Kate's Chosen

It's About the Contradictions,

2007-05-25T18:52:00.001-07:00

Jen's claims about reconciliation with Doug Phillips/BCA are a fraud:"Jen lied may 14th/blog: You didn’t go to Arlington to "reconcile" with DP.Angela said this, "Vengence is mine saith the Lord, I will repay".Jen said, "Angela, how is seeking reconciliation taking vengeance? I went there truly seeking reconciliation."But you said clearly on 3/7/07 this,Question to Jen: "according to the people who used to be in church with you (BCA). The whole premise of your wordpress blog is one of exposing Doug Phillips. This will be done by you until when?" Jen: "Until Doug repents."Question: "You have him groveling at your feet?"Jen: Repentance would include a hug, probably.Jen: I have no desire to bring down Doug Phillips and Vision Forum. I think Doug has a lot to offer the Christian homeschooling community and I wish him nothing but the best in his ministry – after he repents. I pray that God would bless Doug Phillips and all that he does – after he repents.So, you see, she states that she’s calling for reconcilation on one comment, then another comment she states she’s calling Doug to repentence, then her blog is up for the "exposure" of Doug and "warning" others.---"Jen,You'd like to get others to believe that you have been "all about the reconciliation with Doug Phillips" until recently, with your disruption at the Arlington conference. That's a lie."One thing that came to mind the other day about this story:"It must be a difficult thing to have to constantly be at war with someone, for years, always being in a position of having "aught" against someone who, incidentally, is probably living quite well, frankly. He has probably moved on, enjoyed his family, enjoyed fellowship and perhaps he’s even learned some very valuable, spiritually growing lessons. He may come to be much more careful with dealing with angry, embittered individuals. He may even have built up some internal checkpoints to know when to nip something early in the bud, before it becomes a very ugly mess. I’m sure he and his family have learned and grown from these experiences."Read the rest here:

It's About the Contradictions

2007-05-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Jen's claims about reconciliation with Doug Phillips/BCA are a fraud:

"Jen lied may 14th/blog: You didn’t go to Arlington to "reconcile" with DP.

Angela said this, "Vengence is mine saith the Lord, I will repay".
Jen said, "Angela, how is seeking reconciliation taking vengeance? I went there truly seeking reconciliation."

But you said clearly on 3/7/07 this,

Question to Jen: "according to the people who used to be in church with you (BCA). The whole premise of your wordpress blog is one of exposing Doug Phillips. This will be done by you until when?"
Jen: "Until Doug repents."
Question: "You have him groveling at your feet?"
Jen: Repentance would include a hug, probably.

Jen: I have no desire to bring down Doug Phillips and Vision Forum. I think Doug has a lot to offer the Christian homeschooling community and I wish him nothing but the best in his ministry – after he repents. I pray that God would bless Doug Phillips and all that he does – after he repents.

So, you see, she states that she’s calling for reconcilation on one comment, then another comment she states she’s calling Doug to repentence, then her blog is up for the "exposure" of Doug and "warning" others.

---

"Jen,You'd like to get others to believe that you have been "all about the reconciliation with Doug Phillips" until recently, with your disruption at the Arlington conference. That's a lie."

One thing that came to mind the other day about this story:

"It must be a difficult thing to have to constantly be at war with someone, for years, always being in a position of having "aught" against someone who, incidentally, is probably living quite well, frankly. He has probably moved on, enjoyed his family, enjoyed fellowship and perhaps he’s even learned some very valuable, spiritually growing lessons. He may come to be much more careful with dealing with angry, embittered individuals. He may even have built up some internal checkpoints to know when to nip something early in the bud, before it becomes a very ugly mess. I’m sure he and his family have learned and grown from these experiences."

Read the rest here:

It's About the Contradictions

2007-05-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Jen's claims about reconciliation with Doug Phillips/BCA are a fraud:

"Jen lied may 14th/blog: You didn’t go to Arlington to "reconcile" with DP.

Angela said this, "Vengence is mine saith the Lord, I will repay".
Jen said, "Angela, how is seeking reconciliation taking vengeance? I went there truly seeking reconciliation.

"But you said clearly on 3/7/07 this,

Question to Jen: "according to the people who used to be in church with you (BCA). The whole premise of your wordpress blog is one of exposing Doug Phillips. This will be done by you until when?"
Jen: "Until Doug repents."
Question: "You have him groveling at your feet?"Jen: Repentance would include a hug, probably.
Jen: I have no desire to bring down Doug Phillips and Vision Forum. I think Doug has a lot to offer the Christian homeschooling community and I wish him nothing but the best in his ministry – after he repents. I pray that God would bless Doug Phillips and all that he does – after he repents.

So, you see, she states that she’s calling for reconcilation on one comment, then another comment she states she’s calling Doug to repentence, then her blog is up for the "exposure" of Doug and "warning" others.

---

"Jen,You'd like to get others to believe that you have been "all about the reconciliation with Doug Phillips" until recently, with your disruption at the Arlington conference. That's a lie."

One thing that came to mind the other day about this story:

"It must be a difficult thing to have to constantly be at war with someone, for years, always being in a position of having "aught" against someone who, incidentally, is probably living quite well, frankly. He has probably moved on, enjoyed his family, enjoyed fellowship and perhaps he’s even learned some very valuable, spiritually growing lessons. He may come to be much more careful with dealing with angry, embittered individuals. He may even have built up some internal checkpoints to know when to nip something early in the bud, before it becomes a very ugly mess. I’m sure he and his family have learned and grown from these experiences."

Read the rest here.

This is really sad.

2007-05-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

For an update on what might be actually going on click ...

Please take a look at my comments at my blog after you've read what's been reported at stillfedup blog to be going on at the Epstein home. It's only fair to know after all of the public outrage she has called for the people she's against (Doug Phillips) for months and months with fine details about his life talked about.

This latest situation in a real family should prompt real prayers of help by the Holy Spirit from the saints. Nobody at our home is taking delight in this. This post is only to show that perhaps there is more going on with that situation than is being said.
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Here is the latest, Jen or her Moderator for the Day, is "holding my comments in moderation mode" [I am commenting to Spunky, too, because she posted a good comment in my comment section in both my **blogs* - (it was only this blog), and in a private email; thanks, Spunky]:

Spunky, everyone,
Jen's comment section still won't allow my comment I posted in the 2pm hour (my time)today
Kate Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation. May 19th, 2007 at 3:58 pm

Why are you not letting my comment through? I’ve let Jen’s go through on my blog today, why the hesitation? Is it because you are looking for a good answer? I asked “Get a Clue” the question too.Your treatment of legimate questions is troubling to many people, and the list of people is getting longer.
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here's another at 7:55pm saturday may 19th my time:

Kate Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation. May 19th, 2007 at 8:55 pm

I am really disappointed that you still haven’t allowed my comments though. Hours have gone by and many other comments have come through but not mine on the question to “Get a Clue”.Spunky sent me an email and even commented on my blogs, and I had to tell her that you wouldn’t let my comments through. Are you sure you want the public to know about this?This is very wrong, since I have allowed Jen’s comments on my blog.
8:00 PM
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Here is my censored comment that hasn't yet posted to her blog in the 2pm hour today:

"To Get a Clue:
Where in the BCA statement does it state or use as justification that her pre-conversion sins that she had repented of as the basis of the excommunication? It says for habitual lying and other things, but it does not use her pre-conversion sins as the justification. If he read her preconversion sins in front of the congregation (do we factually know this to be the case?) and the congregation wasn't already aware of the volatile situation in their home, what was the context? Was he showing a list of behaviors that they had been dealing with and that was part of the hurtful "parable of the bed" situation where Jen wasn't sensitive to Mark's request to get rid of the bed? Was it shown in an effort to be fair and show a pattern of behavior, or because somehow all those people at BCA enjoyed spreading such a sorry story around, especially Doug himself? It doesn't make sense. Most people would have been disgusted to have him read a person's preconversion sin in public and use it to excommunicate a family. That would have produced some sort of congregational reaction to Doug if that were the case.
The excommunication process was done with the consent of the congregation. Not mindless drones, or cowering, fearful christians. They had dealt with the Epsteins for a while, according to BCA statement.
btw, it *is* hypocritical to point out such sin on Ryan's part and not acknowledge her own beam in her eye. This is splitting hairs. Mark has claimed Christ, Ryan never was going around picking fights with teetoetallers and calling himself a Christian, and yet Jen lumped him in with guilt-by-association with R. C. Sproul. It's illogical for you to not recognize the correlation, regardless of whether she is part of some money-receiving ministry. She has placed herself as a judge against Doug and Ligonier and yet you say she shouldn't be equally scrutinized in her family's life? Doesn't Jesus say something about by whatever judgement you measure out, you will also be judged?"

PROOF

2007-05-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

*Drawn and Loved by Him said ... , *Grace abounding said ... , ** and my open rebuke is ...
Go there to read my 3 posts on how Jen lied to me, comments, and especially the Open Rebuke.
Read another Texas Homeschooler's rebuke of the Epsteins here.

*I address by specific points Jen's specific lies that she has told me in this post, and address her questions.

"You want proof of your sin, Jen? You want proof, defenders of Jen? I have shown you her lies. You now have the responsibility to take it before the Lord, because being willingly ignorant will not stand before Him."

Open Rebuke to Jen for Lying to Christ's Bride:
I’ve seen that video you posted on YouTube.

(”Doug Phillips Has Jen Epstein Ejected From Public Sidewalk”)

Me:”Do you, Jen Epstein … or members of your family, have or had in your possession, or ever owned or borrowed or ever held, have you .. in the act of being photographed, a pair of binoculars?”Jen: “Thanks for asking! No.”http://jensgems.wordpress.com/2007/03/21/does-doug-phillips-have-a-mother/#comment-612

Jen: “I have never called you on the phone,”http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:iJvnlkMCACEJ:jensgems.blogspot.com/+Jen’s+gems,+%22I+have+never+called+you+on+the+phone%22,+%22kate%22&hl=en&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

JEN admitted to me finally that she does indeed own binoculars.

she said here:

"Do you want to know my whole life story as it regards binoculars? I have owned binoculars for several years." -- Jen Epstein's own words.

Read it here, her own contradicting words to me. This is what I would point out as a specific LIE to me. Yes, it makes me upset, because she said "No" when I asked her before and now she tells me "Yes". Which is it?? The binoculars are hanging around her neck in the video. Now she isn't even letting me defend myself against all her "supporters" on her blog when she has so often told me, if I want to ask her questions, to come to her blog. Then she said I needed to email her. She/her moderator is manipulating the whole conversation over there. There is no fair discussion when I can't bring up these salient points. They are even her own words from her own blogs! That's most likely why she's not letting them though. >>>>>

http://jensgems.wordpress.com/2007/05/14/doug-phillips-constitutional-attorney-tramples-first-amendment/#comment-3622

I am not being treated fairly with my questions. How can I believe her when she has done these kinds of things to people who just question her?

Me: I have heard this voice (Jen’s) in the phone call I blogged about on my blog. I do not know why she would continue to deny it even after I have in GOOD FAITH trusted her to tell me the truth. I feel I have been lied to and manipulated in this situation, even when I have asked very pointed questions. Go ahead, attack my message which is one that is this: EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS MESS: QUIT LYING TO THE CHURCH and Bride of Christ.

Remember what happened to Ananias and Sapphira. They were not lying to men, they were lying to the Holy Spirit/God. Do not tell me what I heard on the phone that day, etched in my memory. Do not attack me for my convictions. Do not trample on my good-faith effort to reach out in compassion and in search of TRUTH. I don’t care what has happened to bring you all (everyone on either or both sides) to this point. Do not abuse the Body of Christ any more. We have prayed and hoped for the resolution to this and it will only come when the truth is revealed. It’s shameful to manipulate Christ’s Bride like this. The binoculars in the video, Jen, are a taunt and a slap in the face to those of us who have asked you about this very subject. You do not display concern for Christ and His Bride in this video. This video reminds me of that awful group that shows up at soldier’s funerals to protest.

This doesn’t convince me of your truthfulness when I’ve asked you before about binoculars (caught on SNAGIt!) and when I’ve asked you point blank about the phone call. I caught H**L for that with all those people that dared to question my reasoning on that. You and I both know you did call me, now that I’ve heard your voice on your youtube sidewalk video at the conference. THIS (your voice) is what upsets me (don’t go there), I will not from this day forward defend any more of your exposure of DP, even if he is just as guilty. He doesn’t correspond with me, but you have, and have continued to refute my very questions about a) the phone call and b) the binoculars. I have prayed for you with all my heart, and poured out tears of reconciliation. Does it even matter to you? I’ve been attacked on my own blog and worldmagblog, and another’s blog for believing you called me. Did it even matter to you? You are that woman in the phone call (that had specifically to do with me changing my blog posts about the Ligonier/Epstein/Ministry Watchman and patriarchy topics).

Did you just buy those binoculars for this event? Why do these little details mean that much to me? Because you have tried to show patterns of “problems” with DP, but here I am pointing out some very glaring problems I have with what you’ve told me in the past.

I wanted so much to have “internet” christian woman friends, and you and a few others were in a battle against me for a short time there, but I laid down my warfare and ran to the cross. And now I risk all my friendship, not only with you, but with all those women who have stood by your side. I really value some of the insights each one brings in various discussions, but now, I realize they may all turn against me because I bring these painful, difficult things up openly, like you have done on your blog. I am persuaded, though, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us(me) from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:38-39
– Kathleen
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Happily Ever After

2007-05-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

One of our family's favorite movies is Ever After. We all appreciate the determination of young Danielle (cinderella character) and some scenes, such as when her step-sister steals the gown and slippers Danielle's mother left her, are good stuff. We have the soundtrack; you can sample some of the songs here:

Ever After (Main title)

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It's good music to use in ballet recitals. Clicking on these links will bring up a Windows media player.

Are We There Yet?

2007-05-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

Are You a Good Person?

2007-05-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

I'm just so glad that Jesus came to seek and to save sinners like me and Russell and my children. My past life is certainly not one I could boast about, so what God has directed me to do is boast in Christ alone and His salvation. I will lift up the cross, point to the empty tomb, fix my eyes on my King, and be excited about how He heals the brokenhearted and came to seek me with His love.

"They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. .... I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Matthew 9:12-13
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10

The Sovereignty of God

2007-05-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being"

___________

This passage of scripture came to mind this morning. It brought to mind the truth that God is in control of all things, including our faith to believe. His grace is sufficient for me, for His "strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor. 12:9) I love and serve an awesome God.

___________

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, [Ye] men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:22-31)

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Literature, Life, Pride and Prejudice Lessons

2007-05-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Elizabeth, has been participating in a small English Literature class and has been learning some wonderful classics. Some of the stories read were Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing", Milton's "Paradise Lost", and one of my favorites, Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress". She is now reading in the Enlightenment period, or the Age of Reason or Neo-Classical period, and is studying Romanticism. She chose to do a character study on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice on the character Lydia Bennet. She received an A+ on her assignment and I thought she had some very interesting insight into this particular character.

As a forethought, I am starting to recognize in modern literature, and especially modern films and television dramas (LOST) examples of the "anti-hero" or the "Noble Savage" which is an element of Romanticism in these plots. The other elements of Romanticism are "Innocence Replaces Wisdom", which will be discussed in another post, but I want to feature the first aspect today, since I have started noticing this "anti-hero" element as being key to most modern literature and film. Post-modernism is slowly replacing Romanticism, but most people are still drawn to the classic form of story telling. Just look at how successful Indiana Jones was for Spielberg, or Disney's Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Even Capt. James T. Kirk has been a beloved rule-breaking galactic hero to many.

I am featuring a part of her assignment here to point out some insights my daughter had into Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice character Lydia, with primarily the concept of The Noble Savage, or anti-hero:
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Pride and Prejudice is a romantic novel. Romanticism is “artistic and intellectual movement [which originated] in Europe in the late 18th century. . . [. It spread] after the English romantic revolution of 1798. . .” (Glossary, p. 18).

Since Romanticism had sprung up in all of England’s literature, we will see if Jane Austen’s character, Lydia Bennet, the youngest and most immature of the Bennet sisters, had any of the concepts we find in the romantic literature of Pride and Prejudice’s time. We will then finish the individual concepts with the true biblical principles.

The Noble Savage: the antihero breaks all the rules. Lydia was described as being “self-willed and careless [, and] would scarcely give [her wiser older sisters] a hearing. [She was] ignorant, idle, and vain,” (chapter 37) along as imprudent, “unguarded [,] and often uncivil” (chapter 23). That being said, it is already clear that her personality would be one to break rules.

Lydia was frequently traveling to Meryton with her older sister, Catherine, to peruse the stores and buy the latest fashions that would be sold there. Much to the disapproval and disgust of her older sisters Elizabeth, Jane, and Mary, their main objective into always going to Meryton was that if ever there was an officer of the regiment in Meryton, “they would flirt with him; and while Meryton was within a walk of Longbourn, they [were] going there forever” (chapter 37).

Lydia’s biggest and most shocking “rule breakage” was when she eloped with the regiment officer Mr. Wickham while away from her family and staying with her friend Mrs. Forster in Brighton with the regiment.

Elizabeth was entirely opposed to Lydia’s staying alone with the regiment, and stated to her father that, “If [he was] aware of the very great disadvantage to [all of the sisters] which [had arisen] from the public notice of Lydia’s unguarded and imprudent manner. . . [she was] sure [he] would judge differently in the affair” (chapter 41).

Despite her significant point, her father did not share her view – least of all her mother who encouraged immature and immodest behavior. That however did not prepare them for the shock and mortification of Lydia’s elopement with Mr. Wickham.

The Biblical principle on “The Noble Savage”:

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Samuel 15:23 ~ KJV).

“He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction. He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief” (Proverbs 17:19-20 ~ KJV).
(end of this portion of my daughter's article)
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Another aspect of Romanticism would be "Innocence replaces wisdom", as her paper describes here:
_________________

Innocence replaces wisdom. Was Lydia so “innocent” that the wise seemed foolish?
In romanticism, children are “seen as hapless victims of poverty and exploitation” (Syllabus, Shifting Worldviews, p. 5). As much as we can see that Lydia’s actions were not innocent, some of the characters of Pride and Prejudice thought them only as adolescent fun and games.

Lydia was always encouraged by her mother to continue in immature and reckless behavior, despite Elizabeth’s protesting that Lydia’s irrational actions would ruin the Bennet name and any chance of the older sisters getting decent marriages.
(end of this portion of my daughter's article)
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I'm very pleased with my daughter's attention to her schooling and her critical thinking skills. I'm pleased that her world view is being grounded in scriptural truths.

Permit me to edify my children here: Creative Abilities

Pirates of the Caribbean reenactment

2007-05-02T11:56:00.001-07:00

My children have been blessed with such creativity and humor. They make me laugh all the time. This was a great birthday present. The bloopers at the end are hilarious. One of my friends from my congregation saw this and asked who the other "boy" was (referring to the Jack Sparrow character). I laughed as I told her it was my dear daughter. Thank you for this film, you two.

Okay, I'll say something.

2007-05-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

I've been online all day. My daughter is recouperating from a dental procedure and my teens and I just stayed home instead of our regularly scheduled activities. So, I've been all over the internet, reading blogs and websites. Someone posted something quite shocking in light of recent conflict. I am stunned and I immediately went to see what everyone else was saying about the recent allegation. Surely there would be discussion and facts could be verified or disputed, surely. Nothing. Crickets. Is it just me who wants to know these things? What is going on? Who I am to believe? (The Lord, of course, and His Word.) What immediately came to mind, but not necessarily pointing to anybody in particular at all (I look to myself first), except, perhaps to all of us in total, was this:

Jhn 8:7-12 "So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

And they which heard [it], being convicted by [their own] conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, [even] unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

*****

Lord, help me to pray and seek Your face in all things. Make me to be quick to love and eager to share the Hope that You've put in me. Guide me in Your Truth in my inmost parts and wash me by Your Word. Sanctify me in Your Truth, fill me with your Grace, increase my faith, turn my ear towards Your Voice and let me see Your Beautiful, Magnificent Glory. Let Your Name be praised in all the earth. Amen.

Frailty, Sickness, and Pressing in to Christ

2007-05-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

The sickness I've had for at least 1 1/2 months now has begun to really take it's toll on me. Physically, I'm worn out. Spiritually, I'm beat up, but in all of this I have really had to press in to the love and eternal bond with Christ Jesus my King and God the Father, comforted by His Spirit, encouraged by His Word.

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:10)

During this time I've been reading some accounts of those who have disputed the teachings of false teachers (Bill Gothard, IBLP) and how even health matters are even prescribed by Gothard and his teachers. Marriage problems can seemingly be fixed by following his advice or steps to marital fulfillment. To be fair, Gothard answers some who criticise his questionable teachings with a weak response. When those around me can't seem to see the fallacy in his or other's humanistic, false-gospel, works-based philosophy on scriptural matters, then I have become discouraged and wondered, "Who can I turn to that just wants to follow God's word, untainted by falseness, and humbly seek His Face?"

I "feel" alone at times, yet my true, cherished comfort is His Holy Presence and His Word. Just the Bible and me, guided by His Holy Spirit. Following a man has become so, so distasteful to me lately that I want to run to my Savior, shut away from the world and its distractions. There are very few men/women that I want to listen to these days, because many seem to have a book to sell, a prescription for living, posturing - among professing Christ-followers - that I want to run to the Mountain of my King and hide.

Possibly the only minister of God's Grace I am encouraged to listen to is Spurgeon. He has such a way in his Morning and Evening devotional that I am so, so drawn to the Majesty and Love of my Savior. His sermons are equally powerful in pointing to the justice and perfect work of God throughout the Bible. However, even Spurgeon probably had reservations about people regarding him as anything, so therefore, I just thank God for using dirty clay pots to present His message of His great Grace that has appeared unto all mankind. This is what encourages me.

*****

**Wonderful, loving Father, thank you for your cross and your everlasting power over sin and death. Thank You for raising me up with Christ at His resurrection and seating me with Him in the heavenlies. Thank You for conquering the fear of judgement by You, by nailing your Son, Jesus, on the cross for my sins. Thank You for healing me of all my infirmities, sickness, and heartache, though I await the manifestion of Your glory. Thank You that You give me glimpses of Your glory through Your Word, by Your Spirit, and gave me hope and peace through Christ. Thank You that You are Faithful and True, and that there is no falseness in You at all. Thank you for showing me that You reign right now, right here, on the earth and in Heaven now and forevermore, for Your Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. Thank You for putting the Kingdom of God within me, allowing me to go everywhere with You, and someday experience a new Heaven and new earth with You. You are Holy and worthy of my praise forever. Amen, and Amen.**

****

(I don't want to get into too much negative talk of Gothard teaching, because I'd rather point to Christ, my Savior. I'll be referencing some informational Gothard links in my sidebar in the future, with occasional commentary.)

Bill Gothard Preaches Another Gospel

2007-04-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

For those who aren't familiar with Bill Gothard's teaching, I will be submitting today and in the future, various links, references to books and personal testimonies of Gothard's "IBLP" teaching that has so permeated much of the Christian world. Let me state my position up front: I don't believe he teaches just basic principles for living, like Martha Stewart teaches how to keep your pantry organized. I have evaluated his own words and the people who hold to his teachings as being "another gospel" and not part of the teachings of the grace of Jesus Christ. I value the finished work of Jesus on the cross and His powerful resurrection from the dead so much that it grieves me so many of my "christian" brothers and sisters are trying to establish their own righteous patterns of living, in order to be shining lights. Friends, don't be deceived. Our flesh is at war with the work of Christ, and Him crucified and raised from the dead for our victory.

Here is an interesting read about Gothard's unique views on scripture:

"1 Gothard's organization is an educational road show that teaches his unique view of Scripture. His seminars offer self-help, presumably from the Bible, in the form of lists and steps to solving life's problems. He has a subjective and personal interpretive scheme, and finds in God's Word what no one else has. (Source: "A Study in Evolving Fadism: The Dangerous Leanings of Bill Gothard's Teachings," The Quarterly Journal of Personal Freedom Outreach, April-June 1996.)Gothard promises seminar attendees: "Using this Seminar as a foundation, we can now offer you an unprecedented series of further educational, informational, and character development opportunities that will be the best guarantee that your sons and daughters will avoid the destructive pressures of our day ..." (Emphasis added.) [Notice there is no mention of faith in Jesus Christ as a guarantee of anything!] Gothard continues, "you want to break destructive habits; conquer anger, guilt, and bitterness; restore vital relationships with family and others; experience true freedom and happiness; understand why things happen to you; and discover God's purpose for your life ... THIS SEMINAR IS FOR YOU. This Seminar presents seven non-optional, universal principles which every person must follow regardless of culture, race, religion, education, or social status. These principles teach people how to have successful lives, marriages, families, and businesses." (Italics added.) (Source: IBLP Internet web site, 8/97.) It is almost as if Gothard is saying. "With all the promises and guarantees we offer, who needs Jesus Christ!"

Gothard advertises Basic Youth Conflicts Seminar ("The Basic Seminar" -- $75 for an individual; $125 for a married couple) topics as follows: "(1) How can I break habits which I know are wrong?; (2) What are the eight keys to true success and happiness?; (3) How can I resolve major conflicts with parents and others?; (4) How can I have a happy and successful marriage?; (5) What are the three root causes to which all major problems in life can be traced?; (6) How can I overcome guilt from past failures?; (7) How can I have freedom from financial pressures?; (8) How can I resolve anger and bitterness toward others?; (9) How can I conquer boredom and discover purpose in life?; (10) How can I conquer fear and overcome feeling inferior?; (11) How can I establish true friendships? ... PROVEN RESULTS" (Source: IBLP Internet web site, 8/97.) Notice the focus on self and what "I" can get out of this -- where's the focus on Christ and Him crucified?

Amplifying further, Gothard says, "The Basic Seminar addresses seven Biblical principles that apply to every person, regardless of culture, race, religion, age, education, or social status. A sampling of the topics include insights on how to break unhealthy habits; resolve anger, guilt, bitterness, and fear; and discover real purpose for life. ... Designed for alumni of the Basic Seminar, the Advanced Seminar discusses more specific application of how Biblical principles apply to marriage, family, education, financial responsibility, and additional topics. ... In the Financial Freedom Seminar, IBLP board member and real estate developer Jim Sammons shares Biblical perspectives related to debt, business relationships, and stewardship he learned after experiencing an overwhelming financial collapse. Mr. Sammons intersperses Biblical counsel with personal anecdotes and lessons drawn from his own financial woes and successes. ... Each Children's Institute is held in concurrence with a Basic Seminar and uses nature stories, object lessons, and a 'team' approach to encourage children aged 6-12 to understand the importance of Godly character. Its purposes is to turn the hearts of children toward their parents (see Malachi 4:6) and to assist parents in building strong families. [Held in concurrence with the Basic Seminar, it offers 21 hours of instruction and has taught 88,000 children since its inception in 1992.]" (Source: IBLP Internet web site, 10/00.)"
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Please take a look at this site for more understanding on the fallacies of IBLP's teachings:

Midwest Christian Outreach article on Bill Gothard and IBLP

And please remember what the apostle Paul had to rebuke Peter for here:

Gal 2:11-21
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We [who are] Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, [is] therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

Gal 2:20-21
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

This Homeschool Mom's Prayer

2007-04-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

Father God, I don't ask that you make my children great in word or deed or anything. I ask that you fill them with Your Greatness, that they would love and glorify You forever. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, Amen.

And He Shall Be Called ...

2007-04-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

Christian MySpace Graphics

Let The Games Begin! (again)

2007-04-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

This seemed like a fun post to pull up.

Family Games

Here in Oregon it rains alot. In fact we have had record rainfall for the past week. This means that families stay indoors for most of the time. Good news! We have games! Of course, daily responsibilities must come first, such as Bible study, chores and schoolwork. So here are some guidelines when participating in Family Game Time:

Do play games that stimulate the brain, like Cranium or Pictionary
Don't play on an empty stomach
Do laugh loudly when something bad happens to your game character, such as Jumpin' Jim Rivers in ExciteBike (Nintendo 64)
Don't play Mario Kart until the dishes in the sink are done
Do play Mario Kart if you're trying to avoid doing dishes
Don't take your high score too seriously
Do laugh uncontrollably when your 14 -year-old son jumps 4 feet into the air like a rabbit during Charades
Don't make fun of your Husband's/Dad's drawings during a round of Pictionary
Do save your Husband's/Dad's drawings
Don't take the circle game too seriously ..... O

Do play Monopoly, but only if you have a week or two to complete the game
Don't use the word curmudgeon for a word while playing Scrabble
Do play Uno as a family while under a tarp in the pouring rain while camping ... it's fun!

The article Some Still Unplug With Box Games gives some insight into the world of family fun.

Let the Games Begin!

Hail, Gladdening Light

2007-04-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

Phos Hilaron (Φῶς Ἱλαρόν) *Koine Greek

Φώς 'ιλαρόν αγίας δόξης αθανάτου Πατρός, ουρανίου, αγίου, μάκαρος, Ιησού Χριστέ, ελθόντες επί τήν ηλίου δύσιν, ιδόντες φώς εσπερινόν, υμνούμεν Πατέρα, Υιόν, καί άγιον Πνεύμα, Θεόν, Αξιόν σε εν πάσι καιροίς υμνείσθαι φωναίς αισίαις, Υιέ Θεού, ζωήν ο διδούς, διό ο κόσμος σέ δοξάζει.

Hail, gladdening Light, of His pure glory poured

Who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest,

Holiest of Holies--Jesus Christ our Lord!

Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest;

The lights of evening round us shine;

We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine!

Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung

With undefiled tongue,

Son of our God, giver of life, alone:

Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, thy own. Amen.

My family has the cd, Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern, and every time I listen to this cd version of this hymn, my breath is taken away and I immediately picture the throne room of Heaven, and my Lord God and King being worshipped by all of His people. It is an awesome experience.

You can read about this song here, and its history here.

Have a wonderful Good Friday!

The Value of Women in the Bible According to Jesus, Matthew Henry and Spurgeon

2007-04-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Gaston: LaFou I'm afraid I've been thinking ..
LaFou: ..a dangerous past time,
Gaston: I know.

(The above from the song, “Gaston”, in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast)

Gaston: "It's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting *ideas*, and *thinking*..."

Some Biblical Perspectives on Women

What Did Jesus Do?

Jhn 4:5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Jhn 4:6-8 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with [his] journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
Jhn 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Jhn 4:10-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Jhn 4:15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Jhn 4:23-25 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

(Behold His love for her especially, and of the Samaritans):

Jhn 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Jhn 4:31-35 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
Jhn 4:39-41 ¶ And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word;

Presbyterian minister Matthew Henry (1662-1714) commentary:

When Philip the evangelist preached to the Samaritans (Jews in nationality but shunned by Israel - remember the woman at the well with Jesus)

Act 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Act 8:1 "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles."
Act 8:5 "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them."

M. Henry's commentary:
// When they believed, without scruple (though they were Samaritans) and without delay they were baptized, openly professed the Christian faith, promised to adhere to it, and then, by washing them with water, were solemnly admitted into the communion of the Christian church, and owned as brethren by the disciples. Men only were capable of being admitted into the Jewish church by circumcision; but, to show that in Jesus Christ there is neither male nor female (Gal. 3:28), but both are alike welcome to him, the initiating ordinance is such as women are capable of, for they are numbered with God’s spiritual Israel, though not with Israel according to the flesh, Num. 1:2. And hence it is easily gathered that women are to be admitted to the Lord’s supper, though it does not appear that there were any among those to whom it was first administered. [4.] This occasioned great joy; each one rejoiced for himself, as he in the parable who found the treasure hid in the field; and they all rejoiced for the benefit hereby brought to their city, and that it came without opposition, which it would scarcely have done if Samaria had been within the jurisdiction of the chief priests. The gospel of Christ does not make men melancholy, but fills them with joy, if it be received as it should be; for it is glad tidings of great joy to all people, Lu. 2:10.
//(5.) The satisfaction they had in attending on, and attending to, Philip’s preaching, and the success it had with many of them (v. 8): There was great joy in that city; for (v. 12) they believed Philip, and were baptized into the faith of Christ, the generality of them, both men and women. //
// that city of Samaria where Christ was, Jn. 4:5. Many of that city then believed in Christ, though he did no miracle among them (v. 39, 41), and now Philip, three years after, carries on the work then begun. The Jews would have no dealings with the Samaritans; but Christ sent his gospel to slay all enmities, and particularly that between the Jews and the Samaritans, by making them one in his church. //
// (2.) The doctrine he preached was Christ; for he determined to know nothing else. He preached Christ to them; he proclaimed Christ to them (so the word signifies), as a king ... //
// Now Philip tells them that he is come, and that the Samaritans are welcome to him. Ministers’ business is to preach Christ—Christ, and him crucified—Christ, and him glorified. //
// The miracles were undeniable; they heard and saw the miracles which he did. They heard the commanding words he spoke, and saw the amazing effects of them immediately; that he spoke, and it was done. And the nature of the miracles was such as suited the intention of his commission, and gave light and lustre to it. //

My thoughts: The women received this preaching of "Christ" with joy, along with the men. There was no distinction for the message of the message of the Gospel. They equally heard that "Hope had come" to them.

What is Jesus' Heart for the Woman from Canaan in this passage?

C.H. Spurgeon wrote:

// 22. Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

"Have mercy on me." The mother identifies herself with her child. When we pray for our children, that is the right way to pray. Intercessory prayer never prevails until we bear the object of our prayer upon our heart, and ask for the blessing we desire for them as a favor to ourselves.

23. But he answered her not a word.

Answers to prayers may be delayed; but delays are not always denials. Christ's silence must have been a great trial to the poor woman; but our Lord knew with whom he was dealing.

23. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

Ah, these disciples made a grand mistake! She did not cry after them; she cried after him; but so they understood it: therefore they said, "Get rid of her; she disturbs us; when we are in the street, we can hear her cry. Send her away; for she crieth after us." Ah! Poor disciples, she was not so foolish as to cry after you; she was crying after your Master. If any here have come only to hear the preacher, they have made a great mistake; but if you have come for a word from the Master, I pray that you may be gratified. //

*My Note: Jesus made the trip FOR HER:

// 28, 29. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. And Jesus departed from thence.

When he had done his business, he was off. Our Lord was a great itinerant; he was always on the move/ He had come all the way to the parts of Tyre and Sidon to help one woman; and when that one woman had been attended to, he goes back again immediately to his old post by the sea of Galilee. //

My thoughts on this passage: Here Jesus hears the cries of the woman, but does not chastise her in anger or rebuke her. His DISCIPLES, on the other hand, treat her less kindly, and even are dismissive. Jesus uses this moment as a teachable moment about her faith, humility in her request, and eagerness to receive of the LORD. She is not even crying out for the help of the disciples. She is not star-struck by them; she knows Jesus has the Authority she seeks.

The Angels at the Tomb and the Different Responses to the Good News:

Mat 28:1-8 ¶ In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead [men]. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

Mat 28:9-10 ¶ And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

My thoughts: Here the guards (men) responded by fainting with fear, but the WOMEN (the 2 Mary's) responded with fear, JOY, and obedience to spread the word of the good news of Jesus' resurrection to the DISCIPLES (men).

Were Women Counted with the Early Church Body of Believers?

Act 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, ...
Act 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Act 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
Act 8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
Act 8:8 And there was great joy in that city.
Act 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 5:2:

Gen 5:2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

(my note: As far is in the union of marriage):

M. Henry's commentary here:
// 4. That God created them male and female (v. 2), for their mutual comfort as well as for the preservation and increase of their kind. Adam and Eve were both made immediately by the hand of God, both made in God’s likeness; and therefore between the sexes there is not that great distance and inequality which some imagine.//
(Here is a key statement:) //6. That he called their name Adam. Adam signifies earth, red earth. Now, (1.) God gave him this name. Adam had himself named the rest of the creatures, but he must not choose his own name, lest he should assume some glorious pompous title. But God gave him a name which would be a continual memorandum to him of the meanness of his original, and oblige him to look unto the rock whence he was hewn and the hole of the pit whence he was digged, Isa. 51:1. Those have little reason to be proud who are so near akin to dust. (2.) He gave this name both to the man and to the woman. Being at first one by nature, and afterwards one by marriage, it was fit they should both have the same name, in token of their union. The woman is of the earth earthy as well as the man. //

My Note: because of the Fall in the Garden of Eden, they receive a cursed nature:

Gen. 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

My thoughts: That old nature is death, cursed. Woman was changed forever in her capacity for emotional balance, as well as a very real change in our capacity in conception (I will not study, at this time, the details of this particular part of the passage.) Women will battle the urge to usurp, but men will battle the weakness to abdicate. The result seems to be one of a striving relationship even within the union of marriage. Without the Rule of the Holy Spirit in one's life and in marriage, that striving is always there. We can submit that old, cursed nature to the cross, though.

The Good News about human distinctions:

Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

How Did Paul address these Women in the Church?

Romans 16

// "1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also." //

My thoughts: It seems that Paul was exhorting the church to assist HER in whatever need, for she has also been faithful in her serving of others, as well as Paul. He at first commends her.

In Conclusion, (well, for now anyway):

I need to be careful in placing distinctions on the roles of men and women in the Body of Christ that the Bible's teaching has not imposed. It seems that it can be easy to place one's hope in the merits of even our obedience to what we think is God's will for everyone, according to our gifting that He has placed on us. I must not elevate some perceived status of position in life (whether because I am a wife and mother of many children or few). Men were given a certain role to fulfill, with heavy responsibilities, but that position in life is one granted by God, and should never be used as a weapon against the very Bride Christ came to seek and save and be wedded to. Certain restrictions were placed on women (becoming an Elder in the Church or usurping a husband's authority, for example), according to the Bible, yes, but as I study it more intently I need to sift out what is taught today in churches that which is merely the teaching of men, and hold very dearly that which pertains to life and godliness, His Living Word.

2007-04-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

Above All That We Ask or Think

God is good, isn't He? He showed us in His Word just how much He loves us, by sending His Son, Jesus, to the earth to pay for our sins. He, in absolute miraculous glory, gave us Hope and victory over sin by resurrecting, or raising from the grave to reign forevermore. He then went above all that we can ask or imagine or think and ascended to His throne and sent us a Comforter, His Spirit to always live in us and guide us into all Truth. His Spirit gives us Life, Liberty, Hope, Peace and Joy and He assures us of this truth. Do you desire this Saviour? Do you desire that your sins be forgiven you? Turn to Jesus who said on the cross, "It is finished" and took your punishment so that you may have eternal, or everlasting Life with Him, and to know the Love that surpasses all knowledge.

2007-04-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

I Was Wrong

After some private emails with Jen, I have come to realize that I'm wrong about a lot of things that I have believed. She reminded me of 1 Cor. 13:7 - "Love believes all things" until proven otherwise. My fleshly desire to be right, or an internet supersleuth ;) is SO wrong, especially in light of that verse. I will say that she has been gracious in her private emails to me, much more than I have been publicly towards her, based on my own sinful, fleshly responses to the controversies. I have apologized privately and I do right now to Jen for all the accusatory words of the past. I'm truly sorry for the grief and I love you. God is not glorified in the constant warring on my part, and that is why I have chosen to reconcile and truly press forward in believing her personally, that she is being truthful with me. My love for the truth and for God's people has to outweigh any personal grievance - that has been thrown into the sea of forgetfulness, it's been lain at the foot of the cross. God has been putting in me a real love for others that has been totally His work. The great and marvellous thing about God is that His Truth prevails and His Love prevails. I want to walk in that today and forever.

Added April 2nd:
I also would like to apologize and ask forgiveness of Lynn at "Indelible Grace" blog, Elizabeth, Corrie, Justice Prima, CJ and any other people (forgive me if I have forgotten any) who have commented on Lynn's, Jen's or any other blog, where I have caused grief with my accusations and words. (Added April 3rd: I was encouraged recently to also ask "PFR" for forgiveness for being so harsh as well, as Luke 6:31-32 came to mind, though I hope that "PFR" and I could very well be friends someday :) I sincerely apologize for speaking so harshly to you.) (Natasha, I sincerely apologize for causing you any more grief. You've been through plenty and my words were not full of grace and love. Please forgive me.) I was wrong, and was not exhibiting the love that God has shown me through His grace and mercy by His Spirit. He has been stirring up in me a love for His Body, the Elect of God, those for whom He died, and even to have compassion on others who have not come to the knowledge of His love for them, even yet. My past words have brought me grief for the way I have represented the One Who bore the reproach of my sin on the cross. This He did willingly, joyfully, expectantly for my salvation and completeness in His good work. He not only did it for me and then rested from His work on the cross, no - He then, by the Father's will and good pleasure arose in ultimate glory and victory over sin and death and now reigns in the heavenlies as well as my heart. The kingdom of God is within me, and He is my King. I humbly acknowledge my utter dependence on God and His grace, as well as reach out in reconcilliation with any and all to invite them to fellowship with me with this wonderful, loving Savior. Will you accept this invitation? I pray you will.

Sincerely,
In Christ,
Kathleen

"Whenever God looks upon thee in Christ, he sees in thee all that ought to be there. Did he look upon thee apart from Christ, he would see in thee nothing he could commend: but thou art "accepted in the Beloved." Even the omniscient eye of God detects nothing for which to condemn the soul which is covered with the righteousness of Christ. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." Without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, is the entire church as seen in the person of Christ Jesus, her representative and head. Christ is all for us before the throne of God." C.H. Spurgeon

Lost

2007-03-30T13:02:00.001-07:00

“Cos all of the stars are fading away
Just try not to worry you’ll see them some day
Take what you need and be on your way
And stop crying your heart out” - Oasis

2007-03-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

Desiring God: A Better Way

"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." - Matthew 23:10-12

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

"Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth." Psalm 57:11

While listening to my husband read aloud John Piper's sermon about the voice of God, I was struck with conviction again about His Word, the Bible.

John Piper writes:

"There settled over me a wonderful reverence. A palpable peace came down. This was a holy moment and a holy corner of the world in northern Minnesota. God Almighty had come down and was giving me the stillness and the openness and the willingness to hear his very voice. As I marveled at his power to dry the sea and the river, he spoke again. "I keep watch over the nations—let not the rebellious exalt themselves."

This was breathtaking. It was very serious. It was almost a rebuke. At least a warning. He may as well have taken me by the collar of my shirt, lifted me off the ground with one hand, and said, with an incomparable mixture of fierceness and love, 'Never, never, never exalt yourself. Never rebel against me."

He also preached a sermon about God's sovereignty and how He works all thing together for good, to those who love God:

Our Weapon Against Pride and Insecurity

The weapon that God has put into the hands of his people is the promise of Romans 8:28. "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose" (KJV). The heart-felt confidence that God Almighty causes everything that happens to me to be good for me is the sword that severs the root of self-exaltation and self-justification and self-preservation. As verse 31 says, "If God is for us, who is against us?"

If, by the sheer grace of his sovereign will, God has taken your side, and works all the pain and pleasure together for your good, then no opponent can really succeed against you. So why exalt yourself? Why justify yourself? Why fret about preserving yourself? If the Lord of the universe has sworn to work for you, why are you anxious about what others think? Why are you all caught up in seeking comfort and security? Your Father knows what you need and he works everything for your good. Leave your exaltation and justification and preservation in his sovereign hands and live in freedom for others.

May Jesus Christ be exalted.

2007-03-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Since my commenters, except for one gracious person, Elizabeth G., have not responded with my request to identify themselves when insulting and harrassing me, I thought it would be fair for me to bring attention to some points on my blog and point to other's comments about the controversy.
A disscusion on Jen's blog, reveals how people who question Jen get rebuked by Jen's defenders:
-----------------------------

FFGBG Says: March 25th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
" Jen, this kind of divisiveness amongst Christians greatly angers God, which should deeply sadden you…. to the point where you’re willing to do anything in your power to make it end, and I just don’t see your use of this public forum as helpful in furthering that goal. Our purpose for being on this Earth is to seek to glorify God."

So…the message "God" has for Jennifer and others who are attempting to warn others that there is a proven wolf in the pasture is to shut up and call it "peace." Predators thrive on this sort of "peace." I agree with Jen’s fear of God’s judgement on those who refuse to speak out when there is a proven threat in our midst.

I think it is very interesting how Jennifer is once again being accused, even by the "peacemakers." "I said early on that I did not want to get into the particulars of the situation with BCA or Doug Phillips… that I only wished to address your attitude and subsequent behavior." I guess the actual events are irrevelant when one has a point to make. Jen, unless your parents are blogging as "Lucy," I don’t think that anyone is in a position to speak to you like this. (not to ever say that your parents would be so condescending!) Maybe it’s your vice-principal from middle school. YIKES!There’s a lot to be said for following Matthew 18….even in this forum.

Lucy Says: March 26th, 2007 at 6:47 am
My tone was neither condescending, nor parental, and Jen is certainly under no obligation to "obey" me. My thoughts come as a sister in Christ who is deeply concerned over the unfortunate outpourings from one who claims to represent God’s will. If Jen feels my comments are insulting or inappropriate in some way, she’s free to delete them.
I’m simply taking the logic of this blog one step further… If (in your opinion) Jen is in a position to cast herself as judge and jury over Doug Phillips (just as she believes he’s done to the Epstein family), then it only stands to reason that I’m in an equally appropriate position to, at least, question her….."As iron sharpens iron".

You seem to be taken aback at the idea that Jen would be accused of something. Is she above reproach, now? Or a victim, perhaps? It’s very dangerous to hang your hat on the "God laid this on my heart, so it can’t be wrong" mentality. It’s equally dangerous to assume one’s righteous indignation makes them bulletproof.

Jen has a very solid point with many of her claims — however, any suggestion that the blame lies exclusively with one person, in a situation like this, is completely irresponsible. The overall message of scripture (not cherry picked verses) should be our guide. And the recurring theme (in my opinion) points quite a bit more directly to self-examination than to our responsibility of finding sin in others. Let’s be careful that we’re not using God to further our own agenda.

Jen says:
March 26th, 2007 at 6:56 am
Lucy, in response to your comments, I am preparing an article. I have been working on it this weekend, but I think it will be foundational to this website, so I want to take my time in getting my thoughts together. You are free to disagree with me here, as long as you continue to follow the comment etiquette, as you have done. I think I understand what you are driving at and I want to thoroughly address it.
---------------------------

The way that Lucy (I do not know who this person is) has interacted on Jen's blog was not condescending at all, yet she was attacked by "FFGBG" (whoever that is, it doesn't matter, it's someone who is defending Jen) is really some of the debate here.

I found an interesting quote from Mr. Epstein.

This is identified as Mark Epstein once, in an exchange about blog commenters:

**Mark seems a little angered with anonymity on the world wide web.Mark writes:Don’t you post comments anonymously to avoid vulnerability?. . . .Why don’t you make yourself vulnerable and quit posting using an alias? Why don’t you demonstrate some courage as an example and encouragement to others?** ----------(found here: Mark's own words )

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

I made the comment about these Anonymous Commenters and Jen's own previous words on her own blog were included here:

Well, as I was looking over "praying for repentence"'s comments to me, it was pretty apparent that this person/Anonymous (who hasn't responded to my posting of Mark's quote about internet anonymity, btw) does not show (in an internet sort of way) an attitude of love towards me in their rebuke of me. This would be in direct opposition to Jen's own words here.

"Exposing evil deeds is never an easy decision to make. Sometimes love covers a multitude of sins. Sometimes Matthew 18 is necessary and we follow all 3 steps diligently. Sometimes public exposure is necessary. In all these, and any other biblical confrontation of sin, love must be paramount. I tend to live my life by what the Bible says ..."

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

I also poured out my heartfelt beliefs, reconciliations to those who are willing to also cooperate on their part, and even my personal testimonies of how people have interacted with me on this matter in my comment section, trying to keep the front of my blog as well as my comment section as clear from strife as I could, but I have not had anyone willing, EXCEPT FOR ELIZABETH GIROMINI - (thank you, Dear), to acknowledge the fact that I am being sincere. I have requested that the anonymous commenter known by "praying for repentence" address my points, or at least apologize for the vile spew he/she sent me just in my one comment section, encapsulated by me in one revealing format here:

-- "your own TERRIBLE OFFENSES", "HYPOCRISY, unmitigated SELF-RIGHTEOUS hypocrisy", "but you're obviously still TOO PROUD", "your own GUILTY self", "committed very SPECIFIC SINS", "all the HATEFUL things you've said", "Kate, you've got a really PERVERSE UNDERSTANDING OF JUSTICE," "You've repeatedly ACCUSED," "Thank God there aren't "Christians" like you," "MALICIOUS," "you seem to have SO MUCH HATRED IN YOUR HEART," " Kate, there's something VERY WARPED about the way you think and perceive things. You don't think and communicate within a logical framework," "Why do continually argue in such an ILLOGICAL way?" "you've REPEATEDLY SINNED very publicly here by FALSELY ACCUSING your brethren", " In all YOUR SIN", "You're the one who NEEDS TO REPENT," "YOU'VE DONE MUCH WORSE", "Please pay attention." "YOU NEED TO REPENT", "bearing FALSE WITNESS", "breaking the ninth commandment", "YOU'VE FALSELY ACCUSED", "YOUR VINDICTIVENESS", "art of NEVER REPENTING", "EXTRAORDINARILY small step", "You just go off, half cocked, guns-a-blazing, accusing", "Your methods are as UNBIBLICAL and as UNCHRISTLIKE", "you play the martyr", "hypocrisy. Unmitigated HYPOCRISY", "because you'll never guess who I am", "regardless of your PARANOID DELUSIONS", "You seem to thrive on conspiracies", "Why all the PARANOIA Kate?", "Please Kate, stop erecting these straw men. The use of pseudonyms does not cause confusion (except perhaps for SOMEONE WHO'S PARANOID), and there is nothing immoral, unethical or unbiblical in my doing so", " all the TERRIBLE THINGS you've accused your brethren", " your MALICIOUSNESS", " "Why was I(Kate) SO FOOLISH", "what a colossal waste of time it is attempting to have a meaningful dialogue with you"

--------

Keep in mind, this was an anonymous commenter defending Jen, who refuses to identify themselves when I have repeatedly asked who they were, so I know who my accuser has been. This same person commented with the same psuedonym against me on Lynn's blog regarding my post. This is in light of Mark Epstein's words noted above on anonymous commenting, and Jen Epstein's own words about confrontation in the context of love, also noted above. Any time I try to present my concerns, I am attacked for defending myself on my blog by "anonymous", with my words taken out of context, etc. There is an unequal silence and lack of defense of me when my concerns are presented on this matter, except for the rattling of chains by those unwilling to identify who they are when accusing me, who would suppress my concerns. Those inflammatory, unaccountable words are not identified as the words of a concerned, bought-by-the-blood-of-the-Lamb Christian, according to what the Bible teaches. Won't we be judged by the words we use, even if we hide under the cloak of anonymity?

Am I not a woman with an awesome testimony of God's grace and powerful transformation in my life, too? I'm not begging for kudos, just making a point that Jen's personal grievances seem to eclipse all the good that God has done in this world, even to the least of people like me : )

My testimony is here.

"As for the phone call to my home ..... " (this was part of my encounter on the phone.)

My brethren, people, ladies, and especially "internet trolls", there is a better way in all this as Lucy stated here:

I’m simply taking the logic of this blog one step further… If (in your opinion) Jen is in a position to cast herself as judge and jury over Doug Phillips (just as she believes he’s done to the Epstein family), then it only stands to reason that I’m in an equally appropriate position to, at least, question her….."As iron sharpens iron".

This seems good to me, too.

2007-03-24T23:37:00.000-07:00

The Wonderful World of Wash 'n' Wear

This is what happens when you watch Super Atomic Tv after an episode of Star Trek that features Space Sickness. Click here for your brain implant.
__________________

2007-03-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

What Color is Your Millennium Parachute?

Fide-O has been covering eschatology with various views presented. It's been very informative and has helped me to dig deeper into what I believe the scripture teaches about the millennial reign of Christ. I'm still formulating my understanding by reading not only Fide-O and Voice of the Sheep, but some other materials as well. Take a look at some reading sources here:

Amillennialism by Anthony Hoekema

Amillennialism on wikipedia

The Millennium by Loraine Boettner
(available MP3 on sermonaudio.com)

Grudem's Systematic Theology

Hodge's Systematic Theology, Vol. III

Fide-O

Voice of the Sheep

These are just some of the materials I've been reading. It's quite an interesting comparative study, and one that I have wrestled with for years, but some things are becoming more clear to me now that my doctrine has become reformed. I now see through a glass darkly, but someday will be face to face with the King of Hope, and the millennium will be complete in Him.

One passage of scripture that has been on my mind so strongly lately has been 2 Kings 2:17 and it's related verses. Elisha prayed his servant would see the reality of the heavenly armies of God protecting them from the Syrians. I'm reminded of the passage 2 Corintians 4:18, which reminds us of the difference between temporal things seen with our eyes and eternal things not seen. The passages in the Gospel where Jesus preaches about the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of Heaven, have really been in my thoughts as well. Stephen, Paul, John, Elijah, Elisha, Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, the shepherds at Christ's birth, etc., all saw God's glory and heavenly hosts. God opened the eyes of their understanding and allowed them to even physically see the reality of the spiritual realm.

This understanding from scripture is what has turned me (many years ago) from having a "pre-trib-TBN-style-rapture-before-the-3-piece-suit-antichrist-enters-the-scene" kind of eschatology to one that has been carefully considered in light of all of what the scripture teaches. I lean toward the Amil position, and can even agree with the Postmil position to a point. I do have dear and beloved brethren that believe the classical or historic premillennialistic position, though I have a harder time agreeing with that position, since it reminds me so much of what I used to believe with the pre-trib rapture position. I'm just glad it's not a salvific issue. :)

2007-03-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Suffering Wrongfully?

The Bible is clear when it reads,

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:3-11

And also here,

"Now the end of the commandment is charity (love) out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." 1 Timothy 1:5-7

With a clarification here,

"For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God," 1 Peter 2:19-20 (as well as the rest of the passage, verses 21-25).

Wisdom from above is here,

"Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." James 3:13-18

Reading other blogs that have focused on the perceived offenses of other christians toward each other has been a real heart-check for me. The perceived offenses lack verification of multiple witnesses as well as an unwillingness to rather take being "wronged" patiently. It says more about the ones being "wronged" (and their attitudes) than about the ones they accuse. Finding refuge and fellowship in the Lord is more of a testimony than to constantly demand that others think the way you do or give you the respect or contrition you may think you deserve.

I have been offended in the past by my brethren, even of my own household, but when it came to the point, it was my own selfish pride that didn't allow me to extend the same grace towards my brethren that God or even others had extended toward me in my self-righteous anger and "piouty". Keeping up the anger and bitterness and constant offendedness just got to be so draining and I realized that it was not a good example of humility, or God's love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness or temperance. I was "desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another" in my attitudes and actions. This is not my calling in my life. The Gospel needs to be the center focus of my speech, my longing to see others comprehend His mercy, love and grace, and my passion for which marks my life. My life should not be the odor of constant bickerings and fights, nor deafening clamor to make my cause known, but the fragrance of a life lived, and even persecuted for if necessary, for the furtherance of the Gospel.

I am encouraged by this in Hebrews,

"Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Hebrews 13:13-15

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20-21

2007-03-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

The Confession of St. Patrick

(Translated from the Latin by Ludwig Bieler)

I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful, and utterly despised by many. My father was Calpornius, a deacon, son of Potitus, a priest, of the village Bannavem Taburniæ; he had a country seat nearby, and there I was taken captive.

I was then about sixteen years of age. I did not know the true God. I was taken into captivity to Ireland with many thousands of people---and deservedly so, because we turned away from God ... (continued here at Truths That Transform).

And there I wish to wait for His promise who surely never deceives, as He promises in the Gospel: They shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob---as we believe the faithful will come from all the world.

2007-03-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Erin Go Bragh

"Ireland Forever" is a phrase used frequently as a greeting on St. Patrick's Day, and you can read about it's origins on wikipedia. My middle name is Erin and I always liked the idea that my very Irish sounding name would actually translate to mean "another far-away country, tucked away in deep, green, mysterious beauty, full of history", or so I imagined. I would think of "Lothlorian", of LOTR, and envision hills of splendor.

So, wear something green today, put a lilt in your speech and have a very Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2007-03-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Calvin's Duplicator

While contemplating all the activities planned on my schedule recently, I was imagining my life with such ease if only I had Calvin's Duplicator. Daily activities, including cooking, cleaning, and driving to homeschool activities and shopping, would be a breeze with two of me to tackle the tasks. Even better yet, 3 or 4 of my duplicates happily keeping themselves busy as I focus on the things I like to do and need to put more attention into: homeschooling with enthusiasm, spending time with my husband watching "Weird Al" YouTube videos, knitting, crochet, quilting, planning more of our remodeling on our home, music, and writing to name a few of my interests.

There's a large cardboard box around here somewhere ...

2007-03-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

Tears of the Saints

I've recently added Leeland to my list of current listening in the sidebar. My daughter had me listen to the song Tears of the Saints and I couldn't help but think of how we need to reach out to those who are wandering and lost, away from the fellowship of God and His people that love and worship Him in the Truth.

The book, God Songs by Paul Baloche, Jimmy Owens and Carol Owens, is one of many books I'm currently reading. This book, I pray, will help me to develop the songs I've been working on for a while.

2007-03-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

His Grace

I pray I never grow familiar with God's grace toward me. It is the motivation of my faith and instigates my joy in the One who saved me. I found this quote today:

As rivers, the nearer they come to the ocean whither they tend, the more they increase their waters, and speed their streams; so will grace flow more fully and freely in its near approaches to the ocean of glory.
—John Owen

2007-02-21T10:33:00.000-08:00

A Passion to Fly and a Call to Duty

My son is leaving tomorrow for Oklahoma for his training in the Army on helicopters. He was in the Air Force Reserves, but when his unit here in Portland was transferred, he wanted to stay in the area. That decision limited what he could do in the military, so he chose to pursue active duty military by transferring into the Army. His experience on working on aircraft (C-130's) has developed into his serious desire to fly. I pray daily for his safety, but also that he will be motivated by the call of God on his life to seek His Face. I pray wisdom will be found by him in all that he does. May God bless and keep you, safely in the Palm of His Hand, son.

With Love and Prayers,
Mom

2007-02-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

The Love of God Shed Abroad in Our Hearts

My family was baptized today. My husband was baptized by our elder, then my husband baptized me and our children. Another two fathers baptized their children and another dear brother baptized his own brother. The Lord be praised for the Life-giving work He is doing in His people, His Bride.

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." -
Galatians 2:20
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Romans 6:3-4
"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with [him] through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
Colossians 2:12-15
"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
Galatians 3:27
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;"
Ephesians 2:1
"Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:5-9

When God showed me in His love letter to me how much He loved me, I literally fell on my face in worship of Him. That was almost 4 years ago and my love for Him has only gotten stronger. The changes I have seen in my family's spiritual and physical lives and the way God illuminated His Word for me are nothing less than miraculous.

2007-02-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

"I'll Have Some Red Roses for a Blue Lady" (Wayne Newton version, on 8-track tape)

These roses were a very nice pick-me-up while I haven't felt well. My husband and I haven't even had a date this Valentine's week because of how sick I was. Love is definately the theme this week, but I have been really focused on the love Christ has for His Bride. I hope to share tomorrow some of the fantastic things God has shown me.

2007-02-11T19:57:00.000-08:00

Been Thinking

... about Romans 14 and what it teaches the Church. I won't attempt to teach, but will make an observation about this verse, "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand." Romans 14:4, ESV

I am reminded of the fact here that God is the Sovereign Lord over all men's lives, saved or unsaved and that I cannot pass judgment on another man's servant, in other words, how they work out their salvation with fear and trembling. If they have convictions about this or that, or want to persue political office because they are drawn to serve God in that manner, or if they want to affect change by developing teaching materials to bring the family back to a central interest in this ungodly world, who am I to judge them? I can look at their fruit of their planting or works of their convictions, and decide from there whether it aligns with the fruit of the Spirit. I can and should be a fruit inspector, as well as tending to my own garden, and taking what has been proven effective to control the weeds of my own life, and hopefully, Lord willing, producing good fruit/crop.

This verse has been on my mind alot concerning people's convictions, how they work out their salvation with fear and trembling and, interestingly, whose servant they are. My mind remembers the passage Matthew 20:1-16 and how Jesus tells the parable of the householder who hires laborers for his vineyard. There is contention among the workers about recognition and pay and the Householder reminds them of his authority to do as he wills with his authority.

"So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen." Matthew 20:16

2007-02-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

This post made me really think. I became familiar with christian rap music with DC Talk's first album in the early '90's, which at first made me cringe, then laugh, then eventually fall on my face in worship of Jesus Christ. Just like there are multiple languages on the planet, different ways to express one's thoughts, so Curtis "Voice" Allen has expressed the infinite wonder of God's grace in his lyrics. This is an excellent comment from a brother in Christ, Shai Linne. HT to ScottyB

2007-02-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

Take a look at the music listed in my sidebar and send me some of your suggestions! The SGM has demos of songs at their site. ------->>

2007-02-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

Lynn and friends,
UPDATED APRIL 2nd
(please read this apology to Lynn and others)

2007-02-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

I'm Convinced

... that 1 Timothy 5:13 was written for today, even on the web. This is why I prefer to listen to Godly men and women, and not lies or anything that would seek preeminence over Christ. I'm too busy; I've got dishes in my sink. :)

2007-02-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

If "Justice Prima" would like to visit my post of apology, I would be blessed (here).

2007-02-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

1977, Christmas

2007-01-31T10:59:00.000-08:00

The Preaching of the Cross is Foolishness (to them that perish; but to us which are saved it is the power of God.)

One of the things that has blessed me about my congregation is that the cross of Jesus Christ is preached. Jesus Christ, and Him crucified is preached within the sermons and it's always sung in our worship songs. A lot of the songs from Sovereign Grace Music are sung regularly there as well as various other, biblically-sound songs and hymns.

Another way that the cross of Jesus Christ is preached is through our elders and deacons and their families lives. My family and I have personally accompanied our teaching elder, Gregg Harris, as he took time each week to preach the Gospel on the busy streets of downtown Portland, handed out testimonies, tracts and personally counselled people. He and his wife are very involved in the congregation, as well as very dedicated in the involvement with each of their children. They live the Gospel and are raising up young men and women to serve the Lord. Because they invest in the Gospel, as well as their children's learning, this means they sacrifice in other areas. I have seen this with my own eyes, as I visit with them every week in the congregation, as well as at their home a few times a month. No fancy cars, a house that is very tasteful and warm, but by all standards, just like everybody else's. They are genuine people, with a heart for God's Gospel and sound doctrine and the nurturing of their children.

Another elder is in the process of reaching out with the Gospel to the people in the city, by moving his family from the country, where they have lived for years, into the city. This man owns a very successful business and could probably live wherever he wanted, but he has such a heart for people (and it shows in his family) that he is willing to move to the city with the Gospel. I am amazed, because our family left the city to move to the country. That man's calling on his family's life is evident by their walk with the Lord.

Another elder and his wife that have a heart for children have adopted several children, and he leads a Christian adoption agency. Their children are from different backgrounds and it's wonderful to watch them interact with each of the family members.

I could mention so many other people in this congregation, as well as in the ones they've planted, but there isn't enough time. As I reflect on where the Lord has placed me in life, I realize that I am right in the palm of His hand, and he has blessed me with Christian brothers and sisters, even right around the corner, as well as "with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."
Ephesians 1:3

*A thanks to Fide-O for their thought-provoking post.

2007-01-30T11:40:00.000-08:00

God Is In Control

When I was in 3rd grade, I was just a skinny little girl who had a love for my family, the east coast beach, Captain Kirk, my school music program, and making friends. So, it was a big disappointment when, for the one and only year I lived on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, I was repeatedly picked-on, beat up and teased for being from Oregon. My father was in the Coast Guard and we lived at a C.G. base housing unit for families. I was actually just a punching bag for any and all of their aggressions, which turned out to be the result of horrible family lives.

One particular incident involved some older children (5th grade) who formed a circle around me at the bus stop. Standing my ground, I was pushed, shoved and eventually my book binder was shoved into my face and caused a terrible bloody lip. I still caught the bus to school, too afraid to walk back home to upset my mother.

Another time, my sister and I were walking home from the bus stop with one of the girls who picked on me, since she had "befriended" my sister. I tried to warn her that *Sheryl* was not a nice person, and she should be careful. As we were walking home, *Sheryl* and my sister got into a disagreement and the next thing I knew, this girl stomped on my foot, nearly breaking it, and ran off. That afternoon, my father thought he would teach me boxing lessons (how sweet!) This child came from a family with an angry, alcoholic father who used to beat her (we lived in the townhouse next to hers, sharing a common wall) while he was drunk. While playing quietly on the swings at our complex one time, unprovoked, she launched a hard-seat swing at my face, causing another bloody lip. She would act out in ways I couldn't understand as an 8-year-old, but I can understand and even have compassion on her now.

As an interesting note; my youngest sister married a man in the Coast Guard, in Oregon, who actually dated this "mean" girl once! It turned out that her parents divorced, her father was my brother-in-law's C.O., he quit drinking and became a Christian. As amazing as that connection is, I am keenly aware of God's providential sovereignty as He works all things together for good and His glory.

*name changed

2007-01-29T08:21:00.000-08:00

Doug Phillips, in a recent blog entry, gives a thoughtful tribute to a woman of Christian faith who died at the age of 114, and who was the daughter of former slaves. I was impressed by her life.

"Whatever the good Lord wants is what will happen"

-Emma Faust Tillman

2007-01-27T21:17:00.000-08:00

These "good dogs" deserve a bloggy treat for this article on the Ministry Watchman.

2007-01-27T13:38:00.000-08:00

Deceiving and Being Deceived (Are you?) *UPDATED APRIL 2nd

God is good, isn't He? He showed us in His Word just how much He loves us, by sending His Son, Jesus, to the earth to pay for our sins. He, in absolute miraculous glory, gave us Hope and victory over sin by resurrecting, or raising from the grave to reign forevermore. He then went above all that we can ask or imagine or think and ascended to His throne and sent us a Comforter, His Spirit to always live in us and guide us into all Truth. His Spirit gives us Life, Liberty, Hope, Peace and Joy and He assures us of this truth. Do you desire this Saviour? Do you desire that your sins be forgiven you? Turn to Jesus who said on the cross, "It is finished" and took your punishment so that you may have eternal, or everlasting Life with Him, and to know the Love that surpasses all knowledge.

2007-01-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

A Brief Lesson in Smear Campaigns

I was alerted to a story at Pooh's Think about Senator Barack Obama and the efforts to link him to radical Islam. I wasn't particularly interested before I read the story until I actually saw an interview with Senator Obama last night while watching the late night news. Mr. Obama seemed to be actually gracious in his ability to correct all the "misrepresentation" of him in the political media. I saw him one other time months ago in an interview on OPB, and he gave some thoughtful answers and had wonderful regard for his mother. Though I haven't brushed up on his stands on issues and haven't formed a political opinion of him yet, it seems that this is just a smear campaign.

*It was recently brought to my attention that Obama is an abortion advocate and for that I sorely disagree with him on this issue. He seems to have a firm faith in a social gospel (and I pray that God opens his eyes to the Truth, just like He did for me when I believed a human-works gospel). I would probably find that I disagree with him on many issues, if I was inclined to vote for him, which I'm not. That still does not mean that the way his opponents have presented "facts" is an honest debate in this campaign. It is just a way to sway the public's opinion of him.

2007-01-25T17:41:00.000-08:00

The Grinch: The nerve of those Whos. Inviting me down there — and on such short notice. Even if I wanted to go, my schedule wouldn't allow it. 4:00, wallow in self pity; 4:30, stare into the abyss; 5:00, solve world hunger, tell no one. 5:30, Jazzercize. 6:30, dinner with me. I can't cancel that again. 7:00, wrestle with my self-LOATHING — I'm booked. Of course, if I bump the loathing to nine, I could still be done in time to lay in bed, stare at the ceiling, and slip slowly into madness. (pause) But what would I wear?

This was just on my mind. I love watching this movie with my family. (click here to view some funny scenes from the film.) Some of the themes in this story are almost .... theological : )

2007-01-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

Doing Hard Things

This Sunday the teaching elder at my congregation preached a good sermon. It was all I could do to "keep the fire in the fireplace" (a reference to some more enthusiastic/charismatic responses to the Gospel's call :) ). He preached from Ephesians 4 and 5 (Yay!) and specifically on the evils of abortion in our land. See my other blog for a persuasive pro-life video that speaks about the sanctity of life (I don't know if this singer's a Christian or not).

What was particularly encouraging in the sermon was this:

"Half the Christian life is to avoid taking part in the works of darkness."

Ephesians 5:6-8 "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light,"

"The other half is to be the light that exposes such works of darkness! As Christians we are 'the light of the world' -- society's conscience. We are called to approve what is good & disapprove what is evil." -- Gregg Harris

Ephesians 5:9-11 "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

One of the questions he posed was this, "How effectively do we refuse to partake in the works of darkness? Are we involved in any of the things that Paul lists as works of the flesh?"

Sometimes we need to Do Hard Things. I'm constantly challenged by the Word to do hard things, make unpopular decisions, follow my conscience. Lord willing, He will enable me to do those hard things.

2007-01-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

Exposing liars can be a tiring task. UPDATE MARCH 31 (PLEASE READ HERE FOR THE UPDATE. This is a very needed response to all this, on my part.)

2007-01-18T19:44:00.000-08:00

What If?

What if people could post to blogs anything they wanted in order to gain readership?
What if blogs were the new eBay and someone wanted to "sell" a story?
What if people made up shill identities (like on eBay) to boost their support - thus driving up readership?
What if people made up multiple commenter names/web addresses to make it look like they had numerous commenters?
What if people made up stories because they had an axe to grind?
What if other people joined into the fight because, well, people like to get involved in other people's business?
What if the Bible was true when it rebukes talebearers, gossips, liars, busybodies? (1 Tim. 5:13, Prov. 26:20-22)
What if other people were trying to expose these types of people - would you believe them?
What if the internet was brimming with examples of these sins?
What if Jesus was standing behind your shoulder witnessing everything you typed on your keyboard and everything you saw on your monitor?
What if it were possible that you (you, me, people in general) could be wrong about believing everything you read on the internet?

I've been to other people's blogs to read their opinions on various things in the news lately and I will admit that I once was intently interested in what Ministry Watchman, as well as other websites, had to say. I believed what they had to say and even went on a campaign for them. But something just didn't seem right to me after a while with certain posts and I did much praying and that's when I read Matt Chancey's site. Do I really know Mr. Chancey? No. Do I know any of those people? No. Do you? My only response is really that I didn't know anything between those parties involved. Do you really know?

I believe as Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we should be discerning according to the Word. Can we do that in an anonymous atmosphere? I have no identity in any other movement (patriarchal, homeschooled, or any other label) other than a Fool For Christ. I LOVE what the doctrines of grace teach, only because I can see the Word of God and His Sovereignty in them. That's it. If the Lord places a conviction on my heart, I pray that it becomes my outward expression of what He has done for me on His Cross at Calvary. He is so beautiful to me and that's why I'm a little bit of a newbie when it comes to all this in-fighting amongst the brethren.

If I have written anything that would be considered against what the Scripture says, I hope the Lord corrects me, and if apologies are in order to Spunky, I apologize to her because I thought an imposter was posting comments as her. As far as anyone else, well, I have read other women's blogs and been blessed by them, but I can see where as women we can fall into a very painful trap of believing many different things out there on the internet (I'm not a fan of any "movement", I assure you.)

I have no desire to cause anyone to stumble with my posts. I would love to share what Jesus has laid on my heart for people. When I came to Christ, I was even telling strangers at the grocery store about what he had done for me and what he has done for others. That's what I would like (and have attempted to do with this blog) for anyone to hear.

Hello! I lost the phone connection!

2007-01-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hello! I lost the phone connection!

*UPDATED JAN. 22nd (UPDATED PARTS IN RED)

WARNING: DUE TO THE SARCASTIC NATURE OF THIS POST, READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

To the "fantastic" *lady(!) who called me earlier -- I never did catch your name (how do you spell that? oh, "J-E-N, E-P-S-T-E-I-N" ok, got it)-- I don't know how I lost you on the phone (a shame, since I tried to ask you your name), but I wanted to let you know you were wonderful to talk to! (you really know how to butter a person up to get what you think is dirt on people - thanks for making me feel "special"!) I have no idea what happened, only that the phone went dead.

Please don't think that I hung up on you .... I was mortified to think you may have thought that (if I would have known you would have stooped to such a low level, "anonymous", I would have never answered the phone). Anyway, it was lovely to talk to you about A.W. Pink, homeschooling (and many other remarkably similar things according to what I've posted on my blog) and just getting to know a sister in Christ (or so I thought). I have no other way to get in touch with you other than my blog, so I hope you are reading this. Please call again, (if you are that bold) if you get a chance; I'd love to hear more from you ( although, you've already told the world WAAY more than you should have about yourself, what with having so many identities speaking up for you in your *defense*).

(Nothing but love,)
- Kathleen

2007-01-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

John Piper Preaches About Racism

In light of some recent controversy that would shed light on racism, kinism, and generalizations that occur even within the "church", I thought that this article by John Piper was very timely. It seems such a shame that people just can't see other people for being people and not categorize, stereotypify or generally segregate people just by the color of their skin or ethnicity. What year is it again? 2007? I thought judging people based on those standards was just a thing that willfully ignorant people did instead of playing scrabble or other intellectually stimulating things thinking people do.

John Piper addresses this issue at DesiringGod.org.

2007-01-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Jennifer!

Twelve years ago our daughter, Jennifer, was born. She brought joy and great meaning to our lives for 2 1/2 years. She lives in Heaven now with her Lord Jesus. What joys she must be experiencing with Him! I look forward to seeing her someday with Him.

"And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it." Revelation 21:21-24

2007-01-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

Link Removed

I removed a link from my sidebar when I came to the realization the particular website might have been a kinist's website. I just thought they were a homeschooled, agrarian website, since I'm interested in both topics. It seems that they may have been in agreement with other websites that espouse kinism. Since I find that world view particularly disgusting, you can understand why I wouldn't have wanted them linked in my sidebar. I guess I never really looked into what they believed before. My mistake.

2007-01-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

My Connections

Do you remember the children's song "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly"? My connections in this saga are kind of like that song.

- My family started going to hofcc in Gresham, Oregon in 2001, where Gregg Harris is a teaching elder,
- When I left the congregation (described in my earlier post with my testimony) I started reading a website where doctrine was being discussed,
- An agrarian website is where I got curious about the Doctrines of Grace (TULIP)
- That site is also where I learned of the names Michael and Debi Pearl and a "reformed teacher's" fondness for their teaching on child training,
- SpunkyHomeschool is where I learned that the Pearl's teaching is flawed, especially in regards to wives' submission to husbands - that their teaching is "man's attempt" at regulating behavior and is not biblically sound,
- In the fall of 2006 I was searching for reformed doctrine sites on the web and ended up finding "Frank Vance's" site (now Ministry Watchman), the R.C. Sproul/Ligonier family controversy, and Doug Phillips and many, many different connections each one has with each other.

Through all these months I have learned:

- There are groups of christians that believe in a patriarchal "movement" (husbands/fathers taking a more active role in the leadership of their families - *and it can be a wonderfully positive thing when Jesus Christ has captured their hearts*);
- There are groups of "christians" who call themselves (or not) kinists and believe that messed-up doctrine;
- There are people who will do anything to gain readership on their blogs or websites, including lying;
- There are christians that have a theology that believers can go into politics (run for office, etc.) and begin to affect change in our country for Christ and the glory of His kingdom;
- These same people may have "dominion" theology, or "reconstructionist" theology and may not believe that we should put our children in public schools (and I agree with them on that);
- That I'm just wrestling with the above world views in light of what the scripture says about "evil men will wax worse and worse" in the end times and that if our system of government (that would also include the indoctrinating system of the public schools) is so corrupt, as we can see it is, then how can we as Christians work within such a system? Especially if it's true that, according to the Bible's teaching that man's very nature is sinful and corrupt, how can merely a few people who may be filled with the Spirit of God correct such a system? I don't have the answers, just plenty of questions on that particular point.

2007-01-16T10:24:00.000-08:00

Why I'm Involved

It's very easy to fake identities in a blog's comment section. That's why I didn't believe Spunky was Spunky in her first comment to me at first on this homeschool/christian/Phillips/Epstein/MinistryWatchman/Ligonier saga.

Coming Up: More on why I'm involved in the saga.

2007-01-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

A Tale Told By An Idiot (That's Me)
(revised 4/2/07: kinder, gentler)

A Timeline of Sorts:

- I got a computer
- we were homeschooling our 3 children
- our family went to Gregg Harris' Gresham church
- I felt like I couldn't fit in because of financial status (didn't know Christ died for me; I had the Gospel all wrong)
- I was really, really struggling with the "why's" in life
- my daughter broke arm, lots of cash to pay - no insurance
- had magnificent financial miracle
- got tired of *feeling* snubbed *(my own perception, because of my own insecurities and lack of trust in God's perfect Word and Will)
- I finally left congregation in March 2003, while my family continued to go
- got online alot to read websites on consiracy theories/christian sites
- I found scriptures that pointed me to my eternal security in Christ through some old, passed-to-glory theologians that have taught generations that it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God and that I was chosen before the foundation of the world (Eph.1) and that no one can snatch me out of the Father's hand (the Gospel of John)

My testimony of what changed was this:

During the time I was choosing to stay away from the congregation while my husband and children continued to go, my husband and I found our marriage in a pit of trouble (I was equally guilty of sin). He told me some things that if I wouldn't have had the conversion of my soul by the Holy Spirit, I would have left him and there would not be a tremendous testimony of God's life-changing, miraculous, powerful Holy Spirit in our lives. In my following testimony, what happened about 8 months later was that I actually got to lead my husband (who had graduated a decade earlier from Multnomah Bible College) in a sinner's prayer and I have seen him turn into the most dedicated man/husband I've ever known. He has been living the Gospel for me and his family - I love him more than ever now!
________________________________
Here is my testimony:

"After years of trying to please God and earn His love for me, I gave up and left the church I had been attending with my family. How could all these people sing praises about His love? How could they have joy? Didn't they know that life is hard for some of us? I was harboring bitterness and envy of the lives of ease and riches these people must have had to make them love God so much.

I had been through a lot since first being introduced to the Bible 17 years earlier. I truly believed Jesus was God and the Bible was true. But my profession of faith was mostly based on the idea that if I continued to have enough faith, performed the duties of a Christian, and continued to try not to sin, then God would love me. But if I screwed up, I could jeopardize my salvation, or chance at eternal life in heaven. This took so much effort and energy for so many years that I was worn out, with no security of ever pleasing God.
As time went on the bitterness and grief escalated. My youngest daughter had died years earlier from a heart condition, our family's finances were in ruins and my marriage was truly suffering. Where was God in the midst of my pain? My prayers went up to God, with words of accusations toward Him for letting me suffer. After all, hadn't I done all that a christian should do to please Him?

During a period of months, I was becoming more acquainted with the Bible. I was reading many passages, trying to gain comfort and learning. Then one day as I was studying I came across some passages that spoke directly to my heart. I was a sinner, spiritually dead in my sins, unable to come to God on my own terms. Just like Lazarus needed Jesus to call him out of the tomb and give him life, so I needed God to give me His eternal life through Jesus Christ. I needed to be born again. Praising Him with tears streaming down my face, I realized the God of the Universe had chosen me to be his child, forgiven my sins through Jesus' death on the cross and raised me to spiritual life with him when he resurrected from the grave. I can look forward to heaven someday, not because of any good works I could ever possibly do, but because of what Jesus did for me on the Cross.

I've been sharing the good news of what Jesus has done in my life with anyone who will listen. My faith in God through Jesus Christ has carried me through difficult times and I am confident in His love for me. His Word gives me strength and guidance and I no longer fear that I could lose my salvation. My marriage has been healing, and our family attends a congregation (same one as before) of believers who preach the Bible and love each other. Life has been hard, but God is good, and His mercies are new every morning."
_________________________________

The Living Waters Were Becoming Muddy With Doctrines of Men

- Then I ended up reading the website/materials of one man on an agrarian website and was in a very muddy ditch, where my lifestyle was not 100% agrarian, separate from the world (even though he still used the internet, eBay, Paypal, etc.) and was constantly thinking I wasn't "doing" enough for God.
- I had night terrors thinking I wasn't saved - this was AFTER I had found the doctrines of GRACE, because I wasn't living exactly like those agrarians who lay burdens on people the Lord has not.
- I made just an off-hand comment on his site forums that I didn't follow Michael and Debi Pearl's teaching (I didn't even know who they were or what they taught at that time) and I was immediately "shunned" in cyberspace by him and his followers.

What does cyberspace shunning look like?

- Well, when you at one time are on an email list and get emails on a regular basis from the website owner (like weekly) and then you suddenly stop getting them, and then when you try to find links to the articles on the website he tells you to read, but "hides" them from you by making them unclickable in their "http" codes while other site members have no problems with the links, and other such little games.
- Then he has his internet goons (those who follow everything he says and even start to respond just like him) mock you and give hints that you're not welcome on their site anymore (just because I didn't agree with the methods of the Pearls on childraising and the Pearl's pelagian/cultish theology) and the goons' remarks become more and more antagonistic.
- Then you find the "christian" site owner/author lies and puts up posts to garner sympathy saying he's had his articles up for more than a week (that was a lie - I refreshed pages CONSTANTLY to find updates on his site and spent my DAYS waiting for him to put up articles all over his site) when he really just put them up THAT DAY.
- When that same website author tried to bait debate by putting up a suspected fake/spoof site to lure people into saying things against him or to try to stir up strife, (this is called shilling, like in eBay when you want people to get into a bidding war on your item to sell to jack up the final bid price, you create many users to gain attention to your product you're selling - eBay has cracked down on this more lately - so you get more attention to your blog or website.
- when you find out that these are the same kinds of practices he has used on others who have disagreed with him and you've corresponded with 2 or 3 of them and they verify your experiences with him.
- when respectable ministries won't have anything more to do with him.

2007-01-15T21:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, You ARE Spunky! (She really is!)

This has been a really bizarre night. My first post was wrong about Spunky (of SpunkyHomeschool) and I publicly acknowledge my mistake. She is a fantastic person that I have never met, but only through the web have I had the pleasure of getting to know her through her blog. I have been in contact via email with her and she even changed her retired blog post just for me!

Her post that was revised is posted here. She really revised it tonight to prove who she is.

I can be very stubborn sometimes, but this has also been a very complicated situation with the case against Jen Epstein, Doug Phillips, Matt Chancey, Ligonier Ministries, Harry Seabrook and any other people who are involved in this growing internet mess.

My biggest regret in any of this is that the Name of Jesus Christ is being maligned. I don't know who is right anymore. I don't know if anyone but God knows now. But I do know that I will not be afraid to investigate or correct my mistakes or admit when I am wrong.

"They say, in (cyber)space no one can hear you scream."

2007-01-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

You're Not Spunky! (You're just a poseur) UPDATED April 2nd

Take a look at the comments in my post yesterday left by none other than Spunky (of SpunkyHomeschool) herself! Not only is she a very busy homeschool mother and prolific writer of all things homeschoolingly bloggy, but she even came to my little blog to comment on this "controversy" between Doug Phillips, Matt Chancey, Harry Seabrook and Jen Epstein.

Not that she ever mentioned anything on her blog before about these people as of late. Oh, wait - that's right, she retired her blog and is probably busy caring for her household.
Those were my comments to "Spunky"/poseur (No way do I believe that this is the respectable Spunky of SpunkyHomeschool). No, let this be a lesson to readers that you can't always believe everything you read on the internet. Just take a look at snopes.com. It will show you how many myths are on the web.

2007-01-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

Thank You, Matt Chancey Updated April 2nd (I have reconciled with the people I formally had issue with)

The recent article about the people at Ministry Watchman by Matt Chancey on mrsbinoculars.com should provide a very valuable(!?!?) lesson to people who like to read blogs. It's important that we understand there are as many opinions in life as there are fish in the sea, but it seems that everyone wants to blog about their opinions. So separating fact from fiction or opinion is a daunting task. I appreciate the work Matt Chancey has done to expose some of the many lies floating around in cyberspace.

I have learned a great deal over this past year: who my real friends are; what the Bible says about who is a true Christian - born of the Spirit of God; how the internet can be extremely deceptive in getting to really know people; and what the definition is of the word, kinist.

Now, I'd never even heard the word before, but once I learned what it meant and who claimed to be one (or even subtley inferred to being one), I was disgusted and somewhat shocked and realized that human nature is still very depraved. (Thanks be to God for His Saving Work through Jesus Christ!)

Oh, someday I may share the story of my internet entanglements, but suffice it to say for now, I was once involved in a "ministry" that I thought was a true, Bible-believing group of Christians, who brought teachings of separation to a whole different level than what the Gospel of the Bible teaches. In this recent exposure(!?!?) by Matt Chancey, I have also had confirmed that the internet group I was involved in also agreed, at least to some degree, with the kinists like Harry Seabrook over at a vile "reformed" doctrine website (not according to true Biblical doctrine) that's referred to by Mr. Chancey. I had no idea that there was even that kind of ignorant, unbiblical and morally reprehensible belief system around in "christian" circles.

I'm always thankful to God for when He reveals His Word and He reveals Truth. Sometimes they are extremely painful paths to walk on if you have been the one who's been deceived (either by others or by your own deceitful lusts), but it's so wonderful to come into the Land of the Living and receive the Truth of His Word. It's like a drink of cold water to a thirsting soul.

So, a great Hoorah!(!?!?) to Matt Chancey and any others who helped expose(!?!?) the vile works of people who may claim to be Christians but do not seem to be showing fruits of repentence.

2007-01-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

Totally Illogical (David Wu)

Someone has been dipping into the Romulan Ale again!

2007-01-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

Conversation With An Affected Party

This is part of my dialog with someone involved at one time with this controversy:

I thought it was very strange that Ministry Watchman turned on you so quickly, that there were so many anonymous posts, etc., but I never dreamed that they could actually be just Jennifer and Mark (perhaps) shilling this whole time. Sadly, this is not the first time I've seen this type of shill behavior on blogs/websites before. I should have learned my lesson.

I'm just really tired of any lies coming from anyone, whether they are from Doug Wilson, Doug Phillips, Jennifer Epstein, my own children, or especially myself. Even if Doug Phillips is guilty of any of what MW claims, that site has lost all credibility in my eyes now. I just wish I hadn't spent so much time following this story for the last couple of months.

Also, even if "Joe Taylor" from Mt. Blanco has given his "side" of his story in his dealings with Doug Phillips, when he has posted, it's just a link to his fossil website. It's not too hard to fake all these addresses. The anonymity of the internet is sure something that has made these conflicts grow. There are people who are buying into the lies, who have been hurt before by "ministries". We are the ones who are drawn to this type of debate, to find solace, an understanding ear, (or even itching ears - added by editor), etc., but what we are getting is just more lies and we get used again by people with an agenda. I take full responsibility for my own sin in this, though.

Rom. 3:4 "God forbid, yea, let God be true, but every man a liar, as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."

I am amazed that God is so faithful to bring us to truth when we ask Him in prayer. He is my hero and I am so thankful that he has been merciful to me to show me His truth.

Okay, so there you have it. It's Out With The Old Year and In With The New.

"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." 2 Cor. 5:17-18

2007-01-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

Fireworks to Kick Off the New Year!

Let's start with an old story. The post I had earlier was updated and yet I received a comment yesterday from Jen:

Kate, I am concerned by your lack of investigation as well, but not in the same manner that you seem to be. Taking Matthew Chancey's word for something without considering the other side is still not investigating the matter. Have you bothered to ask me any questions about Matt's allegations? Have you gone to Ministry Watchman? I don't mind if you ask me questions. Go ahead. Ask away. But please don't be so quick to believe one side of the story without checking all the facts. You will find me to be an open book.I would recommend that you contact Ministry Watchman as well (since I am not Ministry Watchman). I think he'd probably be reasonable to deal with as well.

I want to make a few of my own personal life observations.
My personal conviction that:

1. The Bible is accurate when the Apostle Paul states in Romans 3:4 "let God be true, but every man a liar;"

2. I've met people who have a very real knack for lying and lying and lying and have even convinced themselves that they are either doing it for their/other's best interest or they are just so used to committing these lies that they have seared their consciences.

3. Watching a 24-hour marathon of the Andy Griffith Show with your family can really heighten your senses to spot ridiculousness in various circumstances.

4. That 1. is always true.

I once met a man who is an author/reasearcher who claimed to be a christian, had strange relationships with a woman he wasn't married to, used an alias as his name and is now sitting in a federal prison because of federal/drug charges. This man had some very interesting stories to tell, but that was it: they were stories. I believe he would shill a website and write about himself that would seem to stir up controversy.

The other person I "met" was also a christian, except he was known through his website, which only seemed to stir up strife and controversy among christians, causing them to place stumbling blocks in areas of life left for liberty - (If you're not 100% off-grid, you'll burn in hell!) This man also used trickery, mocking seekers, outright lies and shilled websites in order to puff himself up and gain "followers".

If you have to resort to lies, trickery, made-up stories to gain readership on your blog, maybe you just don't have enough real people in real life to listen to you or take you seriously either.

Actually, I have done my own investigation on this matter regarding the Epsteins, even as far as contacting some of the parties on the other side of this story. After all, isn't that the fair way to form an opinion on a matter?

Coming Up Next: A conversation with an affected party.

2006-12-28T11:48:00.000-08:00

Not Many Wise, Mighty or Noble are Called (That's Me!)

There is a new blog posted in my sidebar written by someone from my congregation. Nathan is a very gifted young man with a brilliant mind. Please welcome Librado en derredor.

While reading his blog I came to the understanding that even though I could not eclipse his deep intellect and logic (wonderful high marks for his genuine, homeschooled family!), God revealed His same knowledge of the Truth of Jesus Christ, His doctrine of His irresistible Grace, His predestination of my soul to spend Eternity with Him, despite my utter sinfulness, to me -- one who is not wise, nor mighty (I'm only 5 feet tall ), or noble. (1Cor. 1:26-31). God revealed His Truth by His Spirit to Nathan, as well as to me. God chose me, and He chose Nathan. He is no respecter of persons. This comparison was to confirm to me the wonderful mercy and grace that God has for His people. Thank you, Lord, for saving me.

2006-12-27T23:53:00.000-08:00

Slice and Spurgeon

I read a very beautiful article Slice of Laodicea had posted the other day. It reminded me of what the Lord revealed to me through His Word over 3 years ago. I’m so glad that He has chosen to reveal these things to little children and not many wise or noble. Let this teaching rest upon your hearts, in good soil.

The Last Adam

And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1Corinthians 15:45)

Here is an encouraging morning devotion from the "prince of preachers" Charles Haddon Spurgeon. We here at Slice pray you have a blessed day in the Lord!

"Jesus is the federal head of His elect. As in Adam, every heir of flesh and blood has a personal interest, because he is the covenant head and representative of the race as considered under the law of works; so under the law of grace, every redeemed soul is one with the Lord from heaven, since He is the Second Adam, the Sponsor and Substitute of the elect in the new covenant of love. The apostle Paul declares that Levi was in the loins of Abraham when Melchizedek met him: it is a certain truth that the believer was in the loins of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, when in old eternity the covenant settlements of grace were decreed, ratified, and made sure for ever. Thus, whatever Christ hath done, He hath wrought for the whole body of His Church."

"We were crucified in Him and buried with Him (see-Col 2:10-13), and to make it still more wonderful, we are risen with Him and even ascended with Him to the seats on high - ‘And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’ (Eph. 2:6). It is thus that the Church has fulfilled the law, and is ‘accepted in the beloved.’ It is thus that she is regarded with complacency by the just Jehovah, for He views her in Jesus, and does not look upon her as separate from her covenant head. As the Anointed Redeemer of Israel, Christ Jesus has nothing distinct from his Church, but all that He has He holds for her. Adam’s righteousness was ours so long as he maintained it, and his sin was ours the moment that he committed it; and in the same manner, all that the Second Adam is or does, is ours as well as His, seeing that He is our representative. Here is the foundation of the covenant of grace. This gracious system of representation and substitution, which moved Justin Martyr to cry out, ‘Oh blessed change, O sweet permutation!’ this is the very groundwork of the gospel of our salvation, and is to be received with strong faith and rapturous joy." (Morning and Evening, December 26)

Posted by Rev. Ken Silva on December 26, 2006 @ 09:33 AM

*My comments were posted there:

Thank you for posting this timely article. I am also blessed by the clarifying comments posted by "freeburg", above.This very revelation through God’s Bible was also given to me by God about 3 years ago, after I had been a "christian" for 17 years. The doctrines of grace were teachings that God gave me to open the eyes of my understanding. When I realized that God had "chosen me before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4) and that my salvation was completed (Col. 2:9-15) my whole life changed. I was changed by this revelation of what Christ had done for me and I literally got on my face before the Lord and worshipped Him. I no longer had to strive to please Him according to my works, but was humbled and full of joy to know that God had purposed in His plan to save me because He first loved me and knew me (John 10:27-28).Thank you for this teaching about His Body that is so needed for the Church today.

2006-10-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

Rambo and Dennis Rodman in a Church Service

Nearly 10 years ago I was sitting in a church auditorium preparing to listen to the sermon when the music started to play. It was loud and the lights turned down very low, when suddenly a spotlight appeared in the middle of the stage, and, I am not making this up, "Rambo" came rappelling down from the ceiling. It was part of some skit that was supposed to lure me into the sermon. I don't remember anything else that day about the sermon, but that "circus" performance will forever stick in my mind.

A few more times after that, there were sermons on the lives of celebrities. It was a MONTH LONG series on how much these celebrities needed the Lord. Obviously.

Two of the celebrities featured in this sermon series were Madonna, the singer, and Dennis Rodman, the outlandish basketball star. The sermons were basically biographies with some "helpful" scripture sprinkled in to give it seeker-friendly appeal. The bio on Dennis Rodman remains in my mind the most because when the preacher featured his image on the projector screen it was from Rodman's book. He was featured nude on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Well, at least my children were "safe" in their Sunday School classes (I don't advocate those classes, incidentally).

I can hear the calliope music and the clown mobiles just around the corner .....

Well, I have added to the links in my sidebar Slice of Laodicea, an excellent site that challenges Christians to think about what they believe. It has been valuable reading and exposes the fallacies of the modern "churches".

2006-10-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

This blogger (link disabled) must have read my mind. This person (link disabled) sums up most of my feelings toward those who are "star-struck" by the celebrities in Reformed Christianity.

*This post was updated 1/31/07 to reflect my current feeling toward those who would stir up strife among the blogosphere. I was stirred before up to envy and strife against certain ministries because of these anonymous and bitter accusations, but the presentation of facts have changed my thinking.

2006-10-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 3:5-6

While perusing the web today I came across an interesting article that seems like it is very appropriate for the times we are living in. The article, "8 Signs of Immature, Carnal Christians" reveals just how easily it is to fall into the sin of man-worship, instead of fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ. It's as easy as sitting in a pew on Sunday morning, taking what the preacher has to say as total truth without searching out the scriptures yourself with diligence.

I've fallen into this sin more times than I care to admit. Once I learned the truth of the Gospel, though, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast," I have a zeal to guard what God has given me to share with others, and to admonish others to read the Bible to learn what God - not man - has to say. In fact, that is just what I said yesterday when two Jehovah's Witnesses came to my front door. The words of men have shut them out from the truth of the Gospel. I pray God removes their blindness.

When I received the Gospel, after years of trying to "earn" grace or God's acceptence, I not only recognized my spiritually dead, helpless state, I was so FILLED with overwhelming love for the God and Creator of the Universe Who had chosen me to be His child. That love that I felt and had for Him was so pure and full of thanksgiving. As the time has passed, I am grieved to realize that I am falling into the sin of giving a hoot about what man thinks of me. It doesn't matter what others think. God has sent me His Love Letter found in The Holy Bible. Revelation 2:4 warns the church at Ephesus that they had left their first love. Even though they seemed to have good doctrine and works, they must have lost their love for God and were relying on something else to motivate them.

An interesting part of that passage is that the Church at Ephesus addressed here, hated the "deeds of the Nicolaitans," which God also hated. Some scholars believe the Nicolaitans set up a hierarchal system to "control the spiritual needs of the common people." They also were followers of Gnosticism and believed in "hidden spiritual knowledge". Does this sound like anyone you've been looking up to spiritually lately? Even pastors, teachers, elders, "conference speakers" and even bitter, offended bloggers can come across as great men of spiritual insight. But what is their doctrine? What are their fruits? Do they genuinely treat you as their equal in the work of the Lord, or do they just use you for their own advancement?

The best thing to do is to read your Bible (a reliable version - remember - the JW's actually use their own corrupted version of the Bible), use a concordance if you want, and pray your heart out to God to give you wisdom and understanding.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine

own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall

direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

2006-10-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

The other blog.

2006-09-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

The Depravity of Man [Updated April 3rd Please go here for the rest of the story]

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." - Matthew 19:23-24

*UPDATE: "Ministry Watchman" is now EXPOSED as being a fraud. This saga has been revealed to be nothing more than bitter envy and strife stirred up by some very "imaginative" people who are injuring many people, including their own family. May God be full of mercy and love to show all of us just how destructive this sin is, and to keep us from it. I have been wrestling with whether I should remove all of my posts regarding this "story", thereby "covering up" my sin of believing evil reports. There may be some shred of truth in some of this account, but now it has been completely blurred by these people who refuse to humble themselves before the Lord in truth. There is no credibility to the Epstein's story because of the recent lies exposed by Matt Chancey. So now, I publicly apologize for posting this earlier without first investigating.

Many Christians are familiar with the ministry of Dr. R.C. Sproul and the books he's written. His ministry, Ligonier Ministries, is now under scrutiny by the reformed Christian community. He is well known to speak at conferences that feature such speakers as Albert Mohler, Ligon Duncan, C.J. Mahaney and Mark Dever. This latest scandal [link removed because Jen is reported to habitually lie and I don't want to spread any of her/their lies] has really made me wonder if there are any good ministries out there anymore.

While the duty of Christians is to live lives according to Scripture and not as the world, the silencing of the lambs in this troublesome lawsuit and the inability for some to believe that there are unrepentant people in "ministry" handling YOUR FINANCIAL GIFTS [and trust in their words, especially of anonymous bloggers], it is also our duty to mark those which are not living according to the Word, but are preaching the Word and are in positions of authority. The Body of Christ needs the left hand to know what the right hand is doing.

Take a look at some of these articles and make your own decisions:

Jen's Gems: [link removed because of it's contentious nature]

Slice of Laodicea: Ligonier Update [link is gone because their site is changed]

Contending for the Truth by Vance: More Ligonier Lies: Exposed By Orlando Sentinel [link removed for it's contentious nature and the anonymity of the accusers - namely Jen, and all her/MW's aliases]

Though I don't hold a Bible College degree I would never purchase any scripture-themed book written by a man who can't manage his own household well (or listen to unscrupulous bloggers with an axe to grind who can't seem to do the same), and I would not even (NOW I would - Jan. 27th, 2007, because of the lies by MW/crew) recommend any bible published by Ligonier Ministries. But who am I? I'm just a saved-by-the-Grace-of-God sinner who found the truth of the Gospel in the Bible and recognized that "God be True, but every man a liar," Romans 3:4.

2006-09-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Simple Things

popcorn

daisies

babies feet

sprinklers

pail and shovel

sand

ice cream cones

raindrops

bedtime stories

Lucy, The Wardrobe and Aslan

hot chocolate

snow

dinner at six

mashed potatoes

It's A Wonderful Life

Family

God's Love

2006-09-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

We Remember

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 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.” -
Jeremiah 29:11-14

Most people today are remembering the events that took place 5 years ago that shaped history. Our nation is constantly reminded by the media and by changes in how we travel as Americans of just how dangerous the world can be. I remember on September 11, 2001 and the few days following, how there were no planes flying in the skies overhead. It was strange, especially since we see airplanes in the skies frequently where we live.

So today, as I looked up and saw the faint contrails of jets in the eastern morning sky, I was reminded of that time when our nation, and especially the grieving families of lost loved ones, had little hope and much fear. I am thankful to God that my family and I can still live relatively free from terror in this country that He has sovereignly chosen for us to live in.

I am grateful to those who serve to protect our country and continue to keep a vigilant watch over our freedoms. I say a prayer for the families and for the emergency responders that to this day suffer the pain of great loss. I pray we all never have to go through such a thing ever again.

Let’s remember and thank the God of all comfort who comforts us in our sorrows.

2006-09-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Where There's Life, There's Hope (Part 2)

"Is this okay?" the nurse looked at me cautiously, knowing my medical history. "I can give you a referral for a doctor in the city." What was she saying to me? Is she offering to set up an abortion for my baby? I have a baby?! My mind was racing and immediately I was filled with joy indescribable, and a little fear. "I'm going to have a baby!" my soul cried out on the inside, while a smile formed on my face. The nurse was concerned, and tried to gently remind me of my diabetes and how hard a pregnancy would be with it. All I could think about was this tiny baby growing inside. I had an immediate reassurance in my heart that God was going to take care of me and the baby, regardless of whether I had a husband or not, like the pastor had told me. "I'm going to keep my baby," I told the nurse with a smile.

"I'm going to have a baby!" my soul cried out on the inside, while a smile formed on my face.

After I left the appointment I started praying fervently to know what to do next. I needed to tell my boyfriend, so I called him and we met at his apartment. I told him the news and also told him I was trusting God to take care of me and that I wasn't pressuring him to marry me. He immediately told me he wanted to marry me and we got married in the Fall of that year.

As I read more of the Bible I was filled with a sense of responsibility to protect the life of my child, and that meant to stop hurting my body with the eating disorder I struggled with. As soon as I read a verse in the book of 1st Corinthians, I immediately had no desire to hurt my body, and especially my baby's body. The pregnancy was considered high-risk with the diabetes and I ended up in the hospital a couple of times for low-blood sugars as well as pre-eclampsia, and our son was born at around 37 weeks. He was beautiful and healthy with strong lungs. He just was a little guy, weighing in at only 2 1/2 pounds. It took him over 40 days to gain 2 pounds in the NICU, but was the cutest baby I had ever seen. God had protected my baby from any serious complications, despite all the medical issues I had dealt with during the pregnancy. My son is now 20 years old and is serving in the military.

My hope is that if some woman who is considering an abortion because she thinks it will be too difficult to handle, or she's too afraid of raising a child alone or is just not aware of the facts of the baby's humanity in the womb, that she would hear this account of my hope in the midst of a desperate situation and decide to carry her baby to term. There is hope for those who feel afraid and alone. You are not alone; there is help and hope for you and your baby.

Kathleen
_______

If you or someone you know is pregnant and considering abortion and needs help, please visit the Pregnancy Resource Center in your local area.

Resources for information and help:

Pregnancy Facts

Stand Up Girl

Post-Abortion Support

Information and Support

Why Pro-Life? (Randy Alcorn)

2006-09-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

Where There's Life, There's Hope

[This is what God can do with an unplanned pregnancy. I write this, my testimony of His great work in my life. - Kathleen]

“You’re not only pregnant, you’re about 3 months along,” the county health nurse told me as I sat in the exam room, not fully comprehending what she told me. I was 19-years-old, in a job that barely paid enough to live on, and I had just broken up with my boyfriend. These things were only compounded by the fact that I had insulin-dependent diabetes and an eating disorder that I had struggled with for years. This was my second pregnancy test in the last 3 months. I had taken one that showed negative at the same clinic just about 3 months earlier, but had missed my cycles all those months. Something had definitely changed in my life since then and I knew in my heart God had His Hand in the midst of all those details.

Before I had taken the negative pregnancy test 3 months earlier, my boyfriend and I discussed what we should do if it turned up positive and he suggested that we should go to the city and have an abortion. My heart sank then, and I felt that he just didn’t love me enough to marry me and raise a child together. I agreed, very sadly, though I had never formed an opinion on abortion before. Of course a pregnancy meant a baby, but the actual implications of “aborting” a pregnancy never entered my mind as being equal to “killing a baby.”

During those 3 months, my boyfriend and I were invited to attend a small rural church with one of his co-workers. When Sunday came, he was unable to attend and encouraged me to go. When I got there I was greeted by silver-haired men and women who genuinely took an interest in me and the following Sunday I brought my boyfriend with me. There, we learned the Bible, struggled with our sin and met with the pastor who began teaching us the Bible. I wanted to be married and raise a family, but my boyfriend was not ready yet. So, during those 3 months our relationship became more and more strained, we broke up and eventually I moved out and got my own small apartment. My pastor encouraged me to place my faith in Jesus Christ and that He/God would care for my needs, like a husband. I cried out to God and knew that I needed Him to help me in every aspect of my life. I started trusting God the day my boyfriend and I broke up. That’s the situation I found myself in while sitting in that county health office. Little did I know, the times of trusting God were just beginning.

Coming Up: Where There's Life, There's Hope (Part 2)

2006-08-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Lasso The Moon

My daughter, Elizabeth, just put together a blog of her own and is currently writing some articles to feature on it. Lasso The Moon is a thoughtful journal and I look forward to seeing my daughter really grow in her journalistic abilities there.

Coming Up: The Zenith of the Pinnacle

2006-08-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

"Don't You Folks Ever Read Your Bibles?" -- Dr. John G. Mitchell, Founder Multnomah Bible College

It is actually a kind of a proud and ignorant thing to say something along the lines of, "Well, I just love Jesus and I don't need to get into doctrine and all that division." Oh, Bible-carrying Christian, don't you know what the scriptures say?

* "The word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any twoedged sword ... and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

* "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

* That we would from now on "be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning crafiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive ...." that by "speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." - Ephesians 4:14-15

* "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

* Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." - Matthew 10:34, Ephesians 6:17, Revelation 1:16, 19:15

These inspired words of God have been preserved throughout time by God Himself. They have caused millions to willingly lay down their lives for a greater reward than what this world can offer. The truth of the Bible has caused a division between those who would use God's word for their own gain and power from those who would only seek the truth, be doers of that truth, and believe in the inerrancy of His word.

I believe that the reason why some christians who have not really wrestled with the study of biblical doctrine and are quick to make the statement that they don't need to get into doctrine, are just really afraid to examine what they really believe. There is also an element of pride to think that you're above all this division and can "just love Jesus". God took precious care to preserve His written words for our encouragement and maturing in the faith, so we should be diligent to study and apply what the Bible says in our lives.
"Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I
hope in thy word." - Psalm 119:114

2006-08-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Not Ashamed

My friend held up a sweatshirt and declared that it was just right for me. What she didn't realize is that it was completely wrong for me, not because of the style, but because of what was written on it. It was one of those declarative witnessing shirts that had a list of different "christian" denominational viewpoints with little boxes for checkmarks next to them. Calvinist, Arminian, Reformed, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Creationist, etc., were some of the various categories listed. At the end of the list was a phrase something like, "just a plain, regular Christian" with a checkbox next to it marked with a checkmark.

Now, I had been trying to share what I believe with my friend for months in small doses here and there and she also is a christian, but we have some differing beliefs on what the Bible teaches. My friend was convinced that because I was someone that could relate to regular people, have had struggles of my own, and that I was firm in my beliefs that it just boiled down to one simple category that I was in, and that was a simple, regular Christian, with no big doctrinal differences to separate me from any other professing Christian. This was my chance at planting a seed and challenging her beliefs, and pointed out on the shirt in which categories I actually did firmly place myself. She looked at me with surprise, and said she didn't think I fell into those categories.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." - Romans 1:16

I was actually amused that she didn't believe that I was a Calvinist, Reformed, Creationist (that, she did agree with), and some other categories listed. She was saying, in essence, that those who are true believers don't let doctrine get in the way of their faith or walk or expression of who they are in Christ. What I think she doesn't realize is that this kind of watering-down of God's truth is what keeps Christians spiritually immature, ignorant of what the Bible actually states and it can make us ineffective towards the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why the accurate handling of God's word is so important.

Coming Up: "Don't you folks ever read your Bibles?" - Dr. John G. Mitchell

2006-08-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

"The Food's Brown, Hot, and Plenty of It!" -- Cookie, from City Slickers

My husband is fixing up our kitchen and there is little room to prepare the kind of meals I would like to see my family eating. We get by, but I can't wait to have a kitchen sink again! Maybe these food quotes will stave off hunger for awhile.
___

"The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." - G.K. Chesterton

___

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard

___

"PO-TA-TOES! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew!" - Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

___

Worries go down better with soup. - Jewish proverb

___

This is every cook's opinion -

no savory dish without an onion,

but lest your kissing should be spoiled

your onions must be fully boiled.

- Jonathan Swift

___

"Hunger is the best sauce in the world." - Cervantes (from Don Quixote)

___

"The story of barbecue is the story of America: Settlers arrive on great unspoiled continent, discover wonderful riches, set them on fire and eat them." - Vince Staten

___

"There is no sight on earth more appealing than the sight of a woman making dinner for someone she loves." - Thomas Wolfe

___

A three-year-old gave this reaction to her Christmas dinner: "I don't like the turkey, but I like the bread he ate." - Author Unknown

___

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon." - Doug Larson

___

"Solve world hunger - tell no one." - Jim Carrey's, "The Grinch"

___

Bon Appetit!

2006-08-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

A Princess in Shining Armour

To help prepare my daughter for the world's battles in her life, it is my responsibility (and more importantly, her father's) to have her dressed properly for the fight. In Ephesians 6:10-18 we are given an example of putting on the whole armour of God. It's crucial that my daughter be properly protected by this armour, and that she holds a powerful weapon in her hand, the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. This sword in her hand, she will be ready to give an answer as a representative of her King. She will have strength that comes from within, because she knows who she is, Who she serves and what Kingdom she belongs to.

Now, in the movie Ever After, Danielle is in a particularly vulnerable situation. She has lost her mother and father and is left to the mistreatment of a wicked stepmother. In spite of the cruelty, she maintains her dedication to doing what is right, and that is to take care of her father's estate and even rescue people going into slavery. Her character is strengthened more through her trials, and her beauty shines through even her ashes. Ideally, she would have had her mother to wipe away her tears at night and a father to protect her from any harm. Life, though, is not a fairy tale. Parents can lose focus and make bad choices and sometimes they are absent. The strength of character that is built in a young girl who has lost everything is impressive, but it also comes with much vulnerability and pain that she must overcome.

A young woman in her teen years needs the nurturing and delicate care and guidance of a mother who has been through this journey in her own life. A young lady needs the protection and authority of her father, yes, but a mother can actually help her daughter to sort through some of the difficult and very new feelings and emotions that are entering her life. It takes a deliberate, focused mindset to guide our daughters in the right direction, and not let them just follow the trends or habits of what society says is acceptable.

In our post-modern society, the media is constantly bombarding us with the images of young, teenage waifs that are just hangers for the latest fashion. The emphasis is not on what counts, and that is character. The values that I am constantly reinforcing to my daughter are that she is valued first and foremost by God, and that she needs to guard what God has given her with all her heart. The beauty from within that is addressed in 1 Peter 3:1-5 is that "hidden man of the heart" is of great price in the sight of God, and it should be to all Christians. This is what counts in my daughter's life, and I hope to help her to develop that character that should shine forth in beauty.

Part of that character-building is the process of encountering the trials and difficult times that God has sovereignly placed in our daughters lives. Watching our daughters go through pain and struggles is so heart-wrenching! You want to tell them "You'll get through this and have victory," but it doesn't make it easier for them. Those trials are serving to shape our daughters into the kind of women that can face difficult times and, by God's grace, glorify His name.

Through God's sanctification and the process of struggles, I pray that my daughter can learn to trust His guidance in her life. Some ways a young woman (and one not so young) can be blessed in areas of growth are:

- to know the love of Christ
- to experience the blessing of forgiveness -- from God and toward others
- to have a teachable spirit
- to be efficient and productive at home
- to nurture her family
- to respect her father/husband
- to love being a woman!

I delight to see my daughter bloom, not just like a flower that fades away (Isaiah 40:6) but like "a tree that is planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psalm 1:3) This kind of blooming and fruit-producing is a benefit to future generations. The winds may come, the droughts may even come, but the hard times do not frustrate the growth of such a tree, for it is receiving the nourishment from the rivers of life. So, I endeavor to pray more of God's word over my daughter and instruct her in righteousness, so that she will be strong in the Lord when faced with many of life's challenges.

2006-08-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

Our Daughters: Polished Palace Stones

"That our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similtude of a palace." - Psalm 144:12

In the movie Ever After, the Brothers Grimm are given the inside scoop on what really happened in the story of Cinderella, as told by the great, great-granddaughter of the cinder maid. In a unique twist on the mis-reported tale, the young maiden, Danielle, is shown to not only be graceful and sweet but also a strong, determined young woman with a heart for those even less fortunate than herself. While battling the evil plots of her fortune-wasting stepmother and sister, she takes ownership of her late father's estate and is as dedicated to taking care of it, as well as the household staff, as he was. The difficult and lonely struggles Danielle is faced with help to define her character as one of strength and courage and gracious good deeds toward the downtrodden. The Prince, naturally, loves the young maiden's beauty, strength and kindness.

My daughter and I love this movie, and if I'm not out of line, my son seems to really enjoy parts of it, too. The story reflects my childhood dream, as well as the reality of life challenges. As a girl growing up I only wanted to be married and have some children. There were no career plans in my future, not because I couldn't accomplish anything else, but because God had put that desire in me from early on in my childhood. Now, to some of today's women that might seem like an old-fashioned lifestyle but to me it was all I wanted deep down in my heart. Even though I held jobs and even started a career early on after high school, I was troubled by a lack of purpose in my life.

Now, being a wife and mother is hard work! The joy is when you see your family interacting in a loving and productive manner and seeing those values you've sought to instill in them take root. My daughter has seen many hard times visit our family and has watched how I've handled these situations. Sometimes I've handled them well; other times very poorly. God is gracious and merciful and can bring beauty out of the ashes of our lives.

An important value I always held was that teenage daughters really need their mothers. It is a difficult time for them and they have questions and concerns that only mothers can help with. That is another reason why I do not work outside the home. These years go by so quickly and teens need just as much guidance through this emotional, and physically challenging time.

Coming Up: Some good reasons why our daughters need our consistent, godly mothering.

2006-08-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

They Say It's Your Birthday!

2006-08-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Michael!

You're one year older!

2006-08-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

A 20-Year Love Story

My son, Michael, turns 20 today. Words cannot adequately express the love I have in my heart for him, because he is such a gift from God to me. His dramatic entrance into this world (and it was not without drama) changed my life completely. I fell in love with his incredibly long eyelashes and was even envious of them (!) Though only weighing in at a whopping 2 1/2 pounds, he grabbed the attention of everyone in the NICU at OHSU hospital, and the devotion of family and friends.

When Michael was only 2 years old, he and a fellow 2-year-old completely demolished a crib one fateful naptime. Michael was fascinated with fire trucks until the age of 7 or 8 and by the time he was 10 he could tell you anything you ever wanted to know about F-16's and Bombers.

Michael's aunt gave him a student guitar one year and he didn't have much interest in it at first, but a few years later when he was about 13(?) he picked up a guitar and is now not only an accomplished guitarist, but also an excellent drummer. Yes, we had REAL drums playing in our household.

My son is a young man with goals and dreams and, by God's grace, will continue on to be all that God has created him to be for His Glory.

Happy Birthday, Michael!
I love you,
Mom

2006-08-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

A New Creature

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." -- 2 Corinthians 5:17

This seemed like a good time to share my testimony of what God has done in my life. May this testimony serve as an encouragement to those who are facing or someday will face difficult times. -- K.F.

Where Was God in the Midst of My Pain?

After years of trying to please God and earn His love for me, I gave up and left the church I had been attending with my family. How could all these people sing praises about His love? How could they have joy? Didn't they know that life is hard for some of us? I was harboring bitterness and envy of the lives of ease and riches these people must have had to make them love God so much.

I had been through a lot since first being introduced to the Bible 17 years earlier. I truly believed Jesus was God and the Bible was true. But my profession of faith was mostly based on the idea that if I continued to have enough faith, performed the duties of a Christian, and continued to try not to sin, then God would love me. But if I screwed up, I could jeopardize my salvation, or chance at eternal life in heaven. This took so much effort and energy for so many years that I was worn out, with no security of ever pleasing God.

As time went on the bitterness and grief escalated. My youngest daughter had died years earlier from a heart condition, our family's finances were in ruins and my marriage was truly suffering. Where was God in the midst of my pain? My prayers went up to God, with words of accusations toward Him for letting me suffer. After all, hadn't I done all that a christian should do to please Him?

During a period of months, I was becoming more acquainted with the Bible. I was reading many passages, trying to gain comfort and learning. Then one day as I was studying I came across some passages that spoke directly to my heart. I was a sinner, spiritually dead in my sins, unable to come to God on my own terms. Just like Lazarus needed Jesus to call him out of the tomb and give him life, so I needed God to give me His eternal life through Jesus Christ. I needed to be born again. Praising Him with tears streaming down my face, I realized the God of the Universe had chosen me to be his child, forgiven my sins through Jesus' death on the cross and raised me to spiritual life with him when he resurrected from the grave. I can look forward to heaven someday, not because of any good works I could ever possibly do, but because of what Jesus did for me on the Cross.

I've been sharing the good news of what Jesus has done in my life with anyone who will listen. My faith in God through Jesus Christ has carried me through difficult times and I am confident in His love for me. His Word gives me strength and guidance and I no longer fear that I could lose my salvation. My marriage has been healing, and our family attends a congregation of believers who preach the Bible and love each other. Life has been hard, but God is good, and His mercies are new every morning.

Kathleen

May God be praised!

2006-08-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

What's Wrong With the Back of an Envelope?

How do you plan your day? Palm Pilots and Blackberries are handy gadgets to use to set your day's activities, but I pose the questions because I have been challenged recently to plan my days and schedules so that I am being an effective ambassador for Christ and not at the mercy of the tyranny of the urgent.

While shopping for Post-It notes at the office supply store today I was pleasantly surprised to see Brett Harris from The Rebelution there. It was because of his post - Stop Wasting Time - that encouraged me to become more pro-active with my schedule. When I explained to him my daily planning system was scribbling a list on the back of a used envelope, he laughed and commented that his older brother, Josh Harris, actually used the back of envelopes, too. It's not very pretty, but that has been my system for a while now. I often end up losing the envelope and my day hangs precariously in the balance then ; )

Getting Things Done is a book my husband is reading (recommended to him by Gregg Harris) and I'm looking forward to reading this book on time management. Coupled with my cute and handy Post-It notes holder, I will be taking on monumental projects, fighting crime, becoming a shining example of a super mom and wife. Or maybe my dishes won't pile up in the sink so often. It doesn't hurt to dream.

2006-07-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'm Back

Well, the time away from blogging was well-spent. My daughter had many practices for her ballet recital this June and she performed her part beautifully. The whole performance was beautiful, but one of the most touching parts was when her ballet instructor, Melissa and her fiance, Austin, danced together onstage a beautiful dance (a fusion of ballet and ballroom style) to the song My God Is King (#2 on the list there, click to listen to a sample) by Pablo Perez and Laura Hackett. My heart melts when I listen to this song and when I watch this couple gracefully dance together. Perhaps I'll post some pictures here from the performance in the future.

My husband has been faithfully working on fixing up our bathroom (it desperately needed repairs) and has been doing this on his vacation time from work. Some way to spend your vacation, eh? It is a lot of work that extends into the former laundry room and even parts of the kitchen. It will be nice when it's done ....

The Full Page Gospel website has added some testimonies of what God has done in people's lives. The My Story link at the top left-hand side of the page will direct you to some testimonies of some people in my local area. You can find my testimony there, too. These articles will someday be placed in local newspapers sharing the gospel with the public and all that will have ears to hear and eyes to see.

2006-05-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

Remembrance

While most families are tossing a few steaks on the grill in the backyard this weekend or watching war movies in remembrance of what Memorial Day may mean for most Americans, our family holds this weekend in our hearts a little differently than some. On May 26th, 1997 -- Memorial Day -- our little daughter, Jennifer Nicole, passed away in her sleep. She was 2 1/2 years old and was such a sweet and brave girl. Though time does help heal the wound, the scar on my heart is very real. I miss her terribly and wonder what she would look like with each passing year.

In Matthew 18:10 Jesus states "That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven," so I am confident of her ability to also be face to face with her Saviour as it also says in Revelation 22:4 "And they shall see his face; and His name shall be in their foreheads."

2006-05-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Da Vinci Code: Crack This!

If you've been around for awhile you may be familiar with some past religious controversies. Why, it seemed like yesterday people were swooning with passion for Mel Gibson's christ, while others were lobbing criticisms at it for it's liberty-taking with the Gospels. Nearly two decades ago people were either tempted to praise Scorcese's christ (The Last Temptation of Christ) or they were protesting the movie for it's blasphemous portrayal of Jesus struggling over his lust for Mary Magdalene. Things haven't changed much over the last couple of decades when it comes to Hollywood's portrayal of Christ, Christianity, or any passage of the Bible interpreted as a fictional account, left to the creative license of "artists".

The Da Vinci Code is a movie based on the fiction novel by Dan Brown. The premise of the story is that Jesus, when he was here on earth with his disciples, had a s*xual, marital relationship with Mary Magdalene, whom Jesus had cast out seven devils (Luke 8:2). They produced a child, but it was kept secret and the lineage was passed down, apparently to modern times. The code was something the famous artist, Leonardo Da Vinci, put into his Last Supper painting, but the Catholic church covered it up in "conspiracy" to hide the "truth". This is the situation in which we find the character Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks in the movie. The book review is featured on wikipedia.

Now, I have not seen this movie, and the book is out there to read, but I honestly do not want to invest my time into something so un-biblical. The idea that Jesus was a liar like any other human being is really obnoxious. He didn't live one way and preach another thing. He is God and the Bible states that God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18) and that it is impossible for God to lie (Titus 1:2). His character is shown to be just as corrupt and wicked as man's is in these works of fiction. As a believer in Jesus Christ I am told "to refuse profane and old wives' fables" (1 Tim. 4:7).

Another tragic plot in this fictitious story is that the Catholic church is shown powerful for all these centuries to cover up the "truth" in this Da Vinci code. However, my reading of the Bible instructs me that no power or entity or organization or political group, or man is able to separate the love of God from his children. His truth is the Bible, preserved for believers throughout the ages for their edification and spiritual growth. It is our manna and the very thoughts of God Himself! He is faithful to preserve His word for us who believe, because He loves us. He hides His word in our hearts, not in a code that only a man with his intellect can figure out.

God's truth of the Gospel is not carefully wrapped up in lies or codes to be cracked by the elite or enlightened ones. It was defended by millions of martyrs throughout the last 2,000 years. Some resisted and gave up their lives to the flames or wild beasts; some even were put to death on crosses for their faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Reformation was a time when lies were enforced with the threat of death or imprisonment and those changed by the truth of God's Word gladly pursued the truth to obtain what their hearts desired -- to be face to face with their Savior Jesus in heaven. A city on a hill cannot be hidden (Matt. 5:14) and the people who were being drawn by God to the truth of the Bible were seeing the martyrs' undeniable faith and the light of the City of God in them. Today, in some parts of the world Christians are persecuted in many forms. I am grateful for their brave faith as an example in which to live.

There are no codes to be cracked to understand who Jesus is. He is plainly revealed in the pages of the Bible. Man's effort to embellish Jesus' life Hollywood-style is just another attempt at discrediting His words. His Spirit reveals who He is to those of us who believe. I rejoice when I think of my Savior and what He's done for me, so when people portray Him as being just another liar and deceiver with selfish motives, it grieves me.

So, instead of shelling out 8+ bucks for a viewing of this movie, why not crack open the Bible on the shelf and read the Gospels to learn the real account of Jesus' life and the lives of His disciples. No secret decoder ring needed.

2006-05-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

Another Warm Welcome

Kimi is a sweet sister in the Lord and has wonderfully insightful articles on her blog. Kimi and I share a bittersweet sisterhood in that we both have "treasures" awaiting us in heaven. Our daughters shared a similar heart condition and passed away. The light of God's love and grace and patience in suffering is evident in Kimi's face and I am blessed to count her my sister in the Lord. A welcome to Kimi Harris, Nonconformist to my blog!

2006-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Everlasting Gospel

The gospel of Jesus Christ is being glorified among the nations! David Sitton is a missionary to some of the remotest, previously unreached tribes on the planet, with the power of the gospel in hand. To Every Tribe Ministries has been involved in sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to jungle tribes of Papua New Guinea, and areas of Mexico. This is a remarkable journey of faith and service to God. Take a look at the website. I will be posting again on this soon.

2006-05-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Some Familiar Faces

I'd like to welcome to my blog sidebar the people at Noble Institute. They have been around for a while, but new gospel-centered activities are springing up from some fresh faces and seasoned, godly men. Alex and Brett Harris are doing hard things over at The Rebelution and are very gifted young men for Christ. Their father, Gregg Harris, is listed in my sidebar as well. We will be seeing more soon about their Full Page Gospel ads in local newspapers in the future.

Activities are swirling at our home with ballet lessons, bible studies, prayer groups and general chaos. My daughter has been rehearsing her part as Queen Esther in the ballet performance this Spring. She is also working on her writing skills and is looking forward to joining the Journalism Class offered this Fall locally. These classes will be a wonderful opportunity for home-schooled students to let their creative journalism juices flow.

My youngest son is growing tall like his father. He is really developing his knowledge of WW2 history and Flash programming on the computer, but is mostly looking forward to participating in future air-soft wars with his friends. In fact, he's chomping at the bit to play.

Aside from fixing up our kitchen, travelling to dance lessons several times per week, late work hours for my husband, gardening, home repairs, prayer/Bible study groups, the occasional work emergency, shopping and laundry, it's a life of peace around here. Thank the Lord for crockpots.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

2006-04-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Joy of the Lord is my Strength

The Christian walk is one of difficulty at times and sometimes depression from our own weaknesses can overwhelm us. I am speaking from the point of view of great loss (my daughter's passing years ago) and various other stressful, financial and physical situations. Without an understanding that God has sovereignly planned out our lives and will be faithful to complete the good work in us (Philippians 1:6) it is inevitable that we would struggle with His goodness toward his children.

During my walk with the Lord I have gone off the narrow path into error and sin. The Lord, as the Shepherd of my heart, has been so very gracious to direct me (an easily distracted and fearful sheep) to "living waters" and the green pastures of His Word. In my walk I've discovered that there are many traps and snares and sometimes grief, regret and fear can take hold of me. There are also other stumbling blocks along the way for us, like those who would use these very weaknesses in Christians for their own agenda. Spiritual abuse of God's elect is no light matter. It is a traumatic and fearful thing and those caught up in it need fervent prayer, just as if they were involved in gross immoral, physical sin, to bring them to repentence and the light of truth. Philippians 1:15-18 warns Christians that there are those who "preach Christ even of envy and strife". Please take a look at this article on Spiritual Abuse and take a look at some identifying marks of a cult at this informative web page.

King David poured out his heart in grief as well as joy in the Psalms. He states in Psalm 13:2 "How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?" Here, David is in deep grief but in verse 5 of that Psalm he states, "But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me." David can rejoice in his salvation, looking forward to God's promises. We can look to Jesus as the Author and Finisher of our faith and rejoice in our salvation! He is Good and His mercy endures forever! Gregg Harris once mentioned that God is "scandalously soft toward repentent sinners". Romans 2:4 speaks to God's goodness and patience that leads us to repentance and I am eternally thankful to God for His perfect character.

Psalm 103:1-8

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy."

2006-04-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

Sound Doctrine and The Titus 2 Woman

It's certainly fashionable these days to discuss the attritbutes of a "Titus 2 Woman" and many women have flocked to their nearest christian bookstore to find any book they can to show them how to live according to Scripture, such as Proverbs 31, Titus 2, etc. What has been neglected, however, is the equally important rest of Scripture that we are to read and to test the spirits to see if a person's belief system (our own as well as those authors or leaders teaching us) align up with biblical doctrine. Read 2 Timothy 3:13-17, and 2 Timothy 4:1-4. Some areas of doctrine are unquestionably central such as the issues of sin, sin-nature, and the redemptive work of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. What you believe about these things will influence all aspects of your life. See Created to Be His Help Meet and Chosen in Him.

We are to "study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15.

Titus 1:5-11 and Titus 2:1 describes elders, or leadership and their responsibility to hold forth sound doctrine. It also warns against those deceivers that teach false doctrine, and even their motives. Titus then goes on to teach examples of how to live, once you've identified and eliminated the false doctrine, or teachings. False doctrine can be very subtle ..... remember when the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness? (Matthew 4:6)

I don't follow family/marital advice from various other faiths (Mormon, Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Scientology, etc.) or read books written by people of those faiths because even if they are quoting scripture in their books to support what they are teaching, it can be false. Their belief systems, though based on the Bible, are not what I believe. Why go to someone else's springs? (Read Proverbs 5:15, John 7:38, and Revelation 7:17). Key doctrinal issues will trickle into their practical teachings.

Got Doctrine?

How important is right Biblical doctrine? Read what the Bible says about it in these verses:

Isaiah 28:9-10, Proverbs 4:2, John 7:16-17, Acts 2:42, Romans 16:17-18, Ephesians 4:14, 1 Timothy 1:3-11, 1 Timothy 4:6-16, 1 Timothy 6:1, Titus 1:9-16, Titus 2, Hebrews 6:1, 2 John 1:9-11, Revelation 2:14-17.

When trying to live according to the Scriptures as Christian wives and mothers, we need to turn to the source -- the Bible and God's Holy Spirit. No amount of practical advice can change a person's heart to do good. A little secret for women: You cannot manipulate a man enough into loving you! The areas of the heart are left for God alone. See these verses:

1 Samuel 16:7, Jeremiah 17:9, Ezekiel 11:19-20, Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Corinthians 3:3, Romans 9:15-24.

So, why don't people dig deeper into Bible doctrine? People want to follow how-to books because they eliminate the necessity of relying on the Holy Spirit and digging deeper into deep, sound, meatier studies of Scripture. Sometimes it fits a manipulative agenda. Often people want to give advice, sell books, establish a niche. Think I'm too hard on people? Read the whole book of Titus -- it's a warning about false teachers.

Build upon the strong foundation of Jesus Christ and His Word. Psalm 11:3, 2 Timothy 2:19-26.

Philippians 4:6-9
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

2006-04-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

Everybody Needs a Friend

**Click on this Post to listen.

Sometimes we can't hear what others are trying to tell us about ourselves and it can cause a lot of grief. Thank God He shows us just how much we need Him to get us back on the right track with Him, if we are called His friends John 15:14-17.

Proverbs 27:6 tells us "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." I thank Jesus for His Faithful wounds, received in His flesh for my sins. I'm also thankful to the Lord for bringing me wounds in my walk with Him, because He is also faithful to heal them. Luke 4:18 and 1 Peter 2:24.

2006-04-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Bloom Where You Grow

I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

-- Johnny Cash

My dad was in the military and when I was a child we traveled quite a bit. I've lived in Barnegat Light, New Jersey; St. Louis, Missouri, and spent most of my growing-up years in Astoria, Oregon. Now, my family moved to each of these areas by car, and we also took family trips to some places of interest during those years. I have touched the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia; seen the Declaration of Independence; traveled by ferry near Staten Island and saw the Statue of Liberty; witnessed ice skaters at Rockefeller Plaza in New York; ventured to the top of the St. Louis Gateway Arch; taken a trip to the top of the Seattle Space Needle; I have been to Reno, Nevada in the middle of summer (that was hot!) and visited the end of the Oregon Trail at Fort Clatsop, Astoria, Oregon (a yearly event when I lived there).

As an adult I have not traveled as much as other people but years ago went to Canada with a group of teenagers (my husband and I were youth leaders at the time) and experienced the Continental Divide (it doesn't look any different than any other mountain range). We also traveled for unknown, mind-numbing miles of growing fields on our way back from Canada through Idaho. They are beautiful areas of the country, though. Vacaville, California was a nice change of scenery as my family and I played in a pool for a few days in June years ago. I can still remember the beautiful smelling Eucalyptus trees waving in the wind. I've been to San Antonio, Texas for several days and visited The Alamo (it is a lot smaller than I thought and right in the middle of downtown San Antonio). My family and I walked along the "River Walk" and gazed at the fish in the man-made river. This canal is a nice stroll on a Spring day but it doesn't compare to the grandeur of the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. This area has vistas that will take your breath away. (See picture above).

As I think of all the places I've been in my life, I'm reminded that I'm right where God wants me to be in His will. Knowing my Father has placed me where He plans to grow me brings me comfort and I can rest in Him and His Word. Yes, growing and blooming will be the process when I am firmly established in His truth. I am thankful that this is the area of His creation that He has chosen me to live -- the Great Northwest.

Now, if my family and I could just visit the Hawaiian Islands .....

2006-04-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the Oregon Air!

It's so beautiful in Oregon when the trees and flowers are blooming in Spring. We are blessed with rain so much of the time that when the sun peeks through the clouds at last it reveals the wonderful hidden things that God has been growing over the season. I used to have a difficult time seeing clearly even in bright sun as a result of having cataracts, then replacement contacts for so long (years ago), but God blessed me with an operation for artificial lenses about 10 years ago. I can see beautifully to this day, thanks be to God! It truly was a gift from God and to be able to see His creation, read His Word and enjoy Him forever is in what I take great delight.

Springtime is also a time of great work around our house. It seems the sunlight brings out all the dusty, cluttered areas of my home and I am motivated to clean out that which is unnecessary in my life. I just gave away many clothes that my children have outgrown (ohh, that was a little sad going through some raincoats I remember them wearing a few years ago). Needless to say, my husband is very pleased and very gracious not to tease me about things that have become clutter. He's been quite encouraging and we are looking forward to creating new ideas with the freed-up spaces in our home. We hope to fill these areas with joy and happy memories with our children.

"For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." Isaiah 61:11

2006-04-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

If Tomorrow's Sun Doesn't Shine ....

Weather forecasters are predicting rain for our area tomorrow. It's time for a little pick-me-up. This Post should do the trick.

"Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy." Psalm 147:7-8, 11

2006-04-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

Landscapes

Lori and Lisa Lubbesmeyer are two sisters who have a wonderful talent for creating beautiful landscape art, as well as architectural scenes, from scraps of fabric. Their art, also known as Fiber Art, is a unique gifting and they are doubly unique in that they are twin sisters. Though the process involves sewing, as on a quilt, their finished pieces are artwork. I saw an interview with them on PBS and the fascinating part of their work is that when one of the sisters stops working on an area of a piece they are completing, the other sister picks up where her sister left off and continues to create the art, resulting in a beautifully intricate patchwork of colorful landscapes or other scenes. Another neat thing about them is that they get some of their inspiration from the diverse scenery in Oregon. Lori and Lisa currently live and work in Bend, Oregon.