I’m not really a “shopper”.

That does surprise some of the ladies I know. And this being the infamous “Black Friday”, I find it more enjoyable to steer clear of the shopping areas around town. Sure, I do hear that there are some bargains out there to be had, but personally, the stress level involved doesn’t seem worth it.

Recently, I did hear about the person who “died”  being trampled by the stampede of shoppers. So in order to somehow avoid this “frenzy” from happening, some of the stores are starting the “Black Friday” at midnight the night before………………

Thanksgiving Day seems to get shorter every year in order to jump-start the purchasing of Christmas gifts. Christmas decorations were going up before Thanksgiving, instead of the traditional days afterwards. We don’t seem to get to enjoy the actual holiday, because of the “selling” of the next one in line.

There are those of us who have decided to not enter into this madness of society, and to slow down and enjoy the holidays as “Holy-Days” – as they were intended.

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col. 3: 1-2)

Ward off the “frenzy” with “faith” in the living Christ who shows us what really matters – and have peace this Christmas season.

Savannah Outen does a cover of the Christmas classic “O Holy Night,” which will be available on iTunes next week. Make sure to get your very own copy.

Everyone knows the scenario.  Guy loves girl.  Girl loves guy.  Guy takes girl to an incredibly romantic spot.  Say a mountaintop or the restaurant where they had their first date (guys with foresight made it somewhere special).  There they have a wonderful evening with chocolate and wine (or sparkling grape juice), and then it happens.  The guy gets down on one knee, pulls out the ring that is way too expensive for him to afford, and then says the words every girl wants to her:  “Will you enter into a legally binding but stable relationship?”

“Yes!” the girl replies, “Yes, I want to take your last name and some tax breaks with it!”

Ok, that is not exactly how it goes, but it might as well.  Nowadays, “marriage” is little more than that.  Rarely in the United States are there marriages for property, and few people are really that desperately worried about their family name living on.  The best reason to get married, outside of tax breaks, seems to be to provide a stable environment for raising children.  But modern day couples are even challenging that reasoning, preferring to have kids before or without marriage.

This article is about gay marriage.  The Church is in an uproar about gay marriage.  A lot of people are not even that upset with gay people in general, but they just do not like gay people being married.  They can live together and act like they are married, but the word, “marriage,” is reserved for heterosexual couples.  That seems to be their only requirement.

I am tempted to give up the fight and support gay marriage.  Part of me wants to say, “Let them get married.  After all, if it acts like a duck, talks like a duck, gets tax breaks like a duck, we shouldn’t call it a goose.”  That reasoning is due, in most part, to the definition of marriage nowadays.

If people who only go to church on Easter and Christmas get married, no one cares.  If people who are clearly living in sexual sin get married, the Church still allows it.  If adamant atheists get married, nobody bats an eyelash.  Now, I am not saying we judge everyone to the point where we make decisions for them, but should not the Church have some responsibility in who gets married?  When we baptize people, we ask them questions, get their testimony, and make sure they are ready to get dunked. Why do we not do this with marriage?  The Church is ashamed of statistics that record how many baptized believers fall away, but it looks at the divorce rate as proof of the corruption of the world, not as something for which the Church is in any way responsible.  Guess what?  Most people get married in a church, and get married by an ordained preacher.  The Church approved most of these marriages that ended in divorce.

The Church is all in an uproar about the sanctity of marriage, and how the Bible defines marriage, yet how true is that?  I do not mean to say that the Bible does not say that a man and a woman should be the ones to get married, but the Church has not been the one defining marriage for quite some time.  The Church gave that responsibility to the State, and the State has defined it as has been culturally acceptable.  The majority of people in the United States are Christian, and it has been that way for some time, but that majority is shrinking.  It is now becoming more and more culturally acceptable to be homosexual*, and thus the State is considering changing the definition of marriage to fit the culture’s definition of marriage.  In this sense, the Bible only has influence as much as it can influence the culture.

The problem is that we gave the State the ability to define what we recognize in our religion.  Consider it like this:  the body of the Church is a group of baptized believers.  Once you believe, you can become baptized.  Without believing, you cannot become baptized.  Believing is a personal choice, but the Church evaluates your heart and decides if they want to be responsible for you, or if they feel that you are not ready.  Say getting baptized was a cultural phenomenon that everyone wanted to do because everyone did it.  Say if you did not do it and continued to live your life you would be looked down upon.  Then, say that in order to get baptized you needed a license from the State and had to meet requirements set by the State.  Then, say you got tax breaks for doing so.

Do you see the problem here?  The State is supposed to treat everyone equally regardless of race, religion, gender, and (in many cases) sexuality.  What they offer one group of people they cannot deny the others.  Is this how it always works?  No, of course not, but this is the goal that the State tries to head toward.  This is the ideal that they are working for.  In the above example and in an ideal State, atheists would be able to get baptized with little resistance.  The State cannot discriminate, and it can only prevent social sins and does not concern itself with sins of the mind or heart. The State, in its inherent nature, has to ignore sins of the mind or heart that may have no consequence on Earth but will in Heaven.  This is a good thing, because the State is man-made and will only exist on Earth (The Kingdom of Heaven is unlike any government on Earth).

I digress.  The point is, we have given a heavenly and religious matter to a being that exists completely in the world and is supposed to treat all religious ideas the same.  As such, I do not see gay marriage as something we can fight against.  I see it as an inevitable outcome based on a mistake the Church made a long time ago.  The sanctity of marriage has already been breached.  It has been breached by hypocritical Christians.  It has been breached by apathetic Christians.  It has been breached by adamant atheists.  In a way, homosexuals are actually late to the party.

So this is a problem, then.  What do we do?  Practically, there are not many choices.  The problem with the word, “marriage,” is that there are so many people who have such a strong connection to it without any of the religious implications.  Rather, it is the cultural implications that drive them.  So, in order to restrict the word, “marriage,” back to the religious point-of-view, one would have to anger a lot of people.  Gay marriage is, after all, not about the tax benefits, but the titles.  The word, “marriage,” is what this whole debate is about, and it is a debate that the Church is losing.

There is the “abandon ship” method that so many Christians like.  We should just abandon the nomenclature and replace it with something else.  The connotations for that word are too strong to change, so we just make a new word that has better connotations.  Already, many Christians do this.

“I don’t believe in dating.  I believe in courtship,” because using an older word for “dating” completely changes the definition.

“It’s against my relationship to have a religion.”  That does not even make sense.  Look up the word, “religion.”  See if Jesus ever prohibited that.

The worst, in my opinion (and many will disagree with me), is when people refuse to call themselves Christian and instead say something like, “Jesus is my homeboy” (Muhammad also thought highly of Jesus).

So let’s go ahead and get on this bandwagon.  I suggest abandoning the word, “marriage,” as anything but tax breaks, and instead using words like “Holy Union,” or “Matchmaking done by Jesus.”  Or we could translate something from Greek.  Us Christians love to have stuff in Greek.  It sounds legit.

Some of these ideas came from the following article:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1885190,00.html

*I wish to take a note and say that it is not bad that homosexual people are open about their sexual preferences.  I do think it is a sin, but homosexual people are sinners just like the rest of us.  I would rather them be honest and open than put up a façade (that is usually caused by fear of the response rather than shame of the sin).

Commercial Advertising tells us that there are sales to be had the morning after Thanksgiving, on Black Friday! Wow, I say “Fuck You” Commercial Advertising. It’s bad enough that Saint Macy’s tells us we need to start buying for Christmas, by showing Christmas themes during an urban display of Corporate Pride. This Parade is shown on TVs across the USA on the day of Thanksgiving, a Holiday in it’s own right!

I like that Benjamin Franklin wanted the Turkey as America’s symbol, instead of the Eagle. I even respect my Founding Fathers, the Pilgrims, in their early days as they tried to get along with the ‘Natives’ in order to survive, and therefore tolerated their ’savage’ company in order to be fed well, and give ‘thanks’ before over-breeding, and pushing them into virtual extinction on the East Coast.

I don’t need to eat Turkey on Thanksgiving, as part of the ritual. I am thankful for any quantity of food during this Season, as it is the last Harvest Festival of the year. To be full of food, and not starving is satisfaction enough for me. Not to mention, being accepting of vegetarians should be part of the ceremony as well.

The Crone will get her due, all Winter long. There is no rush. The Lord of Darkness will rule again soon enough, until Spring.

part 4 [in progress]

i live in west virginia and one of the things our state is known for, besides beautiful mountains and kissing cousins, is its whitewater rafting. truly it is some of the best in the world. the narrow gorges and steep ravines accelerate the water and create some of the most terrifying rapids you have ever seen. the power is intimidating to be sure.

many times i have stood on the side of a river and marveled at the power of the water and the lunacy of the people who would strap themselves into a rubber boat [a balloon basically] and hurl themselves into what can only be describe as a cauldron of death. i am pretty sure they write on the rafts dante’s famous welcome, inscribed over the gates of hell: abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

but, if you live, it is a lot of fun. for some reason, flirting with death is pretty exhilarating.

i have been whitewater rafting maybe a dozen times in my life, usually on the class 3 or lower [class 5 is rapids as big as your house. death pretty much guaranteed], so i am nothing of an expert, but even if you only go occasionally you learn to respect the power of the river pretty quickly.

at the river rafting places i have been to they are quite concerned about safety. they sit you in a boat on the land and tell you to NEVER stand up and when you go through a rapid to paddle hard to keep you momentum up so you dont get stuck. they tell you about the biggest rapid on the river that day. it is called the Washing Machine.

everyone in our group shudders.

the guide goes on to explain that that rapid is formed by a huge boulder on the corner of the river and the obstruction causes a massive churning pool of undertow and water and death. it is called the Washing Machine because if you get stuck in it, the rapid will spin and churn you you round like a pile of dirty undies. and people dont emerge from that until well after the spin cycle.

another shudder and i am starting to wonder if all this fun is worth the $45 they took from me. [why is flirting with death so expensive?]

he said that it is impossible to get out of that rapid by yourself. they actually post someone on top of the rock with a lifeline they can throw in and hope to snag anyone unlucky enough to capsize at that point in the river. the guide didnt really tell what the success rate was at pulling people out of the Washing Machine, but he did note that usually a few people died there each season.

and he reiterated, “keep paddling through the rapids, and whatever you do, DON’T STAND UP IN THE BOAT!”

when i first moved to west virginia for graduate school i was a resident assistant in one of the dorms. and maybe because i had just moved back to the US from nepal they put on my floor a large number of international students: i had kids from germany, australia, japan, hungary, france, sweden and probably a couple of other places.

i kind of felt like it was my job to give them something of a memorable time in America, so we would go on little trips every once in a while. one time i took them all white water rafting on the youghigheny river. the one with the Washing Machine rapid although i didnt know that until we got there.

after all the safety training and death warnings we finally got on the river; for some reason [probably because we are guys] we decided the girls should be in one raft and them men in another. i have to admit i felt a little safer thinking about the washing machine down river. i was glad to have four strapping, athletic guys in my boat. if i was going to cheat death, i wanted some muscle with me.

as we started down the river we were all pretty confident. i had huge hungarian, a strapping mate from australia, a german and a swede with me. we were like the United Nations of rafting.

of course we brought up the rear, planning to sweep up any poor soul unlucky enough to fall in the water.. probably another 10 rafts were ahead of us including the girls from our dorm: two little japanese students, a french student studying english lit and the one american on our floor, a petite girl from pittsburgh.

the first rapid is coming up, maybe a class 2, and our guides point out that we should enter on the right side, paddle hard until we are out on the other side and DO NOT STAND UP IN THE BOAT AT ANY TIME OR FOR ANY REASON.

one by one the boats enter the rapid, boats full of teenagers and failies, young children and their parents, a boat full of senior citizens. i even think there was a raft or two full of nuns from a local convent.

the girls from our dorm were next to last, right before us, ponytails bobbing in the early fall air, they slipped into the current and slid over the water like an elegant sea serpent. negotiating between the rocks the emerged downstream giggling like they had just found a love note in their locker from the cute boy in sixth period. we laughed. silly girls.

the man raft was next. our muscles tensed glistening with man sweat and the testosterone of a thousand wild mustangs. each of us leaned into our oars, i sat in the back on rudder guiding us into the flow of water, our first rapid.

we moved beautifully over the water, a collective thousands pounds of brute strength syncopated in pure, precise unison.

i yelled to my crew, above the roar of the river, “keep paddling all the way through the rapid!”

we picked up speed as we sped towards the narrow opening which was our target.

man for man we pulled. i leaned into my paddle righting our course.

“keep paddling! keep paddling!”

almost there. it was like we were in the x-wing fighter about to obliterate the imperial death star with the swift launch of a photon torpedo hurtled into the narrow ventilation hatch.

i could feel my pulse quicken, i gasped and held my breath just as we fell into the rapid.

“keep paddling!” i managed to scream one last time.

and then something happened. i would call it magical, poetic, were the results less catastophic.

in that brief moment during which we entered that cauldron of churning water, each of my fellow rafters, simultaneously, as if under the spell of some mythical siren, stood up and moved to the center of the boat, closing in an embrace like a rose closing against the coming night.

time seems to move more slowly in those moments. i remember the feel of the wind all around us pushed by the massive waves and turbulence of the river. i remember the sun bouncing brightly off the tall hulking frame of the hungarian and swede as they embraced, fully upright, in the middle of that yellow raft. i remember trying to yell, above the din, “DON’T STAND UP IN THE RAFT!”

but it was too late. suddenly, time caught up and immediately the clarity of that moment was tossed into the muffled world of the undersea creatures. as i bobbed for air i heard alternately, what i can only assume were the more flowery parts of speech found in scandanavia, eastern europe and the land down under, and the indistinct grunts of large men bouncing off underwater rocks.

it is hard enough to get back in a boat in the middle of a river without having to endure the bemused looks of the girls from our dorm and 15 nuns. it was humiliating to say the least.

the worst part though was that i had to get back in the boat with those knuckleheads who, at the first sign of danger had leapt into each others’ arms like scared sorority sisters. i couldnt help but think what lay ahead, the Washing Machine. how were we going to survive that one if we got dumped in a much tamer rapid? we were goners for sure. as i looked at the now soaking wet crew, shivering in the brisk air, i suggested we take a moment to write letter to our families that could be delivered when they were informed of our deaths.

no one disagreed.

i wondered if the guy perched on top of the rock at Washing Machine had enough rope to pull all five of us out.

____________________

i think there comes a time in most everyone’s life, if we are honest with ourselves when we realize we can’t do this thing, this life on our own. we feel stuck and we hope that the guy on the rock, above those churning rapids has enough rope to reach us.

i remember a distinct time in my life when i looked around and realized i was kind of a punk and a jerk. i was partying way too much, didnt have any real close friends, was disrespectful to my parents and family, treated girls very poorly. i was a loser. and it took me getting arrested to realize i was in the wrong boat with the wrong people.

but what was worse was that i was the wrong person. i was failing at life and i did not like at all who i was turning out to be. that scared me. i didnt want to grow up to be a 50 year old womanizing drunk with no friends but that is where i was headed and i needed some help.

but i felt stuck in the washing machine; tumbling over and over, falling into the same patterns of behavior, the same bad decisions, the same awful relationships.

____________________

i like the apostle paul in the bible. he is a guy i think i can identify with. mostly this is because he seems honest and not afraid to talk about how screwed up he was.

in his letter to the people in the church at rome there is one section where i think he really lets down his guard, lets us in to the inner life of paul. he writes about his frustration with himself and about how he wishes he didnt keep getting caught, stuck doing the same old stupid things all the time. the things he doesnt want to do, he keeps on doing. the things he wants to do, the good things, he cant seem to do them on anything like a consistent basis.

he is pretty frustrated with himself.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. [romans 7:15, 18-19]

i feel that way sometimes. i feel like i am caught in the Washing Machine, this massive churning water hole, doing all the things i dont want to do. unable to do the right things, which is what i really want to do. stuck. unable to get out.

i dont feel that way all the time, but there are days when it dawns on me just how messed up i am. paul probably felt the same way. those can be pretty bad days.

paul asks what i have often thought,

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? [romans 7:24]

who will rescue me? who will save me from myself? it is a good question

____________________

every summer we have a little bible study with our college group at west virginia university. usually we have some new people show up who are in town for the summer or getting ready to start classes in the fall. it is hard to know where people are coming from those first few weeks because we usually just want people to see the good stuff, the better side of our nature. we dont usually go letting people in real close right away.

sometimes though someone a little more honest comes in.

this last year james showed up, pretty much at the beginning of the summer. i hadnt seen him around before so i went to introduce myself before the meeting began. i asked him where he was from and i was just curious how he found out about our little group.

“well, my mom found your website and she told me about it,” he explained.

“that’s cool. so you just kind of showed up by yourself?” i was impressed and told him so because usually people only come with other friends or because they know someone already a part of the group.

“yeah man,” he replied, “this is kind of my last chance.” james went on to explain that he was an alcoholic and a drug addict and that his life was pretty much falling apart. and he said he thought that God might be his last chance, his last hope.

“this has to work,” he told me.

i work and talk with a lot of students and i had never heard that one before, not within the first ten minutes of meeting each other. to be honest i didnt quite know what to tell him except that i thought he might be in the right place and that i thought if anyone could help him, help get him out of the cycle of self-destruction it was probably God.

____________________

[in progress]

I’ve always found the word “holy” to be a little strange.

I usually hear it describe other nouns. Like when someone says “Holy cow” or “holy moly” or “super holy mother of all crazy freak monster trucks….”

Or maybe when it refers to my coat pocket and the reason I keep losing pens.

Perhaps you’ve heard it used when someone says they are “holier-than-thou.” These are judgmental individuals. We don’t find people who value “holiness” to be a lot of fun, and they are generally dull at parties. Holy people are the ones always abstaining and raising their eyebrows when you’ve said a cuss word to make a point or had your third or fourth glass of wine.

Well, nobody else was drinking that glass. It was a 1985 Pomerol and needed to be quaffed.

It’s true that holiness is an important part of spirituality. But it is not about our private pieties, those feelings that allow some to feel closer to God than others. Holiness is not a weapon to be used against the unholy or profane. The world has too many people trying to go to war with the “unholy.” There are too many people who think we could establish what unholiness is for all time and in all places and destroy it. As if.

The root impulse of holiness, however, is to separate and to distinguish. One object or event goes in one place; another goes in another place. Holiness is at the root of any enterprise that tries to name and categorize. It is a way of understanding the world, a way of sorting.

The new revelation in Jesus Christ is that he has changed what gets distinguished. What is formerly holy: especially sacred violence or those systems that make some people better than others, is revealed to be … human. That’s all. Everything becomes de-divinized. In some sense, Jesus’ holiness is a secular, pragmatic holiness. It may be compelling; it may be lovely, but it moves as we move.

One person remarked to me, when reconstructing our new space, that now we could experience the “holy.”

I was a little taken aback, but I knew what he meant. Holiness is not merely a description of our own emotional or physical purity, but our ability to hold together being both on the edge of the familiar while also taking a great adventure. And the space represents an adventure we are taking together as a community. We are facing each other, and we are closer together. And we have no idea what’s going to happen. Frightening? Yes. Exciting? Also, yes.

Holiness is like a place where we are on the precarious edge, as if we are at the top of a waterfall or the highest point of a rollercoaster. We have closed our options in one part of our life, and turned to look forward to another.

It is dangerous and frightening, because when we are in the presence of the holy, life and death are at stake.

Perhaps this is why we experience holiness at the top of a mountain or at the edge of the ocean. We understand how fragile our lives are when we are at the edge of the earth’s immensity: mountains and oceans can kill us with a fatal step.

Perhaps it is also why we experience holiness at the birth of a child, or when someone is about to breathe their last breath. It is also why witnessing two people hold hands while they are jumping to their death, when people hold on to love even as they meet their tragic end, we are in the presence of the holy.

Holiness is being on the edge of the precipice, when we are aware of the balance between what makes a life, and what we have lost. It can be most present when we are witnessing a terrible tragedy.

Or it can also be a feast.

This week’s design is a part of the Crossover blog. The design comes from Ha Ha’s Shirt Shop. It’s called Sinner. It may seem like a simple design. But there is a lot to it if you get to thinking about it.

The truth is that we all where this shirt whether we own it or not. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Some are proud of their sin and revel in it. Others realize that their sins will be what keeps them from entering heaven if they die without a payment for them. Being a sinner means that you rebel against God. It means that you transgress His Law and actively work against Him. This is hard to take for some because we all like to think that we’re good; or at least not as bad as the next guy. The truth is, even the most righteous thing that we could ever do would look like trash when compared to God.

It is only because of Jesus’ life, death on the cross, and resurrection from the dead that we can enter heaven. God has done it all for us. He made the way for us to be reconciled (before anything was ever created!), He came down to live perfectly, and He died on the cross in our place. He rose from the dead and now sits at God’s right hand. He even gives us the ability to repent and have faith in Him!

If you are living in your sins, please understand that while this may be enjoyable for a time (scripture says this), eventually, it will lead to your death. If you haven’t repented of your sins, please take some time over this long holiday weekend to give thanks to God for what He’s done and to repent of the sins that you’ve committed against Him.

This simple “Sinner” design may not seem like much but it does an amazing job of summing everything up…

Hello again, brothers and sisters!!!

Before we get into today’s discussion, I just want to briefly say “thank you” to those of you who have been regularly taking part in these discussions, as well as those of you who visit whenever you are able.  I would also like to thank all of our first-time visitors.  It is a blessing and a genuine pleasure to have you all here:-)

For today’s discussion, we will review the parables of the treasure and the goodly pearl.  While these two parables were a couple of the shorter parables that Jesus shared, they are certainly just as important as all of the other parables.  Jesus was speaking with His disciples when He shared these parables.  The parables are as follows:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field;  the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” – Matthew 13:44-46 (KJV)

Both of these parables are making the same point, right?  Let’s break them down, shall we?

The man seeking treasure, and the merchant-man seeking goodly pearls, are played in real life by sinners seeking the truth, redemption, and salvation.  The treasure hiding in the field and the goodly pearl, represent the kingdom of God found through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is also the Living Word of God.  So with that being the case, why would we have to sell all that we have in order to buy our way into the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ?  Doesn’t that run contrary to salvation being a gift given freely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior?  It sure does.  however, the point of these parables is not that we are “buying” our way into the kingdom of God. 

The point is that once we have discovered the kingdom of heaven by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we should value nothing else as much as this “treasure/goodly pearl”.  Beloved, when we find the kingdom of heaven through Jesus Christ and His word, we should value the Lord, His word, and His kingdom above anything else in our lives.  As obedient and faithful servants, there should be no price we are unwilling to pay in order to serve Him completely.  If we live in complete submission to the Lord’s will, then there is no room for competing interests.  Just as with the Apostle Paul, all former things we held dear we must be willing to count as lost once we are saved.  Why?  Well, once we are saved, serving the Lord is to be the focal point of our lives, and our vision is to be focused like a laser on doing so.

Interestingly, in these two parables that Jesus Christ shared with us we can also Him as the man/merchant-man seeking the treasure/goodly pearls.  Think about it.  Jesus gave up all that He had and suffered death on the cross in order to pay our sin debt.  In so doing, beloved, we were saved and purchased by His blood.  The treasure being “hid” in the field refers to those who live in Christ being granted access to the kingdom of heaven, which is a place that someone who serves sin cannot find or gain access to.  Once we belong to Christ, He protects us from the enemy.  We are effectively “hidden” in His protection, as once we belong to Christ Jesus, we cannot be snatched away from Him.  As Jesus said:

“I told you, and ye believed not:  the works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.  But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you.  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:  And I give unto them eternal life;  and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all;  and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.  I and My Father are one.” – John 10:25-30 (KJV)

Brothers and sisters, let us rejoice that the Lord considers us His “treasure/goodly pearl” and was willing to pay everything in order to save us!!!  Praise God!!!  Thank you, Jesus!!!  Furthermore, let’s praise the Lord God Almighty for His lovingkindness and longsuffering, and let’s show Him that He is the only real treasure that matters to us, as well!!!  Beloved, do you know what the word of God, the truth, salvation, entrance to the kingdom of heaven, light, love, peace, life, faith, wisdom, and understanding all have in common?  I’ll tell you what.  We find and receive all these things when we find Christ and turn our lives over to Him.  Jesus is the Truth.  Jesus is the Living Word of God.  Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  Jesus is the Author and Finisher/Perfector of our faith.  He is the Way to the Father and the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus Christ is the Life.  The Lord is the Light of the world.  You get the point, yes?

Beloved, besides the praise we offer to the Lord in the form of prayer, song, and worship, we need to commit ourselves to praise Him through our lives and actions.  That we belong to Christ Jesus should be obvious to all not just by the words we speak, but also by the things we do.  It should not appear to others that we live for money, or for the approval of man;  rather it should be clear to all that we live to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Just as Jesus paid for us by giving up all that He had for our sakes, we ought to esteem our treasure, found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, above any passing “treasure” that this world has to offer.  Remember, beloved, the treasure of this world lasts for a limited amount of time and diminishes.  The treasure of the Lord is forever.  Suffer any necessary hardships, persecutions, or trials in this world in order to serve the Lord obediently and faithfully.  By so doing, your treasure in heaven will be waiting for you, and increasing, and will be with you forever:-)

Beloved, the Lord will always provide for, and take care of, those entrusted to Him.  It is, however, up to each one of us to make the decision to seek the Lord and His kingdom.  If we are willing to walk through the thorns, rats, mice, and bugs, and other treacheries of the field in order to find Him, then we will find that our “treasure” is more than worth the jouney.  Remember, beloved, hidden treasure only has value to us once we find it.  In order to find it, we must seek it.  As Jesus said:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness;  and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

Precious one, we cannot claim hidden treasure that is never discovered, because we have no idea where it is.  Once we seek and find our treasure in Christ Jesus, however, we have the greatest treasure of all.  This is real treasure.  Everything other treasure pursued yields only fools gold.  So often we allow the cares of this world to distract us from searching for our hidden treasure.  Jesus was telling us not to get consumed/wrapped up in the concerns of this world.  He was telling us that we should put our whole focus on seeking the Lord and His will.  We can do so while not being overwhelmed with thoughts of what we will eat, where we will live, or what we will clothe ourselves with, because God will see to our needs just as He does with the birds of the air and the grass of the field.

Please pray for all those who have no idea of the hidden treasure available to them.  Let’s pray that they go searching for it, willing to brave the trials of the journey, in order to find the only treasure that really counts.  Furthermore, let’s pray that once they find that treasure, they see Him for who He really is and turn their lives over to Him as their Lord and Savior.  Jesus Christ is our treasure.

If you are ready to discover your hidden treasure, and claim your eternal inheritance from the Lord God Almighty, you can do so by accepting Him as your Lord and Savior today.  If you would like to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today, and be saved, please pray the following prayer with me:

“Lord God Almighty, I know that I am a sinner and that I am lost.  I know that I need to be saved from sin, but I also know that I can’t save myself.  Lord Jesus, I know that only You can save me.  I know that you paid for my salvation with your own life and blood on the cross.  I know that when You rose from the grave on the third day, you conquered death and provided everlasting life to all who trust in You.  Right now, I lay down my life and let go of my pride, my vanity and every other sin that has kept me from You.  Lord Jesus, I now completely trust my life to You.  I open my heart to You, Lord.  Please come into my heart.  Please forgive me of all of my sins, and please accept me as Your child.  From this point on, I commit my life to You. Please guide me and provide me strength as I begin to live the rest of my life for You.  In Your precious and matchless name I pray.  Amen.”

Beloved, if you just prayed that prayer sincerely, then you just found your hidden treasure.  I would encourage you to find out what’s all in the treasure chest by exploring it through God’s word, through prayer with supplication and thanksgiving to the Lord, and by asking Him to reveal the fullness of the treasure to you.  The treasure you have, precious one, is priceless.  God set aside this treasure just for you through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  Welcome to the family:-)  The angels in heaven are rejoicing this very moment at your decision to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Find out about this and much more by exploring God’s word that He had written just for you:-)  This relationship with Christ is the most precious and important relationship you will ever have.  Invest yourself in growing the relationship as much as possible.  Seek the Lord’s will in all things, and let your will be completely surrendered to Him.

Thank you for joining our discussion today.   I hope you are able to join us on Friday to pray over this week’s prayer requests. 

Remember, if you would like to order the new book “Strapping On the Whole Armor of God – Suiting Up For Spiritual Warfare), please visit my website at http://www.yourbrotherinchrist.com .  If you prefer to order by mail, you will also find the mailing address on that website.  This book is very valuable in helping people understand how to go about securely and effectively putting on the whole armor of God that the apostle Paul refers to in Chapter 6 of Ephesians.  We are praying that many people will receive this book and be blessed in their walk with the Lord by reading it.

Have a wonderful and blessed rest of the day!!!  Walk in faith, knowing that you are loved by the Creator of the heavens, earth, and all life, and knowing that the treasure that you now carry in your heart and soul is priceless:-)

Have a happy, safe, and blessed Thanksgiving Day tomorrow!  Give a special thanks to the Lord for all that He has done for you and your loved ones.  Without Him, we’d be in a very bad place:-)

May the Lord bless you, keep you, guide you, and make His face to shine upon you and your loved ones always.

Your brother in Christ,

Rev Jason Thurwanger

The Latin text of the Ave Maria prayer
set to the music by Franz Schubert

Ave Maria Gratia plena
Maria Gratia plena
Maria Gratia plena
Ave, ave dominus
Dominus tecum

Nunc et in hora mortis
In hora mortis, mortis nostrae
In hora mortis nostrae
Ave Maria!

Ave Maria Prayer : The Latin text of the Ave Maria prayer
set to the music by Franz Schubert

Ave Maria
German translation by Adam Storck from
“The Lady of the Lake” by Sir Walter Scott

Ave Maria! Ave Maria! maiden mild!
Listen to a maiden’s prayer!
Thou canst hear though from the wild,
Thou canst save amid despair.
Safe may we sleep beneath thy care,
Though banish’d, outcast and reviled -
Maiden! hear a maiden’s prayer;
Mother, hear a suppliant child!
Ave Maria!

Ave Maria! undefiled!
The flinty couch we now must share
Shall seem this down of eider piled,
If thy protection hover there.
The murky cavern’s heavy air
Shall breathe of balm if thou hast smiled;
Then, Maiden! hear a maiden’s prayer;
Mother, list a suppliant child!
Ave Maria!

Ave Maria! stainless styled!
Foul demons of the earth and air,
From this their wonted haunt exiled,
Shall flee before thy presence fair.
We bow us to our lot of care,
Beneath thy guidance reconciled;
Hear for a maid a maiden’s prayer,
And for a father hear a child!
Ave Maria!

Ave Maria

My server just crashed… AGAIN. Seriously, Blizz? LYLAS-and-all, but really? Here I was all camped out ready for another ToGC 25 night, and bam… my game just froze. I don’t get it. I am kind of sad. A guildmate just said on vent, this would be a class-action suit for mental anguish. LOL

I really want them to get this battlegroup outage thing fixed so I can get my Pilgrim title, too. One gnome rogue- which my husband will create- and a run through Sethekk Halls in a Pilgrim outfit, and I am done. Can I at least get that, Blizz? I feel robbed!!!!! I can raid ToGC to infinity but Pilgrim’s Bounty is just once a year!

/boohoo

I did attempt to join the blog party advertised on wow.com. Zangarmarsh, go! So I created a gnome rogue (so people could turn me into a turkey along the way) and headed up to Ironforge, but by the time my level one waddled all the way up there, I think it was too late. LOL

I don’t get it. I don’t understand it.

What is “it”?

I don’t understand how a person who calls himself or herself a Christian does not resonate with the idea of helping other people?
I don’t understand how a person who calls himself or herself a follower of Jesus the Messiah (the Saviour, the One who Saves) cannot love the poor and oppressed?
I don’t understand how as children we grow up learning that money is a root of many evils and that it can impede on our spiritual lives and yet we spend the rest of our lives chasing it?

I don’t get it. I don’t understand it!

Aren’t we supposed to be holy and set apart? Aren’t we supposed to be the “light of the world”? Aren’t we supposed to be God’s hands and feet?

How is it then that so often we find it so shocking when we discover one of our coworkers or friends are “Christian”?
We often respond: “I didn’t know you were Christian!”
Could it be that we are so blended in with the world that it is almost impossible for us to figure out who is a Christian and who is not? We’ve lost this “otherness”!

I was reminded when reading another blog that “the stuff of earth” shouldn’t be the focus of our lives and it shouldn’t consume us – yet that is what we have allowed to happen.

This is a challenge to holiness – to “otherness”!

Welcome back, brothers and sisters!!! 

Today we are going to discuss the parable of the ten virgins and the bridegroom.  Jesus was talking to His disciples about be ready for the last day when He shared the following parable:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight there was a cry made, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh;  go ye out to meet him.’  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.”

“And the foolish said unto the wise, ‘Give us of your oil;  for our lamps are gone out.’  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.’  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.”

“Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’  But he answered and said, ‘Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” – Matthew 25:1-12 (KJV)

Brothers and sisters, the message of this parable is very sobering.  Let’s break this parable down and discuss the thrust of the message.

First of all, cast in the role of the bridegroom is the one and only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.  The ten virgins represent us, believers and non-believers.

Okay, so now that we know the cast, what is the tie-in to the oil and the lamps?  That’s simple, actually.  Why do we need lamps?  Lamps help us to see where we are going, right?  We are blinded when we are surrounded by darkness.

The lamps, beloved, represent our spirits/souls.  Why do I say this?  Consider the following scripture:

“The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” – Proverbs 20:27 (KJV)

So if the lamp represents our soul/spirit, what does the oil represent?  The oil represents the Holy Spirit, which is attained through Christ Jesus.  Remember, beloved, that though Jesus is not present with us physically on earth anymore, He lives here in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  This is the same Holy Spirit that God the Father filled Jesus, His only begotten Son, with after He was baptized by John the Baptist.  Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is also known as the Light of the World.  Having His light in us, we can rejoice in knowing that our lamps will be lit and shining brightly at the moment that Jesus comes for us.

You see, beloved, the Holy Spirit is the oil that shines brightly enough that all can see our light, which is the presence of the Lord in our hearts.  How can people see that light?  Well, let’s look at the type of light that the Holy Spirit emanates, as described by the Apostle Paul:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law.” - Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)

You see, beloved, when we live in Christ, we are to be faithful and obedient servants of that which He blesses and graces us with.  Frankly, the manner in which we live should be a strong witness for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Remember, brothers and sisters, as His servants, our lives should be lived in such a manner as to reflect to others our service to our Lord and Savior.  That means we are to let the Lord’s light shine through us for all to see.  Jesus said the following about this:

“Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;  and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV)

Beloved, the 5 virgins that heed the Lord’s word, and live by it, are those that He will find doing His work when He returns for His bride, which is the church.  The church is comprised of all those who have accepted salvation given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Only those that have Christ in them will be called home to be with the Lord.  Those that do not have Christ in them have souls/spirits filled with darkness instead of light.  Since there will be no light found in such people, they will be passed over when the believers are called home.  Consider the parable of the ten virgins, and listen to what Jesus said would happen when He calls His servants home:

“Then shall two be in the field;  the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two women shall be grinding at the mill;  the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Watch therefore;  for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.  Therefore be ye also ready:  for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, ‘My lord delayeth his coming’;  and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites:  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 24:40-51 (KJV)

Brothers and sisters, no one knows when Jesus will return.  Jesus Himself said that only the Father knows the appointed hour.  The point is that we are supposed to constantly live our lives doing the work of our Lord and Savior so that in that “twinkling of an eye” when Jesus does return, we are found as faithful and obedient servants, diligently doing His work and will.

Unfortunately, beloved, there are many that live without Christ in their hearts.  They do not have the oil of the Holy Spirit burning brightly within them and emanating His light in their lives.  This, brothers and sisters, is all the more reason for us to constantly have our lamps lit with the oil of the Holy Spirit.  By sharing, embracing, and living the Lord’s word and love, we will be more effective in shining His light through the darkness in order to reach those that are presently lost.  Just as we were once lost before being found, we are incredibly blessed with the opportunity to help gather many of our Shepherd’s lost “sheep” by lighting up the path that will lead them home to Him.  This is our mission, beloved, and the time is now to carry it out.

No one should take for granted that the Lord will not come back for “x” amount more time.  We simply do not know the Lord’s return date and time, as only the Father knows.  Jesus could return in 5,000 years, 5 months, 5 weeks, 5 days, or in the next 5 seconds.  Regardless of how long it is until Jesus returns, we need to commit ourselves to doing His work every single day of our lives.  When He returns for us, let’s bless and glorify Him by meeting Him with as many well-oiled lamps as possible!!!

I would like to ask each and every person taking part in today’s discussion a few questions.  If the Lord Jesus Christ were to return in the next few seconds, would you be ready?  Would the Lord find your lamp lit brightly by the oil of the Holy Spirit?  Just as importantly, are you confident and assured that all of your family, friends, and loved ones would be found ready if Jesus were to return in the next few seconds?  Are you confident that hte majority of people in this world are ready to meet the Lord?

Let’s be honest, beloved.  There are a great many people that are not yet ready to meet Jesus Christ.  If Jesus were calling His faithful servants home today, an incredibly large number of people would be among those left behind.  Evidence of this can be found all throughout the world today.  Just turn on the 6 o’clock news, or go for a drive through the city, and you will see that much of humanity is spiritually lost and adrift at sea, without boat or life jacket.  This, brothers and sisters, is the urgency of our mission.  Just as with the 5 foolish virgins, those who are not ready to meet the Lord when He calls His faithful home will find out the harsh reality that the time for making the decision to commit their lives to Him has passed.

Beloved, ask the Lord for the endurance, strength, perseverance, and courage to work tirelessly to share His love and His word with as many people as possible.  The Lord will give you the words and the guidance you need through the Holy Spirit.  The time is now, beloved, for us to increase our staffing levels of faithful and obedient servants to take part in the Lord’s harvest.  Let’s get to work!!!

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you would like to, please pray the following prayer:

“Lord God Almighty, I know that I am a sinner and that I am lost.  I know that I need to be saved from sin, but I also know that I can’t save myself.  Lord Jesus, I know that only You can save me.  I know that you paid for my salvation with your own life and blood on the cross.  I know that when You rose from the grave on the third day, you provided everlasting life to all who trust in You.  Right now, I lay down my life and let go of my pride, my vanity and every other sin that has kept me from You.  Lord Jesus, I now completely trust my life to You.  I open my heart to You, Lord.  Please come into my heart.  Please forgive me of all of my sins, and please accept me as Your child.  From this point on, I commit my life to You.  Please guide me and provide me strength as I begin to live the rest of my life for You.  In Your precious and matchless name I pray.  Amen.”

Beloved, if you just prayed that prayer then you can rejoice in knowing that you now have the presence of the Lord in your heart.  While you will still face trials and tribulation in this world, you will never again face it alone.  Nurture your new relationship with the Lord and grow that relationship by getting to know Him better.  You can do this by studying His word (the bible), while also making talking to Him continually through prayer made with thanksgiving and supplication.  All you have to do to find out what the Lord had in mind for your life when He made you is to ask Him to shape your life in manner in which serves His will and then embrace the changes that He makes in you and your life.  Welcome to the family, beloved!!!  You are precious in your Heavenly Father’s eyes, and the angels in heaven are rejoicing in your decision to accept Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior:-)  We are happy to have you!!!

Thank you for joining us for today’s discussion.  I hope you will be able to join us for tomorrow’s next discussion.  Now, go enjoy this day that the Lord has made, and make the most of it.  Be glad, and rejoice in it!!!  Share the Lord, His love, and His word with as many people as possible, doing so just as freely as the Father shared His only begotten Son with us:-)

May the Lord bless you, keep you, guide you, and make His face to shine upon you and your loved ones always.

Your brother in Christ,

Rev Jason Thurwanger

Songwriters: Dench, Ian; Eriksen, Mikkel S; Gosein, Amanda Louisa; Hermansen, Tor Erik; Knowles, Beyonce Gisselle; Riddick, Makeba;

Ave Maria

She was lost in so many different ways
Out in the darkness with no guide
I know the cost of a losing hand
Never thought the grace of God go high

You are my heaven on earth
You are my last, my first
And then I hear this voice inside
Ave Maria, Ave Maria, Ave Maria
If you have any corrections for Ave Maria lyrics, please feel free to submit them.

Carol Of The Bells Lyrics
The Carol of the Bells lyrics were added to the original folk music from the Ukraine by Peter Wilhousky. The lyrics and words to this popular Christmas song celebrate the festive season and its traditions such as the pealing of church bells at Christmas and of the singing of Christmas Carols – caroling. The original Ukrainian lyrics to the song was entitled Shchedryk meaning bountiful and were traditionally sang to celebrate the New Year.

Trans Siberian Orchestra Carol of the Bells
Trans Siberian Orchestra Carol of the Bells version of the song combines traditional, classical music with a modern heavy metal style. The Trans Siberian Orchestra Carol of the Bells rock opera version can be found on Christmas Trilogy CD by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra which combines “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Carol of the Bells”. This Trans-Siberian Orchestra version of Carol of the Bells was dedicated to the spirit of humanity even when war ravaged places such as those on Christmas Eve – Sarajevo 12/24. Sarejevo is located in the region of the Ukraine where the Carols of the Bells originated.

Home Alone Carol of the Bells Christmas Song
The music from Carol of the Bells was featured in the movies Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York directed by Chris Columbus. These famous Christmas comedy movies use the song as the young hero Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, is unintentionally left ‘Home Alone’ at Christmas by his family. The Home Alone Carol of the Bells music is used when young Kevin sets amazing and hilarious traps to capture the inept and stupid thieves Harry Lime (played by Joe Pesci ) and Marv Merchants (played by Daniel Stern).

———————————————————————————————–

Carol of the Bells

Hark how the bells,
sweet silver bells,
all seem to say,
throw cares away

Christmas is here,
bringing good cheer,
to young and old,
meek and the bold.

Ding dong ding dong
that is their song
with joyful ring
all caroling.

One seems to hear
words of good cheer
from everywhere
filling the air.

Oh how they pound,
raising the sound,
o’er hill and dale,
telling their tale.

Gaily they ring
while people sing
songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here.

Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas,
Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas.

On on they send,
on without end,
their joyful tone
to every home.

Ding dong ding… dong

Silent Night!
The origin of the Christmas carol we know as Silent Night was a poem that was written in 1816 by an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr. On Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small alpine village called Oberndorf it is reputed that the organ at St. Nicholas Church had broken. Joseph Mohr gave the poem of Silent Night (Stille Nacht) to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber and the melody for Silent Night was composed with this in mind. The music to Silent Night was therefore intended for a guitar and the simple score was finished in time for Midnight Mass. Silent Night is the most famous Christmas carol of all time!

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 “

Joy to the World
The words and lyrics of the old Christmas carol ‘Joy to the World’ were written in 1719 by Isaac Watts (1674-1748). The father of John Watts was a Non-conformist and so extreme were his views that he was imprisoned twice. His father’s influence over Isaac was demonstrated when he choose to attend Non­conformist Academy at Stoke Newington in preference to a University. Watts was ordained as a Pastor of an Independent congregation. He wrote many hymns and Carols and was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree by the the University of Edinburgh in 1728. The music to the carol is by George Frederick Handel (1685-1759).

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

O Holy Night Lyrics 
Christmas Carol Lyrics

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O’er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

My server is down. Apparently, it’s a battlegroup problem.
Explained very well with updates here: wow.com

I’ll be starting just a short series on the names of God.  I was inspired by a website, gotquestions.org, that sends out Questions of the Week.  One of the “QOTW” was “What are the names of God?”  It captured my attention and shared a lot of interesting facts on many names given to God in the Old Testament.

I wanted to start with Yahweh because it is the most frequently used name for God in the Bible, roughly 6,800 times.  It was first used in Exodus 3:14 when Moses questioned, “Who are you?”  God said, “I AM who I AM.”  In my language, God was saying, “I’m me and there is nobody like me.”

The meaning of the word has many different nuances.  First, it means that God is independent and self-existent.  He relies on nothing.  There is nobody or anything that keeps him going.  Also, his name, Yahweh, means that he, in his character, is immutable.  This means that he isn’t in the process of changing and he’s always the same.  Hebrews 13:8 says that he is ”the same yesterday and today and forever.”

What’s cool is that the Hebrew word for “I AM” is ehyeh (pronounced like you’re kicking someone in karate).  It is also translated “I will be”.  Check verse 12 in that passage.  Moses is scared to go speak to Pharoh and doesn’t have confidence to go.  God says, “But I will be with you…”  In context of the dialog between Moses and God, God is giving Moses and everyone Moses will talk to a reminder that He “will be with them.”  His name, Yahweh, alone is a reminder of His promises to his people and of his help for them to fulfill their calling.  We need to realize that this promise is true for us today.

This name clearly shows the true nature and character of God.  He is separate, holy and doesn’t change.  He is forever and he’ll always be with us to accomplish his will, for his glory.

The Turkinator
If I can get The Turkinator, anyone can. You have to kill 40 turkeys with no more than 30 seconds between each kill. Just eat some Tracker Snacks, and you’ll be fine.

Seasonal colours is a lovely thing to see, especially to have these colours growing on a loved one’s grave in a handmade grave planter, we have a very traditional looking handcrafted slate effect engraved planter that looks very well with any colour plants / flowers at any time of the year. The main advantage is these planters have a double water drain hole and look great and can be re-used over and over as the seasons change. So for a more detailed look at our produts, please visit www.graveproducts.com . Thank you