Whose Side Are You On?

In Joshua 5:14, the Angel-Yehovah said that the issue is not whether He is on our side, but whether we are on His side. Zechariah 14:3 states that He is coming to fight against all those who have come against Jerusalem. Many Jews want Jerusalem without Jesus. Many Christians want Jesus without Jerusalem. Secular Humanists and Islamic Jihadists stand in opposition to the both. The question is not what we want, but what He wants. When He comes, will we be found fighting for Him, or just copping out?

quoted from the end of Chapter 7 of the book "Who Ate Lunch with Abraham?: byAsher Intrater.

Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill - How Great Thou Art - exceptionally wonderful

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Why Does God Kill

Mini-study from New Horizons

'Don't you understand? I am the only God; there are no others. I am the one who takes life
and gives it again' (Deuteronomy 32:39 CEV)
'God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life' (John 3:16)

All of us live with death -it is inevitable. But isn't it a puzzle that a loving God claims to kill His creation? How
can we reconcile that with Jesus' claim that he came to save the world?

The Old Testament record makes clear that JHVH did indeed kill -sometimes on a massive scale. All mankind but one family of eight, for example, was destroyed in the Flood (Genesis 6). Why? In short, God has a set purpose for the pinnacle of His creation, mankind, and is not disposed to jeopardize that plan. He will remove all obstacles -human or spirit -that knowingly oppose it

Having created man and instructed him in the way of life, the Creator had initiated His plan, having made it
plain (Romans 1). We blew it. Rather than follow the Manual we devised our own operating system, and as with any misused device it didn't work. Over the centuries man deviated further and further from the Way -to such a degree that eventually '...GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually' (Genesis 6:5). The result? All of mankind but for one righteous family was 'purged' in a worldwide flood -to save the plan

Lessons were not learned, and before long the different families were scattered (ch 11) -again to save the plan. But corruption once more set in. The 'righteous' became ever sparser, and the LORD again had to work with one family -that of Abraham. In his days the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah had become degenerate: '...this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me .' (Ezekiel 16:49-50). Clearly a corrupting influence: '....therefore I took them away…’

God had given ample time for the nations to embrace the one true faith. The Amorites -perhaps the leading Canaanite tribe in occupation of Palestine -sank deeper and deeper into lawlessness, despite the righteous witness of Shem, of Abraham, of Melchizedek. They continued four generations before being expelled by Israel (Genesis 15:16). There may well be parallels in our day

Nothing will stand in the way of the fulfillment of God's loving purpose. Here's what the Psalmist tells us: '...
You [God] warn the nations and destroy evil people; you wipe out their names forever and ever' (Psalm 9:5
CEV). And: '...the LORD preserves all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy' (145:20)" Solomon adds: '...I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me' (Proverbs 8:17). God will when necessary remove individuals, communities, nations who stand in the way. He warns, He is very patient, He is merciful. God is love. But when we persistently 'throw a spanner in the works' -He acts

Jesus is generally perceived as expressing love for all mankind (John 3:16 etc). He is not, however, the 'gentle Jesus' of childhood's bed-time stories. In the days of his flesh, he was fearless when opposed, courageous in face of death. And he 'told it like it is': '.. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42). The words of Jesus himself! And through the apostle John he adds: '...hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? ' (Revelation 6:16-17)

God's purpose is that not one of us should ultimately perish, that we should change, and He patiently gives us time to so do (II Peter 3:9). Some flatly refuse, preferring their false faiths and corrupt life-style (Revelation
9:20-21, 16:9-11). They will experience the 'wrath of the Lamb'. That’s Jesus

In both Old and new Testament the Godhead is presented as loving, gracious, merciful (II Chronicles 30:9 for example). When the Father and Jesus kill it is to protect and advance their master plan (Romans 11:36) .

The ark landed on the mountains of Ararat.

Genesis 8:4 Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.

Leviticus 23:34 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.

I just realized that the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat on the 2nd day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Now, I am wondering if there is any significance to it.

Biblical Facts about Iraq #4

16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq.
17. The wise men were from Iraq.
18. Peter preached in Iraq.
19. The Empire of Man described in Revelation is called Babylon which is in Iraq.

Biblical Facts about Iraq #3

11. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem.
12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq.
13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq. Jesus has been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the fiery furnace.
14. Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, saw the writing on the wall in Iraq.
15. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, carried the Jews captive in Iraq.

Biblical Facts about Iraq #2

6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq.
7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.
8. Jonah preach in Nineveh - which is in Iraq.
9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel.
10. Amos cried out in Iraq.

Biblical Facts about Iraq

1. The Garden of Eden was in Iraq
2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization
3. Noah built the ark in Iraq
4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq
5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq

Coffee

Q: Did you know it's a sin for a woman to make coffee?
A: Yes. Remember, the Bible says "He-brews".

Card Game

Q: Why didn't they play cards on the Ark?
A: Because Noah was standing on the deck.

No Parents?

Q: Which Bible character had no parents?
A: Joshua, so of Nun.

David and Goliath

Q: Who is the greatest babysitter in the Bible?
A: David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.

Wealth

Q: Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A: The area around Jordan. The banks were always overflowing.

Lawbreaker

Q: Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A: Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.

Not in Eden Anymore

Q: What excuse did Adam give his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?
A: You mother ate us out of house and home.

Comedian?

Q: Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A: Samson. He brought the house down.

Cars in the Bible?

Q: What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A: Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden in a Fury. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in on Accord.

Greatest Female Financier

Q: Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A: Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

Greatest Financier

Q: Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A: Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

Ministry

Q: What do they call pastors in Germany?
A: German Shepherds

Boaz

Q: What kind of man was Boaz before he got married?
A: Ruthless

Summer Break

Dear God,

Please send Dennis Clark to a different camp this year.

Peter

Good Decision

Dear God,

If you let the dinasor not exstinct we would not have a country. You did the right thing.

Jonathan

Misdelivered

Dear God,

Thank you for the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy.

Joyce

I need my space

Dear God,

Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother.

Larry

Reincarnation request

Dear - God - if - we - come - back as - something - please - don't let - me - be - Jennifer - Horton because - I - hate her.

Denise

Dear God,

We read Thos. Edison made light. But in Sun. School they said you did it. So I bet he stoled your idea.

Sincerly,
Donna

Limited Offer

Dear God,

If you give me a genie lamp like Alladin I will give you anything you want except my money or my chess set.

Raphael

One Day at a Time

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It is hard sometimes

Dear God,

I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 in our family and I can never do it.

Nan

Nationality?

Dear God,

I am American. What are you?

Robert

Children's letters to God #6

Dear God,

If you watch in church on Sunday, I will show you my new shoes.

Mickey D.

Children's letters to God #5

Dear God,

I think the stapler is one of your greatest inventions.

Ruth M.

Children's letters to God #4

Dear God,

Instead of letting people die and haveing to make new ones, why don't you just keep the ones you got now?

Jane

Children's letters to God #3

Dear God,

I think about you sometimes even when I'm not praying.

Elliott

Children's letters to God #2

Dear God --

In Bible times did they really talk that fancy?

Jennifer

God's Plan Makes Sense!

Is it a coincidence that Jesus died on Passover, was put in the grave during the Days of Unleavened Bread, rose during the Day of Firstfruits and the Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost?

It follows that His second coming is connected to the Fall Holy Days.

Children's letters to God #1

Dear God,

I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church.

Is that OK?

Neil

Jay Leno Quote

"With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Guard Your Reputation

Warren Buffet quoted in Independent.co.uk: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it."

Keeping The Day in Perspective #3

12. The second mouse gets the cheese.
13. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
15. Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
16. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

Keeping The Day in Perspective #2

7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8. Never buy a car you can't push.
9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
10. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
11. Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

Keeping The Day in Perspective #1

1. Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4. Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
5. If you can't be kind, at least have the courtesy to be vague.
6. If you lend someone $20 and you never see that person again, it was probably worth. it.

A Great Lesson on Stress

A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water while leading a seminar and explaining stress management to her audience. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, "Half empty or half full". She fooled them all. "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile.

Answers ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Pick them up again tomorrow if you must."

Zachary Bruno CDs

Zachary Bruno is an 18 year old who, among other things, is the administrator for our church we site. We have know him and his family, including his 17 year old sister, since they were about 5-6 years old. Our church has purchased and received 10 CDs of piano music he has written and recorded. Nita and I enjoyed our copy last evening, and it so refreshing and relaxing that it is hard to describe. Zach - great job! Others, please let me or Zach know if you want your own copies.

Even more true today

Abraham Lincoln in a speech in Clinton, IL on September 8, 1854 said:

"If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."

Health updates

Updates: Charlene is improving a little each day; Betty does not know when they thyroid cancer surgery will take place; my fraternity brother, Skip, had his port removed today and is relieved to have that done.

A New Minister's Plea

Readers Digest, February 2013, Life in These United States, submitted by V. Nifong, Auburndale, FL:

Our new minister pleaded with the congregation for help on a church project. After weeks with few takers, he called our house with the deeply felt, if not diplomatic, request: "I am scraping the bottom of the barrel for volunteers and wonder if you might be able to help?"

Trust God

Readers Digest quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen."

Effective Communication

Readers Digest, Quotable Quotes, Stephen R. Covey:

"Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication."

Think about it

Readers Digest, quoting Bill Nye:

"Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't"

Real Love

From Readers Digest, Quotable Quotes, Jim Morrison:

"That's what real love amounts to -- letting a person be what he really is."

Children's answers to Bible questions #2

7.  Moses led the Jews to the Red Sea where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients.
8.  The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterwards, Moses went up to Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Commandments.
9.  The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.
10. The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.

Children's answers to Bible questions #1

In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath off.

Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. Noah's wife was Joan of Ark. Noah built and ark and the animals came on in pears.

Lot's wife was a pillar of salt during the day, but a ball of fire during the night.

The Jews were a proud people and throughout history they had trouble with unsympathetic genitals.

Sampson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah.

Paul

Paul was tortured and then beheaded by the evil emperor Nero at Rome in AD 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had founded throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

Andrew, Thomas, Jude and Matthias

Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers, they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: "I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it." He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.

Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the sub-continent.

Jude was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

Peter, James, James the Great and Bartholomew

Peter was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.

James the Great, son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

Bartholomew, also known as Nathaniel, was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Matthew, the Apostle, suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound.

Mark died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.

Luke was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.

John faced martyrdom when he was boiled in a huge basin of oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered from death. He was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. He was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. He died as an old man, the only Apostle to die peacefully

8 Lessons from the World's Happiest Couples #1 from Readers Digest, May, 2013:

74% of the happiest pairs give or receive back rubs

Mortality

"The purpose of mortality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live." Ayn Rand quoted in the Dickinson, ND Press.

Church Squirrels

There were five houses of religion in a small town:

1. The Presbyterian Church
2. The Baptist Church
3. The Methodist Church
4. The Catholic Church
5. The Jewish Synagogue

Each building was overrun with pesky squirrels.

One day, the Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about the squirrels. After much prayer and consideration they determined that the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine will.

In the Baptist Church the squirrels had taken up habitation in the baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a cover on the baptistery and drown the squirrels in it. The squirrels escaped somehow and there were twice as many there the next week.

The Methodist Church got together and decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God's creation. So, they humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later, the squirrels were back.

The Catholic Church came up with the best and most effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday and Easter.

Not much was heard about the Jewish Synagogue, but they took one squirrel and had a short service with him called circumcision and they haven't seen a squirrel on the property since.

Be truthful with yourself

"The only lies for which we are truly punished are those we tell ourselves." V. S. Naipaul, quoted in the Wall Street Journal

Live life - don't waste it

"Too often man handles life as he does the bad weather. He whiles away the time as he waits for it to stop." Austrian journalist Alfred Polgar, quoted in the Fort Wayne, Indiana News-Sentinel

Immediate seating is available!

Where will you be sitting in eternity? Smoking or non-smoking?

A goal

Aspire to inspire before you expire.

Is your marriage worth fighting for?

Tom Junod in Esquire:

 

"A fight to the finish is what finishes a marriage. That's because over the course of married life, people supply their spouses with precisely what's required to finish them off. The question is not who can win, because anyone can win if they're willing to go far enough -- if they're willing to wi...n at the cost of love and respect. The question is who can resist the temptation of winning. If your marriage is healthy, you are fighting to restore the balance of power. You are fighting to find out what's worth fighting for...and you will find out that what you are fighting for is the marriage itself. What matters most to a marriage is forgiveness, and forgiveness doesn't come free. You have to fight for it."

Noah's Ark : Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark.

ONE: Don't miss the boat.
TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat!
THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark .
FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
SIX: Build your future on high ground.
SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile.
TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals. 

Church Signs #1:

"You may party in Hell, but you will be the barbecue."

"Keep using my name in vain and I'll make rush hour longer - God"

"There are some questions that cannot be answered by Google"

"Honk if you love Jesus. Text while driving if you want to meet Him"

Paradise Lost

Bertrand Russell, quoted in the Monterey County, CA Herald:

"If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have paradise in a few years."

Nobility

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self" Ernest Hemingway