DID YOU KNOW

Fish - called dag by the Hebrews, a word denoting great fecundity (Gen. 9:2; Num. 11:22; Jonah 2:1, 10). No fish is mentioned by name either in the Old or in the New Testament. Fish abounded in the Mediterranean and in the lakes of the Jordan, so that the Hebrews were no doubt acquainted with many species. Two of the villages on the shores of the Sea of Galilee derived their names from their fisheries, Bethsaida (the "house of fish") on the east and on the west. There is probably no other sheet of water in the world of equal dimensions that contains such a variety and profusion of fish. About thirty-seven different kinds have been found. Some of the fishes are of a European type, such as the roach, the barbel, and the blenny; others are markedly African and tropical, such as the eel-like silurus. There was a regular fish-market apparently in Jerusalem (2 Chr. 33:14; Neh. 3:3; 12:39; Zeph. 1:10), as there was a fish-gate which was probably contiguous to it.

Sidon is the oldest fishing establishment known in history.

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

ASH WEDNESDAY AND WHAT IS LENT ANYWAY?

At this time of the year many different people of many different regilions are celebrating Lent, which started off with Ash Wednesday. So exactly what is it and where does it come from. Is it from the Bible or the traditions of man that have been blindly passed down through generations?

If you are new to our site then you need to know that we go to the Bible for all our answers. If you are familiar with us then you know how we are. So to the Bible we go and lets see what we find out about this holiday.

The word ASH is listed one time in the Bible and it is in the Amplied. In the King James Version it is not listed at all. In Isaiah 44:14 it refers to a man planting a oak or ash tree.

The word ashes is listed 42 times and covers a number of issues: ashes from the furance, concerning the ashes of the altar, sitting in ashes, and Gomorrah turned into ashes.

There are 3 showing their bodies where covered in ashes. 2 Samuel is the only one I know of that states it was put on Tamar's "head."

2 Sa 13:19
1 Ki 20:38
Lam 3:16

There is no reference to any day being sat aside for ashes to be marked on anyone's forehead. It is not in the Bible.

Lent on the other hand is mentioned 7 times. And in each and every case it is speaking of loaning something to someone. Never any mention of Lent being a holiday, or special days set aside to worship the Lord.

Concerning fasting it is mentioned many times in the Bible, in fact it is listed so much that rather then write here about it I will write a separate article on it. This though I will say fasting is good, phiscally and spiritually. It is also something private between man and God. Matthew 6:16 tells us that when we fast, to wash our face and let no one know. We will speak more on this in the article on fasting.

To show you how far man will go to get people to follow manmade traditiions, and worship that comes from other sources. LJG has done the following research, which if taken by itself could surely convince someone to believe in and take part in this pagen traditons.

This is again why we ask you to study and know the true Word of God and not fall into believing the word of man.

Lent...
In Western Christianity, Lent is the period (or season) from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday. In Eastern
Christianity, the period before Easter is known as Great Lent to distinguish it from the Winter Lent, or Advent(known in Greek as the "Great Fast" and "Nativity Fast", respectively). This article tends to discuss Lent as understood and practiced in Western Christianity. Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25, roughly corresponding to early spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Ash Wednesday, which may fall anywhere between February 4 and March 10, occurs forty-six days before Easter, but Lent is nevertheless considered to be forty days long, due to the fact that Sundays in this season are not counted among the days of Lent. The traditional reason for this is that fasting was considered inappropriate on Sunday, the day commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus.
Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, while Lent is a time of preparation for Holy Week. Holy Week recalls the events preceding and during the crucifixion, which occurred in the Jerusalem of theRoman province Judea, circa AD 30.
Origins
The forty day period is symbolic of the forty days spent by Jesus in the wilderness; the forty days Moses spent on Mount Sinai with God; the forty days and nights Elijah spent walking to Mt. Horeb; in the story of Noah, God makes it rain for forty days and forty nights (they were in the ark for much longer); the Hebrew people wandered forty years traveling to the Promised Land. Jonah in his prophecy of judgment gave the city of Nineveh forty days grace in which to repent. Jesus is said to have retreated into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. Afterwards He was hungry and the devil tempted Him. Jesus overcame all of the devilish temptation of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life by citing Holy Scripture to the devil. The Devil left Him. Holy Angels ministered to Jesus. Now Jesus begins His Galilean ministry.

The Lenten period of forty days owes its origin to the Latin word quadragesima, signifying forty hours. This
referred to the forty hours of total fast which preceded the Easter celebration in the early Church. The main ceremony was the baptizing of the initiates on Easter Eve. The fast was in preparation to receive this sacrament. Later, the period from Good Friday until Easter Day was extended to six days, to correspond with the six weeks of training, necessary to instruct the converts who were to be baptized.

Initially the word simply meant spring, and later became associated with the fast. The English word lent derives from the Germanic root for Spring (specifically Old English lencten; also the Anglo-Saxon name for March - lenct - as the main part of Lent, before Easter, usually occurred in March). A strict schedule was adhered to in the teaching of the converts. In Jerusalem near the close of the fourth century, classes were held throughout seven weeks of Lent for three hours each day. With the imposition of Christianity as the state religion of Rome during this century, its character was endangered by the great influx of new members. To combat this hazard, the Lenten fast and practices of self-renunciation were required of all
Christians. The less zealous of the converts were thus brought more securely into the Christian fold.

Customs during the time of Lent
Formerly Lent was referred to by the term quadragesima (or the "fortieth day" before Easter). This nomenclature is preserved in Romance, Slavic and Celtic languages. The name change occurred in the late Middle Ages as Western sermons began to be spoken in the local vernacular instead of Latin. As such, the use of this particular term to describe the period at this point is unique to English. There are traditionally forty days in Lent which are marked by fasting, both from foods and festivities, and by other acts of penance. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigor during Lent are prayer fasting and almsgiving. Today, some people give up something they enjoy, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations.
In the Roman Catholic Church, and many other liturgical Christian denominations, Maundy Thursday (also called "Holy Thursday", especially by Roman Catholics), Good Friday, and Holy Saturday form the Easter Triduum. Lent is a season of grief that necessarily ends with a great celebration of Easter, it is known in Eastern Orthodox circles as the season of "Bright Sadness". It is a season of sorrowful reflection which is punctuated by breaks in the fast on Sundays. The Lent semi-fast may have originated for practical reasons: during the era of subsistence agriculture in the West as food stored away in the previous autumn was running out, or had to be used up before it went bad in store, and little or no new food-crop was expected soon. In the Roman Catholic Mass as well as the Lutheran Divine Service and Anglican Eucharist, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo is not sung during the Lenten season, disappearing on Ash Wednesday and not returning until the moment of the Resurrection during the Easter Vigil. On major feast days, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo is recited, but this in no way diminishes the penitential character of the season; it simply reflects the joyful character of the Mass of the day in question. It is also used on Holy Thursday. Likewise, the Alleluia is not sung during Lent; it is replaced before the Gospel reading by a seasonal acclamation. Traditionally, the Alleluia was omitted at Mass beginning at Septuagesima, but since the Second Vatican Council, it has become customary to retain it until Ash Wednesday, although many traditionalists continue to practice the former custom.

Pre-Lenten festivals

Although originally of pagan content, the traditional carnival celebrations which precede Lent in many cultures have become associated with the season of fasting if only because they are a last opportunity for excess before Lent begins. The most famous of pre-Lenten carnivals in the West is Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras
.
Fasting and abstinence
Fasting during Lent was more severe in ancient times than today. Socrates Scholasticus reports that
in some places, all animal products were strictly forbidden, while others will permit fish, others permit fish and fowl, others prohibit fruit and eggs, and still others eat only bread. In some places, believers abstained from food for an entire day, others took only one meal each day, while others abstained from all food until 3 o'clock. In most places, however, the practice was to abstain from eating until the evening and then a small meal without meat or alcohol was eaten. During the early Middle Ages; meat, eggs and dairy products were generally proscribed. However, dispensations for dairy products were given, frequently for a donation, from which several churches are popularly believed to have been built, including the "Butter Tower" of the Rouen Cathedral . Giraldus Cambrensis in his Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales reports that "in Germany and the arctic regions", "great and religious persons", classified the tail of beavers as "fish" because of its superficial resemblance to a fish and their relative abundance. Today, in the West, the practice is considerably relaxed, though in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Catholic Oriental Churches abstinence from the above-mentioned food products is still commonly practiced, meaning only vegetarian meals are consumed during this time in many Eastern countries. Lenten practices (as well as various other liturgical practices) are more common in Protestant circles than they once were. In the
Roman Catholic Church it is tradition to abstain from meat every Friday for the duration of Lent, although fish and dairy products are still permitted. On Ash Wednesday it is customary to fast for the day, with no meat, eating only one full meal, and if necessary, two small meals also. Current fasting practice in the Roman Catholic Church binds persons over the age of majority and younger than fifty-nine (Canon 1251 ). Pursuant to Canon 1253, days of fasting and abstinence are set by the national Episcopal conference. On days of fasting, one eats only one full meal, but may eat two smaller meals as necessary to keep up one's strength. The two small meals together must sum to less than the one full meal. Parallel to the fasting laws are the laws of abstinence. These bind those over the age of eighteen. On days of abstinence, the person must not eat meat or poultry. According to canon law all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday and several other days are days of abstinence, though in most countries, the strict requirements of abstinence have been limited by the bishops (in accordance with Canon 1253) to the Fridays of Lent and Ash Wednesday. On other abstinence days, the faithful are invited to perform some other act of penance. If St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday, the prohibition against meat may be lifted for North American Catholics of Irish origin who wish to enjoy the traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage. Fasting during Lent is a way for Christians to identify with Jesus' suffering, which according the Gospel, Christ underwent for the sake of humanity, in order to make propitiation for their failure to keep the laws instituted by God in the Pentateuch . This sacrifice is referred to by Christians variously as a substitutionary death, a redemptive death, and a death which satisfied the perfect justice of God, who actually provided the means for that satisfaction by sending Jesus, said in the Bible to be God's own son, to die in the place of humanity. It is this distinction which fulfills the Hebrews' hope for a Messiah (the "Christ" in Greek ) who would save the troubled nation, according to the New Testament writings. Many modern Protestants and Anglicans consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation. They may decide to give up a favorite food (e.g. chocolate, alcohol) or activity (e.g. going to the movies, playing video games) for Lent, or they may instead decide to take on a Lenten discipline such as devotions, volunteering for charity work, and so forth. Roman Catholics may also observe Lent in this way, in addition to the dietary restrictions outlined above, though observation is mandatory under the threat of mortal sin
.
Holy Days
There are several holy days within the season of Lent.
* Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity.
* Clean Monday (or "Ash Monday") is the first day in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
* The fourth Sunday within Lent, which marks the halfway point between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is sometimes referred to as Laetare Sunday, particularly by Roman Catholics.
* The Sunday following is also known as Passion Sunday for traditionalist Catholics, though the latter term is also applied to the sixth and last Sunday of Lent, or Palm Sunday.
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent
immediately preceding Easter.
* Wednesday of Holy Week is known as Spy Wednesday to commemorate the days on which Judas
spied on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane before betraying him.
* Thursday is known as Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, and is a day Christians commemorate the Last Supper shared by Christ with his disciples.
* Good Friday follows the next day, in which Christians remember His crucifixion and burial. For Roman Catholics, no Mass is scheduled after Good Friday until the end of Holy week. Holy Week and the season of Lent, depending on denomination and local custom, end with Easter Vigil at sundown on Holy Saturday or on the morning of Easter Sunday. In the Roman Catholic and Anglican traditions, the altar linens and priest's vestments are violet during the season of Lent. However, during the holy days the linens often change or are completely removed from the altar.
Lent does not always involve sacrifice, but rather an offering. For some Christians, giving time to tutor, devoting more time to someone, or working for a non-profit organization is more of a sacrifice than sacrificing food, sex, or a common luxury It is also common for many Christians who are not obligated to participate in Lent to not observe Holy Days and other traditional practices. Many Christians who are not obligated to participate by their Church do so willingly. The degree of participation varies greatly from merely giving up eating candy to living on bread and water. The participants will often pray or fast to seek what God's will for them is in regards to Lent.

Many Protestants do not practice Lent and see it as an obscure tradition that the Catholic church practices without Biblical merit. And this is becasue they have searched the Word of God and found it to not be true.

As to seafood not being meat, Ljg came up with the following "I don't think people classify shrimp as "meat" cause it comes from water and didn't walk on earth." There is actually a fish that does walk on it's fins on land. But that is not important. Think about this, food is classified into a number of groups: Bread which includes cereal and potatoes; Fruit and vegetables; Dairy; Fish and meat; and Fat and sugar. Animals which include fish, eat, process what they eat, and give birth, therefore they are meat. Just a tidbit of info for you. We will go deeper into this in the article about fasting.

For now be sure to not listen to the words of one and take it for fact. Wisdom is what God desires for us to have and wisdom creates a desire in us to learn and grow, and come to our own conclusions. Not to accept the word of man but the Word of God.

This article belongs to the hard work of LJG. I merely filled in a few lines here and there. She did all the research and started the ball rolling.

God bless each of you.
LJG/rECj

SOURCE FOR THE "LENT" ARTCILE: Wekipedia (the only one that we have found so far that is not copyrighted.)

DID YOU KNOW

Scripture - invariably in the New Testament denotes that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God, which we usually call the Old Testament (2 Tim. 3:15, 16; John 20:9; Gal. 3:22; 2 Pet. 1:20). It was God's purpose thus to perpetuate his revealed will. From time to time he raised up men to commit to writing in an infallible record the revelation he gave. The "Scripture," or collection of sacred writings, was thus enlarged from time to time as God saw necessary. We have now a completed "Scripture," consisting of the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament canon in the time of our Lord was precisely the same as that which we now possess under that name. He placed the seal of his own authority on this collection of writings, as all equally given by inspiration (Matt. 5:17; 7:12; 22:40; Luke 16:29, 31).

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE

Proverbs 4:20,21
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings,
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;

Joshua 1:8
8 “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

One of our greatest failures is we think we know scripture. We don’t even begin to know scripture, until we have had our eyes opened. In some cases we have known a scripture and even said it for years. Comes the day in reading what we think we know, a light goes off, and finally the realization of what you are reading is suddenly before you as you have never seen it before.

There is a shell over scripture. A protective shell that the uncommitted cannot undo. They cannot get the true nectar of the word. Without an understanding from above we can read all we want. Nothing will be as it should until the veil from our eyes has been removed.

Say to yourself I am going to break the covering, I am going to meditate on God’s word, I am going to ask for an understanding on this one issue. Yes, one issue at a time. Picture the scripture, read it, pray over it. The freedom of understanding is not handed to just anyone. It is for those to seek to know, understand and have wisdom concerning the word of God.

It is for you, ask and you shall receive. Stay in the word, to not back down. The truth will come to you.

God Bless
rECj

DID YOU KNOW

1899 The Church of England first authorized use of the 1885 English Revised (RV or ERV) Version of the Bible in Anglican liturgy and worship.

SOURCE: Today in Christian History

BIBLE 3

The English form of the Greek name Biblia, meaning "books," the name which in the fifth century began to be given to the entire collection of sacred books, the "Library of Divine Revelation." The name Bible was adopted by Wickliffe, and came gradually into use in our English language. The Bible consists of sixty-six different books, composed by many different writers, in three different languages, under different circumstances; writers of almost every social rank, statesmen and peasants, kings, herdsmen, fishermen, priests, tax-gatherers, tentmakers; educated and uneducated, Jews and Gentiles; most of them unknown to each other, and writing at various periods during the space of about 1600 years: and yet, after all, it is only one book dealing with only one subject in its numberless aspects and relations, the subject of man's redemption.

It is divided into the Old Testament, containing thirty-nine books, and the New Testament, containing twenty-seven books. The names given to the Old in the writings of the New are "the scriptures" (Matt. 21:42), "scripture" (2 Pet. 1:20), "the holy scriptures" (Rom. 1:2), "the law" (John 12:34), "the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms" (Luke 24:44), "the law and the prophets" (Matt. 5:17), "the old covenant" (2 Cor. 3:14, R.V.). There is a break of 400 years between the Old Testament and the New.

The Old Testament is divided into three parts:, 1. The Law (Torah), consisting of the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses. 2. The Prophets, consisting of (1) the former, namely, Joshua, Judges, the Books of Samuel, and the Books of Kings; (2) the latter, namely, the greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets. 3. The Hagiographa, or holy writings, including the rest of the books. These were ranked in three divisions:, (1) The Psalms, Proverbs, and Job, distinguished by the Hebrew name, a word formed of the initial letters of these books, emeth, meaning truth. (2) Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, called the five rolls, as being written for the synagogue use on five separate rolls. (3) Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. Between the Old and the New Testament no addition was made to the revelation God had already given. The period of New Testament revelation, extending over a century, began with the appearance of John the Baptist.

The New Testament consists of (1) the historical books, viz., the Gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles; (2) the Epistles; and (3) the book of prophecy, the Revelation.

The division of the Bible into chapters and verses is altogether of human invention, designed to facilitate reference to it. The ancient Jews divided the Old Testament into certain sections for use in the synagogue service, and then at a later period, in the ninth century A.D., into verses. Our modern system of chapters for all the books of the Bible was introduced by Cardinal Hugo about the middle of the thirteenth century (he died 1263). The system of verses for the New Testament was introduced by Stephens in 1551, and generally adopted, although neither Tyndale's nor Coverdale's English translation of the Bible has verses. The division is not always wisely made, yet it is very useful.

SOURCE: Eaton's Bible Dictionary

DID YOU KNOW

1902 Birth of Oscar Cullmann, German New Testament scholar. Best known for pioneering a "salvation history" view of the NT, Cullmann's two best-known publications were "Christ and Time" (1946) and "Christology of the New Testament" (1959).

SOURCE: Today in Chistian History

BIBLE 2

The introduction of chapters and verses

Main article: Chapters and verses of the Bible;

The Hebrew Masoretic text contains verse endings as an important feature. According to the Talmudic tradition, the verse endings are of ancient origin. The Masoretic textual tradition also contains section endings called parashiyot, which are indicated by a space within a line (a "closed" section") or a new line beginning (an "open" section). The division of the text reflected in the parashiyot is usually thematic. The parashiyot are not numbered.

In early manuscripts (most importantly in Tiberian Masoretic manuscripts, such as the Aleppo codex) an "open" section may also be represented by a blank line, and a "closed" section by a new line that is slightly indented (the preceding line may also not be full). These latter conventions are no longer used in Torah scrolls and printed Hebrew Bibles. In this system the one rule differentiating "open" and "closed" sections is that "open" sections must always begin at the beginning of a new line, while "closed" sections never start at the beginning of a new line.

Another related feature of the Masoretic text is the division of the sedarim. This division is not thematic, but is almost entirely based upon the quantity of text.

The Byzantines also introduced a chapter division of sorts, called Kephalaia. It is not identical to the present chapters.

The current division of the Bible into chapters and the verse numbers within the chapters have no basis in any ancient textual tradition. Rather, they are medieval Christian inventions. They were later adopted by many Jews as well, as technical references within the Hebrew text. Such technical references became crucial to medieval rabbis in the historical context of forced debates with Christian clergy (who used the chapter and verse numbers), especially in late medieval Spain. Chapter divisions were first used by Jews in a 1330 manuscript, and for a printed edition in 1516. However, for the past generation, most Jewish editions of the complete Hebrew Bible have made a systematic effort to relegate chapter and verse numbers to the margins of the text.

The division of the Bible into chapters and verses has often elicited severe criticism from traditionalists and modern scholars alike. Critics charge that the text is often divided into chapters in an incoherent way, or at inappropriate rhetorical points, and that it encourages citing passages out of context, in effect turning the Bible into a kind of textual quarry for clerical citations. Nevertheless, the chapter divisions and verse numbers have become indispensable as technical references for Bible study.

Stephen Langton is reputed to have been the first to put the chapter divisions into a Vulgate edition of the Bible, in 1205. They were then inserted into Greek manuscripts of the New Testament in the 1400s. Robert Estienne (Robert Stephanus) was the first to number the verses within each chapter, his verse numbers entering printed editions in 1551 (New Testament) and 1571 (Hebrew Bible).

DID YOU KNOW

1514 The first section of the Complutensian Polyglot (the world's first multi-language Bible) was printed at Alcala, Spain. (The complete translation was published in 6 volumes in 1517.)

SOURCE: Today in Christian HIstory

BIBLE

Pope Damasus I assembled the first list of books of the Bible at the Council of Rome in 382 A.D. He commissioned Saint Jerome to produce a reliable and consistent text by translating the original Greek and Hebrew texts into Latin. This translation became known as the Latin Vulgate Bible and was declared by the Church to be the only authentic and official Bible.

Important Characteristics of early Bible texts

The use of chapters and verses were not introduced until the Middle Ages and later. The system used in English was developed by Robert Stephenus (as noted below)
Early manuscripts of the letters of Paul and other New Testament writings show no punctuaction whatsoever. The punctuation was added later by other editors, according to their own understanding of the text. (Punctuation can shape and change the meaning of a passage.)

Original language

The New Testament was probably completely composed in Koine Greek, the language of the earliest manuscripts. Some scholars believe that parts of the Greek New Testament (in particular, the Gospel of Matthew) are actually a translation of an Aramaic or Hebrew original. Of these, a small number accept the Syriac Peshitta as representative of the original. See further Aramaic primacy.

The Septuagint (Greek translation, from Alexandria in Egypt under the Ptolemies) was generally abandoned in favour of the Masoretic text as the basis for translations of the Old Testament into Western languages from Martin Luther's Protestant Bible to the present day; already Jerome's Vulgate was based on the Hebrew.

The earliest surviving complete manuscript of the entire Bible is the Codex Amiatinus, a Latin Vulgate edition produced in eighth century England at the double monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow.

The earliest printed edition of the New Testament in Greek appeared in 1516 from the Froben press. It was compiled by Desiderius Erasmus on the basis of the few recent Greek manuscripts, all of Byzantine tradition, at his disposal, which he completed by translating from the Vulgate parts for which he did not have a Greek text. He produced four later editions of the text.

Erasmus was a Roman Catholic, but his preference for the textual tradition represented in Byzantine Greek text of the time rather than that in the Latin Vulgate led to him being viewed with suspicion by some authorities of his church.

The first edition with critical apparatus (variant readings in manuscripts) was produced by the printer Robert Estienne of Paris in 1550. The type of text printed in this edition and in those of Erasmus became known as the Textus Receptus (Latin for "received text"), a name given to it in the Elzevier edition of 1633, which termed it the text nunc ab omnibus receptum ("now received by all"). Upon it, the churches of the Protestant Reformation based their translations into vernacular languages, such as the King James Version.

The discovery of older manuscripts, such as the Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Vaticanus, led scholars to revise their opinion of this text. Karl Lachmann’s critical edition of 1831, based on manuscripts dating from the fourth century and earlier, was intended primarily to demonstrate that the Textus Receptus must finally be corrected by the earlier texts. Later critical texts are based on further scholarly research and the finding of papyrus fragments, which date in some cases from within a few decades of the composition of the New Testament writings. It is on the basis of these that nearly all modern translations or revisions of older translations have been made, though some still prefer the Textus Receptus or the similar "Byzantine Majority Text".

God's blessings to each of you

LJG

SOURCE: Wedipedia

DID YOU KNOW

1834 Scottish clergyman Robert Murray McCheyne wrote in his journal: 'Rose early to seek God and found Him whom my soul loveth. Who would not rise early to meet such company?'

SOURCE: Today in Christian History

SEXUAL ABUSERS

An article today in the Associated Press out of Nashville, Tenn. printed a story about victim’s advocates. This group has in the pass gone after the Catholic Church and the sexual abuse done by priest. Now they have turned their attention to Southern Baptist Churches. I will add here that Baptist churches are independent, and not under a head like the Catholic Church.

I do not have a problem with this group of people doing what they are doing. If there is abuse it needs to be reported to the police. And the police should arrest and the courts should prosecute.

What I also agree with is that it should not be sweep under the rug and handled by the church inside it’s own walls. Whoever and wherever it has to be reported to the proper officials.

It does not matter what religion it is abuse is abuse and sexual abuse is sexual abuse. Neither one should be tolerated by anyone, much less covered up because it is a church leader. For that matter anyone in a church who abuses anyone should be reported. If a child cannot be safe at church, where can they be safe?

Churches should keep track of pastors in its denomination, and if abuse is reported that should go in their file. When we go for a job, they do a background check. What excludes a pastor from providing records of his past? There are reports of pastors being asked to leave a church to only go to another and continue these vile practices. People have not talked because it is a church matter.

How many life’s would have been saved sexual abuse if people would have stood up and said no, this is going to stop here, and step out and file charges. There are proper channels to handle everything. I do not walk out to the road and empty my trash cans in the street and go back in my house saying it is not mine anymore.

I thank God for my loving parents, who when an elder in our church touched me inappropriately called the police. A report was filed. The family, church members of 20 + years, came to our house to tell me it was a mistake. The man said he bumped into me, and they took his word over mine. We never stepped foot in that church again. He remained an elder of that church. I forgave Mr. Wilson along time ago, and asked God to forgive him. But it has crossed my mind who else. How many other young girls did he bump into that didn’t talk, because he was an elder.

If a total stranger molested your child, you would not stand still about it. How much more should you do if it is a member of your church? Please for all the young boys and girls out there make your church do a full background check on anyone who works with children and young people. We have to accept responsibility for the people we put in a position of authority over these our precious children.

If you have been abused by a church member, or know someone who has, please report it. It is the first step to recovery, and certainly not the only step. The group mentioned here is based in Chicago, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priest, SNAP. You can contact them at www.snapnetwork.org. You can also contact www.stopbaptistpredators.org. Whatever you choose to do, don’t be quite. Report sexual abuse and stop the cycle.

God Bless
rECj

DID YOU KNOW

Lie - an intentional violation of the truth. Lies are emphatically condemned in Scripture (John 8:44; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10; Rev. 21:27; 22:15). Mention is made of the lies told by good men, as by Abraham (Gen. 12:12, 13; 20:2), Isaac (26:7), and Jacob (27:24); also by the Hebrew midwives (Ex. 1:15-19), by Michal (1 Sam. 19:14), and by David (1 Sam. 20:6).

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

AA VERUS JC

AA VERUS JC

Have you ever read the first chapter of The Big Book of AA? It is Bill’s story one of the cofounders of AA. This is an amazing story of a man whose life was spiraling downhill very fast. It is the story of a man who found deliverance through God that he could not find elsewhere.

And from there it goes downhill. Bill remained sober for the rest of his life. Him and the other Bill started meetings that would grow to be huge today. Many people have become sober and clean of drugs because of AA. Why do I say downhill? Bill and Bill started their meetings that God could and would get someone clean and keep them clean. They got religion.

The downhill part they took God out of their meetings. They started telling people to look for a higher power, any higher power. I wonder sometime as I have set in at meetings why would you stand up and declare yourself something that you don’t want to be. Example: “Hi, my name is Sally and I am an alcoholic and/or drug addict.” I will take it a step further I stood up at one such meeting and said: “Hi my name is Sue and I am delivered of alcohol”. It did not go over every good.

It made for a very heated decision after the meeting when I was confronted with “If you have a problem with alcohol you are an alcoholic” No I do not have a problem with alcohol because I have been delivered from it.

How did I walk away and never go back to having a problem, JC? Yes, Jesus Christ. I do not have a problem any more. I have even sat and drunk a glass of wine on occasion. Not the dark liquor straight like I used to drink 24/7. I have never had a desire to do that again. In fact the smell of most liquor and beer makes me sick.

What I do have a problem with is people changing what works for them to make it work for someone else. God never changes. AA changed to adapt itself to make people happy, instead of standing it’s ground and saying this is the only thing that worked for me, they say change what you need to change to make it work for you.

People do that with the Bible also; they take the Word of God and change it to cover what they want to do. Sorry people it is lies, anyway you look at it.

Today I picked up a pamphlet of a well-known religion and noticed that the Bible they are using is one of those storybook bibles. In translating the true Word they have changed the meaning of the Word to suit what they teach.

AA has done basically the same. They changed the meaning to make people happy. I know one that is very happy with the stand to look for your own higher power and that is the devil. He is also very happy with religions that do the same. He knows better then any one that these people are following lies. Lies that will lead you to hell. Oh yes, he is very happy.

As for me, I am proud to say I am delivered and have no problem with drinking. I choose to follow JC, Jesus Christ.

Whom do you choose to follow?

Good Bless,
rECj

DID YOU KNOW

Justification - a forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom. 5:1-10).

It proceeds on the imputing or crediting to the believer by God himself of the perfect righteousness, active and passive, of his Representative and Surety, Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:3-9). Justification is not the forgiveness of a man without righteousness, but a declaration that he possesses a righteousness which perfectly and for ever satisfies the law, namely, Christ's righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 4:6-8).

The sole condition on which this righteousness is imputed or credited to the believer is faith in or on the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is called a "condition," not because it possesses any merit, but only because it is the instrument, the only instrument by which the soul appropriates or apprehends Christ and his righteousness (Rom. 1:17; 3:25, 26; 4:20, 22; Phil. 3:8-11; Gal. 2:16).

The act of faith which thus secures our justification secures also at the same time our sanctification (q.v.); and thus the doctrine of justification by faith does not lead to licentiousness (Rom. 6:2-7). Good works, while not the ground, are the certain consequence of justification (6:14; 7:6).

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

WHY WAS JESUS BAPTIZED?

This question came back to me this morning. Thank you Kat for looking past what was written and seeking to know more. I encourage you all to do the same. It is in this that we grow and learn. I would like to mention here that this set of articles on How to Study, was for the purpose of getting you to understand that study is important to knowing God, as He would have you know Him. Not just the study of baptism but of anything that stirs you to want a deeper understanding, or to know more. Here is the answer.

Matthew 3:13-15 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for this it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

Well there is your answer. Jesus said for it is fitting for this to happen now, to fulfill all righteousness. To fulfill all righteousness, to better understand this we must understand righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

1 Corinthians 1:30 By His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.

Romans 9:30 “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Okay that is good, but it does not explain what righteousness is. We understand righteousness to mean uprightness-an adherence or conformity to an established norm. In the Bible the use of the word righteousness is rooted in covenants and relationships. It is the fulfillment of the terms of a covenant between God and humanity or between humans in the full range of human relationships.

God established with His chosen people of Israel a covenant. His righteousness is what He does in fulfillment of the terms of that covenant.2 Chronicles 12:6 So they leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, “The Lord is righteousness.”

Psalms 7:9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end. But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds,

Jeremiah 9:24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

Daniel 9:4 “Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.

God’s judgments are consistently redemptive in nature; these judgments protected, delivered, and restored Israel.

Isaiah 11:4-5 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

Because Israel had entered into a covenant relationship with God, they had the responsibility of fulfilling the terms of the covenant. By God establishing a covenant with them He bestowed salvation on Israel. Exodus 19:1-5 God has brought the children of Israel out of Egypt to the wilderness of Sinai, and He tells them in verse 5 “. if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant..”

Law was given to provide guidelines to keep its part of the covenant. Leviticus 16:1, Psalms 40:1. This law was to establish a program for the maintenance of a healthy relationship between Israel and God. Human righteousness was understood to be adherence to the law of God. God did not leave the Israelites with the law of performing the law perfectly. The law God gave provision for atonement through repentance and appropriate acts of contrition.

New Testament Greek philosophy understood righteousness to be one of the cardinal virtues. New Testament authors show that they understood the words in terms of Old Testament relations. Human righteousness in the New Testament is absolute faith in and commitment to God.Matthew 3:15 “. to fulfill all righteousness.”

Romans 4:5 …his faith is accounted for righteousness.

1 Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed.

James 2:23 the one who in faith gives oneself to the doing of God’s will is righteous, doing righteousness, and reckoned righteous by God.

Philippians 3:9 “May be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. Acts 17:28 For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, For we are also His off spring.

Romans 6:8 {read also 9-11] Now if we have died with Christ, we believe we shall also live with Him.

Why did Jesus be baptized can be summed up to me in this one verse. Romans 8:3,4 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did; sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

God Bless,
rECj

DID YOU KNOW

Truth - Used in various senses in Scripture. In Prov. 12:17, 19, it denotes that which is opposed to falsehood. In Isa. 59:14, 15, Jer. 7:28, it means fidelity or truthfulness. The doctrine of Christ is called "the truth of the gospel" (Gal. 2:5), "the truth" (2 Tim. 3:7; 4:4). Our Lord says of himself, "I am the way, and the truth" (John 14:6).

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

WHY STUDY YOURSELF PART 6

Do we have to be baptized? Do we have to go under water? What of those who do not get baptized? The answer to all three of those questions are in one scripture. We will start at Luke 23:39
39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “ Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41 “And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

This man did not ask for forgiveness, he admitted to another in the presence of Jesus that he was responsible for his actions. He said that his fate was justly, it was his due. He asked Jesus to remember him. It was that act of admitting his sins and asking Jesus to remember him that got him to heaven. There was no one to baptize him, he died on that cross. But because he called on the Father he was saved.

We serve a just and righteous Father. He will not hold against us what we do not know, but we are held accountable for what we do know. In one of the earlier articles we found that the proper way to be baptized is in the Name of Jesus. Jesus is not going to hold it against us if we in true repentance get baptized in Father, Son and Holy Ghost, or in The Name of the Lord. It is the sincerity of the act. At the same time by reading and studying the scriptures and seeing that Jesus is the only one that died, was buried and was resurrected, and the Lord lays it on your heart to be baptized again, then please do so. It is the obedience to God that is most important.

The point of this article with all its parts is for you to see that studying the Bible can lead you to a new better and correct truth. We cannot in this day and age accept the words of anyone; we must seek and study ourselves.

We will not sit here and say this is the right religion or the wrong religion. What we do is say the Bible says this and that is the truth. We are aware of churches that baptize in the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; churches that do it in the Name of the Lord; churches that believe that if you call on the name of the Lord, or Jesus and you shall be saved. And each church can back up their belief and practices in scriptures. The catholic church can show proof of pouring water over a baby’s head. There are churches outside the Christian belief that also baptize.

Our point is for you to see how easy it is to take the scriptures and give them different meaning. This is only one subject. Homosexuals have proof from scripture that it is okay to be gay. There are churches that teach that you do not need to tithe. I must mention churches that teach long dresses for woman and long sleeves and no short pants for man and woman. There are churches that teach that you have to leave everyone in the world alone, no contact, even with family. This all comes from taking scripture out of context, and the list could go on.

In writing I have used only a few books: King James New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance; Vondervan Handbook To The Bible; Webster’s New Riverside University Dictionary; and the Bible I used was the New King James Version.

I will end with this quote from Mike Murdock “There are several things God will not do: God will not decide what you discover; God will not decide what you know; And God will not decide whom you trust.

Thank you.
rECj

DID YOU KNOW

Water of purification - used in cases of ceremonial cleansings at the consecration of the Levites (Num. 8:7). It signified, figuratively, that purifying of the heart which must characterize the servants of God.

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

WHY STUDY YOURSELF PART 5

Exactly what is the purpose behind being baptized? The washing of baptism symbolized a radical cleaning up of a person’s life wiping the slate clean of all previous wrong-a return to God, for the Jew, a new life for the non-Jew. The baptism, unlike the ritual cleansing in the Jewish temple of the washing of the hands is a once-only thing. Once only unless you are led by the Lord to do so again.

The baptism also represents the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior Jesus. As He died in this world, was buried and arose again. We die to this world, giving our life to the Lord, we are buried by going under the water, and we rise out of the water as a new person in Christ.

There are also the promises that come with being baptized. Promises that at the moment we might not know and surely are not concerned with. In giving our life’s to the Lord, it is a deep desire to fill emptiness in our life’s. An emptiness that nothing else can fill. We at that moment care for nothing else but to know Him and have Him become a part of our life’s.

It is only afterwards that we find out that now we have rights and privileges that belong only to those that walk for Christ. Our study here is of baptism, and not the gifts so I will not list scriptures, but give a sample list of some of what comes to us as a result of this baptism. The gift of the Holy Ghost living in our life, the evidence of which is speaking in tongues. We are promised health, prosperity, long life, and much more. No they are not handed to us on a silver platter, nor do we earn them. To get the promises we are to be obedient to the Word of the Lord.

Baptism is a public or private step that we take to show our commitment to the Lord. Do we have to be baptized? Do we have to in fact go under the water? What of those who are not baptized? That is in part 6.

God Bless,
rECj

DID YOU KNOW

Baptism, Christian - an ordinance immediately instituted by Christ (Matt. 28:19, 20), and designed to be observed in the church, like that of the Supper, "till he come." The words "baptize" and "baptism" are simply Greek words transferred into English. This was necessarily done by the translators of the Scriptures, for no literal translation could properly express all that is implied in them.

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

WHY STUDY YOURSELF PART 4

Part 4
Who can baptize someone? Does it have to be a pastor? From what we have been reading we know that John baptized and His calling was from the Lord not from man. Jesus Himself did not baptize anyone but His disciples did. That tells us that someone called of God can baptize and disciples can.

Who is a disciple? Webster’s tells us that it is one who believes in and helps disseminate the teachings of a master. Disseminate means to scatter widely, as in sowing seeds; to spread abroad.
When we look at Strongs we find that there are four different definitions used for the word disciple. The first time is in Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. This scripture is speaking of the prophet Isaiah’s disciples and means: instructed, accustomed, learned, taught, used. This is the only time the word disciple is used in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament in Matthew 27:57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. Here the word means to become a pupil; enroll as scholar, be disciple, instruct, teach. Acts 9:36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. Here the translation of disciple is a female pupil.

In the other 273 times it is mentioned it means a leaner, pupil. This is one of those times when I choose to step back and ask you to think for yourself. What conclusion do you come to? From studying we find that depending on which scripture you are reading you get different meanings. That is why we do need to seek and search.

Of those 273 scriptures I can interpret that only a person of higher learning can baptize. I can also see where if a person’s heart and life are right that anyone can. The scriptures tell us in Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. Verse 15…but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ--and verse 16. …from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of their mind.

Clearly if a Pastor, teacher or other is available then they should baptize. But if the situation presents itself where you are witnessing to someone and they are led to be baptized at the time, then surely you as a part of the body can also perform this rite, just as you can lead them in a prayer of repentance.

What exactly is the purpose of baptizing someone? That will be answered in part 5 tomorrow.

God Bless,

rECj

DID YOU KNOW

Baptism, John's - was not Christian baptism, nor was that which was practised by the disciples previous to our Lord's crucifixion. Till then the New Testament economy did not exist. John's baptism bound its subjects to repentance, and not to the faith of Christ. It was not administered in the name of the Trinity, and those whom John baptized were rebaptized by Paul (Acts 18:24; 19:7).

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

WHY STUDY YOURSELF PART 3

We have already seen from the scriptures in Part 2 that it is complete, total submerging in water. We know from the scriptures that they were in rivers or flowing, running water. But that is because at that time it was available. My personal opinion is that any water will do. But submerge under the water is the main point here.

By what is the right way I mean this: Father, Son and Holy Ghost; In the Name of Jesus; what is to be said as we do go under the water.

John baptized for repentance of sins, so we can count him out, as he did not baptize in any name. Let us look then at Jesus. In the following scriptures Jesus spoke of the baptism he was baptized with: Matt 20:22,23; Mark 10:38, 39; …Jesus asks can you drink of the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with…then He says you can and you will. This is not speaking of His water baptism. There is no water mentioned.

Matthew 28:19 [Jesus speaking] “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,. Well that settles it Jesus said it and it is so. Right, well let’s look at that sentence again. Jesus is speaking here and He says go therefore and make disciples of all nations; well that sounds real good and that is what He meant. Go and make disciples in all the nations. But let us look at the second half of the sentence; He says baptizing them in the name, not Names, and that means a lot here. If it were the Names it would be Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But that n is not capitalized is it?

Now let us go back and read where Jesus starts talking Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Do you need to read it again. Take your time and read it out loud and slowly. Jesus says that all, that is ALL authority has been given to Him. Father is a title for God; Son is a title used for Jesus, Holy Spirit so also a title. They are the title of the One who has been given the authority, Jesus.

Jesus himself did not baptize anyone John 4:2 tells us that. His disciples did before Jesus dies and the Bible only says they baptized. But let us look at what they did after Jesus dies. Acts 2: 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days. Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.

Well there you have it in black and white. Jesus baptized none, His disciples Baptized in the name Jesus. It can’t get any similar then that.

So now we know what it is, what it means, how it is done and the right way to do it. Now my favorite question: Who can do it? Tomorrow we will answer that question.

God Bless,
rECj

DID YOU KNOW

The pope also declared in 496 that the feast of St Valentine would be on February 14.

On St. Valentine's Day in 1349, roughly 2,000 Jews were burned to death by Christian mobs in Strasbourg. These mobs, led by nobles who owed large sums to Jewish moneylenders (usury being a sin for Christians), blamed the Jews for poisoning the city's wells and causing the bubonic plague.

In 1969, as part of a larger effort to pare down the number of saint days of purely legendary origin, the Church removed St. Valentine's Day as an official holiday from its calendar. February 14 is now dedicated only to Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius.


SOURCE: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,

ST VALENTINE'S DAY

St. Valentine's Day: 5th Century Rome
"...The Catholic Church's attempt to paper over a popular pagan fertility rite with the clubbing death and decapitation of one of its own martyrs is the origin of this lovers' holiday.

As early as the fourth century B.C., the Romans engaged in an annual young man's rite of passage to the god Lupercus. The names of teenage women were placed in a box and drawn at random by adolescent men; thus, a man was assigned a woman companion, for their mutual entertainment and pleasure (often sexual), for the duration of a year, after which another lottery was staged. Determined to put an end to this eight-hundred-year-old practice, the early church fathers sought a "lovers" saint to replace the deity Lupercus. They found a likely candidate in Valentine, a bishop who had been martyred some two hundred years earlier.

In Rome in A.D. 270, Valentine had enraged the mad emperor the mad emperor Claudius II, who had issued an edict forbidding marriage. Claudius felt that married men made poor soldiers, because they were loath to leave their families for battle. The empire needed soldiers, so Claudius, never one to fear unpopularity, abolished marriage.

Valentine, bishop of Interamna, invited young lovers to come to him in secret, where he joined them in the sacrament of matrimony. Claudius learned of this "friend of lovers," and had the bishop brought to the palace. The emperor, impressed with the young priest's dignity and conviction, attempted to convert him to the Roman gods, to save him from otherwise certain execution. Valentine refused to renounce Christianity and imprudently attempted to convert the emperor. On February 24, 270, Valentine was clubbed, stoned, then beheaded.

History also claims that while Valentine was in prison awaiting execution, he fell in love with the blind daughter of the jailer, Asterius. Through his unswerving faith, he miraculously restored her sight. He signed a farewell message to her "From Your Valentine," a phrase that would live long after its author died.

From the Church's standpoint, Valentine seemed to be the ideal candidate to usurp the popularity of Lupercus. So in A.D. 496, a stern Pope Gelasius outlawed the mid-February Lupercian festival. But he was clever enough to retain the lottery, aware of Romans' love for games of chance. Now into the box that had once held the names of available and willing single women were placed the names of saints. Both men and women extracted slips of paper, and in the ensuing year they were expected to emulate the life of the saint whose name they had drawn. Admittedly, it was a different game, with different incentives; to expect a woman and draw a saint must have disappointed many a Roman male. The spiritual overseer of the entire affair was its patron saint, Valentine. With reluctance, and the passage of time, more and more Romans relinquished their pagan festival and replaced it with the Church's holy day.

Valentine Cards
Traditionally, mid-February was a Roman time to meet and court prospective mates. The Lupercian lottery (under penalty of mortal sin), Roman young men did institute the custom of offering women they admired and wished to court handwritten greetings of affection on February 14. The cards acquired St. Valentine's name:

As Christianity spread, so did the Valentine's Day card. The earliest extant card was sent in 1415 by Charles, duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. It is now in the British Museum.

In the sixteenth century, St. Francis de Sales, bishop of Geneva, attempted to expunge the custom of cards and reinstate the lottery of saints' names. He felt that Christians had become wayward and needed models to emulate. However, this lottery was less successful and shorter-lived than Pope Gelasius's. And rather than disappearing, cards proliferated and became more decorative. Cupid, the naked cherub armed with arrows dipped in love potion, became a popular valentine image. He was associated with the holiday because in Roman mythology he is the son of Venus, goddess of love and beauty.

By the seventeenth century, handmade cards were oversized and elaborate, while store-bought ones were smaller and costly. In 1797, a British publisher issued "The Young Man's Valentine Writer," which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own. Printers had already begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches, called "mechanical valentines," and a reduction in postal rates in the next century ushered in the less personal but easier practice of mailing valentines. That, in turn, made it possible for the first time to exchange cards anonymously, which is taken as the reason for the sudden appearance of racy verse in an era otherwise prudishly Victorian. The burgeoning number of obscene valentines caused several countries to ban the practice of exchanging cards. In Chicago, for instance, late in the nineteenth century, the post office rejected some twenty-five thousand cards on the ground that they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail.

The first American publisher of valentines was printer and artist Esther Howland. Her elaborate lace cards of the 1870's cost from five to ten dollars, with some selling for as much as thirty-five dollars. Since that time, the valentine card business has flourished. With the exception of Christmas, Americans exchange more cards on Valentine's Day than at any other time of the year...."

The above stories are quoted from "Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday things, Charles Panati, Harper & Row Publishers,New York, NY 1987 pp 50-52


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Updated: February 12, 1997
Version: The University of Florida does not endorse or disendorse the content of this document. Everything is the author's private opinion.
Author: Leo / leo@grove.ufl.edu
Location: http://grove.ufl.edu/~leo/val.html

SOURCE: Wekipedia, the free encyclopedia

DID YOU KNOW

Baptism of Christ - Christ had to be formally inaugurated into the public discharge of his offices. For this purpose he came to John, who was the representative of the law and the prophets, that by him he might be introduced into his offices, and thus be publicly recognized as the Messiah of whose coming the prophecies and types had for many ages borne witness.

John refused at first to confer his baptism on Christ, for he understood not what he had to do with the "baptism of repentance." But Christ said, "'Suffer it to be so now,' NOW as suited to my state of humiliation, my state as a substitute in the room of sinners." His reception of baptism was not necessary on his own account. It was a voluntary act, the same as his act of becoming incarnate. Yet if the work he had engaged to accomplish was to be completed, then it became him to take on him the likeness of a sinner, and to fulfil all righteousness (Matt. 3:15).

The official duty of Christ and the sinless person of Christ are to be distinguished. It was in his official capacity that he submitted to baptism. In coming to John our Lord virtually said, "Though sinless, and without any personal taint, yet in my public or official capacity as the Sent of God, I stand in the room of many, and bring with me the sin of the world, for which I am the propitiation." Christ was not made under the law on his own account. It was as surety of his people, a position which he spontaneously assumed. The administration of the rite of baptism was also a symbol of the baptism of suffering before him in this official capacity (Luke 12:50). In thus presenting himself he in effect dedicated or consecrated himself to the work of fulfilling all righteousness.

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

WHY STUDY YOURSELF PART 2

So is this all there is to the meaning of baptism? According to scripture there are two baptisms.
Mark 1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
John 1:33 [John speaking] “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me; ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

For this article we will follow water baptism. This leads us to the second question: What does it mean? In the above scriptures we see plainly that it is for the repentance of sins. Does this mean that we merely get baptized and our sins are gone? Repentance in the Greek means to think differently. Remission in the Greek means deliverance, forgiveness, and liberty. We are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. This means that a person repents, asks forgiveness and becomes a new creation. Of course if the person is merely speaking empty words then there is no repentance, so one is not a new creation.

Now that we know what it is and what it means, we come to: How is it done? Exactly how are we to be baptized? Depending on what church, or denomination, baptism is done any one of a number of different ways. Instead of talking about what difference beliefs do let’s stick with the facts and see what the Word of God says. Matthew is the first book that records baptism and it is John the Baptist at the River Jordan. Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:9, Luke 3:16, John 1:26, all record how he baptized in the River Jordan. Acts 1:5 is Jesus Himself telling how John baptized in the River Jordan. If we go back to those same verses and go down a few scriptures each book also tells of Jesus Baptism and how He came straight up out of the water.

In the water and came straight up out of the water, it sounds like only one thing to me. What does it not say? It does not mention pouring or sprinkling. It says very simply in and out of.

We can gather from this that to be baptized means to repent and be fully wet [by going in and coming out] from water. That brings us to: What is the right way to do it?


God Bless,
rECj

DID YOU KNOW

Baptism for the dead - only mentioned in 1 Cor. 15:29. This expression as used by the apostle may be equivalent to saying, "He who goes through a baptism of blood in order to join a glorified church which has no existence [i.e., if the dead rise not] is a fool." Some also regard the statement here as an allusion to the strange practice which began, it is said, to prevail at Corinth, in which a person was baptized in the stead of others who had died before being baptized, to whom it was hoped some of the benefits of that rite would be extended. This they think may have been one of the erroneous customs which Paul went to Corinth to "set in order."

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

WHY STUDY YOURSELF

In our next few articles we are going to show you why it is so important that you study the scriptures. So we hope you enjoy the articles and as always look forward to your comments.

I decided to start off how to study yourself by talking about a subject that is very controversial. You can walk into any number of churches and hear and read for your self scriptures that support any number of different views. So how do we determine what is right and what is wrong? By Studying.

Baptism, now wait a minute I told you it was controversial. Let us start at the bringing.

Nowhere in the Old Testament is baptism mentioned. Not once, never. In the New Testament we have the following:
Baptism 22
Baptism 1
Baptize 9
Baptized 57
Baptizest 1
Baptizeth 2
Baptizing 4
Total 96 times

Now just what do we want to know about it? Let’s think about this; what would be your questions? What is baptism? What does it mean? How is it done? What is the right way to do it? I like, who can do it? What about where should it be done? Is there a wrong way? Did Jesus baptize anyone? Sounds like good ground to start on. Lets see what we can find out.


What is baptism? First we will go to Webster’s New Riverside University Dictionary and it says:
Baptism 1. A Christian sacrament marked by symbolic use of water to rid the recipient of original sin and resulting in admission into Christianity. 2. A ceremony, trial, or experience by which one is initiated, purified, or given a name. 3. Christian Science. A submergence in Spirit or purification by Spirit.
Baptize 1. To admit into Christianity by baptism. 2. a. To cleanse or purify b. to initiate 3. To give a first name, to administer baptism.

Now lets look up the Greek meaning. Why you ask? The New Testament was translated out of the Greek language.
Baptism as it is used here is from the Greek word meaning taken from baptisms: to make overwhelmed [i.e. fully wet]; used only in the NT of ceremonial ablution, especially [tech.] of the ordinance of Christian baptism.-baptist, baptize, wash. The word baptize basically means to immerse, submerge.

Okay do we have a meaning? According to Webster’s we have a lot of different meanings. Symbolic use of water to rid one of sin and results in admission into Christianity. A ceremony, a trial, or experience by which one is initiated, purified or given a name. And let us not forget our Christian Science belief: submergence in spirit or purification by spirit. Shall we read on? To admit us into Christianity. To cleanse or purity or to initiate. To give a first name or to administer baptism.

Almost enough right there to do one of two things. Throw up your hands and except what you are told. Or say that doesn’t make sense I want to know more, I want to know the truth. So which is it going to be with you?

Me I want to know the truth. Lets look at the Greek from where it was translated. To be overwhelmed, fully wet, in the NT only of ceremonial ablution. And ablution means to wash away. To completely submerge means to go under the water. Immerse means covered by water. By going to the Greek translation of what the word means we have the true definition

But is that all there is to the meaning, what of baptism of the Holy Ghost? Well that is very important and tomorrow we will see where we are led.

I pray that this has gotten you to open your eyes and your hearts to the word of God. Tomorrow we will search more into the right way.

rECj

DID YOU KNOW

1948 U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall prayed: 'We ask Thee not for tasks more suited to our strength, but for strength more suited to our tasks.'

SOURCE: Today in Christian History

SUPER GOD SUNDAY

If you did or did not watch the Super Bowl Game it was very good. I was pulling for the team that lost, the Chicago Bears. I don’t understand football, and truthfully really don’t want to understand all the ends and outs of it. I just simply enjoy watching a good football game.

What made this game different is that credit was given to God. The Colts coach and players again and again mentioned God in the play of the game and the outcome of the game. The coach is spoken of as a soft-spoken Christian man. He does not raise his voice nor does he cuss. The players that spoke of him and the game all spoke of the guidance of God.

Now if you are one of those who say NOT on Sunday, I say why not. Every time I see something of the world turned over to our Lord and Savior I am excited. I do. When I see a rapper turn his life over to the Lord, I get excited. When I see an actor give it all up to spread the word of God, I get excited. No, I do not like it when I hear one of these performers go up to accept an award, say I give all the credit to God and #$^%^& and )_)*^#%&. But they are right the talent did come from God, it is in the way they are using it that is not glorifying Him.

We know from the changes in the calendar that Sunday is probably not the real Sabbath. And certainly not according to the Jews, of which Jesus was. But does it really matter. Every day is Super God Day in my life and I hope so in yours.

And the more who are turning their life’s to the Lord the better. I don’t care if it is rap, or football. The Lord is what it is promoting and that is what matters to me. I don’t understand everything in the Bible, I am happy knowing that I belong to Christ and if I do need to know something-He will tell me!

Lord let today be a Super God Day in my life and let all I touch know that it is You that makes my day a Super God Day.

God Bless
rECj

DID YOU KNOW

1947 U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall prayed: 'Save Thy servants from the tyranny of the nonessential. Give them the courage to say "No" to everything that makes it more difficult to say "Yes" to Thee.'

SOURCE: Today in Christian History

LET IT GO FOLLOWUP

1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they were not so us; for if you had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
2 Cor 6:14
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? Fellowship here means in common. Communion means fellowship.

Duet 13:13 & 17 tell us that ‘corrupt men have gone out and enticed’ and ‘so none of the accused things shall remain in your hand.
Matt 24:24 says ‘show great signs and wonders to deceive’
2 Cor 11:19 For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourself are wise!
1 Cor 5:9 Says not to keep company with sexually immoral people.
Eph 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Verse 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Verse 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Let it go. Just as T. D. Jakes said yesterday let it go. We have all heard the expression set them free and if it’s real love they will come back. Well, most of us have been there and they did come back. It was not because it was real love.

Years ago when I was in the world I had what we called a road dog. You name it and we did it together. When I came to have a relationship with the Lord she was fine with that. She loved the Lord, now lets go party. I let go of her. She never let go of me. For twenty years she would call or come around. Every time she came around she got a no, it did not stop her. Oh I witnessed to her, too many times to count. The last time I saw her I had to tell her to leave. It did not hurt me to tell her to leave. What hurt me is that after 20 years of seeing me stand for the Lord I knew, she was happy with the one she knew. She was not there to lift me up she was there to pull me down, and she didn’t even realize it.

Sometimes we have to let go. Each of us has things in our life’s that we need to let go of. It can be a habit, a man or woman, a friend. We grow apart and things are different. We desire different things from life. It if isn’t good for you it should not be a part of your life.

We usually think of 2 Cor 6:14 as two people of different religions being married. This is not what that scripture means. He is speaking of being coupled together differently. Think of it as a set of scales out of balance. Let it go.

As Pastor Jakes said Let It Go. I am going to ask you to do something today after you read this. I want you in careful prayer to ask God to open your eyes to the things that you need to let go of. Then, make a list, search yourself and write down everything in your life that is not good for you. After you have completed your list look over it again and write down the things you are not sure if you keep or let go.

It might be the food you eat, it might be not drinking enough water. You might realize that the once a week gathering with the girls or the weekend basketball game with the boys distracts you from God. If it does you need to let it go. There is no right or wrong on the list, you can add to it or take away. The one thing you do need to do with this list is be honest.

After you have listed everything then take a good long look at the wasted energy in your life. The things that you can walk away from without a backward glance, then walk away. The areas that you need help with, those you take to God and ask for help in those areas.

This is when it is helpful to have those Christians in your life that you can talk and share with. They are usually called mentors. Reach out and ask for guidance and direction. You can share what you want; the point is to have someone who can help you in guiding you to the right path.

Most of all though remember to put God first and seek Him in all you do. It is time for us to let go of the things that are holding us back, or stopping us from getting the blessings that the things on this list or holding up in your life.

As always you can e-mail us and we do not have to know your name. We will pray with you and according to the scriptures give you guidance on what steps to take to be free.

We are as always yours in Christ
LJG/rECj

DID YOU KNOW

1930 American pioneer linguist and missionary Frank Laubach wrote in a letter: 'The sense of being led by an unseen hand which takes mine, while another hand reaches ahead and prepares the way, grows upon me daily.'

SOURCE: Today in Christian History

LET IT GO!!!

Let it go for 2007...

By T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk
away from you: let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.
The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.
Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.
Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to......
LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ......
LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth.....
LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you ........
LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge......
LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction......
LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents ....
LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude.......
LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better......
LET IT GO!! !

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him......
LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship.......
LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves......
LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed ........
LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to......
LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2007!!!
LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left think about it, and then ......
LET IT GO!!!

"The Battle is the Lord's!"

God's blessing go out to each of you,
rECj/LJG

DID YOU KNOW

1931 Pioneer American linguist and missionary Frank Laubach wrote in a letter: 'There is a deep peace that grows out of illness and loneliness and a sense of failure. God cannot get close when everything is delightful. He seems to need these darker hours, these empty-hearted hours, to mean the most to people.'

SOURCE: Today in Christian History

HOW MUCH DO WE TRUST?

REVELATION 21:
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
MATTHEW 4:23
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickenss and all manner of disease among the people.
MALACHI 4:2
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
2 SAMUEL 22:3 & 31
The Lord is my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation my high tower, and my refuge, my savior; thou saved me from violence.
As for God, his way is perfect; and word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

How much do we trust the Lord? We are all with faults, and I am hoping as I search myself, that I can encourage you to do the same.

Are there areas of our life that we do what we can in, instead of doing what God says because we do not see a way? It is impossible for us to do something so we cut short on what the word says to do?

Do we not accept the healing scriptures because we feel pain? What are we supposed to do? We speak the Word into our life and step out in faith and do what the word says. We put a smile on our face and go forward. Oh, now lets be real when we hurt we hurt. How do I smile when I am in pain? Believe me I know pain. We speak against it, we tell it to go, that the word says I am healed and I am going to say it and believe it. I will not speak of the pain, I will speak of what the Lord says is mine. Healing is mine says the Lord. He does not say pain is mine. LJG and I both know pain and doctors. We sit here each day LJG on a breathing machine and I with pain burning through my body. Do we accept it, no we believe God for the healing He said belongs to us and we will believe it in spite of not seeing it? We will not give up, He said it, and it is so.

Now lets go a step farther. Do you pay tithes and offerings on all that you receive? Or do you pay the bills and give God what is left over? You are putting Him in second place if you do. God says to bring the first fruits, a tenth to His warehouse and He will supply all your needs. If your needs are not being met, look in your own wallet first. How can we expect God to treat us any different then we treat Him? OUCH. We do reap what we sow.

Living for the Lord is not hard, we make it hard. How, because we do not know His scripture as we should, and we do not know how to use His words in our life’s. God’s Word cannot lie. If it did God would destroy God. He cannot sin. So if we will take the time and look up His word on any and everything in our life [and believe me it is in there] He will give us His own words to say to Him. Lord You said it and I am speaking it aloud into my life until I see it. That is how you build up faith.

I challenge you to stop, yes stop trying so hard to study the word by tearing it apart and get back to the simple basics. Think about when you where first saved, nobody could tell you God couldn’t do something, you knew in your heart that He could and would. But as you started going back into your normal worldly routine, and people started saying that is impossible, you started unbelieving what had been planted in you at your conversion. Think about it!

Get a concordance a good one, I strongly recommend Strongs and whatever it is you are facing look it up. Healing it is in there, prosperity it is in there, and wild children it is in there. Find a couple of scriptures and write them down start your morning saying them out loud, repeat them throughout the day. Plant them as you would seed, and act on them. Picture the situation, as you believe God for it to be. Speak nothing negative about it. And if you slip and we all do, repent and speak what God says, and smile be full of joy while you do. Take just one area in your life and do this and then no matter how hard you get attacked, because the devil will attack, stand your ground, take back what belongs to you whatever it is.

Heavenly Father, I think You for wisdom and knowledge, I thank You for showing me how to get the most out of my life. I thank You for raising me above what others think is normal into a God guided life with all my supplies and needs met. I thank You for taking the messes I have made in my life and straighten them up and showing me how to do it Your way not mine. Amen So Be It.

God Bless
rECj/LJG

NOTES ON A PERSONAL LETTER

Yesterday we all received a personal letter from our Father. Today lets look a little closer at some of the points he made in that letter Proverbs chapter 3. We are going to start with verse one and let’s see what we find. If we miss something, or if something we don’t cover catches your eye, please let us know. We do like to hear from you.

Verse one tells us that we are not to forget the laws of God; and our heart is to keep His commands. If we do our life will be lengthened and peace will be added to you. A closer look: this is Old Testament and the promises that are made here are to all God’s children. Because Jesus came and died for us, we are not under the law. But the laws were there for a reason: to guide, direct and for obedience. With the Lord it is His way, there is no other way. We cannot change Him, He changes us. Look carefully it says to not forget the laws; it says keep My commands.

We are not to literally bind anything around our necks, nor can we write on our hearts. When we read and study the word it becomes a part of us. The neck supports the head and binding something will strengthen it. Our heart controls our body, without a brain we can live, without a heart we die. The heart is also the life source of our body, so it seems reasonable to put the word there.

Trust in the Lord with your heart, your life source, and lean not on your own understanding. It is not for us to figure out how He will do it. If He says He will, He will; so let Him. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. What exactly does acknowledge mean?
Webster’s—to know, to recognize; to confess, avow, or admit the existence, reality, or truth of; to recognize the validity, force, or power of; to express recognition of; to express gratitude for.
Strongs—Hebrew to know [to ascertain by seeing] have knowledge.
So in all you do, know Him and He will direct you.

I found a tidbit of information that I thought I would share with you. Most of us have heard the expression yada, yada, yada, well guess what it means in Hebrew: have knowledge. Look closely at the spelling of yada: yaw-dah.

Don’t think yourself wise, know where it comes from, you are nothing by yourself. Fear God and depart from evil. If you are in evil, God is not there. So stay away from things that can hurt you and you will be healthy.

Honor God with your possessions. What you have came from God, you are not the owner, and it is in trust to you. And what He has entrusted to you then honor Him with it. The first fruits of your increase belong to God. What is that? Let’s say you get a 50 cent an hour raise, and you work forty hours a week, that is a twenty dollar a week raise. That first 20 dollars belongs to God. After that it is the usual 10% tithe. The increase belongs to God. Now I don’t know about you but I don’t have a barn or any vats with wine. God will fill our life’s with plenty to overflowing, be it our house, our wallets or our minds.

We are not to get angry from the chastisements of the Lord, when He corrects us. He corrects us because He loves us. He does not enjoy watching us get hurt. If your child continues to run toward the street after we talk to them, most of us will spank them, why, because we know what will happen if they run into the road? So it is with God. He desires for us to learn to grow from our mistakes, not to continue to make them.

Wisdom and understanding, just look at the promises that are given to us if we find and gain them. Nothing compares, our days are lengthened, riches and honor, ways of pleasantness, path of peace, life and happiness. Life, it's our soul, grace to our neck [remember it supports the head] walking safely not stumbling, not afraid, sweet sleep. Not afraid of sudden terror, not of trouble. God will be you confidence and keep your foot from being caught.

WOW I could just stop right there and shout, but I would wake up the house. I have to read that again. Nothing compares, days lengthened, riches, honor, pleasantness, peace, life, happiness, sweet sleep, no trouble. And on top of that God is my confidence and will keep me from being caught.

But wait a minute, how many of us Christians do you know that live like that? Are you living like that? OUCH! I could preach right now, if I was a preacher. This is the way we are suppose to be living. Being a Christian does not mean being poor, broke, sick from day to day. It means living life to the fullest every step of the way.

If somebody is due good then give it, if it is in your hand to do. If someone asks and you have give it. Now wait a minute I did not say to give money to everybody that asks, or anything else for that matter. This is where that wisdom and knowledge comes in. I know there are times I gave when I shouldn’t have and some times I could have and didn’t. It says to whom it is due, when you can.

This one touched my heart. Do not devise evil against your neighbor; he dwells by you for safety’s sake. I have a young neighbor who one night the Lord moved on me to pray for. I had no idea what was going on in the next yard as a trailer blocked the view and I was so strongly in prayer for this young man I heard nothing. There was a battle going on in my living room, a battle for his life. I found out the next day that at the same time I was praying he got in a fight and was stabbed twice in that yard. The doctor’s told him the two stab wounds were minor, but if either one of them had been a fraction of an inch different they both would have struck vital organs. Your neighbor dwells by you for safety.

If someone tries to cause strive with you without cause, he has not hurt you. What is that children’s saying: Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Words cannot hurt you, give it to God, forgive and ask God to forgive them and keep going.

Why would we even consider envying an oppressor or choose their ways. I do not want what they have, nor want it the way they got it. They are an abomination to our Father, while the upright have secret counsel with Him. A curse is on the wicked, He blesses the just. He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. The wise inherit glory and shame belongs to fools.

Oh what a wonderful God we serve. Have a wonderful day in the Lord. Take it one step at a time and before you know it you’ll be running the best race of your life. Don’t forget His promises, they do belong to you.

God Bless
rECj

DID YOU KNOW

Fellowship - (1.) With God, consisting in the knowledge of his will (Job 22:21; John 17:3); agreement with his designs (Amos 3:2); mutual affection (Rom. 8: 38, 39); enjoyment of his presence (Ps. 4:6); conformity to his image (1 John 2:6; 1:6); and participation of his felicity (1 John 1:3, 4; Eph. 3:14-21).

(2.) Of saints with one another, in duties (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:1; 1 Thess. 5:17, 18); in ordinances (Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:46); in grace, love, joy, etc. (Mal. 3:16; 2 Cor. 8:4); mutual interest, spiritual and temporal (Rom. 12:4, 13; Heb. 13:16); in sufferings (Rom. 15:1, 2; Gal. 6:1, 2; Rom. 12:15; and in glory (Rev. 7:9).

SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

DID YOU KNOW

Wise, wisdom - a moral rather than an intellectual quality. To be "foolish" is to be godless (Ps. 14:1; comp. Judg. 19:23; 2 Sam. 13:13). True wisdom is a gift from God to those who ask it (Job 28:12-28; Prov. 3:13-18; Rom. 1:22; 16:27; 1 Cor. 1:17-21; 2:6-8; James 1:5). "Wisdom" in Prov. 1:20; 8:1; 9:1-5 may be regarded not as a mere personification of the attribute of wisdom, but as a divine person, "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:24). In Matt. 11:19 it is the personified principle of wisdom that is meant.


SOURCE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

A PERSONAL LETTER

For the last two days we have been talking about faith. Today I want to share with you a personal letter. It is written to all of us from our Father. Take your time and read His word as He speaks to you.

My children do not forget my law, but let your heart keep My commandants, for the length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.
Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in My eyes and in mans.
Trust Me with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Me, and I will direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear Me and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.
Honor Me with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
My child, do not despise the chastening I give you, nor detest My correction; for whom I love I correct, just as a father the son in whom he delights.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. For in understanding and wisdom the proceeds are better then the profits of silver, the gain more than fine gold. It is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with it. Length of days is in it right hand, and in it’s left riches and honor. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace. It is a tree of life to those who take hold of it, and happy are all who retain it.
By wisdom I founded the earth, by understanding I established the heavens. By My knowledge the depths were broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
My child, let them not depart from your eyes-keep sound wisdom and discretion: so they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck.
Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes you will lie down and your sleep shall be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for I will be your confidence, and will keep your feet from being caught.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say no to your neighbor, go and come back, and tomorrow I will give it, when you have it with you. Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he dwells by you for safety’s sake. Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
Do not envy the oppressor, and choose none of his ways; for the perverse person is an abomination to Me, but My secret counsel is with the upright. The curse of Me is on the house of the wicked, but I bless the home of the just. Surely I scorn the scornful, but give grace to the humble. The wise inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools.
I love you My child, Your Father

This letter is found in Proverbs chapter 3. As I was reading it tonight the Lord laid it on my heart to read it as He was in fact speaking to me, and that is the way I have written it for you to read. It is truly a personal letter from our Father and it belongs to each of us. Thank you and God Bless

rECj