What Have I Done With My Life!- Sam Halbert
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The FBI was after me! chapter 5- Dennis Molinski
God´s Plan & Way of Escape! Chapter 5
[To read the previous and following chapters follow the link HERE.]
After graduating from Marietta College, I began working as a teacher at Friendship School in Marietta, Ohio. I had a class of 12 slightly physically/mentally handicapped children from ages 7 to 13 plus one autistic boy. I had requested that this job be counted as my alternative service if I had been granted conscientious objector status. But my request was denied. However, even knowing of my problem with the military, the director of the school had hired me as I had worked as a volunteer for two years doing 15 hours a week as teacher assistant. I had even cut down on some of my studies to make volunteering possible. But on Monday, November 13th I had not showed up for work. Neither had I called. This was unusual for me, as I was generally conscientious. What had happened?
Back at Ellenville, I had no access to a land phone and was unable to go into town because of my classes and work responsibilities. There were no mobile phones at that time. I was actually learning so much in the lectures and Bible studies that was satisfying my soul that I was bathing spiritually. Finally, I got a letter off to my parents which they received 11 days after I had gone “missing.”
In the meantime, when my parents learned I had not showed up for work nor had phoned, they put in a missing person´s report with the police in Ohio. Little did I know the heart ache I was causing to my whole family: parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, friends . . . everyone! The college paper published an article saying I had gone missing. Another article came out in the local paper about the young graduate gone missing.
My parents even travelled from New Jersey out to Ohio in search for me. They feared I had had a car accident and may have been injured and in need of help. They travelled the same route I had taken stopping at every roadside ditch in search for a sign of me or my brother´s car which I had been driving. My sister and brother-in-law called every police department and hospital along the route from Marietta to Columbus, Ohio desperately seeking for me. While I was finding Jesus, they were sleep deprived with worry asking God for my safe return. It was a horrible time for them.
I need to acknowledge here the pain my actions caused them. I am sorry I caused them so much pain. It was an intensely emotional time for me. I was in dire straits and was thinking more about myself than anyone else! It was a time of tough decisions. I had decided to stand up to the American Military and say no to war. The FBI was after me! Would I serve time in jail, or be forced to join the military? I felt like drowning man going down for the third time. I needed to save myself first before I could be of any use or help to others.
But God had answered my prayer and as I began to study His word the emotional turmoil I had been encountering began to surcease. I was lost in His love and it was wonderful! But it had not been wonderful for my friends and family. Maybe that is why we will need eternity in Heaven to work out all these heart aches we have caused one another through our lack of love. They do take time to mend and heal. We will be doing a lot of apologizing and forgiving and being forgiven. Jesus says, “I will wipe away all your tears,” so obviously there will be tears in Heaven as we acknowledge our wrong doing and try to make things right! I am sorry family for how I hurt you. Please find a way to forgive me.
Looking back on these circumstances and all that happened, I can see it as God´s plan to save me from the FBI who must have been totally confused by these events. I could not have invented a better plan had I tried. But God manufactured His own for me to enable me to spend time in His word learning of Him and His will for my life. As He says in His word, “God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it!”
[To read the previous and following chapters follow the link HERE.]
Back at Ellenville, I had no access to a land phone and was unable to go into town because of my classes and work responsibilities. There were no mobile phones at that time. I was actually learning so much in the lectures and Bible studies that was satisfying my soul that I was bathing spiritually. Finally, I got a letter off to my parents which they received 11 days after I had gone “missing.”
In the meantime, when my parents learned I had not showed up for work nor had phoned, they put in a missing person´s report with the police in Ohio. Little did I know the heart ache I was causing to my whole family: parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, friends . . . everyone! The college paper published an article saying I had gone missing. Another article came out in the local paper about the young graduate gone missing.
My parents even travelled from New Jersey out to Ohio in search for me. They feared I had had a car accident and may have been injured and in need of help. They travelled the same route I had taken stopping at every roadside ditch in search for a sign of me or my brother´s car which I had been driving. My sister and brother-in-law called every police department and hospital along the route from Marietta to Columbus, Ohio desperately seeking for me. While I was finding Jesus, they were sleep deprived with worry asking God for my safe return. It was a horrible time for them.
I need to acknowledge here the pain my actions caused them. I am sorry I caused them so much pain. It was an intensely emotional time for me. I was in dire straits and was thinking more about myself than anyone else! It was a time of tough decisions. I had decided to stand up to the American Military and say no to war. The FBI was after me! Would I serve time in jail, or be forced to join the military? I felt like drowning man going down for the third time. I needed to save myself first before I could be of any use or help to others.
But God had answered my prayer and as I began to study His word the emotional turmoil I had been encountering began to surcease. I was lost in His love and it was wonderful! But it had not been wonderful for my friends and family. Maybe that is why we will need eternity in Heaven to work out all these heart aches we have caused one another through our lack of love. They do take time to mend and heal. We will be doing a lot of apologizing and forgiving and being forgiven. Jesus says, “I will wipe away all your tears,” so obviously there will be tears in Heaven as we acknowledge our wrong doing and try to make things right! I am sorry family for how I hurt you. Please find a way to forgive me.
Ellenville Christian Community College
By Dennis Edwards: Chapter 4 -
We rolled into Ellenville, New York after an all night journey through Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Ellenville, was a beautiful little town in the Catskill Mountains some 100 miles north of New York City! It was already autumn and the trees were beginning to change their colors. That first morning I remember meeting Don Slovenski from a Catholic-Polish family like my own. He had been President of the Catholic Young People's Association and had represented the Association in Washington, DC Christian Young People´s Convention. He picked up a conversation with me and we were soon immersed in an interesting Bible study of Daniel chapter two and End-time prophecy. He then showed me Matthew 24 about the signs Jesus gave concerning his return to Earth and the end of the world.
I had tried to read the Bible before, starting at Genesis, but had gotten bogged down soon afterwards in Leviticus or Deuteronomy. But reading with Dan, the Bible made so much sense. In the Bible, I was finding confirmations of the experiences I was going through and the conclusions I had been making as a person. The Bible was confirming my own thought out conclusions and showing me they were right. Jesus was indeed the truth I had been looking for. My search of many years into different religions and world views ended. I had found the answer, the way, the truth and the life, the Word of God, the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.
I was in no hurry to go back to Marietta, with the FBI on my trail, so I decided to stay at the Ellenville Community and enter its three month course called Biblical Evangelism & Ministry Training. The course comprised of Bible studies, lectures, scripture memorization and afterwards personal witnessing in Greenwich Village in the City. I was also required to be part of the work crew as there was no tuition, but obligatory work load. I was assigned the job as breakfast cook and also dish-washing overseer. That sounds simple enough. The only problem was there were around 200 people living at the Camp.
The Camp was actually a group of summer cottages and one main house which was used for meals and united meetings. The breakfast was not too complicated as I had worked as an assistant breakfast cook during my years at Marietta College. However, the dish-washing overseer was a greater challenge as I was still quite shy and found it difficult to correct others and enforce discipline. I was actually one of the older people at the camp and one of the few with a college education. My work crew was mainly rebellious 18-19 years old coming from the hippy scene who did not take kindly to schedules and overseers.
As a result many times I stayed up late until 2-3 am in the morning finishing up the dishes. The problem was I had to be up at 5:30 am to start breakfast. After a few weeks of this grueling schedule I was suffering from physical exhaustion from lack of sleep. Also, I was still holding unto my old vegetarian eating habits. But here, very little vegetarian proteins were available to eat as most of the food was donated by local businesses or fast food joints and consisted of sandwiches, donuts, pastas, and some local in-season fruits. I remember on various occasions fainting from exhaustion. I finally saw the necessity of eating what was set before me as Paul so wisely admonished.
Manny Pacquiao Is a "Bible Quoting Maniac."
Alex Murashko, The Christian Post, Jun. 04, 2012
Pastor Rick Warren was recently invited by world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao to interview him about his increasingly vocal faith in God. It was during that discussion last week that Warren learned Pacquiao was a “Bible-quoting maniac.”
A video of the taped interview was shown during worship services at Saddleback Church this past weekend. Warren introduced the video by saying Pacquiao was the “world’s greatest boxer. The only guy to win the world championship in eight different weight categories.”
“Manny started out as a young man in a very poor family of six and his mom couldn’t take care of him so she kicked him out at 14 and he lived on the streets of Manila. That’s where he learned to fight,” Warren told his congregation attending Saddleback’s main church campus in Lake Forest, Calif., and an online audience.
“He read Purpose Driven Life and came to Christ. He told me, ‘Rick, the first time I read through that book I cried through every chapter.’ And he said, ‘I’ve given it out to everybody who I know. Now, I’m a Christian, I make all my team … we all memorize Scripture together,’” he continued to say during the introduction of the video.
Warren said the short video segment of his long interview with Pacquiao that he was about to show was a discussion on the importance of “doing the Word, not just studying the Word.”
In the video, Warren is seen with Pacquiao—a Catholic—and the boxer’s wife, Jinkee.
Warren begins the interview by saying, “This guy’s a Bible-quoting maniac. He quoted probably 50 different verses to me in the time we were talking. How important is the Word of God to you?”
Pacquiao answers, “Believing and praying is not enough. In James 2, verses 19 and 20, it says, ‘If you believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without action is useless?’ In Luke 6:46 it is says, ‘Why do you call me Lord, Lord and you do not do what I say?’ It’s action again. It’s action again. In Matthew 7 verse 21 it says, ‘Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.’
“So, only the one who does … it’s all in action,” he added. “You have to do it. We believe in prayer … [but] we have to apply it in ourselves.”
A five-part series of video on an interview done by boxing promotion company Top Rank, “Pacquiao: A Spiritual Awakening,” includes the boxer talking about how he came to realize that he could not stop from sinning and that by immersing himself in the Bible, and giving himself fully to Jesus Christ, he was able to have a new focus.
Pacquiao’s pastor, also seen in some of the video, is also impressed with the boxer’s uncanny ability to memorize Scripture. The next day after one particular Bible study, he was able to quote four verses back to him, the pastor said.
Daily Might!
Too many Christians have been taught two conflicting doctrines: first, that they can't be saintly and perfect, and second, that they can't be saved unless they are. Both are the Devil's own doctrines! It's no wonder that a lot of Christians give up trying to be or do anything for the Lord!
Of course you can't do it! Of course you can't save yourself! Of course you can't live a perfect Christian life! Of course you can't be good or do anything good of yourself! Jesus Himself said, "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). But the wonderful truth of the matter is that you can do anything with Jesus' help. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). With His help you can do anything, go anywhere, and be anybody God wants you to be.
God doesn't want you to try or pretend to be something you're not and couldn't possibly be. However, He teaches in His Word that almost anybody can be almost anything if they have faith and it's according to His will. Anybody can be somebody or somebody can be anybody, because with God nothing is impossible and all things are possible to those who believe (Luke 1:37; Mark 9:23).
War - Boom - Bust! The Economic Cycle!
Articles from D. Berg and the Family International - www.deeptruths.com
WAR--BOOM--BUST ECONOMY
--By D. Brandt Berg -- Predicted in US, Summer 1970
WAR CALLS FOR AN INCREASE OF FACTORY OUTPUT (WEAPONS, ETC.). FACTORY INCREASE MEANS MORE WORKERS BEING HIRED AND PAID. This means more people have more money to buy products of all other industries (IDOLS). This increase in jobs and spending is a "BOOM," but this increase in money leads to inflation. INFLATION is when the value of the dollar drops (or the amount of things it can buy drops). It is the old law of "supply and demand." When something is scarce people value it more; when something is plentiful its value drops.
THE BOOM IS GOOD FOR THE POOR MAN AND WORKERS EXCEPT PENSIONERS AND THOSE WITH FIXED INCOMES, because even though the money is not as valuable, at least he has SOMETHING. The BOOM is when we have a time of plenty of money, and everyone has got some (even though its value is less)--because everyone is involved in jobs to produce weapons of war, and other jobs to provide idols that this increased working force will buy.
NOW THE BUSINESSMAN, OF COURSE, IS MAKING PROFITS from all this buying and selling. He makes BILLIONS of paper dollars, but these paper dollars have lost some of their value because of the great circulation of them. They are so plentiful people value them less, spend more and are willing to pay higher prices, so the dollars buy less. The loss in value comes from the fact that the sellers of commodities can ask higher prices for their things because they know that with all this money around, some sucker is going to buy their wares.--This is INFLATION: MORE MONEY FOR LESS PRODUCT. It is a seller's market!
THE OPPOSITE, DEFLATION, IS WHEN THE MONEY IS IN ONLY A FEW HANDS. This is when the sellers have to compete for the favour of the few buyers by dropping their prices to lure him to their place. This is a buyer's market. The money is actually more valuable in such a case because less of it buys the same.
THE MERCHANT WITH HIS BILLIONS OF PAPER DOLLARS FROM THE "BOOM" knows that each one of those dollars would be worth more if less people had money to spend. So he lowers the circulation of paper dollars by calling up the King, who in turns calls up the Captain of War and tells him to stop fighting. The Captain of War has no more use for rockets, planes, bombs, tanks, jeep, army clothes, boats, bullets, 3.2 beer and all the multitude of things necessary to fight a war.
THE MERCHANT STOP HIS ASSEMBLY LINES AND THE SLAVES ARE SENT HOME AND THE PAY-CHECKS STOP. The other industries that don't make war equipment soon stop making idols because the slaves of the war industries have no paychecks to buy their idols with. This starts a chain reaction that even goes as far as the manufactures of NECESSITIES (food, clothes, houses, etc.) who have to stop producing necessities because now the slaves of both WAR and IDOL factories have no paychecks!
SO EVERYONE IS BROKE AND STARVING, BUT THE MERCHANT IS HAPPY BECAUSE THE VALUE OF EACH ONE OF HIS PAPER DOLLARS IS INCREASING because they become so scarce and buy more at lower prices. People will give up their houses and cars just to get their hands on a little money. The money is now worth a lot more because of its scarcity. THIS IS A "BUST", recession, or depression. This eventually ends with most of the people selling their possessions for a little money and the Big Merchant ends up with everything (Gen.47:20). Of course, there is always the chance of a slaves' revolt at this point (Revolution).
SO THE MERCHANT TAKES A FEW STRAWS OFF THE CAMEL'S BACK by having the King open up some soup lines, and even a WPA scene (government work projects). Sometimes it is cheaper to keep the slaves in line by giving them a few crumbs, than it is to contain them with firepower (police, guards, etc.). A few soup lines are cheaper to maintain than an armed occupation force.
BUT THE QUICKEST WAY OUT OF A SEVERE DEPRESSION IS, OF COURSE, TO START ANOTHER "WAR". THIS COMPLETES THE CYCLE by opening the war factories which puts enough money (paychecks) on the streets for the idol factories and manufacturers of necessities to start producing and selling again. This is the method by which the poor members of the Beast must support the Whore! (Rev.17:7 and 18:23-24)!--"Come out of her!" (Rev.18:4)!
Big Business continues to produce war toys, well-lubricated with the blood of human sacrifices, as usual. But, the sacrifices are now coming from another nation to take the heat off back here. But they made a mistake: THEY FORGOT GOD! "Be not deceived, God is not mocked"--God knew about the child sacrifice game a LONG TIME AGO (Ezek.16:20-21,23:39).
THE ATROCIOUS EFFECTS OF THE DEATH TRIANGLE (WAR, BUSINESS, POLITICS) CANNOT BE STOPPED BY ORDINARY REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITY. THE POWER OF THE DEATH TRIANGLE IS OF SPIRITUAL ORIGIN (Rev.6:3-8; 16:13; 18:3,24), and it must be fought on the spiritual level (2Cor.10:4). The physical system is only a symptom of the real sickness, which is the spiritual underworld that RULES the physical world (Eph.6:12). If you REALLY wish to be among those who conquer and destroy these evils once and for all, join us as we employ the most powerful weapon in the Universe (Heb.4:12) to "destroy the works of the Devil" (1John 3:8) and "WAR A GOOD WARFARE" (1Tim.1:18)--"For the time is at hand!" (Rev.1:3)
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
WAR--BOOM--BUST ECONOMY
--By D. Brandt Berg -- Predicted in US, Summer 1970
WAR CALLS FOR AN INCREASE OF FACTORY OUTPUT (WEAPONS, ETC.). FACTORY INCREASE MEANS MORE WORKERS BEING HIRED AND PAID. This means more people have more money to buy products of all other industries (IDOLS). This increase in jobs and spending is a "BOOM," but this increase in money leads to inflation. INFLATION is when the value of the dollar drops (or the amount of things it can buy drops). It is the old law of "supply and demand." When something is scarce people value it more; when something is plentiful its value drops.
THE BOOM IS GOOD FOR THE POOR MAN AND WORKERS EXCEPT PENSIONERS AND THOSE WITH FIXED INCOMES, because even though the money is not as valuable, at least he has SOMETHING. The BOOM is when we have a time of plenty of money, and everyone has got some (even though its value is less)--because everyone is involved in jobs to produce weapons of war, and other jobs to provide idols that this increased working force will buy.
NOW THE BUSINESSMAN, OF COURSE, IS MAKING PROFITS from all this buying and selling. He makes BILLIONS of paper dollars, but these paper dollars have lost some of their value because of the great circulation of them. They are so plentiful people value them less, spend more and are willing to pay higher prices, so the dollars buy less. The loss in value comes from the fact that the sellers of commodities can ask higher prices for their things because they know that with all this money around, some sucker is going to buy their wares.--This is INFLATION: MORE MONEY FOR LESS PRODUCT. It is a seller's market!
THE OPPOSITE, DEFLATION, IS WHEN THE MONEY IS IN ONLY A FEW HANDS. This is when the sellers have to compete for the favour of the few buyers by dropping their prices to lure him to their place. This is a buyer's market. The money is actually more valuable in such a case because less of it buys the same.
THE MERCHANT WITH HIS BILLIONS OF PAPER DOLLARS FROM THE "BOOM" knows that each one of those dollars would be worth more if less people had money to spend. So he lowers the circulation of paper dollars by calling up the King, who in turns calls up the Captain of War and tells him to stop fighting. The Captain of War has no more use for rockets, planes, bombs, tanks, jeep, army clothes, boats, bullets, 3.2 beer and all the multitude of things necessary to fight a war.
THE MERCHANT STOP HIS ASSEMBLY LINES AND THE SLAVES ARE SENT HOME AND THE PAY-CHECKS STOP. The other industries that don't make war equipment soon stop making idols because the slaves of the war industries have no paychecks to buy their idols with. This starts a chain reaction that even goes as far as the manufactures of NECESSITIES (food, clothes, houses, etc.) who have to stop producing necessities because now the slaves of both WAR and IDOL factories have no paychecks!
SO EVERYONE IS BROKE AND STARVING, BUT THE MERCHANT IS HAPPY BECAUSE THE VALUE OF EACH ONE OF HIS PAPER DOLLARS IS INCREASING because they become so scarce and buy more at lower prices. People will give up their houses and cars just to get their hands on a little money. The money is now worth a lot more because of its scarcity. THIS IS A "BUST", recession, or depression. This eventually ends with most of the people selling their possessions for a little money and the Big Merchant ends up with everything (Gen.47:20). Of course, there is always the chance of a slaves' revolt at this point (Revolution).
SO THE MERCHANT TAKES A FEW STRAWS OFF THE CAMEL'S BACK by having the King open up some soup lines, and even a WPA scene (government work projects). Sometimes it is cheaper to keep the slaves in line by giving them a few crumbs, than it is to contain them with firepower (police, guards, etc.). A few soup lines are cheaper to maintain than an armed occupation force.
BUT THE QUICKEST WAY OUT OF A SEVERE DEPRESSION IS, OF COURSE, TO START ANOTHER "WAR". THIS COMPLETES THE CYCLE by opening the war factories which puts enough money (paychecks) on the streets for the idol factories and manufacturers of necessities to start producing and selling again. This is the method by which the poor members of the Beast must support the Whore! (Rev.17:7 and 18:23-24)!--"Come out of her!" (Rev.18:4)!
Big Business continues to produce war toys, well-lubricated with the blood of human sacrifices, as usual. But, the sacrifices are now coming from another nation to take the heat off back here. But they made a mistake: THEY FORGOT GOD! "Be not deceived, God is not mocked"--God knew about the child sacrifice game a LONG TIME AGO (Ezek.16:20-21,23:39).
THE ATROCIOUS EFFECTS OF THE DEATH TRIANGLE (WAR, BUSINESS, POLITICS) CANNOT BE STOPPED BY ORDINARY REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITY. THE POWER OF THE DEATH TRIANGLE IS OF SPIRITUAL ORIGIN (Rev.6:3-8; 16:13; 18:3,24), and it must be fought on the spiritual level (2Cor.10:4). The physical system is only a symptom of the real sickness, which is the spiritual underworld that RULES the physical world (Eph.6:12). If you REALLY wish to be among those who conquer and destroy these evils once and for all, join us as we employ the most powerful weapon in the Universe (Heb.4:12) to "destroy the works of the Devil" (1John 3:8) and "WAR A GOOD WARFARE" (1Tim.1:18)--"For the time is at hand!" (Rev.1:3)
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
Finding Joy- Anchor Devotional
By Jesus, speaking in prophecy
Download Audio (7.08MB)
Your joy, your happiness in Me, should be one of the constants in your life. Regardless of your circumstances, regardless of what is going on around you, joy in your heart, joy in your life, is one of the things I’ve promised you.1 It’s one of the fundamentals of knowing Me and being Mine. So when you are lacking that joy, that should be an automatic sign to you that something is off, that something isn’t right.
There are many things that the Enemy tries to use to steal your joy. But My joy is one of your rights as My bride. It’s one of the things you can count on, expect, and that you should claim in the spirit as part of your heritage, part of your reward.
And by “claim it,” I don’t mean running around trying to find joy, or trying to make yourself happy. I mean doing My will with joy and not letting anything crowd out My joy or take it from you. I mean praying for My joy to fill you, and then being on guard against the things that would steal My joy away from you. My joy is your strength, and I want you to have it in great abundance!2
What do I mean by “My joy”? There are many things that contribute to it or are a part of it:
* Peace in your heart is one of them—the stability that comes from knowing I’m in control.
* Expectancy is part of it—expecting that I will fulfill My promises, anticipating what I will do, looking for the signs of My miracle-working power and rejoicing when you see the fulfillment.
* Faith is part of it—faith in My Word, faith in My promises, faith in My love for you, faith in your calling as My disciple, faith in My ability to turn all things for your good because you love Me.
* Hope is part of it—remembering that no matter how bad things might get around you, you’re just a stranger and a pilgrim here, destined for a better place, and the more you have to endure on earth, the sweeter and more rewarding heaven will be when you get there!
* Trust in Me is a part of it—that rest and comfort and security you feel in My arms, when you know that I’m going to take care of you.
* Happiness is a part of it. Sometimes you naturally feel happier than at other times, and life isn’t always smooth or easy, to be sure. But the more you learn to look at things the way I do, the happier you will be!
* Love is a part of it—experiencing My love, noticing My love, feeling secure in My love, and giving My love to others. That is a great part of joy.
* Thankfulness is a part of it. Learning to be grateful for what I bring into your life, and praising Me no matter how hard it gets.
The Enemy tries so many things in an attempt to steal your joy: weariness with the spiritual battle; stress; trying to get you to take the problems on your own shoulders; trying to keep you from seeing the positive; trying to distort the way I want you to see things and instead getting you to let circumstances dictate your happiness.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can choose to retain My joy and not let go of it.
I want you to realize that My joy and peace in your heart should be constants in your life for Me. They should not be dictated by how things look or what is going on around you. There’s no reason for them to be! “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.”3
This is well worth focusing on. It’s well worth having the goal of being more joyful in Me. For in that change, you will find your strength multiplied; you will find your endurance multiplied; you will find your spiritual stamina and resistance fortified; and you will enjoy your life for Me so much more!
*
There’s a great difference between working hard and struggling hard, just as there is a difference between being tired, even exhausted, and being weary in spirit. I want you to cast off the burdens, the stress, the weariness and feelings of pressure that bring a lack of inspiration, a lack of vision, a sense of hopelessness and being overwhelmed. It’s time to rid yourself of the frame of mind that “this is what I have to endure to serve Jesus.”
You may have tests and battles, but if you have lost the joy of your salvation, then you have lost sight of Me; you have missed the point of living for Me. When you see your work as the most important thing, it drains you of your joy and zest for living, because while wholehearted work for Me has a purpose, when that work takes priority over Me, then it loses My blessing and becomes hollow, empty, and unsatisfying.
I want to restore to you the joy of your salvation. What is that joy? Can you remember the last time you felt it? Was it a joy at all the wonderful works and endless hours you were going to invest for Me? Was it the thrill of all the burdens and cares of life and striving to feed and care for your family that filled your heart and mind with a happiness that words couldn’t express?
Or was it a deep, abiding sense that you were somehow home? That you had found something more real than anything you’d ever known? Was it a sense of being loved so much that you didn’t care about anything else? That you just wanted to stay with Me forever?
Is it possible to get back to that deep, abiding joy? With all the cares of life pressing on you, can you have that peace that passes the understanding of your mind? Can you find that simplicity that allows you to look past the circumstances of the moment and praise Me with genuine joy? Yes, it is possible.
My joy isn’t contingent on others, or things, or position, or circumstances. You can have it when all is going well or when your worst fears are facing you.
Imagine every care and concern as something you can take and place outside the room, even if just for a moment. Let them all go and imagine yourself seeing Me for the first time. You don’t need to understand all the deep things of the spirit, or all the requirements of discipleship, or what I expect of you. You just know that all around you is complete, unconditional, total acceptance and love.
There’s nothing to prove, nothing to do, nothing to say. You don’t even think about what you are or how you look. There’s no sense of yourself at all. That is My love for you. That is the love that saved you, not because of anything of yourself. That is the joy of salvation.
You do need to work. You do need to face responsibility and tests. The cares of this life are still going to be there. But ultimately you are Mine. My acceptance of you is unconditional, and My love for you can override any fault, any failing, any mistake. My love seeks to lift the burdens you struggle with. My love longs to free you from the bondages you tie yourself to.
But I can only do that as you accept My help. I can’t wrestle you to the ground and insist that you stop and focus on the joy of your salvation. It has to come from your own heart, your own desire, and when you do, it brings the cares and pressures and stress of life back into focus. It restores simple trust and rejects the hurried spirit of the world.
Learning to refocus and regain My joy will help you to work hard, play hard, and enjoy life. There will be tough times, but those times don’t have to overwhelm your heart and mind. Because you only need to return to the understanding of My love for you, and everything else will fall into perspective.
Many are slaves to guilt and punishment, but that is not My way. I came to bring you truth that sets you free, and grace, which is the unconditional gift of God to all who will accept Me.
Originally published July 2006. Updated and republished June 2012.
Read by Amber Larriva. copyright@thefamilyinternational
1 Psalm 16:11; Psalm 144:15; John 15:10–11.
2 Nehemiah 8:10.
3 John 14:27.
Download Audio (7.08MB)
Your joy, your happiness in Me, should be one of the constants in your life. Regardless of your circumstances, regardless of what is going on around you, joy in your heart, joy in your life, is one of the things I’ve promised you.1 It’s one of the fundamentals of knowing Me and being Mine. So when you are lacking that joy, that should be an automatic sign to you that something is off, that something isn’t right.
There are many things that the Enemy tries to use to steal your joy. But My joy is one of your rights as My bride. It’s one of the things you can count on, expect, and that you should claim in the spirit as part of your heritage, part of your reward.
And by “claim it,” I don’t mean running around trying to find joy, or trying to make yourself happy. I mean doing My will with joy and not letting anything crowd out My joy or take it from you. I mean praying for My joy to fill you, and then being on guard against the things that would steal My joy away from you. My joy is your strength, and I want you to have it in great abundance!2
What do I mean by “My joy”? There are many things that contribute to it or are a part of it:
* Peace in your heart is one of them—the stability that comes from knowing I’m in control.
* Expectancy is part of it—expecting that I will fulfill My promises, anticipating what I will do, looking for the signs of My miracle-working power and rejoicing when you see the fulfillment.
* Faith is part of it—faith in My Word, faith in My promises, faith in My love for you, faith in your calling as My disciple, faith in My ability to turn all things for your good because you love Me.
* Hope is part of it—remembering that no matter how bad things might get around you, you’re just a stranger and a pilgrim here, destined for a better place, and the more you have to endure on earth, the sweeter and more rewarding heaven will be when you get there!
* Trust in Me is a part of it—that rest and comfort and security you feel in My arms, when you know that I’m going to take care of you.
* Happiness is a part of it. Sometimes you naturally feel happier than at other times, and life isn’t always smooth or easy, to be sure. But the more you learn to look at things the way I do, the happier you will be!
* Love is a part of it—experiencing My love, noticing My love, feeling secure in My love, and giving My love to others. That is a great part of joy.
* Thankfulness is a part of it. Learning to be grateful for what I bring into your life, and praising Me no matter how hard it gets.
The Enemy tries so many things in an attempt to steal your joy: weariness with the spiritual battle; stress; trying to get you to take the problems on your own shoulders; trying to keep you from seeing the positive; trying to distort the way I want you to see things and instead getting you to let circumstances dictate your happiness.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can choose to retain My joy and not let go of it.
I want you to realize that My joy and peace in your heart should be constants in your life for Me. They should not be dictated by how things look or what is going on around you. There’s no reason for them to be! “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.”3
This is well worth focusing on. It’s well worth having the goal of being more joyful in Me. For in that change, you will find your strength multiplied; you will find your endurance multiplied; you will find your spiritual stamina and resistance fortified; and you will enjoy your life for Me so much more!
*
There’s a great difference between working hard and struggling hard, just as there is a difference between being tired, even exhausted, and being weary in spirit. I want you to cast off the burdens, the stress, the weariness and feelings of pressure that bring a lack of inspiration, a lack of vision, a sense of hopelessness and being overwhelmed. It’s time to rid yourself of the frame of mind that “this is what I have to endure to serve Jesus.”
You may have tests and battles, but if you have lost the joy of your salvation, then you have lost sight of Me; you have missed the point of living for Me. When you see your work as the most important thing, it drains you of your joy and zest for living, because while wholehearted work for Me has a purpose, when that work takes priority over Me, then it loses My blessing and becomes hollow, empty, and unsatisfying.
I want to restore to you the joy of your salvation. What is that joy? Can you remember the last time you felt it? Was it a joy at all the wonderful works and endless hours you were going to invest for Me? Was it the thrill of all the burdens and cares of life and striving to feed and care for your family that filled your heart and mind with a happiness that words couldn’t express?
Or was it a deep, abiding sense that you were somehow home? That you had found something more real than anything you’d ever known? Was it a sense of being loved so much that you didn’t care about anything else? That you just wanted to stay with Me forever?
Is it possible to get back to that deep, abiding joy? With all the cares of life pressing on you, can you have that peace that passes the understanding of your mind? Can you find that simplicity that allows you to look past the circumstances of the moment and praise Me with genuine joy? Yes, it is possible.
My joy isn’t contingent on others, or things, or position, or circumstances. You can have it when all is going well or when your worst fears are facing you.
Imagine every care and concern as something you can take and place outside the room, even if just for a moment. Let them all go and imagine yourself seeing Me for the first time. You don’t need to understand all the deep things of the spirit, or all the requirements of discipleship, or what I expect of you. You just know that all around you is complete, unconditional, total acceptance and love.
There’s nothing to prove, nothing to do, nothing to say. You don’t even think about what you are or how you look. There’s no sense of yourself at all. That is My love for you. That is the love that saved you, not because of anything of yourself. That is the joy of salvation.
You do need to work. You do need to face responsibility and tests. The cares of this life are still going to be there. But ultimately you are Mine. My acceptance of you is unconditional, and My love for you can override any fault, any failing, any mistake. My love seeks to lift the burdens you struggle with. My love longs to free you from the bondages you tie yourself to.
But I can only do that as you accept My help. I can’t wrestle you to the ground and insist that you stop and focus on the joy of your salvation. It has to come from your own heart, your own desire, and when you do, it brings the cares and pressures and stress of life back into focus. It restores simple trust and rejects the hurried spirit of the world.
Learning to refocus and regain My joy will help you to work hard, play hard, and enjoy life. There will be tough times, but those times don’t have to overwhelm your heart and mind. Because you only need to return to the understanding of My love for you, and everything else will fall into perspective.
Many are slaves to guilt and punishment, but that is not My way. I came to bring you truth that sets you free, and grace, which is the unconditional gift of God to all who will accept Me.
Originally published July 2006. Updated and republished June 2012.
Read by Amber Larriva. copyright@thefamilyinternational
1 Psalm 16:11; Psalm 144:15; John 15:10–11.
2 Nehemiah 8:10.
3 John 14:27.
Are Science and Christianity Compatible?
Atheist Richard Dawkins from Oxford and leading geneticist Francis Collins debated the subject of God versus Science in a Time magazine feature article.[1] At issue was whether belief in Science and God are compatible.
Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, argues that belief in God has been made irrelevant by new scientific discoveries. Collins, a Christian who led 2400 scientists in mapping the human genetic blueprint, sees it differently, stating that belief in both God and science is totally reasonable.
Although the Bible clearly states that God created the universe, it reveals nothing about how He did it. Yet its message that God is rational and personal profoundly influenced scientists such as Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Pascal and Faraday. Their belief that the world was created by a reasonable God gave them confidence in scientific observation and experimentation.
As Christians, these scientists believed in an all powerful, all knowing Creator who, although not limited by natural laws, chose to use them in the universe. These brilliant men and women were fascinated with the world around us, and sought to discover the mysteries behind what they deemed as God’s creation
Jesus and Creation
The eyewitnesses to Jesus tell us that he continually demonstrated creative power over nature’s laws. The New Testament tells us that before Jesus became a man, he eternally existed with his Father in heaven. In fact, the author of Hebrews as well as the apostles John and Paul write of Jesus as Creator. Paul tells the Colossians:
“Now Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God. He existed before creation began, for it was through him that everything was made, whether spiritual or material, seen or unseen….In fact, every single thing was created through and for him….Life from nothing began through him, and life from the dead began through him, and he is therefore justly called the Lord of all.” Colossians 1:15-17
J.B. Phillips
When Paul said that “life from nothing began through him [Jesus],” he was making a statement that had no scientific backing at the time. In fact, scientists were of the opinion that matter had always existed in one form or another.
Materialists reasoned that if matter has always existed, then there never had been a creation. This led atheist Carl Sagan to declare on international TV that “the cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.”[2]
Sagan’s materialistic worldview and the Christian worldview can’t both be right. The question is, “does science shed any light on our origins”? So, who are we to believe? That was the question facing seventeen year-old Jeff Smith.
Jeff was confused. At a camp he heard that Jesus Christ offers forgiveness of sins and eternal life. More than that, he discovered that Jesus designed us to have a life of meaning, purpose, and hope. For the first time in his life Jeff felt like he understood why he was here on earth. He wanted forgiveness of sins, and he wanted his life to have meaning and purpose.
But Jeff struggled intellectually. He wanted to believe Jesus is real, but he loved science. He wondered, “Is it possible to believe in both creation and science?”
For Jeff and others who want to believe in both God and science, there is good news. In the past few decades, an increasing number of leading scientists have publicly spoken of stunning new evidence that supports the biblical view of creation. And many of these scientists have no personal faith in God.
So, what is this evidence that has many scientists suddenly speaking of a Creator? To answer those questions we need to look at recent discoveries in astronomy and molecular biology, letting the evidence speak for itself. [For a more in-depth study, read the articles at www.y-Origins.com.]
One Time Beginning
Throughout human history man has gazed in awe at the stars, wondering what they are and how they got there. Although on a clear night we only see about 6,000 stars, trillions of them are spread out among billions of galaxies.
However, prior to the 20th century, most scientists believed our Milky Way galaxy was the entire universe, and that only about 100 million stars existed. The prevailing view even then was that our material universe had always existed.
But in the early 20th century, astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered the universe actually had a beginning. A beginning implies a “Beginner,” which the Bible had firmly revealed. Concerned materialists like Sir Fred Hoyle scoffed at the idea of a one-time beginning, sarcastically calling the explosion a “big bang.”
However, the evidence for a beginning kept mounting. Finally, in 1992, COBE satellite experiments proved that the universe really did have a one-time beginning.[3] Doubters were silenced by the overwhelming evidence. For lack of a better name, this beginning became known by Hoyle’s label of “the big bang.” (see “Back to the Beginning“)
Many scientists realized that this discovery coincided with the Genesis account of a beginning. Furthermore, they realized that prior to creation even matter and energy could not have existed. Therefore, after centuries of erroneous belief, science came around to agree with the Bible that everything came from nothing.
Some scientists had a major problem with this confirmation of the Bible, and sought other explanations. However, others like agnostic George Smoot, the Nobel Prize winning scientist in charge of the COBE experiment admits:
“There is no doubt that a parallel exists between the big bang as an event and the Christian notion of creation from nothing.”[4]
The COBE experiments and Einstein’s theorems both confirm a one time creation of the universe, a position the Bible has maintained for 3500 years.
Finely-Tuned for Life
It was difficult enough for materialists to accept the evidence for a one-time creation event. But more startling discoveries about our universe were to follow.
Scientists calculated that for life to exist, each of nature’s laws had to be precisely fine-tuned. In other words, gravity and the other forces of nature had to measure within very narrow parameters or our universe couldn’t exist. Had the force that led to creation been weaker, gravity would have pulled all matter back into a “big crunch.” Had it been stronger, stars and galaxies couldn’t have formed.
Likewise, our solar system and planet also need to be just right for life to exist. For example, we all realize that without an atmosphere of oxygen, none of us would be able to breathe. And without oxygen, water couldn’t exist. Without water there would be no rainfall for our crops. Other elements such as hydrogen, nitrogen, sodium, carbon, calcium, and phosphorus are also essential for life.
The size and nature of our planet, sun, and moon also need to be just right. And there are dozens of other conditions that needed to be exquisitely fine-tuned or we wouldn’t be here to think about it.[5]
Those scientists who believed in God may have expected such fine-tuning, but those who had no faith were unable to explain the remarkable “coincidences.” Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, an agnostic, writes:
“The remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life.”[6]
Scientists evaluated the probability of whether such remarkable fine-tuning could have been accidental. Odds-makers know that even long-shots can eventually win at the racetrack. So, just how long are the odds against life existing by chance? According to most scientists, the odds of us being here by chance is impossible.
Cosmologists compared the odds against life occurring by accident with those of shooting an arrow from Earth at a small target on the planet Pluto and hitting the bullseye. Imagine the engineering required if such a feat were even possible. Such odds would be comparable with winning over a hundred Powerball lotteries after purchasing only one ticket for each. Impossible—unless the outcome was fixed by someone behind the scenes. And that is what many scientists are concluding—Someone behind the scenes designed and created the universe.
These incredible odds are far beyond anything mere chance and time could accomplish. This new understanding of our universe led scientists like astronomer George Greenstein to ask:
“Is it possible that suddenly, without intending to, we have stumbled upon the scientific proof of the existence of a Supreme Being?”[7]
Some materialists have tried to explain away the fine-tuning of the universe as luck. However, others have been more open to realism. Sir Fred Hoyle, a committed agnostic, was stunned by the evidence for a Creator, remarking:
“A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superintellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature.”[8]
Einstein came to the same conclusion. Although he wasn’t religious, and didn’t believe in a personal God, Einstein pondered the genius behind the universe, calling it “an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.”[9]
Scientists continue their quest for an explanation as to what was behind the creation of the universe. But the deeper they dig, the more in awe they are of the unexplainable origin of our universe and its remarkable fine-tuning.
DNA: The Language of Life
Although the Bible tells us that Jesus created all life, it says nothing about how He did it. However, some of the mysteries of creation are now being discovered.
For example, in the past half century, scientists have learned that a tiny molecule called DNA is the “brains” behind each cell in our bodies and every other living thing. Yet the more they discover about DNA, the more amazed they are at the brilliance behind it.
Although evolutionists believe that DNA evolved through natural selection, they have no idea how such an intricately complex molecule could ever have begun by mere chance. DNA’s intricate complexity caused its co-discoverer, Francis Crick, to believe that it could never have originated on earth naturally. Crick, an evolutionist who believed life is so complex it must have come from outer space, wrote,:
“An honest man, armed with all the knowledge available to us now, could only state that in some sense, the origin of life appears at the moment to almost be a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have had to have been satisfied to get it going.”[10]
The coding behind DNA reveals such intelligence that it staggers the imagination. A mere pinhead of it contains information equivalent to a stack of paperback books that would encircle the earth 5,000 times. And DNA operates like a language with its own extremely complex software code. Microsoft founder Bill Gates says that the software of DNA is “far, far more complex than any software we have ever developed.”[11]
Materialists believe that all this complexity originated through natural selection. Yet, as Crick remarked, natural selection could never have produced the first molecule. Since no scientific process, including natural selection, can explain DNA’s origin, many scientists believe that it must have been designed.
It is understandable for Christians to see DNA as evidence for a Creator. But for a renowned atheist to change positions after 50 years of lecturing and debating against God would be an event of seismic implications, especially to materialists.
Yet, that is exactly what happened with Professor of Philosophy, Antony Flew. After proclaiming atheism in university classrooms, books, and lectures for fifty years, Flew’s atheism came to an abrupt end when he learned of the intelligence behind DNA. Flew explains why he is no longer an atheist:
“What I think the DNA material has done is to show that intelligence must have been involved in getting these extraordinarily diverse elements together. The enormous complexity by which the results were achieved look to me like the work of intelligence….It now seems to me that the finding of more than fifty years of DNA research have provided materials for a new and enormously powerful argument to design.”[12]
Although Flew is not a Christian, he now admits that the “software” behind DNA is too complex to have originated without a “designer.” And Flew is certainly not alone. The discovery of the incredible intelligence behind DNA has convinced many former agnostics and atheists that life in our universe is not an accident.
Fingerprints of a Designer
In summary, three recent scientific discoveries have convinced many scientists that an intelligent Designer both planned and created our universe:
The beginning of the universe and its laws
The remarkable fine-tuning of nature’s laws making life possible
The intricate complexity of DNA
So what are leading scientists saying about these remarkable discoveries? Stephen Hawking, recognized as one of the world’s leading theoretical physicists, asks,
What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe? The usual approach of science of constructing a mathematical model cannot answer the questions of why there should be a universe for the model to describe.[13]
Upon deeper reflection, Hawking states, “There must be religious overtones. But I think most scientists prefer to shy away from the religious side of it.”[14] And even though many scientists do shy away from the religious implications of these new discoveries, an increasing number are now admitting that a Designer’s fingerprints are coming into view. (See what leading scientists are saying: http://www.y-origins.com/index.php?p=quotes)
The fact that many scientists are now openly speaking of God doesn’t mean that all materialists like Flew are relinquishing their atheistic views. In fact, many like Richard Dawkins are becoming even more aggressive against faith in God. Yet, when one looks objectively at the evidence regarding the origin of the universe and the intricate complexity of DNA, even many non-Christian scientists admit that the evidence of a Designer’s “fingerprints” are coming into focus.
Dr. Robert Jastrow is one such scientist. Jastrow is a theoretical physicist who joined NASA when it was formed in 1958. Jastrow helped establish the scientific goals for the exploration of the moon during the Apollo lunar landings. He set up and directed NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, which conducts research in astronomy and planetary science. Jastrow, an agnostic, wrote these thoughts, reflecting the view of many scientists:
“For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”[15]
As an agnostic, Jastrow has no Christian agenda behind his conclusions. He simply notes that the biblical view of a one-time beginning of the universe has finally been confirmed by science. And this “beginning” was not some happenstance explosion, but rather a precisely engineered event that made human life possible. This conclusion perfectly coincides with the biblical statement, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
If the Bible is right, and God does exist, how can we know what He is like? Has He communicated to us personally? The eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ tell us that he claimed to fully represent the one true God. And although many others have claimed they speak for God, Jesus’ followers tell us that he backed up his claim.
But did Jesus provide proof that he spoke for God? He reportedly performed miraculous deeds that required creative power. However, the most dramatic miracle of all was his resurrection from the dead. No other person in history had ever died, been buried for three days, and then returned to life. If true, Jesus Christ would have provided ample evidence that his words were truly the words of God.
Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead?
The apostle Paul tells us that life from the dead began through Jesus Christ. The eyewitnesses to Jesus Christ actually spoke and acted like they believed he physically rose from the dead after his crucifixion. If they were wrong then Christianity has been founded upon a lie. But if they were right, such a miracle would substantiate all Jesus said about God, himself, and us.
But must we take the resurrection of Jesus Christ by faith alone, or is there solid historical evidence? Several skeptics began investigations into the historical record to prove the resurrection account false.
What did they discover?
Is There A Purpose To Life?
The evidence for a Creator leads us to the question of what His purpose is for us. Why did He create us? The New Testament answer is that God wants to have a personal relationship with us, and that relationship is through Jesus Christ. The Creator of the universe became a man to show us what God was like, and to make it possible for us to be His children. To learn what Jesus says about our purpose on earth, see “Is Jesus Relevant Today?”Click here to let us know how this article has helped you.
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© 2012 JesusOnline Ministries. This article is a supplement to Y-Jesus magazine by Bright Media Foundation & B&L Publications: Larry Chapman, Chief Editor.
