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the interest on the loan

2/28/2017

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​The Interest on the Loan
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.  (Psa 127:3-5) Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.  (Eze 18:4)

“God says here that all souls belong to Him. If the sins of the fathers come upon the children, it is because the children have followed the wickedness of their fathers. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin. We read in Deu_24:16, "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.""The soul that sinneth, it shall die"—God will judge each individual. (McGee)

Children are the jewels of Heaven given to fathers and mothers to raise for the One who gave them. Though we feel like they are ours, they are not truly ours. Sometimes at the grave side a mother may ask God “why did you take my baby?” I’ve known a few mothers who were so angry at God that they carried it inside them for many years. They lash out at people over the slightest provocation because they are an angry person; angry at God.

When I found my first wife, Shirley, dead at age 49, I knew I had 30 seconds to give it up. I did not own her. God had the first claim. I had seen people destroy themselves and people around them from their root of bitterness toward God. Holding a grudge against God is expensive. When death takes a loved one, it rips and tears the soul. It changes the chemistry and hormones in the body of the one grieving. It goes on for months and takes a severe toll. It’s the paying of interest on the loan.
 
When a young person is killed, the funeral home is quiet and talk among the visitors is low and hushed. People share the feeling that something is amiss. “This is not natural.” When an old person dies, the funeral home is noisy as people gather to visit and catch up on the news. It is not unusual for laughter to break out because the visitors are disconnected from the one departed.


I’ve mentioned this before: the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D. C. has a rounded top like half a ball resting on the walls. It signifies that Jefferson lived to a full age. In contrast, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington has a flat roof, indicating that Lincoln’s life was cut off.

We are reluctant to look at the end of life as we know it. We have enjoyed the company and fellowship of those who have reached the end of their earthly journey. And now, there is a price to pay in grieving and sorrow and before long, loneliness. One of the great mysteries of life is how we gather around those who are sorrowing and try to comfort them. Paul said, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  (1Th 4:13)

God has loaned us our family members and friends and when they are gone, we must pay the interest on the loan. God gave us feelings to laugh and weep.  Friends in North Carolina told us about a Blue Jay that died in their yard. Soon, other Blue Jays began to gather around. At one point, they began to mourn and wail over the dead bird in their midst. And then, they all flew away.
 
When I was about sixteen, I heard a reading on the radio about an incident that occurred in Savanah, Georgia. I’ve inserted it here. You will recognize today’s title in the reading. Some may remember it. I think maybe Hank Williams and some other country singers included it in their repertoire
 
THE FUNERAL Written by Fred Rose
I was walking in Savannah past a church, decayed and dim 
When slowly through the window came a plaintive funeral hymn 
And my sympathy awakened and a wonder quickly grew 
'Til I found myself envired in a little colored pew.

Out front a colored couple sat in sorrow, nearly wild 
On the altar was a casket and in the casket was a child 
I could picture him while livin', curly hair, protuding lips 
I'd seen perhaps a thousand in my hurried southern trips.

Rose a sad, old colored preacher from his little wooden desk 
With a manner sorta awkward, and countenance grotesque 
The simplicity and shrewdness in his Eithopian face 
Showed the wisdom and ignorance of a crushed, undying race.

And he said, "Now don't be weepin' for this pretty bit of clay 
For the little boy who lived there has done gone and run away 
He was doin' very finely and he appreciates your love 
But his shore 'nuff Father wanted him in the big house up above.

The Lord didn't give you that baby, by no hundred thousand miles 
He just thought you need some sunshine, and He lent it for awhile 
And He let you keep and love it 'til your hearts were bigger grown 
And these silver tears you're sheddin' now is just interest on the loan.

Just think, my poor dear mourners, creepin' 'long on sorrows life's way 
What a blessed picnic this here baby got today 
Your good fathers and good mothers crowd the little fellow 'round 
In the Angel's tender garden of the big plantation ground.

And his eyes they brightly sparkle at the pretty things he viewed 
But a tear came, and he whispered, 'I want my parents , too' 
But then the Angel's chief musicians teach that little boy a song 
Says if only they be faithful they'll soon be comin' 'long.

So, my poor detached mourners, let your hearts with Jesus rest 
And don't go to criticizin' the One what knows the best 
He has give us many comforts, He's got the right to take away 
To the Lord be praised in glory, forever, let us pray." Ω
                            
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

MARCH 1, 2017 – WEDNESDAY         
A.M.  Numbers 26-27   P.M.  Mark 8:22-38
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH:
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight. O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. 


SONG FOR TODAY:
Male Quartet: Steal Away Home (Calvary Mem.So.Pines,NC)
Click Here…

HEALTH TIP: Tablets and Capsules – Tablets are the oldest and most reliable way of packaging small amounts of medicine and herbs for swallowing. Capsules are the new kid on the block. They are usually made of gelatin derived from animals. Some people are allergic to capsules. But, capsules are easy to swallow and if one gets hung up in the throat, it will dissolve in a few minutes. A tablet may or may not dissolve in a few minutes. Mineral tablets are like horse pills and hard to swallow.

I read a story many years ago by a man who was in charge of washing out port-a-toilets. What amazed him was the number of vitamin tablets there were in the units he was cleaning. They were going through the people and not dissolving. We still take a few things by tablet, like blood pressure and thyroid medicine, but they’re soft and dissolve quickly. We get all our vitamins and minerals in powder form, in capsules. I keep a kit for filling capsules and a supply of capsules on hand. They’re useful for several kinds of powders and herbs, if needed. We use Ibuprophen in tablet form. Some things come in gel form and absorb well but cost more. Ω

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
                  

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steal away

2/27/2017

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Steal Away…
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.   For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:  Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.  (Php 1:21-24)

I don’t know if you have a good grip on this truth, that you are not permanent…here.  You are permanent but not here. You will never cease to be alive throughout eternity. But here, on this launching pad we were never meant to be for long. I realize I’m a party pooper but we need to live every day with eternity in view. God made us with an innate determination to get the next breath and to preserve our lives on earth if possible. Self-preservation is built into God’s creatures. You can’t step on a house fly on the floor. It’s hard to smack a mosquito to his death. It’s hard to catch a lizard. Everything is geared toward prolonging earthly life. Where does everything go to school to learn that?
 
Job, the writer of the oldest book in the Bible, said: Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.  (Job 14:1-2)  These are the words of a seasoned, older man. A young man would not be saying these things.

As we consider Paul’s words: “to die is gain,” he was not an old man but he was an experienced man. He had seen the best and worst of the Jewish system of religion. He had seen the best and worst of the Roman Empire. He condenses his earthly life:

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.   Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.  (2Co 11:24-28)

We now see how Paul might have thought Heaven was better than what he had experienced. We do not want to discourage young people who are full of zeal and hope of thrills with few chills and spills. They do not need someone to tell them things may get bad or sad. They will learn that soon enough. What is needed now is to turn all eyes heavenward and learn how to hope in God. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.  (Psa 42:11)

There comes a day when smart and seasoned Christians can sing joyfully: “My home is up yonder, where I’m going. Savior, gently take me home”. Recently, at church, a lady shared with us how her daddy, when he lay dying, was able to see the flowers and smell them. Such beautiful flowers that smelled so sweet and wonderful. There are thousands of stories told to the family gathered around a saint at home-going time. Many stories! They could see Jesus and family members who were there to greet them.
 
Thank God for the good times on earth when you have been blessed. But, dear friend, please realize that it’s not all here in this place. It is said so well in the song: “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door and I can’t feel at home in the world anymore.”  I hope you like the song: Steal Away, by the male quartet at Calvary Memorial Church in Southern Pines, NC. Ω
 
                               READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
FEBRUARY 28, 2017 – TUESDAY   (Double reading for today. Covering a 29th day.)      
A.M.  Numbers 21-25   P.M.  Mark 7:14-8:21
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  As they were increased, so they sinned against me:
therefore will I change their glory into shame.  (Hos 4:6-7)

SONG FOR TODAY:
Male Quartet: Steal Away Home (Calvary Mem.So.Pines,NC)
                                                                Click Here…

HEALTH TIP: 
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) – Famous for sneezes and sniffles but underused. (There’s no way to shorten this to two paragraphs.) We take a 1,000-mg capsule of Vitamin C every morning, along with our other whatever. That’s a base minimum. Dogs and other animals produce Vitamin C. We humans don’t. Vitamin makers make and package man-made single-name vitamins. But, God rarely makes a single vitamin by itself. It always comes with one or more 1st cousins. For example, the Vitamin C in oranges comes with bio-flavonoids and this makes it more powerful than plain Ascorbic Acid. Natural Vitamin C can be reduced or destroyed with heat. Ascorbic Acid can be boiled and it’s still Ascorbic Acid.  

For 40 years, I’ve kept a container of Vitamin C on hand, waiting for Flu season. If sneezing or raspy throat comes on, I start upping the C to 2,000 mg (two capsules) on the hour with an 8oz glass of water. When a virus attack is in full swing, the body will deplete its store of Vitamin C in a hurry until there is none left in the body. Instead of taking something for a runny nose, just lob in the C. Within an hour, you will notice that the runny nose stops running. 

If the 2,000 mg per hour is continued for 3-4 hours, it will begin to produce gas. When it reaches what is called: “bowel tolerance” (loosening of ΩVitamin C will not cure the common cold but it may lessen its severity and length. For me, it does so regularly. It’s more effective if you get on top of it at the first sign of viral infection. If you wait until you can hardly walk, you won’t be helped as well. It is an acid: Ascorbic Acid.

There is a bulk powder in a canister commonly sold that is not acid, but alkaline. You can take a lot more of that without so much bowel disturbance. I don’t know which is most effective. If I need more C, I dig into the alkaline C powder and stir it in juice or water. Each body is different in how much is needed and how effective C may be. I experiment a bit to see how much I need and how bad the infection is.

Beyond the highest dose by mouth is the practice of a few doctors of injecting Vitamin C into the blood stream. Some have given as much as 50,000 mg to flood the body. That is strictly a doctor’s decision and not for laymen to consider. Most doctors will not do that because they have no training in it and do not want the liability. Some really bad stuff has been pushed back with the high doses of C as an IV.

During the days of sailing vessels for commerce and war, the sailors got scurvy, lost their teeth, and bled to death because their blood vessels would break down and let them hemorrhage to death. British sailors are called “Limeys” because they found out that a few barrels of limes on board would prevent the dreaded scurvy.  Vitamin C is essential to keep strong blood vessels. Old people are famous for collapsed blood vessels so that the nurse can’t find an artery to inject a needle. Some of it is from a deficiency of Vitamin C. You can read further by asking Dr. Google. Ω
 
 
 

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It is well with my soul

2/23/2017

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       It Is Well With my Soul
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.  (Psa 42
     Story behind the hymn: It is Well with My Soul.

“Horatio G. Spafford was a successful lawyer and businessman in Chicago with a lovely family — a wife, Anna, and five children. However, they were not strangers to tears and tragedy. Their young son died with pneumonia in 1871, and in that same year, much of their business was lost in the great Chicago fire. Yet, God in His mercy and kindness allowed the business to flourish once more.

On Nov. 21, 1873, the French ocean liner, Ville du Havre was crossing the Atlantic from the U.S. to Europe with 313 passengers on board. Among the passengers were Mrs. Spafford and their four daughters. Although Mr. Spafford had planned to go with his family, he found it necessary to stay in Chicago to help solve an unexpected business problem. He told his wife he would join her and their children in Europe a few days later. His plan was to take another ship.

About four days into the crossing of the Atlantic, the Ville du Harve collided with a powerful, iron-hulled Scottish ship, the Loch Earn. Suddenly, all of those on board were in grave danger. Anna hurriedly brought her four children to the deck. She knelt there with Annie, Margaret Lee, Bessie and Tanetta and prayed that God would spare them if that could be His will, or to make them willing to endure whatever awaited them. Within approximately 12 minutes, the Ville du Harve slipped beneath the dark waters of the Atlantic, carrying with it 226 of the passengers including the four Spafford children.

​“A sailor, rowing a small boat over the spot where the ship went down, spotted a woman floating on a piece of the wreckage. It was Anna, still alive. He pulled her into the boat and they were picked up by another large vessel which, nine days later, landed them in Cardiff, Wales. From there she wired her husband a message which began, “Saved alone, what shall I do?” Mr. Spafford later framed the telegram and placed it in his office.

“Another of the ship’s survivors, Pastor Weiss, later recalled Anna saying, “God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why.”  (This hymn-story was researched and written by Lindsay Terry, Ph.D. – a college roommate)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

FEBRUARY 24, 2017 – FRIDAY         
A.M.  Numbers 11-13   P.M.  Mark 5:21-43
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH: 
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  As they were increased, so they sinned against me:
therefore will I change their glory into shame.  (Hos 4:6-7)

SONG FOR TODAY: 
Choir and Orchestra (5:40) It is Well with My Soul (FBC Dallas)
Click Here… 
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HEALTH TIP: 
Acid Reflux Medicines: Special Alert from People’s Pharmacy – “Millions of people take prescription-strength acid-suppressing medications daily. Millions more take over-the-counter versions. A new study suggests that such PPI heartburn drugs may trigger serious kidney disease without a lot of advance warning. When kidneys fail, the situation can rapidly become life threatening. What Drugs Are Under Scrutiny: PPIs, or proton pump inhibitors, are sold under […] > Read Article  

NOTE: Today is my first time to hear this. It has caught me in the crosshairs! I’ve been taking OMEPRAZOLE for over a year to suppress stomach acid. BIG MISTAKE! The valve above the stomach fails to close and stomach acid goes up into the esophagus where there is no protection against acid. Millions of Americans have this problem. (Dan Carr)

 
 
 
 

 


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take time to be holy - part 2

2/22/2017

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Take Time to be Holy – Part 2
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (Lifestyle);  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.  (1Pe 1:15-16)

Please note the words: “it is written.” The New Testament rests firmly upon the Old Testament. Some things in the Old were removed from the New, but many things are carried into the New Testament and are just as valid as they were in the Old Testament. We get the institution of marriage from the Old Testament, and some commands of conduct. Being holy as a product of connecting with God is as important in the New Testament as it was in the Old Testament. The big problem the Jewish people had with the Old Testament was obeying God from the heart. Isaiah said:
 
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:  (Isa 29:13)

Jesus quoted Isaiah: This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with
their lips; but their heart is far from me.  (Mat 15:8)

Our generation is more taken up with status symbols and being smart and entertained than with knowing about God. Francis Schaeffer said that America’s gods are “peace and affluence.” That is, we want to be big shots and we don’t want to rub anyone the wrong way. If they think up is down and east is west, let them have at it. We must not have a settled word on anything that matters much. 

Of course, Isaiah had a version of that going on in his day: Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!  (Isa 5:20-21)

Albert Barnes, (1798-1870) was a Presbyterian pastor in N.J. and then at the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, PA just two years short of his death. He lived five years beyond the end of the Civil War. He was an eloquent preacher but was better known for his printed expository notes that circulated in America and England. Barnes was gifted with an ability to simplify the explanations of Scripture.  I give this as a background to the following commentary about “Being Holy in the New Testament.” When he spoke of “religion” he meant Bible Christianity. That’s what it was called in those days.

“Because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy - Lev_11:44. This command was addressed at first to the Israelites, but it is with equal propriety addressed to Christians, as the professed people of God. The foundation of the command is, that they professed to be his people, and that as his people they ought to be like their God. Compare Mic_4:5.

“It is a great truth; that people everywhere will imitate the God whom they worship. They will form their character in accordance with his. They will regard what he does as right. They will attempt to rise no higher in virtue than the God whom they adore, and they will practice freely what he is supposed to do or approve.

“Hence, by knowing what are the characteristics of the gods which are worshipped by any people, we may form a correct estimate of the character of the people themselves; and, hence, as the God who is the object of the Christian’s worship is perfectly holy, the character of His worshipers should also be holy.

“And hence, also, we may see that the tendency of true religion is to make people pure. As the worship of the impure gods of the pagan moulds the character of the worshippers into their image, so the worship of Yahweh moulds the character of His professed friends into His image, and they become like him.” (Barnes)

A fitting question is, “Can people tell who our God is by the way we live and talk and model our faith as we live in a pagan society?” If we are going to obey the Lord in living a holy life, we are going to have to take time to read and study His word and obey everything He shows us. The Holy Spirit is still working today but one of our problems is grieving the Holy Spirit and resisting the Holy Spirit. It should not be that way. We must turn to God with all our hearts in this wicked day we are living in. Ω
 
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
FEBRUARY 23, 2017 – THURSDAY         
A.M.  Numbers 8-10   P.M.  Mark 5:1-20
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.  (Hos 4:6-7)

SONG FOR TODAY:
     Click Here…
Acapella Men’s Chorus (3:54) Holy, Holy, Holy (Harvest Church)
 (Wait several seconds. You may have to delete an ad.)

Health Tip:
Our Eyes. I was told by two eye doctors that the number one thing to do in caring for our eyes is to do an eye scrub every day. Wet a clean bath cloth and squeeze onto the cloth 3-4 drops of Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. Fold the cloth and spread the shampoo by working between fingers and thumb.

Open the cloth and apply the cloth to closed eyelids, left to right, in contact with the eye lashes. Use an un-soaped part of the wet cloth over eyes to rinse off the soap. Hold cloth under warm water again to rinse soap from cloth. Apply cloth again to further rinse soap from eyes. Rinse cloth and wring out. Apply to eyes to remove most of the water from the closed eyes. Morning and evening if needed.


Get enough sleep to allow your eyes to rest. Strength and health come before beauty. Watch your eyes for reaction to eye makeup or soap. Johnson’s Baby Shampoo is the best eye soap. The scrub will remove lubricating oil from your eyes. Use a good eye drop to lubricate your eyes after scrubbing them. Keeping the eyes lubricated during the day is a marvelous feature of God’s creative design.

Blinking the eye re-lubricates the eye. The lubricant is fed through ducts built into the eye lids. If the ducts clog up, no lubricant can get to the eye. Also, a clogged duct can harbor infection. I had to have surgery on a tear duct to allow it to drain. Not fun. Scrub your eyes for comfort and insurance against eye injury.

​Use sun glasses with a good rating to avoid glare and burning of the eyes. Sun glare contributes to the formation of cataracts. My eye surgeon told me to eat a lot of greens to guard against macular degeneration. There is now a dark red pill (Areds 2) that contains some of the ingredients in greens. If you’re driving nails, mowing, weed-eating, sanding, etc., use protective goggles. Ω
 
 
 
 
 
 

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take time to be holy

2/21/2017

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Take Time to Be Holy…
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (lifestyle);  (1Pe 1:15)    But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.  Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;  (1Pe 2:9-11)

I’m as close to God as I want to be. If I wanted to be closer to God than I am, I would take the time to do it. Here is a verse that defines this for all of us: Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.  (Jas 4:8)  

The Lord leaves it up to us as to how close we want to be to Him. Paul Ferguson was the praying-est man I ever knew. He memorized 8,000 verses of Scripture and used Scripture to direct his walk with God. Out of the 31,173 verses of Scripture in the KJ Bible, James 4:8 was the verse on which he built and exercised his walk with God. It’s God’s promise to His children. All of them!


Paul Ferguson studied all the Bible verses on prayer and read many books on prayer by some of the men and women who had a reputation for being prayer warriors. Toward the end of his life, it was my privilege to interview Brother Paul one day a week for six weeks and record our conversations. From those tapes, I wrote: Paul Ferguson the Fighter. He told me some stories that most people would not believe because they do not know many people who walk with God like he did. Dr. Lee Roberson had no trouble believing him. He wrote the foreword to the book. The late, Dr. John Herrmann, professor of psychology and philosophy (and a great man of prayer) had no trouble believing God’s hand was on him.

I asked him: “Brother Paul, why do you pray so much? Why do you spend so much time in prayer?” His answer was quick, because he had thought that question through many years before. He said: “Because it takes much time in prayer to get myself out of the way so God can do what He wants to do through me.” Paul had fought 232 professional fights as the welter-weight boxing champion of the south for eleven years (1939-1950).

He hung up his gloves while he was still on top because he found out from the Bible in John 5:24 that he had passed from death unto life and he couldn’t lose his salvation. He was saved at the age of 12 but never knew from one day to the next if he had been good enough not to lose his salvation. When he understood John 5:24, he lost interest in fighting. He fought some more but did very little running and training to keep in shape. He coasted for a while longer. He was then spending most of his time in his training shed in the back yard, reading his Bible and praying. Soon, God called him to be an evangelist and made it clear to him that he would never be a pastor.

God wants us to be holy. Many Christians think that was under Moses and that’s it’s “legalism” to talk about living holy today. We need to remember that all of the law did not pass away. The ceremonial part of the law that had to do with the animal sacrifices and the temple worship system in Jerusalem, all this passed away. God sent the Roman general, Titus with an army in A.D. 70 and leveled the Temple with the ground and all the Jewish worship system was over. It has never been restored. We don’t live in Israel, so we are not under the civil part of the law. We are under American civil law but not under Jewish civil law. The moral part of the law never passed away.
 
Someone asked Jesus what the great commandment was. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  (Mat 22:37-40)

Do you think God did away with these two commandments? He no longer cares if we love Him and our neighbor as ourselves?  The beloved disciple, John, wrote: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.  (1Jn 3:4) Sin is the transgression of the law, the law that God did not do away with. If there were no law, God would not reckon sin against us. But, there is law. Not to love God is sin. Not to love your neighbor as yourself is sin.
 
The reason it is sin is because these things transgress the law. What law? The great two laws that Jesus talked about. God did not do away with moral structure in the New Testament because the moral structure is eternal. The law of love is eternal and will never pass away. We cannot be saved by keeping this law, but it is how we are to live in this life and in the life to come.
 
Paul said: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.   For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.   For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  (Rom 8:4-6) We need to get a hold on this verse and this verse needs to take hold of us. As a Christian, we are not free to live in the hog pen. A man may be saved while he’s in the hog pen, but he will not stay in it long. God wants us to live a holy life as He defines it. That’s His plan.
​

A lot of Christians know Romans 8:28. Not many know Romans 8:29….the very next verse. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  (Rom 8:28-29)

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  (1Jn 3:2)

Do you see that? You are going to be like Him. It is God’s will and plan for us to be like His son. Is His Son holy? Yes, His Son is Holy. Are we supposed to be Holy like His Son? Yes we are to be Holy like His son so that He is not the only one who is holy. He is to be the holy one among MANY BRETHREN. Have you laid hold on that verse? That’s the plan. The hard times we go through are to make us like His Son.  
 
I was baptized at the First Baptist Church in Mountain City, TN when I was nine. Paul Ferguson and Lena were married in that church. The church used the Broadman Hymnal, © 1940. On page 291 is the song: Take Time to be Holy. They sang it a lot, especially on Wednesday night. The song spells out holy living for the Christian. I have not always lived a holy life, but this song has always been in the way of my going back to the pig pen. I hope you like it. Click (at bottom of page) and listen. Ω
 
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
FEBRUARY 22, 2017 – WEDNESDAY         
A.M.  Numbers 7   P.M.  Mark 4:21-41
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MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.  (Hos 4:6-7)

SONG FOR TODAY:
Acapella Men’s Quartet (2:12) Take Time to be Holy) (Mennonite Hour Men’s Quartet)
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HEALTH TIP:
The White Sisters. Numerous writers over the past 75 years have warned about the disadvantages of The White Sisters in the American diet. 1. White flour 2. White sugar 3. White rice.  The Presbyterian pastor, Sylvester Graham (1791-1851) (Graham Crackers are named after him) made it a part of his ministry to promote better bread making in his day, and the vegetarian diet in general. I have a reprint of his booklet: Bread Making, Copyright-1832. Pages 62-67 tells about the experience of 80,000 reserve British soldiers during the war between France and England.

The usual supplies from America were hindered and there developed an acute shortage of wheat flour. In those days, the flour was ground and then sifted through silk cloth to remove the outer husk of the grain, leaving only white flour. This was called: “bolting.” It was the means of baking English dainties and the appetite of the British was addicted to England’s white pastries.

When the American flour dried up in England, the Parliament passed a law that for two years the army at home (in reserve) would be served only coarse bread.  At first the soldiers complained and even threw it to the ground. But after 2-3 weeks they began eating it. There were many doctors stationed among the soldiers and they were kept busy. After the soldiers had been eating coarse bread for a few weeks, the doctors were amazed that the soldiers were in much better health and did not require as much medical care.

This news from the doctors spread throughout England and eating coarse bread became a patriotic fad. The civilians benefited from the change of diet, as did the soldiers. After the war, the white flour reappeared and the British appetite for white flour dainties reappeared and so did their deterioration of health. However, everyone seemed to be happy with it.  My copy of the book was printed by LEAVES OF AUTUMN BOOKS, 518 W. Main Street, Payson, AZ 85547 – Ph. (520)475-0310. I assume this is a Seventh Day Adventist source. Ω

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amazing grace

2/20/2017

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Amazing Grace…
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.   For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

“Amazing” does not occur in the KJ Bible, but “grace” occurs 170 times. Grace means: the unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor extended toward another person. That’s how we are made right with God. In order for grace to be extended toward us, God also extends to us His forgiveness.

How, then, do we obtain the unmerited favor of God? Is it simply bestowed upon everyone on earth?  No, the grace of God is not bestowed upon all men. However, the grace of God is extended toward every man on earth. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;   Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;  (Tit 2:11-13)

​God gives us His saving grace without payment or works of any kind. But the grace that God gives us is a working grace that brings about a changed life. The condition to our receiving the grace and forgiveness of God for our sins, is repentance. A change of mind that results in a change of direction, a change of attitude and conduct.

When Jesus declared His upcoming crucifixion, He said: And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.  This he said, signifying what death he should die.  (Joh 12:32-33) He said He would draw all men unto himself. No need to make a hard thing out it. He will draw all men to Himself. None will be overlooked.

It is important to realize that to die a death by crucifixion, to be lifted up, was not the normal way one would be put to death in Israel. They had many stones and they used them to kill the undesirables.  Crucifixion had not always been used. It was a Roman invention and was perfected to make it effective in persuading people to obey Roman law.


Psalm 22 is known as the Messianic Psalm because it is a word picture of the crucifixion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.  My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.   For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.  (Psa 22:14-16)

The Bible says of Him: For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.  

And again another scripture saith,
They shall look on him whom they pierced.   And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.  (Joh 19:36-38) Not a bone shall be broken!

It is important that His body was removed from the cross and sealed in a tomb. The Bible prophesied: For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  (Psa 16:10) This statement simply meant that His Father would not allow his body to rot in the grave as bodies normally do.

“Jesus said that at the cross He would draw all men to Himself. He did not mean everybody will be saved for He made it clear that some will be lost (Joh_5:28-29). If the drawing by the Son is the same as that of the Father (Joh_6:44), it means He will draw indiscriminately. Those saved will include not only Jews, but also those from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Rev_5:9; cf. Joh_10:16; Joh_11:52).” (Barnes)
 
Jesus said: No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.  (Joh 6:44-45) 

Helping people get saved is not a matter of “talking them into it.” It is plain that the Spirit of God must draw people to be saved. We cannot do that. Our part is to witness to people and invite them to be saved. If the Spirit of God rides upon our words, it will go to their hearts and they will be drawn to Him.

 
It is by the amazing grace of God that we are drawn to Him and that we are saved. Paul declared that this is the message he preached: Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.  (Act 20:21)  

Perhaps the best invitation song is: “Just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me; and that thou bidst be come to Thee, O Lamb of God I come! I Come!” Ω


READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
FEBRUARY 21, 2017 – TUESDAY         
A.M.  Numbers 5-6   P.M.  Mark 4:1-20
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
 
MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.  (Hos 4:6-7)

​SONG FOR TODAY:
Baritone (8:35) Amazing Grace (Story & Song) (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNuQbJst4Lk&index=27&list=RDglDV6j-uZCY
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Health Tip: Chewing. My mother made noise about chewing after reading an article in the Nashville Banner. She said “the doctor who wrote the article says we need to chew each bite of our food forty times before we swallow it.” It was about 1940 and I was learning how to count. Might as well count how many times I’m chewing my food. Whew! That’s a lot of chewing! That was 76 years ago and I haven’t forgotten it. The doctors today who know and care may tell their patients to chew their food until it’s a thin paste and easy to swallow. If you want a sip of beverage or water after you swallow, that won’t hurt anything. You may need to drink a glass of water an hour before your meal.

The bad thing is to “woof” down our food with three chomps and a guzzle of coke. That’s bad. The short lunch breaks today have created the “woofing” habit in lots and lots of people. I give my mother credit for influencing me to be a “sipper” instead of a “guzzler” at meal time. Saliva is there for more than lubricating your tongue for talking. Saliva contains amylase, a digestive enzyme that works on plant foods; grains, breads, vegetables, etc. There may be more enzymes than this. Google it.

​Chewing needs to be prolonged long enough to masticate the food and mix the enzymes with it. The stomach will then add its own mixture of acid and other digestants. If you need a little sip of drink after you swallow the food, that’s a good thing.  Mixing a lot of liquid with unchewed food weakens the digestion. God knows a lot about making things and that includes how He made our digestive system. I have to believe that things work better when we cooperate with the Lord and His design. Ω
 

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when the trumpet of the lord shall sound

2/19/2017

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​When the Trumpet of the Lord Shall Sound…

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (are dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (go ahead of) them which are asleep.  

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:   Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.  (1Th 4:13-18)

This is the classic statement of “the blessed hope” of Christians. I’ve read it so many times at funerals and gravesides. Here, it says to “comfort one another with these words.” Paul says to Titus:  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Tit 2:13)


Jesus told His followers that He was going away for a while but that He would come again to be with them. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:  Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.  (Act 3:20-21)

Jesus would not tell them when He was coming back. He said: But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.  (Mat 24:36)

​
Look at what else He says: And he shall send his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.  (Mat 24:31)

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  (1Co 15:51-52)

You may want to write the above  references down in the front of your Bible so you can find them in a hurry. You might have to read verses at a funeral or graveside and you would be ready. (I’m serious. You don’t know when you may be called on to say something good at a funeral. Be ready.)

Three things make Christians obnoxious to people today. 1. We think everybody around us needs redemption to be OK. 2. They know many church people who don’t have it together. 3. They don’t think they are bad enough for Jesus to have to be nailed to a cross to pay for their sins. They are not perfect, but not bad enough to need to be saved. Our biggest problem with lost people is getting them lost. That’s why the Holy Spirit must do it.

And when he is come, he will reprove (convince, convict) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  (Joh 16:8) We are to preach the gospel to every creature in the world but we are not commissioned to save them, because we cannot save them. Jesus saves! We don’t save. Our job is to ask: “Do you need to be saved? Do you want to be saved? Do you know how to be saved? Would you like for me to show you how to be saved? That’s it.


Christians have a book that claims to know about the future of the world and that Jesus is going to rule the world. It bothers people that we think we know that.

The Humanist Manifesto II of 1973 declared: “No deity will save us. We must save ourselves.”. John Dewey, professor at Columbia University in New York City and the father of public education signed it.  The unbelieving world is struggling to build a one-world government that will bring about peace and prosperity …without God. It’s a massive reenactment of the Tower of Babel.

The young prophet, Daniel, interpreted the awesome dreams of the first great world ruler: Nebuchadnezzar. Anyone can read about it in Daniel, chapter 2.  I daresay we are approaching the iron and clay feet of the beast. That’s the place where the great stone hewn out of a mountain without hands is going to strike the great image and smash it to pieces and a wind will blow away the dust. And the stone will fill the earth.

And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.   Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.  (Dan 2:44-45)

Cheer up Christian! If you've read the Book,  you know we win! Ω

 
 
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
FEBRUARY 20, 2017 – MONDAY         
A.M.  Numbers 3-4   
P.M. 
Mark 3:22-35
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)


MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH:
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.  (Hos 4:6-7)

SONG FOR TODAY:
Groups (3:15): When the Roll Is Called (Gaither Group)
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Health Tip:
Clean Ears for Better Hearing.  
NOTE: This cannot be covered in one paragraph; is written for education and not as medical advice.

Several million Americans have impaired hearing and for many of them, the cause is built-up wax in their ears. I know by experience that hearing aids stimulate the production of more ear wax in the ears. I have checkups every three months. I was losing hearing and my recent check-up revealed dry, hard deposits stuck to the right ear drum. He could remove a small amount (it hurt) and that improved my hearing some. The rest must be soaked to be removed. (At AMAZON I bought a small DR. MOM OTOSCOPE (2 AAA batteries) for letting someone look into my ears, about $25.)

Doctors can remove earwax at a cost of about $25 per ear. Your insurance may or may not pay for it. Several million people remove the soft wax from their ears with Q-Tips. (Not recommended) But, I have been doing it for 60 years. Gently insert Q-Tip in the ear and twist it as you pull it out of the ear. Do this 3-4 times and the obvious problem is solved….at least, for now.

Two problems with this. You may injure your eardrum. And invariably, you will pack some of the wax deeper into the ear where it will harden and reduce your hearing.  It will have to come out.

A better way of home cleaning of ears is to lie on your side while someone drips 3-4 drops of hydrogen peroxide into the ear canal. Use enough so that it hits bottom and cuts off your hearing. It will create a storm of foam. Lie still 3-4 minutes and go to the bathroom sink. Lean that ear over the wash basin and use an ear bulb syringe to squirt short bursts of warm water up, into the ear. Do this several times. Most likely, you will see in the sink, pieces of ear wax. Put some more hydrogen peroxide into the same ear and lie still 3-4 minutes. Repeat rinsing at the sink. You’ve done what you can do to dislodge the wax. Do the same in the other ear. Insert a twisted piece of cotton in your ear(s) to absorb water. Remove cotton next morning.

If the deposit in the ear is hardened and attached to the ear, go to the next step. At night, lay a towel over your pillow. Lie on your side and have someone to drip several drops of “sweet oil” (modified Olive oil) until it bottoms out. Pull slightly on the lobe of the ear to open the ear canal. It doesn’t hurt but it’s a pretty good shock when the oil hits bottom. Oil should not be cold. Pinch off a small amount of cotton from a standard cotton ball and twist it into a rope-like piece. Insert firmly into your ear. Go to sleep in that position, letting the oil soak into the wax. The next morning, remove the cotton. Follow the hydrogen peroxide procedure above, either that morning or that evening, at your convenience.  You may have to repeat this 2-3 times to get complete results.

Go to your drug store and select the kit in a box that suits you and your purse. The E.R.O Ear Wax Removal System is a good choice. It has a squeeze bulb and a bit of hydrogen peroxide. A quart of hydrogen peroxide is a good thing to have in the house.  Also, look for SWEET OIL by HUMCO in a 4oz brown bottle. It does not have a dropper but you can purchase one at the drug store.  

You may want to invest in a DR. MOM OTOSCOPE, a magnifying glass with tips for inserting into ear. For home, occasional use, the size that uses two AAA batteries, will be good enough. About $25.00 at AMAZON. We are shipped from the factory with only two ears. Take good care of them.


​NOTE: I have had no medical training of any kind. I do research and writing and offer this for educational purposes only. You may need to check with a medical professional. Most of my HEALTH TIPs are 1-2 paragraphs. This subject cannot be covered in 1-2 paragraphs. You may want to GOOGLE “ear wax” and read more. Ω
*************
 

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following after...

2/16/2017

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Following After… 
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…  (Heb 12:14-15a);

Characteristics of Salvation – These verses have been quoted to me many times in fifty years by men who have been taught they had to live holy enough to be saved. At that point, they turned away from any hope of ever being saved because they knew they could not live holy enough to be saved by it.

After several years of this, I began to study these verses again. The Bible teaches that when one repents of sin  and turns by faith toward the blood of Christ’s death on the cross, something happens to that person. There is a new birth and a new nature!

A new nature, a new attitude, a new life settles in upon that person.  He/she begins to follow after peace with all men and following after holiness. The key words are: “follow after.” Not having achieved perfection, but following in the direction of peace and holiness.

It cannot be faked. 
 Following after peace and holiness are characteristics of the new birth and this endures for life. A backsliding Christian will be judged in this life by the Lord, even if it results in chastisement or is counted as “a sin unto death”  (1 Jn 5:16).

The Bible gives several characteristics that are true of everyone who is saved. Following after peace and holiness is one of them. Others include accepting Christ with the humble faith of a child and not being ashamed of Him. Below are five passages of Scripture that we should be familiar with:


●Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  (Mat 18:3-4)

●The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.  (Psa 34:18)

●And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.   I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.  And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  (Luk 18:13-15)

●But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (Rom 10:8-10)

●Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.  (Mar 8:38)
 

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
FEBRUARY 17, 2017 – FRIDAY         
A.M.  Leviticus 24-25   P.M. 
Mark 1:23-45

(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.  (Hos 4:6-7)

SONG FOR TODAY: Solo & Group (3:28): I’m Free (Gaither Group)
                                                                           Click Here…
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HEALTH TIP:  Eating raw nuts.  Unless your stomach or your doctor has told you not to eat nuts, this may be a good habit to get into. The oil of English walnuts is superior and the price is about 75% of the price of pecans. Pecans contain a good oil. Almonds have less oil but are higher in protein.

Almonds are harder to chew and may be easier to eat if you soak a single handful in water overnight. Use a juice glass or one of your smaller glasses. Discard the water. You may want to pour on a paper towel, cover and let it sprout all day. Rinse at night and return to towel all night. Next morning there may be a small sprout at the sharp end of the almond. I prefer to eat 6-8 almonds this way.

For walk-by snacking, keep a jar of walnuts on the counter top and pour out a single handful. Chew all nuts well into a paste. (There are no teeth in the stomach.)  Nuts will abate hunger for a while, making them a good snack. We need fat in all of our meals to slow down digestion and help to provide a steady stream of sugar into the blood stream. We run on sugar but we need to be using up all the sugar as it goes into the blood stream. Unused sugar is converted into fat and stored in the body.

 
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Yea, hath god said?

2/15/2017

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Yea, Hath God Said?
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  (Gen 3:1)

Before writing this article, I went to www.BibleGateway.com  and listened to Max McLean read the first eleven chapters of Genesis to me again. He’s the one we plug into every day on MORNING MINUTE.

Satan’s number one bait and tactic of capturing minds has always been: “Hath God Said?” If evolution is true, then God has "not said." They cannot both be true. East is not also west.

Not long ago, the battle of ideas centered on whether or not there is a God. The Millennials of today seem to be past that question. They accept God as a fact. They just ignore Him and go their way. The irony of that position is that they are harder to penetrate than atheists and agnostics. They (atheists and agnostics) will argue with you─ but not the Millennials. (The smarter atheists realized they couldn’t prove that God is nowhere in the vast universe so they changed their label to: “agnostic:” one who “doesn’t know for sure.”)

We now have the “my truth” and “your truth” thing. It's not truth unless it feels good on you. Today, you can pick up a custom-made, feel-good truth on the cheap. You might even borrow one from a friend.


​Our day is witnessing the folly of a century of many pastors of so-called Bible-believing churches who have discarded Genesis as an authoritative book, especially the first eleven chapters of Genesis. In those churches, the kids don’t have to leave home and go to college to lose their faith. Their pastors and youth leaders have stolen their faith from them by twisting the traditional six-day creation in Genesis. After creation comes the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:9), Noah and the flood (Genesis 7-8), and God’s judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen.19:24). These pastors mean well but they are not thinking it through. Moses was a giant in knowledge and was a responsible caretaker of God's truth. 

The name of Moses occurs 848 times in the KJ Bible. Jesus quoted Moses as an authority or as a point of reference more than any other Old Testament writer. For example: And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.  (Luk 24:27)

The Old Testament says Moses was a prophet: And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, (Deu 34:10) (Apparently, this was written by someone who followed Moses)
 
Moses said God made the heaven and earth in six days. You lose your whole Bible when you cross Moses and try to edit his work. He wrote:


Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.  (Exo 20:9-11)

Because God rested (ceased his labor) after six days, there has been a Jewish Sabbath Day every week for over three thousand years. The whole of Orthodox Jewish scholarship maintains the Jewish Sabbath based on a literal six-day creation. Christianity has had a Christian Sabbath or Lord’s Day for two thousand years, based on the same Scripture and restated in the New Testament as the Lord's Day.

We are being asked to believe that all the smart men before the apostles of Darwin were ignorant and wrong. We must believe it’s up to Darwin to “correct” the stupidity of Moses, three thousand years of Jewish scholarship and Judeo-Christian tradition. God didn’t make the earth and heavens in six days like the Bible says. It took God several billions of years to make the earth and the universe like Darwin says. Jesus was wrong in quoting Moses as a Biblical authority and implying that Moses was a prophet and an authority on morality and the real history of creation.

Meantime, the kids are smart enough to ask: “Wonder what else in the Bible is not true?” The teens have these raging hormones that draw them into, uhm, “togetherness.” But the Book says to wait until they’re married. So, the pastor and youth leader are showing them how to get rid of the “offensive” and "inconvenient" parts of the Bible. On with “togetherness!” Studies by the Southern Baptist Convention and other valid researchers  show that 60% of them will leave the church by the time they graduate from high school and another percentage by the time they graduate from college.

Some pastors by-pass Genesis and tell the kids the main thing about the Bible is that Jesus came and died for our sins that we might have eternal life. Truth is, without Adam and Eve and the book of Genesis that explains the sin problem, there’s no need for the Savior. The corruption of Genesis did not begin recently.

In 1909 the first Scofield Reference Bible had this footnote at Genesis 1:1:
“The first creative act refers to the dateless past, and gives scope for all the geologic ages.” That sentence is pregnant with many books later written to unify Biblical Christianity with the spurious claims of Darwinism.

Some of the consulting editors of the Scofield Bible were: James M. Gray, D.D. (President of Moody Bible Institute); A.T. Pierson, (respected Author, Editor, Teacher); Arno C. Gaebelein, D.D. (Author “Harmony of Prophetic Word”); William I. Pettingill, D.D. (Author, Editor, Teacher). These men surrendered to the evolutionists without firing a shot.

Dad…Mom…hold your pastor’s feet to the fire. Talk with your children. Teach them well while they are home. They’re yours while they are in your house, sitting at your table and sleeping in your bed. Teach them that "God hath said" and that He meant what He said.

Read Through the Bible in a Year
FEBRUARY 16, 2017 – THURSDAY         
A.M.  Leviticus 22-23   P.M.  Mark 1:1-22

(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Memory Verse This Month: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.  (Hos 4:6-7)

Song for Today:
Vestal Goodman & Group (4:39) : There Is a Fountain (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PasK3ZFAOPE&list=RDglDV6j-uZCY&index=27

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Health Tip:  Our immune system needs help. These things may help our immune system. Drink plenty of water so that toxins are flushed out. Get 8 hours of sleep. When we have a sleep deficit, it drops our immune system. Avoid getting chilled. A lot of pooh-poohing about this but plenty of evidence that getting chilled drops the immune system. Keep the sugar intake as low as possible.

Sugar in the diet drops the immune system. Eat raw oranges, squeeze raw lemons into water and sip. Increase your intake of Vitamin C to the point that it loosens bowels. If you get sick, that point will go much higher. If you get infection, take 2,000 mg Vitamin C in capsules on the hour with glass of water. It makes gas before the bowels are a problem. When bowels loosen, back off on dosage.

​Vitamin C taken like this will probably dry up runny nose for a while. There is no cure for a virus of any kind. Your body has to make anti-bodies to subdue the virus. This takes several days. Keep the phone number of your doctor or emergency care center handy for making an appointment. Go to the “coughing center” as a last resort.

 
 
   
 
 
 
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playing the game

2/14/2017

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Picture
 Playing the Game…
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.   And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.   I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.  (1Co 9:24-27)

The Bible tells us how to get to Heaven and how to live on the way to Heaven. I daresay that more is said in the Bible about how to live on our way to Heaven than is said about how to get to Heaven. The book of James is supposedly the first book written in the New Testament. And yet, James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote the “Proverbs of the New Testament;” that is, the practical directions for living the Christian life while on the earth.
 
Paul wrote the above directions on how to live the Christian life on the way to Heaven. As you can see, it’s much more than keeping rules of right-living. It’s about an attitude of winning heavenly rewards for strong striving. The goal of the strong striving is good, disciplined, holy living. The word “holy” does not appear in the text, but that’s what it’s talking about. We are being urged to give it our all.
 
The Olympic games are believed to have begun in 776 B.C. in honor of Zeus, king of the gods. The games were held every four years in Olympia. People from all over the Greek world came to watch and take part. It was revived in 1894. Paul picks up on this great part of the world at that time and says that Christians are to give themselves to living the Christian life like these zealous athletes. We are running a serious race. We should give ourselves to it. There are rewards to be given for those who strive in their dedication and running.
 
The Bible is an awesome book, so awesome that only God could have written it. He wants us to understand what He is saying and to succeed at serving Him. He will liken living the Christian life to one thing and then another. If we don’t understand it with one set of words, then he will explain it in other terms. Jesus said (Luke 9:23) that if we were going to follow Him, we must take up our cross and follow Him. Paul said, I die daily.
 
But, today, Paul is not talking about taking up their cross. He is talking about running a race. The Corinthians would understand running a race better than they would understand carrying a cross.  The people of that day played games and they understood his message about running. When the games were over, the winners lined up at a special stand or booth of dignitaries. The judges handed out rewards to the winners. The rewards were not silver and gold, but often no more than a wreath woven of flowers that would be wilted within a day or so. Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth:
 
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.   Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.  (2Co 5:10-11)

​“To obtain a corruptible crown - A garland, diadem, or civic wreath, that must soon fade away. The garland bestowed on the victor was made of olive, pine, apple, laurel, or parsley. That would soon lose its beauty and fade; of course, it could be of little value. Yet we see how eagerly they sought it; how much self-denial those who entered the lists would practice to obtain it; how long they would deny themselves of the common pleasures of life that they might be successful. So much “temperance” would pagans practice to obtain a fading wreath of laurel, pine, or parsley.” (Barnes)

“This is the judgment seat, literally, the bema. There is still a bema in Corinth, and when we were there on tour, we took pictures of the ruins of it. This was the place where the judges of the city would meet the citizens and would judge them for certain things--there was no question of life or death. At the judgment seat of Christ only believers will appear. It is not a judgment of the believer's sins, which Christ fully atoned for on the Cross. The judgment is to see whether you are going to receive a reward or not.

“When Paul says, "We must all appear," remember that he is writing to believers. All we believers will be judged, that we may receive the things done in the body. We will be judged on the way we lived the Christian life, how we have lived in these bodies down here. When we go into His presence, we will be finished with these old bodies. The question He will ask is how we used these bodies. How did we live down here?” (McGee)

Living the Christian life in church is one thing. Living at home, in school, at work and the community. These are all arenas where we are running the race of living the Christian life.

A college professor (not far from here) told his students: “I realize that most of you believe the Bible and the Christian way of life and I’m not asking you to go against your Christian convictions. But in this class, we have a text book given to us that were written by other people. On your tests, you will be tested on what the book says.  I must grade you on what the book says.” 
The teacher was believed to be a Christian and he knew that many of his class were Christians.

So, they skirted the atheistic grip of the State and “played the game” of “what the textbook says.” This has become an escape route at the college level when a professor will allow it. Sometimes a professor will not allow students to say "the book says." That's an admission that a view other than the atheist view may be valid and lets the student go through the system as a Christian. But, some professors don't want Christians going through the educational system and may not allow a student to say: "the book says." In that case, it may require a lawsuit to force the professor to back down. That, too, would be part of playing the game. 

In today’s world of academia, many systems are set up to identify and purge out the students who do not believe in evolution. This is especially true in students who want to become medical doctors or who may want to teach in State universities and colleges. There is a determined effort to force the academic world of teaching and national leadership to bend in the direction of atheism. 

Many stories confirm the arrogant determination of some professors who use their teaching positions as a bully pulpit of atheism. Their weapon is intimidation and persecution by selection of students who are allowed to take higher level courses or to advance toward degrees of advantage.


So, how are you playing the game in your home; in your work; in your community? How are you pressing the battle? Sometimes a professing Christian may hope no one will notice they are a Christian. Peter did that when he was warming his hands by the fire of Jesus's persecutors. It doesn't have to be that way. In this day, all Christians are needed to play the game. Ω

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
FEBRUARY 15, 2017 – WEDNESDAY         
A.M.  Leviticus 20-21   P.M.  Matthew 28

(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

MEMORY VERSE THIS MONTH: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.  (Hos 4:6-7)

SONG FOR TODAY:
Karen Peck & Riverview (4:25): Four Days Late (Gaither Group) CLICK HERE
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Health Tip: 
Eat enough fat in your diet. There was a time when so many people were in a state of panic over fat that they worked hard at cutting fat to zero in their diet. Some died of their mistake. We must have fat in our diet to live, along with protein and carbohydrates and minerals and water. Fat is a good servant and a bad master. Fats that can be heated some without damage are Olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, butter, and hog lard. Other foods can be cooked in these fats. All other fats should not be heated until scientific proof is presented to the contrary. Oils for salads can be polyunsaturated fats if they are not heated and they are not rancid. Oxygen molecules bond with unsaturated links in these fats and is like a bull in a china shop in your body.

Flax seed oil is a winner if kept refrigerated, in the dark, and sealed away from oxygen. Buy in small, black bottles and keep refrigerated. (8 oz). CANOLA oil is a made-up name (Canadian Oil) and is made from Rape seeds, which have a connection with cancer. We eat some in Nabisco Whole Wheat crackers (Hint of Salt) but in nothing else. There are a few other polyunsaturated oils, such as safflower, that are good on salads if the oils are not processed.

​A bit of fat in a meal will slow down digestion and help your carbohydrates to give off a slow, steady stream of sugar for fuel. Farmers and other people doing heavy manual labor like to have a breakfast heavy in hog lard to promote energy until lunch time. They call it: "a breakfast that will stick to your ribs." Without the fat in the meal, you will be hungry in two hours and in some people a drop in blood sugar will give them the trembles and weakness.

At that point, they will reach for a sugary donut and coffee to restore their energy. It will restore your energy (for a while) and trigger a flood of insulin into your blood to save your life. After several years of that, you may develop insulin resistance and you are on your way to adult onset diabetes. That will hasten the clogging of your arteries and heart disease. We want to avoid that the best we can. 

 
 
 
 
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    Dan Carr is a "retired" pastor, writer, teacher and continues to write at this website. This blog and other articles are e-mailed free to anyone who wants them. Go to: 
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    Dan and Barbara live 
    at Flat Rock, AL between Chattanooga, TN and Huntsville, AL. on Sand Mtn.
    We enjoy gardening, reading, church, family and friends.

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