Keys to Kingdom Living

The Unlocked Door

2011-12-13T11:16:00.004-05:00

The story is told of a pastor who felt he could only prepare his sermons when he was left absolutely alone and undisturbed. One day he thoughtlessly left the door to his study unlocked and his little three year old child softly opened the door and came in. He naturally felt that his peace was being disturbed and impatiently asked, “My child, what do you want?” The little child looked up at his father and said, “Nothing, Daddy.” He replied, “Then what did you come in here for?” The little child without pausing said, “I just wanted to be with you”

One wonders in all our preparations to hear from our Father in Heaven if we could be like that child whose only desire was to come and be close to his father. Oh the quiet assurance, the rest and peace we would then receive from God if we would only go into His presence and wait before Him, wanting nothing but to be with Him.

But what of the unlocked door! Every Christmas we celebrate the greatest gift our Father gave to lost humanity, the gift of the unlocked door. In careful preparation our Father sent Jesus his only begotten son, so that by believing in the one He sent we shall be able to open that door and enter into the presence of Our Father in Heaven. Jesus said, in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.”

What a gift the birth of Jesus is and I can think of no greater way of celebrating the gift of His birth than we should take the time each day to softly open the door and enter in and say, “I just wanted to be with you.”

The secret life is found not in the doing of things, though they may be

great and noble things, the secret life is found when we enter in through

the unlocked door and run into the arms of the one who loves us with a

love so great that words fail to express its fullness.

So in this incredibly amazing season of celebrating our wonderful Savior's birth we pray that you will know even greater measures of His love, peace and joy. May He fill your home and hearts with abounding hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Merry Christmas to all!

THANKSGIVING: ONE OF HEAVENS SECRETS

2011-11-04T08:51:00.000-04:00

Each morning Rex & I do our morning devotions. This morning we were in Romans 16:3-16 and some important things came to my heart that I would like to share with you. The Apostle Paul was greeting and thanking those fellow believers that had made an impact in his life and helped him in furthering the gospel. There were many hard to read names he included and I wondered why it was so important that he leave no one out. Many of us have wondered why the long lists of names, called the “begats” are included in the Old Testament. Every name on the list of the begats is of utmost importance as it represents a generation of individuals who lived, loved, dreamed, had children and passed on the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ. And every name Paul lists in greeting and thankfulness are of utmost significance as well.

As I ponder this question and ask the Holy Spirit about it He quickened to me that the importance of greeting, recognizing and thanking others is not of any small significance to Him. In fact it is a part of His very nature and He tells us to “always give thanks” not only that we are His bought with a price but also for all the believers and the family of God that we are heirs with in Christ.

“Eucharist {thanksgiving} is the state of the perfect man. Eucharist is the life of paradise. Eucharist is the only full and real response of man to God’s creation, redemption, and it is a gift of heaven.”

Alexander Scheming

The Lord has been working on me for some months in this area of gratitude and the power of it in an individual’s life. I have come to a conclusion that we can not live the abundant life He tells us we have without thankfulness and gratitude. In fact the more it becomes the very fiber of our thought processes and our exercises in faith the more all of the fruits of the Spirit can flow through us.

“One act of Thanksgiving when things go wrong with us is worth a thousand thanks when things are agreeable to our inclinations.” Saint John of Avila

I am discovering that we need to exercise or discipline ourselves through the Holy Spirit working in us throughout the day in giving thanks because we really are bombarded these days with “bad news”. The more we hear and the worse the condition of our world becomes we can find ourselves easily beginning to live in the negativity and hopelessness the news is projecting.

I am not saying we should keep our head in the sand and not be informed –but I am saying that it is of more importance that when we hear the “bad news” that we saturate ourselves in praise, and worship, in deliberate acts of thankfulness and gratitude, in disciplining our minds to think on the pure and lovely

things, to enjoy that which He has created, to saturate ourselves in His word and submit our very lives to Him.

WHEN YOU GIVE THANKS FOR THE LIFE YOU HAVE

YOU OFTEN WILL FIND THE LIFE YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED.

In the book “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp we find a young woman that discovers that in giving thanks for the life she already had, she finds the life she always wanted. She began to discipline herself and reprogram her thoughts by listing the things and people she was thankful for. Her goal was to list one thousand things she was thankful for throughout her day. In doing this she found a depth of joy she had never experienced, giving her the ability to see and be thankful for the things that had previously seemed insignificant. Thankfulness forced her to slow down and live life through different eyes, changing her very countenance and delivered her from the generational bondage brought on by trauma and tragedy that she had lived under most of her life.

“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” Sarah Ban Breathnach

As we were watching a documentary on the life and disciplines of the Shakers the other night an exercise they implemented got my attention and I found very interesting. Three times a day they made it a practice to get on their knees and give thanks so God. I am not advocating all of the beliefs and practices of the Shakers but I am sensing there is something in this discipline of thankfulness that we have neglected.

“Sometimes in our efforts to not be legalistic we have forsaken the disciplines of our faith that can actually facilitate our walking in the intimacy and joy in the Lord that our hearts are longing for. I am discovering afresh that this discipline of thankfulness and praise through the Holy Spirit working in us is part of heaven’s secret to living the ‘abundant life’.” Lois Burgher

So as we would conclude this newsletter to you in this wonderful time of harvest and Thanksgiving we would be amiss to not say how much gratitude we have for each and every one of you.

We give thanks for you always and pray for His abiding presence in His love, joy, and peace for each of you,

Much Love and Gratitude,

OUTPOURING IN GERMANY!

2011-10-13T16:22:00.002-04:00

OUTPOURING IN GERMANY!

Volume 9 - Issue 111 October - 2011

As we flew into Dusseldorf, Germany this past month we both were anticipating our trip into Germany, which is actually the place of Rex's heritage from both his mother and father. This was our first opportunity to minister in Germany and we were in for an amazing time. It was both a blessing and an honor to be invited to be a part of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in this church in the neighboring town of Duisburg.

From experience I have come to know that a true outpouring of the Holy Spirit is present when you see that the youth are on fire. Immediately as we entered the doors we witnessed the youth worshiping and loving His presence in complete abandonment ! There was so much joy, laughter and love between the people and it was obvious that they were hungry for more of Him!

What beautiful music this was to our ears! As I watched these youth worship I was taken back to the stories I read of Evan Roberts and how he had a youth band travel with him bringing high praise and worship before he spoke throughout Wales and the amazing revival that began which changed his nation and quickly spread around the world. There was that kind of atmosphere in this gathering of people in Germany. Which manifested itself in the tangible presence of our living God that loves with an unending and intimate love. I could sense it with all of my being and I was quickly taken into His presence. That is the place every heart was made for, to be in that place of intimate communion, being totally captured by Him. Once you have been captured by Him you will always seek to be with Him in that place of total acceptance and grace for it is the only place our hearts can find true rest. This is the place of Heavenly Bliss here on earth.

THE HEART OF OUR FATHER

We taught, preached, prayed, and imparted throughout the 6 days we were with them. We were so delighted to have been there and gave what we believe the Lord had for us to give in this season. I imagine if you asked them what was most notable it would be the last message where Rex ended his preaching with the personal stories about his German grandfather and his own father. Many were touched and weeping on the floor as the Lord healed their hearts and delivered several from unforgiveness or disappointments they had toward their earthly fathers. There were so many that were overcome with the heavenly Father’s love, as the Holy Spirit revealed His true nature to them, that it was awesome to witness the transformation that took place within their hearts. He is so good!

One of the things we enjoyed the most about being there ourselves, second to the presence of God in this place, was the true family atmosphere we experienced with them. Every day we ate together in one of the churches families home next to the church, as well as in Pastor Martin and Heike’s home. We “broke bread” with them every day as we got to know one another better, it was just as one would imagined it to be during the days of the early church.

It really is hard to have that same kind of fellowship when you go into an American Restaurant where you can hardly hear each other above the noise and you know hardly a soul. Rex told our daughter’s I loved it so much that I was ready to move there after we got home. But then I love that kind of fellowship! Food, conversation, laughter, love and all of it surrounded by families comprised of all ages of people! I think that is part of what we were made for! Not to impress anyone but to just be ourselves and enjoy each other, living together in His love and unity! And yes I think that includes food in every culture! And the German people, their culture and food were wonderful! Yeah God!

Again I want to say how honoring it is to go and be used of Him in such a place and in such a time as this! May He go out from that place and spread throughout Europe bringing another Awakening of the Fire of His love and changing the fabric of society once again. May He have mercy on us and bring an Awakening no man can stop in this nation and throughout the earth as well! And may He be glorified and worshipped as King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s! For He deserves all Praise and Honor now and Forever!

This was really a ‘God Trip’, not only for us but as many shared it also was for them as well. From the first moment we were there we connected with the people in a very powerful way. The message of the Father that we were privileged to share with them pierced their hearts and brought healing to so many. It is also very interesting to us that this was the first place we came to minister after our book was published, ‘Our Father’s Heartbeat’.

THE HARVEST IS HERE IN THE FATHERS-LAND

You may not realize this but at the heart of the revival we have been apart of called ’The Father’s Blessing’ has at its primary foundation the message of “The Father Heart of God’. Speakers like Jack Frost, Ed Piorek and James & Denise Jordan are the primary speakers on this subject. They in turn were powerfully impacted by Jack Winter who was impacted by Major Ian Thomas, a British officer in WWII who was so overwhelmed by the scenes of hopelessness on the faces of the orphaned roaming the streets of Germany after the war, that he began a ministry based on the heart of the Father that still is in operation in Germany.

How fitting that we should go to Germany to be used to spread the love of the Father to so many that are crying out for His love and acceptance. That is why it is so important for each of our partners to realize how integral they are to this ministry and the message it is bringing to not only Germany but around the world. Pastor Spreer has asked us to come back next spring and speak at a meeting he host every year comprised of pastors from not only Germany but other countries so they may hear the message of the Father’s heart. He feels that it is time for Germany and neighboring countries to be impacted by this message. What an opportunity!

That is why we need our friends who have witnessed our heart to pray and consider coming alongside of us and financially partner with us to go and minister in these churches. The harvest is at hand.

FOLLOWERS OF THE WAY!

2011-10-13T16:18:00.000-04:00

The first Bible I read was one Lois loaned to me, called, ‘The Way.’ It was written in contemporary English, which was nice because it was easy to read and understand. It was the Bible that she had as a young girl and was also very popular among the hippies during the Jesus Movement.

Later I found it interesting that ‘The Way’ is what Christians were called before the term Christian was used. They were known as followers of ‘The Way’ and used this descriptive phrase to describe themselves after the passage in John 14:5-6 in which Thomas asked Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

In Acts 9:2 we find that Paul, “went to the high priest and asking him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”

Later in Acts 22:4 we find Paul saying, “I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,”

WHICH WAY DO WE GO!

We lost our way when Adam and Eve sinned and were banished from the Garden and from the daily intimacy they had with our Father, In Genesis 3:23, after our Father banished them, he place a flaming sword which flashed back and forth to guard or keep us from the way back to the Garden which contained the Tree of Life. V.24

Adam and Eve’s children have been trying to find their way back home since the day they were banished from the garden. The garden was our home and the last place we experienced any peace, tranquility and rest for our spirits. Deep within our heart is the desire to return to that place our Father created for us, that place of perfect rest, our home.

Mankind asks, “Where do we come from?” followed by “Why are we here?” and “What happens to us when we die?” These questions have plagued our hearts since Adam and Eve sinned and were banished from the garden . There is something in our hearts that knows that if we could just find our way back home, if we just knew where to go, everything would be all right. We have truly lost our way back to the Father. Right after Jesus told Thomas that he was the way to the Father, Phillip continued the conversation, in verse 8, and asked Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” The disciples knew that Jesus was the way back to the Father but weren’t sure yet how they were to get there.

WHAT IS THE TRUTH?

The truth of the matter is this, “How did we lose our way?” We lost our way because Adam and Eve didn’t believe or trust in what our Father told them. Father told them in Gen. 2:16, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden’ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of

good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Pretty straight forward wouldn’t you say? Don’t eat of it because if you do you will die. But the sad part is they didn’t believe him and did what he asked them specifically not to do and lost their way, crossing over from life to death.

Seems astonishing doesn’t it, that we would lose our way by not believing? But not believing goes hand in hand with not trusting our Father. We willfully disobeyed him because we did not trust him anymore. But what is it to ‘believe if trusting is not a part of it’? It says in James 2:19, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” Even the demons believe, but the difference is whether or not we trust our Father enough to turn our wills completely over to His perfect will. Even Jesus required his will to be subject to his Father’s will, “Not my will but yours be done.” The sin nature is considering equality with God something to be grasped but in Phil. 2:6 it says, “Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” Our wills in line with His will is the only way to trust and obey.

If the way out was by not trusting and believing that our Father had our best interest at heart then it stands to reason that we can find our way back by believing and trusting in our Father once again. Jesus said in John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” And again in John 12:44 Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.”

Mankind has been offered the opportunity to accept the truth, providing us a way back home and out of this sin filled life. We are slaves to the sin nature because we were born into bondage, into a prison that we cannot taste, smell or touch. A prison of our mind, will and emotions. We can tell you what the truth is but you can only enter in and fully experience it when you believe and trust in Jesus by faith.

It says that Jesus stands at the door and knocks, what door is he knocking on? Could it be the door that leads us back to the Father that same door that Adam and Eve exited when they were banished from the garden. Mankind asks the question, ‘What work does our Father require of us so that we can return home? Jesus answered them in John 6:29, “The work of God is this; to believe in the one he has sent.”

Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks, Rev. 3:20–21. When we answer he asks us, “Do you believe that I was sent from the Father and will you trust me to get you back home again?

LIVING THE LIFE!

The way back is by believing and trusting in Jesus. Once we accept not only are we guaranteed to spend eternity with our Father again in our new home, but we are also guaranteed a better life while we remain here on Earth. Jesus said in John 10:10 “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full; till it overflows).” Not our will but yours be done, Jesus said. The translation is simple, ‘Not my way but yours Father.’ Only then will we find the abundant life promised by Jesus. Whether our life goes through seasons of good or bad, rich or poor, health or sickness it doesn’t matter because we have entered into a supernatural life of abundance with Him.

Being, ‘Followers of the Way’ has a good sound to it doesn’t it. We pray that your will is aligned with His perfect Will for your life and that each one of us will experience the Abundant Life!

Would Jesus compromise his Vote?

2011-06-21T09:58:00.000-04:00

I am as amazed as you are that already the campaigning for the 2012 political season is in full swing. I know this is not much of a surprise to anyone but is it just me or didn’t we just finish two years of political campaigning? My ears are tired of being indurated with political pundits from both sides of the political spectrum whose only thing they have in common is the ability to all speak at the same time everyone else is speaking. It would be a miracle if you could ever find two people actually discussing a topic.

Which reminded me of a conversation I was listening the to other day on a Christian news organization. They were explaining that if all the Christians in the United States would vote we could outvote all the sinners and finally be able to get men and women with Christian values into our public offices.

That would seem to be a good idea except for a few small details and we all know the ‘devil is in the details’. For instance we have known politicians who proclaim they are Christians but then they vote for the rights of pro-abortionist and same sex marriage. They may claim to know Jesus but it certainly is not the same Jesus that I have come to know. Call Jesus ‘old fashion’ if you will but I can’t imagine Jesus voting for abortion on demand. That means the level of discernment the Christian community would need to rightly discern the legitimacy of a candidates commitment to the Lordship of Jesus is staggering. For some it seems that if those running for office just hinted they were Christians it would be enough to get their vote.

Then there are those who believe strongly in the separation of Church and State. Yes, Christians who leave their God in the church and vote not for what is right for their country based on Biblical principles but believe more in the old saying, “It’s the economy stupid!” The problem is simple, we cannot separate ourselves from Jesus because Christianity is not a religion. Being religious doesn’t care if you are changed on the inside but is satisfied with only the outward appearance. Christianity changes you on the inside changing the way you see, feel and think about things that come your way so that you have the mind of Christ in all of your decisions. We just can’t leave Jesus behind, not out of our jobs, nor in our homes, certainly not at the polling booth and especially if we are a politician.

Give me that ‘Old Time Gospel’

Many believe that if our governmental officials were Christian then they could change the laws that govern the people by legislating into our society morally righteous laws. I know we can find scriptures that supports the idea that the kingdoms of this world are to be given to the believers. But there are also texts that declare that when the kingdoms of this world are given into the hands of Christ, he is to break them into pieces. Psalms 2:9, Rev. 12:5, Rev. 19:15 and Dan. 2:44.

In fact it would be hard to find any text supporting the idea that nations are to become Christian or that the world is to be converted by passing moral laws. The only method that is supported by the scriptures is the old-time method of salvation by faith through the preaching of the cross of Christ.

The commission to the disciples as given through Jesus says nothing about reforming governments and saving kingdoms rather it is about the salvation of individual hearers and believers only. Salvation by faith is the only method of salvation known to Christianity and faith is always an individual matter. Nowhere does it say that the saints of God will be able to outvote the sinners but it does say we are the salt of the earth and as such it is the means in which the earth is preserved. Matt.5:13

Let’s look at Sodom. If they could have found ten righteous men, in the whole city, it could have been saved. Gen. 18:32. Could it be that the earth is being preserved from God’s fury because there are

righteous Christians in it even though they are in disproportion to the overwhelming numbers of the wicked. The salvation of the earth does not depend upon the votes of the righteous and the reason this is true is even in a country like ours that proclaims to be a Christian nation there just are not enough righteous Christians to make the difference. However it does depend on the integrity of the righteous for if the salt loses its quality it can preserve nothing; and if the church loses her ability to be the light of the world then it to loses its ability to shield the earth against the wrath of God.

It would seem that more importantly the Christian church should not lose her Christianity and become more like the world. Perhaps this is why God has always shown more concern over the condition of the church than over the condition of the world. Jesus did drive the money changers out of his Father’s house but did nothing to form groups, take polls and appear on talk shows to deal with the corruption found in the government.

If we look at the outpouring on the day of Pentecost to the reformations of Luther, Wesley and Seymour we will find that not only was the church transformed but society as well. Each of these outpourings changed the way the world viewed how they treated their fellow man. Our world is in desperate need of another powerful reformation where the transforming power of a loving God changes the hearts and minds of a sick and perverse world.

It is through the church that the message of salvation is to be spread throughout the world. In the book of Acts we see this happening first through Peter on the day of Pentecost then through the Apostles as they went throughout the world clothed in power from on high. In fact it says that the Christian church was able to spread the gospel message throughout the whole known world, and in the face of the most powerful and ruthless empire the world had ever known.

There was a time when the world’s mightiest power, Rome became a Christian nation and made laws compelling you to become a Christian. Just three hundred years after Jesus ascended into heaven things changed when the Emperor of Rome made Christianity the religion of the nation. When that happened corruption flooded into the church and for the next 1200 years the world entered into what historians have called the, ‘dark ages’. When the light of the church grows dim the world becomes a very dark place.

The important question therefore is not:

What is the condition of the world? But what is the condition of the church?

The danger is not that the world would become more wicked but that the church may lose her Christianity. Remember 2 Tim. 3:1-5, where it says that it is entirely possible for the church to maintain a form of godliness while knowing nothing of the power of godliness.

Each day we see crimes that shock our sensibilities; but there are also popular and respectable sins that exist within the church almost without protest that separate the church from Christ. Consider the sins brought about by compromising our Christian values. The values given to us in the word of God are not to be compromised for when they are we all lose. You cannot compromise what is truth and still believe it will remain true. A individual cannot compromise their way into salvation, it is either all or nothing.

We must remember it was not, the politicians nor the sinners that crucified Jesus but the Pharisees and the chief priests; or in other words, by the outwardly good, respectable elements within the church. Pilate wanted to save Jesus but the church demanded his death.

This doesn’t mean that righteous men and women should not seek public office if they are called by God to do so or that we should not vote for those who seek office. We need righteous Christian men and women in public office to do the right thing even when the world is against them. However the church is not to sit back believing that those in governmental positions are solely responsible to change the world for Christ when that will always be the calling of each one of us.

With all our love,

Awaken Our Souls To The Delights of Your Creation by Lois Burgher

2011-04-05T09:57:00.000-04:00

Weekend after weekend we would pack up the car and head out with fishing poles, lunches, and jackets, with the great anticipation of spending the day in the beautiful Black Hills. We did not have a lot of money to go out to eat or spend whatever we wanted at a department store and certainly we would not be viewed as wealthy in the material sense, however my family was very rich in learning to appreciate and enjoy nature and my soul came alive and responded to God at a very early age sometimes I think because of continually being surrounded by the wonders of His creation.

A quote I read by Eleonora Duse has made me reflect on this truth for sometime now. I am so in agreement with it as I have seen it to be so true in my own life.

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy,

if the simple things of naturehave a message that you understand, rejoice for your soul is alive.”

I have come to love every season of the year and the unique beauty they bring, but spring is my favorite time of the year and always awakens within me the gift of new life and the immense power and truth of His resurrection! Spring for me is the season that illuminates the meaning of the word hope. Spring also brings the memories of special times spent with my family. The times of stopping the car to run out and pick the wild crocuses peaking up through the newly thawed earth. The times of smelling the earthworms as they come out of the ground after the rain, and running out to take pictures of the double rainbows aglow over the Rocky Mountains. The times of watching for the bluebirds return to the feeder and smelling the lilacs as they fill the bushes with their beauty and fragrance. The times of putting my hands in the warmed soil to plant the seed that will bring a bounty of fresh vegetables and flowers. Spring always brings and enhances the awakening of my soul and stirs within me the wonderful gift of life itself and the great love my creator has for me.

All of my family have been apart of my learning the joy of the simple things of nature but I have special tributes to give to two members of my family for this gift of the memories he has given to me and to the continual appreciation they have contributed to in the awakening of my soul to His creation. Those tributes are to my mother soon to be 89 years of age, and to my brother Steve.

I have wonderful memories of walking with my own mother around lakes, and through the trees and meadows as she would point out the wonders of God’s creation to me and exclaim at the goodness of God! I remember and appreciate her love for growing flowers and exclaiming at the incredible peonies and snapdragons and the simplicity of the beauty of the meadow flowers on our walks. I remember the first time we all went up on the Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier Park in Montana when I was a small girl. I watched my mother weep and worship God at the incredible beauty and majesty that was before our eyes. What a privilege it is to be taught to see and know God in all of creation and to find such joy in His majesty! I love you so much, my mother, my forever mentor and closest of friend.

Steve is three and a half years older than I and has lived in northwest Montana for the past 36 years. Steve is a true outdoorsman in every sense of the word and has helped me be alive and alert to the things of nature since we were small children. I believe Steve was born with and was also taught by our father and mother to sensitize himself to see and appreciate all of the animals and wonders of creation in a unique and wonderful way that only few people experience. There is not a time that I can remember of being with Steve that he has not pointed out the red tail hawk in the sky, picked a handful of wild flowers and given them to me, or commented on the number of deer he saw that day or the fish that he caught. Steve gets so much joy from the simple things of creation and for that I will always love him and be especially grateful. Steve is and has been a special gift to my life. I love you Steve and thank you so much for who you are and for being the best brother!

I was recently reading about the life of the well-known hymn writer Fanny Crosby. It is said that more of her hymns than any other writer of the nineteenth century have found an abiding place in the hearts of the world over. So evident is this that there is a fragrance about her very name that no other has. In her time Fanny Crosby was considered of equal stature with colleagues D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey. She was renowned as a preacher and lecturer and people would line up for blocks to hear her speak. She did not even begin writing until she was in her 40’s nevertheless she wrote approximately 9,000 hymns. The passion of her love for God drew the lost into the kingdom of God. Fanny also composed more than 1,000 poems and played the harp and organ in concert. So many accomplishments seem incredible for any one person, but all the more when you realize that these talents were beautifully expressed through a woman who was blind from infancy.

I learned about her background and how the Lord used her grandmother Eunice as a wonderful mentor. Eunice taught her to believe in the goodness and the faithfulness of God. She had a rare gift to see God in all of creation. Creation was a mirror to her that reflected spiritual truth. In all their walks together in the woods and through the fields, Eunice brought understanding and illumination to Fanny that they were not alone but God was walking with them! She taught Fanny that every bird, tree and flower was designed by God to serve His plans and purposes. Eunice taught Fanny about the loving nature of a wonderful God! “Believing and trusting in God is the antidote to bitterness, resentment, and fear.” she would tell her. Fanny literally was led by the hand and walked through pastures, woods and valleys as she was taught of God’s faithfulness in creation. Grandmother Eunice taught young Fanny to look for and find God in every place and in every situation. He is there, but we have to be taught to expect to find Him.

I am now having the immense joy of helping my own grandsons recognize Him in the wonders of His workmanship! There is nothing like seeing God’s creation through the eyes of a child. Watching them awakens my own senses even more to Him. I am again seeing and experiencing like a child even as I delight in watching my grandsons as we touch and smell and learn the names of trees and birds, observe the blueness of the sky, and exclaim at the color and fragrance of the plants and flowers. Simeon is already looking for and expressing joy at seeing the birds and trees at age 2. I had the privilege of experiencing our oldest grandson Jonah at 2 1/2 have sheer delight in seeing the African animals and run outside to play in the rain without his shoes on. I am reminded in the deepness of my soul of how much delight our Father has in seeing our joy of what He has created for us His children. This is what He intended in the beginning and what we have available to us again in the New Covenant! It is restored as we commune with Him in the manifest joy within His creation. The Holy Spirit within us leaps out to show us and confirm His faithfulness and great love to us His precious children. And there is purpose and meaning to the very essence of who we are-walking right alongside of Him in His garden, bathed in His love, joy and peace no matter what is happening in this world around us.

I am also reminded of a part of my training as a nurse. I remember learning about the steps every person goes through in the process of grief. One thing I specifically remember is the importance of the effects of the things He has created to bring healing to our spirits in the grieving process. To allow ourselves to come alive to the beauty of life itself and to find healing in spending time in the secret place He has created for us to enjoy. I have found this to be true in my own life to bring healing and His perspective to the burdens and problems that life sometimes brings. I have learned to put on my coat, take a walk, and ask Him to awaken my soul to the things He has created for me to delight in. I ask Him to awaken me to know that He is always faithful, that He is everlasting to everlasting, that He knows the beginning to the end and that I am His chosen one, dearly loved, and the apple of His eye. That is the secret place, the place that no amount of money can buy, the place that no one can take from me.

So today as you are reading this I pray that you too will find your soul being awakened to the delights of His creation, that he will show you new and precious things that He has made for you to enjoy and that you will have His peace as He takes you to the secret place of His presence and the assurance of His faithfulness.

With all our love,

Heaven is my home but I’m not homesick!

2011-02-25T12:09:00.006-05:00

Volume 8--Issue 104                                                                                                     March, 2011

Dear Friends,

    Life is short but no one, myself included, wants to dwell upon this fact. I don’t know how it started but I found myself for a while every Sunday, reading the Obituary page within Sunday’s paper. I did notice a bit of a depression would settle upon me after I read it but yet each Sunday I found myself strangely drawn to the list of those who passed away. I was especially interested in those who were closest to my age and found myself very interested in finding out why they had departed so soon.

   When I was younger I can’t say that the thought of my own demise was very much on my mind. It was always for someone else, certainly not me. Occasionally a person died in a car accident or an older relative would pass away but it seemed distant, over the horizon from my thoughts. But the older I become the more it seems that the horizon is getting closer and closer.   Its not like you become fixated on your own mortality, you just know that you are getting closer to the finish line faster than you would like and all of your attempts to slow down the process is doing nothing more than speeding up the inevitable. Heaven is my home but I’m not homesick.

   Charles Spurgeon the great Baptist preacher, once wrote along these lines: “There may be some of you who stand today like a man upon the shore when the tide is swelling towards his feet. There came one wave, and it took away the grandmother; another came, and a mother was swept away; another came, and the wife was taken; and now it dashes at your feet. How long shall it be ere it breaks over you—and you, too, are carried away by the yawning wave into the bosom of the deep of Death….Children, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, prepare to meet your God.”

Three things we must learn

   The first is that ‘all must die’. There is just no way around it, we may glance at the obituaries or read in the paper of the riots in Tunisia, Egypt and now Libya. Our radios tell us of the deaths of the four Americans on their yacht off the coast of Somalia by pirates. Even the television has coverage of the earthquake in New Zealand where 75 people lost their lives and scores more are injured or unaccounted for.

   The devil may say, “Don’t worry about such things, eat, drink and be merry and enjoy the good things of life.” But the devil has been a liar since the beginning and life is not that long, in fact life is short. The time is fast approaching when you and I will be standing before our God and have to give an account of ourselves. What will happen to us if we are not prepared to die? What will become of us?

   The second is that the ‘wages of sin is death’. We know that sin is the reason for death to reign in the lives of men. That is why death is such an unnatural occurrence. Humanity tries to make it sound so natural as if death is a necessary part of the cycle of life. Life begins, develops, matures, and then fades away. It is the way of man or the natural order of things. But if it is so natural why then do people fear dying so much? I can understand that pain and the failing of the body during old age can get one to wish the time would quicken but still why do people fear death itself if it is such a natural occurrence?

   If it is so natural there would be no fear involved but the truth is it is very unnatural. It is the grim reminder that the wages of sin is death and then the coming judgment. I wonder if the reason we fear death is because we then will have no excuses, no delays, nothing to hinder us from our standing face-to-face before God? Even those who would deny any concern about coming face-to-face with God know in their inner most being that, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Hebrews 9:27

The third point is ‘death can be transformed into eternal life’.   We can do nothing on our own to stop the inevitable. But there is one who can change the order of things. That one is Jesus Christ who conquered death by dying and who by that death and the resurrection that followed forever transformed death for all who call upon his name and follow him. “Sin brought death for Adam, and by his sin death passed upon the race.” Romans 5:12 “The first man Adam became a living being, the last Adam, (Jesus) a life-giving spirit.” I Corinthians 15:45

    Scotland's, Horatius Bonar wrote years ago; “The first Adam dies and we all die in him; the second Adam dies and we live in him! The first Adam’s grave proclaims only death; the second Adam’s grave announces life. We look into the grave of the one, and we see only darkness, corruption, and death; we look into the grave of the other, and we find there only light, incorruption, and life. In the one grave we find him still there, in the other grave he is not there. He is risen and has in his hands the keys of death and Hades. That whomsoever believes in him shall live.”

The story of two men

    Let me tell you the story of two men who died during the same year. In 1899 two very famous men passed away from the bounds of earth to meet their maker, one a Christian and the other was not. The unbeliever was Colonel Ingersoll who made a career of attacking the Bible and whose lectures on ‘immortality’ at Harvard University were well known. The other was a believer named Dwight L. Moody.

Ingersoll died quite un-expectantly and his death was a shock to everyone. The body was kept at the family home for several days because the family could not bear to part with it, but it was finally removed. He was cremated but the display at the crematorium was so pitiful that the newspapers picked it up and communicated it to the nation. Ingersoll’s had used his great intellect to deny Christianity. But when he died his closest of family and friends viewed it as a hopeless tragedy.

    Dwight Moody had been in declining health for some time, and his family had taken turns being with him. On the morning of his death his son, who was standing by the bedside, heard him exclaim, “Earth is receding; heaven is opening; God is calling.” “You are dreaming, Father,” the son said.

    Moody answered, “No, Will, this is no dream. I have been within the gates. I have seen the children’s faces.” For a while it seemed as if Moody were reviving, but he began to slip away again. He said, “Is this death? This is not bad; there is no valley. This is bliss. This is glorious.” By this time his daughter was present, and she began to pray for his recovery. He said, “No, no Emma, don’t pray for that. God is calling. This is my coronation day. I have been looking forward to it.” Shortly after this Moody was received into heaven. At the funeral the family and friends joined in a joyful service. They spoke.   They sang hymns. They heard the words proclaimed, “Where , O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Cor. 15:55-57)

    It is true that in Romans 5:14 it says that from Adam onward “death reigned.” It reigned over Adam and has reigned over all his descendants. But death has been conquered and the power of death has been broken by the Lord Jesus Christ so that today all who believe in him may live in hope. There is life after our earthly sojourn is over and we can be assured of living for all eternity with our Father who is in heaven. To be found in His presence for eternity is beyond anything we could dream or imagine. Thank you Father for your amazing gift of eternal life.

How do we know we are in God’s will or not?

2011-01-31T10:01:00.001-05:00

I was talking with an individual the other day about last months newsletter, in which I wrote about the need for man’s will to be in complete submission to God’s will. It was an interesting discussion to say the least. He felt that when things are going wrong in your life it is because you are not in the will of God. But, when things are going right it is a witness to your being in God’s perfect will. Then he said that on four or perhaps six occasions during a given year he would have to take something to the Lord to make sure it was not his will but the Lord’s that he was following.

I only had an hour with him and since this statement was at the close of our time together I left there with out being able to have him explain further the meaning behind the statements he had made. I really don’t think this person is alone in his reasoning concerning man’s will versus God’s will. That if things are going right you are in the will of God and if they are going wrong you are out of the will of God. Personally I feel that our being in or out of the will of God does not always determine whether the circumstances of life are either good or bad. It’s not so much what we are going through but who we are going to.

Being in the will of God is the inward place of rest and contentment that comes

when one listens not to the accolades of fame nor the curses of men but resides

in that place of perfect reliance on the grace of God in reacting to those

circumstances that brings us into His glory and purpose.

Are we out of His will if bad things are happening to us?

But lets take a look at what the person was saying. What if things are not going well in your life? What if predicaments of all sorts surround you on all sides, and the intent, or foolishness or ignorance of men or yourself seems to come together to do you harm? Didn’t God say to us in Heb. 13:6, “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” If the Lord states that I shouldn’t fear what men shall do to me then He must mean that there are times in our lives when men shall do unkind things to us! And when they do then we should already have a lifestyle in which we find ourselves resting in the provision that He is our helper.

But if the Lord really wants to help us then why doesn’t he stop those who desire to harm us in the first place? So if he doesn’t stop them, then he must be allowing it to happen. If he allows it to happen then the help the Lord is concerned in giving us is so that we are not overwhelmed by the situation, but we overwhelm the situation with our Christ-like-ness that only can come when our will comes into alignment with His will. After all we all know that bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people all the time!

Are we in His will when good things are happening to us?

   So what if you are a good person and good things are happening in your life? What if blessings not curses surround you on every side and the intent of men and the work of your hands seem to come together to do you well? Does that prove that you are in God’s will?

   If our Father in heaven, because of the legal hold sin has oven the world, permits the good, the bad and the ugly things of life to come upon us then our life is not to be determined by ‘our self’s’ reaction to the external circumstance of life but in our submitting our will into the hands of a loving, all knowing Father. Believing that Father knows best and whatever the outcome may be to learn to rest in the knowledge that He is always good and will always be there for us in every situation.

   If that is true then we should accept it without being prideful because of how good our life is, or grumbling about how bad things are, or cursing because it is so ugly. Some things are difficult, because it deals with life and death, and I do not in any way say that we should like or enjoy the suffering it brings. However, there are precious gems to be mined in the high and low encounters of life that can be found in no other place. Each hold something precious for us to receive if we just do not get swept away by the accolades of praise or by the curses that come from the unfairness that life can often bring. Perhaps He has placed us there because we are the only one that can bring forth His purpose out of the situation. Perhaps it is a part of our destiny.

    Like the individual, many think that God’s will on earth is always full of peace and prosperity for those whom the Lord loves. But as long as we live on this earth it would be better to learn from Paul when he said in Phil. 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

    He who finds himself giving every thought, every action or word spoken over to God’s will finds themselves winners in every encounter. Whether it be in the face of joy or sorrow, failure or success, death or life, we may, under all circumstances find the victory that our Father wants so much for us.

God has chosen carefully, the circumstances that make up our lives because they offer the shortest route,if we use them, to reach the destiny He has desired for us.

How do we know when we are in His will?

Someone once said for us to fully grasp what it would be like when our wills are totally given over to His will we would have to understand that it is by grace. And what is grace? To say it is God’s unmerited favor is right but still it says so little about it. We all remember Eph. 2:8. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” To grow in grace you must live in love. To be saturated by His love is the only way we can live in total communion with the Father, enabling our every thought, words and actions to fall into alignment with His.

I remember when Pastor John Arnott said that the Father’s Blessing was “a return to our first love.” It was a profound simplification of what was happening to us during this outpouring. But how can we fully understand the love of the Father, his overflowing and infinite love? Think my friends of the most tender love you have ever experienced, the deepest love you have ever felt, the strongest love that has ever been poured out upon you and put upon it all the love that humanity has ever felt, and it would pale in comparison to God’s infinite love. This is the land of God’s grace, and to be able to walk and to live in His land of grace, is to live in the heart of His love, the home of His will.

Perhaps we need to give up and give in!

    This is where the will of God is to be found. It is not found in our self-dependence or in our self-effort. Could it be that to grow in grace is to let God do the work, as we grow without a care and without any anxiety. Then we will grow because it is our nature to grow and to be beautiful. Not one flower that grows worries about its care but Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If we find ourselves being tired of being tired perhaps we are straining too much in self-growth.

    Matt. 6:28, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil or spin.” Certainly this speaks of a growth process that we know little of. It speaks of a growth out of rest and without effort and yet it speaks of a life crowned with glorious results. Could it be that if we gave our will over to His will we too shall live a life like this? Saint Augustine wrote, “God having completed his work of creation, rest as if to say, ‘This is the destiny of those who are my people; to rest as I rest, to rest in me.’”

    If we were to ask a lily how it grows I would not be surprised if it would tell us that they are not concerned nor conscious of their growth. If we, like the lilies, would turn our attention toward the giver of life instead of toward our own selves then we too would find ourselves lost in His love, living in grace and fulfilling His destiny for our lives.

All our love,

Why New Years Resolutions are so hard to keep!

2010-12-31T16:06:00.001-05:00

     In Luke 9:23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Deny yourself…,” a seemingly easy thing to do but one in which I have found to be very difficult. I believe it is the biggest issue that we face as Christians.   I realize that when Jesus says to “Deny yourself” he is speaking of our will, the ultimate place where the final decisions are made that determine what type of person I am and sadly, shall remain if I do not change. The ‘will’ is not a place where ‘choice’ resides for I have chosen many times to follow my New Year’s resolutions only to find myself not able to follow up on my decisions. No, the ‘will’ is where the real ruler lives inside of me, where the real king resides, where all my decisions, plans and intents are either accepted or denied, it is the ruler of my soul, it is my ego, my king. It is where the decisions are made that ultimately determine who I really am!

Ultimately our choice comes down to our either “Denying ourselves” or “Denying Jesus” it has always been one or the other. The battleground for this war is found within each one of us for the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of self are found within. This brings about a civil war that wages within each one of us over who will rule. Is it I or is it God, I fear many times it is I.

    How many times has our mind come to a conclusion only to have lost the battle on the field of our emotions? For some reason I have felt that it is my emotions that hold the key to my victories. But I believe we must all come to realize that there is something behind our emotions, something independent of them that really decides what we ultimately will do. Whether we are having a good or bad day is often the result of how we are feeling emotionally. We are all a composite of our emotions but our emotions are not who we really are. I have come to the conclusion that if God is to have all of me He must take possession of that place where the final decisions are made, my will, my ego my very personality. The old king must die and a new King must come and take possession, for as a man’s will is, so is the man.

     It is a struggle we will face our entire Christian life and there will be times our feelings will tell us that we are not any closer to victory. In fact the more we struggle against our ‘will’ the greater the battle seems to be. Take for instance the favorite New Years resolution to go on a diet. I know that I need to watch what I eat, so I am determined to loose weight. I do my homework by studying several types of diets, the South Beach, Atkins or Weight Watchers and then decided that the South Beach Diet is the best. But it failed because I felt that for some unexplained reason my heart just wasn’t in it. We believe that if our heart is not in it then it just isn’t going to work. That is why I have become convinced that the ’heart’ does not mean the ‘emotions,’ which is typically what we understand by the word heart, but it means the will, the personality of the man. It is not the feelings of the man that God wants, but the man himself.

Each time we try and fail we feel like hypocrites declaring we will do something, which only our will alone can determine the outcome.

Our will is where all our decisions are made and during the fall when sin entered into man our will was handed over to the dominion of Satan and he has been working on it ever since to produce within us a life filled with misery, pain and ruin. Didn’t God say, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—…Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

The chief weapon the old king has in keeping us in a state of constant submission is discouragement. Discouragement is Satan’s counterfeit humility and it produces an emotional response within us that drives us to despair. True humility can always bear to see itself as being utterly weak and foolish because it is not ruled by our emotions but finds its strength in being dependent on God alone. Living on the feelings that come from our emotional responses to situations drives the soul deeper into discouragement.

Ours is to believe but it is God who does all the work!

    I have been asking of God how I may find victory over my will so that it falls into submission to His will and I believe He has led me to understand this simple truth. I do not have the power to bring my will into submission anymore than I had the power to bring about my own salvation. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

    When I accepted Jesus it was by faith, I said it and I believed it but I could no more make it a reality than if I tried to jump over the moon. My faith was in the saving power of Jesus. By faith I believed and He did the rest. By faith I have been saved. For my will to come into submission to His will it must be through that same principle. Having faith to believe that He has the power to change me I must stop trying to do it through my own strength.

    Perhaps it would be best if we understood that for our relationship with Father God to be restored there must be a relinquishment of the principle of self-ownership. That we are not our own but bought with a price. (1 Corinthians 6:20) One day a few years ago I made a decision to give my life totally to him, without any reservations. So I stood there and gathered all that there was of me, not withholding any part of me, and laid it upon the altar. As I did this I also made a covenant with him that he could have all there was of me the good, the bad, and the ugly. Afterwards I felt no change in my feelings, no wind from Heaven came and blew upon me nor did I hear the angels sing. But I knew I was sincere in the intent of my heart, mind and soul.

    But even knowing it is wrong to be led by my feelings, when uncertainty and doubt would come upon me, I would still at times go down that same old path that I so often journeyed in the past. I wanted to believe that God was working a good work within me, to will and to do, but it was like I couldn’t help but fight the battle in my own strength, which always led me back into discouragement.

    It was then that I understood that the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10) had a legal case against me and I was trying to handle the case through my own strength. That old adage, “He who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client,” came to my mind and the Holy Spirit reminded me that I needed a new lawyer and led me to my ‘advocate’ Jesus, (1 John 2:1) The Holy Spirit told me to gather up every scrap of paper containing every accusation against me along with every argument I submitted in my defense, everything, and hand it over to Jesus. And so I made a prophetic act of gathering everything up and I turned and handed it into the hands of Jesus. He looked into my eyes and said this, “Do not answer any questions or receive any accusations from the accuser of the brethren. You are to send him to me, from now on I will come to your defense and respond to all the accusations leveled against you.”

    I turned and said this to the accuser and my old nature as well, “This is my lawyer he has instructed me not to answer any further questions and you are to direct all questions to him.” I turned and Jesus came and stood between me and the accuser and amazingly all the guilt and wavering disappeared and from that moment on I began to experience victory. (Proverbs 24:3-4) Yes there were times the accuser brought it up to me but I quickly pointed toward Jesus, did not respond to him, and Satan finally left me alone.

A Resolution worth keeping!

    Even though the above illustration deals with a negative situation I have found that positive situations can be even more dangerous if it is not based out of ‘His will.’ When things are going right it is easier to forget God, giving over even more authority to the old nature within.   When our thoughts, either old or new, negative or positive come upon us we need to quickly give them over to God. If I am to repent - I do so quickly, if to confess – I do it immediately! Then I believe that God is working it out within me and I no longer entertain the accusations of the enemy, because I know that the Lord is giving me a steady victory over sins which before would have kept me prisoner.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

    My friends, the Lord loves you. He works with you. May the Lord fill you with all His fullness and give you the mind of Christ. Be faithful, walk before God in holiness and rest your soul fully upon the promise, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:8

All our love,

Part III, What will the future be like?

2010-12-13T11:57:00.001-05:00

Volume 6 - Issue 100 November, 2010

Dear Friend,

Part III, What will the future be like?

With fathers on the run and the family in disarray what does the future hold for our children? Does the mindset of the Church need to be radically altered to come into line with what is central to the heart of our Father? What are Satan’s plans to further destroy the family? What can we do as Christians to change the course we are presently on?

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again’

there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9

History does repeat itself!

A contributor to the Boston Quarterly Review in 1859 wrote the following; “The family, in its old sense, is disappearing from our land, and not only our free institutions are threatened but the very existence of our society is endangered.” Though written in response to the breakdown of the traditional morality that began in England and America in the mid-1700’s it could easily be applicable today.

What was the state of our country at that time that would warrant such a response? We would be surprised to see that prostitution and pornography flourished, divorce rates rose steadily and the percentage of children born out of wedlock soared, while saloons and taverns outnumbered churches in most cities. By 1830 the consumption of alcohol was three times higher that it is today. Even more startling was by 1860 20% of all pregnancies ended in abortion.

It was during this time that poets like Shelley declared, “love is free,” Darwin, declared, “Man was an ape,” Nietzsche pronounced, “God is dead.” Because of the silence of men, descent women responded in unison by rising up in what we now term, “The Victorian Age,” in response to the collapse of the family by crusading outside the home for the moral betterment of society. Crusading against brothels, saloons, overcrowding tenements, and other threats to decency. They believed that the home was not contained within the four walls of an individual house but the home encompassed the entire community.

Could it be that an old solution may become a new solution?

By the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century another trend began to re-emerge. The birthrate in the United States had fallen to 40% from what it had been a hundred years previously. What was even more alarming was how pronounced the fallen birthrate had become in the white, Protestant middle class. It was so drastic that colleges became very concerned over the low fertility rates of its graduating students. In Bryn Mawr College between 1888 and 1906 the birthrate was just .037 children per graduate well below the 2.1 needed for replacement fertility levels.

One would wonder if the population was even aware of this trend? Surprisingly yes! It led President Theodore Roosevelt to proceed on a campaign to convince the middle and upper class couples to have more children. He used his “State of the Union Address” to chastise well-born women for practicing “willful sterility---the one sin for which the penalty is national death or race suicide.”

But there were other views being expounded in what should be done to offset the falling birthrate. A differing strategy for avoiding ‘race suicide’ came into vogue. Since the well bred were falling behind in the number of children they produced, over those whom the progressives of the day called the ‘unfit,’ a new plan for dealing with the problem emerged.

The leader of this group was Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood. Sanger did not agree with President Roosevelt in his plan to convince the upper class to have more children, she decided it best to keep other people from reproducing. After all why make it a burden for those who are obviously superior when one could limit the over-fertility of the mentally, physically defective and those who didn’t contribute significantly to society as a whole.

Sanger wrote, “There are some who deplore this condition and would remedy it by abusive epithets hurled at this conscientious group of decent and responsible citizens, who would rather have only the number of children they can decently rear, than to enter a cradle competition with the irresponsible. There is only one reply to a request for a higher birth rate among the intelligent, and that is to first take off the burdens of the insane and the blemished from your backs. Sterilization for these is a remedy.”

Sanger and her group called for the sterilization of the ‘feeble-minded, insane, criminals, epileptic, inebriate, diseased, blind, deaf, deformed, and dependent” which included orphans, bums, the homeless and the poor. As incredible as this seems in just one state alone, Virginia — 8,300 individuals were sterilized.

But there was another political movement who sent representatives over to study and eventually embrace Sanger’s views taking them to monstrous extremes. Out of Germany and Italy came fascism which embraced breeding farms for the superior and concentration “death camps” for the unfit. Though Sanger was not as openly monstrous she was strategic in placing her centers in poor and mostly black neighborhoods to exterminate what she deemed, the unfit.

“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” Martin Luther King, Jr

What is happening today?

Along with abortion another alarming trend has emerged within the past 50 years. It is a trend called, “Gendercide” which is the extermination of over 100 million baby girls, and the toll is rising! When we think of societies like China that promote a “one child policy” one would wonder why this would be a problem. China, parts of India, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Caucasus, the western Balkans even subsets of America’s population have a high number of male births. Many of these countries believe it is the responsibility of the male child to take care of the elderly parents. So it is imperative that the one child be a male child! Few realize that the desire for more males come with a very high price tag!

These baby girls are the victims of a combination of ancient prejudice and modern preferences for smaller families. An interesting result of a nation, which practices “gendercide,” is the growing number of frustrated single men. In China alone during the past twenty years the crimes rate has almost doubled. The cases of bride abduction, the trafficking of women, rape and prostitution are rapidly on the rise. The result of “one child policy” is that 20% of all males will face life without the chance to ever marry and have a family. The term used to describe them is, “barren branches.”

Can we turn the tide?

From the evidence presented it would look like the future looks bleak for children. But if the church begins to “focus in on the family” as being the central issue on the heart of God we can dramatically turn the tide. Satan has not slowed down in his desire to destroy the family. We must continually seek God for his heart in all of our decisions concerning our present and future members of our families. We must make sure our decisions are not based on the “god of personal convenience” but on what God’s will for our life is.

Will the church/society return to more Victorian era values as we have done in the past? Perhaps, but even more importantly we should not forget what ‘Our Father” said to us in Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” Happy families who hold to the principles of ‘Our Father in heaven’ and impart that lifestyle to others through a life lived for Christ, do more good than all the laws that have and will be passed.

May God continue to bless and surround you with His love.

Further Reading:
The Empty Cradle by Peter Longman
The Economist, March, 2010 Edition

Part II, Father’s in alarming numbers, MIA “Missing In Action”

2010-12-13T11:45:00.000-05:00

Volume 8 - Issue 99 October, 2010

Dear Friend,

Part Two - Father’s in alarming numbers, MIA “Missing In Action”

In October’s Newsletter I wrote about Satan’s war on Fatherhood and the subsequent results of that war. Secular sociologists have pointed to the 20th century as being the “most fatherless century in the history of mankind.”

Satan’s hatred of Father God and his family has not decreased. It is quite apparent that as Satan’s time grows short, he is intensifying his efforts to kill, maim and render useless all fathers. This assault on “fatherhood” has left millions of men as “Missing In Action” when it comes to submitting to God as head of the family. Statistics show us that 50% of children here in the United States live apart from their biological fathers and 30% do not even know whom their biological father is. In South America the figure is close to 50% and in Africa it is closer to 60%. In the African American community in Washington DC the rates are at par with Africa! We are in an ultimate war against Satanic terrorism designed to completely annihilate what is most precious to Father God.

Where have all the children gone!

    But if there is an all out assault on father’s what has been the affects of this upon families around the world? I was shocked the other day when I read that there are 70 countries in the world that are declining in replacement fertility or in other words are losing population!

    Replacement fertility is the number of childbirths a woman must have to replace the aging population. Right now there is no industrialized nation that produces enough children to sustain its population over time. If this trend continues, the family unit as we know it will cease to exist, and so will children. Imagine going out to a restaurant, mall or anywhere for that matter and seeing an aging population like one would currently see in Florida.

    Take for instance Russia. Russia is shrinking at a rate of 700,000 people per year. Because of this, then President Putnin, instituted an aggressive agenda where the government would pay its citizens to have more children, $9,000 per child, $140/month or 40% of their salary to stay home and have children. (That would compare to a working mother in the United States who makes $40,000/year being offered $16,000/year or $1,300/month per child to stay home and raise their children.) It is surprising that even with this kind of monetary motivation the program is not working in Russia.

    But why wouldn’t this plan work? Could it be that the complexity of our decisions we have made, especially throughout the past one hundred years, has led us to where we are today. The mindsets that we have formed that have led us into this, anti-children, anti-family culture are not so easy to reverse. Often we look at a problem as if it just “happened” and we fail to take the time to investigate the past so that we can uncover Satan’s strategy behind the event. I have found that Satan is not that inventive, especially since our life span is minuscule in comparison to his. He doesn’t have to come up with a new plan when the old ones have worked so well.

Satan’s Strategy

    Take for instance a quote by Polybius in 140 B.C. at the close of the reign of Greece as the worlds predominate power. “In our time all Greece was visited by a dearth of children and general decay of population…This evil grew upon us rapidly, and without attracting attention, by our men becoming perverted to a passion for show and money and the pleasures of an idle life.”

    Caesar Augustus said this when he addressed the Roman nobility, “We liberate slaves chiefly for the purpose of making out of them as many citizens as possible; we give our allies a share in the government that our numbers may increase; yet you, Romans of original stock, including Quintii, Valerii, Lulli, are eager that your families and names at once shall perish with you.”

The same demise that led the two leading nations of their day, Greece and Rome, is now facing our nation and other nations as well. Germany could easily lose the equivalent of the current population of East Germany over the next half-century. Japan’s population meanwhile is expected to fall by as much as one-third-a decline equivalent to that experienced in medieval Europe during the scourges of the plague.

Satan’s Plan

   Satan’s plan is to devalue the importance of the traditional family. If we think about it we have heard endless discussions on the importance of why we should not have children but little on why we should have children. It is apparent that Satan has succeeded on a global scale. It is evident on television, movies, books and on the news that the family as a viable productive unit has little or no value in the world today. A women who says she has no career outside the home in today’s society is to be pitied.   Instead she should be held to the highest place of honor for choosing that which if the closest to the heart of God.

   A hundred years ago in the United States approximately 75% to 80% of all households had children. Every parent organized their lives around what was best for them. In fact even the cultural messages that came into the home were based on how it would affect the children. Currently in the United States approximately 32% of households have children and 68% of households do not have children.

   Both men and women have fallen into the trap that Satan has laid. If we remember the two attributes of Satan that stand out is that he is crafty and he is a deceiver. (Gen. 3:1, 3:13) To be crafty means that he is clever at achieving his aims by indirect methods and to be a deceiver means he has the ability to cause someone to believe something that is not true in order to gain a personal advantage.

   Satan has the ability to make something that is ultimately destructive seem good and honorable. His craftiness enables him to know when, where and how to attack .     Being a deceiver gives him the art of twisting words in such a way as to confuse a person into believing and accepting whatever he wants them to believe. “There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” Proverbs 14:12

The American Dream versus Our Father’s Dream!

   We must change the attitudes, values and beliefs of this current generation and return to traditional values. The Patriarchal family system that is foremost on the heart of Father God has at its core the mandate to be fruitful and multiply, taking care of and training our children in the way they should go. Proverbs 22:6

   It is interesting that there is one demographic group that is at odds with the trend of ‘no’ children. Those who have ‘faith’ have become increasingly motivated to have children. Some argue that the reason Christianity became a dominant cultural force of the Western world was that Christians gradually out-bred and out-lived their pagan counterparts. Even though the above study was compiled by “non-Christian demographers” it shows that when Christians embrace the Father’s heart, our families become the central most important thing in our lives. Secondly we become healthier because our values and beliefs are in line with our Father’s.

   Our moral compass needs to change dramatically. Of all the interviews done with the elderly lying upon their death beds not one of them has said that they wished they would have worked more hours or accumulated more things. Almost every one of them wishes they would have spent more time with family, friends and enjoyed life more. Instead of following the American Dream perhaps we should follow our Father’s Dream!   Genesis 1:28, “God blessed them and said to them. ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.’” Let’s subdue the earth with the choices that are on the heart of Father God!

Next Month:

Part Three: "What will the future be like?"

For further reading:
The Empty Cradle by Peter Longman
For DVD viewing:
Demographic Winter, the decline of the human family!
Www.DemographicWinter.com

Part I, The Father and His Family!

2010-12-13T11:35:00.000-05:00

Volume 8 - Issue 98 September, 2010
Dear Friend,

The Father and His Family!

        In the beginning of my new life with Jesus as my Savior I was taught and mentored by an exceptional Bible teacher.   He taught me that the Bible is, “The story of a Father whose children were separated from him and the journey to bring them back home.” Simple but profound! From that ill-fated day in the Garden of Eden to the present Satan has done everything he can to destroy the family of God. I would say that his main objective has always been to destroy the very thing Father God loves the most. His children and the relationship he had with them.!

   After the fall Satan told Adam and Eve that their Father wanted nothing more to do with them because they were miserable failures and a total disappointment to Him. Yet we know that is not true. From the moment that Satan deceived them in the garden Father God had prepared a way home for his children. In fact, the entire rest of the Bible is the story of that journey back home.

The first Covenant and the Three Promises!

   In Genesis we see that God made three promises to Abraham and confirmed those promises by signing a contract with Abraham. We call it a contract but in those days they called it a covenant. This covenant was God’s promise that we would once again be reunited with him. Genesis 15:9-21, 26:2-6

The first promise was that God would make Abraham into a mighty nation. The second promise was that Abraham would possess the land on which he was walking. And the third promise was that Abraham’s seed or offspring would bless the world.

   The first promise was fulfilled when the family of Abraham came out of Egypt. They went into Egypt numbering under a hundred and came out in the millions. A mighty nation!

   The second promise came when Joshua led the Israelite people into the promised land. They then possessed the land upon which Abraham had been walking all those years previously.

   The third promise was fulfilled when Jesus was born. He lived, died and rose again to establish a new covenant with us, his children. The old covenant was the one established with Abraham and the new covenant has been established with us.

The Three Reformations and the Fourth that is to come!

   Now we come to an interesting point that I want to add in. Since Jesus died and rose again we have had three reformations. The first was with Martin Luther in 1517, the second with John Wesley in 1743 and the third with William Seymour in 1906.

   Though there have been 40 distinct revival moves of the Spirit during the past 2000 years there have been only three reformations. A reformation is distinct in that it revives not only the church but it awakens the culture to live in God’s precepts changing and shaping our society for the better.

   The Reformation under Martin Luther came approximately 1500 years after the New Covenant was established with us. For the first three hundred years the church did well but once Emperor Constantine made Christianity the required religion of the day the church began to fall apart. For the next 1200 years the church became lost, in fact historians refer to that 1200 years as the ‘dark ages.’ Why? Because when the church lost its way the world became a very dark and dangerous place to live. The church was lost because the word of God was lost. The only Bible’s available were written in a dead language, Latin, which only a few priests and aristocrats could read and none of the commoners. But when Martin Luther came along the word was once again brought out of darkness. It was like someone found the book expounding on our ‘Family Tree,’ along with the promises that our Father in Heaven made to us.   We found out about Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The word of God had once again been revealed to the family.

   The second Reformation under John Wesley, reintroduced to the church the personhood of Jesus. Even after Martin Luther’s reformation only the priest could lead someone to Jesus. But after John Wesley the common person could now tell people about Jesus and lead them in a prayer in which they could receive Jesus into their lives.   Jesus became accessible to anyone who called upon His name.

   The third Reformation under William Seymour reintroduced to the Church the personhood of the Holy Spirit. Not some vapor but the third person of the trinity called the Holy Spirit. The reality of the Holy Spirit in the believers life being made manifest in His love, gifts, guidance and power in increased measure.

   So we find that through Luther the word, which had been stolen and hidden away, has now been revealed. Wesley brought forth a personal Jesus accessible to everyone while Seymour introduced us to the person of the Holy Spirit. The Godhead is being reintroduced to the children so that we know whom it is we believe in.

Reintroduction of our Father God!

   That leaves one missing, Father God! Probably no other place has the Father been reintroduced to us like it was in January of 1994 in Toronto, Canada. The revival that was sparked in Toronto called the ‘Father’s Blessing’ has reintroduced the Father to the church in dramatic fashion.

   Interestingly, over the past fifty years the five-fold ministry has been reintroduced to the church as well.   The Evangelist in the 50’s, Pastor’s in the 60’s, Teacher’s in the 70’s, Prophets in the 80’s and Apostle’s in the 90’s. The emerging apostolic movement coincides with the introduction of our Heavenly Father to the Church. Which leads me to believe that there is about to be a fourth Reformation movement. This reformation is all about the Father and His family and will affect society and its view on the importance of the family.

   Since the last Reformation we have witnessed two World Wars, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraqi and Afghanistan Wars. 42 million men have been killed in battle and 19 million civilians. Numerous ethnic cleansings, genocides, famines and small wars, have accounted for another 8.3 million deaths. As we look at these figures we realize that most of these were men. But not all the deaths were on the battlefield. Many of these men came home severely injured in some way. Which has led many sociologists to proclaim the 20th century as being the most fatherless century in the history of mankind.

   Statistics show us that 50% of children live apart from their biological fathers. Of those, 30% do not even know who their biological father is. In South America the figure is close to 50% while in Africa it is closer to 60%. Satan is just as intent on destroying our relationship with our earthly fathers as he is in erasing our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

   I believe that coinciding with the revelation of what it means to be totally accepted by our heavenly Father will be the return of true fathers here on earth. This includes apostolic and family centered earthly fathers fulfilling the fatherhood God designed for them in the beginning.

   Satan has not stopped in his relentless rampage to not only erase all knowledge of our Father in Heaven but also any lineage that would point to him as being our Father. He is also wiping out all vestiges of family here on earth on a scale unprecedented in the history of mankind.      Can the family survive without fathers?

Next Issue:

Satan’s plan revealed! The Demographics on the Decline of the family!

“It’s happening in rich and poor countries...it’s

happening throughout the Eastern and Western

hemisphere. North and South...Birthrates are

plummeting throughout the world.”
Peter Longman, Senior Fellow New America Foundation