Pen of Iron

How can we encourage young people to serve the Lord?
I promised Freed Forever that I will post something on the subject, but my schedule is quite hectic today and I should like to take more in answering the question. In the meantime may I recommend that young people who have a desire to serve the Lord read the book of Daniel. Daniel represents a perfect example for young people to take a stand against the trends of their time. Remember Daniel was of royal blood, and he was about 17years of age when he was taken into captivity. Yet Daniel purposed in his heart not to be defiled with the delicacies of the King. This means that in his mind Daniel had made a decision and he was determined not to do something which corrupts. See Daniel knew the Holy Scriptures. While all his friends revelled in the good food and wine that was presented to them by King Nebuchednezzar, Daniel refused. He would not socialize (eat or drink) with them. He and a select few of his friends stood alone. He was termed Beloved of God several times in the book of Daniel. Here we see that the process begins with a determination to do what is right even if it means that we might have to stand alone. It does get lonely to obedient Christians but the rewards from God are great. In the book of Daniel we read that the wise shall shine as stars in the firmament. Read the Book of Daniel, I say. More to follow.

Posted by Consecrated at 12:07 PM | 0 comments    

I love listening to Ravi Zachrias. Ravi is a one of a kind christian philosopher and you can check his web site entitled Rafi Zachrias International Ministries at www.RZIM.org. where you can order his sermons too. He comes on the christian radio am760 in Montreal every Saturday at 11hrs. am. For a good three weeks now he has been covering a series of sermons called "Why can't I feel my faith". I cannot repeat what he said, but he did go through the importance of the word of God and of the church and of good hymanls. But what struck me most is how he stressed OBEDEIENCE. He gave the perfect example of Jesus whose feelings made him dread the separation from the Father, and wished there would have been some other way than the cross but he went through it all through OBDEIENCE. The obedience which led to his self denial and death on the cross which he endured for our salvation. He also related how Paul buffeted his body in order to be found in Christ. Oswald Chambers always said that we should not pray about our moods but rather battle them.
In the end, I was struck by the way Rafi Zacharias ended those sermons. Listen to how he ended. He said when you ask yourself Why can't I feel my faith, ask yourself, Have I been to Calvary?

Posted by Consecrated at 11:34 AM | 0 comments    

I have been away for a while due to overflowing blessings. Blessings of the heavens and blessings of the depths. Trials, work at BookSellers, studying... I'm learning to glorify Jesus before men in all that I say and do. Still, much more chiseling does He need to perform upon this stiff neck of mine.

I am glad to see a constant stream of visitors. The weblog needs much work but it is encouraging to continue. Many believers are out there in the world that need consolation and encouragement. Many unbelievers are out there in the world to be brought to faith, salvation and the love of God.

I thank God for Consecrated and Redeemed who have kept the feeding line open here. May the Lord bless you mightily, unto rest and victory.

Pen of Iron might not have Egypt's onions and fish and bread, but it has Manna; the unadorned Word of God, wherein is power unto the salvation of souls from the divine wrath.

I am in the process of reading/studying "The Evidence That Demands A Verdict, Part 1&2" by Josh McDowell. What a gem so far. If you want objective evidence for Jesus Christ and the Bible, or would even be curious on what such a book could possibly expound, please go and get it. The God of the Bible has worked in the laboratory of human history and has with a pen of iron etched upon the academic altars of this world the blindness of humanity.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 4:35 PM | 1 comments    

Have you seen someone whom the Lord has blessed? The following verse gives you an insight as to why. Ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water. (Exodus 23:25)

Posted by Consecrated at 11:33 AM | 0 comments    

Just wondering. Has anybody logged on to the Dial-the-Truth ministries web site (www.av1611.org)? See my entry below. If you have, tell me what did you think of it.

Posted by Consecrated at 8:10 AM | 0 comments    

The text below is a direct quote for C.H. Spurgeon's daily devotional.

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten. Joel 2:25) Yes, those wasted years over which we sigh shall be restored to us. God can give us such plentiful grace that we shall crowd into the remainder of our days as much of service as will be some recompense for those years of unregeneracy over which we mourn in humble penitence. The locusts of backsliding, worldliness, lukewarmness, are now viewed by us as a terrible plague. Oh, that they had never come near us! The Lord in mercy has now taken them away, and we are full of zeal to serve Him. Blessed be His name, we can raise such harvests of spiritual graces as shall make our former barrenness to disappear. Through rich grace we can turn to account our bitter experience and use it to warn others. We can become the more rooted in humility, childlike dependence, and penitent spirituality by reason of our former shortcomings. If we are the more watchful, zealous, and tender, we shall gain by our lamentable losses. The wasted years, by a miracle of love, can be restored. Does it seem too great a boon? Let us believe for it and live for it, and we may yet realize it, even as Peter became all the more useful a man after his presumption was cured by his discovered weakness. Lord, aid us by Thy grace.

Posted by Consecrated at 4:49 PM | 0 comments    

Think about this for a moment. These three men are mentioned collectively in the Book of Ezekiel. One would wonder what is the common factor that links these three men together. Our pastor mentioned something yesterday and I immediately thought "Umm how true." These three men overcame three things.
Noah overcame the World
Daniel overcame the Flesh
Job overcame the Devil

Ezekiel 14:14 - Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 14:20 - Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

What I haven't figured out yet is the order in which they are mentioned. I could think of something but can't be sure. Here's an attempt that is open to interpretation. As a new born Christian we overcome the world, then we struggle with the flesh, then finally the Lord will put an end to the devil?

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Posted by Consecrated at 12:00 PM | 1 comments    

Hey everybody. Check this web site out http://www.av1611.org.
You will love it. Trust me. These guys tackle modern day issues(not so modern after all) in the light of biblical truth. They discuss everything from rock music (the devil's advocate) to tattoos, to bar codes. Check the 666 Watch caption on their web page. I would highly recommend it to all those who love the appearing of our Saviour, none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, God the son of man.

Posted by Consecrated at 9:47 AM | 0 comments    

Praise God, last night, Friday 6 May 2005, Brian (31 years old) was officially ordained as a minister of God. Tears flowed down my face as I watched him kneel down infront of the whole church, and five pastors put their hands on his head, giving him the right hand of fellowship. It was a very moving evening service. We sang a couple of hymns, then the pastors sounded Brian out on a number of issues. He was handsomely dressed in a suit, and his face looked angelic as he tackled every question that was thrown at him, supporting his answers by verses from the Word of God which he has memorized. After that, a young pastor Peter who had also graduated from our church five years ago gave a short message from Joshua chapter 1. What struck me most was the reason behind God's selection of Joshua. In last segment of Joshua 1:1 we read "the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying...

Peter pointed out that God chooses men for his service who have demonstrated faithfulness and willingness to serve under men of God. He described Joshua's faithfulness to Moses, and gave another example of Elisha poured water on the hands of Elijah, he added.

For the past five years, Brian has been faithfully serving under Pastor Larry while diligently studying the word of God. Personally, this is the second ordination I have been to. I am praying that if the Lord tarries I would get to see the ordination of someone who is very special in my life.

Posted by Consecrated at 7:53 AM | 0 comments    

Here is the passage I was referring to [on the subject of trusting the Lord for guidance and direction]. It is in Isaiah 30. You may want to read the whole chapter.
v.18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: 21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
__ __ __ __ __ __

Now that I am not in a rush like I was when I posted the above, I want to add a comment or two hoping that you have read Isaiah chapter 30 in the meantime. The Lord wants to be good to his children, and he "therefore will the Lord wait" for us to return to him in reliance. Looking at the early verses of the chapter and viewing this passage in context we see that the people had relied on the hand of the Egyptian, or Pharoah, which is a type of the world or a type of friends and acquaintances or influential people to whom we might run for help, or think that our livelihood depends on them.
And although we had tasted the "bread of adversity" referring to difficult times through which we lived, God's promises never fail. He will direct our life. He says your eyes shall see your teachers, and you will respect your spiritual teachers {not be removed in a corner any more). Your ears (how many times did Jesus cry out those who have ears let them hear what the Spirit says)will hear a voice from behind you as the Holy Spirit strives with you. Read the Word of God, and Listen to the voice of Holy Spirit. Two words will sum up what I said. Return and Rest. Look at verse 15 of the same chapter which I shall quote. The second half on a plaque hanging in my living room. It goes like this" "For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength"
These are good promises from the Lord who is waiting to be gracious unto all his children. Who is like unto thee O God.

Posted by Consecrated at 9:32 AM | 0 comments    

This post I copied from our "Prayer" department, written by Consecrated, because I think it deserves more exposure
"
Here is a quote from a message which I received

"He told me their Chinese pastor (Pastor Jimmy) had just been arrested (or they call it abducted) by the Public Security Bureau for preaching the Gospel, some of the ladies who saw what happened said the PSB shoved him into their car but as they were doing so they saw marks on his neck and arms. One of the ladies from the church then called Lui to tell him not to come to church that afternoon because the PSB had made their visit and they were on to what’s “going on”
Lui was going there to teach English to the younger children as he usually does in the afternoons

Please pray for Pastor Jimmy! As Lui says, they have no idea where he is and if or when they will see him again. Pray that God will give him wisdom and strength and the same to Pastor Jimmy’s wife and their two young children. Lui said they were doing OK, but that there is too great a risk for them and himself if he tried to get in contact with them

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 12:17 PM | 1 comments    

In one of the recent posts by Rev. 2:17 he pointed to a verse in the Book of Daniel (4:17) which refers the "Watchers". That aroused my curiosity, and I promised to research the subject further.

This morning during a visit to the Official Antarctica Page, I clicked on "Myths and Legends" not knowing what to expect. To my surprise, here's an excerpt of what I found. The reference is to the Book of Enoch which is famous for talking about the fall of the angels. Now before I quote, I want to reassure everybody that the Book of Enoch is NOT an inspired book and I am NOT endorsing anything the following text says. Just for fun however, and for the sake of those who are curious like me, here it is.

"According to the Bible, angels once walked upon the surface of the earth. Speculation also exists that they are the missing 'master' race. In 1773, a British explorer, James Bruce, discovered a scroll in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) that was a full copy of the Book of Enoch, which appeared to be a Book of the Bible, written in the 2nd century BC. This text had existed in fragmentary form, written in Aramaic, in Europe for centuries, but had been rejected by the Catholic Church as heresy. The text itself deals with a group of angels on Earth called "The Watchers", who dwelt in a high place".

Take it or leave it. I just thought it was an interesting reference.

Posted by Consecrated at 11:01 AM | 0 comments    

Hey, I just heard something this morning and it hit me like lightning. The law was not given to save us. For those who claim that by obeying the ten commandments they will be saved, I like to refer them to Romans 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

Now I understand better the verse which talks about the law being a schoolmaster teaching us right from wrong. The teacher was not given in order to save us. It was given to lead us to the true Saviour. Thanks be to the Lord for Galatians 3:24 - Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Posted by Consecrated at 9:46 AM | 0 comments    

We have had an average of 2 bombs per week, the bishop of Rome is dead and so his cult is engulfing the media outlets, my work is giving me a headache since the workers let the new guy do all the work, I have a succession of mid-terms: comparative politics, logic, computer science, statistics; 1 down, 3 to go; my father continuously fights me over my fellowship with a true (i.e. biblical) church (+ some of my brethern are not too happy with my seemingly extremist stance of boycotting Easter because of its pagan roots), his friends are displeased, I sleep in my home bed once a week, my 12 year-old blazer broke down in the middle of road, then fell off the toe-truck ramps, was stopped by a road-block; I yelled at a horn-anxious driver, which wasn't a good testimony, I haven't seen my mother and sister since September after having seen and spoken to them for the first time in over 6 years last summer, I'm struggling to save up the money for a ticket and other needed items, especially since I lost a bag containing my mom-given slim testimony KJV bible (I'm sorry mom), a small book on Information Technology, a notepad, and an MP3-128mb-digital voice recorder and a bunch of other things too which I'm too tired to mention...

Praise Jesus the Christened the One God Allmighty of the Bible.

Keep'em coming, just keep'em coming that my flesh be seared with the scars of the glory of Jesus my God my Lord my Redeemer my King and the joy of my salvation
by whose grace I triumph

Keep'em coming that the grace of God may in my weakness be perfected

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 3:18 PM | 1 comments    

Have been trying your cell phone for three hours now. Can't get through. The service tells me that no one is answering the call. I need a sign of life.

Posted by Consecrated at 3:33 PM | 1 comments    

I am writing from a net-cafe near my apartment. One of the guys here received a message a few moments ago that a bomb was found not far from here. At first we were not too concerned given the lebanese tradition of "salting" any potentially significant news. Then came a couple of men with the same story, claiming that the road around the bomb area was blocked, and security was in place. An officer of the latter apparently informed one of the men that it was a 350 kgs car-bomb. I can't judge the veracity of the details, but it is unsettling news nonetheless. For those of you who know the layout of Ashrafieh, you can simply imagine what that would do.
Please keep Lebanon in the fervour of your prayers. We want peace, and the flow of the Word of God. If death should find us, may it be for the sake of His glory.

Will post more if the news is confirmed or denied.

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Update:
I just drove down the main lane and in fact saw the yellow tape forbidding entry to a perpendicular street. As I was u-turning, a "darak" (closest thing to the western police)jeep was coming up the street. So I u-turned once more and sped to catch up with them about a kilometer back up, past Sassine square, half-way to Sodeco square. I waved to bid them open their window and proceeded to enquire of the situation.
Their reply was that they were clearing some cars for "asphalt" renovation.

The guys back here at the net-cafe enjoyed the humour.
That is more of a confirmation than a flat-out "yes".

I have Psalm 91. May the Lord spare us all a war.
There is a judge of nations, and yet a day of reckoning.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 3:17 PM | 4 comments    

Our God is going to rain Hail, with a big H and Horror (notice the big H) on this earth. For those of you who do not understand what I am talking about, I am referring to the cover story of the Canadian Edition/March 21, 2005 of Time Magazine.

I was horrified to read the article in mention. I can't even quote the title of the article for I find it blasphemous. I must admit I had to force myself to read through some of it, stopping many times mid stream. I cannot fathom or comprehend how removed from the truth are people who call themselves Christians. Then this verse popped in my head, and I want to share it.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 - Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

My question to everybody is the following? Are we seeing the FALLING AWAY with our own eyes. Is the christian world now falling away?

God forbid that any true believer and disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ should be deceived by the liberalism that is invading the world triggered by feminism and orchestrated by none other than the enemy of our souls.

Posted by Consecrated at 1:35 PM | 0 comments    

There was a time when I was the most passionately zealous lebanese nationalist of all, bar none. There is a violence of emotion, a certain turbulence of spirit that is concomittant with such alienating zeal.
Today, 2 things have changed. The country for which mine heart beats, and the quality of my love. Jesus Christ has given me a peace that the countries and causes of the world cannot offer.
I am in love with the King of a country called heaven. His peace is shed over my soul and I am liberated from the enthrallment of worldly ideals, wherein dwells no true nobility, no innocence, no true love, no redeeming fellowship.
I write even as I watch live coverage of the biggest protest in Lebanon's ancient and eventful history. (Lebanon is ruled by its neighbour Syria and most of the population has had enough of the hegemony, especially after the assassination of the leading figure of Lebanese political-economy). The streets I see are swollen with popular anger I know the scene well. The pulse is apounding and the blood is aboiling, and the clamours of hundreds of thousands, written into the triumphant music of liberational politics, roar and rip the air.
I am today fond of Lebanon the way one would be fond of the country of his sojourn, having dwelt therein for a number of years. Surely mine affections are wired as I wish the land freedom for all, that peace may reign.
But it is only a question of lesser evil.
This world system is hopelessly corrupt, and is condemned. Humanists can implode their lungs in denial; until He whose name is Righteousness reigneth in visible glory, the world will have no peace. Kindly revise the history of the Middle East for example. I have empirical data written with the blood of countless human beings felled in the battlefield for the kindgoms and ideologies of this fallen world; data ablaze with the fires of innumerable wars.
I am a realist, but with more of a hope and future in Christ than the most unabated optimist.

Beware, believers, that the "prince of this world" (JOHN 14:30), the one unto whom ALL earthly kingdoms are delivered, which he gives to WHOMSOEVER he wills (LUKE 4:6) USURP not your allegiance to Christ and the energetic zeal of your youth. Beware beware beware.Our heavenly allegiance is our ONLY one, not our first one. This is especially important to grasp given the nature of the coming world order under the anti-christ, which type once was under Roman rule.The Romans did not mind that those they ruled had their own national gods. They wisely, (satan is full of wisdom, EZEKIEL 28:12)allowed the peoples to worship their divinities, under one condition: that first allegiance and worship was owed unto Caesar. But that, as many believers understood, compromised the absolute sovereignty of Jesus over their lives. They suffered death. It is here useful to be reminded that we are nevertheless to be obedient to the authorities, WHOMEVER they may be in everything except that which would compromise our Biblical walk with Jesus our God, and to lift them up in prayer for they are set up to punish the evildoers and reward those that do well, never having a bad word or even thought against their person(ECCLESIASTES 10:20, ROMANS 13:1-7, TITUS 3:1, 1TIMOTHY 2:1-3, 1PETER 2:13-18, 2PETER 2:10, JUDE 8-9) for in this manner, we, as David concerning Saul, express reverence to the SOVEREIGNTY of God who remains absolut King in the affairs of men, despite satan's authority, setting up and bringing down governments as He well pleases(DANIEL 4:17)

We remain sojourners, strangers, pilgrims in this world (1PETER 2:11).If we believe that we are not of it, let us live likewise. In JEREMIAH 38:17-18, God ordered and blessed those that went out into the hand of the foreign power, cursing those who trusted yet in their land and their own. So if we are sojourners, we are not any closer to those rulers of our earhtly country than to those that rule our neighbour.Still, as previously admitted, bonds of affection are inevitably formed, and good may they well be, in the sense that they teach us what must be felt towards our heavenly abode, that they churn our bowels for the salvation of our countrymen and their peace. The desire for freedom and justice is only natural also.We are concerned over which kind of state rules over us, only in as far as we want free course for the Word of God, and peace.(2THESSALONIANS 3:1-3)=================================================
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. HEBREWS 11:8-10, 13-16
This is NOT mere poetry. So LIVE it.
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Lastly, beware of the leaven of Herod (Matthew 8:15) which is politics.Divide the Word of Truth, and understand that the power of Christ is not that of the state. Only at His second return as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, will Jesus rule BOTH as Son of God and Son of Man. Believe it or not, there are protestant equivalents to the catholic insitution's equating the Kingdom of God (defined by the Bible as righteousness, peace and joy with the Holy Spirit, ROMANS 14:17) with the Kingdom of Heaven (created world) and thereby justifying ruling POLITICALLY upon the earth. The overlap you see between the two kingdoms in some verses is because Jesus rules over BOTH, as son of God and son of Man, the latter rule being made manifest when the Rock shall smite the statue of gentile world power.
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Jesus answered, My kingdom is NOT of this world: IF my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. JOHN 18:36 Note the "now"in the last part. It is not spoken in vain.Any person, organization, institution that abides not by these words, witnesses against its own divine origin. What is not of God is of the devil.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 8:12 AM | 4 comments    

I was struck by this phrase which the Lord interjected right in the middle of a parable he was telling his disciples. See Luke chpater 12 verse 38. It goes like this:

Luke 12:36 - And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they...

If you stop to think about the phrase "when he will return from the wedding" for a moment, and considering that every parable our Lord spoke will come true in its minutest detail,I believe you'll find another proof that the wedding of our Lord to his spotless bride, the church, will take place after the rapture and before his return in power and in glory to reign on this earth. Otherwise, why would he refer to the "when he will return from the wedding"?

Amazing, isn't it?

Posted by Consecrated at 10:57 AM | 1 comments    

Throughout the centuries theologians have racked their brains trying to explain how "evil" natural calamities can be permited by an absolutely sovereign God who is good and who is Love, without that making God evil.

ASSERTION: the "problem of evil" is no problem at all because it doesn't exist.
It is a chimera (illusion) born out of the self-righteousness of man.

Let us test the validity of the assertion with the fire of the WORD

1) Romans 3:23
All have sinned.

2) Romans 6:23
The wages of sin is death.

Since natural calamities execute the just reward of sin by causing death
and
Justice is not evil

We may conclude that

God is Just in allowing, indeed causing, such deadly calamities and therefore cannot be evil

It is not in vain that the Word says in Deutoronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, Just and Right is He.

...and to think Aquinas could've been spared the trouble had he read the Bible.

Posted by Revelation 2:17 at 4:29 PM | 0 comments