Who am I? Why was I created? What is the meaning of life?

These are perhaps the most profound and least understood questions ever asked by mortal man. Monks in Tibet; Bible scholars; the wise men throughout the ages have pondered these questions. If there is a God, why would He create evil? Why would He create free will? Why does God tolerate man who has always defied God the Creator, and throughout the ages caused Him nothing but grief? WHY? WHY? WHY?

Yet in the very nature of God, the Creator; of What and Who He is, we find the answer!

God is love—the purest form of love!

To understand this love we must look within, for we are made in His image—not of flesh, but rather of Spirit. We, in the image of God, have a need to love and be loved in return. We know that when we love and it is not returned, the love for that person slowly dies within us. We cannot force someone to love us—that would not be the pure love that we hunger for. Thus, the love we seek must be pure and freely given by choice.

But how does this relate to our Creator?

God created the universe as a platform to display His ultimate love. He created the angels, and the spirit of man in His image to love Him! Yet, for it to be fulfilled in His perfect plan, this returned love that He desired had to be purely and freely given. It must be a love of freewill else it would not be pure, but rather forced. For freewill to exist, therefore, there had to be a “choice”. God then, in His perfect plan, created that choice by creating evil and all that goes with it; jealousy, hatred, etc. Evidence of choice, or freewill, came when Satan and his minions rebelled against God and as a result was given earth as his domain. We as flesh and earthbound are given that same choice—to fulfill the purpose of our creation—to love our Creator with the pure love He created in us—or to reject that love and be separated from Him for eternity. It is that simple!

God loves us and created us to love and worship Him! In fulfilling this plan of creation, we will reap the rewards of His unending love for eternity—else spend eternity in torment.

We are in the end times as prophesied in His Holy Word. One only has to look at how the world has changed in the last fifty years to see this is evident. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as a blood sacrifice to atone for our sins of the flesh; to grant us forgiveness and establish the covenant of His promise that if we love Him we will spend eternity with Him in paradise.

This too is a choice of freewill. Jesus said He would return to claim His. Be careful in your choice, for your decision is permanent! It is that simple!

Amen amen amen

Charles 3-19-07

Several years ago I was blessed to write an article entitled “The Mystery of the Ages”. It was revelation from my Father in Heaven of why He created us; why He created good and evil. (Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.); and of course why He created free will. I have been burdened for several days about the gift of free will and after much prayer the Holy Father told me to research and write about it. My research in the King James Bible led to an astounding fact–the word “freewill“ is not found in the Bible, (except in reference to freewill offerings).

Yet it is implied from the beginning of God’s Holy Word and throughout the Bible. God told Adam (Genesis 2:16, 17) “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:”. When the serpent beguiled Eve to eat of the fruit, this too implied freewill to choose. From that time forth freewill was obvious.

The results of the problem of freewill was also obvious from the beginning in the witness of Adam and Eve disobeying God and falling from grace! Man’s fall from grace is repeated over and over in the Holy Word throughout the history of mankind as a result of freewill. We see it often throughout the written word; so many lifted to prominence through God’s grace, only to betray God’s love and choose to serve self and selfish desires. This is witnessed most profoundly in the rise and fall of Solomon–so gifted by God to rise to such stature as king only to tax the Hebrew people into poverty and desecrate the Holy Temple of God. (1 Kings11; 2 Chronicles 10).

Freewill creates the need in each of us to choose. The choice is really quite simple—to serve God–or to serve our own desires! Freewill is evident in every human ever created; including Jesus–the Son of God.

The man Jesus evidenced His awareness of His own freewill by His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Three times He prayed “if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not My will but as Thou wilt.” Even with the horrible death that awaited Him, he chose the Father’s will! This is an awesome example of the ultimate act of love of the son for the Father!

Mark 10:15 tells us…”Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” A loving child submits to the will of the parent without question. Can you do the same with your Father in heaven?

I challenge you this day out of love for you and for my Father in heaven…

GIVE BACK THE GIFT OF FREEWILL TO THE FATHER AND CHOOSE HIS WILL!

This is one gift that can be returned and bring joy to all concerned.

Amen, amen, amen

© 12/6/2011 Charles E. Branthoover

For those of you who may be interested, we have yet again been on the move. If you have been following Flames of Love, you know we have done this many times in the 20+ years of ministry. All at the direction of God our Father.

I am reflecting back to the article I wrote about moving heaven and earth for God’s purpose; maybe even in your life. We landed this time in Warren, Pennsylvania. Yes, we’ve been in Pennsylvania before but not this area; although Charles lived here about 40-45 years ago. But that was before my time.

We are waiting for direction as we get settled. He had a beautiful home picked out for us and we moved into it the end of June. It took us a while to find it as everything had to be in His timing. Yet all the while, our time spent in the motel was spent witnessing to many who worked there, including management.

It has been a difficult time waiting, as I’m sure many of you can testify to; but ooohhhhhh, so worth the wait, when you see His plan unfold.

We are starting to see things unfold as I write this letter to you all. People are receiving the witnessing and testimonies of our past trials; and blessings as well; showing others what rewards await those who are willing to follow in the path God has laid out for them; and returning the gift of free-will; praying as Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane…not MY will, but THINE be done.

May it always be so for these two children who love Him so. May we never seek after our own, but let HIS will become OUR will; not the other way around. Many choose to think God is there to serve them; forgetting we were created in the very beginning to love HIM. Many of our previous writings will reflect that God’s greatest desire is that we WILLINGLY love him; not out of fear, or obligation, but because we choose to do so. It can’t really be called love, let alone the pure love He so desires, if we give it because we feel we have to; like we don’t’ have a choice.

Yes, He is God; but He is also the most caring, loving Father anyone could ever hope to find. Yes, sometimes He disciplines us, but any parent who truly loves their child would do so to keep the child from harm. Just as scripture says, in Hebrews 12:6,7 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” And 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Just know how much He loves you. Yes you have hard times you must endure, and as a friend and we discussed before we left Kentucky, if you belong to God and Satan isn’t bothering you, you need to do some checking up, because Satan doesn’t feel threatened by you; you don’t scare him; maybe he thinks you aren’t worth his trouble so he lets you slide without a second thought. It’s when one fears that they will attack; the “I better get them before they get me” frame of mind. If you are feeling attacked by Satan, REJOICE, because you are where God wants you, doing what He wants you to do. Don’t let Satan’s attacks hinder you, press through.

Rejoice in tribulation, for you must have Satan on the run. Child of God, no matter the trial or tribulation, God will be with you through it all. You may be so distraught you may not feel His presence, but trust one who has been there many times, He is there. He will never let you go through it alone.

If you look around you, you may just see an angel He has placed there for you; or feel a touch on your arm, your cheek; feel the wind through your hair when there is no wind. You may even start giggling for no apparent reason. Know that God is sending you something special to get you through whatever is causing you pain and heartache. He and His son both have felt the kind of pain you have; or even are feeling this very moment. Praise Him through your pain and see what happens. You may be surprised.

Now back to the move, we are settling in and getting our earthly house in order for the furthering of the ministry. We will try and keep you updated as things progress. Don’t be surprised though if it takes a little while. There are things of the flesh that have to be done in preparation for spiritual things. I know it sounds odd, but flesh being what it is, that seems to be how it must be.

Feel free to drop us a line. Our email address is the same: mail@flamesofloveministry.com

If you need to speak personally with us, send an email and we will give you more information.

God bless you as YOU seek to follow HIM.

Maxine

It has been heard said by someone who loves another a great deal, “I would move heaven and earth for them.” Have you ever thought that God feels that way about you? Just think about all He’s done for you; even though you’ve strayed away from Him and His love. He sacrificed His son to bring you back home; not to mention all the other things He’s done to show His love, and to “woo” you back to Him.

I can give you an example that we experienced first hand. It is as follows:

“At the end of 2007, upon direction from God, we sold our home in Pennsylvania and moved south. We did not know where, just that God said, “I will lead you.” This was an actual case of, when we came to an intersection we would ask, “right”; “left”; or “straight ahead”. I know many of you think this is foolish, but it is fact. We ended up in Dobson, North Carolina.

After moving into our new home, we went out exploring. We found a locally operated restaurant in a small nearby town; so we went in for coffee. We had hoped to find a small “family” run restaurant where we could go to eat from time to time and this seemed to fit the bill.

While talking to the waitress and telling her we were “gospel singers”, she invited us to come sing at the restaurant for their “after-church” crowd; this was a normal Sunday afternoon thing in that area.

We were on, I think, our third song, when a local pastor and his wife came in. He asked the waitress, “where did THEY come from, we have never heard singing like that around here before!”

When we were finished singing, he came up to talk with us and to schedule us for his church. He wanted us right away, but his wife suggested waiting at least a week in order to advertise the event; so we set a date, not realizing it would be “Super Bowl” Sunday.

After we got home and realized the date, we called to see if he wanted to reschedule, as attendance would without a doubt be low. He adamantly said, “NO” and we went ahead as planned.

We put on the concert and our final song was “Spirit of Brokenness”. During the song, the pastor’s son came to the altar and made himself right with God. It was a wonderful service.

A couple weeks later, we revisited the church and found that the son had contracted a case of the flu; it had come on suddenly and in this case deadly. The son had passed away and been buried in less than the two weeks since we had been there. God had given him one final opportunity.”

In order to relay how God controlled the situation, “moved” the events; we were asked back to the restaurant for another Sunday sing. When we dropped by on a Monday morning to leave some posters, we found the doors locked and noticed the fixtures moved to the middle of the building. We were totally stunned.

We saw a man on the sidewalk, a few doors up and went to ask if he knew what had happened. He very quickly informed us that the owners of the restaurant were several months behind on rent and he had to lock them out. He had planned to do it sooner, but for some reason chose to wait.

When we got back home and prayed about it, the Father said HE had kept it open just so we could sing there, get invited to the church, and give the son one last opportunity.

I don’t know if the son, who by the way was in his late 40’s to early 50’s, came to the altar for salvation, or like the song says, had strayed. Either way, he needed to set things right with God before his time was up.

When you look at all God did for this man from a flesh or “human” point of view, you could say He moved heaven and earth for this man. A lot of things had to happen; things had to be in order.

“God is no respecter of persons. Acts 10:34 But it gives you cause to wonder…what will He do to claim or “re-claim” you? What has He already done and you dismissed it or rejected Him yet again?

I’m reminded of the parable Jesus told about the ninety-nine sheep; but one was missing. The shepherd left ninety-nine to search for, and bring back, the one.

“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. Luke 15:4-7

Are you that one the shepherd seeks? Are you the one God moves heaven and earth for, to show how much He loves you and wants you to come home?

He sent His only begotten Son to find you. That is really a bit more than moving heaven and earth, but Jesus came from heaven to earth… “to seek and to save that which was lost” Luke 19:10.

An added thought: if you have noticed the conditions in the world, you will know that the time for Jesus’ return is nigh at the door. “…when you see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors”. Mark 13:29. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow…” Proverbs 27:1

I have been letting the words of a song the Gaither Vocal Band has done recently run through my mind. It talks about how we can recognize the good times simply because we have endured the bad, “Without fire there’s no refining“. Then I remember how many times we have grumbled and complained because God hasn’t taken the bad things away from us. Failing to realize that in HIS plan, He is simply molding and purifying us to be the perfect being He needs us to be and fitting us for heaven. Charles wrote a poem called “Refined by Fire”. Just as the precious metals that we crave so must be taken through the fire to bring out the impurities, so must we be….and I am reminded as well of a song from my youth, “when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold.” Even as the old blacksmith had to heat the iron and things he used to fashion needed tools for the people of old, it had to be placed in the fire until it was “white-hot” then it could be shaped and molded and formed to become what was needed. When you feel as though you have gone into the fire and it seems you have been there much longer than you think is necessary; you wonder why God hasn’t taken you out. Maybe you feel He’s not “heard” your prayer. Maybe He hasn’t “answered” your prayer. REJOICE that He is purifying you for His express purpose. This should tell you that He has something very special in mind that He needs you to do. Rejoice to know that He is going to use you for His perfect plan.

Reflecting back to some people we have heard testimony of, a man who was diagnosed with a terminal illness…he was at peace with it, but the family wasn’t. He knew where this was going to lead him and the end result would be heaven; the couple whose home burned and they thanked God for what they saw as a blessing; the lady who after suffering greatly with bone cancer, thanked God for her cancer and the things she learned through her ordeal: “I believe cancer is the best thing that happened to me. I would get rid of it in a minute if I could, but I wouldn’t give up the changes it has made in my life. God I love you for making me suffer like this.” This woman had a dying wish that everyone would know what she knew; the God she knew and the love He had for her. After what Jesus had gone through for them, they really couldn’t complain. I feel more than ever that the problem with our “trials” isn’t the trial itself, but our attitude about it. As we stated at a concert recently, our trials, no matter how severe, can be a true testament to the confidence we have in the Holy Father, God. If our friends and families and even strangers we come into contact with can see us rejoicing and praising God during our struggle, they must SURELY feel there is truly something to this “faith” we proclaim to have in an almighty God. Thus God must be real, and totally trustworthy. Our afflictions, whether physical; financial; emotional; mental can be our greatest asset if we fully trust and KNOW that it is part of God’s plan.

I don’t mean to imply that you should be complacent in your trials; your infirmities; your “refinement”. Simply that when you pray and ask the Father to intercede and it doesn’t happen, at least not as you would like it to, trust that He DID in fact hear AND answer your prayer. Yet He chose to use this to refine you, so that you can come forth as a worthy subject for the kingdom of heaven. If He seems to have said “no”, then simply ask for the strength and the patience to stay in the refiner’s fire as long as He deems necessary. Jesus, Himself, is the prime example of this….He prayed that His cup be taken from Him….yet at the same time He yielded to the Father’s plan for redemption……the big difference here is that Jesus was already pure, yet He chose to stay in the refiner’s fire for you and for me. He is our example in all things. We can choose to follow that example, or deal with the alternative.

Isaiah 48:10 Behold I have refined them, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

Psalm 66:12 …we went through the fire and through water: but Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

Daniel 12: 10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;…none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand.

Zechariah 13: 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say. The Lord is my God.

Malachi 3: 2, 3 He is like a refiner’s fire….He shall sit as a refiner and purified or silver: and He shall purify…and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Titus 2:14 Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people,zealous of good works.

© 2007 Maxine Branthoover

With well trained eye the blacksmith chose
the raw steel from the rack;
Once plunged into his fiery forge,
it changed to red from black.

He placed it then on anvil cold,
and formed it with such skill;
With calloused hand he wiped his brow
then checked his piece of steel.

Twice and thrice and once again
into the fire ’twas thrust;
To form a work of art so grand
this process is a must.

So worry not Oh Child of God
when burdens weigh your mind;
For God’s your blacksmith don’t you see,
and you HE will refine.

Tho’ plunged in fiery furnace ‘oft
seems more than you can stand;
A work of art He’ll make of you
on the anvil of his plan.

REJOICE and know your trials faced
are a necessary thing,
to shape and mold you perfect
in the image of a KING!

AMEN!
copyrighted 1998 by (Author) Charles E. Branthoover (papoet)

Christians and church-goers and those who are neither

will bow down before a tree made of cedar.

Pine, spruce or fir will serve just as well;

covered with silver, gold and the bells.

Beneath this green god are packages bright;

that tell how they love one another;

Or maybe it’s pride that causes the stir;

I can’t give less than another.

The tree for me has no silver or gold;

but it bore the body of Christ, my Lord.

I bow before it and place at the foot

my brokenness and shame; all I can afford.

Not wrapped and not perfect but what He prefers;

This gift in meekness I bring.

He, with His patient and masterful touch,

makes of it all a beautiful thing.

He likes the broken, the dull and the mess;

for you see He is the great potter.

He takes the pieces and makes something new

and presents it with love to the Father.

Without the love of His beloved Son,

this gift would not seem quite so grand;

But He makes it a beautiful masterpiece

and puts it in the Father’s hand.

It is never rejected or cast aside;

for it was bought with such a great price.

The life of the Son for the mess that I was,

makes this gift precious in the Father’s eyes.

I gave Him my gift tho’ tattered and torn,

He did it up right for He wanted it be

a gift for the Father so perfect and whole;

this gift that we gave, from Him and from me.

Tho’ my gift wasn’t given at Christmas,

it was Christmas that caused it to be.

For that Babe that was laid in the manger

grew up and died on a tree.

So my tree isn’t dressed in baubles and lights;

it’s adorned with nails and with blood.

It may not look special to many who see;

but to me it’s a picture of love.

© Maxine Branthoover

Christmas nuts of many kinds
Fill the aged walnut bowl;
Treasures lying hidden there,
Loved by the young and old.

I’ve often watched a hungry hand
Sort thru the jumbled lot;
And deftly pick the “just right nut”,
That special one he sought.

Examined by a well trained eye,
To yield the best spot where
The cracker does its dirty work,
To release the morsel there.

With pressure from a mighty hand,
His eyes bug out from strain;
A sharp crack fills the silent room,
And his jaw gives hint of pain.

Determination rises ever more,
At the nuts defiant stand;
For it seems the shell that hides the treat,
Will deny the strength of man.

Driv’n by hint of taste so grand,
And perhaps a bit of pride;
The man digs deep within his soul,
To release that nut inside.

With a mighty surge he squeezes hard,
And smashes that stubborn shell;
Then he sees the million pieces there,
And licks his lips—oh well!

A light-hearted Christmas poem, perhaps and I chuckled when I read it. But, there is an underlying moral that inspired me to write it. All of us, it seems, become that Christmas nut at some point in our lives.
Burdened by worries, ill health, loss of a loved one or a million other trials, we at times put a shell around our soul. Each new worry or trouble adds a layer to the shell until it becomes impenetrable by even the most loving among us who are touched to release the soul inside.
One doesn’t have to look far to find a potpourri of Christmas nuts—the world is their bowl.

The lost soul who served in Vietnam; the homeless bum under the bridge; the banker with the gun; the lone figure standing in winter air on a cold steel bridge; the saddened face sitting in the back pew at Sunday service; all cry out for a tender hand to deftly crack their shells and release them.
But—if we are to help, it must be done with care or the loving soul inside will end as a shattered memory of the glory it had once been. Perhaps the lesson for all of us is to slowly chip away at the shell with Christian love rather than smash at it with pride and ego.
The task is surely worth a little patience, and Christ will claim the prize when we succeed.

© Charles E. Branthoover

An eerie stillness filled the air
Upon that quiet night;
It made my hair on nape of neck
Stand up as if in fright.

I settled lower near the rock
And stared with eyes so wide;
If danger came upon me there
I had no place to hide.

With trembling lips I said a prayer
To my caring God above;
And then my fear changed quickly
To a sense of wondrous love.

What wrought this change I could not know
As the mystery deepened still;
For I glanced toward the heavens
And the stars above my hill.

A single star stood from the rest
And moved across the night;
When it stopped above a nearby town
I once again felt fright.

Drawn now by curiosity
I walked toward it there;
But stopped when sound came to my ear;
Upon the nighttime air.

Confusion seemed to course me through
As I stood in the quiet street;
For I heard a new born Babe cry out
With infant voice so sweet.

I stumbled on to find the source
Of this music in the night;
‘Til I found a quiet manger still
And lit with soft lamp light.

A newborn Babe lay there in hay,
Such a tiny, precious thing;
And when I gazed upon His face
I heard the angels sing.

I longed to rush right to His side
And hold this Lad so wee;
But then a word came to my mind
That someday He’d hold me.

A tear tracked down my harrowed cheek
As I stared at Christmas scene;
And truth came to my troubled mind
That it all was just a dream

I knelt beside the man made thing
Of plastic child so cold;
And sobbed that I had missed the
Greatest story ever told.

A gentle word came to me then,
And I whirled around with force;
To face the Stranger standing there
Who surely was the source.

I cowered from Him slightly for
‘twas not an earthly thing;
Then I recognized the gentle face
As the Babe within my dream.

I listened to the words He spoke
Of that time so long ago;
And with each word I felt my
Wounded heart begin to glow.

He told me I was special and
His Father held me dear;
For I believed without the proof
And kept faith through the year.

He gently touched me on my head,
Then disappeared from view;
The tingle left there by His hand
Coursed o’er me thru and thru.

I turned to face the manger
And the plastic child so wee;
‘Tis then I saw the miracle
Beneath that Christmas tree.

The child that lay in swaddling clothes,
Now smiled with face serene;
And reached to hold me in HIS arms,
Just like within my dream.

©  Charles E. Branthoover

If we threw a party

and Jesus should come

what kind of gift

would you give God’s Son?

Diamonds and rubies;

Emeralds and pearls;

What would you give

to the King of the world?

A mansion so grand;

a red limousine;

or tickets to cruise

the seven great seas?

Would you give to impress

Him or another?

Could you really give more

than your friend or your brother?

What would He want?

What brings Him great joy?

I think all these things

would merely annoy.

All of these things

He could have of His own,

Remember that He

Now sits on a throne.

The thing He desires;

what He longs for the most,

is something that’s given

without pride, that you boast.

As for myself

it really is simple

I’d give Him my heart

without doubt or whimper.

And tho’ I give Him

my all it is true

the best I could give Him

my friend, is you.

© Maxine Branthoover