2007~2008

2007 was filled with lessons learned; let us pray that 2008 will be filled with opportunities to live out those lessons.

2007 was a time of testing; let us pray that 2008 shows positive results to those tests.

2007 was filled with new experiences; let us pray that 2008 gives us a chance to remember those experiences thankfully, and to count our blessings.

2007 was a time when God revealed Himself through those lessons, tests, and experiences; let us pray that in 2008 we will not forget Him and never take Him for granted.

2007 was filled with surprises, some good some bad; let us pray that 2008 will be a time for us to evaluate our reactions to those surprises, and that God will prepare us for the surprises that lay ahead.

2007 was a strange year for some. Each day held a new challenge, a new question, a new road to travel.

2007 was not always pleasant, not always easy, not always comfortable.

2007 was an opportunity for growth, change, and overcoming.

I pray that 2008 will hold new opportunities, new challenges, and new roads.

I pray that in 2008 we will be stronger, sharper, and ever ready to take up the task that God has given us, willing and able to push forward towards the prize.

I pray that 2008 will be a time for keeping promises, fulfilling goals, and leaving procrastination behind.

I pray that 2008 will be a time for winning more souls than ever to Christ, and beckoning the return of our Lord.

I pray that 2008 will be a time of great growth and strength, physically, spiritually, and mentally.

I pray that 2008 will be a year of encouragement and edification, not forgetting the lessons learned in years past, but using them to our advantage, diligently pressing forward.

I pray that 2008 will be a year for decisiveness, not leading anyone to doubt, but surety in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I pray that 2008 will be a time of fervent prayer, never forgetting our brothers and sisters, a dying world, and our own hearts in need of forgiveness and renewal.

I pray that 2008 will be God's year, not letting the enemy prevail, not letting our flesh or the world hinder us; overcoming our weaknesses in the power of Christ, and thriving on the Word of Life.

I pray that 2008 will not be 2007 , or any other year, but a year of great change and revival among the true Body and Bride of Christ.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!

The Cradle & the Cross

By Dave Hunt

Another Christmas season is here. Why December 25, since it's unlikely that Jesus was born at this time of year? The Roman Church simply took the Saturnalia, a licentious celebration of the winter solstice dedicated to Saturn, and Christianized it in order to convert pagan Rome. The actual effect was to paganize official Christianity. For example, statues of Isis and Horus were renamed Mary and Jesus so that pagans could continue their idolatry under Christian names. Pagan customs involving vestments, candles, incense, images and processions were incorporated into Church worship and continue today. No authentic history denies these facts.

Would the world, then, be better off without Christmas? Atheists think so and wish to remove all manger scenes and crosses from public places. Rather than joining the enemies of God in denouncing Christmas, however, might we not better cultivate the bits of truth that shine through the lamentable commercialization and paganism? This is a unique time of year for presenting the gospel to the world, so let us take advantage of the opportunity.

Christ's birth and the details of His life, death and resurrection were foretold centuries before by the Hebrew prophets. No such prophecies preceded the births of Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad, et al. Biblical prophecy fulfilled is the most powerful persuader we have. Paul used it in converting the lost and turned the world of his day upside down. So should we.

In Romans 1:1-4 we see Paul's approach. He refers to "the gospel of God, (which he [God] had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures)." Christianity is not a first-century invention. It is, in fact, the fulfillment of that which, with one voice, the Hebrew prophets consistently foretold for centuries.

There are more than 300 Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. Why? So Israel could identify Him, when in the fullness of time God would send forth his Son (Gal 4:4). The third chapter in the Bible contains the first prophecy of the Messiah's coming, His virgin birth ("the seed of the woman") and His destruction of Satan (Gn 3:15). The prophets declared that He must be of the "lineage of David" (Jer 23:5; 2 Sm 7:10-16; Ps 89:3-4) and rule upon David's throne. To prove that Jesus met this criteria, Matthew and Luke begin with the genealogy of Joseph and Mary.

Having rejected Jesus, the Jews still hope for their Messiah to come-but they hope in vain. Jesus Christ fulfilled Malachi 3:1 ("the Lord [Messiah], whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple") when He cast out the money changers and merchants (Mk 11:15). The destruction of the temple 38 years later in A.D. 70 made it impossible during the last 1,923 years for any would-be Messiah to fulfill that scripture. Moreover, all genealogic records were lost in the destruction of the temple, so a future "Messiah" would not be able to prove the necessary descent from David.

Yes, the temple will soon be rebuilt. Instead of cleansing it, however, as Christ did, Antichrist will defile it with his image and force the world to worship him as God: "he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thes 2:4).

Jacob prophesied, "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah...until Shiloh [Messiah] come..." (Gn 49:10). Shortly after the birth of Jesus, about A.D. 7, the sceptre departed when the Jews lost the right to enforce the death penalty. Thereafter, it was forever too late for Messiah to come. By God's grace, however, He had already come; and He will come again to rescue at Armageddon those who rejected Him the first time. They will know Him by the marks of Calvary ("they shall look upon me whom they pierced"; Zec 12:10). The sceptre having departed from Judah, Christ, instead of being stoned by the Jews, was executed by the Romans, whose supreme penalty was crucifixion. Thus was fulfilled yet another prophecy: "...they pierced my hands and my feet" (Ps 22:16)!

But back to the cradle. Caesar Augustus had no inkling of the momentous effect of his decree "that all the world should [return to the city of one's birth to] be taxed" (Lk 2:1). That decree brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem in time for the birth of her "firstborn son" (so she had other children) in fulfillment of Micah 5:2: "But thou, Bethlehem...out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel...."

What depth of meaning there is in the simple statement, "when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son" (Gal 4:4)! His birth had to occur before the sceptre departed from Judah; His death, after. His birthplace was determined by a Roman decree; His death and its method of execution, by the Roman occupation of Israel. He had to come before the temple was destroyed and with it the genealogic records.

The "fulness of time" has passed. No one else can meet the Messianic criteria laid down by the Hebrew prophets! That simple phrase, however, carries a much deeper meaning than we have seen above. If the timing of His birth causes us to marvel, the timing of Christ's death is even more precise and full of meaning. Daniel prophesied the very day of His death.

Through the writings of Jeremiah, Daniel learned that the Babylonian captivity would last 70 years (Dn 9:2). God had commanded that each seven years the Hebrew slaves should be set free, debtors forgiven and the land given a one-year sabbath of rest (Ex 21:2; Dt 15:1,2,12; Lv 25:2-4). For 490 years Israel had disobeyed this precept. As judgment, Jews became slaves of Babylon while their land rested the 70 years of sabbaths it had been denied.

While confessing this sin, pondering and praying, Daniel was given the revelation that another period of 490 years (70 weeks of years) lay ahead for his people and for Jerusalem (9:24). At the end of that time all of Israel's sins would be purged, all prophecy fulfilled and ended, and the Messiah would be reigning on David's throne in Jerusalem. These 70 weeks of years (490 years) were to be counted "from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem" (v 25). That crucial date is given to us in Scripture.

Nehemiah tells us that it was "in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king" (2:1) that he received the authorization to rebuild Jerusalem. When the day of the month was not given the first day was intended. There were several Artaxerxes, but only one, Longimanus, who ruled more than 20 years-from 465-425 B.C. Thus we have the key date from which this incredible prophecy was to be calculated: Nisan 1445 B.C.

At the end of 69 of these "weeks" (7x69 = 483 years) "Messiah the Prince" would be made known to Israel (Dn 9:25) and then "be cut off [slain], but not for himself" (v 26). Counting 483 years of 360 days each (the Hebrew and Babylonian calendar), a total of 173,880 days from Nisan 1445 B.C., brings us to Sunday, April 6, A.D. 32. On that very day, now celebrated as Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey and was hailed as Messiah the Prince! (Zechariah 9:9 was fulfilled at the same time.)

There is, however, an even deeper meaning to the phrase, "In the fulness of time...." April 6, A.D. 32 was, on the Hebrew calendar, tenth of Nisan. On that day the passover lamb was taken from the flock and placed under observation for four days to make certain that it was "without blemish." During the same four days, Christ, whom John the Baptist had hailed as "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (Jn 1:29), was likewise on display before Israel. On the fourteenth of Nisan, "the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it [the passover lamb] in the evening [between 3:00 and 6:00 P.M.]" (Ex 12:6). It was during that precise time period that Jesus died on the cross!

It is fascinating to see how God uses man's decrees and even man's connivings against Him to fulfill His Word. The rabbis had determined not to arrest Jesus during passover, "lest there be an uproar of the people" (Mk 14:2). Yet that was when He had to die. Judas was not only Satan's pawn, but God's. Even the "thirty pieces of silver" he so shrewdly bargained for fulfilled prophecy (Zec 11:12-13). As Peter would declare in his Pentecost sermon, "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:23). Paul wrote, "Christ our passover [lamb] is sacrificed for us" (1 Cor 5:7).

The fourteenth of Nisan began, as Jewish days did, at sunset Wednesday evening. That night Jesus and His disciples had the "last supper" in the upper room where they were preparing to eat the passover the following night. At this meal "before the feast of the passover" (Jn 13:21), Jesus told His disciples, "One of you shall betray me" (Jn 13:1). Earlier He said, significantly, "I tell you before...that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he" (Jn 13:19). The word "he" is in italics and does not appear in the original. Jesus was declaring once again to His disciples that He was Yahweh, the I AM of Israel, who tells beforehand what will happen and makes certain that it comes to pass (Is 46:9-10).

Arrested by the Judas-led troop in the Garden later that night, Christ was taken secretly to the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. A sham trial before the Sanhedrin, with hastily called false witnesses, convened sometime after midnight, condemned Christ to death as dawn broke. Shortly thereafter, Pilate, the Roman governor, was notified of the emergency. Hurriedly taken down side streets, the prisoner was received into the citadel at "the third hour" (Mk 15:25), about 9:00 A.M., Nisan 14. All over Israel preparations were underway to kill the passover lamb, which was to be eaten that night.

Jerusalem was crowded and in a state of great excitement. Valuing public relations, Pilate consulted his ever-volatile citizens and let them decide the prisoner's fate. Incited by the rabbis, the bloodthirsty rabble suddenly turned against the One who had miraculously healed and fed so many of them. "Crucify him, crucify him" (Lk 23:21). "His blood be on us, and on our children" (Mt 27:25). The horrible chant echoed down Jerusalem's narrow streets.

Shortly before noon the soldiers had finished their vicious, depraved sport. Jesus, scourged almost into unconsciousness and beaten about the face until he was nearly unrecognizable, was led through the frenzied, screaming mob out of the city to "the place of the skull." By high noon, the One whom Jerusalem, in fulfillment of prophecy, had the previous Sunday hailed as its long-awaited Messiah, was hanging naked, in shame and agony, on the center cross between two thieves. Man had crucified his Creator! Angels recoiled in horror and the sun hid its face.

The next three hours of that Thursday afternoon the earth was darkened mysteriously(Mt 27:45) as God "laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Is 53:6). Thursday? Not "Good Friday"? Indeed not. Jesus himself had said, "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [i.e., in that part of Hades known as "Abraham's bosom"]" (Mt 12:40; Lk 16:22). The gospel includes the declaration that Christ "rose again the third day" (1 Cor 15:4).

Obviously, had Christ been crucified on Friday, He couldn't possibly have spent three days and three nights in the grave by Sunday morning. We are distinctly told that the angel rolled away the stone "as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week" (Mt 28:1). The tomb was already empty at that point, so Christ must have risen from the dead sometime prior to dawn.

Yet the myth of a "Good Friday" crucifixion persists, with much ritual and dogma built upon that obvious mistake. In this fact alone we have sufficient evidence of Rome's manufacture and endorsement of untruth to cast doubt upon everything else it affirms with equal dogmatism. And what can be said for the Protestants who, by the millions, so willingly go along with this error?

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday-does it really matter? Yes! The day of our Lord's crucifixion is of the utmost importance. If Christ was not three days and three nights in the grave, then He lied. Moreover, His death, to fulfill prophecy, had to occur at the very time the passover lambs were being slain throughout Israel. It is an astronomical fact that Nisan 14, A.D. 32, fell on Thursday.

"And it was the preparation of the passover....The Jews therefore...that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day...besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away" (Jn 19:14,31). Wait! Not a bone of the passover lamb (Ex 12:46) or of the Messiah (Ps 34:20) could be broken. Not knowing why he did it, "one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side" (Jn 19:34), fulfilling yet another scripture: "they shall look upon me whom they pierced" (Zec 12:10).

John explains that the "sabbath" which began at sunset the Thursday Christ was crucified "was an high day." It was, in fact, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, of which the first and last days were special sabbaths during which no work was to be done. That "high" sabbath ended Friday at sunset and was immediately followed by the weekly sabbath which ended at sunset on Saturday. Thus two sabbaths followed Christ's death, preventing the women from coming to the grave until the third day, Sunday morning.

The rabbis thought that having Jesus crucified proved He was not the Messiah. In fact, it was one more proof that He was! In taking His clothes for a souvenir, in gambling for his robe and giving Him vinegar mixed with gall to drink, the soldiers unwittingly added to that proof the fulfillment of yet more prophecies (Ps 22:18; 69:21). The nails driven into hands and feet by Roman soldiers and the spear that pierced His side drew forth the blood of our redemption-all in fulfillment of prophecy!

It is impossible to remain an honest skeptic after comparing what the prophets said with the historical record of Jesus Christ, from the cradle to the Cross. Proof of the Resurrection, which we must leave for another time, is even more powerful! We have solid reason for our faith in Christ. Knowing the facts increases our joy and gives us courage to present the gospel with boldness and conviction.

From The Berean Call

Note From Kristina: I believe that Christ was crucified on a Wednesday afternoon (three days and three nights before His resurrection; 72 hours), and that Christ celebrated His own special Passover Tuesday night. This way we can reconcile all four Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke clearly say that Jesus partook of the Passover meal, but John seems to say that the Passover had not yet occured (e.g., when the high priest and his son would not go into Herod's Praetorium because they didn't want to defile themselves so as not to be able to eat the Passover [John 18]; and when the Jews wanted to take Christ's body off the cross before sunset, because the day was Preparation day for Passover, which was a "high sabbath" [John 19]).

If anyone would like to know more about what I believe concerning the day/date of Christ's death, I will be happy to provide sources and information.

-Kristina

Thanksgiving, Praise & Joy

By Dave Hunt

November is the month when we traditionally celebrate Thanksgiving Day. For most Americans it means little more than a holiday from work or school, an excuse to overeat and watch special sports events. The day is hardly devoted to giving of thanks. And what brief thanks is given to God scarcely reflects habitual attitudes. How readily we return to lives devoted to self instead of to Him-lives characterized more by complaining than by gratitude.

These few paragraphs are not intended as an exhortation to sanctify a secular holiday. Rather, we want to deal with something much deeper, something which ought to characterize our lives at all times. Sadly, that continual thanksgiving which Scripture exhorts-"giving thanks always" (Eph 5:20)-is a rare commodity among Christians. Why? And how can our attitudes be changed?

Christian psychologists and motivational speakers would suggest that "exchanging grumbling for gratitude turns unhappiness into joy." Now there's a catchy phrase to motivate thanksgiving! So it would seem. Those who are deceived by such slogans adopt a thankful "mental attitude" for selfish reasons-in order to benefit themselves. Such placebo techniques may produce surface changes and even convince those who seem to benefit for a time, but eventually the forced smiles betray the emptiness of hearts.

It is Truth, and only Truth, which can effect any real and lasting transformation in our lives. And the truth is that there is much for which we ought to be genuinely and continuously thankful. Most people who think they have nothing to be thankful for are not nearly as bad off as they could be, and are far better off than millions of others-reason enough to be thankful. No matter how dismal one's circumstances may seem, there is always a great deal for which to give thanks. But the problem goes deeper.

It is self on the throne, wanting to please and benefit itself-and the failure to deny self as Christ commanded-which brings unhappiness no matter how favorable the circumstances may be. The fear of loss haunts those whose security and joy is in earthly position and possessions; and death eventually robs them of all. Genuine and acceptable thanksgiving to God must have a source far deeper than a feeling of gratitude for the physical blessings of this temporary and fragile earthly existence.

The trials of this brief life will soon be ended-either through death or the Rapture. The Christian knows that though this body of flesh and blood may die and decay, he has a new body "eternal in the heavens" (2 Cor 5:1) which will never know pain, fatigue or death. We have "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation..." (1 Pt 1:4-5). Here is truth that ought to grip our hearts and make us always thankful-truth so wonderful that one would think we could never thank God enough. When did you last thank Him for eternal life?

As Christians, our hearts should be continually filled to overflowing with thanksgiving to the God who created and redeemed us. How wonderful that though we sinned so grievously against Him and were His enemies, He became a man to suffer for our sins. His Holy Spirit pursued and wooed us to Himself with infinite Love even when we persisted in our self-centered rebellion. What grace! What love! How can we take these blessings for granted?

The very life we have, with the capacity to know and love one another and, wonder of wonders, to know and love God and enjoy His love, is a priceless gift. What gratitude should flood our hearts and lives and what fervent thanksgiving we ought to express to Him continually! And on top of it all, He has given us the surpassing privilege and joy of experiencing Christ's life within our mortal flesh and witnessing for Him in deed and word right now. What thanks ought to burst forth continually from our hearts to Him!

Thanksgiving, however, is not enough. It should always lead to praise. And there is a difference. Thanks expresses appreciation for what God has done to benefit the one who is thankful. Praise goes beyond thanksgiving. It highly values, exalts, commends, extols, glorifies, and honors God for whatever He has done and especially for who He is. Praise takes us from the mundane to the majestic, out of ourselves into Him. It values God above all else. Thus, praise can only flow from a heart that has come to know God.

How can we fully know God? Must not the praise of finite beings always reflect an imperfect understanding of Him who is infinite? Is it not an insult to evaluate God as less than He is? Then how can anyone truly praise him? Yet Scripture says we can and must. Though praise is conceived in our imperfect perception of God, it matures into wonder and worship. Praise is made acceptable when it is amplified by the sense of awe that God is infinitely beyond our comprehension. That humble realization draws us closer to Him, sinks us deeper into His love, and compels us to seek to know Him better.

The passion of David's heart, like Paul's, was to know God and to be continually enjoying His presence: "My soul thirsteth for God" (Ps 42:2; 63:1); "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may...behold the beauty of the Lord" (Ps 27:4); "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord ...that I may know him" (Phil 3:8-10). Could anything else be more worthwhile? "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

As a young Christian I thought that Hebrews 11:6 ("he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him") was the formula for getting things from God. If I would seek Him, as the verse prescribed, then He would reward me with the "things of earth" that I wanted. How could I have missed the fact that I was to "diligently seek Him"? And how could I truly seek Him if what I really wanted was not Him at all but other things? And would it not be a bad bargain indeed if, instead of God as my reward, I received things!

What can the result be when all we want is God and He rewards us with Himself? It can't be less than a taste of heaven here on earth! "Joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Pt 1:8)! Heaven? We give it too little thought. It's the place where everyone wants to go-but not just yet. For many Christians heaven is a last resort, welcome only when they are too old or too ill to enjoy the pleasure resorts of this evil world.

How can we truly desire God's presence in our lives here and now if we would only reluctantly exchange earth for heaven? To be in heaven is to be in His presence. Do we really desire and enjoy God's presence? Wouldn't that be like being in church all the time-bored, restless, watching the clock, eager for it to end? What an indictment! And what further proof is needed that there is very little of God in most churches in spite of claims to the contrary.

God is a God of joy. To be in His presence is to be supremely happy. Jesus welcomes to heaven His faithful followers with these words: "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Mt 25:21,23). Joy eternal? David knew it: "in thy presence is fullness of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Ps 16:11). We begin to know that joy even now in this life as we give ourselves totally into His hands and rest in His love, trusting Him completely. That is when we begin to experience with wonder, "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh 8:10).

A favorite hymn begins, "There's joy in following Jesus, every moment of every day." Great joy for us and for Him: "He will rejoice over thee with joy...he will joy over thee with singing" (Zep 3:17). Even the prophets who pronounced doom upon the disobedient knew this joy in their own hearts and lives: "I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hb 3:18). The closer to God we walk in holiness, the greater our joy: "and let thy saints shout for joy" (Ps 132:9). As the hymn writer put it, "When God is near my heart leaps up in ecstasy, and all the world's a paradise when God is near."

Though circumstances may have worsened, God has not changed. Our earthly condition, no matter how difficult, is temporary and will soon be past-but our heavenly home is eternal and remains secure. That hope brings present joy: "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing" (Rom 15:13). Yes, in "believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Pt 1:8)-a joy that makes us strong to live above our circumstances and to demonstrate to all who observe us that God is good and that we are in His hands.

There is much talk about "spiritual warfare" these days, and it often involves much error and extremism. So many Christians spend time "rebuking" demons that would be much better spent in praising God. Instead of focusing so much attention upon Satan and giving him so much credit, let us give thanks that "greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world" (1 Jn 4:4). Here is victory: in thanksgiving, praise and joy!

This article was originally published November 1, 1991 and is located here.

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy

"We have had a lot of requests to replay the phone call that Pastor Mike shared during our church service on Sunday, Nov. 11th, 2007. Here you'll find the video clip that was created just for you. We've placed the video on YouTube so that you can watch it and share with family and friends. Logan is a 13 year-old boy who lives on a ranch in a very small town in Nebraska. Logan listens to Christian Radio station 89.3FM KSBJ which broadcasts from Houston, TX. Logan called the radio station distraught because he had to take down a calf. His words have wisdom beyond his years. Since airing the audio of the phone call and now the making of the video clip, it has taken on a life of its own. People are forwarding it all over the world. We encourage you to share the love of Christ with anyone you can." -Sky Angel

Sky Angel is a family safe broadcasting service that is offered on satellite. KSBJ is a local Houston Christian music radio station. Video clip produced with love by Frank Lozano. Hear the entire message at ValenicaHills.com

California Firestorm Evacuee Hears The Gospel

Listen here.

"Street Fishing" segment from the 10-23-07 edition of Way of the Master Radio. Tony talks to Nora at the Santa Clarita Superior Courthouse. Just two short days before this interview, Nora and her family were evacuated from their home, as a result of the firestorm that had struck the area.

Listen as Nora sticks to her post-modern perspective. That is, until the Law and the Gospel begin to do its work. By the end of the conversation, Nora's heart was softened and she was brought to tears as she heard about a Stranger who came into the courtroom to pay her fine.

www.wayofthemasterradio.com

Originally Posted By Esly

Stressed Out Moms: Feminism's Dirty Little Secret

By Ingrid Schlueter

From www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com

The feminists won't be happy to hear it, but the news that women in their 30's and 40's are struggling is starting to leak out. Men feel pressure today as well as women, but several news articles recently have pointed to the true state of American womanhood these days. It can be summed up in the word “exhaustion”. An article from Sky News this week makes my point. The dirty little secret among many women with families is that having it all is a terrible myth. Many working women are facing meltdown physically and emotionally as the jobs of being an employee, conscientious mother, spouse and sometimes caregiver for an elder are burning them out.

I have discussed with others what is at the root of the hard reality that lurks just below the superficial prosperity in this country. One factor seems to be expectations going into marriage. Newlyweds of my parents’ generation had very modest expectations financially. My parents started out in a basement apartment in Des Moines, Iowa that didn’t have much in the way of amenities. They graduated to a studio apartment later and then to a three bedroom flat where my brother, sister and I spent our early childhood years. From there it was a very simple, three-bedroom Milwaukee bungalow. No family room, one bathroom, old, basic kitchen and bath. The carpet when we moved in was the original and that goes for the linoleum as well. Mom made it all comfortable and homey, and we kids didn’t know that we lacked a thing. That’s where my parents lived until I was married. Today, few newlyweds start out this way. Home ownership is seen as essential for many, even if it requires both husband and wife to work outside the home. It’s a dangerous way to begin because once the couple starts relying on two incomes to live, it is very hard to stop when a baby comes. Then the couple begins the stressed out years of trying to find and pay for exorbitant childcare, while strangers get the privilege of caring for their baby. Add a couple more children to the picture, and you have a lot of outgo for that same two-income couple and the race to meet all the demands begins. Many couples believe that a bigger family necessitates a bigger house. One couple down the street from us is selling their 2200 square foot home because they claim they need more room. They have two preschool little girls! My mother-in-law was raised in a three bedroom home with six children in Milwaukee. The boys slept in the attic, the girls had their own bedroom and the parents the other. No, expectations today are not anything like those of earlier generations. These expectations coupled with a lack of strategic planning can profoundly affect the life of the family and particularly, that of the mother.

A couple we know is in their mid-30’s. When they got married, they sat down and made up a plan. They knew they wanted the mother to be able to raise their children at home and so they figured out a plan that to the best of their ability and, barring unforeseen factors, they would carry out. After their wedding, they moved into a modest apartment. The wife worked for two years. During that time they saved every penny of her income and lived on the husband’s. At the end of that period, they had a good amount for a down payment on a modest, three-bedroom home for their future family. The down payment gave them a manageable house payment each month that the husband was able to easily make out of his income alone. The Lord blessed them with several babies in quick succession and the wife has had the pleasure of staying home to raise her little ones. A little planning went a long way. Early on, they decided not to try to get a fancy home in the newer suburbs. Early on, they committed to avoid the debt trap and live as inexpensively as possible with older cars. They now reap the rich benefits of that planning. Rather than come home to a frazzled, exhausted wife and mother who is seeing her babies for the first time all day, he comes home to well-prepared meals and a wife who knows her home life is under control. Regardless of what lies feminists tell, a home life under control is a very important factor in the overall happiness of a wife and mother, whether or not she works outside the home. That is just a plain fact.

Many of us never thought about planning ahead. Life just sort of happened and we played it by ear. Times have changed today, and those who want to have a rich family life need to plan for it and ask God's help in achieving it. I tell my young adult sons frequently that in today’s economy, with the cost of living, education, medical care, etc. that they need to get the training and education to be able to provide for their wives and families. They need to prayerfully plan. If they do not do this, they will fall into the trap of so many couples today that are living uneasily above their means, with the family paying the price for it. Stressed out, unhealthy and emotionally drained parents, kids scheduled out of their minds to keep up with the neighbors’ kids, (one boy in our neighborhood takes karate, soccer, cub scouts, swimming, little league, piano lessons and golf lessons in one week!) and all in all, the evaporation of family life and meaningful personal time.

From a Christian standpoint, the loss is not just personal peace, balance and quality family life; children today are not being properly taught and discipled in today’s high stress, hurried climate. Try to have quality family worship time with children when you’re so burned out as parents that the only thing you can think about is bed when you stagger in the door. Discipleship is work, but who will do the work when parents are emotionally unavailable? This is why having a family vision early in young adulthood is so critical. If we aim at nothing we will hit it every time. There is much more material and teaching about these issues today than there once was, and I think it’s a very good thing. The antidote to a life of chaos and stress is to have humble expectations at the start, the wisdom to reject the world’s values, and a commitment to letting the Lord build a godly home based on a sound plan for marriage and family. The choices we make as parents have a direct impact on the spiritual lives of our children. It really is that serious.

New Song

El Chaiyai

(Hebrew: God of My Life)

An Original Song by Kristina Y.

You are my Rock, my only Refuge

You are the Living God

You crossed the river my sin ran deep in

You made me a new creation

Not death not life, not anything

Can pull me from the love

That You have given me.
~
Lord You have searched my heart and know me

You know when I sit and rise

You formed me in secret, and I will praise You

I'm fearfully and wonderfully made

Search me and try me, reveal my heart

Keep me from wicked hands

Lead me in the eternal way.
~
El Olam, El Chaiyai

El Olam, El Chaiy - ai

You're the Everlasting God

You are the God of my life.
~
You have declared that You're the Light

In You there's no darkness at all

You teach me to walk in Light as You walk

You've cleansed me from all my sin

Lord You are faithful and just to forgive

Let me not love this World

I trade my will for Yours
~
El Olam, El Chaiyai

El Olam, El Chaiy - ai

You're the Everlasting God

You are the God of my life.
~
El Olam, El Chaiyai

El Olam, El Chaiy - ai

You're the Everlasting God

You are the God of my life.
~
You're the Everlasting God

You are the God of my life.

Psalm 20

(To my brothers and sisters in Christ:)

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2 May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
3 May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah

4 May He grant you according to your heart's desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.
5 We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
8 They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.

9 Save, LORD!
May the King answer us when we call.

Green Tea and Dark Chocolate

A slightly abstract and out-of-character scene of thoughts I'm thinking at this moment.

It's cold outside. I like that. Cold and Florida are strangers, so it's good when they have time to get to know one another. I'm just sitting here at my computer listening to music, enjoying being cozy in my room, sipping green tea and nibbling on leftover Valentine's Dove chocolate - yeah, it's good.

I've been reading Oscar Wilde. I'm only a quarter of the way through Collins Complete Works Of. He knew very well how to evoke emotion through writing. But his theology is all wrong. Love (meaning pity and kindness) doesn't fix everything. Having a hard heart, and then experiencing persecution, being outcast, going through tough times, and coming out soft doesn't all add up to redemption.

But I'm realizing that that is what most Christians think Jesus and the Bible are all about. Sure, Jesus taught us to love one another, and help those in need. But that's not the essence of the Gospel, it's the outcome. People are not hard shells with soft hearts. They are all rotten to the core, deceitfully wicked beings who need to be transformed by the power of God. That is how we get Paradise with God. Not through an act of sacrifice - obedience is better than sacrifice - and not through human love.

Oscar Wilde does bring out good moral points, though. Even though we should not look to any man's writings for the answer to spiritual problems, there are some common sense lessons we can derive from them. But, then again, there is no conundrum that the Bible doesn't hold the solution to.

In any case, I will finish reading Collins Complete Works of Oscar Wilde for social and educational reasons, however shallow they are, and continue to turn to God and His Word for guidance and wisdom concerning the problems of mankind.

Raising Godly Women

It's 911 Time for Christian Girlhood
By Ingrid Schlueter

I won't waste time trying to convince you that the death rattle of our once strong American society is getting louder. Let me just say that in every corner of our culture, there are signs that we are in a death spiral as a nation. Whether we look at our nation's public schools, bristling with security to keep kids from killing each other, the dance of despair carried out by Sodom's children in the media every night, the postmodern absurdity of today's art galleries that display things like unmade beds or used prophylactic devices and call them profound, or the sheer moral squalor that leers at us from the magazine racks at the grocery store, the decay is amply evident.

One of the casualties of our culture's rejection of God has been womanhood. A women's movement that at one time fought for equal protection under the law for women, rights to custody of their own children and property ownership now is responsible for 18-year-old former cheerleaders being sent into combat in Iraq. The basic courtesies that used to be shown to women in public were abandoned decades ago. Girls are not taught how to care for their husbands and homes, they are put into sports leagues early on and taught how to ''kick some butt'', as one father put it. Girls need to learn how to fight and compete in this dog eat dog world, they say. Girls are expected to have a career track outside the home, and they are asked from early on what it is they want to ''be''.

The styles and fashions point to a near total abandonment of modesty as power and instead, girls are taught that their sexuality is their power. That's why soft, feminine and modest clothing is unlikely to make a comeback in the girls and junior departments any time soon. To be feminine and modest is read as weakness and vulnerability today. Whereas once, womanhood was thought to be something worthy of male protection and respect, women are now one of the guys, with some highly flaunted anatomical differences. Rather than see sexuality as sacred and private, women have believed the lies of the media and see it as a tool to control and dominate.

Into this toxic culture come our young Christian girls. By all appearances, many Christian parents are taking their cues and their child rearing philosophy from the world. Other than within homes where there is a purposeful intent to teach otherwise, many Christian girls live in a fashion that is hard to distinguish from the world. Smaller families have meant less of an opportunity for girls to learn how to be mothers. Rather than girls growing up being tutored by watching their mothers care for home and family, girls are more likely to grow up while mom works outside the home. Like secular middle-class counterparts, Christian homes and families center their lives around their kids' activities. Chances for a young girl to help care for the home or be a consistent help to her mother are few and far between. Life is often about keeping the kids happy while valuable lessons are lost in the scheduling shuffle.

So how should Christian girls differ from the unsaved counterparts? Their entire worldview should be different. This means that exposing girls to a lot of secular television, including the Disney Channel, warps their perspective on what it is to be a young lady. One Christian girl confided that she had watched the Disney movie, ''High School Musical'' countless times. She giggled that she was ''kinda boy crazy.'' The problem with this is that ''High School Musical'' represents life utterly without God. There is humanism at its core and a fleshly, carnal view of life's purpose. This philosophy is at complete odds with our true reason for living—to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. When children are at tender ages, these messages are driven home. The entertainment we allow in our homes must comport with what the children are learning from Scripture or the message is canceled out.

Secondly, a Christian girl is a useful one. Idleness is one of the biggest contributors not only to moral problems, but to things like obesity. I believe there's a direct correlation between the advent of the Internet and the epidemic of weight problems among the young. Girls are leaving school and their peer packs only to get home and spend inordinate amounts of time instant messaging their friends online. Christian girls can and should make better use of their time. As a mother, I have tried to involve my daughter in house work from early on. (Our son does his share as well.) When a parent begins training at a young age, the girl doesn't think there's anything strange about doing a load of laundry or mopping the kitchen floor. Try to introduce this at 16 and see what happens.

A friend recently told me how she had been ill for several days. The family had several younger children and their oldest was a 15-year-old daughter. This home schooled girl literally took over for her mother, helping with the little ones, seeing that supper was on the table and that things were picked up around the house. The daughter was a competent and confidant young woman because she had been taught well. Rather than lie in bed, feeling guilty at being ill, the mother could relax and know that needs in the home were being met. She had earned her own rest.

There are many homes where the outcome would have been very different. Self-absorbed, selfish and untrained in womanly arts, many teen girls would have turned to her dad and demanded that he hit the local drive-through window, instead. We expect too little from our girls today and the failure to teach and train our daughters as mothers can have generational consequences. The homes of our grandchildren will be determined by the character and teaching we mothers instill in our daughters. If girls are raised on television, teen magazines, popular music and their peers, they will be unprepared to be Christian wives and mothers who will run their own homes with godliness and gravity. They will be a burden to whatever husband marries them. Their children will be deeply affected by the atmosphere they create in their own homes.

Scripture describes the model of older women teaching younger women. How many modern evangelical churches actively encourage mentoring by older women of the girls and young women in the congregation? How much godly wisdom and knowledge is being wasted because of our obsession with age segregation in churches today? Churches are being disobedient to God's Word when they fail to facilitate intergenerational ministry in the lives of young women.
Let the world carry on with its own sad travesty of girlhood. We as Christian parents should pray for our daughters, that we would raise them faithfully---not as the tragic girls of Sodom, but as handmaidens of the Lord, ready and willing to use their hands for good.

Distributed by http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/

Sex Has a Price Tag - Audio Message

Message by Pam Stenzel

Sex Has a Price Tag - Part One
Sex Has a Price Tag - Part Two

Why People Don't Read the Bible

The Top 10 Reasons Why People Don't Read The Bible

Americans revere the Bible—but, by and large, they don't read it. And because they don't read it, they have become a nation of biblical illiterates.

GEORGE GALLUP, JR.

America has changed and so have our reading habits with regard to the Bible. We have more Bibles than ever before, but we are reading them less. Americans express a longing to understand the Bible better. We believe the Bible answers most if not all of the real questions of life, but there our leather-bound, study Bibles sit—unopened.

What's the problem? Why do people who have access to so many Bibles, in so many versions, in a language they speak, who want to know more about the content of the Bible read it so infrequently?

For years I've been tracking what people tell me keeps them from reading their Bible consistently. Many of these reasons you may have expressed yourself. They all seem reasonable, until you take a moment and think about them.

So, in the style of David Letterman on The Late Show, here are the "Top 10" reasons people have told me they do not read their Bible.

REASON # 10 -- "I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START"

It's amusing, really, that the Bible is the only book in print in which knowing where to start is a problem. Readers of The Purpose-Driven Life knew where to start. So did readers of the Left Behind series and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Here's a novel idea: start at the beginning. In the first eleven chapters of Genesis are recorded answers to all the great issues of life. There you will learn whether you should be a deist or an atheist. There you will discover whether there is intelligent design in the universe because of a Designer or because a random explosion resulting in fantastic good luck. In these first chapters you will discover the purpose of marriage, the origins of evil, the geography of early humanity, the grace of God as well as the judgment of God. To have the best vantage point from which to understand the rest of the Bible, a good place to start is at the beginning.

Should you choose to begin in the New Testament you'll discover much of the same—stories, narratives, history, intrigue and love. Only this time the story will revolve around the life and death of Jesus Christ. You may find the reading easier here than in the Old Testament, but you will also find yourself going back to the Old Testament to get context, background and information that will help you understand the New Testament.

If you don't read your Bible because you don't know where to start, let your instincts guide you. You can start anywhere, but as in other books you read, why not start in the beginning?[i]

REASON # 9 -- "I CAN'T FIND WHAT I WANT IN THE BIBLE"

Sometimes as you are reading the Bible something will sound familiar to you. You'll say to yourself, I've read something like that before. Occasionally people are kept from reading the Bible because they are haunted by the memory of a story, a saying or even a word and can't remember where they read it.

Here's a good way to handle the problem. Read your Bible with an open notebook, laptop or journal nearby. When you encounter something that strikes you as particularly important or interesting, jot it down. Keep a list. Don't rely on your memory. There's an old Chinese proverb that says, "The smallest amount of ink is stronger than the largest amount of memory." Write it down.

There are also Bible study aids that will help you find what you want in the Bible. A concordance, for example, is a book or computer program that lists every verse in the Bible in which a particular word is used. If you encounter something that sounds familiar, use a concordance to see where you may have come across that word before. And then there is software. We've got it coming out of our ears. Logos has an incredibly complete program of Bible study tools all in one package that will be more than you will ever use in a lifetime. Don't let your inability to find something in the Bible keep you from reading it. The fact is, the more you read, the easier it will be to locate things. So, just keep reading.

REASON # 8 -- "THE BIBLE DOESN'T CONFIRM WHAT I BELIEVE"

I received a letter from a radio listener in California. This young wife wrote: "I'm planning to divorce my husband. We were saved about the same time a couple of years ago, but he isn't growing as fast spiritually as I am. In fact, I feel like he's holding me back spiritually. Now I've met this guy at our church fellowship group who is already divorced. He and I are so much more compatible spiritually and I believe God may be leading us to each other, maybe even to marriage. It feels right to me. What do you think?"
Frankly, this woman wasn't at all interested in what I thought; she wanted me to give my blessing to her sin. She wasn't interested in what the Bible said unless it confirmed what she felt was "right."

Some people choose not to read the Bible because they're afraid it will contradict what they've already made up their mind to do.

REASON # 7 -- "I HEAR THE BIBLE AT CHURCH, WHY DO I NEED TO READ IT FOR MYSELF?"

In the first days of the church, the early Christians compensated for their lack of personal copies of the scriptures by reading extensively from the Bible as part of the church service. That's why Paul said to Timothy, "Devote yourself to reading" (1Timothy 4:13). It was a common practice for huge portions of Scripture to be read at public services so that in a year the early congregations would hear the entire Bible read aloud. Today, however, we have our own copies of the Bible and it is becoming less common to hear portions of Scripture read in church.

Does your pastor read Scripture in your weekly church service? Does he read an entire book? Likely not. How about a chapter? Too long. Would an average of five verses be about right? If that's all the Scripture you ever read, those five verses would only be 260 verses a year. How long do you think it would take to hear the entire Bible read? Go ahead. Guess. You're not even close.

If you don't read the Bible yourself because you hear it read at church, in order to hear all the Bible read you'd have to live an astonishing 120.6 years.[ii] Still think you don't need to read the Bible for yourself? You'd better enjoy an extraordinarily long life.

REASON # 6 -- "THE LANGUAGE OF THE BIBLE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME"

When I was growing up some words in my Bible were more than a little difficult to understand. When James instructed us to "lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness" (James 1:21), I admit I was a bit puzzled by what that meant. And when someone in church went to the pastor admitting, "Pastor, I have been guilty of evil concupiscence" (Colossians 3:5), I can just see the puzzled look on the pastor's face and hear him say, "Let me get back to you on that."

Actually, the more I read the Bible the less difficulty I had even understanding Elizabethan English. When I encountered a word I didn't understand, I looked it up. That's what I did when reading other books too.

Years ago it was easy to blame the language of the Bible for our lack of Bible reading. "It's King James' fault. His language is so old fashioned. If I just had a Bible in modern English, then I'd read it," everyone argued. Well, now we have dozens of Bibles in easy-to-read 21st century English and we are reading less now than ever before.

The best way to make the unfamiliar language of the Bible familiar to you is not to set your Bible on the shelf but to hide it in your heart.

There may be words and concepts in the Bible that puzzle you still. But don't let that stop you from reading it. After all, the more you read unfamiliar words or concepts, the more familiar they become.

REASON # 5 -- "THE BIBLE IS SUCH A BIG BOOK, I COULD NEVER READ IT ALL"

You're right. The Bible is a big book. In fact, the Bible is a library, a collection of 66 books. Some are quite long—Genesis, Matthew, Isaiah, Acts—but others are quite short—Philippians, Malachi, Colossians, Zephaniah. In fact, five books in this library have only one chapter.[3] One book has just two chapters.[4]

"Maybe you think of the Bible the way you think of Tolstoy's War and Peace. You know it's supposed to be a classic, and you've got nothing against it. But it's too long,[5] and it's just not your thing. Well, it might be okay to skip War and Peace, but the Bible isn't just another literary classic. It's the one book you can't afford to neglect."[6] But is the length of the books in the Bible really the reason why people don't read them? Did you read any of the Harry Potter books? The first, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, was the shortest at 309 pages. By book four, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J. K. Rowling was up to 734 pages. Book five, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was 870 pages. No complaints or excuses there.

Don't you find it odd that Harry Potter readers wait outside bookstores at midnight to get the next HP release, but when it comes time to reading the only Book God every wrote, we say it's too long. I don't think God is buying that.

REASON # 4 -- "THE BIBLE ISN'T RELEVANT TO MY LIFE"

Sometimes the Bible doesn't seem to speak to our 21st century needs. After all, think of all the words that aren't in the Bible: AIDS, computer, text messaging, NASCAR, Alaskan cruise, etc. But maybe the Bible would speak more to us if we read more of it and were more sensitive in applying to our lives what we do read. Let me give you an example. Bill Armstrong was a young businessman in my church. He and his partner sold and installed security systems in homes. Bill was a Christian but Jack, his business partner, was not. Soon a conflict arose between Bill and Jack over a security device that Bill knew was overpriced and inadequate. Jack wanted to up sell the customers on features that both Bill and Jack knew were just bells and whistles. Bill was hesitant because he knew the device was not as reliable as one with fewer features. He prayed and asked God for guidance. Bill wanted to check out his Bible but didn't know where to look. Had Bill been more familiar with his Bible, he would have easily drawn principles by which to conduct his business.

God told the Israelites always to be fair in business. "You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light one" (Deuteronomy 25:13), implying that some merchants would cheat their customers with a weight that was lighter than the standard. Bill had apparently not read any of the apostle Paul's comments about honesty in business. He told the Corinthian believers that they must provide all things honest or honorable, "not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" (2 Corinthians 8:21).

One day Bill couldn't take it anymore. He came to me seeking advice. I steered him to some of these verses and when he left he knew what he had to do. Bill bought out Jack's interest in their business (2 Corinthians 6:14). He quit selling the overpriced but inferior alarm systems. He told his customers what features could be added to any system, but let them decide for themselves. People appreciated Bill's new candor and today his business is booming.

The Bible's relevance to our lives isn't determined by what it says; it's determined by what we know of what it says. If you can't put your finger on any passages of Scripture that speak to your needs, that doesn't mean there aren't any. More familiarity with the Bible through reading will bring more relevancy for the Bible in your life.[7]

REASON # 3 -- "THE BIBLE IS BORING AND WASN'T WRITTEN TO ME ANYWAY"

If some portions of the Bible seem boring to you, you're not alone. Even a spiritual giant like John Bunyan, author of the classic Christian allegory Pilgrim's Progress, once said, "I have sometimes seen more in a line of the Bible than I could well tell how to stand under, and yet at another time the whole Bible hath been to me as dry as a stick."

Bunyan's candor is exactly the point. There are portions of the Bible that are not as exciting as others—Leviticus, Ezekiel, Obadiah—but the whole Bible isn't like that. Let's be fair. You may have to slosh through some places in Scripture and look closely for application to your life, but the vast majority of the Bible has ready application.

In the Bible you will find love stories (Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Joseph and Mary), war stories (Joshua and the Amalekites, Hezekiah and the Assyrians, David and the Philistines), stories of international intrigue (Daniel, Moses, the Magi), and stories of family conflict (Jacob and his sons, the prodigal and his father, Cain and Abel). You'll also read of death threats (Mordecai), attempts on one's life (Paul), and even a story about a boy king hidden from his own grandmother so she wouldn't kill him (Joram and Athaliah).

So what's your interest? The Bible has it all—danger, intrigue, passion, jealousy, betrayal, love, honor, it's all in there.

Sometimes it does feel like your reading someone else's mail when you read the Bible. But that's true of every other book too. The fact is, there is more addressed to you personally in the Bible than in any book ever written. The reason is clear: the Bible is God's love letter to you, and whether He is telling you someone's story or predicting the future, the bottom line is how you fit in the plan of God as outlined in His Word.

2. "READING THE BIBLE ISN'T A PRIORITY IN MY LIFE"

In our "Top 10" list the reasons for not reading the Bible are becoming both more honest and more to the point. How much you read your Bible depends on how valuable you think that time will be.

Rabbi Daniel Lapin makes an interesting observation about time. He says:

"Most people who travel for business spend about the same number of days per year on the road as our great-grandfathers did. The reason for this synchronicity is clear. Most people subconsciously calculate the amount of time they are willing to spend away from family and friends and the amount of discomfort they are willing to endure. They then plug this figure into their economic ambition, massage the resulting equation a little, and emerge with a figure representing roughly how many days each year they are willing to travel for business. All of this is done subconsciously; it even gets updated from time to time.6 "

The rabbi's point is this: you do only what you think is valuable. You will read God's Word only if you deem it personally profitable. If you see the Bible as of little value, you will place little value on reading it. It won't be a priority. If, however, you see it as the only book God ever wrote, as God's way of communicating with you, as the only reliable guide for successful living, reading the Bible will become your priority.

"Today, unless you were brought up under a rock, or in a stone age tribe in a jungle somewhere, you know in your heart that there is a book called the Holy Bible, that you should be reading. Biblical illiteracy is 99.9% a matter of choice."[8]

REASON # 1 -- "I DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ THE BIBLE"

The most common excuse for not reading the Bible is our busy lives. We don't seem to have time to do the things we know we should do. There's work and school, running to the store, soccer practice, dinner—life is just a bit harried. Who has time to sit and read? You do. Here's why.

Time is a set quantity. It's not elastic. We all have 60 seconds in every minute, 60 minutes in every hour, 24 hours in every day. Time may fly, but it doesn't change. You have one thousand four hundred and forty golden minutes in every day and so do I.

The issue is never about time, it's always about what we choose to get done in the time we have, and that takes us right back to our priorities. Is reading God's Word, meditating and benefiting from it, something you wish to take some time each day to do or not? If not, the convenient way to express your lack of desire is to say, "I don't have time." But we both know time isn't the problem.

A couple of years ago I took a stopwatch with me everywhere I flew. I would read my Bible while in flight and time how long it took to read each book of the Bible. Once returning from Frankfort on a flight to Chicago a flight attendant saw the stopwatch around me neck and asked, "Are you timing our service?" I chuckled and said, "No, I'm timing how long it takes me to read my Bible." With a puzzled look on her face she inquired why someone would want to do that. I said, "Because everybody tells me they would read their Bible but they don't have time. I want to know how much time they don't have."

Did you know that you can read half the books of the Bible in less than 30 minutes each? You can read 26 of them in less than 15 minutes. The whole Bible, cover to cover, can be read by an average reader in less than 72 hours.

Maybe it's time we rethink our reasons for not reading the Bible and just call them what they are--excuses.

Take another look at these "Top Ten." How many of them are excuses you've given to God for not reading His Word? If you can see through them so quickly, imagine how easily He can see through them.

The Bible is read by people who choose to read it. Bible reading is neglected by people who choose to neglect it. It's just that simple.

No excuses. Just honesty.

[i] There are many fine guides to reading the Bible that will help you read the entire book in a year or more. Back to the Bible provides seven such guides in a READ ME Bible guides packet. Some reading schedules are found on-line. Wherever you start your reading, the important thing is to start, and don't quit.

[ii] In the King James Bible, there are 31,373 verses.
[1] There are many fine guides to reading the Bible that will help you read the entire book in a year or more. Back to the Bible provides seven such guides in a READ ME Bible guides packet. Some reading schedules are found on-line. Wherever you start your reading, the important thing is to start, and don't quit.
[2] In the King James Bible, there are 31,373 verses.
[3] Obadiah, Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude
[4] Haggai
[5] Leo Tolstoy's book is one of the longest classics in history. The W. W. Norton & Company 1996 second edition translated and edited by George Gibian contains the 15 books and 365 chapters of War and Peace in 1,300 pages.
[6] The Good Book, October 6, 1996, (www.backtogodhour.org/sermons)
[7]To learn more about what the Bible says regarding various topics, see: http://www.bibletopics.com/ 6 Rabbi Daniel Lapin, Lapin, America's Real War. (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1999), 27-28.
[8] The High Cost of Illiteracy (www.fellowshipinhislove.com/illiteracy.html

Arise, My Soul, Arise

By Charles Wesley

(Sung by Twila Paris)

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

Statement of Faith

1. We believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons--Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and that He created everything out of nothing for His own pleasure and purpose.
   
2. We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant and infallible in the original manuscripts, and the supreme and final authority in matters of faith and life, interpreted by the Holy Spirit to each individual believer.
   
3. We believe that man was created in the image of God, and when he sinned the race incurred both physical and spiritual death; thus man became alienated from God and incapable of remedying his sinful condition by his own means.
   
4. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was begotten of the Father through the Holy Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary, and is true man without ceasing to be God.
   
5. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ lived a sinless and perfect life that fully pleased His Father; that He died for our sins on the cross, bearing the judgment demanded by God's Holy Justice against sin, thus making it possible for God to remain Just and at the same time to justify those who believe in Jesus.
   
6. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ rose bodily from the dead, never to die again, and is ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He intercedes as High Priest and Advocate on behalf of all who believe in Him.
   
7. We believe that those who, by faith alone and through no merit of their own, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are miraculously born again of the Holy Spirit and become, as children of God, partakers of His divine nature and of eternal life.
   
8. We believe that the Holy Spirit baptizes all true believers into the one true Church, His Body; that He indwells them eternally, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, and empowers them for service and holy living.
   
9. We believe that God through His Word promises those who believe, all things that pertain to life and godliness, including not only salvation from the penalty of sin but instruction in righteousness for present sanctification and victorious living to the glory of God.
   
10. We believe that two ordinances, neither of which is essential to salvation, are to be observed in obedience to our Lord by all believers until Christ's return: baptism and the Lord's Supper.
    
11. We believe that at death the souls of the redeemed pass immediately into Christ's presence, to remain there until the resurrection of the body at Christ's return for the Church. We also believe that at death the souls of the lost go to Hell, where they remain until they are brought before Christ at the Great White Throne final judgment to be judged according to their works and cast into the Lake of Fire, there to remain
    eternally.
    
12. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the redeemed at the premillennial return of Christ for His Church, when the souls and spirits of those who have died will be reunited with their bodies, now immortal, and that believers who are alive at that time, their bodies likewise transformed into immortality, will be caught up together with them to meet Christ in the air, ever to be with Him.
    
13. We believe in the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ to rescue Israel at Armageddon and to establish His millennial kingdom, reigning over this earth from His father David's throne in Jerusalem, and that His redeemed will reign with Him in resurrected bodies for 1,000 years.

Source: http://www.thebereancall.org/node/4981