Food for thought on the subject of grief.....
A Christian funeral should be different, even
strange to the world. It is an opportunity to display the difference
between God's spiritual light vs Satan's darkness, inner
joy vs deep despair, eternal hope vs sorrowful emptiness,
and peace of mind vs heartsickness. A mature Christian's
demeanor in a time of loss and grief can be a wonderful witness to
the 'born again spirit' of a child of God.
God is a jealous God. He
greatly desires our love, adoration, and attention. The
more we love the world, ourselves, and each other, the less God
is loved and worshipped. When we focus on people rather than on God,
the pain of loss and its grief might be overwhelming. The greater the
grief and the longer it lasts, the more the likelihood God's
greatest Commandment has been compromised.
Jesus proclaimed, "You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." If
we are obedient, God honors our commitment to Him by returning to
us an appropriate and sufficient amount of His love for ourselves,
family, and others.
"The Holy Spirit, whom God has caused to
dwell in us, longs for us and He yearns to be welcome with a jealous
love?" (James
4:5) (Amplified version)
"Well-meaning family members can be your worst
enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don't deserve me. If you
prefer son or daughter over me, you don't deserve me."
(Matthew 10:37) (Message version)
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about
those who die or grieve, like the rest of men, who have no hope!” (1
Thessalonians 4:13)
"Do not be like the people
of this world. You have a new spirit. Renew your minds. God will show
you what is good and what pleases Him. Everything will be all
right." Romans 12:2 (World-wide English version)
Jesus said to them,
"Why do you make an uproar and weep? The little
girl is not dead but is sleeping." (Mark 5:39)
"When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other
people wailing with her, anger welled up within him and he was deeply troubled.
Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb." (John 11:
33/38) (New Living Translation version)
His disciple said, “Lord, let me first go and bury
my father.” But Jesus said, “Follow Me; let the spiritually dead bury
their own dead.” (Matthew 8:21-22)
"To everything there is a season, a time for
every purpose under Heaven; a time to die, a time to grieve, a time to heal.
The day one dies is better than the day one is born."
(Ecclesiastes 3/7)
"Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get
understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)
______________________________
Guest
Articles by a personal friend, Don Hiers
A good friend, Don Hiers, sent me his response to an email he had
received. I asked to use it on bible
Study Net. I hope that it blesses you as
much as it did me.
The latest writing by Don Hiers:
On July 4th, please remember
to be thankful for our nation's Christian foundation and
heritage. The following quotes are just a few examples of America's
Christian leadership so many years ago.
'It is the duty of all nations to
acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be
grateful for His benefits, and humbly ask His protection and
favor.' George Washington: Commander-in-Chief of the army
in the American Revolution and America's first Christian President
'Our Constitution
was written only for a moral and religious people. It is inadequate to be
the government of anyone else!' John Adams: Signer of the Declaration of
Independence and America's second Christian President
'And can the liberties of a
nation be thought secure if we have removed their only firm basis; a conviction
in the mindsets of Americans that these liberties are the gift of God!'
Thomas Jefferson: Principal author of the Declaration of Independence and
American's third Christian President
'Before any man can be considered
as a rightful member of a civil society, he must be considered to
be a subject of God.' James Madison: Signer of the Constitution and
America's fourth Christian President
'The Bible is the best of all
books. Read it and regulate your life by it. In the interest of our Christian
nation and it's government, it is our privilege and
duty to prefer Christian leadership.' John
Jay: Christian Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
'There can be to substitute for
Christianity. It was the religion of the founders of the Republic and they
expected it to remain so with their descendants.' House of
Representatives Judiciary Committee Report....March 1854
Blessed is the nation whose God
is the Lord. (Psalm 33:12)
--------------------------------
When I say I am a
Christian:
I'm not saying I know it all or that I'm so smart.
I'm a sinner. I've repented. I received Jesus into my
heart!
I'm not talking about the future and anything I might
get.
I only say Jesus died for me. He took my place. He
paid my debt!
I'm not being self-righteous, boastful, and proud.
I travel a different
road. I don't follow the crowd!
I'm not trying to
build myself up to look big or strong.
I have weaknesses. I pray for mercy. I know to whom I
belong!
The Christian life
isn't easy. I often take it on the chin.
Few people seriously
consider it. Few enter in!
I'm not pressuring you to listen. You wouldn't easily
understand.
I simply represent
the One who called me out. He holds my hand!
I'm not saying that I don't sin or feel heartache,
loss, and pain.
Troubles and failures I have. I cry out in prayer. In
Jesus Name!
I'm not thinking
about such things as prosperity or rewards as I speak.
I just thank God for
His forgiveness and grace. This, I humbly seek!
I'm not sitting in
judgment of you. This is very true.
Only God has that authority. I can't have my own point
of view!
I'm not putting you down or pointing a finger in
foolish pride.
I'm humbly saying I've been adopted. In His family, I
abide!
I'm saying I care about you. I love you. And I just
want you to know.
You're on my mind and in my heart. These thoughts I
can't let go!
God loves you. He died for you. His child He would
have you be.
Believing in Him! Following Him! Born again! Set free!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good works
and behavior:
If
I'm stopped for driving at a high rate of speed, there's a fine to be paid. If I
rob a bank, there's a prison sentence to be served. If I hunt/fish without a
license, there's a penalty forthcoming. What if I live a long life and I'm
never guilty of those things? Will there be a reward for staying out of
jail? Will the governor give me an award for not robbing a
bank? After fifty years of clean living, will I be invited to the state capital
and given a plaque and a dinner for good behavior? No! I've only
done that which is expected of me by
society. This doesn't require any special notice or
commendation from the government.
In
the same way, mankind will not be rewarded with the opening of heaven's door
because of good works and behavior. Staying out of trouble with the
law, giving to charity, being an excellent parent, feeding the hungry, and
volunteering personal services only describe someone who is a credit
to his community and an outstanding citizen. It doesn't mean he
is a follower of Jesus Christ.
There
is a widespread belief today that if I'm good enough, if I keep my nose clean,
if I compare myself to a lower class, if I count vises and find I have
fewer than my neighbor, if I put my name on a church roll, then I will attain
heaven. But good works are not good enough!
The key that unlocks the door of Heaven
is in the nail-scared hands of Jesus Christ! Period! By
receiving and believing in Him, my Savior takes my hand in His and
presents me to my Heavenly Father.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An armed
nation
At
its foundation, a civilized and safe society requires a code of conduct rooted
in deeply held moral and ethical values. This results in a populace who have a
clear sense of right and wrong and whose behavior reflects a background of love
and discipline. Such was the case through most of our nation's history. No
longer! America has become a very dangerous and violent nation. Many of its
young people are irresponsible, immature, mentally unstable, and out of
control. Drug addiction and alcohol consumption are behind much of the crime.
2012 was a particularly deadly year.
More
than ever, personal protection has become important away from home. The most
effective way to protect yourself, family, and friends
in our increasingly uncivilized and unsafe nation is to carry a firearm. This
is done through either 'open-carry' or 'concealed-carry'. Carrying firearms out
in the open, usually holstered on a belt, is legal in forty-four states. After
a background check, these guns are registered with the local sheriff's
department. Concealed-carry requires obtaining a CWP or concealed weapon
permit. Applicants are expected to bear the cost of passing a written test,
being fingerprinted, practical training firing a weapon, and an extensive
background check.
On
the whole, states which allow both open-carry and concealed-carry of handguns
are safer places to live. Georgia and North Carolina are examples of this wise
legislation. Their violent crime rates are lower than South Carolina which
prohibits the open-carry of guns. In my opinion, if responsible law-abiding
armed American citizens everywhere were allowed to frequent places of business
such as restaurants, theaters, and malls, murder and mayhem would greatly
decline. Anyone standing or sitting nearby with a weapon could be far more
effective saving lives than dozens of police officers in route.
School
children, especially, should be protected by every means possible in today's
violent society. The loss of life in the Sandy Hook elementary school tragedy
may have been cut in half or even less if the principal and teachers had been
armed. When someone begins a violent shooting rampage, the quickest response to
minimize death and injury is to shoot back immediately. In Utah, Kansas, and in
sixteen other states, school teachers who have permits can carry handguns into
the classrooms. Those kids are much safer. Guns, in the hands of mature,
responsible, and disciplined persons, can save the lives of our nation's
precious children.
In
their fanatical desire to change everything about America, many far-left
leaders, including our President, will use any political opportunity, even a
tragedy, to advance a socialistic agenda. Through executive order if necessary,
the shameless President would circumvent Congress and the nation's right to
bear arms.
The
soul of America is wrapped up in the freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness. Those freedoms have to be protected through the military, local
law enforcement, and by civilian readiness to defend oneself and others from
harm. It is a fact that gun control laws do not control guns in the hands of
killers. They simply disarm law-abiding citizens. More laws and social
engineering will not permanently fix a degenerate society gone wild after years
of immoral leadership and unwise rulings by politicians and judges!
I
believe the root of our violent and dangerous culture has its genesis in the
nation's homes. Tough love, through the discipline and correction of children,
has become a foreign concept. The Bible is tossed aside and unread. Violent
videos, vulgar television programming, and profane movies entertain adolescent
minds. The result? Millions of America's young people
are undisciplined and morally bankrupt. And too many of them run amok killing
indiscriminately!
Apostasy
Apostasy means; a defiance of
authority; a defection, a rebellion, an abandonment or breach of faith. In
spiritual and religious matters concerning Christians, it is a falling away
from sound Biblical doctrine and righteous living. It is having only a form of
godliness. Many profess to know God but their lives deny and reject him.
Someone has said the opposite
of love isn't hate, but indifference! One sign of an apostate is that he
eventually falls away and departs from the truth of God’s Word and His
righteousness. The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that a great falling
away would precede the second coming. Jesus said that the end times would be
characterized by His children's lack of love for Him and for each other.
How are faithful Christians
to react in this trying time? Through God's wisdom and love, we are to attempt
to restore weaker Christians back into the fellowship of believers. We are to
proclaim what His Word says about error and sin. We are to be soldiers in the
army of God!
"When a person chooses
to move away from the warmth of a fire, the fire continues to glow and give
heat but the withdrawer becomes cold. When a person chooses to move away from a
light source, the light still shines but the mover finds himself
in the shadows or even in total darkness. So it is when people withdraw from
the presence of God or reject Him outright!" Augustine
Falling away:
'The last days will be
difficult times. Men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of their money, and
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God'. (2Timothy 3:1-4)
'They left us because they
weren't a part of us; if they had been, they would have remained. By their
actions, it was shown they are not of us.' (1st John 2: 19)
'They profess to know God but
by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless
for any good deed.' (Titus 1:15/16)
'And then many will be
offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.' (Matthew 24:10)
'Sin will be rampant
everywhere and the love of many will grow cold'. (Matthew 24:12)
Restoration:
He restores my soul; He leads
me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23: 3)
If anyone wanders away from
the truth and is brought back, whoever brings the sinner back will save him
from death and his sins will be forgiven. (James 5:19-20)
God wants us to grow up,
speak the whole Truth, and tell it in Christ-like love. Christ is our leader
and our source. He keeps us together. (Ephesians 4: 15-16)
Judging:
Preach and teach the word of God.
Be prepared whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, exhort,
rebuke, and encourage your Christian family and friends. There will be times
when people will have no stomach for solid teaching but will fill up on
spiritual junk food, catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They'll turn
their backs on truth! (2 Timothy 4: 2-4)
===================================================================================================
Christian
peacemakers
The noun, peacemakers, is
found one time in the Bible. It basically means being an intercessor or
peacemaker between two or more people or groups of people. It is one who, with
a loving spirit, tries to mediate or counsel disputing or argumentative
persons.
The meaning of being a
peacemaker can be misunderstood or misinterpreted. Some groups, such as the
Jehovah Witnesses, take it to mean non-aggressiveness, being pacifists, and
refusing to serve in the military. Was Jesus a pacifist? No! Through Solomon,
God said that there is a time for hate and a time for war! Furthermore Jesus
said, 'Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not
come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his
father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law---a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household’.
In one on one communication
with a brother or sister in Christ, some Christians think being a peacemaker
disallows any correction or rebuke of attitudes or behavior because it would
probably be offensive. However, followers of Christ, speaking the truth in
love, are called to fight the good fight and keep the faith. We are soldiers in
the army of God.
Study Verses:
Matt 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For
they shall be called sons of God. (NKJV)
Matt 5:9
“You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or
fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's
family.” (MSG)
Matt 5:9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. (NLT)
1 Cor 5:11-13
11 But now I have written to you not to keep company
with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not
even to eat with such a person.
12 For what have I to do with judging
those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?
13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil
person.”
(NKJV)
1 Cor 5:11-13
11 But I am saying that you shouldn't act as if
everything is just fine when one of your Christian companions is promiscuous or
crooked, is flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and
predatory. You can't just go along with this, treating it as acceptable
behavior. 12 I'm not responsible for what the outsiders
do, but don't we have some responsibility for those within our community of
believers? 13 God decides on the outsiders, but we need
to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house.
(MSG)
==============================================================
Shameful greed by televangelists.....
It seems to me that the
prosperity message presented by many preachers and teachers is well off the
mark. Appealing to the emotions, the Christian faith is reduced to a 'what's in
it for me' religion. Obviously, there's plenty in it for several
televangelists.
David Cerullo,
son of Morris Cerullo, and president and CEO of the
Inspiration Network, has built a two million dollar lakefront home in South
Carolina. The Cerullos also live in a reported 12,000-square-foot,
$1.7 million home in Charlotte, NC.
Televangelist Jesse Duplantis is building a $3 million dollar 35,000 square
foot mansion in Louisianna. He also owns luxury
vehicles, motorcycles, and a personal jet to get around the country.
Creflo Dollar owns a Rolls-Royce, a private jet, a million
dollar home in Atlanta, and a 2.5 million dollar home in New York City.
Televangelist Kenneth
Copeland knows a thing or two about material opulence. The Fort Worth area
multimillionaire flies around the world in a $20 million dollar jet, one of
five planes that he owns. He makes plenty of use of his own private airport. He
drives luxury cars and owns a fleet of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. He relaxes
in a $6 million dollar 18,000 square-foot lakeside parsonage. His bedroom has
an eight foot television screen that retracts into the ceiling. It is said that
his home furnishings are worth more than the average price of a middle class
residence.
Benny Hinn
runs the largest evangelistic organization in the world. He is worth many
millions of dollars. Like most other evangelists, he is not a member of the
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. He lives in a $12 million
oceanfront hacienda in southern California, travels by private jet, and stays frequently
in presidential suites costing thousands of dollars a night.
A believe it and receive it
or name it and claim it theology works quite well for these preachers!
A prudent and common sense
lifestyle is spurned by these men who wallow in opulence. The mature wise
Christian knows that true Biblical prosperity has very little to do with money.
Indeed, no Bible Scripture instructs Believers to pray for money and riches!
The genuine humility of a
mature saint of God is the greatest testament of the true character of the
Christian faith!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Personal Relationship/Salvation
Experience
James,
It's nice to hear from you. You truly are
a deep thinker. I have asked myself some of these same questions. For what it
is worth, here are my opinions about the “Salvation experience and a Personal
Relationship with God”.
The “Salvation experience” greatly varies
from individual to individual in regard as to whether its
in public or private and in with respect to emotion ( crying,
shouting, dancing) or a subdued reaction displaying a calm decision to follow
Jesus. Factors include the age of the convert and background and culture.
Obviously, there's very likely to be a big difference between a twelve-year old's Conversion and one by a converted thirty year old who
might be an alcoholic or drug addict or a victim of abuse from the past.
To some extent, I think many Christians
have a secret 'envy' of other Christians who receive Christ and 'come out of
the gate' on fire for God. Many of these folks also seem to receive more of the
Gifts of the Spirit, such as being ''''Baptized in the Holy Spirit and speaking
in Tongues'.
We must remember that God didn't form us
to be exact mirrors of each other.
Psalm
33:16-15 From
the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He
fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.
Personally, other than the Bible, the most
important book I ever read was “My Upmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers.
He firmly believed in having a personal relationship with Jesus. He also
emphasized the importance of God's Mercy and even Pity, more than His
Blessings. The following are a few of his statements:
Guard jealously your relationship to
God......Paul was devoted to a Person, not to a cause......The comradeship of
God is made up out of men who know their poverty....Being born again from above
is a perennial, perpetual and eternal beginning; freshness all the time in
living.....It is not sufficient to know that God has redeemed the world and to
know that the Holy Spirit can make all that Jesus did effectual in me; I must
have the basis of a personal relationship to Him.....
I have often wondered if highly educated
people don't over-think about theology. John ---- might be doing that. Even
with the best intentions, I think that people can “grasp at straws” over
something that they might not completely understand. Someone once said, “The
most simple truths of the gospel, as to man's sinfulness and God's
mercy, repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, stated in
the plainest language, suit the people better than deeper mysteries.
Our salvation comes to us, through the
Holy Spirit, individually/personally by the Grace and Mercies of God. Since He
chooses us individually, we should seek a close/personal relationship with Him.
The greatest joy and praise is always personal.
Someone said, “The Lord's watchful eye is
over those whose conscientious fear of His Name proceeds from a believing hope
in His Mercy.” In my own life, I've prayed for God's Mercy and Pity more than
anything else, by a wide margin.
James, I trust that this message touches
your spirit man. Thank you for your e-mails from time to time. God bless and
love to you.
In Christ,
Don
=================================================
Don’s Parable (Don Hiers): This was
written by a friend of mine. I thought
it should be offered to you. DE
The following is a
story about a prison warden.......or is it?
Disguised as one of the
prisoners, the prison warden had been living in the general prison population for
some time. While taking a walk one day in the prison yard, he called a young
prisoner over to him.
He said, "I'm much
more than who I appear to be. I am the prison warden. I've been watching
everyone and you seem to want to straighten out your life. My records show that
the rest of your family are also in prison." He
held up a document. "This is both a pardon and an adoption. I would very
much like to make you a part of my family. "The document was read,
highlighting the forgiveness for crimes and the freedom to start a new life in
a new family. The warden said, "Before this document can be placed in my
official book of records with your name written in it, there are several
important things that I need to explain."
"First, you have to
believe that I am who I say that I am!" Then he took off his disguise. He
continued, "Many prisoners will recognize me as being the warden but they
will not honor me or fear me or willingly obey me. It is vital that, in your
decision to believe, you accept my word as truth and receive it into your
heart. Only in that way can we truly have a relationship. I have to know that
you are repentant. I need to know that you will turn away from crime."
"Secondly, as both your
warden and your father, I would give you my family's book about how to live in
the outside world. In it, you would find that, as I have forgiven you, so you
must forgive others. You would learn that the pride of life and of self only
leads back to prison. You would find that a humble and contrite spirit ushers
in a life of peace and contentment and a love that passes understanding."
"Thirdly, you need to
understand that responsibility would accompany your freedom. I'd expect you to
follow both the laws of the land and obey my instructions for living. You would
be expected to work for your food, clothing, and shelter. You would be expected
to bring honor to me through your daily choices and actions. You are not set
free to do nothing!"
"Lastly, I'd like to
hear you say that you would communicate with me regularly about any problems
you might have or progress that you are making. My door would always be open to
you. Just knock. Keeping in touch is very important."
"Finally, assuming we
come to an agreement on the above conditions, there is a very important
obligation on my part.
Since I adopted you, I make a
covenant to help you in any way that I can. I'll never leave you or turn my
back on you. I'll help provide your physical needs and be there for you in
times of distress, especially in sickness and in death. Forever!"
================================================
Over
simplified message of Salvation...
This short message was
written by my friend Don Hiers. Don gets to the point very quickly and very
accurately (D.E.):
It is my opinion that, in the
last sixty years or so, an over
simplified salvation of 'belief' has been preached and taught. It
has been called 'making a decision for Christ'. However, it seems to me that
for a person to be adopted into the family of God, a genuine conversion of the
heart is required. Millions have joined churches but the great question is
how many truly received the 'Spirit of Christ' into their hearts. Almost
everyone in our nation believes that there is a God and that there was a
man named Jesus. But using the intellect is not enough. The bible talks about
accepting and receiving Christ with a child-like faith. It is about
'relationship'.
The Christian faith has to be
the toughest religion on earth
to try to understand. Even followers of Christ wrestle with some of
its concepts and precepts. Perhaps hardest of all to understand; our actions
and reactions to the world around us is expected to be the exact opposite of the
unbeliever/pagans among us.
If asked, the
vast majority of the people of our country refer to themselves as
being Christians. Millions have their names on church rolls.
However, multiplied thousands are indifferent, silent,
and saltless.
Sadly, because 'self' is still on the throne of the heart,
they are ruled by their feelings and follow the 'prevailing winds of
opinion'. Having a foolish pride/ego, they can be very easily
offended. Many are unconcerned about sodomites parading in the streets
demanding marriage rights. The killing of innocent human babies may not
bother their conscience or influence their vote. If upset, many use the
same vile profanity of the world. Many others live together in 'open'
fornication.
The true Believer will honor and fear and willingly obey the
Word of Truth. He'll also be repentant for sins. He'll hunger for God's
wisdom, acquired through prayerful bible study. Salvation is an ongoing maturing process that
never ends, quite beyond the initial conversion experience. May we
ask God to enable us to prove ourselves his children.