MONSTROUS!

     There should be a thousand Hell's waiting for those who inflicted the kind of damage on the city of Aleppo, Syria.  Todays' pics in the Washington Post are horrendous, terrifying, and most of all heartbreaking.  The city is rubble, the hospital bombed to total unrecognition and those who were inside serving in healthcare as
Dr's, and nurses and those who were there as unfortunate victims of war killed indiscriminently for just being there.  Most of all one picture stirrs the most sadness, of a boy who lost his brother who said, "my father has lost the love of his life."  and the boy further said ," I wish it was me."
     For all those who think that war is glory, think again and look at the loss in the faces of those the Washington Post has captured. We here in America cannot comprehend the loss these people suffer.  No homes, no food, no medical, and no shelter from overhead death that comes in the form if thunderous jets reigning terror in an instant.  most of all there is no recognition of anything that resembles civilization!

In The Eyes of God;we are but dust....

     God knows our true frame, dust;  We, however strive to be so much more everyday.  Just look at the fantastic things we have done.  Trips to the moon, under the sea, on the highest of high mountains,  dreams and 'notions' to be so much more than to "return to the earth from which we came."  How can all of the cells in the body, the millions of genetic code be just.....dust?  I don't know.  And neither do the smartest scientists of today or yesteryear.  When the breath goes out of us, we are gone, lifeless, still and relegated to another to take  care of the body we now have left.  Yes I say left, beause I know that the Spirit and breath of God now is somewhere else, not in the tent of the flesh we left behind.  Our western culture is so infused with a material thinking that we make light of other cultures much more spiritual than ours including those we disposessed from this land, the Indians.  Through our own effort we replace the need for God.  And that is why we come away empty when all of the toys of this life no longer fulfill.  We then seek mystical experiences and call those who do fanatics and fringe people who live on the outskirts of what most others do and we call it crazy. But what if?  There is in that seeking, the root of a truth, we have left behind?
     We were made in God's image so it says in Genesis, (the beginning).  And I find it somewhat curious, that the Hebrews were commanded not to make any image of God, or animals or anything else to be a God.  ???? If we were made in the image of God then we well, look like him!  If then this is true how did this  degenerate into stone figures, and images so far removed from us? God's annointed was ....a man. A Messiah to bring us a return to truth.  And a return to the Spiritual state we lost.  A religious system replaced the the reverance we should have continued to give to our God who created us and placed in us in the beginning the ability do do wondrous things.  Name all the animals?  I can't even remember someone's name I worked with years later when I meet them again out of a familiar place!  I can't remember what I had for breakfast let alone name Commorants, Osprey, Whales, Donkeys, or Pigs and imbue in that name a characteristic that defines that species.  (stubborn as a donkey) etc. etc.  So I think in an effort to be more than we are we have become "Marvelized" and become superheroes because it is fun to do and dream of the impossible.  Action movies and double 00"s that don't get hurt from 30 foot falls, and then get up and dust (no pun intended) themselves off! 

Facing up to the coward within.

Yep, I confess, I am more coward than I believed I was. How do I know this?
Because when alone, there is a certain fear within that I face. I wouldn't have believed it was so, but alas, it is.  You see I went to observe some people, some in precarious places of station in life and suddenly I realized I was a fish out of water.  Suddenly not in my element of comfort and I felt naked!  I wanted to serve those who had to say the least not much of anything and share the Gospel, And of course, many of those who I wanted to serve were gathered in a place that was ....rough in elemental form. A rough and tumble place in our city.  So, I observed from afar, and left, afraid to be there or approach alone what I would later do with others, from our Church.  So I left and waited for my friends.  Other Christians who would also serve, but together in a group not alone.  So, yes I felt ashamed all at once, and I remembed Peter, and Jesus's forewarning of denial. Peter said he would never deny Christ, but, when push came to shove, he did.  So, when later my friends showed up I felt much better and strengthened by their nearness, but nevertheless, I knew my newfound feelings and shame.
     However, later on I was somewhat vindicated, simply by the fact that, down below where we were serving food for those who came a fight had broken out among the men, and it was not pretty.  Testosterone erupted rather quickly, and I'm quite sure from observing those in line, they had knives attatched to belts for defensive reasons with 6 to 7 inch blades!  So I learned a lesson.  Don't be stupid for Jesus!  Safety in Numbers.....David.

They Are Now HIs Witnesses To Our People, (those who traveled with Christ)

     We tell you the Good News:
     You've heard it before Now hear it again!  Yes Good news has been spread and is being spread every day that you live.  One day though it will end, and be too late to hear ever again.
     The Gospel will never be old news.  If it is or becomes so, then something is wrong inside and a refreshing is needed.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ and the proclaimed Kingdom of God is here to stay.  Though there be controversies, debates, errors, cults, and so many more things to pervert, the Gospel remains intact and a light to light the path for everyone's feet who so chooses to open their ears but for a second.
     Once, a long time ago, an Old man, a preacher, and a faithful Church planter, let me help him in his way to spread the word,  Oh, no!  tracts!  Yes the old time way to spread a simple message.  It simply said, " The entrance of thy word, giveth light." A Psalm.   A Simple ground shaking message meant to light the heart up.  YOu see the Good news will always shed light, because it is truth and a word that is not perishable from God's mouth to us.  It is intended now to do what the Apostles did orally, make known the mystery and message of the Messiah, God's chosen to bring light into a dark world.   Think this is not necessary?  Look around, open up your eyes, there is death and darkness all around, even in the midst of  say, a "good day."  YOu see that is what I believed before light entered in my heart.  I chose to look only at the good, see the good in all  or everything, naieve at best.  And this was because I was sheltered, brought up  in a good stable home and had safety.  But when the bottom dropped, then my eyes were open wide to the darkness at work also.
     The Devil is very clever that way,  give us everything we need, and we become blind, take the dependency away and poof!  The Devil will appear like magic and all of a sudden you will see all the places he works in.  Families, yes, job, yes, health, yes, money, yes, every where there is air, there he will be a power to influence.  After all this is where he was cast down to.
    Now not to center on him, anymore, we center on just exactly what can counter his influence.....the name of Jesus, and his indwelling power to re-new!  Peace.


    ( By the way), When I offered to help print those old-time tracts for this man of peace and faithful servant, guess where the opposition came from to stop this.....another pastor who was threatened by an 86 year old man.  Suddenly his ministry was encroached upon and this couldn't exist along side!  Horrors!

Wuh? Happening?

Today I woke up dead! And for the life of me (no pun intended) I can't figure out what happened! I felt ok, when I went to bed. Didn't feel any pain, or atleast I don't remember it now.  How Odd....where am I now?  Oh! Look at me...I'm not quite myself.  My body...it's light, I don't feel myself I feel I guess you could say nothing, absolutely nothing!  But my mind, it's still the same. Do I have memories, check, do I have that.  Do I have emotions....check, I feel strange, somehow dis-connected.  Wait...something is coming towards me.  What? or should I say who?  Someone is walking towards me very quietly, very deliberately.
     I suddenly feel fear. I'm shaking. I'm feeling desperately like I want to hide but, there is nothing to hide behind, I'm totally in the open, exposed, my heart, is racing, but wait....I'm dead, remember?  why do I feel like this! Now I see more clearly, it's a man, a man in robes?  Yes white, very white robes.  And now my legs they are rubber, they won't hold, I'm slipping to the ground? But no ground, the closer he gets the worse I feel!  Help!  Help!  Someone please get me out of here, I can't stand the brightness!  Please anyone else out there?  No....no one...just me and him.
      I'm done, I feel it somehow,   though I feel also an intensity from this man, a great intense un-explainable love but not for me.....!  Darkness,  Darkness,  I'm swallowed up in  darkness all around, voices calling, crying, yelling out, but suddenly I'm caught in a pit, i'm restrained, caught by my arm, legs bound too!   Nooooooooo!   I see me, I see others, they see me and turn away.  I look up from where I was.  I see the man, white robed, with burning eyes, and a face, such a face, pure and  Holy, totally, Holy, and I can't even get near.........at all.....too late, I know it.  

    Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the Earth; I made a spectacle of you before Kings, by your many sins......
   
           
   

THE LAST BATH I TAKE

I AIN'T TAKIN NO DIRT BATH,
I'M BEIN COUGHT UP BY LIGHTIN AND THE LORD'S FLASH
MY BODY MAY BE LYIN IN STATE
BUT MY MIND AND SPIRIT WILL REALLY RELATE
TO THE ONE WHO TAKES AWAY ALL THE PAIN
 IT'S GOIN TO BE MY HOLY GAIN
LIKE THE WHEAT KERNEL IN THE GROUND
RISIN UP IN THE SPRING TIME
THROUGH THE GROUND AND GRIME
MY LORD IS MINE ALL MINE

The Truth of The Gospel: Preserved For You

Number	Statistic
7,000	Approximate number of languages spoken in the world today
2,195	Number of translations into new languages currently in progress
1,329	Number of languages with a translation of the New Testament
531	Number of languages with a translation of the Bible (Protestant Canon

We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. Gal. 2:5.

     So, How so how do we know that the Gospel is true?  The illustration above comes from wikipedia and the quote below it is from Paul.  The Bible as we know it today if we can trust it has been re-written and tranlated over centuries. And so it gives fodder to those who want to disbelieve it a chance to by the mere fact that perhaps it has been mis-translated and perhaps  in error!  Not so.  As the quote from Galatians states, Paul had to inform the Galatians the "truth" because there were false believers trying to infiltrate the early Church and pervert the Good News.  Paul, unlike the other Apostles, who were eyewitness to Jesus's ministry and teachings had to receive it by direct revelation.  This in itself must have proved a challenge both for him and his new listeners or should I say new converts.  It was precisely because of this fact that Paul was challenged, but in an effort to stand in truth he went to Jerusalem and stood before Peter and the others to explain his burden and his ministry to the Gentiles.  He was received and you know the rest.....It is by inspiration men were moved to write down testimony of their Lord and pass it on.  It was God who saw to it by the fact that if indeed truth was lost by the  many tranlations and oral histories passed down, then we would not have evidence to the fact that the Holy Spirit is still being poured out today in the very same way 2000 years ago.  Proof that in essence, nothing has been lost at all, and God is true as is the Gospel.  Through cannonization we can trust we have the real McCoy!  And we can trust the Holy Spirit, in us as a deposit for us and a helper in our lives and as witness to the truth of Jesus's life and victory over death and sin. 

     

      On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the taskof preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,[a] just as Peter had been to the circumcised.[b] 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9

Our Hope: Bless, do not Curse

Oh, Lord in this day make light for our eyes to see,
lift up, lift up the soul, that is downcast,
make way, make way for our hearts,
to be filled with joy, yes to be filled with joy,
for we are your people, the apple of your eye,
see us, and be glad,
we rejoice in you, Our Lord, and Our God,
For you have turned our dispair, into hope,
our darkness, into light,
See, How mighty he is, Our God,
who never turns away,
ever seeing, ever helping all those who favor him,
Bless him this day, and forever more,
and be glad, for he has over come all darkness, all evil,
and will prevail even in the most dark of times.