Monday, October 5, 2009

You Have the Power

Matthew 18: 19-20 I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they make ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered in My name, I am there in their midst.

There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in fellowship and in numbers. Power to live the life promised to you comes in fellowship and agreement with others. Dont isolate yourself from other believers.

When you come into agreement with other believers, Satan has to flee. He cant stand it when two or more believers in Jesus get together in prayer. For many years, Satan has tried to stop the movement of Jesus but like a mighty army, the church keeps moving onward.

We have the power in the name of Jesus. Though Satan rages, you cant be defeated because you have the power in the name of Jesus Christ. Use His name when you face battles you cant win.

Remember Jesus promised that when two or more of us get together in His name and ask for help He would answer. Today find another Christian and ask Jesus to give you the power to overcome whatever obstacle stands in your way of victory.

The battle has already been won all you have to do is walk in that victory. You will not be defeated in the name of Jesus. You will soar like an eagle today in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, you will see mountains moved. In the mighty name of Jesus, you will see your life change.

Today be determine to find other believers and join hands with them in prayer and power. You dont have to go through this life alone, find others, and find power in the name of Jesus Christ.

Prayer Focus: Lord, lead to me to others who share my faith in You. Teach me how to use your power to overcome obstacles in my life.

Dr Bob Wilkerson is author of the book, "I Will Not Be Defeated Anymore". He is dedicated to helping others recover from life altering circumstances. Dr. Bob is a motivational speaker/singer with a true life story of God's power to change any individuals life. If your Church or organization is looking for a dynamic speaker/singer please email him today. challenger7777@gmail.com

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Separation of Church and State? Says Who?

Excerpts from fellowship about the real Jesus and the role of Christians in society today:

If you understood that Yeshua is the I AM - He not only had the Canaanites destroyed for their pagan religious practices, He sent Israel and Judah into captivity for refusing to follow His biblical religion and as Yeshua drove out of "My Father's House" the moneychangers with a whip in His hand! Certainly that was met with raised eyebrows and shaking of heads, not to mention FEAR! Yes, fear religion!

And anybody who is a Christian who dares to deny that Christ will rule, as necessary with a ROD OF IRON, enforcing PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, simply is either in denial or woefully ignorant of the biblical King of Kings and Lord of Lords who will soon reign on Earth from Jerusalem with TOUGH LOVE!

You're talking Old Testament.

I'm talking the Law and the Prophets that Yeshua upheld and will enforce when He reigns perfectly from Jerusalem with TOUGH LOVE, giving different strokes for different folks.

Notice that God hasn't ordered the execution of anyone since Jesus walked the earth.

Yes, He has, time and again through the Law and the Prophets that haven't been made null and void by the tender mercies of our God, the Sermon on the Mount, except for those who are truly repentant as we can best determine with the help of God. Why do you think it is written about the ministers of State: "He bears not the SWORD in vain?" And that such ministers of state are to enforce the Law of God, serving as the vengeance of God? Romans 13 shows God has ordered the execution and other forms of punishment upon lawbreakers since Christ, since His Word remains true and hasn't changed or been altered to accommodate fickle men and fleeting societies.

Jesus never told us to establish any form of government on earth. He clearly taught that His kingdom was not of this earth. If He wanted a government here now, He would have made one here, now. We, as disciples, are not called to rule here or even govern here.

Now you sound like the traditional Worldwide Church of God and those groups who have forsaken it in droves since the Great Apostasy after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, concerning avoiding politics, shirking your responsibilities, your civic DUTIES, failing to render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's, and by such woeful neglect and sinful negligence, have forfeited the reigns of government to the wicked and then cry about how awful things are! "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." I submit they're not such good men or they would do something!

Yeshua revealed HIS Kingdom of God-Beings, the ruling Kingdom-Family of God administering the Law of God, is yet future, that's true, of which He will be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. However, as the I AM, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He has established an earthly kingdom called Israel and Judah today, our family of nations - the Anglo-Saxon and white peoples of Northwestern Europe with our Jewish brethren. And to us, which includes those called to be Christians now: "REMEMBER THE LAW OF MOSES MY SERVANT WITH THE STATUTES AND JUDGMENTS" (Malachi 4:4).

God calls upon our Israelite family of nations to RESTORE HIS LAW AND ORDER, and we'll receive blessing to the degree we love and obey and He will bless our NATIONAL EFFORTS that reflect national repentance, learning to go by God's Word as LAW, trusting in His wisdom, rather than leaning to our own understanding with all our different political parties of men. We must recognize we are suffering national curses for national disobedience and repent and avert further national disasters (Daniel 9:11). God will draw near to us as we draw near to Him. God's Kingdom on Earth has always been through the physical descendants of Jacob-Israel, and we're to be a TYPE of the future Kingdom of God-Beings that will reign over us as we reign over other nations.

We are called to be Christ on earth. To show others by our example, who He is. Would Jesus have advocated war? How about slaughter?

Yes, we are called to reflect Christ on Earth, and our NATION is called to reflect GOD on Earth, as a "Light to all nations," a MODEL NATION for others to follow, seeing our sound mindedness and wisdom, peace and prosperity from following God's heavenly law here on Earth.

Christ would certainly advocate war, if and whenever necessary, without hesitation, as revealed in the Law and the Prophets, the Law of Moses that our peoples and professing Christians have forgotten to our confusion and shame! Onward Christian Soldiers!

This is where groups like the KKK confuse the heck out of me. They obviously don't know Christ. If they did, they'd know that He'd never treat another human the way they do.

I don't know a single member of the KKK and from personal experience know how a group's beliefs can be misrepresented by hysterical mobs. If the KKK is biblical on this or that, I support them on this or that. Where they're not biblical, I would say so and not offer support but call upon them to change.

The racist NAACP obviously doesn't know Christ or they wouldn't judge everything falsely by the color of someone's skin rather than the content of character (while ignoring national issues that are biblically based on ethnicity), and they wouldn't hold people down and under and back so they can keep their self-important positions they've prostituted themselves for at the expense of their own people whom they've sold down the river, listening to the siren calls of the race hucksters like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, both of whom should move to Africa and lead the way and create opportunities for others to follow. I would support them expressing such creativity in action instead of always cursing the real or imagined darkness rather than lighting a candle.

So many people claim to be followers of Jesus, then turn right around and go against His teachings. Jesus taught us to turn the cheek, love our enemy, bring peace and love to the sick and hurting. Deliver others of demons and heal the sick. I see none of this in our government body and I see very, very little of this in the corporate church body.

God's one government has two branches. Jesus was talking to individuals (Sermon the Mount) and He was talking to the NATION (10 Commandments/Law of Moses) when He revealed how we are to live. So many people claim to be followers of Jesus, then turn right around and go against His teachings. He said to expel sworn enemies from our Land; to execute various criminals and cleanse the Land, to wage war, if and whenever necessary, and not to show the mercy of fools to nations or individuals who hate our guts and would slit our throats their first opportunity. We're to love our neighbor as ourselves, not more than ourselves.

Yeshua said to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves." He was referring to an ATTITUDE, a willingness to go the extra mile, out of our way, but not indefinitely! If we take all of Yeshua's teaching on any given subject, rather than twist His teachings into some hippy pacifism, you'll see there's a time and a place, which is why He could act so violent and knock over tables and chairs and drive both men and animals from the Temple with a WHIP IN HIS HAND!

Certainly doesn't fit the traditional false image, does it? His harsh words against the religious leaders of His day certainly weren't smooth and pleasant to listen to, especially if you were on the receiving end of His verbal attacks! And when He reigns, He will rule with a ROD OF IRON and rebuke some nations, punish others and even destroy some.

Folks would do well to not try to tell the REAL JESUS about His teachings or to remember His Sermon on the Mount! Jesus will perfectly exercise the Law of Moses tempered by the Sermon on the Mount, as divine wisdom calls for, and we're called to whatever extent we're offered in this life to do the same, whether it's in the home, office, pulpit or political position. That's why our kings, our rulers, are commanded by God to read and study His Word daily that it may be the LAW OF THE LAND, and they can be humbled by realizing they're merely human instruments of God's grace, God's rod and staff.

David Ben-Ariel, a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall, shares a special focus on the Middle East, reflected in hard-hitting articles that help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

Redeeming the Time

The more we surrender our time to God, the less time will seem like an oppressive, systematic partitioning of days, hours and minutes. As God's Spirit consumes our time, the more it will seem like a wonderful mystery, awaiting definition from Him who is our Owner and Manager. And the pace at which He defines our lives is one day at a time. Of course we should be reasonable and dependable, utilizing our brains and adapting ourselves to wherever we are. But we need never live like machines or errand-runners.

Jesus' preference is a more relational, eastern point of view than the western, task-driven point of view. If we want to imitate Christ in our time usage, then we should perceive our lives as a patient movement from one loving relationship to next. This is opposed to the western standard for relationships, which is to treat people as means to accomplishing our chores. In the same way that Jesus saw eternal value in dealing kindly with whomever God put in His path, so also we should value and love whomever God places in front of us. As for how many people and exactly who we know, this is up to Christ who leads us. Don't worry, this is not a random process.

We westerners tend to be impatient because we reserve the right to get certain things done by a certain time. We feel annoyed when anyone fails to return our phone calls promptly or doesn't show up when they said they would. It seems outrageous to us that someone might turn down the vast honor we afforded them by fitting them into our schedules.

Granted, if I have appointments, I intend to keep them. But success for me does not depend on any person showing up when I expect them to. I will deliberately utilize my time for good, but this depends first of all on what is Christ's idea of "good." And if my time requires defending, then Christ will rise to the task, just as He defends and represents me in every other area of life. This makes sense, that I should leave it up to Him to manage what belongs to Him. Practically speaking, this means I have every reason to be patient.

Knowing Christ is the solace that assuages the steaming stupidity of road-rage. We have unbeatable freedom knowing that He is the ultimate Steward and Guardian of our time, even despite all the crowded freeways, jammed intersections and long lines in the world. He is our Reality Check as we sit in our little privacy-bubbles-on-wheels, getting hot-headed despite all our top-of-the-line, bubble-climate-controls. Our knowledge of God's greatness swallows up every reason to "loose it" during any situation that isn't going according to our preference. A Christ-follower who was arrested for his faith could sit in prison for decades and yet, because he sits by faith, he knows that Christ is still Lord over the passing years.

A Christ-dependent outlook on time frees a person from thousands of other distractions that seem like "good" things. We who know Christ know the One who is more fulfilling than every innovative distraction the world has to offer. Not that invention and improvement are bad things, but Christ-followers are called to focus all time and energy and attention on God's kingdom, regardless of whatever nice things are available for our tinkering.

We will strive toward maturity when we use less energy wrestling with itineraries and more energy wrestling with God's Spirit. It will never be a list of chores that helps us draw near to Christ or any heavenly goal.

Patrick is an average Christ-seeker. His goal is to turn people to Jesus Christ.

http://www.BooksByPatrick.com

An Explanation for the Existence of the Christian God Movie Video

Here's a pretty good interview about someone explaining the existence of God.

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Peaceful Warrior God

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.

Greg is currently working on a christian video library filled with great movies on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Youth Ministry Myths

1. All Play and No Work. Whoever believes this one has never hosted a Junior High Lock-In. As in any ministry, working with youth has many unaccounted hours that the members never see. They see the cookout, but miss the 1 a.m. call from the police station. They see the beach retreat, but miss the flat tire along the way. They see the pizza party, but miss the 10 hour drive back from the work camp.

Tip: Combat this myth by keeping the congregation more informed about mission trips and service projects and less informed on the fun activities (since thats all they think you do anyway).

2. Keeping the Church Informed Will Solve Any Misconceptions. Dont use this as an excuse to keep people in the dark, but there will be some who think the worst of you and your ministry no matter how hard you try to explain it. Some will think the lock-in is a sex-in. Some will think the contemporary praise is Satans tool.

Tip: Combat this myth by thoroughly explaining the purpose behind each event.

3. Working with Christians Is Easy. Christians can be some of the most unforgiving, harsh, and judgmental people you will ever encounter.

Tip: Combat this myth by being like Christ no matter how unChrist-like some of the people you work with may seem.

4. Staff Relations are Fantastic. Sometimes the staff will seem like a dream, and other times like a drip. Jealousy, gossip, clashing personalities, can quickly grip a staff. One co-worker may feel that another is trying to take over his position. Another may feel that she is being pushed out because of age.

Tip: Combat this myth by putting forth your best effort to make the staff fantastic. Never let it be said of you that you are the one being difficult.

5. If You are Open and Honest with Teens, They Will Be Open and Honest with You. You can be as open as an entrance with no door and some kids wont tell you a thing. Instead, they may go behind your back and make fun of your openness.

Tip: Combat this myth by continuing to be open because of the impact it will have on the teen who will choose to open up. Never let the negatives of the few over come the blessing of the many.

Protect your youth ministry from these myths and create a stronger base for your support and longevity.

Al Millergren is the co-founder of Teen Life Ministries a youth ministry resource site. Teen Life's free weekly tips reach over 35,000 youth workers. Sign up at http://www.teenlifeministries.com or visit the youth ministry blog.

Struggling With Spiritual

I have wrestled with this thing called your spiritual side for many a year. When someone would say to me, you need to get in touch with your spiritual side I would close down. I was brought up in a strict religious, church going family. I started rebelling against the church when I was a teenager, so when someone said I needed to get in touch with my spiritual side; to me they were saying go back to church.

Now for me that was not an option. I had tried going back to a few different churches and I could never find one that I felt comfortable with. A few years ago I started re-reading the Bible, it had been at least forty years since I had even looked at one. I guess I picked up one that had been changed, because it was saying things that were different than what I had been taught as a kid. Of course it was the same bible that my folks had given me when I was about fourteen. I guess maybe because I was just reading it without any preconceived notions, or maybe because I read the whole thing and not just the selected parts.

This started me on a quest, which Ill probably be on for the rest of my life. The problem I have with most churches is that they accept the bible as the final word and wont even look at any other evidence of history. If there is anything said that might contradict how they have been told to interpret it, they just say its not possible. To me that is just not acceptable. Im sure there are those who say we dont have to look because we know this is the truth. For myself, I have found that a lot of what we thought we knew as truth, turned out to be something entirely different.

About this point your probably wondering ok where is he going with all of this, weve heard all these religious arguments before. True enough, I am just trying to establish where I am coming from. This spiritual thing is a whole new ball game for me.

OK what is this spiritual side? To me it is getting to know and accept yourself. Once you start down that path, then you start to realize, you have to also love yourself. For those of us that have been around for over a half a century that is a little hard to come to grips with. After all, men had to be tough, showing emotions was not allowed. Wonder whom the insidious jackass that came up with that was?

Lets go back to loving yourself, just what does that mean. Like any form of love putting it in words is never easy. I mean, gee whiz I want to be taller, more muscular, better looking, etc. I dont believe that is what this is about. We have to accept our inter-self, how we think, act and react. When someone cuts you off in traffic, can you just forgive them? How about when it happens apologize to them for being in the way. Wow now hes gone off the deep end. Well maybe, but I have read some who say that any negative reaction is caused by our own self and if we apologize to the person that we think created that negative reaction then both will benefit.

If we cant love ourselves then how can we love anyone else? Is love, hate too strong? Well if we are uncomfortable with who we are, isnt that going to cloud how we see others? When you look up the original word for devil in the bible, one of the definitions in Strongs concordance when translated into English is adversary. Now who is our biggest adversary? In my opinion our biggest adversary is our own ego. Does your own ego keep you from loving yourself? I think it does, because we dont want to admit that we are wrong, or something we did caused the problem, no it had to be the other person. That brings to mind a saying I heard years ago, My situation is myself. Darn I think that means Im responsible for myself.

Once we can love ourselves, we can begin to love others. Now the bible says to love your enemy, thats a tough one. Well how about when someone does something that we disagree with or is against your core beliefs. What if instead of getting mad or upset with that person or thing you stopped and thought to yourself, that poor person sure must be lacking in love. Put your love out, if you cant direct it directly to that person or thing just put love out to the universe and let it go where it will do the most good. If they will accept it good if they cant then someone else can have the benefit.

If I had heard that a few years ago, I probably have said what in the world is he talking about? Has he become one of those New Ager guys with all kinds of wild ideas? Putting love out into the universe, how can you do that? Maybe thats what this spiritual side is about. Because it makes sense to me now and I can feel love and wish love to go out from me to someone or just out to the universe for whom ever needs it. Its actually a great feeling when you do it and as the old saying goes what goes around, comes around. Now I dont know about you, but for me I prefer to have love coming back to me.

Charlie Phillips has been in construction, and has done everything from labor, carpenter, heavy equipment operator and contractor. Owned and operated of his own truck over forty-eight states and three provinces in Canada. He never attempted much writing until he came across a little tool called spell checker. There are no titles after his name, just a lot of life experiences. Website: http://www.charliephillips.net

North Korean Gulag

North Korea is a land we need to love and pray for. Absolutely no attempt is being made to defame or deride a person or a nation by the following descriptions. But the story must be told by a free people. Holding our mouths shut may be "wise" but for the victims it is fatal.

Mr. David Hawk describes the entire hierarchy of prisons to be found in North Korea as a "gulag" reminding us of the terminology tossed around decades ago when even at that time we humans thought we had come of age. But the problem persists.

If you have a problem with claustrophobia as do I, the subject matter here may be difficult.The thought of going to an enclosure where I will be locked in for an unknown period of time is pure torment. Add to it that I go there because I was hungry and looking for food, or because I am a Christian, or because I accidentally crumpled a newspaper with a picture of my government's leader on it... unspeakable horror.

Hawk divides the NK prison system like this:

First there are the Kwan-li-so, to which a prisoner is banished for life with his entire family. It is run by the federal government. It is huge, covering as much as four or five hundred square miles! Tens of thousands of prisoners can be in such a place. The prisoners are "politicals" , that is, persons who said or thought something against the government.

The Kyo-hwa-so is smaller. There is much hard labor. It is for those who commit "normal" crimes, but some political prisoners are mixed in. Sentences are set. But many persons die due to the hard work expected of them before their sentence is up. The true "penitentiary."

Then there is the Ka-mok or Ku-ryu-jang. These are along the northern border, where escapees can get to China. When it is their misfortune to be returned to their home country, it is here that they are interrogated and punished. We'd call this a "jail."

The jip-kyul-so is for low-level crimes and for repatriated refugees. They can stay here for up to six months of hard labor. Here there is a high death rate because of the nature of the work and the serious lack of food.

And then there is the ro-dong-dan-ryeon-dae, where sentences are even shorter, created by locals to deal with the over-flow of famine-related cases.

Odd. Here we say that misfortunes such as hunger are worthy of compassion, aid, support. We may nopt agree with "religious" people but we have a certain respect for them. And one may speak against leadership freely here, even try, using the system available, to replace that leader. All these things are worth of imprisonment and death "over there."

Continued tip of the day, and the only real reason I share all of this: Prayer really does change things, people, and situations. So pray!

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

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

Friday, October 2, 2009

Dying with Jesus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daniel's 70 Weeks and the Antichrist

In a detailed study of the "70 weeks" of Daniel (chapter 9),one thing emerges right away. The seventieth "seven" (week) does not immediately follow the sixty-ninth. Verse 27 speaks of an end to sacrifice and offering. We know for certain that when Daniel speaks of this happening, he is speaking of the end time, not of Antiochus of old. We have Gabriel's word on that in chapter 8. But now we have Daniel himself admitting that this does not occur until Jesus is killed, some 200 years after Antiochus!

We have a problem of a different sort if we try to attach this verse to the Romans of A.D. 70. The Spirit says there are 490 years, and that after 490 years, the Millennium begins, sin is gone, etc. Those who try to stop the "clock" at Jesus (as they should) but start it up again with Titus (A.D.70), will find that the clock runs out in A.D. 77, with no return of Christ. That was the dilemma of thinking back in those days, when Jesus did not come, though the "abomination" had surely occurred. They thought.

In fact, the only place to put a final "week" or seven years, is in the end of history. But that is done easily enough, because that is where Jesus places the event of the end of sacrifices, and the following abomination and desolations that verse 27 mentions.

Ultimately, this series of events we are studying does not end with the abomination, the desolations, the end of sacrifices, the surrounding of the city, the army. All of this is present, but my question has to do with the man. In verse 26 there is one called "the prince who is to come." This same one seems to be referred to in 27, as "he" and "one who makes desolate."

I cannot prove here that all three of these persons are one. But I think they are. The coming "prince" seems to be the dictator over a revived Roman Empire, the final form of the beast seen by Daniel and John. He makes a treaty with the Jewish people that lasts for one week (27a), or seven years. This same person who made the treaty will break it (27b) half-way through. That's about three and one half years later, leaving another three and one half years for judgment and chaos, the Great Tribulation. It is this three and one half year period that is mentioned in Daniel and Revelation as Earth's final time.

The prince thus starts the "clock" of Judaism ticking again. No matter that Jewish sacrifices cannot take away sin. They never could. They pointed to Christ. They will still point to Him. No matter that God is not commanding a Temple be built. The Jewish people will be like Israel of old, seeking to go to the Promised Land after God has already pronounced judgment. They will be given seven years to play all of this out, a new Temple, revived worship in the Jewish way, world-wide prominence, even peace for a time. But only a short time. Then the reversal, followed by what Daniel seems to be calling an outpouring of judgment . He uses the word consummation, and "poured out", reminding us of the bowl judgments of the book of Revelation, chapter 16. And he pinpoints the "one who makes desolate." Notice here it is not referred to in the neuter sense. Not a "thing" placed in the Temple, but a man.

It is said this man will be on the "wing" of abominations (9:27). The old King James used the word "overspreading," but that word would be a very uncommon usage of the Hebrew "kawnawf". "Wing", as in a bird, is a common usage of that word in Scripture. It can even refer to angels' wings. I was a bit taken aback as I searched further and found that it is the wings of cherubim (man-made) that sit above the Ark of the Covenant, and are a part of the "mercy seat" Moses was commanded to make. According to Exodus 25:22, God ordained that this would be the special place where he would speak with his man, between the two overspreading wings of the cherubim. Here God would actually appear "in the cloud above the mercy seat" (Exodus 16:2). Is it possible that when the Jews put together this magnificent structure again that they will create once more the "mercy seat" in all its detail? And will the one who is so jealous of our God decide to sit there and mock His Holy Name before the world? Could this be the "wings" of abomination?

Be that as it may, the clock of old Jewishness ends when the final earthly-satanic messiah is cast into the Lake of Fire and Christ's true Judaism is set up in the Holy City. Soon perhaps will come one who will announce to the world that the clock of Israel is about to begin its last workings.

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

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

What I Learned From A Hoeryong Prison

Such presumption. To suggest that I actually suffered in North Korea and have returned to tell you about it. How arrogant and insensitive.

But I have learned something from the sufferings of others there. I've learned to obey the Biblical mandate to "remember the prisoners." I learn from the saints there to trust God one day at a time in my own negative situations. I'm seeing that one must wait for God to open prison doors, but that one must continue to be faithful while waiting.

I hear them teach me that God's grace is sufficient.

I learn from Hoeryong that carrying the cross is not for a selected few, but for all who would follow the crucified Christ. I learn that things don't matter, but people do, and One Person in particular. I am learning that I actually need the cross, and I need the North Koreans more than they need me.

It is certainly a romantic notion that I actually desire what they have, though I want to believe that I do. I have seen my grumbling ways over the smallest of difficulties. My tolerance for pain or even discomfort or inconvenience is near zilch. Yet the spirit touched by God that He is making me, reaches out to the fellowship of His suffering and ignites a burning of the heart. There is a sweetness about it somehow. The days I spent with the suffering church in Romania were among the most difficult yet the most blessed ever.

I think that in seeing these saints move on in spite of the pain, in viewing their patience, their selflessness, I have seen Christ. It is Him I desire after all. But how shall I ever attain to this vision? I who have lived in a land of plenty, where balance is a virtue, and the quest for security is downright heroic. Very few have ripped off the mask of these two impostors to see that one is lukewarmness and the other is the love of this present evil world.

I invite my readers today to visit North Korea sites and gather more information with which to approach the Father. May we not be swallowed up with distractions. Jesus is still in great pain.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website made to ask believers to pray for North Korea. Recently I have added Bible teachings to the menu. There are nearly 300 blogs , a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com. Audio teachings at sermonaudio.com under my name.

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

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Only God Can Do This

The subject today is church unity.
Most people point to John 17 when speaking of church unity, and so will I.

Point one. This prayer of Jesus is addressed to God, not the church. There is nothing in this chapter that any man should try to do. Jesus asked His Father for grace on the church of all ages, and we believe the Father granted that grace.

Point two. Specifically, the prayers for unity offered in John 17 were given to God. Unity of the type that Jesus prayed for MUST be created by God. When man attempts it, it starts looking like the old "Holy" Roman Empire, with its political correctness, its lack of toleration for dissension, its hierarchy, its made-to-order meetings, its uniforms, and its armies standing by to enforce the rules in the flesh. This is not God's unity.

Point three. There's a clue given to us in verse 21 of John 17 as to what kind of unity Jesus prayed for. Jesus said that He wants us one "so that the world may believe You sent Me."

Now I ask you, when Christendom was assembled under one roof, threatening the world with total control, did the people of this world want to come to Jesus and examine His claims? Was repentance on their mind because the "Church" was "one"? I think not! In fact, the world hurried away from that to our shores and others' so as to be able to seek God on their own! And seek Him they did. That sort of seeking has been going on ever since.

Here is Christian unity: a Christian prisoner of the Nazis lives her life to such an extent that a brutal guard working for those same Nazis wants to come to Christ, and is even forgiven totally by that same prisoner who bore his abuses, and those two are united in Jesus' love, I say the world looks at that unity, and says "I want this Christ." (The true story of Corrie Ten Boom)

Men, get your hands off of John 17. Let God do the work of saving and thus unifying His people in His Spirit, and using THAT kind of unity to reach this world.

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

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

The Story of Chosun, Part 9

It is the 14th century . In England, the Reformation of the church of Jesus Christ gets underway. In America, the native citizens still rule. And on the Korean peninsula there's trouble in the south. Its focal point is a little island that is now a honeymoon spot for Koreans. My wife and I visited it once. No love is wasted on Cheju-do (then, Quelpart Island) in the 1300's. Rebellion against Koryo/Mongolia is brewing.

Soon the Mongols overrun the area and the rebellion is quelled. But there is a rebellion that is nearly impossible to stop once it gets underway, namely the corruption that wastes away a people when its king is evil. North Korea to this day suffers from such a malaise.

Several kings in a row vie with each other for low debauchery levels. And rather than take personal interest in their people,they all want to stay in Peking, the center of power and wealth. Chosun suffers from neglect.

In 1329 the horrible excesses of the court defy description. In 1340 the next son is the same, some say even worse. The Emperor has him brought to Peking, from whence he is exiled, and dies. Then there is an 8-year-old king who dies at age 16. "Sin is a reproach to any people," says the Bible.

Then it is the Japanese. Again. From 1350-1400, Korea's neighbors behave much like the infamous Vikings.

In 1333 the last Mongol Emperor comes to throne. He too is licentious. His name is Tohan Timur. Finally in 1355, there is a rebellion against the old Mongol Dynasty. Chu Yuan-chang takes Nanking. The Mongols ask Koryo for aid against the rising Ming dynasty. Koryo is faithful to the end. For Koryo's sake, not just because of a great love for Mongols. And there is less and less loyalty as the Mongols fall.

Slowly the king of Koryo rises to the task of reorganizing the nation as the Mongols slip away into history and the new Ming Dynasty supplants them.

1359. The Japanese raids reach such alarming proportions that a wall must be built.And as they create the wall, yet another threat of trouble appears in the form of the "red head robbers", Hong du juk . They try to set up the Sung Dynasty again. They get to Pyongyang but then are driven out.

In 1360, the Japanese reach Kangwha island, the palace, the center of Koryo's heart. Quickly the Capital is moved to Seoul because it is farther inland, not within reach of Japanese raiders.

Next the Red-heads return, defeat the army, and take Song-bo. There are orgies. Horrible excesses, children are eaten...

But King Ta-jo captures their leader and the story goes that 100,000 people die in one night. Bodies are heaped up in Kaesong, the city in the news this very day as Kim Jong-il says all bets are off on his new cooperation with South Korea in that town..

Many myths grow up about this Ta-jo (as is true of the Kim dynasty heads of today)...

Yet another problem in Korea is pointed out by historian Hulbert, whom we have been following. He says the curse of Korean history is the constant lies given by one Korean man to another in authority, out of jealousy for a 3rd man. The one in authority believes and acts accordingly. Often good men are killed.

Mongolians. Japanese. Red-heads. Corrupt rulers. Liars. Problems within and without. Is there a solution for it all? We are asking that God's people pray that Jesus be allowed to take His place in the North as He has in the South. That should help quite a bit... But Christians are not only out to "change the world." Our job is to preach the Gospel. But even that cannot be done effectively, nationally, at this time. Lots of praying still to do!

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

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

North Korea - A Second Quiz

North Korea's a pretty isolated place, but there are still quite a few things we know. Try these:

1. How big is the North Korean army?

2. How many Koreans have risked imprisonment and death by fleeing from this Communist "Paradise" ?

3. What percent of North Korea is mountainous?

4. What percent of NK's 18,000 miles of roads is paved?

5. What religion dominated the land before Christianity/atheism?

6. How long has Kim Jong Il reigned?

7. Is there any prosperity in North Korea?

8. What was Korea's name before it was called Korea?

9. Just how far back does Korean history go?

10. What is Korea's most famous food?

Answers:

1. Perhaps one million? It is the 4th or 5th largest in the world. It is the reason Korea can continue to wreak havoc on its people. It is the reason for the widespread starvation. It is the reason the man in the middle can turn an angry face to the West and spurn the world's warnings. Let us pray for the Lord of armies to do what only He is able to do...

2. Upwards to 50,000 are now living in Northeast China. Many others have fled to South Korea, Mongolia, other parts of China, even the United States.

3. 80. A truly rugged land.

4. 10

5. Buddhism (later overtaken by "non-religion" Confucianism)

6. Too long. Since 1994. But the Lord of all Lords knows what is going on and will rise up...

7. Yes. Obviously the government and the military show the world a face of fatness. The farther a visitor is able to travel from Pyongyang, the more the tragedy of North Korea is revealed. 8. For one thousand years prior to this era it was known as "Choson", the land of "morning calm." 9. Up to 5,000 years, but much of that is blended in with mythology. Fabled figure "Tangun" was said to have set up Korea's first dynasty sometime between Noah's flood and the days of Abraham. (2333 B.C.)

10. Kimchi. Spicy cabbage. Very hot.

Loving our neighbors involves knowing them. Please continue to pray for these descendants of the morning calm who long for the calm of morning to dawn on them. Oh may Christ be once more lifted up in this land!

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

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

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Imagine Jesus' Children Reporting Directly to God

Now what if, Jesus actually had a son, and his son followed the Old Testament rule of being fruitful and multiply. Each one of Jesus' kids had at least 10 kids and by now there's thousands of his descendants all over the world and these guys are watching everything that's going on around them and reporting everything directly to God.

Imagine this, every one of his kids have down syndrome, are handicapped, blind, deaf, homeless, homosexuals and the worst of all, atheists. They have been strategically positioned all over the world to gather information on how, Christians actually treat other people.

Every time that a homeless person has asked you for spare change and you haven't given them anything, this would count as one black mark against you, on the great chalkboard at Judgment Day.

Every sign you held up, rejecting gay marriage or abortion, would count as five black marks. Each one of these people or any other person, who you had intentionally hurt their feelings, would be 15 black marks.

Every time that you lied to another Christian, this would be 50 black marks. If a Christian lied to a nonbeliever, especially when trying to convince them that the Bible is the written Word of God, this would be 150 black marks.

Jesus' children would be reporting directly to him on a daily basis, through the use of the Internet, God's Internet that is. Every Christian who thought they were doing the Lord's work, could actually be in grave danger.

You only get a thousand black marks and if you're 150 black mark short of entering heaven, you will have plenty of time, as you burn in eternal lake of fire, forever. Think about it, the next time that you lie to someone, refuse generosity, or try to convince someone that the Bible is actually the written word of God.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, You Can Have It All

Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Thanks for reading my articles

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Financial Burdens From Church Leaders

I really can't believe how many people that don't have enough money and could be living below poverty levels, often he as much as they can to their religious organizations. It saddens me to see those who don't have enough to eat, giving money to their church, even though they needed more than God does.

I realize that the Bible tells its followers to give at least 10% of their earnings to their church or temple. The problem is, that the Bible doesn't provide any information for people that constantly give money to the church, even though they can't afford to. They need this money for food and to educate their children.

I guess it's okay, to form a dependency on your church, even though you could provide for yourself, if you didn't give away all of your money. There are plenty of churches that will provide their patrons with close, food and some of them will even provide shelter for the poor or homeless.

The financial burdens that are produced by some church leaders, make me sick. They make those who can't afford to give, feel guilty and this guilt eats away at them like a cancerous disease, working its way through your vital and important body parts.

I'm going to suggest something to the church leaders. Quit making people feel guilty, simply because you need more money to accomplish the things that you are planning to do. It doesn't really matter, if the stuff that you are doing is great for wonderful, if you're doing it at the expense of others.

I would also like to give some advice to those people who can't afford to give away their money. Quit giving it away. Save your money, feed your family, by your own clothes, and save up for your children's education.

Some of, the money that you are giving to your religious organization, might be squandered away on your church leaders programs. These programs might have nothing to do with God's desire for a better world.

Click Here For A Fascinating Journey Into Christianity - Great Book About The Bible

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

If your interested in a different point of view READ THESE ARTICLES - Great Articles For Christians

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Thanks

My Message From God - Christian Spirituality

This is a special article to me and I would like to share it with you. It seems like, every one that I have ever met, who refers to themselves as Christians, have received a special message from God.

I would like to share my message from God with every person in the world.

Why would God go out of his way to create evil people? To create people that wouldn't convert to his religion. To understand the true meaning of the one true religion. To have the ability to comprehend the truth and wisdom of Christianity.

I have been listening to Christians for years, talk about evil, the influence of the Bible on Christians, gifts from God, questioning their beliefs, lacking understanding for things that God doesn't give them or things that he takes away from them and excluding sinners from their lives.

I've been listening to Christians talk about love and caring, but excluding sinners, homosexuals and women from their church. Not allowing women to hold decision of authority or allowing them to perform certain tasks, inside of the Church.

I've been listening to Christians, quote from the Bible, with limited knowledge of the origins of that individual Bible verse, let alone the origins of their church or how Christianity was formed.

I've listened to them judge me for my beliefs and condemn others for theirs, while they are telling me about decision's they are making within their own lives, that don't support Christianity.

Just because you go to church, read the Bible or simply believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, doesn't make you an educated Christian. It only makes you a Christian.

My message from God is simple. Learn more about Christianity and this will allow you to do one of two things. Either you will become a stronger Christian or you will relinquish your beliefs in Christianity.

Either way you will have learned more about Christianity and could consider yourself an educated Christian or simply an educated person.

Advanced Bible Study

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Click here if you're a Spiritual Chrsitian.

Could Christian Pride Get You in Trouble?

There's a good chance that most of us know at least one person who seems to be very prideful. These people are often hard to deal with and can easily get their feelings hurt. When someone who has a lot of pride, gets trapped in a corner, they often come out swinging in full attack mode.

When a Christian has a lot of pride, and is faced with a problem about their religion, the opposition had better be prepared, especially if this person is large and intimidating. I'm not referring to every Christian here, I'm not even referring to every Christian with a lot of pride either, I'm referring to Christians who mix their prideful beliefs with factual evidence.

These people can often become stubborn and the more that you push or pull, the deeper they dig their heels in, until they can't even be moved in either direction. It's almost like they're feet are buried in a large concrete slab of cement.

Yes pride can get you into trouble, they key is, knowing how to get yourself out of trouble. When someone approaches you with a question about your beliefs that you don't have the answer to, simply respond with," I will have to do some research and get back with you."

Don't let your pride get in the way and create an enemy out of someone that could provide you with some useful information about other beliefs or even your own religion. Think about it, your pride can often dig holes that you might not be able to get out of.

Eliminate Bible Propaganda

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Click here if you're Interested in Christianity.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Imagine Jesus' Children Reporting Directly to God

Now what if, Jesus actually had a son, and his son followed the Old Testament rule of being fruitful and multiply. Each one of Jesus' kids had at least 10 kids and by now there's thousands of his descendants all over the world and these guys are watching everything that's going on around them and reporting everything directly to God.

Imagine this, every one of his kids have down syndrome, are handicapped, blind, deaf, homeless, homosexuals and the worst of all, atheists. They have been strategically positioned all over the world to gather information on how, Christians actually treat other people.

Every time that a homeless person has asked you for spare change and you haven't given them anything, this would count as one black mark against you, on the great chalkboard at Judgment Day.

Every sign you held up, rejecting gay marriage or abortion, would count as five black marks. Each one of these people or any other person, who you had intentionally hurt their feelings, would be 15 black marks.

Every time that you lied to another Christian, this would be 50 black marks. If a Christian lied to a nonbeliever, especially when trying to convince them that the Bible is the written Word of God, this would be 150 black marks.

Jesus' children would be reporting directly to him on a daily basis, through the use of the Internet, God's Internet that is. Every Christian who thought they were doing the Lord's work, could actually be in grave danger.

You only get a thousand black marks and if you're 150 black mark short of entering heaven, you will have plenty of time, as you burn in eternal lake of fire, forever. Think about it, the next time that you lie to someone, refuse generosity, or try to convince someone that the Bible is actually the written word of God.

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:
Greg Vanden Berge is a published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing, and personal development. Check out one of his recommended books, You Can Have It All

Greg is currently working on a self help library filled with great subjects on a wide array of topics, like religion, self help and spiritual changes in the world. His views on religious freedom are slowly changing the way people think about institutional religion.

Thanks for reading my articles

Financial Burdens From Church Leaders

I really can't believe how many people that don't have enough money and could be living below poverty levels, often he as much as they can to their religious organizations. It saddens me to see those who don't have enough to eat, giving money to their church, even though they needed more than God does.

I realize that the Bible tells its followers to give at least 10% of their earnings to their church or temple. The problem is, that the Bible doesn't provide any information for people that constantly give money to the church, even though they can't afford to. They need this money for food and to educate their children.

I guess it's okay, to form a dependency on your church, even though you could provide for yourself, if you didn't give away all of your money. There are plenty of churches that will provide their patrons with close, food and some of them will even provide shelter for the poor or homeless.

The financial burdens that are produced by some church leaders, make me sick. They make those who can't afford to give, feel guilty and this guilt eats away at them like a cancerous disease, working its way through your vital and important body parts.

I'm going to suggest something to the church leaders. Quit making people feel guilty, simply because you need more money to accomplish the things that you are planning to do. It doesn't really matter, if the stuff that you are doing is great for wonderful, if you're doing it at the expense of others.

I would also like to give some advice to those people who can't afford to give away their money. Quit giving it away. Save your money, feed your family, by your own clothes, and save up for your children's education.

Some of, the money that you are giving to your religious organization, might be squandered away on your church leaders programs. These programs might have nothing to do with God's desire for a better world.

Click Here For A Fascinating Journey Into Christianity - Great Book About The Bible

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

If your interested in a different point of view READ THESE ARTICLES - Great Articles For Christians

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Thanks

My Message From God - Christian Spirituality

This is a special article to me and I would like to share it with you. It seems like, every one that I have ever met, who refers to themselves as Christians, have received a special message from God.

I would like to share my message from God with every person in the world.

Why would God go out of his way to create evil people? To create people that wouldn't convert to his religion. To understand the true meaning of the one true religion. To have the ability to comprehend the truth and wisdom of Christianity.

I have been listening to Christians for years, talk about evil, the influence of the Bible on Christians, gifts from God, questioning their beliefs, lacking understanding for things that God doesn't give them or things that he takes away from them and excluding sinners from their lives.

I've been listening to Christians talk about love and caring, but excluding sinners, homosexuals and women from their church. Not allowing women to hold decision of authority or allowing them to perform certain tasks, inside of the Church.

I've been listening to Christians, quote from the Bible, with limited knowledge of the origins of that individual Bible verse, let alone the origins of their church or how Christianity was formed.

I've listened to them judge me for my beliefs and condemn others for theirs, while they are telling me about decision's they are making within their own lives, that don't support Christianity.

Just because you go to church, read the Bible or simply believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, doesn't make you an educated Christian. It only makes you a Christian.

My message from God is simple. Learn more about Christianity and this will allow you to do one of two things. Either you will become a stronger Christian or you will relinquish your beliefs in Christianity.

Either way you will have learned more about Christianity and could consider yourself an educated Christian or simply an educated person.

Advanced Bible Study

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Click here if you're a Spiritual Chrsitian.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The Sabbath in the Book of Acts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. abstain from things polluted by idols

2. abstain from sexual immorality

3. abstain from things strangled, and blood

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outsourcing Your Article Writing

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Albert Einstein's Quotes

Imagination is more important than knowledge, try to figure that one out.

Seek the wisdom and the truth shall set you free.

Hope in Religion

By God's Good Grace Alone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, September 7, 2009

The Day the Disciples Left Jesus

Self-preservation is the natural way. But when Christ does His work in the human heart, self-preservation gives way to the desire for crucifixion with Him. The call is to lose our life in Him.
The disciples of Jesus who surrounded Him in His stay here reflect our own desire to hang on as long as we can to this old life. Consider the episode that concluded Jesus' stay here. It begins with the arrest in the garden. The disciples fled. But look at when they fled. They really already had left Him before the soldiers arrived, as they insisted on sleeping during prayer time.

When the crisis point arrived, they hung on for awhile. They must have hoped for a miracle. They had been in tight places before. They remembered thousands of hungry people with no way of being fed. But they had been fed after all. They remembered hopelessly sick bodies with no way of being healed. Healed after all. Demoniacs, written off by their neighbors and friends and families, with no hope of deliverance. Delivered. Surely Jesus would work a miracle here too, and from here ride to glory and power.

When the miracle did not come, Peter did what we all do when "thinking things out". He engaged the flesh. The sword. Self-preservation. Jesus rebuked him for it, and in so doing, He rebukes all of us who still lean on the flesh to get the Spirit's work done, who still try to live when He says die.

Then Jesus addressed the growing mob in such a way as to signal to the disciples that He believed this horrible scene was all part of the will of God. (Matt 26:54-56.) If we resist, He suggested, how will the Scriptures be fulfilled? That was the disciples' last blow. Oh no! Jesus was really not going to resist arrest. Sure, He had taught them, "resist not evil," "turn the other cheek." It all sounded so fine out in a field with the sun shining and Jesus working miracles. But this was the "real" world, Jesus. Surely not here... No, He was really going to do this. They were all dead men.

Even the swords Jesus had just told them to gather (Luke 22:36) were not to be used. Sorry Jesus, it's time for us to be gone. We love you, but this is too much. We must preserve our lives so this Kingdom will have a chance! All your ideals, dreams, plans, how will they go on if we are dead?

Have you felt the arresting power of the Holy Spirit in your life? Has He used a friend or a job or a situation to bring you to the end of your life? Yes, you can resist arrest. The disciples did. Or you can go ahead and be crucified. If the Holy Spirit is in us, eventually Jesus brings us to a cross, the end. Then of course we realize it is nothing more than a new beginning. The ultimate crucifixion, our death for the cause of Jesus Christ, will lead to the ultimate newness of paradise itself.

I'm not big on dreams and visions, and I don't know exactly what to call this, but I dozed off the other day and in a matter of seconds saw myself standing by a huge rock. Jesus was on the other side of that rock actually trying to rise from the dead. But I remained standing there, blocking His departure.

I woke up, dozed off again, and I saw my back yard, where we have a garden enclosed by a small fence to keep out rabbits. It is held up by a series of stakes. In my very quick dream I saw all the sticks holding up the fence going down one at a time.

When I put these two images together, it seemed God was saying that if a person consents to being arrested by Jesus, not only is he free, but Jesus too is free to do what He wants in that person. I know and affirm that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead. But may Jesus have a chance to live that resurrected life through me. May all my defenses go down, may I not get in His way.

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

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

What I Learned From A Hoeryong Prison

Such presumption. To suggest that I actually suffered in North Korea and have returned to tell you about it. How arrogant and insensitive.

But I have learned something from the sufferings of others there. I've learned to obey the Biblical mandate to "remember the prisoners." I learn from the saints there to trust God one day at a time in my own negative situations. I'm seeing that one must wait for God to open prison doors, but that one must continue to be faithful while waiting.

I hear them teach me that God's grace is sufficient.

I learn from Hoeryong that carrying the cross is not for a selected few, but for all who would follow the crucified Christ. I learn that things don't matter, but people do, and One Person in particular. I am learning that I actually need the cross, and I need the North Koreans more than they need me.

It is certainly a romantic notion that I actually desire what they have, though I want to believe that I do. I have seen my grumbling ways over the smallest of difficulties. My tolerance for pain or even discomfort or inconvenience is near zilch. Yet the spirit touched by God that He is making me, reaches out to the fellowship of His suffering and ignites a burning of the heart. There is a sweetness about it somehow. The days I spent with the suffering church in Romania were among the most difficult yet the most blessed ever.

I think that in seeing these saints move on in spite of the pain, in viewing their patience, their selflessness, I have seen Christ. It is Him I desire after all. But how shall I ever attain to this vision? I who have lived in a land of plenty, where balance is a virtue, and the quest for security is downright heroic. Very few have ripped off the mask of these two impostors to see that one is lukewarmness and the other is the love of this present evil world.

I invite my readers today to visit North Korea sites and gather more information with which to approach the Father. May we not be swallowed up with distractions. Jesus is still in great pain.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website made to ask believers to pray for North Korea. Recently I have added Bible teachings to the menu. There are nearly 300 blogs , a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com. Audio teachings at sermonaudio.com under my name.

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

Jews to Receive Jesus as Israel's King!

Is there strong indication in the Bible that Israel will have a change of heart and accept Yeshua because of the preaching of two prophets in Jerusalem, the Two Witnesses announced in Zechariah 4 and Revelation 11? Will the Jews grasp Jesus is the Anointed One, the Lamb and Lion of God, and finally convert?

Yes! There is definite proof of such as Yeshua clearly said He wouldn't return to Jerusalem, Judah or the Jews until they have a change of heart and welcome Him. The Two Witnesses, in the power and spirit of Elijah (who is dead and buried and awaits the First Resurrection), will prepare the way by preparing our people to receive our King!

Matthew 23:39

39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'

Zechariah the prophet foresees such a long-awaited repentance and recognition! The Jews in Jerusalem will perceive that the Pierced One is the Firstborn of Judah and the Firstborn of God -- our King Messiah!

Zechariah 12:10-15

10 "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David [political establishment] by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi [religious establishment] by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Yeshua, first and foremost, is the King of the Jews, the King of Israel (all Twelve Tribes of Israel). Yeshua is coming back specifically to keep alive God's physical promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and our Israelite forefathers who left Egypt: the iron-clad promise that the Fathers will always have some survivors, some physical remnant, beyond any shadow of a doubt.

The cities of Judah will hear this message loud and clear:

Matthew 24:22

22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elects sake those days will be shortened.

Romans 11:28

28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.

Leviticus 26:44-45

44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.

45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.

We are the physical elect, the physical Chosen People -- primarily the British-Israelites and Jews, Joseph and Judah -- for whose sakes' those days will be cut short by divine intervention or we would all be history and Satan could say God is a liar. But God's Word is good and true and He will prepare our people by a baptism of repentance by the Two Witnesses, speaking to our captive audience from Jerusalem (having been conquered by the German-Jesuit EU), giving us the GOOD NEWS that our personal lord and NATIONAL SAVIOR, our NATIONAL DELIVERER, is coming soon to save us.

It is this glorious GOOD NEWS that I share within the first chapter of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall, appropriately called: "Survival Guaranteed!"

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

Thesis Writing Material And Where To Find It

If you are planning to find thesis writing materials, you need to know exactly what your topic is and how you will convey your information. You want to have a broad range for your topic to cover everything, but not to board to lose the scope of the issue that you will be stressing. If your paper requires any special equipment to demonstrate or experiment, you need to have available equipment or somewhere to go to use the equipment. Make sure you can summarize your paper in one paragraph. If not, the subject material may be too broad. You will need to narrow in on a specific thing pertaining to your topic.

Thesis writing does not happen over night. You know you are going to be required to write a thesis and should start months ahead of time doing research and reading. When you have some spare time, do some research for your thesis. It takes a great deal of time to research and find all the materials you are going to use in your paper. If you do not start early enough, you may find you have a below average paper that you cannot effectively defend. Research is the backbone of a thesis.

Once again, as you are researching your thesis topic, write paragraphs summarizing what you are reading. This will help you when you begin your thesis writing. Never depend on your mind to remember everything you read. You will also need to site sources used to gather your information. The more information you collect the more you will have to write your paper. Always keep notes, sources and any experiments you have together for easy review. Organization is another important part of writing a thesis. Everything should be in order so you do not have to jump around when you begin writing.

Before you begin researching and actually writing your thesis, you can break it down into sections to make it more manageable to handle. Thesis writing is not like writing an e-book or an essay, it is much larger and time consuming. Always work with your advisor when writing your thesis so the paper is exactly what you want to convey to the reader. Strong points are needed to oppose opposition to your thesis. Defend is a word you will hear many times when writing a thesis and you need to be able to do this easily.

MR ANTHONY D ROBINSON owns and operates http://www.thesiswritingarena.com
Thesis Writing

The Man Who Had Everything

In this text Mark does an excellent job of acquainting us with the dangers of wealth concerning Gods Kingdom even though there are several instances concerning wealth throughout the bible (e.g. Deuteronomy 8:18, Psalm 49:6, Proverbs 13:11, 1 Corinthians 10:24). However, if you explore deeper youll discover that wealth is representative of any vice that prevents us from a closer walk with God. Carpenter & McCown (1992) asserted To enter the kingdom one must die to self-autonomy and self-security (p. 865). Wealth in and of itself is not inherently dangerous but rather the strain that it put on our relationship with God. Leaders must constantly remind followers that there is something greater than ourselves.

The Quest for life

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

-Mark 10:17

This mans enthusiasm was readily apparent by his running. He had everything but eternal life but did not know how to obtain it. And his desire to enter into the kingdom of God was manifested in his inquiry for eternal life. What shall I do He asked as if it was something that is earned through a deed that must be accomplished. As if to say tell me what you did to obtain eternal life so that I can do it to. Eternal life equates to entering the kingdom of God. how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:23).

Its also clear that the man respected Jesus which is evident by his kneeling. But his use of the adjective Good when addressing Jesus as Good Master also sheds light on this mans understanding of Gods kingdom. In other cases in the bible only God is referred to as being good (i. e. Psalm 38:8, Psalm 73:1). Master was a term applied to men of high standing such as a priest, scholar, or teacher. Master alone would have been sufficient enough for this man to demonstrate the his surrender to the wisdom of Jesus. This man viewed Jesus as legendary and someone who achieved this status on his own. But this descriptive word Good implied that it was possible for the man, who considered himself a good man, to be like Jesus or in essence like God.

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.

-Mark 10:18

In this verse, Jesus corrects the man without rebuking him and reminds him that only God is good. Jesus was not denying his own divinity but rather reminding the man that he must not appeal to the humaness in Him but rather to God. Funk & Hoover (1993) suggested that this was Jesuss attempt to refocus attention on God, rather than on himself, as generally in line with Jesus disposition. (p. 91). Jesus may have been merely rejecting a compliment to prevent envy or maybe he wanted the man to understand that only God is good and this is not something that he could achieve. He was forcing the man to recognize that his only hope was in reliance on God alone and that eternal life was a gift from God.

Every manager has had a new protg that was eager and motivated to learn all that she could so that she could in turn contribute to the organization. Her motivation may be to win a promotion or the opportunity to breathe life into an organization. As a mentor, if you help mentees create a satisfying new vision for their life or work, mentees will do most of what is necessary to bring the vision to reality. (Shea, 2002, p. 44). Many people can visualize the goal to be obtained which in turn becomes their driving factor. However, many people get stuck in a rut or are unable to visualize the goal.

These emotions are often combined with thoughts or feelings such as disappointment, embarrassment, or dissatisfaction. Shea (2002) argued The capacity to detect the emotions and feelings of others and to respond appropriately is a critical art of mentoring. Overlooking the feelings that motivate people can limit a mentors effectiveness because feelings inspire people to get things done. Jesus recognized the mans passion for eternal life and therefore chose to handle the situation with caring.

Not Just Hearers of the Law

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultry, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I obsewrved from my youth.
-Mark 10:19-20

Here, Jesus mentions all six commandments that prohibit wrong doing against another person (i.e. Exodus 20:12-16). The prohibition of fraud is representative of the tenth commandment against covetousness. To covet is to desire something with evil motivation. To defraud is to cheat, deceive, or beguile someone which is ignited by evil motivation. To break Gods commandments inwardly is equivalent to breaking them outwardly. Jesus was merely testing the man with the recital of the commandments. Funk and Hoover (1993) indicated that every Judean or Christian should know these commandments and that Jesus rehearsal of them was scarcely a distinctive statement. (p. 91). Being wealthy, one would expect that it would be easy for this man to follow the commandments known to everyone. The difficulty for this man was understanding that the kingdom of God is a gift that must be received after all obstacles have been removed.

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

-Mark 10:21

In recognizing the mans enthusiasm, as any good mentor would do, Jesus did not shame the man by exposing is failure to grasp the spirtual depth of the kingdom of God. The mans problem was his wealth which prevented him from his spiritual walk with God. There is no indication that the command to sell all of his possesions was meant for all Christians but rahter it was the obstacle that prevented this particular man from trusting Jesus. This man needed to remove this vice from his life but the treasure of salvation is not something that can be earned by simply giving up your material goods but is also received by following Jesus; take up the cross, and follow me. Carpenter and McCown (1993) maintained that the mans great wealth is developed as a symbol of the problem of faith. (p. 865). The mans riches was his vice and he needed to remove it before he could enter the kingdom of God.

Leaders guide protgs in shifting their context to envision worthy goals and move toward their fulfillment. When a leader sees a circumstance in a larger, more meaningful context and is willing to explain it, that leader is in fact creating the context, calling everyones attention to the idea that the context is greater than what first appears. (Pearce, 2003, p. 94). When followers have an understanding of what the organizational context is and are able to put it into perspective, change is inevitable. When others havent considered the context that the leadership has considered; they must be properly informed so that they can make sense of it.
Vices & Wealth: Accumulation of Non-necessities

And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possesions.

-Mark 10:22

The tragic decision to turn away reflected this mans greater love for his wealth than his desire for eternal life. Wealth refers whatever spiritual problem or vice Christians happen to be facing. Vice is the opposite of virtue. In this sense, the word vice comes from the Latin word vitium, meaning failing or defect. One way of organising the vices is as the corruption of the virtues. A virtue can be corrupted by nonuse, misuse, or overuse. Thus the cardinal vices would be lust (nonuse of temperance), cowardice (nonuse of courage), folly (misuse of a virtue, opposite of wisdom), and venality (nonuse of justice).

For people to listen to others without filters of fear or suspicion, trust is the fundamental requisite. If leaders want followers to take up the organizational banner and follow them, then they must build trust and commitment. Followers will give their hearts and souls to authority figures who say, You really matter, no matter how small the followers contributions may be. (Goffee and Jones, 2001, p. 171). The man had excellent credentials and moral character and he was expecting Jesus to compliment him for his diligence and hard work. The key for todays leaders is to offer constructive criticism in the form of positive feedback as evident in Jesus comment in Mark 10:21, One thing thou lackest, or in other words the only thing you lack. followership implies commitment, but never without conditions. The follower wants the leader to create feelings of significance, community, and excitement. When leaders herald the significance of an individuals work, they are rewarded with loyalty, even obedience. And after all that Jesus had said to encourage and engage this enthusiastic man, he still refused to let go of that which constrained him.

A Kingdom At Hand

Marks Gospel describe Jesus as proclaiming the Kingdom as something that was at hand, and about to break out at present, and not merely a future reality (see Mark 1:15). This might provide another reason why the man was running in Mark 10:17. He knew that the kingdom was at hand and wanted to reserve his seat. Mark clearly illustrates the care Jesus takes in addressing this man. Its obvious that the man is sincere in his quest for eternal life.

Finally, all that we do as leaders must be done out of love for the whole person. It is who we are and our interactions with others that will resonate throughout the organization. Jesus response to this man was prompted by Love Then Jesus beholding him [the rich young man] loved him (Mark 10:21). Mark is the only one who tells us this, as though to show that without love service is barren. (Pink, 1921, p. 34).

References

Carpenter, Eugene and McCown, Wayne (1992). Asbury Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michgan. The Zondervan Corporation.

Funk, Robert W. and Hoover, Roy W. (1993). The Five Gospels. The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus. New York, NY. Polebridge Press.

Holy Bible (1985). King James Version Study Bible. Grand Rapids, Michgan. The Zondervan Corporation.

Pearce, Terry. (2003). Leading Out Loud : Inspiring Change Through Authentic Communication. San Francisco John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Pink, Arthur W. (1921). Why Four Gospels. Grand Rapids, Mich. Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Shea, Gordon F. (2002). Mentoring: How to Develop Successful Mentor Behaviors. Menlo Park, California. Course PTR.

Goffee, Robert and Jones, Gareth. (2001) Followership: Its Personal, Too. Boston, Mass. Harvard Business Review On Breakthrough Leadership: Harvard Business School Press.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lieutenant Kenneth Rice is an Active Duty Naval Officer stationed in Norfolk VA. Lieutenant Rice is a graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia where he received a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership and an Education & Training Management Subspecialty. He is currently enrolled in the Naval War College completing the Joint Professional Military Education Phase I and at Regent University working towards a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership.