My Beloved

Every time I fall short, stumble, fall, the line, "I see no stain on you, My child" always comes to mind. It breaks my heart to remember that, every time, and I'm reposting so you could read and appreciate too. I first heard the song on ElijahStreams.com. Hope I can get a copy to share with you soon.

This is the true essence of our belief in Jesus, the Son of God, that we have been washed, and the Father sees the stain on us no more.

My Beloved

By Christ for the Nations

Verse 1:

You're My Beloved

You're My Bride

To sing over you is My delight

Come away with Me

My love


Verse 2:

Under My mercy

Come and wait

Till we are standing face to face

I see no stain on you

My child


Chorus:

You're Beautiful to Me

So beautiful to Me


Verse 3:

I sing over you

My song of peace

Cast all your care down at My feet

Come and find your rest

in Me


Bridge:

I'll breathe My life inside of you

I'll bear you up on eagle's wings

And hide you in the shadow of My strength

I'll take you to My quiet waters

I'll restore your soul

Come rest in Me and be made whole

Repost: "Christian Hedonism" ; )

I am increasingly learning that delighting in the Lord is in and of itself a great reward. But over and beyond that, being loved of God and falling recklessly in love with Him brings so much more than peace and security. Over and beyond provision that just comes from the unexpected, there is a degree of certainty that He will deliver. Though I am not perfect in the latter (having complete peace that He will deliver at the right moment), I know that He does not fail. It just has to get through my thick skull and hardened heart to understand this.

But either way, I am seriously learning that loving God is such a delightful exercise, that I am not exchanging this for anything else. If ever, I only want to be rewarded with the things I want, as add-ons to His love..

After a rough night, this article sure made my morning. :)

We Want You to Be a Christian Hedonist!

What Is Christian Hedonism?

My shortest summary of Christian Hedonism is: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

We all make a god out of what we take the most pleasure in. Christian Hedonists want to make God their God by seeking after the greatest pleasure—pleasure in him.

By Christian Hedonism, we do not mean that our happiness is the highest good. We mean that pursuing the highest good will always result in our greatest happiness in the end. We should pursue this happiness, and pursue it with all our might. The desire to be happy is a proper motive for every good deed, and if you abandon the pursuit of your own joy you cannot love man or please God.

The Difference Between Worldly and Christian Hedonism

Some people are inclined to believe that Christians are supposed to seek God’s will as opposed to pursuing their own pleasure. But what makes Biblical morality different than worldly hedonism is not that Biblical morality is disinterested and duty-driven, but that it is interested in vastly greater and purer things. Christian Hedonism is Biblical morality because it recognizes that obeying God is the only route to final and lasting happiness. Here are some examples of this from the Bible:

Luke 6:35 says, "Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great." It is clear when Jesus says “expect nothing in return” that we should not be motivated by worldly aggrandizement, but we are given strength to suffer loss by the promise of a future reward.

Again, in Luke 14:12-14: "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor . . . and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." That is, don't do good deeds for worldly advantage; rather, do them for spiritual, heavenly benefits.

Should Duty Be Our Main Motivation?

But some will say, "No, no. These texts only describe what reward will result if you act disinterestedly. They do not teach us to actually seek the reward."

Two answers to this objection:

1) It would be foolish to say, "If you take this pill, I’ll give you a nickel," if you expect the desire for the nickel to ruin the pill. But Jesus was not foolish. He would not offer blessing to those who obey him and then hold it against us if these blessings motivated our obedience.

2) Even more importantly, there are texts that not only commend that we do good in the hope of future blessing, but command it.

Luke 12:33 says, "Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail." The connection here between alms and having eternal treasure in heaven is not a chance result—it is the explicit purpose: "Make it your aim to have treasure in heaven, and the way to do this is to sell your possessions and give alms."

And again, Luke 16:9 says, "Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into eternal habitations." Luke does not say that the result of using possessions properly is to receive eternal habitations. He says, "Make it your aim to secure an eternal habitation by the way you use your possessions."

Therefore, a resounding NO to the belief that morality should be inspired more by duty than delight.

Don’t Be Too Easily Satisfied

Hebrews 11:6 teaches, "Without faith it is impossible to please [God]. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” You cannot please God if you do not come to him looking for reward. Therefore, faith that pleases God is the hedonistic pursuit of God.

As Christian Hedonists we know that everyone longs for happiness. And we will never tell them to deny or repress that desire. It is never a problem to want to be satisfied. The problem is being satisfied too easily. We believe that everyone who longs for satisfaction should no longer seek it from money or power or lust, but should come glut their soul-hunger on the grace of God. We will bend all our effort, by the Holy Spirit, to persuade people

• that they can be happier in giving than receiving (Acts 20:35);

• that they should count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus their Lord (Philippians 3:8);

• that the aim of all of Jesus' commandments is that their joy be full (John 15:11);

• that if they delight themselves in the Lord he will give them the desire of their heart (Psalm 37:4);

• that there is great gain in godliness with contentment (1 Timothy 6:6);

• and that the joy of the Lord is their strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

We will not try to motivate anyone with appeals to mere duty. We will tell them that in God’s presence is full and lasting joy (Psalm 16:11) and our only duty is to come to him, seeking this pleasure.

(Adapted from John Piper’s article, Christian Hedonism: Forgive the Label, but Don't Miss the Truth.)

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Holy Plunder! Yeboyh!

Testimony lang: A similar thing happened to me, related to the story below. Last week, to get my salary, I had tried to get my G-Cash from a friend/client, but the system couldn't get my G-Cash from my SIM. So I had to cough up Php 50 to get my SIM upgraded. But still, my SIM couldn't cough up G-Cash. So what Globe did was, they actually gave me another SIM. Gave. Lorie no cough out money for SIM. Then they also loaded me with, well, load.

I paid Php 50. I got freebies worth Php 105.

(SIM: Php 45, Load: Php 60)


Holy Plunderrrrr indeedy-o!

The World's
Most Outrageous
Biblical Lawsuit

Egyptian law dean plans suit against
"all the Jews of the world" for Exodus theft

When, after the Ten Plagues, Pharaoh finally let Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt, says the book of Exodus, the former slaves "plundered the Egyptians."

Now, more than three millennia later, Egypt wants its stuff back.

Nabil Hilmi, dean of the law school at Egypt's University of Al-Zaqaziq, is suing "all the Jews of the world" for stealing "from the Pharaonic Egyptians gold, jewelry, cooking utensils, silver ornaments, clothing, and more, leaving Egypt in the middle of the night with all this wealth, which today is priceless," according to the Cairo newspaper Al-Ahram Al-Arabi (translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute).

"If we assume that the weight of what was stolen was one ton, [its worth] doubled every 20 years, even if the annual interest is only 5 percent," Hilmi told the paper.

In one ton of gold is 700 kg of pure gold—and we must remember that what was stolen was jewelry, that is, alloyed with copper. Hence, after 1,000 years, it would be worth 1,125,898,240 million tons, which equals 1,125,898 billion tons for 1,000 years. In other words, 1,125 trillion tons of gold, that is, a million multiplied by a million tons of gold. This is for one stolen ton. The stolen gold is estimated at 300 tons, and it was not stolen for 1,000 years, but for 5,758 years, by the Jewish reckoning. Therefore, the debt is very large … The value must be calculated precisely in accordance with the information collected, and afterward a lawsuit must be filed against all the Jews of the world, and against the Jews of Israel in particular, so they will repay the Egyptians the debt that appears in the Torah.

Hilmi says he got the statistics from Exodus 35:12-36, which details the gold and other materials needed for the Tabernacle.

"This is the Middle East, and it's no joke. Nor is Hilmi a crackpot:" Yossi Klein Halevi writes in The Jerusalem Post. "The surrealistic suit says much about the quality of moral discourse in the Arab world today. … In the culture of self-pity that has gripped the Arab world, justice and grievance belongs to its side alone. Still, there is, potentially, good news in this deeply depressing story. By intending to sue 'every Jew in the world' for the theft of Pharaoh's gold, Hilmi is acknowledging that Jews are the legitimate descendants of the children of Israel."

Beth Goodtree is similarly excited in an article for the Israel Insider. "Now that Dr. Hilmi has recognized the Bible as historical fact, we Jews should comb the Bible for historical references to Jewish ownership of other lands and sites that are rightfully Jewish," she writes. "We should then sue all the interlopers and usurpers to get back that which is ours. And our chief witness can be Dr. Hilmi, G-d bless his hateful little heart."

Still, Hilmi should catch up on his history, explains Rabbi Avi Shafran of Aish.com:

The Talmud tells of precisely such a claim lodged over 2000 years ago in a world court of sorts presided over by none other than Alexander the Great.

The story is recounted in Sanhedrin 91a, where it is recorded that one Geviha ben Pesisa responded on the Jews' behalf. A paraphrase of the excerpt follows:

"What is your source?" Geviha asked the Egyptian representatives.

"The Torah," they replied.

"Very well," said Geviha, "I too will invoke the Torah, which says that the Jews spent 430 years laboring in Egypt. Please compensate us for 600,000 men's work for that period of time."

The Egyptians, the Talmud continues, then asked Alexander for three days during which to formulate a response. The recess was granted but the representatives, finding no counter-argument, never returned.

Ted Olsen Christianity Today, Week of September 1, 2003

OMG.

I seriously don't know how to react. Today, amidst setting targets in the wake of the Rick Joyner e-book thump on the side of my head, I had seen this after seeing that my AOL email did not contain any email from my gramma, since AOL.com shows news bites.

It is so chilling to know that God's monetary principles had been upheld since time immemorial, and it's so funny, as in hilarious, ha-ha-ha to note how people in the seeming land of milk and honey that we so envied before are now selling their houses for such a fraction.

I do not want to be smug. It actually makes me realize all the more how I should seek Him first, be faithful to my tithes (which I am admittedly not), and work on getting out of debt a week at a time.

The wealth of the nations are being driven into the coffers of Christians. It is starting. Are we ready?

Click here to be as shocked as I.

Why We All Need Discipline and Focus by Rick Joyner

Your weekly dose of Rick Joyner coming right up!

I was just about to go through my daily devotionals, when my weekly serving of MorningStar Ministries' bulletins appeared in my inbox. I am amazed at how this spoke to me and could be applied to the need of another dear friend of mine..

I decided to repost because I did say that I will regurgitate Rick Joyner's messages to share with us all.

Just as an addendum to his message, I would like to say that my earthly father always told me to have focus and discipline. But like any post-Woodstock child, I rebelled against that, thinking my talents were more than enough to carry me across the bridges I had to cross. Only when God showed me that my talent and so-called brains are as filthy rags to Him, and that:

An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.

And also:

Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

This season of learning humility and submitting to authorities had been pretty harsh. But as my wise CCC Ate had told me, I have a high tolerance level for pain, that is why God had to subject me to the kind of extreme hewing that extremely hard rocks have to go through. Believe me, it was not fun. So not fun at all. And I didn't want to stay in this season. Heck, I had wanted it to be over and done with ASAP.

But when I go back to the warning about a quickly-attained inheritance, though I get crestfallen that I have to suffer a little bit more, I am thankful of the promise that when I will emerge from this season, I will be wiser, and clothed in a deeper humility and a more grounded character, than if I blindly went through life needing and gaining affirmation from society that I am a success, even though the very foundations inside me could easily crumble.

In like manner, I believe others would also go through the same paradigm: that in spite of being talented or gifted with much, we will desperately need discipline and focus, and by God's grace, we will come into the inheritance set for us. Not by our might or power, but only by the Spirit can this discipline be lasting.

Before you get to Rick Joyner's inspiration of the week, let me repost something I shared on a friend's blog:


I always battle with my mom or the other "moms" in my life regarding this (Keeping a foothold in a secure, secular job, while pursuing God in faith through a job I love). You guys believe that it's okay to live this way, to endure in something that gives stability while working on another thing that would give you the greatest joy.

I agree with this to some degree, but I would like to add that there are some people who are shaped differently.

There are some people whom God calls to a different paradigm altogether, that the job they would enter would only break them, if they walk in disobedience to God.

I guess my life's experiences had broken me enough that I would rather not step out of God's will.

A wise cellmate of mine told me that if I no longer have peace with, or can no longer submit to a boss, it is better to leave.

I am glad that working at home has allowed me to live still. I know this is not the fullness of what I want for myself, but I took comfort in:

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 18:12 12 Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

I was a very proud young lady. I still have issues, I must admit. But I thank God that He gave me the grace to learn quickly.

I have to admit that I had to spit out my pride in order to contact my other former employers when I finally left my season of pride and rebellion.

I cannot force myself on the people I had hurt, and I only have the ashes left of the bridges I had burned. I guess I just have to take comfort in how the discipline and the lessons were clearer now than before.

Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

Also, I guess this is also what God wants me to realize:

Proverbs 20:21 An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.

I guess I would rather plow this field, because writing is my passion, even if the road is hard and the certainty is nonexistent. Because if I go the way of straddling two waters, what I envision will not come to pass because I will only be scattering my energies.

In the end,

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.


I still adamantly hold on to the paradigm God has set for me. I believe that as you live, whether you're still in high school, college or in your 20's, when you are still not sure what God wants you to be, go and seek Him. Observe yourself closely. What passions do you have? What interests you the most? What are your best talents?

Note these down in a journal, while you still don't have the bigger picture. Know that at its very heart, your purpose is to:

1. Worship God.
2. Cooperate with Jesus in being more motivated by Love with every day that passes.
3. Make disciples or ensuring that your next generation would love God passionately, recklessly, unequivocally..

(More of this in a previous post..)

Not all of us will be in ministry. Not all of us will be celebrities. But as we all worship God, He will reveal to us what work He has cut out for us, and our job is to:

FOCUS.

Never be discouraged by trials and pain.

And when things get ambiguous, go back, go back to your main paradigm: What did you and God agree on?

As a personal note, there was a point in this season where in I was so confused about what job to take. I saw my transcript of records, and I was broke and the writing work seemed to have been pulled out from under me like a rug needing to go to the washers. I wondered if He wanted me to go for a regular job, as a teacher or whatever. But when the dust settled, and I asked God again what He would have me do, I felt in my spirit that He was asking me that question instead:

"What did you really want to become? What is your ultimate goal, as your far as your career is concerned?"

I wanted to feed myself through writing. That's all I could ever want.

"Then walk in it."

I chose writing, even as I had been trained as a Psychology graduate, because:

• Through writing, I can pursue all the other careers I would have wanted to be in.
• I like my schedule. It gives me time to pray and take care of people.
• Nothing beats having time on your hands, in your control.
  
• Secular counseling takes so much out of people, especially if it's become a career.
• I find it wrong to counsel people for a fee. THIS should be given for free!
  
• God takes such hold over my time that I would be fired from a job within a week, if this keeps up. Heheh.
• I get to read all the articles I want to in my spare time.
• I don't have to watch the bandiclock in order to get to what I really wanna do.
• I do not go home tired from the travel.
• I do not have to deal with office politics.

I am a firm believer that if one wants a certain career or targets a certain thing, all focus must be on it. Scattered energies mean a scattered focus, and not everything is spent in making that something you truly desire happen. The result is getting less than what you set out for.

James says:

(James 1:5-8)

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. (MSG)

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. (NLT)

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (NIV)


I praise God that He has given me self-sufficient parents, and no siblings, so I am free to focus on what He has set for me. For others who had been less fortunate and have to worry about their families.. I feel for you.

And yet, when you seek first His Kingdom, He did promise to add to His presence the very things you ask for: financial security, protection from loss and tragedies, and a robust health.

So yes, let us FOCUS our eyes only on Jesus. He is so near to dominion on earth. Let us labor to prepare the Bride, because frankly, our iniquities have reached a tipping point.

And on to the main act :

The Army of God Mobilizes, Part 21 Last week we discussed how the most successful in any field are usually those who do the basics the best. I am sure you have noticed how I repeat some of these principles. I may try to say them a little differently, using different stories, but they are nevertheless the same principles. I am trying to make the teaching interesting and effective. Repetition is required in developing any skill, including Christian character. The wise embrace repetition and are always those who are the most serious about training and practice. The wise never waste an opportunity to review a truth and practice it. In our ministry, we have quite a few gifted musicians, songwriters, and worship leaders. Our School of Ministry seems to attract many very gifted musicians and worship leaders every year, and lately we have been astonished at how these extraordinary gifts seem to be increasing dramatically each year. This is a great encouragement to us, but we also know it is a great responsibility. MorningStar worship CDs have become known around the world. I hear songs written by our worship leaders and students played almost everywhere I go, even in some of the most isolated, remote places. This is gratifying because those songs have a message that is being carried forth, and even more importantly, they are helping people to worship the Lord. However, this did not just happen. We began with probably the most unimpressive worship on the planet. How did this change? There can be a great difference between wealth and riches. Riches tend to come easily and quickly, but also leave just as easily and quickly. True wealth is the result of diligence, hard work, faithfulness, endurance, and character, all of which help impart to the one who has the wealth and the wisdom to help preserve and expand it. The true treasure of the kingdom is the same. One of the true treasures of the kingdom is having our names written in heaven, where we are known there. It is a great treasure to be trusted with the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit and to be given authority and influence in the kingdom, all of which is built on character, which is called “the fruit of the Spirit.” Fruit is cultivated and grown. You cannot plant a seed and expect it to just jump out of the ground as a mature tree with fruit on it. I confess to getting impatient with people who ask me to pray for them and impart my gift of writing to them, as if this could be done just by me laying hands on them. It has taken me four decades of hard work to develop the skills that I have. We can be given the gift by God, but like the muscles He gives us, they will remain small or grow dependent upon how we exercise them. Imparting spiritual gifts is not like waving something like a spiritual magic wand over people and giving them a gift that is instantly powerful. It is true that gifts can be imparted by the laying on of hands, but if we impart something to someone who does not have the discipline and devotion required to develop it, we have helped to bring judgment upon them—the judgment of the “wicked, lazy, slave” (see Matthew 25:26) in the Parable of the Talents who buried what he was entrusted with. I have often desired a gift or power that would allow me to lay hands on people for instant spiritual maturity, but I do not find that anywhere in the Scriptures. Wisdom comes from a devotion to knowledge that is combined with experience with the humility to learn from our experiences and others. It is a mentality. I will confide this to you: One of my greatest disappointments and a grief that I carry is to have watched some of the most spiritually-gifted people fail, backslide, and bury the great gifts that they were given. Because my calling is to build people, the “talents” I have been entrusted with are the people. Though I understand that God has given people freedom to make their own choices, I still carry a grief for those who fail. I cannot help but to wonder what I could have done to prevent this. Don’t feel sorry for me or try to alleviate this feeling because it is basic that with authority comes responsibility, and I am not concerned with feeling better as much as I am with doing better. The only way that I will feel better is to see improvement, and I think that we are, but I also do not want to just sweep our failures under the rug. I want to learn everything I can from them so I can do better with the people the Lord entrusts to us. On the other hand, we have many success stories, and I get as much joy from hearing of their growth and success as I do grief from the failures. With every success or failure, I feel that I have learned different but priceless lessons. I want to pass these on. Though I may not be able to lay hands on people for instant maturity, the truly wise, who are the truly humble, will learn from other people’s lessons, whether mistakes or successes. I have seen one common denominator with all who I consider to be failing to produce fruit with the great gifts that were given to them—they all began to feel that they were so gifted that they did not have to work hard; they only wanted to do the fun part, which for a musician might be something like just playing before large crowds. After a while, we learned that if one’s personal discipline in private was not growing with their fame, then their fame would bring them down. Once when I was going out to speak at the International Church of Las Vegas, I asked a friend of mine who had been a great NBA basketball player to come with me. His name is Armen Gilliam, also known as “Armen, the hammer,” and he was one of the elite players of his time. On the way out, Armen told me about one of his college teammates that he felt was the greatest basketball player he had ever known, but who never made it in the NBA and had never been heard from since. Armen played in the era of some of the greatest basketball players of all time like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. When I asked Armen if his former teammate was better than them, he assured me that he was and that when some of them had played together in summer leagues, this man, John Flowers, won the MVP award. Like Armen, I wondered how such a great player could just disappear like that. Then, while I was in the green room of the church preparing to speak, Armen came back and said he saw his friend, John Flowers, sitting in the audience. I asked him to bring him back, which he did. I told John what Armen had said about him, and he quickly agreed that he was the most talented player, even more so than all of the other greats of his era. When I asked him why he never made it in the NBA, his response was immediate—he felt that he was so talented that he did not have to work hard, so those who worked harder quickly passed him by. He was now a doorman at one of the casinos downtown. I, too, have learned over and over that those with the discipline and focus to work hard will quickly pass those who may have much greater talent but do not have the discipline or focus to work hard. Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods have obvious talents, but what really separates them from the rest is that they also have a discipline and work ethic. Michael Jordan refused to let anyone get to practice before him or leave after him. Teammates and coaches asserted that he practiced with more zeal than most played the games with. Think about this: Any one of you reading this could become God’s best friend in these times and do the greatest exploits for the sake of the gospel. Nowhere does it say that any one of us cannot do what Enoch did—get so close to God that He just takes us straight to heaven without passing through death. In fact, it could be that this is what the real rapture is—the bride, the church, becomes so perfect, without spot or blemish, and so in love with Him that He just takes her. If great athletes have such devotion for a sport, how much more should we be giving ourselves to run for the wreath that is imperishable? Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable (I Corinthians 9:24-25). www.morningstarministries.org

Rick Joyner, 5/19/2008

Monday Morning Braindump; Teaching, Preaching and Bellyaching Included

How long had we Christians quibbled on the unimportant issues?!

Scientology entering churches, Harry Potter being an entry point of witchcraft or whatever...

While these are very worthy issues, I believe we should be more focused on:

Glorifying God by serving the purpose He cut out for us, in our generation.

Whatever you were called to do, be it a teacher, a politician, an entertainment industry bullwark, or even a ministry leader, you are, at the core, called to:

1. Worship God.
2. Cooperate with Jesus in being more motivated by Love with every day that passes.
3. Make disciples or ensuring that your next generation would love God passionately, recklessly, unequivocally..

But back to my rhetorical question. Since when did we Christians get so focused and distracted on the un-essential?!

Since...

Forever.

(Even with Jesus walking with them daily, the Disciples fought over who is the greatest, etc.)

Heheh.

But can we make a daily decision to live as we ought: Nazirites who are set apart by Jesus, to go the higher road and honor Him by Loving God above all else and everyone else, especially above LOVING YOURSELF (pointy finger pointing at moi ), and Loving your neighbor as you love yourself.

And btw, loving your neighbor entails:

1. Setting boundaries so you won't burst out into a tantrum when your limits are pushed. "Let your 'yes' mean yes and your 'no' mean no."
2. When you know you could still go the extra mile, take that extra mile with the friend. You will be richly rewarded.
3. Zipping your mouth and not complaining or gossiping when an injustice is done to you.

Dudes, these lessons came with so much pain for me. Please pray with me that these will be kept burned in my heart. :)


And above all, LOVE, entails commitment. You cannot bail out on God when you think that is convenient. Neither can you bail out on a friend when things get dizzyingly difficult. I pray we would all go that extra mile when the "difficult" occurs.

Phew. Brain dump over.

Teach Your Daughters to Wail

Jeremiah 9: 13-20

13 The LORD said, "It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. 14 Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their fathers taught them." 15 Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. 16 I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have destroyed them."

17 This is what the LORD Almighty says:
"Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come;
send for the most skillful of them.

18 Let them come quickly
and wail over us
till our eyes overflow with tears
and water streams from our eyelids.

19 The sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
'How ruined we are!
How great is our shame!
We must leave our land
because our houses are in ruins.' "

20 Now, O women, hear the word of the LORD;
open your ears to the words of his mouth.
Teach your daughters how to wail;
teach one another a lament.

One of the roles a woman has in ministry is for prayer. While a lot of us aspire to be church builders, we have to face the fact that there are certain roles cut out for the two genders.

For me, the role of the intercessors, or the "Crying Ladies" is very important. It is only through prayer that things change. We can have all the excellent strategies in the world, but unless we've taken the matter to God, our work is for naught.

Though the intercessor may not be in the limelight, for me, it is actually one of the most productive places to be in.

As a future mom, I agree with the gravity of needing to teach my daughters to pray and to be broken before God for our flock and for our people. Crying at His feet may well be the best place to be, in this cold, hard-hearted world. At the very least, we have His protection there; at the very most, we have His favor on our requests and petitions.

It may be a grave call, but if you choose to accept...

It's fun in there. :)

Solomon is Wise, Indeed.

When Solomon said that a quarrelsome wife was a bane to a man's existence, he was right.

My advice to you guys who read my blog:

Surprise your wife or girlfriend, send her sweet notes, make her feel special, before problems overwhelm you and since you did not cultivate the relationship and treat her like the princess that she is, things just blow up in your face and you'll feel like some unlucky private to Iraq who got caught with a grenade in his hand...



...And really got unlucky.

In the Darkness of my Soul

It was a sadness unlike I've ever felt.

I was irritable, angry, and I was ready to cry...

Or gouge out someone, anyone's eyes.

I was going crazy, wondering what kind of spiritual warfare I was in now...


Until I...


Opened the ref, got a piece of spoon, and gorged on two tablespoons of peanut butter.


Ahh. Bliss.

Pilipinas, Sana Matauhan Tayo Dito.

Reposted from my dear friend JC's bulletin.

Sana matauhan tayo kasi puro lang tayo reklamo. Yan tuloy, narebuke tayo ng isang Korean.

Mahiya naman tayo.

He/she said everything I always wanted to say to all the complainers. Including my former self.

As you know, we have plenty of Koreans currently
studying in the Philippines to take advantage of
our cheaper tuition fees and learn English at the
same time.
This is an essay written by a Korean student i
want to share with you. (Never mind the grammar;
it's the CONTENT that counts) Maybe it is time to
think about this in the midst of all the confusion
at present.
MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
Jaeyoun Kim
Filipinos always complain about the corruption in
the Philippines . Do you really think the corruption
is the problem of the Philippines ? I do not
think so. I strongly believe that the problem is
the lack of love for the Philippines .
Let me first talk about my country, Korea .
It might help you understand my point.
After the Korean War, South Korea was one
of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans
had to start from scratch because entire country was
destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no
natural resources.
Koreans used to talk about the Philippines , for
Filipinos were very rich in Asia . We envy Filipinos.
Koreans really wanted to be well off like
Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine.
My father & brother also died because of famine.
Korean government was very corrupt and is still very
corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was
able to develop dramatically because Koreans really
did their best for the common good with their heart
burning with patriotism.
Koreans did not work just for themselves but also
for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired
young men with the spirit of patriotism.
40 years ago, President Park took over the
government to reform Korea . He tried to borrow money
from other countries, but it was not possible to get a
loan and attract a foreign investment because the
economic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had
only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine
workers and nurses to Germany so that
they could send money to Korea to build a factory.
They had to go through horrible experience.
In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow
money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the
airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw
the President Park . They asked to him, "President,
when can we be well off?" That was the only question
everyone asked to him. President Park cried with
them and promised them that Korea would be well
off if everyone works hard for Korea , and the President
of Germany got the strong impression on them
and lent money to Korea . So, President Park was
able to build many factories in Korea . He always
asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.
Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA
came back to Korea to help developing country
because they wanted their country to be well off.
Though they received very small salary, they did their
best for Korea . They always hoped that their children
would live in well off country.
My parents always brought me to the places where
poor and physically handicapped people live. They
wanted me to understand their life and help them..
I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army..
The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we
have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my
neighborhood. Have you cried for the
Philippines ? I have cried for my country several
times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many
poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid
prison. What made me sad in the prison were the
prisoners who do not have any love for their country.
They go to mass and work for Church. They pray
everyday.
However, they do not love the Philippines . I
talked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound,
and both of them said that they would leave the
Philippines right after they are released from the
prison.

They said that they would start a new life in other
countries and never come back to the Philippines .
Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that
we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood.
The owners of factory and company were distributed their
profit to their employees fairly so that employees could
buy what they needed and saved money for the
future and their children.
When I was in Korea , I had a very strong faith and
wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines ,
I completely lost my faith.
I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable
situations in the Philippines . Street kids always make me sad,
and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic
country in Asia , but there are too many poor people here.
People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has
been changed.
My parents came to the Philippines last week and
saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer
than the present Philippines when they
were young. They are so sorry that there are so
many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasangjan,
I forced my parents to take a boat because
it would fun. However, they were not happy after
taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat
again because they were sympathized the
boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a
small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it.
But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love
for them.
My mother who has been working for Catholic Church
since I was very young told me that if we just go to
mass without changing ourselves, we are not
Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action.
She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things
for them because all of us are same and have received a great
love from God. I want Filipinos to love their
neighborhood and country as much as they love God
so that the Philippines will be well off.
I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos
should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once.
It should start from person. Love must start in everybody,
in a s mall scale and have to grow. A lot of
things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away
our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.
I discover that every person is worthy to be
loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible.
Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and
relationships. It changes the world. Please love your
neighborhood and country.
Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we
do to Him. In the Philippines , there is God for people who
are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love.
If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines .
Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country.
You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.
That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.

-reportedly written by a Korean man/woman

Inspiring Story of Change

Ex-convict moves from darkness to light

After spending half of his life in prison, can 44-year-old Alfredo still have a second chance at life? Will he still find light in the dark?

Yes, he can still have a second chance. And yes, he did find the light.

Last March 11, 2008, Alfredo Cassanova graduated from his Practical Electricity course offered by the Mobile Out of School Training (MOST) program of Operation Blessing.

He was one of the 90 graduates of the program offered to qualified residents of Brgy. Gregoria de Jesus, Gen. Mariano Alvarez (GMA), Cavite, and adjacent areas.

MOST is a free mobile job skills training school that provides training to out-of-school youths and unemployed people. It offers four job skills training courses: Cosmetology, Dressmaking, Practical Electricity, and Air-conditioning/Refrigeration.


Dark, Tragic Days

Alfredo was imprisoned twice. The first is for murder and kept him behind bars for 14 years. The second is for illegal possession of drugs which he paid for in prison for 9 years.

The second time in jail in the mid-1990s, he finally came to know Jesus Christ and accepted Him as his Lord and Savior. Then, the changes started to manifest in his life.

His addiction to vices and drugs stopped. He became calm and coolheaded making him less prone to trouble.

“Before, I got angry easily so I got into trouble many times,” he said.


Then Came the Light

After finishing his term in 2000, he and his family settled down at San Pedro, Laguna. They made a living by selling goods in a nearby market.

His search for a church brought him to Maranatha Full-Gospel Church where he met Pastor Fernando “Ding” Brimbuela.

When Pastor Ding informed him of Operation blessing’s MOST program, he initially hesitated. After all, he only finished fourth grade. But after OB assured him that he can pass, he enrolled in practical electricity.

Through MOST, Alfredo discovered not just new skills but also lessons on life values and the Bible.

His Second Chance

During the graduation rites, her mother’s joy was evident. Her son was a changed person! She was very supportive of his dreams.

Alfredo plans to accept home service jobs to help in the financial needs of their family. If he earns enough money for capital, he will put up a repair shop and buy a passenger jeepney and/or tricycle that he can rent out to his friends who may also want to earn a living.

He was grateful that God has protected him while in jail.

“I was grateful that no tragedy happened to me there. I didn’t get killed when there were riots, and I also did not suffer any serious illness,” Alfredo said.

He prays that his walk with the Lord would be sustained and that their life would be continually blessed.

Through the MOST program of Operation Blessing, people like Mang Alfredo can still have a second chance at life, and be able to live again from darkness to light.

Yes! Homeschool is Cool!

Homeschool is Cool

They say mothers know best. And that every child should receive the right amount of attention during the early development period. But these days, where there are more working moms than stay-at-homes, some children end up growing up with yayas or other relatives, away from the supervision of mommy.

Not for Felichi Pangilinan-Buizon who enrolled her children in homeschool. Her lessons are based on the curriculum developed by the School of Tomorrow in the U.S. and is now being used in the Living Heritage Academy in Las Piñas.

Being the hands-on mom that she is, Felichi makes sure that her children understands and enjoys the curriculum. She teaches not only the basic subjects like Math, English and Reading but life skills as well.

For Felichi, homeschooling is a more complete way of raising their children through individualized instruction. “What’s important is you’re able to give them focused attention,” she explains.

Homeschooling is a way of teaching children inside of their homes rather than in a regular private or public school. Usually, motivations for homeschool include the kind of learning environment, the religion, the location and convenience of studying at home, or family reasons, among others.

It is widely accepted in countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States. In the Philippines, it is slowly making its way in. In fact, homeschooling is accredited by the Department of Education.

Teacher mommy!

Felichi’s eldest daughter Tahnee is now in high school. She graduated from homeschool and is now helping out her mom in teaching her younger siblings.

“The advantage of homeschooling is you get to be close to your family more,” Tahnee says.

“I enjoy doing Math with my mama because it’s fun like playing,” daughter Kyla quips.

Felichi also gets very creative in her lessons. She involves her children in role playing for Bible lessons. “We do true-to-life dramatization of our stories.”

She adds, “At home in the kitchen we learn fractions when we bake. I also teach them how to take care of their own things, how to do chores.”

More than the curricula

“Mama taught me how to treat people equally…how to be a good kuya to my younger siblings and to pray to God everyday,” Josh boasts.

“The best lesson my mama taught me is to fear the Lord,” Tahnee affirms.

Felichi desires more than what the lesson plan can offer for her children. “I want my children to put God first, that they will love him with all their heart, mind, soul and strength,” she reveals.

Felichi is married to Dr. Jojo Buizon for 16 years. They are gifted with 4 beautiful children – Tahnee, Joshua, Kyla and Ryan. She also serves as co-host of The 700 Club Asia’s A.C.T.S, every Tuesday at 11:30 p.m. on Q Channel 11.

I had started having a desire to home-school my kids since I started just falling in deeper love with Jesus.. It comes with the territory of realizing that some influences are just not good for one's kids.

Wonder how this could really work?

In light of the recent Victory Pioneer Victory Weekend...

Yes, I am spamming your inbox. Yes I think this is important, and yes....

Congrats my beloved cellmates, for crossing over the bridge to Victory!

Recently, VCF Pioneer finished its first set of Victory Weekend for the church, and boy, I feel the release in the air!

While I certainly had not taken part in the "main action," I was still nudged by God near midnight, and He gave me this:

Psalm 149

1 Praise the LORD. ^[a]
Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.

3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

4 For the LORD takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with salvation.

5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.

6 May the praise of God be in their mouths
and a double-edged sword in their hands,

7 to inflict vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,

8 to bind their kings with fetters,
their nobles with shackles of iron,

9 to carry out the sentence written against them.
This is the glory of all his saints.
Praise the LORD.

I don't recall exactly when I had my epiphany for the fact that PRAISE is the only bulldozer/cannon/extra-strength battering ram/mega over-battle-tank against Satan and his cohorts, but I did realize it, and I realized that that is surely the only thing we Christians should hold onto.

Ahh, now I remember: from the podcast/preaching/teaching by Misty Edwards. She said that while she surely believes in binding demons (also implying the casting out part), there is no other weapon that is so potent as praising JESUS!

So now, as I share with you Rick Joyner's treatise on spiritual warfare and deliverance, remember: all the other weapons will be paltry things to use; let us use these as needed, but let us flood and overwhelm this world with PRAISE! No more of the limp, wimpy church! Let us praise JESUS, and we shall see our nations turn around and praise God!

Surely, He will save the Middle East, Austria, Latin America, the Philippines, and even Israel!

Let us praise Jesus and rock the very foundations of this earth!

Woohoo!!!

We Have Met The Enemy The famous quote from Walt Kelly is, "We have met the enemy, and he is us!" I think that is true for a lot of people who want to blame everything on the devil, or want a one-time deliverance session and expect to be totally set free from their carnal nature and be instantly made perfect. However, in this case, we have met the enemy, and he is the enemy. There are people who blame things on the devil for which they should be repenting, and there are others who are repenting for things which they need deliverance. We need to be able to distinguish when it is either. I think in our last conference some of the greatest wisdom on deliverance that I have ever heard came forth. Many people said that any one of the teachings would have been worth the whole conference, and it was remarkable, but now we want to apply it. There are real demonic forces arrayed against almost every Christian who is in true pursuit of their purpose and calling, which we can expect to encounter and will have to overcome to make true and lasting progress. The Lord lets them oppose us for our own good and strengthening. When a Christian begins to overcome instead of be overcome, as the Scriptures state, the devil will not only leave them, but will flee from them! That should be the story of every Christian, and will be before the end comes. As we are told in James 4:7-8, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (NKJV). Here we see that resisting the devil is sandwiched between submitting to God and drawing near to God. This is what we are endeavoring to do. Let me explain how. Since we began hosting conferences in 1990, we have been under a special grace where each one has gone to an even higher level than the previous ones of that type. However, this year it seems we have gone from a special grace in this to a great grace. Even though the recent conference we held on Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare was the first of that type, it started off at a usually high level and just kept going higher. I have never heard so many testimonies of people being truly set free and their lives changed. If those who attended go back to their families and churches and become the "freedom fighters" they are called to be, that one conference will have had a major impact in the body of Christ. I personally don't think I have ever seen conference people so different on the first day to the last day. This was far more effective than we had even hoped (the CDs and DVDs from this conference are available on this website at a special price—these include some of the best practical teachings on this subject I have heard). We are thankful for this freedom for so many, but we must keep this momentum going. There was a lot of genuine deliverance at this conference. We are told in the Scriptures that a demonic power which is displaced will try to return. If we do not fill the void, the demons will return and bring back seven more friends even meaner than themselves (see Matthew 12:43-45). Therefore, we must fortify ourselves in any area that we displace a demon from our lives. We fortify ourselves by filling that void with the Lord. In the very place where you may have been the weakest, you are called to be strong. By the Lord's grace His strength is made perfect in weakness, and we need to diligently pursue His grace by first humbling ourselves and acknowledging that we have a problem. This is called repentance. It does not matter how strong the devil may have gotten into our lives, that is how deeply the Lord can fill us once the enemy is driven out. We also need to understand that when the demon leaves, sometimes it is like getting rid of the gopher but the holes are still there. By this I mean that you can kick the devil out, but you still have the old habit patterns that must be filled with the grace of God. Regardless of what you have been trapped in, you can be free, and you can walk in "the beauty of holiness," or we might say "the beauty of wholeness." True holiness is simply being wholly God's. The Grief of a Shepherd Studies over the last few decades detail a terrible and devastating slide into debauchery by evangelical Christians. Of course there is an increasing slide into lawlessness and debauchery by almost all people groups, but this should not be the case with Christians. Presently, there is no distinguishable behavior between Christians and non-Christians when there should always be a radical difference that stands out brightly. This must and will change, and it is happening now. As a father, I know that if I left my children in the care of a friend and came back and they had been raped, beaten, abused, were sick, and starving, I don't want to think about what I might do to that "friend." So how does the Lord take it when this is precisely the condition of His children, who He entrusted into our care? This is happening on our watch! What do we do about it? This burden has deeply provoked and challenged me for a long time now, and many of my prayers for answers to how we can turn this around have been given in our own conferences. We do not host a single conference without believing we have been given a mandate for it, that we have learned some things which can be helpful to others, and that we can learn some things that will be helpful to us. Lately, this has gone to a dramatically higher level, but we also have a long way to go. We need to see the momentum not only continued, but increased, just as it does now seem to be doing, but let's pray for even more. I have been so encouraged lately that I have a real hope now that we can see the bride of Christ made pure and spotless even in our own time. I have real hope that those in our local congregations will be radically different than those who are sliding into a deepening darkness. I have real hope that they will not only be free, but will be freedom fighters setting other captives free wherever they go. We learned far more in the last conference than we can review in just a bulletin. We were reminded of many other things that we already knew, but need to focus on with even more resolve. We were encouraged by how easily some demonic strongholds were broken over people's lives, which it seemed not long ago would have taken much longer—even hours and hours of battling. We don't have to do that. A deliverance session does not have to be like swimming upstream. A major strategy of the devil is to wear out the saints, and we must not fall into that trap again. This is not spooky business either, but normal Christianity. It should be, and will be, an easy thing for every Christian to be able to deliver others from demonic oppression in any form, after we have been set free. As a shepherd, I often ponder why the worst judgments were not upon false teachers or false prophets, but upon the shepherds who fed themselves while the Lord's sheep went hungry and were abused. None of us want to fall into that category when the great judgment day comes. If we are shepherds, we must consider the great privilege that we have been given to watch over the Lord's own household, but also the great responsibility that it is.

Rick Joyner, 4/20/2006

More Support Against Dan Brown's Great Piece of Fallacy.. Err, Novel.

I love it when someone agrees with me. :) Especially someone I've always admired. :)

Recently, I had my faith in the pureness and deity of Christ, and even the Bible questioned again when I had discussed Theology with someone. I finally had to turn over the matter of Mary of Magdala's relationship with Jesus in my head, and realized quite a few truths. Today I am thankful for my High School Values teacher, for telling me that Logic was what helped her ground her faith in God. Because of Logic, I was able to reaffirm and reassure myself that my Jesus did not marry Mary Magdalene.

But to tip the scales further for the confused, do read Rick Joyner's reactions to that accursed novel, the hearsay of which has attempted to shatter my faith time and again.

Enjoy!

The Da Vinci Code and The Gospel of Judas The Da Vinci Code is an important book that we need to understand. This book may be a well-written suspense thriller, but for historical accuracy it is hard to imagine one that has so twisted and distorted the facts. Even though it is a compelling read, it is taken too seriously by many, which is a statement about our times that we need to understand. In this book, the author very cleverly uses characters who are supposed to be esteemed experts and historians to make bold and authoritative declarations about the church, its history, and the Bible which are not only false, but are either extreme exaggerations or outright fabrications. Is this acceptable just because it is a novel? Usually even novels that are based on historic events are held to a high standard in its representation of them. Why isn't this one? There is an obvious agenda in The Da Vinci Code that we need to understand. What is it? Why does it matter? There is a reason why this book is regarded by an increasing number of people to be one of the most demonically-inspired books of our times, with a profoundly evil agenda. This book is a regurgitation of the ancient Gnostic doctrines, as well as the promotion and glorification of paganism, while undermining Christianity and faith in the Bible. This is not a new deception, but is actually rooted in the original deception of the serpent in the Garden. Gnosticism was a heresy that arose in the first few centuries A.D. when Christianity was spreading throughout the world, and it claimed to be Christian, but was not. It was rather a very basic departure from Christian truth, and promoted a salvation that was more of an elevation of the soul, through a secret knowledge rather than through the atonement of the cross. Gnosticism was considered by some to have been the very deception that the Lord prophesied would seek to deceive even the elect (see Matthew 24:24). For the first few centuries of Christianity, this deception was effective in deceiving many new or unstable believers and even some of the leaders. It seemed especially prone to pick off those who were on either the extreme of having a low self-esteem or the opposite extreme of being driven by selfish ambition, because it fed on the pride of its converts that these two kinds of people are especially prone to embrace. It is important for us to understand why this same heresy is surfacing again today in The Da Vinci Code, and the timing of the discovery of The Gospel of Judas, which is no accident. It is probable that The Gospel of Judas manuscript discovered is probably authentic as far as being old, but it was not written by Judas, as it is being promoted. We know that this "gospel" existed because it is referred to a number of times by the early church fathers, but always as a heresy, just like the other Gnostic gospels that painted a very different picture of Jesus than the biblical testimony. Just because something is old does not make its teaching true. With a brief scan of the web, you will find a growing number of studies that have and are being done on The Da Vinci Code by serious historians and even art critics. From just a cursory examination of these, they all seem to be united in declaring the assertions in this book to be anywhere from inaccurate to outrageous. In fact, I could not find one that verified the implications made by this book. The author does not even get the architecture correct on the prominent buildings used in the novel, which could have easily been done with a little research through the Internet. We will look at a few examples of the kind of distortion of history that is found in the assertions of this book, especially those which are used to attack Christianity or the Bible. Because Gnosticism is obviously being resurrected in our times, we should keep in mind that there have always been the two main assaults of Gnosticism: To undermine Christianity by attacking its most basic truths—the deity of Jesus, His death, resurrection, and exaltation. To attack the validity of the Scriptures. The very first lie of Satan was an attempt to get Eve to doubt God's word. This is why there is such a massive and continuous assault on the validity of the Scriptures. If the "scientific" methods and standards used to determine authenticity of ancient writings are applied to the Scriptures, there are almost certainly no writings on the planet that pass these tests better than the Bible. However, science almost always uses a double standard when it comes to the Bible, accepting as fact that which attacks it even if it is the most flimsy of evidence, and rejecting a mountain of verification if it confirms the Bible. We need to understand that Gnosticism seems to be an especially interesting parallel to the first forbidden fruit that brought all of the death into the world in the beginning. Satan seduced Adam and Eve into eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil by asserting that this knowledge would make them "like God." Gnosticism comes from a root word that means "knowledge," and it actually purports to lead those who acquire the secret knowledge to become like God. This perverted doctrine did much damage to the early church, and it is obviously being resurrected to do the same in our time. The Da Vinci Code seeks to make heroes out of secret societies and groups like the Templars, but you can be sure that secret societies, or groups that have secret rituals, will be used for evil. If we are abiding in the light then anything we do should be able to be exposed to the light or openness. There have been societies, or orders, in church history that have done much good for the faith, but they were never secret orders, and were always very open about what they did. One of these would be The Order of the Mustard Seed that was founded by early Moravians and was instrumental in the conversions of John and Charles Wesley. We should beware of any secret society or order, and can assume that if something has to be kept secret it is in darkness. This book also asserts through its characters, who are supposed to be esteemed and celebrated intellectuals and historians, that the Roman Emperor Constantine at the Council of Nicea (in the early fourth century) forced on the church the doctrines of the deity of Jesus, and his own desired canon of Scripture. The facts are that the canon of Scripture was not even on the agenda at this council, and the "close vote" on the deity of Jesus was 300 to 2. Does that sound like a "close vote" to you? This may actually reflect the degree of accuracy that the rest of the "facts" stated in The Da Vinci Code actually have. The characters in this book also state that this council threw out the "80 some" additional "gospels" that disputed His deity, keeping only the four that confirmed Jesus' deity, which Dan Brown states (always through his characters) that neither Jesus nor His first disciples held to. Again, the canon of Scripture was not even addressed at this council, and the "80 some other gospels" mentioned in this novel are another exaggeration. There were others, but the actual number is about 20, so the exaggeration of this was only by a factor of 4 to 1, which seems pretty good by the standards of accuracy set throughout the rest of this book. The canon of Scripture was established centuries later. The reasons given for epistles or "gospels" that were not canonized varied. Some were not canonized because they had been written later than the first century, and therefore were not considered eyewitness accounts. Even the standard of justice established in the Law demanded that the testimony of any witness had to be an eyewitness account, not hearsay, and it was expected that the New Covenant should not have a lower standard than the Old Covenant. Some were not canonized because it was believed that they were redundant to the four gospels that were chosen. Others were not acceptable because they contained obvious Gnostic heresies. Contrary to the statements of the "experts" in this novel, these heresies were almost universally understood by faithful believers to be heresy, and a diversion from the truth of the gospel. These Gnostic heresies were not corroborated by any of the writings of the early church fathers (leaders of the church who lived between 70 A.D.and 150 A.D.), but are disputed vehemently by them all. Contrary to the assertions made in The Da Vinci Code, the New Testament actually has an abundance of "scientific proof" backing up both its authenticity and its dating. The fact that the writings of the early church fathers took place between 70 A.D. and 150 A.D. is well established and is not disputed in its dating. The early church fathers included some who were direct disciples of those who walked with the Lord Himself such as Peter, John, and the other apostles. From these writings, there are some 30,000 references to what is now considered the canon New Testament. From these well-established authentic writings, you can reconstruct the entire New Testament with the exception of just eleven verses! This testifies quite overwhelmingly that what we have in our New Testament today is the same which was actually penned by the authors, though of course some translations may differ on some phrasing. Even so, epistles that were not mentioned by the early church fathers were not necessarily considered spurious, or fraudulent, or that they contained false teaching. Many of these writings were considered good and edifying, but that did not pass the high test required to be considered canon Scripture. The many errors that later entered the church were not the result of rejecting epistles that should have been included in the canon, as The Da Vinci Code purports, but were the result of neglecting the canon Scriptures. In any case, the evidence that what we have in our New Testament today is that the authenticity of the writings is quite overwhelming, in contrast to the assertion of Dan Brown through his authoritative characters that the New Testament was repeatedly changed, and modified, and is very different from the original. This is not true, and there is abundant evidence that it is not true. Other glaring flaws in The Da Vinci Code really include almost every statement about the Bible or early Christian practices including the fact that neither Constantine nor the Council of Nicea were responsible for changing the Christian meeting day to Sunday or establishing the celebration of Christmas. That Christians had begun to meet on the first day of the week rather than the Jewish Sabbath is apparent in the New Testament, as well as the writings of the early church fathers. The celebration of Christmas also began well after Constantine. There is also not a single Christian writing included in the Dead Sea Scrolls, nor even a mention of Christ in them. Brown's biggest distortion of the truth is the assertion that neither Jesus, nor the first Christians, considered Jesus to be deity. The Gospel of John begins by asserting His divinity, as does the first two chapters of Hebrews, the first chapter of the Gospel of John, and an abundance of other statements such as Romans 1:1-4: Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead (NKJV). There have now been books written on the inaccuracies, misstatements, and exaggerations of The Da Vinci Code, and it does seem that every single point about Christianity in this book was not just distorted, but greatly distorted. Even other minor details that had nothing to do with faith were also amazingly inaccurate, such as the one that I'm sure irritated every pilot—a B-58 Baron is not a turboprop, but a light twin piston powered plane, which no one could walk around in as asserted in this strange novel. From a Christian perspective, his agenda of attacking Christianity, promoting pagan worship and other rituals that are associated with satanic worship are quite obvious. When one serves Satan, the "father of lies," you will become like the one you worship. This book is full of lies. Historical novels are generally held to a very high standard of conforming to the truth when it comes to actual historic events. Why isn't this one? The publisher of this book, and Hollywood, will obviously defend the book by saying that it is a novel, and Dan Brown is just taking some artistic liberty. However, this book crosses some very basic lines with its flagrant distortions of history obviously intended to be an attack on Christianity, and it should offend every true Christian. I would not encourage anyone to be slimed by reading this novel, or watching the movie, regardless of how entertaining it may be. There are lines that we, too, as Christians need to draw, and this is one of them. Even with this being a very well-written and exciting suspense thriller, that its bizarre premises and message would allow it to be the bestseller that it has become says a lot about the present state of the world in our times. Truth, and the love for truth, is certainly becoming rare. Just as these same Gnostic heresies deceived and led astray many weak and unstable Christians in the first few centuries, we can be sure that it will do so again if the true shepherds do not protect those they are entrusted to watch over by warning them of these things. The good that has come from this novel is that many Christians have been provoked into checking out some of the attacks made on basic Christian truth in this novel, as well as historic facts, and have resolved to strengthen their own foundations. We are coming to the time of the ultimate conflict between good and evil, between light and darkness, between truth and error. Good will always win over evil, light will always cast out darkness, and truth will always prevail over every lie. This we can be sure of.

Rick Joyner, 5/1/2006 5