Danger of Unthankfulness

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts…Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Rom. 1:24, 21). 

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Tim. 3:1, 2), and the Scripture goes on to say, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” So, even though there may be an outward appearance of holiness (a form of godliness), an unthankful spirit can corrupt our souls and cause us not to have enough power to even obey God’s laws.

Being unthankful/ungrateful can have deadly consequences. But conversely, a thankful heart is a happy heart. A spirit of unthankfulness and ungratefulness breeds depression. It's impossible to have a thankful heart and be depressed. I read that 25% of American women suffer from depression. I was actually surprised the percentage was so low. It seems depression is rampant amongst Americans. It's probably because we have SO MUCH in America. The more you have, the more you want and the less content you are. The happiest people I've ever seen have been the poorest people I've worshiped with in third world countries. They have no change of clothing, no electricity and limited food, but they are the happiest and most grateful people! Shame on us! We take so many things for granted and expect so much! We think we're ENTITLED. 

Psalm 92:1 says, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.” Therefore it follows, it is a BAD thing to be unthankful. Unthankfulness is a direct violation of the will and Word of God. The Bible commands: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess. 5:18).

An unthankful heart leads to all sorts of other sins. When you read the long list of abominable sins listed in the first chapter of Romans, verse 21 says all these sins stem from two roots: 1) not glorifying God 2) not being thankful  It's a SERIOUS thing to be unthankful.

We have SO MUCH for which to be thankful! God sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for us, that we could have eternal life. That alone is so much more than we deserve.

“Thou life of my life, blessed Jesus,
Thou death of the death that was mine,
For me was Thy cross and Thine anguish,
Thy love and Thy sorrow divine;
Thou suffered the cross and the torment,
That I might forever go free
A thousand, a thousand thanksgivings,
I bring, blessed Saviour to Thee.”

The Commission of the Call

My goodness, I didn't realize it had been SO LONG since I last posted. I'm sure there's nobody left out there to even stop by my blog. But I wanted to share this devotional that I read yesterday. It's from Oswald Chambers in "My Utmost for His Highest."

"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church" (Col. 1:24).
"We make calls out of our own spiritual consecration, but when we get right with God He brushes all these aside, and rivets us with a pain that is terrific to one thing we never dreamed of, and for one radiant flashing moment we see what He is after, and we say--'Here am I, send me.'
This call has nothing to do with personal sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured out wine. God can never make us wine if we object to the fingers He uses to crush us with. If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured out wine in a special way! But when He uses someone whom we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, and makes those the crushers, we object. We must never choose the scene of our own martyrdom. If ever we are going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed; you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.
"I wonder what kind of finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you, and you have been like a marble and escaped? You are not ripe yet, and if God had squeezed you, the wine would have been remarkably bitter. To be a sacramental personality means that the elements of the natural life are presenced by God as they are broken providentially in His service. We have to be adjusted into God before we can be broken bread in His hands. Keep right with God and let Him do what He likes and you will find that He is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children."

Two things spoke to me: 1) we don't like to be crushed. It HURTS! and 2) we CERTAINLY don't like to be crushed by other people. But God has a purpose for everything. He loves us unconditionally and He wants to create perfect hearts in us. No one ever became perfect without some pain involved. I just desire to have a willing heart, that will surrender to the crushing regardless of from whence the crushing comes. I think the juice is probably sweeter when the crushing comes from sources we least desire, and we yield to it. :-) I want to be broken (bread) and poured out (wine) for the glory of God! Take me, Lord. I'm yours.

God's BEST

One of the devotionals I've begun reading this year is by A.B. Simpson. He had this little poem in the January 5 devotional and it spoke to my heart. I desire God's BEST:

God has His best things for the few
Who dare to stand the test;
God has His second choice for those
Who will no have His best.

Give me, O Lord, Thy highest choice
Let others take the rest.
Their good things have no charm for me,
For I have got the best.

There's an old adage that says, "You get what you pay for." Having God's BEST requires sacrifice and it's not the EASY way. But it's the BEST way. I want to pay the price in order to have His BEST. How 'bout you? Let's not be "ordinary" Christians this year. If we strive to be OUR BEST, God will give us HIS BEST.

The Neglected Garbage Can

The following article was in the Fall 2010 issue of Keepers at Home, a quarterly magazine published by Carlisle Press.

Keepers at Home

2673 Township Road 421

Sugarcreek, OH 44681

This article was written by Betty Friesen. It was a blessing and a challenge to me and I thought I would share it.

"Where do these go?" Mandy asked, holding up a stack of disposable plates which had been used for a family supper.

"In that white garbage can over there." I motioned to the metal box beneath the kitchen counter. "That is, if you can fit them in." Emptying that trash can was one thing I had not done in preparation of this family gathering.

Mandy always did everything thoroughly. I held my breath as she hauled out the whole waste box. And none too soon, as an offensive odor was fast permeating the kitchen. Mandy stuffed in the Styrofoam plates and I tied the top of the waste can liner into a knot. "This must be more than kitchen garbage," she commented dryly.

I felt like plugging my nose. Besides needing a new liner, that trash can hadn't seen an exhaustive scrub for months! Now here among all the ladies cleaning up after supper this neglected duty of mine was being exposed! What now? Escape? Make excuses? Or just pretend not to be embarrassed? But no matter how much I might have wanted to deny, defend, or escape, the smell remained, and needed to be dealt with.

Even after replacing the liner, I still caught whiffs of that repulsive smell the next day while passing through the kitchen. All the while I was becoming more convinced that soap and water would have to go beneath the months of grime. Thankfully the day was sunny as I pulled the trash can into the refreshing out-of-doors. While scrubbing I had time to ponder. Sometimes it is said that other people bring out the best in us. Contradictorily, it sure felt like they brought out the bad this time. Or...was the good just disguised into something uncomfortable? Secretly I wondered how soon I would have gotten down to this cleaning job if it hadn't been for Mandy!

What if other people uncover inconsistencies in other areas of my life? It may be an impolite way of chewing my food, an uncomfortable better-than-thou attitude, some hidden pride or silent stubbornness.

When such "smelly odors" are revealed, I have a choice to make. I can choose to defend, deny, or escape. But the smell will remain and will need to be dealt with. If I want the odor to go I will want to choose to humbly admit (I did not do what I should have), confess (I'm sorry), and forsake (by God's grace replace the inconsistency with a godly virtue).

Christ's cleanisng power can then renew and make me a vessel again meet for the Master's use.

A proper sacrifice produces a sweet smelling savour, not a stink. Rotting refuse produces a stink. I truly desire to offer a proper sacrifice by giving the Lord my ALL. When someone points out something stinky in me, I want to be gracious enough to acknowledge my carelessness and make things right. I wish I would never make mistakes or display a bad attitude, and that's my aim and my goal. Until then, when I do slip up I want to not cover up--I want to ask forgiveness of the Lord and the individuals I've wronged and then do my best to scrub that old garbage can of all the accumulated filth and then resolve to keep it fresh and clean with regular scrubbings and not allow it to get to stinking again. God, grant me the grace, the motivation and determination to do it!

What Sin?

Sister Connie Werkheiser sings the song, "What Sin?" and it's always such a blessing. God's mercy and forgiveness are without boundaries. 1 John 1:9 says,"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I got to thinking about the Sea of Forgetfulness and tried to look it up. There is no such "place" mentioned in the Scripture, but these next two verses describe what God does with our sins when we repent and confess: "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:19). "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 10:17). These two verses, combined, describe the Sea of Forgetfulness we often hear and sing about.
Here's the words to the song, "What Sins?" by Morgan Cryar, from the album Love Over Gold.

It happened so long ago
And I cried out for mercy back then
I plead the blood of Jesus
Begged him to forgive my sin
But I still can't forget it
It just won't go away
So I wept again, "Lord wash my sin,"
But this is all He'd say

CHORUS

What sin, what sin?
Well that's as far away as the east is from the west
What sin, what sin?
It was gone the very minute you confessed
Buried in the sea of forgetfulness

The heaviest thing you'll carry
Is a load of guilt and shame
You were never meant to bear them
So let them go in Jesus name
Our God is slow to anger
Quick to forgive our sin
So let Him put them under the blood
Don't bring them up again
Cause He'll just say

REPEAT CHORUS

Lord, please deliver me from my accusing memory
Nothing makes me weak this way,
Then when I hear you say

Some people are guilty of going deep sea diving in effort to dredge up another person's buried sins. If God chooses to "remember them no more" then how dare we? To do so would put us in danger of being like the man described in the story of Matthew 18:21-35:
"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
In this story, the man who had been forgiven of his debt in the beginning later had his judgment reversed and he was thrown into prison himself because he refused to forgive another person's trespass. We must remind ourselves: "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses" (Mark 11:26).
Help me, Lord, to forgive those who refuse to forgive; to love those who do not love; to have mercy on those who show no mercy--help me, Lord to be like You.

Thanks to Brother Donnie

I had NO IDEA it had been so long since I last posted--until I visited Brother Donnie's blog and noticed this blog listed on his blogroll, noting that it had been 6 months! For shame! So I thought I should write SOMEthing. It's not that I have anything of interest to write, but I'm embarrassed to appear as such a slacker. "Slacker" is one thing I'm not. If you were to look at my schedule the past few months, you would agree. Since May I have attended 2 National Conventions and 3 State/Regional Conventions (or is it 4?), plus BTI. As I write, we are involved in VBS at Zion Hill. Busy, busy, busy. IYC and the Assembly are right around the corner. This weekend I will have 4 or 5 house guests--committee members of the Ways & Means Committee, who are meeting on Saturday. I'm planning to fix supper for them Friday night. Then there are a plethora of chores to complete in preparation for IYC and the Assembly, for which I'm very excited. So . . . there, in a nutshell, is part of the reason I haven't posted in 6 months . . . not that anybody ever visits Blogland anymore OR would check a blog that hasn't been updated in forever. *sigh* But at least I don't feel guilty anymore.

Feed Your Faith

"Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death." I read this adage on a sign today and wanted to hang on to it. Good thought, huh? It's easy to feed doubt, but not so natural to feed our faith and starve doubt to death. But that's my plan and I intend, by the grace of God, to stick to it! How about you?

How Are You Clothed?

I was blessed by this devotion in my Springs in the Valley book:

There are some Christians who always seem to be kept on scant measure. Their spiritual garments are threadbare, their whole bearing that of people who are poverty-stricken and kept on short allowance--hard up, and on the ragged edge of want and bankruptcy. They come through by the "skin of their teeth" and are "saved so as by fire."

There are other souls who "have life more abundantly." Their love "beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things," and "never faileth." Their patience has "all long suffering with joyfulness." Their peace "passeth all understanding." Their joy is "joy unspeakable and full of glory." Their service is so free and glad that duty is a delight. In a word, this life reaches out into the infinite as well as the eternal, sailing on the shoreless and fathomless seas of God and His infinite grace.

WAIT

This is the poem several of you requested at the Assembly. The author is unknown.

Desperately, helplessly, longingly I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait".
"Wait? You say wait! " my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers. I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked and am claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance and You tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes'—a go-ahead sign
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!”
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting.... For what?"
He seemed then to kneel and His eyes wept with mine
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
All you seek I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want - But you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove
You'd know that I give and I save.... (for a start)
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart;
The glow of My comfort late into the night
The faith that I give when you walk without sight
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God who makes what you have LAST.
You'd never know should your pain quickly flee
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for Thee."
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true
But, Oh, the loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!
So be silent My child and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late
My most precious answer of all is still, "WAIT."

I want to say "THANK YOU" to all of you who expressed your love and assured me of your continual prayers for me and my husband. I'm acutely aware of my total dependence upon the Lord and complete lack of sufficiency in my own strength or wisdom. Your prayers touch the throne of God and He is faithful to bless us with strength to stay on the battlefield and endure as "good soldiers." Like the song says, "In the fiercest part of battle, when my feet don't want to stay, I will trust You, Lord." That's my desire.

August 2009

This has been an incredibly busy summer. We had 8 house guests for the 2 weeks of BTI and feel so blessed to be able to provide a place for friends/family to come to. BTI culminating with Heritage Day was a BIG blessing. Since that weekend of June 13, we attended 5 State/Regional Conventions and one Family Camp in 6 weeks time. There were numerous things to attend to here at home between all those activities. Thank God for HIS strength and the health He's blessed us with. We know we have no strength or health of our own--it's all due to Him. Now we're in the mad dash to get everything ready for the Assembly. Considering the viciousness of the attacks from the enemy, I'd say this is going to be another outstanding Assembly. Like the old song says, "The greater the battle, the sweeter the victory." Amen! This ought to be one sweet victory!!!

I'd like to share my devotion from a few days ago. It was a particular blessing. It comes from Springs in the Valley by Mrs. Charles Cowman:

"If God has called you to be really like Christ, He may draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put on you such demands of obedience that He will not allow you to follow other Christians and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

"Other Christians, who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it: and if you attempt it you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

"Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their success, of their writing, but the Holy
Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it He will lead you into some deep mortification, that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

"Others will be allowed to succeed in making money...but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, and that is a helpless dependence on Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

"The Lord will let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hid away in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory.

"He will let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him, and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing.

"The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you...rebuking you for little words and feelings, or for wasting time.

"God is an infinite Sovereign: He has a right to do as He pleases with His own.

"Settle it forever, then, that you are to deal directly with the Lord Jesus--that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways that He does not deal with others.

"Then, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.

"Others may. You can not!"

Has it Been THREE Months?

It's been nearly 3 months since I last posted here. My, how time flies when you're having fun--or when you're just really, REALLY busy.
I thank God for His sustaining power, for His strength, for the health He's blessed us with and most of all for the spiritual health and strength. I thank God for His Living Word. He speaks to my heart and soul on a regular basis through His divine Word of God, the Holy Bible. His Word never changes and it never passes away. Praise God!
Back in "the old days" before Brother Smith had to be in an office 40 hours a week, or out of town much of the time, we used to work on remodeling our house together. We bought a little run down 800 sq. ft. log cabin in the mountains of Colorado and transformed it into a 1,700 sq. ft. log home--building on a new addition and totally remodeling every square inch of the old part. When we got moved to Virginia we dove into remodeling a neglected, but "great bones" house. It turned out beautifully and we enjoyed working on it, and had it almost totally redone in the mere 2 years we lived in it. Then we moved to Cleveland. We've been here 2 1/2 years and we're just finishing up on remodeling our FIRST room. Our remodeling career has suffered a severe blow and isn't likely to recover anytime soon. But, really, this remodeling project is the biggest, baddest one we will encounter with our home here. We completely gutted our master bath, moved walls and repositioned the door from the bedroom into the bathroom and made a humongous mess, but now it's all put back together and is looking beautiful! It's the only room in the house that is really "me." All other projects after this will be a piece of cake. I hope.
One of the big blessings of being here where God has placed us is that we've been able to go places and meet so many people we never would have otherwise. We went to Venezuela a couple of months ago and it was SUCH a blessing! I just LOVE worshipping the Lord with people of other cultures and languages because it's always a reminder that we serve the same God and we love the same Church and the same doctrine! Tomorrow at this time we will be in an airplane somewhere over the Pacific Ocean on our way to the Philippines. Who would have EVER imagined??? How exciting to be able to go visit with our saints there and hopefully be an encouragement to them and minister God's Word to them. It's daunting to think, however, that we will be flying over 18,000 miles on this trip! Unbelievable. Brother Ard and Brother Dupre do it all the time; surely we can survive this trip. They're both much older than we are. ;-)
It's exciting to see all the Lord is doing in and for The Church of God right now. People are "asking their way to Zion" and God is pouring out His blessings in local churches all over the world. Meanwhile, it's exciting as well to see the progress on the HQ Expansion Project. It's looking really beautiful over there,underneath all the sawdust that is. Brother Talley is doing an outstanding job of overseeing the project and we will have a truly first class addition in the near future. It's been a long time coming but I'm so thankful to God that it's made such tremendous progress in just the past 8 weeks or so. You're going to have to come see it!

Deep Roots

The following entry is today's devotion from Springs in the Valley. My copy of this devotional book was my great grandmother's and it's a cherished part of my personal library. This is a companion book to the more well known Streams in the Desert.

"Trees that brave storms are not propagated in hot-houses!

"The staunchest tree is not found in the shelter of the forest, but out in the open where the winds from every quarter beat upon it, and bend and twist it until it becomes a giant in stature.

"It requires storms to produce the rooting.

"Out on the meadow it stands to shelter the herds and flocks. The earth about the tree hardens. The rains do little good for the water runs off.

"But the terrific storm strikes. It twists, turns, wrenches, and at times all but tears it out of its place. If the tree could spek it might bitterly complain. Should nature listen and cease the storm process?

"The storm almost bends the tree double. It is wrath now. What can such seeming cruelty mean? Is that love? But wait!

"About the tree the soil is all loosened. Great cracks are opened up away down into the ground. Deep wounds they might appear to the inexperienced. The rain now comes in with it gentle ministry. The WOUNDS fill up. The moisture reaches away down deep even to the utmost root. The sun again shines. New and vigorous life bursts forth. The roots go deeper and deeper. The branches shoot forth. Now and again one hears something snap and crack like a pistol: it is getting too big for its clothes! It is growing into a giant! It is rooting!

"This is the tree from which the mechanic wants his tools made--the tree which the wagon-maker seeks.

"When you see a spiritual giant, think of the road over which he has travled--not the sunny lane where wildflowers ever bloom, but a steep, rocky, narrow pathway where the blasts of hell will almost blow you off your feet, where the sharp rocks cut the feet, where the projecting thorns scratch the brow, and the venomous serpents hiss on every side.

"The Lord provides deep roots when there are to be wide-spreading branches."

I think to have a true appreciation and vision of this devotion you have to be familiar with the western plains where trees may be few and far between. I've noticed since moving to the south where trees are EVERYWHERE that sometimes, totally unexpected and without a storm, a tree may just topple over! I suppose there's a whole different message to be gleaned from those incidents such as maybe a tree looking healthy on the outside, but inside being eaten up with disease or insects (anger? bitterness? unforgiveness? covetousness?) until one day it just crashes to destruction. But across the other side of the Mississippi it's common to see perhaps many, many acres of flat land or farm land with NO trees except maybe one lone tree out there. This tree is generally not a pretty tree, but knarled and twisted but with a substantial trunk and large limbs. You have to wonder how the tree got there in the first place, or why. Some speculate a farmer long ago planted a seed at the edge of his field so one day there would be a big shade tree to take a rest under when it was time to plow or harvest the field. Others say the seed was dropped by a bird and the tree grew as a result. Regardless of the beginning, there now stands a tree with deep roots that secure it in place and provide the necessary nourishment.

I especially was blessed by the part of the devotion talking about the big cracks in the hard soil around the trunk of the tree appearing as great wounds. Sometimes we may feel like we're all alone, braving the harsh elements, and that we're deeply wounded by the cruel winds and storms but it's those gaping wounds that allow the nourishing rains to penetrate all the way to the roots. Without the wounds, the roots wouldn't be accessible and no new growth would occur. Like the old saying, "No pain, no gain." But our Lord will sustain us and help us to grow and flourish as a result of enduring the storms. Praise God. I don't want to have suffered wounds in vain, but I want pain to be turned to gain! AMEN!

KJV Bible

Here's what I think about the KJV. There's been a lengthy debate at the one and only forum I visit, and my good friend Tammy Washburn is doing a magnanimous job of defending the KJV and she LOVES the debate. I, on the other hand, do NOT like debate. I'm no good at it. I'm just good at stating my opinion--not defending it. :-) Since this is a blog, not a forum, I will take the opportunity to share my opinion where I am the "queen" and can delete comments or posts whenever I like.
First of all, I feel it's very dangerous to allow questions or doubts enter our thoughts concerning God's truths. The devil is so good at planting seeds of doubt that can grow into full grown acceptance of heresy. Heresy, by definition, is an "opinion or doctrine at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine, esp. of a church or religious system." The KJV is the accepted, Assembly approved Bible for the English language. Therefore, for The Church of God member, the matter is settled.
When I read statements made by people I love, declaring the KJV is full of errors it hurts me deeply. My heart breaks. I love the Bible more than life itself, and to have it criticized and demeaned is very, very hurtful. It's something like telling a man his wife and kids are dumb and ugly. He wouldn't take too kindly to such words. Likewise, I don't take kindly to my Guidebook and Bread of Life picked at.
The question I have is: The folks who feel it so dreadfully important to point out "errors" in the KJV admit that there are no doctrinal errors or variations between any of the so called revisions made in the first century after the KJV was written--so why make such a big deal? Are there any "errors" in my Bible that could possibly prevent me from making it to heaven? However, there ARE errors in the other versions of the Bible that definitely could cause people to miss heaven. If the answer is "no" to there being any errors that could cause me to miss heaven, then WHY is it so important to discredit my Bible? Can anything good or righteous or edifying come from it?
My husband and I have been going through the book One Book Stands Alone, by Dr. Doug Stauffer. We also have the books by Gail Riplinger, which first caught our attention several years ago. The book we'll be going through next is King James Onlyism versus Scholarship Onlyism by Dr. Peter S. Ruckman. I understand this last book would REALLY stir the ire of the "educated crowd." The phrases "too smart for their own good" and "too big for their britches" come to mind. Childlike innocence is something to be envied. " Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein" (Luke 18:17). "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was" (2 Tim. 3:1-9). Ever learning...intoxicated with knowledge, they stagger, stumble and recklessly endanger other souls they come in contact with. It's scary.
Call me ignorant. Call me uninformed. Call me closed-minded. That's okay with me. I desire first and foremost to be pleasing to God and to TRUST His Word, regardless of what anybody else thinks, or thinks of me. I keep 1 Corinthians the first chapter in mind: "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh [the educated fools], not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world [those who have childlike faith to just BELIEVE without seeing proof, i.e. Heb. 11:1] to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised [O, how the "educated" despise folks who just BELIEVE and they feel they MUST destroy their belief], hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (vv.25-31). Jesus Christ IS the Word, and He is my righteousness, my sanctification and my redemption. Praise the Lord!
Okay. Well, there it is. A lot of other scriptures come to mind--all from the KJV, of course. ;-) The KJV is beautiful beyond compare. It makes me feel safe. I love the Word of God--the pure, unadulterated Word of God.

2008 is Almost History

The time has flown by so swiftly! Where did this year go?

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. I have this personal rule I live by where "all things Christmas" are outlawed until the day after Thanksgiving, then it's full steam ahead Christmas from then till the 1st of the year. I'll be listening to nothing but Christmas music for the next month+. I think it's a shame the way Thanksgiving is just jumped right over and neglected these days. I remember when.....oh, never mind.

Although I love the Christmas season and I'm looking forward to the special holiday music, I can't help but keep Thanksgiving in my heart. God has been SO GOOD to me my entire life. I have no complaints. At church Wednesday night I was asked to sing a special. (Only because the moderator had forgotten to ask anyone and I'm about the only one they can count on to come up with a song in a moment's notice without getting violent.) ;-) Anyway, I sang "I've Got So Much to Thank Him For." The chorus says, "When I think of what He's done and where He's brought me from". As I sing that song and get to thinking about it, I seldom can sing it without crying. "Where He's brought me from"...He's led me through so many personal trials, circumstances, heart-changing situations and glorious victories! I look back and can see so many times that although I didn't understand what the purpose was at the time, I now know He was preparing me for what He knew was ahead. It's the same for each one of us. He knows what our future holds and He desires to mold us and make us into that perfect vessel to be used by Him.

As 2008 is coming to a close I desire to be fully surrendered to His perfect will and pliable in His hands--no resistance. I don't want to wait till January 1st to make my resolution to be fully His. May my every day be filled with gratefulness for His saving grace and mercy. It's mind boggling to realize He sent His Son, His ONLY Son, to die on the cross for MY sins. I'm SO unworthy of His love, but I'm SO grateful and I want to live my life in such a way as to prove my gratitude.

This is the season to ponder the wonder of the Christ Child coming to earth to live as a mortal man, then to suffer and shed His Own precious blood to (1) purchase our salvation, (2) sanctify us, (3) heal our bodies, and (4) purchase The Church of God. I'm so grateful for those 4 blessings and I want to take full advantage of each of them, so He won't have suffered in vain.

God bless you!

Love

The General Assembly theme this year was "The Beauty of Holiness" but we heard a LOT about love. How can there be any holiness without love? It's been said that if we were to condense the entire Bible down to only one word, it would be "love." God IS love. With that in mind, I came across the following excerpt in the book, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" and was touched by the truth of it. Take a look:
"We believe that we are hurt when we don't receive love. But that is not what hurts us. Our pain comes when we do not give love. We were born to love. You might say that we are divinely created love machines. We function most powerfully when we are giving love. The world has led us to believe that our well-being is dependent on other people loving us. But this is the kind of upside-down thinking that has caused so many of our problems. The truth is that our well-being is dependent on our giving love. It is not about what comes back; it is about what goes out!"

Victory On Top of Victory!!!

It's so wonderful to hear such GREAT reports from our Conventions and Camps! God has been SO GOOD to TCOG this year! Yes, we've had battles, but God has been so faithful to bring us through everything. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them ALL" (Psa. 34:19). The Treasury of David says this about it: "Through troops of ills Jehovah shall lead his redeemed scatheless and triumphant. There is an end to the believer's affliction, and a joyful end too. None of his trials can hurt so much as a hair of his head, neither can the furnace hold him for a moment after the Lord bids him come forth of it. Hard would be the lot of the righteous if this promise, like a bundle of camphire, were not bound up in it, but this sweetens all. The same Lord who sends the afflictions will also recall them when his design is accomplished, but he will never allow the fiercest of them to rend and devour his beloved."
I've been rejoicing with each report that has come in across TCOG, from the wonderful presence of the Lord being manifested at Camps and Conventions. Praise God for His marvelous works!
In the midst of the wonderful outpourings there is also a deep burden for the lost and erring souls who we love and miss. I believe God is stirring TCOG to intercede on their behalf. And God has already answered some of these petitions and some have made their way to an altar of repentance and restoration. PRAISE GOD!!!
At the VA/WV Convention this past weekend I was so blessed and stirred by Brother Byers' message. The part that hit home with me is the "all" part. He used the "greatest commandment" as his text scripture, "...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy mind" (Matt. 22:37). I truly desire to be TOTALLY and COMPLETELY surrendered to the Lord's will. I have no desires, no possessions, no loved ones, no houses or lands, or no dreams I'm not willing to surrender to the Lord. Have YOUR way, Lord. That's not something to be said lightly. I ask myself all those questions almost daily, "What if I lost my house? My husband? My children or grandchildren? Would I still serve You, Lord?" Nothing is more important to me than the Lord. Although the thought of actually losing any of those things, especially my family, is horrific; I know the Lord would somehow make a way for me and give me grace to go on. "The Lord never orders anything He can't pay for." I trust God with my life and my future. He's a GOOD, GOOD God and I truly believe every word of the Bible and all the promises that are contained therein!
The General Assembly will soon be here. I hope the membership of TCOG will consecrate themselves to prayer and fasting for God's divine will to be done throughout the Assembly! God be praised!

What If?

In preparing to teach a class this past week I came across a document in my computer saved as "MEDICINE." Curious what it was, I opened it and found that it had been created in 1996 and it was simply a list of various scriptures. At the time I had been suffering from a painful condition in my body for about a week. I had prayed and had asked for others to pray and the Lord had relieved the pain considerably already. As I began to read through the scriptures I could feel the Lord touching my body as if they were a divine pain-killer! Praise the Lord! By the next day ALL pain was gone! As I was reading I began to wonder why I hadn't gone to God's medicine chest and got some of this medicine earlier. It was amazing to me that this document has been in my computer all these years, but this is the first time I remember ever checking it out to see what it was. It's got Jonathan's name on it, so I'm certain he's the one who created this document 12 years ago while he was living at home, before he got married. God must delight in planning and setting up "circumstances" to bless His children. He planted that document in my computer and it's been sitting there for 12 years "for such a time as this." Amazing. And divine. It got me to thinking . . . WHAT IF everyone in The Church of God quit spending money and confidence in all the over the counter drugs, not to mention prescription drugs, and trusted God as their only Physician? How much mission money would it generate if the money that is now spent on human doctors and medicines was funneled into God's work? But God doesn't need money. It's all His anyway. The main benefit would be the spiritual wealth the individuals would accumulate by putting their full trust in the Lord instead of "the arm of flesh." Why don't we see more miracles? Because we attempt to fix all our own problems and do things man's way instead of unreservedly putting all faith, confidence and trust in God. God's ways DO work. As more and more of us push aside "logic" and cleave to faith and TRUST in God we will see more and more miracles! The definition of miracle is: "An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God."
If you're needing a dose of medicine today, the Holy Bible is FULL of pain killers, antibiotics, anti-depressants, sleeping pills and any other need you may have. It doesn't cost any $$$, but it does cost commitment and faith. Oh, but it's SO WORTH IT!
Just to alleviate your curiosity, here's a list of the scriptures Jon had saved under the title of "MEDICINE." They sure worked for me last week!

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:5,6).

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psa. 118:6).

“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psa. 91:11).

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psa. 27:1).

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Heb. 13:8).

“For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after” (Jer. 30:17).

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3John 1:2).

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (2 Pet. 5:7).

“. . . Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord” (1 Chron. 28:20).

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psa. 103:2,3).

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isa. 41:10).

“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away” (Mark 13:31).

“. . . What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24).

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed!” (Isa. 53:5).

“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee” (Ex. 15:26)

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).

“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise” (Jer. 17:14).

“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1).

“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matt. 10:1).

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18).

I thank the Lord for godly children who are an encouragement and who have been faithful to point others, including their parents, to trust in Christ for EVERYTHING. God's ways DO work, and He DOES reward those who "diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6).

The Spirit of Joseph

I'll share some of the Bible Pathway thoughts that have touched me in January:
"You may weep as you read the biography of Joseph--foreshadowing Christ. Both are objects of special love by their fathers; hated by their brethren; rejected as rulers over their brethren; conspired against; sold for silver; condemned though innocent; and raised from humiliation to glory by the power of God. Joseph remained faithful to God, even with compassion forgiving his brothers.
"...in time, God wonderfully blesses all who are faithful to Him. When we remain faithful to Christ and allow Him to be Lord and Master of our lives, God will wonderfully bless us too.
"One of the great needs today among Christians is to demonstate the spirit of Joseph. When one knows the God of Joseph, it really doesn't matter that we are misunderstood, unjustly maligned, or cruelly abused. With a heart filled with love, we can say; As for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good (Gen. 50:20).
"Avoid the poison of bitterness by realizing the Lord is working through your offenders and your circumstances to express His love."
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled" (Heb. 12:14,15).

We've all, at one time or another, been "misunderstood, unjustly maligned, or cruelly abused." But how we react to those instances proves what's really on the inside. And just because we don't lash out and retaliate in obvious anger doesn't necessarily mean we're not secretly harboring bad feelings down deep inside. When those hard times come and some individuals seem to take pleasure in hurting us or those we love, we've got to be certain that the blood of Jesus Christ washes ALL seeds of bitterness out of the secret places in our heart.
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:29-32).
Which one of us is deserving of the blood Jesus shed to purchase our salvation? Christ forgave us of our sins when there was nothing we could possibly do to be worthy of such a gift. We, then, must turn around and forgive others their trespasses against us. The Lord's Prayer says, " And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:12). It sounds to me like God will forgive us in relation to how we forgive others. If we refuse to forgive our debtors, will God forgive us? I don't want to take any chances! I want my conscience to be clear and my Unforgiveness Bank to be EMPTY. I know far too many people (and even many professing Christians) who have made way too many deposits in their Unforgiveness Bank Account, and they don't ever make any withdrawals. That's one bank account that needs to be closed out, once and for all! Amen!

Noah Found Grace

It's a new year. For over a decade (I don't remember exactly how long) I've read through the Bible on the even numbered years and on the odd numbered years I read through other devotional books to supplement Bible reading for my morning devotional times. This year I'm using the Bible Pathway guide to reading through the Bible. I used them once before but it's been over 15 years. I'm really enjoying the devotional thoughts that accompany each day's reading. There are some very thought provoking and inspiring insights in these devotionals. On January 3rd this was part of the devotional: "Noah was a striking contrast to Adam and Eve. Noah was surrounded by a generation defiled by sin, yet he obeyed all that the Lord commanded him (Gen. 7:5). Adam and Eve were in a perfect environment filled with the blessings of God but chose to ignore God's Word. Noah's obedience brought blessing to the entire world, while Adam and Eve's disobedience resulted in unending sorrow and suffering to the entire world. Noah stood as a testimony that man cannot use environment of circumstances as an excuse for choosing to sin."

That's an interesting point: Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world, but they chose to sin even without any peer pressure to do so. Noah lived in a vile, evil environment but he chose to "go against the grain" and do "all that the Lord commanded him." The Scripture says, "...Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Gen. 6:9). We don't live in a perfect world, that's for sure. We DO live in an evil, vile world where sin abounds. But I desire to be known by God as perfect. If Noah could be perfect in God's sight, as well as several others listed in the Bible, I can be perfect, too. I'll never be perfect in other people's sight and that's okay. I'm only concerned about being perfect in GOD's sight. He sees my heart, He knows my thoughts, He know's the real me even better than I do. My daily prayer is "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Psa. 51:10) and "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psa. 139:23,24). Another quote from Bible Pathway is, "Some Christians are not concerned with hearing the voice of God since they are too interested in hearing other voices." Lord, help me to tune out the voices and opinions of others and be only tuned in to YOUR voice." I thank God for the Word of God--the Bible IS God's voice. What's amazing to me is that as many times as I've read through the entire Bible, each time I do there are different verses that stand out and minister to me and each year I highlight something new in my Bible. I figure if I live long enough I'll have the WHOLE Bible highlighted! :-)

Attitude of Gratitude

I came across this excerpt of an article by Adrian Rogers and thought I'd share it:

"Do you have difficulty with bitterness, selfishness, self-pity, negativism, or pride? An attitude of gratitude can change those things and literally transform your life.
"There are four levels of living. People in the lowest level constantly complain. These folks are always griping and complaining. Rather than being humbly grateful, they're grumbly hateful.
"The second level is just a tad higher. These are not people who are constantly complaining, they just never give thanks for anything. They take things for granted.
The third level is that person who thanks God for the obvious blessings, when things are going good and everything is fine.
"But the forth level, the highest level, is those who give thanks always for all things. This is the attitude that will change your life."

I want to have the 4th and highest level of gratitude, how 'bout you?