Happy Hebert Home

Project 180 in Maine

2011-10-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Oct 25th, 2011 was marked on our private calendar for a long time. We knew that across the nation on this day many hearts would do a complete 180....from pro-choice to pro-life. Some in a matter of seconds...

In this most excellent presentation, Ray Comfort put together this 33 minute documentary comparing the Nazi holocaust to the American holocaust of today...Abortion. On Sep 26th this documentary went live on Youtube and in a months time had over 1 million views...God was moving powerfully, using this movie to bring about a heart change...now it was our time to contribute.

Months of planning and praying, a generous donor and over 200,000 copies were sent to various teams across the nation. Our team Maine received 1200 copies of 180 to distribute to college students on the 2 USM campuses.

Jeff and I quickly went to work at bringing together a team of those who are passionate about life and eternity. What an incredible team God gave us! 38 faithful followers of Christ, 24 were homeschooled children! Our youngest member being 3 week old Joyanna Abbott...newborn daughter of Derek and Angie Abbott from Standish, Maine.

The police came over and asked to see what we were handing out. We gave them a DVD and told them we weren't selling anything, but that this was a FREE DVD. He was worried as he said he had heard that kids were passing out DVDs about the holocaust and we told him what is was about and he said that was fine and to "keep up the good work". He then said he couldn't stop us as this was our first amendment rights.

Some time later the chaplain, a lady, saw us handing out DVDs and she came with fire in her eyes and told us that we couldn't do this unless we went to the office and registered first and reserve a table and that it was their policy that we could not stop students and hand them things. We told her the police said we had every right and that we wouldn't stop as we were exercising our first amendment right.

We were just about depleted of DVDs when the police came over to inform us that we couldn't do this afterall, that he has worked there for 5 years and never knew of this policy of registering for a table first, he was sincerely apologetic. However we knew that wouldn't work, so we pressed on and dispersed to the public sidewalks around the campu and continued distributing the DVDs. The chaplain of the university was certainly our biggest problem, she was very angry and said we were doing this all wrong. Our team challenged her by saying she should be out here with us and not trying to stop us.

All in all we had no opposition, most students gratefully took a free DVD. Pray that the DVDs would be the tool God uses to change hearts, bring those who are in darkness into the Kingdom of His Son! May America do a complete 180 to the glory of God! Enjoy the photo below of the event.

Gorham Team


Portland Team

We gathered at 11am and prayed together, then we disbursed and started handing out the DVD's, telling folks to watch this "Incredible documentary that made over a millon views on Youtube in less than a month!" "Watch this DVD that compares the Nazi holocaust with the American holocaust!" Curiosity always grabbed folks, "what, there's an American holocaust?" Often they would ask, "What holocaust?" Watch it and find out....

10 yr old Kiara faithfully hands her DVDs out to university students.

Donna handing a DVD to this university student who was very grateful to receive a free DVD.

Jeff Reynolds grabs more DVDs with his sweet daughter Noel at his side.

Sam Hubbard witnesses to a young student.

Elise Berthiaume faithfully passes our her DVDs

Watch our Portland! It's the Reynold sisters!

Picture of the year! Father and daughter duo! Both passing out DVDs

Although she's hiding a bit, Jeanne Cocks in the blue vest being a faithful witness for the Lord

Jeanne Berthiaume had a great discussion with a math professor who went inside to eat, came back out to grab another DVD as he accidentally left his on the table.

Our 18 yr old son and 9 yr old Isaiah Reynolds distributed hundreds of DVDs together.

16 year old Chris Reynolds hands out his DVDs

Grammy (Pat Nye) lovingly reaching out to the students

Here is Dan Fitzgerald, AA graduate July 2011, with his daughter Anna. The first time I showed them 180, Dan's wife looked at me with tears and said, "They would have killed my Anna...she is not worthless! SHE HAS VALUE AND SHE IS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD!"

Derek Abbott with Laura and Emily Fitzgerald at the Gorham campus.

Sam Hubbard closed with prayer

Our youngest team member, 3 wk old Joyanna Abbott

BOOKS ON THE PATH: One of our Customers...On an Adoption Journey

2011-01-08T03:28:00.000-08:00

BOOKS ON THE PATH: One of our Customers...On an Adoption Journey: "Toby and I love to encourage others when God has called them to adopt. After all, He called us with each of our brown-eyed girls. Below is t..."

Children are a Blessing: DVD Giveaway!

2011-01-06T05:16:00.000-08:00

Visit Generation Cedar and enter to win this DVD-Children are a Blessing!

Children are a Blessing: DVD Giveaway!

95 THESES TO THE MODERN EVANGELICAL CHURCH by Greg Gordon

2010-11-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

I have revised many of these and also all of them are of a size that will fit on tiwtter and facebook easily to re-post. Pray about sharing these with others and sharing each theses individually. I believe many need to hear these truths and they are shared in the humility of my weakness and lack in my own Christian Life. May God in His mercy come and revive North American Christianity for His glory alone. “May the Lamb of God receive the reward of His sufferings in our lives today!”- Greg Gordon (founder of SermonIndex.net)
http://95moderntheses.wordpress.com/

1. The “church” at large has forgotten that the chief end of man is to glorify God. (Rom 16:27; 1Cor 6:20; Mt 6:9; 1Cor 10:31)

2. Christians ignore most of the methods, practices and principles found in the book of Acts. (Acts 2:42,44; Acts 2:46; Acts 2:38)

3. Many treat “church” like any other social club or sports event that they might attend. (Acts 2:46; Heb 10:25; Acts 1:14)

4. We’ve made Christianity about the individual rather than the community of believers. (Rom 12:5; 1Cor 12:12; 2Tim 4:16)

5. In most “churches” the priesthood of all believers isn’t acknowledged as the role of pastor is abused. (1Pt 2:9; 1Cor 12:12; Eph 4:11-13)

6. The “church” as a whole has lost the concept of their being grafted into the promises given to Israel. (Rom 11:15, 17-18, 20, 25)

7. There needs to be a recovery of teaching the whole counsel of God, especially in expository form. (Acts 20:27; 1Tim 4:6, 2Tim 2:15)

8. We take it too lightly, the blessing and honor of having God’s Scriptures in our possession. (Ps 119:16; Acts 13:44; Neh 8:9)

9. There has never been more access to the Word of God, yet so little reading of it. (1Tim 4:13; Neh 8:1-3; Ps 119:59)

10. Some read the Scriptures to attain knowledge, but do not practice what they read. (Jam 1:22; Mt 7:21; 3Jn 4)

11. Worship has become an idol in many “churches”. The music often resembles the world. (Amos 5:23; Phil 4:8; 1Jn 5:21)

12. The world is shaping the views of the “church” more than the “church” shaping the world. (Rom 12:2; Mt 5:13; 1Cor 1:22-23)

13. The “church” spends more money on dog food than on missions. (2Cor 9:6; Lk 21:2; Acts 4:34-35)

14. We take lightly the cost of discipleship laid out by Jesus Christ and do not deny our lives. (Lk 14:33; Lk 14:26-27; Mt 8:19-20)

15. There is a lack of true discipleship and making others to be obedient disciples. (Mt 28:20; 2Tim 2:2; 2Tim 2:14)

16. Many subscribe to the error that parts of life are to be spiritual while others are to be secular. (1Pt 4:2; Col 3:3; 1Jn 2:6)

17. Modern Christians often find Jesus’ command to sacrifice and serve abhorrent. (Phil 2:21; Jam 3:16; Rom 12:1-2)

18. Self disciplines in the Christian life such as fasting and praying are considered legalistic. (2Tim 2:21; 2Tim 1:8; Mt 6:17)

19. Little thought and contemplation is put towards the lostness of men, the seriousness of the Gospel. (Phil 3:8; Gal 2:20; Heb 10:34)

20. We are living with an epidemic of cheap grace with flippant confession and shallow consecration. (Lk 14:28-30; Lk 14:26; Jam 4:8)

21. Since the inception of the Church, the Gospel had the requirements of repentance and discipleship. (Acts 2:38; Lk 14:26; Jn 8:31)

22. Now forgiveness is offered without repentance, discipleship without obedience, salvation without sanctity. (Heb 10:29; 4:11; Lk 13:24)

23. Introspection, counting the cost, godly sorrow over sin, are all foreign to many in the “church”. (Acts 2:37; Ps 119:9; Heb 6:1-2)

24. The modern church loves itself more than its neighbor. (1Cor 3:3; Gal 5:13; Phil 2:3)

25. The church must repent of its idolization of personality, and business principles. (2Cor 2:17; 1Cor 3:5; 1Cor 12:23)

26. Many elders and pastors of the “church” sadly are fleecing the flock to supply their own wants. (Jn 10:12-13; 1Pt 5:2-3; Rev 2:15)

27. The qualities most in demand in today’s pastorate are frequently foreign to the Scriptures. (1Tim 3:2-3; 1Tim 3:5; 1Tim 1:5-7)

28. The professionalization of the pastorate is a sin and needs to be repented of. (2Cor 11:13; Gal 3:1; Gal 2:6)

29. There must be repentance for the ambitious desire and idolization of the celebrity pastorate. (3Jn 9; Jer 17:5; 1Cor 12:22)

30. Pastors must trust the Spirit, not statistics. (2Sam 24:1; 1Cor 1:25; Rom 8:14)

31. Modern day prophets are being stoned by criticism and neglect. (2Tim 4:3-4; Gal 1:10; Jer 1:7-8)

32. God’s prophets are ill-treated and shunned by most “christians” considered too harsh or extreme. (Jer 6:10; Isa 6:9-10; Gal 4:16)

33. The prophets prophesy falsely, priests rule by their own power; and my people love to have it so. (Mt 24:4, 11-12; 1Cor 1:19, Jude 8 )

34. There are many false gospels being preached from pulpits in our day. (2Cor 11:4; Gal 1:8-9; Jude 16)

35. There is an epidemic of a “mock” salvation message. It is correct in doctrine, but false in reality. (2Cor 3:6; 1Jn 5:11-12; Rom 8:9)

36. A salvation that does not make men holy is trusted in by a deceived many. (Jude 4; Rom 8:1; Rom 6:17-18)

37. There is a needed perseverance in the truths of the Gospel without unbelief. (Eph 1:1; Heb 6:11-12; Heb 10:26-27)

38. A great need is to see “christians” become saints in actual experience. (1Jn 2:29; Col 3:5-8; Tit 3:8)

39. Many professors of religion are forbidding people to be a part of the holy body of Christ. (Mt 23:13; Ps 119:1-2; 2Pt 1:3-4)

40. Preaching has become all about the happiness of man and not the glory of God. (Jn 6:26; Rom 4:20; 1Pt 4:11)

41. Preachers give smooth words to entice men, yet very few give any words of correction or rebuke. (Jer 6:14; Pro 1:23; 1Tim 5:20)

42. Run from gospels that focus on your success and prosperity in name of Jesus Christ. (Jn 2:16; Acts 20:33; Jer 6:13)

43. Run from gospels that focus on self-improvement. (1Tim 6:5; Heb 12:14; Jam 4:14)

44. Run from churches where men, and not Christ, are glorified. (Col 1:18; Jude 25; Jn 16:14)

45. Run from churches where there is no Bible, no cross, no mention of the blood of Christ. (1Pt 1:18-19; Eph 3:13; Rev 1:5)

46. Run from churches where the worship leaves you cold, where there’s no sense of God’s presence. (1Cor 5:4; Ps 80:14-15; Jer 12:11)

47. Run from churches where you’re comfortable in your sin. (1Cor 14:25; Heb 10:30-31; Heb 4:13)

48. Run from churches that use the pulpit of God for a personal agenda. (Jude 10-11,19; 3Jn 9)

49. Run from those who preach division between races and cultures. (Jam 2:4, Gal 3:28, Rev 5:9)

50. Run from ungodly, spasmodic movements and endless empty prophesying. (Jer 5:13; 1Cor 14:33, 1Jn 2:16)

51. Run from preachers who tell mostly stories and jokes. (Eph 5:4; Tit 1:8; 2:12)

52. Run from those that are only after money, who use one gimmick after another to get your money. (2Pt 2:3; 2Cor 12:14; 1Cor 9:18)

53. The phrase “accept Jesus as your personal Saviour” is not found in the Scriptures. (Rom 10:9-10; Col 1:13; Acts 26:20)

54. Evidence of true conversion does not seem important to modern day Christians. (1Jn 2:6; 1Jn 4:17; Mt 7:20)

55. Thousands of sinners think of God as having only one attribute: Love! But continue in sin. (Rom 1:18; Acts 5:11; Ps 2:12)

56. “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!” has hindered true evangelism. (Rom 3:19; Acts 26:18; Phil 3:18-21)

57. A Gospel of love and grace only, without the law of God being preached. This is a doctrine of Satan. (2Tim 4:3-4; Rom 2:4-5; 3:19)

58. There has clearly arisen a careless mixture of 20th century reasoning with God’s revelation. (Col 2:8; Rom 1:25; Gal 1:6)

59. Decisionism and the “sinner’s prayer” has been a major cause of false conversions in the “church”. (2Pt 2:1-2; Eph 2:4-5; 2Cor 5:17-18)

60. Many will be surprised to hear Jesus say, “I never knew you, depart from me.” (Mt 7:22-23; 1Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21)

61. Men have taken the place of the Holy Spirit in confirming men in their supposed salvation. (1Jn 2:3-5; 2Ths 1:8; Gal 6:12-15)

62. The doctrine of hell and eternal suffering is something little grasped by most professing “christians”. (Mt 13:42; Jam 5:1; Ps 9:17)

63. The judgment seat of Christ is perhaps one of the most neglected topics in the modern pulpit. (2Cor 5:10; Rom 14:10; 1Cor 3:13)

64. The second coming of Christ needs to be re-instated as the church’s general thrust and burden. (1Jn 3:2-3; Col 3:4-6; 1Ths 4:14-17)

65. The church has lost the fear of God and has over emphasized the love of God. (Heb 12:28-29; Lk 12:5; Heb 10:31)

66. The church has left evangelism to a few trained professionals. (Acts 8:1,4; Acts 4:29; Rom 10:14)

67. Repentance is considered a one-time act in modern evangelism rather than a way of life. (Rev 3:19; Heb 12:17; 2Pt 3:9)

68. The Lordship of Jesus Christ is something that is not taught in many pulpits. (Acts 2:36; 1Cor 12:3; Rom 6:18)

69. Many in “churches” are not open to correction, church discipline or rebuke. (1Cor 5:5; 1Cor 11:31-32; Heb 12:7-9)

70. Some preach salvation as a theory instead of persuading men to come to Christ. (Jn 5:40; Col 1:28; 2Cor 4:5)

71. There has been a loss of the fullness and majesty of the gospel. (1Tim 1:11; Jude 25; Rom 15:29)

72. There is little mention of sin or the depravity of man from “church” pulpits. (Jn 3:20; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 5:5)

73. Covetousness, consumerism, and coddling of the world’s goods does not appear wrong. (Jer 22:17; 1Jn 2:15-16; 1Tim 3:3)

74. Little is made of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in churches or in evangelism. (1Cor 15:14-15; Acts 4:10, 33)

75. The “church” has relied more on technology than God. (Zech 4:6; 1Cor 1:21; 2:4)

76. The prayer meeting is considered one of the least important meetings in the “church”. (1Tim 2:1; Acts 4:31; Phil 4:6)

77. Pastors have never prayed less than they do in the “church” today. (Jer 10:21; Phil 2:21; Eph 6:18-19)

78. Very few are waiting on God for His direction and purpose for His Church. (Eph 1:11; Ps 37:7; Isa 40:31)

79. The “church” has many organizers, but few agonizers. (Phil 3:18-19; Rom 9:1-3; Jer 9:1)

80. We need to have the gifts of the Spirit restored again to the “church”. (2Tim 4:2; 1Cor 14:39; 1Cor 12:31)

81. A serious, sober, self-controlled Christianity is very seldom found or preached. (2Pt 3:11; 1Pt 4:7; Jude 3)

82. The “church” at large has forgotten how to pray. (1Jn 3:22; Acts 6:4; 1Ths 5:17)

83. Many “churches” are more dependent on tradition than the leading of the Holy Spirit. (Mk 7:13; Acts 16:6; Acts 13:2)

84. Multitudes of professors preach and teach: that you cannot be freed from sin. (Rom 16:18; Rom 6:1-2; 2Pt 2:1)

85. The Apostles and Christ always preached the possibility to walk free from sin. (Tit 2:11-12; 1Pt 1:14-16; Rom 6:19)

86. Sinners are not saved to sin, but rather, saved to holiness and good works. (Rom 6:13; Eph 2:10; 2Pt 3:14)

87. Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. (2Tim 2:19; 1Pt 4:17-18; 2Tim 3:12)

88. A baptism of holiness, a demonstration of godly living is the crying need of our day. (1Tim 6:3; 2Ths 3:6; 2Ths 2:13)

89. Many are confused about obedience, and good works that are readily mentioned in the Scriptures. (Tit 3:8; Jn 10:32; Rev 3:15)

90. Little emphasis is put on the plan of God to make us like Jesus Christ in “churches”. (1Pt 1:14-16; 1Jn 2:6; 1Pt 4:1)

91. Christ did not die on the cross to obtain a worldly “church” but for a “glorious Church.” (Eph 5:27; Tit 2:14; Col 4:12)

92. Christ does not come into an unregenerate and impure heart as many contemporary theologians say. (2Cor 5:17; Mt 5:8; Eze 18:31)

93. A holy Church is God’s blessing to the world; an unholy “church” is God’s judgment upon the world. (Mt 5:14,16; Eph 4:1; 1Ths 2:12)

94. If Christianity is to make any headway in the present time, it must be proved to be more than a theory. (2Ths 3:6-7; 1Ths 4:1,11-12)

95. Unbelief has gagged and bound us as risen Lazarus, we need release in this final hour! (Heb 3:12-14; 1Cor 3:21-23; Heb 11:6)

A Prophets Story

2010-11-04T05:07:00.000-07:00

The Sin of Not Worshiping God in Your Family

2010-10-11T05:19:00.000-07:00

“If you do not worship God in your family, you are living in positive sin; you may be quite sure you do not care for the souls of your family. If you neglect to spread a meal for your children to eat, would it not be said that you did not care for their bodies? And if you do not lead your children and servants to the green pastures of God’s Word, and to seek the living water, how plain is it that you do not care for their souls!

Do it regularly, morning and evening. It is more needful than your daily food, more needful than your work. How vain and silly all your excuses will appear, when you look back from Hell! Do it fully. Some clip off the psalm, and some the reading of the Word; and so the worship of God is reduced to a mockery. Do it in a spiritual, lively manner, go to it as to a well of salvation.”
- Robert Murray M’Cheyne

The Sin of Not Worshiping God in Your Family

Paul Washer on Prayer

2010-10-10T03:57:00.000-07:00

From Raising Homemakers come an opportunity to win the Baby Conference Audio cd's!

2010-09-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

http://raisinghomemakers.com/2010/the-baby-conference-audio-giveaway/

Birth, biomedical ethics, doing laundry with a large family, ending abortion in America, the blessing of life, the hopeful theology of miscarriage, adoption, naming babies, home schedules . . .

The above subjects - and MORE - were discussed at The Baby Conference!

Although we were unable to attend The Baby Conference, put on by Vision Forum this past July, we were able to listen to the recorded audio from the conference.

There is approximately 36 hours of audio (including panels, discussions, and interviews!) from the conference. A sampling of just a few of the titles:

*Ladies’ Symposium on Preserving and Promoting the Highest Ideals of Christian Motherhood — Beall Phillips (Moderator) Jennie Chancey, Carmon Friedrich, Denise Sproul

*How the Local Church Builds a Thriving Culture of Life — Scott Brown

*Symposium on Biomedical Ethics for Birth — Doug Phillips (Moderator), Geoff Botkin, Dan Becker, Dr. Ed Payne

*Child Training: A Biblical Template — Kevin Swanson

*The Hopeful Theology of Miscarriage — Doug Phillips

Breezy and I listened to the audio while working on our latest projects (which will be announced soon), and were greatly encouraged by the application of strong, biblical worldview to all of life. We were also inspired by listening to mothers – who have had a great deal of experience – share about managing the logistics of their homes.

And we want to share the audio from The Baby Conference with you . . .
.

We are giving away a new MP3 disc of The Baby Conference to one of our readers here at Raising Homemakers!

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment . . . and (optional) maybe even share one of your favorite things about babies!

For Extra Entries:

Share the link to this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, or your Blog. Or even subscribe to Raising Homemakers! (Make sure you leave a separate comment for each thing you do – this is the only way to make sure you’re entered in the giveaway the correct amount of times!)

This giveaway ends on Monday, October 4th at Midnight EST! (The winner will be announced the next day.)

(This giveaway is sponsored by the Brookshire Family.)

I want more of Him...but how??

2010-08-25T05:23:00.001-07:00

Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Tim Conway from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

The Truth by Al Martin

2010-08-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

First Sign of a True Christian

2010-07-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

The Regenerate man is a holy man.

He endeavors to live according to God’s will, to do the things that please God, to avoid the things that God hates. His aim and desire is to love God with heart and soul, and mind and strength, and to love his neighbor as himself. His wish is to be continually looking to Christ as his example as well as his Savior, and to show himself Christ’s friend by doing whatever Christ commands. No doubt he is not perfect. None will tell you that sooner than himself. He groans under the burden of indwelling corruption cleaving to him. He finds an evil principle within him constantly warring against grace, and trying to draw him away from God. But he does not consent to it, though he cannot prevent its presence.

In spite of all short-comings, the average bent and bias of his ways is holy—his doings holy—his tastes holy—and his habits holy. In spite of all his swerving and turning aside, like a ship going against a contrary wind, the general course of his life is in one direction—toward God and for God. And though he may sometimes feel so low that he questions whether he is a Christian at all, in his calmer moments he will generally be able to say, with old John Newton, “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world—but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”

~ J.C. Ryle

Modest Swimwear

2010-06-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

In a day and age when you can't tell the difference between under garments and swimsuits, it's sure nice to know there are others out there helping us to keep our daughters covered and modest and still have swimwear! I went on an internet hunt to find such a place and we found Julie's swimsuits to be exactly what we were desiring. Meant To Be Modest is Julie's website where you can order a custom made swimsuit that is beautiful enough to wear the the grocery store and the girls said as they swam today the suits were incredibly comfortable and so much fun to swim in. For us modesty has become an important lesson we teach our daughters and our sons. Here's a great definition of "modesty" from Noah Webster himself found on Julie's website:

"Modesty ~
…synonymous with
chastity, or purity of manners. In this sense, modesty results from purity of
mind, or from the fear of disgrace…unaffected modesty is the sweetest charm of female excellence, the richest gem in the diadem of their honor.

Noah Webster
1828 American
Dictionary of the English Language

Paul Washer-Anything it takes!

2010-06-19T03:49:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth's Piano Recital

2010-06-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth's Recital from Donna Hebert on Vimeo.

Why we evangelize-Beautiful Open Air by EZ from Living Waters

2010-06-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

2010-05-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

"Indeed, brethren and sisters in Christ, in one sense, all
your prayers-that is, your prayers that ought to be answered,-are
already answered; for whatsoever there may be that you may rightly ask
of God, you really have it, since, in giving us Christ, He has already given
us all things."- C.H. Spurgeon

Jeff Hebert Open Air in Las Vegas

2010-04-23T05:13:00.001-07:00

Found this wonderfully made vide of Jeff at GNN's Re-Ignite back in 2007. Thanks to Paul Kaiser from The Reformed Evangelist who made this video possible. Jeff and Paul were on the same team in Vegas and they had a wonderful time together. Enjoy the video!

Mr.Obama visits Portland Maine

2010-04-03T04:39:00.000-07:00

One of our ministry's team members informed me that Obama was coming to Maine, we didn't have the details till the day before but we prepared by purchasing Obama Bills. On April Fools Day Obama came, we were amazed at the crowds! Over 2000 people were lined up waiting to see him and well over 400 protesters were there as well.

Within 30 minutes we handed out the 800 + tracts we had and did some open air and witnessed to folks.

I was amazed at the diversity of the protesters. There was one man who stood with his huge signs with scripture and one saying Jesus is Lord, he stood quietly and I could tell he was praying. No anger on him, no malice, just a real concern for Obama's soul. We ended up standing with him and one of my twins held her Bible up high when Obama came through in his limo.

I realized more than ever that this was not a political issue but a spiritual issue. Obama does not know the Lord and therefore he walks according to the patterns of this world as well as his followers. More than ever we need to be praying for thr Gospel to go forth in power and that souls would be saved..only then will we see real change in America and all over the world. So let's go and preach the Gospel!

Here's pictures of this event.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=682399964803%3A1134408847&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

St.Patricks Day tracting

2010-03-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday the 3 girls and I and our friend Daniel headed to downtown Portland and passed out 498 tracts.

Here's a short video of Kiara passing out some tracts. Please pray for the seeds that were sown and for hearts to turn to seek the living God! May He use those tracts to cause someone to turn from sin and turn to Him! To God be the glory!

Jonathan's basketball team video and receiving trophy

2010-02-25T03:10:00.000-08:00

Jonathan enjoyed his year playing for the Ossippe Valley Christian Schools boys Varsity basketball team. He had some really good games and they almost took the championship. They were 2nd. Jonathan is #7 in all the videos. He is 1 of 4 homeschoolers. The rest are students of OVCS.
At the awards ceremony Coach Gardiner had some nice words for Jonathan as well as award him the Best Defensive Player Trophy.

Register for a Giveaway: Evenings With Victoria Botkin

2010-02-24T06:00:00.001-08:00

Doug's Blog: Twelve Things I learned From Avatar: A Worldview Review of the Top Film of 2010

2010-02-16T04:28:00.001-08:00

Doug's Blog: Twelve Things I learned From Avatar: A Worldview Review of the Top Film of 2010

Posted using ShareThis

A Critique of Modern Youth Ministry

2010-02-15T04:37:00.000-08:00

Are youth groups and age segregated ministries truly from a biblical standard or are they another result of man's wisdom? Read this booklet and leave us your comments.

2010-02-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

What does it cost you to follow Christ? Everything. Steve Lawson preaches on Luke 14 on the Cost of Discipleship. The sad reality is that many people are just part of a crowd, many are in the crowd of those who listen to Piper, Washer, Conway, MacArthur, yet they themselves have not truly submitted to the Lordship of Christ. Search yourself out this very day... have you come to saving faith? Or do you just wish you had the reality of Christ that you see others have? Don't be part of the wrong crowd.

www.illbehonest.com
www.resolved.org

Steve Lawson is a pastor of:
www.cfbcmobile.org

John Piper answers prisoners questions

2010-01-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

"This prison is the largest maximum-security prison in America. It is one of the most famous prisons in the whole world. It has only murderers, rapists, armed robbers and habitual felons. The average sentence is 88 years, with 3,200 people in one place serving life sentences. Ninety percent of the inmates will die here. This is a place of hopelessness, so if Angola can change, the rest of the countrys prisons cant say, We cant do this." http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2108_as_nice_as_they_let_me_as_mean_as_they_make_me/

The Heart of Family Reformation

2009-09-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

Author: Jim Elliff

Our family begins the day with the hymn we are currently memorizing. When Laura was five, she sang for all of us the second verse of "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord" by the Yale president of the late 1700s, Timothy Dwight. With a determined look, she sang out,

I love Thy church, O God.
Her walls before Thee stand.
Dear as the apple of Thine eye,
And gravy on Thy hand.

My boys collapsed on the floor with laughter. The word is "graven!"

The kids were telling me just this evening how special our morning worship is. They value it, not only because it is sometimes humorous, but because it is the glue that holds us together, the stimulus for some our best discussions, and the real strength of our lives—its the heart, in fact, of our family reformation.

The Puritans, long misunderstood, had an exceptional view of the family. We can learn from them even though we might not accept all they had to say. They often talked of the home as the "little church," and the father as the pastor of his little flock. Lewis Bayly said, "What the preacher is in the pulpit, the same the Christian householder is in his house." Family worship is the natural outcome of such a view.

The practice of family worship (with or without children at home) is as forgotten to the church today as the dust in our attic, but this simple and effective method of restoring family spirituality is the most potent tool we have available to us—and every one of us can do it!
WHY IS FAMILY WORSHIP CRITICAL?

First, family worship is critical because the placing of the Word of God in the hearts of our family members is indispensable to their conversion.

Paul reminded Timothy that, “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3: 15).

Peter said that we are "born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible through the Word of God which lives and abides forever" (1 Pet. 1:23). This incorruptible seed of saving life (corresponding to the natural biological seed) is inseminated in the dead soul via the Word of God alone.

The Puritans believed this with a passion. This was the rationale for their long sermons, the catechizing of children, the morning messages in those cold church buildings prior to the work day, the daily meditating on the Word in private, and especially the practice of family worship. For the Puritan, family worship took place two times a day, as the "morning and evening sacrifice." It was through this means that his children and wife, and any other guests or helpers in the home, would receive life!

Richard Baxter, one of the most famous of the Puritans, saw his village of Kidderminster, England transformed through this method. He stated:

I do verily believe that if parents did their duty as they ought, the Word publicly preached would not be the ordinary means of regeneration in the church, but only without the church, among practical heathens and infidels.

Second, it is critical because the Word alone enables your family to withstand the prevailing currents of an evil culture.

In the 2 Timothy 3 passage we find a torrent of base culture descending on young Timothy. "…In the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers… disobedient to parents…without self control… headstrong…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God"(vss.1-4).

How will you be able to rescue your family from the effects of such a culture? Only through the Word of God, according to Paul. The Word makes Timothy as the "man of God," "thoroughly equipped for every good work" necessary to strengthen the church. His tool box is complete and "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (vs. 16) so that the people under his charge can withstand the flood of culture described in the previous verses.

In the same way, the pastor-father of the home (or the mother in homes without a father, which was Timothy’s situation) is made adequate to help his or her family. Paul tells Timothy, therefore, to "preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season" (4:2).

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth… (4: 3-4).

When culture rushes down on your family and the professing church is trying to imitate the world itself, how will your family keep from being swept away in its path? Only through the Word of God! Family worship, on a daily basis, is your hope that they will stand like steel piers against the prevailing tide.

When speaking in Basel, Switzerland years ago I saw a ferry which crossed the swift Rhone river. It had no engine, but operated by means of its resistance to the current, guided from one side to the other along a taut steel line. Unless we attach those tender hearts of our family members to the steel line of truth, there will be little hope of their withstanding the forces pressing against them.

In India there was a custom of throwing babies into the Ganges river as a sacrifice to the gods. If we are unwilling to do any more than merely take our children to church, we might as well be throwing them into the river of the culture. This is an explanation why many children of Christian parents are so often no different than the world’s. They have been given to the gods by their parents—thrown in with hands of neglect.
WHAT ARE THE BASICS?

There are three aspects of family worship which I find important: singing, the reading of the Word, and prayer, or as one friend puts it Song, Scripture, and Supplication.

Singing. Not every home is musical, but every attempt should be made to incorporate singing into the daily worship experience. We have been concerned that a whole generation of children are growing up without Christian hymnody. Therefore, we teach our children the best hymns of the faith. In fact, I give my children three dollars for every hymn they learn!

We prefer the hymns written by the theologians and pastors of earlier days (Watts, Wesley, Newton, Doddridge, etc.) since the theology is better. The "gospel hall songs" written by the crusade musicians of the 19th century are often trite and less God-exalting, even though we are sometimes romantically attached to them.

I got the idea of paying money for learning hymns from Charles Spurgeon, the 19th century pastor of the London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle.

My grandfather was very fond of Dr. Watt’s hymns, and my grandmother, wishing to get me to learn them, promised me a penny for each one that I should say to her perfectly. I found it an easy and pleasant method of earning money, and learned them so fast that grandmother said she must reduce the price to a halfpenny each, and afterwards to a farthing, if she did not mean to be quite ruined by her extravagance. There is no telling how low the amount per hymn might have sunk, but grandfather said that he was getting overrun with rats, and offered me a shilling a dozen for all I could kill. I found, at the time, that the occupation of rat-catching paid me better than learning hymns, but I know which employment has been the more permanently profitable to me. No matter on what topic I am preaching, I can even now, in the middle of any sermon, quote some verse of a hymn in harmony with the subject. The hymns have remained with me, while those old rats for years have passed away, and the shillings I earned by killing them have been spent long ago.

Reading the Word. Though there are uses for devotional books of various types, they are best as a supplement and not a substitute for the Bible. My preference is to stick with reading the Bible as our main diet during family worship. Occasionally you may wish to add a chapter day by day of a Christian biography, while still giving the Bible the center stage. Use other helps at bedtime, or as a supplement, if helpful, but drink the "pure milk of the Word" during family worship. We read a chapter each day and always complete the book we begin.

You will find the Bible engaging enough on its own, and often a launching place for discussion about many things. For instance, what better place can you find to learn about sexuality than from Scripture? Don’t be afraid of the less than perfect characters you will meet in the Bible. They are included for our instruction. Use the examples, good and bad, to talk about those forgotten virtues of integrity, honesty, faithfulness, etc. Bring out the nature of sin and the beauties of the gospel, heaven and hell.

When the children are young, or the family is new to the faith, go over and over the story portions of the Bible. Begin with Mark, and then read the other gospels, Genesis, Exodus, the two Samuels, Kings and Chronicles, Ruth, Esther, Acts, etc. This will give them the history of the Bible as a great redemption drama. Later they can handle the teaching portions better.

Though the morning is by far the best time for family worship, you may not find it workable. You may wish to take the mealtime most attended by all your family. Have the Bible set beside the father’s place as part of the table setting. Then, after the meal, but before any dishes are moved off the table, worship together. Do it faithfully, even when someone must be absent.

Family prayers. Our children are used to seeing prayers answered. Why? Because we pray very specifically. When we see the answer come in, we make something of it.

I prefer to talk with the family about some of our needs and then assign each of us something to pray about. I usually accompany this with an encouragement that God has been answering our prayers and that we all should pray silently while another is wording our request. There is nothing more beautiful than the sincere request of children.

Keeping this time fresh will be your hardest task. Sometimes you may wish to put requests into a basket and let each person draw one out. Seek ways to make this time better. When the children are young, however, family worship should not be long and tedious for them. They will learn best by degrees.
JUDGMENT DAY

Puritan Richard Mather (1596-1669), grandfather of Increase, and great grandfather of Cotton Mather, once imagined children on judgment day, speaking to their parents. His words will serve as a final sober warning that we must be more diligent to care for the souls of our children:

All this that we here suffer is through you. You should have taught us the things of God, and did not. You should have restrained us from sin and corrected us, and you did not. You were the means of our original corruption and guiltiness, and yet you never showed any competent care that we might be delivered from it. Woe unto us that we had such carnal and careless parents; and woe unto you that had no more compassion and pity to prevent the everlasting misery of your own children.

Copyright © 2000 Jim Elliff
Christian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.
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Our precious Kiara

2009-09-16T04:39:00.000-07:00

Please pray for our daughter Kiara. She had a seizure today at the eye doctors appt, never has had a seizure before, the ER doctor had an ECG done which revealed an abnormal, enlarged middle part in her heart which is what they believe caused her to pass out and seizure. Now we have to see a cardiologist and pediatric neurologist. She's fine right now. Will keep posting as we find out what's going on.

Isn't It Enough?-Paul Washer

2009-08-09T04:55:00.000-07:00

Witnessing at the Old Port

2009-06-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

We were very blessed to take part of this years Old Port Festival with Pastor Don Drake from Stroudwater Baptist Church. We teamed up with Derek and Angie and our wonderful friend from Arizona, Edwin Lo. Edwin came up for Joshua's graduation and we are so blessed to have him here.

When we arrived at the booth where Pastor Don and his son were, it was already swarming with people. We were prayed up and ready to go and boy did the Lord prepare the way!

We were all engaged in conversations everywhere..it was hard grabbing pics as someone was always talking to someone. People were coming up to us saying they wanted to take this "Good Person Test" this surprised Edwin as he had never done a Good Person booth before.

I started off with having a wonderful conversation with a man named Brian who was a Jewish man. Brian was asking me many questions and I was able to answer them all thanks to the training I have received from the School of Biblical Evangelism and the Way of the Master episodes etc. Brian was not at all closed to the Gospel, however he has one of the very curious minds and he left me with a Why Christianity booklet by Ray Comfort and a Scientific Proofs from the Bible by Ray Comfort. He was amazed at the scientific proofs in the Bible. He also said to me that if I am wrong I have nothing to lose really, but if I am right he does have a lot to lose. Please pray that Brian would seek the Lord while He still may be found. Here's a pic of me and Brian.

At the very start Jeff felt a great burden for souls, so much that he asked me if he should pray with someone if they felt they wanted to pray. We are very careful not to lead people through a "sinners prayer" as we don't want to lead someone in a false conversion. We know that God is Sovereign and we don't want to get in the way of His perfect timing by man made means such as a sinners prayer. For more on praying a prayer watch this 5 minute video by Paul Washer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc5lY9YP_bE and concerning false conversions please listen to: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4253981354315335400

Jeff's burden proved to be from the Lord as he was able to speak to many folks. One man was very receptive to the Gospel, although this man didn't repent right there, he was very concerned for his eternal destiny, Jeff was able to give him a Bible and other literature as well as pray for him to find the Lord.

Then Jeff was able to speak to several others and finally the big encounter happened. Elizabeth approached 2 young men and she started taking them through the law and the Gospel, Jeff came over to stand with her and he ended up speaking to these 2 young men, one named Peter the other Andrew. Andrew was broken, ended up in tears and right there bowed and prayed in his own words a beautiful prayer of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. His friend Peter was very supportive of Andrew's commitment. Andrew left saying he would contact Jeff through e-mail. Here's a snippet of the e-mail we received from Andrew that very night:

"Hey Jeff. This is the Andrew you spoke with who had the Peter friend. I said I would drop you a line. Uhm. This day was along time in the coming, honestly, So I told the Big man that if he wanted me, ta show me what ta do here, cause I was hurt and confused.

So, it's a little on the ironic, or devine, perhaps, side that I met up with you."

I am not sure of everything and I hope to have Jeff come type up more about this encounter. For now here is the picture and Andrew in the white hat bowing and praying.

I had my first encounter with being chased by someone while I was open airing. A very angry lady kept coming and putting her face in mine telling me to stop reading the Bible because she didn't want to hear it, but praise the Lord there were 3 folks that stopped to listen to me and they defended me and told this lady they wanted to hear me and that she needed to leave me alone. Jeff ended up coming and taking her aside and speaking to her. I felt so bad for her because she despised the Word of God so much. Do pray for this woman. The people who stopped to listen very very receptive and heard the full Gospel. One lady also came up to me and whispered in my ear, "Thank you for what you are doing for His glory" I was so grateful that the Lord sent me this encouragement.

There were so many more conversations, thousands of tracts handed out, Kiara and Kayla as usual were tracting many folks, Jonathan as well, Elizabeth was a bold witness for the Lord. Here's some more pics. We give glory to God for the many seeds that were sown and ask that you pray for those seeds! Pray for Andrew and that Jeff would be able to continue to disciple him.

Mission Good Friday 2009

2009-04-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

We were very blessed to take part of Tony Miano's Mission Good Friday (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=778483179#/event.php?eid=156081235275&ref=mf) yesterday in Portland, Maine. Being April, Maine is still cold and not many people out so we were a little nervous as to how this would work for us here.
But God prepared the way before us!

I am currently leading the Way of the Master Intermediate Training Course at our homeschool group to a group of teens and one young man, Daniel, wanted to come out with us. I didn't think his parents would let him join us so late at night as we went after our Good Friday service. But Daniel called and told me his parents said he could come so off we went to pick up Daniel at 8:30pm EST. Praise the Lord for such wonderful, willing parents!

We decided to head into Portland as that is where people would be, but as we arrived there were no people in site..dead, looked like a ghost town.

We headed over to a little park and found a close parking spot, which is unheard of on a Friday night in downtown Old Port!

We bundled up as the weather was supposed to reach 27 degrees and headed over to the park benches where Daniel jumped up on the bench and loudly read Matthew 26. There was 1 gentleman who sat and listened a little before getting up to leave.

My son Jonathan then jumped up and read chapter 27, again, no people, just a few folks walking very fast to get to their destination.

Jonathan finished and Elizabeth jumped up on the bench and she read chp 28. Again still no people. But we were praying that maybe there might be an open window in one of the many buildings so we pressed on.

We decided after the reading to walk around the area and tract folks. My twins as usual were tracting anyone they could find!

We stopped at the side of the road where there were 3 benches and we realized this was the place to stay as folks were walking this sidewalk to get to their destinations, so I jumped on the bench and started reading Matthew 26-28.

I hadn't gone too far into chp 27 when a group of teens came and started talking to Jeff. We didn't grab anymore pics after this point as we were all talking to someone! PTL!

Then another man came over, Andrew, and I was able to speak to him, a hurting man who was broken by his decisions that have kept him away from his children, led him through a divorce etc. I shared the full law and Gospel with Andrew and he was very thankful.

No sooner had Andrew left when I noticed my daughter speaking to a young man. This mans name was Seth and he was an atheist, but a very polite one. Seth and I spoke for a long time, I answered all his questions, the usual questions we hear from professing atheists. Seth's countenance began to change before our eyes! His eyes filled with tears as I told him why we have a Good Friday and why Jesus had to die. He went from being an atheist to ending the conversation saying I had given him a new perspective on the things of God and he would truly seek this out. I went to shake his hand and instead he grabbed me and gave a hug and said thank you so much. We gave him an invite to our church's Easter service which we're offering a free ham dinner after the service. Please pray for Seth! He was so humbled and really searching. I pray he e-mails us or shows up at our church.

All this time Jeff was still speaking to the group of unruly teens, one who was a professing Christian, goes to a prominent church in the area, and yet she was swearing, saying Jesus had to have sinned because He was human and she said the Bible isn't true, and yet was still saying she was a Christian and she was offended that we questioned her Christianity. One of the other teens was so intellectual, but asking ridiculous questions. It seemed a wasted time but as we know, we can't ever know what is going on inside their hearts and what God is accomplishing for His purposes. Jeff pressed on and gave them the full Law and Gospel. There was one teen, Kayori (something like that) there that after I pulled the 2 unruly ones away, Jeff said Kayori became very humble and receptive to hearing, his mouth was stopped and the look of conviction was there. Please pray for this young man Jeff as Jeff said he was a different young man towards the end.

We were out there for 2 and a half hours, half frozen but rejoicing in the seeds that were sown and knowing that His Word was loudly proclaimed to a very lost and dying world!! It was an amazing night! To God be the glory!

10 Indictments-Paul Washer-MUST SEE!

2009-02-21T03:37:00.000-08:00

SIN: MAN'S ULTIMATE PROBLEM

2009-01-28T15:33:00.000-08:00

Quotes taken from the book Justification and Regeneration by Charles Leiter.

No matter how many men may try to suppress it, there is still an indelible
knowledge in the human heart that right and wrong are real, that men are
responsible for their wrongdoing, and that sin deserves to be punished.
Deep down, all men know that the scales of justice must be balanced at last.

Can A Man Be Right Before God?

The Heart of the Gospel by Charles Leiter

2009-01-06T05:22:00.001-08:00

The Heart of the Gospel

Charles Leiter

“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:21-26)

Here Paul declares that Christ died to pay our sin debt so that God could “justify”sinners and at the same time remain “just” Himself. Throughout the Old Testament, sins were merely “passed over,” the payment of their guilt being rolled forward year after year until the Lamb should come whose death could truly take them away (Hebr. 9:15). All during this time, it appeared that God was being unrighteous, since He justified men (like Abraham and David) without justice being truly satisfied. Therefore it was necessary that Christ should die “publicly,” openly demonstrating God's righteousness for all to see, by making full satisfaction for sin on the cross. In this sense, Christ died, not only to justify men, but to justify God! His death on the cross vindicated and demonstrated the absolute justice of God in justifying His people. As a “propitiation” (i.e. a wrath-removing sacrifice) for our sins, Christ turns away God's judicial wrath from us. We are “justified as a gift” (Justification is absolutely free to us.), “through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Justification was very costly to God). We are justified by receiving the “gift of righteousness” (Rom. 5:17) “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ” (Rom. 3:22).

Are you still under the wrath of God? “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). There is a “fountain for sin and impurity” (Zech. 13:1). “The blood of Jesus, God's Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). No matter how great your sins may be, they are nothing compared to the infinite worth of Christ's blood! (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Acts 20:28). “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20). Come to Him! He invites and commands you to come; you need not fear that you are being presumptuous by coming: “And let the one who is thirsty some; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost” (Rev. 22:17; Matt. 11:28). Come to Him! Take the water of life! Cast your sins upon Him and trust Him as your sin-bearer. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31).

[This articles is an exerpt from the book "Justification and Regeneration", by Charles Leiter, available at www.heartcrymissionary.com]

Kirk and John MacArthur on TBN

2008-11-25T04:45:00.000-08:00

I am so amazed at this programming, to see 2 godly men preach absolute truth!!

In Memory of Jim

2008-11-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

I made this video to remember Jim. I hope it blesses you and inspires you to be out there, not looking back, keeping your hand to the plow...Jim was an example to us all. May we go and live as he did...a Living Sacrifice.

In Memory of my best friend, fellow evangelist, Jim Jones.

2008-11-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write up something, but Tony Miano did such a wonderful job I am pasting his blog here.
Jim was truly a best friend and I will miss him greatly. While I am rejoicing that he is home with his Savior, the One he boldly proclaimed, my heart grieves as I think of his precious wife and daughters. I know that God is taking care of them and yet, I still am so sad to have such a loss. I love you Jim and I miss you already tremendously. What a legacy you have left behind. See you in Heaven my brother.

The Lawman Chronicles-Tony Miano

The biblical street evangelism family has lost a faithful brother in the Lord. Jim Jones (Grant Pass, OR) was killed yesterday in a bicycle accident. Jim was 40. He leaves behind (but in the faithful hands of the Savior) his wife, Kelly; and his two daughters, Willow and Holly. Please keep the Jones Family in your thoughts and prayers.

Jim was an Internet service provider, by trade; but his passion was proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jim's close friends often joked with him about his name, since he shared the same name with the infamous cult leader. But everyone who knew Jim knew that this Jim Jones sought to glorify God with his life and to love people with the Gospel.

As Jim would say, he "reclaimed the name." Yes, Jim, you did--all for the glory of Jesus Christ. You did.

Jim led an evangelism team in his area. In his most recent newsletter, Jim wrote:

"It's still amazing to see how people will just stop here in downtown Grant Pass and let us talked to them about the things of God. "

Jim was already well-known in biblical street evangelism circles when I was new to open-air preaching. Jim was a front line warrior for the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His passion and leadership inspired other Christians to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus Christ.

While Jim will be sorely missed by those who knew him and served the Lord with him, those same people also know that God is good and sovereign. God does cause all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28).

May the good that comes from such great loss be that many with whom Jim has shared the gospel over the years (particularly those in the young, Gothic subculture for whom Jim had great compassion), upon hearing about his death, will remember the gospel he proclaimed to them and then repent and believe that same Gospel. May the good that comes from such great loss be that Jim's brothers and sisters in Christ will, in his memory but for the glory of Christ, preach the Law and the Gospel all the more.

We'll miss you, Jim. But we will see you again, one glad morning; as we worship the Lord Jesus Christ in His glorious presence.

I will close by sharing a video of Jim doing what he loved most--proclaiming the Law and the Gospel.

Quote of the Month

2008-11-11T05:53:00.000-08:00

"The New Testament continues the testimony to the radical depravity of man. In fact, when Paul seeks to present a systematic argument for the gospel to the Romans, he does not begin with 'Jesus loves you' or 'God has a wonderful plan for your life.' Showing that he would fail almost every evangelism class currently offered in seminaries in our land, Paul begins with a dreadfully long discussion of the universal sinfulness of man. Without a single poem, no funny illustrations or multimedia aids, the inspired Apostle drags on about the sinfulness of men, Jew and Gentile alike. It is no wonder this section is so little preached in our day. But might it just be that good news cannot be properly understood unless the bad news is fully realized? Such would seem to be the case."

-James R. White, The Potter's Freedom

Sen. John McCain’s Position on Abortion Setting the Record Straight

2008-11-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

by Wesley Strackbein and Bob Renaud
Vision Forum

With the 2008 presidential election just one week away, it is time that Sen. John McCain’s record on abortion be clearly explained.

This last Sunday, LifeNews.com published an article entitled, “John McCain’s Pro-Life Abortion Record Gets Buried With Focus on Obama,” wherein journalist Steve Ertelt, LifeNews.com’s editor, observed:

With the intense focus on the extreme pro-abortion positions of Barack Obama, there has been little reference during the weeks leading up to the presidential elections of John McCain’s pro-life record on abortion. McCain isn’t as outspoken as past presidential candidates, but his record speaks volumes.[1]

Mr. Ertelt’s conclusion is right: Sen. McCain’s record on abortion has largely been “buried” this election cycle, and it indeed “speaks volumes,” but not for the reasons that Ertelt has suggested. A more careful look at Sen. McCain’s formal voting record and statements indicate that he will not make the protection of life a priority in a McCain presidential administration. While Sen. McCain voted in favor of the partial birth abortion ban in 2003 (as did Senators Tom Daschle, Harry Reid, and sixty-one others)[2] and has often stated that he does not “support Roe versus Wade” and would like to see it “overturned,”[3] the Arizona senator has actually stated his opposition to take active measures to overturn Roe for fear that such a move would endanger the lives of women.[4]

Moreover, Sen. McCain supports abortion in the cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother, and he has actively campaigned to strike the prohibition of abortion in these cases from the Republican Party Platform.[5] In addition, Sen. McCain has voted to confirm radical pro-abortion judges such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer and has recently affirmed that he would vote for pro-abortion judges under a McCain presidency, so long as they met basic “qualifications.”[6] He also has been outspoken in his support for embryonic stem cell research and has voted in favor of funding for Planned Parenthood.[7]

The point is this: Attempts to paint Sen. John McCain as a pro-life candidate are grossly misleading. Mr. Ertelt of LifeNews.com and other pro-life groups such as the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) have “buried” widely known aspects of Sen. McCain’s record on life that demonstrate — while Sen. John McCain may not be as far to the left as Sen. Barack Obama on the life issue — he is not a champion of the unborn, and, should he be elected to the presidency, his past record and recent claims offer no confidence that he will do anything to advance the ethic of life as president of the United States.

We agree with the National Right to Life Committee’s conclusion of eight years ago — a position that they have now suppressed due to political expediency — that “John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause”[8]; and as a service to voters in this 2008 election cycle, we have brought to light key facts on Sen. McCain’s record on abortion for readers to consider in forming their own conclusions regarding his stance on this critically important issue.
Sen. McCain Supports Abortion in the cases of Rape, Incest, and the Life of the Pregnant Mother

In their 2008 presidential candidate election issue, USA Today reported that “Arizona Sen. John McCain, a Republican, opposes abortion except in cases of rape or incest or to protect the life of the pregnant woman.”[9] On August 30, 2008, The New York Times highlighted Sen. McCain’s support of abortion in the case of rape, incest, and the life of the mother, explaining that the Arizona senator has long sought to undermine the Republican Party’s pro-life plank which does not allow for these exceptions:

Mr. McCain argued strongly in 2000 for the platform to include the abortion exceptions. He affirmed that position as recently as May [of 2008], in an interview with Glamour magazine to appear in its October [2008] issue.

“My position has always been: exceptions of rape, incest and the life of the mother,” he said. Asked if he would encourage the party to include them in the platform, he said, “Yes,” adding: “And by the way, I think that’s the view of most people, that rape, incest, the life of the mother are issues that have to be considered.”[10]

Sen. McCain Wants Roe vs. Wade made “Irrelevant,” but He Opposes Active Steps to Repeal the Decision

While Sen. McCain has indicated on a number of occasions that he would eventually like to see Roe v. Wade overturned, he has made it clear that he will not take active measures to pursue this because he believes a repeal of Roe would endanger the lives of women. In an August 22, 1999, interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Sen. McCain stated:

Ultimately, I would like to see the repeal of Roe v Wade, but to do it immediately, I think would condemn young women to dangerous and illegal operations.[11]

In a separate interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, McCain noted:

I’d love to see a point where [Roe v. Wade] is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.[12]

Sen. McCain Has Supported Pro-Abortion Judges in the Past and Has Stated He Will Do So as President

On Sen. McCain’s current campaign website, the following summary is offered concerning Roe v. Wade and his policy for the appointment of federal judges:

John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.[13]

This statement is an example of carefully-crafted obfuscation. At first glance, readers might take this sentence to mean that Sen. McCain will not appoint pro-abortion judges, but he himself has explained that he is willing to appoint judges who support Roe v. Wade — so long as they meet basic “qualifications.” During his dialogue with CBS’ Bob Schieffer which occurred during the third presidential debate held on October 15, McCain gave this response:

SCHIEFFER: ...Someone who had a history of being for abortion rights, you would consider them [for a federal judge]?

MCCAIN: I would consider anyone in their qualifications. I do not believe that someone who has supported Roe v. Wade that would be part of those qualifications. . . . I certainly would not impose any litmus test [on the issue of abortion].[14]

During the same October 15 debate, Sen. McCain emphasized his support of Justice Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, two stridently pro-abortion judges who McCain voted to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court:

I voted for Justice Breyer and Justice Ginsburg. Not because I agreed with their ideology, but because I thought they were qualified and that elections have consequences when presidents are nominated. This is a very important issue we’re talking about.[15]

McCain also conveyed his willingness to support pro-abortion judges to seventy-five Hillary Clinton supporters with whom he met following Sen. Clinton’s loss of the Democratic nomination. When questioned about his judicial philosophy by one Clinton supporter during a private meeting held at McCain’s Virginia headquarters, the Arizona senator offered assurances that he stood with “Bill Clinton [on] both Ginsberg and Breyer.”[16]
Sen. McCain Supports Federal Funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Senator McCain has long been an active supporter of embryonic stem cell research. The National Right to Life Committee explained:

[O]n May 8, 1992, McCain authored a letter ... noting that abortion is “a practice which is currently legal in this country...” McCain said he had concluded, “I support lifting the ban on the use of fetal tissue for research by the National Institutes of Health.”[17]

Sen. McCain reaffirmed his support for federal funding for fetal research when the issue resurfaced in 1997 and voted again on April 11, 2007, to use federal funds to pay for the destruction of, and experimentation on, human embryos.[18]

Since this vote in ‘07, Sen. McCain has indicated his desire to expand funding for embryonic stem cell research even more:

Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?

A: I believe that we need to fund this. This is a tough issue for those of us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to relieve human suffering. It’s a tough issue. I support federal funding.[19]

Sen. McCain Supports Federal Funding for Planned Parenthood and Medicaid Abortions

In 2005, Sen. McCain voted in favor of H.R. 3010 to Fund Title X and Medicaid Abortions and Birth Control to minors in the cases rape, incest and the “life” of the mother.[20]

HR 3010 — the HHS Appropriations Bill — included provisions for the following:

* Tens of millions of federal dollars for Planned Parenthood (Title X and Medicaid)
* Selected Medicaid surgical abortions (rape, incest, “life” of mother)
* Title X and Medicaid chemical birth control abortions
* Title X and Medicaid birth control for unmarried adults (singles)[21]

Evangelical Gamesmanship on Sen. McCain’s Pro-Life Record

On February 20, 2000, the National Right to Life Committee published a hard-hitting expose entitled, “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause.” In this article, they documented Sen. McCain’s “disrespect for the pro-life movement” and pointed out that — at the time — Sen. McCain was publicly championing his “17-year voting record,” even as he had taken active steps to undermine the integrity of the pro-life cause. Among the many telling evidences they brought to light was a comment that Sen. McCain made on the Don Imus show wherein he “referred disparagingly to ‘otherwise intelligent people who say that [the issue of life is] the only issue that will determine their vote.’”

The details that NRLC uncovered in their critical research on Sen. McCain’s checkered record on the life issue formed the basis for leading conservative organizations and leaders to oppose his presidential candidacy in 2000.

Sen. McCain’s compromise on the life issue continued to be a source of irritation and concern for evangelical leaders up through the 2008 primaries. On February 5 of this year, during an interview on the Laura Ingraham show, Dr. James Dobson indicated that the life issue was one of the chief reasons why he could not in good conscience support John McCain for president:

I am deeply disappointed the Republican Party seems poised to select a nominee who ... voted for embryonic stem cell research to kill nascent human beings. . . .

I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has sounded at times more like a member of the other party. . . . [A] spoonful of sugar does NOT make the medicine go down. I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.

But what a sad and melancholy decision this is for me and many other conservatives. Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. . . . If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life.

Regrettably, Dr. Dobson and the NRLC have done an about-face. Following Sen. McCain’s pick of Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, they — along with other conservative leaders and organizations who were previously hesitant to support McCain — have now actively come out in favor of the McCain/Palin ticket. On the day that Sen. McCain announced his pick of Gov. Palin, Dr. Dobson told talk show host Dennis Prager, “I can tell you that if I had to go into the ... voting booth today, I would pull that [McCain] lever.”

Tellingly, the NRLC recently removed their article “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause” from their website and — in a new, one-page summary entitled, “Sen. John McCain’s Record on Abortion” which they now have posted — the NRLC altogether excludes their former research while highlighting Sen. McCain’s support of the partial birth abortion ban, among other pro-life votes that he has made during his senatorial career.[22]

The NRLC’s political action committee has also declared that “Senator John McCain has a solid voting record against abortion” and noted that their PAC “strongly supports Senator John McCain for United States President. . . . “[23]

The National Life to Life Committee’s current characterization of Sen. McCain’s record stands in stark contradiction to the NRLC’s previous findings wherein they documented significant problems with Sen. McCain’s stance on the life issue. In view of the NRLC’s recent attempts to portray Sen. McCain as a “solid” pro-lifer, they would do well to remind themselves of the insightful observation they made in the hard-hitting article on Sen. McCain that they have pulled from circulation: Sen. Al Gore had a 84% pro-life voting record according to one pro-life watch dog group, and yet he could not be trusted as a pro-life leader. As they pointed out in 2000: neither can John McCain.[24]

The efforts to which certain conservative organizations and leaders have recently gone to exclude critical facts concerning Sen. McCain’s record on abortion that they once rightly emphasized to potential voters — to sugar-coat Sen. McCain’s pro-life record — is one of the most shameful demonstrations of party politics that has occurred in this decade.
Conclusion: Sen. John McCain will Not Be a Champion for Unborn Life if Elected as President of the United States

Should Sen. John McCain be elected as the next president of the United States, he will not be a champion for the life of the unborn. While he recently stated that he believes life begins “at the moment of conception,”[25] based on his past record and statements on the life issue, Sen. McCain will not actively seek to overturn Roe v. Wade; will appoint pro-abortion judges, if he deems them otherwise qualified; will continue to support embryonic stem cell research; and will seek to undermine the Republican Party Platform’s pro-life plank which opposes abortion in the cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

In sum, those who cherish human life should not trust Sen. John McCain to represent them on this issue.

1. October 26, 2008, “John McCain Repeats Stance: Roe Abortion Case a ‘Bad Decision,’ Overturn It” by Steve Ertelt, LifeNews.com.

2. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/rollcalllists/rollcallvote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00051.

3. October 26, 2008, “John McCain Repeats Stance: Roe Abortion Case a ‘Bad Decision,’ Overturn It” by Steve Ertelt, LifeNews.com.

4. See footnotes # 11 and 12 for more details.

5. See footnote # 9 & 10.

6. See footnotes # 13 and 14 for more details.

7. See footnotes # 18 and 19 for more details.

8. NRLC article, “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause,” February 20, 2000.

9. http://asp.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/issues.aspx?i=9&c=1.

10. New York Times, “G.O.P. Holds to Firm Stance on Abortion” by Katherine Q. Seelye, August 30, 2008.

11. August 22, 1999, CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpGUiEWZDUI&feature=related

12. San Francisco Chronicle, August 19, 1999.

13. http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/95b18512-d5b6-456e-90a2-12028d71df58.htm.

14. http://debates.org/pages/trans2008d.html.

15. Ibid.

16. http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/McCainmingleswithClintonsupporters.html

17. http://www.nrlc.org/Whatsnew/McCainrecordbodyparts.html; See roll call vote here:http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/rollcalllists/rollcallvote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00127

18. See Senate bill S.5 at http://thomas.loc.gov

19. 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007

20. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/rollcalllists/rollcallvote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00281

21. See this link for further information: http://lefemineforlife.blogspot.com/2008/02/pro-abort-john-mccain-voted-hhs-funds.html.

22. “Senator John McCain Record on Abortion,” http://www.nrlc.org/Election2008/mccainrecord0608.pdf.

23. http://www.nrlpac.org/.

24. NRLC article, “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause,” February 20, 2000.

25. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/16/se.02.html.

Third Party Vote is NOT A Waste!

2008-10-25T05:23:00.001-07:00

Curriculum Advice from Victoria Botkin Volumes 1 & 2

2008-10-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Homeschooling. Lots of families have done it. But can you do it? How hard is it? What does it actually look like? How do you know if you’re on the right track for success?

Victoria Botkin has seven well-educated children who love home education and who plan to continue the tradition when they have children of their own. This inspiring home educator will tell you how you can teach your child at home successfully, inexpensively, calmly, and with the powerful confidence that you are doing the right thing before God.

Her advice will give you not only practical ideas, but confidence, enthusiasm, and a vision for the importance of your labors. If you want to combine a godly home life with high academic standards, listen carefully to these CDs.

In Volume 1, learn about:
# Developing the right attitude
# Choosing materials
# Choosing curriculum
# Inspiring them with creativity
# Turning your home into an incubator of curiosity, exploration and discovery
# And much more!

In Volume 2, you will also hear from Victoria's seven well-educated children as you learn about:
# Guiding children into character, maturity and integrity
# How children can take responsibility for their own education
# Teaching children to love writing
# How to use the media
# Helping your child develop a vision for the future
# Recognizing and encouraging your children’s gifts
# Teaching life skills
# And much more!

Make sure you visit the Visionary Daughters website to read what they had to say about their mothers new cd.

Is Your Devotion Like that of the Old Paths?

2008-10-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

Ten Reasons To Not Ask Jesus Into Your Heart

2008-10-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

By:
Todd Friel

The music weeps, the preacher pleads, “Give your heart to Jesus. You have a God shaped hole in your heart and only Jesus can fill it.” Dozens, hundreds or thousands of people who want to get their spiritual life on track make their way to the altar. They ask Jesus into their heart.

Cut to three months later. Nobody has seen our new convert in church. The follow up committee calls him and encourages him to attend a Bible study, but to no avail. We label him a backslider and get ready for the next outreach event.

Our beloved child lies in her snuggly warm bed and says, “Yes, Daddy. I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” You lead her in “the prayer” and hope that it sticks. You spend the next ten years questioning if she really, really meant it. Puberty hits and the answer reveals itself. She backslides. We spend the next ten years praying that she will come to her senses.

Telling someone to ask Jesus into their hearts has a very typical result, backsliding. the Bible says that a person who is soundly saved puts his hand to the plow and does not look back because he is fit for service. In other words, a true convert cannot backslide. If a person backslides, he never slid forward in the first place. “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (II Cor.5) No backsliding there.

Brace yourself for this one: with very few if any exceptions, anyone who asked Jesus into their hearts to be saved…is not. If you asked Jesus into your heart because you were told that is what you have to do to become a Christian, you were mis-informed.

If you have ever told someone to ask Jesus into their heart (like I have), you produced a false convert. Here is why.

1. It is not in the Bible. There is not a single verse that even hints we should say a prayer inviting Jesus into our hearts. Some use Rev. 3:20. To tell us that Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts begging to come in.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” There are two reasons that interpretation is wrong.

The context tells us that the door Jesus is knocking on is the door of the church, not the human heart. Jesus is not knocking to enter someone’s heart but to have fellowship with His church.
Even if the context didn’t tell us this, we would be forcing a meaning into the text (eisegesis). How do we know it is our heart he is knocking at? Why not our car door? How do we know he isn’t knocking on our foot? To suggest that he is knocking on the door of our heart is superimposing a meaning on the text that simply does not exist.

The Bible does not instruct us to ask Jesus into our heart. This alone should resolve the issue, nevertheless, here are nine more reasons.

2. Asking Jesus into your heart is a saying that makes no sense. What does it mean to ask Jesus into your heart? If I say the right incantation will He somehow enter my heart? Is it literal? Does He reside in the upper or lower ventricle? Is this a metaphysical experience? Is it figurative? If it is, what exactly does it mean? While I am certain that most adults cannot articulate its meaning, I am certain that no child can explain it. Pastor Dennis Rokser reminds
us that little children think literally and can easily be confused (or frightened) at the prospect of asking Jesus into their heart.

3. In order to be saved, a man must repent (Acts 2:38). Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of repentance.

4. In order to be saved, a man must trust in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31).
Asking Jesus into your heart leaves out the requirement of faith.

5. The person who wrongly believes they are saved will have a false sense of security. Millions of people who sincerely, but wrongly, asked Jesus into their hearts think they are saved but struggle to feel secure. They live in doubt and fear because they do not have the Holy Spirit giving them assurance of salvation.

6. The person who asks Jesus into his heart will likely end up inoculated, bitter and backslidden. Because he did not get saved by reciting a formulaic prayer, he will grow disillusioned with Jesus, the Bible, church and fellow believers. His latter end will be worse than the first.

7. It presents God as a beggar just hoping you will let Him into your busy life. This presentation of God robs Him of His sovereignty.

8. The cause of Christ is ridiculed. Visit an atheist web-site and read the pagans who scoff, “How dare those Christians tell us how to live when they get divorced more than we do? Who are they to say homosexuals shouldn’t adopt kids when tens of thousands of orphans don’t get adopted by Christians?” Born again believers adopt kids and don’t get divorced.

People who ask Jesus into their hearts do. Jesus gets mocked when false converts give Him a bad name.

9. The cause of evangelism is hindered. While it is certainly easier to get church members by telling them to ask Jesus into their hearts, try pleading with someone to make today the day of their salvation. Get ready for a painful response. “Why should I become a Christian when I have seen so called Christians act worse than a pagan?” People who ask Jesus into their hearts give pagans an excuse for not repenting.

10. Here is the scary one. People who ask Jesus into their hearts are not saved and they will perish on the Day of Judgment. How tragic that millions of people think they are right with God when they are not. How many people who will cry out, “Lord, Lord” on judgment day will be “Christians” who asked Jesus into their hearts?

So, what must one do to be saved? Repent and trust. (Heb.6:1) The Bible makes it clear that all men must repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ. Every man does have a “God shaped hole in their hearts,” but that hole is not contentment, fulfillment and peace. Every man’s heart problem is righteousness. Instead of preaching that Jesus fulfills, we must preach that God judges and Jesus satisfies God’s judgment…if a man will repent and place his trust in Him.

If you are reading this and you asked Jesus into your heart, chances are good you had a spiritual buzz for a while, but now you struggle to read your Bible, tithe, attend church and pray. Perhaps you were told you would have contentment, purpose and a better life if you just ask Jesus into your heart. I am sorry, that was a lie.

If you have been preaching that people should ask Jesus into their hearts, I beg you to stop immediately. You will give an account for all the souls you have led astray. Read two articles on this site that will help you present the Gospel correctly: Hell’s Best Kept Secret and How to Witness Manual (”Witness Tools” section).

Quote of the Month

2008-10-03T12:21:00.001-07:00

"They will go away to eternal punishment, but
the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:46

There is an essential difference between the death of the
godly--and the death of the ungodly. Death comes to the
ungodly man--as a penal infliction; but to the righteous--
as a summons to his Father's palace! To the sinner--it is
an execution; to the saint--it is an undressing from his
sins and infirmities! Death to the wicked is the King of
terrors. Death to the saint is the end of terrors--the
commencement of glory!

Leornard Ravenhill-The Judgement Seat of Christ

2008-10-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

Evangelism, Wife, Motherhood and the Kids

2008-09-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

"How do you do it? Where do you find the time? What does your husband think of your mission trips? You think it's safe to take your kids out street witnessing?"

Since our involvement with biblical evangelism I have heard these questions time and time again. So I want to take some time to address these questions and I hope that as a result of all this I can encourage other Moms who are struggling to find the balance between motherhood, raising the children, homeschooling and the Great Commission.

1. How Do You Do It?

First off, I don't "do" it, but the Holy Spirit enables me to be a witness. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 Notice in this verse who enables us to be witnesses. The Holy Spirit! Of course I can't do it. My flesh struggles with it all the time. I struggle with not wanting to go out to witness and also mostly struggle with fear. But...What is this fear really? A fear of man? Fear of their opinion of me? Why do I witness? For His glory alone! If I am not out there for His glory then I am better off staying home. What a privilege it is to be a witness for our Savior! I see every witnessing opportunity as a time that is spent glorifying His precious name. And of course, the person I am speaking with hears the wonderful, beautiful message of the Cross by which they can be saved! He is glorified in this!

Through the godly teachings of Way of the Master Ministries our family has been equipped to be a witness and preach the biblical Gospel to the lost anytime, anywhere. If you have never heard of Way of the Master I would highly recommend you to get acquainted with them. But as with anything else in our lives, whether it's motherhood, raising children, how to homeschool and being a witness, it's much better to be equipped and ready and we can learn from others. As Ephesians 4:11-12 says, "It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ". Way of the Master has done this for us in the area of evangelism. I love how they put it, "Arm any soldier with a feather duster and push him into the heat of modern warfare, and he's not going to be very courageous. However, if you give him state-of-the art weapons and teach him how to use them, those weapons will give him courage!""Hell's Best Kept Secret" will put a state-of-the-art weapon into your hands. It will give you courage. Simply go to Hell's Best Kept Secret" or watch the video if you prefer.

2. Where Do You Find The Time?

I always like to say that what we do is called "lifestyle evangelism". What I mean by this is simply we see everyday as an opportunity to be a witness, whether it's our postman, UPS dude, Fed EX dude, the lady at the cash register, the Walmart greeter, grocery store cart boy, the baggers, our neighbors, gas stations and more! I don't have to "find" the time to witness, but the witnessing always is in front of us. Have tracts ready so that you can hand them to the cash register person, or the bag boy. Say hello to the person pumping gas next to your car and hand them a Million Dollar Bill and tell them their car looks like a million bucks! My twins LOVE handing out tracts to people. If I don't have one ready at the grocery store they are digging through my purse for my wallet to get that Million Dollar Bill ready!
I tell my kids, "Let's go to the grocery store to hand out some tracts and while we are there we'll grab some groceries" You don't always have to engage people one on one to say you have witnessed to someone. Many people have been saved simply through a sound, biblical Gospel tract.

The great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgon said:

"I well remember distributing them in a town in England where tracts had never been distributed before, and going from house to house, and telling in humble language the things of the kingdom of God. I might have done nothing, if I had not been encouraged by finding myself able to do something ... [Tracts are] adapted to those persons who have but little power and little ability, but nevertheless, wish to do something for Christ. They have not the tongue of the eloquent, but they may have the hand of the diligent. They cannot stand and preach, but they can stand and distribute here and there these silent preachers ... They may buy their thousand tracts, and these they can distribute broadcast.

"I look upon the giving away of a religious tract as only the first step for action not to be compared with many another deed done for Christ; but were it not for the first step we might never reach to the second, but that first attained, we are encouraged to take another, and so at the last ... There is a real service of Christ in the distribution of the gospel in its printed form, a service the result of which heaven alone shall disclose, and the judgment day alone discover. How many thousands have been carried to heaven instrumentally upon the wings of these tracts, none can tell ...

"Let each one of us, if we have done nothing for Christ, begin to do something now. The distribution of tracts is the first thing."

What an awesome way for us mothers to show our children how to be a simple witness through the use of Gospel tracts! So get those Gospel tracts ready and start handing them out together as a family! The most important aspect of using tracts is to be sure the message is Biblically sound. Does it open up with the Law (Ten Commandments) and warn of judgment day and hell? Does it preach the cross, the resurrection, repentance, and faith? Is Jesus presented as the answer to life's problems (the popular "happy gospel") or as the Savior from sin (true, Biblical Gospel)? A tract with a Biblically sound message does not guarantee that every tract from the same source is also sound. Be discerning and examine every tract prayerfully before using them! (http://www.gospelreport.org/tracts.htm)
For good, sound, biblical Gospel tracts please visit Living Waters or Custom tract Source.

So, as you can see, it's not about "finding the time" to be a witness, but changing your perspective of your time. Is our time here on this earth only to live life, clean the house, laundry, homeschool, paying the bills, etc? I don't think that for a minute! Who says we can't do it all? We can! Because He enables us to be a witness! Before anyone shoots me for saying we can do it all, I want to encourage you to really sit back and look at your priorities. Do you have time to watch tv? Movies? Be on a computer? Go to the beach? Go on a field trip? Be on the phone? Read a book? If you said yea, of course, Then you have time to be a witness for Christ! What's your priority? Or WHO is your priority?

To be continued.......feel free to comment!
To see recent evangelism pics of our family visit our Photo Album

Why Sarah Palin Inspires Us

2008-09-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

Very well written, thought out blog, a must read for all of us women and men alike.
Thanks Visionary Daughters once again for your godly insights.

http://visionarydaughters.com/2008/09/why-sarah-palin-inspires-us

Quote of the Month

2008-09-10T03:56:00.000-07:00

Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. God does nothing but in answer to prayer.-JOHN WESLEY

Quote of the Month

2008-08-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

One of the most fearful things about sin is its power to harden the one who practices it.
The deeper a man goes in sin, the less sin bothers him. . . . Every sinner finds himself now committing sins that he once despised,
and the sins that he now despises, he will someday find himself committing.
It should shock us to remember that Adolph Hitler was once a little boy playing with toys just like other little boys.
Man knows the beginning of sin, but no man has ever known the end of sin.

~Charles Leiter

In Remembrance of Princess Gemma

2008-08-11T05:16:00.001-07:00

Our friends, Kevin and Liz were blessed with a beautiful baby girl they named Gemma. Gemma graced us all with her beautiful face, big beautiful alert eyes and just the miracle of her life. But her life ended on August 8 at only 1 month old. Words cannot express our grief for Kevin and Liz who waited patiently for years to conceive and have a baby. Gemma's funeral service is this Wednesday at 2pm at our church, Harvest Bible Chapel. Please be in prayer for Kevin and Liz, for Pastor Bill as he shares the gospel at the funeral as many unsaved people will be there. Here's a beautiful picture of Liz and Gemma before her passing.

My 3 girls birthday today!!

2008-07-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

Today is Elizabeth's 14th birthday and Kiara and Kayla's 7th birthday!

It's hard to believe that the twins are the age Elizabeth was when they were born. It doesn't seem possible!

Here's recent pictures of the girls at Angie's wedding.

A Fun Day At The Beach

2008-07-03T16:44:00.001-07:00

Since it was so beautiful today the girls and I decided to walk to the beach. Here's a silly moment on video with me singing the Cupid Shuffle for Elizabeth to dance!

Quote of the Month

2008-07-03T05:41:00.000-07:00

"If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, or watching TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends, rather than just sitting alone with God and embracing Him, sharing His cares and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him, then how are you going to handle forever and ever in His presence...?" - Keith Green

Family Scripture Memorizing

2008-06-29T03:53:00.000-07:00

Bible Passages for Memorizing
by Ruth Beechick

A basic family tradition is memorizing Scripture. Your family can do this together—easily. Choose a Bible passage such as the Twenty-Third Psalm, and choose a time. Family devotions are an ideal setting for this tradition. Otherwise, choose breakfast or another meal that you share together. Even car time will work for some families with a regular driving schedule.

The Best Memory Method

To begin, you all simply recite the psalm together. Those who read may use their Bibles. Children who do not read follow as best they can, listening or saying some parts as they trail along behind. That is all for day one. The following days are similar. The goal is that in three months or so, all who are old enough will know the psalm by heart. Even the very youngest children gain in many ways, whether or not they actually memorize.

This method of memorizing is called the “whole method.” When you learn a passage this way, you end up able to recite smoothly through it all, just as you recite smoothly through the alphabet without stopping to think which letter comes next. You also learn faster with less work by using this whole method. Research documents the results of the whole method: memorizing is more efficient, takes less total time, and produces better memory results.

Most people commonly use the “part method” for memorizing extended passages. This means learning one verse, then adding the next, and so forth. This takes longer, and the result is usually a less smooth recitation, as they sometimes pause to think which verse comes next.

As you recite the psalm each day, the children who read will gradually quit following in their Bibles, or you may need to suggest that they look up from their Bible pages when they can. Occasionally you might check that a child correctly pronounces a word like righteousness. Answer questions the children have about meaning, but it is not necessary to study the psalm while memorizing it. Some books for Sunday school teachers say, “Be sure the children understand the verse before they memorize it.” This is useless advice. When do any of us fully understand a Scripture? Children can just as well memorize first and learn the meaning more fully as they grow older.

Continue reciting daily until you have not just learned a passage, but overlearned it. Then review on a diminishing schedule. For instance, for one or two months recite the passage once a week (instead of the new passage you are starting to learn). Then review once a month. Eventually, once a year will be sufficient. There is no specific rule about this schedule. The length of a passage, the amount of overlearning, and other variables all affect this, so adjust as you see a need for more review or less. The principle of a diminishing need for review will continue to apply.

If your family learns three or four passages a year—or even just two—these add up to considerable Scripture for your children to carry in their hearts wherever life may take them—to legislative halls or to enemy prison camps, to their future families or to fellow workers. After some passages of six or fewer verses, your family may feel brave enough to tackle a longer passage, perhaps a full chapter.

Bible Passages for Memorizing

Make your own selections or choose some from this list. You can shorten most of these or, in some cases, extend to make a longer portion. (My son Allen, who learned all these as a child and many whole books as a teen, says Psalm 34 is his favorite. At age 8 he recited Isaiah 53 with its big words, and said, “I like the words of the Bible; they sound so good.”)

Psalms 1, 8, 19, 23, 24, 34, 100

Exodus 20:1-17, Ten Commandments

Joshua 1:7-9, meditate on the book

Proverbs 8:22-31, wisdom speaks (Christ himself)

Proverbs 15:1-6, soft answer

Isaiah 53:1-6 (or the whole chapter), Man of sorrows

Matthew 5:3-12, Beatitudes

Matthew 5:19-24, treasures in Heaven

Luke 2:1-7 (or to 16 or 20), Christmas story

John 1:1-14, the Word became flesh

John 3:14-18, God so loved the world

John 14:1-4 (or to 14), mansions in the Father’s house

Romans 1:14-15 (or to 20 or farther), not ashamed of the Gospel

I Corinthians 13, love

Ephesians 2:8-10, saved by grace

Philippians 4:4-8, rejoice

James 1:22-25, doers of the Word

Created To Worship-Ted Tripp

2008-06-29T03:50:00.000-07:00

Created to Worship
by Tedd and Margy Tripp

Human beings are worshipers. It follows then, that children are worshipers. We can almost hear someone say, “Not my children, Tedd and Margy, they fall asleep in church every week.”

But nonetheless, your children are worshipers. They have been created in the image of God. The world in which they live is designed to display the glory of God, and children—indeed, all human beings—are uniquely designed for worship. Like explorers driven to find distant shores, your sons and daughters go off every day in search of excitement, seeking an answer to the question, “Who or what is worth worshiping?”

The fact that human beings are hard-wired for worship is a unique aspect of our creation. It is the reason we love to hear a symphony or watch a juggler or marvel at an athletic feat. We love to be dazzled. It is the reason we watch sports on TV. Do you know that Antarctic penguins hold no diving competitions? They perform marvelous feats without color commentary or slow-motion replays. A brown bear grabs a salmon from the Columbia River, by any account an amazing feat of timing and coordination, and yet none of his fellow bears line the shore to applaud. Human beings do this sort of thing because human beings are uniquely designed for worship. Your kids love to be entranced by something amazing because they are instinctively worshippers.

Now, what happens when children who are designed for worship fail to worship the God in whose image they have been made? These children do not cease to be worshippers; they simply worship and serve something else. The apostle Paul speaks to this in Romans 1:25: “[ They] exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever” (NKJV).

This is what your children do; it is what all humanity does. If your children do not worship and serve God, they substitute something for God, worshipping and serving something in the creation instead. They manufacture an idol—a substitute for God.

These idols your children find are not small statues of wood or gold; they are much more subtle. Leaving a Chinese restaurant recently with two young granddaughters, I felt a tug on my coat. “Grandpa,” one asked, pointing to a large statue of Buddha in the corner, “who’s that fat man?” The question provided a wonderful opportunity to speak to the girls about idols.

The human heart creates so many idols:

Pride and performance. Some children will lay all at the altar of performance. They are driven. The joys of performance and the praises that attend excellence stimulate and impel them.

Power and influence. Other children exhibit a lust to control the people in their world. These are the organizers and arrangers. If the game is playing school, they will always be the teachers.

Pleasure and sensuality. You may have a thrill-seeker in your family. This is the child who constantly seeks the rush of exciting, heart-throbbing, and adrenalin-pumping experiences. He finds the joys of ordinary living boring.

Possessions. Some kids crave stuff. They pore through the catalogs that enter your home. They collect stuff; they polish stuff. When they leave the house, they want assurance that no one will touch their stuff while they are gone.

We could add to the list. People are endlessly creative when it comes to finding substitutes for God. Other idols include the fear of man, the desire for approval, the longing for friendship, or simply the consuming desire to be someone or have something that elicits the response “Cool!”

All of this brings me to my point: The most important job you have as a parent is to show the glory of God to your children, who are compulsively worshippers. Your kids are hard-wired for worship, but in their fallen state, they instinctively worship and serve created things rather than God. Psalm 145 talks about this when it says,

I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. (Psalm 145:1-4, NKJV)

Your job is to be one generation commending the glory and excellence of God to the next generation. (See also Psalm 78:1-7.)

Help your children see that we find our greatest joys in the nearness of God rather than in fulfilling our appetites. “There are many who say, ‘Who will show us any good?’ LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased” (Psalm 4:6-7, NKJV).

Show your thrill seekers that the lasting joys and pleasures that people crave are found in knowing God. “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11, NKJV).

Illustrate for them that the greatest deliverance from adversity is not removal from difficulty (Psalm 27:1-3), but enjoying the beauty of the Lord. “One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple” (Psalm 27:4, NKJV).

Other Psalms to which you may turn to underscore the joys and delights of being entranced by God are Psalm 36:5-9, 63:1-5, 73:25-26, 81:10-16, and 96:1-6.

Why is this so important?

1. Your kids do not merely exist amidst the facts and circumstances of their lives. They interpret everything that happens around them, and their interpretation determines how they respond. The key to correctly interpreting life is the being and glories of the God for whom they are made. If they are worshiping and serving idols, they will never accurately interpret the circumstances of life.

2. Since you love your kids and desire their happiness, you will always be tempted to feed their idols. Many parents do just that. They fill their children’s lives with stuff and take delight in their children’s delight in possessions. Yet they cling to the hope that someday their children will see that life is not found in possessions, but in knowing God. Resist the temptation to polish your children’s idols.

3. The Christian life begins with glory. “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6, NKJV). The Christian life continues and grows as we behold God’s glory. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV).

Perhaps the best thing you can do for your children is to go before God, behold His glory, and then move toward them with the encouragement that they have been created for a great and glorious God who longs to bring them abundant life.

Tedd Tripp is the senior pastor of Grace Fellowship Church, Hazleton, Pennsylvania. He and Margy have been married since 1968, and they have three adult children and six grandchildren. Tedd holds a B.A. in History from Geneva College, M.Div. from Philadelphia Theological Seminary, and D.Min. with an emphasis in Pastoral Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary. He is the author of the popular childrearing book Shepherding a Child’s Heart (Shepherd Press, 1995).

Kiara and Kayla's Jazz and Hip Hop Routines

2008-06-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

In this first video, the girls are dancing to the Finding Nemo's Wipe Out song. Kiara is pretty much leading the whole crowd! We were cracking up! At the end Kayla is on the left trying very hard to keep her leg up!

Here's the last routine the girlies did, to a KJ-52 song called, Coke, Fry and A Cheeseburger. Scroll a little bit forward, like a minute as first it's KJ trying to order and coke, fry and a cheeseburger. The girls were on the right side..you can tell it's them because they have the same hair...imagine that....at the end they are both posing, Kayla stands up, Kiara knelt down. Oh and both the girls during the free styling part did the "worm" and Kiara did a stall! Very cool!

Last Years Dance Recital

2008-06-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

Last year we were all involved with the Christian dance studio in our area, Eternity Dance Center. Donna did a number to a very powerful sermon mix, the twins were in hip/hop and jazz together and Kayla did a clogging routine and Jonathan danced his very first hip-hop routine. He was a beginner and did so well!

In Kayla's clogging, she is the one on the very right..smallest one on the end, curly short hair. She was simply adorable!!

Jonathan is the boy with the black and white hat on in the front. He surprised up with the "rubber band" dance movement when they go off to the side, he kinda does this back flip thingie!

Then of course, Donna is the one with the really long dark hair preaching at everyone..haha...enjoy! Donna is also the scary masked person on the left. Jeff said I looked funny speaking with a mans voice..oh well! lol...

Here's Kayla's Clogging

Jonathan's Hip Hop

Here's Donna's Sermon performing arts number..scroll to about 2:46 secs as Crystal played a sermon first before our routine started...

Donna's Silly Clogging routine! Dancing..err..clogging to the 80's with Apologetix parody songs! All lyrics are Christian lyrics to these old songs, so please don't pass out!

Quote of the Month

2008-06-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

(James Wells, 1839)

"They will say of Me--In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength." Isaiah 45:24

Those who are taught of God feel that they are but dust and ashes, that they are vile, carnal, sold under sin, helpless, and have no might of their own.

Where this experience is--the great truths of the Gospel become interwoven in their
souls, mingled with their minds, and so entwined about their hearts--that they are carried away in their affections . . .

from earthly things--to heavenly things;
from sin--to salvation;
from this world--to that which is to come.

Their hope is in heaven, they have no confidence in the flesh--but in the Lord alone, they have righteousness and strength, life and light, joy and gladness, glory and honor. Unto these things they look; for these things they seek; upon these things
they live; of these things they boast; and by these things they defy death, hell and the grave! They thus put on Christ, walk in Him, commune with Him--and rest ALL their hopes upon HIS holy life, and sin-atoning death.

His life is our justification.
His death is . . .
our redemption,
our pardon,
our sanctification,
our victory, and
our peace with God.

"You are complete in Him." Colossians 2:10

Sing The Word!

2008-06-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

Our family recently purchases 2 cd's from Sing The Word. I HIGHLY recommend them! Read below, visit the website and grab your cd's today!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What makes SING THE WORD valuable to you?

Proverbs 27:2 tells us: "Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth". In light of this counsel, please read what a member of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra has to say about Sing The Word®:

"The Heavens Declare", from the very musical Harrow family has very quickly become one of my favorite CD's from any genre. And I have to say that being a member of the NY Philharmonic, I am very particular about what I listen to when I am not performing myself. The musical and production quality alone should place this CD at the top of Billboard's charts and were it not for the fact that it is devised for a very different purpose and audience, I believe it would be. And though I could recommend this CD for purely musical reasons alone, the most compelling quality is how fully God's anointing permeates it. I have found it to be a real help in not only retaining the scripture verses used in the songs, but also as a faith builder and strengthener in times of trial. I also love the fact that I can sing the songs with my three year old and can actually look forward to extended car travels with the CD in the car! I greatly look forward to future musical and spiritual endeavors from the Harrow family. I really can't stress enough how much we all have enjoyed this CD and the others that you have made."

Roger Nye, bassoon
New York Philharmonic Orchestra

Visit their website!
Sing The Word!

Joshua is 17 today!!

2008-06-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how time flies..to think 17 years ago today I held this precious little baby in my arms. And now, he shaves and has acne! What happened!

Some news about Joshua's 16th year:

*Graduated 10th grade with CLASS
*He started 11th grade with CLASS
*He played softball for our church softball team
*He started his very fist job at Funtown/Splashtown as a ride operator
*He took Drivers Ed and got his permit. We're still working on the 35 hours driving so he can take his final exam.
*He came with me to Okinawa, Japan for 3 weeks on a missions trip.

His favorite things:

Paintball and paintball and did I mention paintball?

He loves his Geneva Bible.

So there's just a few highlights...I am very proud of my boy. He is growing into a spiritually strong young man. He loves talking theology with anybody who will talk. He is talkative!

Here's my boy....Happy Birthday Josh. I love you so much! I am so proud of the young man you are becoming.

Paul Washer Sermon Jam-Regeneration and Self-Denial

2008-05-26T05:00:00.001-07:00

Leonard Ravenhill - The Value of the Human Soul

2008-05-19T04:41:00.001-07:00

L. Ravenhill - Forget Miracles Preach Holiness & Conversion

2008-05-19T04:38:00.000-07:00

Hold Fast to the Word-Paul Washer

2008-05-18T05:08:00.000-07:00

He who truly believes in Christ-J.C. Ryle

2008-05-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

He who truly believes in Christ

(J. C. Ryle, "Do You Believe?")

There is a dead faith as well as a living one. There is a faith of devils as well as a faith of God's elect. There is a faith which is vain and useless, as well as a faith which justifies and saves. How shall a man know whether he has true saving faith? The thing may be found out! The Ethiopian may be known by the color of his skin; and the leopard may be known by his spots. True faith may always be known by certain marks. These marks are laid down unmistakably in Scripture. Reader, let me endeavor to set these marks plainly before you. Look at them carefully—and test your own soul by what I am going to say.

He who truly believes in Christ—has a NEW HEART. It is written, "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature—old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Cor. 5:17.) A believer has no longer the same nature with which he was born. He is changed, renewed, and transformed after the image of his Lord and Savior. He who minds first, the things of the flesh—has no saving faith. True faith, and spiritual regeneration, are inseparable companions. An unconverted person—is not a genuine believer!

He who truly believes in Christ—is a HOLY person in heart and life. It is written that God "purifies the heart by faith," and that Christians are "sanctified by faith." "Whoever has this hope in him, purifies himself." (Acts 15:9; 26:18; 1 John 3:3.). A believer loves what God loves—and hates what God hates. His heart's desire is to walk in the way of God's commandments, and to abstain from all manner of evil. His wish is to follow after the things which are just, and pure, and honest, and lovely—and to cleanse himself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. He falls far short of his aim, in many things. He finds his daily life, a constant fight with indwelling corruption. But he fights on—and resolutely refuses to serve sin. Where there is no holiness, we may be sure there is no saving faith! An unholy man is not a genuine believer!

He who truly believes in Christ—works godly WORKS. It is written, that "faith works by love" (Gal. 5:6). True belief will never make a man idle, or allow him to sit still, contented with his own religion. It will stir him to do acts of love, kindness, and charity, according as he sees opportunity. It will constrain him to walk in the steps of his Master, who "went about doing good." In one way or another, it will make him work. The works that he does may attract no notice from the world. They may seem trifling and insignificant to many people. But they are not forgotten by Him who notices a cup of cold water given for His sake. Where there is no working love—there is no faith. A lazy, selfish professing Christian—has no right to regard himself as a genuine believer!

He who truly believes in Christ—overcomes the WORLD. It is written, that "whoever is born of God, overcomes the world—and this is the victory which overcomes the world—even our faith" (1 John 5:4). A true believer is not ruled by the world's standard of right or wrong, of truth or error. He is independent of the world's opinion. He cares little for the world's praise. He is not moved by the world's censure. He does not seek for the world's pleasures. He is not ambitious of the world's rewards. He looks at things unseen—he sees an invisible Savior, a coming judgment, and a crown of glory which never fades away. The sight of these objects, makes him think comparatively little of this present world. Where the world reigns in the heart—there is no genuine faith. A man who is habitually conformed to the world—is not a genuine believer!

He who truly believes in Christ—has the witness of the Holy Spirit. He has hopes, joys, fears, sorrows, consolations, expectations, of which he knew nothing before he believed. He has internal evidences which the world cannot understand. Where there are no inward pious feelings—there is no faith. A man who knows nothing of an inward, spiritual, experimental religion—is not a genuine believer!

He who truly believes in Christ—has a special regard to the person of CHRIST Himself. It is written, "Unto you who believe—Christ is precious" (1 Peter 2:7). That text deserves especial notice. It does not say "Christianity" is precious, or the "Gospel" is precious, or "salvation" is precious—but Christ Himself! A true believer's religion, does not consist in mere intellectual assent to a certain set of propositions and doctrines. It is not a mere cold belief of a certain set of truths and facts concerning Christ. It consists in union, communion, and fellowship with an actual living Person, even Jesus the Son of God. It is a life of . . .
faith in Jesus,
confidence in Jesus,
leaning on Jesus,
drawing out of the fullness of Jesus,
speaking to Jesus,
working for Jesus,
loving Jesus, and
looking for Jesus to come again.
Such life may sound like enthusiasm to many. But where there is true faith, Christ will always be known and realized, as an actual living personal Friend! He who knows nothing of Christ as his own Priest, Physician, Redeemer, Advocate, Friend, Teacher, and Shepherd—knows nothing yet of genuine believing!

Where these marks of which I have been speaking, are utterly lacking, I dare not tell a man that he is a true believer. He may be called a Christian, and attend a Christian church. But if he knows nothing of these marks—I dare not pronounce him a believer. He is yet dead in trespasses and sins. Except he awakes to newness of life, he will perish everlastingly.

Show me a man who has these marks—and I feel a strong confidence about the state of his soul. He may be poor and needy in this world—but he is rich in the sight of God. He may be despised and sneered at by man—but he is honorable in the sight of the King of kings. He is traveling towards heaven! He has a mansion ready for him in the Father's house. He is cared for by Christ, while on earth. He will be owned by Christ before assembled worlds, in the life which is to come!

The Gospel Call by Paul Washer

2008-05-10T03:20:00.001-07:00

A Powerful Gospel Preaching Rapper

2008-05-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

I know some of ya'll may not agree with current rap etc..but you can't deny that what this dude is saying is right on! Keep preaching it bros! Thank you for standing up for the BIBLICAL GOSPEL!!!

Quote of the Month

2008-05-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

"What grace! He declares the wicked righteous by the blood of His dear Son, He prepares good deeds for them by His sovereign will, He empowers them by His Spirit, and then He rewards them for what they have done as if they had done it. What grace! What grace! What marvelous grace! In such grace, we will wait upon Him." ~Paul Washer

The Tolerance Rantthe

2008-05-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

Taken from a sermon on Nehemiah 13, in this clip Mark Driscoll is enraged over the "tolerance" that's crept over God's people and has diminished the Gospel. "When tolerance overtakes truthfulness...the feelings of people take over the feelings of God ... passion diminishes to passivity ... and people just don't care."

Concerning The Four Spiritual Laws

2008-05-02T07:49:00.001-07:00

Concerning The Four Spiritual Laws and the late Dr. Bill Bright:
(Taken from The Way Of The Master, by Ray Comfort, Chapter 10, page 78.)

Over the years that I have shared my concerns about contemporary evangelism, I have been careful never to name names. However, many have guessed that on occasion I have been referring to the incredibly popular tract The Four Spiritual Laws, penned by the late Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ. More than a billion copies have been distributed in all the major languages of the world, and his approach has become the model for the modern gospel presentation.

In July 2002, Kirk and I were invited to Orlando, Florida, to join Dr. Bright at his home for breakfast. After breakfast, we sat down in his living room and heard this warm, humble, sincere man of God (then eighty-one) confess that he had been in error. Let me use his own words from his book Heaven or Hell - Your Ultimate Choice (published the same year) to tell you what he said to us:

"In his approximately 42 months of public ministry, there are 33 recorded instances of Jesus speaking about hell. No doubt He warned of hell thousands of times. The Bible refers to hell a total of 167 times. I wonder with what frequency this eternal subject is found in today's pulpits. I confess I have failed in my ministry to declare the reality of hell as often as I have the love of God and the benefits of a personal relationship with Christ. But Jesus spent more of His time warning His listeners of the impending judgement of hell than of speaking of the joys of heaven....I have never felt the need to focus on telling people about hell. However, as a result of a steady decline in morals and spiritual vitality in today's culture and a growing indifference to the afterlife, I have come to realize the need for greater discussion of hell....I have thus come to see that silence, or even benign neglect on these subjects, is disobedience on my part. To be silent on the eternal destinations of souls is to be like a sentry failing to warn his fellow soldiers of impending attack." [Bill Bright, Heaven or Hell - Your Ultimate Choice (Orlando, Fla.: New Life Publications, 2002), 32, 48]

Dr. Bright even took the time to use the Law lawfully, by quoting every one of the Ten Commandments, then expounding the Law by saying, "Breaking these commandments will take us to hell without the intervening grace and mercy of Jesus Christ." [Ibid., 37] By admitting that "benign neglect on these subjects is disobedience on my part," Dr. Bright revealed his honest humility and his genuine love of the truth.

Please, follow Dr. Bright's example and examine your evangelism methods in light of God's Word. At stake is the eternal salvation of millions of people. You don't have to throw away The Four Spiritual Laws. Simply make four important changes. First, don't tell sinners that Jesus will improve their lives with a wonderful plan. Second, don't make the unbiblical mistake of giving the cure before you've convinced them of the disease. Third, take the time to follow in the way of the Master by "opening up" (or explaining) the Ten Commandments. And fourth, faithfully remember to include the terrible realities of Judgement Day and hell.

Mission Okinawa Video -Beautiful!

2008-04-29T03:56:00.000-07:00

Edwin and Linda's pastors son made this video of our missions trip to Okinawa for their church. It brought me to tears! Grab a tissue!

Church service at CC in Okinawa

2008-04-29T03:29:00.000-07:00

Here's Pastor Tim and Trevor translating for him at a regular Sunday morning service at Calvary Chapel Church in Okinawa. We were so blessed to be able to worship with this awesome family in Okinawa. When I lived in Okinawa as a new Christian I was always amazed at how many churches there were in Okinawa, but the American churches stuck to Americans and the Okinawan churches were only Okinawans. I always thought how special it would be to have everyone together, worshiping together. It was awesome to find this CC church doing exactly this! I thank God for them!

Sherry Pierce's Okinawa Report

2008-04-25T05:32:00.001-07:00

My beautiful fellow team mate to Okinawa has written up her Okinawa Report. You can view it here.

Praise the Lord!

Interview with Yui..Part 1 and 2

2008-04-25T03:29:00.000-07:00

Here is Edwin and I interviewing Yui. This was such a beautiful witnessing encounter and Yui was very receptive to the Gospel. It's mostly in Japanese, but part 2 at the end Edwin and I give a recap of the interview. You can read about the interview if you scroll down a bit.

Pray that Yui gets soundly saved.
Part 1

Part 2

Quote of the Month

2008-04-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

"Christ never fails of success. Christ never undertakes to heal any but he makes a certain cure, 'Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost,' (John 17:12). Other physicians can only cure them that are sick, but Christ cures them that are dead, 'And you hat he quickened who were dead' (Eph 2:1). Christ is a physician for the dead, of every one whom Christ cures, it may be said, 'He was dead, and is alive again' (Luke 15:32)."

THOMAS WATSON

Back from our Okinawa Missions Trip

2008-04-16T04:42:00.000-07:00

All I can is WOW! Glory to God! What an incredible trip we had spreading the Gospel to the island of Okinawa, Japan. There are so many praise reports, glory stories, divine appointments and not to mention a wonderful new family in Christ with Calvary Chapel Church Ginowan.
We will be writing up a report with pics and making a photo video soon.
Here's a few pics of the trip. Still jet lagged so will write more soon. Thanks to everyone who made this trip possible. We are changed forever and look forward to returning to my island.

In this picture Donna had witnessed to these 2 young men, Shingo with the white hat and Totsuyama. That's Josh in the middle. They were so receptive to the Gospel, they took Bibles and asked if they could take my pic with them as they wanted to remember the "lady who gave them the beautiful message of truth" This was only 1 of MANY conversations with the Japanese/Okinawans.

Here's me with a new sister in Christ, Reiko-san. I was able to encourage her in her walk with Christ as she had questions about totally surrendering her life. She is so precious. She is a single mom of 5 kids. Pray for Reiko to be strengthened and encouraged as she walks with the Lord and trains her children in Christ.

Hell's Best Kept Secret

2008-03-17T02:08:00.000-07:00

Why do 80-90% of those making a decision for Christ fall away from the faith? What is the principle that Spurgeon, Wesley, Whitefield, etc., used to reach the lost? Why has the Church neglected it? Don't let anything stop you from listening to this incredible teaching.

Destination Okinawa 2008

2008-03-17T01:51:00.000-07:00

From March 18-April 10, Donna and Joshua will be heading to Okinawa, the island where Donna's family is from. We are joining 4 others evangelists from AZ to preach the Gospel to the Okinawan people. We truly covet your prayers.

Please click here Destination Okinawa for specifics.

Hell - What is it? Ravi Zacharias explains

2008-03-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

Sobering, yet so needed in todays preaching.

Quote of the Month

2008-03-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

"Remember that it is not hasty reading—but serious

meditation on holy and heavenly truths, which makes

them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not

the mere touching of the flower by the bee which

gathers honey—but her abiding for a time on the

flower which draws out the sweet. It is not he who

reads most, but he who meditates most—who will

prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest and

strongest Christian." Thomas Brooks

Here I Stand-Steve Camp

2008-02-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

Evilution

2008-02-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

John Piper-What Does It Mean To Get Saved?

2008-02-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

Ravi Zacharias-The Existence of God

2008-02-28T10:38:00.000-08:00

Ravi Zacharias explains the proofs for the existence of God.

Family Worship. Why?

2008-02-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

Why should a family worship together? From CrossTV

Kayla's Febrile Seizure episode. Be Aware of this!

2008-02-18T06:55:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, Feb 17, Kayla had been sick a couple of days with flu like symptoms. She woke up that morning sounding a little croupy so I had her lie down and I took her temp. It was 102.3. I gave her some juice to drink and she said she wanted dry cereal in a bowl so I brought it to her and she ate it and laid down. I checked her temp again and it was 102.5. I was sitting next to her and all of a sudden she was kicking me like crazy. It took me a moment to realize she was in a full blown seizure. I had never seen one before and I will tell you now, it's the most terrifying thing a parent will see.

Her body was convulsing so out of control, then she started choking. I quickly grabbed her, turned her on her side so that she would stop choking. I noticed her tongue was in the way of her breathing and she was biting it so I try prying her mouth open with my finger. Number one rule when someone is having a seizure, Never put anything in their mouth! By this time Kayla's face was blue and her lips were purple. I was screaming for help as Jeff was upstairs, Joshua couldn't find the phone as I was yelling for someone to call 911.

Jeff came down and he got my finger out of her mouth and he was trying to keep her mouth open so his finger was also punctured. Our neighbors came running over to see how they could help and I got the ambulance call in. During this time Jeff was still holding Kayla but she looked completely dead. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, she was unconscience and not breathing. I could hear Jeff screaming, "No, Kayla! Kayla!" Again, this is something that is so frightening for a parent who has no idea what is happening. Finally she started breathing very slowly and Jeff kept blowing in her face to keep her conscience before the EMT's arrived. By the time they arrived she was not convulsing, but she was very unresponsive and just laying on the couch face down, not moving at all.

We got her to the ER and they did a CT scan, chest x-rays and many needles and an IV. This poor girly had such a traumatic experience, but so also did the rest of us. The boys were very much freaked out, Kiara couldn't understand what was happening to her twin.

I wish I had been educated about these types of seizures known as Febrile Seizures. One out of 25 children will have a febrile seizure before they are 5. Kayla being 6, this gave some concern as she's a little older than they would expect to see this happen too.

Here are some links for anybody to educate themselves about it. It's not dangerous, it's more frightening than anything, but rarely will it ever cause damage to the brain or death. But being aware and ready is a must. I see that now. I only wish I had been prepared.

So if you have little ones, grandchildren or friends with small children, please pass this along, make people aware, learn what to do to avoid a febrile seizure and how to deal with one if it happens to someone you love.

Our Kayla is now acting normal and happy. She still is sick but her fever is down, and I am pumping the Tylenol and Motrin. Mom had to get a tetanus shot as she punctured my finger pretty badly and it can be dangerous to have human saliva wounds.

Links:

Febrile Seizures Fact Sheet

Febrile Seizure-Mayo Clinic

Here's our sweet girl that we are so thankful is here with us. We praise You Father for Your protection on Kayla!

Indescribable-Chris Tomlin

2008-02-15T04:26:00.000-08:00

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork! Psalm 19:1

Tim Hawkins Hedge of Protection

2008-02-14T15:56:00.000-08:00

Tim really helps to explain the funny prayers we tend to pray..over and over we all use these same terms in prayer...enjoy this one particular one..

It is Finished! - The Atoning work of Christ

2008-02-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful to share this wonderful article by a brother from
Covenant Theology

You can read Owen's book online for free by visiting

The Death of Death in the Death of Christ

______________________________________________________________

It is Finished! - The Atoning work of Christ

"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." (Isaiah 53:11)

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Hebrews 9:12)

In these passages, we have both the intent and the accomplishment of the Atoning Work of our Savior. It is important to see that Christ's work on Calvary was a purposeful means to a purposeful end, and that end being the eternal redemption of His people, justifying many and bearing their iniquities.

In a recent debate I had with a dear "non-Calvinist" brother B.W., I found it profitable to dig through my library and pull out a classic, John Owen’s The Death of Death in the Death of Christ. Owen really exhausts the arguments concerning the actual redemption obtained by Christ at Calvary. It is a must read for anyone who is serious about the theology of the Bible, regardless of your position. The introduction by J.I. Packer is worth the price alone. This article is a very brief summary of Owen’s main arguments in defense of Particular Redemption, otherwise known commonly as Limited Atonement.

The Doctrine of Universal Redemption, ever popular in today's churches, is unscriptural as well as illogical. While it sounds pleasing to the ear to hear that "Christ died for everybody", what it in fact teaches is that Christ's work on the Cross was effectual in the salvation of nobody. Thus the "plan" of redemption is really no plan at all, but rather a hopeful possibility. Our Savior, rather than being satisfied with His work, would be most disappointed to find that His precious blood was indeed absolutely worthless to the vast majority for which it was intended. For we have His own words that there will be many goats on His left hand who will be cast "into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and His angels" (Matthew 25:41).

We can establish the proper doctrine of the atonement by looking at,

1.) The Intention of Christ

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son (Galatians 4:4). To what end was this done, but “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:5)? This was the intent of Christ at His death, to “justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53:11). Those who hold to some sort of universal redemption must actually deny that anyone was actually redeemed by the blood of Christ. Redemption (apolutrōsis aπολύτρωσις) means "ransom in full, that is, riddance, or Christian salvation: - deliverance." Thus a "universal redemption" being defined as a potential redemption is really no redemption at all. At the announcement of Christ's birth, it was said that “He shall save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Christ came to seek and to save what was lost (Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10), to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). How this is compatible with the idea of Universal Redemption I know not. For the idea of universal redemption requires that either:

1.) All people will be saved (Universal Salvation), or

2.) Christ failed in His mission, not actually saving His people (the whole world without exception) from their sins.

Christ died for His people, those whom He predestined, that He might be the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29). He died for the children who "share in flesh and blood, (therefore) he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14-15). Thus He “abolish[ed] death, and to bring life and immortality to light" (2 Timothy 1:10). Can it rightly be said that Christ intended this for every person on planet earth? Will anyone claim that Christ intended to deliver every person from the Second Death, including many who have already gone to hell prior to His incarnation? What was the intent of Christ’s death, but to “sanctify and cleanse His Church” (Romans 5:25-27), and to "make and end of sins, reconciliation for iniquity, and bring in everlasting righteousness” (Daniel 9:24)? He came to “bear our sins" (1 Peter 2:24), to "bear our iniquities, and to have them laid upon him" (Isaiah 53:5-12). Therefore, He “sanctified Himself, that they (those who the Father had given Him) also might be sanctified through the truth." (John 17:17-19)

2.) The Effect of Christ's work

Having examined the intention of Christ, we now address the question, "did He successfully complete His mission?" When Christ hung in agony, bearing the sins of many, He claimed "It is finished" (John 19:30). In His own words, He came "to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." (John 4:34). We'll examine "the will of the Father shortly", but for now we'll address the actual completion of Christ's work. If, in fact, Christ went to the cross to save every single person on planet earth, then it is a common observation that He failed in His mission. His work apparently did not accomplish what He intended. (For those who reject the term "Limited Atonement", who is limiting it now?) However, as we have established previously, Christ work was to save His people. As a result of Christ's completed work, We have actual redemption (Romans 1:7), for He "purchased the church with his own blood" (Acts 20:28).

Those who oppose us would have us believe that the millions of souls currently burning in Hell are just as much bought with the blood of Christ as His saints. How does this square with the actual accomplishment of Christ's work, who "gave himself to us to redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar (chosen) people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14)? "He entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking ... his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12)¹, so "...that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Hast this been accomplished for every single person on the planet? Who did Christ "secure an eternal redemption" for? Everyone? If Christ has secured an eternal redemption, how can such ever end up in Hell? Is our "free will" more powerful that Christ's redemption? Again, Christ came to “lay down His life for His Sheep…to give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (John 10:11, John 10:27-28). "He redeemed us from the curse, being made a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13), to “purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God." (Hebrews 9:14). This was the completed, effectual work of our Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. Can it be rightly said by anyone that Christ did this for every person who ever lived? In elevating the power of man's will, it is actually our opponents who "limit" the atonement.

3.) The Will of the Father

We established earlier that Christ came not to do is own will, but "to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." (John 4:34). What was that will of the Father, and did Christ indeed finish the work? Romans 8:28 tells us that God predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son. Why? So "that He might be the firstborn among many brethren". Yet if this predestination was "contingent" upon human freedom, then how could the Father be sure that His Son would be the firstborn of many brethren? If those who oppose the Doctrines of Sovereign Grace are correct, then it would be entirely possible for the precious blood of Jesus to have saved no one. Christ could have died in vain, unless His death was actually a purposeful means to a purposeful end; that end being the actual salvation of His elect. Thus, the idea of "universal" atonement is really no atonement at all. It becomes a mere "ointment in a box" that becomes effective only when this box is open and applied by someone of their own virtuous resources. Woe then be to those who are not so inclined to do so. For is seems to be that Christ, despite His best efforts, is unable to overcome the wills of those who aren't, in their own natures, already bent towards Him. So much for John 5:21.

The fact is that it was never, at any time, God's intention to save every person on planet earth. We established that clearly when we discussed the Biblical Doctrine of Predestination. God's will was the purposeful salvation of His people, thus Christ came to “[give] himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father" (Galatians 1:4).

4.) The Purpose of Jesus' Parables

"And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed" (Isaiah 6:9-10).

What are we to take from this passage in light of Christ's intent? Did He actually hide His kingdom from the Pharisees? What sayeth the Scriptures? When Jesus was asked by His disciples why He spoke in parables, He answered, "because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given" (Matthew 13:10-11). In contrast to this, Jesus told His disciples that "... it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). Why did God hide these things from the "prudent" Pharisees? In case that "at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (Matthew 13:15). Obviously, the pharisees cannot choose what they cannot see (John 3:3). They "were disobedient to the word, to which they were appointed" (1 Peter 2:8). Let our opponents explain away all that they wish by interjecting the "free will" of the pharisees. The Bible explanation is the only one we need, "..even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight" (Luke 10:21).

5.) The Intercession of Christ

"...Ask of me, and I shall give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession," (Psalm 2:7-8).

What was the inheritance that Christ was promised by the Father? The nations. Christ was promised an inheritance that He alone chose (Psalm 33:12). Did God the Father fail to keep His promise? We know that Christ "makes intercession for us" (Romans 8:34), and that He is always heard of the Father (John 11:41-42). Who does Christ make intercession for? Does Christ pray for everyone? What saith the Scriptures?

"I am praying for them (that you gave me - John 17:8). I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours". (John 17:9).

Christ does not pray for the world, but only for those whom that Father has given Him. Since He is always heard of the Father, "All the Father gives shall come" (John 6:37)

The Lord's Supper, the continuing sign and seal of the new covenant itself, testifies to this fact.

"And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins." (Matthew 26:27-28)

Conclusion

Christ blood was not for a "general ransom" for every person on planet earth, but was poured out for many, and unto the actual remission of their sins. The salvation provided by Christ was not abstract and universal, but particular and personal. God tells us over and over again in His Word, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy." In response to this, Paul deals with a couple of questions in Romans 9.

Romans 9:14
"What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God?"

Romans 9:19
"You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?""

The question I have for my opponents to consider for now is, "Does your view of the Atonement prompt such questions?" If not, then it probably doesn't agree with Paul's view.

Objections

1.) ”The Lord is ... not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9)

This would be a big problem for Limited Atonement, if this is actually what the verse said. What it actually says is...

2 Peter 3:9
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

The promise and the patience is “toward us”, not to every person on planet earth. Who is "us"? Who is Peter writing to?

2 Peter 1:1
"Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:"

Peter is writing this to the elect, "To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ". This verse is absolutely true. God is not willing that any of his elect should perish, but that all of them should come to repentance. And they will, as we have already established in dealing with the intercession of Christ.

2.) Christ is said to have died for "the whole world" (1 John 2:2) or "all men" (1 Timothy 2:4).

It can readily be established that these phrases are rarely used in a universal sense, not only in Scripture, but in normal everyday usage. These words were usually spoken (John 3:16) or written to Jewish believers to explain that the Messiah wasn't just a Messiah for Jews, but for "the whole world", ie. "all men without distinction" rather than "all men without exception". 1 John 2:7 says, "Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning", suggesting that John was writing this epistle to Jewish Christians, who had the Old Commandment from the beginning. In 1 Timothy 2, Paul is clearly defending his ministry to the gentiles (1 Timothy 2:7).

The biggest problem with interpreting such phrases universally is that doing so would result in universal salvation. For example, if “the world” in 2 Corinthians 5:19 were taken to mean every single person who ever lived, then we would have to believe that God through Christ has reconciled every single person who ever lived to Himself, ie. universal salvation. The same would apply to 1 John 2:2, where Christ is the propitiation for the sins of every person who ever lived, in which case God would be unjust in punishing anyone for sins after He has already punished Christ for them. Likewise, if “all men” in Romans 5:18 were taken to mean all men without exception, as opposed to all types of men, then we would be force to conclude that “one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men” without exception. This idea, however, is refuted in the very next verse (as well as a plethora of other Scriptures.)

Christ died for His Sheep, His church, and His elect. Christ’s work on the cross was effective in providing actual, not potential, redemption, abolishing death (2 Timothy 1:10), in order to “sanctify and cleanse His Church” (Romans 5:25-27). He bore our iniquities (Isaiah 53:11), and paid the ransom for many. Christ’s work of atonement is finished, and it saves all that it intended to save.

For further study, I would recommend the following:

The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen
Particular Redemption by Charles Spurgeon

Footnotes:

1 Compare Hebrews 9:12 with Arminius’ statement that “Christ did not give himself for them as the price of redemption; for the action of Christ is confounded with its result, and the application of benefits with their obtainment.” As with the Doctrine of Original Sin, most modern “Arminians” are shocked to learn that the founders of their faith rejected the idea that Christ paid for their sins.

CLASS

2008-02-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

Our boys are both enrolled with CLASS. Joshua is in the 11th grade and Jonathan is in 9th grade.

Visit CLASS to find out more information.

This is our second year with CLASS and we are extremely satisfied with their curriculum choices as well as their costs.

They are extremely strict in grading which helps keep us on our toes. I can be confident knowing the boys are getting the best education as possible.

Here's some quick details about CLASS.

" We see from the Scriptures that the God who is sovereign over education has commanded Christian parents to raise up children who know Him, love Him, and follow Him in every area of life. In short, God requires that His children be given a distinctively Christian education. Every subject is to be studied with the purpose of discovering the God-given meaning contained in it."

"The CLASS program is committed to an educational philosophy which is not after the traditions of men, or the principles of this world, but after Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Christian education means that Christ is central to education. Consequently, our educational theory, methods, and practice must be built upon Christ as their cornerstone. But how can we know Christ apart from His Word which is the truth? The sacred Scriptures are the Word of Christ written. In them God has revealed Himself and His saving purpose in Christ. Because there is only one God and one Christ, there is only one truth. This truth is the center and criterion of Christian education. While the Bible is not used as the textbook in every subject, it is the foundational handbook for every course and the standard for teaching. As the foundational book, Scripture is the only infallible rule for faith and practice, for grammar and literature, for mathematics and science, for health and physical education, for geography and history, and for social studies and the arts. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God."

Leonard Ravenhill-Training Children

2008-02-07T05:16:00.000-08:00

How wonderful to be able to hear these words from Leonard Ravenhill. He is so right! Where's family worship these days in 'Christian' homes? Are we training our children in godliness or in worldliness? Do we spend more time watching movies together than studying scripture together? Oh may we repent of our lazy ways and let's glorify the Lord as a family!

This is how our year is going!

2008-02-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

Well, this is definitely the boys mentality when it comes to math, or really any subject this year!

Scary Bedtime Prayers-Tim Hawkins

2008-02-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

Christian comedian Tim Hawkins describes what children might hear when the traditional bedtime prayer is used.

Happy Hebert Home

Project 180 in Maine

Here is Dan Fitzgerald, AA graduate July 2011, with his daughter Anna. The first time I showed them 180, Dan's wife looked at me with tears and said, "They would have killed my Anna...she is not worthless! SHE HAS VALUE AND SHE IS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD!"

BOOKS ON THE PATH: One of our Customers...On an Adoption Journey

Children are a Blessing: DVD Giveaway!

95 THESES TO THE MODERN EVANGELICAL CHURCH by Greg Gordon

A Prophets Story

The Sin of Not Worshiping God in Your Family

Paul Washer on Prayer

From Raising Homemakers come an opportunity to win the Baby Conference Audio cd's!

I want more of Him...but how??

The Truth by Al Martin

First Sign of a True Christian

Modest Swimwear

Paul Washer-Anything it takes!

Elizabeth's Piano Recital

Why we evangelize-Beautiful Open Air by EZ from Living Waters

Jeff Hebert Open Air in Las Vegas

Mr.Obama visits Portland Maine

St.Patricks Day tracting

Jonathan's basketball team video and receiving trophy

Register for a Giveaway: Evenings With Victoria Botkin

Doug's Blog: Twelve Things I learned From Avatar: A Worldview Review of the Top Film of 2010

A Critique of Modern Youth Ministry

John Piper answers prisoners questions

The Heart of Family Reformation

Our precious Kiara

Isn't It Enough?-Paul Washer

Witnessing at the Old Port

Mission Good Friday 2009

10 Indictments-Paul Washer-MUST SEE!

SIN: MAN'S ULTIMATE PROBLEM

The Heart of the Gospel by Charles Leiter

Kirk and John MacArthur on TBN

In Memory of Jim

In Memory of my best friend, fellow evangelist, Jim Jones.

Quote of the Month

Sen. John McCain’s Position on Abortion Setting the Record Straight

Third Party Vote is NOT A Waste!

Curriculum Advice from Victoria Botkin Volumes 1 & 2

Is Your Devotion Like that of the Old Paths?

Ten Reasons To Not Ask Jesus Into Your Heart

Quote of the Month

Leornard Ravenhill-The Judgement Seat of Christ

Evangelism, Wife, Motherhood and the Kids

Why Sarah Palin Inspires Us

Quote of the Month

Quote of the Month

In Remembrance of Princess Gemma

My 3 girls birthday today!!

A Fun Day At The Beach

Quote of the Month

Family Scripture Memorizing

Created To Worship-Ted Tripp

Kiara and Kayla's Jazz and Hip Hop Routines

Last Years Dance Recital

Quote of the Month

Sing The Word!

Joshua is 17 today!!

Paul Washer Sermon Jam-Regeneration and Self-Denial

Leonard Ravenhill - The Value of the Human Soul

L. Ravenhill - Forget Miracles Preach Holiness & Conversion

Hold Fast to the Word-Paul Washer

He who truly believes in Christ-J.C. Ryle

The Gospel Call by Paul Washer

A Powerful Gospel Preaching Rapper

Quote of the Month

The Tolerance Rantthe

Concerning The Four Spiritual Laws

Mission Okinawa Video -Beautiful!

Church service at CC in Okinawa

Sherry Pierce's Okinawa Report

Interview with Yui..Part 1 and 2

More Okinawa Missions Trip Stories

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