SUNDAY EDITORIAL

The Other Side

We have all received one of those phone calls, someone we know is in trouble, but no one knows what is going on. It is a shock as we know this person, in my case watched them grow up, nice, well respected in the community, what could this child, who is now a young man, possibility have done.

I did not want to call the family, so I went on-line. The young man was arrested by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] on three separate charges involving child pornography.

The family has been involved in civil rights, and in the community. One grandfather was the first black police officer, who rose in ranks to become our first black assistant Chief of Police, he was also a councilmen, his wife a well known and respected school teacher. The other grandfather is known in the area for driving the horse drawn cart selling vegetables, he was one of the richest men in town, his wife was a highly respected house wife. His father was Chief of Police, his mother a head surgical nurse. His only sibling, a sister is an assistant D.A. His uncle a State Representative, local attorney and known for his Christmas Toy drive.

The young man had served as a city councilman and was a well liked high school teacher. He had called in that morning, shortly before his arrest and resigned for personal reasons.

As I sit here I think of a few people I have warned my grandson to keep away from. How I have talked to him about being careful, not letting him play at the park next door. All the things I have done to keep him safe. And here is a young person that I would have trusted to take him to the store, or to the park.

And then I think of my dear friend, the young man's grandmother. What can I possibility say to her, except I am there for you, you are in my prayers. I think of his own four children and yes I wonder, and try to put the thought out of my mind.

Is the reality that we cannot be to careful, never careful enough. My grandson as many other children will never know the freedom to just go for a walk along, until he is much older. I remember at his age walking a block to the store along, something my grandson has never done.

We let them take God out of everything and then we watch the results, as this country falls further and further into a pit. A few can make a difference, and those of us that are praying will continue, no matter what we are looking at.

God Bless Indeed,
rECj/LJG

SATURDAY EDITORIAL

ANGER

He that is slow to anger is better that the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Proverbs 16:32

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Proverbs 15:1

DANIEL'S GLOVES

reECj-- We never know who we are looking at in life. We never know who we might be entertaining.

I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.
As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, 'I will work for food.' My heart sank. I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief. We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car. Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: 'Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square.'
Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.
I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor.
'Looking for the pastor?' I asked.
'Not really,' he replied, 'just resting.'
'Have you eaten today?'
'Oh, I ate something early this morning.'
'Would you like to have lunch with me?'
'Do you have some work I could do for you?"
'No work,' I replied 'I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.'
'Sure,' he replied with a smile.
As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?'
'St. Louis.'
'Where you from?'
'Oh, all over, mostly Florida.'
'How long you been walking?'
'Fourteen years,' came the reply.
I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, 'Jesus is The Never Ending Story.'
Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.
He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God.
'Nothing's been the same since,' he said, 'I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.'
'Ever think of stopping?' I asked.
'Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That’s what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.'
I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: 'What's it like?'
'What?'
'To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?'
'Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn't make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people's concepts of other folks like me.'
My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused He turned to me and said, 'Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I've prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.'
I felt as if we were on holy ground. 'Could you use another Bible?' I asked.
He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite. 'I've read through it 14 times,' he said.
'I'm not sure we've got one of those, but let's stop by our church and see' I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.
'Where are you headed from here?' I asked.
'Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.'
'Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?'
'No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that's where I'm going next.'
He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we'd met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.
'Would you sign my autograph book?' he asked. 'I like to keep messages from folks I meet.'
I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, 'I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.'
'Thanks, man,' he said. 'I know we just met and we're really just strangers, but I love you.'
'I know,' I said, 'I love you, too.' 'The Lord is good!'
'Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?' I asked.
A long time,' he replied.
And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed.. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, 'See you in the New Jerusalem.'
'I'll be there!' was my reply.
He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, 'When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'
'You bet,' I shouted back, 'God bless.'
'God bless.' And that was the last I saw of him.
Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them... a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.
Then I remembered his words: 'If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'
Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office.. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. 'See you in the New Jerusalem,' he said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will...
'I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.'
Prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached. Prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another. God bless and have a nice day!

Sent by an e mail.

God Bless Indeed
rECj/LJG

MAY THE PEACH OF GOD BE WITH YOU

The Peace of God, total complete tranquillity. How unreasonable it sounds in the rat race of the world we live in.

Where do we find this peace. Forgetting the world, blocking out all around us. For many of us it is near impossible. Do we have to set an appointment with God to find quality time with Him?

Pat would go to the park in the middle of the day when everyone was at school or work. LJG is known for going into the restroom, everyone knows do not disturb her. Many often get up before family to seek time alone with God, or at night after others are asleep.

Find the time, make the time. It restores you, renews you.

Jesus would try to get away from the crowds only to be followed. At times He would disappear. I think we can understand. He needed to pray, refresh Himself, restore His Spirit. If Jesus knew He needed time with the Lord, surely we should realize we to need time alone with the Lord.

Take the time, make the time-You will not regret it.

God Bless Indeed.
rECj/LJG

BLASPHEMY

Blasphemy is a noun dating from the 13th century. It is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God; the act of claiming the attributes of deity; irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable.
In the 17th century Quakers were persecuted for their beliefs and practices that the older churches regarded as blasphemies. Today many are persecuted for the same. Each religious group feels that it is the right way.
Heresy is unverified; unofficial information gained or acquired from another and not part of one's direct knowledge; an item of idle or unverified information or gossip; rumor; a malicious hearsay.
In English "blasphemy" denotes any utterance that insults God or Christ (or Allah, or Mohammed) and gives deeply felt offense to their followers.
The Biblical concept is different. In the Old Testament there is no Hebrew word equivalent to our English Blasphemy. Translators use the word blaspheme for the verb curse or despise, with God as the object. The Greek root blaspheme, used 55 times in the New Testament, has a wide meaning. In neither Testament is the idea of blasphemy something that offends the religious sensibilities of others. It is completely absent.
When we use of the word blasphemy we are speaking of someone who personally insults or curse's God, by word or deed. In the Bible there is no distinction between those who abuse the Name of the Lord [Le 24:10-16], or flout His commandments [Nu 15:30-31]. For both the death penalty is prescribed.
Many people today are misinformed about the use of this word.
So today to set the record straight M., I give you an answer. I doubt you want to hear it, but knowledge is wisdom, and wisdom comes from hearing the Word of God. LJG and I have never put heresy on any of our sites, and we most certainly have never blasphemed the Lord. We have upset some carts, we have stirred the waters, and hopefully we can get you to open your eyes to the full life that Christ has for all those who look to Him and not to man made traditions.
For the rest of those who read these sites NOW you have the rest of the story on what this word really means.

God Bless Indeed,
rECj/LJG

BELOVED

2 Peter 3:1-3

1Thes second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

Beloved, Peter is writing to those he loves to remind them of words spoken not only by the apostles but also by prophets of the Old Testament. Be mindful, on guard. Remember the doctrine of the ancient prophets and the commandments/instructions of the apostles are all founded on the same basis.

Jude 1:14-15-Enoch

Psalms 1:1-David

Daniel 12:1-3

Libertinism the practices or habits of life; disregard of authority or convention in sexual or religious matters.

Also

· (n.) Licentious conduct; debauchery; lewdness.

· (n.) Licentiousness of principle or opinion.

· (n.) The state of a libertine or freedman.

Is this in fact the idea of liberty? Walking after their own desires, scoffers will come first. Trusting in what can be seen, in contrast with trusting in the Word, walking after their own lusts.

The apostles being now in the church proved how clearly they were known to God and in being so showed the believers the necessity of having no connection with such as these [scoffers].

The true source of all infidelity is following after our own lusts. The Gospel of Jesus, which is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, is pure and holy and requires a holy heart and a holy life.

Scoffers labour to prove that is not true, wanting to persuade themselves and others that it is a forgery. They endeavor to turn regilion into ridicule. In mockery, this is their spirit and temper; they do not desire to find out the truth. They only take up the Bible with the purpose of turning it to ridicule. This is done many times by adding to or taking away from the Word of God.

Peter is telling them what they have already heard, that false teachers have already disrupted other Chrsitian groups. They have done this with anit-authority, no respect, and teaching self-gratification. They deny God and shame His church; they give false hope, and freedom from restraint.

We can easily look around us and see this happening today. There are many churches whose goal is to make one comfortable, easy and convenient.

One local church has seen a big drop in attendance. The Pastor is a wonderful teacher, who brings the Word of God to life. He was attracting many young people, the church growing daily. The Pastor did not change, he taught and still teaches the Truth. As he saw all these young unmarried couples living openly in sin, he did the right thing and told them it was wrong. He calls a sin a sin. Many did not want to hear that, they were comfortable, did not want to change, they left his church. I am sure that they will find a place that will welcome them as they are, and be happy to let them remain that way.

Proverbs 27:5 Open rebuke is better then love concealed.

Scoffers changing words to make themselves happy; telling the truth might hurt but living a lie will surely bring you death!

Is the teaching of Peter any less important today then it was then? Of course not, what was true then is very much true today, right now.

Thought to ponder—as Christians/Believers we can go to the Lord and repent. Is there something in your life that you are comfortable with that is not acceptable to the Lord? Make it a point to start cleaning yourself up to be presentable as Holy and Righteous and as Acceptable before the Lord.

God Bless

rECj/LJG

GOD'S ACCURACY

How lovely to think about the way our Creator God planned everything so carefully and perfectly, everything with a plan. As His highest creation, 'we are fearfully and wonderfully made.'

God's accuracy may be observed in the hatching of eggs.
For example:
The eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7 days;
Those of the canary in 14 days;
Those of the barnyard hen in 21 days.
The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days;
Those of the mallard in 35 days.
The eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days.
(Notice, they are all divisible by seven).

God's wisdom is seen in the making of an elephant. The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other Quadruped is so made. God planned that this animal would have a huge body, too large to live on two legs. For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily.

The horse rises from the ground on its two front leg s first.
A cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first.

How wise the Lord is in all His works of creation! God's wisdom is revealed in His arrangement of sections and segments, as well as in the number of grains.


Each watermelon has an even number of strips on the rind.
Each orange has an even number of segments.
Each ear of corn has an even number of rows.
Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains.

Every bunch of bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas, and each row decreases by one, so that one row has an even number and the next row an odd number.

The waves of the sea roll in on shore twenty-six to the minute in all kinds of weather.

All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks

The Lord specified thirty fold, sixty fold, and a hundredfold - all even numbers.

God has caused the flowers to blossom at certain specified times during the day, so that Linnaeus, the great botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the flowers that were open and those that were closed!

Thus the Lord in His wonderful grace can arrange the life that is entrusted to His care in such a way that it will carry out His purposes and plans, and will be fragrant with His presence. Only the God-planned life is successful. Only the life given over to the care of the Lord is safe.

*Author unknown

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PRAY AND GIVE THANKS TO THE GOD THE GIVER OF ALL GOOD THINGS!

May The Lord Gently Wrap You in His Love.

rECj/LJG

sent to rECj by barrelrace

SUNDAY EDITORIAL

I actually enjoy giving my personal opinion on things that I see in life.
This week has been no different, there are many things that I question, and some I just stand back and oh am I the only person that doesn't think that is right.
The number one thing that stands out to me this week is the tragic death of the young Olympic Luger man. How can the officials stand there and say it is not anyone's fault but turn right around and cover the pilings with protective material and then shorten the course. What bothered me as much was someone saying that the bar gets lifted each year for more difficult and dangerous events, and they know there will be accidents, it is part of the sports.
I read of the man who died after he fell into Mt. St. Helens. They located him but were unable to get to him before he died because of the weather.
Then on a funny note I read of Oprah trying to wipe a birth mark off the face of the New Orleans Super Bowl star quarterback.
Why are people looking for excitement in ways that can be dangerous to their health? Isn't there a point when a rational person says this is good, maybe better then good and yes I can go further but is it worth the price I might have to pay?
In the past 12 months I have traveled a lot in the USA and though I saw and experienced many things there were many things I said no to. Even in my normal day to day life there are times I have said that looks wonderful but it is not worth the price I might have to pay.
Even more so as a Christian, is it worth it? The price for too many fun or exciting things in this world are not worth at all the price that people are willing to pay for that pleasure.
On a final note it is nice to know that even with all her money and staff that the renowned Ms O still has the normal short comings that most of us have. Be it asking someone when their baby is due, and they are not with child; to attempting to wipe what looks like food and is a birth mark, I think we have all done this at some point.
Remember think before you act and think before you speak.
God Bless You Indeed,
rECj/LJG

TROUBLING TIMES

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust Him.

Nahum 1:7

My flesh and my heart fail; but God is my strength of my heart, and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

Though I walk in the midst of troouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out your right hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand will save me.

Psalm 138:7


Sent to me by Bro. Floyd from my church, Cross Roads Baptist Church, located on Baxley Road in Middleburg, Clay County. Come on out and visit with us for a great blessing.

THE LORD IS MY REAL BOSS

I would love to be able to claim this one, alas I can only claim that I am passing it on. I found this while searching my notes for the Lord's Prayer. May God Bless you indeed. I do not know who wrote it but truly He is our Boss.


The Lord is my real Boss, and I shall not want.
He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray before I speak
And to do all things without murmuring and complaining.
He reminds me that He is my Source and not my job.
He restores my sanity every day and guides my decisions
That I might honor Him in everything I do.
Even though I face absurd amounts of emails, system crashes,
Unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers,
Discriminating supervisors and an aging body that does not cooperate
Every morning, I will not stop for He is with me!
His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.
He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company
Threatens to let me go.
His faithfulness and love are better then any bonus checks.
His retirement plan beats every 401K there is.
When it is all said and done, I will be working for Him
A whole lot longer, and for that,
I bless His name.

God Bless,
rECj/LJG

THE PRAYER OF JABEZ

The Prayer of Jabez

"And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. (I Chronicles 4:9-10 KJV)

I have liked the Prayer of Jabez since before I knew how to say his name. Recently I came across an article that did not set right with my Spirit. I am including a few lines to let you see what they said.

"It is true that God hears the prayers of His saints, but there is no guarantee that He will always answer them in a way consistent with our desires. ...what happens if God doesn't answer when we pray the prayer?... there is no presentation of the gospel in the book and no differentiation between believer and non-believer. ...what if God's plan for a person is different from what they asked for in prayer? In nearly all English translations but the New King James Version, "keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain."

As I read and reread the Prayer of Jabez the first thing that stood out to me is Jabez did not ask what he wanted to be blessed with. Nor did he ask how much to enlarge his territory. He asked that God keep His hand on him, keep him from evil so it will not grieve him. Now any Christan knows that when we do evil it grieves our spirit man.

But why I ask myself does this article come across that this prayer is not for us to pray. Yes God does answer all our prayers, just not the way we would have Him do so. Thankfully He knows better than to let us win the lottery, if He knows all we will do is pay off all the debts of our friends, and then they will look at us, not at God. Yes Virginia God does answer all prayers, sometime he says NO.
What happens when we do not get the answer we pray, then we continue to pray and believe. And with this prayer I don't see anything bad being prayed.

Next he says there is no presentation of the gospel in the book and no differentiation between believer and non-believer. Now the writer is speaking of the book that was wrote called "The Prayer of Jabez" good for them whatever they believe for now they have some truth and it might, this one prayer, lead them to the Lord and the truth.

Last is the other translations, oh people this is why we have to be careful. Read this and think on it "keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." Jabez is not saying he does not want physical pain that he does not want to be sick. But even if you want to read that then may I suggest that in that translation it means the same as I wrote above. It grieves our spirit, it pains us to do evil.

This is a simple unselfish prayer. God heard him and answered him. I have a strong feeling God knew exactly what to bless him with. Does this prayer belong to Jabez. Yes it is his prayer, his request of the Lord. Can it belong to us? Why not.
Remember the Old Testament is a preparing ground for the New Testament. Now read this prayer.

Matthew, Chapter 6: 9-13 (KJV).
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Now read the Prayer of Jabez again.

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. (I Chronicles 4:9-10 KJV)

Both are calling on the name of God, one says bless me, the other says give me my daily bread. One says keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me, the other says forgive us as we forgive, and lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil.
Take the time to look at the two scriptures. Both prayers belong to us. Pray today that God will indeed.

Bless you.
rECj/LJG

COMMON SENSE

To drink or not to drink?
I will never drink alcohol, not even NyQuil [which is 40 proof.]
Jesus turned water to wine-Let's Party.
What’s wrong with a six pack?
Why get hung up on a little wine at a wedding?

Distilled alcohol as we know it today is not the wine that is spoke of in the Bible. Today's liquor and wine has a higher alcohol content.

Yes, Jesus did drink wine. Sorry to break it to you. John the Baptist did not, but Jesus did. He also promised that He would drink wine with us again upon His return. Jesus never sinned, so drinking wine is not a sin. Now that is wine, it is not Jack Daniels, nor any other whiskey or rum or gin, nor is it Boone's Farm.

So is it a sin or not? Well I came across a interesting saying in my research and it is this: Some totally abstain; some should totally abstain; and some drink moderately.

Wine is mentioned over 250 times in the Bible. Just to get a overview I will mention a few things. Noah got drunk and naked; Lot was so drunk he didn't know what he was doing; Nabel died after a drunken spree; David got Uriah drunk to cover his sin; Amnon was drunk when he was killed; Esther's husband the king was drunk when he commanded her to come to him. Now let's look at another view. The Bible tells us that wine is a mocker; a poison; violence; causes poverty, woe, sorrow, fighting, babbling, wounds without cause, red eyes, strange and adulterous thoughts, produces willfulness, and prevents reformation.

A few tidbits that I also picked up that are interesting: woe to him that makes drinks for others [bartenders], and to him who gives drinks to his neighbor.
The one thing that is clear without any doubts is drunkenness is a sin. So that settles that part of it getting drunk is a sin. Now I could list dozens of scriptures here, but the question is: Is it a sin to drink?

We know that yes Jesus did drink, and Paul told Timothy to stop drinking the water and drink wine. Some doctors advocate drinking small amounts of red wine for its health benefits. The water was probably causing his stomach problems. We have all been told when we travel to not drink the water.

The Bible does not forbid Christians from drinking any kind of drink. Drunkenness and addiction are the sin. God does not teach us to practice evil in moderation. God does not lead us into evil, we led ourselves. Alcohol goes directly to the brain, the communication center of the body. Think about that one.

It is not a sin to drink, the sin is when the consumption corrupts righteous thoughts or behavior. When drinking harms health or violates civil law. Your freedom in Christ ends when your behavior begins to harm your relationship with God and with other people.

Question: At what point does a person become "intoxicated"?
"Intoxicate ... to affect temporarily with diminished control over the physical and mental powers, by means of alcoholic liquor, a drug..." - Random House College Dictionary.

"A person is under the influence of alcohol when, due to the imbibing of alcohol, he has lost to any extent some of that clearness of intellect and self-control that he would otherwise possess" - Amer. Med Assoc via AlcoNarFax, p32
This effect is caused by 1 or 2 modern drinks.

rECj/LJG

DRUNK AND GLUTTONOUS

Matthew 11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
If we take these two scriptures as fact that is how we could look at our Lord. I came across these as I was looking up scriptures for tomorrow's article. Perfect example of what I wrote on yesterday.

Who said it? Pharisees? What was their intent? To present Jesus as a sinner, who had no business leading others.

The Pharisees were focused on themselves and what they would lose if people listened to this 'man.' The bigger point here is not to take things out of context. We have to look at the entire picture.

I was at the drug store one morning picking up my grandson's medicine for ADHD, we had ran out so he had not taken his dose for the day. He is like the energizer bunny without his meds. With them he can focus, and we are all happy with his grade improvement. After the 5th time of saying okay you can not do that in the store and trying to get him to focus on one thing, a woman sitting beside me told me that if she took him home for one day she could make him mind. I must admit I did not answer politely, but I told her that if she took him home without his medicine she would bring him back. With that I walked away.

My grandson has opened my eyes to the behavior of other children and adults. I now realize that sometimes the behavior is beyond their control. There is lady that comes into work, she has had a stroke and though she starts off on the line after a few letters her writing drifts downward. Now I look for her and ask can I write that for you.

We have to look at the entire picture even if we don't know what is there. With the Bible that is looking at who, when, what, where, and how. With the people we have in our lifes or come in contact with it is not passing judgment whether we ever know the entire picture or not.

rECj/LJG

WHAT WE BELIEVE

For those of you that are new to our sites, there are a few things we need to explain. We believe in the Bible being the true Word of God. We do not take from or add to it (Rev 22:18-19 For verily I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy. God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.). That said, yes I myself do read some of the newer translations. I do this so that I am getting a clearer picture of what others are reading. I also believe that these translations can and do change the meaning of some words in our Bible.

My book of choice is the King James, and with it I use a Strongs's Exhaustive Concordance with the Greek and Hebrew translations. I also use, of course, the internet and many other resource books.

LJG and I both believe that we are not to take any 'man's word for what is right or wrong. We believe that you should study for yourself and prove the Word (II Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.). This means not just reading a scripture and saying that is it. To whom is it written, in what context is it written, in what time period and what culture is it written are all important.

All parents have told a child to not cross the street, to in later years say watch the traffic as you cross the street. That leads us to common sense.

We must use common sense , without changing the Word of God. God has given us freedom of choice. There are many people that take scriptures and use them to support their own beliefs.

We do not do that. My relationship with the Lord has brought me to a place where it is not what I believe or think but what His Word says about things. Because of my love for Him I have changed my views on many issues.

Okay I can see some people saying 'you can't think for yourself', no that is not what I am saying. Being a new creature in Christ my eyes have been opened and now I look at things through His eyes.

We are far from perfect and are continuing to grow and learn. LJG and I even agree to disagree on something’s, but we do back it up in scripture.

Judging others because of their belief or unbelief is not our job. We read research, study and present our findings. We answer all questions. Feel free to ask or comment and we promise to answer.

Welcome to our site and may God Bless you.

rECj/LJG

SUNDAY EDITORIAL

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

THE DAY OF LOVE

How great is Thou love
ENDLESS
Powerful, giving and forgiving, enduring

How can we celebrate a day of love
without celebrating the One who created Love

The very Name of our Lord
The very core of Him
is
LOVE

As we go about our day today let us not forget where our love comes from. Take a few minutes out of your day to share with someone who is without a earthly one that they are loved. That gift will be the biggest gift you can give today.

God Bless
Recj/LJG

SATURDAY EDITORIAL A MUST READ

I knew about some of these verses that were left out of the other Bibles, but had no idea that there were so many verses left out....We only use the King James and now I understand why it is so important to stick with it.....

Comparisons between The Majority (KJV) and Minority (NIV) Texts
http://ecclesia.org/truth/m-m.html

IN THE BEGINNING GENSIS 1:1

Genesis means beginning, origin. Here is were God began His groundwork for all the rest of the Bible. It you think about it our revelation is our beginning. We became fresh and new when we asked the Lord into our Life’s. We are a new beginning.

As we glance through the Old and New Testament we see again and again where new beginnings happened. In the New Testament the Book of Genesis is quoted more then any other book.

There is a lot that is left out of Genesis, but God includes all that we need to know that leads us right up to the New Testament: grace, election, free will, covenant relationship, the substituted sacrifice, transformation of the sinner, and obedience of faith. It all starts right there in Genesis.

I can't help but think of the Prayer of Jabez " Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 'Oh that thou would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that thou would keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me. And God granted him that which he requested." 1 Chron :10 { Iwill write more on this Prayer later.}

Nothing more nothing less. Who is he, what did he do, where did he go? No answers. And it is so with a lot of the Bible.

God tells what He knows we need to know. We are not to add nor take away.
You can also look at it like our Constitution, so many amendments have been added to it that it makes a simple, plain, well written document hard to understand. Each day there are revised statues added.

The Bible can be explored, talked about, explained. It can also be torn apart so much that the truth is distorted. We are to take the Bible as the written word of God. In doing so it is our beginning just as Genesis is the beginning.
I will take a little liberty here and say: In the beginning [your act of giving of yourself to Christ] God created and gave to you [in His Word] all you need to get to the finish line. John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (King James Bible)

God Bless,
recj

NO REGRETS

Can we honestly say we have no regrets in our beliefs. I am not talking about our actions. Lord thankfully forgives us for those. No what I am speaking on is our beliefs. How many of us have come from a regilious background that we are glad to be rid of? Should we have regrets for believing that way? I am thankful for the background I have had as it is what lead me to be as I am today. The past is past, just that over and done, never to be changed, but easily left behind.

I have no regrets that I now know a Saviour who forgives and guides me to go upward and forward.

No regrets that today I can wake up refreshed and anew. That no matter what happened yesterday it is behind me and I march on.
l
Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore , and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord ;
Refreshed and renewed no regrets.
May God Bless you
rECj

1/study/tsk/tsk.cfm?b=Act&c=3&v=20&t=KJV

GOOD MORNING

1 Samuel 12:22 "For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself."

Good Morning and it is a beautiful Blessed day of the Lord.

Am I the only one that knew that all was well with our LJG while we were without word from her. I believe it was only at the end when we began to go okay where is she. The e-mails were flying around: do you know, have you heard anything, what is going on. Low and behold there she is. We all thank God above for having His hand on her and yes all of those who love her and care so much for her.

Lord today we Thank You for so much we have to be thankful for.

In life we have but to take a few moments and look around at the things that we take for granted. It might be turning on the coffee pot in the morning to picking up the Bible to read. We are blessed beyond what we can even begin to know or understand.

We see Haiti all over the news and our hearts go out to them. We should take a minute to look at our own country and know this could be us. Haiti is a country that is largely without God. The USA is speedily taking God out of everything.

How many areas of our life do we forget to give over to God? God is not a God to be mocked (Galatains 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.). God does not beg us to let Him be in our life. He wants to be there for every part of our life’s, but we have to ask Him into our life’s.

No, I do not believe that God got up one day and said I will destroy this country. But if He is not asked to be a part then all He can and will do is stand by and wait to be called on. He will only let things go so far because He has given an Answer and that Answer (John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.) will appear in the sky one day
(Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.). It is up to us as individuals to be ready for the day He comes back.

Are you ready today for that call? Is every area of your life given over to the only One with the correct answers? They can take God out of the buildings, but they can not take Christians out of the country.

God Bless
rECj

Ain’t it good to have our rECj back? Writing better than ever. Love you rECj and everyone.

FAITH

To be like little children. To be able to look in the mirror and be happy
with whatever we see. That is also the way we should look at the doors in our lifes. Whether we choose the door or take the one God leads us to take. If it is our own choosing we have only to ask forgiveness and He will prepare another door, and while we wait on that door to open be happy knowing that He and He alone will open the door when the time is right. There is a season for all things, a time to turn unto Him and know, yes know that He is there and has never left.

recj

POOR SINNER SAVED BY GRACE

How many times have you heard or even said, “I’m just a poor sinner saved by grace.” How in the world can you be a sinner and saved at the same time? You can’t. You’re either saved or you are still a sinner. If you are still a sinner you might want to look in the Bible or listen to all of us on this site tell you how to become saved. All you have to do is acknowledge that Jesus is alive, was crucified and arose on the third day. Ask Him to come into your heart and live with you. Oh, what a great day when He does as you ask. How much better you feel. Doesn’t mean your life is going to be easier but it will be easy to get thru all that gets in your way.

Those of us who know we are saved can tell you how wonderful it is when you get thru one trial and see the rainbow at the end. It ain’t easy and we do have to stay positive. Once we allow the negative attitude to creep into our life it will stop us in our tracks and give us pause to stop and pray to get rid of the negative and get the positive moving on down the tracks of life.

Look at Abraham. God called him His friend. Look at all the wrong paths he took but instead of getting negative he went to his altar, asked for and received the forgiveness he was asking for. He got up and did good and kept the positive charged. Being human we are always going to do a few things wrong but what is so important is that we go to our altar, ask for forgiveness and get charged up again.

Did you know that being negative all the time will make you sick, make you unhappy and see to it that you keep those around you unhappy? You take the charge out of others if they will let you. A lot will allow it and then there are those who will go to God to make sure they are right and then they start praying for you out of love. They understand. Many of us have walked down the same path at one time another. Being saved doesn’t mean you won’t make mistakes it just means that now you can be forgiven and have the complete joy only God can provide.

This makes me think of an old timey song, “I’m redeemed by love divine, glory, glory all is mine.” That’s all I remember.

God’s blessings to each of you,
Linda

To all the people of Clay County looking for a wonderful church to attend, one who practice what he preaches then come on out to Cross Roads Baptist Church located on Baxley Road , right off Blanding Blvd in Middleburg Florida. Come receive your blessing.

Well, lets all of us praise God we have been blessed with another beautiful day

Yesterday, Sunday, January 31, 2010, I was listening to TBN and a preacher by the name of Bayless Something had a good sermon going and then all of a sudden he started to tell this story. “He, Bayless, was in this city preaching and was wondering how his old friend was doing. So he called his friend and they decided to have supper together. Well, this friend a couple of years back had fallen and broke his back in several places and was told in the hospital he would never walk again. That didn’t happen. His church people came, laid hands and God completely healed the friends back. He got up and hollered for his clothes and finally got himself checked out of the hospital. Bayless was so shocked that after these two years his good friend was still healed.” That just plain knocked the breath out of me and I don’t have much but I was in a state of shock. Of course his friend was still healed. God don’t heal one year and then unheal the next. At least the God I serve and trust don’t. That’s just plain stupid to have that kind of mind set.

Here’s another thought that works my last nerve, “I’m just waiting to receive my healing. I’ve asked God and I know He will send it.” Why are you waiting on? Jesus said “By His strips we are healed. Paul said by His strips we were healed.” What in the world are these people waiting for? We are told to go before the throne with boldness and I for one will go boldly up to Jesus’ throne and let Him know, like He don’t know already, that I am taking my healing now. I know that there may be something’s that only comes in God’s own time. I don’t have a problem with that, but not the thing’s He has already says is done and is mine.

We speak what we want. If you speak you are waiting for your healing then you will die waiting for it to get here. When we speak we are healed and don’t let nothing or nobody come against us with a word different than that which we know is true. This last year the doctors learned they weren’t even going to speak words that are against what I believe. I wouldn’t allow it. I told them right quick, I don’t not have nor will I have the big C and don’t ever say that to me again.

So, many of you will say I’m not normal. How right you are. I am not normal but then can you tell me what is normal? Jesus said it, I believe and that settles it.

God’s blessings to each of you,
Linda

To all the people of Clay County and looking for a wonderful church to attend, one who practice what he preaches then come on out to Cross Roads Baptist Church located on Baxley Road , right off Blanding Blvd in Middleburg Florida. Come receive your blessing. But then how many are really wanting a blessing these days? Now that is a good thought. Might have to pray on that one.

STARTING UP THE FAITH SITE AGAIN

As most of ya’ll don't know I was in the hospital 4 times last year (2009). I started getting sick in October (shortly after we closed down our site on July 2009) and continued to get worst and landed in Orange Park Hospital here in Orange Park, Florida. I don’t particularly like this hospital but they were good to me. It wasn’t the hospital or all the doctors who kept me alive but my most precious member of my live, my Jesus. My God did send me to the best doctor in this part of the country, Doctor Al-awady, who by listening to God has done his very best with me. If ya’ll knew me and to those who do know me, know my God and my Doctor have their hands full with me.

After nigh on to thirty-four years I landed in the hospital in February. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t think I would live to see day light on that Friday morning. But in my mind I was praying. I didn’t have the breath to pray out loud or I would have. By God’s blessing I did see Friday morning and many Friday mornings after that. Come May I was back with no breath. Then came October. Now that is a month to remember. I knew my breathing was different and that was because my heart would jump out of rhythm. The Friday morning of the day that I was being released to the “spa” by heart jumped back into rhythm.

I was sent to the “spa” to build up my lungs so they would breathe during and after the operation. The great day came, December 2 for the operation. I was on life support during the operation and almost immediately after being moved to the recovery room the life support came out cause God was making me breath all on my own. After a week in the hospital it was back to the “spa” for me for more body building. I will have to say this thing bout kicked my butt. But being I am a mule headed person and have my God in my life I managed to kick its butt.

Now we are told not to eat SALT. Oh no it is so bad for us. I hate SALT. If I taste it I won’t eat whatever the food is. Guess why my heart jumps in and out of rhythm? Lack of SALT, or as Dr. A said, it is because all my wires are crossed.

I have also learned from being in the hospital so much this last year that caffeine is also bad for us. I have been drinking regular Maxwell House caffeine coffee for 64 years. Caffeine opens up the air ways and arteries. Non caffeine close all them up. Guess what I am going to continue to drink. Yep my caffeine coffee just not thirty cups a day. I only drink two pots a day now. I do drink a quart of Lipton green and black caffeine full tea a day.

The best thing that came from all this is that I got to talk about my most favorite subjects. My God , my children and my grand children. I got to witness to so many and had so many witnessed to by so many.

Each time I was in the hospital and the “spa” the thought came to me that I started getting sick with just a month or so after my recj and me closed down out faith sites. So being I am tired of being sick I am going to try to get my recj to help me go back to out faith sites and I will do it on my own if I have to. No, I am not as good as my recj at getting right to the point. I write like I talk, in other words I ramble. But this something I really feel that God is telling me I have to do. I just plain want to talk about my Jesus.

God’s blessing to each of ya’ll,

Linda

To all the people of Clay County and looking for a wonderful church to attend, one who practice what he preaches then come on out to Cross Roads Baptist Church located on Baxley Road , right off Blanding Blvd in Middleburg Florida. Come receive your blessing.