And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD." (Genesis 4:1)

 

Here is Eve's testimony concerning the first child born to the human race. To understand it, we need to recall God's first promise: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; |He| shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" . These words, addressed to Satan, promised that the woman's "seed" would destroy Satan. Thus, that seed would have to be a man, but the only one capable of destroying Satan is God Himself. Eve mistakenly thought that Cain would fulfill this promise, and when he was born, she testified: "I have gotten a man--even the Lord" (literal rendering).

 

Over three millennia later, essentially the same promise was renewed to the "house of David," when the Lord said: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel". The definite article reflects the primeval promise that the divine/human Savior, when He comes, would be born uniquely as the woman's seed, not of the father's seed like all other men. His very name, Immanuel, means "God with us". He is "the Word . . . made flesh".

"I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first." (Revelation 2:19)

 

Seven times in the letters to His seven representative churches in Revelation 2 and 3 the Lord Jesus says: "I know thy works". Whatever we are doing--or not doing--He knows!

 

Sometimes such knowledge can bring--or at least should bring--great consternation. He knows, for example, all our hypocrisies: "I know . . . that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead". He also knows when our outward display of religious activity masks a real heart-attitude of compromising self-interest. "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot".

 

Of these seven testimonies of His knowledge, the central one is in our text. He knows when we really love Him, for the "charity" mentioned is nothing less than agape, or unselfish love. He knows all about our sincere "service" and true "faith" in His Word, as well as our "patience" of hope.

"And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country." (Mark 12:1)

 

This parable of the vineyard had an obvious meaning, for even "the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders" to whom He was speaking "knew that he had spoken the parable against them" .

 

But there is another question that has been raised about this parable, as well as all the other parables that have been reported in two or more different gospels. That is, if the Bible is inerrant in its very words as Jesus taught, then why did the writers often vary in their reporting of the words of the parable?

 

It should be remembered, however, that Jesus probably spoke in Aramaic, whereas the written accounts were in Greek. Furthermore, two of the writers (Mark and Luke) were not present at the time, so would have to obtain their accounts from someone who was there

"Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times." (Daniel 9:25)

 

This remarkable prophecy, given through the angel Gabriel to Daniel the prophet, actually predicted the date of the coming of Christ nearly 500 years in advance. From the announcement to the coming of "Messiah the Prince," there would be 69 "weeks" (literally "sevens," meaning in this context "seven-year periods"). That is, Messiah would come as the Prince 483 years after the commandment was given to rebuild Jerusalem. There is some uncertainty about the exact date of the decree, as well as the exact length of these prophetic years, but in each calculation the termination date is at least near, or in some cases, exactly the time when Christ entered Jerusalem to be acknowledged as its promised King.

"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight." (Luke 10:21)

 

We remember that, when the Lord Jesus was here on earth, He was, among other things, "leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps". One aspect of that example, no doubt, was His prayer life. He prayed and gave thanks before He fed the multitude  and also when He ate with His disciples at the last supper. It is surely right, therefore, that we should give thanks in prayer before each meal, whether in a small group as with our family, or in a large public dining place.

 

Jesus spent much time in prayer. On at least one occasion, He "continued all night in prayer to God" , and no doubt a goodly portion of His prayer was thanksgiving prayer, as well as intercession. But there seems to be only one specific item of thanksgiving by Him actually recorded in Scripture, and that is the item in our text. (The same is also given, verbatim, in, so we can infer that the Holy Spirit considered it very important.)

 

That is this: the wonderful truths of salvation and forgiveness--eternal life in heaven and God's guidance and provision on earth--are easily understood by the simplest among us, even by little children, even though they often seem difficult for "the wise and prudent" to comprehend.

No Surrender

Dear Willis,
A story in the news this week proves once again what we've been saying for years.
Liberals want to silence pro-family conservatives like you and me.
In a stunning decision, Apple withered under pressure from homosexual activists and censored an application that offers help to people struggling with homosexuality. The app for ex-gays was created by Exodus International--and before this week, it had a 4+ rating from the iTunes store.
Exodus is another victim of the growing campaign to silence Christianity in America.
As a reader of my emails, you know that the Southern Poverty Law Center falsely labeled FRC a "hate group" for standing for biblical norms regarding sexuality. Liberal activists use this label and demand that media outlets censor FRC staff and research.

Apple's censorship has nothing to do with "tolerance." This is about silencing anything and anyone who challenges homosexuality. Americans need to wake up and realize that religious liberty is heading in the same direction as Exodus's app-extinction!
In this environment, it doesn't matter what the facts are. If they contradict the homosexual agenda, the Left will do everything it can to muzzle them.
Our form of democracy will not long survive if the freedom of speech and religion are lost.
A few more examples . . .

• Pro-homosexual liberals are trying to hurt Chick-fil-A restaurants for daring to provide sandwiches to a marriage seminar.
• The Apple Store also shut down the Manhattan Declaration app because this pro-family, pro-life, pro-religious freedom document signed by more than 500,000 people could allegedly "harm" people.

Decisions like Apple's are rooted in the same anti-Christian prejudice that's led to the Left's persecution of donors, businesses, voters, churches, and even students.
You may ask why are liberals ramping up their attacks on conservatives and our values? Because liberals don't have the facts to back their views, they're resorting to smears and intimidation.
Their smears and attacks have one aim: to silence you and me and shut down debate on the important policy issues of the day.
They hope to scare politicians into falsely thinking these issues are political losers. But we know the facts.
The radical Left demands that we hand over control of our nation, our families, our children, and our freedoms to them. They demand big government intervention in every area of life. They rewrite history to hide our Christian heritage. To all of this, Family Research Council says,They especially want conservative people like you to surrender. I doubt you'd be reading my email if you were the surrendering type.
But our team and I ask you to stand with us. We ask for your prayers. We ask you to calmly but firmly speak for traditional values in your community.  Your partnership keeps our experts on Capitol Hill, saturating the media, developing legislation, educating voters, and impacting the future we'll leave for our children and grandchildren.
Our team and I will stand strong and without apology in defense of faith, family, and freedom.
Thank you for helping us keep your voice strong, even in the face of relentless opponents who attempt to silence us.
Standing (Ephesians 6:13),

Tony Perkins
President

"And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." (Luke 9:30-31)

 

This is a mysterious passage. Peter, James, and John watched in awe as Christ was "transfigured" before them as Christ had promised. But how could Moses and Elijah be there? Moses' body had been buried by God in an unknown tomb in Moab some 1,500 years before, and no resurrection had yet taken place. Elijah had been taken alive into heaven in a chariot of fire over 900 years previously.

 

The fact is that this whole experience was a remarkable vision! Jesus said, after it was over: "Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead". Although they had just been awakened out of sleep, the disciples knew this was not a dream. All three had seen it together and "were sore afraid" .

 

This vision of the future kingdom was for the disciples' encouragement (and for ours, as well), for the Lord had just been warning them of His coming death, as well as the cross which they, themselves, must take up to follow Him

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." (Philippians 1:3-5)

 

This poignant letter was written to a church that Paul founded early in his ministry to the Gentiles . He endured challenging opposition there, followed for days by a demon-possessed young girl, tossed into prison by an angry business community, beaten and locked immobile into wooden stocks.

 

Yet in that dark midnight, while Paul and Silas sang the hymns of the faith, God struck the jail with an earthquake and opened both the chains and the doors of the prison. The head jailor became converted, and along with the successful businesswoman Lydia, the seed of a flourishing church was planted.

 

It is to these "saints" and the "bishops and deacons" of the church at Philippi that Paul writes. The church has matured enough over the years of Paul's absence to have established leadership and a strong testimony in that pagan city. The "rememberance" of these faithful men and women gives rise to his thanks to God for their "fellowship in the gospel."

 

May we never take for granted the sweet friends that we have known in our churches. Their fellowship is far more valuable than business or political contacts. Theirs is the bond of an eternal brother or sister--theirs is the friendship that is "closer than a brother"

"But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42)

 

The two sisters, Mary and Martha, both loved the Lord Jesus and wanted to please Him. Jesus also loved them and apparently was an occasional guest at their home in Bethany. Martha evidently felt that activity and service were pleasing to the Lord (and these, indeed, are good and important), whereas Mary simply "sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word". To Martha's surprise and chagrin, Jesus said that Mary had chosen the "good part"--a part more important even than service and food.

 

Long, long before, the patriarch Job, whom God had said was "a perfect and an upright man" with "none like him in the earth", had also chosen that good part. "I have esteemed the words of his mouth," Job said, "more than my necessary food".

 

We today can sit at Jesus' feet and hear His Word only by reading and meditating on the Scriptures. Important as our daily responsibilities may be to meet our material needs and those of our families, we should make priority time available for this "good part." The same surely applies especially to Christian leaders. They may have many important tasks to perform in the service of God, but it is still more important for them to take time to "hear His word" in the Scriptures.

 

The unknown psalmist who wrote the grand 119th psalm had learned this truth: "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. . How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." (Matthew 10:29)

 

This fascinating bit of first-century pricing information, seemingly so trivial, provides a marvelous glimpse into the heart of the Creator. Of all the birds used for food by the people of those days, sparrows were the cheapest on the market, costing only a farthing for a pair of them. In fact, they cost even less in a larger quantity, for on another occasion Jesus said: "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?" The "farthing" was a tiny copper coin of very small value, so that a sparrow was all but worthless in human terms.

 

And yet the Lord Jesus said that God knows and cares about every single sparrow! God had a reason for everything He created; each kind of animal has its own unique design for its own intended purpose. Modern biologists continue to waste time and talent developing imaginary tales about how all these multitudes of different kinds of creatures might have evolved from some common ancestor. Even some evolutionists have started calling these whimsical tales "just so" stories. They would really be better scientists if they would seek to understand the creative purpose of each creature, rather than speculating on its imaginary evolution.

 

The better we comprehend the amazing complexity and purposive design of each creature, the better we realize the infinite wisdom and power of their Creator. Then, all the more wonderful it is to learn that their Creator is our Father! He has placed them all under our dominion, and we need to learn to see them through His eyes, if we would be good stewards of the world He has committed to us.

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)

 

These seem like strange, even shocking, words coming from the Lord Jesus Christ as they do. It is obvious, however, that He is not urging hatred of one's relatives here, but rather is referring to hatred in a relative sense--relative to one's love for God and His will, that is.

 

Jesus has commanded us to "love thy neighbour", and even to "love your enemies", so it is certain that He expects us to love our families. But love for God must be paramount. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind".

 

There are some cases, however, when, in so loving the Lord, "a man's foes shall be they of his own household". Happily, such cases are the exception, but if ever such a choice has to be made, the one who would truly be Christ's disciple must follow Him at all costs. For, as Jesus went on to say, "whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple".

 

Even in such unfortunate cases, we are still commanded to "honour thy father and mother", and to "provoke not your children to anger". The Lord Jesus has left us the example. Though His mission was long rejected by His human family, He remained patient with them, while at the same time placing God first. "For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother"

"But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out." (Numbers 32:23)

Most things in this life are uncertain; nevertheless, there are some things about which we can be absolutely sure. Just as God warned Adam that if he disobeyed His Word, he would "surely die", so He warns us that we can be sure our sins will ultimately be exposed. "The foundation of God standeth sure".

On the other side of the coin, we can also be sure of God's mercy and faithfulness, and we can be sure of the truth of His Word. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place". We also can be sure of His promised salvation. "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast". Thus we can, through faith and patience, show "the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end".

Finally, we can be sure that our Lord Jesus, who came once to die for our sins, will come back again to complete His work of redemption and reconciliation. The very last promise of the Bible consists of His gracious words: "Surely I come quickly".

However, each of us must first make sure that we believe His sure Word and have appropriated this sure hope. "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall

"Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?" (Psalm 49:5)

 

This enigmatic question should be a real concern to elderly unbelievers--or of unbelievers of any age, for that matter. The "days of evil" seem specifically to refer to old age, as in, which exhorted young people to "remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."

 

Those who have not "remembered their Creator" while young may one day come to realize that the iniquities which had been accumulating against their record day by day through a long lifetime had actually involved the venom of that old Serpent, which God long ago had warned would bruise the heels of the children of Mother Eve. Their sins, which will eventually become so numerous as to "compass them about," might even destroy them both now and eternally. After all, the devil will have "the power of death", until that day when the true seed of the woman the Lord Jesus Christ (even though His own "heel" has been viciously "bruised" by Satan when the sins of the whole world were placed upon Him) will "crush the head" of that wicked one forever.

 

But because of Christ's great victory over Satan--when He both died for our sins and then defeated death by His resurrection, we need no longer fear death, even when the evil days draw nigh.

 

Though it is far better to accept His gift of salvation from sin and death while we are young, it is never too late, as long as we live.

"And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul?" (Deuteronomy 10:12)

 

In the final weeks before his death, Moses gathered the people of Israel together for a final look back at God's miraculous provision for the nation and a restatement of the Law. He repeated the Ten Commandments and reminded them of their supernatural origin. He charged them to remember the Law and to pass it on to their children, for God Himself had entrusted it to them. He insisted that they utterly destroy the enemies of God in the land, for their holy and special status as the people of God would be in jeopardy if they didn't. The longest section of the speech consisted of a command to remember their unique history: how God had supernaturally intervened for them on so many occasions.

 

Finally, Moses brought them to a time of commitment, charging them, in our text, to fear, obey, love, and serve the "LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul." Even the commandments were for their good; they were not merely petty or malicious. In fact, throughout the lengthy lecture, Moses had several times adjured the people to love their Lord with their entire being.

"Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?" (Psalm 56:8)

 

This is a remarkable insight into the tender heart of our heavenly Father. He has a tear bottle--in fact, perhaps a tear bottle for each of His wandering children.

 

Ancient "tear bottles" (or wineskins) have actually been excavated by archaeologists in Israel. These vessels were used to catch and preserve the owner's tears during times of grief or extreme pressure. This psalm was actually written by David when he was being pursued by Saul on one side and surrounded by Philistines in the city of Goliath on the other. David apparently not only had his own tear bottle, but also believed that God somehow was also storing up David's personal tears in His own heavenly bottle of tears.

 

There is a touching story in the earthly ministry of Jesus that provides another example: "Behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, . . . and anointed them with the ointment".

 

The ointment was obviously not the same as the tears, but followed the washing by tears. Some scholars think these tears came from her bottle, which was emptied on His feet and used to wash them. Others think that those tear bottles that have been found actually contained the collected tears of mourners at a burial site.

 

In any case, God does know all our wanderings and sorrows and all our tears, and stores them up somewhere. Perhaps it is also a metaphor for His "book of remembrance," 

"His foundation is in the holy mountains." (Psalm 87:1)

 

It is fascinating to study God's selection of several key mountains to mark key events in human history. Mount Ararat was the first great mountain of Scripture where God's Ark of safety would rest. Then, when the first nations failed and God had to form a new nation, it was on Mount Moriah that Abraham passed the great test with his son, Isaac, and became "the father of all them that believe," testifying that "in the mount of the LORD it shall be seen".  When the time came for God's law to be revealed, "the Lord came down upon mount Sinai," and gave Moses "upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God".

 

"Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion," where the holy city was built and where Christ will reign in the great age to come. For God has promised concerning Christ: "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion".

 

Insignificant in size, but preeminent in importance, is the small hill outside Jerusalem that has come to be called Mount Calvary. There a "stone was cut out of the mountain" which "became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth" when Christ died there and conquered death. He arose from the grave and then ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, to which one day He shall "so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" 

"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it." (Revelation 21:24)

 

This somewhat enigmatic verse assures us that, even in the eternal ages, God still has a place and purpose for distinct nations. Presumably, they will all speak the same "pure language" (Zephaniah 3:9), but they will continue to be recognized as nations.

 

The nations were originally established after the confusion of tongues and dispersion of the families at Babel. There seems to have been 70 families there, and these became the 70 original nations, as listed in the Table of Nations in. There were three basic streams of nations (Semitic, Japhetic, and Hamitic) and although there has been much mixing and proliferation, these three basic streams of nations (not "races"!) are still roughly distinct.

 

In his day, as God was about to establish Israel as His chosen nation, Moses said: "Remember the days of old. When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel". This may be a reference to the 70 souls in the original family of Israel and probably also to Israel's home at the hub of the world's nations.

 

God has a purpose for each nation, as is evident from Paul's sermon: "God . . . hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord"

"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." (Mark 13:32)

 

This verse has always been difficult to understand. If Jesus was God, how could He be ignorant of the time of His second coming? Indeed He was, and is, God, but He also was, and is, man. This is a part of the mystery of the divine/human nature of Christ. In the gospel record, we see frequent evidences of His humanity (He grew weary, for example, and suffered pain), but also many evidences of deity (His virgin birth, His resurrection and ascension, as well as His perfect words and deeds).

 

He had been in glory with the Father from eternity, but when He became man, "in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren", except for sin. As a child, He "increased in wisdom and stature" like any other human. Through diligent study (as a man), He acquired great wisdom in the Scriptures and the plan of God. After His baptism and the acknowledgment from heaven of His divine Sonship, He increasingly manifested various aspects of His deity, but He still remained fully human.

"Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." (1 Peter 1:7-8)

 

Because of Christ, we "rejoice with joy unspeakable," and the deeper we know Him, the more our joy. The fourth verse of our study hymn, "Deeper and Deeper," speaks of this joy Into the joy of Jesus, deeper and deeper I go, Rising with soul enraptured far from the world below; Joy in the place of sorrow, peace in the midst of pain, Jesus will give, Jesus will give, He will uphold and sustain.

 

Joy is, of course, part of "the fruit of the Spirit" of Christ, who had prayed to His Father, "now I come to thee . . . that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves". Most specifically, "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . . . and rejoice in hope of the glory of God". In joy we rise over the lure of sin and the world. "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered".

 

The joy of the Lord is not predicated on external circumstances. "As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things" 

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." (Philippians 3:10)

 

The third verse of "Deeper and Deeper" speaks of the suffering we will encounter if we are mature in Christ and effective in His service.

 

Into the cross of Jesus, deeper and deeper I go,
Following through the garden, facing the dreaded foe,
Drinking the cup of sorrow, sobbing with broken heart;
"Oh, Savior, help! Dear Savior, help!
Grace for my weakness impart."

 

But this suffering is not to be avoided or refused. We are privileged to experience "the fellowship of his sufferings." He did so willingly, but not without asking God to "remove this cup |of sorrow| from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done". His suffering included betrayal, arrest, crucifixion, and dying with a broken heart, but purchasing our eternal life with His death. By "fellowshipping" in His sufferings, we identify with His death, share His reproach, and follow His example. We, through Him, pass through death into a new life of victory over sin and death.

 

Therefore, we welcome sufferings as a gift from God. "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake" 

odies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1-2)

 

A true follower of Christ knows His will and submits to it. His will has ever deeper stages, but once we surrender our own body, mind, and will to His will, we will "prove" it to be "perfect." The second verse of the hymn "Deeper and Deeper" echoes this.

 

Into the will of Jesus, deeper and deeper I go,
Praying for grace to follow, seeking His way to know;
Bowing in full surrender low at His blessed feet,
Bidding Him take, break me and make
Till I am molded and meet.

 

God may give us a burden to accomplish a task or a life's work, and then open and shut doors to make it possible. Discerning His will has never been easy, but we must seek earnestly to know it and follow it. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord?"  are the verses just prior to our text.

 

The key, then, to knowing God's will is full surrender to it, whatever it may be, starting with obedience. "If a man love me, he will keep my words". To be useful to Him, we must be broken of our own pride and self will, then remolded as He desires. "If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work"

Supreme Court Wrong on Westboro
Radical Hate Group Allowed to Attack Troop's Funeral Services

It was a sad day for America as The Supreme court ruled that the hate filled, vile Westboro Baptist Protesters can continue to spew their vitriolic hatred towards our troops, inflicting unimaginable pain into the hearts of the families of the fallen.

I was devastated last as I read on my computer that the verdict had been returned and that they had ruled in favor of Westboro and against the Father of Matthew Snyder, a Marine who gave his life defending the very freedoms that the protesters continue to take advantage of and abuse. 

I began to shake, the tears streamed down my face and I felt sick to my stomach as I remembered my confrontation with the cruel, inhumane vileness of these protesters at the Memorial service of my son Marc Alan Lee, the first Navy SEAL killed in Iraq 8-2-06.


It's hard to believe that there could be people filled with so much hate who then pretend to be Christians on a mission for God. The Westboro Baptist protesters have so twisted and convoluted the scriptures and are nothing but a cult who have found a way to be constantly in the media. They will have a rude awakening when they die and find out just like the Muslim extremist that there isn't 72 of anything waiting for them in Heaven but will be turned away.

I remember when we received notification the week before Marc's service that the Westboro haters were coming. I was mortified, not only was I dealing with the death of my youngest son but now I was going to face protesters who were going to make a mockery of my son, my hero. How much more pain can a Mother endure?

After they protested at Marc's Memorial service they traveled to 3 other funerals of fallen heroes just that week. I was puzzled as to who would donate to allow them to fund their insanity and torture? I began to research them and found that there were 11 lawyers in the family. Fred Phelps himself had filed over 400 frivoulous lawsuits They raised their funding by suing those who when they incited them by their vile speech and actions, responded in their grief by attacking them for disgracing and dishonoring their loved one who had just died. These are our brave warriors who sacrificed their lives defending our country and the freedoms we enjoy each and everyday, including freedom of speech.

My question to the Supreme Court justices is what happened to "Hate speech"  which is described as "any speech, gesture or conduct, writing or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence. The wacko Westboro protesters were hoping at Marc's Memorial service  to incite people to violence. When they chanted at me that "I had failed my son" that "I sent my son to hell" that "I raised him to chose an occupation of murder" they hoped I would attack them. It seems that would be defamation of character as they attacked  me and my parenting skills.

They were hoping that with the flag cut in half, strapped to their ankles as they walked all over it that the Vets couldn't tolerate to see Old Glory desecrated and that they would attack them. I am not violent or aggressive but if the Patriot Guard riders hadn't been there that day to shelter  and protect me from their vitriolic speech in the midst of the deepest pain I have ever known in my life, I would have attacked them and I would have been sued and they would have won the case.

To hear Phelps daughter say that God had stood by them, giving them victory and now their voices will be louder and bolder, it sickens me!! To know more families of our fallen will have to endure their terrorism and torture,  that more of our heroes  who have sacrificed their lives will be humiliated and dishonored and  can't even be buried in peace is repulsive. Where is the justice??? Canada will not let the Westboro clan enter their country because of hate speech. They can get it right, why can't our Supreme Court understand.

As a nation we must stand and honor our fallen heroes and protect the families of the fallen from enduring the hatred and poison from these protesters. These families have given their very best for this country and we must stand up to this injustice. We must attend these funerals and be shields so the families burying their loved ones don't hear or see the protesters and be subjected to their vileness. We must past laws in each state that place a distance of 1000 feet away from the service, funeral, burial site  from one hour before to one hour after the service.

That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3:17-19)

 

Sincere Christians long for a deeper relationship with Christ, driving them to more effective prayer, Bible study, and service. The rich hymn "Deeper and Deeper" reflects this heart cry.

 

Into the heart of Jesus, deeper and deeper I go,
Seeking to know the reason why He should love me so,
Why He stooped to lift me up from the miry clay,
Saving my soul, making me whole,
Though I had wandered away.

 

"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God". God's infinite grace is "a mystery" to us, "but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit". The Spirit revealed these mysteries primarily to the writers of the New Testament for our instruction, through the empowerment of the Spirit. Only in His revelation can we understand something of His love, mercy, and grace, but only through a close "heart walk" with Him in the Spirit can we know His heart. "The Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee".

 

We who had wandered away from Him were saved and made whole, for "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

World history centers around Israel. As news unfolds, now and in the future, the key nation to watch is not the U.S. or China, but Israel. The Bible says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6, NIV).

In recent weeks, we’ve seen political upheaval spread through Arab countries of the Middle East. Regardless of the short-term outcome in each place, underlying all of this conflict is radical Islam. Much of this effort, publicly or secretly, is under the banner of the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization that was founded in Egypt decades ago and has been active in many countries ever since, including the United States. Its two most basic goals are to replace governments and constitutions in order to bring nations under Sharia law, and to destroy Israel and drive Jews into the sea.

The political turmoil we have witnessed in Egypt could eventually result in the Muslim Brotherhood coming to power there. A leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, speaking a few days ago to the Arabic-language news media, said that under any new Egyptian government, “the people should be prepared for war against Israel.”

Whatever happens, the Bible tells us the ultimate outcome. “The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares: ‘I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. … On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem’” (Zechariah 12:1–2, 9).

The Bible also declares that the last battle of history will be fought on the plains of Armageddon in northern Israel when the nations of the world fight against the Lord. My friend, these things are coming.

Before then, there will be tribulation—the Great Tribulation. There will be a one-world monetary system where people must receive the mark of the beast on their right hand or forehead. People will not be able to buy or sell or trade without this mark. Already today, many people in this country, Europe, and other countries around the world want to develop a unified worldwide monetary system. According to reports in the New York Times, even the pope has suggested that an answer to international economic upheaval would be to establish a “true world political authority” with power to regulate the global economy.

In the midst of all this, what are we to do? Dig a hole and hide? Throw up our hands and quit? No. We are to take the Gospel to people everywhere. The Gospel is the only message that can save. The Bible says, “With the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. … Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:10, 13, NASB). All people are sinners, and all sinners are doomed to judgment. But God doesn’t want anyone to perish (see 2 Peter 3:9). He wants people saved from a judgment that leads to everlasting torment.

The Gospel is the “power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). It is a spiritual atomic bomb that destroys the power of sin. This is incredibly good news—salvation is available to all who commit themselves to the Lord Jesus, believing that He died for our sin, shed His blood on the cross, was buried in the grave, rose to life on the third day, and gives us eternal life with Him. This is our hope.

That is the message we are proclaiming in cities across North America this year from the Jersey Shore to Southern California, and from the Colorado Rockies to the Great Lakes to the Great Plains of Manitoba. It is what we will also proclaim in cities of Asia and Europe and Africa.

I will preach March 25–27 at a Crusade in Liberia, a West African country that has had strong historic ties to the United States going back a century and a half. Over the last 20 years, Liberia endured two ruinous civil wars fueled by ethnic and political rivalries, devastating the country. The nation is just beginning to recover, and people are very open to the Good News about Jesus Christ. Pray that the life-changing hope of the Gospel will penetrate many hearts.

People see nations torn apart by war, the Middle East in turmoil, and our own country struggling with massive economic and social problems. The only hope for each and every person is Christ.

We need your prayers and your support as we take the Gospel to the men and women of our generation and to the young people of the next generation. This is urgent work. People are dying every day without Him. Let’s not allow evil to triumph; let’s not give up striving to make Christ known.

Thank you for standing with us. I won’t give up. Satan is the author of confusion and destruction, but our God is “mighty to save” (Isaiah 63:1).

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body." (Matthew 26:26)

 

This is the first of twelve specific references to the "breaking of bread" in the New Testament, each reminding the participants of Christ's sacrificial death. Although Paul had not been present at the Last Supper, he had evidently received a special revelation concerning it. "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed |literally, 'while he was being betrayed'| took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me". Similarly, drinking of the cup recalled to them His shed blood. All of this helped them remember and appreciate the great reality of eternal life imparted to them through His death, for He had said, "Whoso eateth my flesh, and d rinketh my blood, hath eternal life".

 

For a while after His resurrection and their empowering by the Holy Spirit, "they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house", seem to have combined each day this remembrance of the Lord's supper with their own evening meals. Sometime later, it seems to have been "upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread" 

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD." (Deuteronomy 6:4)

 

This great verse has been recited countless times by Israelites down through the centuries, setting forth their distinctive belief in one great Creator God. The Jews had retained their original belief in creation, handed down from Noah, while the other nations had all allowed their original monotheistic creationism to degenerate into a wide variety of religions, all basically equivalent to the polytheistic evolutionism of the early Sumerians at Babel.

 

But along with its strong assertion of monotheism, there is also a very real suggestion that this declaration, with its thrice-named subject, is also setting forth the Triune God. The name, "Lord," of course, is Yahweh, or Jehovah, the self-existing One who reveals Himself, while "God" is Elohim, the powerful Creator/Ruler. "Jehovah our Elohim is one Jehovah" is the proclamation. A number of respected Jewish commentators have acknowledged that the verse spoke of a "unified oneness," rather than an "absolute oneness." The revered book called the Zohar, for example, even said that the first mention was of the Father; the second one the Messiah; and the third, the Holy Spirit.

 

The key word "one" (Hebrew, achad) is often used to denote unity in diversity. For example, when Eve was united to Adam in marriage, they were said to be "one flesh" 

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." (Psalm 139:16)

 

This is an amazing verse, testifying as it does to the omniscient fore-planning of our Creator for each human being. Each person has been separately planned by God before he or she was ever conceived; His eyes oversaw our "unperfect [not imperfect, but unfinished] substance"--that is, literally, our embryo--throughout its entire development. Not only all its "members," but also all its "days" (the literal implication of "in continuance") had been "written" in God's book long ago.

 

While modern evolutionists argue that a "fetus" is not yet a real person, and so may be casually aborted if the mother so chooses, both the Bible and science show that a growing child in the womb is a true human being. Instruments called fetoscopes have been able to trace every stage of embryonic development, showing that each is distinctively human, never passing through any non-human evolutionary stages, such as the evolutionists' theory of "recapitulation" would imply.

 

Not much is known about how a baby receives its soul, but the baby is surely an eternal human being from the moment of conception, with all its future days already well known in the mind of God, "when as yet there was none of them," as our text points out.

 

But that is not all. All those who are saved (or, like the innocents who die before birth, "safe" in Christ) and whose names, therefore, are "written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world", are also predestined "to be conformed to the image of his Son" in the ages to come

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

This same conversation and challenge is also recorded in and, except that only Luke included the term "daily." Except for one brief reference in, this conversation marks the first explicit reference in the Bible to the practice of crucifixion, and it apparently assumes that the disciples were already well aware of this typically Roman method of execution.

"Taking up the cross" referred to the usual requirement that each condemned man haul his own cross to the place of execution. Jesus knew that He would soon have to be doing this Himself.

Christians sometimes use this phrase without appreciation of its true meaning, thinking of some burden (such as sickness or poverty) as "the cross" they must bear. Such things can be serious problems, of course, but they are not instruments of execution, such as a cross. In effect, the Lord was telling His disciples that following Him must mean nothing less than a daily willingness to die for Him, if need be. As Paul would say: "I am crucified with Christ"; "I die daily".

Many disciples have, indeed, suffered martyrdom for Christ's sake, but all should at least be willing to deny themselves each day. "Taking up the cross" does not necessarily mean dying as Christ did, but it does mean consciously dying each day to the world and living unto Him. For "they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts", and they gladly affirm this testimony: "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world"

Which Jesus do you serve

Yes your right this one is a repeat and it I will continue to repeat this till i know that each of us has answered that question.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

 The call to imitate God is a call to separate ourselves from the world though we may be in but not of it  (Ephesians 4:17-19) and how we have been made new (Ephesians 4:20-24) and then gave us specific ways to do that (Ephesians4:25-32).

Our call is to live with the same love that Christ has demonstrated.  Jesus laying down his life for us, was first of all an expression of his love for his Father. Jesus did it, not only because of his love for us, but because first of all he loved the Father and this was  the Father’s will. This ‘life of love’ is not to be something we do to make ourselves feel good or appear good, it is to come out of and be an expression of our love for God Himself.  When John says, “We love because he first loved us,” (1 John 4:19). The first thing we need to do in the Christian life is become utterly convinced of God’s love.

On Sunday they raise their hands to heaven and declare that it is Jesus that they serve.

Then why do we look so much like the world?

Did you know that the wheat and the tare, the world can't tell which is which and quite frankly neither can I. So I pose the question again, which Jesus do you serve?

My Savior bleed and suffered and died and rose again for a sinner like me. My Savior, was a friend to friendless, He remembers the forgotten ones among us, Which Jesus do you follow?

 Which Jesus do you serve?

Is it this picture of the American dream that you chase after? Is the prince of this world who you serve or did you miss that part when you decided you want fortune and power?

If Jesus was here would you walk right by him or cross over to the other side of the street? 

Would you even recognize him or have time to speak to him?

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a white complexion Michael Angelo version of Jesus ,is that the Jesus you serve? My Savior was battered and bruised for my sins, did you miss that part? Sometimes I ponder do we really understand what the price he paid for us?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they understand and they know My Savior. So which Jesus do we serve. is it the one whom we pray to bless us with great wealth? Or the Jesus who said

blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness?

 So who do you serve? The one whose promises are like shifting sand?

Marine says it God , then country and the marine Corp, what comes first for you?

My Jesus would he be accepted in your churches today? All bloody and bruised with no shoes on his feet, would we want him sitting next to us?  He was not rich he didn't have a pillow to lay his head upon. Today my Jesus would look like a homeless man or perhaps we would see him as mentally insane.

He spent His time with criminals and those that are considered the least among us. Did you know he had a heart for the poor, so which place would  He come to eat Sabbath meal at your house or among those that were forgotten by society?

Its time we decide which Jesus do we serve but I'm not sure we understand what that means to be like Christ,

Jesus said to live like HIM, love like HIM but then does that mean we must be willing to die for HIM as he died for you and I???

Can we be Imitators of Christ? Can we live like our Savior?  Which one do you want to be ? I turned on the TV set today and heard a man preaching Jesus wants to make you rich and that he never intended for us to be poor.  Is that the Jesus your seeking??? Heard a pastor say that his Jesus says that we should never be sad. Yet my Jesus wept when heard his good friend was dead. So which Jesus do you serve?  I know that I want to be more like my Savior and less like me.  I want to be an imitator of my Savior what about you????