We are SO self-centered

Sin makes us SO blind, doesn't it?

It isn't easy, but this is how Christians are called to respond

When reviled, we bless;
when persecuted, we endure;
when slandered, we speak kindly.
- 1 Corinthians 4:12

Some "non-profit" prophets could profit from reading their Bibles more closely

Somehow I have finagled an partial transcript from the hearings being held in Washington by Iowa’s senior senator, Charles Grassley. In case you haven’t been keeping up, “Mr. 99 Counties” is leading an inquiry into a number of obscenely wealthy televangelists and mega-church preachers.

In the interest of the separation of church and state churches are generally exempt from paying federal taxes as non-profit organizations. When ministers not only wear Rolex watches and custom tailored suits, but own their own Leer jets, Bentleys and multiple mansions, one has to wonder whether or not their churches are genuinely non-profit.

Here is a snippet of the transcripts that I have attained and present here in exclusive coverage. I believe that in this portion, Sen. Grassley is interviewing an expert in the origins and original intentions of the religion, which the “Grassley Six” pastors under investigation claim to represent:

Grassley: Uh, Mr. Heyzoos Uhfnazareth? Is it?

Christ: Yeshua, it’s Aramaic. Nazareth is the town my family was from. Many Greeks and Romans of my day used “Khristos” as a sort of surname for me. It’s really more of a title. I imagine you read an Anglicized version of first name and mistook it for Spanish. We Palestinians hare have a rather ruddy complexion so that westerners mistake us for being Hispanic. It happens a lot.

Grassley: Uh, yes, well, sorry, Mr. uh, “Khristamos,” Arab/Greek/Palestinian sumthinorother, yes, okay, alright then, Um, uh Mr. “Khirstamas,” and uh, am I to understand that you are a Doctor of Rabbinical er, uh Theological, Doctrinal studies or such?

Christ: You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am.

Grassley: And um, is it the general position of this religion which these preachers claim to represent that its pastor require multiple homes? For instance, a villa in Florida, a penthouse in Manhattan and a getaway somewhere in the islands?

Christ: Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.

Grassley: Really? That seems different that the way some of these preachers are living. Uh, and um, how about these pastors talking about God wanting their followers to be really blessed with lots of riches? Does your religion really teach that God’s gonna make people rich if they give all their money to one of these preachers?

Christ: I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, , it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Grassley: So, if I understand you, Rev. Khristmas, uh, you’re saying actually, that your religion warns people against getting too wrapped-up in earthly wealth or material possessions. Is that it?

Christ: Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

Grassley: Well, hmmm, that certainly doesn’t square with what I’ve been hearing form these Gucci wearing clergy have been teaching.

Christ: There are false prophets among the people… They will secretly introduce destructive heresies…bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

Grassley: Why do you think they’re misrepresenting the true teachings of your faith anyway?
Christ: In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them.

Grassley: Well, I for one am pretty put out by how they’re duping folks into giving up their hard earned savings, just so these fat cats can live high on the hog. Why do you think people keep listening to them?

Christ: Men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. These false preachers seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!

Grassley: Well, I don’t know what to say sir. Should they be prosecuted? Should they lose their tax exemptions? If they do, it may reek havoc on our long established protections for religion under our laws.

Christ: Blackest darkness is reserved for them… By appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people… They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and Money.

---

References: Matt 8:20, Matt 19: 23-24, Luke 6:24, 2 Pet 2, 2 Tim 4:3-4, Matt 6:24
See also Des Moines Register story

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The Society

So I read the rest of "the Society." I have to admit that I wound up liking it more than I thought I would. I especially like hoe Meyers helps us get to know a little about Scott and Becca's personalities.

Did you know that Meyers has kind of a blog where he answers questions from his readers? http://www.forbiddendoors.com/journal.htm

I loved how the kids put on the armor of God. Of course, they don't put on the "whole armor," just a couple of pieces. That's probably so he can write like ten more books.
Anyway, my high school Bible Study group studied the armor as laid out in Ephesians 6:10-19. You can read my entries on the armor at http://malloryprayer.blogspot.com/search/label/Armor%20of%20God

To my knowledge, I've never personally encountered a possession situation and frankly, would just assume not. There's at least one example in the Bible where Jesus had to clean up after His disciples weren't able to drive one out. Some Christians get paranoid, and think that demons are behind everything bad that ever happens and other Christians doubt that possession can actually happen.

Here is an interesting quote about the devil from MArtin Luther-
"Why should you fear? Why should you be afraid? Do you not know that the prince of this world has been judged? He is no lord, no prince any more. You have a different, a stronger Lord, Christ, who has overcome and bound him. Therefore let the prince and god of this world look sour, bare his teeth, make a great noise, threaten, and act in an unmannerly way; he can do no more than a bad dog on a chain, which may bark, run here and there, and tear at the chain. But because it is tied and you avoid it, it cannot bite you. So the devil acts toward every Christian. Therefore everything depends on this that we do not feel secure but continue in the fear of God and in prayer; then the chained dog cannot harm us. But this chained dog may at least frighten him who would be secure and go ahead without caution, although he may not come close enough to be bitten."

Usually "spiritual warfare" is more subtle and something we're not even aware of- more like Becca praying for her friend Julie to give up her "good luck charm" than the big dramatic, Joan of Arc scene that Scott had to go through. That's better reading, and makes for more exciting movies- but as Scott found out, the best strategy we have is not confrontation, but prayer. Think of it as "covert-ops" if you want to.

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." ~2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Scott didn't yell at those kids or bring down fire from Heaven or get even with them, but he did feel compassion for them. That's how un-worldy and radical Jesus is. Love, not power. An expert on the occult talked to our staff in LA and explained that most people who get involved in the occult are looking for power, whereas Christians surrender their power to God.

If you enjoy reading Christian fiction and like some suspense in it or are interested in angels and demons, I recommend "This Present Darkness" By Frank Peretti. He's one of the premiere Christian fiction writers.

New Prayer Request

Please pray for June Folk, Malcom and Aaron's mom- and of course for Macolm and Aaron. June was in a car accident this week. I don't have any details but the second-hand information that I have is that she is in critical condition with a lot of bone damage.

Please pray for her speedy recovery and for her family's peace, calm, and faith through this trying time.

Re: Ouija boards and talismen

I forgot to include my personal theory of "sleeping."

You know how when you fall asleep, and have a good night's sleep, you wake up and it's as if no time has passed?
My theory is that it FELT like the thief woke up and was together with Jesus "today" in paradise, but keep in mind that to God, a day is like a thousand years to you and me- (Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8). We experience time one hour at a time in a forward moving line or continuum, but God created time, He transcends time, so if He experiences it, it's not like He's standing on a road, looking forward or back, like we do- He's outside of it, like holding a ball in His hand, He can perceive all of eternity all at once.

That's why, when we die, we don't have to worry about being trapped here as ghosts or stuck in purgatory like sitting in the dentist's waiting room with nothing to do but page through decades old magazines.It will already be forever-
"...in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."~1 Corinthians 15:52

Anyway, that's what I come away thinking when I read the Bible.

Ouija boards and talismen

So I started reading the book you loaned me. Good stuff, I got half through it in the first read. The author is spot on about the potential dangers of the occult.

That's probably why God tells us not to mess with it- "Do not practice divination or sorcery" (Leviticus 19:26) Sorcery, as I'm sure with your brains, you get is another word for witchcraft. Many non Bible believers misunderstand it to be some benign, natural pre-Christian (pagan) practice that allows you more control over your destiny and might not even like to use either the term sorcery or the term witchcraft because of their negative connotations. Divination is an old word that can mean fortune telling or predicting, or talking to the dead or communicating with the spirit-world. Bottom line is that as God's children, we're supposed to put our faith and trust in Him implicitly rather than having to feel more in control by seeking insight from other (especially dark) sources.

Do ouija boards work? Just like the author talked about in this book, yes and no. Most people who don't know any better think it's just a game and think it's fun to freak themselves out- like visiting the Vilisca Axe Murder House after dark or watching a scary movie. Some gullible people are convinced that it's away to speak with the dead like psychic John Edwards (not to be confused with the former presidential candidate) pretended to do on his TV show "Crossing Over." Then, more dedicated people fascinated with the occult, like the kids in this novel, think it is a way to get help or advice from some other dimension, a supernatural world of spirits. They think that spirits are like animals or people or something, some helpful and some dangerous- but not really holy or evil, as if aligned with the true God or with Satan. This can be exciting for some, or help others feel more powerful or more in control of their lives. In the 1800's when Parker Brothers started producing ouija boards, spiritism and spiritualists were a big fad.

Unfortunately, you can't domesticate a demon and use them as your own personal Concierge. And you certainly can't become friends with a demon and expect them to give you helpful advice. People aren't the players with ouija, they're being played with.

How do we know they aren't kind, well-meaning dead people? Most Christians believe that as soon as you die you're either in Heaven or Hell.
Jesus told one of the thieves next to Him on the cross "TODAY you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

Jesus told a parable in which a rich man in Hell could see into Heaven, but someone he knew on earth was oblivious to anything outside of Heaven (Luke 16:19-31). People in Heaven trust God and don't need to come back to earth to talk to the living, and people in Hell aren't allowed to.

Some Catholics still buy into that purgatory thing, but there is absolutely nothing about it in the Bible. Some people think it was first invented by Dante as a dramatic device for his epic poem, the Divine Comedy. Others suspect it was a convoluted doctrine devised by a medieval pope so that the church could make more money off of frightened and guilty Christians.

All of this must be disappointing to some people who have some romantic notion that we can talk to ghosts or somehow help them find their way home, like in the movies. It does seem confusing that Jesus told his disciples that their friend had merely "fallen asleep" (John 11:11). The Bible tells us that several of Jesus' followers who had died before He was crucified, came back to life at the moment He died and went into Jerusalem to share the Gospel- had to be pretty freaky (Matt 27:52).

The one and only reference in the Bible to anyone being able to talk to someone "from the other side" is when King Saul went to a witch in order to talk to the ghost of the prophet Samuel instead of seeking God (1 Samuel 28:7-25). And guess what, God was already angry with Saul for not listening to Him, and now Saul was in trouble for divination and sorcery. Way to go, no wonder you lost your kingdom to David, thinking with your spear instead of your brains again!

Let me know if you want to talk about any of this or need me to pray about anything for you.

Some perspective from a pastor

Wow, I really appreciated this bit of insight from a white, Republican, former Baptist minister on the inflammatory  sermons of Sen. Obama's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright;

"As easy as it is for those of us who are white to look back and say, "That's a terrible statement," I grew up in a very segregated South, and I think that you have to cut some slack. And I'm going to be probably the only conservative in America who's going to say something like this, but I'm just telling you: We've got to cut some slack to people who grew up being called names, being told, "You have to sit in the balcony when you go to the movie. You have to go to the back door to go into the restaurant. And you can't sit out there with everyone else. There's a separate waiting room in the doctor's office. Here's where you sit on the bus." And you know what? Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and resentment. And you have to just say, I probably would too. I probably would too. In fact, I may have had ... more of a chip on my shoulder had it been me."

- Mike Huckabee, offering his perspective on the preaching of Rev. Jeremiah Wright. (Source: MSNBC)

It reminded me of a great quote by Langston Hughes, so I attached a graphic with it.
 

Easter Blessings!

Thank God for Jesus' death AND resurrection! For us.

Good Friday message of forgiveness

One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job.

His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him. He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had, that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment, and frustration.

Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there. And with tears in his eyes, he prayed:

"Lord- You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot, I don't know how. It is not fair Lord, I didn't deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn't have to forgive. As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don't know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray you teach me to do the one thing I cannot do: Teach me to forgive."

As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt. He could not turn to see what it was because where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of wood in the ground. He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them.

He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head. Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face. As their eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak.

"Have you ever told a lie?" He asked?

The man answered - "Yes, Lord."

"Have you ever been given too much change and kept it?"

The man answered - "Yes. Lord." And the man sobbed more and more.

"Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours?" Jesus asked .

And the man answered, "Yes, Lord."

"Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain?"

The man, crying now, answered - "Yes, Lord."

As Jesus asked many more times, "Have you ever"? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer - "Yes, Lord".

Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there was a look of love the man had never seen or known before.

Jesus said, "I didn't deserve this either, but I forgive you."

It may be hard to see how you're going to get through something, but when you look back in life, you realize how true this statement is.

Read the following first line slowly and let it sink in.

If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you!