For the holidays, I received permission from my pastor to celebrate the Jewish feasts during children's church.  Our God is a fun-loving Daddy, who planned occasions for His children to get together to remember the things He has done for them.  Last Sunday, as we celebrated Passover, we discussed how it compared to Thanksgiving.

I told the children how the Jewish Passover is a time to celebrate their freedom from bondage in Egypt.  Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of this feast because He became our Passover.  This feast is a time to remember all that God did for the Jews as they led them out of Egypt on a journey to their promised land.  For us as Americans, Thankgiving is a time to remember what God has done for us.  The pilgrims, who were persecuted in England, found refuge in Holland, which could be compared to the Israelites' time in the wilderness.  Their passage to America on the Mayflower was compared to the Jews crossing through the Jordan River.  Finally, the pilgrims reached a land flowing with milk and honey.  There were hardships when they reached their promised land, but God was with them.  These hardships were compared to the battles that the Jews had to fight once they reached their promised land, the first of which was Jericho. 

As we ate the Passover Seder, we discussed how our Thanksgiving foods help us remember the foods the Pilgrims found in their new land.  After finding the Afikomen, the children were given pilgrim's hats (chocolate covered marshmallows on fudge cookies) for dessert.

I'm sure Passover or Thanksgiving has not been celebrated like this before and maybe never will again.  While planning the feast celebrations for this holiday season, the similarities were so interesting I just had to talk about it.

Around Halloween, we celebrated Purim by making masks and shakers and trying to stamp out the name Haman.   Then we celebrated the feast of unleavened bread.  I hid bread in sandwich bags around church and there was a hunt to find all the slices.  Then we took them outside where it was so windy we could hardly get our fire started to burn the leaven.  After Thanksgiving, we will make a hut with branches and talk about the Feast of Tabernacles.  Around Christmas, we will celebrate Hannakuh and at the New Year's, we will celebrate Rosh Hashanah.  These celebrations are a reminder of who Christ is as we celebrate His fulfillment of each of these feasts.  We have been having such a good time and the children look forward to each party.  It has been a fun way to remember what Christ has done for us.

Sarah Palin chose not to follow the advice of her doctor and abort her unborn baby when Downes Syndrome was detected.  At her baby's birth, she knew God would use her baby as a witness to the nation about a pro-life agenda.

Days after Palin's acceptance to become a vice presidential nominee came the announcement of her daughter's untimely pregnancy.  Once again, there could have been a decision to abort, but that was never in the minds of the Palin family.

Through her actions, Sarah Palin stands as a modern-day Esther.  Her pro-life decisions have set her apart for such a time as this.  Her beliefs stands counter to the modern-day Haman, Barack Obama, who is the strongest pro-abortion presidential candidate this nation has ever seen. 

This modern-day Esther has the opportunity to advance to the throne of Vice-Presidency on Tuesday.  Like the Jews, will we Christians stand in the gap, praying and fasting while she goes to the throne on behalf of the unborn children who may continue to be killed at the hands of abortionists?  If a modern-day Esther such as Sarah Palin does not intercede on behalf of the dying children, who will?

For just as God formed us according to Psalm 139, He has also formed each unborn child.  Each of them has a destiny.  Will these destinies hang in the balance, or will they be allowed to be fulfilled?  Let our destinies come forth, dear God.  I pray that the spirit  of abortion will no longer steal the destinies from Your people any more, in the name of Jesus Christ.

"For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.  

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
Ps 139:13-18 NKJV

Same sex marriage is a blight on our land that leads to God's judgment.  I'm saying this becausee it was a judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah.  Homosexuality was the one moral failure above all others that caused God's wrath upon those cities.  Because Abraham interceded over the area, the righteous were saved, but the cities were utterly destroyed. 

Researchers today believe that Sodom and Gomorrah is the site of the Dead Sea.  The sulphur and salt that rained down on that area has caused a deep pool in which nothing can live, grow, or mature.  Scientists used submarines to explore the outline of the buildings that lay buried at the bottom of the Dead Sea, showing conclusive evidence of what God thinks about homosexuality.

He loves the people, it is the spirit He hates.  It is a devouring spirit that seeks to consume America, leaving her dead, unable to reproduce and be the vital nation who blesses the world. 

There is more at stake in this election than at any other time in history.  We stand at a juncture.  Will we be a sheep nation or a goat nation?  We cannot compromise, allowing a little sin to enter.  A little leaven leavens the whole loaf.

Some people believe that we should be compassionate and allow people to practice their alternative lifestyles because it does not hurt anyone else.  However, the spirit behind these practices will seek to steal, kill, and destroy our nation.

In Sweden, someone was arrested for reading His Bible.  Why?  Because the Bible speaks against homosexuality and runs counter to the same sex marriage laws in that country. 

Some people believe the Bible does not speak out against homosexuality, calling it a sin.  The following comes from Romans 1:26-2:1 (NKJV):

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

It is interesting how our homeschool history is coinciding with present times.  This week we studied King Charles I, who believed in the divine right of kings.  He chose to break covenants with his people because it was his divine right.  In contrast, the Puritans and Pilgrims believed in everlasting covenants, and sought to establish a nation that would be governed by unchanging laws set forth according to biblical principles.

In looking at the two candidates running for presidency and their views about our constitution, I showed my children that opinions about our constitution are crucial at this time.  Senator McCain believes that the role of the Supreme Court is to ensure that our laws are consistent with an unchanging Constitution and it is not the role of the Supreme Court to create laws or change the Constitution in any way.  I told my children that his views are consistent with the views of the Pilgrims and Puritans who settled our land. 

The opposing view held by Senator Obama is that the Constitution should be changed according to the changing times.  In other words, it is the divine right of the Supreme Court to change it according to their views of the changing times.  It is okay for them to create laws, not just enforce laws according to the principles set forth in the Constitution.  I told them this was the view of King Charles I, which led to the mass exit of Puritans.

We are at a crucial point in history, because it is up to the next candidate to pick the next three or more Supreme Court judges.  Will liberal judges who seek to change the Constitution and create laws according to their views over the next forty years be placed in office or will conservative judges who adhere to an unchanging Constitution enforce laws that uphold it?  The views of the president will influence his choices of the positions that are held for life.  His decisions will govern our children's future.

The American constitution has had the longest standing constitution in the history of the world, lasting over 230 years.  Thomas Jefferson hoped it would be an example to others when he said, “A just and solid republican government maintained here, will be a standing monument and example for the aim and imitation of the people of other countries.”[1]  Compare its stability with these statistics:

        -         France has had 15 since its Revolution

-         Brazil has had 7 since 1822

-         Poland has had 7 since 1921

-         Afghanistan has had 5 since 1923.

-         Russia has had 4 since 1918

The American Constitution has endured the test of time because its foundation was the Bible.  Its framers used the writings of one man, John Locke, and his book, Two Treatises of Government.  A four hundred page book, it contains 1,500 Biblical references to show the proper operation of civil government.  The Bible is the primary source from which the founding fathers structured our government. 

Our founding fathers believed righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34).  The framers of the Constitution of the United States were mostly deists, who believed in a religion of morality based on natural reason, not on divine revelation.  They wrote a constitution that protected its citizens and punished evil

. 

Two weeks ago, during church worship I saw WALL-E, the trash compactor, as being all of us who choose to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  We have been gobbling up the trash from materialism, humanism, sentimentalism, and other worldly views that run counter to the Tree of Life.  But WALL-E nurtures a little seed which resembles the Tree of Life. 

A creature named Eva comes down to earth and finds the little seed growing into a small tree.  She lets it grow within her.  Suddenly those who are around her thinks she is contaminated and they don't like her.  But she continues to let it grow.   Because of it, suddenly the shades are pulled off people's eyes and they see things different for the first time.  They realize there is once again hope on earth.

After worship, someone came forward and spoke about how the Lord was speaking to him about 101.  He told how 101 classes are usually introducing a subject.  For us, 101 Christianity should like the following.  He turned to Psalm 101 and began reading about

Giving heed to the blameless way

Walking with integrity

Setting no base or wicked thing before our eyes

Hating the work of them who turn aside from the right path

Knowing no evil person or thing

No longer tolerating haughty looks and proud and arrogant hearts

No longer tolerating deceit and lies

"Morning after morning I will root up all the wicked in the land; that I may eliminate all the evildoers from the city of the Lord" (Psalm 101:8).

We must filter out the junk of this world and let the Tree of Life spring forth into righteousness and good standing in our lives.

A twelve year old girl decides to visit friends in a state she once lived in.  As she boards a plane, a foreboding comes over here that all will not be well on this trip.  Little does she know how her journey will take her on a downward spin!

Her friends had raised the money for the expensive round trip ticket.  She had been gone from for six months, and they were looking forward to seeing her again.  She stayed in the care of a nurturing family, who treated her as one of their own.  While there, Social Services caught wind that she was in their state.  They visited the family, and took away her return ticket home.  She was told she must remain in the state until a home inspection in the other state where she had traveled from was completed.  It could be as long as six months before she could see her family again.  She called me crying.

Her grandparents had not yet finished the steps towards the legal adoption.  They attend my church, and I had gotten to know their granddaughter before she left on her trip.  While she had only been here for six months, she had adjusted well, and had made friends.  She had been looking forward to returning to school in the fall to see her friends.  She had become attached to her year old nephew, who lived in their house. 

She wondered if she would ever be able to return to her grandparents.  Her grandparents assured her they would get the home inspection, so she could be with them once again.  She had already been homesick when this happened.  But the family she stayed with were kind to her.  The mother in the home had told her she had been passed around a lot as a child, and she wanted to make sure she was in a stable home environment.  They would be with her through this ordeal.

While there, she turned thirteen.  She had been looking forward to her birthday, planning it for months.  When she couldn't be with family on this day, she was depressed.  She called and said she did not want to do anything for her birthday.  It was too sad.  The family she was with were wonderful, though.  They took her out to eat, and showered her with gifts.

It became time for school, and the family decided to send her to a Christian private school in their community, along with their daughter.  They bore the expense of buying her the uniforms and paid for her tuition.  While there, rumors began flying about her.  She became upset.  One day, she called me to tell me about how the principal had suggested that she stay home for the rest of the week so rumors could die down.  She had to go before she could explain

The family decided she needed counseling because she was not doing well.  They asked Social Services again about the counseling they had offered.  A Social Services person came out to her school that day, and picked her up.  She was taken to a home with fifteen violent offenders and placed there.  A woman who visited her told her she would have to stay in the foster care system until she turned eighteen.  The girl became very upset, calling her grandparents, crying.

Social Services in our state finally made a date for the home inspection.  So the grandparents thought.  Instead, they were given a stack of paperwork that needed to be filled out.  They were told it would be April  before they could see their granddaughter again.

If you feel led, please pray about this situation.  I have not been able to talk to her because I am not on the call list.  Since I am not family, a caseworker would have to decide.  The girl has told her grandmother I am on the list and I can call, but each time I call, I am told I cannot speak to her.  I am concerned for this girl, who was homesick with a nurturing family.  I pray that she will have hope and strength to endure, and know that God is with her. 

Just as God is Triune, so are we composed of soul, body, and spirit.  While listening to Christine Potter speak of a book she read by Arthur Burk on prophetic.tv tonight, I was reminded of a prayer we prayed when I was in Cleansing Streams.  It went something like this:  "I speak to my body and tell it to be aligned properly with my soul.  I speak to my soul and tell it to be aligned properly with my spirit.  I speak to my spirit and ask that it be aligned with the Holy Spirit.  Holy Spirit, I pray that You will connect me with Jesus Christ today.  Jesus Christ, You are the Door to the Father.  I ask You to allow me to interface with My Heavenly Father."  

Christine Potter took this further, saying that we can address the soul realm, which can be eaily hurt and damaged, and ask for it to come into alignment with the spirit realm of our bodies, which is the overcomer, the strong part. When it is properly aligned with the Holy Spirit, we can truly overcome.

The Holy Spirit is the interface between us and our Heavenly Father and His Son.  We can address the Holy Spirit and ask Him to allow us to visit the Father and Jesus Christ.

Through the seven-fold Holy Spirit, I pray for the spirit of the Lord, and for wisdom, understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  I pray to be a representation of who He is on this earth.