So now what.......

Although I still can't get it through my head, I have now officially completed my online MBA/PA program. I confess that it feels odd not having to check into my online classroom or draft a paper that is due on Monday. Perhaps it is the fact that I worked full-time while completing the program, or maybe the combination of having worked full-time and attending classes in a non-traditional format that has thrown me for a loop. Whatever the cause for my unbelief, I have now completed the MBA/PA program. This reality is both exciting and terrifying; exciting in that I have only begun to discover the opportunities that exists as an MBA/PA degree holder, terrifying in that I don't know where I will ultimately end. But isn't the uncertainty in life what keeps our adrenaline pumping, what maintains our desire to ponder our strengths and weaknesses, our possibilities and challenges.

For me, obtaining an MBA/PA not only marks the fruit of over a year of labor, but also a new spark of interest and concentration. In no way shape or form would I have thought that I would now hold a Master's degree in Business Administration. In college I was the "revolutionary" who wanted to set the world ablaze with the injustices that were occurring worldwide, injustices that I lay at the feet of corporate big wigs wielded more money and power than many of us can comprehend. Yet as time flowed on, I realized that the root cause of the injustices in the world could not be attributed solely at the feet of corporate America, rather, as collective members of our respective communities we must each be cognizant of what is going on as well as work to help alleviate burdens and sorrow. Today, corporations pump millions of dollars, time, and resources into supporting various initiatives that seek to solve many societal ills. While many may view these efforts with a suspicious eye, the truth is that corporations not only have the resources required to help move initiatives forward, they operate within a sphere of influence, media and recognition that many not for profit's and individual citizens lack. With this in mind, I have begun to research the field of "Corporate Social Responsibility" as a possible career path to pursue.

Whether it be "Corporate Social Responsibility" or some other career field, I look forward to being able to use what I have learned in the MBA/PA program in a concrete way. I don't know what God has in store for me, but I am sure that it will not be boring :) Thus far, my life has been a whirlwind of a plethora of different emotions. Where God is going to place me a year from now, two years from now, etc., I don't know, but I am determined to continually learn and soak in what life presents to me.

Over and Over and Over

The Wonder of it All

Why Memorize Scripture?

Walking from the beginning

Today, marks the second week in my year long Bible reading plan using the "Daily Walk Bible." I am so excited about reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I am positive that God will reveal many things to me through this year long journey into His Word. I couldn't have asked for a better Bible to get through this year long journey than the "Daily Walk Bible." Of course, reading the Bible from beginning to end is not contingent on owning "The Daily Walk Bible, :) Anyone could read the Bible in a year. For me, the "Daily Walk Bible" is an added bonus to my reading of the Bible in a year. One of the features I'm growing to appreciate in the "Daily Walk Bible" are what are called "Insights." "Insights" focus on a key portion of scripture, providing the reader with further insight into a specific verse and/or theme of a chapter. The insight for Genesis 7 focuses on the way Jesus compared Noah's generation in Matthew 24:37-39 to the generation that will be alive when He returns to judge the earth. The "Daily Walk Bible"states

"In both instances, the sinful behaviors of human beings are so utterly corrupt that judgment must come. And in both instances, God comes as Savior of the faithful at the same time He comes as Judge of the faithless."

On my way to church on Sunday, a woman who was seated across from me on the train carried a tote bag that said "I (Jesus) came not to judge you, but to love you." As I read that statement on the woman's tote, I thought of the scripture in John 3:17 that states that God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. Yet a quick read of John 3:18 reveals that whoever believes in the name of the Only begotten Son of God is not condemned, but those who do not believe in the Only begotten Son of God stand condemned already because of their unbelief. The mission of Jesus was to glory God through seeking and saving the lost; this was His mission. Did/does Jesus love people? Yes, He does. However, this is not the end of the story for His love of humanity does not negate His purpose and mission. God is holy and just. Because God is holy and just He must punish sin wherever it is found; those whose sins have not been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ will have to answer for their sins on the day of judgment. I fear that a "Jesus loves you" message fails to capture the reality of who Jesus is (God in the flesh) and what He came to do while He walked on earth. Jesus does love you, but Jesus is holy and just and will one day judge the world in righteousness. Whether you want to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior is of little consequence; Jesus is Lord and Savior and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess before Him (Romans 14-11).

Just as God cast judgment on Noah's generation, so will God one day return to judge this corrupt and perverse generation. Where He first judged the world with water (flood), the next time He will judge with fire (the Book of Revelation does not paint a pretty picture of the world's end). On and off, I have been thinking about the day when God will judge the earth. I shudder to think of all the people who will be caught up in the wave of God's wrath, with no where to hide, and no comfort to seek. Instead, they will have an eternity in hell to think about all of the times they surpressed the truth in unrighteousness, of all the time they had wasted on earth ignoring the truth of who God is, shaping a God in their minds they were comfortable with. For the believer, the coming of the Lord is an anticipated and welcomed event; to be with the Lord forever and ever, glorying the One who sought and saved us from eternal torment is almost beyond words.

If you have not done so, please take the "Are you a good person?" test at the Way of the Master website, www.wayofthemaster.com. There is nothing more important than where you will spend eternity.

And we're off

2009 is already looking to be a very interesting year. There are so many things going on in my life right now, some good, some bad, some annoying, and some just downright sad and stressful. One of the good things that I am looking forward to is completing my degree. God- willing, I will be done with my program of study sometime in the middle of July, opening up the door for me to write more in my blog :) I am both sad and frustrated that I don't get to write in my blog like I used to, but just you wait until I'm done with my degree, the blogsphere is sure to grow weary of me then :)

One of the topics I will most certainly be concentrating on in 2009 is my year long Bible reading plan. Yes, yes, like many Christians around the world, I have declared that I will read the Bible in 1 year. I can't tell you how excited I was to discover the "Daily Walk Bible" during one of my bookstore visits. Unlike many 1 year Bibles that I've perused, the "Daily Walk Bible" takes the reader straight through the Bible (Genesis- Revelation) in 1 year. Other 1 year Bible's I've seen and own chop up the year long readings into chunks of the Old Testament and New Testament, sprinkled with passages from Proverbs and the Psalms. I have never been able to wrap my head around the way those type of 1 year Bibles are structured. I can confidently state that the discovery of the "Daily Walk Bible" has been a God- send!!! The prospect of having read the Bible straight through a year from now is thrilling. For the Christian, the Word of God is the sustenance they need to get moving from morning until night; it is what lights the Christians path and fills them with the knowledge, wisdom, and the love of God. Indeed, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states that, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."Equally as important is the application of God's Word in the Christian's life.

In the "My Daily Walk" section of the "Daily Walk Bible" for the Genesis 12-14 reading, the text states that "the evidence of knowing God is obeying God." This short, but very insightful sentence hit me like a ton of bricks. Too often, I get caught up in the learning portion of Bible study, taking for granted that the application will soon follow. Yet what I've failed to recognize is that God not only desires that we feed on His Word daily, but that we diligently seek His help in applying what we've read. For only through the power of the loving and correcting hand of the Holy Spirit can any Christian hope to grow in holiness. It is my fervent prayer that the God who humbled Himself by coming down to earth to seek and save me help me to grow in holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm excited, and nervous :), to see where God is going to grow me for His glory in 2009.

Stay Still

June 2009 will mark the 2nd anniversary of my father's death. It still hurts to tap into the part of me that completely feels the death of my father. On Sunday, a dear brother in Christ informed me that his father had recently passed away. Almost instantly, I felt like I was transported back to the day I learned that my father passed away. During the past year, I have fought diligently to keep buried the part of me that is processing my father's death. Many things have happened since the passing of my father, some good, others bad, and the rest stressful. As my friend told me about his father's passing, I wept not for his loss, but for the rollercoaster of grief my friend would now have to ride. This rollercoaster will race through many valleys of tears, grief, anger, and disillusionment. Immediately, I cautioned my friend to stay clear of the pitfalls I jumped into after my father's passing.

Shortly after my father's death, I had almost entirely given up on reading the Bible and praying. The grief and anger that I felt over my father's passing manifested itself into a willful abandoning of my daily reading of God's Word and prayer. In pushing these practices to the side, I left the trail wide open for the enemy to rush in and fill my head with the lie that God had forsaken me. Moreover, I was consumed with thoughts of despair and anger over having watched my father suffer through such a horrific and painful death. But, thankfully, the God who came down to earth in the Person of Jesus Christ to seek and save lost souls like me never left my side. If you have cried out to God for forgiveness, repenting of your sins and placing your trust and faith in the Only name under heaven whereby people can be saved (Jesus Christ- Acts 4:12), then God who is rich in mercy and grace will forgive y0u and grant you the gift of everlasting life, adopting you into His heavenly family. Once you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of God, no one and nothing can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). God will never forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). The lies that the enemy was barraging me with could have been quickly disarmed through immersing myself into the Word of God. For the Word of God never changes or dies and is strong enough to handle the enemies fiery darts.

The enemy would love nothing more than to bombard God's children with his lies, turning them away from the Word of God to the philosophies of men which lead to a false sense of peace and/or despair. Although the advice to read your Bible and pray may sound like a Christian cliche, there is truth and power behind this counsel. The only true, real, and lasting thing in this world is the Word of God. In reading the Bible, you will learn about the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The Bible contains the story of the Creator who humbled Himself by coming down to heaven in the form of a man (Jesus Christ) to seek and save His creation (Luke 19:10). The Bible contains the truth about what was, what is, and what is to come.

My friend believes that his father received Christ prior to passing away; that being the case, hallelujah, glory to God. I will look forward to meeting my friend's father in heaven where there will be no more sin, pain, disease, death, suffering or tears. To my friend I say, keep your eyes fixed on Calvary, read the Word of God daily, and cry out to Father every day in praise, sharing your sadness, pain, troubles, fears, joys, and gratitude. As the Apostle Peter said in John 6:68, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Jesus Christ (God in the flesh) came down to earth not only to speak these words of eternal life, but to offer eternal life to anyone who is willing to humble him/herself, crying out for forgiveness, repenting of their sins, and placing their trust and faith in Him. There will come a day when all of us will pass from life into eternity. Death comes to all irrespective of their age, gender, race, economic position, etc. Do not take solace in the fact that you are safe from death's grip because you are in good health and/or rarely find yourself in risky situations. The shadow of death is mankind's constant companion. The Bible states that the moment we die we will be in the presence of God; there is no purgatory, no spirit prison( 2 Corinthians 5:6-10). Upon dying, you will immediately be ushered into the presence of the Lord where you will have to give an account for all of your thoughts, words, and deeds. For all who have received Jesus Christ as Savior will be credited with His righteousness; all of those not found in Christ will have to pay the penalty for their sins which is death- eternal destruction in the lake of fire (Romans 6:23, Revelation 20:14-15).

If you have not done so, I urge you to please cry out to God to forgive you of your sins, repent of your sins and place your trust and faith in Jesus Christ. Today is the day of salvation! 2 Corinthians 6:2.

John 15:18

A few days ago, Todd Friel, the host of the Way of the Master Radio program (wwww.wayofthemasterradio.com) reported on a story about a woman named Jean from the UK. On her blog, Jean relayed the story of a conversation she had with her 4 year old daughter in which her daughter stated that she knew she could not be a good girl. Jean writes,

"As usual first thing when she woke up today she said, " I am going to be a good girl today mummy" , and I nodded and said, "OK". She was quiet for a while as if in deep thought then she said, " But mummy, everyday I try and I want to be a good girl, but I can't do it. I can't be a good girl". I didn't know what to say to her at this point so I asked her why she could not do it. " Because there is only one person who can ever help me to be good", she said.

So not knowing where this was going and a little confused by what my daughter was saying, I asked her who it is who would help her to be a good girl, thinking maybe she was going to say me, she said- Jesus. Yes my four year old daughter told me that the only person who would ever help her to be a good girl was Jesus Christ, because she could not do it on her own. I have never told her this. I would have thought this is too deep for a four year old to understand. That she was a sinner, she could not control her sinful nature. She wanted to be good but she could not, instead she did things that where wrong no matter how she tried to be good.

Her theology is far deeper than that of many preachers today. I mean she gets it. It is only by the finished work of Christ on the cross that we can be delivered from sin. The righteousness of God is imputed to us when we forsake our sins and believe, 2 Corinthians 5:21. It is Christ who works in us enabling us to do good when we are saved, otherwise all our good works are like filthy rugs before God. "

First and foremost, praise God for the work that He is starting to do in this little girl's heart. The realization that we are wretched sinners in need of mercy and grace is a concept most adults cannot (will not) grasp. However, needless to say, many surfing through the blog sphere did not share in Jean's joy over the work of God in her little girl's life. Many atheists, agnostics, and professing "Christians" took Jean to task for her rejoicing. Jean was called everything from a horrible mother to a child abuser. Indeed, many of the commenter's threatened to report Jean to the UK child authorities, reasoning that Jean was inflicting great abuse on her 4 year old daughter. Well, the threats became a reality.

Today, Todd reported that the UK child authorities visited Jean at her home. The UK child authorities stated that they have received reports of child abuse in Jean's home, along with having read Jean's blog post that they deemed to be emotional abuse due to the fact that Jean called her daughter a wretched sinner in need of salvation. The proclamation that Jean was inflicting emotional abuse upon her daughter came from one of the UK child authorities, a professing "Christian." Had this "Christian" UK child authority worker bothered to pick up her Bible prior to stopping by Jean's home, she would have read where it clearly states that we were all conceived out of iniquity (sin) Psalm 51:5; that we all share in Paul's cry over our wretched state (Romans 7:24), that we all fall short of God's glory, and that there is none righteous (Romans 3:23, Romans 3:10). Jean's daughter's realization that there is nothing that she can do apart from the goodness and grace of God is not emotional abuse, it is a blessing from God! You see, there will be many who profess Christ who in the end will be cast away from the very One they profess (Matthew 7:21-23). The Bible couldn't be more clear about the gate to heaven and the gate to hell. Of these gates Jesus said,

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Matthew 7:13-14

I pray that God is preparing Jean's daughter to enter through the small gate and narrow road that leads to life, and that He guard her from the wide gate and broad road that leads to destruction. Yet the Christians travel through this small gate and narrow road is one that the Bible warns will be filled with trials, tribulation, and persecution. But the Bible also promises that

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:10-12).

Before departing, the UK child authorities warned Jean that she must cease from writing that her daughter is a wretched sinner on her blog, as well as stating that they will return to speak to Jean's 4 year old daughter.

Near the end of his report about Jean's situation, Todd Friel asked listeners to ponder what they would do if they were the ones told to cease from writing in their blog about their children's wretched state. "Would you submit to the government, or would you continue writing," Todd asked. Instinctively, I reasoned that I would continue writing primarily because I am so sick and tired of the double standard and hypocrisy that exists in the world. The hypocrisy that states that everyone has the right to share their feelings, opinions, and beliefs, except when it comes to sharing anything from the Bible. The hypocrisy that cries that no one should inflict their beliefs and standards for living on anyone else, except when it comes to forcing Christians to comply, go along with, and/or look the other way at things that we are diammetrically opposed to. Christians are to shut up and sit in the corner when it comes to politics, school board issues, and community affairs. Everyone is welcome to state an opinion and fight for a cause, absolutely everyone, except for Christians.

I realize that it is easy for me to state that I would continue to write, as I do not have any children, let alone any children that are in peril of being removed from my home by child authorities. The decision to comply with the UK child authorities is one that Jean and her husband must take up in prayer before the Lord. What Jean needs now is a lot of prayer from fellow believers. Please pray for Jean and her family, and may God continue to shed the saving knowledge and truth of who He is to Jean's daughter so that she may one day be saved to the glory of God.

Matthew 5:10-11

Today, I had the great privilege to attend a special prayer service at my church for the persecuted church around the globe. After watching a 3 minute video of a brother in Christ who was the lone survivor of a group that was massacred in Colombia, we prayed for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the globe. Praise God that this brother in Christ was able to meet one of the guerrillas that tried to kill him in a Colombian prison, after sharing Christ with this man, the man prayed to receive Christ and is now being discipled by this brother!

We cannot even begin to imagine the horrors suffered every day by our brothers and sisters who are being killed, tortured, raped, seriously injured, burned alive, etc., because they profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But thanks be to God who never lies, the God who warned that all who follow him will face persecution for His name sake, that in this life we will suffer trials, tribulations, and persecution. Yet, how often do we thank the Lord for being able to freely assemble to worship Him in the United States? How often do we think about, let alone pray for, our persecuted brothers and sisters around the globe. Our brothers and sisters are desperate for our prayers for strength, faith, and endurance. Amazingly, many of our persecuted brothers and sisters do not ask for the persecution to stop, instead, they ask that God may use their persecution for His glory. Indeed, there have been reports that some of the persecutors have received Christ, and despite the danger and threat to home, life, and family, the church in these countries continues to grow, glory to God!

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked the disciples to pray while He went off to pray. Upon returning to the area where He left the disciples to pray, Jesus found that the disciples had fallen asleep. In Matthew 26:40 Jesus told the disciples, "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" In the same way, can we not go before the throne of grace daily and pray for the persecuted church, or will we all remain "sleeping?" Please visit www.persecution.com to sign up to receive specific prayer requests from our persecuted brothers and sisters. Also, you can find out about ways to support the efforts of this organization to help our persecuted brothers and sisters with assistance, medical help, Bibles, etc. For example, there is the Action Pack program (www.persecution.com/actionpacks) For just $7.00, "Voice of the Martys will send you a special preprinted Action Pack vacuum bag for the country you choose and a list of items you can put inside, even a personal photo... Simply fill the bag and pay the shipping cost to mail back to the Voice of the Martys." Voice of the Martys will also send along the 180 page Gospel storybook, "He Lived Among Us," in the appropriate language. There are also opportunities to help ship Bibles to various countries. Did you know that many of our persecuted brothers and sisters are desperate for Bibles? Some underground churches have only one Bible for the whole congregation, in many instances, a page is torn out of the Bible, passed around to believers to study and read, then later passed onto the next believer.


Although things appear grim for our persecuted brothers and sisters, I take solace in the fact that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. The enemy is a defeated foe whose time is quickly running out. I am thankful to God that He has raised up such a faithful group of men, woman, and children who draw strength from His love and saving grace. I pray that if the day ever comes where we in the United States come up against such persecution that we will be able to draw our strength and faith from God, so that we may rejoice in our sufferings with our brothers and sisters to the glory of God. I also pray that the veils be lifted from the eyes of those who are persecuting our brothers and sisters, that they may come to a saving knowledge and faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and that the Lord may use them to further His Kingdom.

Please pray daily for the persecuted church around the world, for those that the world is not worthy of, Hebrews 11:38.

When actions don't speak louder than words

The other day, I received what appeared to be a mass text message from a friend of mine at church. Unfortunately, her father, who lives abroad, is ill. Her text urged everyone to pray for her dad. I texted her back stating that I would pray for him, but also asked if he was saved and/or if anyone has witnessed to him (a while back we had a conversation in which she stated that that her dad was not saved). She replied no on both accounts. Tonight, my friend sent another text stating that her dad's condition seems to have worsened. I dialed my friends number and got her voice mail. On her voicemail I assured her that I would pray for him, but begged that if no one has witnessed to him, to get to witnessing now. Failure to witness to her dad would leave a lifetime of regret and sadness. I again recounted my story of how I witnessed to my dad, and even though I didn't know whether or not he had received Christ (shortly after my dad's condition worsened, until finally he passed away). had I not witnessed to my father, well, I cannot imagine. Right now, I know that my friend wants desperately for her father to live, but he cannot truly live while he is spiritually dead.

Our witnessing to our friends and family does not convert them, only the Holy Spirit of God converts individuals, but we must articulate the Gospel to them. Living out our Christianity is important, but that is not the Gospel, rather, it is the evidence of the transforming power of the Gospel in our lives. The Gospel is the magnificent truth that Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, God in the flesh, took upon the sin of the world to satisfy the just and holy wrath of God. God is holy and thus cannot have sin in His presence. Indeed, God is angry at sin and will punish sin wherever it is found. Romans 2:8-9 says "But He [God] will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil-for the Jew first and also for the Gentile." God is good and does not desire that anyone should perish, but that all come to repentance through Jesus, the sinless Messiah. Jesus is the only perfect and acceptable propitiation for our sins, He is the only way to the heaven, the only way. In John 14:6 Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." No one is good or worthy enough to enter heaven. If you die without the payment of the blood of Jesus Christ for your sins, you will have to stand before a holy and just God who will demand that you eternally suffer the payment for your sins in hell. The bible says that it is a fearful thing to be cast into the hands of the Living God; the God who can hold the whole universe in His hands. The bible says when we are absent from our bodies, we will be present before the Lord. Although you should fear God, you should not come to Him solely to "get out of hell," but rather come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ because of His kindness, willingness, and goodness to save you from hell.

That is the essence and truth of the Gospel that must be articulated through words. The truth is, no one knows when they are going to draw their last breath on earth. As such, we must treat each day as it is our last. My friends, there is no time to do good deeds and good works in hopes that we will be asked about our faith, in hopes that the Gospel will somehow be transmitted through those mechanisms. Good deeds and good works are performed by non- Christians all of the time. Indeed, the most ungodly people contribute much of their time, money, and energy into good deeds and good works. If you have not done so, please articulate the truth of the Gospel, a Gospel that the apostles died preaching, a Gospel that has led to, and is leading to, the death of many of our Christian brothers and sisters all over the world. The Gospel which causes people to pass from death to life. Today is the day of salvation.

Please pray for my friends father- pray that my friend and/or someone nearby will share the Gospel with her father. Please also pray for his health, but the most important thing to pray for is his salvation because whether he lives or dies, he needs to hear and receive the good news of the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life through repentance, faith, and trust in Jesus Christ. Thank you.

I am not sharing my friends name here, but God will certainly know who you are praying for. Thank you!

P.S. You can learn more about sharing your faith at www.wayofthemaster.com, and www.wayofthemasterradio.com.

Strange Encounters of the Destructive Heresy Kind

After church this afternoon, I went to Borders bookstore. While sitting down perusing through some of the books in the Christian section of the bookstore, a woman approached me stating that she was from the Elohim Academy. Thereafter, she asked if I knew that God was both male and female.. um, SAY WHAT! I said, er, we are all made in the image and likeness of God, God is Spirit but arrived in the flesh as a man, Jesus Christ. She then asked if I would turn to Revelation 22:17, pointing to the reference to the bride as evidence of her claim. I quickly pointed out that the bride mentioned here is the church, not a female bride. She quickly countered back, "That's what everyone thinks." I said, "With all due respect, this is not a reference to a female. I don't know who is telling you this, but you can't take a verse like this one out of context." She said, "I don't want to argue with you;" I said "I am not arguing, I am just stating a fact and the way that everyone should approach the scriptures." Again, she asked me to please turn to a verse, this time in Galatians 4:26. In this verse, Jerusalem is described as a "her." To this I couldn't help but to say, "Wow, that is really out of context." She said, "Okay, have a nice day." This is a classic move by those involved in a cult. First, they try to lure you in with scripture taken out of context. If you challenge them, they try and give you more scripture out of context. Finally, if they see you are not biting, they hurriedly rush off.

This encounter both saddened and angered me. It saddened me to know that there are people who have no knowledge of the Scripture. On the other hand, this encounter angered me because some of these same people are content solely to search for scriptures they cajole to fit their presuppositions, rushing off to lead people down the path to eternal destruction. This encounter not only highlights the reality that ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing are among us, but also the fact that we must be in the Word. Along with the Holy Spirit, the Word of God is our shield against destructive heresies. Failure to immerse yourself in the Word, indeed, failure to learn how to study the Bible will make you ripe for the false teachers picking. We are admonished to show ourselves approved to God as those who can rightly divide His Word. I cannot tell you how many times women have said to me "Yeah, I just don't have time to learn how to read the Word," or, "My Pastor is good, I can trust what he is saying." This type of attitude is what leads people to join cults that say that God is male and female, that deny the Trinity, etc., etc., etc. Every well respected Pastor and Bible teacher will be the first to encourage you to check everything they say against scripture, unlike, the representative from the Elohim Academy who did not want me (and probably did not expect me) to question her exposition of scripture.

There are many great resources to learn how to study the Bible.

Here are just a few:

How to Study Your Bible: The Lasting Rewards of the Inductive Method by Kay Arthur

Living By the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible by Howard Hendricks- there is a workbook that you can buy that goes along with this book

Understanding and Applying the Bible by Robertson McQuilkin

Please study to show yourself approved, as one who stands firm in the Word, one who shall not be deceived or moved from the truth of the Word of God.

Matthew 24:4-5

Book Giveaway

No, I haven't run off to sell vegetables and fruits in Jamaica; however, with the weather we have been having in New York City, running off to Jamaica doesn't seem like that bad of an idea :) I have so much that I'd like to write and share on this blog. But alas, the forces of work and school have destined to stop me in my tracks. Yes, that was quite possibly the most dramatic sentence I've ever written :)

Anyway, onto my reason for speedily posting this entry. The fabulous Lisa McKay over at "The Preacher's Wife- Anything But Typical" blog is hosting a book giveaway, and quite possibly, a book club based on the book by John Piper titled "Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose In The Glory Of Christ." Check out her blog to enter the book giveaway and to vote on whether to start a "Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose In the Glory Of Christ" book club.

http://kellyatclose2home.blogspot.com/2008/10/spectacular-giveaway.html

I hope to blog again really soon!

Memories

Yesterday, I finished reading one of the best books I have ever read in my life! "Left to Tell: Discovering God amidst the Rwandan Holocaust" is the story of Rwandan native Immaculee Ilibagiza. Ironically, the first line the author records in "Left to Tell" is "I was born in paradise;" who, including the author, could have ever imagined that the paradise once cherished would one day be littered with the dead bodies of thousands Rwandans. The horror, sadness, and tragedy depicted in "Left To Tell" is almost incomprehensible for me to process, let alone write about. Yet out of the ashes of mass murder, hatred, horror, and tragedy spring forth the remarkable and courageous story of one woman's faith, strength, love, and capacity for forgiveness. Although I differ with the author on some of the theological and spiritual points she makes in this book, I do not believe that the point of the author is to illuminate the reader with regard to her Catholic faith, but rather, share the story she believes God spared her life to tell. Indeed, what struck me the most about this book is the incredible faith and reliance this author placed in God to get her through this horrific ordeal. Equally as striking, is the love Immaculee had for her family, and the love they had for her. As I am typing this entry, I am fighting back the tears recalling the many powerful ways Immaculee discussed her family. Immaculee powerfully weaves a portrait of a family filled with love and adoration, sacrifice and respect, truth and courage.

A typical question among readers is"What is your favorite genre of books?" Without batting an eyelash, I enthusiastically proclaim that the memoir is my favorite genre. Part of the reason I enthusiastically proclaim my love for memoirs is because of the ability of the memoir to lift the reader into the life experience of the author. Via the memoir, the reader is afforded the opportunity to learn about historical events, family celebrations and disturbances, love, hate, forgiveness, death, and life. The edited letters typed onto the pages of the memoir are akin to an invitation to share in a plethora of functional and dysfunctional relationships. There is no end to the supply of heartaches, triumphs, defeat, courage, faith, and hope. A byproduct of reading well written memoirs is a widening of perspective, education, understanding, and empathy. "Left To Tell," envelops a mixture of all that I treasure in a memoir. I am grateful to God that He granted Immaculee the strength, courage, and desire to share her story.