GCM_Nov_Dec_Holiday%20Issue by Natasha Harper

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Christian Magazine November/December 2006

Keys to Overcoming the Enemy Inside Your Mind By Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr.

LIVING ALL OF LIFE BY THE KINGDOM AGENDA By Tony Evans GET BEHIND THE WHEEL By Paula White History In The Making By Robert T. Kiyosaki

You Can’t Stop The Years But You Can Stop The Process

YOU JUST LEFT THE HOUSE. LET US MAKE YOU FEEL AT HOME.

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November/December 2006

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Holiday Edition

Financial Dominion in The Dream Dimension: This is a Covenant Matter By Bishop Clarence E. McCledon

107

Silent No More

121

Believe - Because Emmanuel Lives I expect Victory Every Time By Darlene Bishop

By Rod Parsley

Praise is Part of The Process

King or The Kingdom

The Meeting at The Alter

From The Heart of a Worshipper

115

Our LOVE is Here to Stay Excerpts from Tony and Lois Evans’ Daily Devotionals Thoughts For Newly Weds Is Sex a Right or a Gift?

November 127

By David G. Evans

Keys to Overcoming The Enemy Inside Your Mind By Bishop Paul Morton Sr.

Glory to God 9

Our Gratitude

Just a Word

Editor’s Note

Expressions 14

My 2 Cents! By Scott Harris

Prosperity By Danielle Lewis 7

November/December 2006

His Presence

23 30

Keys to Overcoming The Enemy Inside Your Mind By Bishop Paul Morton Sr.

Seasons of a Woman’s Life

The Equipping Ministry of Jesus

Living All of Life By The Kingdom Agenda

By Tony Evans

Get Behind The Wheel By Paula White

Why You Need a Band of Brothers

How to Lead a Man to Christ Why You Need a Band of Brothers

Relationships 104

Eating Out Healthy

The Masculine Battle PlanGet on The Oﬀensive

By Don Colbert, M.D.

By Robert T. Kiyosaki

165

Intimacy With GOD

169

Dealing With Anxiety, Worry and Fear

Seeds of Abraham 174

By Lois Evans

213

at Your Work By David Delk

By Bishop Bobby Hilton

Part Three

Perspective

Eat To Live By Jordan Rubin

By Dr. Denise Davis

225 Fighting For The Kingdom

By Dr. Yvoone Capehart

By Bishop E. Lynn Brown

On a Positive Note By Dr. David Evans

205

By Tommy Tenney

Men of Valor 90 The Work of Prayer 19

Lymphedema

Stewardship 217 History in The Making

Pass the Squash Then The Rowing Challenge

By Judy Jacobs Tuttle

Feature Story

197

December 133

Help Santa Find The Perfect Real Christmas Tree

136

Christmas Virtues

Family 137 How to Be a Cheerful Giver 144

How to Walk in The Spirit

150

The Authority of The Bible

155

How to Get Along With Diﬃcult People

159

Power and Joy Beneﬁts From The Bible

Men of Honor - Women of Virtue: Raising Kids to Keep The Faith By Chuck Stecker

230

The Common Sense of a Privately Managed Account By Stephen R. Bolt

234 If It Isn’t Really Your

Money, Shouldn’t You Invest It Wisely? By Gordon Barrett

177 Parenting The Wild Child: Hope and Help For Desperate Parents By Miles McPherson

Sports 183 Positive Yardage

LaDainian Tomlinson keeps moving forward through his faith and for his family

187

By Kevin Acee

Well Suited

Everyone has an Avery John son Imitation

By Darryl Howerton

God’s Temple 191 You Can’t Stop The Years

Learn how to eat out healthier with Don Colbert’s Advice! pg. 213

But You Can Stop The Process By Valerie Saxion

November/December 2006

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Glory to God

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Just a Word

Thank You!!

reetings in the matchless name of Jesus! I pray this edition finds you blessed and at peace knowing that God is still at the controls. I must tell you that I do not surprise easily however, I am amazed and overwhelmed as to what God has done for us in a year’s time. It has not been easy, yet it has been quite satisfying.

During the process of this voyage, I have tried not to lose sight of where we were determined to go and how we planned to get there. But if I am to be transparent here, I have had a few “bitter cup” moments (Luke 22:42) in the process to say the least. And of course, it is during these times that the enemy really starts to attack. Nonetheless, it would be irresponsible not to mention that, some of the greatest lessons of life come during the bitter cup moments in life. Can I get a witness? And it is during these bitter cup moments that makes me wonder how I’m going to make it through. And the most dangerous answer to this question is “I do not know”. And an “I do not know” answer to a question regarding my life and my future is not the answer of a believer. As a believer, I may not know what I will face tomorrow, but I certainly know who holds tomorrow. Therefore my answer to the aforementioned question is “it is well, and God’s got it handled”. Consequently, what I do not understand I do not have to worry about it since I know what the Lord has promised shall come to pass. I am also persuaded that through all of the “hustle-and-bustle” of day to day living, God is not concerned about our destinations. God is concerned with the process. Now, I am not suggesting that God does not desire us to reach our goals. What I am saying is that He pays close attention to the process. God is into the details. One such detail is that I am called upon to be a Kingdom Steward. A Kingdom Steward is one who has been given the responsibility to oversee God’s belongings as well as bring increase and glory to His kingdom. In short, Kingdom people are to make a difference in the Kingdom. To this end, our charge here at GCM is to build a finely tuned, well-oiled machine, in which God’s Word goes forth and His will is being acknowledged

OUR GRATITUDEWE ARE GRATEFUL!! We wish to thank all of our advertisers in this current issue for allowing Christ to utilize them in order to make this publication available. It is our sincerest prayer that this magazine will be a blessing to all who touch it-as a source for information, education, entertainment and most certainly, spiritual edification.

and ultimately that He receives glory from our efforts. Like I said make a difference in the Kingdom. Seems simple enough…right? Hardly, mistakes are made all the time, however, when mistakes are made, we should profit from our mistakes. This becomes far more challenging when the bricks we lay our foundation with weaken and sometimes fall. I know what you are thinking, the enemy is always attacking. And this is true; however I submit to you that our bricks (and maybe even your bricks) have fallen from the weakness of the builders. Don’t blame it on the enemy, our own carnality, morality and more importantly our minds can and will weaken any structure that we erect for the Almighty. I am reminded by my pastor that, where I am today is indicative of how I was thinking yesterday and where I will be tomorrow is based upon what I am thinking today. Also that I am designed to dominate, equipped to succeed, and am predestined to live in abundance--Nothing missing nothing broken, no lack, because the word of God is stronger than any situation that I am going through---Thank you Bishop! So I finish off this year and go into the next proclaiming I possess a right attitude. The attitude I possess is an “any moment now” attitude, because I have an expectation in my soul. I also possess a right mind. With a right mind I lock into the proper faith which comes from the impartation of God’s Word. I am totally and completely committed, no matter what. I will not give up and having done all, I’ll stand. Because I know that “…they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) From all of us here at Glory Christian Magazine, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and stay strong in the Word!

C. William Harper, LL Editor-in-Chief

Though some advertisers’ businesses in this issue are not Biblically based or affiliated, it is especially important to note that all advertisers in the magazine declared Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and demonstrate their faith through active involvement in local Christian houses of worship. Further, They operate their businesses according to Biblical principles and precepts. Thus in adherence to the Word of God (Jeremiah 51:27), they proactivately set a standard for other businesses to follow.

November/December 2006

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Christian Magazine PUBLISHER Natasha T. Harper MANAGING EDITOR C. William Harper, II

Glory Christian Magazine is the magazine that no Christian should be without. Do you have yours?

EDITOR IN CHIEF Andria Y. Carter EDITOR AT LARGE Jim Bozdech EXECUTIVE EDITOR Emil Dansker CONTRIBUTORS Darlene Bishop Bishop E. Lynn Brown Dr. Yvonne Capehart Bishop David G. Evans Pastor Lois Evans Dr. Tony Evans Bishop Bobby Hilton Judy Jacobs Bishop Clarence E. McClendon Bishop Paul S. Morton Rod Parsley Tommy Tenney Paula White

Ask your Church Administrator to request FREE copies of Glory Christian Magazine for your church congregation today.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Stephen Bolt Rick Casteel Dr. Don Colbert Dr. Denise Davis David Delk Dr. David Evans Scott Harris Robert Kiyosaki Miles McPherson Patrick Morley Jordan Rubin Valerie Saxion Chuck Stecker

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Natasha T. Harper ART/DESIGN Natasha T. Harper Mary Dolan CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS Mary Dolan Walid Johnson ADVERTISING CONSULTANT H&H, LLC Glory Christian Magazine is published bi-monthly by H&H, LLC, 6393 Fairway Drive, Mason, Ohio 45040. All rights reserved. 2006 by H&H, LLC. Editorial Inquiries: Send queries to the Editor. The magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations, or any other material submitted for possible publication. If submitted materials are to be returned, adequate return postage must be enclosed. H&H, LLC. does not necessarily support the opinions of writers. Standard postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio. Postmaster, send address change to Glory Christian Magazine, 6393 Fairway Drive, Mason, Ohio or e-mail info@glorychristianmagazine.com. (Pd.Ad=paid advertisement) To subscribe or obtain assistance with current subscription, call 513-754-2300. Subscription price is $29.70 for one year (6 issues), $49.70 for two years (12 issues).

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Christian Magazine

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SERVICE Building trust can be difficult, but when it is established it is unwavering.

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You’re Right! I’m Sorry! By Steven Scott Harris

Serving the mortgage needs of Christian families for over 10 years

ver heard the saying, “If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything”? I was reminded of it in one of Pastor John Jackson Sermons. He told us the story of a business man that goes to our church. A client had called him, and upon picking up the phone he was subjected to a battery of yelling & cussing about a transaction that somehow went badly.

November/December 2006

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As soon as he was able to get a word into the conversation he said, “You’re right”. The client, not really listening kept yelling. Then the business man said, “You’re right, I’m sorry. I gave you my word it would be right and I plan to stand by it.” Then silence, and the client said something to the effect of “Who am I speaking to again?” This mad, yelling client is now probably, a client for life. In this world people have come so accustomed to compromise, inching past the line & deception. What are your convictions? What is the thing in your life that you would stand for in any situation? No amount of money or prestige could make you compromise. You could throw me off of a 10 story building and I still

would not ________! Can you fill in that blank? I am proud of the business man in this story. He was wrong and he didn’t hide it, pass blame or lie about it. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” Wow, there is power in those words, healing power. Those words paint a picture of character and conviction. Whether he was wrong or not doesn’t matter. Because instead of constructing a wall with his response, he built a bridge! I want to use this time to challenge all who read this. Put God and Family above everything! Live your life with character, integrity and conviction! As for your business life; Treat each client like family. Handle every transaction like you were representing your children. We certainly would never take advantage of our children, nor would we allow them

to do something that might harm them in the future. Finally, no matter your financial situation, walk away from bad business. Let’s you and I make a covenant to climb our daily ladders with character, integrity and conviction. We won’t look down and expect applause, admiration or appreciation. Instead we will look up, drive on, build lasting relationships and protect our moral standards. I thank you for being a part of the VREE team. I ask that you pray for our growing business. With God’s guidance we can do great things.

PROSPERITY By Danielle Lewis

“1 John 3:2- Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

hink about it: God longs for His children to prosper so much that He put it in His Word so that we would first understand the significance of the idea and secondly, so that we can see how badly He wants us to live out the concept. The MerriamWebster Online Dictionary defines “prosper” as to succeed in an enterprise or activity…to become strong and flourishing. When many people think about prosperity, they automatically start having

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thoughts about money. But, what would happen if people would grasp tightly to the concept of prosperity and see it as becoming strong and flourishing in every area their life? What if they saw it as being abundantly blessed? Their spirit, soul, emotions, relationships, finances, physical health, and minds would all undoubtedly change for the better. God does not want us to thrive in one area of our lives, He wants us to experience unending prosperity from the crown of our heads to the sole of our feet and beyond. Imagine living life where you and no one you knew ever experienced lack. Imagine going beNovember/December 2006

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expressions yond the land of not enough, sailing over the idea of just enough and constantly and consistently walking in the days of more than enough. The good news is, if you are a servant of the Most High God, you don’t have to imagine those thoughts, you already have access to living your life in the realm of more than enough. Psalms 35:27 says,

“Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magniﬁed, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”

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November/December 2006

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It pleases the Lord when we live well. He wants us to realize that we serve Him- the One, True, Living God that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all what we could ask or think of Him! He is pleased when our cup is running over, when we are living above and not beneath and when we are achieving wealth and limitless success. Notice that David did not say “the Lord hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant’s financial life, or in the prosperity of His servant’s health, or in the prosperity of His servant’s relationships…” No, David wrote that the Lord is pleased when His servants prosper. End of sentence. He desires that every compartment of our lives are filled with greatness. God did not create us to live in mediocrity just like everyone else. He placed us on earth as extensions of Himself to live as examples of King’s kids who abound continually. The next time you hear the word prosperity, don’t limit God to your financial successes or to any other one part of your life. Allow Him go beyond the box and prosper you in every area!

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“Goliath can start out as the bully on the playground and ultimately grow to be as large as the

ON A POSITIVE NOTE

By Dr. David Evans

November/December 2006

magine for a moment the battle between David and Goliath, imagine Goliath awesome in size and strength daring anyone from the Israel to come forth and take on his challenge. The Bible records that for more than forty days not one of the warriors in Saul’s army was willing to step forward and take on this larger than life challenge. Then suddenly, a shepherd boy named David arrives on the scene. When David arrived, he observed that the fighting men of Israel were conforming to their fears and common sense. After all Goliath was a seasoned

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bad medical report. At some point in our lives, we will all confront a Goliath. When Goliath rears his ugly head, the voice of common sense speaks

warrior and the national champion of the Philistines. Common sense dictated that no one in their right mind could stand against Goliath, and when the seeds of common sense are planted, your harvest will be responding to what common sense dictates. Many of us have been confronted by the two opponents in this battle, the first being a Goliath the other being common sense. Goliath can start out as the bully on the playground and ultimately grow to be as large as the bad medical report. At some point in our lives, we will all confront a Goliath. When Goliath rears his ugly head, the voice of common sense speaks to inform us that we are already defeated. It walks up to the microphone

to inform us that we are already defeated.”

Mat Swartz Borcherding Automotive Internet Sales Manager mswartz@borcherding.com 513-239-2073

November/December 2006

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expressions the bills you are late on come to your mind. The “Bills” are your Goliath and Mr. Common Sense tells you that you can not afford to pay your tithes. So here you are on your personal battle field confronting your personal Goliath, how do you win? In order to walk away with the victory in this situation or any where you are confronting a Goliath, you must begin to sow positive seeds of faith into your mind which will in turn be manifested as a positive mental attitude. This is what David did. He reflected on what God had already done in his life. These were his seeds of faith. So today we are going to provide you with a “Bag of Seeds” that will help you grow your Positive Mental Attitude.

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When confronted by a Goliath begin to sow the following “Seeds of Faith” 1. Nothing is too Hard for God. 2. All things are Possible when you believe. 3. I can do All Things through Christ that strengthens me. 4. If I say to the mountain to move, in Jesus name it must move.

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5. My God shall supply all of my need according to his riches in Glory. 6. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. 7. Whatsoever I ask in Jesus name that shall the Father do. in our minds and holds a press conference telling us that we are defeated. Common sense dictates that when we are confronted by a Goliath, our best choice is to wave a white flag and surrender. When David the shepherd boy approached Saul about confronting Goliath, Mr. Common sense showed up and briefed Saul saying, “this is a ludicrous ideal.” This is the same Mr. Common Sense that made Sarah laugh when God said she would bear Abraham a child in her old age. This is the same Mr. Common Sense that told Moses the Egyptian Pharaoh was nobody to mess around with. This was the same “Mr. Common Sense” that told the people standing around the grave of Lazurus’ that because “He Stinks” there was absolutely nothing that Jesus could do. Yes Mr. Common Sense 21

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arrived at the battle field and informed Saul that sending David to confront Goliath is a bad ideal. Whenever you are confronted by a Goliath, typically you have two opponents to fight, Goliath and Mr. Common Sense. How you proceed will depend on your attitude and what you believe that God has destined for your life. I believe any Goliath can be defeated by simply employing a POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE and sowing the seeds of faith into your spirit. Let’s make this a bit more practical at this point, your Goliath could be your financial situation. It seems like every time you get a step ahead, Goliath pushes you two steps back. You know that paying your tithes is an act of faith and obedience. But as you get ready to write the check, all of

Paul in the Book of Romans states “Do not conform but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” That exactly what a positive mental attitude is, it is the renewing of your mind by sowing the seeds of faith. This single act will allow you to transform the battlefield where Goliath appears to be king, into a place of victory. No longer can we afford to conform to what Mr. Common Sense says, but now because we have sown the seeds of faith, we have been transformed into a people that “Walk by faith and not by sight.

Supreme Janitorial

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KEYS TO OVERCOMING THE

ENEMY

INSIDE YOUR MIND By Bishop Paul Morton, Sr. of Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church

November/December 2006

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(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringeth into captivity every though to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

t is wrong for Christians to be bound by the lies of Satan, for our God has equipped us with weapons that can give us victory over him. Just as he works inside our minds, the weapons also work to defend us inside our minds. With the weapons God has given us, we can cast down “imaginations” and bring “into captivity every thought” that is not in keeping with His will for our lives. Our weapons are “mighty” and will enable us to “pull down” any “strongholds” the enemy has set up in our thinking. So what are we waiting for? It’s time for us to use our God-given weapons and to tear down every stronghold of the enemy. The New International Version of the Bible says it this way: We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV) The power of God enables us to “demolish” such “arguments” and such “pretentions” and to bring them into submission to Christ and His Word. The apostle Paul was the writer God used to give us these words. He was comparing himself with a warrior who was fiercely attacking some strongly protected place—a place known in ancient times as a “stronghold.”

WHAT ARE STRONGHOLDS? AND HOW ARE THEY ESTABLISHED IN YOUR MIND? Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary defines the word stronghold as: “a strongly fortified defensive structure.” Picture in your mind such a stronghold and what might have been required for Paul to pull it down. Over time, strong defenses had been set up, the place had been secured, and it was now well (Continue to page 27)

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guarded. Paul must somehow overcome all the defenders of this stronghold and then remove it, if he was to go to the next level in his spiritual life. How could such a thing be accomplished? In order to take control of this strongly protected place and remove it, Paul must first take captive one-by-one every wicked defender and somehow force their obedience to the Commander under whose authority he fought. That sounds like a very tall order, and yet Paul was not only able to do it himself; he went on to say that each of us can do the same thing through the weapons already at our disposal. Strongholds form because the mind of man is a strange apparatus. It gets some thought in it—right or wrong, good or bad—and that thought becomes difficult to displace. It seems to get lodged there, stuck, if you will, refusing to budge. It’s amazing how many sincere people are sincerely wrong, how many serious people are seriously in error. Oh, they think they’re right, but they’re not right. This is how prejudices develop. The word prejudice simply means a prejudgment or, as Miriam-Webster Online Dictionary states, “a preconceived judgment or opinion, an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge.” Most people are given to some type of prejudice. Without really knowing or understanding the details of a given situation, we prejudge it by what little we do know. Without really knowing or understanding a person, we prejudge them by their outward appearance or by some long-ago formed notion we hold about their particular race. But just because a situation looks a certain way doesn’t mean that it is that way, and just because one member of a given race has proven bad doesn’t mean that every member of that race is bad. And then there’s our imagination. The imagination of man easily runs wild. We imagine all sorts of things, and most of what we imagine proves to be unfounded. It’s time to reject prejudices and to cast down imaginations, for they’re our enemies and they hold us back from God’s best for our lives.

IN TRUTH, THE VERY MIND OF MAN IS GOD’S ENEMY: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:6-8) Is it any wonder, then, that we must take control of our minds and be careful what finds lodging there? If God didn’t speak a certain thing into your heart, stop 27

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November/December 2006

“Just because we mature in Christ doesn’t mean that the enemy will leave us alone.” entertaining it. To insist on believing the lies of the enemy or to constantly entertain the wild imaginations of your mind is an act of open rebellion against God. Such rebellion is not to be found only in unbelievers. Many Christians are angry with God just because He wants them to behave themselves. They don’t want Him meddling in their affairs and telling them what to do. There’s little hope that such people will become strong Christians anytime soon. But even strong Christians, to one degree or another, struggle with issues of the mind. Just because we mature in Christ doesn’t mean that the enemy will leave us alone. To the contrary. He goes after even the most powerful followers in Christ and is delighted if they fall. He is a threat to each of us, and each of us must face up to this fact personally. You have an enemy who wants very much to do you in. Learn to face him squarely and defend yourself. But stop trying to use carnal weapons in your fight. You’re not fighting against Osama Bin Laden; your enemy is much more deadly than that elusive man. If you try to use your own weapons against this enemy, you will surely lose. The weapons we use to attack the prejudices and hostilities of our minds must have the power to convince and persuade.

THE POWER TO CONVINCE AND PERSUADE Once your mind has come to believe a certain way, it’s very difficult to convince it otherwise. Some of the prejudices we hold have bee built up in us over many years. In some cases, we have even been taught these things all of our lives. This constant reinforcement of negative thoughts and stereotypes builds a stronghold in our minds, one that is not easily pulled down. In a very real sense, we must learn to outthink our tapes if we are to outsmart the enemy. What

do I mean by outthinking our tapes? Our “tapes” are myths that constantly play over and over within our minds, for we have come to accept them as truths about ourselves. They are thoughts that have been recorded within our minds through a lifetime. Although these thoughts are untrue, we believe them because we’ve heard them repeated so many times, and now our minds replay them over and over again. It’s our tapes that cause us to develop a negative self-image and, consequently, they cause us to walk in defeat. If we want victory, therefore, we must outthink these tapes that are present with us every single day. You may be dealing with a tape that constantly tells you that you’re nobody, and to over come that, you must recognize what God’s Word says about you: I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. (Psalm 139:14) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) Based on these truths, learn to outthink your tapes and thus outsmart your enemy. If you cannot or will not do it, you will never walk in victory. Our tapes work against us, for through them Satan works tirelessly to make us feel and act like failures. Once you get the belief in your mind that you’re a failure, you’ll start to feel like one, and then you’ll start to act like one. Once you learn the truth, you can grow quickly and go to the next level by taking authority over the enemy and his lies.

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We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV)

This article is an excerpt from Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr.’s book The Enemy Inside Your Mind. To order acopy visit www.greaterststephenfgbc.org,write Greater St. Stephen Ministries P.O. Box 33739 Decatur, Georgia 300330739, or call New Orleans, LA Office: (504) 895-6800, Fax: (504) 897-3483; Atlanta, GA Office: (404) 284-8865, Fax: (404) 289-3910

November/December 2006

g n i v Li

â&#x20AC;Ś y b e f i l f all o

A D N E G A M O

D G N I THE K way to live! a t a h W By

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s n a v E Tony

November/December 2006

perspective

When the man reached the farm, he turned onto the long, winding road that led to the farmhouse. On the way, he had to pass by the barn. But as he drove by the barn, he stopped and got out because he saw something that both amazed and stupefied him. Drawn on the side of the barn were twenty targets. Each target had a hole right through the center of its bull’s-eye. There were no other holes anywhere on the barn. Whoever had been using the barn for target practice was definitely a crack shot. The visitor couldn’t believe it. He got back in his car, drove up to his friend’s farmhouse, and said, “John, before we do anything else, I’ve just got to ask you. Who in the world did the shooting on the side of your barn?” John said, “Oh, that was me.” His friend replied, “I can’t believe anybody can shoot that well! We’re talking about twenty targets with twenty dead-center bull’s eye shots. You mean to tell me you did that?” John said, “Made every shot.” “Where in the world did you learn to shoot like that?” John’s friend asked. “It was easy, I shot first; then I drew a target around the bullet hole.”

LEARNING TO PAINT BULL’S-EYES

That humorous story illustrates the situation our society is facing today. We do everything we can to give the impression that our lives are on target when in reality all we have done is learn to paint well! We have sought to camouflage our emptiness and failure with materialism, the scramble for success and significance, and other pursuits. Some people even try to fill their emptiness through religious activities such as church membership. They have learned how to look, talk, and act like Christian’s but all of these things, in and of themselves, are simply “paint jobs” that try to obscure the fact that we are a culture and a people tragically off target. We only have to look at the indicators to see that far too many individuals, families, and churches are missing the mark. And the results are seen in a society that is living by an agenda of madness….

SPIRITUAL AIDS

So the question is, What really is wrong with us as individuals, as families, as the church, and as a society? I believe that when you put all our 31

THE FIRST THING MISSING WAS “THE TRUE GOD.” Now the chronicler was not saying that the Israelites had become atheists or no longer believed in God. He wasn’t saying that attendance at the temple was down. The sacrificial fires at the temple were still smoking. But Israel had lost a correct view of God, and the nation was no longer accomplishing His agenda. The Israelites wanted a convenient God, one they could control. But if you have a God you can control, then you’re god instead of Him. Any god you can boss around isn’t the true God. The true God does not adjust to you. You adjust to Him. The Israelites didn’t want the true God messing around in their national life, reminding them that He had an agenda greater than their personal interests and desires. Our culture doesn’t want a God like that either. The world wants a nice little prayer before public meetings, but its people don’t want to hear about the true God. And I’m afraid that sometimes the church isn’t very interested in the true God either, because we have our own agenda. But any time we do that we are helping to reinforce our culture’s false view of God as a harmless deity who doesn’t have anything significant to say about the educational, scientific, entertainment, civic, political, familial, legal, or racial issues of the day.

ne day a man was on his way to spend the day with a good friend who lived on a farm.

November/December 2006

problems on the examining table and shine the light of God’s Word on them, it becomes painfully clear that what is happening to us is a lot like the beginning of the disease called AIDS. We are suffering from a case of spiritual AIDS. As we know, AIDS is a breakdown in the body’s immune system. As the HIV virus attacks and incapacitates the immune system, the body is rendered vulnerable to a host of other diseases. A cold can become pneumonia. An otherwise minor infection can become life threatening. In fact, an AIDS sufferer usually does not die of the disease itself but of AIDS-related complications. What is true of the AIDS virus is true on every level of our society. Our spiritual immune system has been badly damaged, with the result that cultural colds have become societal pneumonia, and minor cultural infections have now become life-threatening. And one of the medications being applied is correcting the problem. At best, they may simply suppress some of the symptoms temporarily. Call-in counseling is not filling our personal sense of emptiness. Workshops, conferences, and even presidential calls for renewed harmony are not

solving our crime problem. More condoms and sex education are not solving our moral problem. And more activism is not solving our social problems. What in the world is wrong with this world? I believe that the heart of our problem is captured and summarized in these verses from 2 Chronicles 15, a passage talking about ancient Israel: And for many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law…And in those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afﬂicted all the inhabitants of the lands. And nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress (vv.3, 5-6)

Scan these few verses, and you will see a picture of great spiritual and social chaos, the breakdown of a society. What was wrong? Three crucial things were missing in Israel’s national life, and I believe they are missing today in American life too.

THE SECOND PROBLEM IN ISRAEL WAS A LOSS OF TEACHING PRIESTS. Again, the text doesn’t say there were no priests. But the priests had stopped teaching the truth. They had traded enlightenment for entertainment. Worship had degenerated into a social club. The church was no longer the epicenter of all life and conscience of the culture, calling people to take God seriously. I’m not saying we cannot or should not enjoy worship. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating God and expressing our emotions in worship. But emotion is never to replace truth. Israel was suffering from an absence of spiritual leaders who took seriously the authority of Scripture for all of life. Have you ever wondered how we can have all these churches on all these corners with all these preachers and all these choirs and all these deacons and all these ministries—and still have all this mess? There’s a dead monkey on the line somewhere! Someone will say, “Well, I didn’t like that sermon.” Wrong response. The issue is whether it was true, not whether it was popular. Politicians need to be popular. Preachers need to tell the truth. The issue of truth is all-important, as we will see in the pages that follow. Our society is schizophrenic because people want certainty in the important, everyday

stuff, but nobody wants to admit that there is such a thing as a reliable body of truth; so relativism rules. This lack of truth has led to a “conscienceless” society, in which people can sin big-time and feel no emotional or spiritual pain. God created pain, whether physical or spiritual, to tell us something is wrong and to keep us from going as far as we could go. But when people do not have truth, they do not have anything to give them pain when they make wrong decisions. They become “seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron” (I Timothy 4:2). They become anesthetized, losing their sense of right and wrong. In such a society every person becomes a law unto himself or herself, so chaos rules. The process starts early these days. It used to be that most people’s consciences didn’t get anesthetized until college, where the professor in Philosophy 101 was at best an agnostic, or even worse, an atheist. So he would announce, “there are no absolutes.” But now kids in middle school and high school are learning that one person’s answers and ideas are just as good as anyone else’s. But in a world where everybody’s answers are right, nobody’s answers wind up being right. When a society loses truth, it loses meaning, because people are never really sure about anything. So that’s the mess we are in as a culture. But where do we go to find truth? There’s only one standard of truth, the changeless Word of the one true God. THE THIRD MISSING INGREDIENT IN ISRAEL WAS GOD’S LAW. When a culture has a false view of God built on bad information, God begins to remove the restraint of His law, and evil begins to grow unbridled. What you and I are witnessing today in the rapid deterioration of our culture is the reality that God is removing more and more of His restraint. Even sinners who respect God won’t do certain things. But once God is removed from or marginal-

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ized in a culture, then the standard for a society is gone and God becomes one’s worst enemy and worst nightmare. That’s what had happened in Israel. When the rule of God’s law is missing, chaos replaces community. You cannot have order and structure in society without God. Men become enslaved by the very freedom they seek. We have ungodly people in our culture who don’t want any divine standard to which they must be held accountable. But when God leaves a society, hope goes with Him. See, as long as you have God, you always have hope. He’s the one thing you can bank on. If God is still in the picture, and as long as His agenda is on the table, it’s not over until it’s over. Even if circumstances collapse, God will keep you. As long as God is front and center in a culture, there’s hope. But when He is removed, just like people and their taxes leave the city and go to the suburbs, God goes to the spiritual suburbs, and the city’s cultures deteriorate. Actually, there is a law at work in our culture—the law of unrighteousness. It’s become so strong that it almost seems as natural as the law of gravity. Now if you’re going to buck the law of gravity, you’d better have a law more powerful than gravity going for you. Well, the law of gravity can be “bucked” by the law of aerodynamics in flight. In the same way, the law of unrighteousness can be bucked by the law of God if the church will power up the engine of God and start soaring. If we don’t, this plane called American culture is going down—and we’ll crash with it because we’re on board. This article is an excerpt from Tony Evans’ book “Living all of lfe by the Kingdom Agenda”.

November/December 2006

The International Ministry of

Dr. Tony Evans The Urban Alternative Upcoming Events

Tua’s Mission: It is the mission of The Urban Alternative to equip, empower and unite Christians to impact individuals, families, churches and communities for the rebuilding of lives from the inside out. The Urban Alternative PO Box 4000 Dallas, Texas 75208 www.tonyevans.org 800-800-3222

UPCOMING EVENTS NCAASI Training November 13-17, 2006 (United Methodist Pastors) Dallas, Texas NCAASI was developed by Dr. Tony Evans Sr. and is a faith-based strategic partnership between church and community to address spiritual and social needs of urban youth and families. This NCAASI comprehensive training provides the how-to’s of implementing the National Church Adopt-A-School Initiative and building organizational capacity. This includes more than 30 hours of comprehensive training designed to mobilize churches, faith-based and community-based organizations for church and school partnerships that rebuild families and ultimately communities. The mission of this social outreach project is to rebuild communities from the inside out. www.tonyevans.org/pta

The First Lady (TFL) conference June 7-9, 2007, Dallas, Texas TFL is specifically designed for senior pastors’ wives to minister to others and self while addressing the whole woman. TFL addresses challenges of ministry, marriage, and personal growth, spiritual, mental and physical health via a “full circle” conference format supportive of networking, shopping, and workshops. Receive and share instruction specifically to address the needs of senior pastors’ wives all in a confidential and safe atmosphere. It is a “Safe Place” for senior pastors’ wives to come to be revived and have a time of reflection, renewal and relaxation. www.loisevans.org

November/December 2006

TUA RADIO Radio Rally Dr. Tony Evans and his ministry blesses thousands worldwide through church, books, conferences, internet, television and radio. Get up close and personal with Dr. Evans as he takes the time to say, “Thank You, We Appreciate You and God Bless You!” Regular rallies in different towns and cities help raise the quality of contact and interaction with ministry supporters and promote fasting ministry relationships.

Books to buy @ conference!!! •

The Kingdom’s Agenda

•

Seasons of a Woman’s Life

•

Lord, Do you really care?

•

Get in the Game November/December 2006

GET BEHIND THE WHEEL By Paula White

The purpose of this piece is not to make you feel guilty because you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fast enough or long enough. It is to give you a road map to a fuller walk in the joy of the Holy Spirit and in the fellowship of our Father in heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. Fasting and prayer is an important weapon in our arsenal regarding spiritual warfare, and I believe there are occasions when it is the difference between success and failure in our lives.

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do believe that if your prayers have remained unanswered, fasting can make a difference because it did so in the lives of biblical people. The same is true when we are in need to healing, or guidance, or wisdom, or a spiritual understanding on a matter we don’t comprehend. In very difficult times, when problems are mounting and beyond our control, fasting has been shown to biblically make a difference.

The Methodist preacher William Bramwell wrote in 1809 that the reason many Christians do not live in the power of their salvation is because “there is too much sleep, too much meat and drink, too little fasting and self-denial, too much taking part in the world…and too little self examination and prayer.” Nearly two hundred years later, his words still have the ring of truth to them. For advancing to any new level in life, including our spiritual life, there is a “cost of admission.” Pay the price! If you are defeated and miserable in your Christian experience, God wants to open the gates of heaven and help you to walk in the power of God. I urge you to fast and pray for a spiritual breakthrough. Only God can provide the transformative grace to give us the victory over sin and the devil. I encourage you to experience the promise of Jesus Christ through fasting and prayer: “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:18). Yes, we are engaged in a spiritual battle against “principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians

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6:12), whether we recognize them or not. There are satanic strongholds that cannot be broken without fasting and prayer. I have seen it in both my personal Christian walk as well as in our ministry over and over again where a wall of spiritual trouble and defeat did not budge until fasting was added to our prayers. Through the tenacity of our faith and utter dependence of God, the victory will come. God will cause the wall in our life to fall down, and our barrier will become our bridge. Heed the words of the apostle Peter: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (I Peter 5:8-9). If you have heard the enemy’s roar, you are not alone. The church across the world, particularly the church in nations where persecution is fierce, is experiencing tremendous growth whenever it takes a stand in the faith, and part of that stand involves following the lead of the Holy Spirit in fasting and prayer. But we can’t make excuses. God wants us to join the ranks of the prophets and apostles and live up to the challenge. History makers and world changers are mere men and women. If you believe in Jesus Christ, and you want to see the hand of God working by His grace in your life, in your loved ones, in your church and neighborhood, and in your nation, I encourage you to pray this prayer:

I have read the biblical accounts of those who prayed and fasted and saw Your mighty power at work, and I want this same spirit of intercession to be demonstrated through my life. I want to touch your heart, Father, through prayer and by following the Holy Spirit’s leading in fasting. I want to hunger and thirst for You alone, and I gladly surrender my eating habits to you. Meet me in the depths of my heart and teach me how to pray.

Heavenly Father, I don’t presume to understand the value and blessing of fasting, but I come to You in the Name of Jesus and open my heart and mind to You. Have mercy on me, a sinner. Search my heart and soul and see if there is any sin in my life. Forgive my every sin, Lord, andcleanse me with the Blood of Jesus.

This article is an excerpt from Paula White’s book “Fasting made simple”.

Help me to approach fasting with the right motives. Keep me free from the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and from thinking that denying myself of anything will somehow make me worthy of Your attention. Draw me into Your presence and make fasting the blessing that You promised it would be. May I know You and approach Your throne with tears of humility. Make me an instrument of righteousness for the sake of Your dear Son, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through the grand work of your precious Holy Spirit. Amen.

If you are defeated and miserable in your Christian experience,

God wants to open the gates of heaven and help you to walk in the power of God.

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Financial Dominion in The

DREAM DIMENSION:

THIS IS A COVENANT MATTER

By Bishop Clarence E. McClendon

WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LAW OF DEVOTED THINGS IN JOSHUA 6:17-18. REMEMBER that this particular passage of scripture talks about the battle of Jericho, Israel’s first victory in the land of promise. The Word of God reads, “Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction”… And you, by all

“God wants you to understand that He knows

you are never going to be ﬂawless;

but as long as your covenant is intact, He2006 can bless you over your transgression.” November/December

means, abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things…

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eep in mind that “doomed to destruction” and “accursed” are interchangeable. In other words, God says, whatever you have to do to abstain from taking of the accursed thing, do it. The principle is: If you take or hold on to what is doomed to destruction or accursed, then you become doomed to destruction and accursed. Look again at verse 18, focusing on the latter part: “and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.” This divine principle is illustrated in the story when the children of Israel were defeated by Ai—a small, insignificant opponent—because Achan took of the accursed things. Jericho, the battle before Ai, was the first battle fought by the children of Israel. Because it was their first battle in their dreamland, it was a Firstfruit to God and all the spoils from the battle were not to be taken, but offered to the Lord. However, Achan took of the spoils (which were accursed) and released a curse over the entire camp. When they fought against Ai, they were defeated because the Firstfruit was not rendered to the Lord and their victory was blocked. Joshua could not figure out why they had been beaten by an opponent who should have been defeated easily, so he went to the Lord in prayer seeking an answer. In Joshua 7:10-12, the Lord replies: …Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies because they have become doomed to destruction… Notice the last part: “…they have become doomed to destruction…” This is why you cannot stand against your enemies. When you take of the accursed thing, which is doomed to destruction, you become doomed to destruction because you have it in your possession. This is not the devil defeating you. This is not your enemy defeating you. This is the word of the Lord defeating you. It is resting on your head because God says that when you take of the things that are devoted to destruction, you become devoted to destruction; and therefore, you cannot stand against your enemies. Because of this truth, it is vitally important that you and I find out what is devoted to destruction and remove it from our house and our possession. Concerning the accursed things or the things de41

November/December 2006

voted to destruction, notice what the Lord says when Israel takes of it. He says, “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant, which I commanded them. For they have even taken of the accursed things…” I want you to get this because as I read this one day the Spirit of the Lord said to me, “Son, do not miss what I said. ‘Israel has sinned and they have also transgressed My covenant.’” God says those are two different things.

This is not just a matter of sin. God says, “I can deal with your sin. I can handle you missing the mark. I can deal with your imperfection. You are not going to be perfect. You are going to slip. But by all means, do not break covenant!” God wants you to understand that He knows you are never going to be flawless; but as long as your covenant is intact, He can bless you over your transgression. However, when you break cov-

enant with Him, there is nothing He can do for you. I told my staff, “Listen, there will always be problems. There will always be attitudes and opinions and things that do not get done. There will always be disagreements. There will always be power struggles. God understands that. But as long as we keep covenant, He will fight for us. On the other hand, if you are falling short and breaking covenant, there is no help for you.” I said to them, “I would rather have an alcoholic on my staff than a non-tither because God can deal with an alcoholic.” He can handle an addiction, but if covenant is broken, there is no power to deal with the addiction. It is a covenant matter. You need to understand this, child of God. This is not about money. This is about covenant. God said Israel sinned and transgressed His covenant. The reason God has not supplied your need is not because you slept with your ex two weeks ago; it is not because you threw four-letter words at your boss last week. Let us be real because this is one way the devil tries to defeat you. Do not get me wrong, it is not

a good thing for you to sin, but God knows that you are not going to be perfect. The reason you are not getting your need met is because you sinned and you broke covenant with God. He says, “I can handle sin. I do not want you to commit sin, but I can handle that. But if you continue to break covenant with Me, there is no power to supply correction for the matter.”

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SILENT NO MORE: Fulfilling our Fathers’ Dream By Rod Parsley

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t would seem that no one could ever make a case from the Bible for hating a man because of his color. The kingdom of God is so powerfully depicted as a celebration of God’s glorious human diversity that it is hard to understand how some have distorted that message. Unless someone tries to make a peculiar case for racial division or slavery from an obscure passage about Ham, Shem, and Japheth deep in the Old Testament, I cannot find anything that supports hating or separating from a man because of his race. Clearly, racism defended with the Bible is a perversion of truth.

November/December 2006

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The Bible Unperverted

When I open my Bible, I find a vision for racial unity springing from almost every page. Not only is it obvious that God created every race and color to reflect His glory, but He even told His “chosen people,” the Jews, that they were meant to show the nations God’s glory. In other words, the Jews were chosen in part because God wanted them to draw others to Him Jerusalem was meant to be the United Nations of the kingdom of God. When I look to Revelation 5:9, I see that Jesus died for every “tribe and tongue and people and nation.” His Church was meant to represent this redemptive activity, for even the Great Commission given to the Church in Matthew 28:19–20 was a plan for men of one tribe to go to other tribes and teach them how to reach still others. If Christians lived the Great Commission, churches would be the most racially diverse places on earth. I know this last statement is radical, so let me give you an illustration. Have you ever looked at the Bible’s description of the church of Antioch from a racial perspective? The leadership of that church is described in Acts 13:1. Here is what it says. Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. Now, this is just the kind of list most people casually skip over in the Bible. But look at this one closely. Remember that these people were the leaders of a Christian church. Consider: Barnabas,

we are told in Acts 4:36, was a Jew from the island of Cyprus. Simeon was apparently black, the name Niger meaning “the black.” Lucius was from the African region of Cyrene, though we don’t know what his color was. Manaen was a Greek who grew up in a future king’s home. Saul was from Tarsus in what is now Turkey, then known as Asia Minor. So notice that among the pastors of the church in Antioch there was a Cypriot, a Greek, two Africans, and an Asian. This diverse team of men led a church in a region that is now part of Syria, yet none of them were from that region. This means that the church at Antioch was led by a multiracial, multinational team, none of whom were local. What an amazing example of the kind of church that the Great Commission should produce!

The Displeasure of Our God

I also want you to get a sense of the way that racism angers God. If we could allow this reality to sink into our souls and into the soul of our nation, it would transform our culture. So let me take a moment to show you an example in the Bible of how racism angered Jesus, and then we will return to the question of racism in our society. In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 11, we have the amazing story of Jesus clearing the temple. You probably know this tale well. Jesus entered the temple area and noticed that men were exchanging money, selling sacrificial animals, and carrying merchandise through the temple courts. Immediately, Jesus began driving these men out while proclaiming, “My

house shall be called a house of prayer” (v. 17). Throughout the history of the Church, some have concluded that Jesus was upset with merchants doing business in a holy place. There is certainly some truth to this, but it is not the whole story. Allow me to suggest another interpretation. Those merchants were doing business that the law of God required. A man who was going to tithe had to change his local currency into the temple currency. A man who lived far away from Jerusalem was not required to bring the animals he wished to sacrifice with him. He could simply carry money and then buy the sacrificial animals when he arrived at the temple. So, the business we see happening in the temple courts was allowed if it was conducted honestly. It may have been that the merchants were cheating their customers—Jesus did say that His father’s house was made a “den of thieves”—but this may not be the only reason Jesus got so angry. I think there was another reason Jesus became enraged. I think that Jesus may also have been grieved because the merchants had set up business in the courts, which were the only places that the Gentiles had to pray. You may remember that there was a part of the temple called “The Court of the Gentiles.” It was here, according to tradition, that the merchants did their business. This would mean, though, that the merchants were interfering with the worship of the Gentiles. It is most likely that they were doing this because they despised the Gentiles and thought them unclean and unworthy of consideration in a temple built by Jews. In other words, they were being

racists. When Jesus saw the racial callousness of the merchants, He became angry and drove them out while quoting from Isaiah 56. These words are extremely important. We often remember that Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” He actually said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations,” and He assumed that the Jews who heard him, people who knew their Old Testament very well, would know the context of the passage He was quoting. Let me quote it here.

Foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in

my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacriﬁces will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. —ISAIAH 56:6–7, NIV It is clear that Jesus was not only upset about dishonest business being conducted around the temple, but He was also upset about the racism of the merchants who kept the foreigners they so despised from approaching the courts of the Lord. I will end this brief Bible study by saying that we need a restoration of this kind of holy fire in our churches. By this I am not talking about spiritual excitement, but I am talking about a passion to reflect the passions of Jesus. The angriest moment in Jesus’ life was when He railed against racism. Suppose the 82 percent of the American population who say they believe in God, and the half of that number who say they are evangelicals, began to seriously live out the anger of God toward racial hatred. It would transform our nation. This is why I have taken the time to look at just a few of the scriptures that reveal God’s heart about race. A perversion of Scripture has justified most of the

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racism and slavery that has marred our country. My hope is that the true sense of the Bible on race might help drive such heresy from our national life. The reason I am so desperately concerned about race in America is, as I have said, that America will not fulfill her destiny unless she heals the racial breach and becomes the light to the nations, the example to the world she was made to be. This means not only removing race hatred from our hearts but also refusing to be satisfied until there is no one race in this country that is without equality of opportunity and equality of support from a caring society. Some will hear me saying something different from what I intend. Some will hear me saying that everyone ought to be equal in every way, that there ought to be no social or economic differences among us. This, of course, is not what I am saying. Only a socialist would say such a thing, and I am the furthest thing from a socialist possible. I am, however, a Christian who believes that our society will be great to the extent our society embraces the ethics of Jesus and cares for its members as a holy obligation. When any race is left lagging behind their more prosperous brothers and sisters and no one turns to reach for them, then our society is guilty of a callous disregard for the best it is called to be. This article is taken from Pastor Parsley’s best-selling book “Silent No More (Charisma House, 2005).

I also want you to get a sense of the way that racism angers God.

If we could allow this reality to sink into our souls and into the soul of our nation,

it would transform our culture.

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B- E- L- I- E- V- E

Because Emmanuel Lives I Expect Victory Every time

By Darlene Bishop

November/December 2006

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was so glad that the Lord had called Himself Emmanuel because it means “God with us”: They shall call his name EMMANUEL, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US. (Matthew 1:23)

If God is with us, we can expect victory every time, not just some of the time, but all of the time. So, whatever we are facing today, right now, we can expect victory. Because God is with us, and He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, I can deal with any trouble that may come my way. Because He lives, I can overcome anything that Satan throws at me. Because Emmanuel is with me, I am never alone. That changes everything. God promised that He would never leave me nor forsake me, and that He would be with me until the end: Lo, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:20) He hath said, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE. (Hebrews 13:5)

This is enough word to keep us until Jesus comes. This is all we need. Because He lives, we can expect victory every time. We may not know how the victory will come, but we know it will come because He lives. This was the most powerful thing the Lord had ever spoken to me, and in the months since I received this revelation, I have often advised people to write the words somewhere in their Bible so they will never forget them. These simple words should be there to remind them that through every situation of life they are not alone. Emmanuel, God is with us, is with them, and because of that, they can be known as B-E-L-I-E-V-E-R-S.

WE ARE BELIEVERS

Jesus called us believers (he that believeth, KJV), and so did Paul: He that believeth [a believer] and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not [an unbeliever] shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth [a believer] with an infidel? (II Corinthians 6:15).

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“A believer is someone who is convinced, and if you are not convinced then your spiritual enemy can easily overcome you.” Children of God everywhere are believers. They can count on the presence of Emmanuel in their lives, and because of that, they can have victory every time. As modern-day Christians, do we really expect victory every time? Of course, we expect victory when we can see the end of a thing. But do we expect victory when no end is in sight? Do we expect victory when a doctor tells us there is no hope? Do we expect victory when our bank account stands at zero? Do we expect victory when a spouse walks out on us and says that they don’t love us anymore? Do we expect victory when it seems that all hell is coming against our children? Do we expect victory when it seems that we are going down for the last time? Because God is with us, and none of our circumstances change Him, we should expect victory EVERY TIME. It’s rather a shame that we Christians have become fragmented and now call ourselves Baptists, Catholics, or Pentecostals. We should all want to be known more simply as believers. That’s a fitting title for us, and we should be proud to bear it. A believer is someone who is convinced, and if you are not convinced then your spiritual enemy can easily overcome you. If you are not convinced of the promise of God’s Word, that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4), then the enemy can easily deal you a death blow.

We became believers through the process of exercising our measure of faith until it becomes a greater measure. We accepted the responsibility to believe, and now we must accept the other responsibilities that come with the title “believer.” Now we must develop our faith so that we can believe for the impossible and lay hold of God’s great promises.

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“There is the mental part to being a believer. We ﬁrst believe with our mind, and our mind then engages our mouth to say the things we believe.”

A BELIEVER DECLARES WITH HIS MOUTH

Our faith is not just a mental assent. It is first thought, but then it must take the form of words. We first think right thoughts, and then we speak right words. In Mark 11, Jesus said the word say (“say.” “saith,” and “saith”) three times and the word believe only once. We become true believers by speaking out the truth that has been revealed to us. Jesus began this teaching by saying: “Have faith in God” (verse 22). He then went on to describe the law of faith and to show us how to have faith. Verse 23 is an important part of that teaching. Let us look at it once again: For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall SAY [1] unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he SAITH [2] shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he SAITH[3]. (Mark 11:23)

There is the mental part to being a believer. We first believe with our mind, and our mind then engages our mouth to say the things we believe. Having been confessed, the belief then takes root in our heart. This is why it did not surprise me when the Lord said to me, “Just tell them to SAY, ‘Because Emmanuel lives I expect victory every time.’” Who were they to say this to? They could say it to themselves, to their spiritual enemy, or to anyone who tried to oppose them. It might be a parent, a spouse, or someone else who tried to make them doubt. Being a believer, they could say, “Because Emmanuel lives I expect victory every time.” It doesn’t matter what you are going through, and it doesn’t matter that it might look like you are in the worst shape ever, about as low as you have ever sunk. If you are a believer, that changes everything. You can expect victory every time—regardless. This article is an excerpt from Darlene Bishop’s book Your Life Follows Your Words—Releasing the Power of Faith. To order a copy visit www. solidrockchurch.org or call 1-513-423-7040 x1005.

November/December 2006

BISHOP DAVID G. EVANS’ 

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Praise

is Part of Th e Process

A perspective

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S GOD ENCOURAGES YOU, THE NEXT step of

your deliverance is praise. When you

begin to think about God’s nature and goodness, you remember who He is and what He’s done for you. You can’t help thanking Him, and your praise is resurrected. You recall other times

when circumstances stole your expectation and robbed you of your praise, and how He restored you. When you think about the love of God and the unfailing promises in His Word, your faith is renewed, and the seeds of expectation are sown. Expectation gives birth to a praise that waits for God to move. “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him” (Psalm 62:5)

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There is no greater power than God’s power.

When He inhabits your praise, He moves into your emotional, spiritual, and physical needs to bring healing and restoration

Sometimes, our faith isn’t as strong as we think it is when we have to wait longer than we want to for what we are expecting. Our situations seem unchanging and our prayers don’t appear to be a priority with God. Yet, when our expectation is truly in Him, we always have a praise on reserve for Him because we know that He is faithful.

GOD IS PRESENT IN OUR PRAISES

When toruble comes, we often stop praising, but in doing so, we remove ourselves from the presence of the only One who can help us. The Scripture says that God “inhabitest the praises of Israel [His people]” (Psalm 22:3), or is “enthroned upon the praises of Israel [His people]” (NASB). Praise is a form of communication with God. The language of praise invites His response and very present help. In rpaise, our perception of the intimacy and intensity of God’s presence is increased. When we praise God with sincerity, we can know that He is with us and will be our strength and refuge. Because God dwells in your praises, as you worship Him, He moves into the very center of your wounds and scars. Whatever the disappointments of life have made insufficient in you cannot remain in that condition. Insufficiency is impossible in the presence of God. Any condition that seeks to block your joy cannot remain the same when He is there becaue the Bible says, “In thy presence is fulness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). There is no greater power than God’s power. When He inhabits your praise, He moves into your emotional, spiritual, and physical needs to bring healing and restoration. (continued on next page 55)

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When toruble comes, we often stop praising, but in

doing so, we remove ourselves from the presence of the

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only one who can help us.

God doesn’t just visit your wounds; He inhabits the cause and the condition of them. He doesn’t just see your scars; He pours the oil of His spirit on them. When the scars are removed, then your faith is affirmed and your expectation is resurrected. Therefore, praise both causes us to have faith and expectation and also springs from them once we are in possession of them again. This is what I call “the cycle of praise.

A CONTINUOUS HABIT

Praise is most effective when it is habitual. We read in Psalms, “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being” (Psalm 104:33), and “While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being” (Psalm 146:2). Praise is a spiritual weapon sharpened by use in good times so that it will be readily available and effective when times are difficult. The battle for your complete wholeness will never be won with human weapons. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). The most effective weapons are spiritual. They have the power to mend your emotional wounds and remove the strongholds of scarring in your life. David understood that praise should be a regular part of our daily lives. He said, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall contiually be in my mounth” (Psalm 34:1). This speaks of his willful determination to give God praise no matter what situation he was facing. There are times when we don’t necessarily feel like praising God. Again, periods of great stress divert our attention from God to the difficulties that we are facing. Our problems begin to appear greater than God’s ability to handle them. It is in these critical times that we, like David, must have a determination to praise God. Each time you make a commitment to have your wounds healed and your scars removed, the enemy will raise opposition to hinder the transformation. Sometimes, the same situations or circumstances that you believed God for in the past will present themselves with greater strength

than ever before. Your deliverance is being challenged. As the enemy seeks to discourage you, you must encourage yourself with praise concerning the faithfulness of God’s promises. The psalmist was at a low point, close to failure, when he said, “Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence. If I say, ‘My foot slips,’ Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me

up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul” (Psalm 94:17-19 NKJV). Praise is a chief weapon against depression. As you contemplate your problem, you often embark on a downward emotional path, and the resulting depression disrupts your peace. Since praise requires that you focus your mind on the goodness of God, it moves your thoughts from the pressing to the uplifiting.

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THE KING OR THE KINGDOM By Tommy Tenney

oney, fame, and fear can motivate people to do some crazy things. They also share a sad legacy with another motivator in human history, called “lust.” Some people would sell their mothers or their children to gain financial security. Others would sacrifice their reputation and every ounce of their self-esteem for one minute in the national spotlight or a few moments of stolen pleasures in another person’s bed. I know of one man who even gave up a lifetime inheritance for a bowl of beans. Whatever impresses you attracts you. Whatever you pursue becomes your purpose. What are you pursuing—the King or the kingdom?

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We “go at prayer” as if we are plugging coins into the Supreme Slot Machine, hoping He will spit out winnings to us—while at the same time we are envious of the rest of the spiritual gamblers and their “gifts.”

THE PALACE OR HIS PRESENCE? It stands to reason that most of the young maidens ushered into this ancient world’s most important beauty contest would be enamored with the king’s palace. Most people would find it hard to blame them. The city of Susa was home to the summer capital of Persia under King Xerxes’ family line. The Bible gives us a detailed snapshot of the courtyard in the palace garden. The courtyard was decorated with beautifully woven white and blue linen hangings, fastened by purple ribbons to silver rings embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic pavement of porphyry [rock composed of feldspar crystals embedded in a dark red or purple groundmass, “red marble”], marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones. Drinks were served in gold goblets of many designs, and there was an abundance of royal wine, just as the king had commanded. If this is merely a description of the king’s “backyard patio,” can you imagine how his throne room and palace looked? Today far too many Christians are enamored with the finite finery and earthly benefits of God’s kingdom rather than its King. Whether we look at people in the palace of King Xerxes of ancient Persia or those attending church services in contemporary culture, far too many of us tend to be so taken with the glamour of a mansion that we ignore the man behind the mansion. We neglect the face behind the palace. In society some people are drawn to the power and prestige of the “throne.” They devote their energies toward receiving every gift possible from the hands of the one in power. The slogan on both sides of the equation might read: “Take what they have before they take what you have.” Often we don’t do much better in the church. How frequently do we bounce back and forth between treating God as a loving Father one moment (which is good) and as the Supreme Slot Machine the rest of the time (which is not good)? (continued on page 61) 59

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perspective PLUGGING COINS INTO THE SPIRITUAL SLOT MACHINE We “go at prayer” as if we are plugging coins into the Supreme Slot Machine, hoping He will spit out winnings to us—while at the same time we are envious of the rest of the spiritual gamblers and their “gifts.”

up in his own eyes. (Evidently he didn’t do a very good job of redirecting the praise back to God. It seems he began to “believe his own press.”) Long before Xerxes developed his harem, Solomon began to focus less on God and more on his own personal lusts and desires. Eventually Solomon must have believed that he was too wise to fail or fall, because he set aside the

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each ruler was fascinated that a beautiful young maiden might fall in love with him rather than with his regal power and authority as a great king. It seems that royalty must always carry the baggage of doubt. Sheer survival forces them to be skeptical that people could or would ever love them for something other than personal gain or elevated position. Although we would never call the Almighty One

It was Jesus who told us that His Father constantly searches for certain people in the earth. I am not saying that God is a respecter of persons, but He does seem to have wants,

in the sense that He “wants” us to worship Him in spirit and in truth:

“The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way.” We have no reason or need to justify the actions and morals of the historical King Xerxes. He wasn’t Christian, he wasn’t Jewish, and he wasn’t even “nice” by any stretch of the imagination. He was a cruel and powerful ruler in a brutal and violent age. Nevertheless, this Persian king represented in some respects the eternal worth of the great King of Kings (in allegory). King Xerxes must have seen every kind of pandering diplomat, whining politician, and subservient prince pass through his throne room. It is safe to assume they left mountains of self-serving gifts in his treasury at Susa. Even the ancient pagan world understood what few in our culture have grasped: You never come before a king empty-handed. You always bring a gift. In fact, your “gift” will make room for you. The great King of Kings and Lord of Lords has seen an unending parade of people attempt to attract His attention or impress Him since time began. Most were dressed in the rags of their own efforts at holiness. Some entered His gates robed in various levels of thanksgiving, and precious few came enveloped in worship. In my mind, I often imagine Him saying to Himself, “Who will love Me more than the things I can give them? Where are the people who are more interested in touching My heart than in sampling My splendor?” King Solomon must have wrestled with the same problem throughout his reign. He got off to a good start, but his God-given gifts elevated him so high in the eyes of others that he was lifted 61

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direct command of God and gave his heart to foreign women who served demonic idols. He accumulated a staggering seven hundred wives and royal mistresses and three hundred additional concubines or secondary wives (most of them from forbidden nations serving false gods). In the end God seemed to step out of the picture, and He allowed Solomon to carry on the show in his own wisdom. The spotlight of the nation turned away from the glory of the One in the temple to the glory of the gifted man on the earthly throne. Once Solomon was seen as the primary source of wealth and promotion, the king’s favor began to carry more weight than God’s favor. Solomon inadvertently became the nation’s god and idol.

HOW DO YOU ATTRACT A MAN WITH A THOUSAND WIVES? Carrying the full weight of his celebrity status, a disguised King Solomon falls in love with a nameless shepherdess called “the Shulamite.” Some of the most romantic prose ever written dripped from the pen of the wisest man who ever lived—he wrote the Song of Solomon about his overwhelming attraction to this peasant girl! Why would a famous ruler with a thousand wives become so intrigued with a simple commoner? He did it for the same reasons King Xerxes fell for Esther. Both leaders had their pick of the most beautiful women in the known world. Perhaps

skeptical, it is safe to say He dearly longs for more followers who, like Esther, will fall in love with the King rather than the King’s blessings. I know God’s heart desires those who love the Giver more than the gift! It was Jesus who told us that His Father constantly searches for certain people in the earth. I am not saying that God is a respecter of persons, but He does seem to have wants, in the sense that He “wants” us to worship Him in spirit and in truth: “The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way.” Some may feel differently about Esther than I do, but I am convinced that God somehow anointed and prepared this young orphaned Jewish maiden from childhood to see something worthy of love in the seemingly pernicious King Xerxes. Somehow, in some way, God anointed and appointed that young woman to stand out from all of the rest of the beautiful women in that expansive Persian harem. God prepared and equipped Esther to soften—and win—the heart of the strongest dictator of her day. Esther didn’t realize that the very lives of her people would depend on what happened during her first encounter with the king. I believe the secret to Esther’s success was a God-given desire to seek the heart of the king rather than the splendor of his kingdom. The following was excerpted from Tommy Tenny’s book “Finding Favor with the King” Preparing for yourmoment in His presence

November/December 2006

The Meeting at the Altar By Dr. Yvonne Capehart

Capehart’s Corner: When you come out of God’s presence this time, the enemy will see His glory on your face! You won’t need to tell him where you’ve been! He’ll know.

BUILD SEVEN ALTARS

ne day, as I was praying, the Lord spoke to me and said, “If you want to flow in My power to perform, take a closer look in My Word at what Balaam did.” I read the story again: And he [Balaam] said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt 63

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offering, while I meet the Lord yonder. (Numbers 23:15) The Lord asked me, “My Daughter, what is an altar?” “Lord, it’s a place of sacrifice and a place of worship,” I respectfully answered. “That’s right,” He said. You see, when the enemy began to talk to Balaam and to try to confuse him, attempting to convince him to curse what God had blessed, Balaam came back with a word of his own. He said, “Balak, build me seven altars.” Imagine that! Balaam ordered his enemy to build him seven places of worship. Balaam essentially said, “Don’t just build me one. Build me seven altars.” In other words, “By the time

I get through worshipping at all of these altars, whatever the Lord says will be settled, and the enemy’s plan will be done away with through God’s power to perform.” Amazingly, the enemy built the seven places of worship for Balaam. Instead of complaining about what’s going wrong in your life—the bad finances and the constant family struggles, build an altar to your Lord and Savior and start to praise Him for every circumstance in your life. Praise is a key dimension God uses to flow His power to perform and transform into your life. When your heart is right and when God sees that He can trust you, then He releases His power to perform (continued on page 65) November/December 2006

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Maybe you’ll come to the altar with the lie that your marriage is about over. Don’t worry. God says that your marriage will be transformed. So, leave that lie on the altar, and come up higher—up where the presence of the Lord dwells. MEET WITH HIM, BUT REMAIN QUIET And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. (Numbers 23:16). The Lord met Balaam, put a simple and critical word into his mouth, and told him, “Go again.” Daughter of God, here’s your simple revelation: You’re about to go again. The last time you stepped out in Jesus’ name, you may have failed the test, but now you’re about to go again. Things may look bad, but go again to the altar, and watch how Jesus will resolve your crisis. This time, you’re going to the altar with more of His power and more of His authority. This time, you’ve met with God, and He has put a word in your mouth. His life changing Word says, in essence: “My daughter, you can do it!” The enemy will not give up so easily: And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken? (Numbers 23:17)

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out of the presence of the Lord, after meeting Him at the altar, you don’t have to announce it. You don’t have to tell the devil: “I’ve been in the throne room of the Most High God, and now I’ve got a burning word in my belly. You cannot touch the anointing that’s upon me. And I’m coming after you.” In fact, you won’t have to say a word. When you come out of God’s presence this time, the enemy will see the Father’s glory on your face. So, you won’t need to tell him where you’ve been. He’ll know it just by the way you look and by your manner. Of course, the devil is forever curious about how to bring you down, so he’ll probably still ask you, “What hath the Lord spoken?” And, yes, you do know what the Lord has spoken to you, but you don’t need to share that revelation with the enemy in words. You only need to answer through your faith and your faith-filled actions. How does this revelation apply in practice to your daily life? Some of you reading now will return back after prayer to your situations that have been pressing you down, expecting to verbally hurl scriptures in the atmosphere and scream rebukes at the enemy in order to calm the raging seas of your life. Instead of saying a word to the areas of need in your life, just stand back and watch the walls of confusion quickly fall, as the proof of God’s power is evident through the presence of His glory on your face. So, go after a real encounter with God, one that goes beyond soft music, and the surface display of emotions. Rather, seek an encounter with God, in which His presence leaves you speechless. This Article is an excerpt from Dr. Yvonne Capehart’s book Dawn to Destiny.

It may seem strange to some that Balaam didn’t answer his enemy, but when you come out of worship and

through you, saying, “Okay, she’s about ready for My next blessing, for My next transformation in her life.”

LEAVE YOUR PROBLEMS AT THE ALTAR

After Balak built the seven altars, Balaam offered up his sacrifice to God. Then he said a very interesting thing to Balak: “Now you stay here at the altar while I go meet the Lord.” Can you imagine that? Once the enemy builds you a place of worship, leave him at the altar while 65

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you go meet with the Lord. Balaam essentially commanded his enemy to stay there at the altar while he went to meet with God. As you are reading, I believe that God would say to you today: Bring all of your problems to the altar and leave them there. Then, come up to a higher place to meet Me. You don’t need to stay there struggling with your troubles.

While you’re there at the altar, tell the enemy to

“stay there”. while you go and meet with the Lord. Make it clear what you want him to do. He is to stay behind while you advance into God’s presence. At this point, I asked God, “Lord, why did Balaam need to leave the enemy there and go up higher?” The Lord revealed to me that it wasn’t so much the act of bringing the enemy to the altar that was significant, but that we bring the lie to the altar. Whatever the enemy has said about you that is a lie, place that lie on the altar, since a lie cannot remain in the presence of the Lord.

Instead of complaining about what’s going wrong in your life- the bad ﬁnances and the constant family struggles,

build an altar to your Lord and Savior and start to praise Him for every circumstance in your life. November/December 2006

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From the

Heart of a Worshiper By Judy Jacobs Tuttle

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aving grown up on a farm, my weekdays were filled with school and farm chores, Wednesday night church and revival meetings at least four of five times a year.

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ut the time I most looked forward to was weekends. While most teenagers were involved in sports’ activities or spending time with the wrong crowd, my sisters and I were traveling across the country singing in churches and camp meetings. However, not long into my Christian journey I realized that music in itself would not get me through this thing called life. God began to teach me the importance of learning how to become a

true worshiper in the midst of life, and learning how to abandon my will to His sovereign will. As a small child, my heart’s desire was to have an affect on the church and the kingdom of God. Jesus used one of the greatest examples of the kingdom when He placed before his disciples a child. Then He said, whoever wants to be the greatest in the Kingdom, must become as this little child. (Matthew 18:4, Amplified) The becoming is where we sometimes get stuck, confused and disillusioned. Some have

said, “If you will just give your heart to Jesus, everything will come up sunshine and roses.” But the Word of God warns us in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” To press into the “more” of God and worship Him in spirit and in truth, we must understand that we will go through times when we weep, mourn and suffer loss; but yet, we can still experience His steadfast love and unspeakable joy. Worship

is something we should do all of the time, not just when we are on top of things, but we should worship in the hard times also. I don’t wait until I go to church to breathe, but I breathe all of the time because that is what keeps this human body alive. In the same way, worship and praise is what 69

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keeps the spirit alive. Therefore, my mouth shall be filled with praise (see Psalm 71:8) all of the time. Through all of the difficult seasons, we have to come to a point where we look adversity in the face and say, I don’t need to understand everything, because, “As the heavens are higher than

the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”. (Isaiah 55:9). God never instructed us to understand the Lord thy God with all your heart, but He did say we should “love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Luke 10:27). Even though we can’t see a November/December 2006

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True worship brings forth many responses in the lives of believers that totally change any circumstance or problem.

way out, we can still lift our heads, our hearts and our voices in worship, knowing that when we do, we set ourselves up to receive all the best the Father has ordered for this particular season in our lives. King Solomon penned the words in Ecclesiastes 3:1 to encourage us through the different seasons of our lives. Some seasons we will welcome and embrace; others we will pray to overcome and still be standing, The real question is: How will we handle the pressure and what will make the difference when those seasons come? Sometimes the only thing we have left after life has dealt us a “season of hardship” is a song and a heart of worship. True worship brings forth many responses in the lives of believers that totally change any circumstance or problem. Here are some truths that are certain about worship:

WORSHIP BRINGS FORTH A SEASON OF DIVINE EXPECTATION.

When the children of Israel were marching around the walls of Jericho, the only thing they had was a word from Jehovah God. They expected those walls to crumble, simply because God had told Joshua that He had given him the city (see Joshua 6:2.) They knew their God was a God who would not fail and He would keep His word. Sometimes all you need is a word from the Lord to see your Jericho fall.

WORSHIP WILL SILENCE THE VOICE OF THE ENEMY.

For six days the people marched around the walls without saying a word. When the Enemy is coming against you, it is not a time to have questions and opinions, but it is a time to be still and listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. We get in trouble when we talk to other people or even to ourselves. The Bible says, “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21). While the inhabitants of Jericho stood on the walls and sneered, laughed, mocked and cursed Jehovah God, the people kept marching. On the seventh day when they marched around seven times, the earth began to move and shake and the walls fell. The Enemy’s voice was not only quieted, it was also destroyed.

WORSHIP REVEALS HIDDEN SECRETS IN YOUR LIFE.

Has there been a season in your life when you needed divine intervention and direction? The Bible says Daniel sought the Lord for three full weeks, asking Him to reveal the secret of the vision he had seen (see Daniel 10:12). When we wait on God in worship, He speaks the hidden things to our lives And we know . . . “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

WORSHIP BRINGS PEACE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A SEASON OF STORMS

(see Acts 7:59,60). This is the kind of peace that

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is beyond understanding. It is the same peace Stephen experienced when loud outbursts of hate and malice were thrust at him. God’s Word describes Stephen’s experience: “When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:54-56). Then the Bible says that he fell on his knees, lifted his voice and began to worship. Some even said that he had the face of an angel (see 6:15). When you’re facing a tumultuous storm in your life, you may not have the face of an angel, but you can experience the peace and power of God through worship. Though the storm rages and all around is confusion you know in your heart that God is in control and you don’t have to worry. In essence, God wants you to know that He doesn’t expect you to fix your problems. All He wants you to do is invite Him to get into the midst of your problems through your worship. When you do, worship brings forth hope, expectation and His mighty peace and presence in your life.

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HIS PRESENCE

By Bishop Bobby Hilton A SPIRITUAL PLACE

e must comprehend that we need His presence to obtain our destiny. The presence of God is a spiritual place where His thoughts, plan, and purpose are illuminated in our spirit. Here, the atmosphere is most ripe for lives to be transformed. Divine help is summoned as God commands His angelic host on our behalf, so that no obstacle can hinder us from fulfilling our purpose.

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Jonathan N. Fox

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Many believers can personally relate to the awesome and profound effect being in His presence has upon us. When the glory of the Lord is in the sanctuary, it is almost impossible to just sit and gaze and be ambivalent about what is happening. When people enter into His presence, their legs might get weak. Hands often go up in the air and tears roll down their eyes. Heads may be lifted up toward Heaven or humbly bowed down. Some people may kneel before the LORD while others choose to lay prostrate. We may hear words of thanksgiving, honor, adoration, and even repentance being uttered. And others may be in total awe and unable to speak any words, but yet have an attitude of worship. Even those who may not have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will usually “feel something.” During these intimate moments, people might look at you as if something is wrong. If you get

the opportunity, just let these individuals know that contrary to what they were thinking, you were not in any pain and nothing was wrong. They should know that what they observed was the overwhelming and overpowering desire to worship that comes from being in His presence.

EXPECT GOD TO SHOW UP Sometimes I wonder if the saints of God are really coming to church expecting Him to show up. Many church people seem to be looking at what others are doing or saying rather than moving in and experiencing the flow of His glory. I find that those who reverence His presence pay no attention to what’s happening around them. People truly experiencing His presence are not focusing on how they look, where they are, or what the time is. When believers reach this level of intimacy

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MOSES’ REQUEST Moses personally experienced the power of the presence of the LORD on numerous occasions. He was an eyewitness to the plagues that came upon Egyptians and the subsequent release of the children of Israel. He saw the LORD part the Red sea with a strong east wind, so the children of Israel could escape the Egyptians by crossing on dry land. When the LORD called him up to the top of Mount Sinai to commune with Him and be in His presence, Moses came down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments. In Exodus, chapter 33, we find Moses at a critical stage in his life where he is being used(continued on page 78)

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Intensely by God. He was in the middle of leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land when he made a request of God. The people had just sinned by worshipping the golden calf and Moses interceded for them. Because of his intercession, God spared their lives. Their conversation:

Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may ﬁnd grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence Go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here That I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people That are upon the face of the earth. And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou Hast spoken: for thou hast found Grace in my sight, And I know thee by name. (Exodus 33:13-17)

It is always a privilege and an honor when the LORD allows us to experience His presence. No man can physically see His face and live, but we can spiritually see and feel His glory. His presence changes the atmosphere. His glory changes situations. The glory of God causes the immutable Word of God to be manifested in our lives.

God or the devil. Eve chose sin and death to get what only life could give. If she had chosen the Tree of Life, Adam and Eve would have fulfilled their destiny and had everything they desired. This article is an excerpt from Bishop Bobby Hilton’s book Destined For Glory” Fulfilling God’s Purpose & Plan For Your Life

ABIDE IN HIS PRESENCE Abiding in the presence of the LORD is pivotal as we seek to know His will for our lives. It is in His presence that we are able to successfully fulfill divine purpose. His presence gives us direction so that we operate in a godly manner at all times. As we do this, glory and honor will be ours. We will experience His abundance, majesty, magnificence, and radiant brilliance. I want to return one last time to the Garden of Eden. No child of God should ever think he or she has to leave God’s presence and go to the enemy for the things they need or desire. When our heart’s desires line up with God’s desires, He will give them to us because He gets the glory. The serpent was able to convince Eve that he was willing to offer her something that God would not. Eve was tricked into eating the forbidden fruit because she thought it offered her something that God did not want her to have. In her lustful desire to be as wise as God, Eve forgot about the Tree of Life that had everything she could ever imagine or desire. When Eve ate the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the implications of her decision involved much more than eating a physical piece of fruit. Eve was making a spiritual decision. That spiritual decision was to follow November/December 2006

Seasons of a Woman’s Life By Lois Evans The Call Now in Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai… And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, His uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. (Esther 2:5-7)

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he first seed that should be planted in the heart of a godly woman is the seed God calls. But what does it mean to be called by God? Every woman who walks with the Lord has a different story to tell about how He reached out and drew her to Himself. My own story centers on the influence of my family. If you read the story of Esther, you’ll see that she came from the culture of the Jews. They were believers in the Lord with a rich tradition of faith and godliness. Like Esther, tradition and spiritual mentors also surrounded me. My parents and family lived a devout life in front of me, so it was easy and natural for me to believe and accept the importance of God’s call. At the age of twelve, when I said yes to Jesus Christ, I made a decision to be His disciple. I knew that meant that I would be different. I knew I would be required to have a testimony for Him. I knew that He wanted me to make a difference in the world. And where did I receive that type of information? Again, I received it from my traditions—from the words and actions of my parents.

and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). Some people will not make it into God’s heaven, even though their pardon has already been signed. Jesus has signed it, but we have to personally receive it. That means answering His call. And once you have received Him, you are transformed into a new creation. Do you realize how exciting that is to have another chance, and this time to do everything with the help and encouragement of the Holy Spirit? Maybe you have forgotten who you really are. If so, please let me remind you. If you have received Jesus Christ into your life, you are a joint heir with Him. That means everything that happened to Jesus is afforded to us as believers. He died, and we too have to die daily to the things of this world. He Himself told us that we would suffer persecution. But that’s not the end of the story. He arose, and we arise with Him in victory and power. If we live life focusing on who we are—joint heirs with Christ—we can get through the difficult times, because there is hope. There is joy

ahead. There is a promise waiting to be fulfilled. Just as God has chosen each of us for a particular plan and purpose, God also chose people in the Old Testament. They sometimes found themselves in trouble due to their disobedience. In the book of Esther, the Jews were in bondage, having been taken captive by the mighty Persian kingdom. But Mordecai, Esther’s uncle and guardian, was a godly man who continued to wail and bemoan before God his people’s desperate need. He knew he could call on God because God had called on him and the rest of the Jews to be His people. When desperate needs come up in our lives, we tend to forget who we are and to whom we belong. If we have responded to His call, the Lord can take care of our problems. He can even use the bad and the ugly issues of our past and begin weaving them together into His kingdom plan. God had a significant purpose for Esther in history. She lived every day knowing that she was His child and that something good was going to come out of the Jews’ difficult circumstances. She placed her confidence in God and trusted the wisdom of her uncle Mordecai. We, too, should place all our

Maybe you have forgotten who you really are. If so, please let me remind you. If you have received Jesus Christ into your life, you are a joint heir with Him.

LISTENING FOR YOUR CALL

Why does God call us, planting the seed of discipleship in our hearts?? He calls us because He loves us. He calls us because, before the foundation of the world, each of us was foreseen and designed in every intricate detail. If you haven’t read Psalm 139, this would be a good time for you to do so. You’ll discover there that God had your days ordered before you were ever born. Once you answer His loving call, at the point of salvation, you enter into that glorious, divine plan, devised especially for you by our Sovereign God. Salvation calls you into a new relationship with God for all eternity. You are not a chance happening. You are one of a kind. There is no one else on this planet that has your plan. That’s why you can relax in the face of trouble and temptation, because you are more than a conqueror in Jesus Christ. There are many wonderful Scriptures that speak of our salvation. In Romans 5 we read that even though we were doomed for a lost eternity, God reached down and saved us. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

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Our call is an invitation into a uniquely designed life role,

That means everything that happened to Jesus is afforded to us as believers.

a role that God has equipped us to carry out.

Despite our sin, He made a way out of no way. “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus 81

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confidence in an all-knowing God. And we should spend time listening to those who know God really well, those who will go to God on our behalf.

OUR HIGHER CALLING

Many women are satisfied to be saved and on their way to heaven, not realizing that the Lord has a divine purpose for them on earth. Each woman the Lord calls to Himself is designed to use her gifts, talents, and skills to promote His kingdom. God does more than call us into salvation. He calls us into His service. Salvation offers to each of us a new purpose in history. But maybe you’re asking yourself an important question: What exactly is God’s call? Is it a voice in the night? Is it a sign in the heavens? How can we recognize God’s call? I believe that God’s call is a compulsion you just can’t shake. No matter how hard you try, it keeps coming up. Is there something like that in your life? Is there something you keep avoiding? Why don’t you talk it over with your Christian friends and ask God for confirmation of it? Then, once you’re sure it’s His call, say, “Yes, Lord!” You needn’t worry. Whatever His call requires of you, He will provide you with the resources to get the job done. What’s more, you will experience the matchless joy of knowing that you are right where you belong. 83

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Besides that unrelenting call, God also orchestrates people, places, and things in our lives in order to lead us to the place He has for us. As we focus on Him. He steers us into His perfect will (Proverbs 3:5-6). God orchestrated events for Esther so that she was in the right place at the right time. Then Mordecai’s wise guidance helped her look beyond herself to something much bigger. In my own life, G od used godly parents to bring me into His plan for me. Every aspect of my call, from personal salvation to practical service, was uniquely orchestrated by God. Salvation gives us resurrection power. Salvation brings us into God’s adopted family. Salvation also delivers us from a purposeless existence. Esther could go on, overcoming her fears and following her instructions, because she had a goal in mind. By God’s grace, individuals who held the same principles surrounded her. Our call is an invitation into a uniquely designed life role, a role that God has equipped us to carry out. When Esther ascended to the Persian throne, it was more than a Cinderella story come true. God had moved her into a strategic position for His purposes. Not only had Esther’s physical and temperamental loveliness propelled her far beyond the competition, but she also went on to show that she was mentally tough enough to handle a position of responsibility.

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God showed me at fifteen that He had a purpose for my life. I let the Lord know that I was available but scared. Despite all my worries, He took the little seed of faith I carried down that aisle, planted it in good soil, and began the Season of Seed-Planting in my life. What about you? Have you heard and answered His call? You have a choice. You can follow the example of Esther, obeying, listening to her mentors, believing in the calling she had among her people. Or you can resist Him, questioning the “senseless” orders He seems to have given. I hope you’ll say yes when He says, “Follow me.” The road won’t always be easy, but He will never leave you or forsake you. And as you step into the Season of Seed-Planting, He will not be silent. He has promised, as you move through the seasons of your life, that…

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Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you

turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21) This article is an excerpt from Lois Evans’ book Seasons of a Woman’s Life.

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THE EQUIPPING MINISTRY OF JESUS by Bishop E. Lynn Brown

he essential concept of ministry in the church stems from the life and work of Jesus himself. “The Son of man,” He said,” came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45). This summary statement is very important in any study of the equipping ministry.

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Although the accounts in the four Gospels are tantalizingly brief, we know that Jesus practiced an equipping kind of leadership on earth. How did He go about it? First of all, He found others to minister. “He found Phillip,” John records, “and said to him, ‘Follow me’” (:43). Jesus continued to discover others who could minister. Some turned away because they would not meet the stringent demands of work in the kingdom (Luke 9:57-62). Jesus equipped others to minister by loving them (John 13:34), by teaching them (Matthew 5:2), by praying for them (Luke 22:39-41), and by training them on the job (Matthew 10:5, Luke 10:1). The preparation of ministers was a major concern of Jesus. Why? Could He not be satisfied with spectacular results of His own work? Thousands followed Him from place to place. He could scarcely find time to sleep or eat. Sometimes it was necessary for Him to flee from the multitudes. His name became a household word. Why then did He call others to service? Consider the purpose of the relationship of Jesus with His disciples. Of course, they enjoyed His masterful teaching. Of course, they were lazy days on the Sea of Galilee with great fellowship and laughter. Of course, He loved them and they loved Him. They were His friends (John 15:15). But the purpose of it all – what was the purpose of it all? The mission of the twelve and of the seventy gives us a clue. Matthew says, “These twelve Jesus sent out” Matthew (10:5). Luke writes, “After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him” Luke (10:1). They were called to be sent. Here we have a significant key to the ministry of Jesus. He equipped others to perform a ministry of their own.

THE EQUIPPING OF PAUL The apostle Paul also practiced an equipping ministry. Some are prone to think of the great missionary to the Gentiles as a “lone eagle,” traveling in solitude throughout the Mediterranean basin with his message of salvation. What are the facts? Actually, Paul carried on a kind of “walking seminary” throughout his missionary journeys. He surrounded himself with those who could later go out on their own. At Lystra, he found Timothy to accompany him (Acts 16:3). Luke recorded that others had been enlisted in the Pauline band: “Sopater of Beroea, the son of Phyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tycyhicus and Trophimus” (Acts 20:4). Here was a small congregation Paul took with November/December 2006

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him as he traveled. Later Crescens and Demas joined the group, along with others. Mark, who started with him on the first journey and went home, later returned to the work. After mentioning Demas who deserted the cause, Paul wrote, “Crescens has gone to Galatia, Tutus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you; for he is very useful in serving me. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus” (II Timothy 4:10-12). These Scriptures indicate the kind of equipping ministry which Paul practiced. He found potential leaders as he traveled from city to city. In many cases, they were invited to accompany him, and they learned as they traveled. Later on, they were directed to their own place of ministry. Paul was true to the “equipping concept” which he sets forth in Ephesians 4:11. In his writing, Paul kept in mind those whom he was equipping for ministry. He insisted that Timothy pay strict attention to Scripture since it is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16). The church will always be in debt to Barnabas who helped sponsor Paul in his early ministry. Shunned by the disciples because they knew his reputation for persecuting Christian, Paul found in Barnabas the mentor he needed in his rise to leadership. This incident points up a real test of the equipping ministry. What happens when we recruit those whose abilities eclipse our own? Do we encourage the, or seek to thwart them in their mission? As God’s people called Christian Methodists, we have a ministry to carry out—both individually and corporately; we have a mission to perform. Jesus did not leave us with vague ideas about what we are to do. Instead, He gave us specific instructions on how to accomplish our mission. While He was on earth, He gathered His disciples together and gave them a vision of what His church is to accomplish. He gave the church a mission. Jesus presents that mission in Matthew 28:19-20, which is what we call the “Great Commission.”

Go, ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teach87

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“Jesus’ instruction for the church is to make and teach disciples. God has assigned the preacher/pastor/teacher to teach His people. The task of the pastor/teacher is to inform and inspire God’s people to do His work. Otherwise, there is the possibility that God’s people will get used to enjoying the blessings and neglect their job of going and making disciples.”

ing them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. In the Great Commission, Jesus presents disciple making as the goal and mission of church ministry. The church is to make disciples who will be obedient to the task and mission of living in the world and touching every aspect of life with God’s image and presence. Why is it so important for the church to make disciples? Disciples are people who have committed themselves to living totally under the Lordship of Christ in every aspect of life. They are spiritual people. They are the ones—the only ones—who can make the spiritual impact God desires in the world. Jesus’ instruction for the church is to make and teach disciples. God has assigned the preacher/ pastor/teacher to teach His people. The task of the pastor/teacher is to inform and inspire God’s people to do His work. Otherwise, there is the pos-

sibility that God’s people will get used to enjoying the blessings and neglect their job of going and making disciples. The pastor does not need to go looking for a program, a mission, or a focus, it has already been given—“to make disciples.” After all has been said about making and equipping disciples, and carrying out the mission of the Church, we must be reminded that the task is impossible from the human standpoint. If the task of the church is to make disciples, it is humanly impossible to fulfill this role by our strength alone. Where shall the power come from to facilitate our task? It is only through the presence of the resurrected Savior, living and reigning in his church, that the task can be faced and carried out. We have the assurance of His claim and authority: “All power in heaven and earth has been given unto me.” He has empowered and delegated that authority to his disciples. And since this is true, then the pastors and the church can go forth to make disciples with the greatest power in the universe in them. Finally, we also have His own words that we have all the help we need. In John 15:7-8, He instructs us: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” We are told in Matthew 28:20 that He will never leave us nor forsake

us: “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” If pastors go forth to equip and make disciples without His presence, they are doomed, “for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). If they go at His command and with His power, they shall conquer all obstacles and realize anew the blessings of the early church in Acts 2:47, “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Yes! The dry bones will live again in spite of the rumor that they are dead.

“To Him be glory, in Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end; Amen!” (Ephesians 2:14-18) This article is an excerpt from Bishop E. Lynn Brown, 46th Bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is Presiding Bishop of the Ninth Episcopal District book The Pastor as an Enabling and Equipping Disciple

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The Work of Prayer

PART 3

by Patrick Morley

a three part series explaining a paradigm for life based upon The Lord’s Prayer-

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worship, renewal, and kingdom

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The Word of GOD

Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. (I Kings 8:28)

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HIS IS THE FINAL IN A THREE PART SERIES explaining a paradigm for life based upon the Lord’s Prayer-worship, renewal, and kingdom: WoRK.

In the last issue we introduced renewal. In this issue we will look at kingdom-God’s kingdom program. There is a now-famous interview that Roy Firestone had with an athlete on his television show Up Close. Roy interviewed a man who is 250 pounds of pure muscle and athleticism. In fact, he is one of the best big men playing currently in the NBA. At that time he had taken his team to back-to-back world championships. He’s been an all-star 12 times. He speaks five languages. He’s not from this country, but he is now a citizen. Firestone said, “Your teammates tell me that every time you hit the hardwood, you give 110%. They say that you run wind sprints until you can’t run them anymore, you practice hook shots by the hour, and if you’re in a scrimmage, you’ll go for every loose ball as if you’re in the NBA finals. Why? You’re one of the best. Why not just take it easy and enjoy it.” The answer was incredible. This athlete said, “Roy, you need to know something. Every time I step on the hardwood, I’m not going to work. I’m going to worship. How dare I not give back to God everything that He has given to me with joy and thanksgiving.” This man is a Muslim. His name is Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwon. He doesn’t know God or Jesus Christ at all. And yet, he believes what we should believe. He believes that everything thing he does is a part of God’s kingdom program.

GOD’S KINGDOM PRIORITIES

Once a man has worshipped the Lord and renewed himself in the gospel, he will be ready for action, but what? We begin by thinking about God’s kingdom and will: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” Kingdom: “Your kingdom come….” The third part of this model, based on Matthew 6:10, is “Kingdom”-to bring yourself into alignment with The Kingdom Program, aka “God’s To Do List.” We do this first through prayer. We pray that His kingdom and will might invade the world. We ponder what God is doing and wanting to do in the world and offer intercession for both believers and non-believers. We think about God’s plan to set apart a people for Himself and ask Him to show us our part in the Kingdom plan this day. We wonder, “What does God want to do today? What does He hope to accomplish?” We discover his will in John 6:35-40: Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For 91

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I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” The promise of Christ is that His kingdom agenda is moving forward everyday. We can join Him in this work by living in dependence and faith on Him. When we love our spouse, disciple our kids, do our work with excellence, pray for a hurting friend, reach out to a neighbor who does not know Christ, or join a group of men for Bible Study and accountability, we are joining God in His kingdom program. We are putting feet to our prayers.

TROUBLE AND HOPE

Because of the Fall we must do our work while feeling the prick of thorns. There is no doubt that we will endure troubles and suffering in this world. Think of Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares or his promise that the world would hate us also. But we also know God is creating, sustaining, and redeeming a people for Himself against the Fall. He is patient, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. Jesus says, “Take heart for I have overcome the world.”We learn He is building His kingdom-His family-and wants to send out workers (WoRKers?) into His harvest field, people who will build the kingdom and tend the culture, people who will give themselves to the ministry of reconciliation, people compelled by the love of God to share this good news. And we go, because even in the midst of difficulty we have a sure hope that we will eventually triumph with Christ.

Satan will coach his team to play soft in the first half, and let men think they’re winning. Since these men are flabby, they don’t know how to block and tackle. They don’t have the right equipment. In the first half they are merely ignorant, but by the second half, lulled, they are also cocky. They swagger around like inexperienced teenagers. The problem is that these guys are going to get creamed. Satan will decimate them-he will addict them to money, success, possessions, power, prestige, and pornography. He will use these weaknesses to call plays that end in adultery, divorce, children who hate them, lapses of integrity, financial disasters, alcohol, drugs, violence, greed, pettiness, and self-absorption. These men need teammates who can stand with them and teach them the game. They need men like us who will realize that the only really important thing in life is God’s kingdom program, since that is what life is all about in the first place. We need to learn the plays from God for ourselves, then get on the field and teach other men. If we don’t, we will lose another generation of American men. Dr. Sherry McKenzie is one of my professors at Seminary, and he’s also on our Board of

Directors at Man in the Mirror. In the 1950’s as a young Lieutenant military Chaplain in Germany, he began to preach the Gospel on the base and it seemed that nobody was responding. Finally, a young man came to him one day and said, “You know, I think I’m missing it.” Sherry said to the young soldier, “After the service today, I am going to be out underneath the large tree outside the chapel, why don’t you come see me and we can talk about it?” The young man came, and he and Sherry began to pray. They prayed that God would reveal himself to this young man. The next week the young man brought a couple of other young men, and soon those two men brought a few others. After several weeks had gone by, there were 40 men meeting every week out under a tree to pray. This whole military base had been suffering spiritually when Sherry came. By the time he left there were prayer groups on every floor in every barracks of this military base. Why? Because one young man was afraid that he would miss God’s kingdom. And because there was one man in tune with God’s kingdom program who could help him find it.

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APPLICATION AND REFLECTION 1. How in tune are you with God’s kingdom program? Where has God worked in your life today? How could you become more aware of what he wants to do in and through you? 2. Say a brief prayer asking God to reveal how you can be a part of his kingdom program. Pray for his kingdom to come and his will to be done in your life. Business leader, author, and speaker, Patrick Morley helps men to think more deeply about their lives, to be reconciled with Christ, and to be equipped for a larger impact on the world. ©2000. Patrick M. Morley. All rights reserved. This may be reproduced with proper attribution for non-commercial purposes.

THE NEED

All around us are men who have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. According to a survey conducted by Barna Research only 8,000,000 men are involved in discipleship. That’s out of 98,000,000 men in America-every 12th man. This would be like coaching a football team with only one man who actually knows how to play the game. Eleven barely know enough to be able to watch, much less play, the game. But they will not be allowed to watch. his is the game of life, and everyone will play. Problem: On the other side of the line of scrimmage the coach, Satan, has disguised his players as success, comfort, piety, sexual pleasure, money, and other tempting idols.

November/December 2006

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men of valor

men of valor friends in the biblical sense. Most men have many acquaintances but lots of men have no real friends. And the truth is that it is impossible for a man to stay on track without friends. It’s not that he will probably get off track. It’s absolutely certain that a man who does not bind himself to other men will lose his way.

Made for Relationships

The Word of GOD

“You need men in your life with whom you can “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2)

Why You Need a Band of Brothers by David Delk

Tom recently shared with me the story of Bill, an old friend of his who he reconnected with about a year ago. Bill was at a turning point in his life and expressed a desire to get together. Since then, Tom has been meeting with Bill every week. During that time, Bill has consistently taken two steps forward and three steps back in his spiritual life. Tom has felt frustrated, taken for granted, angry, and ambivalent – and sometimes all at the same time. The other day Bill and Tom were at lunch and Tom shared again with Bill the joy of complete surrender to Jesus Christ. Bill was at the breaking point. At 57 years old, he finally shared how sexual 93

November/December 2006

addiction was ruling and ruining his life. In a spirit of brokenness, he’s now ready to move forward. Tom and he are going to attend a group meeting together for Bill to begin the process of healing. What did God use to break through strongholds that had been present for thirty years in Bill’s life? Was it some brilliant theological insight? Or perhaps a new counseling technique honed from years of research studies? Was it the perfect book that opened Bill’s eyes? It was none of these things.

God used a friendship. Men and Friends

Men today battle an insidious loneliness. The world tells them to fill this void with success, power, activity, sex, money, building the perfect family, living through their kids, technology, toys, and on and on. Every time a man realizes one substitute is empty the world puts another one forward as the answer to his longing. Most men are surrounded by people. They work with men. They have neighbors on both sides. They may attend a church on Sunday mornings and sit in the crowd. They may even call some of these people friends. But in most cases they are not

Why do we have such a deep-seated need for friendships? Consider Genesis 1. In that chapter five times – at the end of each day – God says the things he made were “good.” And at the end of the sixth day, after he had made man, he said it was “Very Good.” So if you were listening to this account, you would hear the repetition – “it was good…it was good…it was good…it was good…it was good…it was very good.” So imagine your surprise when you got to Genesis 2:18 and heard “…it was not good.” What was not good? “It was not good for man to be alone.” God is three persons in one being. He has existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from eternity. They are an eternal band of brothers in the trinity. Adam as a single person could not fully live out the image of God without being in a relationship with another person. Marriage is the most intimate of these relationships, but the scriptures teach the power and necessity of other types of relationships as well. So if you are not living in authentic relationships it is impossible for you to do what you were made to do – to reflect the image of God through your life. And in a world of temptation and struggle it will be impossible for you to stay on track.

Why Leaders Need a Band of Brothers

More than anyone else, leaders need authentic friendships. Not only are leaders in special need of accountability because of their position (James 3:1), but leaders need even more encouragement and support because of the difficulty of their work. Leaders also need to be part of a shared mission. Your effectiveness as a leader will always be limited if you strike out on your own to do things by yourself. You need to learn to compromise, submit, and ally yourself with the mission of others. This is what it means to be the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12). Biblically, God’s calling on you to be part of the body is equal to his calling on your life in your area of passion. There are things we learn by being in a team that we cannot learn any other way. And there are things that God does through us in a team that He will not do any other way. It may be that God’s first call on your life as a leader is to bind yourself with other men, and then to pursue the passion He has given you. Most leaders do it the other way around. They have a dream from God and they pursue it above all else. If other men want to join them, fine. But if those men don’t agree or aren’t headed in the same direction on the same time frame then these leaders leave them behind without a thought. The scriptures teach something else. The scriptures

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teach that we should work together as a body to help every Christian become mature in Christ. It’s almost certain that God won’t give you a dream without providing the context of relationships for it to be lived out. Don’t abandon relationships quickly or easily. Perhaps God has things for you there that you won’t get anywhere else. Perhaps your ideas aren’t as good as you think. Perhaps you need to be on a different time table. Whatever the case, submit yourself to a band of brothers for the glory of God. That’s why Man in the Mirror is creating a community for leaders who disciple men – so they can connect for encouragement, learning, and greater efficiency. That’s what The Fourth Seed is all about – creating a dialogue among leaders who disciple men. It’s a great tool for you and your leadership team to use to deepen your friendships with one another. No matter the models of our culture, don’t go it alone as a leader. Allow God to place you in a band of brothers. Serve them, love them, fight for them – and allow them to do the same for you. Would you like three sample monthly issues of this complimentary newsletter or information about our dynamic church based men’s events and follow-up program? Call us at 1-800-929-2536.

What God Does Through Relationships

God uses relationships to encourage us to keep the faith and walk with Christ. You need friends who can “stimulate you to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). You need men in your life with whom you can “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). The great commandment of Christ is to “Love the lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Having casual acquaintances isn’t good enough – we need to bind ourselves to a few other men who can help us become all God intends for us to be. This can be difficult. It’s often easier to just do our own thing without taking the time and energy to let another man get close. But like many things that are convenient, it’s also counterfeit. God uses real friendships to shape and mold us for His glory.

November/December 2006

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men of valor

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Today millions of men in

Steps that will bring you more spiritually closer to Christ and his word.

America woke up ready to hear a credible explanation of how Christian faith could change their futile lives. Most of these men will go to bed tonight without getting one.

FIVE STEPS

How to Lead a Man

to Christ by Patrick Morley

Here are ﬁves steps to be a soul winner.... STEP ONE: Pray for men. Ask God to put “prepared” men on your heart. STEP TWO: Make an appointment. Take the men God puts on your heart to breakfast, lunch, or out for a cup of coﬀee. STEP THREE: Listen. Ask a man, “Where are you on your spiritual pilgrimage?” I’ve only had one man out of thousands I’ve asked in nearly 30 years who wasn’t interested in talking about it. STEP FOUR: Share your testimony. STEP FIVE: Explain how to receive Christ.

The Word of GOD

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the 95 November/December 2006 Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19)

This article focuses on the final two aspects of leading a man to Christ. First, you should be able to give him the testimony of how you became a Christian. Second, you should be able to show him God’s plan of salvation in the Bible.

STEP FOUR: HOW TO GIVE YOUR TESTIMONY

The example of your changed life will (usually) do more to “draw” a man to Jesus than anything else. However, it is not enough for men to see you are different-they need to know why. For that, you will have to speak. Once you’ve listened and sense a man knows you are on his side, give him your testimony. Your own story is 100 times more pow“When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I whospeak to you am he.”’

erful than telling him the “theology” of Christianity alone. Be prepared to do this in not more than 10 minutes, but also in 3 minutes if the time is short. In equal time segments tell him three things...

memorize a 3-minute testimony. Pick words that sparkle and emote. Mark Twain said, “A powerful agent is the right word.” And you know what would happen if Michael Jordan didn’t practice.

•BEFORE: What was your life like before you embraced Jesus? Empty, confused, lonely, disillusioned, futile, lacking significance, without purpose, successful but still not happy? As much as possible, relate your story to his story.

STEP FIVE: HOW TO LEAD A MAN TO CHRIST USING YOUR BIBLE

•HOW: How did you come to profess faith in Jesus? Where? Who showed you the way? Why did you respond? Be sure to mention God’s love and holiness, conviction of your sins, hunger for truth, understanding who Christ is, repentance, and faith in Jesus. •AFTER: What has Christ done in your life since? Pick areas that have changed which relate to his struggles. A CHALLENGE: If you are serious about sharing Christ with men, don’t shoot from the hip. Take a couple of hours and write out, practice, and

If it is not already clear to you ask, “(Name), has there ever been a time in your life when you have personally put your faith in Christ to forgive your sins and receive the gift of eternal life?” If ‘yes,’ ask him to describe it. If he can give a clear testimony, congratulate him. If not, proceed as though he answered ‘no.’ If ‘no,’ say, “May I take a few minutes and explain what Christians believe about who Jesus is, why He came, and what believing in Him means?” Then, look up the following verses and read them together. Make sure he reads the words for himself, whether silently or out loud. Idea: Mark Bible pages you want to look up (continued on page 97) November/December 2006

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men of valor

with Post Its. Number them 1, 2, 3, and so on.

1. Who is Jesus?

He is the Savior. John 4:25-26 says, ‘The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”’

He is God. Hebrews 1:3 says, “The son is the radiance of God’s glory and exact representation of his being....” Colossians 1:15 says, “He is the image of the invisible God....” Colossians 2:9 says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” In John 14:9 Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” In John 10:30 Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.”

He is the only way to the Father. In John 16:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

2. Why did Jesus come?

To seek the lost. In Luke 19:10, Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Once you’ve listened and sense a man knows you are on his side, give him your testimony. Your own story is 100 times more powerful than telling him the “theology” of Christianity alone.

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To save sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners....” To demonstrate God’s love. Romans 5:6-8, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” To atone for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

3. What does belief in Jesus mean?

We receive eternal life. John 3:16, Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We receive forgiveness of sins. 1 John 1:8-9, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” We become children of God. John 1:12, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

4. How do you become a follower of Jesus?

We become Christians through repentance and faith. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” Tell your man, “Nothing we do can ever make us good enough for God to love us. Instead, He loves us because He made us and Jesus died for our sins. We become a Christian by confessing that we are sinful and putting faith in Jesus to forgive of our sins and by grace give us the gift of eternal life. Prayer is the way we talk to God. Here is a suggested prayer. “Lord Jesus, I need you in my life. I confess that I am sinful and that I need a Savior. Thank you for dying for my sins. Thank you for offering me the gift of eternal life. By faith I now put my trust in you to forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal salvation. I invite you to change me and make me the man you want me to be. Amen.” After reading the prayer out loud, ask him if this prayer expresses the desire of his heart. If he

November/December 2006

says, “Yes,” then ask him to pray it out loud after you one phrase at a time. Congratulate him. Offer to help him grow. Invite him to church. Encourage him to share what he has done with loved ones. See if he would feel comfortable sharing it right away with someone in your presence. Make it a celebratory moment-on earth as it is in heaven.

RELATED PREVIOUS ISSUES OF A LOOK IN THE MIRROR...

#20. How to Introduce Executives to Christ #36. Reach 3: An Engaging Offer of Christ for Every Man #56. How to Talk About Jesus Without Sounding Like a Nut

2. Are there any other scriptural truths you would include in your presentation of the gospel? If so which ones? Business leader, author, and speaker, Patrick Morley helps men to think more deeply about their lives, to be reconciled with Christ, and to be equipped for a larger impact on the world. ©2001. Patrick M. Morley. All rights reserved. This may be reproduced with proper attribution for non-commercial purposes.

Would you like three sample monthly issues of this complimentary newsletter or information about our Success That Matters™ Seminar and follow-up program? Call us at 1-800-929-2536.

FOR DISCUSSION AND APPLICATION

1. Prepare your own 3-minute testimony and share it with men in your group as a role play. November/December 2006

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relationships

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The Masculine Battle Plan “Get on the Offensive” by Patrick Morley

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s I see it, if Satan can destroy the masculine heart, he’s won the battle. The problem is that I seem to be contradicting the majority of the teachings I have come across on this topic recently. I’m not, however, in total disagreement with what is being said, more perhaps in what is not being said. Within one weeks’s time almost every national broadcaster I listened to was giving the same advice to their listening audience. The topic being addressed on all of the programs had something to do with “Helping men with sexual purity”. Chuck Swindol gave the funniest presentation in saying that, “For men to stay pure, they needed to get the fastest set of Addidas they could (I’m assuming he was encouraging us to run from evil).” His advice was based on the story in Genesis 39 where Joseph was confronted by Potiphars wife. Joseph, rather than stay around and be caught in a compromising situation with her, left his cloak in her hand and ran. To the men who are in my men’s groups I give the same advice, “when you are being tackled by a prositute, RUN”. But I also add the following, “If you aren’t, don’t”. Most men flee when they should hold their ground and fight. You see, the advice I heard coming from all of the radio preachers was defensive in nature, RUN, FLEE, AVOID. Not one of them gave the offensive encouragement to STAY AND FIGHT. Even the

advice I’ve heard through the years of memorizing scripture, praying, going for a run, taking a cold shower, turning the TV or the computer off, all are based on the defensive strategy of avoiding evil. And all are based on the assumption that you, as a man, cannot handle hard situations, so get out of there as fast as you can. I take the opposite opinion - that men can handle hard situations - and that in the majority of lifes situations we need to stay the course.

One of the greatest movies of 2002 was “Saving Private Ryan”. On D-Day during the storming of Omaha beach, Tom Hanks, as Captain John Miller, is trapped along with his men by enemy gun fire. He had the choice to either stay pinned down in order to outlast the ammo the Germans had stockpiled, try to return to his boat or to move up the beach in order to take the German position out. He chooses to move his men up the beach, take the enemy position head on and secure the beach head. Yes, he could have chosen to hunker down or to run but instead he chose to leave his relatively safe position and lead his men to victory. He did this knowing that the struggle would be hard, but also knowing that his men’s lives were at stake. Saving Private Ryan was not the greatest movie of the year because it was a tale of weak men who ran, but because it showed that at the center of every man there is a warrior’s heart. A heart that was designed by God to fight the enemy at all costs, to be willing to die that others might live. Yes, I’ve heard it said that “The best offense is a good defense, but I think that the best offense is to be offensive. Tom Hanks advice to his men was “Get your butt in there and fight”. And my advice to men is to “Find out where the battle is and get there as soon as you can”. I believe the only victory that will last is the victory that is hard fought. The victory that is based on asking hard questions. Being willing to look at the “deep waters” that scripture say are at the heart of every man. (Proverbs 20:5) Let me be very upfront with you right now. If you are in the midst of outward sin, internet porNovember/December 2006

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The Word of GOD

Bless all his skills, O LORD, and be pleased with the work of his hands. Smite the loins of those who rise up against him; strike his foes till they rise no more.” (Deuteronomy 33:11)

“Whenever God delivers us from something, He replaces it with something better. He takes us ou t o f d a r k n e s s i n t o t h e l i g h t , out o f d e a t h i n t o l i f e , o u t o f lies into the truth,

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out of weakness into strength.” nography, extra marital relationships, any type of sexual impurity, you need to stop and get help. The days of you being a lone ranger, trying to win the battle on your own are over. In fact you will need more than a Tonto. You will need a Band of Brothers, a group of committed men to share openly about lifes struggles and daily temptations. Brothers who are in the battle themselves and who won’t let you play any more games. But all men need to go further than this. We need to get hold of a biblical game plan that is offensive in nature and I think I have found some basic principles in I Tim 4:15-16 that could help. Paul tells Timothy to … “Take pains with these things … Be absorbed in them … Pay close attention to yourself … Persevere … for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” I hate to say this, but most men are weenies, they don’t want to “Take pains, be absorbed, pay close attention, or persevere”. What most men want are just quick answers. We want out of difficult situations faster than you can shake a stick at them. When I get calls from men who are dealing with sexual tempation I get asked if I believe in deliverence. I ask them if they would like me to deliver them from all sexual desire or just some. They quickly say no, that they would like to keep their desire for their wives but want the other desires to be removed. I remind them that God doesn’t heal by partial killing. He comes to bring total life not partial death. The main point is that whenever God delivers us from something He replaces it with

something better. He takes us out of darkness into the light, out of death into life, out of lies into the truth, out of weakness into strength. God is not in the business of partially killing the passions in the masculine heart that will make it even harder for us to love those He has asked us to love. Instead, He wants to enlarge our passions so that women and men can see what real masculinity is. We need teachings today on how to be fully men that will let others be impacted, encouraged, and motivated to be the people God created them to be. The problem, as I see it, is that most men do not want to listen to Paul’s advice in I Tim. to “Pay attention to themselves”, or to “Persevere” either. It’s not that men do not ask themselves tough questions, it’s that they don’t ask themselves any questions at all. Most men want the band aid of “Change me Quick God”, not the healing balm that comes from the intense struggle of knowing your own heart. Men need to ask themselves tough questions like, •Why do I lust? •Why did I lust just then? •When did my lust problems begin?

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•Why is it hard to be honest?

and our bodies young and healthy. But what about the kind of illumination that begins with

•Why don’t I reveal this struggle to another man?

the core? Start enjoying the spiritual renewal

•Why do I run from difﬁcult situations with my children?

that comes from bright new perspectives from

•Why do I want quick answers, quick healing, quick deliverance? It might just be that when we begin to take great pains … pay attention to our lives … and persevere, that we might just bring salvation to ourselves and to those God has called us to love. Remember, our victory will not come by running from the battle, but by entering it. In the month’s ahead we will take a closer look at the specifics of God’s battleplan for victory in the area of sexual purity. See you on the journey. Remember Joshua 1:8 “Be strong and courageous”. 1242 2nd Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 Phone: 1-319-363-7172 / Fax: 1-319-363-7173 “Strengthening the Heart, Renewing the Mind, Empowering the Spirit”

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   

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married Christian women on topics from careers, identity, relationships, and wellness to forming support systems which minister, encourage, validate and empower. You’ll ﬁnd it in abundance at DestinysImage.com A different kind of online Christian Wives Network.

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Bless all his skills, O LORD, and be pleased with the work of his hands. Smite the loins of those who rise up against him; strike his foes till they rise no more.” (Deuteronomy 33:11)

DestinysImage.com

The Word of GOD

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. (Psalm 145:13)

Our

LOVE

IS HERE TO STAY Excerpts from Tony & Lois Evansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; daily devotionals book for couples

Our Love Is Here to Stay.

INCE GOD CREATED THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE, HEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THE ONE WHO HAS to make it work! We have been married thirty-four years. During this time we have had to face and communicate our way through financial struggles, job and ministry pressures, personality differences, child-rearing trials, and myriad other challenges that are the common lot of married couples. Thirty-four years ago we promised to weather the good and the bad and to do it together. There was no provision for circumstances, no matter how difficult, to overrule that commitment. Yet it is not just our human tenacity that has allowed us to weather the challenges the years have brought our way. The key is that Jesus Christ and His Word are the foundation of our lives. He is the centerpiece of our marriage relationship. He occupies the throne of our lives, and as such He is the One who makes the joys and pleasures of this wonderful union called marriage so meaningful to us. Over these years, God has given us many truths that have undergirded our relationship. Our Love Is Here to Stay is our way of sharing some of these truths with you so that, with the mighty help of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to experience the blessing of His presence in your home.

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WHAT MAKES A MAN?

he Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.” (Genesis 2:16-17) When God called Adam on the carpet for his sin, he tried to pin the blame on God Himself. “It was the woman You gave me who caused this mess!” (see Genesis 3:12). But God wasn’t buying it. Adam knew very well what God had commanded. God issued this command before He ever created Eve. So although Eve sinned first, Adam was the one God went looking for. The conversation God had with Adam points to a weakness in many homes today. Too many Christian husbands don’t really know what God has said about their responsibility to their wives and families. Many men in our culture tend to draw their identity not from God’s Word, but from their friends at work, the athletes they admire, or the images on television. But God’s definition of manhood is in direct conflict with the culture’s idea of what makes a man. Biblical manhood is the ability to put divine truth into action at home and on the job. No amount of strength, good looks, or liquid assets can improve a man’s performance from God’s perspective. Husband, if God is going to hold you accountable for what happens under your roof, you’d better get into the Book and find out what He has said. Then teach it to your family…and start leading.

THERE IS NOTHING MORE MANLY THAN THAT!

THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SUBMISSION Being found in appearance as a man, [Jesus] humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8)

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y mother had many struggles to overcome, raising eight children, putting many of her dreams and goals on hold. She submitted to God’s will for her life. I would often hear her say, “For His name’s sake.” My mother was not in a marriage and raising a family for herself, but for His name’s sake. What a role model! In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul tells us that Jesus was and is God Himself, equal in essence to the Father. But to accomplish our salvation, Jesus voluntarily laid aside the independent use of His deity and placed Himself under the absolute authority of His Father. Jesus joyfully submitted to the Father’s will, even though it meant going to the cross. When I consider what He did for me, I realize that the submission He asks of me is not only possible, but can be done with joy. It also helps me to remember that submission in marriage is not one-sided. As the leader in our home, Tony is called to submit to Christ as his head (I Corinthians 11:3). But the Bible says we as Christian wives are to submit to our husbands “as the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22; I Peter 3:1-6). I can submit to Jesus without reservation…and I can trust Him to honor my submission to Tony. (continued on page 111) November/December 2006

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CELEBRATE THE DIFFERENCE

“She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:23)

HAVE YOU HEARD IT…OR SAID IT? “WE’RE JUST NOT COMPATIBLE. WE’RE AS DIFFERENT AS NIGHT AND DAY.” In light of God’s design for marriage, this is one of the most obvious statements a husband or wife could make. Of course you’re different! I don’t hear a young man complaining about the differences between men and women when he gets ready to walk down the aisle and marry the young lady who has captured his heart. He’s ecstatic that she isn’t just like him! The reason a husband and wife need each other is because they are different. One of the sweetest blessings God has given me is a woman who has a personality totally different from mine. I’m an outgoing, exuberant, public personality, while Lois is sedate and serene. Because our personalities are in contrast, when I’m too outgoing, her reserve pulls me back. And when she is too reserved, my enthusiasm pulls her forward. Occasionally this causes friction, but those are minor distractions. Our goal remains to make our God given differences work for us instead of against us. When God brought Eve to Adam, he recognized immediately how distinctly different she was from him—and he was excited about those differences. Adam also knew that Eve was part of him—she made him complete and drove away his loneliness.

THE CREATOR KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING.

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COMMUNICATION DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN

You are Christ’s body and individually members of it. (I Corinthians 12:27)

S BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST, WE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF HIS BODY. That means we’re vitally connected to each other. Eye to hand. Brain to toe. Lungs to heart. A healthy human body functions because it has a communication system.

Now think about your marriage. Jesus said that when a man and woman are joined in matrimony, “they are no longer two, but one flesh” (Matthew 19:6). That means to survive and thrive, you need to communicate with each other. Too many couples think good communication will “just happen.” But it takes work, because a marriage brings together two different people with different possibilities, and two different sets of experiences and assumptions. Man of the house…do you know how you can improve your communication skills almost overnight? Work as hard to communicate with your wife now as you did when you were trying to win her. Back then, you jumped to turn off the TV if she called and wanted to talk. You had no problem finding cards that said what was on your heart. The flowers and candy were frequent. You talked about your plans and dreams

WHY STOP NOW? KILL THE BALL GAME, LOOK YOUR WIFE IN THE EYES, AND TELL HER YOU WANT TO TALK. YOU’LL BE ON YOUR WAY!

“Why stop now? Kill the ball game, look your wife in the eyes, and tell her you want to talk. You’ll be on your way!”

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HOW TO BE GOOD AND ANGRY Be angry, and yet do not sin. (Genesis 4:26)

F YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF ANGRY, YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY. God gets mad, too. The Bible says that God is angry at wicked people every day. Jesus Christ became so angry with the money changers and merchants misusing God’s house of worship that He made a whip and drove them from the temple. Anger is a normal human emotion. God built it into us so that when we see sin and wrong happening in our world, we will be stirred to do something about it. But we know that when it is mishandled or expressed inappropriately, anger can become sinful—and terribly destructive. When does anger cross the line from legitimate to lethal? •When it makes plans to hurt the one who made you angry. Now you’ve gone beyond being upset to seeking revenge. Only God is qualified to judge a situation and exact punishment. “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” God says (Romans 12:19). •When you attack the person and not the problem. One man said, “When my wife and I have an argument, she gets historical.” His friend said, “Don’t you mean hysterical?” “No,” he replied, “I mean historical. She goes back to the beginning and brings up everything I ever did.”

THAT’S NOT DEALING WITH THE ISSUE AT HAND, THAT’S A PERSONAL ATTACK, AND IT BECOMES DISPLEASING TO GOD.

ARE YOU AN IMPLODER OR A BUILDER?

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for ediﬁcation according to the need of the moment, so that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

FEW YEARS AGO, A HISTORIC BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN Dallas was imploded after all efforts to salvage it had failed. It was an impressive sight watching this multistory building quiver and then collapse in a matter of seconds. All it took was for the workmen to weaken some key support beams and plant some charges in strategic places. Sadly, it’s possible to “implode” our mate’s spirit and self-worth because the word unwholesome here means “rotten.” It was used of rotten fruit, rotten vegetables—even decomposed bodies. Paul is saying that kind of speech belongs in the garbage can with yesterday’s leftovers. It belongs in the graveyard. We may live in a “trash talking” culture, but you don’t have to bring that rotten mess home! Instead of tearing your mate or kids down with your words, make it your commitment to build them up. That’s exactly what it means to edify others. We build people up when we speak appropriate, grace-producing words—even in correction or rebuke. The difference between the right word and the wrong word spoken in “the heat of the moment” is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug—in other words, all the difference in the world! 113

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Thoughts for

Newly Weds My son, John, was married to Kristie on June 22, 2002 and my daughter, Jen, was married to Jay on November 2, 2002. These were two of the happiest days of my life! I’ve been asking myself, “What are the most important things John and Jay need to be successful in love?” This open letter to them is a start at answering that question.

The Word of GOD

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25) In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:28)

Dear John and Jay.... You have pledged yourself to a Christian marriage. It will be wonderful, but not easy. As Christian writer Florence Littauer said, “We are attracted to each other’s strengths, then go home to live with each other’s weaknesses.”

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t is often said that the family is disintegrating. Indeed, this is true. Tonight 40% of America’s 72 million children will go to bed in a home without a biological father. However, a deeper problem is that the Christian family is disintegrating. Statistics bear this out. And why is that?

man and nurture a family. Your wife needs you to give her the first place in your life in the same way she has already naturally given you the first place in hers. The second Big Idea for marriage is this: After God, but before all others, make your wife your top priority. Trust me, when you have been married 30 years like Patsy and I have, you will realize that you are the only two people who are really in this thing together. Everyone else—and I mean everyone—will phase in and out of your life.

The sanctity of marriage was long ago abandoned in culture—“for better or worse, as long as love shall last.” In my opinion, though, the sanctity of Christian marriage has also been mutilated. Sometimes we Christians try so hard to be relevant that we lose our distinctive salty flavor. You will find too few committed to helping you make it, and no stigma if you don’t. As important as your commitment to your wife is, it is even more important to be committed to the institution of marriage. If not, what’s the moral glue to help persevere when it’s rough? Regularly affirm your commitment to the sanctity of a Biblical marriage. Here are some of the ideas that have helped Patsy and me keep the sanctity of our marriage for 30 years.

WHY IS SHE LIKE THAT?

Marriage is the mysterious, mystical fusion of two separate lives headed in two separate directions into what the Bible calls “one flesh.”

HOW CAN YOU GIVE HER WHAT SHE NEEDS?

The first Big Idea—and the best practical idea to manage a marriage—is the Emotional Bank Account (sometimes called Emotional Bank, Emotional Tank, Love Bank, etc.). Your wife has an Emotional Bank Account. Every contact with your wife, verbal and nonverbal, is either a deposit or a withdrawal. For example, suppose you’ve had a tough day. You send your wife a signal. You slam the door

when you get home, let out a grunt that imitates the sound of a large zoo animal, and drop your briefcase or lunchbox loudly on the counter. Now, is this a deposit or withdrawal into your wife’s Emotional Bank Account? Starting to get the picture? Let’s say the next morning you realize what a jerk you were, so you bring your wife coffee in bed and say, “I’m sorry I was so grumpy last night. Will you forgive me?” Deposit or withdrawal? See how it works? Suppose your wife has a tough day teaching school. One child in particular has stretched her patience to the limit. She starts to tell you about this after dinner.

You, tired from your own day, fold your arms and stare out the window. Is this a deposit or withdrawal? No idea is more practical for marriage. Make deposits of time, conversation, touch, humor, friendship, recreation, praying together, and unconditional love. The single biggest problem we see at Man in the Mirror is that men’s marriages are not working like they should. Most of these problems would go away if they would every day apply the concept of the Emotional Bank Account. Your wife needs emotional love. She’s going to “bank” somewhere. She has to—that’s the way she’s wired. Get her account number, and make sure your deposits exceed your withdrawals 10 to 1. By the way: Deposit numbers are longer than withdrawal numbers—so remember it’s easier to withdraw than deposit. 117

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WHAT IS HER GREATEST NEED?

Let’s talk about your greatest need. A man is made for a task or mission. His greatest need is to be significant, to do something with his life, to leave his mark. You want it to matter that you walked the face of the planet. No man wants to be a shooting star that streaks across the sky one night then disappears. Take a moment and focus on your need to do something significant. What is it that gets you out of bed? What is it that turns your crank? What is it that gets you juiced? Where does our intensity come from? Get a handle on that right now. Got it? Now hold that feeling.... Your wife also has a greatest need and she feels just as strongly about her greatest need as you do about yours. Your wife’s greatest need is for intimacy. Your wife’s core motivation is to love a

The Bible says that God created a woman to be a companion and helper (Genesis 2:18). A man leaves his mom and dad and “cleaves” to his wife and they become “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Cleaving is like gluing two pieces of paper together—you can’t tear one without tearing both. After the Fall, God said to the woman, “Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). This “desire” is best understood as a desire “bordering on disease.” In other words, it is a desire subject to corruption. You know this is true because you can manipulate her to get what you want, or she may get crazy over silly little things. (continued on page 119) November/December 2006

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John, you gave Jay this advise, “Keep your sense of humor. Girls are weird.” Funny. I would say “different.” Here is a chart that makes some generalizations about those differences between husband and wife....

Generalizations

Husband

Wife

greatest need...

signiﬁcance

intimacy

principal drive...

to be respected

to be cherished

orientation...

task

relationship

principal command...

love Eph. 5:25-33

submit Eph. 5:22-24

principal activity...

providing 1 Tim. 5:8

nurturing Titus 2:4-5

creativity directed to...

work

home

deepest fear...

failure to provide

something happen to child

risk orientation...

take a risk

seek security

principal concerns

money, meaning

husband, children

principal struggle...

pressure

worry

negative emotion...

anger

fear

John and Jay, love your wives “equal to” the way “Christ” loves his church (Ephesians 5:25-33). As Christ—the “anointed one,” Jesus was a prophet, priest, and king. Your highest duty is to love your wife as a prophet, priest, and king. Proclaim the gospel, consecrate yourself, intercede, sacrifice, serve, lead, protect, provide. Yes, you are task and mission oriented. Therefore, the final Big Idea is: Your relationship with her is your task, and your marriage is your mission. Business leader, author, and speaker, Patrick Morley helps men think more deeply about their lives, to be reconciled with Christ, and to be equipped for a larger impact on the world. David Delk is the COO of Man in the Mirror © 2002. Patrick Morley and David Delk. All rights reserved

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SEX

A RIGHT OR A GIFT? by Rick Casteel

If you start with a needs-based sexuality for step one, the next step to an expectation-based sexuality is an easy one to make.

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NE OF THE ISSUES that grieves me the most is when my single (but engaged) daughter, who is counseling with us, has to deal with a marital problem that is beyond her years of experience. When we talked after one of her last counseling sessions I feel confident that she gave good advice and was able to provide understanding and care in a very professional manner. But when I react as a father rather than as her advisor I’m grieved that she is getting too heavy a dose of marital reality before she even gets the chance to say “I do”. She sees many young women who share in tears about the attitude of expectation that they feel at times coming from their husbands. Many of these young couples had come into marriage with the idea that men have sexual needs rather than desires. If you start with a needs-based sexuality for step one, the next step to an expectation-based sexuality is an easy one to make. There are also many men who hold their wives responsible to meet what they would call their sexual needs. They reason that if their wife won’t meet all of their needs then she is to blame if they go shopping around to find someone who can meet their needs better. Sadly, many young wives end up naively concurring and carry the guilt for their husband’s unfaithfulness or sin. My daughter was able to share my last month’s article with this young wife about the importance of changing her view of sex from November/December 2006

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wives permission to not have intimacy with us on a certain night with the attitude that we are denying our “God Given” rights out of “love”. Let me state it clearly, there are no “Right-to-Make-Love” cards that exist in marriage. Our attitude needs to be the same as that of Christ when he says that He desires a “Cheerful Giver”. Christ does not demand or require our gifts, our offerings or even our own bodies as a living sacrifice. He waits and desires for them to be offered to Him, both willingly and without compulsion. Paul also does not give every possible contingency in I Corinthians 7 when he shares a guideline concerning how and when a mate might deny sexual intimacy with their partner. Paul does state that the “only” exception would be by joint agreement for a season of prayer but later in the verse he also says that his advice was given by way of suggestion, and was not to be viewed as a commandment. It was his own personal opinion not a direct command from the Lord. Let’s look at a few translations of I Corinthians 7 where Paul gives his advice regarding sexual intimacy between a husband and a wife: 5The only exception to this rule would

The Word of GOD

I am my lover’s, the one he desires. Come, my love, let us go out into the fields and spend the night among the wildflowers. (Song of Songs 7:10)

be the agreement of both husband and wife to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time, …

As a husband we should want our wives to have the freedom to say yes or to say no, to enjoy sexual intimacy without requirement and without force.

6This is only my suggestion. It’s not

meant to be an absolute rule. (The New Living Translation) 5Do

being a need to a desire. She will eventually go on to encourage her to grapple with the additional importance of changing her view of sex from being a marital right to it being a marital gift. In review, last month we looked at the first of three building blocks leading towards sexual maturity and sexual purity. The first building block was coming to understand that:

1. Sex is a desire, not a need.

Living with unmet desires, though disappointing and distressing at times, is not only possible but character building. If we elevate sex to the level of a need, our first question should be “When did it become a need”. Is it a need for all men, for single men, adolescents, widowers? Or is it only a need when a man and a woman say “I do” and for others just a desire? No, I think it is freeing and 123

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empowering to see our desire for sexual expression as only a desire. Many of us still have work to do to desire “relational love-making” over just “having sex”.

The second building block can be stated this way: 2. Love Making is a gift, freely given, not a right, justly and rigidly expected.

Paul in I Corinthians 7 says that husbands and wives have a responsibility and a right to give their bodies as a gift freely to their mates without denial and without manipulation. Paul does not say, however, that mates have a right to expect this gift. As a husband we should want our wives to have the freedom to say yes or to say no, to enjoy sexual intimacy without requirement and without force. As husbands we also have to be concerned that it is also not by magnanimous generosity that we suspend the right to sexual intimacy, giving our

not refuse to give your bodies to each other. … 6I say this to give you permission. It is not a command. (International Children’s Bible, New Century Version)

5Stop

depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, … 6But this I say by way of concession, not of command. (NASB)

5Defraud

ye not one another, except it be with consent for a time, … 6But I speak this by permission, and

not of commandment. (KJV) Paul deals here with general attitudes and only offers to us one example not the whole enchilada. I don’t feel like Paul is providing advice for every potential circumstance. As we look at other potential times of conflict that Paul does not deal with, what do you think his advice would be to husbands and wives; during a wife’s menstrual period, during a personal sickness, during a vacation time when the entire family has to share one motel room, or during a lengthy hospital stay? Or perhaps at a time when either the husband or wife has a very early day at work planned and needs extra sleep the night before, or has final

exams, or when there is an immediate family crisis. One additional potential time of conflict comes when a husband might desire sexual intimacy during or just after he and his wife have had a tense disagreement, … OK … lets call it what it was, … a big fight. The wife probably feels that having sexual intimacy at that time is an outright Emotional, Relational, and Personal impossibility. I’m glad that Paul does not leave us hanging here. His ultimate advice given for all of these situations comes a few chapters later in I Corinthians 13: 4Love is patient and kind. Love is not … rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love … keeps no record

of when it has been wronged. 7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (New Living Translation) Patient, kind, hopeful, desiring, enduring … YES. Rude and demanding … NO.

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NOVEMBER

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“The Holiday Challenge is very popular, Not only do you burn off excess calories, it’s also great stress buster and an escape from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.”

he average person gains five to seven pounds during the holiday season. That’s because, after a long, hard year, Americans love to feast and fete with friends and family-while diets and fitness regimens fall by the wayside.

The Word of GOD

and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. (Proverbs 23:2)

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But rather than resort to seldom-kept New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and get back in shape, one group of folks has found a better solution. Owners and users of the Concept2 Indoor Rower are taking preventative measures against the holiday food and beverage barrage. And the company that revolutionized indoor rowing is doing everything it can to support them.

DECEMBER

That’s where the Concept2 Holiday Challenge comes in. From Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Eve, participants get on an indoor rower and row either 100,000 or 200,000 meters. That may sound like a lot, but when you break it down it’s not so daunting; 100,000 meters works out to about 3,000 meters per day, which takes a beginner about 25 to 30 minutes. At that rate, you’ll burn an extra 300 to 600 calories per day. “The Holiday Challenge is very popular,” said Judy Geer, one of the four owners of Concept2 and a former Olympic rower. “Not only do you burn off excess calories, it’s also a great stress-buster and an escape from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.” The numbers speak to the popularity of the Holiday Challenge: roughly 4,000 rowing enthusiasts of all ages, from 59 countries around the world, participated in the 2004 Holiday Challenge. And more than 80 percent of those rowers completed the challenge.

Gene Peters, 70, and his wife, Doris, went to extraordinary lengths (and miles) to complete their Holiday Challenges. The couple was en route to Scottsdale, Arizona, in their RV, and while one spouse drove, the other rowed. “We did it because of its basic tenet: It’s a challenge,” said Gene. “And if we don’t accept and complete challenges in our lives, then we will grow too old too fast.” Complete instructions and rules for the 2005 Holiday Challenge can be found online at www. concept2.com. This year’s challenge will, as always, start on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24). “That’s when people need it the most,” said Geer. “It’s a great way to burn off that Thanksgiving turkey dinner!” An annual rowing challenge helps people get through the holiday season without packing on the pounds.

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December is the month of celebrating Christ and hid birth, as well as the month of giving! Check out the following pages about this month’s give-aways and gifts that any family member would enjoy!

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Santa

Help Find The Perfect Real Christmas Tree (NAPSI)-Santa is looking for the perfect Real Christmas Tree. While artificial trees are made from non-biodegradable metals and plastics, Real Christmas trees are a benefit to the environment from the time they are planted until after the holiday season, when they can be recycled. While they’re growing, traditional Real Christmas trees support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and emitting fresh oxygen. The North American farms that grow Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide refuge for wildlife while creating scenic greenbelts.

To enter, simply get an entry form, take a picture of your family tree and explain in 300 words or less why yours is the perfect Real Christmas tree. The contest begins November 1, and all entries must be received by December 31. For more information, official rules or an entry form, visit www. realchristmastrees.org. - Grand prize winner Dana Brittany Smith and her family from Greensboro, N.C.

In fact, some communities use Christmas trees to make effective sand and soil erosion barriers, especially at beaches and on riverbeds. Sunk into private fish ponds trees make excellent refuge and feeding areas for fish. Among the homes that have a traditional Real Christmas tree is one of the country’s bestknown: the White House. The famous Rockefeller Center tree in New York City is also a natural tree. The practice of using a living tree to celebrate the holidays is gaining in popularity. Now kids ages 6 to 18 have a chance to show off their family trees--and maybe win a great prize. Prizes in the National Christmas Tree Association 2005 essay contest include:

• $5,000 or $10,000 scholarships • All-expenses paid trips for four to Orlando, Fla. • And many other exciting prizes

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The Word of GOD

[ The Birth of Jesus Christ ] This 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. (Matthew 1:18) November/December 2006

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Christmas Virtues (NAPSI)-During a holiday season that is often consumed by lights, cameras and material pursuits, it’s nice to step back and celebrate the positive aspects and traditional virtues associated with Christmas-and a beautiful new hardcover book can help families ﬁnd the holiday’s true gifts.

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Designed as a gift book or family keepsake to be used as a holiday tradition, “Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Book of Christmas Virtues” (Health Communications, $19.95) features seven virtues traditionally associated with Christmas. Each is discussed in a short, inspirational essay, then illustrated by four or ﬁve all-new, heart-touching stories from “Chicken Soup for the Soul,”

bringing the magic of the season to light. Each section ends with a onepage suggestion on how to start your own holiday tradition, from baking cookies to charity ideas that reﬂect the spirit of the virtue. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Vintage Voices, Inc. This nonproﬁt organization serves the elderly and is commit-

ted to fostering dignity, enthusiasm and socialization in long-term care facilities. The book also includes a remixed classical Christmas album from Mannheim Steamroller. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.hcibooks.com.

The Word of GOD

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:14) 135

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How to be a Cheerful Giver by Patrick M. Morley

The Word of GOD

friend who was frustrated with dinner hour phone solicitations recorded this message on his answering machine. “Hi. We are sorry we are unable to take your call. If you are a salesman, please leave your home phone number and we’ll try to call you back during dinner.” Of course, it’s not just salesmen who call. We all get solicited by friends and acquaintances for 137

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Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (II Corinthians 9:7)

donations to their favorite charities. It can all be very confusing. What should we do? Do we give a little bit to everyone? Do we contribute to some, then feel guilty about the rest? Or do we grumble and brush them off? According to recent surveys, weekly church attenders give an average of 3.4% of their income to charity - well above the 1.9% national average, but well below what most would agree are Biblical standards.1 A few years ago I volunteered to help raise money for a major Christian ministry. I signed

off on a lofty goal because I thought everyone would leap at the chance to invest in such a high impact ministry. Boy, was I naive. I was soundly defeated. Many did give, but I found many Christian men don’t know how to give. Either they don’t have a vision for giving, or they are afraid they will run out of money if they part with any of it. Can I be honest with you? In our work we see a lot of men who just don’t get it - they are not cheerful givers, they are not giving in proportion November/December 2006

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to the way they have been enriched, and as a result they are missing many blessings from God. What can we do about that? What would convince you (if you are not already convinced) to be a cheerful and generous giver? And what would a “cheerful” giver actually give? Consider the following four points…

God Loves to Give

First, we can be liberated to give cheerfully when we plumb the depths of God’s cheerfulness in giving to us. Every living person benefits from God’s generosity. “He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy” (Acts 14:17). Nobody loves to give more than God. From the blazing beauty of a brilliant sunrise to enabling you to close a huge deal that took months to close, God is the giver of every good gift. “Every good and perfect gift comes from above” (James 1:17). He delights in giving good gifts to His people.

The Greatest Cause

Second, we give cheerfully when we sense we are on a mission for God. More millions of men and billions of dollars have been mobilized by one single speech than any other. Easily the most incendiary speech of human history, the final earthly words of Jesus comprise the most compact _expression of the Christian mission ever uttered. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20). It’s all there. Authority. Challenge. Mission . Adventure. Power. Direction. Purpose. Comfort. It is our task. It is our mission. Nothing should make a Christian man more “cheerful” than to hear that his financial investment helped someone pass from death to eternal life

Give Intentionally

Third, we will sense the greatest impact when our giving is intentional. Most of us carefully plan

our personal financial investment strategy. We research mutual funds, keep track of quarterly reports and P/E ratios, or scan the financial section to see which bank has the highest rates on CDs. Yet many men do not have a strategic plan for giving money to help build the kingdom of God . They give random amounts at random times to random causes. The Bible suggests that we be intentional, I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting (2 Corinthians 9:7, The Message) Your charitable giving is a spiritual investment just as important as your financial investments. Why not write down the three best ministry opportunities you know about? Make sure your local church is at the top of your list. The church is God’s ordained institution for living out the gospel and impacting our world. The church baptizes us, marries us, and buries us - all the while bringing us to faith and maturity in Christ. Be intentional in your giving.

Give Generously

Fourth, if we are going to give at all we should give

“If we are going to give at all we should give what God wants, not what we “make up” in our own minds.”

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what God wants, not what we “make up” in our own they could afford! - pleading for the privilege minds. In the Bible there is a direct link between of helping out in the relief of poor Christians. generosity and cheerfulness. The Bible says, This was totally spontaneous, entirely their own Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy idea, and caught us completely off guard. What crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. … explains it was that they had first given themselves God loves it when the giver delights in the unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-7, The Message). simply flowed out of the purposes of God workHow much does a “cheerful” giver give, anyway? ing in their lives. (2 Cor. 8:2-5, The Message) Reflect carefully on what I am about to say. Often, our Christian culture tends to teach that we own our money and should give some of it back. to God. “it’s not that we give God 10% and keep the rest. Rather, The Bible, however, teaches that God owns everything and allows us to He gives us 100% to manage for Him and asks us to volkeep up to 90 percent of it, for which we remain responsible as stewards. untarily give back 10% or more to test our hearts..” We will give cheerfully when we understand the nature of stewardship. You see, it’s not that we give God 10% and keep the rest. Rather, He gives us 100% to manage for Him and asks us to Wouldn’t you like to have that kind of “cheer” and voluntarily give back 10% or more to test our hearts. We believe you can’t outgive God, and God joy? We can! Plumb the depths of God’s cheerfulness doesn’t really start giving “lavishly” until we show in giving to you! Think of yourself as on a mission for our faithfulness to put resources “back into the soil.” God. Be intentional (that’s when you will have the The ten percent tithe commanded in the Old Testa- greatest impact). And be sure you give what God ment is a good place to start. If someone thinks they wants, not just what you “make up” in your own mind. fully honor God’s generosity to them with anything less than 10%, the burden of proof rests on them to show they are being a cheerful, generous giver. Application: Studies show that many Christians assume they Do you have a vision for giving, and why or why not? If not, are giving a higher percentage of their income to 1.how could the four points discussed help you get that vision? God’s work than they really are. Instead of verbally estimating your giving, why not actually look on last 2. Have you been afraid that giving bibliyear’s tax return to see how much you gave? Then cally will lead to financial problems? By faith, divide that number by your total income (minus any is that really true? What will you do differently? business expenses). That’s your percentage of giving. 3. Prayerfully ask God for the next step you should take to convert your wallet to Christ. As a sign of your Conclusion commitment, write this step down in the space below. As we grow in our understanding of the riches of Christ’s grace and mercy, our hearts will fill up with 1(Christianity Today, “Anatomy of a Giver,” May 19, 1997) gratitude. We will be compelled to do something to Business leader, author, and speaker, Patrick express that gratitude financially. God has given us Morley helps men to think more deeply about everything we have, and He calls us to thankfully, their lives, to be reconciled with Christ, and to cheerfully, release it back to Him. The Bible reports be equipped for a larger impact on the world. an amazing story of spontaneous cheerful giving, Fierce troubles came down on the people of © 1997. Patrick M. Morley. All rights reserved. those churches (in Macedonia ), pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring ofpure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could - far more than

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The Word of GOD

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ (John 7:37-39)

How to “Walk in the Spirit” by Patrick Morley

WHEN BILL WAS IN HIS TWENTIES HE ASKED

Jesus Christ to forgive his sins and give him the gift of eternal life. During the last fifteen years he has had a few spiritual “moments,” but mostly Bill has struggled against his lusts, his anger, his pride, his selfishness, and his worldly ambition. He stumbles when he tries to balance his priorities and usually 143

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Learning to walk in the Spirit is the turning point from cultural Christianity to Biblical Christianity.

ends up scheduling his family right out of his life. Bill likes church, but the messages on Sunday just don’t seem to do very much for him. All in all, he feels pretty lukewarm. He’s not cold toward God, but neither is he passionate about his relationship with the Lord. Bill, like millions of other Christian men, lives a defeated Christian life because he does not understand the November/December 2006

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relationships ministry of the Holy Spirit. As a result his experience is like that of the man Paul describes in Rom. 7:15-23: 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. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it... For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

WHY DO WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Why is it so troubling to us when we aren’t walking with God? Exactly because we know we can have a deeper relationship with Him by walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Here are four reasons why we need the Holy Spirit.

1 2

The Holy Spirit quenches our soul’s thirst for a deeper relationship with God. Jesus said, “’If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit” (John 7:37-39).

There is an ongoing battle that can only be won by the Spirit. All men struggle with temptation and sin. The flesh and the Spirit want different results. “For the sinful nature (flesh) desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature (flesh). They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” (Gal. 5:17). A man said he felt like two dogs were fighting inside him. “Which one is winning?” asked a friend. “The one I feed the most,” he answered.

The Holy Spirit shows us God’s truth and points us to Christ. Jesus said that the Spirit would come and “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness” and “lead (the disciples) into all truth” (John 16: 8,13). Today, only the power of the Holy Spirit can change our deceitful hearts and allow us to know God. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ by pointing our hearts towards Him; without the Spirit we would still walk in the darkness of unbelief. (continued on page 146)

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Learning to walk in the Spirit is the turning point from cultural Christianity to Biblical Christianity. Yet, according to Campus Crusade for Christ surveys, 95% of Christians do not understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Still, God desires for us to walk in dependence on the Holy Spirit every moment of our lives. At its core, the normal Christian life is the life of the Spirit.

Lord Jesus, I need You. I have succumbed to my sinful nature (the ﬂesh) and I have sinned. I have not been living by the Spirit and the teachings of Your word. I desire to be reconciled with You and to again experience Your love and forgiveness. I confess my sins to You and ask You to forgive me

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APPLICATIONS 1. Which of the following best describes your experience with the Holy Spirit prior to reading this newsletter, and why? ~I consistently walk in dependence on the Spirit. ~I have from time to time practiced walking in the Spirit, but not consistently. ~I have previously heard of walking in the Spirit, but I have never really practiced doing so. Before reading this newsletter I never really understood how to

WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

The Holy Spirit is God. He is co-eternal and of the same substance as God the Father and Jesus Christ. What would be left without the Spirit? “If God were to withdraw His Spirit, all life would disappear and mankind would turn again to dust” (Job 34:14, TLB). Some of His roles include converter (Titus 3:5, John 3:3-6), comforter and counselor (John 14:16), teacher (John 14:26), witness to Christ (John 15:26), intercessor (Rom. 8:26-27), empowerer (Acts 1:8), and seal until redemption (Eph. 1:13). He is the giver of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:7,11). If you need comfort, counsel, conviction, assurance, someone to intercede with God the Father on your behalf, power to witness, strength to overcome temptation, or forgiveness of sins - the Holy Spirit will meet your need. When we talk about “walking in the Spirit”, we do not mean that there are two “levels” of Christianity. Either you are a Christian or you are not. If you are a Christian, the Bible teaches that over time you will be transformed by the Holy Spirit. Still, while the Holy Spirit indwells every true Christian, not all Christians live in daily dependence on the Holy Spirit to the same degree. Every Christian can grow in his understanding of what it means to walk in the Spirit.

ONE BAPTISM, MANY FILLINGS.

The Bible reveals two basic experiences with the Holy Spirit. First, the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” means that we are washed clean of our sins and are renewed in our inner man. All Christians receive the Holy

be filled with the Holy Spirit and walk in dependence on Him. 2. If you have not already done so, are you ready to pray “A Prayer To Be Filled With The Holy Spirit”? If so, pray it now. 3. Meditate on “A Prayer To Be Continuously Filled With The Holy Spirit.” Why not make it a habit to pray a prayer such as this whenever you find yourself losing focus in your Christian life? Keep this newsletter in a convenient place until walking in the Spirit becomes a habit for you.

Spirit at the moment of conversion (Eph. 1:13-14). In fact, we cannot become a Christian without the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-6). Did you know that our bodies are actually the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16)? Second, the “filling of the Holy Spirit” is our daily dependence on the Holy Spirit and commitment to God’s word. You can be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit and walk in His strength and power. In fact, it is God’s will for you to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 puts it this way: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be “under the influence” and living in the light of God’s word. The allusion is to deep drinking, but always under control.

�� NOTE: Patrick teaches a six message audio cassette series entitled “The Holy Spirit”. It is available for $12 ($4.50 shipping/handling). Send a check or call (407) 331-0095 and we would be glad to mail the series to you. Business leader, author, and speaker, Patrick Morley has been used throughout the world to help men and leaders think more deeply about their lives, to be reconciled with Christ, and to equip them to have a larger impact on the world.

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specific sins to Him). Thank You for forgiving all of my sins. Holy Spirit, I want to live in dependence on You and allow You to continue changing me. Help me live in moment-by-moment fellowship with You. Empower me to be a Biblical Christian. Amen.

HOW TO BE CONTINUOUSLY FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Being filled must be maintained. It is not an automatic, once-for-all thing. We have one baptism, but many fillings. When God shows you that you have sinned, acknowledge and confess that sin. Thank Jesus that He has forgiven all your sins. Then ask the Holy Spirit to again empower you to obey God’s word. The key is to keep “short accounts” with God and maintain your commitment HOW CAN WE BE FILLED to His word - don’t let unconfessed sins take root WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT? in your life. Examine yourself at least daily. You We can be filled with the Holy Spirit by faith when will get better by practice and increasing spiriwe prayerfully depend on Him and follow God’s tual maturity. Pray a prayer such as this anytime word. You can be filled right now by asking Him you find that you are out of fellowship with God. to fill and empower you. Here is a prayer you can pray and commit to depend on the Holy Spirit. . . A PRAYER TO BE CONTINUOUSLY

A PRAYER TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

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FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Lord Jesus, I confess (name the specific sin). I thank You that You died for this and all my sins. Please forgive Lord Jesus, I need You. I have succumbed to my me, and take control of my life. Holy Spirit, by dependsinful nature (the flesh) and I have sinned. I have not ing on You, I commit to walk in Your power. Amen. been living by the Spirit and the teachings of Your word. I desire to be reconciled with You and to again (APPLICATIONS ABOVE.) experience Your love and forgiveness. I confess my sins to You and ask You to forgive me (Note: confess

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The Authority of The B i b l e by Patrick Morley

How the bible relates to our everyday life and it’s authority that it has over our daily tasks and experiences.

Is the Bible Relevant Today? Recently a single woman, thirty one years old, was expressing her dismay at the relaxed sexual ethic in the church. A virgin herself, she ﬁnds herself regularly bombarded with the argument, “The Bible is a great book for general

The Word of GOD

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any doubleedged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

guidance, but it isn’t relevant for today. The culture is so much diﬀerent than back then. There’s nothing un-Christian about having sex as long as the two people really love one another.” Is that true? Is the Bible relevant or not?

Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.(Luke 11:28) 149

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family The Two Greatest Problems Facing Men

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For many years I have said the number one problem facing Christian men is that their marriages are not working the way they are supposed to. I’ll stand by that. However, recently I have come to see a “co-equal” problem. Many, many men are finding frustration rather than fulfillment in their work. They go through the motions but think, There must be more to life than this There’s gotta’ be! I believe the problem is that men have accepted that their work is secular, even though the Bible proclaims that every vocation is holy to the Lord. While God finds intrinsic value in our work, often we do not. We accept that building the kingdom (the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20) is spiritual, but somehow believe tending the culture (the Cultural Mandate, Genesis 1:28) is less than spiritual. God calls us to do both. In the church we often find a subtle, implied

teaching that if you really want to do something that counts for God you must do a “building the kingdom” activity. Biblically, all of life is spiritual, including “tending the culture” activities. For most men, their vocation is their primary ministry. They have been “ordained” as salesmen, carpenters, executives, drivers, computer programmers, lawyers, policemen, and so on. So why do men struggle in their marriages and with their work? I believe the root problem is that we have, in general, abandoned the authority of the Bible. Even where Scriptural authority is proclaimed in principle, often it is not applied in practice. Why else would so many Christian marriages end in divorce? The Bible says God hates divorce and prohibits it, except for adultery and desertion. Why else would so many men feel “parked” in a meaningless job? The Bible says that every vocation is a calling from God.

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Troubles in Paradise

Surveys conducted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association reveal that 90% of Christians lead defeated lives. Indeed, many men are not finding success that matters. They are caught up in the rat race. They don’t feel like their lives are making a difference. They are disciples of Wall Street, not Church Street. They have been seeking the God they want, not the God who is. By default they have become cultural Christians because they chose not to become biblical Christians. At the “core” of these troubles is the failure to give supremacy to the Bible. If God did not reveal Himself to us, we would be left to our own best judgment and could not really be sure of anything. But God has revealed Himself and we should devote ourselves to His teaching. Only through submission and obedience to God’s Word will our lives be filled with the joy of abiding in Him (study John 15:9-11).

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What Does The Bible Say About The Bible? So why the Bible? The Bible claims to be the authoritative, infallible Word of God.Does the fact that the Bible claims to be the authoritative Word of God prove that claim is true? No, of course not. But, it is not insignificant that the Bible does make these claims. Consider these Scriptures . . . 1. The Bible is for now. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). 2. The Bible is truth. “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). 3. The Bible is without error. “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar” (Proverbs 30:5-6). 4. The Bible is effectual. It produces the intended result. “My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11) 5. The Bible is trustworthy. “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7).

The Reformation

The leaders of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation narrowed their focus to two central, non-negotiable issues. The first was “salvation by faith alone” Sola Fide. The second was “the authority of the Scriptures” Sola Scriptura. Why was the authority of Scripture so important to them? The problem they saw was not that men abandoned the Bible, but that they placed their own authority alongside the Bible as a sort of co-equal authority. Some of the greatest tragedies have come not by the wicked intentions of evil men, but by the misguided good intentions of otherwise fine men. Think of almost any church split. Invariably, good people come down on both sides of whatever issue. There is one supreme opportunity to override man’s propensity to err. The Bible must be the final rule of authority for all matter of faith, doctrine, and life.

The Billy Graham Story

Early in his ministry Billy Graham was attending a little conference with some top seminary professors and intellectuals high up on a mountain in

California. They told Mr. Graham their doubts about the Bible and showed him what they called the contradictions in the Bible. He was young. He had only been out of school for a short while and was having his first experiences in preaching. These men were persuasive, and he began to doubt. Finally, he wandered out into the mountains, found a tree stump, and laid his open Bible on it. “Oh, Lord,” he said, “I do not understand everything in that book, but I accept it by faith as Your Word.” Billy Graham believes the Bible is God’s authoritative, infallible book. He knows that when he quotes the Scriptures he is quoting the Word of God. I had the awe-inspiring privilege of visiting the mountaintop memorial that commemorates the life-changing experience of Billy Graham. Here is the text of the plaque: In Honor of Billy Graham Who had a life changing encounter with God here at Forest Home when as a young preacher he knelt with a Bible in his hands and promised God he would … take the Bible by faith and preach it without reservation From that time his preaching was marked by a new and God given authority. Preaching the Scriptures in the power of the Holy Spirit he has seen multiplied thousands turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. Not everyone, of course, believes the same way as Billy Graham. Robert Ingersoll once said, “In twenty-five years, the Bible will be a forgotten book.” He died in 1899. Who was Robert Ingersoll, anyway? Voltaire said, “Another century and there will not be a Bible on earth.” He died in 1788. I wonder if his bones have turned to dust yet? If we did not have the light of God’s Word, we would be like men lost in a pitch black cave. Through the Bible God speaks to us and leads us to freedom, joy, and significance. The doctrine of the authority and infallibility of the Bible is a nonnegotiable. How else can we reliably hear from God?

Application

What shapes your views about the important areas of your life (such as family, money, work, etc.)? How important has the Bible been in helping you define your beliefs? Is your commitment to the Bible more theoretical, or is it also practical? Business leader, author, and speaker, Patrick Morley has been used throughout the world to help men and leaders think more deeply about their lives, to be reconciled with Christ, and to equip them to have a larger impact on the world. (a portion of this newsletter is adapted from The Rest of Your Life, Thomas Nelson Publishers) © 1995. Patrick M. Morley. All rights reserved.

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How to Get Along with

Difficult People

The Word of GOD

family

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. (I Peter 3:8) Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)

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family close friends” (Proverbs 17:9). “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11). If someone rubs you the wrong way, you have to decide to hit back or let it go. The Bible is clear that human relations work best when we overlook each other’s human (not moral) faults, don’t repeat matters best kept confidential, and even overlook it when we are wronged. Which brings us to the second principle of engagement: “let the little ones go.” This is living above the floodplain. It’s high ground, and terrific if you let the Holy Spirit lead you there, which is hard when a difficult person is dragging you down. The opposite of letting little ones go is escalating offenses out of proportion. When a difficult person is being difficult, don’t try to match blow for blow, or the “situation” will soon be out of control.

HENEVER I HEAR THAT BOB IS CALLING, I cringe. I’m amazed at how long he can speak without coming up for air. He sucks all the oxygen out of a room. He has to be the center, in control and, above all, loved. Bob has a real problem - me. You see, Bob’s problem is that I am not honest enough to tell him that he’s selfish, and that he needs to “share the air.” So we are dysfunctional. I would rather not like him than risk him not liking me. Chase has never had an unexpressed emotion. When he feels irritation, he blows up. If his wife says anything while he is venting, he explodes into a fusillade of four letter words. She has decided not to let him determine whether or not she is happy, so the relationship is not dysfunctional. But the marriage is still challenged because he is such a difficult man to live with. Will does great work, but he doesn’t think before he speaks. Every day his boss has to soothe

Men, can I be brutal? We are pros at making mountains out of molehills. We pick, pick, pick at our wives over peccadilloes when we are really raging against unspoken issues. One man went ballistic because his wife used a plastic sandwich bag that he had laid out for himself. What was that about? She was so mad she went to work without her wedding ring. “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out” (Proverbs 17:14). someone else’s hurt feelings. His boss wonders, “I don’t care how good he performs, is it really worth the trouble?” Wayne always has nice things to say to your face. But when he’s not talking to you, he’s talking about you. He is two-faced. Tom has constructed his own fantasy world. The big deal is always just around the corner. After 20 years, his wife knows it’s never going to happen. When she asks him to consider a job that can pay their bills and help get out of debt, he waves her off and launches into a positive thinking speech. What makes someone difficult? Basically, they are needy. They have “issues” that haven’t been resolved. They are emotionally immature. They want to have their own way, and pout if they don’t get it. Some men are difficult because their oyster didn’t have a pearl; others are difficult because they got the pearl and want a better one. They find it difficult to accept their lot. They are unhappy because they are selfish. These men didn’t learn the lessons offered in kindergarten-share your toys, play well with other children, and only talk when it’s your turn. We all

have to deal with difficult people, and some of us are the ones who are difficult. The Bible is not silent about this. In fact, the Bible is vocal about relationships. A huge amount of the Bible focuses on horizontal Christianity-loving and getting along with people...even difficult ones. The Bible gives us principles of engagement and forgiveness.

PRINCIPALS OF ENGAGEMENT

The main problem in getting along with people is that they are so human and quirky. No doubt Paul had our human frailty in mind when he said, “Make allowance for each other’s faults” (Colossians 3:13, NLT).

SO, THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF ENGAGEMENT IS: “make allowance for each other’s faults.” Expect people to let you down from time to time. Don’t expect a difficult person to suddenly grow up. I find myself always coming back to these two Scriptures... “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates

SO THE THIRD PRINCIPLE OF ENGAGEMENT IS: “don’t escalate small offenses.” If you are not practicing these first three principles of engagement, you may be difficult to be around. Don’t let it get the best of you. The Bible says, “A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD” (Proverbs 19:3). It’s not fair to blame God because we’re acting like a jerk. How can you find out if you’re difficult? Through self-examination, of course, but also by inviting honest dialog with your loved ones. THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE OF ENGAGEMENT IS: “foster honest, two-way communication.” The secret of functional families is honest communication, especially in conflict resolution. This is the key underlying it all. If a family doesn’t get this right, all kinds of dysfunctional patterns begin to develop. The less honest, the more difficult. The more difficult, the deeper the dysfunction.

PRINCIPALS OF FOREGIVNESS

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without regard to whether or not they are sorry. Wow! Bottom line: We can’t control the other person’s response, but we can obey Scripture. And what happens if we won’t forgive? “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).

“You can’t kill them with words, but maybe you can kill them with kindness. In the 1940s Tom drove his brother, John, and John’s pregnant wife to the hospital because it was time for the baby to come. One the way, Tom had a small fender bender. John said, “I’ll pay to have that fixed.” For whatever reason, he didn’t. For the next 20 years the two brothers didn’t speak. Tom’s son, Doug, recently told me, “To this day I have never met my cousins and I don’t even know their names.”

THE THIRD PRINCIPLE OF FOREGIVENESS IS: “to experience God’s forgiveness we must first forgive.” No matter how difficult a person is, we forgive them not only for their sake, but for our sake as well. We forgive. God vindicates. “Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you” (Proverbs 20:22). Horizontal Christianity is, for some, more difficult than Vertical Christianity because they are stuck in difficult relationships. You don’t need to be a victim, but neither should you reduce yourself to the level of a difficult person. As Christians, concentrate on how to engage and forgive the way our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ would engage and forgive... “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14). You can’t kill them with words, but maybe you can kill them with kindness.

THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF FOREGIVENESS IS: “Are you sure you have counted the cost of withholding forgiveness?” Sometimes grievances are sticking points. Brent’s mother stomped out of his house, cutting short a Christmas visit. She vilified Brent’s wife, calling her a terrible mother. Brent couldn’t let this go-it wasn’t a little one. He kept demanding that his mother apologize. She won’t. She’s old, crotchety, and has always been a grump. Frankly, an apology is never going to happen. Brent had to make a decision. He could forgive unconditionally or make the apology a requirement. His mother is difficult, but the bitterness he felt toward her was eating him alive.

APPLICATION

THEN, BRENT DISCOVERED THE SECOND PRINCIPLE OF FOREGIVENESS: “we must forgive others without regard to whether or not they are sorry.” Jesus said, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25). Notice in this verse that we are told to forgive

Would you like three sample monthly issues of this complimentary newsletter or information about our dynamic church based men’s events and follow-up program? Call us at 1-800-929-2536.

1. Who is a difficult person in your life? Which principle from this article do you most need to apply to this relationship? Why? How will you do it? Business leader, author, and speaker, Patrick Morley helps men think more deeply about their lives, to be reconciled with Christ, and to be equipped for a larger impact on the world.

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Power and Joy Beneﬁts From the B i b l e by David Delk

The Word of GOD

A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; (Proverbs 24:5)

T’S BECOME FASHIONABLE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT SEEKING GOD. POLITICIANS, WRITERS, BUSINESSMEN - it seems everyone is talking about spiritual issues and spiritual things. Television shows explore the topic and books on spiritual issues fill the bestseller lists. It appears that everyone is interested in looking for God - that is until someone actually claims to have found Him. In our culture today it is considered arrogant for anyone to claim that they have found the truth. And why not? After all, how can any one person say they’ve found “THE TRUTH?” This is actually a good question. If I were to say I’ve found the absolute truth only on my authority then I really have no right to make this claim. There are a lot of people smarter than me, there are a lot of questions I will never

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Believe 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. I 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. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. (John 14:11-13)

answer, places I will never see, etc. On my own I could never possibly discover absolute truth. How could I ever be sure that the “truth” I’ve found won’t be overturned by something new I discover later? So if we are ever to find truth that is absolute and complete, it must come an authority we can trust. This authority must know everything, so that there is no chance of any new information or idea invalidating the truth. This authority must

also be infinite, because if there was any place he wasn’t, there would be the possibility that the real truth was lurking there. Since we are finite creatures with limited knowledge, this means that truth must come from outside of ourselves. This is why a Christian view of truth is based on revelation - that the infinite, holy, perfect God has revealed Himself to us. He reveals himself to us in many ways. He reveals himself to us in the world and

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the beauty of his creation. He reveals himself to us in our experience, in the ways that he cares for us and directs our lives. But he reveals himself in a special way in the Bible. This is God’s truth communicated to us in clear language that we can understand. When we are willing to admit our need for God’s truth, we can go to the Bible and hear His voice. And when we immerse ourselves in the Bible, God gives us all the truth we need. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Psalm 19:7-11

THE BIBLE GIVES POWER

The older I get, the more I realize that I need power. I am so weak in and of myself, much too weak for the demands placed upon me. I need power as a friend, a husband, a father, a worker, a churchman - in every area of my life I need the wisdom and strength of Christ. The Bible gives power because the Bible is truth. It “makes wise the simple” (v. 7) and “gives light to the eyes” (v. 8). It gives us power because it helps us make sense of the world. The truth is powerful and liberating. I can remember when my son Ryan was young, he would often get those cheap “kid’s meal” type toys. Several times over a period of a year or two Ryan would be just beginning to play with a toy when it would break. The disappointment would flash across Ryan’s face and then he would cry hysterically for several minutes before finally calming down. One day when he was a little older, Ryan was beginning to play with a new toy that he had “bought” with some tickets at a carnival, and the toy broke in his hands. I thought to myself, “Oh no. Here it comes.” And then I waited. But Ryan just put the pieces down and walked away. I walked over to where Ryan was playing and knelt down. “Ryan,” I asked, “are you sad about your broken toy?” He turned to me and shrugged, “What do you expect? It probably only cost 50 cents.” Then he went back to playing. When Ryan understood the truth about the quality of the toy, it set him free. The Bible gives us the ability to see the world as it really is. We can align our values, expectations, beliefs and priorities with God’s. The truth transforms us (continued on page 161) November/December 2006

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THE BIBLE BRINGS JOY

When was the last time your stomach hurt from laughing so hard? When was the last time you wanted to skip or shout? When was the last time you found yourself looking at God’s creation and just couldn’t keep the smile from breaking out on your face? If you’re like me, you could use a little more joy. What robs you of your joy? The Westminster Confession of Faith says that “the chief end of man

is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” This means that we were made to glorify and enjoy God. So when we find our joy is gone, perhaps it is because we are not doing what we were meant to do. Take this simple test. Get a pen and some scrap paper. Without looking at the paper, draw a circle. Still without looking at the paper, draw a square that surrounds the circle. Again without looking at the paper, draw a triangle inside the circle so that the corners of the triangle touch the

family edge of the circle. Now open your eyes and look at the paper. How did you do? If you’re like most people, you didn’t do very well. The reality is that some things that are almost impossible to do in the dark become easy in the light.We often get frustrated because our lives are not working. When the light of God’s truth shines in our hearts, He shows us how to deal with difficult issues we face. And what seemed impossible becomes manageable by His grace. God’s truth brings joy because it teaches us how to live life as it was meant to be. He shows us how to endure hardship, how to sacrificially love our spouse, how to serve aging parents, and how to have patience with rebellious children. God’s word brings joy because it relieves us of the responsibility of having to figure things

out on our own. We really do have someone we can trust, someone who will lead us by the hand. By following His guidance we can find joy in the midst of the most difficult circumstances.

CONCLUSION

Every day we face the question of where we will look for truth. We can look to our own best ideas, we can look to the culture, we can look to friends, or we can look to God’s revealed truth in His holy word. If we don’t make this decision on purpose, by reading and studying God’s word, this choice will be made for us. We can’t escape the messages of the culture and the influence of worldly ideas. But we can counteract them by intentionally filling our hearts and minds with the truth of God. Do you need power? Would you like more joy? Look to God’s word and allow yourself “to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24).

APPLICATION 1. What is one area of your life in which you

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need power? Write it here. Use a Bible concordance to find at least 5 passages that speak to this issue or topic. You might also ask a friend or a pastor for help. Read those passages. How might God use these truths to give you power? Record your thoughts here. 2. What areas of your life are robbing you of your joy? How could the wisdom of God restore joy in these areas? Pray and ask Him to instill His truth in your heart in a new and fresh way. © 2000 David Delk and Man in the Mirror.

David Delk is the Executive Director of Man in the Mirror. Back By Popular Demand!! Getting to Know the Man in the Mirror An Interactive Guide for Men Will be available in April! Watch for details! Would you like three sample monthly issues of this complimentary newsletter or information about our Success That Matters™ Seminar and follow-up program? Call us at 1-800-929-2536.

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so that we see the world through God’s eyes. That’s where the power comes from. We are no longer prisoners of our expectations and imaginations, God’s truth breaks the chains and floods the dark dungeon with light. ButnotonlydoestheBiblebringpower,italsobringsjoy.

We often get frustrated because our lives are not working. When the light of God’s truth shines in our hearts, He shows us how to deal with diﬃcult issues we face. And what seemed impossible becomes manageable by His grace.

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“Their lives are changed for the better.”

Thomas first decided to become a With over 15 years of experience, Thomas’ psychologist Christian counseling practice in Cincinnati, during high Ohio has helped her clients, mainly school when women, deal with difficult issues including she helped a depression, rape, pre- and post-marital friend cope problems including adultery and with her molestation. parent’s divorce, Thomas said its not enough to just sit and which had listen, but to help the client find inspiration affected their or solutions through the Lord’s word. What is home life. Later in college she knew counseling was inspirational for her is seeing her clients become the path she needed to take having helped friends healed in the complete sense. deal with such issues as a rape, boyfriend abuse, and molestation. “Their lives are changed for the better,” she said. “Faith plays a very important role in the healing Currently Thomas’ practice A Sound Mind Counseling process,” Thomas said. Service in downtown Cincinnati has a psychologist and two counselors including Thomas. But one day The secular world can be a difficult place to navigate she hopes to be the number one female owned when your routine of the day-to-day is compromised. practice in the city with five full-time and three-part- Thomas said as a Christian counselor she uses time mental health professionals..

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THERAPY. EVALUATION. and CONSULTATION. which passages from the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Psalms, Deuteronomy, etc. to help her clients not only to think, but identify what their problem is and help them find a solution. Married for almost 10 years to a firefighter, Thomas says she understands the work involved in maintaining a good relationship. “Marriage is more than a relationship but a partnership that allows you to grow together,” Thomas said. Communication and maintenance of the relationship is key to a successful marriage. The top five issues than can lead to the breakup of a marriage are sex, money, in-laws, children, and communication. Thomas said, it is important that married couples, especially those with children, make the time to spend time together. For example, Thomas and her husband have a date night where they do things without their two children. Whether its going to a movie, being romantic, playing games, walking outside, going to a sports game, it is important that they have a time where they can be together and just talk.

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“Intimacy with God develops like intimacy in marriage. It’s exciting at ﬁrst, but takes some time to deepen.”

Intimacy With God by Patrick Morley

A guide on how you can find or restore your intimacy with GOD.

IM ASKED, “WHY IS IT THAT THE ONLY TIME I’M ON MY KNEES IS WHEN member how everything she said fascinated you? You shared each other’s I’M IN a crisis? Why don’t I have intimacy with God when things are going hopes and dreams for challenging careers, successful healthy children, well?”The Psalmist wrote, “As the deep pants for streams of water, so my soul and a vibrant spiritual and social life. In short, you couldn’t get enough of each other. You wanted to know everything about her. pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living Twenty five years later the nature of your love for her God” (Psalm 42:1-2). Is that the way you feel, or would like to? We know God through changed (or will change when you get there). Now you In this article I’d like us to explore how can you find, or restore, His Works, His Word, have experienced, and survived, a half dozen major tests. intimacy with God. But first things first. What exactly is intimacy with You think each other’s thoughts. You finish each other’s His “Whisper”, God? Let’s consider an analogy from marriage. Both new sentences . . . or a half-finished sentence is understood. and mature love help us understand intimacy better. When and Witnesses. Intimacy with God is like intimacy with your mate. It’s you were dating your wife (if you’re married), do you re165

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wanting to know Him at the deepest level. It’s wanting to be fully known and accepted for who you are. Intimacy with God means a full, fresh, moment by moment dependency upon His grace and mercy. And it grows deeper with time. That’s a tall order! But you can get there from here. Here’s a formula that seems to help deepen all relationships-Appointment, Relationship, Trust, Task. Here’s how it works. When I saw Patsy, now my wife, walking down the street the first time I thought, Now there goes the woman with whom I would like to spend the rest of my life! But I didn’t walk over to her and say, “Hi Patsy, how are you doing? Would you like to get married?” No, I said, “Would you like to go out Friday night?” I asked for the Appointment. She said no, but that’s a story for another time. Eventually, though, she did go out with me and we hit it off. A Relationship began to develop as we spent time together and got to know each other. Eventually, as we shared out of the depths of our hearts and souls, we began to Trust each other. Then, when Trust came to full bloom, I popped the question, asked her to marry me, and we did the Task-we married. But it took some time. Intimacy with God develops like intimacy in marriage. It’s exciting at first, but takes some time to deepen. As we move through these four steps with God-Appointment, Relationship, Trust, Task-we will be rewarded with a deep, profound sense of intimacy with Him. We will find that we increasingly know God, love God, trust God, obey God, and serve God. Let’s take a closer look at how to build or renew intimacy by pursuing these five characteristics-Know God, Love God, Trust God, Obey God, and Serve God.

KNOW GOD

We get to know God by setting the Appointment. It takes time, though. We know God through His Works, His Word, His “Whisper”, and Witnesses. God’s Works in creation - sometimes called general revelation - are windows through which we peer and see clues about God’s nature. For example, gaze into a star studded evening sky, watch a mother duck with her ducklings, ponder the rhythms of the tides. God’s Word - sometimes called special revelation- tells us what we can know in no other way: the history of redemption and the character of God and His attributes. The “Whisper” of the Holy Spirit is God speaking to our hearts, especially when we pray or read the Bible. Martin Luther once said, “I have so (continued on page )

The Word of GOD Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

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much to do today I think I’ll need to pray for three hours.” Also, men need Witnesses. A lot of men today - good men - slip into a jaded, cynical outlook. They need fellowship with other Christians who can testify to the life-altering power of Christ in their lives.

natural (or perhaps super-natural) response. Jesus put it simply: “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). Daryl said, “My faith is simple. I read it in the Bible, then I do it. I don’t ask questions.” That’s because after getting to know,

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of course, I always obey). What could be more natural than serving the one you know, love, and trust? In fact, God has made us with an innate need to serve the one we love. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good

“[I am] conﬁdent of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:8).

LOVE GOD

The more we know God, the more we love Him that’s Relationship. When Jesus was asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” he answered, “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’” (Mark 12:28-30). To love God with “all” is to love Him with the totality of our being, every ounce of our energy, and the sum of our strength. We are to bring an intensity to loving God. Saint Augustine saw this so foundational that he said, “Love God and do what you want.” He knew that the actions of a man who truly loves God seeks to do His will.

TRUST GOD

The more experience we have with the Lord the more we realize, “You can trust God.” I’ve had a dozen major struggles in which, if God had failed me, I would have been history. You’ve had yours. The beauty of walking with God a good while is that you build “experience” with Him. In fact, you can come to a level of Trust that, even when you see no way out of a gut-wrenching trial, you know from experience you can depend upon Him. The apostle Paul put it this way: “[I am] confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

OBEY GOD

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CONCLUSION

love, and trust God, Daryl has surrendered his life to the pleasure of God. The key to obedience is to embrace “the authority of the Scriptures.” As one of our Board members says, “It’s either true or it isn’t, and you either believe or you don’t.” If the Bible is God’s Word, then our obedience must follow. The Bible commands us to repent, be holy, keep the Sabbath holy, tithe, don’t commit adultery, and a host of other clear commands that Christians today spend countless hours debating and rationalizing. But the fruit of intimacy with God is a simple obedience motivated by gratitude for God’s grace. From my own experience, I know that obedience as a grateful response to knowing, loving, and trusting God is far superior to obedience as duty. If you cannot yet be grateful then by all means-do your duty, but gratitude is better.

SERVE GOD

Intimacy with God cries out for an opportunity to express its appreciation in service-a second type of Task. The more I grow to love my wife, Patsy, the more I want to serve and please her in every way. I just can’t get enough of serving her (and,

Does your soul thirst for God? Why not give yourself increasingly and progressively to these five ideas. Start by setting the Appointment and get to know God. Then, build the Relationship and deepen your love for God. Let Trust come to full bloom through daily dependence. Then, in grateful response to your new or renewed sense of intimacy with God, obey and serve God (your Task) out of the overflow of a vibrant relationship with the living Lord. Reflect on the questions to help you cement these ideas in your mind:

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1. Describe the time in your life when you felt closest to God. 2. What one word or phrase best describes how close or distant you feel to God today, and explain. 3. What does the Bible tell us about loving God in Mark 12:28-31 and Luke 10:25-28. 4. Saint Augustine said, “Love God and do what you want.” Is that good theology? Explain your answer. 5. What is the single most important thing you can do right now to have a more intimate relationship with God? Do you think you will actually do it, and why or why not? Business leader, author, and speaker, Patrick Morley helps men to think more deeply about their lives, to be reconciled with Christ, and to be equipped for a larger impact on the world. © 1998. Patrick M. Morley. All rights reserved.

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Dealing with Anxiety, Worry, and Fear by Patrick Morley

HIS IS FOR ALL WHO KNOW SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, ANXIOUS DAYS, looming bills, payroll just ahead, strain at home, feelings of self-pity, waves of fatigue, nightmares, pressure, dread, terror and, well...you get the picture. We’ve all been there, and some of us are there right now. Biblically, we already know how we are supposed to deal with anxiety, worry, and fear. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). And when we remember to pray, this usually works. But sometimes, even when we pray, we still feel a sense of desperation-even panic.

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The Word of GOD

25”Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]? (Matthew 6:25-34) November/December 2006

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FEELING DESPERATE:

The first quarter of 2002 roughed me up pretty good. Recession had knocked a number of our major donors to their knees. As our primary fundraiser, I was working twice as hard with half the results. Several major projects I was working on had to be postponed-no time. We furloughed several part-timers. Sometimes you just do what you have to do.

When summer began I was thin-thin on patience, thin on energy, thin on faith. We were also thin on cash. On top of that, we expect income at Man in the Mirror to drop off during the summer months. Personally, I was doing all my regular spiritual disciplines. I felt closer than ever to Jesus. As an eternal optimist, I even had faith things would work out. I also felt desperate. I hated that I felt that way, but I did. Here is an entry from my journal in mid-May... May, 2002-Just because I feel desperate doesn’t mean I am. What do feelings have to do with anything? Have they ever been correct in the past, except by accident? The message is simple: Don’t deny feelings, but don’t automatically accept the information they give you. Don’t stuff your feelings because you think it is

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).”

not “Christian” to feel that way. Instead, ask, “What is the information this emotion is giving me?” Then go from there. But don’t necessarily trust what you “hear.” As I have said elsewhere, it is easy to look at the data and come to the wrong conclusion.

GOD, I DON’T NEED THIS:

Two and a half years ago I was sitting in my backyard before dawn. God had poured one blessing after another on my relationship with Jesus, family, friendships, ministry, finances, and health. I looked up into the starry night, praised God, and said in a moment of exuberance, “God, I don’t need any of this. All I need is you. You are all I need.” And I really meant it. The problem with making statements to God that we really mean is that He will make us mean them. What followed was a six month long test of excruciating proportion. He mugged me. Recently, near the end of May, I thought back to that day 2 ½ years earlier. I remembered what I had said about all those blessings. Then I thought about the current slough of troubles. I laughed out loud and said of my problems, “Lord, I don’t

“God, I don’t need any of this. All I need is you. You are all I need.” And I really meant it.”

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need any of this. All I need is you. You are all I need.” Here’s the way I put it in my journal... May 29, 2002-Today is tough-financially tough. I was reminded of that day (when? 2.5 years ago?) when feeling so blessed I prayed, “Lord, I don’t need any of this. All I need is you. You are all I need.” Then, He crushed me with the brutality of His grace, because when we make statements to God that we really mean, He will make us mean them. Then, this morning, facing a tough time, I prayed again, “Lord, I don’t need any of this. All I need is you. You are all I need.” Why should I only tell God that I don’t need His blessings to be happy? Why not also tell Him that I don’t need His testing to yet trust Him completely? The message is simple: He is all we need. All we need is Him.

FEELING GOD HAS FAILED ME:

By the end of May I could not see any way to make payroll on Monday, June 3. Our twenty staff, each of whom I deeply love, “need” their pay-it is no mere “want.” They have rent payments, mortgage payments, groceries, child care, gasoline, car payments, insurance, and doctor bills to pay. I was clinging to Christ and His Word... “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:31-33) By God’s grace, we had a regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting at the end of May. They encouraged me. They also told us we could temporarily transfer funds from our internal Project

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so our balance was actually plus $2,691. Once again God had shown himself faithful to His promises. The cloud began to lift and, even though we are still in the middle of all this, my joy has returned. The message is simple: It’s okay to “feel” like God has failed you. It’s okay-even important-to tell God how you feel. It’s not okay to stuff your feelings and pretend they don’t exist. Process them. Tell God how you really feel. He’s big enough to handle it. Let’s get honest with Him, and then let the Holy Spirit work it out for us.

FAITH OVER FEELINGS:

Father’s Day book account to cover payroll. (These were not designated funds - it was simply income we knew we would need in coming months.) While that relieved some pressure, it also made me angry and sad. Not once during my twenty years in real estate did I ever co-mingle funds between any of our 50 plus companies and partnerships-never once. To be completely transparent, we needed $35,000 in two business days, and I felt like God had failed me. I went home and wrote this in my journal the next morning... May 31, 2002-Yesterday, Board authorized “borrowing” funds from PFD balance to make payroll and pay bills, which feels like a violation of all my principles. Father, even though I ‘feel’ like you have failed me (though I don’t ‘believe’ you have), I am not going to fail you. I will not teach my experience. I will teach your Word. I will not believe the perception of my experience. I will believe your Word. I asked Him, “God, why are you breaking my heart?” Every Monday afternoon around 4:00 P. M. Betty, our Administrator, gives me a weekly financial status report. At the bottom of the report are a set of numbers that are, for me, the bottom line. On June 3 the report came and showed the balance in the account for payroll and bills at -$2,309. What Betty, our Administrator, didn’t know, however, was that at my writing office I had received a check for $5,000

Bill Bright says, “Faith is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the bigger it gets.” My faith has grown through troubles in ways it would never have grown through blessings. Sometimes when we are lazy, God must force a faith workout. The core idea: It is through faith that we conquer anxiety, fear, and worry. I’m sleeping better. Prayer once again takes away anxiety. I wish you could see the new bulges in my faith muscles.

APPLICATION

1. Where you are being tempted to be anxious and not trust God? 2. What is one practical step you can take to increase your faith next week? 3. How do you usually process your emotions? What are they telling you? 4. Consider memorizing one of the verses from this article and asking God to make it true in your heart and mind. Business leader, author, and speaker, Patrick Morley helps men to think more deeply about their lives, to be reconciled with Christ, and to be equipped for a larger impact on the world. ©2002. Patrick M. Morley. All rights reserved. This may be reproduced with proper attribution for non-commercial purposes.

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The Word of GOD

The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness. (Isaiah 38:19)

Men of Honor - Women of Virtue: Rais i n g K i d s t o k e ep the faith by Chuck Stecker 173

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EXPECT THE BEST

In 1961 John Gardner wrote a book titled Excellence. I have kept my tattered copy—with the pages falling out and held together with a rubber band—near my desk for many, many years. Mr. Gardner related a story that, in my estimation, provides a key to helping parents teach their children to keep the faith. We are beginning to understand that the various kinds of talents that flower in any society are the kinds that are valued in the society. On a recent visit to Holland, my wife asked a Dutchwoman why children and adults in that country showed such an extraordinary high incidence of language skills. “We expect it of children,” the woman said simply. “We think it important.” As parents, churches, and a society, we seem to have lost track of how much our children respond to

what we value. Our children can see the difference between what we say is important and what we genuinely value. In all too many cases, what we say is important only applies to them as we try to mold and shape their lives—whereas the things that are truly important to us can be validated by looking at our checkbooks, our calendars, and our hearts.

A MOTHER’S PASSING

I was invited to speak at a pastor’s luncheon in Alexandria, Louisiana, about three years ago. As we introduced ourselves to one another before the program began, I had the privilege of meeting a pastor from the area. His name is not widely known; his church numbers fewer than seventy people. Yet the power of his presence was as great as that of any man I have ever met. This pastor told me he had just buried his mother the day before. There was a joy in his

voice that transcended the pain he felt at his loss. I asked him to tell me about the funeral. (You can determine a lot about a family by how they celebrate the births and deaths of their loved ones.) Within moments I was captivated by the story the pastor related. Beginning two nights earlier at the wake, in addition to the gathering of family and friends, fourteen pastors came to be with the family and celebrate the home-going of his mother. These fourteen pastors had all been involved in his mother’s and father’s lives at one time or another. The pastor said the entire family was there. When I asked him what he meant by the “entire family,” he stated that his parents had twenty-one children, seventeen of whom were still living. At that time there were forty-three grandchildren and fiftyone great-grandchildren. He then made a casual statement that nearly knocked me out of my chair: “You know the funny part is that we’re all in ministry.” I looked at him for a moment and asked, “Do

you mean the children?” “No, not just my brothers and sisters and me. All of us.” “You mean the grandchildren?” “Yes.” And before I could respond, he added,” And the great-grandchildren, too!” This family numbered 111 plus spouses: 17 children, 43 grandchildren, and 51 great-grandchildren. All 111 and their spouses came together to celebrate the life and death of his mother. Families just don’t gather like that anymore—even for funerals. As shocking as that was, I couldn’t get over the fact that they were all in ministry. I asked him to clarify: “Every single one of them?” “Absolutely,” he exclaimed. “From pastors to missionaries to lay leaders to evangelists. And many of the younger children are already involved with their parents.”

A FATHER’S LEGACY

I asked the pastor if he could explain this. He paused for a moment and then spoke as nonchalantly as if he were ordering a pizza. “I guess it’s because my father placed such a high value on those in ministry that we all wanted to be a part of what Dad valued so much.” “Was your dad in ministry?” I asked. “Oh no, my parents were vegetable farmers.

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I can remember that when I was a child, my dad would gather the vegetables into a horse-drawn wagon to take them to the market every week. Before he left, he filled a number of small paper bags with vegetables. My father knew exactly how many pastors and their families lived on the route he traveled to take the vegetables to market. As he traveled to the market every week, he would stop and place a bag of vegetables at every pastor’s door.” I shook my head in amazement. Seeing my reaction, he said, “My father would then buy fruit for our family, and he would also buy enough fruit to fill the same number of paper bags—because he would then drop off a bag of fruit at each pastor’s house on the way home. I cannot remember a week, regardless of the weather or even how poor the crop, that my father didn’t embark upon this routine—until he was unable to travel any longer. Our dad didn’t have to tell us he valued pastors; we saw it. And to this day it is his legacy that runs through our family.” Although his father had died many years before his mother, the legacy was indelibly engraved in the family. One hundred eleven family members and their spouses are all serving the Lord because one vegetable farmer let his life truly show what he valued.

EXPECT THE BEST

To see what is of value, parents must look with God’s eyes. We must align our actions with our words regarding what we say we value. And as we look at our children through God’s eyes to see their true value, we must learn to expect the best. If there is one thing I could change about my past as a father, it would be that I would always expect the best of and for my children. Don’t confuse that with demanding perfection or even demanding a certain level of performance. Give them a chance. If we want to raise our kids to keep the faith, I suggest that the formula is far simpler than we have made it. Make every effort to see them with God’s eyes, bless them into their future and destiny, and expect the best. After all, they are God’s best! Chuck Stecker is the president and founder of A CHOSEN GENERATION, a ministry designed to help the youth of the world discover godly adulthood. Visit www.cookministries.com or to order this book contact LIFE JOURNEY BOOKS, Cook Communications Ministries, Dept. 201, 4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918. (c)2006 by Chuck Stecker. Men of Honor Women of Virtue. Used by permission. To order, www.cookministries.com. All rights reserved.

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Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. (Deuteronomy 4:9)

Parenting The Wild Child

Hop e a n d H e l p f o r Desperate Parents by Miles McPherson 177

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raveling Around the Country and talking to and about kids has many great benefits. I have had the privilege of meeting countless young people who are sold out for the Lord. I cannot tell you how encouraging it is to meet young people who have begun ministries on their campuses, led their parents to the Lord, and overcome incredible challenges in their lives. But the other side of the story is meeting families who are in pain because their child is out of control. He or she is the “wild child” of the bunch.

Some of these kids represent a parent’s worse nightmare: the sexually active teenage daughter, the sixteen-year –old son who joins a gang, the child who runs away time after time, the drug addicted son. Parents approach me at church or at crusades and plead, “My son is on drugs and won’t stay home. What do I do?” “I think my daughter is sleeping around. What do I do?” “My son won’t listen to a thing I say. What do I do?” For so long I have felt inadequate to answer these questions. It can take a lot of work to sort out the issues, and even when I had a possible solution, it often required a lengthy explanation. Now I can finally empower those parents and you with Parenting the Wild Child. Because there are countless ways a young person can be a wild child, it would require thousands of pages to cover solutions to all of those problems. However, I have come to realize that wild children are going through an unseen spiritual battle. And I address the universal principles necessary to set your family free to fight this battle from a position of strength instead of weakness. I also present many practical suggestions for parenting a difficult teenager. Although some of these suggestions may not apply to your particular situation, the timeless spiritual insights apply to all rebellious children. They will also help you to deal with the conflict in your own soul. Parents often suffer more than their rebellious son or daughter does. Becoming a wiser and stronger parent will help you to better respond to rebellious behavior. The spiritual battle that the wild child goes through is similar to the physical battle that people experience when destructive cancer cells take 179

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over a normally healthy body. In the case of the wild child, he or she is suffering from a spiritual cancer. The cancer (rebelliousness) of the wild child is based on lies and deception. Satan is using his false promises and threats to deceive young people. Once these lies are believed and trusted, they produce grave consequences, which you see played out in the life of the wild child. As an example of Satan’s power, allow me to ask you a question. Have you ever wondered why every time something apparently bad happens, we first react negatively? The Bible clearly says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4) If Scripture tells us to be joyful in hard times, why do we react the opposite way? I will tell you: Satan whispers it into our ears. He tells us to doubt our abilities, or to feel sorry for ourselves, or think God has abandoned us, or…Not only can Satan lie to us in a particular situation, he keeps on telling us the same five to ten lies, and we believe him. We fall for the same trick every

day. We repeat the same mistakes. Through his lies, Satan is convincing all of us, especially young people, to do and think unimaginable things. The good news is that we, as believers in Jesus, have access to the one thing that can undo the effects of these lies: prayer based on God’s truth. If Satan can destroy a life based on a lie, how much more can God repair a life and restore what the locusts have eaten. I expose thirty-five lies that Satan may be using against you and six he is probably using against your child. More importantly, I present biblical truths, which, if applied properly through prayer, can undo the effects of Satan’s lies and bring your child out of his or her rebellion. In addition, I outline prayers designed to expose the untruths of these lies and empower you with biblical mandates concerning your responsibilities and privileges as a parent. There are review questions to help you think through the issues discussed, so you can begin to resolve them in your heart. This will enable you to pray with more focus and take efficient and effective action to help your child. You will see that I emphasize two things: (1) Satan is the enemy and his lies are his number one

weapon against your family, and (2) God is your ally and prayer is your most powerful and faithful weapon.

The Wild Child: A Cancer Kid

Caroline was nursing her fourth child, Lucy, when she noticed a lump in her breast. She figured it was simply a clogged duct but decided to call a nurse for advice. The nurse agreed that it was probably nothing to worry about; it would probably clear up. And since Caroline already had a doctor’s appointment scheduled two weeks later, she decided that if it didn’t disappear, it could be checked then. When Caroline’s doctor examined the lump, he immediately ordered further tests. Caroline called her husband, Brad, in tears. A mammogram had revealed a five-centimeter lump. A biopsy confirmed it was malignant. A cancer specialist was immediately sought, and one week later Caroline was in surgery having the lump removed. When Caroline woke up, she sensed something was wrong. The doctor seemed to be avoiding her. When she confronted him, he told her the cancer had spread to her lymph system. An extremely difficult road of treatment lay ahead. (continued on page 181) November/December 2006

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But Caroline and her family were willing to try anything to save her life. They spent hours meeting with doctors, not only laying out a treatment plan but also implementing it and monitoring its progress. The goal was simple: save Caroline’s life. They were committed to securing the best care possible. With four daughters, a husband, and countless friends and relatives who loved her, she had lots to live for. Each and every one of us is susceptible to cancer. That’s because we all have the gene that can trigger cancer. Genes tell cells what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. All of us have a class of genes known as proto-oncogenes. At some point during the life of cell, however, these normal genes may become damaged and program cells to start growing and dividing. A gene that causes unrestricted growth is called an oncogene. Most of the time, these defective genes don’t cause cancer. Normally another gene, called a tumor suppressor, will create proteins that stop the uncontrolled growth of the cells. However, in cases where the tumor-suppressing gene is also flawed, cancer develops. Cancerous cells have a mind of their own. They take over healthy areas of the body, preventing them from working properly. So what does cancer have to do with parenting a wild child? Just like cancer causes cells to grow uncontrolled, your child’s flesh, in a spiritual sense, is out of control. When young people display rebellious, wild-child behavior, it is a symptom of a spiritual cancer. In most cases, the basic root of their problem is spiritual, not so much emotional, behavioral, or mental. A wild child’s flesh is at war with his or her spirit. Galatians 5:16-21 says: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. So when it comes to the wild child, a helpful way of understanding this concept is to view the sinful works of his flesh as the result of mutated proto-oncogenes. Again, each of us has proto-oncogenes, so we all have the potential for developing cancer. In the same way, every child is capable of being overcome by sinful thoughts, feelings, and actions. 181

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Their natural tendency to do wrong is at war with God’s desire for them to do right. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:17). From now on you must accept that the wild child is in a spiritual battle. His or her behavior is not a matter of disobeying our rules. They are disobeying God’s law because they are losing the spiritual battle. In no way does this excuse children from being responsible for their actions, but it will affect how you view and approach the problem. As I said earlier, one of the most mysterious aspects of cancer is that everyone has protooncogenes in their body; therefore, everyone has the ability to develop cancer. It is only when something causes the proto-oncogene to be mutated that you actually contract the disease itself. Unfortunately, why this happens in some people and not in others is not completely understood. The flesh of every child (and adult, for that matter) has the potential to grow out of control, thus taking over his normal, or godly, purpose and function. Whether we want to accept it or not, we all could become drunkards, liars, murderers, fornicators, or adulterers. It is very dangerous to think that we are above these temptations. As I Corinthians 10:12 says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” With rebellion, there’s no mystery as to what—or who—is behind the spiritual oppression that causes spiritual cancer. Satan has invaded the life of your child, mutating and feeding his flesh with selfish desires and creating opportunities that will lead to nothing but death.

LIE #4 You have a right not to allow the problems of your wild child to interfere with your life.

TRUTHS

LIE #17 Rules in the home will take the fun out of your relationship with your child.

TRUTH #1

God always has the last word.

TRUTH #2

Victory is already yours.

TRUTH #3

Obedience is the key.

LIES AIMED AT PARENTS

LIE #5 The wild child truly understands and fears the consequences of his or her actions. LIE #6 Satan is not involved in the details of your life. LIE #7 The bad timing of the wild child’s troubles is only a coincidence. LIE #8

All of your troubles are God’s fault.

LIE #9

Your child will never change.

LIE #10 The situation surrounding the wild child will never change. LIE #11 You are a failure as a parent.

LIE #25 Even though my child and I don’t talk much, we still have a strong relationship. LIE #26 It’s unnecessary to talk to my child about important issues because she shares my same beliefs.

child’s behavior. LIE #31 Moms and dads have the same influence on children. LIE #32 A dad does not have to be a man of honor in order to be honored by his kids. LIE #33 You can be a good dad without being an involved dad. LIE #34 A strong dad does not have to listen to the opinion of his kids. His opinion is the law.

LIE #27 Since I cannot sustain a long conversation with my child, there must be a problem.

LIE #35 Quality time is better than quantity time.

LIE #28 If I see things from my child’s perspective, it will encourage more wild behavior.

LIES AIMED AT THE WILD CHILD

LIE #29 The dad should depend on someone else, including the mom, to be the lead investigator in finding a cure for the wild child’s cancer.

LIE #13 Praying for others won’t work unless they have a desire to change.

LIE #30 The dad is not responsible for his

LIE #1 God is not going to take care of your needs.

LIE #3 The benefits of meeting your own needs outweigh the consequences. LIE #4 Why use your strengths for godly purposes when they can be used to meet your own needs? LIE #5

There’s no need to resist temptations.

LIE #6 If you don’t take control of your life, you are a chump. The following article was an excerpt. Miles McPherson is president and founder of Miles Ahead Ministries and speaks to thousands of teens and adults each year. A former NFL football player, Miles is also the pastor of The Rock Church in San Diego. To order a copy of Parenting the Wild Child, log onto therocksandiego.org and click on “store”.

LIE #2 Your life will always be filled with pain; therefore, embrace it.

LIE #14 If my wild child’s behavior is not improving, my prayers must not be working. LIE #15 All I need to do is pray, and everything will work out for good. LIE #16 God knows my needs; therefore, I don’t need to pray about specific details.

LIE #18 Parents don’t have a right to know and control everything that happens in the home. LIE #19 Your child deserves a hangout of his or her own that is off limits to parents. LIE #20 Children know right from wrong and don’t need discipline.

LIE #2 You have the right to demand a child to stop his or her wildness before you understand the wildness.

LIE #21 If I start disciplining my child, he will rebel even more and I will lose him.

LIE #3 The wild child has no reason for his or her wildness.

LIE #24 Talking to the wild child is the same as communicating with the wild child.

LIE #12 Prayers are just as effective whether they are organized or not.

The wild child is the enemy.

LIE #1

LIE #23 If my child makes me mad, he deserves whatever trouble comes his way.

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LIE #22 A little does of disciple now and then will be enough to straighten out a wild child. November/December 2006

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sports

IN A LOCKER ROOM MUTED BY THE deflation that comes with a season ended prematurely, LaDainian Tomlinson sat on a stool, head down, his face streaked with the salt of perspiration and tears. He was, as he does every defeat, absorbing as personal the San Diego Chargers’ 20-17 overtime loss to the New York Jets this past January. Through a three-deep throng of reporters that encircled Tomlinson, team chaplain Shawn Mitchell politely moved and bent down until he was near the star running back’s ear. “Remember, you’re going to be a daddy,” Mitchell said. Up came Tomlinson’s head. On it, a smile Mitchell recalls as nothing short of “radiant.” That perspective had carried Tomlinson through the previous months, ever since summer when he found out his wife LaTorsha was pregnant with their first child. He shared news frequently with friends of LaTorsha’s doctor visits and sonogram images of Mckiah Renee, their daughter. At the beginning of February, Tomlinson went to the Pro Bowl, his second in four seasons in the NFL. Friends and family saw a man fairly floating, elated by the anticipation of his impending fatherhood and the good times that defined his life. “He was so ready to be a father,” Mitchell said. And then, on February 22, LaDainian and LaTorsha found out the pregnancy was over. LaTorsha had miscarried. She would deliver the baby, but Mckiah Renee would not spend a moment in this world. And herein lies the story of a man who accepted tragedy the way he has accepted blessings, who turned his focus to heaven when he lost his daughter the same way he did when he signed the richest contract ever awarded an NFL running back. “I always feel the Lord has a plan for my life,” Tomlinson says. It really does seem that straightforward for the man who might be the world’s best at what he does. Time and again, LaDainian Tomlinson does not waiver from his absolute confidence in God’s sovereignty. The seeds of faith are planted by God but cultivated by a man in his own heart. As Tomlinson’s friend and former teammate, Scott Turner, said of Tomlinson’s perspective: “That is developed by a life of faith; it doesn’t just happen when trials happen.” Ask LaDainian Tomlinson about his relationship with God and he begins by giving credit to his mother and his Texas roots. “I was raised in the church and everything,” he says simply. “I started it at a very young age—going to church and being in the Word and things like that. Especially being from Texas; it’s established in you.” But delve deeper and he speaks of a time 183

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sports in high school—“When I started to dominate the competition, I was cocky at times. I didn’t like the way I was.”—that he began to seek out this God of his mother and make Jesus his own. “I felt like I needed my own personal relationship, so I didn’t have to rely on what my mom said all the time,” he recalls. That relationship guided him to college at Texas Christian University. He acknowledges the

desire he had to play for bigger schools, but those schools did not want him. With time as a teacher, he sees the Lord’s hand pushing him to TCU. “He knew I’d meet my wife there,” he says, actually giggling. In her husband of 2 years LaTorsha sees an example, a man who prays first thing every morning, on his knees, and motivates her to read the Bible every day. Tomlinson would loathe any suggestion he is

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special in any way for his reliance on God. He is a man, after all, who keeps no memorabilia from his own growing anthology of highlight moments. Just because he is known around the country simply by initials and because with stop-and-go moves he routinely has opposing linebackers check for missing drawers and because he is the highest paid player in Chargers history and because he has a jersey that is among the

POSITIVE YARDAGE

Despite a deep family tragedy, LaDainian Tomlinson keeps moving forward through his faith and for his family

by Kevin Acee

The Word of GOD Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. (Psalm 150:6) November/December 2006

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most frequently bought among fans leaguewide—this means little to LaDainian Tomlinson. But having millions of dollars and the adoration of thousands does come with its challenges. There is a tendency among us all—and particularly those blessed with skills the world values—to forget who bestowed our talents, to look inward rather than upward. Face it, there are some football-mad people who would not blame Tomlinson if he read Matthew 14 (Jesus walking on water) and thought, “Hey. I could do that.” Mitchell, the senior pastor at New Life Christian Fellowship in Oceanside, California, and the Chargers’ chaplain the past 20 years, has seen plenty of that kind of attitude. “A lot of players exude a sense of self-importance,” Mitchell says. “On the opposite end of the spectrum you have LaDainian. He portrays an extremely strong image of Jesus Christ.” Mitchell mentions the praying hands tattoo on one of Tomlinson’s biceps and his perfect attendance at the team’s chapel service and his knowledge of the Bible. More than that, however, is what Mitchell hears people say about Tomlinson—coaches, teammates, and others who have met Tomlinson and experienced his humility and charming sense of his place in the world. Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer has on more than one occasion called Tomlin185

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son the most unique person he has ever met. What likely impresses Schottenheimer, a coach in the NFL since 1984, is that in the strata he and Tomlinson occupy, the consistency with which Tomlinson is above reproach is extremely rare. “What I’ve noticed about him is through all the success he’s had, all the financial blessings, the guy has never changed,” says Chargers defensive lineman DeQuincy Scott. “Sometimes when people get a few more dollars—especially when they haven’t had money before—they think they’re on top of the world. L.T. just takes it as a blessing from God and acts that way.” Professional athletes face the same challenges to their faith as do those with much fewer zeroes in their bank accounts. And they face different ones. Relatives and friends asking for money, the risk of pride, the ready availability of every manner of vice that comes with fame and fortune. “It’s tough because of outside things—the temptations the devil is always trying to bring on you through different people trying to get what you have,” Tomlinson acknowledges. Says LaTorsha: “Being in the NFL, it comes along with a lot of other things that aren’t so good. It’s great just watching him deal with it and having that confidence in him and watching him always

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turn to God when he’s confused about something.” With a laugh that was a little sad because of what her comment means about men without Jesus as their foundation, LaTorsha says, “It’s extremely difficult to be the wife of an NFL player. I don’t think we get enough credit, honestly. When your husband is close to the Lord and in the Word every day, it makes it so much easier.” It makes more bearable the every day and the bad days. Because of who he is and has long been—the young man who spoke almost exclusively about his mother on their first date and who took her to church a short while after that—LaTorsha Tomlinson’s husband helped her through a time she thought she might not survive, her faith not only intact but stronger. “God definitely used LaDainian for me,” LaTorsha says of the loss of their child. “I was a wreck. There are days still when I’m a wreck. LaDainian is my rock. He sacrificed his own need to grieve, pushed it to the back, to stand up and be there for me. “I know that was God telling him ‘She’s going to need you.’ I’ll be honest: I was angry. It took LaDainian to tell me, ‘God has a plan.’ ” LaDainian has said he thought the key moment in his wife’s recovery came during a difficult day when she went to lie outside by the couple’s pool. A butterfly landed on her toe. “We took that as a sign,” LaDainian Tomlinson says. “It was like God was telling us our daughter was okay.” LaTorsha Tomlinson remembers a different watershed moment. She was lying in bed, unable to get out for her sadness. LaDainian came and sat by her, and among the things he said was a reminder that they don’t know the big picture but God does. “I’ll never forget that,” LaTorsha says. “I cried and cried. But I knew he was right.” All this stoutness and dependence on God does not mean LaDainian Tomlinson has not hurt. “I’d be driving down the street and think about her and start crying,” he says. “Still to this day there are good days and bad days.” But, still, there is this: “ I understood God’s plan. I never really questioned God. I just felt like He knows everything. He knows the number of hairs on my head, so why would I ever question Him? Of course, I asked, ‘God, what is going on? Why is this happening?’ But it was never, ‘This is not right’ or ‘This is Your fault.’ ” Kevin Acee is a sports writer who covers the San Diego Chargers for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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EVERYBODY HAS AN AVERY JOHNSON IMITATION.

WELL-SUITED Who knew that this little-known guard from Southern University would turn out to be just right at the helm for the Dallas Mavericks?

by Darryl Howerton

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His is easily the most recognizable voice in sports, like Howard Cosell was back in the ’70s or Mike Tyson in the ’80s. That’s why everyone who has ever played with or observed the man nicknamed Little General has his own impersonation of the high-pitch, highly-enunciated Louisiana twang that comes out of the mouth of the energetic 5-11, 185-pound dynamo. That being said, one thing is clear. No one has ever been able to do the man justice. Because you just cannot duplicate the man. Avery Johnson is an original. No player’s career arc ever ran all over the place—quite successfully we might add—with so little credit, until late in his career, when everybody recognized he was a winner. Not many head coaches ever jumped into the fire at such a young age either, and none ever had the success that he has, as quickly as he has. Immaculately and impeccably dressed in his monochromatic suits on the sidelines, he rivals Pat Riley as the best-dressed coach in the league, and more important, his win-loss record as coach is rivaling Riley and the greatest coaches who ever suited up, so to speak. His first two months in coaching encompassing two different seasons—April 2004 season and November 2005—Johnson won NBA Coach of the Month honors both times. And then he rode that surge to become the coach fastest to win 50 games, doing it in 62 games, breaking the record of 63 set a half-century ago by Red Auerbach and Al Cervi. “It was a crazy time,” says the 41-year-old Johnson, recalling his indoctrination in the league. He was a player trying to make the Mavs roster in October 2004, decided to become a Dallas assistant coach in November, and was groomed for the head coaching job during the season when Don Nelson and team owner Mark Cuban decided he was ready for the job in late March 2005. “I knew I’d be taking over at some point, and everybody thought that would be a terrific time for me to take over,” says Johnson. “I had already coached a couple stretches when Nellie was out with health problems. So when I got the job at the end of the season, it just seemed like the right time. I had learned so much from my coaches, especially Coach [Gregg] Popovich and Nellie, who took so much time last season preparing me for the role. When Mark Cuban thought it was a good time, I knew I was ready.” Johnson’s Mavs went 16-2. But perhaps the most notable changes among his charges were the newly defined roles they were given. Nellie was big on changing lineups, playing small-ball

The Word of GOD

“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. (Isaiah 43:10)

at times, trying to create lineup mismatches. Johnson was more straightforward. The year before in the 2004 NBA Playoffs for instance, power forward Dirk Nowitzki dedicated a lot of his efforts guarding Sacramento Kings center Vlade Divac. With Johnson in charge, Nowitzki no longer guarded centers, leaving that job to Erick Dampier and Alan Henderson. Nowitzki says, “If anything, he said, ‘Keith Van Horn will guard centers before I do.’ ” Another area that Johnson was quick to stress was defense and rebounding. He gave Josh Howard and anyone who played hard “D” monster minutes, tried to make Jason Terry a leader, and touted Nowitzki as a good defender when the knock had always been on him as being a below-average one. It was extreme makeover at its finest. The Mavericks already had a winning ballclub, perennially winning 50 games a season as often as Kobe scores 30 points a night. But Johnson

needed to make them a championship one. “It was a necessity for us if we want to make that next step,” says Johnson. “That’s the type of basketball I was taught in San Antonio. We already had an offensive identity in Dallas, but we needed an overhaul defensively. We had to get good enough on defense to compete in the NBA Finals, and the players bought into it.” In the playoffs, Dallas dropped the first two games to Houston, prompting some to speculate he was being outcoached by Jeff Van Gundy. Johnson’s Mavs responded by D-ing up the Rockets, beating them at their own game, and winning the round in a seven-game series. The Phoenix Suns, owners of the NBA’s best record last season, ended up beating Dallas in Round 2, but Johnson’s point had been made. And it showed this season, with Dallas getting off to a great start, and maintaining their

70-plus-percent winning basketball that has kept them among the top three teams in the league all year long, along with the past two NBA champs, the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons. Johnson is especially happy that his Mavericks are challenging his former team, the Spurs, who were everybody’s pick to win the NBA title in the preseason. “I just think it’s great for basketball,” says Johnson of his rivalry with his beloved former coach, Pop, and his MVP former teammate Tim Duncan, who together with Johnson won the Spurs’ first NBA championship in 1999. “It’s great for the state of Texas for us to be neck and neck all year long. I’ve known these guys a long time, so obviously there’s a lot of respect for Pop and Tim. That’s an NBA championship team there, and that’s what we’re striving to be.” The Mavs definitely have a different shine to them these days. Nowitzki, a perennial All-Star was November/December 2006

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at his usual post at the 2006 NBA AllStar Game in Houston, but this time he was joined by his coach—with Johnson and his Mavs staff leading the Western Conference team. “It’s an honor and something I’ll definitely remember,” says Johnson. It’s funny when you think about it—a year before, he wasn’t even a head coach. Ah, how life has changed. It’s nice to know through it all, how Avery Johnson has not. He’s still the same feisty, energetic, God-loving, Jesus-praising man he always has been. The same guy that teammates throughout the years always said, as Tim Duncan puts it, “Avery was destined to be a head coach one day. Everybody knew he’d do that one day.” His team success—sparked by his leadership—always seemed to follow him in his early journeyman career. Thought to be a perennial 12th man on the roster, the undrafted NBA point guard would bounce from Seattle to Denver to San Antonio to Houston and back to San Anton’ and Golden State on one-year and multiple 10-day contracts his first 6 years—but one fact was nearly unmistakable. Every team he left would resort to its losing ways. And every team he joined would become winners. It was no coincidence. It also was no coincidence that Golden State named him their team captain in the 1993-94 season, after he was on board for just 9 days. That’s how quickly his leadership stood out when he joined new teams, despite doubts about his playing ability. Popovich, then a Warriors’ assistant, took definite note of his captaincy skills, and when Pop got the Spurs’ general manager job, he made sure he made Johnson his point guard, a tenure that would last fulltime for the next seven seasons. And though his high-pitched, always-squeaking twang might get under the skin of a teammate or two—because of the constant barking—he never really felt any backlash because of his spiritual beliefs, then or even now as a head coach. “Not really,” says Johnson. “People see what happens with me. I just want to be a reflection of Him. Be a light. I don’t have to tell people all the time about Jesus. I don’t have to hammer them over the head about it. They know I know Jesus, and they respect that.” Johnson’s playing career peaked in 1999, when he was the floor general on the NBA championship squad, averaging 10 points, 7

assists, and 33 minutes per game for the team led by All-Stars Duncan and David Robinson. It’s no wonder that he’s molded his Mavs into some semblance of the Spurs team, right down to the spiritual leadership aspect that made Johnson the player and leader he was . . . and is. Just as Robinson and Johnson led the Good Guy Spurs back in the day, the Mavericks have a strong Bible Belt contingency that gathers regularly. “Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Darrell Armstrong, and Adrian Griffin are all strong in our chapel services. And I get a lot of my strength and counsel from Del Harris, who is an ordained minister.” Harris too is an ordained head coach, so to speak, with 45 years in the business. His is the voice that gives advice to Avery’s ear. “You couldn’t meet a nicer guy than Avery,” says the 67-year-old Harris, who has been an NBA head coach for 13 seasons, “and when it comes to coaching, he puts so much time and energy into it. In fact, sometimes it’s too much, and we sometimes have to back off. It’s true he was put in the ideal situation, but he’s done a great job with that opportunity, and he’s just going to get better.” It’s this close bond with fellow coaches and players that keeps Johnson sane in a roller-coaster year on the job. “Keeping balance spiritually is very important in a very high-energy job like this when the hours are

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long,” says Johnson. “It’s pretty mentally draining, but I always find time to pray. I make time for it. I’ll make sure on the road I have CDs of my favorite pastors. I’ll read spiritual books. I’ll talk with the chaplains at the NBA chapel service. You have to do this, when you spend so much time on the road.” A quick survey of his current CDs in rotation include sermons from Terrence Johnson of Houston, T. D. Jakes of Dallas, and Walter Thomas of Baltimore, while the book in his travel bag is “21st Century Leadership: Dialogues With 100 Top Leaders.” “I like to have my quiet time in the morning,” says Johnson. “That’s when I like to pray and be with God. But I never know when I’ll listen to a CD or read a book. It makes me feel more at home when I take these with me. I may watch Christian television or pop in a CD and listen to a sermon.” So whether he’s on the road, breaking away from game-planning for his next opponent, or at home, where he may be TiVo-ing and watching three games at once, Johnson knows it’s his relationship with Jesus that put him in this position . . . and keeps him in this position. “I am walking the walk,” says Johnson. “Everything in life is so spiritual. You can’t lose sight of that. But you can’t be so religious that you’re no earthly benefit. My whole career was making something out of something while facing adversity. Getting cut. Signing with a new team. Over and over. In every situation, though, I tried to be a light. I would outwork and outstudy the best of them. Be a light. Be unselfish. Be a reflection of Him. “I learned early that I got blessings to be a blessing. That’s the same mindset I have today.” We see it when we see Jason Terry become a team leader. We see it when we see Dirk Nowitzki become a tougher player. We see it when we see Josh Howard become an All-NBA Defense-type of player. We see it when the Mavericks start playing championship-contender basketball. Avery is a reflection of Jesus. And in turn, the Mavs have become a reflection of him as well. Darryl Howerton is a veteran NBA writer. He works with HOOP magazine, the main magazine of the NBA.

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k, so Father Time moves on…I still don’t want to go with him, I don’t carewhathedrives! And I know you don’t either…I will defy, deny and go into downright rebellion rather than accept I am supposed to look, feel and act a certain way because of someone’s definition or description of aging. I refuse to be punished because of the year I was born. I have a lot to accomplish here on this Earth before I go any where that a plane, train or automobile can’t take me.

STOP

You can’t the years but you can stop the Process By Valerie Saxion

The aging process is deﬁned as the general decline in the structure and function of the human body associated with the progression of time. 191

November/December 2006

Recently a friend who’s in his 40’s, told me his wife told him he dressed like he was in his 20’s! I don’t think she meant it as a compliment… However, my thinking is, hey baby, if you feel good about you and the way you look, go for it! And I must say, he looks good! So what is the ‘Fountain of Youth”? Is it all in your mind? Well, I don’t think all of it’s between your ears, but certainly a great deal of aging has to do with your thought process. Are you constantly looking back, thinking of how it used to be? Or are you living every day to the fullest, living life out loud, planning your future no matter what your age? Your life is a book, waiting to be written! Whatever your next chapter is, it can be written with ease when your body is without dis-ease and disorder. How do we do it? First, stop the things that allow the aging process to gain speed and start doing the things that deny & defy it.

THE DON’TS The Environmental Theory of Aging links the Aging Process to poor diet, inadequate Exercise and exposure to Toxins. Most think we get toxic as we age, when in reality I believe we age because we are toxic. Someone can look and feel 20 years younger by simply doing a good organ cleanse.

Cleanse on a regular basis by fasting, using herbal cleanses and getting proper rest.

Somehow we humans think we can skirt around the sleep factor when in fact if you want to look & feel young as well heal properly and have a great immune system, you must get proper rest and sleep. Most of us have used the term, “if only there were a few more hours in the day I could get more done” when in reality if we had more hours we would take more on and max ourselves out even more. Right? While (continued on page 193)

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the body sleeps, the body heals. Especially the first three hours of sleep. That law you can’t defy!!!

Another factor that brings on Father Time at an accelerated rate is that little thing called stress.

Something most of us know all too well. While we can’t always remove the cause of stress, we can give our body what it needs to keep us from the harmful side effects stress can cause. If you didn’t read my article last month on stress and how to deal with it, please be sure to get the information. It could save your life.

And here’s one that really freaks me out…Excessive consumption of Simple Sugars accelerates the Aging Process. Who would have thought a good

piece of Key Lime Pie would make you get old, quicker! Studies show when sugar is removed from the diets of laboratory rats they live for twice as long as when their diets contain no sugar. Go for the Stevia…It has no side effects and is actually beneficial to the immune system. Then you don’t get fat and old at the same time!

And my last don’t is “don’t over eat”. Studies show that those who fast much and eat little live longer! One study proved that by fasting 3 consecu-

tive days per month, you can increase your life span by 5-7 years. When fasting your body can spend it’s energy on healing and warding off disease instead of hours each day breaking down what you just took in. So here’s an easy rule to follow. Hold your hand out and make a fist! That’s the size of your stomach when it’s empty…Now hold your hand out opened up. That’s the size your stomach should be when it’s full. 193

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November/December 2006

So if you’re eating more than your hand full, you may be shortening your life and stretching your stomach!

THE DO’S Eat living foods! You are what you eat! Ac-

cording to the American Cancer Society, by eating five fresh fruits and veggies daily, you can cut your risk of cancer by 30%. Not to mention fresh foods such as berries with all those powerful anti-oxidant effects can help you stay disease free and keep those free radicals from

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damaging your skin and making you look old.

Herbs such as Ashwagandha retard various aspects of the Aging Process as well as boosting the immune and sex drive. Ginkgo

biloba aids the brain in various aspects that typically occur in tandem with the aging process.

Research shows Green Tea retards the Aging Process in the Skin as well as having many other health benefits. Remember no sugar,

if you gotta drink it sweet, drink it with Stevia.

Activated Charcoal (30 grams per day for

The Word of GOD

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (II Corinthians 2:14)

“According to the American Cancer Society, by eating ﬁve fresh fruits and veggies daily, you can cut your risk of cancer by 30%.” November/December 2006

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two days of the week) is said to counteract some of the cellular changes that are associated with the progression of years. And then there’s the little Grape Seeds that are jammed packed with power to fight off just about anything that could ever attempt to attack your body! Even wrinkles!!! And last but not least, something we should all take at the same time of course… Garlic!

Garlic inhibits many aspects of Aging. Studies show aged garlic even inhibits the shrinkage (atrophy) of the Frontal Lobe of the Brain that occurs in tandem with the progression age. So eat garlic, get smelly, think big and look young! ��

��

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CONSUMERS CHOICE AWARD FOR BUSINESS EXCELLENCE!

IN SUMMATION....... •Eat living foods in small amounts. Think of all

mammals roaming and grazing…and you do the same. •Get herbal and go sugar free. •Eat garlic in cloves & cloves & cloves and then take some in capsules and stay at a distance when talking to people. You’ll look great! (Kyolic makes a great odor free garlic supplement) •Move your body! Do the best exercise in the world…which is the one you’ll do! You like to walk, then walk, you like to golf, then golf. Just be sure to move your body!

and won’t want to wait until the next one. •Do an herbal cleanse every quarter. Your body will love you for it and service you well. •Go to bed! Listen to your body…it will talk to you and tell you when you need to sleep and get extra rest and those moments when it whispers, ”I’m tired”, that doesn’t mean you’re lacking caffeine! Just get sleep and proper rest! You’ll live longer and be a much nicer person.

Finally, love God, love people and love yourself! You can’t go wrong… (For more information on Valerie Saxion’s supplements or fasting “how to’s” call 1-800-493-1146)

•Schedule in a 3 day fast each month. After the first time, you’ll see how good your body feels November/December 2006

196

HEALTH, WELLNESS RESTORATIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

Dr. Denise Davis

Lymphedema

noticed that she just was not her usual chipper self-she just sat in the same chair for the entire reception. This was so unusual for Mrs. Gibbs, the retired teacher but active community volunteer. I decided to go over and spend some time with her. As I approached her I noticed that her legs were propped up on a stool and about 2-3 larger than normal size. Politely, I tried to ignore her legs but she was straight forward about the subject and said that she had been diagnosed with Lymphedema. I decided to do some research on the subject and this was what I found.

The Word of GOD

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands. (Psalm 119:66)

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God’s Temple

ymphedema is a medical condition that is derived by an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in various areas of the body because of an interruption of normal lymphatic flow. The interruption can occur because of a number of insults to the body which include surgery, parasites, physical trauma, overuse or any insult that does not allow normal anatomical alignment thus normal lymphatic flow. More than 100,000 people develop Lymphedema as a result of surgical procedures. Approximately 1/3rd of the women who undergo breast surgery with lymph node dissection develop Lymphedema. Lymphedema may occur immediately after procedures or may develop years later. The Lymphatic System is responsible for supplying liquid tissue that flows between the cells and the connective tissue. This important tissue supplies vital components such as oxygen, immune cells, nutrients, antibodies and proteins. It transports pollutants, viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungus, metals, chemicals, and other cellular debris from the cells. The Lymphatic flow will go from the cells to the Right Lymphatic and Thoracic Duct and empty into the Right and Left Subclavian Veins located behind the Clavical Bones which

Lymphedema Caution with the following: Processed Foods

Green Drinks *

Meats

Whole Grains

Animal Products Caffeine

Pineaple

Sugar Saturated Fat

Insects Tight Clothing Tight Bra Straps Acupuncture Excessive Sun/Heat Cutting nails/Shaving Blood Donation

November/December 2006

Organic

Salt

White Flour

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Lymphedema Best Foods

are located in front portion of the shoulders. The one way valves of the vast lymphatic network contribute to the back up of fluid in the arms, legs, head, intestines and skin. The typical presentation includes fatigue, pain, poor flexibility and swelling of the affected area. There may also be thickening of the skin, pitting or the display of pressure points on the skin, as well as leaking of clear fluid from the skin known as lymphorrhea. Complications associated with Lymphedema include cellulitis, allergies, endocrine imbalances, immune compromise, and lymph- angiosarcoma. The immune compromise also may contribute to the increased risk of autoimmune diseases and cancer. Lymph nodes are small nodules that are located in various compartments of the body. Large ones are found in the neck, jaw, armpits, front of the rib cage and the groin. Small lymph nodes are found in the back of the head, elbows, shoulders, spinal area, and knees. The Thymus Gland which is located just below the sternum in the middle of the chest is the “Heart” of the Lymphatic System. It has no pump and therefore depends on the vibrations of the heart and the movement of the body to pump its precious cargo throughout the body. A healthy heart, good circulation system and active body movements assist the thymus glad tremendously.

Ginger Grapefruit Lemons Limes Garlic

Lymphedema Best Beverages Water-Puriﬁed Lemon Juice

Lime Juice

Grapefruit Green Drinks—Chlorophyll purifies the Blood and Lymph. These may include Spirulina, Kelp, Parsley, Celery, Cilantro, Dandelion, Alfalfa, Chlorophyll

Gojiberry Juice Lemon Grass

Ginger Tea

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God’s Temple

Best Suppliments and Herbs B Complex

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

L-Taurine

Rutin

Raw Kidney Extract

Vitamin K

Alfalfa

Juniper Berries

Lobelia

Pau d’ Arco

Garlic

Butcher’s Broom

Horse Chestnut

Grapeseed

Cornsilk

Hyssop

Rosemary

Black Licorice

Astragalus

Dandelion

Essential Oils: Aromatherapy

Use in infuser, on light bulbs, in bath water or blend with carrier Oil and apply to skin. (Example: 10 drops of 2-3 essential oils placed into 4 ounces of Grapeseed oil and apply to skin).

Essential Oils:

Medications Coumarin Drugs

Skin Topical Ointment Sweet Clover Ointment

Suggestions

Magnet Therapy— Negative Poles, bracelets, shoe pads, mattress

Sage

Trampoline—Aerobic exercise for lymphatic systems

Sandalwood

Flying—Wear Compressive Garments and Compressive Pumps

Geranium Lavender

Acupressure—Pressure point

therapy improve circulation Manual Lymphatic Drainage—Check for facilities in area Exercise—Aerobic, Yoga, Pilates, Swimming –best ones Shoes—Keep slippers clean, avoid going barefoot Insect Repellent—Avoid bites Hypoallergenic and mild soaps, moisturizers, Elevate legs as much as possible Avoid Barstools—Pools Blood Loose clothing and avoid bra and bra straps—alters circulation

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Swollen Legs

The condition of having swollen or enlarged legs may derive from a number of reasons such as: Prolonged Standing Blood Clot Prolonged Sitting-Bus, Car, Airplane, Chair Venous Insufﬁciency Pregnancy Varicose Veins Pre-Eclampsia Burns Obesity Sun Burns Lymphedema

Myrtle Lemon Lemon Grass Helichrysum

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Insect Bites Menstrual Cycles Malnutrition Allergies Surgery Advancing Age Trauma Cancer Infection Heart Disease/Failure Liver Disease/Failure Kidney Disease/Failure Medications prescribed for various diseases may also cause swollen legs. They are listed below: Steroids Anti MAO Inhibitors –Phenelzine –Tranylcypromine Tricyclics –Nortriptyline –Desipramine –Amitriptyline Calcium Channel Blockers –Nefedipine –Amlodipine –Diltiazem –Felodipine –Verapamil (Resource: WebMd June 21, 5005)

References:

The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing: A Comprehensive A-Z Listing of Common and Chronic Illnesses and their Proven Natural Treatments . Gary Null, PhD.; Kensington Publishing Company: Greenwich, Connecticut; 2001 page 252-254. The Complete Guide to Natural Healing. Tome Monte; Natural Health Magazine Series: Berkley Publishing Group; New York, New York; 1997 page 559-563. Reference Guide for Essential Oils. Connie and Alan Higley; Abundant Health; Olathe, Kansas; 1998 page 282 Prescription for Herbal Healing. Phyllis Balch; Avery Publishing Group. New York, New York; 2002 page 343-344 Coping with Lymphedema. Joan Swirsky & Diane Seckelt; Asvery Publishing Group; New York, New York; 1998 Living with Lymphedema. Catherine Grillo Cure Magazine Spring 2003 page 58-61

Resources:

National Lymphedema Network- A Non Profit organization founded in 1988. Education, guidance, prevention, professionals, links, group support, referrals. 1-800-541-3259 www.lymphnet.org. Circle of Hope Lymphedema Foundation-Founded in 1999 by breast cancer survivor. Education, awareness, research, assistance, support, prevention, treatment, links to organizations and can submit questions to a certified Lymphedema Therapist. 203-758-6138 www.lymphedemacircleofhope.org

Disclaimer:

Dr. Denise Davis of Health, Wellness & Restoration will not accept any responsibility of the accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application, use, or misuse of any of the information contained herein, including any injury and or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability, negligence, or otherwise. No warranty, expressed or implied, is made in regard to the contents of this material. No claims or endorsements are made for any foods, herbs, oils, dietary supplements, oils, medications, compounds ,exercise or massage techniques currently marketed or in investigation use. This material is not intended as a guide to self diagnose or to self medicate. The reader is strongly advised to consult their healthcare professional such as their physician, pharmacist, nurse or other authorized healthcare practitioner in regards to information regarding product information, package inserts, dosages, precautions, warnings, interactions, side effects and contraindications.

Dr. Denise Davis * Physician Health, Wellness & Restoration *Television Personality *Radio Personality 3460 Davis Lane *Keynote Speaker Cincinnati, Ohio 45237 *Health Consultant 513-602-6415 *Author 513-531-1547 www.DrDeniseDavis.com drdenisedavis@drdenisedavis.com Contact Dr. Denise Davis for your Next Event!!

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Food for Thought 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

What do you believe constitutes a healthy diet and why?

Eat To

Live

By Jordan Rubin

Describe “health.” What foods are the most healthy and why? How much of what kinds of foods should you eat daily? What foods do you avoid and why? Outline a “normal” day of eating for you. List some foods you will need to give up over the next week. What do you hope to accomplish this week with your diet.

by New York Times Best-Selling Author of the Maker’s Diet - Jordan Rubin with David Remedios, M.D. (Excerpted from his book “The Great Physician’s Rx: 7 weeks of wellness success guide” and “The Great Pysician’s Rx for Health & Wellness: Seven Keys to Unlock Your Health Potential”)

God’s Temple

he LORD alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him. He made him ride in the heights of the earth, that he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock; curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock, with fat of lambs; and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the choicest wheat; and you drank wine, the blood of the grapes. (Deuteronomy 32:12-14 NKJV)

After our first child, Joshua, was born on Memorial Day weekend in 2004, my wife, Nicki, bore the brunt of the feeding duties. It was up to her to nurse Joshua with the best nutrients that God in His wisdom devised—a mother’s breast milk. Whenever Joshua cried during the night, Nicki rubbed her tired eyes and dutifully got out of bed to feed our infant. I often joined her to show my support and love, and when I say often, I mean it. Okay, maybe it wasn’t as often as Nicki wanted, but I woke up most of the time. I was just as excited as she was about this new life God had given and entrusted us with. Sometime before his first birthday, an interesting thing happened: it was becoming apparent to both of us that Nicki was not producing enough milk to satisfy our big, bouncing boy. A nursing mother normally produces between twenty-three and twenty-seven ounces of milk per day, but that wasn’t enough for Joshua, who communicated his desire for more milk through wailing tears. We needed to supplement his diet of mother’s milk with his first solid foods. Uppermost in our minds was introducing his little stomach to foods healthy and easily digestible. I decided that his first solid food should be a cooked egg yolk from a soft-boiled or coddled egg. To prepare this nutritional powerhouse, I began by boiling water—yes, I know how to do that—and carefully placing an egg, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A and D, and lutein, into the water. I let the solitary egg boil for three or four minutes, or until the yoke was soft and warm. When the egg was finished cooking, I rinsed it with cool water. Then I cracked the shell and removed the yolk from the egg white, which I didn’t plan to serve to Joshua because egg whites can be highly allergenic to infants. Like any proud pop, I’m happy to report that Joshua loved his first bites of solid food—and showed us his bright orange cheeks to prove it. A week later, I introduced him to mashed pieces of fresh,

organic Florida avocado, which has an abundance of enzymes, healthy fats, vitamin E, and fiber. He was all over that avocado, although he asked me several times where the tortilla chips were. (Just joking.) I believe more than ever that one of the best things Nicki and I can give Joshua is a healthy start in life as he weans himself from breast milk and begins eating solid foods. We want to raise Joshua to “eat to live”—the first key to unlocking your health potential—not to “live to eat.” To help him understand what that means, Nicki and I will be teaching out son these important concepts: eat what God created for food, and eat food in a form that is healthy for the body. Scripture suggests three boundaries that we can use to identify what God intended for us to eat, according to my friend Rex Russell, M.D., author of What the Bible Says about Healthy Living, and they are noted here.

Dr. Russell has made a list of foods that scripture tells us are designed for health and that may be enjoyed. They were created for food, as opposed to foods that are changed or converted into something that humans think is better. If any of the following foods are altered, they lose many of their health benefits. Here is Dr. Russell’s list, followed by where each item is mentioned in Scripture:

•Almonds (Gen.43:11) •Barley (Judg. 7:13) •Beans (Ezek. 4:9)

•Grain (Ruth 2:14) •Grapes (Deut. 23:24) •Grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets (Lev. 11:22) •Herbs (Exod. 12:8)

•Broth (Judg. 6:19)

•Lentils (Gen 25:34) •Meal (Matt. 13:33) •Pistachio nuts (Gen 43:11) •Oil (Prov. 21:17) •Olives (Deut. 28:40) •Pomegranates (Num. 13:23) •Quail (Num. 11:32)

•Figs (Num. 13:23)

•Raisins (2 Sam. 16:1)

•Fish (Matt. 7:10)

•Salt (Job 6:6)

3 . If Jesus ate or served an item: •Fowl (I Kings 4:23) “He took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people” (Matt. 15:36).

•Goat’s Milk (Prov. 27:27)

•Bread (I Sam. 17:17)

•Cakes (2 Sam. 13:8 and probably not the “God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit kind with frosting) with seed in it. They will be yours for food’” (Gen. 1:29) •Cheese (Job 10:10) “You will eat the plants of the field” (Gen. 3:18 NIB). •Cucumbers, onions, leeks, “These are the animals you may eat: the ox, melons, and garlic the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, (Num. 11:5) the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.” (Deut. 14:4-5) •Curds of cow’s milk (Deut. 32:14) “Also the food I provided for you—the fine flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat” (Ezek. 16:19).

•Game (Gen. 25:28)

•Honey (Isa. 7:15) and wild honey (Ps. 19:10)

1. When God calls an item food:

2. When God brings items to His people as a gift:



•Fruit (2 Sam. 16:2)

•Sheep (Deut. 14:4) •Sheep’s milk (Deut. 32:14)

The Word of GOD

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. (Hebrews 13:9)

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God’s Temple •Spices (Gen. 43:11)

“Like sheep following the next one off a cliff, we are passing through checkout lines with shopping carts ﬁlled with processed foods missing many of the nutrients that God intended us to receive.”

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every day is sad. For adults, this usually means:

•Veal (Gen. 18:7-8)

•A breakfast of a Danish or a bowl of sugary cereal drenched •Vegetables (Prov. 15:17) in 2 percent milk and a cup •Vinegar (Num. 6:3) of caffeinated coffee stirred These foods are nutritional gold mines, filled with essentials for building healthy cells in your body. with nondairy creamer and God’s dietary guidelines contain no refined or pro- artiﬁcial sweeteners.

cessed carbohydrates, no altered or damaged fats, and no artificial sweeteners. The typical American diet strays far from God’s design with its glamorous array of techno-foods replete with empty calories, refined carbohydrates, and woefully inadequate nutrition. A diet based on eating whole and natural foods harvested directly from the Creator’s bounty, however, nourishes and satisfies us. That’s one more reminder why it’s important to (1) eat foods that God created and (2) in a form that is healthy for the body. You may have read those two statements and wondered how they apply to your life. Perhaps you’re thinking, it can’t be this simple. Well, it is and it isn’t. While fresh fruits, farm-grown vegetables, and protein-rich meats are readily available in our land, the genius of man has figured out how to prepare, manufacture, cook, microwave, and market mass-produced foods in ways not always healthy for us. Too many of the so-called foods sold in our nation’s supermarkets and too many of the meals prepared in restaurants are not really food because they were not created by God but were largely put together in man-made laboratories. Like sheep following the next one off a cliff, we are passing through checkout lines with shopping carts filled with processed foods missing many of the nutrients that God intended us to receive. As for eating out, don’t get me started on how we’ve become a country that loves deep-fried, greasy food high in calories, high in fat, high in sugar, and—in most people’s minds—high in taste. When you add it all up, the acronym for the “standard American diet” is SAD—and what nearly 300 million Americans eat each and

•A midmorning snack in the employee lunchroom—a glazed doughnut or a plain bagel smeared with margarine or cream cheese. •A lunch consisting of a turkey sandwich (made from processed turkey breast) on white bread, some kind of chips, and a diet soft drink. •An afternoon snack from the vending machine—a candy bar and another soft drink bubbling with sugar or artiﬁcial sweetener. •A dinner of heated-up frozen pizza (pepperoni or

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God’s Temple

Canadian bacon) and a salad bowl of iceberg lettuce served with a creamy, full-fat ranch dressing.

•Top healing foods. God has created some foods with wonderful healing properties. Fish and Fish Oil; cultured dairy products from goats, cows, and sheep; olive oil; small fruits such as figs, grapes and berries, just to name a few. (See the list and descriptions on pages 26-31 in The Great Physician’s Rx for Health and Wellness.

1. Pork products

2. shellfish and fish without fins and scales (catfish, shark, eel) 3. hydrogenated oils (marga•A dessert of chocolate chip • The “dirty dozen.” These are some of the most rine, shortening, etc.) popular and widespread food products and are ice cream, topped with choco- the least healthy items you can put into your mouth. 4. artificial sweeteners (asparlate sauce.

tame, saccharin, sucralose)

9. high-fructose corn syrup

5. white ﬂour

10. hydrolyzed soy protein (imitation meat products)

6. white sugar 7. soft drinks

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When it comes to eating to live, we can use the acrostic EAT as our food guide. What foods are Extraordinary, Average, or Trouble? (For the full list, refer to pages 55-66 in The Great Physician’s Rx for Health and Wellness.)

11. artiﬁcial ﬂavors and col- For more information on eating to live, see our free online course called “Eating to Live ors

8. pasteurized, homogenized 12. skim milk

excessive alcohol

101” at www.BiblicalHealthInstitute.com.

I’m vastly oversimplifying things, of course, but I’m also not taking into account that one-fourth of the American adult population frequents a fast-food restaurant every single day of the year.

Additional Factors in a Healthy Diet • Organic foods. The more convenient foods are, the less healthy and further away from God’s design they are. Producing foods as cheaply as possible is the mantra of today’s agribusiness, so eat organic—close to the natural source. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food. It’s all about quality. If you buy organic and if you shop for sustainably produced animal food, then you’re purchasing some of the healthiest food you can buy, especially if it is properly prepared. • The Creator’s basic food groups: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Proteins. Proteins are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s cells, tissues, and organs and build body organs, muscles, nerves, and so on. Animal protein—chicken, beef, lamb, dairy, eggs, and so on—is the only complete protein source providing the eight essential amino acids. Fats. You have to eat the right fats—foods loaded with omega-3 polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated (omega-9) fatty acids, as well as healthy saturated fats—found in a wide range of foods including salmon, lamb, and goat meat; goat’s and sheep’s milk and cheese; walnuts and olives; and butter and coconut oil. Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the starches and sugars produced by plant foods. Eat your carbohydrates fresh and unrefined—large amounts of vegetables and fruits, properly prepared grains, and small amounts of honey and other healthy sweeteners. 211

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“If you do eat in a fast food restaurant, it’s best to select grilled chicken instead of hamburgers. A hamburger from any of the popular fast food restaurants contains

Eating Out

HEALTHY By Don Colbert, M.D.

anywhere from 30 to 45 grams of fat.”

n the run? Here are some recommendations for eating out. When choosing a restaurant, it’s always best to choose a full service restaurant. This usually insures a more relaxed atmosphere as well as a larger variety of healthy foods to choose from. I suggest you begin your meal with a romaine lettuce or dark-green leafy salad; avoid iceberg lettuce because it contains little if any nutritional value. Instead of creamy salad dressings, choose olive oil, vinegar, and garlic served on the side. Include plenty of vegetables on the salad and go easy on the cheese. Instead of croutons, which are high in butter and fat, choose saltine crackers or else go without. Another option prior to the main course is soup. Vegetable and broth-based soups are a better choice than creamy soups.

The Word of GOD

and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- (Exodus 31:3)

n choosing a main dish, it’s best to select lightly steamed or stir-fried vegetables, along with lean cuts of meat such as turkey, lean cuts of red meat, fish, and chicken. You may pick a petite fillet or tenderloin once every week or two. It’s best to limit it to only 4 to 6 ounces, making sure to trim off any visible fat. Meats that should be limited or avoided include ham, pork chops, and hot dogs. It’s best to avoid hot dogs made from beef or pork. To lower the fat content, these meats should be grilled, baked, or broiled instead of fried. If you’re having a sandwich, go with lean meats and mustard instead of mayonnaise. Sandwich and dinner breads should be whole-grain bread rather than white bread. Whole grains are higher in vitamin and mineral content, as well as dietary fiber. The fiber in whole grains, vegetables, and fruit actually binds to the toxins and pesticides from our food and eliminates them out of our body quickly and easily through the gastrointestinal tract. The recommended 30 to 35 grams of fiber a day also reduces the risk of colorectal diseases like constipation, irritable bowels, diverticulosis, colon polyps, hemorrohoids, and even colon cancer. For side dishes, I recommend beans, brown rice, and lentils instead of baked potatoes. If you do choose a baked potato, ask for low fat sour cream and chives instead of butter, cheese, and regular sour cream, which are high in fat. If you do eat in a fast food restaurant, it’s best to select grilled chicken instead of hamburgers. A hamburger from any of the popular fast food restaurants contains anywhere from 30 to 45 grams of fat. And since most fast food restaurants do not have whole grain bread, it’s best to discard one half of the bun. Again, substitute mustard for mayonnaise or the cream sauce that usually goes on the chicken sandwich. Instead of French fries, which usually contain 10 to 15 grams of fat, select a baked potato and a salad. If you order a pizza, order a very thin crust pizza, with half the usual amount of cheese and extra tomato sauce. If available, choose whole grain pizza crust. One of the best types of pizza is the vegetarian pizza, which has onions, mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, and other valuable vegetables. If Mexican food is your pleasure, pick bean or chicken burritos rather than refried beans. And again, either go easy on the cheese, or avoid it altogether. Before eating, always take a moment to take a deep breath, release your tension, and give thanks to God. This will set your mind and emotions in a good mood for proper digestion. This actually initiates the secretion of hormones and enzymes, telling

God’s Temple



“Take small bites and eat slowly— don’t just gulp down your food.”

your digestive system, “Get ready! It’s time to eat!” And finally, when you eat, take small bites and eat slowly—don’t just gulp down your food. The number of times you chew is not as important as making sure you chew until the food is thoroughly mixed with saliva. This will enable your body to thoroughly digest your food and absorb the nutrients properly. I pray these tips are helpful to you, and that God would lead you to make the healthiest choices possible!

Used with permission. The author of several books, Dr. Don Colbert is in private practice in central Florida, where he lives with his family. A graduate of Oral Roberts School of Medicine, he has also received extensive training in nutritional and preventative medicine. For further information, visit www.drcolbert.com. Newsletters, Articles, Health Tips and other Web Site Information Dr. Colbert shares his years of experience and research in nutritional medicine in each article, health tip and

newsletter. However, the information contained in each of these reference materials is not intended to replace your current relationship with your physician and should never be construed as medical advice. ©Copyright 1996 by Don Colbert, M.D.P.A d/b/a Divine Health Nutritional Products. All Rights Reserved. Our Articles, Health Tips and Newsletters may not be reproduced in any form, without prior permission from the office of Don Colbert, M.D.

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Robert Kiy

osaki’s

HIST

In The Making

A Follow-U

p to “All B

ORY

ooms Bus

t”

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stewardship

Thank you for your response to my Financial News Alert “All Booms Bust.” The number of people that responded surprised me. Since the response was substantial, I thought I would continue on with my thoughts on the subject of the probability of a bust coming. Also, I thought I would add what I am doing to proﬁt from the bust. So thank you for your interest in the subject regardless if you agreed or disagreed with my message.

About a week after my message on the coming bust, the June 18th 2005 issue of The Economist ran two diﬀerent articles supporting my concerns about the real estate market. The following are some comments I think are noteworthy. They are:

bigger mortgages, but existing owners have increased their mortgages to turn capital gains into cash which they spend. As a result of such borrowing, housing booms tend to be more dangerous than stock market bubbles and are often followed by periods of prolonged economic weakness.”

1. Measured by the increase in asset values over the past ﬁve years, the global housing boom is the biggest ﬁnancial bubble in history.”

4. A study by the IMF found that output losses after house-price busts in rich countries have, on average, been twice as large as those after stock market crashes, and usually result in a recession.”

2. Prices are already sliding in Australia and Britain. America’s housing market may be a year or so behind.” 3. Not only are new buyers taking out

5. Two-ﬁfths of all American jobs created since 2001 have been in housing-related sectors.”

6. The housing boom was fun while it lasted, but the biggest increase in wealth in history was largely an illusion.” 7. The day of reckoning is closer at hand. It is not going to be pretty. How the current housing boom ends could decide the course of the entire world economy over the next few years.” You may want to obtain a copy of this issue of The Economist and read the entire two articles and then decide for yourself if there is another real estate boom ahead, or a bust.

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November/December 2006

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RECESSION OR DEPRESSION

On Friday, June 23rd 2005, I was on Your World with Neil Cavuto on the Fox Network. He asked me what I recommended when it came to investing in real estate. I replied, “If you’re new to real estate investing, this is not the time to get into the game.” Unfortunately, many people are in the market late and not only have paid too much for their homes, they are over-leveraged.

The Economist article went on to say, “42% of all first time buyers and 25% of all buyers made no down-payment on their home purchase last year.” That is what I call over-leveraged. They bought late in the cycle, probably paid too much, and have signed their lives away on the dotted line. I am concerned for these people. (continued on next page)

219

e predi

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The Word of GOD

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November/December 2006

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stewardship



“Buffet’s two most important rules for investing are:

Rule #1.- Don’t lose money.

Rule #2.- Don’t forget rule number one.”

In 1929, the stock market crash led to The Great Depression. Some of the causes of the Depression were excess credit and too many people buying stocks on margin... i.e. leverage. In 2005, once again there is too much credit and instead of stocks, individuals are purchasing real estate with leverage. So is it “Deja-vu all over again?” History shows that there is a depression approximately every 75 years. The last depression occurred 75 years ago. Is it time for a really big bust or will the boom continue on? Only time will tell.

HOW I AM INVESTING TODAY

‘Nuff ’ said! We sell the finest quality exercise equipment available today. We offer both state of the art home equipment as well as the most technologically advanced commercial equipment. www.exerciseandleisure.com

As many of you know, I have been in gold and oil for several years now, beginning in 1996. While Kim and I have continued to invest in real estate, I have been more active in taking my Chinese gold company public on the Toronto Venture Exchange. I have also invested in several oil and gas wells. When it comes to real estate, Kim and I have let go of non-performing properties and made several million dollars. Does this mean we are selling real estate? The answer is “No.” Although selling we are still buying property, we are being very selective. Although we have “flipped” properties, our primary objective is good properties in good locations with a positive cash flow. Currently, Kim and I are buying properties in Oregon as well as in Arizona. We bought them because we believe they will do well regardless if the real estate market booms or busts

PROBABILITY VS PREDICTION

Although I have made predictions, I don’t like to.

Instead of predicting the future, I choose to evaluate probabilities. A friend offered Kim and I the opportunity to buy a piece of land for $1 million. He said, “In two years the property will be worth $2.5 million.” If this were year 2002, I would have jumped all over the deal. But it is year 2005. The question I ask myself is, “What is the probability that the boom will go on for two to three more years?” What is the probability that the property will more than double in two to three years?” My answer is “slim to none.” Your answer may be different. Can I be wrong? The answer is, “Yes I can be wrong. The boom may go on for ten more years and that $1 million dollar piece of land could be worth $10 million maybe $15 million.” Yet at this late stage of the market, I will only invest in properties that return a cash-on-cash return on a monthly basis. That is why I like my Oregon and Arizona deals. In the short term, I may not make as much money as the land deal, but they should return a positive cash flow regardless if the market goes up or down. After the crash, I may change my strategy.

WARREN BUFFET

Even Warren Buffet is seeking safer investments. Recently he announced he was investing in utility companies... not for capital gains but for capital safety. Buffet’s two most important rules for investing are:

Rule #1.

Don’t lose money.

Rule #2.

Don’t forget rule number one. THE GREATER FOOL

In the world of investing, there is what is known as The Greater Fool Strategy of Investing. When someone buys a property to flip, or a share of stock to sell at a higher price, that is the Greater Fool Strategy in Action. In simpler terms, a person buys a property or a share of stock not to own but in the hopes that there is a fool greater than them. The problem is, when the bust comes, and it will come, many people who were buying for a fool greater than them, may find out that they were the last fool in line.

A FINAL WORD FROM THE ECONOMIST

Another interesting comment from The Economist went, “Another sobering warning is that after British house prices fell in the early 1990s, it took at least a decade before they returned to their previous peak.” I’ve made a lot of money in the last few years in real estate, but I believe it is time to move on and invest in other assets. And that is why I am moving more of my money to gold, silver, oil, and gas. While I love real estate as an investment, and will continue to always invest in real estate, this is not the time to let love blind me to reality, the reality that all booms eventually bust.

Thank you, Robert Kiyosaki

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stewardship

Fighting for the

Kingdom

at your

work by David Delk

hat is your favorite movie? Ask a group of men and you’ll no doubt hear titles like Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Gladiator, Ben Hur, We Were Soldiers, and The Bridge on the River Kwai. What do all these movies have in common? The battle between good and evil. The war for justice. Why do these movies appeal to men? Because deep inside all men know we were created for battle. Since the Fall the world has been at war. In Genesis 3, the serpent entered the garden and twisted God’s words. Eve and Adam ate the fruit and the war began. In Genesis 3:15, God promises one will crush the serpent’s head. From this point forward, warfare is a pervasive theme in the Bible. As the people leave their slavery in Egypt, there are giants in the land that must be defeated – Nephilim, Rephaim, Anakim, and the Amorites. The invasion of Canaan was a war of giant killing by the Israelites. The victory over Kings Sihon and Og is referenced over and over again throughout Scripture. Of course if you had defeated someone whose bed was 13½ feet long you’d talk about it too (Deuteronomy 3:11). Even the kings of Israel still have giants to kill. And so David, as the anointed king of God’s people, faces Goliath and wins. Jesus’ life and death are also described in terms of a battle. Colossians says about Jesus, “having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15). And in Revelation 20 the war comes to a dramatic and final end when the dragon is slain. The serpent’s head is finally crushed for all time. So, if we are to join God in what He is doing, then we must join the battle.

What is this battle like?

When you think of fighting for the Kingdom, you may think of “spiritual warfare.” Or ou may think of the battle all men fight against temptation and sin. Or perhaps you think of the cultural war of values in America. Fighting for the Kingdom involves all of these things. But it also encompasses so much more. When we join God in his battle, we are fighting to see Christ’s kingship become a reality on earth. God’s goal is to see the Kingdom of God triumph over the kingdom of darkness. Our work is one of the best ways we can engage with God to transform the world by the power of the Gospel.

Fighting the battle at work

Satan tempted Eve at the point of her work – tending the garden. Since the Fall, work has

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been a temptation. Something God meant for good has become a point of failure for many men. Work can easily become an addiction and an end in itself. Richard works 65 hour weeks and travels 3 weeks each month, but his family lives in a beautiful home and he drives a nice car. Of course he never stops long enough to ask himself if it is really worth it. For other men, work is something to avoid. They shirk their God-given responsibility and live off the generosity of others. Tom has never held a job more than six months, but he always expects someone to bail him out. For most men, the temptation is simply to have a low view of work – to work simply for convenience or to receive money. You work because that’s what you have to do to get the money for things you need and want. But work is meant to be so much more than that.

Working With God

Our work is an opportunity to join God in transforming the world. When you do your work as for God, and not men, you are fighting the battle. Every time a business helps an employee own a home and have health care – that’s the Kingdom of God advancing. Every time a single mother has her car fixed correctly for a fair price – that’s the Kingdom of God advancing. Every time a company receives the supplies it needs to serve its customers – that’s the Kingdom of God advancing. God has given you a high calling. Every decision you make, every sale you attempt, every project you complete, all can reflect Christ. And every one is an opportunity to make the world a little more like it should be. How can you fight the battle at work?

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How do we join God in fighting for the kingdom through our work? Here are some key characteristics…

Integrity – Steve works in sales and actually oversees the stocking of his merchandise on store shelves. Often,

You Are at War

You are at war today – a physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological war. Even if you don’t see it, it is just as real as any other part of your life. The problem is that most men are AWOL – they are living like they are at peace during a time of war. Living in denial makes men even more desperate. We have more toys, more pleasures, more experiences; yet nothing seems to satisfy. Why? Because so many men’s hearts are dying as they give themselves to things that can never satisfy. Their work has lost the primary meaning God intended for it. Instead of a high calling—joining God in a battle to restore and transform the world—work has simply become a way to earn enough money to live a happy and convenient life.

Fighting the Snake?

competitors will sabotage his packaging to keep his products from selling. Should he do the same to them? Fighting for the Kingdom requires honesty and integrity. Whether it is filling out an expense report, recording billable hours for a client, or setting the price on a repair job, integrity reflects Christ in areas where lying is common. Excellence – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…” ( Colossians 3:23). Many men only work well enough to get by. As God’s representatives, we ought to do things with such excellence and quality that people see Him. Kingdom-mindset – There are things even more important than profit and shareholder value. “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty” (James 5:4). We must fight for justice in our work and do the right thing no matter the short-term consequences. Faith — Ultimately, fighting for the Kingdom cannot happen in our own strength. God is looking for men who renounce self-reliance and walk by faith. You will face choices and decisions that are beyond your capacity – every choice and decision is beyond your capacity without God’s grace. 227

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November/December 2006

My son, Ryan, and my dad recently came across a copperhead snake behind his house. Knowing the snake was poisonous, my dad picked up a large stick and hit the snake behind the head, breaking its neck. There are men in the workplace who are fighting the snake – famous men, like Truett Cathy who runs Chick-fil-A by biblical principles and supports 13 homes for troubled children; men in the trenches like congressmen and school board members–trying to bring biblical principles to bear in the government; anonymous men who put integrity and justice before personal gain;

thousands of men who have repented from their workaholism to come home to their families. You will encounter snakes every day in your work – opportunities, temptations, people and decisions. You can fight the battle by faith as a soldier taking orders, or live a selfish life following your own agenda. Will you face the battle today? The only thing worse than losing the war is not caring enough to fight. I can’t help thinking about what would have happened if Adam had picked up a big stick and broken that snake’s neck before he and Eve ate the fruit. Think of all the misery he would have saved. When that snake comes at work today, will you ignore it and let life pass you by, or will you fight the battle by faith?

Application

1. Do you view your work as fighting with God in his battle? How could that help you have the correct perspective on your work? 2. What are “the snakes” you have faced in the last week? How could you “break their necks” by faith?

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Financial Training For Teens Makes Dollars And Sense (NAPSI)-According to a new poll, as they get older, a growing number of American teens own credit and debit cards-and the way many manage them has some people concerned. For example, among teens ages 13-14, only 5 percent reported owning credit cards. Yet at age 17, the percentage of ownership climbs to just under 10 percent and then doubles again to nearly 20 percent for teens 18 or older. What many find alarming is that 15.7 percent of teens who own credit cards make only the minimum payment due. At that rate, it would take a teen more than nine years to pay off a $1,000 balance on a credit card with an 18 percent annual interest rate. These are some of the key findings of the 2006 Interprise™ Poll on Teens and Personal Finance conducted by JA Worldwide™ (Junior Achievement) and The Allstate Foundation.

Experts also point to the fact that the fastest-growing group of bankruptcy filers is 25 years of age or younger as a cause for concern and as evidence that there’s a need for financial education for teens. The poll results were announced by U.S. Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary of Financial Education Dan Iannicola Jr. and JA Worldwide President and Chief Executive Officer David S. Chernow. Said Chernow, “Given the skyrocketing bankruptcy rate and the staggering amount of debt being carried by the average American family, the time is now for students to learn critical money management skills. JA Worldwide is proud to join with The Allstate Foundation to help educate our nation’s youth in this essential area.” Earlier this month, Treasury Secretary John Snow and U.S. Treasurer Ana Cabral unveiled the new national financial

literacy strategy entitled Taking Ownership of the Future. JA Worldwide is included in the strategy as a key provider of financial education to young people in grades K-12. For complete results of the 2006 Interprise™ Poll on Teens and Personal Finance, visit www.ja.org. For a copy of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission’s new strategy, visit www.mymoney.gov. JA Worldwide is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and entrepreneurship. Today, it reaches approximately 4 million students in the United States, plus more than 3 million students worldwide. To learn more, visit www.ja.org. Some say the fact that the fastestgrowing group of bankruptcy filers is 25 years of age or younger is evidence that there’s a need for financial education for teens.

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The Armor of GOD

The Armor of God Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

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by Stephen R. Bolt

SOLD MY BUSINESS FIVE YEARS AGO AND invested $3 million into the stock market. I thought I knew what I was doing, it just didn’t look that complicated,” he said sadly. “Right now, as of this morning, less than two years later, my stock portfolio is worth less than 50% of what it was when I bought it. I’ve lost half of the profit from my life’s work and I’m just sick of the whole thing.” I was saddened to hear this as I walked out of my hotel into the late morning breeze, cell phone to my ear. Brian Khan was someone referred to me by one of my clients.

“Letting go of the reigns to the management of your investment portfolio to a professional money management ﬁrm can be a very smart move.”

After asking him a lot of questions involving goals, taxes, liquidity needs, and assessing his risk temperament, one of my primary recommendations was that Brian turn his portfolio over to a professional money management firm that I would introduce to him. He agreed that the challenge of effectively managing his portfolio was way past his ability, and he had the humility and intelligence (I think those words might be redundant!) to acknowledge that fact. Letting go of the reigns to the management of your investment portfolio to a professional money management firm can be a very smart move. You gain from that firm’s expertise, November/December 2006

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The Word of GOD

Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:40 KJV)

technology, and perspective. Adding that level of competency to the direction of your portfolio is one reason to employ professional money managers. Another dynamic that investors gain is customization. Let me explain it this way. Many people live in communities that offer neighborhood swimming pools. I spent much of my high school and early college days as a life guard, manager, and swim coach at these pools. My job was to enforce the rules:

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• Only members allowed • Hours of operation limited • Seasonal opening and closing • Appropriate attire • Chemical standards for pool water • Water temperature • Only certain food and beverages allowed

As popular as neighborhood pools are, they are not found in most gated and wealthy communities. Why is that? Because, unlike the community pool, wealthy homeowners who want the pleasures of a pool also want to make all the rules. They build their own pool and control it as they choose. The differences between mutual funds and privately managed accounts are similar. When an investor hands over his money to a mutual fund, he loses any control. The manager makes

Teaching Teens About Money Management all decisions for the benefit of the “community pool”: when to buy, when to sell, whether to trigger a taxable event, etc. By contrast, when an investor opens an account with a money manager, it is the investor who tells the manager what the rules will be, whether he needs tax efficiency, what risk he’s willing to take, how much liquidity he needs, etc. Foundations, high-net worth individuals and families, and people with large sums to invest usually leapfrog the mutual fund option and instead hire a private account manager, or what we refer to as professional money manager. In fact, many mutual fund managers are also private account managers. With few exceptions, it just makes no sense to invest in mutual funds when there is sufficient money to create a fully diversified private account portfolio. *Actual investment results may vary. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investments involve certain risks, including the possible loss of principal invested.

(NAPSI)-More and more young adults are falling into debt. In fact, more students drop out of college as a result of credit card debt than academic failure; they find themselves in debt and are unable to get jobs to pay that debt off. From the latest electronic gadgets to high-priced clothing and accessories, teenagers are being seduced into buying items they can’t afford. According to a study conducted by a major credit card company, 78 percent of parents say their high school student does not have a budget. More than 83 percent of college students have at least one credit card, with an average balance of $2,300. Compounding the problem, the average college student receives an estimated 15 credit card solicitations per week. To help educate high school students on the fundamentals of responsible and sensible money management, Champion Mortgage® and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) have teamed up to create

Spend SmartSM, a national public awareness campaign. At in-school events designed to educate and entertain, teens and their parents learn about managing their money, setting up a budget, and building good credit. Spend Smart’s goal is to teach teens about the importance of responsible money management and the perils of debt and credit card misuse before they make costly mistakes that take years to overcome.

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High schools are invited to host Spend Smart community events. The program includes information

about the staggering statistics of debt among young people, an exercise on budgeting, a student-led youthto-youth breakout session, and a financial expert-led parent breakout session.

At each event, student attend-ees have the opportunity to win the following: • $500 savings bond (one per event); • $100 savings bonds (ﬁve per event); • $25,000 scholarship (one for all events combined).

To learn more about the Spend Smart program, visit the Web site at www.champion.com. Through

an in-school program, parents and students can learn the fundamentals of responsible money management.

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Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. (Proverbs 6:6-11 NIV)

If It Isn’t Really Your Money, Shouldn’t You Invest Wisely? By Gordon Barrett

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Imagine opening the USA Today or your local newspaper and you read the following headline about your ministry. “Ministry Faulted for Proﬁting from Investments in Abortion Industry”

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Would the constituents of your ministry, those people to whom you owe a ﬁduciary responsibility, be embarrassed or even outraged? This actually happened to well respected Republican Senator, George Allen on August 8, 2006. The Washington Post ran an article with this headline: “Abortion Foe Allen Faulted for Stock in Morning-After Pill Maker”.

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here may be a possibility that your investment portfolio is investing in companies that are supporting issues you may not be aware of. Whether you know it or not, you may be profiting from companies that manufacture abortion products and promote abortion rights. Whether you know it or not, you may also be supporting the gay and lesbian community through your investments, funding the pornography industry or other controversial behaviors. Senator Allen’s story exemplifies the challenge from a political leader’s standpoint. But, politicians are not the only ones at risk. Ministry leaders are equally at risk, as is anyone else who holds a fiduciary responsibility to oversee invested funds.

[CREDIT IMPROVEMENT] According to the Foundation for Fiduciary Studies, the term fiduciary encompasses “the more than five million people who have the legal responsibility for managing someone else’s money, including members of investment committees of retirement plans, foundations and endowments; trustees of private trusts; and investment advisors.” Since these five million people have the responsibility for managing about 80% of the investable liquid assets in this country, it stands to reason, with approximately 224 million Christians in the U.S., a significant portion of the investments would have correlation to the Christian community. It is not just a moral issue anymore; it is potentially becoming a regulatory issue as well. “With the SEC’s formal adoption of 17CFR Part 275 and the FPA’s announcement that the organization has filed

a lawsuit challenging the rule’s exemption of certain broker-dealers, the gauntlet is down,” says Harold Evensky of the National Council of Financial Fiduciaries (NCFF). “In fact, along with this recent regulatory attention, an increasing number of organizations, including public interest (AARP, CFA), professional (FPA, Society of Fiduciary Advisors, Fiduciary360), and corporate (TD Waterhouse), have raised the bar on the discussion of fiduciary responsibility.” The NCFF, a contributor to the movement, has a simple vision: “a financial advisory profession that places clients’ interests first and a marketplace where investor confidence in advisory and brokerage services is restored and strengthened.” Their mission is “to foster a financial advisory culture in which investment advice is permeated by fiduciary standards and practices.” (Continued on page 237)

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This movement toward higher standards results in an environment of increased responsibility in many new areas never before considered by the investment professional. One such consideration is the religious values of the investor. As the demarcation between church and state grows, the Christian community is finding ways to compensate through steadily growing

Advisor, public figure, a ministry leader or keeper of others’ assets to act responsibly. However, without extensive hours of research on each stock, bond, mutual fund, or variable annuity sub-account, it is virtually impossible for that fiduciary to know to what extent the profit of the portfolio is derived from businesses which represent a values system which may be dramatically at odds with the investors’.

Planners, Inc., dedicated an entire chapter to the quest for incorporating an investor’s personal values into the investment strategy. He calls it values-based investing. In his book, he quotes a statement by Rush Limbaugh that reflects the shift of the culture: “Live in such a way that your personal values are reflected in everything that you do.” Bolt readily admits the topic to be controversial,

Did Senator Allen know that he owned stock in the manufacturer of the morning after pill? Possibly. Did he think his opponents would ﬁnd out or that it would jeopardize his reputation and cause voters to question his integrity and commitment to family values? Probably not.

Conclusion

Whether the investments are mutual funds, variable annuities, stocks or bonds, “values screening” can be applied in a way that helps investors reflect their values. The investor benefits not only from a buffer against the continuous and real risk of public humiliation, but also the satisfaction that they truly are attempting a best-effort toward being the best fiduciary possible. Finally, the professionalism and integrity of the investment advisor is enhanced and the subsequent trust placed in that fiduciary is significantly increased when there is an overt attempt to continuously align the values of the ministry/organization/investor with the values reflected by its investments. Fortunately, equipped with the proper technology, the values screening process is relatively simple to apply. The software developed by RICA can save an investor or advisor days, weeks or months of research. A portfolio analysis by RICA provides a report with a score for each of the “violations” by holdings of a fund in a portfolio, allowing the fiduciary to quickly see the severity of the mis-alignment between the values of the investor and those manifested by the investment. The fiduciary is then in an educated position from which to make potential re-allocation changes.

About RICA

Founded in 2004, the mission of RICA is “to provide the most comprehensive and timely information regarding corporate philanthropy, marketing, products, services, and corporate policy relative to specific issues of concern to many Christians and social conservatives.” Currently, the RICA research library contains information on 3,100 publicly traded companies with a minimum $250 million capitalization, including stocks, bonds, variable annuities and mutual funds. The program offers only the research and data to help investors make values-based investing decisions, and DOES NOT evaluate the financial performance of a company or make recommendations to buy or sell a company’s securities. RICA offers organizations, institutions and investment portfolios the opportunity to evaluate the values of their underlying investments through a service branded as Portfolio Value Analysis (PVA). This evaluation recognizes not only potential issue “violators”, but also “affirmations”. RICA is the only portfolio screening service provider that currently recognizes companies that support positive values, while also exposing all of the violations of the more traditional issues categories including:

• • • • • • •

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Abortion GLBT (Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/ Transgender) Pornography Alcohol Tobacco Gambling Anti-Family Media

When an organization, ministry, or other values-conscious entity displays the RICA Seal of Certification, its constituents, investors and the media are assured that all efforts have been employed to align the values of the money invested by its fiduciary with the values of the organization charged with its management. For pricing and packaging information, or to learn how to qualify for a FREE initial PVA screening of your portfolio, call 877-697-9139, or go to www.ricaonline.com.

But that is the reality.

values-conscious organizations like the American Family Association, which has over 3 million constituents. The financial fiduciary will eventually be held accountable and expected to know that an investor’s portfolio is congruent with his or her values, or otherwise risk exposure to future embarrassment and a damaged reputation. Increasingly, in our age of communications technology, there is virtually no place to hide from the inquisitive eyes of the media or those who hold us accountable to our word. The saying “what you don’t know can’t hurt you” is far from the truth anymore, especially if you are in a leadership position or role as a fiduciary. Did Senator Allen know that he owned stock in the manufacturer of the morning after pill? Possibly. Did he think his opponents would find out or that it would jeopardize his reputation and cause voters to question his integrity and commitment to family values? Probably not. But that is the reality. Intuitively, we know it is essential for a Financial 237

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Ignorance of the law is not a defense for a citizen and neither is ignorance of a portfolio’s investment in pharmaceutical companies that produce abortifacients a defense for the fiduciary of a ministry, church, denomination, or other pro-life constituency. In many cases, the connection between investment and values may not be easily discerned. Most people probably have no idea that a company like Hewlett Packard is one of the largest contributors to Planned Parenthood, an organization which is the benchmark for advocating abortion rights and funding abortion clinics. Given that between 50 and 2000 stocks comprise the average mutual fund portfolio, without considerable expense in technology and time, a fiduciary has little chance of knowing to what extent his/her allocation into a fund compromises the investor’s values. Recently, a book by financial industry leader Stephen Bolt, co-founder and President of Faith Financial

but from the standpoint of a Christian entrepreneur trying to make a difference in what he calls “the cultural war,” he believes it to be the most important section of his book, Money on Loan from God. In the book, Bolt explains that “a lot of financial advisors and money managers dismiss the idea of integrating values into investment management as being a challenge too difficult to achieve.” He goes on to explain that there is a solution through a state of the art screening software program created by the Research Institute for Corporate Accountability (RICA). Bolt states, “you can either have your portfolio screened privately by RICA or you can have it screened publicly by USA Today. It’s your choice.” This values screening process is currently being used by money managers and Financial Advisors associated with Faith Financial Planners, Inc. It is also available to organizations, foundations, churches and colleges who would like to make sure the money they invest reflects the values upon which their organization is built. November/December 2006

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