Thursday, June 30, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
A Man's Thoughts on Clevage Among Christian Women
Should She Show it or not?
by David Hammock on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 8:46pm
It is a shame that not only inside the church, but also on the grounds of the church and in the marketplace, that more and more professing Christian women (married or unmarried), are bolder in their expressions of their sensuality, sexuality and feminism, through their choices in apparel, conversations and other interests that it becomes increasingly more difficult for a man (and a minister such as myself) to even attempt to find a woman who can dress "with modest" apparel in order that God might be pleased and a man of integrity might be respected.
If a woman's body is available for visual public consumption, then who does this "Christian" lady belong to? Is her body truly the "temple" of the Holy Spirit? Does her body belong only to her, God and her chosen one? If everybody gets a "peek" at this caliente' chica, then what makes her body special in the first place?
by David Hammock on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 8:46pm
It is a shame that not only inside the church, but also on the grounds of the church and in the marketplace, that more and more professing Christian women (married or unmarried), are bolder in their expressions of their sensuality, sexuality and feminism, through their choices in apparel, conversations and other interests that it becomes increasingly more difficult for a man (and a minister such as myself) to even attempt to find a woman who can dress "with modest" apparel in order that God might be pleased and a man of integrity might be respected.
If a woman's body is available for visual public consumption, then who does this "Christian" lady belong to? Is her body truly the "temple" of the Holy Spirit? Does her body belong only to her, God and her chosen one? If everybody gets a "peek" at this caliente' chica, then what makes her body special in the first place?
Friday, June 24, 2011
Feel Misunderstood?
Feel misunderstood by those who say they care for you the most? Wonder where people are when you're down, and in the most painful and agonizing places of your life? Ever feel like others just don't GET you? Maybe hope seems like only a concept to think about and wonder about and yet you keep reaching out and reaching out to the one who does give you hope? This video speaks for itself. I know it will speak to you.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Men Still Want Christian Women
Men Want Christian Women, not Girls Gone Wild
Opinion by Focus on the Family
(March 19, 2009) in Religion / Christianity
By Heather Koerner | Focus on the Family Blog
According to a recent study, college women may drink to excess to impress men, but the men aren't impressed.
The participants, aged 18-25, filled out online surveys during the 2007 fall semester. The women answered questions relating to how many drinks they thought a typical college guy would like his female friends to drink as well as the maximum number of drinks he would prefer. The men then answered questions related to their preferences.
The results? The majority of women (71 percent) overestimated the men's actual preferences by an average of 1 1/2 drinks.
"There is a great, and risky, disconnect here between the sexes," lead author Joseph LaBrie said in a statement. "While not all women may be drinking simply to get a guy's attention, this may help explain why more women are drinking at dangerous levels."
Reading this article made me, quite frankly, just sad. The author is right -- probably not all of these young women are drinking simply to get a guy's attention. Maybe some of them, for some reason, enjoy knocking back five or more drinks. But my guess is that it's not very many.
I'm sure that not all women who dress provocatively do it for a guy's attention. But I really wonder if their idea of "these clothes make me feel pretty" isn't based at least somewhat on the power to turn a man's head.
And there may be those Sex in the City "Samantha" types who just want to have unattached, unencumbered sex. But I've comforted one too many college roommates who gave themselves to a man only to be dumped once again, to really believe that to be the norm.
For me, this study was just a reminder. A reminder that I am the Lord's but I am also living in a world saturated with "Girls Gone Wild" messages of how to attract a man. I need to intentionally face those messages and filter them through the Word of God. The world may tell me to sex it up. But my God tells me that He cherishes modesty. The world may encourage me to table dance for the party, but my God tells me that He cherishes a gentle and quiet spirit. The world may tell me that drunkenness is attractive. My God tells me that it's not.
One of the desires of my heart is for a man who loves the Lord to also love me. I need to understand that following the world's advice will not make that happen. And, in the end, I really don't want the world's advice. I don't want to be an object who loses her worth at the first sign of a root or a wrinkle. My God tells me that I am a fellow heir who is to be loved and respected. Girls, I'll take that every day of the week.
Opinion by Focus on the Family
(March 19, 2009) in Religion / Christianity
By Heather Koerner | Focus on the Family Blog
According to a recent study, college women may drink to excess to impress men, but the men aren't impressed.
The participants, aged 18-25, filled out online surveys during the 2007 fall semester. The women answered questions relating to how many drinks they thought a typical college guy would like his female friends to drink as well as the maximum number of drinks he would prefer. The men then answered questions related to their preferences.
The results? The majority of women (71 percent) overestimated the men's actual preferences by an average of 1 1/2 drinks.
"There is a great, and risky, disconnect here between the sexes," lead author Joseph LaBrie said in a statement. "While not all women may be drinking simply to get a guy's attention, this may help explain why more women are drinking at dangerous levels."
Reading this article made me, quite frankly, just sad. The author is right -- probably not all of these young women are drinking simply to get a guy's attention. Maybe some of them, for some reason, enjoy knocking back five or more drinks. But my guess is that it's not very many.
I'm sure that not all women who dress provocatively do it for a guy's attention. But I really wonder if their idea of "these clothes make me feel pretty" isn't based at least somewhat on the power to turn a man's head.
And there may be those Sex in the City "Samantha" types who just want to have unattached, unencumbered sex. But I've comforted one too many college roommates who gave themselves to a man only to be dumped once again, to really believe that to be the norm.
For me, this study was just a reminder. A reminder that I am the Lord's but I am also living in a world saturated with "Girls Gone Wild" messages of how to attract a man. I need to intentionally face those messages and filter them through the Word of God. The world may tell me to sex it up. But my God tells me that He cherishes modesty. The world may encourage me to table dance for the party, but my God tells me that He cherishes a gentle and quiet spirit. The world may tell me that drunkenness is attractive. My God tells me that it's not.
One of the desires of my heart is for a man who loves the Lord to also love me. I need to understand that following the world's advice will not make that happen. And, in the end, I really don't want the world's advice. I don't want to be an object who loses her worth at the first sign of a root or a wrinkle. My God tells me that I am a fellow heir who is to be loved and respected. Girls, I'll take that every day of the week.
The Latest News on Chrislam in America
Pastors that are really wolves in sheep’s clothing
We knew this day was going to come, when the liberal “love gospel” preachers who, desiring to fill their seats and bank accounts, would find a way to merge apostate Christianity with the Devil’s religion of Islam.
That day is here.
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans
write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true
witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot:I would thou wert
cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither
cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
(Revelation 3:14-16)
Just recently, Rick Warren, founder and pastor of Saddleback Community Church in Orange County California, addressed the convention of the Islamic Society
of North America. Warren stated that Muslims and Christians must work together to combat stereotypes, promote peace and freedom, and solve global problems. Christians and Moslems – faith mates, soul mates and now work mates! Chrislam! source – Whole
Truth Help
This weekend, the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston along with Christian communities in Atlanta, Seattle, and Detroit will initiate a series of sermons that have been designed to produce an ecumenical reconciliation between Christianity and Islam. In addition to the sermons,
the Sunday school lessons will center on the inspired teachings of the Prophet Mohammad. Qurans will be placed in the pews next to the Bibles.
Note: Belief in the divinity of Jesus is condemned in Islam as shirk (filth).
The concept of Chrislam, now embraced by such preachers as Rick Warren and Robert Schuller, appears to have emerged from a program on the meaning of “love your neighbor” at Grace Fellowship Church in Atlanta, Georgia “In 2001, like most Americans, we were pretty awakened to the true Islamic presence in the world and in the United States,” says Jon Stallsmith, the outreach minister at Grace Fellowship. “Jesus says we should love our neighbors. We can’t do that without having a relationship with them.”
Stallsmith maintains that a rapprochement between Muslims and Christians can be achieved by the fact that Jesus is mentioned twenty-five times in the Quran.
The Chrislam movement has gained impetus by statements from President George W. Bush and that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God and by Rick Warren’s reference to Isa (the Muslim name for Jesus) in his prayer at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Only 30 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Muslims, according to a Pew Forum poll. At the same time, more than half the country says they know “not very much” or “nothing at all” about the Islamic faith. “The recent political developments and the fact that we’re fighting two wars in Muslim countries should
sharpen that need to know how to talk to these guys,” Stallsmith insists “We want to find peace, reconciliation around a scriptural understanding of Jesus.”
Jesus in the Quran is neither the only-begotten Son of God nor the Messiah who was divinely appointed to restore the House of David. He is rather viewed as a prophet who was appointed by Allah to prepare mankind for the coming of Mohammad.” source – The Last Crusade
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution i designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other."
John Adams ( 1735 -1826 )
2nd President and Founding Father of the United States
We knew this day was going to come, when the liberal “love gospel” preachers who, desiring to fill their seats and bank accounts, would find a way to merge apostate Christianity with the Devil’s religion of Islam.
That day is here.
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans
write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true
witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot:I would thou wert
cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither
cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
(Revelation 3:14-16)
Just recently, Rick Warren, founder and pastor of Saddleback Community Church in Orange County California, addressed the convention of the Islamic Society
of North America. Warren stated that Muslims and Christians must work together to combat stereotypes, promote peace and freedom, and solve global problems. Christians and Moslems – faith mates, soul mates and now work mates! Chrislam! source – Whole
Truth Help
This weekend, the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston along with Christian communities in Atlanta, Seattle, and Detroit will initiate a series of sermons that have been designed to produce an ecumenical reconciliation between Christianity and Islam. In addition to the sermons,
the Sunday school lessons will center on the inspired teachings of the Prophet Mohammad. Qurans will be placed in the pews next to the Bibles.
Note: Belief in the divinity of Jesus is condemned in Islam as shirk (filth).
The concept of Chrislam, now embraced by such preachers as Rick Warren and Robert Schuller, appears to have emerged from a program on the meaning of “love your neighbor” at Grace Fellowship Church in Atlanta, Georgia “In 2001, like most Americans, we were pretty awakened to the true Islamic presence in the world and in the United States,” says Jon Stallsmith, the outreach minister at Grace Fellowship. “Jesus says we should love our neighbors. We can’t do that without having a relationship with them.”
Stallsmith maintains that a rapprochement between Muslims and Christians can be achieved by the fact that Jesus is mentioned twenty-five times in the Quran.
The Chrislam movement has gained impetus by statements from President George W. Bush and that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God and by Rick Warren’s reference to Isa (the Muslim name for Jesus) in his prayer at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Only 30 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Muslims, according to a Pew Forum poll. At the same time, more than half the country says they know “not very much” or “nothing at all” about the Islamic faith. “The recent political developments and the fact that we’re fighting two wars in Muslim countries should
sharpen that need to know how to talk to these guys,” Stallsmith insists “We want to find peace, reconciliation around a scriptural understanding of Jesus.”
Jesus in the Quran is neither the only-begotten Son of God nor the Messiah who was divinely appointed to restore the House of David. He is rather viewed as a prophet who was appointed by Allah to prepare mankind for the coming of Mohammad.” source – The Last Crusade
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution i designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other."
John Adams ( 1735 -1826 )
2nd President and Founding Father of the United States
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Amazing Grace movie trailer
Do you know the story behind and old Christian song, "Amazing Grace"? William Wilberforce first fought for the abolition of slavery and John Newton was a slave-trader. Both fought for nearly 20 years in England before the truth was honored. Take a peek at "Amazing Grace."
Small Things Are Big Things by Teresa Conlon
Teresa Conlon, wife of Pastor Carter Conlon, speaks from the pulpit at Times Square Church in New York City. She is one of the most humble women I know in America. She is for real. I know of no other woman more dedicated, committed and pure in heart.
She speaks from the book Matthew, chapter 13, about how Jesus began the process of sowing the seeds of discipleship into the lives of 12 men. He started with a few simple truths using parables. God comes to a hungry heart, even if you feel only a tiny, tiny bit of faith to know God in a greater way, despite small things. In time, the smallest things can become the greatest. The tiniest seed of truth can grow into a tree. In God...it becomes greater.
No matter what the size of the seed is, it can produce greatness. God says wait! I will produce greatness. It is the seed of God, the seed of the kingdom...the seed of truth. Let God do it. God will never leave us or forget us.
She speaks from the book Matthew, chapter 13, about how Jesus began the process of sowing the seeds of discipleship into the lives of 12 men. He started with a few simple truths using parables. God comes to a hungry heart, even if you feel only a tiny, tiny bit of faith to know God in a greater way, despite small things. In time, the smallest things can become the greatest. The tiniest seed of truth can grow into a tree. In God...it becomes greater.
No matter what the size of the seed is, it can produce greatness. God says wait! I will produce greatness. It is the seed of God, the seed of the kingdom...the seed of truth. Let God do it. God will never leave us or forget us.
Monday, January 24, 2011
First Day On The Job
Teresa Conlon of Times Square Church in New York City (where Founder of Teen Challenge and Sr. Pastor David Wilkerson is located) speaks on the beginning of the work of the 12 disciples and what followed. Teresa is the wife of Pastor Carter Conlon, also of TSC.
First Day On The Job
First Day On The Job
Saturday, January 22, 2011
It all Starts With a Lie
Satan's 12 Step Program
Whether you believe that evil has a logical path is not what is being suggested here. But… Satan is the Father of all evil and....
• HE MUST BEGIN WITH A LIE. You must believe a lie to tell a lie.(Knowing the truth-Jesus, the Word, living the truth, faith in the truth, working by love, and discernment must start here, if you know Jesus and want to be armed for victory. IF you are not armed, you will be deceived). You have no alternative, but the world, the flesh, the devil, if you walk away from God and choose defeat.
• GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU TO WIN!
• THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS KEY! Die daily, take up your cross and follow Christ. This is the truth path for the "overcomer."
Satan's only strategy is to KILL, STEAL, AND DESTROY. We bring our vulnerabilities, (different from our weaknesses), weaknesses, limitations and also our strengths into every situation. It is what we do with them that determines if we are overcome, or WE ARE THE OVERCOMER.
Discontentment and emptiness in the USA have been labeled contentment and fulfillment. This is a delusion of reality which allows Satan to operate almost at will, it seems in the life of some believers.
So what's normal? Many who are born-again can no longer answer this question in the American church. Why? They have accepted doctrines of devils, having itching ears, and been allowed to believe a lie. They have been seduced and deceived. Without power in prayer, along with true faith, true agape love and heaven sent discernment in these last days, many will accept a counterfeit church, a counterfeit revival, a counterfeit life, counterfeit relationships, counterfeit blessings, and a counterfeit walk with God, based on lies that begin with Satan.
Antagonism, apathy and passivity have become the norm for a church that is disconnected from the head (Christ), and a church (the Body) that is disconnected from one another. 75% of all Americans say they have only 2 confidants. (This includes those within the church, as well as those outside the church). The average person lives to be 77 years of age, and spends only 7 months of their entire life with God in prayer, or other time with God. How tragic! Is there any wonder Satan defeats people so easily?
SO HOW DOES THE TWELVE STEP PROGRAM OF SATAN WORK?
1-Disguise (Counterfeit) - a lie, an ungodly belief, a generational curse, spirit/soul tie or demonic oppression are at the beginning of the program. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32). We are also told, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6). If you're kept from the truth, then you are vulnerable to a disguise.
2- Deception…This is his continual pattern. Offer a counterfeit, seduce, to be sly as a fox, as in the Garden of Eden, and appear to be truthful. Adolph Hitler said, "The bigger the lie, the more that will believe it." History has proven that statement to be true. Satan counts on a lack of discernment, a lack of knowledge and a lack of wisdom among those called to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." If you weren't valuable to God and a threat to evil, Satan wouldn't waste his time on you. But...he does roam to and from throughout the earth, seeking whom he may devour.
3-Disappointment...no matter how little, Satan wants to build your disappointment inventory, hoping to get you to focus on your failures, and others who have failed you. The more he can chip away at your faith, hope, love, and victorious Christian living, the less encouraged you will be. He doesn't want you to share encouragement with others, so his goal becomes finding anything, and everything, anybody and everybody to disappoint you. Building this tower to the point it reaches discouragement is what wants to do. This world will never offer anything but temporary pleasure. It will always disappoint you. There are many dead-end streets. That's where Satan wants you to travel. When a pattern or cycle of disappointment comes, Satan's goal is to take you to a place beyond disguise, deception and disappointment.
4-Discouragement-Although things don't always go right as we see them; Satan wants you to think God is not for you. (Jeremiah 29:11) says different. If Satan can get you to believe "I can't," even though Philippians 4:13 says you "can," and also get you to believe God "won't" when Philippians 4:19 says God "will," then Satan's goal is to cut you off from your source of encouragement and strength.
5-Displeasure-Satan just generally wants to be unhappy. He wants you to find fault with everything around you, and everybody around you. The world does not center around you and me. "Happy" is the man who obeys the commandments of God, Scripture tells us this. Don't seek to derive pleasure from this world. It lasts only a few moments before the emptiness sets in. Unsaved people will always disappoint you. Never expect from man, what only God can give.
6-Distraction and entanglement-(Think of a spider's web). Satan wants you confused, stepping out of the will of God, tantalized by what looks like Godly opportunities, but they are really traps. Satan wants you off the gospel road, and on "rabbit trails" so you lose your way. The Bible says "the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord." God's order is confirmed through His peace, His stillness and His rest. Satan wants things to "get in your way" to prevent you from prayer, fasting, fellowship, growth, evangelism and maintaining an eternal perspective.
7-Detour-A good sign you're on the right track, is when you feel Satan tempting you to "get off track." We must persevere, and stand during those times. Know what the blueprint is. Look at it often. The Father will always "lead you down the paths of righteousness" for His name's sake. Satan always wants you to take "the easy way" out. God will never detour you from obedience unto Himself. The detour leads to your downfall. No matter how it looks, or feels, God will never in His infinite wisdom, detour you, or mislead you. He confirms the truth of your path through His word and through His Spirit.
8-Displacement-Moving you into another area that you shouldn't be walking in will completely upset the plans of God temporarily. Usually a temptation that looked "Godly" led to this and you submitted. It wasn't God; I assure you. You’re completely where you don't need to be. You will remain "stuck" there apart from the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver you. Avoid relationships of any kind, at any time that will displace you.
9-Discontentment-Satan does not want you to experience the joy of the Lord which is your strength. At this point, you're starting to feel like giving up. Church and the body of Christ you avoid. The Word has lost its power for the moment in your life. Nothing "fresh" is happening. You're miserable. You feel abandoned by God during this time. Maybe you feel alone or lonely. Where did God go, you might ask? Maybe you feel forsaken. Satan wants you at a point of total discontentment so that you will be totally disillusioned about church, God, the Word and Christians, and Satan wants you to stop praying. He knows if He can get you to this point, he can cut off your "supply line" as occurs in the military, as a strategy to defeat the enemy. We are the enemy of Satan. He is our enemy.
10-Disgusted-Satan likes to weaken your resistance to evil, and for you to reduce your attacks against evil by using failure and other factors to minimize your efforts. Wearing you down by multiple attacks, particularly "getting hit with everything at once" is one of his favorite schemes. Completely overwhelming the saint is what Satan is frequently doing in these last days. You’re not alone. Ask for help from those you trust, who trust in God so they may share your struggles. Seek Godly counsel. God has a breakthrough right around the corner.
11-Disillusionment-You've failed so much you're ready to give up, so you stop looking to God, others, and you don't have faith or confidence in yourself. You are almost backslidden, if not there. You are living in defeat. You're miserable. You are powerless. You are ready to "hang it up." Life has lost its meaning. Nothing is working. There is nothing but the world, the flesh and the devil to draw from. Emptiness fills your life. Remember...this all began with a disguise: A COUNTERFEIT OFFER ---- A LIE!
12-Despair-disease-hopelessness, severe depression, being at wits end…all may have set in, which LEAD TO DEATH. That was the enemy's plan all along: Destroy your mind, your emotions, your body, your finances, your relationship with God, your family and others, wreck your job, create unusual trials and circumstances through continually weakening you, draining you of your resources, day after day, until you can not overcome. You are powerless. You need deliverance. Most likely you are up against principalities. You will need help to get out of this "pit." Deliverance is the only thing that will work. Some who have tasted of the fruit of heaven do not return to God, and even go as far as to commit suicide.
** Pray, fast, repent, confront the enemy and tear down the strongholds. These are 5 strategic answers to always defeat the devil. If we are to do greater things than Jesus, we were meant to have as many or more victories. Otherwise, we are all stepping into one of these 12 steps that lead to death at some point along the journey. We don't have to take this journey. Victory in Christ Jesus is ours. If we have a spirit of humility, submission and obedience, Satan will always flee.
David Hammock. Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Whether you believe that evil has a logical path is not what is being suggested here. But… Satan is the Father of all evil and....
• HE MUST BEGIN WITH A LIE. You must believe a lie to tell a lie.(Knowing the truth-Jesus, the Word, living the truth, faith in the truth, working by love, and discernment must start here, if you know Jesus and want to be armed for victory. IF you are not armed, you will be deceived). You have no alternative, but the world, the flesh, the devil, if you walk away from God and choose defeat.
• GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU TO WIN!
• THE WAY OF THE CROSS IS KEY! Die daily, take up your cross and follow Christ. This is the truth path for the "overcomer."
Satan's only strategy is to KILL, STEAL, AND DESTROY. We bring our vulnerabilities, (different from our weaknesses), weaknesses, limitations and also our strengths into every situation. It is what we do with them that determines if we are overcome, or WE ARE THE OVERCOMER.
Discontentment and emptiness in the USA have been labeled contentment and fulfillment. This is a delusion of reality which allows Satan to operate almost at will, it seems in the life of some believers.
So what's normal? Many who are born-again can no longer answer this question in the American church. Why? They have accepted doctrines of devils, having itching ears, and been allowed to believe a lie. They have been seduced and deceived. Without power in prayer, along with true faith, true agape love and heaven sent discernment in these last days, many will accept a counterfeit church, a counterfeit revival, a counterfeit life, counterfeit relationships, counterfeit blessings, and a counterfeit walk with God, based on lies that begin with Satan.
Antagonism, apathy and passivity have become the norm for a church that is disconnected from the head (Christ), and a church (the Body) that is disconnected from one another. 75% of all Americans say they have only 2 confidants. (This includes those within the church, as well as those outside the church). The average person lives to be 77 years of age, and spends only 7 months of their entire life with God in prayer, or other time with God. How tragic! Is there any wonder Satan defeats people so easily?
SO HOW DOES THE TWELVE STEP PROGRAM OF SATAN WORK?
1-Disguise (Counterfeit) - a lie, an ungodly belief, a generational curse, spirit/soul tie or demonic oppression are at the beginning of the program. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32). We are also told, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6). If you're kept from the truth, then you are vulnerable to a disguise.
2- Deception…This is his continual pattern. Offer a counterfeit, seduce, to be sly as a fox, as in the Garden of Eden, and appear to be truthful. Adolph Hitler said, "The bigger the lie, the more that will believe it." History has proven that statement to be true. Satan counts on a lack of discernment, a lack of knowledge and a lack of wisdom among those called to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." If you weren't valuable to God and a threat to evil, Satan wouldn't waste his time on you. But...he does roam to and from throughout the earth, seeking whom he may devour.
3-Disappointment...no matter how little, Satan wants to build your disappointment inventory, hoping to get you to focus on your failures, and others who have failed you. The more he can chip away at your faith, hope, love, and victorious Christian living, the less encouraged you will be. He doesn't want you to share encouragement with others, so his goal becomes finding anything, and everything, anybody and everybody to disappoint you. Building this tower to the point it reaches discouragement is what wants to do. This world will never offer anything but temporary pleasure. It will always disappoint you. There are many dead-end streets. That's where Satan wants you to travel. When a pattern or cycle of disappointment comes, Satan's goal is to take you to a place beyond disguise, deception and disappointment.
4-Discouragement-Although things don't always go right as we see them; Satan wants you to think God is not for you. (Jeremiah 29:11) says different. If Satan can get you to believe "I can't," even though Philippians 4:13 says you "can," and also get you to believe God "won't" when Philippians 4:19 says God "will," then Satan's goal is to cut you off from your source of encouragement and strength.
5-Displeasure-Satan just generally wants to be unhappy. He wants you to find fault with everything around you, and everybody around you. The world does not center around you and me. "Happy" is the man who obeys the commandments of God, Scripture tells us this. Don't seek to derive pleasure from this world. It lasts only a few moments before the emptiness sets in. Unsaved people will always disappoint you. Never expect from man, what only God can give.
6-Distraction and entanglement-(Think of a spider's web). Satan wants you confused, stepping out of the will of God, tantalized by what looks like Godly opportunities, but they are really traps. Satan wants you off the gospel road, and on "rabbit trails" so you lose your way. The Bible says "the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord." God's order is confirmed through His peace, His stillness and His rest. Satan wants things to "get in your way" to prevent you from prayer, fasting, fellowship, growth, evangelism and maintaining an eternal perspective.
7-Detour-A good sign you're on the right track, is when you feel Satan tempting you to "get off track." We must persevere, and stand during those times. Know what the blueprint is. Look at it often. The Father will always "lead you down the paths of righteousness" for His name's sake. Satan always wants you to take "the easy way" out. God will never detour you from obedience unto Himself. The detour leads to your downfall. No matter how it looks, or feels, God will never in His infinite wisdom, detour you, or mislead you. He confirms the truth of your path through His word and through His Spirit.
8-Displacement-Moving you into another area that you shouldn't be walking in will completely upset the plans of God temporarily. Usually a temptation that looked "Godly" led to this and you submitted. It wasn't God; I assure you. You’re completely where you don't need to be. You will remain "stuck" there apart from the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver you. Avoid relationships of any kind, at any time that will displace you.
9-Discontentment-Satan does not want you to experience the joy of the Lord which is your strength. At this point, you're starting to feel like giving up. Church and the body of Christ you avoid. The Word has lost its power for the moment in your life. Nothing "fresh" is happening. You're miserable. You feel abandoned by God during this time. Maybe you feel alone or lonely. Where did God go, you might ask? Maybe you feel forsaken. Satan wants you at a point of total discontentment so that you will be totally disillusioned about church, God, the Word and Christians, and Satan wants you to stop praying. He knows if He can get you to this point, he can cut off your "supply line" as occurs in the military, as a strategy to defeat the enemy. We are the enemy of Satan. He is our enemy.
10-Disgusted-Satan likes to weaken your resistance to evil, and for you to reduce your attacks against evil by using failure and other factors to minimize your efforts. Wearing you down by multiple attacks, particularly "getting hit with everything at once" is one of his favorite schemes. Completely overwhelming the saint is what Satan is frequently doing in these last days. You’re not alone. Ask for help from those you trust, who trust in God so they may share your struggles. Seek Godly counsel. God has a breakthrough right around the corner.
11-Disillusionment-You've failed so much you're ready to give up, so you stop looking to God, others, and you don't have faith or confidence in yourself. You are almost backslidden, if not there. You are living in defeat. You're miserable. You are powerless. You are ready to "hang it up." Life has lost its meaning. Nothing is working. There is nothing but the world, the flesh and the devil to draw from. Emptiness fills your life. Remember...this all began with a disguise: A COUNTERFEIT OFFER ---- A LIE!
12-Despair-disease-hopelessness, severe depression, being at wits end…all may have set in, which LEAD TO DEATH. That was the enemy's plan all along: Destroy your mind, your emotions, your body, your finances, your relationship with God, your family and others, wreck your job, create unusual trials and circumstances through continually weakening you, draining you of your resources, day after day, until you can not overcome. You are powerless. You need deliverance. Most likely you are up against principalities. You will need help to get out of this "pit." Deliverance is the only thing that will work. Some who have tasted of the fruit of heaven do not return to God, and even go as far as to commit suicide.
** Pray, fast, repent, confront the enemy and tear down the strongholds. These are 5 strategic answers to always defeat the devil. If we are to do greater things than Jesus, we were meant to have as many or more victories. Otherwise, we are all stepping into one of these 12 steps that lead to death at some point along the journey. We don't have to take this journey. Victory in Christ Jesus is ours. If we have a spirit of humility, submission and obedience, Satan will always flee.
David Hammock. Copyright © 2007. All Rights Reserved.
HOLY HOLY HOLY
In these perilous times we now live in, prior to the return of Jesus Christ, like never before, we have before us an urgent plea from Heaven's throne of grace to become holy as He is holy...the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Bible tells us without holiness, NO MAN..shall see God.
Through humility, submission, genuineness, repentance, faith, grace, and obedience...we can obtain the gift of holiness of God, only because of the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem. The holiness prescribed by the works of the flesh or the expectations of the world church are not what I'm talking about.
At the essence of who God is we find the truth, love, HOLINESS and the absolute, sovereign authority of El Shaddai...The God who said to Moses in the Old Testament, "I am that I am."
Enjoy the video by Donny McClurkin. Sense the presence of God and allow Him to touch you while you watch.
Through humility, submission, genuineness, repentance, faith, grace, and obedience...we can obtain the gift of holiness of God, only because of the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem. The holiness prescribed by the works of the flesh or the expectations of the world church are not what I'm talking about.
At the essence of who God is we find the truth, love, HOLINESS and the absolute, sovereign authority of El Shaddai...The God who said to Moses in the Old Testament, "I am that I am."
Enjoy the video by Donny McClurkin. Sense the presence of God and allow Him to touch you while you watch.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Deception in the Media
We live in a nation that continues to sink further and further into a pit of deception. Many profess themselves to be wise and they have become fools. Once upon a time in America we knew ourselves, one another, what right and wrong meant and what good and evil meant. Now...sadly the lenses of most have become blurred.
This did not happen overnight. Slowly we began to depart from the vision of our founding fathers and the words of stability that once anchored our nation. In 2011, many even dare to question the validity of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Some are saying the writers didn't know what they were talking about, while others are attempting to reinterpret the original intent of the authors. When America has to question if a marriage is really between a man and a woman, and we have to wait for the Supreme Court to overrule what God has already declared to be natural...we're in a desperate state...a very desperate state of deception. Even our churches are denying the validity of the Bible.
Young people feel ostracized from the truth. They feel that one of the primary characteristics of a successful person in America is to be a good liar. Young people as well as adults feel betrayed by Washington because of a departure from the truth in favor of easy believe-ism, political correctness, situation ethics and simply ignoring common sense and reasoning, while substituting truth with what feels good, what is easy, what is convenient, and what works for the moment instead of what is solid, and has been proven to stand the tests of time.
(You may discover a recent survey conducted among 1,000 of America's young people quite informative and revealing.Go to: http://www.davidhammock.blogspot.com to read "Research Study Refutes Popular Ideas About Young Americans". Your comments are welcomed.
Where did it all begin? Propaganda! Mostly from the media. If one third of the angels in heaven could be deceived, I wonder....just how many people on the Earth can be deceived before the return of Jesus Christ?
Take a look at the following video with Oprah. What do you think?
David Hammock
This did not happen overnight. Slowly we began to depart from the vision of our founding fathers and the words of stability that once anchored our nation. In 2011, many even dare to question the validity of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Some are saying the writers didn't know what they were talking about, while others are attempting to reinterpret the original intent of the authors. When America has to question if a marriage is really between a man and a woman, and we have to wait for the Supreme Court to overrule what God has already declared to be natural...we're in a desperate state...a very desperate state of deception. Even our churches are denying the validity of the Bible.
Young people feel ostracized from the truth. They feel that one of the primary characteristics of a successful person in America is to be a good liar. Young people as well as adults feel betrayed by Washington because of a departure from the truth in favor of easy believe-ism, political correctness, situation ethics and simply ignoring common sense and reasoning, while substituting truth with what feels good, what is easy, what is convenient, and what works for the moment instead of what is solid, and has been proven to stand the tests of time.
(You may discover a recent survey conducted among 1,000 of America's young people quite informative and revealing.Go to: http://www.davidhammock.blogspot.com to read "Research Study Refutes Popular Ideas About Young Americans". Your comments are welcomed.
Where did it all begin? Propaganda! Mostly from the media. If one third of the angels in heaven could be deceived, I wonder....just how many people on the Earth can be deceived before the return of Jesus Christ?
Take a look at the following video with Oprah. What do you think?
David Hammock
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Spiritual Changes are on the Way
On the Brink of Waves of CHANGE in the Spirit
By David Hammock on Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 11:59pm
Something is fixing to change in the Spirit. God is preparing to move mightily in those who will completely surrender....becoming prostrate before God to the point we've never gone before. It is a purer place of holiness. It is a place of true "holy" power, not something worked up in the flesh or in our carnal minds. We must be moved and flow with this move of the Spirit and not resist. It will be a new place of power. This is a "now" move. We should not be distracted. There is more that we all must lay down and do it without questioning God. If we are to be a voice in the wilderness as John the Baptist; it is a place of separation UNTO God, NOT AWAY FROM Him.
God is calling us to holy repentance, not religious repentance. We have been intellectually taught what repentance is, but we have not fully stepped into the on-going death of the “old man” that must occur for true repentance to be present. If there is no true repentance there is no true holiness. God desires as David prayed, a "clean heart and the renewal of a right spirit within."
For far too many years the religious church has looked upon the outer appearance, and tried to mold the inner man into a holy creature. Yet...every work of God is done from the inside out, not the outside in. Have we not lived within the kingdom of the church rather than the kingdom of God? "Man looketh upon the outward appearance but God looketh upon the heart." Nothing takes place as far as spiritual growth is concerned if it is not birthed in the heart or spirit of man.
David Hammock. Copyright © 2011. All Rights Reserved.
By David Hammock on Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 11:59pm
Something is fixing to change in the Spirit. God is preparing to move mightily in those who will completely surrender....becoming prostrate before God to the point we've never gone before. It is a purer place of holiness. It is a place of true "holy" power, not something worked up in the flesh or in our carnal minds. We must be moved and flow with this move of the Spirit and not resist. It will be a new place of power. This is a "now" move. We should not be distracted. There is more that we all must lay down and do it without questioning God. If we are to be a voice in the wilderness as John the Baptist; it is a place of separation UNTO God, NOT AWAY FROM Him.
God is calling us to holy repentance, not religious repentance. We have been intellectually taught what repentance is, but we have not fully stepped into the on-going death of the “old man” that must occur for true repentance to be present. If there is no true repentance there is no true holiness. God desires as David prayed, a "clean heart and the renewal of a right spirit within."
For far too many years the religious church has looked upon the outer appearance, and tried to mold the inner man into a holy creature. Yet...every work of God is done from the inside out, not the outside in. Have we not lived within the kingdom of the church rather than the kingdom of God? "Man looketh upon the outward appearance but God looketh upon the heart." Nothing takes place as far as spiritual growth is concerned if it is not birthed in the heart or spirit of man.
David Hammock. Copyright © 2011. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thursday, August 6, 2009
A Muslim Europe
A MUSLIM EUROPE - How Close?? - THE FACTS
In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: "who lost Europe?"
Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, a member of Parliament
from the Netherlands, at the Four Seasons, New York on Sept 28, 2008:
AMERICA as THE LAST MAN STANDING
-by Geert Wilders.
I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world.
There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be
optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of
Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of
Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the
West. The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization,
facing an Islamic Europe.
First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe. Then, I
will say a few things about Islam. To close I will tell you about a
meeting in Jerusalem.
The Europe you know is changing. You have probably seen the
landmarks. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks
away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the
world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.
All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim
neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen.
And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well.
It's the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless
tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands,
or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead, with mosques
on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot
read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity.
These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These
are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every
city across Europe. These are the building-blocks for territorial
control of increasingly larger portions of Europe, street by street,
neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.
There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe. With
larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every
European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will
dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.
Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take
Amsterdam, Marseille and Malmo in Sweden.
In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim.
Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighborhoods.
Mohammed is the most popular name among boys in many cities.
In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer
be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig,
and that would be an insult to Muslims. Many state schools in
Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils...
The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of
Muslim sensitivity. In England sharia courts are now officially part
of the British legal system..
Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without
head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up
by Muslims in Brussels, because he was drinking during the
Ramadan. Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run
for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II. French is
now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya,
Israel. I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about
Islamization.
A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe. San Diego
University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the
population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now...
Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be
threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to
assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research
Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to
Islam as greater than their loyalty to France. One-third of French
Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for
Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students
are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they
call 'respect'. And this is how we give them respect. We have
Muslim official state holidays.
The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept
sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have
cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey.
Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from
petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance
workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its
uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus. I call the
perpetrators 'settlers'. Because that is what they are. They do not
come to integrate into our societies, they come to integrate our
society into their Dar-al-Islam. Therefore, they are settlers.
Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively
against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their
neighborhoods, their cities, their countries. Moreover, Muslims are
now a swing vote not to be ignored.
The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed
the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot
be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us
say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would
be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer,
a pedophile, and had several marriages - at the same time. Islamic
tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies
murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed
himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. If it is good
for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.
Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god,
and a here-after, and 72 virgins, but in its essence Islam is a
political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for
society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every
aspect of life. Islam means 'submission'. Islam is not compatible
with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia.
If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism
or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.
Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam 'the most
retrograde force in the world', and why he compared Mein
Kampf to the Quran. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the
Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I have
lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel.
First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years
of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a
democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defense.
This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating
Islam's territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad,
like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines, Southern Thailand, Darfur
in Sudan, Lebanon, and Aceh in Indonesia. Israel is simply in the
way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.
The war against Israel is not a war against Israel. It is a war
against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows
that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel,
Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its
energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who
send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in
Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the
dangers looming.
Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to
address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel
were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the
West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a
sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the
contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to
the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of
Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of
Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only
the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world
domination. If they can get Israel, they can get everything.
So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of
Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. In my country,
the Netherlands, 60 percent of the population now sees the mass
immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since
World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest
threat. Yet there is a danger greater than terrorist attacks, the
scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go
out in Europe faster than you can imagine.
An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy,
an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of
military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies,
enemies with atomic bombs....
- www.thefirstorlast.com/AMERICA-THE-LAST-MAN-STANDING.html
In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: "who lost Europe?"
Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, a member of Parliament
from the Netherlands, at the Four Seasons, New York on Sept 28, 2008:
AMERICA as THE LAST MAN STANDING
-by Geert Wilders.
I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world.
There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be
optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of
Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of
Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the
West. The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization,
facing an Islamic Europe.
First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe. Then, I
will say a few things about Islam. To close I will tell you about a
meeting in Jerusalem.
The Europe you know is changing. You have probably seen the
landmarks. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks
away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the
world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.
All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim
neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen.
And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well.
It's the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless
tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands,
or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead, with mosques
on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot
read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity.
These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These
are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every
city across Europe. These are the building-blocks for territorial
control of increasingly larger portions of Europe, street by street,
neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.
There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe. With
larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every
European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will
dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.
Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take
Amsterdam, Marseille and Malmo in Sweden.
In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim.
Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighborhoods.
Mohammed is the most popular name among boys in many cities.
In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer
be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig,
and that would be an insult to Muslims. Many state schools in
Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils...
The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of
Muslim sensitivity. In England sharia courts are now officially part
of the British legal system..
Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without
head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up
by Muslims in Brussels, because he was drinking during the
Ramadan. Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run
for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II. French is
now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya,
Israel. I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about
Islamization.
A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe. San Diego
University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the
population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now...
Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be
threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to
assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research
Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to
Islam as greater than their loyalty to France. One-third of French
Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for
Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students
are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they
call 'respect'. And this is how we give them respect. We have
Muslim official state holidays.
The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept
sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have
cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey.
Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from
petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance
workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its
uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus. I call the
perpetrators 'settlers'. Because that is what they are. They do not
come to integrate into our societies, they come to integrate our
society into their Dar-al-Islam. Therefore, they are settlers.
Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively
against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their
neighborhoods, their cities, their countries. Moreover, Muslims are
now a swing vote not to be ignored.
The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed
the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot
be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us
say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would
be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer,
a pedophile, and had several marriages - at the same time. Islamic
tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies
murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed
himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. If it is good
for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.
Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god,
and a here-after, and 72 virgins, but in its essence Islam is a
political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for
society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every
aspect of life. Islam means 'submission'. Islam is not compatible
with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia.
If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism
or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.
Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam 'the most
retrograde force in the world', and why he compared Mein
Kampf to the Quran. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the
Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I have
lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel.
First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years
of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a
democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defense.
This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating
Islam's territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad,
like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines, Southern Thailand, Darfur
in Sudan, Lebanon, and Aceh in Indonesia. Israel is simply in the
way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.
The war against Israel is not a war against Israel. It is a war
against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows
that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel,
Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its
energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who
send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in
Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the
dangers looming.
Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to
address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel
were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the
West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a
sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the
contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to
the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of
Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of
Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only
the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world
domination. If they can get Israel, they can get everything.
So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of
Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. In my country,
the Netherlands, 60 percent of the population now sees the mass
immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since
World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest
threat. Yet there is a danger greater than terrorist attacks, the
scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go
out in Europe faster than you can imagine.
An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy,
an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of
military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies,
enemies with atomic bombs....
- www.thefirstorlast.com/AMERICA-THE-LAST-MAN-STANDING.html
Monday, July 27, 2009
Devoted Atheists Grow in Numbers, Goals
ABC News
Devoted Atheists Grow in Numbers, Goals
Faithless Looking to Give and Receive Community Support
By G. JEFFREY MACDONALD
July 19, 2009--
Valerie Celeste Coffey is a woman on a mission. For six years, her small group of local atheists has gathered to exchange bemused stories about the things Christians do in worship and swap tips for raising confident skeptics.
But on a recent Wednesday evening here at the Java Room cafe, Ms. Coffey said the time had come to take the meetings in hand.
"I don't think this group has a vision," said Coffey, a freelance editor who lives in nearby Boxborough, Mass. "We need to figure out what our values are."
Ten days later, something unprecedented happened: The group met over Sunday brunch for a structured discussion with preplanned topics.
The ranks of nonbelievers are on the rise, research suggests, and as they seek out each other online and in small groups, they are increasingly looking to do more than just vent.
Some are adopting rituals themselves, from de-baptisms to wedding ceremonies, as a way to cement ties among members. Others are organizing science-related outings or enrolling in community-service programs. Nationwide, atheists' groups are now treading, sometimes gingerly, into unfamiliar territory.
"This is the transition moment right now," says Dale McGowan, author of "Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion." "Some groups are really diving in [to foster a robust sense of community], and some of them are holding their noses and standing on the diving board. They're not quite sure what to do."
Some 15 percent of Americans claim no religious affiliation, up from 8.2 percent in 1990, according to Trinity College's American Religious Identification Survey, released in March. Also, the American Humanist Association claims 20,000 financial supporters. That marks a doubling from five years ago, says spokeswoman Karen Frantz.
Moreover, signs point to non-believers seeking fellowship as never before. During the first five months of 2009, 95 new atheist groups have formed through meetup.com, bringing the US total to 372. That's up from 59 in 2005, says Blair Scott, director of national affiliates for American Atheists, a networking and advocacy organization. Known parenting groups for nonbelievers have proliferated from just one in 2005 to 33 in 2009, adds Mr. McGowan, the author.
The intersection of the two trends is evident across the United States. For example, the North Alabama Freethought Association, which has grown from 50 members in 2006 to 350 today, drew 30 people to a camping event in May and runs regular outings to visit caves or other science-related sites.
"It used to be that these atheist groups ... met almost in hiding," says American Atheists spokesman David Silverman. "Now they're doing a lot more stands at town parties, a lot more trash pickups, a lot more blood donations -- a lot more stuff that gets their group out and noticed."
Some say such initiatives are necessary to improve an image problem. Rebecca Grieve founded South Lake Atheists and Freethinkers in Groveland, Fla., last year because she felt the nearby atheist group in Orlando "wasn't doing enough in the community." Through an Adopt-A-Lake project, the new group monitors a section of Lake Minneola and promotes its efforts on a big sign at Clermont Waterfront Park.
"A lot of atheist groups are really negative," says Ms. Grieve, who now lives in Derry, N.H., and describes herself as a secular humanist. "They're not standing for anything. They're not making a difference.... I want to be accepted just like everybody else. We need to be showing people through example that we're decent people."
For some, however, the status quo suits just fine. Of the monthly Atheists of Greater Lowell (Mass.) gatherings, where no one convenes or adjourns the group, Paul Ratner of Lowell says: "I like this group as it is now."
Rob Butler of Westford. Mass., agrees: "I love coming here because I can just say whatever's on my mind, and people won't be offended by it."
In some ways, the lack of structure or ritual has been a defining characteristic of atheist groups. McGowan notes that many atheists bristle at ritual because it feels too religious or superstitious. American Atheists' Mr. Silverman insists, "there are no rituals with us."
But America's 27 Ethical Societies, which attract many nontheist attendees to their humanist "platforms," or services, see growing interest in rituals, ranging from children's education to weddings, according to membership chairman Thomas Hoeppner. Through ritual, "you build up not just common intellectual values, but the emotional and personal connection with people," says Mr. Hoeppner, a member of the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago. "That's what it's all about."
"So when one of my dear friends in his 80s lost his wife, he'd be over at our house every Sunday afternoon for dinner," he says. "That's a ritual for us."
In Florida, atheists are pioneering a new ritual: de-baptism. Since last year, American Atheists' Florida state director Greg McDowell has been donning a mock clerical robe and officiating at services where family and friends come to watch the baptized renounce their baptisms.
The events spoof baptisms by using blow-dryers in the place of baptismal waters. They culminate in certificates for the "de-baptized" and letters to churches requesting that the names of those de-baptized be removed from baptismal rolls.
Elsewhere, ties that bind the faithless continue to grow stronger, even without ritual per se. After one member of the North Alabama Free Thought Association was robbed earlier this year, fellow members collected a few hundred dollars to see him through to payday. And when another was injured in a motorcycle accident, atheists brought meals every day for him and his caretakers.
"It makes me sit back and smile to know that this community has built itself up in a way that they're looking out for each other, watching each other's backs, and supporting each other," says Mr. Scott, who founded the Alabama group six years ago. "It almost makes me feel fatherly -- like you raised your child right."
Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures
Devoted Atheists Grow in Numbers, Goals
Faithless Looking to Give and Receive Community Support
By G. JEFFREY MACDONALD
July 19, 2009--
Valerie Celeste Coffey is a woman on a mission. For six years, her small group of local atheists has gathered to exchange bemused stories about the things Christians do in worship and swap tips for raising confident skeptics.
But on a recent Wednesday evening here at the Java Room cafe, Ms. Coffey said the time had come to take the meetings in hand.
"I don't think this group has a vision," said Coffey, a freelance editor who lives in nearby Boxborough, Mass. "We need to figure out what our values are."
Ten days later, something unprecedented happened: The group met over Sunday brunch for a structured discussion with preplanned topics.
The ranks of nonbelievers are on the rise, research suggests, and as they seek out each other online and in small groups, they are increasingly looking to do more than just vent.
Some are adopting rituals themselves, from de-baptisms to wedding ceremonies, as a way to cement ties among members. Others are organizing science-related outings or enrolling in community-service programs. Nationwide, atheists' groups are now treading, sometimes gingerly, into unfamiliar territory.
"This is the transition moment right now," says Dale McGowan, author of "Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion." "Some groups are really diving in [to foster a robust sense of community], and some of them are holding their noses and standing on the diving board. They're not quite sure what to do."
Some 15 percent of Americans claim no religious affiliation, up from 8.2 percent in 1990, according to Trinity College's American Religious Identification Survey, released in March. Also, the American Humanist Association claims 20,000 financial supporters. That marks a doubling from five years ago, says spokeswoman Karen Frantz.
Moreover, signs point to non-believers seeking fellowship as never before. During the first five months of 2009, 95 new atheist groups have formed through meetup.com, bringing the US total to 372. That's up from 59 in 2005, says Blair Scott, director of national affiliates for American Atheists, a networking and advocacy organization. Known parenting groups for nonbelievers have proliferated from just one in 2005 to 33 in 2009, adds Mr. McGowan, the author.
The intersection of the two trends is evident across the United States. For example, the North Alabama Freethought Association, which has grown from 50 members in 2006 to 350 today, drew 30 people to a camping event in May and runs regular outings to visit caves or other science-related sites.
"It used to be that these atheist groups ... met almost in hiding," says American Atheists spokesman David Silverman. "Now they're doing a lot more stands at town parties, a lot more trash pickups, a lot more blood donations -- a lot more stuff that gets their group out and noticed."
Some say such initiatives are necessary to improve an image problem. Rebecca Grieve founded South Lake Atheists and Freethinkers in Groveland, Fla., last year because she felt the nearby atheist group in Orlando "wasn't doing enough in the community." Through an Adopt-A-Lake project, the new group monitors a section of Lake Minneola and promotes its efforts on a big sign at Clermont Waterfront Park.
"A lot of atheist groups are really negative," says Ms. Grieve, who now lives in Derry, N.H., and describes herself as a secular humanist. "They're not standing for anything. They're not making a difference.... I want to be accepted just like everybody else. We need to be showing people through example that we're decent people."
For some, however, the status quo suits just fine. Of the monthly Atheists of Greater Lowell (Mass.) gatherings, where no one convenes or adjourns the group, Paul Ratner of Lowell says: "I like this group as it is now."
Rob Butler of Westford. Mass., agrees: "I love coming here because I can just say whatever's on my mind, and people won't be offended by it."
In some ways, the lack of structure or ritual has been a defining characteristic of atheist groups. McGowan notes that many atheists bristle at ritual because it feels too religious or superstitious. American Atheists' Mr. Silverman insists, "there are no rituals with us."
But America's 27 Ethical Societies, which attract many nontheist attendees to their humanist "platforms," or services, see growing interest in rituals, ranging from children's education to weddings, according to membership chairman Thomas Hoeppner. Through ritual, "you build up not just common intellectual values, but the emotional and personal connection with people," says Mr. Hoeppner, a member of the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago. "That's what it's all about."
"So when one of my dear friends in his 80s lost his wife, he'd be over at our house every Sunday afternoon for dinner," he says. "That's a ritual for us."
In Florida, atheists are pioneering a new ritual: de-baptism. Since last year, American Atheists' Florida state director Greg McDowell has been donning a mock clerical robe and officiating at services where family and friends come to watch the baptized renounce their baptisms.
The events spoof baptisms by using blow-dryers in the place of baptismal waters. They culminate in certificates for the "de-baptized" and letters to churches requesting that the names of those de-baptized be removed from baptismal rolls.
Elsewhere, ties that bind the faithless continue to grow stronger, even without ritual per se. After one member of the North Alabama Free Thought Association was robbed earlier this year, fellow members collected a few hundred dollars to see him through to payday. And when another was injured in a motorcycle accident, atheists brought meals every day for him and his caretakers.
"It makes me sit back and smile to know that this community has built itself up in a way that they're looking out for each other, watching each other's backs, and supporting each other," says Mr. Scott, who founded the Alabama group six years ago. "It almost makes me feel fatherly -- like you raised your child right."
Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Listen Children...People Might Want to Tell You
As a minister, past social worker and professional counselor with twenty years of over 12,000 logged hours, I spent a lot of passionate time learning about how to help people. To this day I enjoy doing my part to help others, for it is my life’s call. When I hear other people, some wearing the title “expert,” talk about what others need, and want and how bad things are for hurting people, because of various reasons that the expert has researched and reported, in order for solutions, strategies and plans to be developed and executed to help make the pain of others better, I often wonder? Do they really have a clue? Sometimes I want a barf bag, because this guy, who thinks he knows so much, doesn’t really know people. He’s an administrator that couldn’t snip the end of a bag of bird seed off and fill up the feeder if he didn’t have an instruction guide. “Don’t be harsh now,” some would say. It is the thought and intentions that count.
We make these assumptions observing body language, reading between the lines, noting one’s demeanor, tone of voice, hygiene, words and habits that, “Oh…I know just what to say” or, “I know just how they feel,” or “I know just what they need,” without the heart ever truly asking: “How are you?” “Is everything alright?” Or, “How can I help you?” Even then…sometimes hurting people don’t know where to begin; they don’t believe you’ll be there for them because they’ve been down that road before and people they should have been able to count on let them down or, they wonder…”Why should I trust you?” And maybe a dozen or so more questions might be on their heart too like, “What gives you the right to walk into my world assuming that you’ve got what it takes…that you’ve got solutions….you don’t walk in my shoes, so who do you think you are?” Obviously… the anger that has come to the surface is speaking. Reason is not. But then….when did pain ever “feel” reasonable? That question I’d like to have the answer to.
Sometimes the best way to help is to just be still, wait and be patient. Once the hurting one knows you’re there, then…just “be there.” Being present comes long after awareness, availability and accessibility. A response cannot occur that will touch the life of another person until you’ve proven by what you do, not by what you say that you “understand.” Acceptance and understanding are just baby steps in the helping process, no matter what our particular career field or station in life. Will you be there for me through thick and thin? Will you be there when I mess up really bad? Will you be there when I do something really stupid? Will you be there when I have nowhere to turn? Will you be there when I’ve lost it all? Will you be there when I’m at the end of my rope and have no clue as to what's the right thing to do? That’s the kind of person I want in my corner. Most of us never do, even amongst our family, friends, co-workers, circles we travel in, professionals and those in the fields of helping others, including ministers.
If you’re going to call yourself a helping person, a religious person, a Christian person, a person of faith, a caring person, a giving person, an unselfish person....you’ve got to start with the basics. If you can’t do that....then just walk away and put your 75% off, humanitarian aid card back in your pocket. Use it with someone who doesn’t know the difference between cheap and genuine. But…even street-wise people know what it means to be human, even if they’re not treated that way by the masses, or they treat others that way.
What am I trying to say here? True caring takes time, effort, and commitment. Desire, motivation and willingness to pay the sacrificial price is what loving your neighbor as thyself really means. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, I hear often and always know just how true it really is. In the story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible, the Good Samaritan went “out of his way” to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right purpose at his own expense. I almost never see that today. Never! Everyone wants to know “What’s in it for me?” or, “What’s it going to cost me?” when it comes to even helping someone with a coat, a toy, a meal or a new pair of shoes. Helping someone is not written into a personal planner with an indication that on a certain day of the week it will be “convenient.” Helping someone is a natural imperative of the heart, that calls for compelling action NOW....not later. Thank God, we don’t have to fill out an application or have a background check with Heaven, before God will redeem man and liberate him to be fully human and fully alive.
So… next time you want to help someone, take a moment and think about it. Is this where your heart is truly at? Is this what God is directing you to do? Is this what you want to do to feel good about you? What's your real motive?
Or, is this the right thing that must be done and you’ve just gotten the 911 call from God? The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord and He’ll supply all of your needs. Just step up to the plate and be humble, submissive and obedient, accepting the sufficiency of God’s grace, walking by faith which only works by love. Just do it! It doesn't take an expert to care...you just have to be willing!
David Hammock. Copyright© 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Does God Change His Mind?
Answer: Malachi 3:6 declares, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” Similarly, James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” The meaning of Numbers 23:19 could not be more clear, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” No, God does not change His mind. These verses assert that God is unchanging, and unchangeable.
However, this appears to contradict what is taught in other verses, such as Genesis 6:6, “The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain.” Also, Jonah 3:10 which says, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.” Similarly, Exodus 32:14 proclaims, “Then the LORD relented and did not bring on His people the disaster He had threatened.” These verses speak of the Lord “repenting” of something, and seem to be contrary to verses that teach that God is unchanging. However, close examination of these passages reveals that these are not truly indications that God is capable of changing. In the original language, the word that is translated as “repent,” or “relent,” is the Hebrew expression of “to be sorry for.” Being sorry for something does not mean that a change has occurred; it simply means that there is regret for something that has taken place.
Consider in Genesis 6:6 that “…The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth.” This verse even goes on to say “…His heart was filled with pain.” This verse declares that God had regret for creating man. However, obviously He did not reverse His decision. Instead, through Noah, He allowed man to continue to exist. The fact that we are alive today is living proof that God did not change His mind about creating man. Also, the context of this passage is a description of the sinful state man was living in, and it is man’s sinfulness that triggered God’s sorrow, not man’s existence. Consider what Jonah 3:10 says: “…He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.” Again, the same Hebrew word is used here, which expresses “to be sorry for.” Why was God “sorry” for what He had planned for the Ninevites? Because they had a change in heart, and as a result, changed their ways from disobedience to obedience. God is entirely consistent. God was going to judge Nineveh because of its evil. However, Nineveh repented and changed its ways. As a result, God had mercy on Nineveh, which is entirely consistent with His character.
Romans 3:23 teaches us that all men sin, and fall short of God’s standard. Romans 6:23 states that the consequence for this is death (spiritual and physical). So, the people of Nineveh were deserving of punishment. All of us face this same situation, as it is man’s choice to sin that separates us all from God. Man cannot hold God responsible for his own predicament. So it would be contrary to the character of God to not punish the Ninevites had they continued in sin. However, the people of Nineveh turned to obedience, and for that the Lord chose not to punish them as He had originally intended. Did the change on the part of the Ninevites obligate God to do what he did? Absolutely not! God cannot be placed in a position of obligation to man. God is good and righteous, and chose not to punish the Ninevites as a result of their change of heart. If anything, what this passage does is point to the fact that God does not change, because had the Lord not preserved the Ninevites, this would be contrary to the character of God.
The Scriptures that describe God apparently “changing His mind” are human attempts to explain the actions of God. God was going to do something, but instead did something else. To us, that sounds like a change. But to God, who is omniscient and sovereign, it is not a change. God always knew what He was going to do. God also knew what He needed to do to cause humanity to do what He wanted them to do. God threatened Nineveh with destruction, knowing that it would cause Nineveh to repent. God threatened Israel with destruction, knowing that Moses would intercede. God does not regret His decisions, but is saddened by some of what humanity does in response to His decisions. God does not change His mind, but rather acts consistently to His Word in response to our actions.
Does God Keep His Word?
Does God keep His promises and commitments even when humans fail to abide by theirs? God's character and values never change. Therefore He could never have abandoned His promises to ancient Israel. Through the mouth of one of His prophets He exclaimed to Israel: "For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you..." (Malachi 3:6-7).
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God promised that Israel as a nation would continue to exist as long as the sun, moon and stars continued to shine (Jeremiah 31:35-36). He promises to protect and guide the destiny of all the descendants of ancient Israel until they-including those known as Jews and those among the lost 10 tribes-are restored as one nation at Christ's return.
God has made wonderful promises-some to individuals, some to nations and some to all of mankind. If He ever abandoned any promise and commitment to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants, the Israelites, how could we ever believe He would keep His promises to us?
Our faith rests on the premise that God means what He says. It is because He is faithful to all of His commitments that we have a solid basis for trusting Him to keep His promises
We see, then, that God's promises to ancient Israel are vitally important to us personally. The truthfulness of the Bible itself would collapse if God failed to fulfill His commitments to those exiled people. This is another reason for studying this subject. Either these so-called lost tribes still exist or God was not faithful to His promises.
However, this appears to contradict what is taught in other verses, such as Genesis 6:6, “The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain.” Also, Jonah 3:10 which says, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.” Similarly, Exodus 32:14 proclaims, “Then the LORD relented and did not bring on His people the disaster He had threatened.” These verses speak of the Lord “repenting” of something, and seem to be contrary to verses that teach that God is unchanging. However, close examination of these passages reveals that these are not truly indications that God is capable of changing. In the original language, the word that is translated as “repent,” or “relent,” is the Hebrew expression of “to be sorry for.” Being sorry for something does not mean that a change has occurred; it simply means that there is regret for something that has taken place.
Consider in Genesis 6:6 that “…The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth.” This verse even goes on to say “…His heart was filled with pain.” This verse declares that God had regret for creating man. However, obviously He did not reverse His decision. Instead, through Noah, He allowed man to continue to exist. The fact that we are alive today is living proof that God did not change His mind about creating man. Also, the context of this passage is a description of the sinful state man was living in, and it is man’s sinfulness that triggered God’s sorrow, not man’s existence. Consider what Jonah 3:10 says: “…He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.” Again, the same Hebrew word is used here, which expresses “to be sorry for.” Why was God “sorry” for what He had planned for the Ninevites? Because they had a change in heart, and as a result, changed their ways from disobedience to obedience. God is entirely consistent. God was going to judge Nineveh because of its evil. However, Nineveh repented and changed its ways. As a result, God had mercy on Nineveh, which is entirely consistent with His character.
Romans 3:23 teaches us that all men sin, and fall short of God’s standard. Romans 6:23 states that the consequence for this is death (spiritual and physical). So, the people of Nineveh were deserving of punishment. All of us face this same situation, as it is man’s choice to sin that separates us all from God. Man cannot hold God responsible for his own predicament. So it would be contrary to the character of God to not punish the Ninevites had they continued in sin. However, the people of Nineveh turned to obedience, and for that the Lord chose not to punish them as He had originally intended. Did the change on the part of the Ninevites obligate God to do what he did? Absolutely not! God cannot be placed in a position of obligation to man. God is good and righteous, and chose not to punish the Ninevites as a result of their change of heart. If anything, what this passage does is point to the fact that God does not change, because had the Lord not preserved the Ninevites, this would be contrary to the character of God.
The Scriptures that describe God apparently “changing His mind” are human attempts to explain the actions of God. God was going to do something, but instead did something else. To us, that sounds like a change. But to God, who is omniscient and sovereign, it is not a change. God always knew what He was going to do. God also knew what He needed to do to cause humanity to do what He wanted them to do. God threatened Nineveh with destruction, knowing that it would cause Nineveh to repent. God threatened Israel with destruction, knowing that Moses would intercede. God does not regret His decisions, but is saddened by some of what humanity does in response to His decisions. God does not change His mind, but rather acts consistently to His Word in response to our actions.
Does God Keep His Word?
Does God keep His promises and commitments even when humans fail to abide by theirs? God's character and values never change. Therefore He could never have abandoned His promises to ancient Israel. Through the mouth of one of His prophets He exclaimed to Israel: "For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you..." (Malachi 3:6-7).
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God promised that Israel as a nation would continue to exist as long as the sun, moon and stars continued to shine (Jeremiah 31:35-36). He promises to protect and guide the destiny of all the descendants of ancient Israel until they-including those known as Jews and those among the lost 10 tribes-are restored as one nation at Christ's return.
God has made wonderful promises-some to individuals, some to nations and some to all of mankind. If He ever abandoned any promise and commitment to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants, the Israelites, how could we ever believe He would keep His promises to us?
Our faith rests on the premise that God means what He says. It is because He is faithful to all of His commitments that we have a solid basis for trusting Him to keep His promises
We see, then, that God's promises to ancient Israel are vitally important to us personally. The truthfulness of the Bible itself would collapse if God failed to fulfill His commitments to those exiled people. This is another reason for studying this subject. Either these so-called lost tribes still exist or God was not faithful to His promises.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Is it Really Humility?
Most of us have bit of a problem with the word “humility.” We have ideas about humility that are distorted, lack precision, ones that we have misconceptions and uncertainties about, or maybe we just don’t even like the word, period. I remember from childhood someone in my life that frequently referred to people as humble. “She’s so humble,” or “He’s so humble,” the person would say of the one spoken of.
I really had a problem with this because I knew the person doing the talking well enough to know that they were mischievous, manipulative, controlling….and I never was comfortable with their motives. The person referring to the “humble” seemed to be one who took advantage of those that were being admired and I thought the talker was referring to people they could “get over” on. I just knew there was something wrong with this picture, even when I knew there was something right about humility. Remember now…I was just little boy.
Some see humility as unconditional, unquestionable compliance with whatever is asked or expected of them. It’s as though the person doesn’t have a voice or feelings about what is expected and they are merely nice little robots that function and perform precisely. Even when the so called “humble” one gives of themselves, too often their mistakes are pointed out more vividly than their efforts, spirits and motives being right and very “moving” to the point that others are helped. Perfectionists like the humble because they like to provoke false guilt and shame so they get what they want, regardless of how they treat the “humble” since the provoker has to be right and not fall off their power ladder. What would people think of them then? True humility doesn’t have to be unwise nor does one have to a victim.
Being humble isn’t being a doormat for people to get away with murder by “using” you. We all know about users and givers. I’m 54 years old and have seen a lot of both across the world. Being humble doesn’t mean we “hang our head lower” than the next man as though we’re helpless, poor, can’t speak for ourselves or that we are powerless. The power authorities and abusers of this world would like you to be a wimp, but most of all they would like you to think, feel and believe you’re a wimp. Wimps have low self-esteem, are uncertain about their identity and their value as a person is distorted by ideas someone else planted in their heads or by the way a power/authority figure treated them.
We view public figures that are soft soften or smooth talking and say the “politically correct” things as humble, even when their widely publicized actions seem “for the people,” while down the line, a big payoff is coming and their methods are as shrewd as they come and downright evil. We remark how humble someone is in Hollywood when they win an “Oscar” and shed a few tears and give credit where credit is due and they speak very little about themselves, even when they slept their way to the top to get there. When persons of wealth and good fortune give money to feed the poor, help the homeless or contribute to a worthy cause we remark about how much of a true humanitarian they are and how generous they are, when many times it is for a tax break and it’s just really good public relations and further expansion of their own financial kingdom.
First of all, humility doesn’t mean others are better than you and you are “less than” others. God is no respecter of persons. We are all made in the image of God. Whether we choose to accept that image and allow it to be a gift to ourselves and others remains a matter of free will.
Secondly, true humility isn’t an oppressive burden that one must bear. Humility is a gift from God to share with others. It frees one from pride and arrogance. True humility speaks for itself, because a person is confident in God’s strength to give it and confident in their God given identity, no matter what the outcome, and their value as a person isn’t diminished whether their humility is accepted or rejected. Some people reject another’s humility, because it becomes a vehicle of conviction, where they lack character themselves and it reminds them of how they fail others at times. Remember now…humility is a GIFT!
Thirdly, humility is really about the heart. I’ve always found that truly humble people seek to have clean hearts, pure hearts, and honest hearts, caring and giving hearts and they have a heart for God and others. They seem to have certain “glow” about them that others don’t. Humble people seem to have a heart that’s always moving in the right direction no matter what the circumstances or outcome of their situations. Quite simply…humble people want to do the “right” thing for the “right” reason. That’s the true reward.
Fourthly, humility is power. Most of the world sees humility as a sign of weakness. “Never let ‘em see you sweat. Don’t let them know you’re hurting. Never shed a tear in public. Suck it up. Don’t play the ace until you have to. Don’t talk about it in public. Don’t them this and don’t tell them that. No one needs to know. If they see how you really feel, you’ll be taken advantage of. Play it cool.” All of these statements and many others I’ve heard through the years are fear based, not faith based or power based. Sadly though, the world continues to play the game of greed, arrogance, power, control, manipulation, exploitation, seduction, perversion and conning with nothing more than a motivation of selfishness. True humility is the power to be unselfish because it’s right….not because it makes one feel better.
I Peter 5:5 states that we should “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Imagine that! All of your value, all of your power and all of your hope are yours because of humility. But, the humility is based on God’s definition, not ours.
Being comfortable in your own skin is about certainty of your true identity which is found in Christ. When you like you and love you, it is possible to love your neighbor as yourself, because you have chosen to love you based on what God thinks and says about you, not what you or others think, feel and believe about you. Philippians 2:3 states “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” That does not mean that you judge others or judge yourselves. It’s really about caring, sharing, giving, serving, honor and respect with a positive view of yourself as well as others. You are not diminished, nor do you classify yourself as a second-rate citizen or some sort of “untouchable,” “not good enough” kind of person. Those thoughts are merely deception that leads to disappointment, discouragement and even worse states of mind and heart.
Jesus spoke of himself in Matthew 11:29 as being “gentle and humble in heart.” Jesus was not a weak man. He changed the course of human history forever. But remember this: “Who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Finally, some points to remember: 1-Humility, submission and obedience, executed with the faith of God, releases His favor and blessings upon you; 2-Humility is action, not a feeling; 3-Humility can defuse arguments and you don’t have to win every argument; 4-Handling unfair treatment peacefully is possible when humble; you do not have to be overcome by bitterness. The need for vengeance and revenge begins to fade more and more when humility prevails; 5-You don’t have to put on a false identity and fearfully disguise yourself when you are humble; you don’t have to prove a thing; 6-True humility won’t crush you. We can all learn from the constructive criticism of others; 7- Humility liberates you to ask for forgiveness and be reconciled with others. (Matthew 5:23-24); 8- Humility helps you to have the right attitude; 9-Humility doesn’t mean you are a wimp; it demonstrates strength and character; 10-Humility isn’t being unaware of your gifts and talents (Ephesians 3:8); 11-Bible based humility doesn’t mean never speaking directly although we examine our motives, attitudes and actions.
The results from understanding the truth about humility are more successful than taking a fearful, distorted, arrogant approach. When humble, you are likely to have more influence than if you are not. Even if the results aren’t what you think they should be or what they could be, you have done the right thing for the right reason if God is with you. You become victorious even if you don’t win with man, you will always win with God. Your thinking will remain sound; you will not become powerless, your emotions will be able to function and be experienced as God intends and your heart will remain pure. And…when you lay your head down at night you can truly say, “I’m right with God, right with myself and others and it is well with my soul.”
David Hammock. Copyright © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
I really had a problem with this because I knew the person doing the talking well enough to know that they were mischievous, manipulative, controlling….and I never was comfortable with their motives. The person referring to the “humble” seemed to be one who took advantage of those that were being admired and I thought the talker was referring to people they could “get over” on. I just knew there was something wrong with this picture, even when I knew there was something right about humility. Remember now…I was just little boy.
Some see humility as unconditional, unquestionable compliance with whatever is asked or expected of them. It’s as though the person doesn’t have a voice or feelings about what is expected and they are merely nice little robots that function and perform precisely. Even when the so called “humble” one gives of themselves, too often their mistakes are pointed out more vividly than their efforts, spirits and motives being right and very “moving” to the point that others are helped. Perfectionists like the humble because they like to provoke false guilt and shame so they get what they want, regardless of how they treat the “humble” since the provoker has to be right and not fall off their power ladder. What would people think of them then? True humility doesn’t have to be unwise nor does one have to a victim.
Being humble isn’t being a doormat for people to get away with murder by “using” you. We all know about users and givers. I’m 54 years old and have seen a lot of both across the world. Being humble doesn’t mean we “hang our head lower” than the next man as though we’re helpless, poor, can’t speak for ourselves or that we are powerless. The power authorities and abusers of this world would like you to be a wimp, but most of all they would like you to think, feel and believe you’re a wimp. Wimps have low self-esteem, are uncertain about their identity and their value as a person is distorted by ideas someone else planted in their heads or by the way a power/authority figure treated them.
We view public figures that are soft soften or smooth talking and say the “politically correct” things as humble, even when their widely publicized actions seem “for the people,” while down the line, a big payoff is coming and their methods are as shrewd as they come and downright evil. We remark how humble someone is in Hollywood when they win an “Oscar” and shed a few tears and give credit where credit is due and they speak very little about themselves, even when they slept their way to the top to get there. When persons of wealth and good fortune give money to feed the poor, help the homeless or contribute to a worthy cause we remark about how much of a true humanitarian they are and how generous they are, when many times it is for a tax break and it’s just really good public relations and further expansion of their own financial kingdom.
First of all, humility doesn’t mean others are better than you and you are “less than” others. God is no respecter of persons. We are all made in the image of God. Whether we choose to accept that image and allow it to be a gift to ourselves and others remains a matter of free will.
Secondly, true humility isn’t an oppressive burden that one must bear. Humility is a gift from God to share with others. It frees one from pride and arrogance. True humility speaks for itself, because a person is confident in God’s strength to give it and confident in their God given identity, no matter what the outcome, and their value as a person isn’t diminished whether their humility is accepted or rejected. Some people reject another’s humility, because it becomes a vehicle of conviction, where they lack character themselves and it reminds them of how they fail others at times. Remember now…humility is a GIFT!
Thirdly, humility is really about the heart. I’ve always found that truly humble people seek to have clean hearts, pure hearts, and honest hearts, caring and giving hearts and they have a heart for God and others. They seem to have certain “glow” about them that others don’t. Humble people seem to have a heart that’s always moving in the right direction no matter what the circumstances or outcome of their situations. Quite simply…humble people want to do the “right” thing for the “right” reason. That’s the true reward.
Fourthly, humility is power. Most of the world sees humility as a sign of weakness. “Never let ‘em see you sweat. Don’t let them know you’re hurting. Never shed a tear in public. Suck it up. Don’t play the ace until you have to. Don’t talk about it in public. Don’t them this and don’t tell them that. No one needs to know. If they see how you really feel, you’ll be taken advantage of. Play it cool.” All of these statements and many others I’ve heard through the years are fear based, not faith based or power based. Sadly though, the world continues to play the game of greed, arrogance, power, control, manipulation, exploitation, seduction, perversion and conning with nothing more than a motivation of selfishness. True humility is the power to be unselfish because it’s right….not because it makes one feel better.
I Peter 5:5 states that we should “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Imagine that! All of your value, all of your power and all of your hope are yours because of humility. But, the humility is based on God’s definition, not ours.
Being comfortable in your own skin is about certainty of your true identity which is found in Christ. When you like you and love you, it is possible to love your neighbor as yourself, because you have chosen to love you based on what God thinks and says about you, not what you or others think, feel and believe about you. Philippians 2:3 states “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” That does not mean that you judge others or judge yourselves. It’s really about caring, sharing, giving, serving, honor and respect with a positive view of yourself as well as others. You are not diminished, nor do you classify yourself as a second-rate citizen or some sort of “untouchable,” “not good enough” kind of person. Those thoughts are merely deception that leads to disappointment, discouragement and even worse states of mind and heart.
Jesus spoke of himself in Matthew 11:29 as being “gentle and humble in heart.” Jesus was not a weak man. He changed the course of human history forever. But remember this: “Who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
Finally, some points to remember: 1-Humility, submission and obedience, executed with the faith of God, releases His favor and blessings upon you; 2-Humility is action, not a feeling; 3-Humility can defuse arguments and you don’t have to win every argument; 4-Handling unfair treatment peacefully is possible when humble; you do not have to be overcome by bitterness. The need for vengeance and revenge begins to fade more and more when humility prevails; 5-You don’t have to put on a false identity and fearfully disguise yourself when you are humble; you don’t have to prove a thing; 6-True humility won’t crush you. We can all learn from the constructive criticism of others; 7- Humility liberates you to ask for forgiveness and be reconciled with others. (Matthew 5:23-24); 8- Humility helps you to have the right attitude; 9-Humility doesn’t mean you are a wimp; it demonstrates strength and character; 10-Humility isn’t being unaware of your gifts and talents (Ephesians 3:8); 11-Bible based humility doesn’t mean never speaking directly although we examine our motives, attitudes and actions.
The results from understanding the truth about humility are more successful than taking a fearful, distorted, arrogant approach. When humble, you are likely to have more influence than if you are not. Even if the results aren’t what you think they should be or what they could be, you have done the right thing for the right reason if God is with you. You become victorious even if you don’t win with man, you will always win with God. Your thinking will remain sound; you will not become powerless, your emotions will be able to function and be experienced as God intends and your heart will remain pure. And…when you lay your head down at night you can truly say, “I’m right with God, right with myself and others and it is well with my soul.”
David Hammock. Copyright © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
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