Angels

From the NIV translation of the Bible in Ephesians Chapter 4 verse 14 through 16 it states:

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work

The theme of these verses is spiritual growth and also spiritual sturdiness.

Verse 14 talks about the outside influences that do have a degree of cunning and craft, but can be done from the point of those who are operating schemes or trying to deceive and these schemes intrude upon the lives of those who fall under there influences. .

 
The result of this can be rocky times in any number of areas but these verses show that there is a corresponding call to both sturdiness and stability along with growth to more mature viewpoints.

There might be positive intentions in trying to get outside sources of wisdom, but there needs to be care and watch as to who is saying what and to watch out for your own good standing.

In these verses there is the correlation of speaking the truth in love and growth in all things. 

A major theme then as to what to avoid is schemes and being victimized by schemes, some of which could be financial which is commonly seen in the newspapers but anything that has misguided ulterior motives can be presented in a slick and glossy manner to the detriment of the beholder. It may also be that those who are presenting falsehoods really believe them themselves and this is often the case as well.

 The detriments are not necessarily stationary but can also result in ongoing situations of difficulty that otherwise would not be there, and it might bring you here and there, both places of maybe trouble, uncertainty and difficulty.

You movements, your comings and goings would be affected by adhering to or following a certain misguiding approach or path.

Also dangerous is improper doctrine that is rooted in lies. It might not always be the easiest to discern how this might take form but these instances do exist and can be a snag in spiritual growth. But paying attention to some of the more obvious realms of improper messages should be lessened or even outright avoided as ultimately you might miss out on the good you might have had.

But the trouble is not only rooted in the spiritual but clearly affects the natural and material as these verses talk about practical images such as being tossed around by waves or tossed around by high winds.

There can be a understanding that you can rely only on those that are found trustworthy and do speak the truth or write the truth and there is a need to discern the truth but in yourself and in others.

There is the tacit call to seek also the help of angels, beings who are there to help and have tremendous and exceeding power, that far exceeds the depths of any schemes out there.

If you are in effect being tossed around by troubles, do seek the help of angels now.

If you do find yourself tossed back in forth in the waves of uncertainty is given areas of your life, ask the Lord and fellow trusted believers for help in finding out the greater truth of the situations you are dealing with.

These verses are a useful guide to prayer in that in matters of personal growth and expansion, we can ask the Lord for his truth and love in these areas of concern of concern going forward

These verses give a good guide to any area of your life, that it should grow and build in love, and there can be discernment as to the important of this part in doing that.

There is also the idea of expansion as the Lord doesn’t want us to be standing still in key areas of our lives, he wants us to go forward in truth, forward in love and forward in growth in His guiding presence.

There can also be despite the schemes and all the pitfalls an expanded view of how the Lord speaks in myriad and mighty ways, in ways spoken and unspoken to every single area of our lives, areas that are known to us and areas that might only be seen fainlty if at all.

The Lord may move the very sights in the heavens to speak to one individual and he can speak to us in dreams visions and in the point blank practicalities and surrounding circumstanes of our lives but he is not limited to them or by them.

While the seas and winds do toss and turn, the Lord may intervene in any and all these areas with his presiding and superceding presence for you.

There is a call to growth in all things according to these verses so we can tend to all things with the guidepost of seeking the truth in love, as the answers will be along the lines of building up support in love.

For individuals and for individual gifts, there is a part to play which may be variable but goes along the lines of building and supporting the whole church.

These gifts have the ability to knit together in some fashion that serves overall purposes for the church.

Things are joined or held together by the presence of the gifts and of personhood of those who are exercising these gifts.

A certain part is played such as for example the prayers of the prayer warrior and the effect keeps things together for the good.

Overall these verses call to the clear pathways of growth, in ways that join together with the whole church and are guiding by the principles of love and truth, which are inseparable.

In areas of doubt, pressing needs, the counsel to seek from the Lord is of truth and love and pathways that point to growth.

Something that is inhibiting your true growth might be coming from the schemers mentioned in these verses. 

The sure pathways of the Lord will always operate along the lines of growth, truth, love and have the aspect of holding things together and we can look for those rays of of light going forward in the new decade.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/christianity-articles/building-in-love-for-the-new-decade-1646635.html

The Bible Says Christ’s church is known as-

The temple of God 1 Cor. 3:16

The bride of Christ Eph. 5:22-32

The body of Christ Col. 1:18; Col.1:24; Eph. 1:22-23

The kingdom of God’s Son Col. 1:13

The house of God 1 Tim. 3:15

The church of God 1 Cor.1:2

The church of the Firstborn Heb. 12:23

The church of the Lord Acts 20:28

The churches of Christ Rom. 16:16

The Bible says that the church is-

Built by Jesus Christ Matt. 16:13-18

Purchased by the blood of Christ Acts 20:28

Built on Jesus Christ as the only foundation 1 Cor. 3:11

Not built on Peter, Paul, Or any other man 1 Cor. 1:12-13

Composed of the saved, who are added to it by the Lord

who saves them Acts 2:47

The Bible says that members of Christ’s church are described as-

Members of Christ 1 Cor. 12:27; 1 Cor.6:15; Rom. 12:4-5

Disciples of Christ Acts 6:1; Acts 6:7; Acts 11:26

Believers Acts 5:14; 2 Cor. 6:15

Saints Acts 9:13; Rom. 1:7; Phil. 1:1

Priests 1 Pet.2:5; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6

Children of God Gal. 3:26-27; 1 John 3:1-2

The Bible says that members of Christ’s Church wear the name-

Christian Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Pet. 4:16

The Bible says that the local church has-

Elders (also called bishops and pastors) who oversee

and tend the flock 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 4:16

Deacons, who serve the church 1 Tim. 3:8-13; Phil. 1:1

Evangelists (preachers, ministers), who teach and proclaim

the word of God Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 4:13-16; 2 Tim. 4:1-5

Members, who love the Lord and each other Phil. 2:1-5

Autonomy, and is bound to other local churches only by the

common faith shared Jude 3; Gal. 5:1

The Bible says that the Lord Jesus Christ-

Loved the church Eph. 5:25

Shed his blood for the church Acts 20:28

Established the church Matt. 16:18

Added saved people to the church Acts 2:47

Is the head of the church Eph. 1:22-23; Eph. 5:23

Will save the church Acts 2:47; Eph. 5:23

The Bible says that man did not-

Purpose the church Eph. 3:10-11

Purchase the church Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25

Name its members Isa. 56:5; Isa. 62:2; Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16

Add people to the church Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 12:18

Give the church its doctrine Gal. 1:8-11; 2 John 9-11

The Bible that, to be added to the church by Christ, you must-

Believe in Jesus Christ Heb. 11:6; John 8:24; Acts 16:31

Repent of your sins Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30

Confess faith in Jesus Matt. 10:32; Acts 6:37; Rom. 10:9-10

Be baptized Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:48 Acts 22:16

The Bible says that baptism requires-

Much water John 3:23; Acts 10:47

Going down into the water Acts 8:36-38

A burial in water Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12

A resurrection Acts 8:39; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12

A birth John 3:3-5; Rom. 3:3-6

A washing Acts 22:16; Heb. 10:22

The Bible says that by baptism-

You are saved from sins Mark 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21

You have remission of sins Acts 2:38

Sins are washed away by the blood of Christ

Acts 22:16; Heb. 9:22; Heb. 10:22; 1 Pet. 3:21

You enter into the church 1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 2:41; Acts 2:47

You enter into Christ Gal. 3:26-27; Rom. 6:3-4

You put on Christ and become a child of God Gal. 3:26-27

You walk in newness of life Rom. 6:3-6

You are born again, a new creature Rom. 6:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:17

You obey Christ Mark 16:15-16; Acts 10:48; 2 Thes. 1:7-9

The Bible says that the faithful church will-

Worship in spirit and truth Acts 20:7; Heb. 10:25

Meet on the first day of the week Acts 20:7 Heb. 10:25

Pray James 5:16; Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; Thess. 1:7-9

Sing, making melody with the heart Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16

Eat the Lord’s Supper on the first day of each week

Acts Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; Matt. 26:26-30; 1 Cor. 11:20-32

Give, liberally and cheerfully 1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8:1-5; 2 Cor. 9:6-8

The Bible says that, just as in New Testament times, today there is-

One family of God Eph. 3:15; 1 Tim. 3:15

One kingdom of Christ Matt. 16:18-19; Col. 1:13-14

One body of Christ Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23; Eph. 4:4

One bride of Christ Rom. 7:1-7; Eph. 5:22-32

One Church of Christ Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22-23; Eph. 4:4-6

The Bible says that the same church today

Is guided by the same word 1 Pet. 1:22-25; 2 Tim. 3:16-17

Contends for the one faith Jude 3; Eph. 4:5

Pleads for unity of all believers John 17:20-21; Eph. 4:4-6

Is not a denomination 1 Cor. 1:10-13; Eph. 4:1-6

Is faithful to Christ Luke 6:46; Rev. 2:10; Mark 8:36

Wears the name of Christ Rom. 16:16; Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16

The Bible says that you can be a member of this church-

By doing what people did 1900 years ago Acts 2:36-47

Without being in any denomination Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 1:10-13

The Bible says that a child of God-

Can be lost 1 Cor. 9:27; 1 Cor. 10:12; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 3:12-19

But is given a law of pardon Acts 8:22; James 5:16

Is constantly cleansed by the blood of Christ

as he walks in the light of God 1 Pet. 2:9-10; 1 John 1:5-10

http://jesus4me.webs.com/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/christianity-articles/what-the-bible-says-about-christs-church–1642822.html

Are you feeling like you’re considered Public Enemy No. 1 by groups like Barry Lynn’s? Please complicated.
As noted above, those on the left definitely don’t like me. A glance at the list of lawsuits with which that group has been concerned, and the kind of issues it condemns, makes clear that it holds a position precisely opposite to that which I hold on many issues. They want no nativity scenes in public ; I do. They oppose voluntary public prayers ; I support them. They attack public displays of 10 Commandments ; I defend them. They oppose priests talking about abortion ( and have even filed legal briefs and action against the pro-life positions of both the Catholic and Lutheran churches ) ; I believe pastors should talk about abortion in the pulpit since the Bible overtly addresses that issue. They want the pulpit to remain silent about leaders and policies that support normal marriage ; I inspire priests to address from the pulpit moral issues and current events related to Biblical principles. They support keeping the IRS concerned in monitoring what pastors say in the pulpit ; I oppose state having any authority over what’s announced in the pulpit - even if it is something with which I strongly disagree, either Biblically or socially. Etc, etc, etc . While I do support a jurisdictional separation of church and state, I don’t support the forced militant secularization of the public square that AU seeks. There’s a gigantic difference between our convictions, and it is therefore unsurprising that they view me as they do.
A great disappointment to me about them ( and other similar groups ) isn’t just that they hold a different view ( that is accepted and accepted ) ; the huge let down is the lengths to which they are going to attack me specifically and purposely to falsify reports about me. Apparently we really have records of those involved with AU who left the group simply due to the way AU purposely mischaracterized me ( charging that I make up history, for example. In my case, AU is not content to battle on the field of ideas but they sadly appear to think that they can prevail only if they invoke a disingenuous approach. When and why did you start WallBuilders?
As I started to read those early supreme court calls, I discovered that earlier Courts had ruled on plenty of the same issues we faced today ( e.g, Bible in schools, porno, religious expressions, and so on. That decision was written by Justice Joseph Story ( called a’Father of American Jurisprudence ), placed on the Court by James Madison ( called the’Architect of the Constitution’ ) - actually no legal lightweights.
As I checked out the early decisions, I found the courts citing from works and individuals with whom I was totally unfamiliar - such as Judge Wilson and his Commentaries on the Law. In 1789, he was made an original Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court by President George Washington. While sitting on the Court, Judge Wilson started the first arranged legal coaching in America and wrote America’s first student textbooks on law.

About David Barton

Today, the protection for the rights of conscience now appear in forty-seven state constitutions. The President’s call to rescind these protections places him in direct opposition to four centuries of America’s civic and religious leaders. Please share this info with buddies and motivate them to contact their elected officers, prompting them to save conscience protection for medical employees.
Protection for the rights of conscience is only one more reason that Biblical Christianity is so worthwhile to a culture and why its elements must be saved in regime policy. God Bless!
David Barton and Rick Green
.

Rick Green and David Barton explain that Many major internet sites and encyclopedias identify the 4th of July as “America’s largest religious holiday,” and the compendium outlines “secular” as “pertaining to things that aren’t regarded as non secular or sacred.” the events leading in to America’s birthday were anything except temporal. As George Washington recognized, “The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this that he has got to be worse than an infidel that lacks religion, and

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/christianity-articles/a-talk-along-with-david-barton-and-rick-green-1638670.html

Counseling exists because people face difficult problems that they cannot always address solely with their own resources.  That being the case, God gave to His Church “…some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).  These men were, and are, given to the Church for the ministry of the Word; a ministry designed to bring God’s solutions to man’s dilemmas.  It is a ministry of problem solving.  It is a ministry of “life and godliness.”  It is an evangelistic ministry, and it is a counseling ministry.

Of course, the origin of man’s problems is mankind’s fall into sin found in Genesis chapter 3 in the Bible.  Prior to this fall, there were no problems that mankind could not face and solve with ease.  That being the case, it is evident that all counseling problems, that mankind now faces, are a product of sin, the individual person’s sin, or the sin of another to which that person must now respond.  Without sin, there would be no fall and therefore no ministry of restoration. Counseling problems are sin problems, the counselee’s, another’s, or both.

In fact all this may sound “strange.”  The reason this is so is because we live in an era in which all problems are believed to be caused by a lack of education or by medical issues.  So, the solution to man’s problems is either more and better education or more and better medication.  In recent years, medication has been the more popular solution.  Of course, the problem with this model is that it never addresses the heart of the issue, that is, man’s fallen condition in Adam.  And that being the case, man is without hope in his/her problems.  They are without hope because there is no pill for sin.  The best the world can offer is a numbing and stupefying “therapy.”  The best God can offer is forgiveness of sins, removal of guilt, eternal life and directions on how to live a holy life. 

http://www.living-hope-press.com/Christian-Counseling.html

Ralph E. Bass, Jr. has an undergraduate degree, BA, in Bible from Bob Jones University, and several graduate degrees: a M.A. in Counseling from Webster University, a M.Div. in divinity studies from Erskine Theological Seminary, a Th.M. in theological studies from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and a Th.D. in theological studies from Reformation International Theological Seminary.

Dr. Bass was for a number of years a biblical counselor, a pastor, and as a teacher and school administrator in several Christian schools. He is married and has five children and seventeen grandchildren.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/christianity-articles/why-do-we-have-counseling-1618581.html

by Peter Menkin

Los Angeles, California Episcopalians have elected a Lesbian as Bishop Suffragen who may be installed after approval by the larger Episcopal Church, USA. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, spiritual leader of the 77 million member Anglican Communion has expressed dismay over the election, and in understated words says he and Anglicans in general are waiting to see if The Rev. Mary Glasspool,  who was elected a suffragan (assistant) bishop by the Diocese of Los Angeles on Saturday (Dec. 5)–and who, Glasspool, 55, has been with her partner since 1988, according to a biography she provided to the diocese, will be officially installed.

That probable eventuality will further the rift in the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which Episcopalians are a part, and mark the further separation and departure of the American wing of that Communion in its serious move away from what is called both Biblical authority, and mutual covenant by agreement between the Churches of the Communion. Many surmise, an internal result of the “liberalization” of American Anglicanism by the Episcopal Church, USA, will continue the mainstream Church’s loss of members.   Various religious and secular news services have noted the decline and controversy over the last few years, and recently Religion News Service ran a copyrighted article outlining the decline in denomination numbers as it presently stands and continues by trend. They do not link a cause and effect between the acceptance and election of Gay and Lesbian clergy to the office of Bishop in this particular article cited. But this decline is considered in common usage a strong consideration for the declining numbers of Episcopalians. Religion News Service says: Domestic membership in the Episcopal Church dropped by 3 percent in 2008, continuing a decline in which the denomination has lost almost 200,000 American members since 2004, according to Episcopal researchers. The Episcopal Church now counts slightly more than 2 million members in about 7,000 U.S. parishes. Church leaders say they are pleased, however, that the denomination is growing in its non-domestic dioceses, particularly in Haiti and Latin America, where the church counted about 168,000 members in 470 parishes last year. Still, the church is “swimming against some difficult cultural tides,” Matilda Kistler, who heads a state-of-the-church committee in the denomination’s House of Deputies, said in a statement. “We find ourselves facing a society that is gravitating toward secularism,” Kistler said. “We also believe that the church-going segment of the public is aging significantly, though the committee will be seeking more definitive data to ascertain if that is so.” Kistler acknowledged that “internal conflicts within the Episcopal Church have also distracted from the message of hope our clergy and lay leaders seek to share.”   The Diocese of California (San Francisco Bay Area) led by The Rt. Reverend Marc Andrus supports the inclusion of Gay and Lesbian clergy in the Church and in the same line vocally support with strong opinion and deeds election of Gay and Lesbian Bishop candidates. Bishop Marc Andrus is not a homosexual.   In addition to the restrained but oppositional statement of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the election of the Lesbian  Mary Glasspool  in Los Angeles, an Anglican organization has recently criticized and been seriously concerned, even alarmed, by this recent development that may cause impaired Communion or other negative relations within the Anglican Communion with the Episcopal Church USA. The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop The Rt. Reverend Katherine Jefferts Schori has indicated she favors and will help to bring the Lesbian clergy woman to final instillation, in the name of God and Church. This is an unusual and historic act of change and some think diminished faith as Christian Church by the Americans, though the American wing of the Anglican Communion believes they are in the forefront of “ordained” good in their support of an election of homosexuals who are sexually active, and even in what they find as favored and “blessed” active homosexual permanent relationships. Both New and Old Testament Biblical readings have been discounted by the American Church. One argument in favor of The Reverend Mary Glasspool is she has served well in every capacity, and except for her Lesbianism, and active sexual relations as a homosexual, is fully qualified to be a Suffragen Bishop. The question becomes, does her Lesbian sexual practice bar her from being a Bishop.   Many Episcopalians in San Francisco’s Bay Area, and good people, think her sexual proclivities are not a bar, and it is an act of social justice to elect her a Bishop in the Episcopal Church. As Religion News Service reports in its instance of early Anglican Church reaction to the election: An international Anglican commission on Tuesday (Dec. urged Episcopalians to exercise “gracious restraint” by not confirming the election of a lesbian as a bishop in Los Angeles. …In the coming months, more than 100 bishops and standing committees from Episcopal dioceses across the country will vote on whether to give “consents,” or confirmation, to Glasspool’s election. If she receives confirmation, Glasspool will become the second openly gay bishop elected by the Episcopal Church. On Tuesday, a 21-member international Anglican committee recently established to promote unity in the communion said they discussed Glasspool’s election during their meeting in England Dec. 1-8 and “expressed the fervent hope that `gracious restraint’ would be exercised by the Episcopal Church in this instance.” The Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order includes one American, the Rev. Katherine Grieb of Virginia Theological Seminary. Neither Williams nor the commission has the power to stop Glasspool’s confirmation, however. The election of the first openly gay bishop, New Hampshire’s V. Gene Robinson, in 2003 has caused widespread dissent in the Anglican Communion, which includes the Episcopal Church as its U.S. branch. To quell the uproar, Anglican bishops, including the spiritual leader of the communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, have asked for a “period of gracious restraint” on consecrating any more gay bishops. Daniel Burke of Religion News Service has been active in following this story and George Conger of Religious Intelligence, a London based website owned by The Church of England Newspaper has been following this story and the larger stories connected with the controversial issue.   It is interesting to note that The Reverend Mary Glasspool is strongly committed to fulfilling the role of Bishop and being consecrated and installed as same. Daniel Burke writes in another of his copyrighted reports for Religion News Service of her stand in the matter, and reports on her words regarding her desires to fulfill the pride and historic role for a homosexual to be made a Bishop in the Episcopal Church, USA: Since becoming the first lesbian to be elected a bishop in the Episcopal Church on Saturday (Dec. 5), the Rev. Mary Glasspool has been hailed as a gay rights pioneer and maligned as the straw that will finally break the back of the Anglican Communion. Glasspool “wavered two or three times” before agreeing to be nominated as an assistant bishop in Los Angeles, she said in an interview Wednesday. But friends and spiritual counselors reminded her to follow her own preaching. “Look, you believe in the Holy spirit,” she said they told her. “You’ve always said the Holy Spirit is in charge. Your job is to follow where it leads.” …The spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, has all but told Episcopalians not to vote to confirm Glasspool’s election. The Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch of the communion, but could lose its place over Glasspool, Williams warned. “He clearly was saying something like that,” Glasspool said. “And again, I’ve done what I could do to allow myself to be available to God’s call, and the people of Los Angeles have spoken and voiced their trust in me and my potential leadership.” Before Glasspool can be consecrated a bishop, a majority of the more than 100 Episcopal bishops and dioceses must confirm her election within the next several months. Robinson predicted Thursday that process will be “a little more difficult” than when he was confirmed by delegates to the church’s triennial General Convention in Minneapolis. Part of the statement by The Reverend Mary Glasspool prior to her election indicates her strong argument that sexuality is tied to and part of her faith journey, that homosexuality as part of her coming of age worked well and is justified as part of God’s gift to her, and a strength in her candidacy for Bishop and life in ministry as ordained Clergy in the Episcopal Church, USA. The beginning of her statement that asks, “Provide a description of your walk with God in Christ that brought you to this moment of discerning a call to the episcopate in our diocese…” reads: And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14b, RSV)

I was born in February 1954, on a rainy Tuesday (Tuesday’s child is full of grace) in Staten Island Hospital, New York, where my father was Rector of St. Simon’s Episcopal Church and Vicar of All Saints’. Both my parents grew up in the Episcopal Church, and each modeled a profound faith in God that was given to me as gift while I grew up. We moved to Goshen, N.Y., in April of 1954 where my father was Rector of St. James’ Church for the next 35 years until his death in 1989. As with most children, I suspect, God was more transcendent than immanent, more other than palpable in community to me.

God was still transcendent and other to me as I entered Episcopal Divinity School in the Fall of 1976, just as the General Convention in Minneapolis was wrestling to recognize the reality of women called to be priests, the new Prayer Book, and what to do with the Philadelphia 11 and the Washington 5 as we termed them at EDS. My role models at that time represented two different ways of doing things in response to God’s call: Carter Heyward and Carol Anderson. Carter, for me, represented the courage to break through barriers – not without cost – in order to become fully the person God is calling you to become. Carol represented the sacrificial love of the Church that manifested itself in restraint, and also came at great cost. Both of these courageous women have continued to model for me the integrity of responding to God’s call with your whole person, being exactly who you are. It is clear from this part of her statement that she believes her homosexuality and appearance, nay now election as a Bishop in Los Angeles, is part of God’s plan. The question is, other than what at this stage the stance appears to be with the 2 million members of the Episcopal Church USA, will the rest of the Anglican Communion, which in total numbers about 77 million, agree.

Peter Menkin, an aspiring poet, lives in Mill Valley, CA USA (north of San Francisco).

My blog:
http://www.petermenkin.blogspot.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/christianity-articles/commentary-and-report-on-election-of-lesbian-bishop-in-episcopal-church-usa-by-peter-menkin-1629847.html

Psalm 24 reads as follows from the New King James version of the Bible:

 1 Behold, bless the LORD,
         All you servants of the LORD,
         Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!
 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
         And bless the LORD.
         
 3 The LORD who made heaven and earth
         Bless you from Zion!

 Those called to the night watches in this psalm are maybe the priests or maybe sojourners who are stopping at the temple for the night watches,  but whoever they are we know they are called and they are heeding to the call.

The call itself is one that is real, as someone is never called to the unreal. It is a mystery that those standing in the night watches how so much influence in the realm of the both the natural and supernatural, but it is something that is real.

It is interesting that in this day and age, thanks to inventions such as the light bulb all the way to the internet age, it is possible to work round and clock or at least in the night on knowledge based or service based products and ideas. Society also at times tends to laud and value activities such as this.

There is a premium on the ideas of hard work and how extra efforts should yield extra results and that these efforts are potentially yielding unlimited results.

But the night brings us with stark confrontations with limits even now in the more advanced age of technology. There are limited views, limited resources of light only remedied then by lamps and now by electrical sources of light, developed means that only go so far and don’t reach into even a small minority of the landscapes of the night.

Here though there is the scene of people praying into the night, apparently with the probability or possibility of praying for others and also standing for them and this scene represents a sheltering presence from the foreboding nature of the night.

As the meaning and interpretation of this psalm evolves, it is depicting a scene that involves direct exchange with the Lord, they are blessing the Lord in prayer who is in return blessing them. There is closeness there, the relationship is not far reaching, where long bridges have to be traversed to get to the Lord, and this closeness with the Lord of those that are standing in the night watches, is a key to understanding greater meanings of this psalm. 

The interventions that are taking place, by these people possibly priests are done from the position of a close relationship with the Lord and there interventions emanate from this close prayer relationship with the Lord and the understanding of nearness to him.,

Those standing in the gap, in the night watches are doing this from a position of being close to the Lord and they themselves are not far ranging roamers who are just trying to break through with a plea to the Lord for them. It is their closeness to the Lord, in consultation with them that brings about positions of power and the ability to communicate and consult with the Lord in the manner of great and powerful intercessions. 

In terms of personal application, you yourself may not feel that you are close to the Lord, but if your prayers are being answered in a way that is witnessed to you by the Holy Spirit, these or this prayer was answered out of a position of being close to the Lord in that moment of prayer. Someone going into the night watches to stand in and seek the presence of the Lord, may  come into the presence of the Lord  and  have boundaries to their own thinking.  

The Lord may have something to say to you outside the boundaries of your thinking. And this is one key reason to get into the presence of the Lord, maybe by isolating some space such as in a quiet church and to then also listen to what the Lord may have to say to you, something that can indeed be outside of the boundaries of what you had been thinking. The nature of what the Lord may have to say to you is not bound by limits including the limits of your own thinking and you can bring an awareness of this to your prayers and mediations as you also listen. 

At the time this psalm was written, the presence of the night would really limit activities and the best that could be had in terms of light for say the Temple would be oil lamps or candles. But even today, with high technology and everything that brings about, the presence of the night looms large and this can be seen for those especially who travel to more remote regions and maybe they are hiking back to a lodge in the dark and it can be readily scene that once some of the modern day props are temporarily out of use, that the elements including the elements of the night more so take over and there is not all that much that can be done about that after certain point.

Even as technology exerts more and more influence, you could never transport things so that you would get a sun like presence of light at night. The night is still the hovering presence. 

The picture here is rather complete; those standing in the night watches reach heaven itself.  Then even now, everything would seem further away from being possible in the dark hours of the night. 

But this band of individuals standing in the night watches, held sway over much,  Their power was such that the very tides of time were affected by their stance. They were called by the Lord and stood in that call, in ways, that transcended time, space and even light as we know it. 

In James Chapter 4 verse 8 is admonishes the reader to draw close to the Lord who will in term draw close to them.

This psalm shows that the closeness to the Lord is part of standing in the presence of the Lord in the night watches.

Someone who is praying for example for a distant land, city or issue in powerful fashion, is doing that within and not without their own closeness to the Lord. They are not barely in the presence of the Lord or reaching for Him in the far distance, but in that place of closeness where they can proceed into powerful interventions by means of prayer for either themselves or more likely others that they are standing for. The ability to in fact do this effectively is evidence that the Lord considers the relationship close from His vantage point and he is granting answers in the realms of interventions through the prayers of those who are close to Him.

Whether the closeness was an achieved closeness or just as a result of the call, it was there in reality.  It could have been a stand alone situation but in this case those that were present were standing with others in the closeness of the presence of the Lord in the night watches.

The power is transcendent in that it is not dependent on anything other than the relationship of with the Lord  so the outer elements such as the lack of natural light provided by the presence of the sun, is not a superseding reason as to why this can not happen and nothing can override this, including a sheer dearth of light.

Those standing in the night watches then, would have as much prayer power as anyone would today, even though at the time they didn’t have anything near what is available today in terms of technological prowess and access.

Then, in those night watches, they could have prayed for and intervened for future eras and generations such as the present era.

It would be more likely that any and all would be stumbling through the night, with the lack of light and most other means. Those standing in the night watches are like those manning the lighthouse, that last beacon of light for potentially lost seafarers.

Even with the last flickers of light, there is still a remaining hope emanating from those who are standing in the night watches, those who can, in terms of the reach of the call and the reach of their prayers,  transcend the difficulties of these days and indeed of any forthcoming era as their voices in prayer can reach into the far future, as they stand in unison with the power of the creator of the universe in the night watches.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/christianity-articles/standing-in-the-night-watches-and-psalm-134-1629914.html

In part one I emphasised the mainstream Christian teaching on this parable whereby the ministry use it in an evil attempt to keep their ‘flocks’ or, better, their spiritually abused followers, in line or under the tyranny of their Old Covenant legalistic teaching. They do this by interpreting the virgins as the congregation alone. I made the point that it was the ministry and not the congregation that The Lord Jesus Christ was warning through this parable and that is The Truth of it. At the same time, though, we need to understand that we cannot be rigid in our applications of The Lord’s analogy(s) at work here in this parable. This means that as we work our way through this story the bridesmaids begin to take on a representation of the churches and their congregations, as well as the ministry. By the term ‘churches’ I mean the real Church as opposed to the counterfeit church. My method therefore was to break the tradition of error here i.e. laying blame on the body of believers alone and, thereby, leaving the ministry in the clear.

I also made special mention in part one of the significance of verses 9 &12 in Matthew 25. I did that because these verses are crucial in explaining this parable correctly, so I will recopy them here including verses 10 & 11:

Matthew 25:9-12 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. (Emphasis mine)

In verse 9 we can plainly see that the oil (grace) cannot be shared. Let’s be honest, how can grace be shared!!?? If it were at all possible, it would only weaken the position or standing of the recipients of the oil (grace) and it would no longer be true grace but, rather, watered down grace or grace tainted with religion and legalism - yuk! Based on this wisdom, the wise virgins, quite rightly, refuse to share and/or compromise their God given oil (grace) with the foolish virgins who had not laid down their free gift foundation and claim to the oil offered to them - grace. Now, notice what the wise virgins say: “Go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves” Can we hear that again!!!??? “Go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves” Yes, I thought that’s what they said, but do you understand the full significance of this statement? Is this not the spirit of Simon Magus in Acts 8 and is this not very interesting? Can grace now be bought!? Well can it? Obviously not, so what is the Lord Jesus Christ saying here and, just as important, how is He saying it? These verses are a mickey take; the ten wise virgins are mocking the unwise virgins. Furthermore, The Lord Jesus Christ is sarcastically mocking this whole idea via His Parable. The Lord Jesus Christ knows what is going to take place in the future and He is mocking the counterfeit organisation that will be set up by false ministers (unwise virgins) who will sell ’salvation’ (indulgences) or false grace. Grace is a God given free gift, and it cannot be bought; never, never, never can it ever be bought, and yet these tricksters and con-men will attempt to do this very thing. Watchout too for the compulsory tithe merchants for they are no different.

Moreover, notice now what happens, the foolish and unwise virgins go and buy oil (non-grace) and come back, but in the meantime the Bridegroom (the Lord Jesus Christ) has arrived (returned to this earth) and the wise virgins have gone into the wedding celebration and feast with their oil (grace) filled lamps. This part of the parable is making it plain that a counterfeit body of so called ministers of God will be selling and buying into or preaching a message of non-grace and there will be more than just a few willing followers of this blasphemous false message. This is where there is now an overlap in the interpretation of this parable, and the church congregations are now represented by the virgins too. Initially though it is aimed at the ministry and don’t forget, much of The Lord’s teaching was a cloaked attack on the false ministry of His day - The Sadducees and Pharisees - the kings of tithing and legalistic religion.

Moving on, we must now prove that this purchased oil (non-grace) is useless and of course we can see, quite plainly, that it is. In verse 12 these foolish virgins come back with their non-grace (purchased oil) and knock on the door where the wedding feast is taking place. The Lord Jesus Christ answers the door and tells them straight “Who are you, for I do not know you?” In other words I do not recognise the non-grace in your possession; the non-grace you have purchased from a false counterfeit money loving church is useless, so go away as I do not know you. They now had oil but it was it was the wrong kind - it had been bought, not freely given to them by The Father!!

This blunt rebuttal - a future event, will stun millions of supposed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, when it takes place. All the while thinking they are following Him but in reality they are deceived and deluded followers of men with their graceless Christian religion. I will therefore finish with God’s Word on this subject:

Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

These people are one and the same as the foolish virgins who tried to purchase their salvation from a corrupt and blasphemous organisation calling itself a church. This is a counterfeit church which loves filthy lucre and is lorded over by servants of the Devil or people who will eagerly sell you their contaminated useless oil i.e. non-grace via a non-gospel.

You have now been warned in Godly love, so steer well clear of them or if already entangled just get yourself free by leaving and become a true follower of The Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Charles Crosby

Please visit my web page: http://yes2truth.com.istemp.com/index.html

Please e-mail me if you wish to learn more: yes2graceatgooglemail.com please add ‘@’ in place of ‘at’ Thank you.

“God has no religion” - Mahatma Gandhi

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/christianity-articles/the-parable-of-the-ten-bridesmaids-explained-part-2-1618731.html

Have you noticed that more and more people are talking about what it means to achieve financial freedom in their lives. That they would like to buy their dream cars and homes, they want to spend more quality time with their children and live more fulfilled lives. Every person who is trying to sell you something speaks about your financial freedom. Do you really need it? Is it really so important to us to be financially free? What does it mean for you to be financially free?  Is it God’s Will?  Anf if it is God’s Will for us then why does it seem so hard for christians to be financially free?

Most people’s ideal lives doesn’t include the 9 to 5 daily grind. However, 95% of Americans and Europeans are stuck living in this way. And they will do so for the rest of their lives. We are conditioned from a young age to grow up and become a part of this 9 to 5 daily grind. Many christians are broke…and just barely making it while going deeper in debt every single month. We struggle and think about money constantly. We pray, we plead, we stand on the Scriptures. We tith and give constantly believing for a return on our giving. But we never seem to get ahead.  Instead of it we feel like we are moving backward.

So how do we get out of it?  It’s simple really. In fact once you truly discover this, you will be well on your way to achieving more with your life than you ever thought was possible.

For  Terry and Julie Dean it all changed the day they received a simple revelation from  the Scripture: James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, … and it shall be given him.”  Standing on that scripture, they decided to quit praying for money and start praying for wisdom instead. The truth is that wisdom brings wealth with it (II Chronicles 1:12, Proverbs 4:7-8, Proverbs 8:11, Proverbs 24:3-4). From that day forward they quit praying for money.

The problem up until that point was that they had constantly prayd for financial miracle and they were focussed on their lack of money. There were times they had received a small financial blessing here and there, but they never got out of the problem. The problem was always there and continually got worse.

They started praying for wisdom, and they didn’t have problems with money any more. Step-by-step the Lord led them with wisdom…how to get out of debt, how to increase their income, and how to start their very profitable businesses. From that day forward they were able to pay their bills. The debts started shrinking. They could take care of their children. And they were able to give more to others.Since that day they have more than enough money to buy whatever they want. Their investment accounts were continually growing. Even their mortgage was completely paid off.

Thus the answer is simple, you always get what you are focussed on. If you focus on lack of money, the the lack of money is going to increase in your life, if you focus on Wisdom and Abundnce, you get more Wisdom and Abundance than you ever expected.

It feels wonderful to be free from debt…to be able to serve God not just believing, but knowing all your bills are already paid. Free to serve the Lord…Give to those in need…and Live the life God has truely intended us to have.

Terry and Julie put together a complete home study course “Practical Guide To Christian Financial Freedom” that covers everything you need to know about God’s Step-By-Step Plan for You to Become Totally Debt Free Including Your Mortgage. How to renew your mind to see money, tithing, and giving from God’s viewpoint. They stress that many people pray for financial miracles instead of wisdom. The goal of this course is to teach you the truth about finances, to show you God’s desire to see you blessed, living debt free and having more than enough money .

Rachel Richmond
www.onlineincomeseekers.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/christianity-articles/practical-guide-to-christian-financial-freedom-1619613.html

The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran (5)

This is the fifth article of the series:

“The Foreigner woman in Bible versus Quran”

Few quotes from the previous articles of this series are given here.

In language, the foreign or the strange woman is the alien or the exotic or the outsider woman.  However, as determined by the Bible, the foreign or the strange woman is the non-Israelite woman.

Subsequently, all non-Israelite women are foreign or strange women.

This indicates that the women in the Bible are but one of two categories; they are either Legitimate (genuine) or Foreign (strange).

According to the inspired word of God (Ezra 10), the Bible says that while Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites, men, women and children, gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.  Then the son of Jehiel said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women. Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will.  Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives. 

Then, the entire congregation responded with a loud voice: you are right! We must do as you say.  And by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women. Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women: From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah.  They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each offered a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.

Upon citing the tribes even the Levi, 15 families and group of people even the singers and of the porters and 111 men, the Bible says that all these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.

In Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible, it is certain that such marriages (with non-Israelite women) are sinful, and ought not to be made.

On the other hand, Verses 16:96-97 of the Quran talk about the fact that all women are equal in Islam.  The verses say:

All which is with you of the things, all what you have of wealth, in the life of this world will come to an end; it will perish. But that which is Allah has of reward remains; it will never come to an end; it will never perish.  Allah shall surely pay those who were patient, in fulfilling their covenants, in refraining from making a false pledge and acknowledge the Truth, their reward according to the best of what they used to do, and the best here means the good.  Whoever acts righteously, whether male or female, and is a believer, him verily Allah shall revive with a goodly life. This is said to be life in Paradise; or it is in the life of this world by providing him or her well balanced provision for both the body and the spirit. 

[It is interesting that the suicidal tendency in the very poor Islamic counties is extremely low in comparison to its high rate in the very rich western counties. This is simply because the non- balanced provision for both the body and the spirit. Remember that man is composed two parts, body (material) and Spirit; both need well-balanced nutrition!]

Back to the subject of foreign women, it is clear that the Quran is not interested at all in race, color, nationality of the male or the female. All men and all women have the same rights, duty, and responsibility; the best among them is the closer to his or her Lord, the Almighty Creator. 

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The Bible: Ezra 10:1-3, 10-14, 17-19 and 44 (King James Version)

1Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.

2And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

3Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.

11Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

12Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

13But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

14Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.

17And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

18And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

44All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

==================================

The Quran (Yusuf Ali Translation):

Verses 16:96-97

96) What is with you must vanish: what is with Allah will endure. And we will certainly bestow, on those who patiently persevere, their reward according to the best of their actions.

?97 whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily, to him will we give a new life, a life that is good and pure and we will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.

==================================

Back to my question to the smart and interested reader:

Are the Scholars honest when they claim that the Quran quoted from the Bible?

Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil,
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Head (ex-) of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit, Ain-Shams University. Cairo, Egypt
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors, Honorary President of SPIC-Egypt (The Society of Practitioners of Infection Control – Egypt), Co-Chief Editor of the Egyptian Journal of Lab. Medicine
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers, Published 5 Books and some 60 Medical Articles, Supervisors for 79 PhD theses and111 Master Degree theses.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/christianity-articles/in-bible-versus-quran-we-are-unfaithful-to-god-by-marrying-foreign-women-1622961.html

The Moral Model is the orthodox Christian position in counseling. Of necessity this model is characterized by certain views of man that are taught in the bible. Some of them would be: 

1)    The world and man are the creation of God. 

2)    Mankind, having fallen in Adam, has lost a positive righteousness and in its place posses a positive depravity.  In other words, mankind is not basically good, but is instead basically evil. 

3)    Mankind is not capable of saving itself, and thereby regaining the positive righteousness lost in the garden. Salvation, the gift of the heavenly Father, is by grace and through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and is not “earnable” by mankind. Therefore, a supernatural work of grace by God is needed to achieve mankind’s redemption.  This salvation was earned by the sinless life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.  The salvation of Christ is applied to the sinner by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

4)    Not only is salvation the work of God alone, but sanctification, living a holy life, or as the Apostle Paul phrases it “putting off the old man (Adam) and putting on the new man (Christ)” is itself achieved solely by the outworking of God’s Spirit in the believer. 

This is known as the Moral Model in Christian counseling and is to be carefully distinguished from the Medical Model and the Educational Model in counseling. 

The Medical Model posits sickness as mans basic problem, as a result he is in need of “therapy” – which is a word borrowed from the medical community – and medication.  

The Educational Model posits ignorance as mans basic problem, as a result he is in need of “education” which is a word borrowed from our educational community. 

In fact, medical issues and intellectual issues do impact on a man’s condition—and thereby on counseling.  But that impact is determined by man’s moral state; he is fallen in sin and therefore inclined to illness and ignorance.  This moral state reacts to these conditions by finding ways and means to sin against God and neighbor.  Healing a man of his illness and educating a man to address his ignorance does not solve the core problems of men.  Only by recognizing man’s moral condition for what it is—fallen in sin—and addressing this condition with God’s solution in Christ, are man’s problems truly solved. 

Thus the Moral Model is the key to addressing problems in counseling. 

http://www.living-hope-press.com/Christian-Counseling.html

Ralph E. Bass, Jr. has an undergraduate degree, BA, in Bible from Bob Jones University, and several graduate degrees: a M.A. in Counseling from Webster University, a M.Div. in divinity studies from Erskine Theological Seminary, a Th.M. in theological studies from Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and a Th.D. in theological studies from Reformation International Theological Seminary.

Dr. Bass was for a number of years a biblical counselor, a pastor, and as a teacher and school administrator in several Christian schools. He is married and has five children and seventeen grandchildren.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/christianity-articles/the-moral-model-in-counseling-1619365.html