Word Is Out

Donor Letter Nov 11 2009 semi master

2009-11-13T14:17:00.001-05:00

What to share this morning, but work got in the way

2009-11-13T12:15:00.000-05:00

Every night before falling asleep, I write down my goals for the following
day. Upon waking, I read through the list in order to focus my energy on
what is most important. If this were not part of my routine, the limited
hours available would not be utilized effectively.

The Bible clearly teaches us to use our days wisely. Time is a gift.
Almighty God has given each person a span of days to live on earth. But our
life is fleeting and uncertain&lsqauo;James compares it to a vapor that "appears
for a little while and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). Time is also
irrevocable&lsqauo;we cannot hit "rewind" and undo anything.

Considering this, it is foolish to waste such a precious resource. But so
often, we do. Be alert to avoid these hindrances to living each moment fully
and purposefully:

Misplaced priorities result in wasted opportunities. Our values will
determine the emphasis we place on each activity and the amount of time we
allot to it.
Procrastination and perfectionism soak up valuable time that could have been
used to benefit the kingdom.
Lack of concentration drains time of its potential. For example, we have to
train ourselves to focus on reading God's Word and not to get sidetracked.

What values drive the way you utilize your time? Is there something that
keeps you from living each moment in a way that pleases the Lord? You will
never have a chance to live today again. Therefore, ask God for guidance and
direction so that you can live each day with intention.

By Dr. Charles Stanley

The Hitch-hiker?

2009-11-11T15:12:00.002-05:00

Walter, this is excellent! Nicely written!
For those who are reading this blog, I am sharing a letter one of my staff wrote to the rest of our staff after I called him on the phone to tell him that I had just picked up a hitchhiker and told him that he could call the office and order five books for free. Walter's letter below is a good summary of what took place. If this sounds self serving and lifts me up on a pedestal, please know that I am truly a selfish person at heart and only picked up this hitchhiker in case he was wealthy and could give a large donation to the ministry! (ok, not really, but please excuse the high praise that Walter gives me...)

Wednesday November 11, 2009...The Hitchhiker

You are driving down the road at 65 mph (if your Mark it might be a little faster!) thinking about all the things that need to do; bills to pay, meetings and appointments to make, emails to send and leaves to rake. Just then the Lord places a hitch-hiker in your path--with a suitcase, of a different race, and he's big!

You sense God telling you to stop and pick him up...you have 2 seconds to make up your mind.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

If your Mark you stop and pick him up.
As he gets in the car he thanks you but instead of hearing "Your welcome," he hears, "Thank the Lord not me, because He told me to pick you up!"

Now that the focus of discussion has been set, within a few minutes you find out he is a backslidden believer who is desperately walking down the seemingly endless highway of life going nowhere fast. As he tells you about his life and misfortunes you start to realize how blessed you are, and your first thought is that you want to help this man...but how?

If your Mark you immediately think about how your life has been changed by the reading of the Word of God and great Christian books. So you offer some encouragement and a few life-changing books to the fellow...but with one exception! He has to be willing to turn off the tv for one month and if he's willing, he can call Lamplighter and receive a book a week for free. Starting with Jessica's First Prayer, then The Rescue of Jessica's Mother, then Christies Old Organ, then The Hedge of Thorns, and lastly Teddy's Button, Mark is helping this man get back on the path of righteousness with some clear direction and practical steps.

So, if you take his call when he calls in to order the books for free, please ask him if he's keeping his part of the bargain and has shut off the tv for thirty days. Will reading great books and not watching TV change this man's life? I guess we'll have to wait and see where the Lord takes this.

What a great experiment!

Great questions to ask yourself today.

What chapter of life are you in?
Has God laid it on my heart to help someone today?
What have I read lately that has drawn me closer to the Lord?
When is the last time I shared the love of Christ with someone?
When was the last time you took a second to pray for that person in your life who needs His love more than anything else? Sometimes this person will be walking with a suitcase down the expressway; other times, it may be our neighbor, a waiter, or the Starbucks coffee maker.

Perseverance

2009-11-11T10:31:00.001-05:00

The Power of Persistence
Philippians 3:10-14

Everyone desires success. Simply wanting it, however, won't guarantee
achievement. That's why many people fail to reach their goal; they encounter
hardship and give up. Let's discuss one characteristic needed to accomplish
what you set out to do.

Persistence is the combination of strong desire and willpower&lsqauo;it is the
capacity to stay on course in the face of difficulty and refuse to quit.
Paul exemplified this quality. He was passionate about sharing the gospel
with both Jews and Gentiles across the known world. Acts 20:24 records his
purpose, " . . . that I may finish my course and the ministry which I
received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace
of God." Though he encountered tremendous obstacles like shipwreck, prison,
physical punishment, and constant danger, the apostle never quit (2 Cor.
11:23-28).

What motivated Paul to persevere amidst struggles? First, he had a clear
God-given goal and trusted that the Lord would enable him to achieve it.
Second, the apostle felt indebted to share the life-changing truth of
salvation. Third, he knew the devastation awaiting those who do not know
Jesus.

Paul had his eyes fixed on his purpose, which he so valued that no
circumstance could deter him. Ultimately, he achieved what almighty God had
ordained.

The Father has great goals for our lives. Striving for anything less will
neither fulfill us nor achieve what God has planned in our life. Once His
direction is clear, we should passionately pursue God's purposes with the
Holy Spirit's strength and guidance&lsqauo;especially when obstacles arise. Don't
give up!

biblical teaching from Dr. Charles Stanley,

Cold Winter

2009-11-10T13:29:00.003-05:00

How You Can Tell if the Winter will be Intolerably Cold

It's late fall and the indians on a remote reservation in South Dakota asked their new chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky, he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared. But, being a practical leader, after several days, he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?" "It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold," the meteorologist at the weather service responded. So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared.

A week later, he called the National Weather Service again. "Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?" "Yes,' the man at National Weather Service again replied, "It's going to be a very cold winter." The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later, the chief called the National Weather Service again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?" "Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters we've ever seen." "How can you be so sure?" the chief asked. The weatherman replied, "The indians are collecting firewood like crazy."

My Mom!

2009-11-04T17:07:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, my 77 year old mom, a new believer, called me all excited to tell me that she only had a few more chapters left before she had read the entire Bible! I was so excited for her; what an accomplishment!

In the midst of all the depressing economic news coming from the media, there are still many believers who are excited about what God is doing in their lives. David in the book of Psalms reminds us that his people will never beg bread. We are challenged from the prophet Malachi, to test God and he will open the storehouse of heaven. In Jeremiah God says that his thoughts toward us are thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes…" oh, what a promise, what positive news! Broadcast that CNN and Fox News! Oh, if God's people would turn off the pseudo information fabricated by the media and tune in the positive messages of God's Word…to think on things that are true, and honorable, just, pure, and lovely…these are the things that will take our mind, heart, and spirit, out of the darkness and into the exciting light of God's promises that never return void.

God's promises are generating a new love and outlook on life for my 77 year old mom…these promises are available for all who seek Him with their whole heart.

déjà vu

2009-10-31T16:02:00.005-05:00

Did you have a déjà vu experience? Well that is what Moses must have had when he and the children of Israel were protected from the plagues and left Egypt with all their treasure.

Hundreds of years earlier, Father Abraham was guided to Egypt because of a famine in his land. While sojourning there, the promised seed was put in jeopardy when pharaoh took Abraham's wife Sarah into his house (Gen 12), no thanks to self serving Abraham. To protect the purity of Abraham’s wife, God brought great plagues upon pharaoh and Egypt (Gen 12:17). But the plagues awakened the king to the recognition that God's protection was upon this family (Gen 12:18). So Pharaoh summoned Abraham and commanded him to leave Egypt (Gen 12:19). Not only was Abraham and his family driven out, but he left Egypt with much treasure (Gen 12).

Five hundred years after Abraham entered Egypt, another famine would hit during the days of the 12 sons of Israel. During their sojourn in Egypt, the promised seed was again put in jeopardy by another pharaoh; but he too was reminded that this family was under the protection of God though 10 violent plagues. (Exod 1ff) Commanded to leave Egypt, the children of Israel then left with much treasure.

Are you presently experiencing a famine in your life? This may be your opportunity to experience God's leading, protection and deliverance that ultimately leads to an exodus that leaves you with much treasure. We serve a great redeeming God who can be trusted…so don't be afraid to go down to the Egypt's of life; and when things get difficult there, remember, in the end, you will leave with an eternal treasure.

Death and Glory

2009-10-31T16:02:00.004-05:00

In the last chapter of the book of John writes about what kind of death Peter would experience to glorify God. I then reread the text and it says this: "This he said to show what kind of death he was to glorify God." As I read and reread this sentence, I began to reaize that death is our final act of glorifying God. Maybe if we begin rethinking death, not as a final crushing blow, but our final act of our most important duty—to glorify God.

Harry Potter and abortion

2009-10-31T16:02:00.003-05:00

By February we will be announcing a new book titled Harry Potter and the Paganization of Christian Culture, by Michael O'Brien. I thought I would give you some tid bits as I am reviewing the manuscript:

Material you may not be aware of in Harry Potter:

"In Potions class they make brews that can be used to control others. In Herbology they grow plants that are used in the potions—the roots of the mandrake plant, for example, are small human-like “babies” who scream when they are uprooted for transplanting, and are grown for the purpose of being cut into pieces and boiled in a magical potion."

Halloween and Harry Potter

2009-10-31T16:02:00.001-05:00

Mona Mikaël has undertaken extensive research into the symbolism of witchcraft, sorcery, and other occult movements, as well as the problem of manipulation of human consciousness in the modern era. In her voluminous study of the use of symbols in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter et L’Ordre des Ténèbres (Harry Potter and the Order of Darkness), she states that the underlying narrative, which is nearly invisible to most readers, is a largely subliminal indoctrination in diabolic consciousness. She is not so much referring to the obvious level, the witches and wizards and flying broomsticks, but focusing on the deeper levels of narrative, the unveiling of symbols, and the spiritual meanings behind the symbols, which she believes conveys a parallel and highly esoteric message that “gravely disfigures eternal values.” This disfigurement is not only the distortion of “values” in young minds, she emphasizes, but a more profound disfigurement in the subconscious, and the soul. ^{^[1]} It is impossible for me to recite her copious research into this subject, but a sample may suffice. Regarding just one out of a plethora of examples, Mikaël writes:

“The Deathday Party”

On a Halloween night, Harry and his friends are invited to the Deathday party of Nearly-Headless Nick, the nearly decapitated ghost. At one end of the room, ghostly guests play ball with their own skulls. At the other end is laid a table covered in black velvet.

[from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:]

Large rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters, cakes burned charcoal black, were heaped on salvers; there was a green maggoty haggis, a slab of cheese covered in furry green mould and, in pride of place, an enormous grey cake in the shape of a tombstone, with the tar-like icing forming the words, Sir Nicholas de Minsey-Porpington died 31st October, 1492.

Harry watched, amazed, as a portly ghost approached the table, crouched low and walked through it, his mouth held wide so that it passed through one of the stinking salmons.

‘Can you taste it if you walk through it?’ Harry asked him.

‘Almost,’ said the ghost sadly, and he drifted away.

‘I expect they’ve let it rot to give it a stronger flavour,’ said Hermione knowledgably, pinching her nose and leaning closer to look at the putrid haggis.

Knowing that ghosts do not eat, one may ask, what is the purpose of this disgusting table? And why is the table covered in velvet when a worn-out rag would be more consistent with such a meal? The logic of symbols answers these questions by shedding light (partially at least) on the veiled meaning of this “feast.” In the context of the spirit of Halloween, which is the pagan Celtic solemnity of Samhain and the “Devil’s New Year’s Day” as some call it, this table is an altar, offering a sacrifice to the Prince of the day (Satan), and the sacrifice is the decomposing flesh of fish, symbol of Christ in the early Church

^{^[1]} Mikaël, Mona, Harry Potter et L’Ordre des Ténèbres, Editions Saint-Remi, France, 2007; abridged edition 2008; Editio Sanctus Martinus, Combermere, Canada, 2009. The abridged edition republished 2009, and original unabridged republished by Editio Sanctus Martinus, autumn 2009. These editions are currently available in French language only, with translation into English in progress.

Teen Vampires

2009-10-29T12:13:00.001-05:00

I would presume that most of my readers don't have children who are reading or watching the teen vampire phenomenon. But it is here and they are wreaking havoc upon our children's lives. These grotesque characters have now entered the classic culture where both classic books and movies are being adapted to the vampire world. Children and teens are loving them and if something isn't done soon a large portion of this generation will be significantly influenced. I am reminded that Lot's righteous soul, in seeing and hearing was vexed from day to day by their unlawful deeds. He did do those evil deeds, he just saw and heard them and it tore his soul apart. Below is a letter I received from a friend about this new phenomenon.

"Mark, I was re-confirmed in my impressions of the Vampire stories watching the preview for the second one filmed at the movies yesterday afternoon. These are teenagers, making massive life-affecting decisions, with very little parental support. And I know they're written to appeal to teenagers' sense of autonomy, but...it is cringe-making on that level. And yes, they are compelling, action-packed stories--hence Hollywood has picked them up to film and mass-market, but....there's a poignancy to it all which reflects on our times/culture...."

Raw Foods and the Reward

2009-10-29T07:36:00.001-05:00

I was at a health food store this week in London and they talked me into a
raw foods diet for 30 days. There I learned why many Europeans are so
slender. You see, during the world wars they didn't have a lot of food so
they learned to ration. It was found that the generations after the wars not
only lived the longest but were the most robust and healthiest people that
lived in modern times. The body apparently uses the most essential vitamins
and minerals when there is less to eat. This generation though they ate
less, they ate foods that were good for them, mostly raw. The abundance of
food and it's readily accessibility in the west may be the downfall of
American health and the cause of the increase in obesity especially among
children. There is an obvious lack of discipline and moderation. Maybe there
is a connection to what Paul writes in the Scriptures: "whatever you do,
whether you eat, or you drink, do all to the glory of God." Today is not a
time for feasting, but for fortitude. …it is a time for self discipline not
self indulgence; for training, not channel surfing. I think one of the
reasons we have become a self-indulgent culture is because we have lost
sight of the reward. When you have something you long for, there is
motivation and a willingness to endure hardship. Becoming self-disciplined
in our self-indulgent culture is no easy task. So what is the reward? It is
the abundant life that God has planned for us. It is God giving us the
desires of our hearts. It is experiencing the exceedingly abundantly above
all that we can ask or think! Growing in self-discipline and godliness
requires war time sacrifice that will lead to the most robust, physically
and spiritually healthy generation in recorded history.

Hedge of Thorns

2009-10-27T05:59:00.001-05:00

Sometimes discerning God's will is no easy task. There have been times when it has taken several years to discern whether to move on what appeared to be His leading. Sometimes God puts up roadblocks and detours to help us reach our final destination.

I found that to be the case when I was trying to decide which seminary to attend. I was a young Christian and had my heart set on either Master's Seminary with John MacArthur, Dallas Seminary with many reputable theologians, or Grace in Indiana, where Larry Crab taught. During this decision-making time, roadblocks and unexpected alternatives helped the process of elimination.

That same week I received a letter from John MacArthur titled, "How to Discern God's Will." I smiled, thinking God was nudging me in this direction. The one decision I was certain about was where I would not go—to Baptist Bible Theological Seminary. Having been spiritually nurtured in a Baptist church, I felt I needed a little more diversity in my training. So at least that was settled.

After receiving the letter and listening to John MacArthur on discerning God's will, plans began for our big move to CA. Certainly God was opening doors. My wife and I visited Grace church and one of the elders and his wife took us under their wing. It all looked like a go.

Then I received a phone call. "Hello Mark, this is Dr. Richard Engle from Baptist Bible Seminary." He began to explain why I should consider attending his seminary. His daughter had been a student teacher under my administration, which had given him the connection to call me. Dr. Engle is a very gentle and godly man—one whom I admire. But I thanked him and told him that Baptist Bible Seminary was not a possibility.

He asked if I would be willing to pray about it (I hate when they do that!). I said I would, and I did. Through a series of what I call "hedges," God began to show me why moving to Dallas or CA just wasn't responsible or reasonable with my young family—three preschool children and a wife who needed family support. Baptist Bible Seminary was only three and a half hours from home, so if we needed to see family they would not be far away.

So, to Baptist Bible Seminary we came. As I look back I realize it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. What an incredible theological education I had, and what a great place to raise my family.

There is a significant story that has been most helpful in discerning God’s will for my life, titled The Hedge of Thorns. This story has taught me that God might use a hedge of thorns to keep me on the right path. When I push to have my way, or as in the case of this story, push through the hedge of thorns, I can bring harm to myself or those I love. When I draw back and wait patiently, the hedge acts as my safety net of protection. It is when I allow the hedges to actually guide me, even if not in the direction I preferred, that I experience unexpected blessings.

In the book of Hosea God teaches that he uses a hedge of thorns to keep a wayward wife from finding her desired path of lust and luxury:

“Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns,

and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths.”

Hosea 2:6

Discerning the hedges in our lives will keep us from path of sin and the memories of regret. When we flee from the fleeting pleasures of sin, we will find the reward that lies on the other side of the hedge.

How Old IS Grandpa

2009-10-25T20:03:00.001-05:00

How old is Grandpa???

Stay with this -- the answer is at the end. It will blow you away.
One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events.
The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.

The Grandfather replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:

' television

' penicillin

' polio shots

' frozen foods

' Xerox

' contact lenses

' Frisbees and

' the pill

There were no:

'credit cards

' laser beams or

' ball-point pens

Man had not invented:

' panty hose

' air conditioners

' dishwashers

' clothes dryers

' and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and

' man hadn't yet walked on the moon

Every family had a father and a mother.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, "Sir".
And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir."

We were before gay-rights, computer- dating, dual careers, day-care centers, and group therapy.

Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense..

We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.
Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege.

We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.

Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.

Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started.

Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.

We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios.

And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk

The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam.

Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of.

We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.

Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.

And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.

You! could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, . . but who could afford one?
Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.

In my day:

' "grass" was mowed,

' "coke" was a cold drink,

' "pot" was something your mother cooked in and

' "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby.

' "Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office,

' " chip" meant a piece of wood,

' "hardware" was found in a hardware store and

' "software" wasn't even a word.

And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap....so how old do you think I am?

I imagine you have this old man in mind don't you...

I am only 59 years old!

You'll like this: Homeschooled vrs Homeschoolers

2009-10-25T19:04:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQoSRfu5z_4

The Ram is on its Way

2009-10-21T08:53:00.001-05:00

"So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is
said, 'On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.'" Genesis 22:14
(NIV)

Have you ever been in a situation so desperate that it looked hopeless?

Have you ever sat at the kitchen table wondering how you were going to pay
the electric bill? Have you ever stood at a door that's been slammed in
your face by an angry teenager and despaired at ever having a relationship
with him again? Have you ever had your heart broken so deeply that you
wondered if you would ever feel whole again?

Sadly, we live in a broken world where desperate situations happen every
day. I know someone reading this devotion is wondering how she will make it
through the day because her situation looks hopeless. If that is you, I
encourage you to keep reading. I believe God has a message of hope for you
today.

That message is found in the Bible, in the story of a man who was dealing
with his own desperate situation. His name was Abraham and he faced the
greatest testing of his life. After longing for a son for many years, God
finally gave Abraham a boy, whom he named Isaac. Abraham never imagined God
would test his faith by asking him to sacrifice his son. But it happened.

It had to have been the darkest day of Abraham's life as he trudged up the
mountain, with firewood strapped to his son's back. Every step took Abraham
closer to what he believed to be the sad ending of a hopeless situation -
the death of his son. Yet in spite of his sorrow, Abraham trusted God. His
heart wasn't soaring with joy. He wasn't dancing up the mountain. But he
put one foot in front of the other. Walking through the darkness of the
situation; obeying His God's commands.

Unbeknownst to Abraham, something else was walking up that mountain.
Quietly. Out of sight. On the other side of the mountain. Something else
was putting one foot in front of the other. Only Abraham couldn't see it.

For every step Abraham took, a ram on the other side of the mountain took a
step.

All Abraham saw that day was his solitary journey of pain. As he got closer
to the top of the mountain, his dread must have increased. I wonder if he
asked himself any questions. I would have. I would have wondered why
hadn't God intervened? Why hadn't God stopped this testing? Couldn't God
see that Abraham was a man of faith? Why test him in this way?

But there was no answer. There was no voice from heaven. And so Abraham
kept obeying his God's command. He put Isaac on an altar and prepared to
sacrifice his one and only son.

And just at that very moment, at the very last second, when it looked like
the end had come, God spoke, stopping the sacrifice. Abraham looked up and
there caught in the thicket was a ram. Abraham took his son off the altar,
replaced him with the ram, and offered the sacrifice to God.

Abraham named that place "Yahweh-Yireh" or "The Lord Will Provide." And the
story was written down for generations of God-followers to read. It was
written so that you and I today would read it as we face our own hopeless
situations. It was captured in print so that you and I would know that God
is already planning for our provision. We don't see it. We don't hear it.
But we can trust that our God is at work. On your behalf, and on mine.

I choose to trust God today. A ram is on the way.

Glynnis Whitwer

Malachi 2: 14-16 Unfaithfulness

2009-10-16T06:56:00.001-05:00

In the book of Malachi, I saw something that I have never seen before. The text seems to suggest that in marriage, God's Spirit creates a oneness that leads to godly offspring—IF we as men remain faithful to our wives. Unfaithfulness brings violence and generational upheaval. Here's the text:

Did God not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. "For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD…, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless."

Twice the text highlights "So guard yourselves in your spirit." So many men today spend time building their bodies, the careers, and their hobbies; Paul in the NT writes that men ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. Can you imagine what our marriages would be like if we actually loved our wives as much as we enjoyed golf, or Monday night football, or fishing? What many men don't realize is that the result of not loving their wives as much as they love themselves, is their loss. Did you know that the average divorce cost around 30 thousand dollars? Did you know that in America, divorce is a 31 billion dollar per year business, resulting in 175 billion dollars in money spent virtually down the drain. Can you imagine what would happen to this economy if we just strengthened our marriages? The deficit would be erased and the budget balanced in just a few years! I can't think of a better stimulus package!

Oh, the picture, if you can see it, is my Japanese maple with its vibrant crimson color powdered with our first snow…October 16^th!

Advice for preventing H1N1

2009-10-15T16:07:00.003-05:00

The following note about the H1N1 preventative measures seem like common sense, so I thought I would pass them on. Some people could be sensitive and even allergic to what could appear as harmless prevention, so please consult your physician. We at Lamplighter do not endorse the following article and recommend, before following any of this advice, that you contact your physician.

Prevent H1N1 Flu - Good Advice

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorialetc. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe).

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amlaand other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Neti pots and sinus rinse kits are available at the drug store and relatively inexpensive….under $15..

Pyramid of greatness

2009-10-15T11:58:00.001-05:00

I first learned about John Wooden during his years of basketball coaching, I think was UCLA…he was one of the most successful coaches ever. But his influence went beyond coaching and everyone seemed to be asking him his secrets of success. Several years ago, he wrote a children's book on character and I found that he was able to translate his world view for children. When someone can do this, you know that it is good for adults. His world view has now been written in the form of a pyramid. I think we will all benefit from reading and putting these foundation stones into practice…By the way, this is his 99th birthday!

Anger

2009-10-15T09:23:00.000-05:00

Anyone can become angry - that is easy. But to be angry with the right
person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right reasons, and
in the right way - that is not easy. [Aristotle]

Company of the Committed

2009-10-14T16:19:00.002-05:00

This weekend I will be speaking in Western NY in Batavia and on Saturday, at Letchworth State Park. For me this is an opportunity to share God's Word and redemptive hope to a people without a Savior. It is my hope that for my brothers and sisters in Christ it will be a time as Elton Trueblood writes: "The Company of Jesus is not people streaming to a shrine (or a new church building); and it is not people making up an audience for a speaker; it is laborers engaged in the harvesting task of reaching their perplexed and seeking brethren with something so vital that, if it is received, it will change their lives."

Stupidism

2009-10-12T18:21:00.002-05:00

Marco Andreoli was 32 years old in 2002 when Italy’s Highest court ordered Marco’s father to pay Marco approximately $1000 per month until Marco found a job that, and I quote, “fit his aspirations.” What was this court thinking? And that is what Marco’s father asked after the decision. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, “The judges said that a parent’s duty of maintenance did not expire when their children reached adulthood, but continued unchanged until they were able to prove either that their children had reached economic independence or had failed to do so through culpable inertia.” If that was me, my father would have given me inertia at the end of his boot. What was not reflected in the newspaper was that Marco’s son held a law degree, a house on a posh street in Naples, and a joint ownership of an investment fund worth more than $390,000. Yet, it was his father’s legal responsibility to fund his son’s lifestyle until he landed the perfect job!

And you might ask, “How is this possible?” It starts with departure from a biblical world view. Who would have thought that even a year ago we would have an auto industry owned by the government, a bill for socialized health care, and the ten commandments bulldozed off public property. Whenever a nation departs from biblical truth for its governance, it opens the door to socialism, Marxism, Nazism, Communism, and just plain out stupidism.

In the book of Isaiah we read: “My people go into exile for lack of knowledge… Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” A Biblical world view doesn’t come through osmosis…we need to be men and women of the Word…If you haven’t read Isaiah, I would highly recommend it.

How have you been sleeping?

2009-10-12T08:03:00.001-05:00

When we're too preoccupied to hear God's voice, He will often get our
attention by giving us a restless spirit. The book of Esther gives us a
wonderful example of this.

In the sixth chapter, we see that King Xerxes "could not sleep so he gave an
order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read
before the king" (v. 1). As a result, Xerxes became aware of an
assassination plot that had been foiled by a man named Mordecai. Filled with
gratitude for this act of service, the ruler made plans to honor him.

What Xerxes could not have known, though, is that this hero had been
targeted by Haman, one of the royal advisors. Not only had Haman plotted to
hang Mordecai the Jew (5:14); he was also planning to exterminate the entire
Jewish population. As a result of the king's intervention, however, Mordecai
and all of the Jews were saved.

Now, what started this process? It was a restless night. Xerxes did not know
why he couldn't sleep, but we know--the king had insomnia because God was
trying to get his attention. The Lord had something important to say to
Xerxes, and His way of getting through to him was an unpleasant night of
sleeplessness.

How often has this happened to you? You go about your career and activities,
but a restlessness seems to hang over you, often causing sleepless nights.
In such moments, dare to bow and pray, "Lord, what is it You want to tell
me?" You'll discover that God can and will speak in your unrest.

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 8 :1-11 Stooping Down

2009-10-10T08:12:00.001-05:00

I was reading in John 8 this morning and found something I haven't noticed before. It is the scene where a woman who is caught in the act of adultery is brought before Jesus asking if she should be stoned according to the law of Moses. Jesus doesn't respond at first but instead stoops down and writes in the sand with his finger. Frustrating the accusers, Jesus continues to write as he stoops, while the woman is standing in their midst. Then, after her accusers force the issue, Jesus stands up and tells them that whoever is without sin, let him cast the first stone. Jesus then immediately stoops again and writes in the sand with his finger. Can you see what is happening? Can you see what Jesus is doing when he stoops down? What a Savior and protector! While the woman is standing in the midst of a hostile crown, Jesus distracts and deflects their attention off of her and on to him as he stoops lower than everyone who is standing. The accusers eyes would move away from the woman and down to the ground where Jesus was stooping. He stands only when he challenges and rebukes the crowd and once rebuked, he stoops once again, deflecting attention away from the woman and on to him in order to defend her! What a Savior! What wisdom, compassion, protection, and love all wrapped up into the simple action of stooping. I am beginning to see that even his smallest actions were speaking volumes—and if we follow his life, our actions will also begin to speak louder than our words, especially when we deflect the anger and hostility of others on to the stooping Jesus who disarms our misguided hearts. And once disarmed, as was the case of those who were now dropping the stones, we can live to protect others rather than preserving our own self righteous crusades.

Leviticus: Ebb and Flow

2009-10-07T11:07:00.001-05:00

Leprosy! I just gave a lecture on this subject this morning. It is the central theme for the book of Leviticus. In chapters 1 through 9, there is beautiful structure, repeated themes, and a beautiful entrance of God's presence before His people. There is an intricate blueprint, highlighting the themes of unintentional sin, guilt, and forgiveness in chapters 1 through 4. Then in chapters 5 though 8, there are two repeated themes of the fire of sanctification and keeping God's commandments, which brings God's presence, the shouting of praise, and worship . THEN, in chapter 9 we have the deliberate disobedience of God's commands, which brings death, silence, and fear. This is sooo important—in chapters 1-8 you have beautiful symmetry, form and function. But after deliberate disobedience, not only does death, silence and fear enter, but chapter 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 talk about a woman's purification, Leprosy, other skin diseases, and bodily discharge! I call this the—are you ready?—the period of the Puss of Life. It is a state in which there is no symmetry, no meaning, no joy—total disruption to the ebb and flow of life. In fact in these chapters, which occur after the intentional sin by refusing to follow God's commands, the repetition of repeated themes and words is completely absent in the text. Life is now out of kilter. But God doesn't leave us there, though it was caused by our own deliberate sin…chapter 16 is the chapter on Atonement by approaching God through his prescribe commandment. Now reconciled, the text once again comes alive with the repeated theme of "I am the LORD God who sanctifies you" which leads to the last theme of REST. The theme "I am the Lord God who Sanctifies" appears about 30 times from chapter 17 to the end of the book. I take this to mean that we can't find rest/peace unless we live life God's way and allow him to do the sanctifying work in our lives…we can't do it ourselves…so what will it be? Symmetry or Leprosy?!