THANKGIVING EDITION OF THE SHEPHERDS WITHOUT BORDERS LIGHTHOUSE BUGLE MAGAZINE
THANKSGIVING DAY CELEBRATIONS: IS IT BIBLICAL, PAGAN, CELEBRATED TO THE GLORY OF GOD OR MAN; WHERE, HOW & WHY IS IT CELEBRATED? BY EVENGELIST FAVOR P.LIBERTY
Thanks Giving : BY CATHERIN SKINNER
THANKSGIVING: THE NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING Text of 1970 Speech by Wampsutta, an Aquinnah Wampanoag Elder
Thanksgiving : ADDED BY NEEKAH LYNN & many more inspiring articles by Tim & Rhonda Benitez , Pastors Joel Mcnaab & Jeff Godsown, Prophetess Sister Mary Bolden ,Margaret Mullings and many more new & old writers in this Special Thanksgiving Edition of the Shepherds Magazine !Enjoy A great Thanksgiving meal !
THANKSGIVING DAY CELEBRATIONS: IS IT BIBLICAL, PAGAN, CELEBRATE TO THE GLORY OF GOD OR MAN! WHERE, HOW & WHY IS IT CELEBRATED? BY EVANGELIST FAVOR P.LIBERTY
On November 24, 2011 the people of the United States of America and countries like Liberia in West Africa etc who followed their ways of life will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day. It is usually celebrated with feasting, family visitations to relatives the killing of turkeys etc. Most people look forward to visiting the relatives and the feast than they look to giving thanks& praises to God. We at Shepherds Lighthouse Bugle Magazine have conducted surveys over the years on Face-book and other social sites and to our horror realize that as the day approaches 99.9 of the conversation turn towards the feasting and family visitations than towards giving the Glory to God. The question that pop up and is very important to Christians should be: Does this Day celebrations have Biblical roots and if so is it really giving Glory to God as it should? Over the past few days we did an inquiry and found out many things about this day which we think you should know the facts about, examine and come to a conclusion. My intent is not to ridiculed a system, culture or people way of life but as an Ambassador of God to examine the fact about what we do that brings Glory or dishonor to God. As Christians our thanksgiving should be offered first and foremost to God at all times. It is written: "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:�(Psa.50:14)
I do not see any specific symbols attach to offering thanksgiving to God; yet if a family in America does not have a turkey etc that usually goes with the thanksgiving celebrations, they feel incomplete. The part that puzzles me is even if they are Christians and know that no sacrifice or any other thing is needed for Christ have done it all on the cross. So if it is just to honor culture or tradition then it is necessary to understand the culture or tradition been observed. On thanksgiving days how much time is spend with God? I believe more time is spent preparing the feast and catching up with the latest family developments than with God who made the day possible. Interesting I found out that there are many who consider it a day of weeping and mourning or origins which are rooted in paganism. (See full story in magazine) Whatever the case; for us Christians, it should always be about God; specifically about Jesus Christ. It is written: "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.”(1Tim.1:12) You see fellow Christ thanksgiving for the Christian should also be about the life force that brought us this far; The power behind our relatives’ survival to date, while many of their friends and age mates are falling victims to death and illness with or without your turkey dinner. I won’t go into many details for I know the picture I am trying to draw here is clear and it’s meaning even clearer. We should praise and thank God at all times and if a day is set aside for thanking God as a nation ; then let it be about God ,for God and everyone be clear about it purpose. We talk to a lot of people about the purpose of this day and have some great articles for you both religious and secular, all trying to give us light into the where, how, why, whom & what about this day. Don’t come to any conclusion until you have examined every detail from all contributors. Remember we are all seeking truth and clarity that will help us grow and do the right things, worship in Spirit and in truth; for it is only the light of the Truth that shall guide us home , shine on our mistakes and help us reconcile our ugly past to have a brighter future with God and Man!
IT IS BETTER TO BE SHELTER UNDER THE WINGS OF THE ALMIGTY THAN EXPOSE TO THE HEAT OF THE DEVIL ATTACKS!
Thanks Giving: BY CATHERIN SKINNER
"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. " Give thanks with a grateful heart. I Thessalonians 5:18 Thanksgiving is not just a holiday, but is something that should be done on a daily bases. Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generation. Psalms 100 Reflect back just on today. Offer up that sacrifice of praise and thanks unto our Lord. He is faithful unto each one of us. What might see as a stumbling block could be a stepping stone. Give thanks to God that no weapon formed against you has prospered. Although you may feel the heat you were not burnt. Thank God for protecting you from all harm seen and unseen. Thank God for your loved ones and all that you have. Thank God for all His provision and turn up your praise.
Psalms 149 Sing unto the Lord a new song for something that He has done or that you are waiting for Him to.
Praise Him for He is worthy to be praise, give thanks for your deliverance from drugs, alcohol, from all your shortcomings etc‌.. Thanks God for your healing, for your marriage, Thank God for His goodness. Thank God for turning your life around and saving you, for meeting all your needs accordingly to His riches through Christ Jesus. Thank God even if you lost something or someone, He knows best! Thank God for Giving unto you. Thanks’s Giving is giving thanks and praise to the One whom deserve it first and far most. Psalms 150 says Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise Him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flutes, and praise him with the clash of cymbals. Now let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Thank and Praise you Lord God for this day. We have so much to be thankful for, so let us be mindful to give Thanks unto our Maker as we rejoice in our King. Amen!! Inspired by the Word of God Shared by Catherin Skinner
Thanksgiving: ADDED BY NEEKAH LYNN
From a Daily Illini Editorial, 11/20/95 "Ah, Thanksgiving. There's nothing like going home to visit your folks, watching pro football, eating more food than you see in the average month at school and starting your shopping for the upcoming, commercialized holiday. "But this week, as you drool at the sight of the traditional turkey with your relatives, you can either sit quietly and talk only when asked your major, or impress them with some facts about the true historical context of Thanksgiving. Consider these two myths and facts: "* Myth: Thanksgiving was a holiday initiated by the early Pilgrims, who invited Native Americans to share in their bounty. "Fact: Thanksgiving had its origins in autumn harvest festivals celebrated by eastern tribes of Native Americans. The modern American Thanksgiving dates back to 1863, when Abraham Lincoln declared it a national holiday." "Additionally, it was the Pilgrims who were apparently in need of assistance when they first arrived here.
One colonist's journal tells of Pilgrim sailors stealing from Native Americans as soon as they arrived in the New World. Other journals tell of Pilgrims plundering Native Americans' fields and robbing their graves. "Daily Illini Online -- UIUC -- 1995/November/20 Copyright (c) 1995 Illini Media Company, all rights reserved." The following are sources John D. Keyser compiled under the above title, about the pagan roots of Thanksgiving Day, the following from the book, Holidays Around the World, by Joseph Gaer: " 'We often think of Thanksgiving as an American holiday, begun by the Pilgrims in Plymouth in 1621. At that time, so the story runs, the survivors of the Mayflower passengers celebrated their first harvest in the New World with a feast to which Governor Bradford invited the Indian Chief Massasoit and ninety of his braves. 'That was the first Thanksgiving Day in the New World. But actually a thanksgiving for the annual harvest is one of the oldest holidays known to mankind, though celebrated on different dates. In Chaldea, in ancient Egypt and in Greece, the harvest festival was celebrated with great rejoicing. The Hindus and the Chinese observe the gathered harvest with a holiday. And the Jews celebrate the ingathering of the crops as enjoined upon them in Torah. " 'The Romans celebrated their Thanksgiving early in October. The holiday was dedicated to the goddess of harvest, Ceres, and the holiday was called Cerelia.
" 'The Christians took over the Roman holiday and it became well established in England, where some of the Roman customs and rituals for this day were observed long after the Roman Empire had disappeared. " 'In England the 'Harvest Home' has been observed continuously for centuries. The custom was to select a harvest queen for this holiday. She was decorated with the grain of their fields and the fruit of their trees. On Thanksgiving Day she was paraded through the streets in a carriage drawn by white horses. This was a remnant of the Roman ceremonies in honor of Ceres...the Pilgrims brought the "Harvest in" to Massachusetts.' (Little, Brown & Company, Boston, 1953. Pps. 159- 160)." [The harvest queen represented the Queen of Heaven, mentioned in the Bible as idolatrous and Semiramis.] Marian Schibsly and Hanny Cohrsen in their book, Foreign Festival Customs and Dishes: " 'Giving thanks for the bounty of Providence is a practice as old as mankind and widespread as the human race. Long before the Christian era, harvest gods were worshipped with curious and varied rites. Customs now in use at harvest festivals have their counterparts in pagan countries; in many cases their origin and their significance is shrouded in mists of antiquity. The American Thanksgiving Day is usually ascribed to the Massachusetts colony of pilgrims, who, in gratitude for their first harvest on American soil, devoted the day of December 13, 1621 to praise and rejoicing. [Actually ran 3 days]
'The idea underlying such a celebration did, however, not originate with them. Thanksgiving day -- by that or some other name -- was known to virtually all the people who have come to America since 1492 and is known to those now coming...it becomes apparent that a day of thanksgiving is a custom in almost all the countries of Europe. It usually has to do with the harvests -- with the planting of crops or their gathering -- and therefore is observed in rural districts rather than in cities. (American Council For Nationalities Service, N.Y. 1974. P.46).' " 2 PARENTS AND 4 GRANDPARENTS OF THANKSGIVING Diana Appelbaum's book, Thanksgiving: An American Holiday, An American History: 'Neither created intentionally nor copied from a paradigmatic 'first Thanksgiving,' the new celebration was a synthesis of four distinct and ancient traditions, elements of which united in the unique cultural milieu of Puritan New England to give birth to Thanksgiving. The newborn Thanksgiving holiday had a Puritan "mother" from Connecticut, a Pilgrim "father" from Plymouth and, for "grandparents," four traditions from the old world. 'New Englanders came from Old England, where the Harvest Home -- one of the 'grandparents' of Thanksgiving -- was celebrated. The Harvest Home was a holiday on which the villagers joined together to bring the last loads of grain from the fields and share a merry feast when the work was done. English villages followed local harvest customs; some dressed a maiden in white to ride atop a loaded cart as "queen of the harvest".
Others fashioned a figure from the grain itself to be robed in a white gown and set in the center of a circle of rejoicing farmers. 'There was sufficient taint of idol worship and evidence of licentious behavior in the old English Harvest Home for Puritans to reject the custom summarily. They recoiled from these remnants of the pagan customs that predated Christianity in England, but memories of the harvest feast lingered all the same. 'The Puritans' shunning of the ancient Harvest Home left a void in the New England year that might not have been problematic had a similar attitude not been extended to other holidays. But the Puritans had disapproved of so many causes for celebration that a holiday vacuum existed in the young colonies. 'All Saint's Day had been swept off the calendar along with Christmas and Easter, on the grounds that these mixed "popish" ritual with pagan custom....Remaining to New England were three holidays -- Muster Day, Election Day and the day of the Harvard Commencement.' (Facts On File Publications, N.Y. 1984. Pps. 18-20)." Notice that the Puritans trying to obey God (though not fully) were left with only 3 holidays to observe and a holiday vacuum. They were, of course, ignorant of YHWH's Holy Days which should be observed exclusively. 'Like the Harvest Home, Christmas -- another of the oldworld "grandparents" of Thanksgiving -- was remembered but not celebrated by the Puritans.
The practice of designating the day of 'Jesus' birth, and especially of making merry on that day, were viewed as one of the grave errors of the churches of both Rome and England and as a departure from the purity of the early church. Celebration of Christmas was so disparaged in the seventeenth-century Bay Colony that the General Court forbade laborers taking off from work on that day under penalty of a five-shilling fine. Not until the nineteenth century did New England relent in this attitude and the Congregational churches began to observe Christmas -but Massachusetts was two centuries old before that happened. In the early years, everything associated with Christmas was rejected out of hand; even the lowly mince pie, eaten in every household at Christmas, was banished from the Puritan kitchen as being unholy food at any time of the year. 'The spirit of Christmas, however, was sorely missed, and during the 1600s, when Thanksgiving was becoming a popular festival, small pieces of the English Christmas crept into the celebration of the Yankee Thanksgiving. Those quintessential English Christmas dishes, plum pudding and mince pie became as indispensable a part of the Thanksgiving menu as turkey and pumpkin pie itself. (Page 24). 'Thanksgiving Day, our unique American holiday, ought not to be confused with still a third 'grandparent,' the special days of Thanksgiving proclaimed by civil authorities in Europe and throughout the American colonies.
When some stroke of extraordinary good fortune befell a nation, the civil authorities often declared a day of thanksgiving and prayer, marked by special services in every church...declarations of this sort were familiar to the first settlers on these shores. Coronado, Popsham and the settlers at Jamestown, Plymouth and Boston acted in this tradition when they held their "first Thanksgiving." 'Settlers in both New Amsterdam and Plymouth were familiar with the Dutch custom of celebrating October 3 as a day of thanksgiving commemorating the independence of Holland from Spain. English settlers recalled that the Anglican church marked November 5, the anniversary of the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, as a day on which thanks were given that the scheme to blow up Parliament had failed. Puritan New England undoubtedly drew upon the tradition of civic thanksgivings in creating the new holiday.' (Page 25). 'Fourth "grandparent" to the American Thanksgiving Day was the tradition of individual Puritan congregations declaring days of thanksgiving and prayer. The Puritans rejected all ecclesiastical hierarchy in favor of the sovereignty of the congregation. Authority equivalent to that belonging to Catholic or Anglican bishops was vested in Puritan congregations, which has sole power to ordain clergymen, admit or excommunicate members and declare days of fasting and of thanksgiving. Like the proclamations of civil authorities, congregational thanksgiving days were declared for special causes.' (Page 25).
'The Thanksgiving holiday born in Puritan New England in the 1630s and 1640s was shaped by four traditions -- the Harvest Home, Christmas, proclamations of civic thanksgiving and congregational days of thanksgiving and prayer....other features of the holiday developed in Connecticut. The Connecticut River valley towns of Wethersfield, Windsor and Hartford were settled in 1635 and 1636 by families from Massachusetts Bay who shared with their sister colony a thoroughgoing dedication to Puritanism. The church in each town followed the established, Puritan custom of holding days of public thanks or of prayer and fasting as the occasion warranted, but the leaders of the colony departed from tradition by proclaiming a day of public thanksgiving each autumn in gratitude for general well-being and for the harvest just gathered. Although records from the early years are incomplete, a proclamation of thanksgiving for September 18, 1639, survives, as do proclamations for 1644 and for every year from 1649 onward. 'This was the crucial innovation. The entire Western world shares the custom of special thanksgivings for special causes, and as we have seen, individual Plymouth Colony congregations sometimes held harvest thanksgivings followed by a festive meal. When Connecticut made Thanksgiving Day an annual festival for general causes, however, a new holiday was born. Thanksgiving in Connecticut was held every autumn, not for special reasons, but in gratitude for the ordinary blessings of the "year past"and for the "fruits of the earth".' (Thanksgiving: An American Holiday, An American History, by Diana Karter Appelbaum. Pps. 28-29)."
As mentioned in earlier articles, Thanksgiving Day is intertwined with Christmas, beginning the Christmas sales season and countdown of shopping days left. The Christmas parade with Santa Claus, an imitation of Christ, and many floats depicting toys is presented then. Mrs. Josepha Hale, who pushed the acceptance of Thanksgiving Day as a holiday, also promoted the merry celebration of Christmas with frivolity, which before in the USA was observed more as a holy day only. Again, a day to worship God as Thanksgiving Day is not necessarily acceptable with God since the same claim could be made for Christmas and Easter which are clearly pagan.
PAGAN SYMBOLS OF THANKSGIVING DAY A goose used to be the main course for harvest festivals and was replaced by the more common turkey in America with the Indians first. These birds representing the sun god or the Son of god, an imitation of the Son of God slain for others. Actually the symbols derived all the way back to Nimrod and Semiramis. Words from Wilkinson, an Egyptologist: 'The goose,' says Wilkinson, 'signified in hieroglyphics A CHILD OR SON;' and Horapollo says (i.53, p.276), 'It was chosen TO DENOTE A SON, from its love to its young, being always ready to give itself up to the chasseur[hunter], in order that they might be preserved; for which reason the Egyptians thought it right to revere this animal.' (Wilkinson's Egyptians, vol. v., p. 227)."
Pumpkin is used as a symbol for the sun and is also prominent in Halloween, replacements in the Western Hemisphere. The sacred goose of Europe was used if available, but turkeys were more prevalent so were substituted for them with the same idea derived from pagan harvest festivals. "Chopped Up Meat & the Death of Osiris! "According to Diana Appelbaum, 'Of the infinite variety of pies, two, the pumpkin and the mince, are intimately associated with Thanksgiving dinner.... There is no more quintessential Thanksgiving dish than mince meat pie, and yet, unlike the native pumpkin pie, mince meat was a tradition borrowed from the Christmas feasts of merry old England. Puritans in both England and America banned Christmas; the "high-shoe lords of Cromwell's making" frowned on all of the ancient Yuletide customs: "Plum broth was Popish, and mince pie--that was flat idolatry!" 'But by the early 1700s, mince pie was enshrined in the New England Thanksgiving menu.' (Thanksgiving: An American Holiday, An American History, pps. 270-27l)." "The chopping of the meat was an ANNUAL RITUAL and REPRESENTED THE CHOPPING UP OF OSIRIS' BODY by Shem!" "John Brand Bourne thinks the original of both these customs [the harvest feast and the revelry that followed] is Jewish, and cites Hospinian, who tells us that the heathens copied after this custom of the Jews, and at the end of the harvest offered up their first fruits to the gods.
For the Jews rejoiced and feasted at the getting in of the harvest. (Observations on the Popular Antiquities of Great Britain, George Bell & Sons, 1908. P. 16.)." "Marian Schibsby and Hanny Cohrsen also noticed the ThanksgivingTabernacles connection--'Many centuries before a day for nationwide thanksgiving and prayer was established in this country, the Jewish people observed such a custom. One of the most important Jewish festivals is that of the "Feast of Tabernacles," also called the "Feast of Ingathering" or "Succoth," which begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the month of Tishri -- that is sometime between the last week of September and the middle of October. It marks the end of the harvest "after that thou hast gathered in from thy threshing floor and from thy wine press" (Deut. xvi, 13,16, RV) and is a season of joyousness and gratitude for the bounty of nature in the year that has passed.' (Foreign Festival Customs and Dishes, American Council for Nationalities Service, N.Y. 1974, P.53). "Let me repeat what author Robert Schauffler said about the Grecian THESMOPHORIA: 'The harvest festival of ancient Greece, called the Thesmophoria, was akin to the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.. It was the feast of Demeter...' In Rome, the same feast occurred in October and began with a fast day -- the pagan equivalent of the Day of Atonement!
'On their return a festival occurred for three days in Athens, sad at first but gradually growing into an orgy of mirth and dancing. Here a cow and a sow were offered to Demeter, besides fruit and honeycombs. The symbols of the goddess were poppies and ears of corn, a basket of fruit and a little pig. The Romans worshipped this harvest deity under the name of Ceres. Her festival, which occurred yearly on October 4th, was called the Cerelia. It began with a fast [Day of Atonement?] among the common people who offered her a sow and the first cuttings of the harvest. There were processions in the fields with music and rustic sports and ceremonies ended with the inevitable feast of thanksgiving.' (Thanksgiving, DoddMead, 1957. Pages 12-13). "Why am I stressing this THREE-DAY FESTIVAL TO CERES in Rome and Athens? Because the Pilgrim Fathers OBSERVED A THREE-DAY THANKSGIVING during the fall in 1621!!" "Diana Karter Appelbaum CLEARLY brings this out in Thanksgiving, An American Holiday, an American History: 'The first autumn, an ample harvest insured that the colony would have food for the winter months. Governor Bradford, with one eye on the divine Providence, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to God, and with the other eye on the local political situation extended an invitation to neighboring Indians to share in the harvest feast in order to guarantee that the feast served to cement a peaceful relationship; the three-day long meal was punctuated by displays of the power of English muskets
for the benefit of suitably impressed Indian guests.' (Pages 7-8). "It is interesting to realize that Edward Winslow, an 'historian' among the Pilgrim Fathers, would have written about the religious services held in those fall days if it was a day of thanksgiving to God, but HE MENTIONED NO SUCH THING! Instead, Diana Appelbaum states that 'Oysters, clams and fish rounded out the abundant, but far from epicurean feast that the celebrators would have been more likely to call "harvest home" than a "thanksgiving" celebration.' " 'A day of Thanksgiving was not an idea unique to the early settlers in America. The Pilgrims were well acquainted while in England with annual Thanksgiving celebrations, which had been known throughout history as an ancient and universal custom. 'In fact, the first Thanksgiving was more like a harvest festival, with none of the accounts mentioning any giving of thanks in solemn, religious piety as it is usually imagined. In keeping with long-standing English custom, Thanksgiving was filled with "revelry, sports, and feasts." ' (Myth information Extraordinary Collection of 590 Popular Misconceptions, Fallacies and Misbeliefs. J. Allen Varasdi)" Is the eating of pumpkin pie, turkey or other food items used as pagan symbols in Thanksgiving necessarily wrong? No, only if utilized as part of the holiday or associated with it.
There is the distinct difference between eating these foods as ordinary ones and partaking of a pagan rite, even though in the guise of a godly holiday whether in its season or not. Though mincemeat pie is another matter derived strictly from pagan worship. I've seen the filler at the grocery store already mixed, available any time of the year. Eating meat and vegetable pies is normally all right. Though we should avoid anything which reminds us of association with customs of the heathen, as singing of Christmas carols of which a few sound rather godly. The song, Jingle Bells, is usually sung around Christmas time, and though not having anything to do with Christmas, might in the minds of some be part of the holiday. God recommended, actually ordered Israelites to destroy the accouterments of pagan practice. Which would help keep them from handling the objects and bring back the customs to mind. De. 12:30 Take heed to yourself that you do not be snared by following them, after they are destroyed from before you; and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
“My Thanks Filled Gratitude� BY JEFF GODSOWN
For many, just the simple fact that God, our Heavenly Father called us out of darkness, into His marvelous light is more than sufficient. I have much that I am grateful for, and it only begins with His call to me. Jesus, the living Word, taught me how to make this walk and showed me it was possible, by the life He lived. I have the living Word in written form to teach me clearer and to satisfy my every need to know, fulfilling both my hunger and thirst for righteousness. God the Father, took me as a babe and caused me to hunger and thirst for doing that which is good and right in His eyes. God the Father has also grown me from a babe in Christ on milk, to a child eating meat from His Word, to a man chewing on the bones of His Word, towards maturity in Him. Many things have taken place in my life that have made me question God over much of the goings on in my life that I have no control over. I never sought to be hammered or judged or beaten or exposed, but nevertheless, these things came, and they came to benefit and grow me into the man that God the Father wants me to be. The head and not the tail, the mature and not the childish, the fully developed warrior who pleases His heavenly Father, as an instrument of honor. Though God the Father has taken me to the woodshed a few times, as was necessary, He also has been tender with me in His loving correction. I have learned, each trial and tribulation comes with a price and a reward, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, and in hind sight, I see the good and the benefit of each moment.
The persecution has been the hardest to deal with, but I can honestly say I am grateful for each turn of events, as it has grown me closer to God and helped me to understand just where and how my strength comes from. It’s not easy having so called friends and family stab you in the back, judge wrongfully (still without knowledge) of your call, or lie about you, but it happens, and I am grateful. These things have taught me, I cannot trust man and I don’t have to, but I can trust God for everything, in everything. We talk about the gifts and callings of God on our lives, then we act like no one is allowed to touch us, so we warn and threaten, but in it all, it is all preparation for things to come, I am grateful. Though no man has ever stood at my side, causing me to beat myself up, wondering what I had done wrong, God my Father, has never once left me or for that matter, even left me feeling stranded and alone. God our Father and Jesus His living Word, along with His Holy Spirit, have always saw to my need, and as I drew nearer to the whole of God, He drew nearer to me. It is hard to say all that I’m grateful for without providing some basis, but here’s the thing, when I asked what circumstances I might apply for others to understand, God the Father said no! He deals with each person that has truly given their heart, mind, soul, and strength to Him, on an individual basis, each one being a special son or daughter. He formed each of us in our mother’s womb in unique manner, therefore; each of us requires individual attention. How cool is that, with the number of real true Christians out there, children of God the Father, He still has the time and ability to deal with each of us on an individual basis. He does it perfectly and timely and the more cool part is He constantly blesses us, each one individually, in perfect love. As you go through your days, I hope you gain the presence of mind to see, God the Father is in everything that happens to us and that each act, action, or case is based on His personal knowledge of us, and when He blesses us, He adds no sorrow to it. It is my hope that somehow in your reading of this, you will lay aside your underatanding and human thinking of how things should be, and let God the Father, be God the Father, molding you and making you into what He wanted for each of us from the beginning.
Thank you God; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for each moment, for your emmense love, for continued favor, for your grace and mercy, for your healing of my whole being, for your living Word to always se me through, for your patience, for your protection, for you guiding hand on me in all situations, and even for your loving correction and the moments of persecution you have seen me through in order to prepare me for greater things. Father, because you have loved me from the beginning and opened the eyes of my heart, that I search for you in everything, I love you and I love you more than I ever thought was possible, and I love your people, your creation. Thank you Father!!!
BLESS THE LORD O MY SOUL: BY JOEL McNaBB
My heart is grateful to be able once again to participate in this season of Thanksgiving. First I would like to give honour to our Creator, Father God, who has blessed me all the days of my life, and to His Son Jesus Christ, who came to earth in the will of the Father and gave his life for whosoever will. As I thought of what to write, the words of David came to my heart, " Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Oh the benefits we that are ours when we acknowledge God as our maker and keep word. With every fiber of my being I will bestow praise and glory for all He has done in my life. He alone is Holy, Just and True, and woe are we if we forget that it is He that has made us and all that is in the earth. The universe and it’s vastness is His domain, He owns it all, and everything we have is His gift to us.
The greatest gift He has given was His Son, that we believing on him might have eternal life. Our debt of sin being nailed to that old rugged cross two thousand years ago. How can we ever thank our beloved Father enough? The healing in His wings has touched each one of those that believe, and I have seen it many times in my life time, in my body, and in my family, He has been ever faithful. I thank Him for being with us even when we are going through the valleys, the dry seasons when we feel like we are alone. I thank the Father for His word, that lets us realize He has not left us, He is testing our faith to see if we will continue to believe even when it seems all hope is lost. I thank Him for His chastisement, for we know whom He loveth He chastens, and it keeps us going the right direction. I give thanks for all He has given me, and for my family. My daughters, and grand babies, who give me joy and hope, my Mother and Dad, who pray for me and showed me the Way of God, my brothers, who are there for me even if we are not in the space, their love is always there, my brothers and sisters in Christ, who strengthen me with their love for God, and those that I call friends, who are always there to lend and ear. This year I am particularly bless and thankful, for after what I thought was gone forever, the Father brought to me a loving and beautiful woman and allowed her to be my wife. Angel has filled the void and loss, and brought a joy to my life and made my house a home again. It brings tears of joy knowing God love me so much to replace the emptiness that was in my heart, with so great a love, that I could never say thank you enough to Him or Angel for accepting me as her husband. Bless the Lord O my soul!! He has renewed His Spirit in me, and although I never gave up, and knew I was in His will, I felt like something was missing. I was in a deep valley, but could always see the top of the mountain. I thank God letting me feel His power, and giving me confidence once more.
It was always there, but now through faith in His word I stand firm on the foundation, shakeable, unmovable, with His word to guide me I shall go where eagles dare to fly. Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is in my bless His holy name. Thank you Jesus!! We give thanks today and everyday for the Father’s lovingkindness, and mercies, how tender a loving Father we have, my heart rejoices with gladness. May you all feel His presence and mercy the Thanksgiving season, and know that you are in my prayers and have my love. I close with this prayer and may the Lord keep you in the shadow of His wings. Dear Father in Heaven Please lend me Your ear, 'Cause I've got a prayer You'll be happy to hear. Lord, there's no request list This time when I pray, I just want to give thanks This Thanksgiving Day. First, I want to thank You For gifts from above: Your unending mercy, Your undeserved love. And thank You for sending Your Son down to earth, For now those in Jesus Can have second birth. Lord, thank You for saving Your children from Hell, And giving Your Spirit Who comes to indwell. And thank You for choosing me To be Your own, For now that You're in me I'm never alone. Lord, thanks for forgiving me When I'm untrue, And last, but not least, Father, Thank You for You! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
DANCE WITH ME MY BELOVED! : MARGARET MULLINGS
Be encouraged as you read ! During preparations for a very special wedding...The bride gave instructions putting special emphasis on having a dance floor....." Allotted space " to be able to dance. The big day arrived with everything and everyone in place. Yes, a Christian wedding of splendor unfolded.....indeed, a precious moment forever etched in my mind. The bride and the groom walked on to the floor allotted to dance.....without saying a word to each other: these words riveted across the room...."Dance With Me My Beloved ! " The bride and the groom had captured the attention of everyone present. What happened next really blew me away so to speak. Almost everyone present was on the dance floor with the bride and bridegroom leading the way, yet some people were displeased. What a splendid time; a beautiful spirit of fellowship and love filled the room. Dance with me my beloved.....all who heard the call were blessed beyond measure. The word of Abba Father is resounding from 2 Samuel 6:14 for David the Psalmist heard the call too. (14) " Then David danced before the Lord with all his might: and David was wearing a linen ephod. " Let us take a closer look.... verse (15) " So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. Then read what happens next in verse (16) " Now as the Ark of the LORD came into the city of David. Michal Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD: and she despised him in her heart. " What a glorious victory and a great joy it must have been for David and all the house of Israel, to have the Ark of the LORD among them " Verse says (20) " Then David returned to bless his household and Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David,
and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the midst of his servants, as one of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself. " Michal was displeased, she did not hear the call, or maybe she heard it and felt too dignified to heed to it ? " Dance with Me my beloved for I watched over you while you were in your mother's womb. Yet it grieved My heart to see you suffer so much pain and anguish.....During those agonizing moments when you felt you could not take another step....I carried you ! The time has come for you to dance with Me.....my beloved. This is a special invitation ! This dance is like no other and as you dance with Me......Your sorrow will end. Dance with Me my beloved ! " Abba Father is extending to you and I this special invitation. Can you hear Him saying so earnestly......Dance with Me my beloved ? It is a call for intimacy with Abba Father, it is a call to maturity in Christ Jesus. Dance with Me my beloved is a call for a transformed life ! Abba Father bids you and I.... " Seek not positions in Church, nor to be seen or heard.....Speak no evil, nor hear no evil. Dry those weeping eyes and sober your mind....Leave off being confrontational and sit here ! Yes, it is time to claim what is rightfully yours....In your strength and intellect you cannot do it...Sit here ! Sit where ? Sit here....In Christ Jesus is where you must sit. For He is the Greater One who reigns on the throne of your heart, and as you sit here in Him....You sit in heavenly places where He fights for you...Sit here in Him ! It is only when you and I take our rightful place of authority seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus......It is from this place you and I will hear Abba Father say....Dance with Me my beloved. Do not allow your selves to be like those who were displeased at the special wedding and stood on the side lines. Sit in that place so you too will hear Him say to you... Dance with Me my beloved !
THANKSGIVING: THE NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING Text of 1970 Speech by Wampsutta, an Aquinnah Wampanoag Elder
Frank James (1923 - February 20, 2001) was known to the Wampanoag people as Wampsutta, In 1970, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts invited him to speak at Plymouth's annual Thanksgiving feast. When the text of Mr. James’ speech was revealed before dinner, Massachusetts "disinvited" him. Wampsutta refused to revise his speech and left the event. He went to the hill near the statue of the Massasoit, the Wampanoag leader during the Pilgrims' arrival in 1620.
There, overlooking Plymouth Harbor and the replica of the Mayflower, Frank James recited the speech that Massachusetts Commonwealth had refused to hear: "I speak to you as a man -- a Wampanoag Man. I am a proud man, proud of my ancestry, my accomplishments won by a strict parental direction ("You must succeed your face is a different color in this small Cape Cod community!"). I am a product of poverty and discrimination from these two social and economic diseases. I, and my brothers and sisters, have painfully overcome, and to some extent we have earned the respect of our community. We are Indians first - but we are termed "good citizens." Sometimes we are arrogant but only because society has pressured us to be so. "It is with mixed emotion that I stand here to share my thoughts. This is a time of celebration for you - celebrating an anniversary of a beginning for the white man in America. A time of looking back, of reflection. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my People. "Even before the Pilgrims landed it was common practice for explorers to capture Indians, take them to Europe and sell them as slaves for 220 shillings apiece. The Pilgrims had hardly explored the shores of Cape Cod for four days before they had robbed the graves of my ancestors and stolen their corn and beans. Mourt's Relation describes a searching party of sixteen men. Mourt goes on to say that this party took as much of the Indians' winter provisions as they were able to carry.
"Massasoit, the great Sachem of the Wampanoag, knew these facts, yet he and his People welcomed and befriended the settlers of the Plymouth Plantation. Perhaps he did this because his Tribe had been depleted by an epidemic. Or his knowledge of the harsh oncoming winter was the reason for his peaceful acceptance of these acts. This action by Massasoit was perhaps our biggest mistake. We, the Wampanoag, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people. What happened in those short 50 years? What has happened in the last 300 years? History gives us facts and there were atrocities; there were broken promises - and most of these centered around land ownership. Among ourselves we understood that there were boundaries, but never before had we had to deal with fences and stone walls. But the white man had a need to prove his worth by the amount of land that he owned. Only ten years later, when the Puritans came, they treated the Wampanoag with even less kindness in converting the souls of the socalled "savages." Although the Puritans were harsh to members of their own society, the Indian was pressed between stone slabs and hanged as quickly as any other "witch."
"And so down through the years there is record after record of Indian lands taken and, in token, reservations set up for him upon which to live. The Indian, having been stripped of his power, could only stand by and watch while the white man took his land and used it for his personal gain. This the Indian could not understand; for to him, land was survival, to farm, to hunt, to be enjoyed. It was not to be abused. We see incident after incident, where the white man sought to tame the "savage" and convert him to the Christian ways of life. The early Pilgrim settlers led the Indian to believe that if he did not behave, they would dig up the ground and unleash the great epidemic again. "The white man used the Indian's nautical skills and abilities. They let him be only a seaman -- but never a captain. Time and time again, in the white man's society, we Indians have been termed "low man on the totem pole." "Has the Wampanoag really disappeared? There is still an aura of mystery. We know there was an epidemic that took many Indian lives - some Wampanoags moved west and joined the Cherokee and Cheyenne. They were forced to move. Some even went north to Canada! Many Wampanoag put aside their Indian heritage and accepted the white man's way for their own survival. There are some Wampanoag who do not wish it known they are Indian for social or economic reasons.
"What happened to those Wampanoags who chose to remain and live among the early settlers? What kind of existence did they live as "civilized" people? True, living was not as complex as life today, but they dealt with the confusion and the change. Honesty, trust, concern, pride, and politics wove themselves in and out of their [the Wampanoags'] daily living. Hence, he was termed crafty, cunning, rapacious, and dirty. "History wants us to believe that the Indian was a savage, illiterate, uncivilized animal. A history that was written by an organized, disciplined people, to expose us as an unorganized and undisciplined entity. Two distinctly different cultures met. One thought they must control life; the other believed life was to be enjoyed, because nature decreed it. Let us remember, the Indian is and was just as human as the white man. The Indian feels pain, gets hurt, and becomes defensive, has dreams, bears tragedy and failure, suffers from loneliness, needs to cry as well as laugh. He, too, is often misunderstood. "The white man in the presence of the Indian is still mystified by his uncanny ability to make him feel uncomfortable. This may be the image the white man has created of the Indian; his "savageness" has boomeranged and isn't a mystery; it is fear; fear of the Indian's temperament! "High on a hill, overlooking the famed Plymouth Rock, stands the statue of our great Sachem, Massasoit.
Massasoit has stood there many years in silence. We the descendants of this great Sachem have been a silent people. The necessity of making a living in this materialistic society of the white man caused us to be silent. Today, I and many of my people are choosing to face the truth. We ARE Indians! "Although time has drained our culture, and our language is almost extinct, we the Wampanoags still walk the lands of Massachusetts. We may be fragmented, we may be confused. Many years have passed since we have been a people together. Our lands were invaded. We fought as hard to keep our land as you the whites did to take our land away from us. We were conquered, we became the American prisoners of war in many cases, and wards of the United States Government, until only recently. "Our spirit refuses to die. Yesterday we walked the woodland paths and sandy trails. Today we must walk the macadam highways and roads. We are uniting We're standing not in our wigwams but in your concrete tent. We stand tall and proud, and before too many moons pass we'll right the wrongs we have allowed to happen to us. "We forfeited our country. Our lands have fallen into the hands of the aggressor. We have allowed the white man to keep us on our knees.
What has happened cannot be changed, but today we must work towards a more humane America, a more Indian America, where men and nature once again are important; where the Indian values of honor, truth, and brotherhood prevail. "You the white man are celebrating an anniversary. We the Wampanoags will help you celebrate in the concept of a beginning. It was the beginning of a new life for the Pilgrims. Now, 350 years later it is a beginning of a new determination for the original American: the American Indian. "There are some factors concerning the Wampanoags and other Indians across this vast nation. We now have 350 years of experience living amongst the white man. We can now speak his language. We can now think as a white man thinks. We can now compete with him for the top jobs. We're being heard; we are now being listened to. The important point is that along with these necessities of everyday living, we still have the spirit, we still have the unique culture, we still have the will and, most important of all, the determination to remain as Indians. We are determined, and our presence here this evening is living testimony that this is only the beginning of the American Indian, particularly the Wampanoag, to regain the position in this country that is rightfully ours."
HANNAH AND BARENESS ( A Broken Spirit ) BY TIM & RHONDA BENITEZ
1 Samuel 1 1:1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: 1:2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 1:3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. 1:4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
1:5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. (Barreness was considered at that time a curse, ) 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. ( broke down and translated: this other woman tormented, laughed at, mocked and ridiculed Hannah, so Hannah was really going through resentment, Rejection, Shame, Unworthiness,Brokenness,feeling separated as if cursed and crushed,) 1:7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. ( This was a sign of tremendous pain and brokenness, depression to the point of sickness and not eating) 1:8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved ? am not I better to thee than ten sons? ( This is confirmation her heart was hurting a Broken heart in dispair to the point of barely living not able to eat or sleep) 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. ( here the depression and rejection and resentment feeling cursed to the point she was in bitterness with a tormented mind) 1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. ( Handmaiden is a slave to a master, through her feelings and emotions she is recognizing the Lord as Master and Lord of her life,she is praying and asking and trusting the Lord in the midst of all the distress, and she prayed and asked the Lord for a son but then was willing to give him back to the Lord) 1:12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. ( The word marked means he studied or watched her mouth ) 1:13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. ( Eli's discernment was bad from his sins he was spiritually out of tune and blind to truth)
1:14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken ? put away thy wine from thee. 1:15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. ( Hannah explained here a broken crushed spirit,but poured it out to the Lord, when we pour out to the Lord with a pure heart he pours back in us "life" ) 1:16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. ( here she is explaining belial followers and drunkenness go together) 1:17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. 1:18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. ( when she heard Gods chosen Delegated Authority release a Blessing and a word she received the joy of the Lord and put her trust totally and completely in the Lord to perform His word, her mind was renewed by the word and healed, and her heart was healed with hope)
1:19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. ( Hannah after receiving the word worshiped showing she had a pure heart for the Lord) 1:20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD. 1:21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. 1:22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever. ( Hannah here remembered her vow to the Lord and gave back the Blessing God gave her in the son Samuel, she was a woman of Faith, Trust, pure heart, worshipper, and put God first above her own feelings and emotions, 1:23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
( Samuel was a product of Hannah's true and pure heart and love for the Lord, and would be well established as Elkanah prophesied here, Samuel would also have the same heart and mind as his mother and faithfully serve the Lord,taking Eli's place when Eli was bought down for his sins the lord took him out and put Samuel in, ) 1:24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young. 1:25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. 1:26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. 1:27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: 1:28 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshiped the LORD there ( She gave back to the Lord and Samuel was Established as his father prophesied, God took a broken woman and bought forth a powerful Blessed seed of priesthood and prophet back to the house of God where there was famine of the word of God and Samuel heard from the Lord, served faithfully and never failed serving because his heart and mind was fixed and established in the Lord, he knew Gods heart and mind and had the same stability and trust as
Hannah and it all came from a broken crushed woman who chose to put her life, heart, emotions, trust, faith, Brokenness at the altar and stand on Gods word, after her prayer she believed God could take away her reproach, shame and Brokenness and replace it with life, In the middle of your Brokenness and Dispair will you put your trust and faith into action and release it all to the Lord and get up and be established, with stability and serve the Lord and worship him even in the midst of dispair and brokenness? Lord I pray for all those who read this may they be established and stand on your word and be healed and filled with joy in the Holy Ghost in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen God Bless, Pastor Tim and Rhonda Benitez Fishermen Ministries, Silver Springs, Florida web site easy-fishing-net.com E-mail is tim_benitez@netzero.net
THE KINGDOM OCCUPY MOVEMENT, JESUS DIDN'T COME TO TAKE SIDES, HE CAME TO TAKEOVER! : Dr. Robinson
THE KINGDOM OCCUPY MOVEMENT! JESUS DIDN'T COME TO TAKE SIDES, HE CAME TO TAKEOVER! You are called to rediscover the Kingdom, Jesus central focus, message and mission and preach the same Kingdom message He preached, and demonstrate it by healing the sick and casting out devils. Jesus said freely you have received, freely give. Be a vital part of the KINGDOM OCCUPY MOVEMENT! Take a stand for what Jesus stood for. He did not bring a religion, He brought a Kingdom, a government that dismantles religion and raises the standard of Kingdom righteousness in the midst of those who obey Him. God wants to use you in this great Kingdom reformation. Seek the Kingdom, study the Kingdom, make God's Kingdom and His righteousness your number one priority. Until you do, you will remain bound by the religious world's view of the Church and while you may profess holiness, God's view of your church may be that it is worldly because it has denied the urgency, power and priority of the Kingdom. Leaders who pontificate their positions having convinced themselves that they know all there is to know in the Word of God but do not know the central message of Jesus and our collective responsibility to preach it make themselves to be as the scribes and Pharisees.
In their pride they make wide their phylacteries and they lengthen the borders of their garments and that which they do they do to be seen of men. And when their members start learning the Kingdom out from underneath them these types of leaders will forbid them from entering in and they themselves do not enter in, choosing instead to hold on to the religious traditions of men, which make the Word of God ineffective, preferring the preaching of Bible stories, men-pleasers, committing extortion as they extract the funds from the people for a gospel that is not the whole counsel of God, a gospel of this or that, which will not cause Jesus to return. The KINGDOM OCCUPY MOVEMENT is about taking a stand for Kingdom righteousness, not religious righteousness, about KINGDOM ADVANCEMENT, not mere Kingdom terminology, and about real change from the pulpit to the pew. The KINGDOM OCCUPY MOVEMENT IS A KINGDOM REFORMATION! The evidence speaks for itself. More and more people are rediscovering the Kingdom and making the decision to be the miracle God has made them to be. They've discovered that religious men have done no more than take their money. And now there is a nation that is hungry for the truth of God's Word and His power and they are learning you don't get the real deal outside of really doing what God really called for and He called for a Kingdom Church that preaches the same Kingdom Jesus preached, casting out devils and healing the sick. Are you an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher? How much do you know about the Kingdom of God, its urgency, power and priority and your responsibility to equip the people to do the work of advancing the Kingdom through their individual preaching, teaching and demonstrating that the Kingdom is present now and eternal. What is the focus of your ministry? If it is winning the loss, are you teaching them the Kingdom once you've won them or are you teaching them your denomination or religious group's views in your New Members class. My friend, in this KINGDOM OCCUPY MOVEMENT you are going to have to rediscover the Kingdom yourself so that the people God has commanded you to be responsible for watching over their souls, will come to know the Kingdom too.
Be the Kingdom Leader God has called you to be. Exercise the courage to challenge your religious assumptions and rethink your positions. Make yourself teachable and give God your all on His terms and not the ones we've manufactured and conjured up out of the imaginations of our heart. Be courageous, study the Kingdom of God everywhere Jesus preached the Kingdom and delegated others to do the same. You will discover that Jesus wasn't just training disciples as disciplined students, Jesus was raising rulers. Are you raising a congregation of people who play "follow the leader" or are you raising a group of people who learn to follow Jesus because the leader does? And if you are following Jesus, are you preaching what Jesus preached and commanding those you lead to do the same, or has the vestiges of religion filled you full of the dictates of the status-quo? Its' Kingdom time! THE KINGDOM OCCUPY MOVEMENT IS A KINGDOM REFORMATION that is coming to you. Be the Kingdom leader God has called you to be and religion will be unable to contain you and you will truly be the catalyst for setting the captives free. Jesus wants to return. Let's pray that it is on your watch because you discovered the purpose, power and priority of the Kingdom message and you preached it to the nations of the world that the end would come. Its your true assignment and the mission of THE KINGDOM OCCUPY MOVEMENT! Make a stand for that which religion could not do and God reward you for all that He has called you to. Dr. Leonard Robinson Kingdom Vision Ministries International and Affiliates Phila., PA Pittsburgh, PA Buffalo, NY Washington, DC Georgia, Chicago Detroit Barbados, Australia Ghana Ukraine 267-357-9816
«THERE IS A SEASON AND A REASON" PROPHETESS SISTER MARY BOLDEN
ECCLES. 3:1-8 amp. TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON, AND A TIME FOR EVERY MATTER OR PURPOSE UNDER HEAVEN. A TIME TO BE BORN AND A TIME TO DIE, A TIME TO PLANT AND A TIME TO PLUCK UP WHAT IS PLANTED. A TIME TO KILL AND A TIME TO HEAL, A TIME TO BREAK DOWN AND A TIME TO BUILD UP. A TIME TO WEEP AND A TIME TO LAUGH, A TIME TO MOURN AND A TIME TO DANCE. WE CAN'T EXPECT TO GO THROUGH LIFE IN THESE EVIL, END TIMES THAT WE LIVE IN AND NOT HAVE A FEW THORNS ALONG WITH OUR ROSES, ALTHOUGH SOME TIMES WE WISH THAT WE COULD. WE WOULD LOVE TO JUST BE HAPPY ALL THE TIME AND LAUGH, BUT SOMETIMES WEEPING WILL COME WHEN THERE IS THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE OR SOMEONE IS VERY ILL AND THEIR BODY IS RACKED WITH PAIN. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD HAS TO ALLOW SOME THINGS SUCH AS THAT TO HAPPEN TO KEEP US HUMBLE UNTO HIM. AND IT'S A "WAKE UP CALL" TO THOSE LEFT BEHIND WHEN A LOVED ONE IS CALLED HOME TO BE WITH JESUS ETERNALLY. WE CRY AND WEEP FOR OUR LOSS AND THE FACT THAT WE WILL MISS THAT FRIEND OR LOVED ONE, BUT ACTUALLY , WE ARE BEING WARNED AND DRAWN TO GET CLOSER TO THE LORD SO THAT WE CAN BE READY WHEN IT IS OUR TIME TO LEAVE THIS WORLD AND MOVE ON INTO A FAR BETTER WORLD.
THE LORD JESUS EVEN WARNED US AS TO WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THESE LAST DAYS AS SIGNS OF THE END TIMES, DIDN'T HE? HE SAID THERE WOULD BE WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS. THERE WOULD BE DISEASES IN DIVER'S PLACES. HE GOES ON TO SAY BROTHER WOULD TURN AGAINST BROTHER; SISTER AGAINST SISTER; MOTHER AGAINST DAUGHTER; FATHER AGAINST SON. WELL, ISN'T THAT GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY? YES, I'LL ANSWER THAT, FOR IT IS SO. BUT, THEN, THANK GOD, THERE IS A TIME TO HEAL OUR BROKEN HEARTEDNESS IF WE LET GO AND LET GOD! THANKS BE TO GOD HE IS THE DIVINE HEALER AND HE WILL HEAL ALL OUR HEART ACHES AND PAIN AND SUFFERING DOWN HERE. SOMETIMES , THOUGH, OUR HEALING COMES IN THE MOST "PERFECT HEALING", AND THAT IS THROUGH DEATH WHICH TAKES A PERSON OUT OF HIS MISERY AND PAIN FOREVER. IT GOES ON TO SAY; A TIME TO CAST AWAY STONES AND A TIME TO GATHER STONES TOGETHER, A TIME TO EMBRACE AND A TIME TO REFRAIN FROM EMBRACING. A TIME TO GET AND A TIME TO LOSE, A TIME TO KEEP AND A TIME TO CAST AWAY. A TIME TO REND AND A TIME TO SEW, A TIME TO KEEP SILENCE AND A TIME TO SPEAK. "STICKS AND STONES " DO HURT WHEN A PERSON IS SPEAKING HURTFUL THINGS TO ANOTHER. WE NEED TO STOP AND THINK BEFORE WE SPEAK, DON'T WE? WORDS CAN HURT IF USED IN SUCH A WAY TO TEAR DOWN A PERSON'S CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY. WE NEED TO LEARN TO APOLOGIZE IF IT IS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION AND WE ARE CONVICTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. AND TO GATHER THE STONES TOGETHER WOULD BE TO COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH ONE ANOTHER. AND WHAT'S THE HARM TO EMBRACE OR GIVE A PERSON A HUG. THE BIBLE EVEN TEACHES US TO KISS OUR BROTHER WITH A HOLY KISS. BUT, SO MANY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT TRULY MEANS. AND SOME WOULD TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE AND ALLOW THE LUST OF THE FLESH IN THAT KISS. SO, IF WE ARE CONCERNED OF OUR FLESH , WE NEED TO GET A SPIRTUAL CHECK UP AND LET GOD HEAL US OF THAT PROBLEM. THANKS BE TO GOD BECAUSE HE IS UNDERSTANDING AND WILL NOT HESITATE BUT TO HEAL US OF OUR WEAKNESS.
NOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE IS MUCH HATRED, MALICE , ENVY AND STRIFE GOING ON IN THE WORLD. BUT, IF YOU READ THE WORD IN ECCLESIATES , IT SAYS THERE IS A TIME TO LOVE AND A TIME TO HATE, A TIME FOR WAR AND A TIME FOR PEACE. WE ARE TO HATE EVIL THAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD BUT LOVE OUR ENEMIES, CHRIST TAUGHT. HE EVEN NAMES SEVEN THINGS THAT HE HATES ; AND PRIDE IS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST BECAUSE SO MANY ARE SO HIGH MINDED, HAUGHTY AND LIFTED UP IN THEMSELVES THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO SEE THE LOVE OF CHRIST THAT SHINES EVER SO BRIGHT IN ANOTHER. THEY ARE SO WRAPPED UP, TIED UP, AND TANGLED UP IN "ME, MYSELF, AND I" THAT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THERE IS A "YOU , US, WE, AND OUR." THEY WILL HAVE TO GIVE ACCOUNT ONE DAY THOUGH, BECAUSE GOD IS THE ULTIMATE, JUST GOD WHO IS LOVING, KIND, GENEROUS, PATIENT, AND UNDERSTANDING WITH US DOWN HERE. AND HE GIVES MAN SO VERY MANY CHANCES TO MAKE UP HIS MIND WHO HE'S GOING TO SERVE. WE CAN'T SERVE GOD AND MAMMON. SO IT'S A MUST THAT WE TRUST GOD AND NOT IN MAN. THANK GOD FOR JESUS AND JESUS FOR THE HOLY GHOST! HE HAS MADE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN T'S TIME (ECCLESIATES 10TH VS.) GOES ON TO SAY. FLOWERS BLOOM IN THEIR APPOINTED TIME. BABIES ARE BORN (FOR THE MOST PART) IN THEIR DUE TIME. NOW WE KNOW SOME ARE BORN PREMATURELY AND IT CONSEQUENTS SOME PROBLEMS. TREES AND PLANTS HAVE THEIR APPOINTED TIME TO BLOSSOM. ANIMALS ARE EVEN BORN AT THEIR NATURAL AND APPOINTED BY GOD TIME.WINTER, FALLL, SPRING AND SUMMER ROLL AROUND AT THE APPOINTED TIME EVERY YEAR THAT GOD HAS ORDAINED IT TO. AND HE PROMISES THAT WE SHALL ALWAYS HAVE THOSE SEASONS. NOW, THE WEATHER SOMETIMES IS A FOOLER WHEN IT GETS TOO WARM FOR THE WINTER SEASON OR TOO COLD FOR SPRING OR SUMMER. WE CAN ONLY TRUST GOD THAT IT IS THE SEASON THAT HE FOREORDAINED SINCE THE BEGINNING, HOWEVER. AND WE NEED TO BE THANKFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY SEASON THAT WE EXPERIENCE EVERY YEAR JUST AS HE PROMISED.
I FIND SOMETHING GOOD IN EACH ONE OF THEM. I LOVE THE SUMMER MONTHS BECAUSE I AM FREE FROM HAVING TO WEAR A COAT, HAT, BOOTS, ETC. BECAUSE THE WEATHER IS NICE AND WARM AND SOMETIMES HOT. BUT, I JUST FIND A COOL SPOT AND EAT LOTS OF ICE CREAM. (SMILE) IN THE WINTER, MOST OF US LOOK FORWARD TO THE HOLIDAYS THAT MAN HAS SET ASIDE FOR US; THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS. WELL, I'M THANKFUL FOR EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK , EVERY MONTH AND THE YEARS COME WHAT MAY BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD AND NOT COMPLAIN. IN THE SPRING , WE CAN ALL ENJOY HEARING THE BIRDS SING, THE SUN SHINE, THE FLOWERS BLOOMING, ETC. WHAT I ESPECIALLY LOVE ABOUT THE FALL IS TO SEE HOW THE LEAVES CHANGE COLORS AND FALL TO THE GROUND. IT'S JUST SO AMAZING TO SEE AND I ENJOY THE COLORFULNESS OF THE LEAVES. NOW HERE'S SOMETHING THAT ECCLESIATES 13TH VS. REMINDS US OF; AND ALSO THAT EVERY MAN SHOULD EAT AND DRINK AND ENJOY THE GOOD OF ALL HIS LABOR--IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD. THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S A BLESSING TO BE ABLE TO EAT A DELICIOUS AND NUTRICIOUS MEAL. AND THEN TO DRINK A NICE COLD GLASS OF MILK, JUICE, COFFEE, HOT CHOCOLATE. OH, TO HAVE MEAT, POTATOES, AND OTHER GREEN VEGETABLES AND SOME DESSERT AFTERWARDS. DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU DON'T ENJOY SUCH A MEAL. MOST OF US (IN AMERICA) DO ENJOY AN ABUNDANCE OF FOOD ON THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS. AND WE NEED TO BE EVER SO THANKFUL BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT THERE ARE OTHERS IN THE WORLD WHO DO NOT ENJOY AS MUCH AS WE DO. AND SOME ARE EVEN STARVING. BUT, TO THOSE OF US WHO DO HAVE, IT IS TRULY SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR. MAY THE LORD GOD RICHLY AND ABUNDANTLY PROSPER YOU ALL WHO ARE TRUE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST JESUS IN THIS COMING UP NEW YEAR, SHOULD THE LORD TARRY IN HIS COMING. DON'T FORGET TO GIVE THANKS FOR EVERYTHING THAT GOD HAS ALREADY DONE FOR YOU IN YOUR LIFE THUS FAR; THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE IS DOING RIGHT NOW THIS MINUTE; AND THANK HIM IN ADVANCE FOR WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO TO
BLESS YOU IN THE FUTURE, THAT IS IF YOU HAVE BEEN OBEDIENT TO HIS WILL AND HIS WAY. TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN OBEDIENT, REPENT AND GET RIGHT WITH GOD. HE WILL BE SURE TO FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR SINS AND SET THINGS IN ORDER IN YOUR LIFE. BE THANKFUL, SAINTS. LOVE IN CHRIST JESUS, PROPHETESS SISTER MARY
" Many Indians say, 'no thanks' to Thanksgiving" ADDED BY ANN BROWN Ann Brown
The iconic Thanksgiving image of colonists and Indians sharing a feast has become the symbol of caring and cooperation among peoples, but for many Native Americans it is a reminder of betrayal, bloodshed and continuing discrimination. "It's a day of mourning," said William Redwing Tayac, chief of one of Maryland's indigenous tribes, the Piscataway Indian Nation. ***** "Indians are victims of the American holocaust.***** That's the truth. I'm not going to paint a rosy picture." The popular conception of the first Thanksgiving of 1621 is a myth, he said. Indians taught colonists how to farm and survive in the new frontier, only to be burned at the stake several years later as the first victims of the Salem witch trials, Tayac said. The tribes of Massachusetts still have demonstrations on Thanksgiving. Tayac pays tribute to his people on Thanksgiving Day. He fasts during the day with his family and performs a sacred harvest ceremony before sitting down to dinner in the evening. If they have turkey, that's just because it's traditional Indian food, he said. His fight for his people continues well beyond the holiday. Tayac is involved in a "de-anglization" program that takes assimilated American Indians and "brings them back to being Indians," he said. They are taught the culture, religion, history and traditions of their people.
Joseph Stands With Many, a Cherokee Indian from Baltimore, is not as angry about Thanksgiving as Tayac. "Once a year people think about Indians then they forget about them," said Stands With Many. "Some people are militant and get bitter during Thanksgiving. I don't believe in holding on to things like that." But some things still irritate him. "Why does American Indian Heritage Month have to be in November?" he asked. And why do people use those cut-out decorations of Indians and Pilgrims? "No one wants to believe that it is offensive," he said. "It continues the subliminal stereotype." Stands With Many has complained about those decorations at his son's school, but the school board has refused to take them off the walls. He has turned his frustration into an education opportunity -- giving up his 9to-5 job to tell Cherokee stories to elementary school children, including a performance last year at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington. Giving thanks is a cycle of ceremonies for Stands With Many and his family. It begins with the planting season and ends with the harvest. But Thanksgiving Day is usually spent with his mother. "Last year Mom and I went to McDonalds," he said. "Sometimes we have Chinese food." Thanksgiving has little meaning for Shelley. It's just a day to get together with family and have a nice meal, she said. "The concept is not inherently bad," she added. "I wouldn't want to get rid of it."
As president of the American Indian Student Union at the University of Maryland, Shelley, too, wants to use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to educate. She unsuccessfully tried to find grant money this year for education outreach to elementary and middle school children, but she is looking at other opportunities for next year that would redress the American Indian experience. It is the historical distortions, the cultural stereotypes and general ignorance about indigenous peoples that makes Thanksgiving somewhat revolting to American Indians, said Keith Colston, executive director of the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs. Most do not celebrate Thanksgiving. If they do, it's not based on today's thoughts and ideas about the holiday, he said. "For me personally, it is another day to get together with friends and family," said Colston, a member of the Tuscarora-Lumbee tribe of North Carolina. But for everyone who does celebrate it, he advised: "People should know the historical background of the holidays they celebrate. Native Americans shared a feast with the Pilgrims and gave thanks for the bounty of food and for each other's company. But Thanksgiving after that was a betrayal." http://www.aaanativearts.com/article1523.html
"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." :Psalm 90:12 : ADDED BY B
"So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." —Psalm 90:12 : ADDED BY BOBBI JENSEN ( BARBARA DOMIGAN It's hard to explain someone's life being cut short, dying at a relatively young age. We expect that person to live a much longer life. But who is to say that it wasn't his or her appointed time to go? Who is to say that it wasn't the exact length of life that God had preordained for that man or woman from the very beginning? In the Book of Acts, the apostle Paul says of King David: "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers" (Acts 13:36 NIV). David, great a man as he may have been, served his purpose in his own generation, and then was taken off the scene. This is why we want to make every day count. To paraphrase the words of Moses in Psalm 90:12, "Lord, help us to realize our lives can end on any day. Please show me how to use each day wisely." We don't know when our day will come. We don't know when we will have "served our purpose to our own generation." When God calls you home, you're going home, and that's that.
You can live on vitamin C, zinc, and Echinacea. You can drink green tea, eat tofu, and avoid all the toxins you can, but when your number is up, your number is up. On the other hand, you will be around until God is done with you; you won't go before your time. You may or may not be the healthiest person, but you will live to the time that God has appointed for you, and worrying about it won't extend your life for one moment. At the same time, however, we are not to take foolish risks and "put the Lord to the test." We can be assured that we are here until God is done with us. As the apostle Paul said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). So let's make the most of the lives God has given us. Missionary Jim Elliot once wrote: "Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." By Greg Laurie
The Thanksgiving Day Massacre...Or, would you like Turkey with your genocide? : ADDED BY NEEKAH LYNN THU NOV 23, 2006
The Thanksgiving Day Massacre...Or, would you like Turkey with your genocide? byDelicateMonsterFollow History is never simple. One reason is that spinning an artful narrative out of the messy details of a conquering people can sometimes lead to very much heat and very little light. Take the Pilgrims, for example. In 1620, Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower naming the land Plymouth Rock, but the village was already named Patuxet and the Wampanoag Indians had lived there for thousands of years prior to the Pilgrims' arrival.We like to believe in a festive first Thanksgiving celebrating shared life in the 'New' world between the Indians and the Plymouth settlers, yet the truth, as much as it can be ferreted out from the revisions and counter-revisions of historians appears dramatically different.
In 1621, Pilgrims did have a feast but it was not repeated years thereafter. Nor as Rick Shenkman, editor of HNN (History News Network), announces was Thanksgiving about religion. Had it been, he says, "the Pilgrims never would have invited the Indians to join them. Besides, the Pilgrims would never have tolerated festivities at a true religious event. Indeed, what we think of as Thanksgiving was really a harvest festival. Actual ‘Thanksgivings’ were religious affairs; everybody spent the day praying..." So, it wasn't the beginning of a Thanksgiving tradition nor did Pilgrims call it a Thanksgiving feast. Pilgrims perceived Indians in relation to the Devil (in Governor William Bradford's words, they (the Indians) were "savage people, who are cruel, barbarous, and most treacherous.") and the more probable reason they were invited to the feast was for the purpose of eventually negotiating a treaty that would secure the lands for the Pilgrims. Perhaps one reason we have so many myths about Thanksgiving is that it is more an invented tradition, than an historically specific one, an amalgam of the first tense meeting in 1621 for primarily political purposes and a more horrific event that took place nearly 16 year later in 1637: The Pequot Massacre. From Colonial Times down to the present, the story of the "Pequot Massacre" has been told and retold. Virtually every text on North American Indian wars or colonization covers it in the first or second chapter.
As the story goes: In 1636 ninety armed settlers went to raid Block Island, off the coast, because a white man had been found killed on his boat nearby Whet the armed party landed, they found that the Indians of Block Island had gone into hiding; they burned the villages and crops and returned to the mainland, where for good measure they burned down some Pequot villages. The English went after these Pequots and told them that they were held responsible for the murder. The Pequots had to hand over 'the remaining murderers' and provide assurances about future behavior. The Pequots 'obstinately' refused (in the words of an English eyewitness) and in the resulting fight several Pequots were killed and wounded, and their belongings destroyed or carried off. Thus started the Pequot War... But the incident that might have begun our Thanksgiving festivities was much less a war than a massacre. The historian Francis Jennings writes: Mason proposed to avoid attacking Pequot warriors which would have overtaxed his unseasoned, unreliable troops. Battle, as such, was not his purpose. Battle is only one of the ways to destroy an enemy's will to fight. Massacre can accomplish the same end with less risk, and Mason had determined that massacre would be his objective. The colonist army surrounded a fortified Pequot village on the Mystic River. At sunrise, as the inhabitants slept, the Puritan soldiers set the village on fire.
'We must burn them!' Mason is reported as having shouted, running around with a firebrand and lighting the wigwams. 'Such a dreadful terror let the Almighty fall upon their spirits that they would flee from us and run into the very flames. Thus did the Lord judge the heathen, filling the place with dead bodies, ' he reported afterward: "The surviving Pequots were hunted but could make little haste because of their children, Mason wrote, They were literally-run to ground...tramped into the mud and buried in the swamp. ' The last of them were shipped to the West Indies as slaves...John Winthrop.. .governor once more, ...[offered] ...forty pounds sterling for the scalp of an Indian man, twenty for the scalps of women and children. The name 'Pequot' was officially erased from the map. The Pequot River became the Thames and their town became New London." (7 History Manners and Customs of the Indian Nations, (1876), Heckewelder, John, p. 53.)
William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth, wrote: "Those that escaped the fire were slain with the sword; some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so that they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire...horrible was the stink and scent thereof, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them."
(http://www.thepeoplespaths.net/history/ThanksgivingDay Massacre.htm) Mason himself wrote: "It may be demanded...Should not Christians have more mercy and compassion? But...sometimes the Scripture declareth women and children must perish with their parents.... We had sufficient light from the word of God for our proceedings." The next day, the Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony declared: "A day of Thanksgiving, thanking God that they had eliminated over 700 men, women and children." It was signed into law that, "This day forth shall be a day of celebration and thanksgiving for subduing the Pequots." As one of the leading theologians of his day, Dr. Cotton Mather put it: "It was supposed that no less than 600 Pequot souls were brought down to hell that day." In 1975 the official number of Pequot living in Connecticut was 21. From what I can gather, the present Thanksgiving 'celebration' is based historically on some mixture of the 1621 meeting between the Indians the new Pilgrim colony, and the commemoration of the Pequot massacre (with perhaps some conviviality and cuisine thrown in from the Jamestown, VA colony's annual celebrations).
In 1970, the town of Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts held, as it does each year, a Thanksgiving Ceremony given by the townspeople. There are many speeches for the crowds who attend. That year -- the year of Nixon's secret invasion of Cambodia; the year 4 students were massacred at Kent State and 13 wounded for opposing the war; the year they tried to electrocute Black Panthers Bobby Seale and Erica Huggins -- the Massachusetts Department of Commerce asked the Wampanoag Indians to select a speaker to mark the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrims' arrival, and the first Thanksgiving. Frank James, who is a Wampanoag, was selected. But before he was allowed to speak he was told to show a copy of his speech to the white people in charge of the ceremony. When they saw what he had written, they would not allow him to read it. Something to consider as you dine on Thanksgiving Turkey: this land once belonged to another people; our celebration is in part a victory dance on the graves of those we have almost entirely extinquished. Their remaining voices, that should be public, have been suppressed -- but not entirely. When I read Frank James's speech, it struck me as surprisingly civil and humane considering our strained history. Please take a moment today to read his Thanksgiving message. (http://www.uaine.org/wmsuta.htm)
THE SUPPRESSED SPEECH OF WAMSUTTA (FRANK B.) JAMES, WAMPANOAG To have been delivered at Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1970 ABOUT THE DOCUMENT: Three hundred fifty years after the Pilgrims began their invasion of the land of the Wampanoag, their "American" descendants planned an anniversary celebration. Still clinging to the white schoolbook myth of friendly relations between their forefathers and the Wampanoag, the anniversary planners thought it would be nice to have an Indian make an appreciative and complimentary speech at their state dinner. Frank James was asked to speak at the celebration. He accepted. The planners, however , asked to see his speech in advance of the occasion, and it turned out that Frank James' views — based on history rather than mythology — were not what the Pilgrims' descendants wanted to hear. Frank James refused to deliver a speech written by a public relations person. Frank James did not speak at the anniversary celebration. If he had spoken, this is what he would have said: I speak to you as a man -- a Wampanoag Man. I am a proud man, proud of my ancestry, my accomplishments won by a strict parental direction ("You must succeed - your face is a different color in this small Cape Cod community!"). I am a product of poverty and discrimination from these two social and economic diseases. I, and my brothers and sisters, have painfully overcome, and to some extent we have earned the respect of our community. We are Indians first - but we are termed "good citizens."
Sometimes we are arrogant but only because society has pressured us to be so. It is with mixed emotion that I stand here to share my thoughts. This is a time of celebration for you - celebrating an anniversary of a beginning for the white man in America. A time of looking back, of reflection. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my People. Even before the Pilgrims landed it was common practice for explorers to capture Indians, take them to Europe and sell them as slaves for 220 shillings apiece. The Pilgrims had hardly explored the shores of Cape Cod for four days before they had robbed the graves of my ancestors and stolen their corn and beans. Mourt's Relation describes a searching party of sixteen men. Mourt goes on to say that this party took as much of the Indians' winter provisions as they were able to carry. Massasoit, the great Sachem of the Wampanoag, knew these facts, yet he and his People welcomed and befriended the settlers of the Plymouth Plantation. Perhaps he did this because his Tribe had been depleted by an epidemic. Or his knowledge of the harsh oncoming winter was the reason for his peaceful acceptance of these acts. This action by Massasoit was perhaps our biggest mistake. We, the Wampanoag, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people.
What happened in those short 50 years? What has happened in the last 300 years? History gives us facts and there were atrocities; there were broken promises - and most of these centered around land ownership. Among ourselves we understood that there were boundaries, but never before had we had to deal with fences and stone walls. But the white man had a need to prove his worth by the amount of land that he owned. Only ten years later, when the Puritans came, they treated the Wampanoag with even less kindness in converting the souls of the socalled "savages." Although the Puritans were harsh to members of their own society, the Indian was pressed between stone slabs and hanged as quickly as any other "witch." And so down through the years there is record after record of Indian lands taken and, in token, reservations set up for him upon which to live. The Indian, having been stripped of his power, could only stand by and watch while the white man took his land and used it for his personal gain. This the Indian could not understand; for to him, land was survival, to farm, to hunt, to be enjoyed. It was not to be abused. We see incident after incident, where the white man sought to tame the "savage" and convert him to the Christian ways of life. The early Pilgrim settlers led the Indian to believe that if he did not behave, they would dig up the ground and unleash the great epidemic again. The white man used the Indian's nautical skills and abilities. They let him be only a seaman -- but never a captain. Time and time again, in the white man's society, we Indians have been termed "low man on the totem pole."
Has the Wampanoag really disappeared? There is still an aura of mystery. We know there was an epidemic that took many Indian lives - some Wampanoags moved west and joined the Cherokee and Cheyenne. They were forced to move. Some even went north to Canada! Many Wampanoag put aside their Indian heritage and accepted the white man's way for their own survival. There are some Wampanoag who do not wish it known they are Indian for social or economic reasons. What happened to those Wampanoags who chose to remain and live among the early settlers? What kind of existence did they live as "civilized" people? True, living was not as complex as life today, but they dealt with the confusion and the change. Honesty, trust, concern, pride, and politics wove themselves in and out of their [the Wampanoags'] daily living. Hence, he was termed crafty, cunning, rapacious, and dirty. History wants us to believe that the Indian was a savage, illiterate, uncivilized animal. A history that was written by an organized, disciplined people, to expose us as an unorganized and undisciplined entity. Two distinctly different cultures met. One thought they must control life; the other believed life was to be enjoyed, because nature decreed it. Let us remember, the Indian is and was just as human as the white man. The Indian feels pain, gets hurt, and becomes defensive, has dreams, bears tragedy and failure, suffers from loneliness, needs to cry as well as laugh. He, too, is often misunderstood.
The white man in the presence of the Indian is still mystified by his uncanny ability to make him feel uncomfortable. This may be the image the white man has created of the Indian; his "savageness" has boomeranged and isn't a mystery; it is fear; fear of the Indian's temperament! High on a hill, overlooking the famed Plymouth Rock, stands the statue of our great Sachem, Massasoit. Massasoit has stood there many years in silence. We the descendants of this great Sachem have been a silent people. The necessity of making a living in this materialistic society of the white man caused us to be silent. Today, I and many of my people are choosing to face the truth. We ARE Indians! Although time has drained our culture, and our language is almost extinct, we the Wampanoags still walk the lands of Massachusetts. We may be fragmented, we may be confused. Many years have passed since we have been a people together. Our lands were invaded. We fought as hard to keep our land as you the whites did to take our land away from us. We were conquered, we became the American prisoners of war in many cases, and wards of the United States Government, until only recently. Our spirit refuses to die. Yesterday we walked the woodland paths and sandy trails. Today we must walk the macadam highways and roads. We are uniting We're standing not in our wigwams but in your concrete tent. We stand tall and proud, and before too many moons pass we'll right the wrongs we have allowed to happen to us.
We forfeited our country. Our lands have fallen into the hands of the aggressor. We have allowed the white man to keep us on our knees. What has happened cannot be changed, but today we must work towards a more humane America, a more Indian America, where men and nature once again are important; where the Indian values of honor, truth, and brotherhood prevail. You the white man are celebrating an anniversary. We the Wampanoags will help you celebrate in the concept of a beginning. It was the beginning of a new life for the Pilgrims. Now, 350 years later it is a beginning of a new determination for the original American: the American Indian. There are some factors concerning the Wampanoags and other Indians across this vast nation. We now have 350 years of experience living amongst the white man. We can now speak his language. We can now think as a white man thinks. We can now compete with him for the top jobs. We're being heard; we are now being listened to. The important point is that along with these necessities of everyday living, we still have the spirit, we still have the unique culture, we still have the will and, most important of all, the determination to remain as Indians. We are determined, and our presence here this evening is living testimony that this is only the beginning of the American Indian, particularly the Wampanoag, to regain the position in this country that is rightfully ours. Wamsutta September 10, 1970
Thanksgiving Day is not pagan: Bonita Richie
Thanksgiving is every day at our home for we are so very thankful to The LORD Jesus for all things He has given to us, especially His forgiveness and eternal salvation. The celebration of Thanksgiving in November is something we do, too, and there is nothing pagan about it. As with anything, if Jesus is not being celebrated, it is pagan. That, however, does not make the day set aside as Thanksgiving pagan. There is no true Thanksgiving if the thanks is not to God and The LORD Jesus Christ. People come out of the closet to tear down every secular holiday that a true Christian celebrates pertaining to Jesus and call the celebrations of Jesus as pagan (examples: CHRISTmas and Resurrection Day called Easter by most). I get tired of hearing it for Jesus is looking at our hearts and His true children are not pagan for He has cleansed and justified us in Jesus. If one believes such is pagan and celebrate the day, to them it would be sin, but for the rest of us as God's true children, we are not condemned. ~ Bonita Richie
YOUR SEASON HAS A PURPOSE: BY : Apostle Jonetta Henry-McClure
There are four seasons to every year. Each season is specific to it's timing and what it produces. There are four seasons to your destiny, and each season is specific to it's timing and what it produces. In this "season" you've been going thru some "things" and suffering much, being in bondage to your adversity. Know this: To every "thing" there is a "season" and a time to every purpose under the sun. Therefore, the "things" you've been experiencing are your "Winter" season and that time is nearing its completion. Be encouraged. It is imperative that you remain steadfast and don't throw in the towel. Continue to press in. Your season is going to change. In that hour, you will shift; work loose from your constrained position and breakforth, blossoming into the fullness of your destiny. Your "Spring" season is coming not many days hence. Believe it! ~Catch the wisdom of this thing~ Ecclesiastes 3:1
THE REFUGE : BY MARGARET MULLINGS
Murderers are being set free; yet the murder count is rising daily. There is a cry in the spirit realm of mothers weeping for their sons and their daughters; like Rachel weeping for her children. Read what it really says from Jeremiah 31:15 Verse (15) " Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for for her children were not. " Could this be an indicator of how we treat Yahweh (God) ? Could it be an indication of even more evil that has yet to be revealed ? Where are the Gate Keepers, the Prayer Warriors, the Watchers on the wall, the Commanders of the Morning ? Why are Yahweh's (God's) people so silent ? The weeping and agony of mothers has reached Yahweh and He is wroth ! The Breaker has gone up and broken through to bring justice to these mothers and fathers..... Take heed to this warning people of Yahweh.....If you and I continue to remain silent at this time who knows like Mordecai's reply to Queen Esther in chapter 4:14 " For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this ? Yes, respectfully, I say....You man and woman of Yahweh. You have been given a divine command to keep the Gates of the City. You have been given the assignment to watch on the prayer wall. You have been assigned to make intercessions for others. You have been assigned to Command the Morning.....You and I have been failing big time lately.
The Gates to the Cities have been broken down and we have allowed the enemy to come in and rain havoc in the land. The prayer wall has all been abandoned, there are many breeches in the wall. The Watchers on the wall have fallen into a deep sleep, while Satan, and his demons are having a field day in our land. Intercessors have not been standing in the gap.....We have been experiencing far too many causalities. I tell you the cries of mothers from all across the globe has stirred Yahweh to indignation. Take heed with the understanding from Ephesians 6:12 " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. " Get up......Mann your stations before the rude awakening which is fast approaching ! The Refuge is nudging you and I. He is stirring that which He has placed within you and I... It is urgent.....Bruised and battered by the storms of life. Tossed and driven by the boisterous waves. At times the waters the waters seem to over flow you and the billows roll over your head. Sinking beneath the sea.....The Refuge intervenes ! Divinely, He calms the raging sea ! Through every fiery trial with great intensity, the fires consumes everything around you. Yet the Refuge keeps you in tact. The Refuge extends an invitation to you with specific instructions leading you to the path of life. Where is it? Follow the path of life. Where is it ? Follow His steps. The steps of Jesus, they will lead you into the presence of Yahweh (God). Bringing the refuge of His arms, His protection and His healing balm.....Instantaneous transformation into the very likeness of Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy 33:27 says " The Eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. " Do not delay another day. Enter into the refuge of God's presence....constantly dwell there in spite of your circumstances and the situations of life. Press your way to the Refuge of life. Jesus Christ is the Door....to activate....Use the Key of confession and a repentant heart, filled with gratitude and the fruit of your lips flowing from your heart: with a melody of praise and thanksgiving. Entering into His Courts with worship and adoration. Do not be content to stay in the outer Courts....There is a higher call. His presence awaits you in the inner Courts of His presence. The enemy cannot find you there. The Refuge has you in His Divine Providential Care. Enter in today with one purpose....to live and breathe in His presence continually. Will youanswer the call to get up and pray ? I will say it again...It is urgent ! The gates to the Cities are in need of repair. Intercessors, get up !
There are too many breeches in the wall.....the little foxes are getting in and destroying the vineyard. Get up Watchers on the wall. Commanders of the Morning....Get up ! It is time to change the atmosphere in our land. Get up Prayer Warriors ! You have been assigned to strip every prince spirit....Strip him and loose him from his assignment. Yes Warriors, you have an assignment to spoil the spoiler. Get up and be consistent and faithfully complete your divine assignment....For the Rude Awakening is coming.....The Refuge is nudging you and I.....Prepare for the Rude Awakening......Run to THE REFUGE !
THE POWER OF AGREEMENT GOOD AND BAD : BY Apostle Jonetta Henry-McClure
AGREEMENT - the state of being in accord. When Jesus was brought before Pilot to be tried, the people told him he had committed blasphemy. Pilot tried him and found no err. But because Herod and the people pressed him, he gave Jesus over to them for crucifixion. On Jesus' cross, he inscribed "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS." When people questioned it, Pilot said "What I have written I have written." Pilot knew who Jesus was and that he did not sin, but could not reverse his decision. Though he wrote the right thing, he did the wrong thing concerning Jesus. Knowing he was wrong to give Jesus up for Barabbas, he then before the crowd, washed his hands with water saying "I am innocent of the blood of this just person." Many are coming into agreement with messages, without discerning the spirit behind the messenger. You know the word, but are condoning people that say they are servants of God, yet they falsely accuse, and prophesy judgment, exposure and condemnation onto God's people. Today they have an appealing word, tomorrow they have an evil word. Pilot judged Barabbas right, but freed him for an innocent man-Jesus. Know this:
when one agrees with a messenger of bad news, the blood is on their hands. In this, they bring hardship upon themselves and become stagnant in their walk. Do not allow anyone to etch a negative word in your spirit. We're in the last days, therefore do not be caught standing before the judgment seat of Christ, with a hand towel and water. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. If you can't trust the messenger, don't trust the message. ~Catch the wisdom of this thing~ ETCH - to fix permanently in or implant firmly on the mind; root in the memory Matt 27:11-26, John 19:19-22, James 1:8
A Year of Boldness! : ADDED BY SUSAN CLARK
We are entering into a new era in the Body of Christ in 2012 where we are going to see the fullness of the prophetic fulfillment of "living epistles" being released into the nations, read of all men. God is about to release a corporate revelation to His Church to arise and shine, full of the Word and the Spirit, whom men will literally be able to read and their lives will be changed by. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 declares: "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." Believers, people are going to be able to read you! Demons are going to recognize you and be afraid of you if you are a believing Believer, because you are like Xerox copies of God walking on the earth carrying the very DNA of God in your nature. Jesus died and purchased a family in the earth who, when He appears, will also appear with Him in glory (see Colossians 3:4). That is not a promise we are waiting on, it has already happened if we believe! In other words, we are already glorified and when He comes we will appear with Him in glory, as we have been releasing it on the earth while we lived! Romans 8:30 declares over you, "Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified."
I made a little joke to Theresa Phillips the other day, my good friend at Chicago Prophetic Voice, while my good friend Charlie Shamp was preaching on justification, and I said, "Theresa, we are eternally on 'Just-a-vacation'" – a play on words of "justification" from dead works. We laughed for hours. Colossians 2:20-23 says in the Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition, "If then you be dead with Christ from the elements of this world, why do you yet decree as though living in the world? Touch not, taste not, handle not: Which all are unto destruction by the very use, according to the precepts and doctrines of men. Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in superstition and humility, and not sparing the body; not in any honor to the filling of the flesh. People Can Read Us Evangelism will take a new direction this year with fathering being the main emphasis within its engine. A new emphasis on creativity and change in our approach to unbelievers will arise in us, but not in our theology, so to speak. We won't be just getting people to say the sinner's prayer with lip service but we will be literally pouring our lives into the ones we lead to Christ. Jesus was a man of the multitudes, but He was also a man of the 12 disciples. It is time for the true fathers to arise who don't just build for themselves but help build up leaders. A true leader does not build up a bunch of followers but looks to build up a bunch of leaders. Also, God will have a people of radical love this year outshining the darkness. Many of them will speak and stop natural disasters such as earthquakes and tornadoes from happening, as the elements can't help but listen to them, and great fear will come upon the Church as in the day of Acts – not a fear of terror, but an awe of the love and grace and power of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. Many Believers will even walk into rooms, schools and universities, and entire rooms full of people will come under conviction of their dire need for Jesus because these Believers are so full of the glory. Notice they will not do it by works but by revelation that we are God's living epistles. Again, God will release creativity in the way we present the Gospel to people in this ever-changing society.
The other day I went out on the streets and I sensed there was an angel standing next to me while ministering to a very broken girl on the streets who was bipolar. I told her to put her hand right into the angel on my right side as I was talking with her about the Kingdom of God; she did, and screamed with joy as she felt this amazing energy of love touching her every time she put her hand into the angel. She cried out in thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ that day! Mass Youth Harvest I see in 2012 and beyond God saying, "Ask Me for the stadiums, arenas, civic centers and so on, because I am going to fill them with youth." God says, "Chicago, you are Mine! New York City, you are Mine! Wales, you are Mine! Ukraine, you are Mine!" Just to name a few. Youth will not have to be told by their parents to go to the house of God because they will go by their own will, and freedom from sin through what Jesus has done will take precedence over stale religious sermons and a church who only preaches judgment. Mercy is falling! Mercy is falling on the youth of America! God is calling forth a company of youth who will even not fear to die for the Gospel. This year our ministry is going to Nepal to do a Mass Crusade in a predominately Hindu nation. We don't see danger, we just see Jesus! As we are filled with His love, we become incapacitated from our own self works and super-charged with Jesus' power and we don't fear man, any obstacle, or even giving up our lives for the Cross. When you are so full of His glory you can't help but love the world like God does. No More Timidity I must brag on many of the African churches I am in relationship with. I have ministered in mass crusades in Uganda, Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, and one common thread I see in Believers there is how resplendent they shine and how bold they are about their faith in Jesus Christ, even in regions filled with darkness and witchcraft. So bold are these Africans about their faith that I even read signs on businesses in Africa such as "Holy Ghost Auto Repairs," and the list goes on. We Are Not Out of Gas God is going to help Christians that have believed false belief systems that we somehow have run out of Holy Spirit fuel in 2012! Wet blanket theology
would have us believe that somehow we must run to Heaven to get refilled because we have poured out so much, but in that poor mathematical equation we are dry going back to God each time we beg Him for more of Him. We should live in the glory daily and can. John 3:34 literally says that we have the Spirit without measure! The Weymouth New Testament of that Scripture says, "For He whom God has sent speaks God's words; for God does not give the Spirit with limitations." Believe it and receive it. A Church that Makes Sense to the World The Lord spoke to my heart recently and said to me, "World culture outside of Church culture is changing so fast. Many in the Church have forgotten how to make Christ relevant in our times. I am raising up a new breed of Believer who will have a major shift in their mindset, and I am taking the Church out of the shadows of timidity and fear into the boldness of My Spirit." God is not just a God of individuals and families, or a God of churches, but literally He wants to be a God of communities, a God of nations! "I am raising up a communities that will build each other up and not tear each other down. I am even going to disassemble the backstabbing and backbiting that has been going on in the prophetic streams, and we are going to see a culture of honor released in the prophetic stream, the glory stream, and in all streams and denominations across the globe." In these spheres of honor, men all around us will know we are His disciples because of the love that we have for one another (see John 13:35). Also, with an economy driven by a stalled job market and uncertainty about the future course of the global economy, concerns over job security and other economic risks are rising to new heights in many parts of the world. Guess who is going to be released into political and business sectors to influence the world right now? Yep! The Body of Christ... arising out of false identities, who will know their true identities in Christ and are going to disciple nations! You are so much bigger on the inside than you are on the outside! God, I ask You to release a mass company of living Epistles in 2012 and beyond into the nations full of faith, wisdom, power and love, who will bring Your Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven and prepare the world for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is coming back for a glorious Bride. Release boldness, authority, and Holy Spirit fun over Your Church right now in Your holy, precious name, and let us shine Your light so bright in the midst of darkness! What amazing days we are living in! "Fear not, little flock, for it has been the good pleasure of your Father to give you the Kingdom." Luke 12:32 Darby Translation Munday Martin Contagious Love International Email: munday@contagiousloveintl.com
UNDERSTANDING BRINGS HEALING AND FREEDOM! BY LINDA FAWKES
It is so easy to look back on our childhood and still feel the red raw wounds that were never truly healed. Memories can be like a sharp sword that cuts the hearts to pieces and we feel they can never be healed and mended. The wounds are too deep. The pain is still too unbearable and our lives are affected forever! (Or so we think). I know people who still after 50 years have never got over traumatic events and even take them to the grave. AND THEY ARE CHRISTIANS! Some people may say "How can this be when they are Christians! Surely we are MEANT to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us! " They cannot understand why wounds aren't healed AUTOMATICALLY! There is a famous saying quoted often - KNOW JESUS - KNOW PEACE . NO JESUS NO PEACE! But my friends God is interested in ALL aspects of our lives the healing of the WHOLE person and often suffering is still allowed to help us to grow in compassion for others!
Personally I have known healing in my own life from traumatic events but it has not been an instant, automatic "one off" deliverance healing. No - its been pain, tears, one step forwards and two steps back. Constant despair and suffering even though CHRIST LIVED IN ME! Some Christians were impatient with me and were very good at quoting "forgiveness" quotes rubbing salt into sore wounds - making me feel guilty for still bleeding inside!
I WAS MEANT TO BE A WITNESS FOR CHRIST - SAD CHRISTIANS WERE NOT ALLOWED IN MY CIRCLE! IT WAS A "BAD" EXAMPLE! But thank God we worship a God who us REAL and in Him we can be OURSELVES! We don't have to try to heal our own hurts "out of guilt inflicted on us by others!" God understands our vunerability and our hearts and how we were wounded in the first place. He seeks to heal us in HIS way but sometimes we need to go through many trials in order to seek the TRUE healing that only Jesus Christ can give - not just a "quick fix" but an internal operation to eradicate the poison. Sometimes a long job! I am writing this so that those who are still hurt and suffering have permission to "give themselves" a break. To ALLOW JESUS to heal them in His way and trust in His Divine wisdom. It took me 35 years to find TRUE healing in Jesus and to be able to shake the "hand of peace" with myself! AND IT WAS THE CONSTANT LOVE OF GOD AND HIS FAITHFULNESS THAT BROUGHT ME THROUGH! HE NEVER GAVE UP ON ME! NEVER MADE ME FEEL GUILTY FOR STILL FEELING HURT! NEVER JUDGED OR CONDEMNED ME! And in HIS time He healed me through many different experiences in life and different insights into the lives of others and my own circumstances! Our sufferings are but for a short time compared to the rest of eternity where all tears are wiped away. So keep persevering my friends. Endure to the end and KNOW that Christ will NEVER give up on You or grow tired of You. ALLOW HIM TO HEAL YOU IN HIS WAY and look forward to that day when we will all be rejoicing together in Heaven! MY PRAYERS AND LOVE ARE WITH ALL THOSE WHO ARE STILL STRUGGLING - THERE IS LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS and on day my Child ALL WILL BE TRULY WELL! written by Linda Fawkes (c)Copyright 2011
Friendship with God - Acquaintance or Friend? ADDED BY SUSAN CLARK
Friendship means understanding. Do you feel understood by God? Do you feel you understand God? I was driving in my car a long while back and I was having a conversation with the Lord. I was talking to Him about what I perceived to be the level of expectation in my life from Him. I felt like I just couldn't measure up to what He was expecting of me. I finally asked in a pitiful cry, "What do you want from me anyway?" and He answered me back almost as soon as this question was out of my mouth, "I want to be your friend, Luke, and I don't NEED anything from you, but I WANT your love and friendship." This raised an interesting question because I was feeling judged by God even though at the core of who I am I didn't know what God really wanted from me. It's funny, because I assumed God felt a certain way about me, but it was an assumption based on religious performance and not true friendship. So what does it mean to have a friendship with God? Most of us ask this question at different points of our lives... We have many different relationships, but not necessarily friendships. Acquaintance or Friend? Moses met with God face to face as one friend speaks with another friend.
Jesus met with us on this planet in the form of a human being and spoke to us face to face. Then the Holy Spirit came and lives in us and speaks to us even now face to face as a friend. One major factor that all these have in common is this: they all came to reveal the emotions of God to the hearts of men. When I began looking at being a friend of God, the Holy Spirit asked me this question: "Is the Lord an acquaintance or a friend to you?" The word acquaintance means "a personal knowledge as a result of study." So do you know God from study or from personal interaction where emotions are exchanged? We are in a covenant relationship with God, and if you break down those words "covenant relationship" you learn that the word covenant actually means "to promise by a pledge" and relationship is defined as "an emotional connection between two beings." So, covenant relationship means "to promise by a pledge to have an emotional connection with someone." Wow, that is a promise from God to you! God's ability to love you doesn't rest on your efforts to never fail again, but rather His greatness and strength are what secure His love for you. Meaning, God secures His own love for you... God is love and what is love if not the deepest, most meaningful aspect of friendship? God's Glory Follows Friendship The revelation of God's beauty is essential in our quest to live holy before God. We resist sin far better when God fascinates our hearts. There is no greater pleasure than when God reveals Himself to the human spirit. One of God's main weapons against sin is an army of people captivated by His glory. To sit and meditate on what God has done is to behold His glory or His emotions. It's opening your Bible and gazing upon the works of God's hands throughout Scripture and allowing that to penetrate your heart. In Exodus 33:9-10, Moses prayed to see God's glory. God answered Moses; God promised to proclaim His name to Moses. When God proclaimed His name, He was proclaiming His character and His personality.
Most of you understand that the name of God represents His personality and His character. In other words, God promised to manifest His personality to Moses. The way in which God reveals His glory to Moses is by revealing His heart and His personality. "You have people grasping for their own perception of greatness not seeing how far below the line they are falling. 'If I preach this way or say these things I'll be powerful'... this is not the case! Power and authority only come from true friendship with God... (see Acts 5:12-16)." Everything Jesus did related to miracles, and signs and wonders were from the place of friendship. We have an invitation to encounter God's emotions here on earth... to really be His friend now on earth. Some of us have been so good at being slaves that we never became friends (see John 15:15). Sinners were great at being friends with Jesus (see Luke 7:34), but it was the religious crowd that had a hard time being friends with Him (see John 8:39-47). To be a friend is to believe Him, honor Him, and interact with Him. If there is no communion with God, then there is no real relationship and I would search my heart to see what I was reconciled to when I first believed. Was it a religious idea or was it God? Was it a list of impossible expectations? Was it a list of do's and don'ts? Or was it God? I invite everyone here to begin to search yourselves and ask these difficult and hopefully freeing questions. Don't wait until the New Year to get this understanding! This is something the Lord is very passionate about right now. He is looking for friends that will answer His call in their lives. He is looking for friends whose works will be fueled by love not religious obligation. Luke HolterProphetic Sheep Ministries Email: propheticsheep@yahoo.com
YOU NEED A CHANGE OF GARMENT! BY PASTOR EMMANUEL BABA ISIAKA
YOU NEED A CHANGE OF GARMENT. DROP THAT GARMENT OF SIN, OF SHAME OF FAILURE AND HINDRANCES AND ALLOW GOD TO CLOTH YOU WITH A NEW GARMENT OF HOLINESS, OF JOY OF SUCCESS AND BREAKTHROUGH! MEMORY VERSE: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Heb 12:1) BIBLE READING: Hebrews 12:1-2 Hebrews 12 1 Âś Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus." (Mark 10:50). When the Lord sent for Bartimaeus, he realized his garment was a hindrance and had to discard it. He did not allow anything to stop him - not even the garment that had provided warmth to him all along! It takes the mercy of God to overcome the hindrances at the doorstep of your breakthrough. This shows us that the devil could generate hindrances even while we are at the threshold of our breakthrough. Also, the hindrance that stops many from their blessing, is not something from the blues, but something familiar, something they have been used to, probably all their lives. Can you believe that certain doctrines, beliefs and stereotypes are responsible for the lack of progress of many?
For instance, when God was about to launch Peter into his next level as Apostle to the Gentile world, he resisted because he had never eaten anything strange or unclean before. Is your upbringing your problem? A garment could also mean something very close to its wearer. The reason some women have refused to believe in Jesus is because their husbands disallow them. You do not need the approval of anyone before you decide to follow Jesus. Always remember that you shall stand to be judged by God apart from your spouse when you die. What will you tell Him? Those who will maximize God's mercy are those who will not allow any excuse - no matter how cogent, to rob them of their blessings. What are your reasons for not attending weekly church services? Why do you not spend time with God's Word or praying and worshipping the Lord daily? What constitutes Bartimaeus' garment in your life? It must be dropped today! What is not making you climb up spiritually? Are you tempted to visit pornographic websites on the internet? Avoid it or employ more safety measures. Are you keeping company of those who are very worldly and are gradually influencing you in the ways of the world? Cut them off! Any garment that does not move you closer to the Lord must be dropped today. Ask God for grace to dump it. THE FATHER’S BLESSINGS "I pray for you today. The Lord will grant you a change of garment. Every garment of sin, shame, failure, reproach, and failure at the edge of success causing hindrances to your breakthrough shall be replaced and destroyed. The Lord will grant you a new set of garments, of joy, praise, holiness, success, achievement, glory, and fire that will make you untouchable, unholdable, unhindered and unstoppable to the power of the enemy. You shall finish well, you shall finish strong, you shall finish gloriously in the mighty name of Jesus.� (Amen) PRAYER ACTION POINT FOR TODAY: Everything that represents Bartimaeus' garment in my life, Father, help me to drop it now.
You are special, You are loved, You are appreciated My promise is to reply all mails
Thanksgiving symbol, the cornucopia : BY LINDSEY RICHARDS
Pagan holidays and traditions Thanksgiving symbol, the cornucopia
Origins: The word cornucopia is derived from the Latin Cornu Copiae, meaning "horn of plenty.� Its origins go back to antiquity and center around the mythological nymph, Amalthea, who was one of the foster mothers of Zeus. As the story goes, Amalthea, who was supposedly a goat, was playing with Zeus one day when he broke one of her horns off. He felt so bad that he returned it with special powers that granted any wish that the holder desired. This was the origin of the cornucopia as a symbol of a horn bearing fruits and flowers. Fortune The cornucopia also accompanied depictions of Fortuna, the goddess who personified good luck. Like justice, Fortuna was blind and governed the Wheel of Life.
I-Dol-A-Tree http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KDiNbLEEhE "...the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit." Jeremiah 16:19 "Learn not the way of the heathen ... for the customs of the people are vain." Jeremiah 10 As for you, O house of Israel, thus said YHWH Elohim; Go you, serve you every one his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me: but pollute you my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. Ezekiel 20:39 http://christmasxmas.xanga.com/682536630/item/ please check out my other albums "pagan deities" and "same ol' show" and "my windows paint pics" for more info ---------------------------------------------------------------- ♫ ♪ for some "holiday cheer" ♪♫ http://vimeo.com/18000714 http://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&note_id=167899299913690 By: Lindsey Richards
WE PRAISE GOD THAT ONCE MORE WE CAN UNITE TO EXAMINE THE FACTS & CORRECT THOSE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CORRECTED IN OUR LIVES.
GRACE, MERCY, AND GIVING THANKS: John Grace
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:14-16).
"O the glory of God and the majesty of His divine grace! How blessed are we who have been chosen in that grace to bear His holy Name! We, who had no access to God because of the magnitude of our offense against Him, have gained a glorious entrance thereto! The High priest of our confession-the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!-has offered up the only perfect and acceptable sacrifice to appease God's justice. That offering was no less than Himself (and indeed could not be!!, Hebrews 10:1-18). Through that one blessed sacrifice, the Lord Jesus took upon Himself the full penalty of our transgressions against the Creator of our souls. Through the offering of His Blood, He secured for us peace with God-full reconciliation. He gained for us a salvation that can never be removed, for He has brought us into an eternal covenant with Him. The death of Jesus upon that tree was the most magnificent, powerful, glorious method God dared to conceive for pouring out His mercy and grace upon us in lavish abundance. Even more glorious is the indescribable wonder of the Lord's resurrection from death! The power of God's Holy Spirit not only raised Him from the dead, but crowned Him with unutterable glory and seated Him at the right hand of God the Father, with full authority! And there, in that truest and most holy place, Jesus abides forever as our King, our Lord, and our High Priest!
His earthly experience, trials, and subsequent death make Him the perfect High Priest. He has been tempted in all points as we are, yet He remained sinless! He knows all about us, and has (literally) walked in our shoes via the Incarnation. Because of this, and because His priesthood (His place as the Mediator betwixt God and men) has no end, abiding by the power of His resurrected, indestructible life, we have blessed hope! We are invited to come and receive grace and mercy from Him at any time we have need of it! His Throne of grace is ever available to us. Moreover, we are told to come not shyly, but boldly to this Throne. Christ's Blood upon our hearts assures us of acceptance in His High Priestly presence, and grants us confidence to approach Him with any need we have. Now, beloved, is that not something truly awe-inspiring!?! Is that not the most wonderful thing you might imagine to be grateful and thankful for in life?!? I do! So, my dearly loved family in Christ, think long and often upon this great truth, and do not fail to seize every opportunity to avail of this mercy and grace!! Be thankful for the Blood, the Resurrection, the Priesthood of our Lord Jesus, and His ceaseless account of grace and mercy on tap for your every need of it! Be richly blessed in our Lord Jesus Christ, and have a very thankful, grace-filled Thanksgiving in Christ! With love, prayers and gratitude for you in Christ, ~Brother John Grace~"
Thanksgiving : Bishop Derrick Day
This is the season when many Americans celebrate what has come to be known as Thanksgiving. For the sake of brevity, I will not rehash what the history and symbolism of this "holiday” are, but it is commonly held that this is the day that we give thanks for our many blessings. I, for one, do not think a single day is sufficient to express gratitude. Furthermore, I do not think it is enough to thank him for the things He has blessed us with. King David rendered it thusly: O give thanks unto the LORD: for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever (1 Chronicles 16:34). In other words, we are to give thanks to God simply because He is good. The correct perspective for the Disciple of Christ is to focus on the Giver, not the gift! America, in contrast to much of the world, enjoys a higher standard of prosperity than any other nation. As a result, we have become spoiled – we want bigger and better, and we want it now. Because of our lusts for material things and creature comforts, an entire ministry segment has emerged that caters to the materialistic mentality. This segment proffers that if you simply exercise faith and worship God with your money, God will respond as if He were a "blessing genie,” and indulge you with all your material wants. Don’t get me wrong, the Bible is crystal clear that material blessing is part of the believer’s benefits package:
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 (Psalm 35:27). But I digress. There are exactly 29 occurrences of the word "thanksgiving” in the King James Bible. And while the Bible clearly teaches us that "thanksgiving” is an act that believers perform to honor God, the Word teaches us that there is a higher, unsaid act that, I think, should be the hallmark of any Disciple of Christ: Thanksliving. Thanksliving is a paradigm shift from world or religious living to Kingdom or relationship living! I have long held, and teach relentlessly, that you cannot do something without first being something. My prime example of this is the passage of scripture, "…be ye holy for I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). You cannot do holy without being holy. And, frankly, you cannot do anything holy without first being in Christ – because Jesus is the source of both holiness and righteousness. That said, we must be grateful in order to live a Christ-like life. We must have an attitude of gratitude! And our gratitude can no more be a once-a-year expression than our worship can be a once-a-week event. The life of Thanksliving is a life of thanksgiving. You cannot truly live without loving and you cannot truly love without giving! Therefore, a grateful life is a giving life. I’m not talking about feigned or coerced giving, but giving as Jesus taught in Luke 6:38: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. or how the Apostle Paul rendered it in 2 Corinthians 9:7: Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
So we see that the concepts of Thanksliving and thanksgiving go hand-inhand, joined by love and giving. But there’s another component to the life of thanksgiving that cannot be ignored: joy. Joy and happiness are similar but are not the same. Happiness is conditional, based on circumstances; the more favorable the circumstances, the happier a person generally is. Joy, on the other hand, is a choice. You must choose to have joy! Joy is that feeling of peace and confidence that abides in the heart of every true Disciple of Christ. That peace and confidence that comprises joy persists in spite of circumstances! If you have a new car, you have joy. If your old car breaks down, you have joy. If you have a great career that allows you to work in your God-given purpose, you have joy. If your stuck in a dead-end job, you have joy! When you choose to have joy, you can focus on the source of your joy and not circumstances. When you have joy, you focus on the Giver, not the gift. When you choose joy, you love in spite of how you perceive how you’re treated. When joy abides in you, you give, not because you expect to receive anything, but because you want to reflect Jesus, who gave His life for you. If you get this down in your spirit, you will experience Thanksliving daily and won’t have to wait for a "special” day to give thanks! © 2011 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)
LIVING HOPE AND RESURRECTION LIFE:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Peter 1:3-5). Precious and dearly loved saints: Grace and peace to you through God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! What a privilege it is to be elected by God for eternal life in Him! We, who have consciously rejected our Creator, and repressed the knowledge of His truth in our hearts and minds, have received an indescribable, unimaginable, and priceless gift. Namely, complete redemption and eternal life. Moreover, we have been "blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies" (Ephesians 1:3), along with "all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature" (II Peter 1:3-4). We are no longer beggars under the curse of sin, but heirs of grace by the holy Cross of Christ, and God's rich, unmerited favor. We are debtors to grace, but heirs of hope. Not just any hope, but living hope! Hallelujahs to God in the highest!! This hope is alive because of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. And it is not some "wishful thinking", uncertain hope. It is a hope that lives, breathes, and has confidence in the certainty of its fulfillment! From the Greek word "elpis", hope (in the biblical context) means "to anticipate with pleasure, having a concrete confidence".
So, knowing that what we are "hoping" for is certain, and that we can expectantly await with pleasure at its reality, what then are we "hoping" for?!? Peter clearly states it: "an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you". What is this "inheritance" that Peter calls both incorruptible (i.e., immortal and unfading) and undefiled? Eternal life in the very presence of God the Father! We receive the salvation of our souls, and all that belongs to God is given to us! We receive an immortal and incorruptible new body. Resurrection life in all its glorious perfection! Matthew Henry, in his commentary, has this to say of our inheritance: "This inheritance is not our purchase, but our Father's gift; not wages that we merit, but the effect of grace, which first makes us children and then settles this inheritance upon us by a firm unalterable covenant. The incomparable excellencies of this inheritance, which are four: - (1.) It is incorruptible, in which respect it is like its Maker, who is called the incorruptible God, (Rom_1:23). All corruption is a change from better to worse, but heaven is without change and without end; the house is eternal in the heavens, and the possessors must subsist for ever, for their corruptible must put on incorruption, (1Co_15:53). (2.) This inheritance is undefiled, like the great high priest that is now in possession of it, who is holy, harmless, and undefiled, (Heb_7:26). Sin and misery, the two grand defilements that spoil this world, and mar its beauty, have no place there. (3.) It fadeth not away, but always retains its vigour and beauty, and remains immarcescible (i.e., that which does not shrivel), ever entertaining and pleasing the saints who possess it, without the least weariness or distaste. (4.) "Reserved in heaven for you,� which expression teaches us, [1] That it is a glorious inheritance, for it is in heaven, and all that is there is glorious,( Eph_1:18). [2.] It is certain, a reversion in another world, safely kept and preserved till we come to the possession of it". Paul fervently prays for the saints that we would be granted "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ
when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:17-23).
This is incredibly pertinent for us to know! Why? Because life involves pain, tribulation, trials, and tests. Somewhere in the midst of these, in our flesh and blood, we tend to forget the promises of God. We get a sort of tunnel vision when we encounter various trials and difficulties. But the great apostles knew this and set out for us the reasons to rejoice and, indeed, be even exceedingly glad, rejoicing with joy inexpressible and full of glory (I Peter 1:6-9). We are to be utterly grateful and thankful amidst these things simply because God has intended them for our benefit. As we endure them, He is shaping our faith and molding us by them into the very likeness of Jesus! The end of it all will be a life that brings glory and honor to God and the ultimate salvation of our souls! Thereafter, we shall come into possession of the vastless inheritance that God has reserved for us whom He keeps! This is truly a living hope whereby I can surmount all depression; suffer the loss of all earthly things, bear up under trials with patience, joy and grace; and even submit the body to be condemned to death. For we shall receive by grace a new body, a resurrection life birthed by the Holy Spirit Himself. God's very own masterful and perfect recreation!! A final word or two about this inheritance for which we have a living hope. (1) God has personally reserved it for His beloved saints. "Reserve" in the Greek is the word "tereo" which means: "to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon. That means that God Himself is guarding this priceless treasure and ensuring its immaculate purity. He is maintaining it and keeping it set apart solely for His beloved ones. (2) Your resurrection body-your life in Christ. This in itself is an inheritance that we now have. Those who have been purchased by God belong to Him forever. He "keeps" them by His own divine power. He literally watches in advance, sets guard over your soul and hems you in by His grace and mercy.
It's like God posts guards and spies over the wall of your soul, ensuring that no thief can ever steal you away from His divine presence.
Beloved, your eternal soul is as secure as Christ Himself! Your life, purchased with the Blood of Jesus, is now hid with Him in God! You cannot be lost! He guarantees it, even sealing His promises with the gift of the Spirit! That is, the Holy Spirit within you is God's pledge (i.e., part of the gift given in advanced as a security to the rest). The Greek rendering of the word "seal" (cf. Ephesians 1:14) is "sphragizo". Strong's Concordance defines it thus: "to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation". Can you see it?!? What a glorious inheritance we have and how perfectly and securely kept it is for us, even as we are perfectly and securely kept. "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28). And also let us rejoice constantly, pray unceasingly and give thanks to God in all things, not only because that is His perfect will in Christ (cf. I Thessalonians 5:16-18), but because we have been born again to a living hope, whereby we shall receive all the promises of God in His time. Moreover, know that when the last trumpet sounds, we shall not remain the same but shall be changed instantaneously. These tabernacles of sin and death shall be exchanged for the royal and incorruptible resurrection life. I know this may not seem to be a Thanksgiving-themed message per se, but is one which should induce great giving of thanks within our very heart of hearts. I can think of no greater reason to rejoice and give thanks. Can you? Love, prayers, and blessings to you, beloved, in the Lord Jesus Christ and in God our Father through the blessed Holy Spirit. Have a joyful holiday and never forget the inheritance into which Christ will bring you when all is said and done. Let the revelation of that resurrection life and future glory quicken within you that living hope. especially when you encounter various trials and tests. You are kept by God and His gift is reserved for you in glory! ~Brother John Grace~
Thanks to my Editor Debra Lynn-lake Roberts our Editor and Mariama Turay our information officer for all the hard work, prayers & encouragement!