|
RECAP NEWSLETTER - 11/7/4 Issue 23 In our interpersonal relations with other Christians and family, how do we react when we encounter or receive 'hard words.' In verse six, we find that true friends will be known for saying what needs to be said. Questionable 'friends' often garner favor through 'deceit' and flattery. Proverbs 28:23 says, "He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue." People can tell when they are being 'buttered up.' People can also tell when they are being given sincere and constructive criticism. The Bible states that your friendship and relationship with someone will grow when you say what needs to said, rather than ignoring it or trying to lever friendship. Proverbs 27:9 says, "Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel." Have you ever walked into a house where potpourri was simmering? If it is not overpowering, it can be refreshing to the senses. Perhaps your spouse or friends wear scents that are pleasant to the nose and heart. The Bible often uses metaphors and similes to help us understand and relate to concepts or to teach a truth. This verse talks about how thoughtful counsel with friends is a sweetness to the soul. It is similar to how perfumes "rejoice the heart." In the 27:6 passage, it uses the word 'faithful' to describe the words coming from a true friend. What does this mean? The word 'faithful' here has the idea of support, upholding, and to nourish. A faithful friend, desiring to support and uphold you, may sometimes have to rebuke you. The word 'wound' carries the idea of a bruise or bruise-like wound. Yes, what they say may bruise your ego, but it will heal if you receive it properly. When a faithful friend comes to you with nourishing rebuke, do not react as though they are dealing a fatal blow or lopping off an appendage. It is a bruise. Some are larger than others, yes - the thought we need to remember is: Can we look at our bruise, look up at our faithful friends, smile, and say "thank you, I needed that?" When was the last time you thanked your sincere friends for not only their hearty counsel, but for their rebuke?
SOME TIDBITS "The TV is my shepherd; I shall not want anything else. It maketh me to lie down on the sofa. It leadeth me away from the Scripture. It destroys my soul. It leadeth me in the paths of immorality and violence for the sponsors' sake, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will enjoy the evil, for blood and immorality they excite me. Its cable and remote, they comfort me. It prepares a commercial before me in the presence of my children. It anoints my head with humanism. My coveting runneth over. Surely, vanity and degeneration shall follow my family all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house watching TV forever." - Source: The Boys Bugle, Vol. 3 Number 2. 2003. "The strength of the church is determined by its impact in society." - Erwin Lutzer. "The Church [in Germany] had to choose between a Christ who was Lord over a shrinking "spiritual sphere" and a Christ who was "Lord over all." - Erwin Lutzer, "Hitler's Cross", Moody Press, 1995. "The only money we will see again is that which we gave to help others." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer. "He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse." Proverbs 28:27 "There are times in which lectures and publications no longer suffice to communicate the necessary truth. At such times the deeds and sufferings of the saints must create a new alphabet in order to reveal again the secret of truth." - Michael Baumgarten. "It is better to fail in a cause that will ultimately succeed, than to succeed in a cause that will ultimately fail." - Peter Marshall.
UPDATES Praise the Lord, we now have one of our communication means restored from the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. Lord willing, we will now be able to update the various sections of the the website just as before the hurricane. We have two new iChurch requests, and two important prayer requests. I have just uploaded a new essay regarding Christian Books and Bookstores. There is a new sermon in the BibleDigest section entitled Betrayal written by Pastor Jerald Manley D.D. It is an excellent essay on criminal conduct in the church leadership and body consisting of "complacency, complicity, and conspiracy." Check out the new Election section in the Image Archive! Interesting screenshots. I will elaborate more on them in an article I am currently writing - Thoughts on the Election - coming soon.
There are now three more recommend books: Resources > Editor > Recommended
Books!
BOOK RECOMMENDATION It has been a while since I have been able to do a book recommendation. Because the hurricane slowed down work on the website, the Lord afforded me the opportunity and access to some great and stimulating reading. Here are three books that I have read partly in researching for the "When Freedom Fails" article, and also for a look at the historical church:
(1) "When is it Right To Fight", Robert A. Morey, P&R Publishing, 1985.
(2) "Hitler's Cross", Erwin W. Lutzer, Moody Press, 1995. As you read this book, you will be chilled at the parallels between the church of Nazi Germany, and the nationalistic, politically-correct 'churches' of America. As Erwin Lutzer said, this is the "story of a nation whose church forgot its primary call, and too late discovered its failure."
(3) "Hope of the Wicked: The Master Plan to Rule the World", Ted Flynn,
MaxKol Communications, Inc. 2000.
CURRENT EVENT RECAP I am currently writing "Thoughts on the Election", so I will not go into that subject in this RECAP. However, as we examined current events just prior to the Election, Christians got a rare candid look at whom most think to be 'Christian.' George Bush, hero of the conservatives, (in an interview with ABC, 10/28/4) said that Muslims and Christians pray to the same god. If we remember back, Bush is the one who started the tradition of hosting the Iftar dinner which is held at the end of Ramadan. I can guarantee you that they were not praying to the Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. If Bush can get Islam and Christianity mixed up, then he has some serious doctrinal problems. In the same interview, Bush said "he's open to the possibility that nature could be the defining component when it comes to a person's sexual preference." Do you realize what he was implying by that statement? He is basically saying that homosexuality and sodomy is not sin, it's natural! That goes with what he said two days before that (10/26/4), that civil unions should not be denied. I don't know if Bush is truly saved, but he does not merit my favor or support just because he claims to be Christian. There is close to little Bush and I would agree on - mostly because his personal beliefs go against the Bible. Another area in which Bush is supposedly 'conservative' is the area of abortion. Abortion is *still* the status-quo for America, as one pro-lifer stated this week. Virtually nothing has been done to stop abortion administratively, except a weak-handed executive order and lip service, knowing full well it would get indefinitely tied up legally till everyone forgot about it, and even if they didn't the wording was vague enough for that one minority procedure to continue. Because of lack of a real stand on abortion and stem-cell research, California is now going to be spending *billions* of state dollars on stem-cell research, leading the way for the rest of the nation and the world. We saw California's influence in the homosexual 'marriage' debacle, and how it fostered greater attempts in other states, especially in Massachusetts. Fighting for a 'gay marriage ban' works for Bush because it is mostly political. He thinks homosexuals are OK, and that they can have civil unions, but is willing to jump on the ban-bandwagon because he probably knows that 1. most homosexuals do not want to get 'married' but enjoy their hedonism and multiple partners, and 2. a ban makes the homosexual movement look like the oppressed underdogs, winning sympathy from the secular arena, and 3. what does a ban on homosexual marriage do with addressing what the Bible clearly outlines as a perversion in the first place? Let me remind everyone that as Christian we should love the sinner, and hate the sin/perversion. Jude 1:22-23 exhorts us, "of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." We can share the good news of repentance and salvation without sounding bigoted or hateful.
In global news, the EU is making several important steps. Just this
week the EU signed a version of their Constitution. The reason for
the recent decision was so that they could "speed up decision making in a
club now embracing 25 nations." The EU is quickly gelling into a
homogenous entity. Three days ago the EU Commission President Prodi
"called for the member nations to drop the need for unanimous
decision-making to make sure some decisions can get pushed through..."
Just today, it become more obvious that the EU is wanting to lead, not
follow the US. The EU is not content to surpass the US. They
want the US brought down to where it is not the lone superpower (or what
is left of it). Most of the power-brokering nations of the world are
working more and more together as one. As more efforts are made in
the EU to streamline the decision-making process, power will eventually be
more centralized, perhaps to the point where one person could easily take
the reins (AntiChrist, cough, cough). Russia, too, is also taking
alarming steps to consolidate power under the guise of national security,
expanding executive powers. (We already know the US is well under
way to doing that.) There was a interesting story that I stumbled across recently that caught my attention. It was an article in worldnetdaily.net talking about several German homeschooling dads who were thrown in jail. What caught my attention was the blurb near the end that stated "...some German families have escaped the nation to prevent the state from taking custody of their children." This got me to thinking, especially since I have been working on the article about freedom. As Christians, a nation or government should not come before God. That is idolatry. If choiced between serving God or the dictates of any type of government, there is only one choice. I love America, and really do not want to live anywhere else, but my loyalty to God comes before the nationalism taught in many Christian 'churches' (social-clubs). The German churches under Hitler were probably some of the most 'patriotic' of any group. However, it quickly became nationalism and idolatry when they turned a willing, blind eye to their responsibility for the church to be the church. Just this week several articles were written about various churches that were feeling pressure because they were tax-exempt and could not 'get involved in politics.' The head of the Gestapo in 1938 described the church the best when he wrote, "The situation in the Churches is characterized by weariness with the struggle, by uncertainty of purpose and by lack of courage." As Christians, with our sins forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ, who rose again and reigns on High, we should fear compromise more than death because "to remain silent is to comply with the enemy."
May God give you the courage to live openly for Him.
REMINDERS & PRAYER REQUESTS Do not live for this world - seek Christ first and highest of all.
Pray for the requests in PrayerList, and also in iChurches.
May God richly bless,
|