Pen of Iron

Do you know the above chorus. It is one of my favorites. It goes something like this.
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart's desire
and I long to worship Thee

The chorus is based on Psalm 42. to the Chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. Probably you know by now that my favorite psalms are those penned by none other than the sons of Korah. These children has experienced great calamity in their childhood (read Numbers 16) but it did not drive them to depression or insanity. Instead they wrote the most sentimental and loveliest psalms of all. Looks for them ranging from psalms 42 passing through psalm 45 up to psalm 88.

It is my first Sunday in CR. I am out on a picnic with this family. They drive to Cartago, a very beautiful mountainous area of Costa Rica. On the way the lady of the house and her son insist they want to drive me by the church of Mary of Los Angeles. The sixteen year old son tells me the legend on the way. Here's what I remember, and I know the details are not accurate because I could not believe my ears as the young man went on with the story.

There is this little girl who found the virgin, a black virgin statue, and the virgin told her to build her a church. The girl tells the priest who begins to build a huge church at some location, but due to earthquakes and some natural events, it was evident that the virgin was not happy with the location of the church. As we passed by an immense unfinished building, I am told that this was the location of the original church. Pillars are still erected but the building is not completed. They kept losing the virgin and finding her in a different location. It was as if the virgin was telling them it is here in this location that I want my church built. And indeed we drive along and we reach the church of Mary of Los Angeles. A huge monument with a vast out court that is reminicent of the vatican but on a smaller scale. All I long I am praying in my heart. Lord I don't want to be rude to my hosts, what shall I do. The van pulls in to the parking lot, and we are expected to get off. As we walk through the big outer court, I am told that in August people walk for days to this location, and they spend days in the open court, sleeping in the open area as they pray and ask for answers to prayer.

The tour begins, and I am feeling uneasy. We are led around the church through the outer courts. One thing catches my eye. Up on the wall to my left hand side is a huge sentence in Spanish. Upon looking at it closely, I realize it is the first verse of Pslam 42, the one I quoted above. This is wierd, I thought to myself. Then we are led to a grove, a cave with the virgin (a small black statue in the middle, surrounded by trees (groves) and the cave is fenced, but underneath it are tubes where water is gushing out. Drink, was the ivitation. This is holy water. No. Thank you, I said. As we walked away I saw about ten different persons carrying empty bottles, jugs, gallons etc. making their way to fill their cup with that water. I felt very sorry and still uneasy I was almost in tears for these people. Then I am led to an inner building and on the sides are like galleries containing huge statues of the little girl who found the virgin. Then the virgin herself (another statue), and the story of the little miracle is written on one wall for tourists to read.

The tour continues, and now I am standing infront of about six wall mounted cabinets, with glass doors that are locked. Against the wall of each of these cabinets hangs little trinkets or pieces of silves made into various shapes of body parts. These are the body parts which the virgin had healed. Legs, arms, hearts, livers, kidneys, breasts, fingers you name it. I have never seen something like this in my life. I am feeling very disturbed, but don't know what to say.

Thankfully my host did not invite me into the church. I guess she was told I am a baptist and she had this much respect for my faith, so she did not push. But all this time, I am puzzled and wondering what shall I do. How can I talk to these people about their faith in which they are so entrenched without offending them. At some point, the lady of the house takes her younger daughter to the bathroom, and I am left there with the son and another teenage daughter. By now we had made our way back to the original big outer court, and I see that verse again.

Then it hit me. I looked at the son and said. Do you notice something about this place? Look I said the verse is talking about panting after God, but everything else around here points to what you have been calling "the virgin" which as a matter of fact is only a statue. If I bust it with a hammer, it will turn to powder that is powerless to do any miracle at all. From there on, I went to tell him about the fact that these people are quoting scripture, but that scripture commands us not to have groves or statues. That these things are disobedience to God. I did what I could that afternoon. I gave the kids two tracts, and tried to impress upon their heart their need to read the Bible and find out what biblical truth was. I did not make much headway with that family but I did manage to talk to them about the fear of God and their need to read the Bible on another occasion. I hope and pray that somehow my testimony would have some sort of effect on them. It was very depressing for me to see how that almost every house I visited in CR had statues of the virgin, and of Joseph and of the maggi, and of Micheal and of God knows what in their homes.

I love the people in CR. They are a peaceful nation, very kind and sweet and friendly. May God send more workers to that country, a country very entrenched in catholicism. I should also not forget to praise him because he had reserved for himself three thousand knees that have not bowed down to Baal, as he had told Elijah.

As the deer pantenth for the water, so may the Lord grant these people to be thirsty for the word of God.

Posted by Consecrated at 8:26 PM | 2 comments    

I have been witnessing to my hair dresser for a minimum five years. I don't go there often, but we are looking at haircut every two or three months (yes my hair grows very long quickly). As a matter of fact he asked me on one occasion what is it I eat to make it grow so quickly.

I usually take the latest appointment at night when everyone else has finished. I just have my hair cut, no blow dry no nothing, because before you know I will wash my hair the next morning.No matter how sophisticated the hair-do is, it just won't last a couple of hours in shape.

The past Thursday was one of those occasions. By 8pm, I am done and ready to go home and when I came to the cash I don't remember what is he asked me but somehow the discussion focussed on whether Mary had or did not have children after Jesus. Oh yes, I believe he made made some remark about those cartoons which are causing a stir. When I told him Mary did have four boys plus daughters and that their names are mentioned in the Bible, his reply was, you speak like the Muslims. I never heard a Christian say that Mary did not remain a virgin. That's was when I picked up the subject of believing in the Bible as God's inspired word. Whehter God was a liar, and whether man was a liar. From there on the discussion focussed on the role of Jesus and how underestimated he was, how that the traditional churches have taught us false doctrine.

When he asked me what was the difference between my faith and the Catholic faith, I started down from the first commandment to every shred of detail you can think of. From images and idols, to forgetting the source of living water (that reminds me of another incident in CR about holy water and groves - will explain in yet another post) and digging for themselves cracked wells that don't hold water. I spoke about the Holy Father, where Jesus only once in the whole Bible called God the Father, the Holy Father. I passed by the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus the way, the truth and the life. Jesus the only door. Jesus the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name under heaven by which we might be saved. etc. etc. Till I reached Revelation where Jesus was now out the door. Every so-called saint and teaching was in, and Jesus was out. Knocking at the door, he stands.

As the man sat at the cash, I stood there for forty minutes. I still recall every word I said. What is most gratifying was the feeling that overwhelmed me. I just knew God had poured out his spirit. Jesus had told his disciples not to worry what to say when they are brought forth before kings and rulers. In this case I was before a simple hairdresser, but I knew it was God speaking through me as I went on and on. At one point I touched on the subject of the believers in Berea who were more noble than the others because "they searched the scriptures every day to see if these things were so". He asked me for the reference. IN the book of Acts, I replied. We are commanded to search the scriptures. Paul said if an angel from heaven preaches to us things that are not according to the Bible, we are not to believe him. Let him be anathema.

It is so sad to see that fery vew people realize how high the cost was for us to have a Bible in our hands. I recounted how Bloody Mary used to kill all those in whose possession they found a Bible, and how she dipped their thumb in their own blood, and smeared their own Bible with the blood of the martyr himself. Read Fox's book of Martyrs or any other book on the church history. People paid with their blood for us to have the liberty of reading the Bible. Read that Bible. By the time I was finished, the man looked up and said, I guess I am going to read that Bible and see.

I had a feeling Alain was keeping all the words in his heart. Pls. pray for him as I sincerely believe the man is very close to getting saved.

Posted by Consecrated at 11:43 AM | 3 comments    

I wasted no time as my next seat neighbor sat in his aircraft window seat beside me from El Salvador to Toronto. He had exused himself in Spanish as I stepped into the aisle to allow him passage. I rummaged in my purse and picked two Spanish tracts (I was well prepared for my trip) and handed them to him. Politely he took them both and as the flight attendant and video was going on with the usual flight instructions he was reading the tracts, and I was praying. Suddenly he looks up and me, and in English he says Thank You. I said do you understand what this is talking about, he said yes. He flipped one tract to the back and pointed to the name of my church, and said, my parents are like you. I said what do you mean. He said my parents are Baptists. They live in Guatemala where I had been visiting my mom and dad. So are you saved, I asked again. Not yet was the reply.

So I gave two English tracts to read, and I said, if you have any questions pls. feel free to ask me. The flight was about four hours and a half to Toronto. For the first two hours he fell asleep, then he woke up with a headache. In my purse I had Advil ready for him, but he needed water. Again I had a bottle of water on me. You name it. I had it. I was prepared for healing any kind of discomfort you might face. After his headache went away, he started talking again. First the questions were on a personal level, about my family status, and of course I asked him all about him, and I found out that his parents had been praying for him. He was a sweet young fellow, married young, divorced, has a child, living with a girlfriend, working in a factory, but I could tell he had the fear of God in him. As time went by, he started opening up, and he asked me all sorts of questions about which Bible is the correct Bible, dispensations, salvation etc. you name it. I gladly obliged. I spoke loud and I noticed that the lady in the seat infront pushed back her seat to get a clearer audience. I love it when people do that. By the time we started our descent into the Pearson Airport in Toronto, the guy had intimated to me that he loves God, and that he has asked the Lord to save him at some point. The fellow had not grown however.

I encouraged him to find a good Bible believing Church. Then he asked me if I had tracts in the Indian language, because his co-workers were all Indian. I apologized but I said I could give him more English tracts. I opened my purse and gave him some more. He noticed all sorts of tracts on me. Can I have a copy of this and that. Sure. By the time I landed in Toronto, I had emptied my purse of all the tracts which I had left on me. Thankfully, I kept one for emergy purposes, which the shuttle driver was fortunate to get. Henry was all excited when we parted. He was going to call his mother in Guatemala as soon as he arrived home in Toronto. He was going to tell his teary mother that God was waiting for him on the airplane, that as soon as he sat down, there was this Christian lady who handed him two tracts in Spanish, and later two tracts in English, and later emptied her purse into his lap.

Please pray for Henry that he might indeed find a good Bible teaching church and put his life in order.

Posted by Consecrated at 9:50 AM | 2 comments    

I arrived in Toronto late on Sunday night, took the shuttle to the Holiday Inn. I am alone on the shuttle, and the driver is curious asking me all sorts of questions. What do I do for a living. How many languages do I speak etc. Just to be polite, I asked the man if he owned the shuttle. He replied in the negative, and went on to explain to me that he works for an East Asian man who himself used to work on the shuttle service for eighteen hours a day, but that now he owns his own company, while he was just working for him. To be honest, I was not exactly in a talking mood that night, then when came back with the question if I taught languages (seeing I could speak four of them), I said No. But I do teach Sunday School. I teach the word of God. Funny enough, my own answer perked me up, however I sincerely believe it was God's spirit doing the work in me for the man was all curious.

Talking about his rich employer, I said, some people hit gold on this earth and some others hit gold in the life to come. The streets in New Jerusalem where the saints will live eternally are made of pure gold, the gates are made of one big pearl each. There will be no sighing, no pain, no tears, no sorrows in heaven. Here is the catch. Tonight you are taking me to the Holiday Inn. There is a reservation in my name. Whether I show up or not, the company will settle the bill with the hotel management. Same with Jesus. He has made a reservation for all who will come to New Jerusalem. On the cross he cried and said: It is finished. The price is paid in full, the Bible says that God so loved us that he sent his only begotten son etc. Do you have a Bible I asked, yes he said. Do you believe that the Bible is the word of God. Yes. Do you read the Bible. I am a Christian. Are you saved? I am a Catholic. Are you a saved Catholic? What does that mean. Well if you happen to die tonight, do you know where you are going. To heaven, I hope. You mean you don't know? Who can tell. That's why you need to read your Bible. God is not a liar. Jesus is calling out etc. etc. Before dropping me the man was so interested. I have always wanted to read the Bible, he said. I had one last tract left on me, The Burning Hell. I gave it to him and as he drove off, I kept thanking God for an unexpected opportunity to witness, and paying for the man's salvation. Never got his name, but I can see him vividly as I write these notes. Pls. pray for him too if you got a minute.

In another post I'll tell about a young man who sat in the seat beside from El Salvador to Honduras. A very interesting encounter.

Posted by Consecrated at 9:33 AM | 2 comments    

It has been a short while since I got back from Costa Rica, and if I don't do this today, I'll probably not have time at all to do it at all. To begin with I want to thank all those who prayed for me on my trip. God took control from the moment I left home throughout every segment of my trip all the way back home God was there for me, protecting me, providing for me, and best of all using me to tell about his glory and grace. God gave me so many many witnessing opportunities that I want to share with all of you so I will list them as they come to my mind.

On arriving in San Jose, I was assigned a driver who would take me to the mall because I wanted to buy a couple of T-shirts. Having left Montreal in mid January I had not taken much account of the warm tropical weather. Somebody has told me they were experiencing unexpected cool weather, so by Montreal standards, it turned out their cool weather was like a summer's day for me. My colleague was willing to take me to the mall, but when I asked him to just drop me off, he insisted he would not leave me alone and that I was in his care. (Again my Montreal standards, I had not realized how gracious the Lord was unto me in providing me with a local guide and protection). I asked him if he was used to shopping with ladies, and whehter he had a wife or daughterThe answer was that he was seeing doctors because him and his wife would love to have a baby. Not knowing anything about his background I suggested to him that I knew one excellent way of having children. Prayer to the Lord Jesus. Well what do you expect was the reply. "I read the Bible. I am a Baptist born again believer. The majority here are Catholics". I was floored. I said "Are you saved?". He sure was. I jumped in my seat, gave him a big hug, and said let's pray right now. After we closed our eyes and I prayed in English and he prayed in Spanish, he looked up and thanked me. No one has ever prayed for me before like that, he said. We both rejoiced as wife later joined us and we visited their home where the three of us also knelt and prayed. That was the beginning, and a pattern of praying and witnessing development right from the start and throughout my stay in San Jose.

The next morning, the Director of the office where I was supposed to go for training picked me up. In the car, I gave him a Spanish Bible which I had brought for him, and without wasting any time, I told the man that I was in San Jose on a mission from God as well as on mission from my employers. The man froze in his seat. I did not understand why at that point. Anyway I gave him the message of salvation, and told him he needed to be born again. He thanked me for the Bible, and said that he used to have one, but that he had lost it a long time ago. It did not take the Lord much time to reveal to me why the man froze in his seat. The very next day my former colleague drove me to work and on the road he told me that together these two gentlemen had been to a church where the gospel was being preached, that Mr. Director had come forward upon an invitation and that he was given a Bible, but that was it. He never grew, he never walked with God. My driver was his friend from childhood and he was sincerely convinced that God is visiting his friend once again with a call to repentance.

And so the story goes, at every turn of the way, God was putting people in my path. Here's another occasion which I love. The last Saturday I was in Costa Rica (CR) I was offered to go on a field trip of my choice. I opted to go to the Volcano Arenal, an active volcano. I was told (and had seen pictures on the internet) that this volcano is constantly fuming, and at times spits red lava. The latest eruption had been 15 December 2005. Also that out of the volcano stream waterfalls of hot water. A very nice resort existed in the region, inside thick rain forest, and we could spend the day there. After three hours drive we got to Fortuna village which overlooks Arenal. Unfortunately it was raining all day, it was cloudy so I did not get to see the greying vocano, and we could not climb up to wherever limit tourists were allowed to climb. However we did get a chance to spend the day in the thermal waters at this resort. It was raining from above but we were (two girls from the office had come along, and we were offered a driver and a car) jumping from laguna to laguna and just lazed in the pools of hot water, while cold water was raining upon us from above. The green thick trees surrounding us were beautiful. Colorful flowers everywhere. Tourists mostly from the States were there. We had a great time. At some point, after having prayed also for a witnessing opportunity, I looked at the girls and said: Imagine how hot this water is coming out from the earth. I wonder how hot hell would be like. That did it. Immediately I was asked about hell and if it truly existed, and for probably the next twenty minutes I gave them a whole speal about the existence of heaven and hell and their need for salvation. I treasure this witnessing opportunity because it is one odd place where God has used me to speak about his goodness. I even thought of beginning a post asking people what and where was the wierdest place they had ever witnessed to somebody.

This post is getting to be very long, I'll have to pick up my diary in another post.

Posted by Consecrated at 10:55 PM | 2 comments    

Posted by Redeemed at 10:14 PM | 6 comments    

I have taken the liberty to here transpose a post by Revelation 2:17 from the Bible Studies
As suggested by Redeemed, posting on the front page of the blog gets more attention.Comments are welcome.P.S. Am back in Montreal, but haven't had time to brief you all. Will do so asap.
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The "deep" in the Bible sometimes refers to a great body of water beyond the heavens, sort of in space and beyond it.
It is associated with the earth when God jammed everything up in

Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

We read

Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

A flood also came in from outer-space. There's no way those windows are clouds. The Bible describes clouds and the evaporation cycle a number of times, never like this. Besides, it seems there were no clouds and rain on the pre-Noah's flood earth.


Genesis 8:2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

Now

Job 38:30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

What ocean do you know with a frozen surface?????????????????????????
This is a frozen firmament in space. This is that sea of glass you read about in


Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

God, speaking about Satan as Leviathan says to Job

Job 41:31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
:32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

Hoary means white or whitish.

When's the last time you saw a white ocean? The Mediterranean sea is called the Great White Sea. I see it everyday, it ain't white.

This is not upon earth,,, no LochNess monster here my friends, this is in the waters above your heads, the waters of

Genesis 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Those are they spoken of in

Psalm 148:4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

HeavenS is plural, this is no water in the sky.

And note that Psalms are AFTER Noah's flood. There are still waters above the heavens today.

Leviathan, Satan, leaves a blazing WHITE path behind his serpentine trail through space. Milky Way, anyone?

Having shuffled through Peter Ruckman's outstanding commentary on Job, I leaned back thinking upon the Bible. Suddenly the answer to something I had wondered about in Luke 8 flashed in my mind. I was confused about the 2 following verses dealing with the demon-possessed "Legion"


Luke 8:30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
:31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

and

Luke 8:33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

The devils feared the deep (supposedly ocean), yet they rush into water moments later!
Why would they fear the deep but not the lake (Mark calls it a sea)?

I think those evils besought Jesus not to be sent "out into"(v.31) space. They feared being sent into the deep of heaven, as in "deep space". It wasn't so much the water they feared; in fact devils have an affinity for water as can be gathered from the Bible.
Why they feared being commanded to go "out into" the deep in space I can't tell;
most simply maybe, because demons seek embodiement of flesh; what would they embody in space? Who knows, there might be other more terrible reasons.

There is so much more to see between Job and Genesis.

What a great book that King James Bible

Posted by Consecrated at 11:32 AM | 9 comments    

Posted by Redeemed at 10:02 PM | 4 comments    

Posted by Redeemed at 8:45 PM | 5 comments    

Posted by Redeemed at 7:20 AM | 5 comments    

Seriously the country is far more beautiful than I ever imagined. As the plane was hovering, you could seethe beautiful mountain ranges beneath. The most beautiful landing sight I have seen in my life. I have been to many countries in Europe, the Middle East and North America, and parts of Africa. Never in my life have I seen a nature more picturesque. As my friends drove me to their home, I felt breathless. The country is just beautiful.

I am here on a business trip this time. I think I will want to spend more time as a tourist some other time. This quick note is just to brief you that I am safe in the former Banana Republic.

Posted by Consecrated at 9:38 PM | 2 comments    

"In Esau's attempted fratricide, we again detect that peculiar undergound vibration which began with the words of Genesis 3:15. Abel is killed to get rid of the seed (Gen. 4). Angels mix with the races to pervert the seed (see Gen. 6:1-6). Ham ruins his seed (Gen. 12). Abraham nearly ruins it himself (Gen. 16:1-6). Lot makes the grade (Gen. 19.) Then Abimelech tries twice (Gen. 20, 26). Abraham almost destroys the right seed (Gen. 22), and now Esau is out for blood! Someone is anxious to prevent Genesis 3:15 from being fulfilled."

Posted by Redeemed at 8:53 PM | 2 comments    

In my suitcase I have packed four Spanish Bibles (Reina Valera 1960 edition, which I believe is the KJV equivalent for Spanish-speaking people). Two of these Bibles are gifts to colleagues in Costa Rica where I am going to spend one week for "on-the-job" training purposes. The two spare Bibles I hope to give to whoever the Lord leads me to. At first I was stunned when one colleague told me he didn't have a Bible. How can anyone Not have a Bible, I wondered. As I researched more, I realized how Catholic Costa Rica is. I surfed the internet hoping to find a Baptist English speaking church where I could worship on Sunday, but came up with none. I only found one reference to a Spanish speaking Fundamental Baptist church and I am not sure whether it is close to San Jose or not.

Anyway, I would like to ask for your prayers next week. My colleague has three children, and most likely his wife has never heard the gospel before either. I sensed a real tenderness towards God from this particular colleague, and I am praying for open doors as I spend time with his family next week. As outspoken as I am about the Lord, sometimes the old self takes over. The training coordinator who is in charge of my trip is a lovely lady. She came to Montreal in December and we really got along well together. I do hope that she would be receptive to the gospel when I give her the beautiful leather Bible which I bought having her in mind. I will also be spending a lot of time with her, and I don't have any specific indication as to what her response would be to the gospel. In her case I am stepping into the unknown.

I am excited about this business trip. I have never been to Latin America. This will be my first trip to a Spanish speaking country, and I am looking forward to a spanish immersion experience, with my meagre Spanish language skills. Because I sometimes think of helping out at an orphanage in Honduras (even if on small missions) I feel this trip could be of particular significance. Costa Rica is definitely very different from Honduras, but who knows, may be God is allowing me this trip for a reason.

Please pray for travelling mercies and open doors as I head to Costa Rica this week end. Will give you a report on my return.

Posted by Consecrated at 9:15 PM | 3 comments    

I am reading Exodus Chapter 18, and one enigma character for me has always been Jethro, Moses' father in law. I never knew what to make of this man's counsel. On the outside appearance it looked sensible, but I always suspsected there was something sinister hidden about that man. I mean, a Midianite shows up out of the blue, gives advice to Moses, claims what Moses is doing is not good (v.17), but asks Moses to listen to him (v.19) and he will give him counsel (v.19), and God will be with him. The son-in-law listens to him, then when the time comes for God's goodness to begin to happen, Jethro opts out and decides not to stay (Numbers 10:30).

Today I can see through the man, i.e. Jethro or Raguel (don't know if the double name means double meaning either). Jethro's advice reminds of what happened in Numbers 16. Will get to that in a minute. Let's look at his advice to Moses once again but a different perspective. "Why sittest thou... and all the people stand...(v.14) (implying that Moses was lording it over the laity). Again, this thing is too heavy for thee (v.18) (implying I care for your welfare).

The sons of Korah had the same argument. Numbers 16:3 "ye take too much upon you" All the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them; wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregration of the Lord?"

Back to Jethro v. 23 "If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so". In v. 19 he had said, I will give thee Counsel, v. 20 Thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws etc. God comes in last. Jethro talked about "it is not good". He never mentioned whether it was "right" or "wrong". Don't we hear that advice far too often.

In v. 24 Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. Unfortunately we don't read of Moses seeking God's face in this.

The discovery I made today is this. The most smooth, subtle Satanic attack on godly and able men of God could very easily come through family connections. Jethro's advice later caused the rebellion in Numbers 16.

What a warning. Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Posted by Consecrated at 10:42 AM | 8 comments    

Posted by Redeemed at 8:41 PM | 2 comments    

Posted by Redeemed at 10:30 PM | 11 comments    

Today is not a good day. My heart is breaking at the news of those courageous miners who lost their lives in West Virginia. I am praying for the young man to survive. It may be a comfort to the rest of the families although the horror of hearing what they might have gone through is terrifying.

My sympathies to all concerned.

Posted by Consecrated at 12:25 PM | 5 comments    

It is so good to know that life goes back to normal as of tomorrow. I do find the holiday season exacting at some point. With the cold winter weather officially in, and the city coming to almost a complete halt around New Year's, I get really bored (nothing unusual there). It is good to recharge our batteries in a way but I can't wait to go back to work tomorrow. Besides I am expecting a large shipment of tracts and I can't wait for the mail.

Every year I make it a point to read my Bible through. This past year I was able to finish it way before December. I have challenged myself to read it twice through this coming year. This of course is in addition to all the other Bible commentaries and good books that I can lay my hands on.

I was quite surprised when a dear church member told me that he didn't normally read the Law (the first five books of the OT) but he was going to do that in the New Year. I personally love the OT. It is full of real life stories, and being a story teller myself, I guess I find it very interesting. What is more is that many gems are hidden between the verses inside the geneaologies. Take the story of the sons of Korah who wrote the most sentimental and most beautiful psalms (somewhere between psalms 42 and 90). The story of their parents is written right there in Numbers 16, how their fathers did not want to be just levi(s) they wanted to be priests like Aaron and Moses. How they caused a riot and God's anger was kindled against them. How God sent fire and devoured them while the earth split and swallowed their possessions. How Moses was told to take the censors and beat them into a thin layer and cover the altar with the remains of those censors so they were a visible reminder of the punishment of rebellion. Yet the sons of Korah, when they grew up, they were not angry at God for what he had done to their parents, instead they write the most touching psalms.

Did you know that David was not the sole author of the psalms. The favourite chorus "As the deer panteth for the waters, so my soul panteth after thee was penned by the sons of Korah(Pslam 42). Despite their horrible childhood experience they could even sing "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, through the earth be removed etc (46). And guess who penned the most beautiful Song of love, the Maschil "My heart is inditing a good matter, I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pend of a ready writer. Thou are fairer than the children of men (Ps. 45). They rejoiced so much in him they also wrote "O clap your hands, all ye people, shout unto God with the voice of triumph" (Ps.47), and "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God "(Ps. 48), and "my soul longeth, year, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. ... Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well,... they go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God" (Ps. 84).

And it was not David who said "I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness". These were the sons of Korah in Psalm 84, verse 10. Many preachers have made this mistake quoting David to have said it.

Here's one more "Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God" (Ps. 87).

I don't know how I got on this rabbit trail, but it was refreshing to read them again. Hope you'd take the time to look up all the psalms written by the Sons of Korah, and that you'd challenge yourself to read the whole Book, from cover to cover, in the coming year.

Posted by Consecrated at 9:25 PM | 3 comments    

Posted by Redeemed at 4:41 PM | 1 comments    

Something very weird happened at my church last night. The way our watchnight service works is that as many men who want to can stand up and preach. Allow me not to go into the details but something happened last night that worried me. I started thinking about a few issues and realized that how demanding and probably very fanatic I am. You could also say I am not forgiving when it comes to fooling around when doing God's business. I do take God's work very very seriously, and I do not tolerate stupidities. May God forgive me for that, but this is my New Year's confession, I guess.

One thought triggered another, and another thought got me thinking about a number of issues that happened last year (in the church and with believers). One thought that bothered me was the following: Why can't I be tolerant of people's mistakes. Hasn't the Lord forgiven me a lot. And yet in my zeal for his holiness I get all worked up over issues that I and in the little understanding that I have find very offensive to his holiness and to his commandments. I look around me though and I find that I see eye-to-eye with only a select few. I read the Bible and I see in it clear cut black and white issues. I look at the world, and to them many things are fluid, grey areas. Our God is a God of truth. He is a consuming fire, and yet us humans we have the guts to defy what we read and disobey the commandments.

What happens is that I feel so helpless. I know I can't change the world so, like some of us, I turn to the blogsphere. I post my frustrations. I post my opinions. I post what I believe to be the true of word of God. There is nothing personal in what I write. I want to clarify that. I am not attacking anyone. I just vent my frustration. I see through a lot of issues that have gone by unnoticed by so many. Pls. don't get me wrong. I am not claiming to be self-righteous. I have my numerous flaws. But I want to say how lonely it can get if you take a stand for the truth.

There it is again. The word, Truth. I am the way, the truth and the life, Jesus said.

The Truth. That is what I pursue after. I chose the name code name consecrated because that's what I want my life to be like. Consecrated unto God. Apologies to all if I offended anyone on the way.

Posted by Consecrated at 3:39 PM | 3 comments    

Posted by Redeemed at 11:55 PM | 3 comments    

Here's an interesting thought which ties in with my previous post.
Scarlet + blue = purple

Scarlet is red, the color of the blood
Blue is the color of heaven
Mix the two colors together you get
Purple the color of royalty

Jesus is the lamb of God whose blood was shed on the cross. He is the son of God whose abode is in heaven. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Posted by Consecrated at 11:35 AM | 3 comments    

Psalms 45:14 - She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.

Exodus 39:29 - And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.

I love it when the Lord hits me with a gem from the word of God every now and then, and it gives me pleasure to share the nuggets.

The reference to needlework hit me this time. It was in the context of the church and how she shall be brought to the bridegroom arrayed in raiment of needlework. Ladies may find this thought particularly interesting, especially those who do crochet. My late grandmother used to crochet a lot, and she was always making table cloths and bed spreads (covers) for all her grandchildren and their wives.

Watching her doing a bed cover for me, I once noticed how she would take the time to do one unit a time, a flower or whatever design she had in mind, and then sew it on to the rest, one unit after another till she finished the whole thing. When it was over, the cover was a masterpiece. I treasure those pieces she gave me. As I reflect back on the years, I remember that when I first immigrated to Canada, and I was not sure I’d stay then, of the items that I had in my suitcase were a couple of needlework pieces that she had made for me.

This is what I gleaned from the reference in Psalm 45 as the reference to “needlework” hit home.

We are in the church age, and the Holy Spirit calls the Christians out on an individual basis. Unlike his dealing in the Old Testament or even in the Tribulation times where God dealt with the nation of Israel nationally, in the church age believers are called individually. Today jews and gentiles are baptized into one body, the body of Jesus Christ. We are his bride and we will be ushered in at the wedding arrayed in needlework. Think for a minute. Each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made, and yet each of us a member of the body. Just like the needlework my grandma did. God takes the time to work in each of our lives individually and he connects us with muscles and sinews all together into this one body.

I leave this verse with you.

Ephesians 4:16 - From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Posted by Consecrated at 10:35 AM | 10 comments    

I Corinthians 11: 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

This is a sticky issue, I know but I want to say this hoping that God's spirit would awaken some honest Christian to the truth and reality of the real issue at stake on Christmastime.

The whole world acknowledges that Dec. 25 is not the birth date of Jesus Christ, yet very few Christians take a stand. To all I want to send this reminder. The only commandment we have from God is to commemorate the Lord's death (never his birth) till he come.

I fail to see from the whole Word of God a direct, clear cut, specific commandment to "make merry" the "birthday" of Jesus.

A chilling reference to making merry and exchanging gifts is found in Rev. 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

The reader is free to draw his/her own conclusions.
"The Two Babylons" by Alexander Hislop is an excellent addition to your Christian library.

Posted by Consecrated at 6:51 PM | 8 comments    

Job 38:2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

Praise God who has this week exposed the dark counsel of man and charlatan scientists who wanted to meddle in what is purely HIS sovereign right. We all heard it. Pictures of cloning human stem cells are "intentionally fabricated" and "doctored". In other words, they are fake.

In the same week that a US judge ruled against teaching "intelligent design" in highschools as an alternative to evolution (still people are afarid to call it Creation although they admit that the issues are too complex). God exposed the falsehood of man's attempts at cloning humans let alone that of animals.

What a paradox of events. Three articles in the news in one week. Creation (called intelligent design by fearful men) is banned by a certain judge in classrooms. Doctored photos of human cloning are exposed in S.Korea, and still a science honours is awarded to studies that "illuminated the intricate workings of evolution". (hugh?).

What an outcry of the foolishness of man. Despite the fraud that was exposed to the whole world, they insist on refusing God his rightful place in the creation. Didn't we read the following quotes from the news media:
"Based on these findings, data in the 2005 Science journal cannot be regarded as a simple accidental error but as intentional fabrication made out of two stem cells".
"This is a serious wrongdoing that has damaged the foundation of science,".

What a far outcry from the truthful saying of the Word of God that tells the truth and there is no wrongdoing in it. God's word does not contain any single error, that is why you can trust it a 100%. God's word does not damange the foundation of science but reinforces it. Do you know why Galileo was put to the stake hundreds of years ago. It was because he argued that the earth was round that he was accused of evil possession. Some religious authorities never read the Bible.
Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Scientists are racing to obtain knowledge concerning the foundation of our existence, but they forget a key element. Its author and founder.

God finally confronted Job and this is where we get most knowledge about creation, much more than that of Genesis.

I hope everyone reading this post would take the time to read the last four chapters of Job. Here are just a few quotes which refer to lightning, outerspace where man is frantically trying to explore. Again look at Job 38:

3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

24By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?
25Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;
31Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?


How much clearer can it get folks?

"In the beginning GOD... (Gen 1:1)

Posted by Consecrated at 9:11 AM | 3 comments    

Did anybody read the news today.
Sir this and Sir that tying the knot. And people feeling proud? What is happening to the land that propagated the gospel? To the country that produced godly men like C.H. Spurgeon.
May the Lord have mercy on this world as conditions are rapidly approaching the state that prevailed during Lot's days.

Posted by Consecrated at 12:30 PM | 3 comments    

Hegel coined the term “Zeitgeist” or “spirit of the times” to denominate the concept of the sense, or rationality in the order of things and the succession of one state of affairs after another according to some kind of lawful process. Hegel did see this rationality as a spirit which animated people.


It occured to me two nights ago that Hegel's "ZeitGeist" or "spirit of the times", is to his ignorance, none other than "the god of this world", that is, Satan.

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2 Corinthians 4:4

You have both concepts here. Satan is god of this world by default, retaking his rule of the age-world when Adam, head of creation, sinned and fell. No world-view, philosophy, religion, or spirit obtains ascendency except by his santion, which provides the underlying process throughout time.
All men are sinners having a dead spirit, and Satan has legitimate access to them, blinding their minds to the divinity of Jesus Christ through various deceptions, one of which is philosophy

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:8

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 9:32 AM | 3 comments    

All this happened in just five hours. More is still coming down.

Posted by Consecrated at 1:16 PM | 3 comments    

In an age where we are surrounded with diluted christianity it is more and more important for a Christian to study the word of God as commanded us in 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

It is also noble thing for a Christian to search the scriptures whether what we hear and what we are told correspond to Biblical truth. Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

In this regard, I should like to quote the following passages.

Isaiah 28: 9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. ...
29This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

I offer no apology when I say that it is not an uncommon thing to see some of whom we view as stronger believers get indigestion over eating the meat, therefore they are still on the milk. This teaching is perfectly biblical. Read the following.

Hebrews 5:12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Posted by Consecrated at 7:46 PM | 0 comments    

In Revelation 3:18 we read of the Lord's counsel to the Laodician church. From a historical perspective, this is you and me. The church of the last days before the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour. God's counsel is this "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of they nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see.v. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chaten; be zealous; therefore, and repent.

Several years ago a Christian friend of mine pointed the passage in Jeremiah chapter 10 to me but being deeply rooted in the christmas tradition I kind of brushed it of. It is not easy to change convictions I know but for the benefit of all readers I will post the truth herebelow.

1Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:2Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.4They DECK it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.5They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.6Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.7Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

This is pretty straightforward. Isn't it? Does the famous christmas song "Deck the Hall with boughs of holly tra alalalalalal" ring a bell now. Some may argue that I am a fanatic. Praise God for that word "zealous". To that I can only answer by referring to the commandment that follows: Repent.

As I said in one of my comment on another christian blog, try touching on the subject of the Christmas tree in any one evangelical community and you will have a church split, or you will be cast out as a fanatic. Again, little do we head the commandment in Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. The Holy Spirit is describing us, the Laodician church as a lukewarm church. Why because we have the Bible in our hands (heat), but we are worldly (cold), mix the two together and you get a lukewarm church. No wonder he counsels us to buy eyesalve because we are blinded by the traditions of the pagan christianity which has permeated even the evangelical bible believing circles and we think we are rich (in biblical knowledge) yet we are naked the Bible says. We need to put on the white raiment described as the "righteousness of the saints" in Rev. 19:8?

As for being tried by fire for your conviction and for taking a Biblical stand. Try telling a bible believing Christian (let alone others) that Christmas is a pagan holiday and that the Christmas tree is an abomination in the eyes of God?

In a nutshell and to summarize it all. What I am saying here (Christmas/tree or not) is that the church of today even when it sees the biblical truth with its own eyes, it is not willing to give up its worldy traditions and practices making it a lukewarm church in God's own description which he is ready to spew out of his mouth.

Dare saying that, and fiery darts will follow.

Posted by Consecrated at 11:14 AM | 2 comments    

Exactly one week ago I picked up a hitchhiker. He was hard of speech, almost possessed of a slight mental retardation, if that expression can be used at all.I looked at him as a human soul. That's the best away to look at all men to whom you would witness, not as persons, but as souls in need of salvation.
I will not tell of his religious background or region, but suffice it to say that I told him about the Lord Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, and asked the fellow if he knew where he was going after death, if he had that kind of peace.
He said no and no.
I told him he could be saved right here and now, asked him if he wanted to pray to the Lord in his own words and ask for eternal life.
He said yes. He began, head bowed slightly, saying "Jesus Christ..."
seeing he had a hard time articulating words, I helped him out...here's the quote as I heard it; the "..." are the pauses as I helped him pray

"Jesus Christ...I believe you ... (i didn't clearly hear him say "are") the Son of God...and that you died on the cross for my sins...give me eternal life"

I looked at him, his eyes seemed slightly reddened though am not sure,,,(all this while on the road mind you). I extended my hand to him to shake his hand, and said
"that's it, if you prayed believing from the heart, and remember you just spoke before God and the Holy Spirit for a witness, then you are saved my friend. No one can take that away from you. Now you need to grow as a babe, you need to read the Bible, start with John"

I gave him three tracts when I let him down and told him about the church address. He waved and gave me the thumbs up as I drove away.

This has been a full and rewarding week, many things have taken place which I cannot all write here; one friend taking a Bible almost out of my hand to keep and read it, another asking me for a Bible, and another having read all of John and 1 Corinthians 1 and 2. I've also spent the week defending the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ in classroom discussions.
I thank Jesus Christ who is the only wise God for His love and grace, which saved a wretch like me.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 12:07 PM | 2 comments    

Whether you like it or not, every Christian who believes in both the Old and New Testaments is a Dispensationalist. If you were not a dispensationalist, you would still be killing and sacrificing animals just like God's people did in the Old Testament.
Sure, Jesus was the Lamb of God that was slain to bear the sins of the World. Under the New Covenant, Jesus did away with the ordinances of old when he instituted his New Covenant with his blood. Is that a new dispensation, or what?

In the millennium, and David speaks of that in the Psalms, sacrificial worship will be resumed (see Ezekiel's temple). Is that a new dispensation or what?

So there you have it. There was the old way of doing business, we are in the new way of doing business, and there is a future way of doing business (yet to come).

"Rightly dividing" the word of God comes up with dispensations. The Bible clearly speaks of the world that was, the world that is, and the world to come.

Do you see it yet? Every Bible Believing Christian is a dispensationalist, like it or not.

Posted by Consecrated at 12:09 PM | 4 comments    

I am so excited because the men in my church have a desire to start a street preaching ministry in Spring. I can't wait for Spring. In the meantime we continue to pass tracts to the residents of Montreal every Saturday. Praise the Lord. Two young men prayed with me at the Metro today and trusted Jesus as their Saviour. I find that when I pray and spend a lot of time with the Lord in the Word, he always rewards with souls getting saved.
Before leaving home this morning I prayed and asked the Lord to bless us as we hit the Metro for tract passing. In the beginning there were two of us, but 3 men from my church joined us a bit later. There is something encouraging about numbers. It feels good when a large number of us go out in God's service. We were passing tracts left and right to everyone we see. Apparently I had given this fellow a tract, but I hadn't noticed. He was lazing around waiting from some friends. When I approached him again, and again, he pulled out several tracts from his pocket and said to me. Look I have them all. Did you read them, and did you understand what you read, I said. He eagerly replied but it was obvious he had not understood. We started talking. I explained the gospel to him. He said he had been reading the Bible, but he did not know how to get saved. I explained the gospel to him and he agreed that he was a sinner in need of salvation. He also agreed to pray to with me. We moved away from traffic, and together we bowed down our heads. I prayed first, and then he followed. I told him, you ask the Lord in your own words, to forgive you your sin and to give you eternal life. After he did that I strongly admonished him to feed his soul on the word of God. He left me feeling quite happy. Later when his friends arrived, he called out to me "Miss, these are my friends". He sounded happy. I got the impression he wanted me to witness to them as well. But only one of them accepted a tract from me. The other just looked away.

Then just as I was getting ready to leave at around 3pm, I overheard my daughter talking a fellow as they approched. She had been witnessing to the fellow but decided it would be better to bring him over to me. I sent up a silent prayer for wisdom as I tried to find out more about his faith or lack thereof. The Lord opened my mouth. For 30 minutes I spoke the word of God, and expounded the gospel to him. It was obvious the young man was searching. As I reminded him of the prodigal son, I could tell he was convicted of sin. I showed him from scripture (in John) how he can get saved. He would pray at night in his apartment, he said. I asked him, can you guarantee that you'll live till tonight. Why not pray right now with me. He accepted. We moved to a quiet corner, we both bowed down our heads and there Roger gave his life to the Lord. Before he left, I reminded him that there are four types of soil, that Satan would be very quick to steal the word from his heart, or that the worries of the world might choke the word. He promised he was going to feed on his Bible daily, and by God's grace be the good soil that bringeth forth fruit.

Praise God for his goodness. I came home feeling so very happy that God still uses this weak vessel to spread the gospel. Hadn't I prayed that He would send labourers because the fields are white unto harvest but the labourers are few? Didn't Jesus command us to bring forth fruit that the Father may be glorified? Amen Lord. I feel humbled in your presence, yet I rejoice along with the angels over one soul that is saved. How much more two in one day. Praise God.

Posted by Consecrated at 10:30 PM | 4 comments    

John 15:8 - Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

I have been thinking about the above verse lately. Our Lord went about all his earthly life with one driving force: that the Father may be glorified. How can the Father be glorified: if WE bear much fruit. But what fruit (single) is he talking about. I suggest you do a word search if you have a Bible Concordance (Strong or Cruden's).

The verse goes on to say "so shall ye be" not christians, but "my "disciples". What an honor to be called a disciple of Christ. The word christian has been used and abused. But a disciple of Christ! That's something else. A disciple of Christ bears much fruit, and herein is the Father glorfied.

Do you remember what Jesus said about being grafted in the true vine in order to bear fruit. Listen to these verses. John 15:1 - I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. John 15:2 - Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you his "disciple"? Jesus said, If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15). John 15:10 - If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

Do you want to bear fruit that the Father may be glorified in his son, then listen to what Jesus said: John 15:4 - Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I can think of the hymn "Abide in me" right now. I heard an English baritone sing it not long ago, and it was enchanting. Family members and loved ones abide with us in our homes. Don't you love to abide in the house of God.

John 14:13 says: And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Grant it Lord, that the Father may be glorified in this "son" too. Again, John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Posted by Consecrated at 7:30 AM | 2 comments    

Last Sunday I had lunch with a couple of friends at a Greek Restaurant. I stress the word Greek, you'll find out why in a bit. The food was good, the company was good and as I left the diner I approached the reception desk and gave the waiter a tract. What is it? He questioned. The Word of God I replied. At the mention of God, he freaked out. I don't want to hear anything about him, he said. One day you will have to give him an account of yourself, I replied. At this, the guy was furious. I do not want to listen to religion when the priest refused to bury my two-month old baby because he had not been baptized. I had to bury my baby like a dog. My son would have been twenty one years old by now. Please listen to me, I insisted. Your baby is in heaven. All babies go to heaven, sin is not imputed where there is no law, the Bible says. No. The Greek Orthodox priest refused to bury my baby, insisted the man, and I buried my baby like a dog. The man was jumping up and down as though he was in a frying pan. One day, I will sit with Jesus and sip a glass of beer with him, he raved on. This is blasphemy, I said, and if you don't repent of these words, you know where you will end up? In hell, was the reply. That's right, I responded and you will never get to see your two months old baby because he is in heaven and you won't be there. By now I was following him around the desk because he was trying to run away from me, and yet when I'd beg him to calm down, he would stand still for a second and then flare up again. A crowd and other waiters stood watching. Look, I said, I come from Greek Orthodox background, and the Greek Orthodox church (and others) does not teach the truth and the word of God. That is why I converted to a Bible Believing Christian. My baby had a dog's funeral he kept repeating. I repeated that what happened to him was the wrong doing of the Greek Orthodox Church. Are you Greek, he asked? No, I said but my pastor is and he teaches the King James Bible. As soon as the fellow heard me mention the KJV he was up in arms one more time. He started cursing again. At that point, I decided it was better to leave.

As I reflect on the incident I feel broken hearted. Twenty one years later, the man had not forgotten. TWENTY ONE years ago, it still hurt. Seriously, the man was burnt. He was jumping as though he was in a frying pan. The pain was too much to bear. I never got the name of the fellow, but to think that some priest refused to give his baby a semblance of a church funeral is outrageous. Those false shepherds will stand before God one day. How can they explain this kind of behaviour beats the life out of me. It was hard for me to bring him down to sanity when I spoke. I did leave the tract on the front desk and by the time I left it was still there. He did not throw it in the garbage. Pls. pray for that fellow. May be the Lord would soften his heart and use that tract to talk to his heart and assure him of his love and that there is hope in Jesus Christ who loved us and died and rose again to give us eternal life.

Posted by Consecrated at 8:34 PM | 1 comments    

The text below comes from the daily devotional "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers (Day: 19 November for those who have the book). The sentences in bold stood out as I read.

John 16:8 "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin,..."

Conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots our every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one -- "Against thee, thee only have I sinned" (Psalm 51:4). When a person is convicted of sin this way, he knows with every bit of his conscience that Gould would not dare to forgive him.
If God did forgive him, then this person would have a stronger sense of justice than God. God does forgive, but it cost the breaking of His heart with grief in the death of Christ to enable Him to do so. The great miracle of the grace of God is that He forgives sin, and it is the death of Jesus Christ alone that enables the divine nature to forgive and to remain true to itself in doing so. It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. Once we have been convicted of sin, we will never say this again.
The love of God means Calvary -- nothing less... .
The love of God is spelled out on the Cross and nowhere else... .
It is there His conscience is satisfied. ...

P.S. If you should have only one devotional, I would definitely recommend the book above. It is by far the best devotional I have seen or read.

Posted by Consecrated at 8:55 AM | 2 comments    

ZVI is a polish Jew and a survivor of the holocaust, he came to live in Israel many years ago and he met the Lord Jesus Christ and got saved. For about fifty years after his conversion he went about witnessing to thousands of people of his nation from all walks of life.

The interesting thing about him, and I guess about every Christian believer, is that his testimony lives on and is just as effective for God to touch lives. Time: this morning. I am at home praying before I go to work. For some reason I pray like this: Lord you asked us to pray for workers. Lord the fields abound, but the labourers are few. Lord take my children. I’d love to see them both in the mission field. Send me too. Please Lord send workers for the harvest is plentiful.

Later on the train to work. The train stops, and a young elegant woman gets on board and sits in the seat right next to me. I am reading on. She crosses her legs, and from underneath her long winter coat flashes a bare leg almost to the thigh. People are welcome to look. I continue reading, but the voice of God is at work in my heart. Talk to the woman. Don’t be intimidated by her looks. She does not look like gospel material, I thought. Still the voice would not leave me. Talk to her. She may not get another chance at hearing the gospel. Okay Lord. I have learnt a long time ago to obey that still small voice.

I put my book down and reached inside my purse for a tract. Now Lord, you know I always obey when you ask me to talk to strangers, but I need help with this one. You got to help me here. Where do I begin. What shall I say. On my mind was something about the need to cover herself. I am still wondering how and where to begin the conversation when SHE talks to me first. For a second I am dumbfounded. “My father has that book", she said with ease and simplicity. I was almost speechless. I don’t know what I answered at first. Oh, I said. Yes, she said, I am Israeli (The book has a flag of Israel on the cover). My father read this book, she continued. He loved it. Have you read it too, I queried. We were now talking. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, I asked.

Of course, she believed in a power out there but she had lost her faith when God took her sister away. She had died of cancer. I shot a quick and silent prayer for guidance. I assured her that God knows all about her sister, but that she needed to look after herself. You sound like the mother was the familiar reply. Soon I pulled out my personal worker’s New Testament and flipping through the pages I read verses to her from Galatians, Ephesians, Romans, John, etc. Good deeds do not save you. The law damns you. Jesus saves. Fresh on my mind was the verse from Joel where Brian preached last night. Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

We conversed for almost twenty minutes. I noticed that several passengers were listening (it is always the case) and watching as I flipped through the pages of The Book. Of course, some looked on with ridicule. One man sitting behind us leaned backwards and stretched his neck as far as he could in order to get a better hearing. I raised my voice. I had a captive audience. Bless God for the liberty we have in this country. By the time we reached downtown, Nathalie had two tracts in her purse. As she thanked me for the “lecture” and before we parted I pressed her for a decision. Demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). I also encouraged her to read the book in her father’s library. I don’t know if she’ll ever get saved. This was no coincidence. Think of it. What is the probability that a total stranger, an Israelite, should sit right next to me and recognize The Best of Zvi, a book which I started reading that very morning. As for me I know one thing. God answered my prayer about sending a labourer to work. The seed was sown. I wait for the harvest.

Were Svi to hear this story he would be happy in his grave to learn that his testimony lives on and God still uses him (or his memory) to reach his people.

Posted by Consecrated at 4:16 PM | 3 comments    

A certain thought has been bugging me for a couple of days now. It was triggered by the passage in Isaiah 11 where God says that the wolf shall dwell with the lamb. and the leopard shall lie down with the kid etc. (verse 6). My thought has centered around what the original nature of beasts was and HOW did it degenerate. How did the beasts (some of them) become fierce. I don't think there is an open reference to that. In man's case, through reproduction we pass down the sin that is indwelled in us. But in the case of beasts, there is no reference to them disobeying God other than Satan and snake. In the book of Romans we read that all creature has been subjected to bondage awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:18 - 23). Is it possible that because of our sin, the animals lost their ability to speak as well (the snake spoke in the garden and Eve thought nothing much about it). Still I ask myself HOW. It may not seem much to you but it is intriging me.

For visitors: you will realize that because of sin man's nature fell into ruin. We get angry and put the blame on others (look at Adam and Eve), we are afraid (they hid) experience pain and misery (they were kicked out of the state of bliss) we labour (the curse) we age, we die (that's how the book of Genesis ends: a coffin in Egypt).

I want to stop for a second and refer you to Genesis chapter 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and over every creeing thing that creepeth upon the earth. (P.S. I put "man" and "them" in bold for a reason. Male and female created he them, the Bible says, but that's another study altogether).

Back to the subject of man's dominion and the wild beasts. What dominion do we have over animals today? Not much I guess. Try taming a lion or a shark for example. No sooner do you leave a wild beast to its nature, it'll devour you in no time. That is no dominion folks. Man's dominion is GONE.

In Isaiah, we read that when the Prince of Righteousness comes back to rule the earth (nothing ethereal here, nothing wishy washy, this is a real description of things yet to come on this earth) animals will have a peaceful nature. There has never been a time, yet, when wild animals fit the description. But it will come. The creation is awaiting the Eternal Son, the Son of God, Son of Man to restore all creation. This is the same Lord Jesus Christ "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things... (Acts 3:21) and when HE is come, Isaiah 11:4 says he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth (for those who don't believe the Word of God: wake up).

Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

Posted by Consecrated at 9:38 AM | 3 comments    

For another shining example of the excellency of the
King James Bible, please refer to the latest post in Bible Studies

Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? Ecclesiastes 8:4

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 6:33 PM | 3 comments