Mar. 13, 2008 - True Christians In The Workplace by Sanjay Poonen (HS moms...read this too :o)

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True Christians In The Workplace - Sanjay Poonen

First, some questions…

• Can one be on fire for God and still have a secular job? Or has the Lord called only full-time Christian workers?
• Can you have a career at a corporate job?
• What do you do when the Lord first gives you your first paycheck?
• Do you know that all Christians are called to be leaders and shepherds? Is your life a compartmentalized spiritual vs. professional life?
• Are you a friend of Christ on Sunday, and a friend of the world the rest of the week?

I. Leaders are Shepherds

• Matt 9:36: “Seeing the people Jesus felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd”
• Zech 10:2: They are seeking all kinds of impure advice, from psychologists or false preachers (modern day diviners)
• Zech 11:17: Or the Lord has given them a shepherd’s responsibility and they shun it
• John 10:12: “The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf coming and he runs away, leaving the sheep to be ravaged by the wolf. The sheep don’t matter to him”

VALUES, GOALS, DECISIONS

Joseph’s Values


Daniel’s Three Friends’ Values                                       Daniel’s Values



Nehemiah’s Values


Nehemiah’s Values


Jesus’ Values


What Values did Jesus teach His disciples


Eric Liddell’s Values (1902-45)

VALUES, GOALS, DECISIONS

II. My Values

1. My life on earth is like vapor; I am a citizen of heaven
You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and vanishes away (Jam 4:13-15)
For many walk… whose god is their appetite, whose glory is their same, whose end is destruction…But our citizenship is in heaven… (Phil 3:20)
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation a people for God’s own possession…I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul… (1 Pet 2:9-12)

2. I will work hard in everything that I do. If the Lord grants me success, I will fall on my knees in humility, praying for grace to be faithful
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men… (Col 3:23)
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, attend to your own business and work with your hands… (1 Thes 4:11)
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE… humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time… (1 Pet 5:5)

3. I will be a light on a hill, salt in the food, keeping my Christian behavior excellent, so others can glorify God
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men… You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven… (Matt 5:13-16)
Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven… (Matt 5:20)

4. I will be open to the direction of the Holy Spirit wherever it might lead, whatever it leads me to speak and act
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you… (John 14:26)
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with patience and instruction… (2 Tim 4:2)
Note: For some of these Values, see also the website of Pat Gelsinger where some of these values were inspired from

5. I will be generous with the seed the Lord has given me
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God…(2 Cor 9:10-11)
The purpose of tithing: to always put God first (Duet 14:22,23)
Give cheerfully: God loves a cheerful giver… (2 Cor 9:7);
Give everything: none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions… (Luke 14:33)

6. I will do nothing out of selfish ambition
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing… (James 3:14-16)
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done… (2 Cor 5:9-10)
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you… (1 Thes 4:11)

7. I will be a servant-leader. I will not seek my own glory, instead I will seek to honor God and praise / encourage / improve those around me, above me, beneath me.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross… (Phil 2:3-9)
We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone… (1 Thes 5:14)
Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… (Rom 15:5-6)

8. I will be careful with all my words and actions.
If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, his religion is worthless…(James 1:26)
Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of judgment…(1 Pet 2:12)

9. I will seek the counsel of others frequently. I will make the godly my heroes
Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed… (Prov 15:22)
I will make the godly my heroes and invite them to my home…(Psalm 101:6)

10. I will be on fire for God, seeking to be a change agent, not satisfied with the status quo
I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation… (Rom 15:20)
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth… (Rev 3:15-16)

I enjoy being with such people, because I want to show them that there's a wonderful life in Christ that we can lead (amidst all these other interests), that can increase our usefulness and joy - because it would be a life of submission to our Creator. I want to show those around me that a life lived in submission to a loving heavenly Father, is a very wonderful life indeed.

III. What are your Values

• What top 5 values do you stand for?
• Can you live by godly Christian values at your workplace, whether you are successful by earthly standards or not?
• What do you want to pray before the Lord that He will help you change in 2008?

IV. Goals: What are they?

1 Cor 9 : 27
I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

2 Tim 4 : 8
In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing

James 1 : 12
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

1 Peter 1: 6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ

I believe that we were created to work hard on this earth ("to earn our bread by perspiring" Gen 3:19). As Christians, God doesn't give us an easy way out of this, where we can just sit around doing nothing. No. We have to work hard just like the others around us. But we are also to find fulfillment and satisfaction in our work - as we put our "work" in its proper place.

V. What are your Goals

What should a Christian’s goals be?

• Seek FIRST the kingdom of God
• Make Jesus LORD of our lives
• Carry me higher, Lord (NOT in the corporate world) Matt 16:26 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Should you have goals in your professional job?

• Subject to the Lord, knowing they may be changed
• Your bosses’ heart is in the Lord’s hands Proverbs 21:1 “The kings hearts is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord”

VI. My Goals

I personally believe that God has given me a whole lot of gifts. Here are some of the things that I see that God has given me (I am not proud of these. I am just looking at the facts as they are):

• Make Jesus Lord of my Life - absolutely, continuously
• Make my marriage an example of Scriptural marriages
• Spend quality & quantity time with my family. Train my children, praying they become disciples of Jesus
• Continually be in the Word of God; memorize Scripture as often as possible; be in tune with the Holy Spirit
• Fast and Pray regularly – Eat and Exercise regularly
• Provide generously and liberally to the people of God
• Pray that the Lord will bless our weekly Bible Study
• Always seeking to learn, teach others what I learn
• Do as well in my profession as the Lord allows me to
• Write a book exploring the things God has taught me through my Christian and professional life

VII. Decisions - We are constantly making them

1. Wisdom from above vs. folly of this earth (Jam 3:13-18)

• Pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good deeds, unwavering, without guile

2. Sheep among wolves. Shrewd as serpents, yet gentle as doves (Matt 10:16)
3. Deeds of the flesh vs. Fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:19-24)

• Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

VIII. Financials matters

1. Those who love money go the way of Lot, Gehazi, Balaam, Demas

Matt 19:23, 24: “It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

2. We cannot serve two masters: Luke 16:13

No worker can serve two bosses: He'll either hate the first and love the second. Or adore the first and despise the second. You can't serve both God and the Bank.

3. Voltaire said, “Christians of all denominations are the same when it comes to money”

4. Heaven has been prepared for those who have learnt to put money under their feet on earth.

5. Balance in how we treat money and all earthly assets

• Jesus provided abundance of wine, yet fasted for 40 days.
• Luke 9:58: “"The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

6. If the Lord has given you much, use it to bless the others

7. Rom 16:11: Priscilla and Aquila opened their house IN ROME to Paul and the church. “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; also greet the church that is in their house’

8. Luke 8:1-3: Even women supported Christ

• Mary (called Magdalene), 7 demons had been driven out of her
• Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household;
• Susanna; and many others.

9. Matt 27: 57-60: Joseph of Arimathea, disciple of Jesus

• Isaiah 53:9: His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death.

NOTE: Please also read Chap 3 of Practical Discipleship by Zac Poonen, for more details on this particular topic

IX. Time and Stress Management

1. What do we do with free-time : Learn from the ant: Prov 6:6-11
You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest !

2. When under pressure:
We can pray to the God who helped Joseph, Daniel interpret dreams under intense time pressure

3. Matt 11:28-29:
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life.
I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

X. I’d Rather Have Jesus

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

         Refrain:
         Than to be the king of a vast domain,
         Or be held in sin’s dread sway;
         I’d rather have Jesus than anything
         This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy name

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs;
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead

                                                  (Rhea F. Miller)

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Mar. 9, 2008 - Lessons On Spiritual Decline

Lessons On Spiritual Decline (Series 1) - Zac Poonen

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Mar. 2, 2008 - The Work of the Holy Spirit D.L. Moody

I  suppose there is not a real Christian here, this afternoon, but that has a desire to be used of God. If you have no desire, no longing for usefulness, I should say there is something wrong in your life. It seems to me that the first impulse, the first aim of a new-born soul is service. "What shall I do? I want to do something." This desire is not of gratitude to Him who has saved you. I cannot conceive of a subject more important than the one before us. When Christ had finished his work, the last thing He did was to teach His disciples of the coming of the Holy Spirit, and what He would do when He came. When He handed over His work to them, then it was He told them that the Spirit was coming to help and to work with them. It was this that helped those very early Christians, and it will help us. There is not a man or woman today who may not be helped if he will. But first, there must be a willing mind and heart; we must know the mind of the Holy Spirit, give ourselves up wholly, to be led and guided and filled with the Spirit.

Now, in the first place, it is well for us to remember that the Holy Spirit is a person. I think I was a Christian for a number of years before I knew that. If I had ever heard it, it had slipped from me and left no impression. I remember, the first time I was awakened upon this subject while listening to an old minister talking about honoring the Holy Ghost. I had always up to that time looked upon Him in the light of one of the attributes, like justice, mercy, and love. But when this old divine talked about His personality, I really thought the old man had gone a little out of his mind. It seemed so strange that I had never heard of it before! I went home and read my Bible in order to find out everything that the book said about the Holy Spirit. I found that it always spoke of the spirit as "He," never as an influence. There is one verse in the fourteenth chapter of John, where the word "He" occurs four times. I only want you to understand that He is distinct from the Father and the Son. When Jesus came down to earth, the work that He did was distinct from the work of the Father.

But now let us come to what His work is. In the first place His work is to convict of sin. You often hear people say, "Why is it so few people are converted under our minister? He is cultured, refined, intellectual, eloquent, but yet there seem to be very few conversions." Well, now, my dear friends, if you are going to look to your ministers to convict and convert people, you are going to be disappointed. It is the work of the Holy Ghost to convict of sin. I have often said that I had rather do almost any manual work than that which I am doing, if I have got to convict the people of sin. It is God's work to carry home conviction to the heart, not man's work. When He shall come. He shall convict and convince men of sin. I have seen people who, when the spirit of God has been working mightily, would get up and go out, and slam the door after them in a bad passion. Not a bad sign. I would a good deal rather them do that than make no sign at all.

When I was preaching in Philadelphia, some time ago, a man and his wife attended my lecture one night. They went home, and the man went to bed without speaking to his wife. The next morning he got up, and ate his breakfast, and went off without saying a word to her. All day she moaned, that she had made a mistake in taking her husband to the meetings. He came home at noon and did not speak to her, and at night again. And he kept that up for a whole week. At the end of the week he said, "Wife, why did you tell Mr. Moody all about me?" His wife replied that she had not spoken a word to Mr. Moody about him. "Then you must have written him about me." "No, I haven't written him anything about you." "Well, then he must have heard it from someone else. That impudent wretch, held me up before thousands of people and told them all about me."

Well, then after a man has been convicted of his sins and is willing to give them up, the next thing the Spirit does is to shed aboard the love of God in our hearts. A great many people are always trying to make themselves love God. You cannot do it. Love must be spontaneous. You cannot love by trying to make yourself love. You have got to have power, and that power comes from the Spirit. When we have that love, then we have the spirit of Jesus Christ. Once I asked a lady who was mourning, because she didn't love God, if she loved her mother. She said, "Yes, I cannot help it." "Well," I said, "that is it exactly." When that heart has been filled with the spirit of God, you cannot help loving Him. But you cannot make yourself love. More love is just what we want today. If you should ask me what the church needs, I should say "love."

Then another thing that the spirit does is to impart hope. You never saw the spirit of God working in a church that wasn't hopeful. Another thing the spirit of God does, is to give liberty. In a good deal of our church work there is almost everything but liberty. A good deal of our work is forced work. Sometimes it takes a god deal of strength to get out a word. Why? Because the atmosphere isn't right. The Holy Spirit has got to have the right atmosphere to work in. You take the atmosphere out of this room, and my voice wouldn't be heard three feet away from me. You have got to have air to convey sound, and you have got to have the spirit prepare the ground in order to carry home the truth. If you get into a certain atmosphere where the spirit isn't working, you will not have liberty.

If a minister hasn't got liberty, it isn't always his fault. I want to emphasize that. The fault may be down there in the audience. I venture to say that an archangel couldn't have had liberty under such circumstances. Why? Because of the fault-finding, back-biting and criticism. Supposing Andrew and Philip had a row and were not on speaking terms, do you think there would have been any liberty? There is not the right atmosphere, and I do not care who you put in the pulpit, there will be no liberty. You want some new church members down there. You get them straight, and the minister will be all right. Supposing James had turned to John and said, "John, I really don't think Peter is preaching as well today as usual"; and John had replied, "Why, he has the most influential congregation I ever saw. The greatest men of the city are here." I will venture to say that you have had ten thousand better sermons preached than Peter ever preached. Suppose those people had gone on picking Peter to pieces. Do you think there would have been any power? But the one hundred and twenty held Peter right up to God, and, if you will allow me to use the expression, he swung loose that day. It takes neither brains nor heart to find fault. Anybody can do that. If you doubt what I say, just go into a crowd and hear a stranger talk. You will hear it said, "Well, what do you think of him?.. I must confess that I was greatly disappointed. He isn't as good as our own minister." Another comes along and says, "He wasn't logical. I have a logical turn of mind, and when I go to church I want to hear logic!" Another says, "He wasn't philosophical. Don't know what it means, but philosophy is what he wants." Another says, "It was all brain. Now, I am using my brain all day long, and when I go to church, I want some one to appeal to my heart."

I wish we could get this sort of criticism out of the church, and then there would be something done. But perhaps the fault is not with the man in the pulpit. When you go home and look in the looking-glass, perhaps you will see the guilty person. What he wants is to get out of the business of fault-finding. It is a poor business, my friend. Just get to praying. You need the spirit of God just as much as the minister. You business men need it; the Sunday-school teachers need it; there are men and women who confess God, who need it. You will have liberty to walk and talk with, and work for Christ, if you have His spirit.

His work is also to testify of Christ. What we want today is love of Christ. That's all. Let these ministers go into the pulpits and life up Christ, and let speculation go. The world can get on without speculation and theories, but this old world cannot go on without Jesus Christ. Therefore we want to preach Him and hold Him up. There is no class of men that Jesus Christ won't draw, if He is lifted up.

Then, another thing the spirit of God does is to teach you. "He shall teach you all things." He is a wonderful teacher. There is not a thing that I want to know about future life that God cannot teach me. Any spirit that does not want that book, you may know is a lying spirit. "He shall teach you all things." Now, if we have got a teacher sent down here from heaven, to teach us all things, are we not dishonoring Him if we run after other teachers? People often come to me and ask me to go to other teachers, call up some departed spirits, and have the chairs and tables turning around. I tell them, "No." When the Lord converted me, He took me out of darkness. In secret, my Master taught nothing. I don't want anything of these teachers that are going to teach us in the dark. I don't know what they are. They may come from hell.

And then He shall guide you into all truth. Wonderful guide, isn't He? That is what He is down here for, to guide us through the wilderness. He is here to look after us.

Now, I want to call your attention to a fact. You never in your life saw a man full of God who wasn't full of scripture.

You see a minister in the pulpit that is filled with the spirit of God, and he will talk scripture right along. Mary was filled with the Holy Ghost, and that Magnificent flowed from her lips. And any man full of the Holy Ghost will talk scripture.

I believe Christ never spoke of His death but what He said, "On the third day I will rise again." And yet, when the time came His disciples had forgotten all about those words. It has always been a mystery to me where the family of Bethany was. You would have thought they would have remembered and been at His grace. His enemies had better memories than His own disciples. They were at the door of the sepulcher; but they never did a better thing for Christianity than to roll that stone up against the door.

But when the Holy Ghost came, then we are told that they remembered the words of the Lord Jesus. Their memory was long enough then. I tell you, when you are filled with the spirit of God, Scripture will come rushing into your mind. One text upon another, comes rushing into our mind saying, "Use me, use me."

And then, "He shall comfort you." There is not a broken heart today that He cannot make whole. There is not a sorry one that He will not comfort. "If I go not away, the Comforter will not come."

I want to say to the singers, that there is great honor put upon music. When the Levites were praising God, then it was that the Shekinah came and filled the temple with glory. If the members of the choir had been at enmity with each other, and had not been on speaking terms, do you think there would have been any harmony? You want your singing in harmony with the preaching, and the singer wants to keep his heart as well tuned as the minister, if he is going to sing well. I don't know what angel it was that got down to the plains to tell the shepherds that Christ had come, but I have an idea that it was Gabriel. But they sung, "Glory to God in the Highest, Peace on earth, Good will toward men." And let me say to the singers that I believe they are doing as much as I am. You sing the gospel, and I will preach it. I believe John Wesley did as much as Charles. One preached and the other sung the gospel, halfway should be at my wits' ends if you asked me to quote anything that Charles Wesley ever said, but I think I could repeat several of John Wesley's hymns. Let us praise God as well as pray. Let us be thankful for what we have got.

Sometimes, when we get to praying, the Holy Ghost comes. I like to go into a meeting when you cannot sing or say anything, and when you feel as if you don't want any one to say a word. The Holy Ghost can do more in one day than you and I can in five years. I hope He will come and work in each of our hearts today.

And this is His dwelling-place, in these bodies that you and I inhabit. When we have been near the Son of God, then it is that these bodies become temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in. Jesus says, "He shall be in you. He shall abide with you." And Paul says, "Know ye not that ye are the temples of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you?" We have been bought, not by silver, but by the precious Son of God; and these bodies are the temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in. Therefore, let us keep the temple pure and sweet. I want a baptism of the spirit for my own soul. I don't want to begin this year without a fresh anointing for the service. I should like to have all of you have the same desire." ~~~ D.L. Moody

Chapter 2 continues at D.L. Moody - #2

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Feb. 28, 2008 - This Week's Topic: SAY WHAT? Session I by Tamara L. Chilver (How to Talk to/Motivate your children)

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This Week's Topic: SAY WHAT? Session I

 

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Feb. 27, 2008 - JESUS' TRAVAIL FOR YOU

JESUS' TRAVAIL FOR YOU (Isaiah 53:11)

If you have a Bible with you please turn to Isaiah 53:11. This is the real reason for taking communion and it's the basis of really taking it and not just eating bread and drinking wine. You remember it's the miraculous description of Jesus' experience on the cross, written eight centuries before Jesus was crucified. It's one of the greatest prophecies we have.

Read verse 11, "He, my righteous servant," originally Israel and really meaning Jesus, "He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul and be satisfied. By His knowledge, shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and He shall bear their iniquities." Do you see the beginning of the verse, "He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul," - and it's just "ma mal" in Hebrew. "Amal" is "trouble" or "travail," and the "min" is "from" or "after" or "in consequence of." So it means "in consequence of the travail of His soul, He shall see a sight that gives Him pleasure." He shall see and be satisfied or be pleased.

Do you know what the travail of Jesus' soul was? I think a lot of us when we first heard of Jesus' death thought, "Well it was the pain, the physical pain that He was bearing." Then we thought a little more about it and read a little more about it and heard a little more and we went a bit further and we said, "Well it was His own feeling of loneliness being away from His Father and being surrounded with all these people who hated Him." Then some of us went a little further and we said, "Well it's more than that; it's the pain that any of us would feel if somebody came in here and just started to swear in Christ's name. It would hurt us deep down because there's something in us that loves Jesus." We would say the travail of Jesus' soul was the pain of a pure clean loving heart being surrounded with so much hatred and so much dirt, and so much blasphemy against God.

Well loved ones, it was deeper than that. Do you know the moment when you have had real trouble speaking the truth to other people? You know those moments when you want to say what you really believe but you're afraid of what they will think of you? Inside you want to you want to say what you know is right, but you're afraid of what they'll think of you. And you find that even though you want to please God, for years you have been pleasing men and women and your whole personality seems bent that way. You know that feeling? Sometimes you say, "My personality is so used to this, I can't do it. I want to. I want to. I want to say what is right but I can't because my personality seems bent in that direction. I've got it used to this like a drug addict for years. I'm so used to praise, that I'm like a little puppy dog. I'll just beg almost for it. I sometimes go home at night and I'm surprised at what a fool I have made of myself in my own eyes, if in nobody else's, just because I've wanted them to praise me. I've seen what a conceited ass I am." Have you ever felt like that?

Now what Jesus did on the cross, and I know it's hard to realize, but what he did on the cross was take your personality that is so enslaved to people's opinions that it's bent that way, and He took it in His own heart inside His own Spirit. He allowed it to become Himself. Then He looked up to His father and He said, Lord "Burn this out and destroy it in me. Destroy it utterly and absolutely. Send it to hell in me." That's part of the travail of Jesus' soul. Loved ones, He bore the pain that you and I could never have faced and that we would have had to face at the end of this life, and it would have utterly destroyed us.

If I could describe it to you like this: It's as if God is surrounded by an invisible curtain of pure holiness and He is here and you come through it when you die. And it burns you up if there is anything unholy in you. It burns you up. If there's someone who loves men's praises more than God's, that someone would turn heaven into hell, and so as he comes through that curtain of holiness he himself is repulsed. Now that's what Jesus bore on Calvary for you. Jesus bore the agony and the pain of that. So do you see how true it is that you don't have to get into Jesus?

See I think a lot of us misunderstand this because we think if tonight I repent really and I believe truly I'll somehow get into Jesus. The truth of this dear word is that we judge that one died for all, therefore all died. Every one of us here in this room were crucified with Jesus. Every one of us here, our personality, that intractable part of us that will not obey, it was destroyed and made anew in Jesus. It was. It is not as you think. You think when you lose your temper, "I can't do anything else because I'm made that way." That is the lie of Satan. God says He has put you into His son Jesus and He has completely renewed you. That has been done. It has been done.

The only question is whether you will believe that or not, and act upon it. Do you see why it is such pain to Jesus when you continue to say, "But I can't, I can't!" He knows you're not seeing that you're actually in Him. And that "can't" personality of yours was destroyed in Him and that He is in you. He is in you and He can through you. He is in you at this moment. See some of you don't really believe that tonight. You think, "No you mean He will come into me." No, the Bible says God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. God has already placed us all in His son. He has already changed us all completely. The only question is whether you will believe that now and will live in the power of that.

Now do you begin to see? The verse says Jesus will see of the travail of His soul and will be satisfied. Or after the travail of His soul that He has borne for you, He will see a sight that is pleasing to Him. What is that sight? Well it certainly isn't thousands and thousands of people saying, "I can't help losing my temper. I can't help wanting the praise of men, I try but I can't help it." When Jesus knows all the time, "my son, my daughter, that personality of yours was destroyed in me and now I have become you, and you have become me. You can, by one little turn of your will and one little turn of your mind to believe that I have destroyed everything in you that will not obey." Jesus looks down on us tonight here in this room, after all of the travail of His soul that He has borne for each one of us, and He's looking not at all at our prayers or songs so much or our good intentions. He's looking at the way we are living tonight. He's looking at every one of us that is using the miracle that He wrought in our personalities to actually live like Him and obey him.

Do you see that? See it's like, it must be like a mom you know, who goes through all the agony and travail of bearing the child and at last the child is born and then the little one stops breathing. Won't breathe. The mother has travailed to give it life but the little one won't breathe or it won't eat. It must be that ten thousand times worse, when Jesus looks at us tonight and remembers the travail of soul that He bore to allow all that is wrong in you and me to be destroyed and then sees us not making a move but still pleading that we can't be like Him and He's saying, "you don't need to be like me. All you need to do is believe that my Father has put you in me and that I am in you and I can be like myself in you, if you will just give me freedom. Just believe that I am in you. Just believe that I'm able to love, believe that I am able to repeat again what I did on Calvary's cross, to live independent of people's praise or people's approval in your life." Loved ones that is part of it. That after the travail of His soul He will see a sight that is pleasing to Him. You see that's the meaning of that verse, "He has borne our iniquities," not the punishment for our iniquities -- He has borne our iniquities.

There is not one unclean habit in your life that Jesus did not take into Himself and allow to be destroyed in Him. There is not one unclean way of thinking that you have that Jesus has not borne the pain of its destruction already on Calvary. In other words He knows you and me better then anybody else because he knows the worst sides of us that nobody else knows, because those are the sides that He bore on the cross, and He bore them so that we would live free from them. That's why we always say the victory is faith. The victory is -- do you believe that? Or do you still keep on pleading the good that I would I cannot do. The evil I hate is the very thing I do. Do you keep on pleading, "I want to care for God's praise and be contemptuous of men's praise. I want to but I can't." Loved ones, Jesus has destroyed that personality that was enslaved that way. You can, and that's the meaning of this communion service.

What is Jesus looking for? Spoils, the spoils of victory. That's the beautiful thing that He wants us to present to Him tonight, the spoils of His victory. New places in your life where tonight you are changing. New things that you've seen Jesus has destroyed, and I don't need to put up with them any longer. So Lord, I'm finished with them. That's it. That's what Jesus wants to see. And that's all you have to do to take communion seriously and really tonight, loved ones, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you if He hasn't already revealed, and He has revealed to me just tonight something. Now if He hasn't already revealed anything to you, just ask Him to reveal to you something that Jesus allowed to be destroyed in His dear heart on Calvary. Something that He bore travail of soul for and something therefore that you can be free of tonight and that you can stand up in his personality and say, "Lord I am finished with that. I will obey from this moment on."

Loved ones, what I thought might help, and what we did in Ireland, I remember in the old days, we would read some of God's laws. Usually we had it written into our liturgy and we would read laws like the Ten Commandments. I thought it would be good to read some laws in the New Testament that the Holy Spirit might use to bring home to your heart something from which the Holy Spirit wants to free you tonight. Will you turn to Matthew 5, and I'll just ask us to read two chapters, or parts of two chapters, and then we can pray, but it's Matthew 5 and many of us know these verses.

In Matthew 5:21, and these are just very plain down to earth commandments that Jesus has freed us to obey. And that it's a delight to obey and that it's natural to obey. "You have heard that it was said," verse 21, "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'you shall not kill and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment. Whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council and whoever says 'you fool' shall be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering a gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go, first, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Make friends quickly with your accuser while you are going with them to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.

"You have heard that it was said you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better that you lose one of your members than that you let your whole body go into hell. It was also said whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the ground of unchaste, makes her an adulteress, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

"Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.

"You have heard that it was said, 'you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." This means if any of us have anything between ourselves with another person here, or at home or at work, we should fix it this very night or first thing tomorrow morning. That's the way Jesus would see after the travail of his soul, he would see a sight that is pleasing. He would see that it was worth it all.

You see, just a few verses, loved ones, in Philippians 4:4. Just ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you if this has something to say in your life and about your behavior. "Rejoice in the Lord always." Now that means "don't complain." Do you see that? Some of us have a little trouble with the translation there, but it means "don't complain." Wonder how often, how often we don't see that as failing to rejoice, but it isn't. When we complain it brings pain to others. It spreads Satan's negativism and it destroys and kills. You can't rejoice and complain at the same time, you see, if you are complaining then you're not rejoicing. If you say to me, "Well can you rejoice when your house is burning down?", yes you can. Yes, many people have rejoiced as disastrous things have happened. They have seen God turn them around because they kept faith that He was in control. Whereas the complainers have shown that they didn't trust God at all. They were utterly caught up with what they could see, and they walked by sight and not by faith.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice," -- whether you feel like it or not. That is a command. "Thou shalt not kill," -- well I feel like killing today. "Thou shalt not covet," but I feel like coveting today. Well this is the same order. "Rejoice," well I don't feel like rejoicing. It doesn't matter it's a command. You will rejoice.

I remember a brother who went into one of the Anglican brotherhoods in England and that's the way the day starts. The brothers are all sleeping in their cells and then the brother whose job it is to wake everyone up knocks on everyone's door, knocks on the door and says, "This is the day that the Lord hath made," and the brother has to answer him with, "We will rejoice and be glad in it." It's good in a way. It's good you know. Start the day rejoicing, obeying God's commandment.

"Let all men know your forbearance; the Lord is at hand." I just ask you who are in offices and me who are in offices all day: do all men know our forbearance? Or do all men know our irritability and our impatience? Do all men think it's amazing what he puts up with? Do all men think that of us, and the ladies among us? Do all men think that? "Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Do you see the command, "have no anxiety?" It's not an exhortation, it's not a piece of good advice, it's a command, "have no anxiety," so there is no room for self pity, "Oh but poor me. If you knew what I had to put up with you'd be anxious too." No, God says have no anxiety. That's a command. You have no anxiety; I'll take care of the thing. If you have anxiety, I can't take care of it. Have no anxiety about anything, "but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." And then this is beautiful. In verse 8, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." No negativism.

Now if I could share one little thing with you, it's very interesting that those men and women who are suffering the most, in the Siberias of this world and in the prisons of this world, are those to whom those verses are most precious and are those who are most positive in their thinking. It is very interesting that it is often those of us who have so much and have so many good things that find it so hard to be positive, and to keep our eyes on the blessings of God. So, let's just go before God, and I'm going to do the same thing, and let's ask him to give us light, and just pray as God guides you, sometimes with praise and sometimes confession.

Dear Father, we come before you as a people who want to be honest and real with you tonight. Father we want first of all to thank you for Jesus, and Lord Jesus, we cannot thank you enough when we consider the travail of your soul for us, Lord thank you. Lord you have borne what we couldn't bear ourselves and what no other man could bear. Lord thank you. We can't understand how you still love us, having seen all the things that we are, and then having borne them in your own clean and spotless dear heart, but Lord we thank you tonight. We see that there is only one thing that we can do, if we really believe we are in you, Lord, there is only one thing to do, and that's to repent in dust and ashes and turn gladly from those things that you are showing us tonight, and to commit ourselves to a new way of life and to a new attitude, taking up our position in you. And from now on, we will treat ourselves as you, as you, treating this body as yours, and all our jobs as yours and letting you be yourself Lord. Thank you. Amen.

Sermon Transcript by Rev. Ernest O'Neill

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Feb. 26, 2008 - Miracles, Miracles God's Miracles are EVERYWHERE! What miraculous things is God doing in your life?

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Feb. 16, 2008 - What A TREMENDOUS Shabbat (Sabbath) we had!

 I Just LOVE and Thank Yeshua/Jesus so much for telling me that He is Lord of the Shabbat/Sabbath and for telling me that He made the Sabbath for man and NOT man for the Shabbat!

Our family has had such a REFRESHING and Holy Good time worshipping the Lord/Adonai and listening to the most anointed and wonderful Hebraic praise & worship music--singing and dancing in the spirit and unto our Great and Holy Creator--Yahweh!

This morning, we studied the Word of God together and asked so many questions and Sought the Lord for answers. Then we took long and refreshing naps and I JUST LOVE THE LORD FOR GIVING US THE SABBATH to set apart as a Holy Time for Him Exclusively and rest for us. My husband is such a hard worker and loves to be busy, and as I peeked over at him taking a nap--I just praised God for His mercy and Goodness--because for my beloved husband to nap during the day is a MIRACLE!

{{{{{Hugs}}}}

WOW2 :o)

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Feb. 15, 2008 - Enjoying Chores by Maranatha Chapman + Breaking Their Will & Gaining Their Heart by Matthew Chapman & more...

I just LOVE Matthew and Maranatha Chapman's spirit and their articles/ministry just bless our lives so very much! I just got an e-mail from them, letting me know they have new articles and have converted many of their cassette teaching tapes into cds. Here's a few of their new articles:

• Enjoying "Chores" is a helpful encouragement by Maranatha to women in relating to the daily, ongoing, never-ending stream of redundant work that must be done in the home and making it a place for the life and joy of the Lord.

• Satan's Attempt at "Checkmate" is an article by Matthew that looks at how the demonic realm has strategically maneuvered in order to try and deprive the Lord Jesus of His bride by keeping His people asleep, distracted, discouraged, disillusioned, cynical, and weary -- and His "way of escape" to keep us from getting taken down.

• Breaking Their Will and Gaining Their Heart is another article by Matthew that encourages godly parents to not fall short in the training and disciplining of their children by failing (for whatever reason) to truly get their child's heart with them.
  

PLEASE visit their website for more spirit food and godly help/encouragement for your lives!

http://www.kindlingpublications.com/

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Feb. 15, 2008 - DEAD HUMAN BODIES ON DISPLAY--Investigation opened into source of bodies for popular exhibit--THANK GOD! Calling ALL Saints to PRAY about this montrous practice!

Thanks for reading this and I'm BEGGING you to Pray and even FAST about this god forsaken practice of
displaying Human bodies and people flocking to see them for "educational/entertainment/science" reasons...

I just found this report about "Bodies--The Exhibit" and Thank GOD ALmighty, 20 20 (The news show) has been doing an undercover investigation for the past three month! Here's a preview (click links below)

Investigation opened into source of bodies for popular exhibit

Our family gets the magazine Voice of the Martyrs and we have been interceeding and praying about the poor VICTIMS, saints, in China and other places that this foul and gruesome business has been killing
political prisoners (often times CHRISTIANS/SAINTS) and selling their poor bodies for this filthy trade!

Our children and family have found it nothing less that AMAZING that sooooo many people could go along with the program (in the name of "science & education) and support this foul and fiendish--greed filled business.

We're calling ALL saints and people that love God to BEG Him to expose this CRIME and to give people the CONSCIENCE to do something about it and no longer support this evil (demonic) practice and to put the criminal in JAIL for life and to END this practice!!!  Here's more links about the investigation!

Exclusive: Secret Trade in Chinese Bodies

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4291334&page=1

We've T.V. access FREE, so we won't be able to view the show...but we can PRAY and Fast for this horrendous sin against God and man!

Here's a link to Voice of the Martyrs Magaine...it's FREE (as ALL godly material SHOULD BE)!

http://www.persecution.com/

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Feb. 15, 2008 - {{{Thus Saith The Lord}}} The Sermon on the Mount...PLEASE READ!

Matthew Chapter 5

1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

 6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

 9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

 10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

 13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

 21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

 33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

 48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6

 1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 7

 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.

 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

 12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

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Feb. 15, 2008 - Notice intimacy? Notice its absence?

Notice intimacy? Notice its absence?

(from a time saints were spontaneously together...)

Consider the following Scripture from this perspective? The Holy Spirit is a PERSON and, if we LISTEN to Him, He can help us to know the Father. He does that through opening our eyes, by speaking to our hearts, by withholding affection when necessary, by turning us away from bad decisions (if we're listening), and in many other ways. At the end, I'll offer one practical example of a Way that He gets our attention, IF WE'RE LISTENING. First though, carefully consider the role of the Spirit in the following verses...

"It *seemed good to* the Holy Spirit, and to us, not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements."

"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, *that we may understand* what God has freely given us."

"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in *words taught by* the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit *of adoption* *by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'* The Spirit Himself *bears witness* with our spirit that we are children of God."

"Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He *anointed us,* set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son *into our hearts,* the Spirit *who calls out, 'Abba, Father.'* So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."

"But by faith we eagerly *await through* the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope."

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may *strengthen you with power through* his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."

"I know that through your prayers and the *help given* by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death."

"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the *sanctifying work of* the Spirit *and* through belief in the truth."

"The Spirit *clearly says* that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron."

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it *with the help of* the Holy Spirit who lives *in* us."

"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the *washing of rebirth and renewal by* the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior."

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have *shared in* the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."

"How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has *insulted* the Spirit of grace?"

"...chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the *sanctifying work of* the Spirit, *for* obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."

"...spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the "Spirit of Christ in them was pointing" when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow."

"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God *rests on you.*"

"Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

"We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood."

"We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit."

"This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth."

"But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, 'In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.' these are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."

"The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."

"In the same way, the Spirit *helps us in our weakness.* We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself *intercedes for us* with groans that words cannot express."

"I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by *the love of* the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me."

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any *fellowship* with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

"For it is we who are the circumcision, we who *worship by* the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh."

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must *worship in spirit* and truth."

"You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the *joy given by* the Holy Spirit. *And so* you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia."

"The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to *please the Spirit,* from the Spirit will reap eternal life."

"And do not *grieve* the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

"they were *forbidden by* the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia."

"they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus *would not allow*

them to."

Would it bother you if your wife or child or husband, or your closest companion in life wouldn't look at you or talk to you? Would that break your heart? Would that be a tragedy to you and evoke feelings and tears and energy to recover what had been lost? Would you go after them vigorously and tirelessly, laying your gift down at the altar, to restore every inch of ground that was lost, plus EXTRA (just to shove it in Satan's face)?

Of course, if you have had an intimate relationship with a person, you would despise the absence of it! It would be devastating for them to be unwilling to look at you, or converse with you, or be with you!

Now, the point:

If the Holy Spirit would not *let* you sing to the Father, by blocking you in your spirit -- would it break your heart? Would you even notice the difference between singing some songs out of habit or emotion or religion or love of music - versus engaging in a Life transaction with the GodHead, infused with true Dialogue in music, in the Spirit? Notice above that we "worship" by and in the Spirit, or it is not true. Notice that He brings joy and intercession and the Testimony of Love and of Abba. Would you notice if the Spirit did not let you into the Most Holy Place at that moment to sing to Him, because of an unresolved controversy? Would you exert great energy to recover the flow of Life? (As you can see from the above Scripture, to one that is sensitive to the Spirit, it is possible that the Spirit would NOT let you sing to the Father. Of course you COULD, mechanically, but not "in Him.") If you wouldn't notice the LOSS of Life if the Spirit (or someone in your life) pulls back away from you, or you proceed matter-of-factly to right the theoretical wrong, then there is a serious and deadly lack of Love and true Fellowship. PLEASE drop to your knees and BEG God to infuse you with His Love and Life! Beg Him. "Give Him no rest!" He is ABBA, and wants you to draw near to Him that He might fulfill His Heart's cry -- to draw near to you. Listen... and let Him in!

Article found on the web

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Feb. 15, 2008 - How to Answer the Most Popular Arguments Against the Sabbath

How to Answer the Most
Popular Arguments Against the Sabbath

These six Scriptures are often used against Sabbath keeping and in support of Sunday worship. Here is the simple truth.

How often have you wished you could explain a questionable Scripture or teaching but simply lacked the understanding? When someone blind-sides you with a particular point and you cannot think of a Scriptural response, what do you do? In this series called Defending the Truth, we will give you the popular polemics, along with a Biblical explanation that refutes what is commonly used against the Truth. We pray that as you study these topics you will never again be caught off guard as you grow in the knowledge and understanding of Yahweh’s Word.

 Arguments About the Sabbath and Sunday

If you ever engage in discussions with Sunday keepers about the Sabbath, you will almost certainly be called on to answer six specific passages in the New Testament. Three of these are typically used in support of Sunday as the Sabbath. The other three are cited in an effort to show that there is no need to keep the Sabbath holy.

Let us look at the first three passages used in an effort to show that Sunday is the day of rest.

THE PASSAGE IN QUESTION…

•Acts 20:7: "And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."

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Feb. 14, 2008 - The Cost of Showing You Care (VALENTINE'S DAY) Love has a cost: $17 billion

The Cost of Showing You Care
Love has a cost: $17 billion

from Melanie Linder, Forbes.com

Cupid must be a capitalist.

Despite the sluggish U.S. economy, this year lovebirds still plan to shell out an average of $123 each on Valentine's Day, up from $120 last year and eclipsing the $101 of 2006. Total outlay for the U.S.: $17 billion, estimates the National Retail Federation's 2008 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by market research company BIGresearch.

The survey polled 8,447 consumers and found that 61 percent plan to celebrate the holiday. The most romantic age group is the 18- to 24-year-old set, 72 percent of which plan to shower their sweethearts with everything from candy to jewelry this February. But it's the 25- to 34-year-olds who torch the most cash - $160 on average. Men will spend $163 on their valentines; women, just $84. Some of the most popular gifts men plan to buy are flowers (58.2 percent), candy (45.0 percent) and jewelry (26.5 percent).

Slideshow: Love by the Numbers

For as much business as he brings in, Cupid should charge a rich finder's fee. Gift retailer 1-800-Flowers.com said that Valentine's Day typically accounts for 10 percent of its annual sales. As the calendar ticks closer to Feb. 14, the company expects to receive more than 100,000 orders per day, up from 10,000 to 15,000 orders on an average day.

In candy land, Hershey estimates that it sells 1.5 billion of its famed chocolate Kisses every year on Valentine's Day.

As for the sparkly stuff, only 26 percent of men and 7 percent of women plan to buy jewelry on Valentine's Day this year. With the price of gold reaching dizzying heights in recent months, jewelry gifts will be "less diamonds and gold than silver and semiprecious stones," says Pam Danzinger, president of Unity Marketing, a market research firm that specializes in luxury goods.

That won't stop high-end jeweler Tiffany from crashing Cupid's party. This month, the home of the little blue box plans to promote its signature heart designs in pieces such as the diamond-and-platinum Tiffany Hearts earrings. Starting price: $2,450.

Despite the rise of edgy electronic greeting cards, the most popular Valentine's gifts are traditional paper cards. BIGresearch estimates that nearly 57 percent of both men and women plan to purchase cards this year, down from 63 percent last year. Valentine's Day is the second-biggest card-giving holiday of the year after Christmas, according to Hallmark, which offers more than 2,000 Valentine's Day cards. Total exchanged nationwide every year: 190 million.

America's 22,753 florists moved 214 million roses for Valentine's Day in 2007, up from 189 million in 2006, according to the Society of American Florists. Valentine's Day is the No. 1 holiday for florists, capturing 36 percent of all holiday fresh-cut-flower purchases and 40 percent of the dollar volume.

For all that romance, though, suitors won't necessarily get on bended knee this month. While some 2.3 million marriages take place in the U.S. each year, just 9 percent of those propositions are lobbed in February.

Contemplating the plunge? Expect to shell out an average of $4,435 for a ring. Average cost of the big ceremony: $27,852.

MY NOTE: The god (small g) of this world, sure " seems" to know how to make folk worship (work for him) him...BIG-TIME...Here's an article I just read and it's profoundly sad to me...

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Feb. 14, 2008 - What's The DIFFERENCE between Holidays and Holy days? Do you care?

Holidays or HOLY DAYS?

Sounds of holiday “cheer” grow louder as we draw to the close of the secular year. One can hear the Christmas juggernaut rev up in September and then explode into warp drive once it rumbles past a hardly noticed Thanksgiving.

Christmas, the granddaddy of all worldly celebrations, was never kept with such intensity when we were a more Bible-based nation. The observance was even outlawed by Puritan colonists. But now that it is deeply ingrained in the mass conscience by annual mass practice –and relentlessly driven by merchants with massive greed – it will not be dislodged until Yahshua returns and reinstates His righteous and true holy days.

The Yuletide extravaganza is nowhere commanded or even found in the Scriptures. Yet, we see the familiar signs admonishing, “Put Chr-st back into Christmas” when He was never there in the first place.

In stark contrast to Christmas, just recently honored again by Yahweh’s true saints is the Feast of Tabernacles. This joyous, eight-day Biblical blessing has been a standing command in the Scriptures for more than 3,000 years. It is taught and observed in both testaments. Along with other holy days, it was kept by the ancient patriarchs as well as by the Apostles and Yahshua the Messiah Himself. Still, it remains a near total mystery to the world.

Why do you think that is?

One answer is that man has always had difficulty doing what his Creator asks of him. There is a natural, human resistance against anything Yahweh tells us to do. We would rather make our own rules for life and worship, unfettered by Biblical do’s and don’ts. Added to this clash of the carnal are multiple layers of family ritual and cultural tradition, and a society with preconceived notions about what everyone will automatically be observing. No one ever asks, “Do you keep Christmas?” They just assume you do as most everyone else, and so overcoming that common presumption presents an automatic obstacle.

All of this adds up to a formula for forgetting the Father and just going with the traditional flow.

It’s nothing new. A stubborn Israel was constantly being admonished by Yahweh to follow Him and eschew the ways of the world. They mostly failed. Yet, when Jeroboam created his own false observance a month after the Feast of Tabernacles, ordaining his own priesthood to boot, the people flocked to it, 1Kings 12:32. That’s the nature of recalcitrant man.

The key to True Worship is that honoring the Father must be done on Yahweh’s terms and His alone. If that means keeping His holy days and giving up the world’s holidays, then that is what it must be.

Nowhere in the list of “Days to Keep” found in Leviticus 23, Exodus 12, Deuteronomy 16 and elsewhere do we see any of today’s popular holidays. We are presented the same option as ancient Israel – keep Yahweh’s days as commanded or ignore them and follow the inventions and conventions of man.

Some will take this issue up with their minister, expecting fair and honest consideration of the issue. Instead they will immediately hear the tired old bromide, “Those Old Testament days are unnecessary today. We are in a New Testament dispensation.” (Which leads one to ask, since when did the New Testament teach us to keep heathen holidays?)

Today’s clerics completely disregard the fact that Yahshua the Messiah and His apostles in the New Testament observed the very days found in Leviticus 23, and they will keep them again in the Kingdom along with the resurrected saints, Ezekiel 45:17-25, Zechariah 14:16-19. This fact begs another question: If the Biblical days were kept by the early Assembly and will be kept in the Kingdom, why shouldn’t they be observed now? We are told in 1Peter 2:21 that Yahshua left us an example to follow. Shouldn’t we be following it?

It is appalling that sincere inquirers cannot get the Truth from most ministers who are supposed to be guiding them into it. Instead, they are sent spinning off in an oblique direction whenever they inquire about why the church ignores the Bible’s commanded holy days. Ezekiel prophesied of this very thing, “Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them,” 22:26.

If one seriously studies the Bible with an open mind, it will soon be obvious that churchianity is ignoring some of the most important and elemental truths of Scripture – Yahweh’s laws. At the same time telling you how unnecessary Yahweh’s Scriptural holy days are, churchianity observes with dedicated veneration the popular holidays that are completely missing from the Scriptures.

So what will it be, holidays or holy days? Is your desire to please people or to please Yahweh? It is your choice. And so are the consequences of what you choose.

Article taken from:
http://www.yrm.org/holidays-holydays.htm

http://www.yrm.org/index.html

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Feb. 14, 2008 - Looking for a Little Magic in Your Life: The Surprisingly Pagan Roots of Valentine's Day (*Article on Valentine's Day from NewWitch Magazine*)

Here's an article from NewWitch (not your mother's broomstick) magazine called :

Looking for a Little Magic in Your Life

The Surprisingly Pagan Roots of Valentine's Day by Joan Robinson-Blumit

http://www.newwitch.com/archives/02winter/read/valentines.html

JUST FYI!

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Feb. 14, 2008 - BE NOBODY'S VALENTINE!

Galatians 4:8-11
"Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you." NIV

Each year on February 14th countless millions of people celebrate a day known as “St. Valentine’s Day.” Millions of heart-shaped cards and boxes of chocolates are given as gifts, and even churches have Valentine parties on this so-called “Day of Love.” In schools, from pre-school and kindergarten on up, children draw names from a box and exchange heart-shapes notes which “pair off” the children and is said to be “all in fun.” People of all ages get into the act, and the words that are heard everywhere on that day are, “Be My Valentine.”

The sad fact is that most people never question the origin of the customs that they involve themselves with. Most people do not ask questions but do what everybody else does, never stopping to consider how the Almighty God of Heaven feels about their activities. When we consider that Valentine’s Day is a day of preoccupation with the heart, it is essential that we listen to the following words spoken by the Almighty, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his wages, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10

Christians should be known by their discernment and should be asking questions regarding Valentine’s Day. What is the origin of this unusual day? Why is there a preoccupation with the color red? Where did the heart shape come from, and what does it mean? These and other questions will now be answered, as we examine the roots and pagan origin of this popular day.

In the days of the Roman Empire, the month of February was the last and shortest month of the year. February originally had 30 days, but when Julius Caesar named the month of July after himself, he decided to make that month longer and shortened February to 29 days while making July a month of 31 days. Later when Octavius Caesar, also known as Augustus, came to power, he named the month of August after himself, and not be outdone he also subtracted a day from February and gave the month of August 31 days. To this very day it remains that way. The ancient Romans believed that every month had a spirit that gained in strength and reached its peak or apex of power in the middle or ides of the month. This was usually the 15th day, and it was a day when witches and augurs, or soothsayers worked their magic. An augur was a person filled with a spirit of divination, and from the word augur we get the word “inaugurate”, which means to “take omens”. Since February had been robbed by Caesars and had only 28 days, the ides of February became the 14th day of that month. Since the Ides of a month was celebrated on the preceding eve, the month of February was unique, because it was the 13th day that became the eve of the Ides that month, and it became a very important pagan holiday in the Empire of Rome. The sacred day of February 14th was called “Lupercalia” or “day of the wolf.” This was a day that was sacred to the sexual frenzy of the goddess Juno. This day also honored the Roman gods, Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary twin brothers, who supposedly founded Rome, Remus and Romulus. These two are said to have been suckled by wolves in a cave on Palatine Hill in Rome. The cave was called Lupercal and was the center of the celebrating on the eve of Lupercalia or February 14th.

On this day, Lupercalia, which was later named Valentine’s Day, the Luperci or priests of Lupercus dressed in goatskins for a bloody ceremony. The priests of Lupercus, the wolf god, would sacrifice goats and a dog and then smear themselves with blood. These priests, made red with sacrificial blood, would run around Palatine Hill in a wild frenzy while carving a goatskin thong called a “februa.” Women would sit all around the hill, as the bloody priests would strike them with the goatskin thongs to make them fertile. The young women would then gather in the city and their names were put in boxes. These “love notes” were called “billets.” The men of Rome would draw a billet, and the woman whose name was on it became his sexual lust partner with whom he would fornicate until the next Lupercalia or February 14th.

Thus, February 14th became a day of unbridled sexual lust. The color “red” was sacred to that day because of the blood and the “heart shape” that is popular to this day. The heart-shape was not a representation of the human heart, which looks nothing like it. This shape represents the human female matrix or opening to the chamber of sacred copulation.
When the Gnostic Catholic Church began to get a foothold in Rome around the 3rd century A.D., they became known as Valentinians. The Catholic Valentinians retained the sexual license of the festival in what they called “angels in a nuptial chamber”, which was also called the “sacrament of copulation.”

This was said to be an reenactment of the marriage of “Sophia and the Redeemer.” As the participants of the February 14th ritual began their sexual sacrament, presided over and watched by the priests known as Valentinians, the following literary was spoken: “Let the seed of light descend into thy bridal chamber, receive the bridegroom… open thine arms to embrace him. Behold, grace has descended upon thee.”

As time went on, the Orthodox Church suppressed the Gnostic Catholics and manufactured “St. Valentine”, whose day continues to be celebrated in these modern times.

It should be without saying that the Christians should avoid Valentine’s Day like a plague. In God’s eyes, it isstill “Lupercalia”, the “Day Of The Wolf.” Men become wolves, as they carry on the Satanic rituals of fornication, which means sexual intercourse without marriage. We have heard of the “wolf whistle”, and we all know that wolves do not whistle. It is lustful men and women, who carry on Satan’s blasphemy to this very day.

In conclusion, we must ask ourselves, “Should a true Christian be associated in any way with this celebration of evil roots? Should we be doing what the heathen have done for so many years and try to justify it as love?” Romans 12:2 answers this very well, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

The shocking information in this tract can be easily verified at any public library. If you want more information, please contact us at:

Last Trumpet Ministries International
PO Box 806
Beaver Dam, WI 53916

These tracts have been prayed over, and you will never be the same after reading this message. May our Lord Jesus Christ grant unto you a desire to walk in His truth.

Pastor David J. Meyer

Copy Permission

Our newsletters, tracts, reports, audio and video products may be freely copied if the following guidelines are met:

Our materials may not be altered or edited. Credit to the ministry must be given. Any sale of or fee attached to anything we publish is strictly forbidden.

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Feb. 13, 2008 - and porcupines are made out of thumb tacks!

ALL of our precious children are so adorable! We were having a discussion at lunchtime on Hamburgers vs. Cheeseburgers. My youngest son (4 yrs. old) was attempting to explain the difference between the two, when my oldest said..."why are hamburger called hamburgers, when they are
made out of beef NOT pork or ham". 

FYI...here's the "short" history on hamburgers"

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HamburgerHistory.htm

That made one of the kids ask our youngest if he knew where beef came from? My 4 y.o.  looked clueless and I said "beef comes from cows...do you know what animal pork comes from"?

>