TruthInvestigate

“Oh, the unspeakable greatness of that exchange,—the Sinless One is condemned, and he who is guilty goes free; the Blessing bears the curse, and the cursed is brought into blessing; the Life dies, and the dead live; the Glory is whelmed in darkness, and he who knew nothing but confusion of face is clothed with glory.”

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Location: Kingsland, Georgia, United States

A person God turned around many times.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Under His wings


“He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.” (Ps. 105:39). “The Lord loved Israel.” (1Ki. 10:9).




“All our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;… And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” (1Cor. 10:2).

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” (Ex. 13:22,23).

“And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.” (Ex. 14:19,20).

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.” (Lev. 16:2).

“There came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.
And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him.” (Lk. 9:34-35).

“And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.” (Ex. 16:10).

“Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.” (Ex. 40:34-38).

“And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.
So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not.
And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed.
And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.
At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.” (Num. 9:15-23).

“And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.
And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.
And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee.
And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel.” (Num. 10:33-36).

“And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that Thou Lord art among this people, that Thou Lord art seen face to face, and that Thy cloud standeth over them, and that Thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.” (Num. 14:14).

“And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.” (Num. 16:42).

“Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.” (Deut. 1:33).

“Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.” (Neh. 9:19).

“In the daytime also He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.” (Ps. 78:14).

“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.” (Rev. 14:14).

“The Lord’s portion is His people: Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, and fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taken them, beareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.” (Deut. 32:9-12).

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matt. 23:37).

Our God is a clingy God, a jealous God. He desires nothing more than to hover over His creation. He has no greater joy than intimacy with His children. Moses likens the Lord to spreading out His wings over Israel.

Sinners don’t like God’s hovering over them. It makes their hard hearts feel suffocated. Love is a strange thing to them. Satan and sin brought an aberration to the warming and strengthening power of love upon the will and the whole being of the human, the creation which was designed to glory in and reflect God’s love better than any other throughout the vast universe.

I want to be a child of God, hidden beneath His cloud, His embrace, His bosom of love. To be “in the Beloved,” to be hid with Christ in God. To wait in His presence for Him to work in me all that He needs me to accomplish for Him. To be enthralled in His world, bereft of all other earthly realities. No more working hard to “achieve big things for God,” but rather, resting in Him, partaking of His story, His character, His power. “Blessed are all they that wait for Him.” (Is. 30:18).

Staying with Him on Mt. Sinai as did His friend Moses, learning of Him and His Law, as His precious son, until my face shines like His, remade in the image of God. As the Lord is the precious Child of the Almighty, spotless and blameless, so do all they that come under His cloud find special privileges with Him. Because they trust in Him they are accounted righteous, never having sinned (as He see us). As their Master was filled with the Holy Spirit at rebirth (His incarnation), so they are filled with the Holy Spirit from their rebirth; thus He can be just in justifying them. If the Son will make you a son, you shall be a son indeed.

Their focus is on their beloved Elder Brother and their God. They “serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” (Ps. 2:11). As little children, they humbly follow the Angel of the Lord. Where He goes, His little angels go with Him; where He abides, they abide. Nothing but death parts them from Him, and “they are without fault before the throne of God.” (Rev. 14:5).

If you are striving to know Him I give you the Bible approbation, “The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” (Ruth 2:12).

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

An email from a friend and my reply

New Vatican plan lets Anglicans convert easier
By NICOLE WINFIELD
The Associated Press
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 11:43 AM
VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican announced a stunning decision Tuesday to make it easier for Anglicans to convert, reaching out to those who are disaffected by the election of women and gay bishops to join the Catholic Church’s conservative ranks.

Pope Benedict XVI approved a new church provision that will allow Anglicans to join the Catholic Church while maintaining many of their distinctive spiritual and liturgical traditions, including having married priests.

Cardinal William Levada, the Vatican’s chief doctrinal official, announced the new provision at a new conference.

In the past, such exemptions had only been granted in a few cases in certain countries. The new church provision is designed to allow Anglicans around the world to access a new church entity if they want to convert. …

The new Catholic church entities, called personal ordinariates, will be units of faithful established within local Catholic Churches, headed by former Anglican prelates who will provide spiritual care for Anglicans who wish to be Catholic.



Thank you A_____,

This is just another evidence that the Church of Rome, as I believe it, is striving to have a big celebration in 2017 when all the Protestant denominations have reconciled and returned to their mother church. Everything affecting world forces today is orchestrated. It may be orchestrated in a small way now, but as time moves on the human element will grow larger and larger.

I was just talking today with C______, who takes care of M_____’s aging mother. I told her that as America continues to decay and everything is falling apart, and it looks more and more like Jesus is going to come, that all those who have never known surrender to God’s love and the peace of the Holy Spirit, will begin to search for it and not be able to find it. Then they will begin to imitate salvation in every form imaginable. Nervous lay false prophets will come out of the woodwork everywhere trying to act victorious in faith. Yet, they will never know of God’s acceptance.

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:
And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” (Amos 8:11,12).

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Rev. 14:9-11).

A child-like relationship and walk with the Creator is our only hope in the very last days. To neglect it today will then result in fanaticism of every brand. I’m glad we still have time to get to know Jesus.

“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” (Is. 55:6,7).

“And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord.” (Jer. 29:13,14).

Let’s strive to know His love.
David

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Another tricky manuever by our Creator


Tricky Caterpillars Impersonate Queen Ants to Get Worker Ant Protection
A species of European butterfly has an excellent trick for protecting itself during a vulnerable stage of life. As the caterpillars prepare to enter their inactive pupal stage they emit ant-like chemicals that cause red ants to scoop them up and bring them inside the ant colony. Then, to get star treatment, the caterpillars make a rhythmic noise that resembles the call of the ant queen. That’s enough to get the worker ants’ undivided attention, a new study shows. “They appeared to be treating the caterpillars as if they were the holiest of holiest, the pinnacle of power, the queen ant” [New Scientist], says lead researcher Jeremy Thomas.
If the colony is attacked, the worker ants save the caterpillar before they save ant larvae, and when food is scarce the ants have been known to kill their own larvae and feed them to the deceitful interlopers. But there’s one ant who is not fooled. Researchers set up an experiment in which a butterfly pupa pretending to be an ant queen was placed in a chamber with worker ants and four real ant queens. The ant queens began to attack and bite the caterpillar, but the workers intervened, biting and stinging their own queens, which they then pulled to a far corner of the chamber while other workers attended the pupa. Researchers note that this situation would not arise in the wild, where queens and larvae inhabit different chambers, but say it shows where the workers’ loyalty lies.
The caterpillar, of the species Maculinea rebeli, makes the noise by rubbing a scraper on its abdomen against a grooved surface on its lower body. Ants have a similar way of sounding off, Thomas says: “It’s rather like strumming a guitar.” In a quiet room of ants, he can just manage to hear “quite a scratchy sound,” he says [Science News]. Thomas adds that ants’ chemical signaling system is so advanced that few researchers have investigated whether they communicate with sound as well.
For the study, published in Science researchers used minuscule microphones to pick up the sounds made by worker ants, queen ants, and the parasitic caterpillars, and then played the sounds back to a group of worker ants with tiny speakers. When they listened to their own songs, the workers perked up. “Instead of running away or acting with aggression, the speakers attracted the worker ants to them and they tapped them with their antennae with great interest,” says Thomas. The recording of a queen’s song inspired even more interest. Workers surrounded the speaker and refused to budge. Amazingly, Thomas’ team observed nearly the same behaviour when they played the butterfly songs to the ants [New Scientist].

My question is: Who taught the ants to defend their queens and even counterfeit queens? The Big Bang? Billions of years of practice, trillions of ant failures and successes until they got the present system in place? Who taught the Maculinea rebeli caterpillar to fool the ants in order to get special treatment for its survival? What Genius devised such a orchestration?

Monday, October 12, 2009

Email on religious liberty

This post was my reply to an email that showed several paintings of Christ and then stated the following:

I'm not ashamed. He is the only one that can save this
country and they want him removed from the government.

Our great nation will not stand if we delete HIM from all
aspects of our government as the atheists want.

Jesus Test

This is an easy test, you score 100 or zero. It's your
choice. If you aren't ashamed to do this, please follow
the directions. Jesus said, if you are ashamed of me, I
will be ashamed of you before my Father. 'This is the
simplest test. If you Love God, and are not ashamed of
all the marvelous things he has done for you..
Send this to ten people...

My reply:

Hello folks,
I am not ashamed of the Lord. But I also believe in the separation of church and state. This email, if you look closely, advertises for the Vatican, and I will not help that cause. God is not and never was “in our government.” We have never had a Theocracy as the papacy tried to be and ended up working to “destroy the mighty and the holy people” and to “scatter the power of the holy people” (Dan. 8:24;12:7). America has always had a civil government, wholly divorced from the church. God is big and strong enough to influence that kind of government according to His wisdom and power. Nebuchadnezzar was a good example of this.

Its the governments that have “God” at their helm that the true God of heaven can do nothing with. So, I cannot of good conscience promote the viewpoint of this email. And if you love this country also, I recommend you steer clear away from these kinds of emails or political issues. Satan is working real hard these days to cause America to breathe life into the papacy of the Dark Ages, as was fortold in Rev. 13:15. He is coming from all angles. God can do nothing with America once it gives its sovereignty over to the Vatican by taking the title she wishes us to accept, Christian America.

I can’t think of a scarier day when we finally label our government as Christian. Then we fall under the spiritual leadership of the pope and his Christendom, and join the ranks of the rest of the world in giving her the power she is been working so hard to regain over the past 200 years. And that day will come. But with it will come “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.” (Dan. 12:1). Every honest one of you will fully regret ever helping out such causes as these kinds of emails.

What the Vatican calls religious freedom, as well as all the Protestant denominations of today, is not the way Seventh-Day Adventists define, and George Washington defined, religious freedom. The Catholic version of it is that the government must bow before the church and even legislate in favor of the church, so the church can worship without any trouble. That is how they define religious liberty. That is not how we define it, nor our forefathers.

Historically in America, religious liberty meant simply a complete divorce between government and religion. The church could manage itself and its affairs, and would be corrupted if it dabbled in politics and government affairs. Likewise, our forefathers said that the government could manage itself, and would be weakened if it acted like a church. Both would be corrupted and diluted of their individual powers in leading a nation prosperously.

The historic definition is 180 degrees out from the popular Catholic sentiments. So, if you love your country and its freedoms for the little while longer that they will be around, work against all the modern notions that the government should act like the church.

I say a little while longer, because the Bible says that one day soon, America will repudiate its Constitution in favor of the Church of Rome. Your email is just another sign that that day is very close.

In God We Trust on our coins, God Bless America on our bank signs, prayer in school, abortion, Ten Commandments in public places, etc. all are being used as leverage tools to inch our Protestant nation off of its original platform. We certainly aren’t a perfect nation. But if you want to see something a 100 times worse, let the pope control our affairs. Let the government unite with the church, let it be said that the wall of separation never existed, like James Dobson and James Kennedy have been broadcasting for a while now. And persecution and brutality will run as rampant as it did during Nazi Germany when the Church of Rome made an all out effort to retake Europe and destroy Protestant America.

If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what can.

One last word.

In the movements now in progress in the United States to secure for the institutions and usages of the church the support of the state, Protestants are following in the steps of papists. Nay, more, they are opening the door for the papacy to regain in Protestant America the supremacy which she has lost in the Old World. And that which gives greater significance to this movement is the fact that the principal object contemplated is the enforcement of Sunday observance—a custom which originated with Rome, and which she claims as the sign of her authority. It is the spirit of the papacy—the spirit of conformity to worldly customs, the veneration for human traditions above the commandments of God—that is permeating the Protestant churches and leading them on to do the same work of Sunday exaltation which the papacy has done before them.
If the reader would understand the agencies to be employed in the soon-coming contest, he has but to trace the record of the means which Rome employed for the same object in ages past. If he would know how papists and Protestants united will deal with those who reject their dogmas, let him see the spirit which Rome manifested toward the Sabbath and its defenders.
Great Controversy p. 573.

And finally,

When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result. Great Controversy p. 445.

The Lord’s richest blessings on you,
David Burdick

Good morning, boys and girls

Today I want to talk about blessings. Is anyone here learning how to cook? How do you boil water? You go to the sink and turn on the faucet, and out comes the water. You let the water fill a pan and you carefully carry it over to the stove and turn a knob. Or you put the water in a glass bowl and put it in the microwave and touch a button. Soon the water is hot and boiling.

But did you know that many people and children have to carry a big bucket on their head or shoulder far away to a river, and then lug it all back to get their water for boiling. And then they have to go out into the jungle or forest and find sticks to burn for the fire that is going to boil that water.

Aren’t you glad you don’t have to do that? That is a blessing—a gift. Who is it a gift from? God. He wants to make us happy. He cares about us and our needs.

In our bathrooms we have a bathtub and shower and sink and toilet. Many people in the world don’t have these things. They don’t have a toilet that flushes. They have a hole in the ground. They’ve never taken a shower before unless it rains.

Billions of people don’t get to travel in a car or have a radio. How many shirts and pants or dresses do you have? Millions of people only have one change of clothes. We like to hear Candi play the piano for us at church. There are many churches that don’t have a piano. But the people love to sing even without music.

Aren’t you thankful for what you have?

But, you know, it happens quite often that we forget how nice it is to have the gifts God gives us. We don’t appreciate them, so how can we appreciate and love Him? That is when people stop loving and caring for each other. When nobody loves each other, when people are cold and selfish and unhappy, it means only one thing—they forgot the things God has done for them.

Are you ever sad and lonely? Could it be that you have forgotten that God loves you?

Now sometimes we are sad because we have been punished. Sometimes our parents take away some of the nice things they have given us. But did that mean that our mommies and daddies didn’t love us? Did that mean that God doesn’t love us because He could have stopped mommy and daddy from punishing us?

No. Our mommies and daddies know what’s best for us. They love us too much and are too wise to let us do just whatever we want to do. And God is so wise that He has given parents to raise up the children they love to become good, loving people who care about others and not just about themselves.

Do you know somebody who only cares about himself or herself? You don’t want to be like that, do you? No! You want to be unselfish and helpful and make other people happy. You want to be a blessing!

And what if you wanted to share your blessings? What if you felt badly for others who don’t have what you have? Do you like candy or dessert after your meals? There are little children around the world who don’t even have one meal a day.

And I bet that if you ever went to your mom and dad and said, “Let’s give up something we love to have and use that money to send overseas,” I bet your parents would be very happy to hear you say that. It would probably make your mom cry, and your dad may not cry but he would be very happy with you. Because what parents want more that anything is for their children to learn to be unselfish and kind. Because they know that that’s the only way their children will be happy. And they want their children to be happy.

Let’s not just receive blessings from God. Let’s share them. You will find you are happier to give a blessing than to receive one. Let’s share what we have. And then we and everyone will be really happy.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Jesus, the God of Israel

“And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in His clearness.
And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.” (Ex. 24:10, 11).

Jesus, the God of Israel, hovered over the paved work of sapphire because gravity cannot bind Him. As the Anointed One, it took no work to be suspended above the other-worldly, gem-like pavement, a lucid piece of heaven brought to corporeal Earth. Similarly, He effortlessly walked on the raging waters of the Galilean lake, as it were a sea of glass, because He was the same God of Israel who the 70 elders had witnessed, the Creator of the heavens and the Earth.

Untiringly, truth and grace flow from Him; He breathes righteousness and peace. It takes no work for Him, the Word of God, to communicate and enunciate His Father’s Law. In His earthly ministry, the people hung on His every word for days in the desolate wilderness. He didn’t need to stop teaching except for their bodies’ sake.

“Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom”—the perfect picture of the multitudes following Jesus, the God of Israel, as well as of the angelic hosts which have forever stood before Him and who sing His praises. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” “Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” (1Ki. 10:8;Rev. 5:12,13).

The God of Israel is the God of rest, a God at rest. Nothing ever bothers Him nor worries Him. He knows no anxiety or care. Why should He be stressed when He perfectly adheres to the architecture of the Great King of the universe, who prospers everything done by His Prince? The God of Israel, the Messiah, knows no time and space. He is suspended from their limitations and control because time and space are His creations through His Father, the King. Because His soul is so intimately united with His Father, nothing is too hard for Him. Propelled by infinite love, the government He shoulders is easy and light.

He dwells in a perpetual Sabbath; in His presence is peace and rest and “fulness of joy.” (Ps. 16:11). So He has commanded a Sabbath for us. One day in seven we get to forget the mundane and dwell in His presence of peace, hovering with Him above, and oblivious to, the needs of space and time.

“Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” (Ex. 25:8). Let them prepare their hearts, cost what it may, so that I may bring My peace and power, and abide in them and they in Me.

Over us He roars jealously, “Intreat Me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be My people, and thy God My God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to Me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and Me.” (Ruth 1:16, 17).

Thursday, October 08, 2009

More on redeeming love

“You can be my friend. But don’t try to help me. I’m not good enough for you?”

This is the thinking of a world of sinners. We naturally don’t want to be “helped,” we don’t want our lifestyle “fixed,” we have an aversion toward being “perfect,” a prejudice toward being a “saint.” “The carnal mind is … not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Rom. 8:7). “You must accept me just I am, and never expect me to change, or it’s all over between us.”

But redeeming love responds, “All right. You don’t want to be helped or fixed; but I will do my best to get into your heart. And when my love for you has struck an answering chord in your heart, when you love me, then you will be O.K. with some suggestions on the need for fixing. Then you will change. And I can hold out longer for you to accept my love than you can to resist my love.”

The sinner immediately takes offense at any conditions of behavior with a relationship. It demands friendship without any reservations. There can be no expectations of behavior. “We will coexist if you want; but don’t expect me to change for you.” Love alone can and does mellow out that resistance to change. Only love can soften the hardened, rebellious human heart.

Everyone who has ever surrendered to God’s love and friendship has also done so under the auspices of being a sinner in need of help. That surrender encompassed both the giving up of the fight against His righteousness and His love. To cave in to real love was to cave in to great need, a need for transformation.

The Holy Spirit brings divine love into view. God’s eyesight is much better than ours. He sees the enslavement and destruction that sin brings on body, soul, and spirit. He cannot overlook that; He fears for our sake. Yes, He wants our fellowship and affection; but His love for our sake wants more than affection. Even though friendship is all the sinner wants.

So He packages His work of transforming our life in the friendship that He offers. He envelopes His law in the joy of peace and trust. He wins us over to righteousness.

Really, uniting righteousness with friendship is all He has ever done; He has never acted differently. His loyalty has ever been for both, righteousness and brotherly love. His is a pure love; thus, it is the power of salvation, the power to raise us up to become the sons of God.

Can’t we do the same for our own acquainteances and find the same results? Didn’t the Lord do all for our learning?

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

America falling

The new health care overhaul is just one of many increments in the downward fall of America. It just may be the final one to completely crack our economy. In the face of the major financial liability that the government has taken upon itself in last year’s bankruptcy scandals, we are going to exacerbate our woes with another huge financial burden. We still don’t yet know how we can pay for the collapse of our economy, and now we are going to consider a new breath-taking price tag of $829 Billion?

The next generation will become slaves. They will be ground down under the pressure of maintaining the same standard of living, which will cost them twice the blood, sweat and tears. And they will try to keep the standard up until it destroys them.

The powerful entity that controls world policies and affairs has spoken. The men and women in high places are completely obedient to the call of those kingmakers that put them into the powerful positions that they have. Are they Jesuits? Maybe so, or at least Jesuit trained. But the U.S. and the world that has been following America is moving steadily toward a world of despotism.

The slow, but sure changes in government policy toward allowing for monopolies has transformed the last vestige of democracy in our fair country. By permitting huge takeovers, thus giving corporations vast holdings, these corporations could use irresponsible measures of greed and corruption to become insolvent, or use those human failings as a front to launder vast stores of wealth sent into Vatican accounts, and appearing to be insolvent.

Either way, they could then make the case that the U.S. government must prop them up with public funds or “all would be lost.” Thus, $ Trillions have been taken from our children’s future and given to those corrupt corporations, who have not changed their way of doing business, and are going to fail again and force Congress to donate more to the Vatican.

This way America will grow weaker and weaker. Each restructuring of federal grant money to those unscrupulous corporations, each new socialistic program to further entrench the last secular empire of Earth’s history into its own demise, each collapse of the stock market, will see the decline of an empire and the democracy that it upheld.

Soon, we will see a taste of the past when 1% of the population owned 99% of the wealth. All there will be is the tiny super-rich group ruling the poverty-stricken masses. The United States will continue its industrial base and economic powerhouse, but built upon slavery instead of freedom. And the Vatican will control the masses in provincial America through the tiny elite aristocracy.

All that needs to happen now is for the Vatican to find another Hitler. Someone who will weld together the angry populace, in support of a new and improved Constitution and republic. It must be that the Vatican will have what they have waited for for the past 200+ years since America took its place as dominating force in the world. It must be that the Vatican will have what it has salivated for since the 1930’s when Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, gave them back their seat and authority. It must be that the Vatican will again prompt another Nazi-like environment to take over the world.

We will see such a person rise up in America and play the part of Adolf Hitler. The United States has been the most peaceful empire in history. That is soon to change, if it isn’t already leaving that wonderful heritage.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Redeeming love

“The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” (Ex. 34:6,7).

There are many kinds of love, but the greatest of all is the kind that uplifts those around us who have fallen to some overpowering weakness or fault. Redeeming love is not only beautiful, but also wise and health-giving. Any other substitute is ultimately ugly, foolishness, and destructive to health. To both giver and receiver, gracious love restores the whole person, body, mind and soul. Redeeming love.

The love that forgets self and seeks the benefit of another finds the grace of life. It discovers the fountain of youth, the tree of life. There is only one source of redeeming love, that from the bosom of the Father through His beloved Son.

His love rains down on us, which we experience from the mercy we see around us. The image of God that yet remains in the hearts of men and women; the need for community of souls, the childlike sharing together reveals God’s love still at work in humanity. His love also comes to us through the sacrifice He accomplished for us. He poured out His soul unto death and made His soul an offering for our sinfulness. He loved His own unto the very end. And for everyone else He patiently waited for their response to His ever beating waves of compassion. Like the surf of an ocean of yearning love thundering upon the beachfront of their hearts, He could never stop loving them.

Redeeming love has vision. It portends the total destruction that will occur without love and kindness, and dreams of the day health and prosperity come to the one who receives it’s goodness. It isn’t easily discouraged. It is visionary, and it persists until it achieves its object—the restoration of many lost hearts and souls.

The idea of redeeming love is not corny; it isn’t laughable. It is valid and true, and an increasing necessity to our society that is caving in because of the utter lack of such love. Its goal is to reach the heart of everyone with whom it comes into contact. It isn’t always wearing a glitzy smile. But it always seeks to encourage with a kindness or an acknowledgment with some respect. It is an expert in recognizing the need and then applying the remedy.

It bears anything, believes in anyone, hopes for everything, and endures anything. Charity never fails. Charity, gracious love is most excellent! (1Cor. 12:31).

Everyone needs redeeming love. Everyone deserves redeeming love—simply because they are ignorant of God and need Him. God isn’t the only one who should have redeeming love. We all should have it to give to everyone around us.

Redeeming love naturally suits itself for just what people need. Are they sad? It has plenty of encouragement and warmth for them. Are they happy? It rejoices with them. Are they arrogant? It treats them as if they aren’t, yet, keeps them at the distance they desire to be kept at. Redeeming love doesn’t force anyone to surrender to it. But it is always ready and observant to the smallest response of acceptance to love, like the Author of redemption Himself. “With the merciful Thou wilt shew Thyself merciful; with an upright man Thou wilt shew Thyself upright;
With the pure Thou wilt shew Thyself pure; and with the froward Thou wilt shew Thyself froward.
For Thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.” (Ps. 18:25-27).

Redeeming love realizes that to leave sinners in their condition without attempting to get into their heart is to allow them to suffer on because of their condition, as well as causing those around them to suffer, especially their loved ones. So it can be aloof to the stubborn person, while always communicating that it welcomes and accepts the stubborn and arrogant one. Yet it immediately responds to the poor in spirit and contrite ones.

Redeeming love is the best. And our God has an infinite supply of it for us all!

Monday, October 05, 2009

A wheel within a wheel


“The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl [aquamarine]: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.”

Those wheels show the work of God, complex and finely tuned like gears working in a clock. A clock or other machine of man’s making can only demonstrate the most primitive picture of what our Creator accomplishes in such a more fluid and dynamic way, such as the above galaxy shows. Each burning blue star represents the angelic hosts that do His will and work for the re-establishment of His kingdom of all heaven.

The heavens declare the glory of God


“And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in His clearness.” (Ex. 24:10).

“And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.” (Ez. 1:26).

“Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.” (Ez. 10:1).

The heavens declare the glory of God



“And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” (Rev. 4:3).

The heavens declare the glory of God



“And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone [a reddish-brown chalcedony]: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Rev. 4:2-11).

“And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne.
And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the Earth.
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Rev. 5).

“And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl [aquamarine]: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.” (Ez. 1:4-28).

“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire.
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame….
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him.” (Dan. 7:9-13).

Why should we doubt these scenes? When we look out into the cosmos we see similar creations in the galaxies. We see rings and wheels within wheels. We see at the center of billions of glowing lights a brilliance that exceeds them all.

Why should we be surprised to hear related to us pictures of God’s throne that resemble the works of His hands? It certainly was a special experience for a prophet to peer into the very center of the universe, God’s throne. For His pleasure He has decorated the infinite expanses of His universe with innumerable galaxies that duplicate His very home, heaven itself.

All those spiral galaxies, with brilliant orbs surrounding their center declare to the untold billions of unfallen worlds what their Father’s home is like. We, on His special planet, though fallen far away from Him are not left without our own opportunities to know Him and His dwelling place.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

All the matter of the universe compressed onto the head of a needle

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1309 and many other distant galaxies in the background, each containing billions of stars and planets and lives.


Where did all the matter of the universe come from? Scientists insist that it all came from one little point, smaller than the head of a needle, under tremendous pressure which suddenly exploded and spewed all the unfathomable matter out into space like we see it now. All that matter was compressed onto the head of a needle.

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Ps. 14:1).