Victoria Boyson: "Charlie"

     How important it is to demonstrate God's love!  So many broken, lonely people have been turned away from Jesus because of the example many of us have been to them.

Victoria Boyson:

"Charlie" - A Reflection of God's Grace and Love

     I once met a man named "Charlie." Well, Charlie was not his real name, I only call him that because I never knew his real name. Yet, he has left an indelible imprint on my heart. Charlie was a piece of God's handiwork, made and fashioned in the image of God.

     Some men's names ring forever in the history of the world and the names of those men bring to mind pictures of their character. Some names like Shakespeare, Einstein or Rockefeller, of course, conjure up thoughts of good or successful men. On the other hand, some names like Ted Bundy or Al Capone remind us of unhappy events. But some lives are lived and lost leaving behind no legacy; they are lost in time with only a few records to remind us that they lived. They walk through this lonely world without a soul to care for them. No one cares whether they have lived or died.

     Charlie was a homeless man whose skin was like shoe leather, darkened by the sun. His life's belongings were held simply in an old tattered army bag.

     I was in my first summer of college and traveling with a music group, performing across the Midwest. The summer had been an eventful, but long one for me, living in a small custom van with the rest of our group.

The first time I saw Charlie was on a hot Colorado day in July. He was walking on the highway we were driving on. He was not even thumbing for a ride, just walking with his bag thrown over his shoulder hunched over by the weight of his load. The physical and emotional load he carried was evident to all who saw him that day.

       What were the cares he carried that day? What were the pains that kept him almost buried under the emotional load of failure or regret? What was it that made him lose hope in himself or humanity?

Had he ever married? Did he have any family? Was there a single person in the world who cared about this man?

       It did not appear to me that anyone cared for this small, insignificant, homeless man, except God of course. God had seen his struggles and wanted desperately to reach him. God cared about this man; God dearly loved him.

       We had been driving for hours on the seemingly endless highways of Colorado. It was a hot, dry day when we passed Charlie on the highway. My mother wisely told me never to pickup hitchhikers, but I was not driving the van. My friend Ted stopped before any of us could say a contrary word and picked him up.

       He climbed into the van looking tired and care-worn and sat right next to me. As he sat down I felt instantly that this was to be an assignment for me. God wanted me to reach out to him.

        I opened my Bible to John 3:16 and asked him if he'd ever heard about Jesus. I read just a few passages and his eyes got big as saucers. Big, bright blue eyes that were full of the wonder of a child. "God made those eyes, and oh, how He loved them," I thought to myself.

        As I sat there holding my Bible I remembered that I had hidden money in it. I always kept a little savings tucked away. It wasn't much - only two fives - the meager savings of my pinched pennies. Still, the thought sprung to my mind that he needed it more than I.

         I asked him if he needed any money. But before he could answer, my friend, Ted, screamed at me, "Don't you give him any money!"

He went on to give a wretched exhortation of what a low-life, worthless sinner this man was. The memory of it pains me even now. To think of that lonely man being vomited on by my self-righteous friend.

        Fortunately for Charlie, Ted and I didn't see eye to eye. I gave him half the money anyway. Charlie's big eyes got moist from my little gesture, but again he had to endure another onslaught of religious talk from Ted.

       After only a half-hour of this torment, he asked to be dropped off at a truck stop. As quickly as he appeared, he was now gone.

As we traveled on to the next town, I received a rather loud and long lecture from Ted. He was sure the man would waste the money I gave him to buy cigarettes or beer.

       I felt awful - awful for the man and awful for myself. I was only 19 then and was unsure of what the right thing was to do."Does mercy really triumph over judgment?" I wondered then.

        My mother had always taught me that God was love and He loved all His creation, especially the lonely and down-trodden. I had seen her live out her faith daily, giving her last dime to those in need who were blessed enough to cross her path.

       The next day, we met Charlie again on the highway. Ted stopped and jumped out to talk to the man. More self-righteous, religious venom, and indeed, he was smoking a cigarette and blowing the smoke right in Ted's face.

       For years the event pained me. I wondered what became of Charlie. I prayed for him as often as I thought of him. His loneliness impacted my life. I had known loneliness, but not like the loneliness he was experiencing.

       Ted convinced me that I had wasted my money, and I felt like a failure. But many years later, during a time of prayer, the Lord gave me a present that, in itself, was well worth the experience.The Lord opened up Heaven and showed me Himself with His arms securely wrapped around Charlie. Charlie was in Heaven!

        He was no longer care-worn, but radiant and full of joy - no longer nameless or lonely, but surrounded by the favor of God. As he stood next to Jesus, looking at me with his enormous God-loved eyes, he spoke only two words, "Thank you!"
        I asked the Lord how he could have found Him through my meager efforts at mercy and Ted's flamboyant attacks?

        "Well," the Lord replied, "shortly after you left him, he was picked up by another Christian, a man who was well seasoned by love. He told Charlie about Me. As the man spoke of God's love reaching out to him, Charlie remembered you and your five dollar bill. At that moment he was convinced of My love reaching out to him and he was able to accept Me. Then I was able to take him home with Me."

         Suddenly, my memories of the event changed from seeing Charlie's blowing smoke in Ted's face as my failure. I saw it now as my five-dollar gift of God's love, and that with every puff of smoke came the thought that there was a young lady who gave him her compassion to blow the smoke of human kindness in the face of harsh, religious prejudice.

          There is a religious mind set in the Church that often sees those who are broken by life's sorrows and sins as though they have brought on the harsh realities of their lives by the way they have chosen to live their lives. And in many respect that is true. We often bring on many of life's trials by the way we have lived our lives.

        However, none of us deserve God's grace and the Word of God says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). God's forgiveness is a free gift that cost Him everything and He is waiting for us to receive it. And no matter what we have done, it is never too horrible to keep us from the love of God. For the Bible tells us that "neither height, nor depth...will be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:39).

         God is abounding in His love for you and He wants you to receive it from Him no matter how you may have been treated by those professing to know Him. If they had truly known Him, they would have loved you. Indeed, you are the very apple of His eye. You are the sole purpose of Christ's death and resurrection. It was for you He died.

         Please receive His gift of grace and allow Him to forgive you of your past and give you a fresh start for your future. This is what He wants to do for you. Don't deny Him the pleasure of touching your life today and making you brand new!

Love and Blessings

Victoria Boyson
Speaking Life Ministries
Email: victoria@boyson.org

Victoria Boyson met Jesus at the age of seven. At 13, she started ministering using music as a platform to tell others about Jesus and sang as often as anyone wanted to hear. After high school, she received a music scholarship to attend Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, North Dakota where she met her husband, Steve Boyson. Shortly after their marriage in 1988, they started ministering together at various churches and functions, again using the platform of music. In 1992, they became youth pastors, and through the following years ministered in various churches. In 1999, the Lord told them to move to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to work for Francis Frangipane, who was extremely influential in their development as Christians and as ministers. Francis recognized Victoria's gift in writing and encouraged her pursuing its development. Steve and Victoria Boyson have four children: Cassandra, Cody, Cole and CailieEllen.

The Drought

      Not only has the drought taken a major toll on the crops around here (and across the Midwest) but the lack of rain is beginning to cause many trees to die, also.  We have several now in the woods on our property and along the lane that leads to our house that look as if they are not going to make it.
      One I am especially disappointed to lose is this Canadian hemlock.  We planted these two trees almost 10 years ago.  They have grown to be nice-sized trees.  When I was watering the garden  last week I noticed one of them--the one on the right--looked different than it had a few days ago.  The needles were gray colored.  As I reached for one of the branches the needles fell off in my hands.

This is how the tree looks today.  The picture is taken looking the opposite direction from the one above.   (I set a 5 gallon bucket beside it on the right to get perspective on how large it really is.)  How disappointing to lose a tree.  They take so long to grow! 

       The land so desperately need rain.  There's not much chance it will help the soybeans now, but it would revive most of the trees, lawns, landscaping, wells, ponds, rivers, etc. 

      We picked up our youngest son and his family at the St. Louis airport yesterday and could not believe how shallow the Mississippi River looked!  Many sand bars were visible.  I have heard that it is possible to walk across the Wabash River in some spots now!  I also know of many people who are hauling water because their wells have run dry.

      We--and millions of others who are affected by this drought--would certainly appreciate your prayers for some prolonged, soaking rains!

Matt Barber: Christians should vote for Romney

     I've heard many people say they will not vote for Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon.  I disagree with this thinking, but because I am not nearly as good at expressing myself as many are, I'm posting this excellent article on why it is so important that we vote for him.
     Here is a link to this column if you want to read it in the original.

BARBER: Christians should vote for Romney

Obama’s secular policies must be countered at the ballot box

It's no secret that I have been and remain a vocal critic of Mitt Romney. To say that his conservative bona fides are suspect is an understatement. I have tremendous respect for a number of fellow evangelical Christians who say that they will not support his presidential candidacy. I expect I will anger some of them, and may even lose a few friends. Still, in November, I am voting for Mr. Romney and suggest that any Christian - Republican, Democrat or independent - should do the same.

Jesus admonished: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16). It is through this biblical prism that I shine my multicolored analysis.

President Obama is a wolf. Though he purports to be Christian, his policies are decidedly un-Christian. This man eagerly advances a culture of death. He is the most radically pro-abortion president in American history. He has dutifully signed off on - and implemented at each opportunity - every extremist demand of the radical pro-abortion and homosexual activist lobbies.

Mr. Obama has shown utter disregard - if not total disdain - for the U.S. Constitution. Not the least of his indefensible infringements is his recent Health and Human Services mandate requiring, under penalty of law, that all Christian and Catholic organizations violate fundamental church tenets by providing abortifacients, sterilization and contraceptive services to employees. This may be the single most egregious breach of First Amendment freedom in our lifetimes. Thankfully, the church isn't backing down, has refused to comply and is fighting tooth and nail in court to reinstate constitutional liberty.

Scripture says that Christians are known by their fruit. Mr. Obama's fruit is rotten to the core. He talks like a Christian while his actions scream secular-socialist. I intend to work with every fiber of my being to see that Mr. Obama is not re-elected. To the extent this benefits Mr. Romney, so be it.

It took one word to convince me: judges. The next president likely will fill at least two Supreme Court vacancies in the next four to eight years. Appointing Supreme Court justices may be the single most significant thing any president can do. For better or for worse, it profoundly steers law, public policy and culture at large in perpetuity.

This is our most crucial point of focus: ensuring an originalist, strict constructionist majority on the high court. If Mr. Obama is re-elected and appoints one, two or even three more Ruth Bader Ginsburgs, forget it. America, as our founders envisioned her, is dead.

Though Mr. Romney's judicial appointment record while governor of Massachusetts was erratic at best, he has pledged during this election cycle, "I will appoint conservative, strict constructionists to the judiciary."

Flip-flop? Perhaps. Still, Mr. Romney has proved that he cares about and understands political self-preservation. If Mr. Romney wins the White House and expects a second term, there is a strong chance, I believe, that conservatives can hold him accountable to his word.

Indeed, political self-preservation will provide Mr. Romney a strong incentive to honor his pro-life, pro-family conservative rhetoric. Most important, it significantly increases the chances that he will appoint originalist judges to the Supreme Court as promised.

With Mr. Obama, we know what we will get - we've already gotten it. You need only consider his Supreme Court appointments of Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. If he is re-elected, why would we expect anything less? We're guaranteed additional counter-constitutionalist radicals.

Some might say I'm putting pragmatism over principle, but I disagree. In this case, the two are not mutually exclusive. Remember Christ's counsel: Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

My friend and colleague Cynthia Dunbar, a law professor at Liberty University School of Law, recently wrote: "In this election year, we find ourselves with only three realistic courses of action: 1) Don't vote; 2) vote for Obama; or 3) vote for Romney."

It's simple: A Christian nonvote is a vote for Mr. Obama in that it fails to affirmatively cancel out an Obama vote. Furthermore, any Christian who votes for Mr. Obama will get to take that up with God.

This leaves us with our third and final choice: Christians must vote for Mitt Romney. A second Obama term is simply unacceptable. We won't survive it.

Matt Barber is vice president of Liberty Counsel Action. 

Billy Graham's Letter to America

Billy Graham:

Billy Graham's Letter to America

"The farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control."

Billy Graham - Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Some years ago, my wife, Ruth, was reading the draft of a book I was writing. When she finished a section describing the terrible downward spiral of our nation's moral standards and the idolatry of worshiping false gods such as technology and sex, she startled me by exclaiming, "If God doesn't punish America, He'll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."

She was probably thinking of a passage in Ezekiel where God tells why He brought those cities to ruin. "Now this was the sin of... Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before Me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen" (Ezekiel 16:49–50, NIV).

I wonder what Ruth would think of America if she were alive today. In the years since she made that remark, millions of babies have been aborted and our nation seems largely unconcerned. Self-centered indulgence, pride, and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.

Just a few weeks ago in a prominent city in the South, Christian chaplains who serve the police department were ordered to no longer mention the Name of Jesus in prayer. It was reported that during a recent police-sponsored event, the only person allowed to pray was someone who addressed "the being in the room." Similar scenarios are now commonplace in towns across America. Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone—except God.

Yet the farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.

My heart aches for America and its deceived people. The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance. In Jonah's day, Nineveh was the lone world superpower—wealthy, unconcerned, and self-centered. When the Prophet Jonah finally traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed God's warning, people heard and repented.

I believe the same thing can happen once again, this time in our nation. It's something I long for, and my son Franklin recently shared a vision for perhaps the greatest challenge in the history of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association—to launch an outreach called My Hope with Billy Graham that would bring the Gospel into neighborhoods and homes in every corner of America next year.

BGEA has already taken My Hope to more than 50 nations. We've worked in close partnership with local churches across each country, and those churches have reported millions of life-changing decisions for Christ. Carrying out a nationwide American version of this evangelistic outreach will be an enormous undertaking, but in my spirit I know God has called us to do this, and I pray He will stir your heart to join us in prayer and support.

Franklin will share more about the project with you as the planning develops. In the meantime, all this year Franklin and his son Will are preaching "repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21, ESV) at Crusade events across North America—from Texas to Canada—and God has blessed the work. Already tens of thousands have heard the Gospel, and many have responded, especially young people.

As I write, I am in the middle of a busy summer enjoying visits with many of my grandchildren and other family members, but also working hard on a new book that addresses some dangerous illusions about eternal salvation that are becoming increasingly accepted in many places. I want to point the world to what the Bible says.

Although age and health restrict my mobility and my stamina, not to mention my eyesight and hearing, I am thankful for the days God has given me, and I am humbled by His continued hand of favor on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The Lord draws people to Himself daily through BGEA's various evangelistic ministries, and I am so deeply grateful.

Source: BillyGraham.org: "My Heart Aches for America"

Speaking the truth in love

    I wrote about this topic a few days ago, (see post: Why Is That?) but I'm still meditating on it.
    Don't we set parameters for our children when they are young?  We tell them not to go out into the street, or "don't touch that hot stove."  Aren't there consequences and disciplinary actions if they disobey?  So, too, does our heavenly Father set parameters for us, His children, in His Word.  There are built-in consequences to our actions if we disobey. 
     But if people don't read His word, how are they to know?  Ezekiel 33:8-9, and Matt. 18:15 says we are to tell them.  But how?  Ephesians 4:18 says we are to speak the truth in love, so obviously when we warn someone of their sin we must have both, truth--what God says--and love--how He sees the person.  But how do we do both?  Most people who are sinning do not recognize it as love to be told about their sin.
    Before I began reading 1 Corinthians today I was thinking of all the people who are living together without being married.  God's word has parameters set for sex  It clearly states that sex is to happen only in the confines of marriage between one man and one woman.  Several of the people I know personally who are living together, say they are Christians.  How do I communicate to them what God says about their relationship in love.  Yesterday when I opened my Bible it fell open to 1 Corinthians 4, even though I had planned to continue reading in Romans.  As I continued to read, I realized that 1 Cor. 5 & 6 had some pretty strong words for those who are blatantly choosing to sin.  Paul was writing to the church in Corinth--not unbelievers.

       ^{I Cor 5 (Message) "I} also received a report of scandalous sex within your church family, a kind that wouldn't be tolerated even outside the church: One of your men is sleeping with his stepmother. And you're so above it all that it doesn't even faze you! Shouldn't this break your hearts? Shouldn't it bring you to your knees in tears? Shouldn't this person and his conduct be confronted and dealt with?
     I'll tell you what I would do. Even though I'm not there in person, consider me right there with you, because I can fully see what's going on. I'm telling you that this is wrong. You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master. Assemble the community—I'll be present in spirit with you and our Master Jesus will be present in power. Hold this man's conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can't, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.
   Your flip and callous arrogance in these things bothers me. You pass it off as a small thing, but it's anything but that. Yeast, too, is a "small thing," but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast. So get rid of this "yeast." Our true identity is flat and plain, not puffed up with the wrong kind of ingredient. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has already been sacrificed for the Passover meal, and we are the Unraised Bread part of the Feast. So let's live out our part in the Feast, not as raised bread swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread—simple, genuine, unpretentious.
    I wrote you in my earlier letter that you shouldn't make yourselves at home among the sexually promiscuous. I didn't mean that you should have nothing at all to do with outsiders of that sort. Or with crooks, whether blue or white-collar. Or with spiritual phonies, for that matter. You'd have to leave the world entirely to do that! But I am saying that you shouldn't act as if everything is just fine when a friend who claims to be a Christian is promiscuous or crooked, is flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. You can't just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. I'm not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don't we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house.

      This is almost contrary to what so many churches teach today.  How many sermons have you heard recently on sin and the need to repent and stop sinning? How many have you heard about our responsibility to do something about those Christians who are sinning?  Compare that to how many you've heard on God's love and forgiveness.  Yes, we are all sinners, but that does not excuse us from the responsibility to help others (& ourselves) recognize sin and get rid of it.  Of course, God loves us and forgives us.  He has provided the way through Jesus for us to be forgiven of all sin and to cleanse us even of the desire to sin.  We only need to recognize our sin, repent, confess it, and receive forgiveness.  But how will we do this if we don't know the parameters God has set?  
      How many people do you know who say they are Christians but are continuing to live in sin.  They have a lifestyle contrary to what God says in the Bible?  I'm not talking here of those who sin even though they don't want to--everyone sins.  I'm talking about those who say they know God loves them so they will be fine even when they flagrantly disobey His Word?  How will they be convicted that what they are doing is sin so that they can repent if they are not reading their Bibles and/or no one is speaking and living God's standards before them?  Isn't this why the Word says that we must warn our brother if we see him sinning?
      How are we to bring it to his/her attention? Even though none of us likes correction, I personally believe our silence is not an act of love.  Should we allow a child to get hit by a car just because we know he/she doesn't like to be confined to the yard?  Is it right to allow others to continue in sin without making known to them what the Bible calls sin and its' consequences?  Granted we can avoid confrontation if we don't speak out, but will that person thank us when they stand before the judgment seat of Christ? 
      My dilemma is how to speak the truth in love.  Often I feel that I am speaking in love because I have the person's best interest in mind, but if the person doesn't feel loved, the warning can backfire.  I am feeling more and more convicted and compelled though, that I must live a righteous life and speak about God's laws when it is necessary.  I want to have the mind of the Lord in this.
     My prayer is, Please, Lord, show me how to obey your word so that others are helped and you are glorified.  Let not one person perish because of my reluctance to speak your truth, or one person turned from you because of my inability to express that truth in love.  Amen.

(I was amazed when I got ready to post this that the verse of the day on Bible Gateway is on this same subject.)

Vote For Righteousness

       I totally agree with this article by Bob Jones.  It is up to Christians to take a stand for righteousness.  We have, for many years, kept silent and allowed others with an agenda contrary to the Word of God to set the course for the U. S.  If our country is to continue to be a light to others and a refuge from oppression we must stop the oppression that is creeping into our society and return to the moral values the country was founded upon.  We must not only vote for those who stand for righteousness, but we must take a stand in our own lives, families, neighborhoods, businesses, schools, and government.
      In this article Bob quotes Proverbs 6:16-19.

These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood, (abortion)
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.

      This certainly describes our liberal politicians (and many others!)  We've lost our fear of God and no longer recognize He is holy and righteous and will not allow us to continue forever in our sin.  Who wants to be doing the things the Lord hates?
      We must stand up for righteousness in our daily lives and we must VOTE for it in the coming election.  It is my constant prayer that we will WAKE UP before it is too late!  Please encourage your churches, neighbors, friends, family--everyone you know to vote this year.  Our lives depend on it!  I believe this is the most important election in the history of this country.  If we get this one wrong our lives, as we know them, are history.  It is that important!  We can no longer keep silent!

Here is the entire article: 

"Recently Bob audibly heard the Father say,"The Church determines which way this nation is going. If the Church does nothing, we do nothing. But if the Church does something; we do everything!"

Bob believes that if the Church doesn't wake up and vote then the Lord will do nothing. The Church will go to sleep and some may never wake up. The Lord has given the Church all authority. If the Church doesn't begin to exercise its authority then its power becomes invalid and the enemy will have his way instead of the Church.

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19 

Our free will is involved in this matter and it determines which way this nation is going. The dedicated Christians must get up and vote! Christians have the say and the Lord will agree with them because He has given them all authority.

You will make your prayer to Him, and He will hear you, and you will pay your vows. You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God's favor] shall shine upon your ways. Job 22:27-28

If we don't speak out against unrighteousness then injustice will reign. By doing nothing, we actually vote for unrighteousness. We need to do something! We need to exercise our constitutional rights and vote in this election. Clearly the choice is ours!

Christians have the Spirit of God living within them. It's time they step up to the ballot box and exercise their authority to make a change in this nation. It's our God-given right and protected by the constitution, which is now in danger of being eliminated.

It's time that the redeemed of the Lord say so (Psalm 107:2)! It's time that the Church awakens from her slumber and voids the plan of the enemy. Our nation is in a state of moral decay and only the Church can make a difference by standing up for Godly righteousness. This nation is at a critical turning point and the righteous must express their Kingdom authority.

Righteous women are now rising up to put their heel on the head of the serpent that's trying to destroy the family. They are women with family values that will make a difference in this election. These women are like Jael that drove the tent peg into the head of Sisera (Judges 4:21). I believe women are tired of their children being fed the filth of the world and lured by the lies of the enemy. Family values and morality have been blown to the wind and these women are moving to the forefront and taking a righteous stand.

The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng. Psalm 68:11

We as Americans must come into agreement with God and desire His will. I believe Proverbs 6:16-19 describes God's heart for this nation:

These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood, (abortion)
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren. 

God has given the Church all authority and the pattern to follow. Let us turn from wickedness and do good."

Bob Jones

To contact Bob Jones send your inquiry to:
Bob and Bonnie Jones Ministries
White Horses Publishings
P.O. Box 838
Pineville, NC 28134-0838

Bob Jones is known as a contemporary prophet with a great love for the Lord Jesus and His truth. His prophecies have spanned over four decades as the Lord has enabled him to foretell earthquakes, tidal waves, comets, and weather patterns. Like Daniel who functioned at an incredible level, Bob has often told leaders their dreams and experiences, as well as the interpretation. After his death experience in 1975, God sent him back to minister to Church leadership and reach the multitudes with His love, truth and equipping the saints with understanding of the spiritual gifts. God promised Bob that he would see the beginning of one billion souls coming into the Kingdom in one great wave of the end time harvest. 

Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh Jennings

      Did you get to watch any of the Olympics beach volleyball matches?  I was so amazed at the proficiency and timing of Misty May-Treanor & Kerri Walsh Jennings, who have become legends in the sport!  They are the epitome of the meaning of the word "teamwork."  They seemed to anticipate every move of the opposing team and one, or the other, was almost always there to defend the point.  When one couldn't get to the ball the other seemed to have recognized that would happen and was already in position to get it.  They were incredible!
      There didn't appear to be any jealousy of each other's gifts.  Words of encouragement, hugs, and slaps on the rear were forth-coming whether a point was scored or missed.  It was evident from watching them before, during and after the matches that they loved and respected one another.  How inspiring it was to see how they had 'each other's back' in the game!  But more than that they were friends who supported each other off the court, too. 
       Whether you had any interest in beach volleyball or not, it was well worth the time to watch the matches because of the lessons in teamwork this amazing American team exemplified.  All their hard work paid off as they won the gold medal for the 3rd time in a row.
      They announced at the end of their win of the gold that it was their last competition together because Misty wanted to start a family.  
      Beach volleyball will miss their tremendous examples of teamwork and excellence--and so will I.

So True!

"Liberals are always eager to ban guns, but even after the Oklahoma City bombing, you didn't hear them talk about banning fertilizer. That's probably just as well because sane people would have then been forced to point out that manure doesn't kill people; people kill people. One of the creepy things about liberals is that they only wish to discuss actions and inevitable consequences when the actions can be traced to conservatives. You never hear them reprimand parole boards, which are nearly always comprised of social workers, psychologists and other college degreed morons, when one of the felons they release murders or rapes another victim. You never hear liberals blaming people like Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Ted Kennedy and Barack Obama, for bringing on the financial meltdown by insisting that home loans be given to people who couldn't come up with a down payment, all because they knew that the votes of those new homeowners could be so easily bought and paid for with the tax dollars of the solvent." --columnist Burt Prelutsky

Curtis Martin's testimony

This is a wonderful testimony by Curtis Martin when he was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame.

http://nfl.cpl.delvenetworks.com/player/yahoo/carousel/embed_code.html?channelId=de89a8aeb3e422bac4eb48567f10ebd0&channelListId&mediaId=38eb524c8ec7436c8375560a64dfa59f

Kari Browning: A "Quantum" Change

     I love to hear new ideas and see new ways of looking at things.  I certainly don't believe every thing I read.  I test it and research it to try to determine if it is true or not.  But just by hearing new ideas I get excited about possibilities.  They cause me to think bigger thoughts.  I begin to see new solutions to problems, new ways of doing things.  Sometimes it is difficult for me to "think outside the box", so I find articles like this one by Kari Browning to be very interesting and thought-provoking.  Maybe you will, too.
    ( Since we are mentioning thought-provoking articles, you might want to read this article on political correctness which has a different perspective than most of the media:  http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/313251/olympic-political-correctness-john-fund?pg=1 )

Kari Browning:

A "Quantum" Change

     Change – you either love it or you hate it.

I love change, and my husband hates it. He likes to say that "he is a settler tied to a pioneer's wagon." I know that the wagon is moving again, and it's time to go boldly where no man has gone before!

      I feel we are in the most exciting season of change we've ever experienced in the history of the Church. Some will jump onboard the wagon and be excited about this change, and others will resist it. Because it is God who is initiating the change, you cannot stop it!

     God has promised that He will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in one generation. I believe we are that generation, and the way that unbelievers perceive the Church will radically change in the next few years. There is great understanding coming to the Church about the quantum realm, and I believe it will help facilitate the change that has been prophesied.

    Albert Einstein said everything is energy. Remember his formula E=mc squared? He believed that energy and matter were interchangeable.

    Everything is vibrating energy, including our bodies. Every word and every thought carries a certain vibrational frequency. A Japanese scientist, Dr. Masaru Emoto, proved this when he did an experiment with water. He found out that water is affected by words. He took water droplets and exposed them to various words. He froze them for three hours and then examined the crystal formations under a microscope. The results were totally astounding. When positive words were spoken over the water, it formed beautiful patterns. Negative words produced ugly patterns. Since our bodies are approximately 72% water, we know that our bodies are greatly affected by negative speech. He did another experiment with rice where he spoke "I love you" to a jar of rice for 30 days. To another jar of rice, he spoke the words "You fool." After 30 days, the rice in the "I love you" jar was white and the rice in the "You fool" jar was black and rotten.(Facts taken from Dr. Emoto's book "The Hidden Messages in Water".)

    It amazes me how science is validating the Bible!

     Proverbs 12:18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

     Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death...

     Proverbs 16:24 Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

                   

Love Has the Highest Frequency of All

       It can be scientifically documented that everything has either positive or negative frequencies. Foods even have frequencies. Fresh food has a higher frequency than processed foods. On the other hand, coffee has a negative frequency. Prayer actually raises a person's frequency by 15 MHz. If our frequency gets low, we get sick. A healthy body has a frequency between 62-68 MHz. If a person's frequency dips to 58 MHz., cold symptoms develop. Flu symptoms appear at 57 MHz. Cancer may enter the body when the frequency falls below 42 MHz. The process of dying begins at 25 MHz. and goes to zero at death. (Facts taken from Dr. David Stewart's book "Healing Oils of the Bible".)

      God provided a way to raise our frequencies by using essential oils. These oils were used Biblically for medicinal purposes. The oils were not used symbolically as we have come to believe, but these oils had healing properties.

      For example, hyssop is a releaser of swallowed emotions and a spiritual cleanser.

      Psalm 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

      Prayer and essential oils together are a powerful combination, as both raise our frequencies.

       James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the Church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up...

       In the Bible (Leviticus 14), they were told to anoint those with infectious skin diseases with oil on their right ear, their right thumb, and right big toe. All of these are reflex points where trauma is stored and are connected to the brain! When we store repressed emotions, it can make us sick. Our bodies are made up of 100 trillion cells. So, emotions get locked in our cellular memory. Physical healing can occur when we clear repressed emotions. For example, if emotions are stored in your stomach, you have stomach ailments. If they are stored in the joints, you can have arthritis.

        Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

       3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

      Change will occur when we get healing for our souls and walk in mature love and put childish ways behind us. We must speak words of life and not death. Love has the highest frequency of all.

       1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

      It's time for quantum change!

    *Facts were taken from Dr. David Stewart's book "Healing Oils of the Bible" and Dr. Emoto's book "The Hidden Messages in Water."

Kari Browning
New Renaissance
Email: info@newrenaissance.us

Kari Browning and her husband, Mike, have been involved in church planting for over 25 years. They are about to open a Healing and Creativity Center. This center will focus on releasing creativity and teaching on wellness. Kari has traveled nationally and internationally as a conference speaker. They have four children and five grandchildren.

Rick Joyner: The Ultimate Purpose of Man: To Love God

      I first heard Rick Joyner speak over 20 years ago at a conference in Kansas City.  I was so impressed by his love for the Lord and His passion to impart that to others.  This word is a continuation of his life's message.  We must love the Lord with our heart, our mind, our soul and our spirit.  God has great plans and purposes which He wants to reveal to us as we continue in relationship with Him so that we can know what He is doing and be a part of it.  I pray you will be stirred up by this word as I was.

Rick Joyner:

The Ultimate Purpose of Man: To Love God

      In every field or profession, we can find people who seek to excel, but often there are more who settle into a place of just doing enough to get by. They may have spurts when they decide to do more or do better, but they usually do not last long before they begin to settle again.      Unfortunately, Christians are generally the same about their faith with most seeming to just do enough to get by. As the Lord said to the Church of Laodicea in the Book of Revelation, to be lukewarm is so repulsive to Him that He will "spew these out of His mouth." It is a very dangerous presumption. There is nothing more offensive in a relationship than indifference, and when we are indifferent to the Lord, we are making such a terrible mistake that He even said it would be better to be cold than lukewarm.

      The ultimate purpose of man is to love God, and the ultimate success of our life will be determined by how much we love Him. Those who truly know Him cannot be lukewarm. Those who are lukewarm are deceived into thinking they know Him. As the Lord warned, we can do many great works in His name, but then hear from Him on that great Judgment Day that He never knew us. Of course, He knows who we are, but this word that He uses for "know" in this text speaks of the deepest kind of knowing and intimacy.

A Greater Effort and Devotion

      The Apostle Paul used the great athletics of his time, running and boxing, as an example of how we should pursue our purpose in the Lord. I've known many great professional athletes, and those who rose to the top of their field all have the same thing in common—superior effort. Of course, they must have the foundation of athletic coordination and skill, but those will not get you far without the commitment to make a greater effort.

       I was sitting with Reggie White in his den once when we were joined by a teammate of his from the Green Bay Packers, who was also an All-Pro player. It came up in a conversation that they both believed there were probably people in the stands in every city they had played in who had better potential than they did. However, they were lacking the effort to develop it, which is necessary to play at the top level of a sport. So, those with superior potential spent their time in the stands paying to watch others do what they could have been doing. This is probably true in every sport and every profession. That is sad, but how much more sad will it be to be in that position for eternity?

       Those who played basketball with Michael Jordan said that he had better than average talent, but that was not what made him great—it was his focus and devotion to be the very best he could be every time he stepped onto a basketball court. This was not just devotion for the games, but he was always the first one at practice and the last one to leave.

Christians fall into these same categories too. Some are not going to do any more than they have to in order to get by. The majority probably want to be good Christians and put forth an effort to learn and grow in Christ, and then a few have an uncommon devotion. These are constantly reading, studying, going to hear special speakers, or go to churches and conferences where they feel that they might learn of the Lord or experience Him in some way. We call these the ones who are "on fire for God." But how can anyone who has met the living God not be on fire for Him?

       Those who read articles such as this WFTW (word for the week) are likely in category three—you are in pursuit of God. You likely get up early in the morning to have a devotion time and seek fresh manna from the Lord. You are serious about being the salt and light you are called to be, and you go to prayer meetings to actually pray, and you have many things that you pray for. When you read and study, it is with purpose. You are the ones who will likely be a part of the greatest move of God that has ever come upon the earth which will soon be upon us. Your devotion and effort will pay off.

Spiritual Hunger

      The greatest gift that we can have as Christians is spiritual hunger. The time and effort we have given to knowing the Lord and His ways are about to pay off more than we ever dreamed. Those who have been slothful in their pursuit of God and their purpose in Him will likewise soon have great remorse because of their lack of devotion. However, He is gracious, and if we will repent of being lukewarm, He can make up the time that we've lost.

      In the times we are entering, those who remain lukewarm will not make it. Those who did not have the devotion to hear the words of the Lord and obey them did not build their lives on the Rock. Many will not make it through the storms that are coming. Those who have built on the Rock will reap the greatest harvest in history and will be known for eternity as those who served the Lord in the last days.
      The greatest event that will soon be upon us is not the great tribulation, but the great harvest that is the end of the age. These are the times that the prophets and righteous of old desired to see, and we've been called to live in them. We must not waste this greatest of all opportunities.
      Because one of the critical factors in building a house that will stand in these times is hearing the word of the Lord, we have been studying how He speaks prophetically and will continue, but this will not do us any good if we do not obey what He's saying. If we have been frivolous in our pursuit of God, this is the time to get serious and stay serious regardless of what others are doing. We will soon be very glad for our devotion and very remorseful for the time we wasted. Let's determine that from this point on we are going to be glad.

Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org

Rick Joyner is the founder and executive director of MorningStar Ministries and Heritage International Ministries and is the Senior Pastor of MorningStar Fellowship Church. He is the author of more than forty books, including The Final Quest, A Prophetic History, and Church History. He is also the president of The OAK Initiative, an interdenominational movement that is mobilizing thousands of Christians to be engaged in the great issues of our times, being the salt and light that they are called to be. Rick and his wife, Julie, have five children: Anna, Aaryn, Amber, Ben, and Sam.

The origins of two interesting phrases

      I can't remember where I found this.  Sorry, but I it answers the question, "Where did "straight from the horse's mouth" and "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" come from?  Since I thought that you may have also been curious about their origins, I'm posting the answer here.


Straight from the horse's mouth: When you get information straight from the horse's mouth, it means you are supposed to be getting honest, correct information. The phrase comes from the old days when determining how old a horse was, was done by looking at his teeth. So, before betting on a horse, people wanted to check its teeth to see how old this horse was. Anyone who worked around the horse knew how old the horse was and could let the others know. Therefore, the information was acquired, 'straight from the horse's mouth' and not the owner of the horse. On the other hand, if someone gave you a horse for free, it was considered rude to look in its mouth and check to see how old it was. You were "not to look a gift horse in the mouth". Today, this means not to question the quality or motive of a gift you get from someone.

Why is that?

      I have been meditating on why those who support homosexual marriage, abortion, couples living together without getting married, etc. are so intolerant of conservative (Christian) views.  It seems to me that even though Christians disagree with their lifestyle they believe the axiom "I don't agree with what you say, but I will fight to the death your right to say it," often to their detriment, while liberals try to shut down any disagreement with what they believe.  Why is that?
     As I was reading Romans 3 this week I realized the answer is contained in verse 20.   ^"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin."  God's word defines sin.  When we hear it we become conscious that we are sinners.  As long as we are ignorant of His word, we can go on sinning because we have no definition of sin.  Those who are living contrary to His Word do not want to be informed, or reminded, of what God says about their lifestyle.  Therefore, they fight viciously to destroy anyone who reminds them of God's righteous standard for living.
     Could it be that one reason we're in the situation we're in with more and more people accepting a lifestyle the Bible explicitly calls sin, is that we as Christians have been too willing to allow others to voice their contrary opinions but have remained silent about what we believe and know to be the truth?
     As I was thinking about this, I was reminded of a passage in Ezekiel that stood out to me many years ago when my dad, who didn't know the Lord, was in the hospital dying from a bad accident.  It is found in Ezekiel 33:8-9:  When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die, ’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.  But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.
     When I read this passage before I went to visit Dad that morning I realized I had no choice.  I knew that I must tell him again of Jesus' great love for him and remind him that all he had to do was accept that love and he would live with him eternally.  It seemed to me that if I didn't "his blood would be on my hands."  That morning Dad gave his life to the Lord.  What if I hadn't talked with him?

     How often have we remained silent?  Will the blood of those who are living in sin be on our hands because we were too timid to warn them?  I believe we Christians have not realized how important it is to live God's righteous standards before others and to speak a word of correction in love when it is needed.  We have not had a sense of urgency about their fate, or ours.
       Please forgive us, Lord.  We have not understood or obeyed your word.  Show us when you want us to speak up.  Give us the courage and boldness to let our light shine so that we will be your witnesses to a lost and dying world.  Amen.

Chick-fil-a, revisited

      Did you have an opportunity (or make one) to go to Chick-fil-a to show your support for traditional marriage and for the company taking a stance on it?  A friend & I went to the one at the food court at the university in Charleston.  It had a line when we got there at 12:00 which continued all the while we sat talking until about 2:00.  By 2:00 it had dwindled but there was still someone purchasing sandwiches when we left.  A reporter from the Charleston paper interviewed us as to why we were there. http://jg-tc.com/news/local/over-a-hundred-people-show-support-in-charleston-for-chick/article_013a37aa-dc5a-11e1-a0fc-0019bb2963f4.html All around it seemed to be a very successful day!
     My friend, Melinda, in Pittsburg, sent me an email saying they went twice to eat at Chick-fil-a and both times there were large crowds and lines encircling the buildings with full parking lots.  How wonderful!  Did you notice the same thing in your area?
      I believe people are beginning to see we have got to take a stand before it is too late.  We have stood by and allowed others to voice their opinions and prejudices.  It is time to remind them of what God's word says as we love them into the kingdom.  I pray it's not too late.
      

All Is Well (Robin Mark)

      I love Robin Mark's voice and his worship.  He has written so many great songs.  This song which I wasn't familiar with, but stumbled upon on YouTube, encourages me much--particularly because of the season we're in right now.  Everything seems to be changing, but I know all IS well, I'm in His hands.
      I saw on his website http://robinmark.com/ that he is on a tour of the U.S. right now, so if you're interested in hearing him check the site for his schedule.
   

About Robin Mark (from his website)

       Robin Mark is a Northern Irish Christian singer, songwriter, worship leader, and recording artist based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Robin has written several songs sung throughout the world.

      He is best known for his songs "Days of Elijah", "Revival", "All for Jesus", "The Wonder of The Cross", "Not by Might" and many more. He has published 13 albums in total with sales of over 2 million world wide and has won the GMA's international award.