Tuesday, March 24, 2009

COME HIS CHILDREN

Next month is Child Abuse Awareness Month. This poem was written and sent to me by my Sister in the Lord, Rev. Gerri Janeway.
COME HIS CHILDREN

By Rev. Gerri Janeway

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His children, listen, He speaks.

It seems yesterday was peaceful and calm
In just a few days peace has all gone.

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His children, listen as He speaks.

Daddies are drunken with selfish desires;
Not caring for families who are falling apart.
Fatherless children not knowing their dad
Hearts are broken, lonely and sad.
It's all about me, my fun and my pleasure,.
Not those children I father who should be my treasure.

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His children and listen as He speaks.

Mom’s not at home. She must work to provide
The needs of her children are often thrown aside.
Mom is tired, discouraged and blue;
Depressed and weary not knowing what else to do.
Latch key kids at home all alone.
Wishing for simple things, 'like a happy home'.

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His children and listen as He speaks.

Teens are struggling with school, home and peers
The world is bidding high for their souls.
Offering them everything that glitters but not all is gold.
Searching for Truth and Reality, Where were God's Seers?

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His children and listen as He speaks.

Young children abused and cast aside,
Many beaten and raped and destroyed inside.
Pain and affliction is all they've known.
Empty and hurting and all alone.

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His Children and listen as he speaks.

Look in the nursery where babies lay;
Unwanted and unloved in hospitals today.
Unwed young mothers are only children too.
Babies with daddies too young to care
Have rejected their children.
They can't find the time to spare.

Many small babies and children,
Abused and beaten, they die, it's true…
At the hand of daddies or boyfriends too.
Where are the ones to love and protect
The little ones who can't defend themselves.

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His children and listen as He speaks.

The blood of innocents cry out to me.
Abortion of millions of babies who sleep.
Children never allowed to live…
To great a responsibility and nothing to give…
A life so precious yet destroyed before birth;
You counted as nothing and said it had no worth.

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His children and listen as He speaks.

With lawlessness, cheating and lies.
Leaders think the things they do they hide.
Drunkards, liars, whoremongers too
Think it's alright the things they do.
Harlot and druggies, hypocrites too
False accusers, the proud and profane;
All who have reproached and despised His name.

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His children and listen as he speaks.

The stench of sin and shedding of innocent blood;
Has reached into the Heaven's above.

The Father's heart is broken and His Spirit grieved
Judgment is coming for the earth to receive.
Many are getting nervous and worried today
Hoping that things will change bringing a better day.

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His children and listen He's about to speak.

Earthquakes and fires, floods and storms;
Famine and drought, violence and want;
Freedoms lost, bondage and death
Will be the reward of those with whom He dealt.

Yet, turned a deaf ear and blinded eye
Those who where hard-hearted and would not cry out
For the innocent blood that was shed,
The sins of the people so vastly that spread;

From adults to teens, to the children too,
Tainting all that was beautiful and precious too.
Blood mixed with wine and pleasure they knew;
Now my wrath mixed with anger will visit you.

”Hide", they cry, "from him who speaks;
”From him who makes the nations weep".
You will not hide and escape His wrath.
You will be destroyed as the winter chaff.

I extended mercy and you would not heed.
Now in your fear you pretend to believe…
It is too late for you to repent.
The day of mercy is far spent.

Come His children and take a peek;
Come His children and weep as He speaks.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God!

This is an excerpt from a column on Tentmakers Ministries:

So the idea of rage did not enter the picture until the 13th century. Jonathan Edwards, I am sure, used the word in the sense of 'rage' and yet his god was also certainly a 'narrow,' and 'constricted,' god.

Isn't it rather peculiar that those we see exhibiting the most intolerance, anger, and short-temperedness also usually preach a god in their own image? Look to the preacher who spends a great deal of his time and energy raking people over the coals, warning them of the wrath to come and then spend a few days with them observing how they interact with people. You will most likely discover they act just like the god they preach. We do become conformed to the image we worship, don't we?

Those most adamant in their warnings of the "wrath to come" love to quote the scripture, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." Then they usually quote a few strong wrath scriptures and tie it all together with a good dose of hell-fire. They never quote this scripture in context because it would take the wind right out of their sail.

Romans 12:19 (KJV) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
You see, children of the Beloved, our Father wants to take vengeance away from us because we kill with it, we are unjust with it, we falsely accuse with it. When we kill in the anger of vengeance, we cannot bring that person back to life. But our Father says that He can, "kill and make alive again." (Deut. 32:39)

Our Father says the way to overcome evil is with good. If your enemy is hungry, feed him-don't kill him! If you want to kill him, kill him with kindness. Jesus holds the keys to death and hell. Jesus is able to use death and "hades" for our good, not our ultimate destruction. Even Paul, learned how to use destruction in the proper way. Remember when he turned a member of the Corinthian assembly over to Satan for the "destruction of the flesh" that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord?

So then, those who preach an "angry" god, preach a narrow god, one who can't redeem most of those who he died for. He is either powerless to save, to angry to want to forgive, or too lazy to give a damn.

Within ancient religions, we find such gods. These are the gods today peddled by many preachers who still preach the "angry god." Yes, they even call Him Jesus. But it may be surprising to you that the Manichaeanism Babylonian religion also preached a Father, a Son named Jesus, a Holy Spirit, and a Satan.

In the Zoroastrian religion, the predecessor of Manichaeanism, the two leading gods were Ahura Mazda and Ahriman. Ahriman was also known as Angra Mainyu. The word "Angra" is also found as "Angri" in some dictionaries. "Angri" was the bad god who would eternally have all the bad people in his kingdom when time ceased.

Now it seems our friend Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (a sermon copied by many modern day preachers) has made the God of Christianity an "angry" God. Unbeknownst to him, he has put himself in the hands of the bad god of the religion which is the basis for his theology. How ironic!! Those who want an angry god will get an angry god. But I am afraid they will be surprised to discover on whom the anger will fall. "Judgment will be merciless for the man who acted mercilessly. But mercy can laugh at judgment." (James 2:13, Barclay trans.) Angry people are usually least merciful. Ever notice how angry preachers get when they get into their hell-fire and brimstone routine? They are always pointing their finger at something which is going to be judged without mercy not realizing that when judgment falls, it will fall on their own heads.
[Please continue reading]

digg story ~ Submitted by my friend and Brother in the Lord, ChristNewsWatch

Thursday, March 12, 2009

What You've Just Seen...

So, once again, my very good friend and Sister in the Lord, Rev. Gerri Janeway, sent me an email that I needed to share with you today. Now, I've seen this one before, this story has been around. Oh, but there's a good reason it has. It's a great story, and the rumor is, something like this actually happened... somewhere, sometime... Okay, I won't keep teasing you; here's the story:

What You've Just Seen...

His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative Church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.

One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. People are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill.

Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do.

How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?

It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him... You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.

And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won't be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, "What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget."

Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read! I asked the Lord to bless you, as I prayed for you today. To guide you and protect you as you go along your way...

His love is always with you,
His promises are true,
And when we give Him all our cares,
You know He will see us through.


"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!" ~ Psalms 103:1
This is just one of those remarkable stories that must stay "viral." It's a story that we must all stay aware of, and remember. God actually DOES use us all. We ARE part of His Creation, part of His Word. Our actions speak volumes.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Going Through a Dry Spell

By David Wilkerson
Thursday, February 26, 2009

Even though I preach to thousands, there are times I feel very dry, far away from the warm presence of God. When I’m dry and empty, I have no great yearning to read the Word and little compulsion to pray. I know my faith is intact and my love for Jesus is strong, and I have no desire to taste the things of this world. It’s just that I can’t seem to touch God for days, maybe even weeks.

Have you ever watched other Christians get blessed while you feel nothing? They testify of God’s answers to their prayers and shed tears of joy. They seem to live on a mountaintop of happy experiences while you just plod along, loving Jesus but not setting the world on fire.

I believe all true believers experience dry spells at various times in their Christian lives. Even Jesus felt the isolation when he cried aloud, “Father, why have you forsaken me?” [Continue reading]


Saturday, March 7, 2009

A Good Thing to Dream About!

By John Kubicek

Yes, I know, I haven't been writing a lot on this blog lately. I've been a busy person. I do my best to go through all the email I receive. However, I have to resign myself to quickly scan through everything I get sent. Now and then, there will be one that catches my immediate attention. Like this one, that stated in the subject line, "My dream on 01/31/09......", that I received from my great friend and Sister in the Lord, Rev. Gerri Janeway, who had forwarded an email, originating with Dawn of Berea, KY:

I have intended to share this dream with you guys, but with all the work I was doing with Glenn on a "house flip", I was too tired to even check email for several weeks. This dream was amazing and one that I will never forget, and I hope it blesses and encourages you.

Here it is:

I was standing on a beach with a huge group of people. I didn't know any of these people; it was just a large mass of people. The people were standing a good distance from the water's edge, but I was standing apart from them facing them (ocean behind me). I turned to walk to the water's edge where I saw a HUGE window (the size of a movie screen). It was a window with glass, panes, and the wooden frame. The sky was very beautiful - almost like a sunset (shades of orange and red). I could hear the waves of the ocean crashing, and even though there was a large group of people, no one was making a sound.

There was only the sound of the ocean. When I walked to the water's edge, I looked into the window suspended in mid air above the ocean. I could see all sorts of "signs of the times" going on -- soldiers at war in a desert, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. I ran back to the group of people and said, "He's on His way; He's coming!" (speaking of Jesus).

I ran back to the water's edge and looked into the window again. I saw the same things as before only they were closer to the window. Again, I ran back to the people with even more excitement and said the same thing as before, "He's coming! He's coming!"

And I ran back to the water's edge for a third time, looked into the window, and saw the same signs, but they were right at the window (just on the other side of the glass). When I ran back to the people, a man and child stepped out of the crowd and presented me with a t-shirt neatly folded. The child was standing to the right of the man. I could not see their faces and did not know them. When the man handed me the shirt, I unfolded it and looked at the front. It had "Psalm 44:4" printed on it in big letters and numbers. I took the shirt and laid it on the beach (careful to get all of the wrinkles out of it) facing the huge window.

As I laid face down on the shirt, I was still yelling to the people "He's coming! He's coming!"

The group of people also laid face down on the beach, facing the window. There was a bright light that began to shine brightly from the eastern part of the sky. It was so intense that I could feel it literally go through my body (somewhat hard to explain). There was also a great warmth and peace that came with it. As the light appeared, I said (very calmly and with sort of a "relief" in my voice), "He's here."

As the light became brighter and stronger, my body began to rise from the ground. I knew this was the Rapture talked about in the Bible, and at this point, I woke up. It was the kind of dream that felt so very real! I looked up Psalm 44:4 when I woke up as I had no clue what it said.

This is Psalm 44:4:
You are my King, O GodCommand victories for Jacob (another name for Israel)

I read the whole chapter 44, and there were some other Scriptures that reminded me of my dream, such as verse 3: But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the "light of Your countenance. Because You favored them."

Or verse 25: For our soul is bowed down to the dust; Our body clings to the ground."

Psalm 74:12 was a cross reference verse of Psalm 44:4
For God is my King from of old,Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

I truly believe that Jesus is coming SOON. I know we have heard this for many years, but never in history have all of the signs up to the Rapture been fulfilled. It is the next "big event" in prophecy. It is my prayer that you guys are ready to meet Him. If you have any questions or comments, I would be happy to hear them. Not one detail of this dream was "made up." I tried to remember every single detail so that you could, hopefully, "see" it as I was seeing it. It has truly made me more and more anxious to see Jesus.....what a wonderful day that will be!

God blessyou,
Dawn
Berea, Ky

What a wonderful thing to have a dream about!

And for some, I'm afraid, is that what was written about above was a nightmare. I'll explain. You see, there is a hotly disputed topic in the Christian theology: That topic is the Rapture.

Keep in mind that there are many denominations of the Christian RELIGION. For some Christian denominations, talk of the Rapture is considered to be blasphemous. At the same time, there are those that DO believe in a Rapture, but NOT in their lifetime, Heaven forbid!

The complexity gets even deeper when you consider the variances in Rapture theories. There are, as mentioned above, those that believe there is no Rapture. But for those that do believe in a Rapture, you have Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation Rapture ideologies. And among those that believe in any of the various Rapture scenarios, some believe it will be soon, and some doubt it will be in their lifetime.

I'm thinking, though, that God had a purpose for me today. Of all of the emails I received, and could have chosen to check out, I read this one sent to me by Rev. Gerri. It happened to be on a topic that I've been praying about, because I want to be ready when it happens, and I also want others to be ready. In that email, you'll see that Dawn does a very good job in the way she has describes the way that the vision in the window was approaching, coming closer and closer ("He's coming!"). It finally arrives with the ultimately great climax of Him being here for us!

To me, what I read from Dawn was a sign. I do believe that the time is getting short - very, very short - and I've been compelled to shout it from my rooftop (not literally, of course, because it is cold, windy, and raining). Really, this blog post today will probably do. And believe me, what it will do may not be pretty for those of us that understand Dawn's dream.

With that being said, let me ask: Are you ready?