Poem: Open Your Bibles Again

Open your Bibles again

My hands shake while I sit at the table,

but doing most things I am still able. 2 Corinthians 9:8

In doing all the things I do, there is pain,

but it is better than sitting, watching it rain. Romans 8:28

I wouldn't forgive myself,but I would you,

because GOD says, to start over anew. 1 John 1:9

Sometimes life is more than I can take,

then the next day I am glad I am awake. Philippians 4:19

I go all through my life without any fear,

because I know my LORD is always near. 2 Timothy 1:7

I don't worry when I am sent into places,

talking about GOD, I see smiling faces. 1 Peter 5:7

I am far away from knowing everything,

so I turn it all over, to Jesus my King. 1 Corinthians 1:30

I know that through this life, I am not alone,

GOD has forgiven my sins, He will condone. Hebrews 13:5

Written by Don Louderback

If ye seek Me, let these go their way.

Jesus said unto them, "If ye seek Me, let these go their way." John 18:8

Mark, my soul, the care which Jesus manifested even in His hour of trial, towards the sheep of His hand! The ruling passion is strong in death. He resigns Himself to the enemy, but He interposes a word of power to set His disciples free. As to Himself, like a sheep before her shearers He is dumb and opened not His mouth, but for His disciples' sake He speaks with Almighty energy.

Herein is love, constant, self-forgetting, faithful love. But is there not far more here than is to be found upon the surface? Have we not the very soul and spirit of the atonement in these words? The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep, and pleads that they must therefore go free. The Surety is bound, and justice demands that those for whom He stands a substitute should go their way. In the midst of Egypt's bondage, that voice rings as a word of power, "Let these go their way."

Out of slavery of sin and Satan the redeemed must come. In every cell of the dungeons of Despair, the sound is echoed, "Let these go their way," and forth come Despondency and Much-afraid. Satan hears the well-known voice, and lifts his foot from the neck of the fallen; and Death hears it, and the grave opens her gates to let the dead arise.

Their way is one of progress, holiness, triumph, glory, and none shall dare to stay them in it. No lion shall be on their way, neither shall any ravenous beast go up thereon. "The hind of the morning" has drawn the cruel hunters upon himself, and now the most timid roes and hinds of the field may graze at perfect peace among the lilies of his loves.

The thunder-cloud has burst over the Cross of Calvary, and the pilgrims of Zion shall never be smitten by the bolts of vengeance. Come, my heart, rejoice in the immunity which thy Redeemer has secured thee, and bless His name all the day, and every day.

"He was heard in that he feared."

"He was heard in that he feared." Hebrews 5:7

Did this fear arise from the infernal suggestion that He was utterly forsaken. There may be sterner trials than this, but surely it is one of the worst to be utterly forsaken? "See," said Satan, "thou hast a friend nowhere! Thy Father hath shut up the bowels of His compassion against thee. Not an angel in His courts will stretch out his hand to help thee. All heaven is alienated from Thee; Thou art left alone. See the companions with whom Thou hast taken sweet counsel, what are they worth?

Son of Mary, see there Thy brother James, see there Thy loved disciple John, and Thy bold apostle Peter, how the cowards sleep when Thou art in Thy sufferings! Lo! Thou hast no friend left in heaven or earth. All hell is against Thee. I have stirred up mine infernal den. I have sent my missives throughout all regions summoning every prince of darkness to set upon Thee this night, and we will spare no arrows, we will use all our infernal might to overwhelm Thee: and what wilt Thou do, Thou solitary one?"

It may be, this was the temptation; we think it was, because the appearance of an angel unto Him strengthening Him removed that fear. He was heard in that He feared; He was no more alone, but heaven was with Him. It may be that this is the reason of His coming three times to His disciples--as Hart puts it-

"Backwards and forwards thrice He ran, As if He sought some help from man."

He would see for Himself whether it were really true that all men had forsaken Him; He found them all asleep; but perhaps He gained some faint comfort from the thought that they were sleeping, not from treachery, but from sorrow, the spirit indeed was willing, but the flesh was weak. At any rate, He was heard in that He feared. Jesus was heard in His deepest woe; my soul, thou shalt be heard also.

The Consequences of Abortion

This is a follow up to last nights discussion on BTR.
The discussion came about after this article was posted at Do The Right Thing blog.

You are invited to join us at Do The Right Thing Radio or call in at 347-324-5417. This discussion will be a continuing series. Show time is 11:00 P.M. eastern, 8:00 P.M. on the left coast.

Below are links that provide important information and statistics with regard to abortion and it's aftermath.

After Abortion Index
After Abortion Outpatient
After Abortion Forbidden Grief

Abortion NO Resources
National Right To Life
L.E.A.R.N.
Operation Save America
Movement For a Better America

Scriptures regarding abortions. You can look these up in your personal Bibles or go to Bible Gateway.

Jeremiah 1:5
Galatians 1:15
Job 10:8-12
Psalm 139:13,16
Isaiah 44:2
Job 31:15
Jeremiah 20:17
Amos 1:13
Revelations 8

Message and prayer from Wanda Fay;

The goal always being of course to educate and decrease abortions in our country and world by reaching HEARTS. Also to share that Jesus Christ fully paid the price of the GUILT and GRIEF that accompanies abortion. Hopefully HEARTS will be touched to make the RIGHT CHOICE to NOT ABORT. And it also goes back to choosing to wait until marriage, etc. What a big mess we're in!

Dear God forgive us as a nation and society and thank you also for your love forgiveness and power to overcome this horror in America!!

Help us to start today-tonight on DO THE RIGHT THING RADIO Lord! And help us, give us wisdom for educating the masses in the future.

Touch the hearts of INDIVIDUALS, teens, singles, couples, marrieds to NOT ABORT! But let that baby live!

IN the Mighty Name of Jesus! Amen

Are you coping or conquering?

Are you coping or conquering?

submitted by Cyber Pastor and Annieb's daughter Brook

Life is hard, and most people get through it simply by coping. If people are unhappy in marriage, parenthood, career or friendships, they mostly do the best they can. They cope. But is this the way God wants believers to live?

Paul once referred to life as a race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). The goal is not merely to finish the race, but to win, to conquer. Paul says in Romans 8:37, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Is your goal in life simply to cope, to get through? Or do you want to be a conqueror, an overcomer? How can you be an overcomer, and what does overcoming require?

Jesus says, “Take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). And John assures us, “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). What is the imperative to enjoy Jesus’ victory over the world and over Satan (Revelation 2:3)? What will be your reward if you overcome (Rev 2:7)?

Although believers must continue their struggle with sin and Satan in this life, there is a finish line in the distance. What must you do in order to gain the crown of life at the end of your race (Rev 2:10)? What will be your reward if you overcome (Rev 2:11)?

Spiritual battles are being fought around you every moment (Eph 6:12). How can you stand against the enemy (Rev 6:12)? What will be your reward if you overcome (Rev 2:17)?

Spiritual deceptions abound in the world. What can you do to stand against them (Rev 2:24-25)? What will be your reward if you overcome (Rev 2:26)?

How can you prevent apathy in your Christian life (Rev 3:2-3)? What will be your reward if you overcome (Rev 3:5)?

What is the key to overcoming (Rev 3:8)? What will be your reward if you overcome (Rev 3:12)?

Enjoying God Through the Word

Romans 8:35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Allow these beautiful words of hope to flood your soul. You are an overcomer because of Jesus Christ. “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:5) and “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Praise God!

When trials, troubles, persecution, disasters or attacks come, don’t give in to fear. God will supply the strength you need to overcome in your adversity. Notice that little word “in.” God does not usually deliver you out of adversity; he gives you the strength to overcome in (or through) the adversity.

As I read this devotional, I couldn’t help but think God had led me directly to all of these passages. I have recently been through a very traumatic divorce, followed by being the soul custodial guardian of my two children. I have definitely felt like I was just coping instead of conquering in most of my life in the past few years.

And then I start to think about the recent election. A lot of people feel defeated, scared or hopeless. I can relate. Most of us involved had put our hearts and souls into this election because we felt so passionately about the issues facing us. Most of us morally know that what is going to be presented to us coming very soon is not acceptable, and there is a battle coming. But, that is another subject. My point I think I want to get across is that, we could crawl up in a hole, wither away, become depressed, feel defeated and unheard. The good news is that we are never unheard. God has heard our prayers and knows what is best for each and every one of us. Be still and know that He is God! Defeat is a tool of the evil one. Are we going to give him the power that easily? Give all the glory to God who has full control over everything happening.

Remember that God has put every ruler on Earth there for a specific reason. We may not realize why now but there is a purpose.

It is so easy to move ourselves into that place of complacency, being content with the mediocre. We are told to conquer, not to just become alright with mediocrity. Rise above, not keep the status quo.

Think about some of the things in which you’re experiencing difficulty right now. Are you merely coping in these areas instead of overcoming? Express your thanks to God in prayer for his love and the power he makes available to you so you can do more than cope-you can overcome! If you feel weak, ask him for his strength. He is able to supply all your needs (Php 4:19).

I personally still struggle with this every day. The world tells us that when you are down for the count, we should pour some extra salt into our wounds. Jesus Christ says differently. He wants us to know that while we are still sinners, we can never do anything to take his love away from us. Never! Isn’t that reassuring?

Find your rewards through Jesus, not the world. The world will come up short. Jesus never lets us down.



Some use out of the NIV Women of Faith Study Bible.

My Take on Yesterday......

.....I can think of nothing better than to read God's Holy Word! I read this on our show last night.

CP

John 14
Jesus Comforts His Disciples

1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
Jesus the Way to the Father 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

22Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"

23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

28"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. "Come now; let us leave.

From Bill Keller @ Live Prayer

I think this devotional topic is one that has great importance is today's society. Pastor Keller does a fantastic job of letting people know that no matter what you've done in your past, today is the day to allow Jesus Christ to into your heart - He said already paid the price for all of our sins! - Cyber Pastor

If this devotional is a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving this daily word. You can forward this to them, and they can use the following link to subscribe.

http://www.liveprayer.com/signup.cfm


DAILY DEVOTIONAL    WEDNESDAY JUNE 4, 2008
(Romans 8:35-37; 1 John 5:4)

The challenges of being a single mother. Being a mom and raising children is
a 24/7 job that never ends. Even in the perfect context of God's plan to
marry a man who loves the Lord, have children, raise those children in the
admonition of the Lord as the Bible teaches, it is a difficult job. That job
gets exponentially more difficult when a woman is raising her children
alone, having to be mom and dad, the provider, the spiritual head of the
home, all rolled into one.

Sadly in today's culture, there is a large percentage of women who are
raising their children alone for a myriad of reasons. Today, I want to give
a word of encouragement to you single moms out there and make today a
special one for you and your children.

I take a firm Biblical stand on issues like marriage, fornication, being
equally yoked as the Bible commands, and what God's plan for the family is.
First, because it is what God says and His way always works best for our
life. His Word cannot be compromised. Secondly, because we see daily here at
Liveprayer the destroyed lives of those who ignored God in these areas of
their life by doing it their way.

That is why, especially for the young adults who read this Devotional each
day, I do my best to warn them from falling into these traps that can
literally destroy their lives. God has given me a responsibility for sharing
the Truth of His Word. Much of the pain and heartache that we deal with in
this life is because we ignored God, or rebelled against God in some way. I
realize there are cases when the actions of others cause us great pain, but
again, a good percentage of our problems come from OUR decision to ignore
God's plan.

While the world at large says "Do it your way," "Whatever you think is right
is okay," "If it feels good, do it" . . . God says there is only ONE WAY
that is right and that is found in the Bible. God gives us His way because
He loves us! He knows that His way works and the other ways do not! His way
brings us peace, joy, happiness, and blessings. Ignoring His way brings
turmoil, pain, unhappiness, and tragic consequences that can last a
lifetime.

For you single moms, God loves you and will help you see victory despite
whatever has happened in the past. It would be great if we all lived life
the way God planned for us to. It is my prayer daily that those young adults
reading these words each day will take that challenge and do just that. But
for those who have already made some mistakes along the way, who got
off-track from doing it God's way, TODAY IS THE DAY that you can get back on
track. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE!

The key however is doing it God's way from here on out. For whatever reason
you may be raising your children alone, know that God will make you adequate
each day and give you all that you need to be the best parent that you can
be. Your greatest ministry will ALWAYS be to your children. The Lord will
guide you, strengthen you, protect you, provide for you, and bless you and
your children each step of the way as you follow Him!!!

I love you and care about you so much. The key today for you single mothers
is to remember that the past is the past. There are no "do overs" in life.
You can't go back and relive your life. So no matter what situation you may
find yourself in today, know that if you make Christ the Lord of your life,
keep Christ first at all times, do it God's way, you can know the peace, the
joy, and the abundance that this life can offer. Our life is today and
forward until God calls us home. Yesterday is over. Live for today and make
it all that God intends it to be. I will be praying for you and your
children as you go forward with God's blessings!!!


In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

Pelosi: Misquote or Lie - You Decide

Original tip for this came from "Rush In a Hurry".

From Rush's Stack of Stuff Quick Hits Page:

She Didn't "Misquote;" She Lied: Pelosi Made Up Earth Day Bible Quote

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biblical Scholars Challenge Pelosi's 'Scripture' Quote

By Pete Winn
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
April 23, 2008

(CNSNews.com) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is fond of quoting a particular passage of Scripture. The quote, however, does not appear in the Bible and is "fictional," according to biblical scholars.

In her April 22 Earth Day news release, Pelosi said, "The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.' On this Earth Day, and every day, let us pledge to our children, and our children's children, that they will have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and the opportunity to experience the wonders of nature."

Cybercast News Service repeatedly queried the speaker's office for two days to determine where the alleged Bible quote is found. Thus far, no one has responded.

Distinguished biblical scholars, however, cast doubt on the existence of the passage.

John J. Collins, the Holmes professor of Old Testament criticism and interpretation at Yale Divinity School, said he is totally unfamiliar with Pelosi's quotation.

"(It's) not one that I recognize," Collins told Cybercast News Service. "I assume that she means this is a paraphrase. But it wouldn't be a close paraphrase to anything I know of."

Claude Mariottini, a professor of Old Testament at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, told Cybercast News Service the passage not only doesn't exist - it's "fictional."

"It is not in the Bible," Mariottini said. "There is nothing that even approximates that."

Other scholars agree that nothing remotely resembling it can be found in any version of the Scriptures - Old Testament or New Testament. 

"The quote does not exist in the Old Testament, neither in the New Testament," said the Rev. Andreas Hock, a doctor of Scripture who teaches in the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Denver's St. John Vianney Seminary.

"Even in pieces or bits, (it) cannot be found in the Old Testament," he added. 

Interestingly, Pelosi has mentioned the quote before, Mariottini noted. 

"In truth, (she) has used this 'passage' in many different ways, and all of those usages have nothing to do with the Bible whatsoever," he said. 

Indeed, Cybercast News Service has learned that Pelosi has repeatedly used the quote: 

-- In December 2005, in a Christmas message to the U.S. House of Representatives, Pelosi said: "Mr. Speaker, as we leave for this Christmas recess, let us say, 'God bless you' to the American people by voting against this Republican budget and statement of injustice and immorality, and let us not let the special interest goose get fat at the expense of America's children.

"The gentleman from Washington [state], Mr. McDermott, quoted the prophet Isaiah. And as the Bible teaches us, to minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship, to ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us. Let us vote no on this budget as an act of worship and for America's children."

-- On Feb. 8, 2007, in remarks before the U.S. House Science and Technology Committee, when it held hearings on global warming, she used the same quote, verbatim, as in her Earth Day release.

-- On April 6, 2007, in congressional remarks before the Easter recess: "In this Holy Week, we are reminded of these words in the Old Testament: 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.' We must move quickly to honor God's creation by reducing greenhouse gas pollution in the United States and around the world."

-- On April 25, 2007, in a speech to the League of Conservation Voters in Washington, D.C.: "We are now charging ahead to tackle one of humanity's greatest challenges yet - global warming. We will do this because we hold our children's future in our hands - not our grandchildren, or great-grandchildren, but our own children. "As it says in the Old Testament, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.'" 

-- On Oct. 22, 2007, in a television interview with PBS host Tavis Smiley, she used it in discussion of her roots, attributing the quote to the book of Isaiah: "I'm raised in a family in Baltimore, Maryland, my father was the mayor. He was in Congress when I was born. And we were devoutly Catholic, very patriotic. We love America. Devoutly Catholic, deeply patriotic, proud of our Italian American heritage, and in our case, staunchly Democratic. 

"And that faith was related to our Democratic values. That is to say, the gospel of Matthew: 'When I was hungry, you gave me to eat.' You know, the least of our brethren. So that's an inspiration in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, Isaiah says, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the god who made us.'" 

Mis-remembered? Mis-paraphrased? 

Is Pelosi's alleged quote merely an attempt to express a biblical principle about man's need to care for the environment? The scholars differed slightly on that question, but none believe the case for environmentalism comes directly form Scripture, as Pelosi indicated. 

Eric Jenislawski, a professor at Virginia's Christendom College, said that the Bible teaches in Genesis that man was placed on earth "to till it and keep it" (Genesis 2:15). But just a few verses earlier, he pointed out, God also commanded man "to fill the earth and subdue it" (Genesis 1:28).

"Responsible use of the Old Testament cannot divorce the biblical notion of stewardship (that man is obligated to care for God's creation) from the equally important biblical view that the entire natural world was created for man, for him to subdue it and to reign over it," Jenislawski said. 

"Environmentalists who make man subservient to the natural world actually invert the biblical view of man's relationship to the earth," he said.

Collins agreed.

"You can interpret Genesis, Chapter One, in various ways, but I think this would be going well beyond the text," said Collins. 

Mark Goodwin, an associate professor of theology at the University of Dallas, said Pelosi's quote only reflects a partial Scriptural truth, at best. 

"'To minister to the needs of creation is an act of worship' doesn't sound right to my ears," Goodwin said. "To minister to the needs of creation'- yes, but not as an act of worship. I'm not sure what she meant by that, and if I were there, I would have raised my hand and asked her to clarify that."

Westminster Theological Seminary professor Peter Enns told Cybercast News Service that there is nothing in the Bible even approaching a proof-text for Earth Day. 

"As wise an idea as it might be to be concerned about the environment, I think to find a specific biblical anchor in the Old Testament might be asking things of the Bible it's just not prepared to deliver," Enns said. 

"To say that humanity (is the steward) of creation is not so much - in the ancient world -a statement that the goodness of creation has to be protected, but more a statement in the Bible of the supremacy of humanity as the pinnacle of creation," he added.

Mariottini, meanwhile, said he doesn't think Pelosi is either mis-remembering or mis-paraphrasing. 

"People try to use the Bible to give authority to what they are trying to say," he said. "(This) is one of those texts that you fabricate in order to support what you want to say.

Pray the Vote 2008

Click here to go to the Pray the Vote 2008 website.

Pray the Scriptures for Election Day!
Prayers to Prepare You to Intercede

The following prayers are Scriptures adapted "vertically" to be prayed back to God. This pattern of worship, thanksgiving, confession and requesting will help prepare you to intercede for the elections. Use these Scriptures to prepare your heart to pray.

I. Worship: Establish God's Sovereignty and Supremacy
O Lord, You reign over the nations and You rule in righteousness from Your holy throne.
--Psalm 47:8

I praise you for the trustworthiness and truth of Your word and Your person, O God. You are faithful and holy and righteous in all Your ways.
--Psalm 33:4

O Lord, You are great and mighty and majestic in Your power and authority! You see and know all things and there is no limit to Your understanding-it is beyond my comprehension.
--Psalm 147:5

II. Thanksgiving: Gratitude for God's Wisdom and My Freedom
Thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, for the freedom I have because You have set me free from my sins!
--John 8:36

O Lord, I thank you for the spiritual freedom I enjoy because You are present in my life.
--II Corinthians 3:17

All praise to You, O Triune God, for rescuing me from the Evil One. You have brought me into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Son, and you bought my freedom with His precious blood. Thank you for the priceless gift of the forgiveness of my sins.
--Colossians 1:13

III. Confession: Agreeing with God About Sin
O God, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. It is useless to try to hide my sin, because nothing is hidden from Your eyes. I confess my sins to you, thanking you for removing my guilt with Your forgiveness.
--Psalm 32:5

O Lord, help me to be as ready to forgive others for the wrongs they have done to me as I am eager for You to forgive me and take away my sins.
--Matthew 6:12

Heavenly Father, I thank You for your faithfulness and justice, for You have paid the debt of my sin. Cleanse me now and keep me so pure and clean that I no longer want to offend You with my thoughts, words or deeds.
--I John 1:9

IV. Requesting: Calling on God for Help
O God in Heaven, You are faithful and steady. Help me to remain faithful in all my commitments-especially in this commitment to pray for this fall's elections.
--Romans 12:12

To get Pray The Vote 2008 updates and to join Pastor Ed's Prayer Patriots at PPT click here.

Come To Church - Cyber Pastor is Preaching

Ok, if that title didn’t scare you off already I pray you will get something you can use from this sermon. I have added a couple of songs that you can link to. Let’s see how that works. Remember please that most of what I have is just an outline and illustrations, so you don’t get all the things I say in between, but I hope this blesses you, as it blesses me to provide God’s word to you! Cyber Pastor

The Supporting Cast
Pastor Ed Boston

December 9, 2007

Opening Song (click the link and download): Born in Bethlehem from Third Day

Leonard Sweet wrote about the following story:

A number of years ago a couple traveled to the offices of an Adoption Society in England to receive a baby. They had been on the waiting list a long time. They had been interviewed and carefully scrutinized. Now at last their dreams were to be fulfilled. But their day of happiness was another’s pain.

Arriving at the offices of the Society they were led up a flight of stairs to a waiting room. After a few minutes they heard someone else climbing the stairs. It was the young student mother whose baby was to be adopted. She was met by the lady responsible for the adoption arrangements and taken into another room. Our friends heard a muffled conversation and a few minutes later footsteps on the stairs as the young mother left. They heard her convulsive sobbing until the front door of the office was closed. Then, there was silence.

The lady in charge then conducted them next door. In a little crib was a six week old baby boy. On a chair beside it was a brown paper bag containing a change of clothes and two letters. One of these, addressed to the new parents, thanked them for providing a home for her baby and acknowledged that under the terms of the adoption each would never know the other’s identity. Then the young mother added one request. Would they allow her little son to read the other letter on his eighteenth birthday? She assured them that she had not included any information about her identity. The couple entrusted that letter to a lawyer and one day the young man will read the message which his mother wrote on the day, when with breaking heart, she parted with him.

I wonder what she wrote? If I had to condense all I feel about life and love into a few precious words what would I say? I would have no time for trivia. I would not be concerned about economics, politics, the weather, the size of house or the type of car. At such a time I would want to dwell on the profundities, on what life was all about and what things were absolutely essential.

A good movie will have a great star (Jesus), it will have a few supporting actors (Mary and Joseph), but today I want to look at the supporting cast. It’s not the big name stars, but an important part of the story just as well!

How do I know that the following are important in the story of the Birth of Christ? Because they were included in God’s word, and everything in God’s word is important.

We don’t have popcorn, or even a movie screen, but sit back and listen to “The Supporting Cast”.

The Shepherds (Luke 2:8 - 12, 15)

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping
watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that
has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

The Angels (Luke 2:13 - 14)

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,
praising God and saying, 14″Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

One commentary tells it like this: Yet it is Jesus’ birth that draws an angelic host. Once again, appearances are deceiving. As humble as the setting is, his birth is accompanied by the attention of the heavenly host. The shepherds who are privileged to share in the moment become bearers of a story full of wonder. Jesus’ birth is more than a cosmic event; it is the arrival of divine activity that should provoke joy, reflection and attentiveness. That is why Mary ponders these events and the shepherds return glorifying God.

The Magi (Matthew 2:9 - 12)

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the eastwent ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

The Innkeeper (Luke 2:7)

7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Ron Clarkson in an article entitled “The Innkeeper”, gives this account of what the innkeeper may have been thinking that night:

Bethlehem was swollen from the influx of travelers because of the census. My inn was packed, but I just wanted to escape, I was so . . . so tired. And even though I had no vacancy, people kept coming, and I hated to turn people away. The look in their eye when I said, I’m so sorry, but there is just no more room, just no more room. My name is Thaddeus, my name is known throughout Bethlehem. Thaddeus, the Innkeeper, everyone knows Thaddeus, president of the chamber of commerce, heads up the welcome wagon committee, coaches the kids chariot racing team, they all know Thaddeus. . he would help anyone with anything at any time.

And I would, I really would. It would just break my heart to see people who needed a room, a place to rest their head, to get rejuvenated, and I wouldn’t have any place to put them. . . anywhere.We were so full that we had people in storage rooms, sleeping over there in the court yard. How did I know it was going to be on that night, that very night? My wife and I tried to keep the finest inn in all of Bethlehem, and yet during census time it was a blessing and a curse.

Business was great, we were packed. But we were weary, bone tired weary. . . and we had to turn people away. And it was that one night when we almost turned away the most important person on the face of this earth. I was sitting in my chair that night and I heard a knock on the door, and they kept knocking and knocking. And finally I said, “O.K., I’m coming, I’m coming.” And I looked through the window and I saw two silhouettes against the darkened sky.

I saw the image of a taller person and then there was a shorter person who was leaning over, bending over. And I was shaking my head and I was going to have to say it again, like I had several times that night, ‘No more room, no more room.”

Silent Night
(Click to listen)

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!

Christ, the Saviour is born

Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night

Son of God, love’s pure light

Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth “

Sharing a Scripture

This scripture was on my homepage today and it spoke loudly to me, and I thought maybe it would to you as well. I know that I am weak in so many ways, but He is strong! How do I know this? His Word says it true - and I pray that this will help you through your day!

Cyber Pastor

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Hope Above the Headlines

Cyber Monday

By Jerry Brecheisen

I am a "Cyber Monday" Survivor. For what it's worth (a lot), I also survived "Black Friday"-the day after Thanksgiving that puts retailers in the black and shoppers in the red. Friday was a slam dunk for me. I would rather have my teeth cleaned by an orangutan with a garden rake than do combat with a grandmother in the 80% OFF aisle of a toy store. Besides, last year I lost a decisive battle over a plastic vacation home for my granddaughter's Polly Pocket family.

Analysts say sales were up by seventy-percent on Cyber Monday. Now if the heart could soar as high as the blip on the screens of Madison Avenue, the picture would be brighter. It can. It is only a God-woven thought away. Even when the Dow dives the sun rises. Even when the turmoil rocks the boat the Captain is still at the pilot wheel. Red ink or crimson blood can't cover the prevailing promise. And enemy curses will not deafen the echoes of a covenant that lasts infinitely longer than a final sigh.

"I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you" (Genesis 17:7 NLT).

Sermon Outline: With Scripture and Illustrations

Most of the time I make my own sermon outlines, but other times I find ones that I really like, and that is the case with this sermon. James W. Moore and esermons.com get the credit for the Title and Outline.

All I Want For Christmas Is….

Pastor Ed Boston December 2nd, 2007

1. All I Want for Christmas Is Hope - Isaiah 64:1-4

1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!
3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

Illustration on Hope:
As Vice President, George Bush represented the U.S. at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev’s widow. She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev’s wife performed an act of great courage and hope, a gesture that must surely rank as one of the most profound acts of civil disobedience ever committed: She reached down and made the sign of the cross on her husband’s chest.

There in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. She hoped that there was another life, and that life was best represented by Jesus who died on the cross, and that the same Jesus might yet have mercy on her husband.

Gary Thomas, in Christianity Today, October 3, 1994, p. 26.


2. All I Want for Christmas Is Peace - Luke 2:8-14

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christthe Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14″Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Illustration on Peace:
Duke University did a study on “peace of mind.” Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are: 1) the absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness. 2) Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression. 3) Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it. 4) Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress. 5) Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune. 6) Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues–love, humor, compassion and loyalty. 7) Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable. Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.


3. All I Want for Christmas Is Joy - Matthew 1:18-25

The Birth of Jesus Christ

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23″The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”
-which means, “God with us.”

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Illustration on Joy:
Author Leo Buscaglia tells this story about his mother and their “misery dinner.” It was the night after his father came home and said it looked as if he would have to go into bankruptcy because his partner had absconded with their firm’s funds. His mother went out and sold some jewelry to buy food for a sumptuous feast. Other members of the family scolded her for it. But she told them that “the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week.” Her courageous act rallied the family.
Christopher News Notes, August, 1993.


4. All I Want for Christmas Is a Savior - Luke 2:1-7

The Birth of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Illustration on Christ/Savior:
Meaning no disrespect to the religious convictions of others, I still can’t help wondering how we can explain away what to me is the greatest miracle of all and which is recorded in history. No one denies there was such a man, that he lived and that he was put to death by crucifixion. Where…is the miracle I spoke of? Well consider this and let your imagination translate the story into our own time — possibly to your own home town. A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father’s shop. One day he puts down his tools and walks out of his father’s shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from place to place, preaching all the while, even though he is not an ordained minister. He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted. There is no court of appeal, so he is executed at age 33 along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing — the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place for him so he is interred in a borrowed tomb. End of story? No, this uneducated, propertyless young man who…left no written word has, for 2000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers, kings, emperors; all the conquerors, generals and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who have ever lived — all of them put together. How do we explain that?…unless he really was who he said he was.”

Ronald Reagan

Thank you for allowing me to share a sermon with you on this Lord’s Day. If I can ever be of assistance to you, just leave a comment or contact me by email. It is my pleasure to be the Cyber Pastor for numerous folks online, and if you need an online pastor, I work with folks of all different walks of life.

Please however, don’t use me as an excuse not to attend your own place of worship. I hope that what I can share with you will be in addition to what you are already receiving.

If you are not attending a church regularly, I would be happy to assist you, and see if we can put you in contact with someone in your local area as well as working with you online.

And finally, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal savior, please let myself or some other Christian know, and we will do everything in our power to help you know the wonderful love of Christ!

Pastor Ed

Sermon Outline: With Scripture and Illustrations

Being Good Is Not Good Enough!

Romans 5

Peace and Joy
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Mark 10

The Rich Young Man

17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"
20"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

21Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

22At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

24The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"

27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

28Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first."


I. Lots of Good People Are Not Going To Be in Heaven

A. The Rich Young Man

II. Jesus Didn’t Come Because the World Was Full of Good People

A. Why Did Jesus Come?

III. Human Goodness isn’t Godly Goodness

A. He kept the commandments but that wasn’t enough.

IV. How Is It Possible To Get Into Heaven?

A. It’s not on our own!

V. All Things Are Possible with God!

A. It’s only by the gift of Grace, and because Jesus became the sacrifice for our sin!

Illustration:

"I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them and that is faith in Jesus Christ. If they had that and I had not given them a single shilling, they would have been rich; and if they had not that, and I had given them all the world, they would be poor indeed."

Patrick Henry.

Thanksgiving Message from John Lind of PPT

FROM OUR PRESIDENT/CEO

Thanksgiving is early this year, and if you’re like me you may not quite feel ready to begin the great holiday march toward Christmas! The truth is, it’s never too early to give thanks! Have you ever noticed how gratitude can open your heart to new insights, new hope and new humility?

The Apostle Paul recommends thanksgiving as a positive replacement for negative words. In Ephesians 5:4 he reminds us not to engage in “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking,” saying that these are simply “out of place” for God’s people. Instead, he says, let your lips form words of thanksgiving! In Philippians 4:6, Paul suggests that thanksgiving, when coupled with prayers of petition, is the perfect antidote to worry. This is great advice as we enter the holiday season, a time that can be pressure-filled and anxiety-producing!

Here at PPT, we love thanksgiving because it is a form of prayer. When we develop the ability to “give thanks in all circumstances” (I Thes. 5:18) we get better at every form of prayer! That is what we desire for you as you engage with the Presidential Prayer Team. We want you to grow in your faith, to be strengthened as an intercessor and to experience the powerful blessing God has in store for you when you return gratitude to Him.

Happy Thanksgiving!