? money

Worshipping money: 

Rise of new age pentecostalism

Many of today’s religious leaders have shunned the humility and simplicity once preached by the Church and are are only out to enrich themselves. A congregation of believers. Pentecostals now represent at least a quarter of all Christians worldwide, according to the World Christian Database, ranking second to Catholicism in membership. 

In Summary

Money has become the top priority for many of these preachers, who are willing to go to great lengths to cash in on the desperation of their followers.

The behaviour of such leaders has made sceptics turn to atheism and disregard Christianity, but despite their behaviour, many of them still have near-fanatical followers. Pentecostals now represent at least a quarter of all Christians worldwide, according to the World Christian Database, ranking second to Catholicism in membership.

The 21st Century has brought a lot of changes, the most celebrated of which are tehnological.

But it has also seen the emergence of a brand of religion that sharply contrasts with that of the early Church, where virtues like honesty, humility and consideration for others have been thrown out of the window by pastors who once considered the conscience of society.

In the early days, pastors were highly respected but in the past few years, the supposed shepherds have a done a lot to muddy their reputations in the eyes of their flocks.

Money has become the top priority for many of these preachers, who are willing to go to great lengths to cash in on the desperation of their followers.

And while they claim to be guided by the Holy Spirit, some of them have not sought its intervention to help them keep their sexual habits in check.

In the 1980s, church leaders in Kenya were so irreproachable that they could take the government on regarding its violation of human rights.

During that period, mounting opposition to then President Daniel Moi came from church leaders, notable among them Anglican clerics David Gitari, Alexander Muge, and Henry Okullu, together with their Presbyterian counterpart, Timothy Njoya.

In contrast, some of today religious leaders hit the headlines for facing claims of extortion, fraud and sexual harassment.

FANATICAL FOLLOWING

The behaviour of such leaders has made sceptics turn to atheism and disregard Christianity, but despite their behaviour, many of them still have near-fanatical followers.

The answer theology experts give to the question of when the rain start beating the Christian church is an oxymoron: the Pentecostal movement that placed Kenya and Rwanda in religious history books is the genesis of all the questionable behaviour of some church leaders.

Prof. Charles Oduke, Head of the Department of History Religion and Philosophy of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology points out the irony of the situation:

“Because of Pentecostalism, the rules guiding worship were removed because they hindered spiritual growth, so this would allow the workings of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, quack preachers took over the Church armed with a standard answer for all their activities: “The Holy spirit told me to do it.”

EASE OF BUSINESS

Retired president Daniel Moi, an active member of the African Inland Church, made things worse when he came to power and scrapped the legal barriers that previously made founding a church a tedious, nerve-wracking process.

Save for a few established evangelical churches with structural systems that keep thelr pastors in check by auditing church finances and demanding certain qualifications from them, the neo Pentecostal churches that sprung up after the Pentecostal wave operate independently.

Many of their leaders say it is not necessary to attend a theological or Bible school arguing, “The Lord does not call the qualified; he qualifies those he calls.”

According to the Pew Forum, an American Think-tank that conducts research on religion and its impact on public life, the “Pentecostal wave” that swept across the world from America came to Africa through Rwanda and Kenya in the early 20th Century, emphasizing the authority of the Holy Spirit over the church, and the urgency of the second coming of Jesus.

With this urgency, Christians began preaching the Gospel, speaking in tongues and performing healings, which they considered proof of the Holy Spirit’s workings.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit, as recorded in the Bible in the book of Acts chapter s2, 4 and 17, when Christ’s apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem during the Pentecost, signifies one’s readiness to work for God.

The wave began in 1901, with Charles Parham, a Bible school tutor in Topeka in Kansas in the US. It later reached Azusa Street in Los Angeles in 1905 thanks to the efforts of William Seymour, an African-American preacher.

In its edition of April 18, 1906, The Los Angeles Daily Times reported this spiritual awakening on its front page:

“Breathing strange utterances and mouthing a creed which it would seem no sane mortal could understand, the newest religious sect has started in Los Angeles.”

PENTECOSTAL WAVE

From Los Angeles, the wave quickly spread across the United States, then to the rest of the world, reaching Kenya via Rwanda in the1930s, resulting in the birth of many independent churches that are not affiliated to the traditional protestant churches.

In the ’60s and ’70s, other churches such as Deliverance Church and the Kenya Assemblies of God were founded. An American survey says that the Assemblies of God is Nairobi’s fastest growing denomination, with an annual growth rate of 38 per cent.

By the 1980s the number of protestant churches had doubled, televangelism, prosperity theology and crusades by Western preachers become more frequent in the country, and Kenyan preachers followed suit.

Pentecostals are a diverse and dynamic group, a characteristic that makes it difficult even for religious scholars to describe them.

They include two major groups: Pentecostals and charismatics.

The Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements defines Pentecostals as “Members of denominations that emphasize the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including the belief that speaking in tongues is necessary evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

The Pentecostals belong either to one of the historical Pentecostal denominations, such as the Assemblies of God and the Church of God in Christ, which trace their origin to the aforementioned American religious revivals of the early 20th century, of the largely independent indigenous churches, which are newer’.

Meanwhile, charismatics share many of the experiences that are distinctive to Pentecostalism such as practising the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but remain members of mainstream Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox denominations, such as those Catholics who say they are born again.

Pentecostals now represent at least a quarter of all Christians worldwide, according to the World Christian Database, ranking second to Catholicism in membership.

According to Joseph Wambua, senior pastor at Heaven’s Gate Worship Centre in Naivasha, the spiritual renewal was a much-needed awakening within the older church.

OVER-AWED, LAZY CHRISTIANS

Unfortunately, notes Prof. Oduke thanks to the reverence that Kenyans, and sub-Saharan Africa in general, has for God, it has been easy for religious leaders to manipulate them.

According to the 2010 census, 87 per cent of Kenyans are Christians, 62 per cent of whom are Pentecostals.

And since many Christians are way of opposing “God’s anointed,” they remain unwaveringly loyal to errant pastors, even where there is glaring evidence.

This fear, coupled with the fact that most of them do not take the time to read the Bible and understand their faith, they believe whatever their pastor tells them.

Fundamentalist Protestants believe the Bible is to be taken literally, maintain strict separation from those who hold different beliefs.

But Pastor Elisha Odero of Mustard Christian Centre in Kisii differs, describing this simplistic perception of the Bible as silly:

“Selecting one portion of the bible without considering the context in which it was written and building one’s action around it without considering the other verses…that is cultic,” he says.

Of the aforementioned Pentecostal and charismatic members, only 39 per cent read their bible at least once a week, yet a remarkable 95 per cent attend church every Sunday and tune in to religious media to listen to televangelists.

Thus exposed to agents of brainwash and manipulation, and with little knowledge of the Bible, many people have donated generously to the Church and only grown poorer in the process.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE

But there is an even bigger problem: psychological abuse.

Psychologists have warned that pastors are using persuasion and other powerful psychological and social skills similar to those employed by sales and marketing executives to brainwash their believers to submission.

Some neo Pentecostal preachers have rallied their congregants to donate or pledge money to projects that never saw the light of day.

And when members fail to pay their tithes or the pledged money, these preachers deliver sermons hitting out at those who do not give.

Many people will probably recall a bizarre incident in Nakuru a few years back, when members of Kingdom Seekers church prayed fervently for three days for the resurrection of a dead pastor, to no avail.

Remarkably, even with evidence like the one they witnessed first-hand, the members remained loyal to their faith.

Dr Eliezer Kibaara, a counselling psychologist in Nairobi, describes as “spiritual abuse” a situation where a religious authority manipulates his congregants psychologically under the guise of obeying the Holy Spirit.

Indeed, an American sociologist, Ronald M. Enroth, has written a book titled Churches that Abuse, which documents the gradual ways, both overt and subtle, in which spiritual abuse take place and how it is found even in mainstream evangelical and protestant churches.

Pr Odero says that when recruiting members, most of the religious groups that later turn out to be exploitative appear well meaning.

“They are kind but have a controlling nature that is imperceptible in the beginning.”

He adds that these preachers “love-bomb” new members, giving them lots of attention and catering for their every need.

He notes that while no one is immune to this kind of manipulation, certain conditions make a religious person an easy target for abusive religious leaders.

EASY TARGETS

For instance, a person going through a crisis such as the loss of a loved one, a source of income or is suffering from a terminal illness or feeling guilty about a mistake they made can be easily ensnared in this web of abuse because they are seeking for a solution for their pain.

For a while after one joins the church, the leader ensures that everything the believer needs is provided.

He is encouraged to speak about himself and his listeners show genuine concern for his litany of problems.

Pr Odero explains that this show of interest is a strategy the leaders consciously use to create an unhealthy form of spiritual and interpersonal dependency, where the person depends on the leader to make any decision.

“These spiritual power holders become strong role models, and their dogmatic teaching, boldness and arrogant assertiveness become powerful means of influence,” Pr. Odero adds.

Their sermons invariably dwell on submission, loyalty, and obedience to those in authority while criticising non-members.

It is notable that, in contrast to this, some churches have pastors go through each other’s sermons before they deliver them.

For instance, pastors in the churches under Christ Is the Answer Ministries (CITAM) go through each other’s sermons on the Wednesday preceding the Sunday it is to be delivered.

According to Dr Kibaara, spiritually abusive groups routinely use guilt, fear, and intimidation to control their members.

They might base their sermons on a biblical verse, which they support by interpreting it in a manner that resonates with the congregation, and in some cases questionable facts, such as the number of members who have been cured of serious diseases.

RUNNING ON EMPTY

Gradually, the leader erodes members’ sense of autonomy and personal identity.

At this Point, Pr. Odero and Dr Kibaara say, the believer is no more than an empty, brainwashed shell who does whatever they are told to do.

Researches by many theologians and sociologists indicate that Kenya is a landmark in the history of Pentecostalism because it is where the wave of the 1920s stopped after arriving from Rwanda.

Following the Pentecostal wave, some shunned the rules that previously guided the church, saying that since the spirit of God was now in control, it would speak directly to God’s servants.

According to a 2007 survey, there are more than 5,000 Pentecostal groups in Kenya, compared with 27 registered with The National Council of Churches of Kenya.

In 2007, there were 8,520 registered churches in Kenya, with more than 7,000 awaiting official registration at the Attorney General’s chambers.

Pentecostal prosperity, the report says, has been the greatest demerit of the religious wave, with preachers exploiting their congregants financially, claiming that they are working under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Eventually, the believer experiences serious social and psychological alienation.

DE-PROGRAMMING

Unfortunately, there is no place in Kenya that offers counselling to victims of religious abuse, and most counsellors are not trained to handle such cases.

The process of de-socialization, where the individual stops identifying with the religious group and moves towards reintegration into the mainstream culture, requires them to confront a number of emotions and needs that emerge during this transition.

Dr Kibaara advises that, irrespective of whether such people show any emotions, they desperately need empathetic and objective individuals who will not treat them like spiritual pariahs or paranoid storytellers.

“It is advisable to take them through a deprogramming with a counsellor who is familiar with the Bible,” he says.

Coming out of an environment where they were highly dependenent on someone else, they are extremely suggestible and vulnerable to those whom they feel they can trust, be it a counsellor, immediate family member, or pastor.

“The main aim should not be getting them out of the church but helping them regain the ability to act autonomously,” he explains.

Betraying that trust can wreak havoc on them, only validating the warnings of their previous leader concerning the “outside world,” and perhaps driving them back into another (or even the same) regimented environment where they feel they can at least control some of the variables.

It is notable that this negative aspect of Pentecostalism and spiritual abuse is not limited to the Third World.

DYING FOR FAITH

The worst documented abuses have been in the US.

A case in point is that of People’s Temple, the infamous cult led by Jim Jones, which came to the international limelight when about 900 of its members were found dead in their compound, in Jonestown, Guyana.

There was also the case of Heaven’s Gate, 39 of whose members died in a mass suicide in 1997.

Robert Caldini, an American sociologist who has studied the art of persuasion and how it is used to get people to act against their will, says that abuse will persist because there is lack of critical thinking in today’s generation because not many people can debate with their minds and reach an objective answer.

There is also so much more to focus on in today’s world than in the last century; many people are multitasking, giving them very little time to think critically.

-verah okeyo

? control

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13. 

Few realize that it is a duty to exercise control over the thoughts and imaginations. It is difficult to keep the undisciplined mind fixed upon profitable subjects. But if the thoughts are not properly employed, religion cannot flourish in the soul. The mind must be preoccupied with sacred and eternal things, or it will cherish trifling and superficial thoughts. Both the intellectual and the moral powers must be disciplined, and they will strengthen and improve by exercise. 

In order to understand this matter aright, we must remember that our hearts are naturally depraved, and we are unable of ourselves to pursue a right course. It is only by the grace of God, combined with the most earnest effort on our part, that we can gain the victory. 

Every wrong tendency may be, through the grace of Christ, repressed, not in a languid, irresolute manner, but with firmness of purpose, with high resolves to make Christ the pattern. Let your love go out for those things that Jesus loved, and be withheld from those things that will give no strength to right impulses. With determined energy seek to learn, and to improve the character every day. You must have firmness of purpose to take yourself in hand and be what you know God would be pleased to have you. 

The intellect, as well as the heart, must be consecrated to the service of God. He has claims upon all there is of us. The follower of Christ should not indulge in any gratification, or engage in any enterprise, however innocent or laudable it may appear, which an enlightened conscience tells him would abate his ardor or lessen his spirituality. Every Christian should labor to press back the tide of evil, and save our youth from the influences that would sweep them down to ruin. May God help us to press our way against the current. 

-e g white

…….POWER

     Sunday school teachers are sometimes amazed at some of the things their children say in class.  One Sunday, a class was studying the power of kings and queens in Bible times.  After talking about a few examples, the teachers said, "There is a higher power.  Can anybody tell me what it is?"

     Without hesitation, one child blurted out, "Aces!"

     Somebody's been playing too much poker!  The correct answer, though, is one that we all tend to overlook.  Our Lord God Almighty is a higher power.  Higher than kings and queens.  Higher than presidents and prime ministers.  We tremble at world leaders like Adolph Hitler, Idi Amin, and Saddam Hussein.  We sometimes tremble at the powers of our own government when matters of morality are disregarded.  We feel helpless when it seems like the "kingdoms of this world" are gaining the upper hand.

     We need to remember, though, that the final victory is assured for God and His followers.  Our confidence is not in any worldly leader.  Our confidence is in the God who is over all nations.

     "How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!....For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne." (Psalm 47:2,7-8)

Have a great day!

-Alan Smith

round

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. (Psalm 37:23)  'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for well-being, and not for calamity, in order to give you a future and a hope.'  (Jeremiah 29:11)I will go before you and will level the mountains  Isaiah 45:2

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:19

"My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 

Exodus 33:14

So the blob of ant poison was right smack in the middle of their trek from the nest to the sink. In order to get water and food bits, the ants had to get beyond the deterrent.

As I poured a cup of juice, I watched as they tried going around it. That did not work well as they backtracked and spun around. The blob in their path threw them into confusion; they weren't able to quickly get back onto their familiar trail.

I've encountered obstacles and have tried different methods.....going over the mountain, around it, under it, through it. Simply put, I don't have to implement any of theses if I keep my eyes and ears open to the Lord's leading, and trust Him that He is opening and closing doors on my behalf.

He has a plan, and it's a good one. He can lead me over, around, under, or through and it will be the best way. I don't have to figure it all out myself. Even better, He promises to go with me.

That's good news.

-sally ken

foot prints

Hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. 1 Peter 2:21.

There is danger of our losing so much in our spiritual experience because we let slip the words that God gives. He speaks to one heart, and He speaks to another heart, and they hear these words and then go away and treat the words as a common thing, and they do not impress the mind. God wants us to take the words home to every heart. 

“For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?” (Hebrews 2:2, 3). Here is presented to us the importance of our speaking. God wants us to communicate. Have the treasure house of the heart full, full of the precious words of the Scriptures. Hand it right out; it is the precious message of God to them….

Many speak and act as if they were ashamed of Jesus. They do not think of Him, and introduce Him to their friends. They do not live to glorify Him—ashamed of Jesus, who took humanity that they might have life!… 

You cannot do another’s work. Each one has his own peculiar temperament.... We are not to expect that everyone is to travel in our own footprints, but in the footprints of our self-denying Redeemer. Take up the cross and follow Him. He is our Guide. There are perfect footprints; He has made them. We are safe in following Christ. But when we seek [to make] everyone follow some other one, there is where we make a mistake, there is where our differences come in; but we should never have differences. We must believe that others are just as honest before God as we are. 

“For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10). He had to understand all about the weakness of man, the strength of Satan’s temptations. He took humanity right upon Himself, and bore all the temptations of the devil, and He knows what every man has to endure. Consider Christ’s pity for man. He knows just how they were born. He knows just how they were surrounded in childhood. 

You don’t know what temptations came with their birth. You don’t know the conditions of their parents. Put away all judgment. Judgment belongs to the Son of God. He is the One who is to judge the world.

-e g white

prop

Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old fellow who always prayed, "Lord, prop us up on our leaning side."  After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently.

He answered, "Well sir, you see, it’s like this . . . I got an old barn out back. It’s been there a long time. It’s withstood a lot of weather, it’s gone through a lot of storms, and it’s stood for many years. It’s still standing. But one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit. So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn’t fall.

Then I got to thinking about how much I was like that old barn. I’ve been around a long time. I’ve withstood a lot of life’s storms, and I’ve withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I’ve withstood a lot of hard times, and I’m still standing, too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop me up on my leaning side.

I figure a lot of us get to leaning at times. Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn’t. So we need to pray, "Lord, prop us up on our leaning side, so we will stand straight and tall again to glorify You.”

We need You, Lord, to give us the strength to stand whenever we get out of balance.  In those times, “Lord, prop us up on our leaning side.”

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.  (Isaiah 41:10)

-author unknown

tag

Sunday morning, and I decided to try and beat the crowd to the market. I was in line to pay and overheard a customer telling the cashier that she had just gotten back from a trip to her class reunion.  She bubbled, explaining how much fun it was to see people from "'way back then".  As she continued on about how much everyone had changed, etc., she said, "In fact, it's a good thing we had name tags, or we might not have known each other!"

Time does have a way of doing that. Isn't it good to know that there's someone who will always know us, even without name tags....no matter how life, or aging, may have changed our appearances?  

We are told, in Jeremiah 1:5, that our wonderful heavenly Father has known us since before "'way back when". He always recognizes us. And, He is filled with delight every time He looks at us! That's good news.

? you

I am a soldier in the army of my God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.
Faith, Prayer, and the Word are my weapons of Warfare.

I have been taught by the Holy Spirit,
    ...trained by experience,
    ...tried by adversity,
    ...and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity.
I will either retire in this Army or die in this Army;
But, I will not get out,
    ...sell out
    ...be talked out
    ...or pushed out.

I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable.
If my God needs, me, I am there.

I am a soldier.
I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered,
    ...petted,
    ...primed up,
    ...pumped up,
    ...picked up,
    ...or pepped up.

I am a soldier. No one has to call me,
    ...remind me,
    ...write me,
    ...visit me,
    ...entice me,
    ...or lure me.

I am a soldier. I am not a wimp. I am in place,
    ...saluting my King,
    ...obeying His orders,
    ...praising His name,
    ...and building His Kingdom!

No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy, or give me
handouts.
I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to.
I am committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.
I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.
I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.

When Jesus called me into this Army, I had nothing.
If I end up with nothing, I will still come out even.
I will win.

My God will supply all my needs.
I am more than a conqueror.
I will always triumph.
I can do all things through Christ.

Devils cannot defeat me.
People cannot disillusion me.
Weather cannot weary me.
Sickness cannot stop me.
Battles cannot beat me.
Money cannot buy me.
Governments cannot silence me, and
Hell cannot handle me!

I am a soldier.
Even death cannot destroy me.
For when my Commander calls me from this battlefield,
He will promote me to a captain.

I am a soldier, in the Army, I'm marching, claiming victory.
I will not give up.
I will not turn around.
I am a soldier, marching, Heaven bound.

passerby

The story is told of an American tourist who visited the 19th century Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim.  Astonished to see that the rabbi's home was only a simple room filled with books, plus a table and a bench, the tourist asked, "Rabbi, where is your furniture?"

     "Where is yours?" replied the rabbi.

     "Mine?" asked the puzzled American. "But I'm a visitor here. I'm only passing through."

     "So am I," said Hofetz Chaim.

What a difference it would make in our lives in we truly had the perspective that we sometimes sing:  "This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing through." In a few days, I will be leaving town for a week.  I will pack one suitcase and will take with me very few essential items.  I will not take my furniture with me.  I will not take any stereo equipment.  I will definitely not take a lawn mower.  I understand the difference between staying in a hotel for a short length of time and establishing a permanent residency.

But, by the looks of things, it appears that many people (including many Christians) haven't yet learned the difference.  We accumulate stuff as if this world is going to be our permanent dwelling.  It was a mistake that the patriarchs of old didn't make.  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all freely "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on this earth." (Heb.11:13).  We need to develop the same mentality.  If we understand that our home is somewhere else, then we will view things around us differently.

Jesus put it this way:  "Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or - worse! - stolen by burglars.  Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars.  It's obvious, isn't it?  The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being." (Matthew 6:19-21, The Message)

Reread verse 21 again -- "The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being."  Where are your treasures?  Are you just passing through, or have you set up a "permanent" residency?

-alan smith

his

There's a Dennis the Menace cartoon in which Dennis and his friend Joey are walking away from the Wilson's house with their hands full of cookies.  Joey asks, "I wonder what we did to deserve this?"

Dennis tells his friend, "Joey, Mrs. Wilson gives us cookies not because we're nice, but because she's nice."

The same can be said of our Heavenly Father.  He gives, not because we're good, but because He's good.  He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us for our iniquities.  Instead, he is the one 

"...who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalm 103:4-5)

identity

A man exiting a grocery store was very surprised when a rather good-looking and perky young lady greeted him cheerfully by saying, "Good evening!"  Her face was beaming.  At least she was smiling until he gave her that "Who are you?" look.  He couldn't remember having ever seen her before.  Then she obviously realized that a mistake had been made and apologized.  She explained, "Oh, I'm so sorry. When I first saw you I thought you were the father of one of my children."  She walked on her way into the store.

The man was left staring dumbfounded after her.  More than a bit puzzled, he thought to himself, "What is the world coming to?  An attractive woman who doesn't even keep track of what the father of her children look like!"  However, he was also a bit flattered that he might resemble one of her former suitors, but also hoped that nobody overheard her saying that she mistook him for being the father of one of her children.

 A bit stunned, he walked to his car.  He still did not realize, of course, that....she was a second grade teacher.

A case of mistaken identity.  Have you ever done that?  You see someone in the store or on the street that you think you know and you call out and wave only to realize that it's not really them at all.  First glances can be deceiving.

I've done the same thing spiritually, too.  I've judged people at a glance as being stuck-up only to find out later on that they are only shy.  I've judged people for their irritability only to find out later what burdens they had been carrying that caused them to be a bit short with me.  I've judged some people as "hopeless sinners" only to discover in time a humble heart and a spirit that wants to surrender to God.

This is what the Pharisees in the time of Jesus just couldn't seem to understand.  They couldn't get past the first appearances.  They couldn't get beyond the outside to look at the heart.  And they didn't much care to get to know any of "those people" long enough to learn anything about their problems, their struggles, or their heart.

"For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (I Samuel 16:7).

Father, help me to take a "second look", to learn to look beyond the outward appearance, to look at the heart of the people around me.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great day!

-alan smith

sleep

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.

"Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the old man's response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, and he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and by grounding ourselves firmly in the Word of God.

-author unknown

better

As the days ticked down to my 47th birthday this year, I had to admit that I was a little melancholy. I was looking back over the years of my life and remembering every mistake that I had made, every wrong path that I had taken, and every chance for growth that I had turned my back on. It wasn’t a pretty sight.

When the day finally arrived, though, I was overwhelmed with the love I received from so many. Gifts, cards, and birthday greetings from friends filled both my mailbox and my computer. My wonderful children took me out for dinner and then surprised me with a homemade cake, a homemade card, and a homemade gift all wrapped with their love. By the end of the day my melancholy had fled and my happiness had returned. I felt truly blessed and I remembered that life is about the love you share not the mistakes you make.

I realized too that I wanted to spend the rest of my days here becoming the person that God meant for me to be. I wanted to watch more sunrises, share more smiles, and spread more love.  I wanted to fill my life with acts of kindness and moments of joy. I wanted to give my children wise words, kind thoughts, huge hugs, gentle kisses, loving laughter, and endless happiness. I wanted to help others every chance I could and in every way I could. I wanted to know that when I finally step out of this body and cross the threshold to Heaven that I would be taking a lifetime of love with me.

You too can become a better person each and every day of your life. There is no greater adventure than to become the person God meant for you to be. There is nothing better than being a blessing to everyone around you. There is nothing more wonderful than to live all your days here in love, growing younger on the inside even as you grow older on the outside.

-joseph mazzella

will

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all you ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Dr. Baker James Cauthen resigned from the faculty of Southwestern Seminary and the pastorate of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Ft. Worth to take his family to China in 1939, in the midst of war. His explanation was simple: the safest place in all the world to be is the center of the will of God.

Before he left for China, Dr. Cauthen said to his friend Bill Howse: "Bill, many people are making a lot out of what we are trying to do, but for us it's simply the will of God. It's such a good feeling that I can say that if our ship is bombed in Hong Kong harbor and we never set foot on Chinese soil, I will have a sense of completeness because I will have been doing the will of God for me."
　
Remember. The Will of God will never take you...
   Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
   Where the arms of God cannot support you,
   Where the hands of God cannot mold you.
   Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you...
   Where the spirit of God cannot work through you,
   Where the riches of God cannot supply you,
   Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
   Where the army of God cannot protect you,

The will of God will never take you...
   Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
   Where the mercy of God cannot sustain you,
   Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
   Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you...
   Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
   Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
   Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
   Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

list

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.  Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.  It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.  On Monday, she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much," were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in VietNam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to pass the coffin.  As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her.  "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.  "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket.  "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."

Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." 

"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary"

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists"

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.  Tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

"Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing." (1 Thessalonians5:11)

"Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today."  (Hebrews 3:13)

"Encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:25)

 -author unknown

still

"O sun, stand still ... " Joshua 10:12

I'm always struck by this passage. Joshua gives a command to the heavenly bodies, and God rearranges the laws of physics so that they obey him. It's one of the greatest miracles in all of scripture. In its scientific magnitude, it is an even greater miracle than the parting of the Red Sea.

But that isn't the main reason I'm so taken by what happened here. I'm struck by the context. Joshua just blew it. The Gibeonites, posing as distant travelers, deceived Joshua and the other leaders into making a prohibited treaty with them. Joshua was clearly negligent for failing to inquire of the Lord before ratifying the treaty. Now, here in chapter 10, he's dealing with the aftermath of his mistake. The Gibeonites are in trouble; Joshua and all Israel are called upon to save them.

God could have washed His hands of the entire affair. He could have said, "You got yourself into this mess; you get yourself out of it. Don't look to Me to help you defend these wicked Gibeonites."

But He doesn't do anything of the sort. God is a God of people who make mistakes, people who blow it, people who mess up.

I don't like making mistakes, but when I do, God gently reminds me that the work of God isn't about me and how perfect I am; rather, it is about the God who shows up despite our failings.

-dwight clough

yeast

When God led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, He told them to prepare for a quick departure by making bread without yeast. He gave instructions to remember their departure through the celebration of Passover - also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. During this celebration there was a seven day period when yeast was not even allowed in the home: "For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel" (Exodus 12:19).

When God established the various offerings through Moses, yeast became associated with an unworthy sacrifice; "Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast" (Leviticus 2:11).

About 1500 years later, Jesus used the symbolism of yeast to give His disciples an important warning.

Luke 12:1 "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."

With this choice of words, Jesus warned that hypocrisy has the ability to contaminate our lives, and therefore the offering we present to God. The Pharisees had an outward appearance of godliness, but their hearts had compromised true worship and become contaminated; "On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matthew 23:28). When we examine our own heart, does it match how we appear on the outside? Or have we too become full of hypocrisy?

The symbolism of yeast gives another clear warning; "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough" (Galatians 5:9). Every day we are tempted to make compromises with the world; compromises which cause us to behave contrary to our professed beliefs. This is hypocrisy and must be avoided at all cost! Each incident seems so small - like only "a little yeast" - but soon the compromises work through all areas of our life.

The only worthy endeavor during our allotted time on earth is to present ourselves, with complete abandonment, as a living sacrifice to God; "this is your spiritual (or reasonable) act of worship" (Romans 12:1). Our Heavenly Father is worthy of our very best...a pure and holy offering.

Let's celebrate our release from the slavery of sin by cleaning our home and removing all spiritual compromise. Let's give our whole heart to God in loving worship and guard against ANYTHING which pulls us away. Let's fight the hypocrisy in our lives and diligently guard against the yeast.
-steve