once, “Lord, I’m the only one left,” and the Lord said, ‘No, there are 7,000 that haven’t bowed to idols.” But, the Bible has singled out a few good men that He used to accomplish His purpose and these we extol in this article. It should be noted also, that it is impossible to be good without the Spirit of God. Going back to the beginning, God said, “Let us make man in our own image.” Up till then, only animals were on the earth and God couldn’t exactly communicate with them. So, He made Adam and Eve and told them to propagate and rule the earth. Adam was a unique being, the noblest of all the creatures God made. He had intelligence, emotions, imagination, free will, and a conscience to guide him. He could express himself to others and others could express themselves to him. Adam was the crown of God’s creation. God gave Adam wide latitude to do whatever he wanted. He just gave him one restriction as a test. Sadly the day came that Adam and Eve failed the test. The consequences were enormous. They were cast out of the garden, their spiritual connection with God was cut off, and their eternal life was forfeited. They were now flawed creatures with a strong bent toward disobedience, and all this was passed on to their children. It seemed like God’s plan was a failure, but God didn’t waver. He came up with a better plan. Instead of working with perfect creatures untested, He would now work with sinners to help them see their hopeless situation and, hopefully, make them willing to repent of their sins and choose of their own free will, to love God and serve Him, even though it would involve many conflicts, trials and temptations. God’s new purpose is well described in 2 Chron 16:9 where He says, “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” To find a few good men was a tall order. It took a while, but God is never in a hurry, and He kept looking.. Years passed by, and then He found such a man. His name was Enoch. God was so pleased to find him that He took him to heaven without waiting for him to die. What was Enoch’s secret of success? Simply that he walked with God. (Gen. 5:24) God kept on looking, but things weren’t looking good. Soon Adam’s progeny was totally corrupt. The Bible says, every thought of their heart was only evil continually. God decided to destroy them all. But just in time, God found another good man named Noah. They communed together and pretty soon God told Noah of His plan to destroy the earth, but, He would start all over again with Noah and his family. He told Noah to build a huge ark that would hold him and his family, as well as two of every kind of animals on the earth. This was a severe test for Noah. He knew everybody would ridicule him. They had never even heard of a flood, so they would call him the world’s biggest fool. Also, such a job would take many years. Actually, it took 100 years. How could Noah’s resolve last that long, and how would his family cope with it? Well, he passed the test. God was well pleased with him. The day finally came when they were to enter the ark. When the door shut, the floods came and oh, the weeping and wailing as people tried to get in. But, it was too late. For 100 years Noah had preached of judgment to come and not one person was interested. What made Noah a good man? He walked with God and he persevered against all odds. (Gen. 6:9) When the flood was over, Noah came out to a brand new world. Hopefully, after such a demonstration of God’s power, they and their children would walk with God. It wasn’t to be. Rebellion was deep in man’s heart, and soon the whole human family was as evil as it was before. But God still didn’t waver. He kept looking. Years passed, and by then, God found another good man in Babylon, named Abraham. As a test, He said to him, “Pack up and leave your homeland and go to a place I will show you.” This had to be a tough test for Abraham, but the next test was unbelievable. He was to take his son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice to God. This was a test also for Isaac. He was old enough to run away when he found out what Abraham was about to do to him, but they both submitted. Father and son went together to the altar of sacrifice. Abraham tied him up and was raising his knife to kill him when the Lord said, “Stop! Now I know that you are a good and true man.” Then Abraham saw a ram and offered it as a sacrifice to God. God was so pleased with Abraham and Isaac that He told them He would make them a nation, and from that nation would come the Lamb of God to die for the sins of the whole world. What made Abraham a good man? The Bible says when he was called, he obeyed, not knowing where he was going. He had perfect faith in God and was determined to obey, no matter what it cost. Parenthetically, his experience that Abraham had is actually a preview of what God went through when He allowed His Son to be an offering for our sins. Not too long after this, God noticed that Isaac’s son, Jacob, had a special desire for Him. Jacob had some serious flaws, but he always persevered in seeking God. He cheated his brother, Esau, twice and ran away to a far country to escape being killed. Then after many years, God told him to go back to his homeland. Jacob obeyed, but he knew it could be a death sentence. Then he found out Esau was coming after him with 400 men, and he knew it was a death sentence. Jacob began to pray. He prayed all night and the Bible describes it as wrestling with an angel. God was so pleased with Jacob that He changed his name from Jacob (deceiver) to Israel (Prince of God), and in answer to prayer, He changed Esau’s mind. What made Jacob a good man? Holding on to God (some call it praying through) until the answer came. God was so pleased with these three men: father, son, and grandson, that from then on, He wanted to be known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Ex. 3:15) God kept looking and found one more good man in this family, Joseph, son of Jacob. Joseph, also, was severely tested. His brothers hated him and plotted to kill him. Instead, they sold him to a caravan going to Egypt. In Egypt, he was thrown into prison on a trumped up charge. The rest of the story is too long to tell here, but Joseph was faithful in all his trials and God rewarded him with the greatest blessing in the Bible. Read it in Genesis 49:22. What made Joseph a good man? There’s no question that he was faithful to God in all his trials and, of course, the forgiveness of his brothers, proved he had God’s kind of heart. After Joseph’s time, the Israelites lived in Egypt for 400 years, ending up as slaves. It would be wonderful to say that God found some good men during this time, but not one is mentioned. Finally, God was ready to lead them out of their bondage, but he needed an extraordinarily good man. He found Moses, and was he put to the test! God asked him to lead two million slaves out of Egypt into a howling wilderness. It didn’t take him long to find out these people were anything but godly. They complained every step of the way, and when Moses took too long talking with God, they threw a wild party and made a golden calf to worship. Aaron, Moses’ right-hand man, was the ringleader. God was so angry, He wanted to destroy them all and start again with Moses, but Moses interceded and saved them from destruction. It was hard to see how God could ever find a good man in that bunch. Later, when they reached the promised land, they refused to go in. Moses stayed the course, under the most impossible circumstances and pleased God so much that God boasted about him, saying he was the only one He could talk with face-to-face. What made Moses a good man? The Bible specifically points out that he chose to suffer with Israel, rather than enjoy the pleasures of Egypt. (Heb. 11:25) He was called the meekest man on earth. (Num. 12:3) Somewhere it must say he was the most patient man on earth to succeed in the task that was given him. In the years Israel was in the wilderness, God found another good man named Joshua. Joshua was chosen to lead Israel into the promised land and make Israel a cohesive nation. He mightily pleased God. What made Joshua a good man? There is a clue in Exodus 33:11. Moses was leaving the presence of God, which was in the tabernacle, but Joshua, his servant, chose to stay there. This speaks of an intimate relationship with God. Years passed and Israel became a strong nation. They wanted a king. They chose a good-looking man named Saul, but he failed the first test. God told them that good looks was no indicator of being good inside. God then chose the most unlikely candidate for king; a mere lad, but it turned out that David became God’s all-time favorite man. He said he was a man after His own heart. The reason he was a good man -- love and focus. (Psalms 23 and 27:4). Under David’s rule, Israel became the most powerful and rich nation on earth. But after David, it was all downhill. His own son forsook God. There were several faithful prophets in Israel: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Elijah and Elisha, just to name a few. There were a few good kings, but not enough to save Israel from being conquered and scattered over all the earth. The time was nearing for God to send His Son into the world. He needed an outstanding prophet to be forerunner, and He found one in John the Baptist. John was fearless in condemning the established religious system. He called them a generation of snakes. (Lk. 3:7) God was well pleased with John the Baptist. Jesus actually called him the greatest of all. (Mt. 11:11) With John the Baptist, the Old Testament hall of fame was closed. In our next study, we will look at the good men of New Testament times. Meantime, walk with God, persevere, make sacrifices, pray through, have patience and stay close to God. Meditate on this and the Lord give you understanding in all things. (2 Tim. 2:7)

While you're here...

Feel free to leave comments, and encouragements that i might pass on to the author of these articles. Arthur would like to know that his efforts are bearing fruit.

O fools!

There’s the story in Luke 24 of two disciples of Jesus going home to Emmaus from Jerusalem after Jesus was crucified. A stranger joined them and asked why they were so sad. They explained that Jesus, the one they thought was the Messiah, had just been crucified. Then the stranger began to berate them saying, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe – ought not the Messiah to have suffered these things.” Then He showed them all the scriptures that told of the coming of the Messiah and how He was the Lamb that was to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Suddenly the stranger revealed Himself to be the very Jesus they were talking about, and then He disappeared. The two disciples were so excited, they said, “Didn’t our hearts burn when He was explaining the scriptures?” The thing that should give us pause in this story is the strong word, ‘fool’. These were good people He was talking to and when He explained things to them, they responded with joy, but He still called them fools with a definite hint of disgust for being so slow. The problem is, if He said that to them, what might He say to us? Do we know the scriptures and do we know what they mean? It says He went all through the Bible, showing the ones that referred to Him. Can we do that? For us today, there are many scriptures about His second coming. Do we know them and understand them? Let’s face it, if we come up short like they did, we will doubtless hear the same words they heard: O fools! -- Not a pleasant sound. For those who don’t know any of the verses that the Emmaus disciples should have known, here are a few: Genesis 3:15 - “He (Jesus) shall bruise your head (Satan). You (Satan) shall bruise His (Jesus) heel.” This refers to the crucifixion where Jesus suffered a temporary defeat (His heel), but Satan received a fatal, eternal defeat, in that he lost his control over mankind, since Jesus paid the penalty for their sins and set them free. Exodus 12:13 – “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” This is one of the most important references in the Bible, declaring that a lamb would die as a substitute for the sins of the world. Many years later, John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God.” (John 1:36) “Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) Isaiah 53 – This is the most comprehensive scripture of all in detailing the coming of Jesus into the world and His purpose. Very briefly, He would come as an ordinary person. He would be despised and rejected, oppressed and afflicted, wounded and bruised, taken from prison and from judgment (lynched), taken as a lamb to the slaughter and killed. All of this was done in spite of the fact that He did no violence and no deceit was found in His mouth. But He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, took our chastisement and our stripes that we might be healed. There was absolutely no excuse for the Jews not understanding these verses. God even specified what they should do. “When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, you will become one of His children.” We have to admit anyone that doesn’t understand this has to be a fool. It’s like a man serving a life term in prison getting a pardon and saying, “Duh, duh, what do I do with this?” The most obvious scripture everyone should know, is the 22nd Psalm. This is a graphic picture of the crucifixion. Verse 12 says, “Bulls have surrounded me.” Verse 13, “They gazed upon me.” Verse 14, “I am poured out like water (strength), my bones are out of joint.” Verse 15, “My tongue cleaves to my jaws. They pierced my hands and feet. They gamble for my coat.” Isaiah 50:6 – “I gave my back to be smitten and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” Psalm 2 – “The heathen rage, the people imagine a vain thing. The kings and rulers set themselves against the Lord and His anointed.” Zechariah 11:12 – “They weighed for my price 30 pieces of silver.” Psalm 69:21 – “They gave me gall – and vinegar.” Isaiah 53:9 – “He made his grave with criminals, and with the rich in His death.” Isaiah 61:1 – “The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.” The lesson we get from the Emmaus disciples is that we must get serious about our eternal welfare. It isn’t good enough to be a follower. It isn’t good enough, for example, to believe that Jesus is coming again. We need to “give all diligence to make our calling and election sure.” (2 Peter 1:10) We need to know that “God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) We need to know the Word, but more important than that, we need to understand it. Paul said, “I cease not to pray for you that – the eyes of your understanding being opened, that you might know the hope of His calling.” Whatever it takes to avoid being called a fool, do it! A final thought, this article is about saving yourself from shame and disgrace. There is also the concern we should have for our Lord’s interests. He paid an unbelievable price to redeem us from our enemy. He has a plan and a purpose for everyone. We are to be as His right hand in the millennium. How can we and why would we frustrate His purpose? This could be our greatest sorrow if we fail, just to know we disappointed and grieved our Lord.

Broken

"Matthew 21:44 "....whosoever shall fall on this stone shall he broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder" In this verse God gives us a dramatic, contrast between the saved and the lost. You either fall on Him and be broken or He falls on you and you will be smashed. Not a pleasant picture, but it is the only way out of a horrendous situation. To fall on Him is to realize that you nailed Jesus to the cross, that you are a sinner in the hands of an angry God, that you are hanging over the flames of hell by a thread. When you see this you will be broken into pieces. David was broken and described his experience in Psalm 51. Verse 8 says, "You have crushed me and broken me..." (Modern English) This is the only way out of our sinful condition. Psalm 34:18 "The. Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and rescues those whose spirit is crushed." Think on these things!

C.P.C.

One of America's largest corporations, in fact, the National Cash Register Company, has what they call a C. P. C. plan. C. stands for century or 100. P stands for percent. C. stands for club. So it's the 100 Percent Club. The company sets sales or production goals and the people that make them are qualified to be in the C. P. C. This is a great honor and very rewarding. One gift is a two week vacation in the most luxurious hotel in the world. Believe it or not, God has such a plan for us. In Matthew 13: 23, Jesus tells of a man planting seeds in good ground. Naturally, he hoped to get a good crop. When harvest time rolled around, he was greatly disappointed to find that most of his ground failed to produce much. Parts produced less than fifty percent. Some produced just a little over fifty percent. Just a small part produced one hundred percent. The Lord explained this parable as a preview of the Gospel Age. The message {seed} will be planted in hearts {ground}. The Lord hopes to get a good crop of the fruit of the Spirit. For awhile, everything seems fine. Christians are growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. Then apparently they get busy with other things. They neglect prayer and Bible study. Their growth is stunted. They produce less and less of the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, and so forth disappear and soon they are less than half of what the Lord desired. This scenario is unbelievable especially in light of the rewards God offers. His gifts are beyond imagination. In fact, this is what God says. " Eye hath not seen nor ear heard , neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared For them that love Him." One example is found in Revelation 3:21, "He that overcomes shall sit with me in my throne." If an earthly king said this to us we would certainly be overwhelmed, but the Lord of the Universe is saying it. Just to mention one more reward, take a look at Romans 8:29. The one hundred percenters are predestined to be brothers of Christ and to he exactly like Him. How many have prayed to be like him? One hundred percenters will have that prayer answered. Actually, the whole Bible is an exhortation for us to strive for the best. Paul is a good example. He said in Philippians 3:14, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God" Then he says in verse 17, "Be ye followers of me." Surely it is eminently worthy of our best efforts to qualify for God's C. P. C. !!!!!! (This was written in response to a friend who said he would be satisfied to just get in the door of heaven.)

Creation or big bang?

Murphy's law: If anything can go wrong, it will! If everything happened by chance, like a big bang, where was Murphy's Law, and how did everything go right for us? A million things could have gone wrong. The law of probability would say the odds of everything going right would be trillions to one. For example, the air we breathe is just the right mix. How did that happen? The same with the water, sunlight, soil, gravity, night and day, trees, animals, plants, insects and the big systems, like the oceans and water cycle, the food chain, rain forests and that's just considering the natural world. The slightest deviation in any of these and we would all be dead. Can anybody believe this happened by chance? Only the stiff-necked intelligentsia! If we consider the human body, their case only gets worse. The things that can go wrong in the body are without number. How come the bones are just the right size and length; the muscles the same; the nerves just right to go to every part, carrying messages to the brain from the senses to every other part; the blood just right for carrying food and oxygen; the heart just right for pumping; the veins, arteries and capillaries just right to reach every cell; the stomach, gall bladder and pancreas, just right to digest food; the lungs just right to pick up oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide; the glands just right for special effects; and the senses (eyes, ears, etc.), just right to pick up sight, sound, smell, taste and feeling? This is a question intelligencia refuses to even look at. I know what they're like. I've had more than one "perfesser" heap scorn on me for even mentioning the creation story. I know for a fact that God will heap scorn on them in due time for believing and promoting such nonsense. He says so in Psalm 2, "He that sits in the heavens shall laugh at them. The Lord shall have them in derision (utter contempt)." Just a cursory look at the facts of life, the exquisite design, the perfect precision, the wonder of it all, should cause them and everyone else to bow down in humble adoration. "The invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, are seen being understood by the things that are made, even His existence and power. They are without excuse and so God gave them up to vain (empty) imagination." (Romans 1:20) Life is the big conundrum. Where did it come from? They don't even want to guess. A big bang went off and presto, a living cell appeared and gradually developed into two cells, then three and kept going until there were millions of them joining together to make some simple forms of life, say worms, which then advanced to the monkey, and finally to the crown of evolution, a human being, with a brain and a soul, will power, emotions, imagination, and even a conscience. Evolutionists believe things are evolving always for the better. So, what is next for man? They don't know, but hope for some kind of a superman. Unknowingly, they are right in one sense, the true sense, the Spiritual sense! God is producing a new race of people, they will be just like His Son, Jesus, (Romans 8:29), and they will inherit the earth! The scoffers should read Psalm 2:10-12, "O you big shots, listen while there is time, fall down and worship God before His anger is aroused and you perish."

Creation

In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth and the earth was (became) without form, dark and empty. This is a description of a wreckage, the result of a cataclysm (catastrophe). The curse of God was upon the chaos. We can only speculate about what happened. We do know that Satan, or Lucifer, was one of the highest in the order of created beings and it apparently went to his head. He thought he could take over from God. (Isaiah 14:12; Ezekiel 28:12) He forgot, that as a created being, he owed his existence to God, so his scheme was doomed to failure. Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning." (Luke 10:18) However, God saw a good use for Satan and his demons. He would let him live and be a tempter to the man He was going to create. God knew Adam would fall, but He had plans for that too. Jesus, God's son, volunteered to take man's sin on Himself and pay their penalty. He was the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) God, knowing all things, knew this was the only way to produce the kind of people He wanted, not untested, but tested, tried and true, in His image and likeness. This would fulfill His purpose declared in Isaiah 45:18 that God created the earth, not in vain, but to be inhabited, not by fallen rebellious shiners, but by children of God, living in harmony, love and peace. Genesis 1:3 begins the story of the restoration of the earth. Notice again, the earth was without form, (a wreck), dark and empty, and apparently completely covered with water: 1. The Holy Spirit begins to move on the water and God says, "Let there be light." Here is a preview of our salvation. Into the wreckage that sin made of our lives, the Holy Spirit begins to move. Then God commands the light to shine, and suddenly we see the truth. Then God separates the light from the darkness. Darkness cannot comprehend the light. (John 1:5) "Into my bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus has come, bringing His freedom gladness and light. Jesus has come' to me." 2. On the second day, God restores the firmament or atmosphere of the heavens. Likewise, God restores the heavens to us. "Hereafter you shall see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of God." (John 1:51) "Our citizenship is in heaven." (Philippians 3:20) 3. On the third day God gathers the waters together and makes the dry land and plants and fruit to appear. Isaiah 57:20 says, "The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." The dry land symbolizes the people of God, rising out of the world of sin. The plants and fruit trees represent good deeds and fruit of the Spirit. God is filling the earth (and us) with good things and bringing order out of chaos. "Lord, you drove the heathen out of your land and planted your people there." (Psalm 44:1) "That my people might be called trees of righteousness, the plants of the Lord." (Isaiah 61:3) 4. On the fourth day, the Lord makes the sun, moon and stars. Jesus, symbolized by the sun, appears on earth. (Malachi 4:2, Revelation 22:16, 2 Peter 1:19) The church, symbolized by the moon, appears. (Song of Solomon 6:10, Revelation 12:1) The Christian, symbolized by the stars, begin to shine. "They shall shine as the stars forever and ever." (Daniel 12:3) 5. On the fifth day, God creates the sea and air creatures. Jesus said He would make the disciples fishers of men, changing from sea creatures (sinners) to flying creatures, (living in the heavenlies). (Ephesians 1:3) Isaiah 40:31 tells us that if we would wait on the Lord, we would mount up like eagles. In Matthew 24:28 the Christian is, again, compared to the eagle. "Where the carcass (body) is, the eagles will gather." This passage is speaking of the coming of the Lord, indicating that the eagle Christians will be aware of His coming and will gather together more than ever. Brother, sister, if you've been a Christian a long time and still haven't learned to fly, it's time you wake up. (Song of Solomon 5:2,Isaiah 50:4, Ephesians 5:14, Romans 13:11) Read, especially, Matthew 25 where the bride is sleeping. 6. On the sixth day, God creates the land animals for our sustenance and also as a type or illustration of the kind of people we are. For example, many people are completely helpless as far as doing anything for themselves. They need someone to dig out the truth from the Bible, to tell them what to do, which way to go, etc. These are the sheep. There are people crafty as the fox, lazy as the sloth, dirty as the pig, mean as the snake. Then you have people that are as busy as the bees, useful as the horse or oxen, as loyal as dogs, etc. God crowns the sixth day with the creation of man. These six creative days are a pattern for the creation of Sons of God. To recap, we were, like the world, ruined by sin. The Holy Spirit began to move in our lives. The Lord made the light shine in us. He then separated us from the world. Then He made the light to shine out from us like the stars. He made sea, air and land creatures, not only for our sustenance, but to illustrate the kinds of people we can be. We can be lambs or lions, blue birds or vultures, whales or minnows. It's our choice. The wolf in sheep's clothing chose that kind of life. But, let us never forget, it is the lamb that sits on the throne. (Revelation 22:1 & 3) The consummation of God's tremendous project is at hand - the revelation of God's sons. Romans 8:19 & 23 says the whole creation is waiting and groaning for the manifestation of the Sons of God, immortal, incorruptible, as described in 1 Corinthians 15:52 & 53. "They shall rule and reign with Christ forever." (Revelation 2:26 & 3:21) Don't miss it!!

an observation

I made a few posts that don't seem to have shown up in the blog, so I haven't posted in a while, trying to figure out what i did wrong.  So far, I still haven't figured it out.  Rather than post things twice, I decided to inflict upon you  a short nugget of my own.  I don't have any writing skill like Arthur does, so please bear with me.  Since I have moved to Toronto, I have taken up bicycling to get myself in better shape.  I try to 

ride for fitness every other day and do some more relaxed riding in between those days. A couple of months ago I had gone out for my usual ride. I got a couple miles from the house and I notice the bike felt "funny". I go another few miles and I realize that it feels funny because the handlebar clamp is coming loose. I figure I should be ok till I get back, I'm not doing anything "on the edge". I get about 1/2 way through, and they are by now pretty wobbly, and it is driving me nutz. I start looking for "serious cyclists" because I know that with their expensive bikes they are likely to carry a few tools. I see this older fellow and ask him as we pass each other on the trail, if he has any allen keys, so I can tighten my bars. He does, and I begin to tighten up. He says to me "funny thing, I just put them in my bag this morning before I left. i usually don't carry them."  I told him "that was the Lord looking out for me" I thanked him, shook his hand and went on my way. I got home, after seeing even more improvement in my ride. I related the story to Mrs. Cheez, and it occoured to me what really happened there.  Imagine, if you will, your husband/wife/best freind saying to you just before you leave the house today "take this pen with you. You're going to run into this person who needs it today. They are one of my freinds." So you are standing in line at the grocery store, or waiting for the bus, and someone says "excuse me, but do you have a pen I could borrow for a moment?" God looks out for us with little tiny things like a pen, or a tool, or what ever. He knew some stranger would pass my way, and He put what I needed in that strangers hand. what things has He done for me, or will be doing for me, on an even grander scale, that I may never even see? If He will do this small thing for me, think about luke 12:24. To me, this is an absolute example of that very scripture in my life. PTL!!!! \O/ On a related note, I recently updated to a much nicer bike by selling my motorcycle.  The comfort of a recumbent has allowed me to increase my "saddle time" and the distance traveled. Earlier this week I low-sided in a turn, I suppose from carrying too much speed.  For my foolishness, I recieved a painful reminder  to be more careful. A giant patch of road rash on my left butt-cheek.  I don't remember it being this painful when I was a kid. It occured to me that had I low sided my motorcycle when I had one,  the injury would have been far worse,more painful, and certainly more expensive.   I never used to wear any safety gear.  You can be sure if I am ever able to buy another, I will be fully protected.  This is another way that the Lord was looking out for me.  During the time i was being stupid, He protected me from myself.  Later, when the opportunity presented itself, He taught me a lesson I needed to learn in a way that I wouldn't soon forget, and yet left me relatively unharmed.  God is good !!!!!!! (i should aplogize for the appearance of this blog, i have been having alot of trouble making the text go where i want it to. hey, i never claimed to be smart)

Just a reminder that everything posted up to this point is not my own work.  it is the work of a man named Arthur who has been touched by the Holy Spirit, and i share his work with you as i would share a fine meal.  occasionally, i will post a few of my own musings, but you will know them right away, they will be of a far lesser quality.  

Church History

The history of the church began hundreds of years before its actual birthday. It began with the prophecy of Joel 2:28 and Zechariah 12:10. The Lord says, "It shall come to pass that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh and your sons and your daughters will prophecy. -"I will pour out my Spirit upon the servants and handmaids." Hundreds of years later, another prophet appeared, named John the Baptist, and announced that the promise of God was about to be fulfilled. He pointed to Jesus and said, "I baptize you in water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 3:11) This is saying, "I give you the gift of repentance, but He will give you the gift of power." Soon after Jesus began His ministry, He was speaking to the woman at the well and said, "The water I will give you will be like a well springing up unto eternal life," speaking of the Holy Spirit. (John 4) Sometime later, at the great Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus cried out saying, "Whoever believes in me, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. This spake He of the Holy Spirit." (John 7:38&39) Toward the end of His ministry, He reminded the disciples that the promised Holy Spirit would soon be given to them and they would be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:47) After the resurrection, He told them not to go away, but to wait in Jerusalem for the baptism in the Spirit. (Acts 1:5) Ten days later, on the day of Pentecost, 120 people had gathered together in the Upper Room, all in one accord, worshipping the Lord, and the promise was fulfilled. The Holy Spirit came upon each one. It was described as a mighty rushing wind that filled the room. They all began praising God in different tongues (or languages). Crowds came to see what was happening, and Peter rose up to explain what it was all about. The first thing he said was that the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them was what Joel had predicted long ago He ended his sermon with these words, "This promised gift is to you and to your children and to all who are far off." (Acts 2:41) Three thousand souls were saved at that meeting! The next day, Peter was preaching again to a large crowd and five thousand were saved. Later, at a prayer meeting, the whole building shook. (Acts 4:31) This was the kind of power Jesus was talking about in Luke 24:47. The Jewish leaders were furious about all this and threatened to kill Peter and John, but they didn't dare, because so many people were now converts. This was the beginning of the church. It was such a powerful move of God that onlookers said, "These people have turned the world upside down!" These kinds of events should be considered the normal church life. I can hear you saying, "What happened? What church is like that today?" Well, there had to be a colossal failure on the part of the new converts to grow spiritually. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3, "you are still spiritual babies." They also failed to walk in the Spirit. Paul says in Galatians 3:1, "O foolihh Galatians, you can't go back to living in the flesh after being filled with the Spirit." Then of course, there were plenty of false leaders. Peter said, "There will be false prophets among you who will make merchandise of you, doing anything to get your money." (2 Peter 26:1-3) It's hard to believe that the people would backslide after such a tremendous beginning, but that's what they did. The false leaders pulled the wool over their eyes and took over the business. How did they do it? First, they used the old stratagem, divide and conquer. They split the people into two classes, the ordinary, common people, sometimes called the laity, and the elite, or clergymen. This pretty well killed the church. Most people are lazy and when a few say they'll take care of everything, the many say. "Wonderful, we can take it easy now." Up till then, the meetings were characterized by sharing, as described in 1 Corinthians 14:26, "Everyone has a psalm, a doctrine, a tongue, an interpretation, a revelation." Paul had urged them to covet (desire) earnestly, the best gifts, especially prophecy. (1 Corinthians 12:31, 14:39) For a while, Paul was proud of them. He said in 1 Corinthians 1:5, "You come behind in no gift. You've been enriched in all utterance and in all knowledge." That was the high noon of the church. But, with the false leaders taking over, all of this ended. The wonderful promise of people being filled with the Holy Spirit came to a screeching halt. The clergy said they would take care of everything. From then on, it was, what some call easy, or cheap, grace; become a member, pay your dues, and show up once in a while. The gospel message was watered down, water baptism became water sprinkle, join a confirmation class and you're in for sure. If someone asks, "What happened to the Holy Spirit baptism?" The answer, "Oh, that happens when you join the church." Well, as anyone could foresee, the church went into a steep decline. All of this was foreknown and foretold in Revelation 2 and 3, where Jesus describes the church age. From these two chapters, it looks like the church was a failed endeavor, but if we look carefully, we will see that in every letter to these churches, Jesus ends with a challenge to individuals, "He that overcomes (or conquers) shall be rewarded." It seems clear that the Lord is not expecting an overcoming church, but overcoming individuals. It was a long time after the first century that God again began to move. The reformation in 1500 was a true move of God setting the stage for the Holy Spirit revival by restoring the cardinal doctrines of justification by faith and priesthood of all believers. It wasn't until 1900 that the church experienced a true revival. Some people started reading the Bible and saw that they were missing something. They began seeking the Lord and He graciously restored to them the promised Holy Spirit. From then till today, the Holy Spirit has been moving all over the world. Some see this as a fulfillment of Luke 14:16-24, where the people that were first invited to the supper refused to come, so the Lord said go out and invite everyone, the poor, the lame, whoever wants to come. The marriage supper of the Lamb is about to take place. Everyone is invited, but as always, most people are too busy to heed the call. They will miss the greatest event of all history. For those who want to be there, this is the promise. "If ye, being evil, give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." (Luke 11:13)

Clues From the Story of the Birth of Christ

A clue is something, that will help solve a problem of a doubtful or intricate nature. In Bible days, they were called parables - stories that illustrated spiritual truths. No doubt, the most famous is about the prodigal son. Briefly, the son leaves home and becomes a wicked sinner. In time., he becomes desperate and returns home. The father is overjoyed to see him. The truth illustrated is that mankind departed from God to make it on his own hut soon found that be was desperate.. He returned home, and, to his surprise, his father was glad to see him. This is God's way of telling us that we are separated from Him, that we are in a desperate situation and that He longs for us to return to Him. This is a glorious truth. The birth of Christ is certainly not a parable. It is an account of actual events, but many details illustrate truths that God wants, us to know. We call these details clues. If we let them guide us, we will reap rich dividends. 1. Probably the best clue is that Jesus was born in a stable with animals. In the Bible, sinners are compared to animals. As such, they cannot enter heaven. "Without are dogs." (Rev. 22:15) So, Jesus, being born among animals is definitely a clue. It can only mean one thing: that as sinners, we were shut out of heaven, but He came to show us the way (and to be the way). He was born in a stable. That means He is willing to be born in us. 2. "There was no room in the inn." This is a graphic picture of our world having no time for God. This is common knowledge. What is not so well known is that most of us are in the same boat. We just don't have time for Him. Remember, He is not interested in a five-minute visit. He needs a place to stay. One or two hours a week is not making room. And remember, sitting in a church pew is not exactly making room. For many, that's just a time to daydream. The room He is interested in is the closet with the door shut (Isaiah 26:20 arid Matthew 6:6) There are other clues. Jerusalem was full of religious people and yet, the innkeeper didn't know one family that he could call on in such a desperate situation. Was no one there.in touch with God? If we had been living there, would somebody have said, "Oh, take them to the Smith's house?" Another thought, if Joseph had money to spare, wouldthe innkeeper have found room for him? These are clues to the desperate condition of our world, because we are no better than they were. Do we make room for people that are desperate? Jesus said if you do it for the least you do it for me. 3. Jesus was laid in a manger, a feeding trough. Think of putting your newborn baby in the dog's bowl. What does it mean? For one thing, it suggests that Jesus is food, which He certainly claimed to be in John 6:47-57, "Except ye eat me —." It also reminds us of the question the Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why do you eat with sinners?" (Mark 2:16) He. is telling us in this manger scene that He will associate with people no matter how bad they are, or think they are, in order to win them. 4. Jesus was born, as a helpless, baby into a world where both the political system and the religious systems considered murder to be a normal part of their activities. King Herod thought nothing of killing scores of babies on the chance he'd get the. newborn king. But God took care of Jesus. This is a clue, that no matter how helpless we are and surrounded by devils that would gladly kill us if they could,(and where they have the power, they do kill),. God can and will take care of us, and if not, rest assured, it is for our good and God's greater glory. 5. Mary was put in a terrifying situation. It was not just being poor and having to take a long hard journey, and seeming to be all alone in the world. She knew she would be the subject of malicious gossip about her child- She had to be one of God's chosen few, as can be seen in her response to the angel's announcement: "I am the Lord's servant. I am willing to do whatever He wants. May everything you said come true" Would we respond to God that way if He asked us to visit the mental institution, the prisons, the flophouses or the slums? God knew Mary would yield to Him, so she was choose Remember that "many are called, but few choose to respond." 6. Jesus was born in Bethlehem Ephrata, (the house of bread, fruitful). This is an obvious clue. The Word qf God is our daily bread. To be born qf God and to grow we have to read it. House of bread and fruitful are joined together. If you're living in the house of bread, you will be fruitful. If you have no fruit, take this clue at all costs, and get into the Word. Remember Jesus said, "Man lives by every Word of God." (Matthew 4:4) 7. Jesus should have been born in a palace, as God's son. Mary was given the insight as to why that was impossible. Luke 1:51-53. "He has scattered the proud, put down the mighty, and sent the rich empty away." God has only contempt for "big shots" that live in palaces. Psalm 34 says, "God is near such as be of a contrite spirit." Isaiah 66:2 says, "To this man will I look - that is poor and of a contrite spirit." 8. The angel qf the Lord announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds. They were the lowest of the low in that day and they were humble. Why were not the priests and Pharisees told? Because their religious system was saturated with pride, Luke 2:2.0 says "The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God. This doesn't fit the image of the Pharisees at all. The clue here is that we should always be humble, giving glory to God. 9. The, announcement qf the birth of Jesus was also made to wise men from the East. They were Gentiles from a far country, considered by the Jews to be dogs. So this is a clue that Jesus was not only to be the savior of Jews, but of the whole world. This should have caused the Jews to see that Gentiles could be saved, but they missed it. Another clue is that it helps to be wise. Proverbs chapter 8 is about wisdom. It ends by saying, "Who finds me finds life." What is this wisdom? It is the Word of God. and what is the life? It is Jesus. God rewards the truly wise. We should also know from the wise men that God guides true seekers. (1 Chronicles 28:9) If we seek Him He will be found of us. They went to extraordinary lengths to find the king. They were seekers. Jeremiah 29:13 says, "Ye shall find me when you seek me with all your heart," "God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) This is a spiritual law; if you seek nothing, you'll get nothing. Let not the lazy man think that he will get anything from the Lord. 10. The wise men brought gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. This is a clue that God welcomes and appreciates our gifts. We read in John 4:23 that God seeks worship. Gold stands fqr holiness, frankincense stands for prayers and myrrh is used in anointing oil. These gifts are clues to the kind of gifts God is interested in. 11. The most important clue of all is that Mary was to give birth to the Son of God. This is a huge clue as to God's purpose. What happened to her is what God desires for all of us. As the seed of the Holy Spirit was planted in her, so the seed qf the Holy Spirit should be planted in us. Matthew 13:18 and following explain this process. The seed (The Word of God) is planted in good soil (receptive heart). It will grow and develop until the Son qf God is formed in us and in the fullness of time, be revealed to the world Paul says in Galatians 4:19, "I travail in birth until Christ be formed in you." In Genesis 16, there is the story of Abraham's two sons: One,. Ishmael,. being born naturally, and the other, Isaac, being born supernaturally. The conceiving and birthing of Christ in us is like Isaac's birth, a supernatural event. Jesus was born in due time and revealed to the world So, the time is coming when we will be revealed as sons qf God. We read in Romans 8:19 that the whole world is waiting fqr the manifestation, of the sons of God. Romans 8:29 says that Jesus is the firstborn of many brothers. This is the purpqse of the whole creation and everyone who reads this article should be a part of it. For those who wonder what to do, look at the response of Mary in Luke 1:38 when she heard the good news. "Be it unto me according to your Word." In verse 53, Mary says, "The hungry He has filled with good things." If we are hungry for God, He will respond to us. He says, "Ask and you shall receive."