I'm in one of thoses moods tonight... (((( Smiles ))))

This is for only thoses in that kind of mood as well..
Or who just needs some uplifting within their faith...

For thoses who this means something too..

And who cares to read..

I was going through stuff tonight and found an old card that I used to help me through my dilemma's..
dealing with hyperacusis and tinnitus and life in general.. My distress to hold myself together..

Life can be so tough sometimes..
We all need something to carry us through and this is what carries me..


But first I want to print out a poem someone wrote...

I don't know who the author is..

It's called..

I asked God

I asked God for strength , that I might achieve.
I was made weak , that I might learn to obey.

I asked for health, that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for power , that I might have the praise of men
I was given weakness , that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things , that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for....
But everything I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself , my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am, among all men , most richly blessed...

(((( Smiles ))))

This is written on the card I found again that carried me thru..

This just calmed my heart and gave me so much peace when I could find none..

I dream of a day as well when there are no more wars in the world ...

Just refuge and strength. And love...


Psalms 46..

1 .. God is our refuge and strength , very much found to be a help in distresses..

2.. On account of this we will not fear when the earth changes and when mountains are slipping into the heart of the seas.

3.. Let it's waters foam, let the mountains shake in it's swelling .

4.. There is a river , it's channel gladden the city of God, the holy tabernacles of the Most High.

5.. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be shaken ; God will help her at the turning of the morning..

6.. The nations roared ; kingdoms were shaken; He gave forth his voice, the earth melted.

7.. Jehovah of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is a refuge for us.

8... Come behold the works of Jehovah , who sets ruins on the earth;

9... causeing to cease wars to the end of the earth ; He breaks the bow and cuts spears apart ; he burns the chariots in fire.

10.. Be still and know that I am God ! I will be exalted in the earth..

11.. Jehovah of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is a refuge for us.

Draw Closer To God In Prayer.. (((( Smiles ))))

Why should we pray ?

What must we do to be heard by God ?

How does God answer our prayers ?

The Unjust Judge... Luke 18 1-8...

God does not always answer prayer right away..

Sometimes he wants to make sure people are really earnest in what they pray for..

He lets them come to him again and again before he gives the things they ask for..

To teach men to keep on praying until there prayers are answered,

Jesus told the story of the unjust Judge..

A poor widow had been wronged by an enemy..

She could not punish her enemy or get back what he had taken,

so she went to the city judge for help..

The judge was not a good man.

He was not interested in helping the widow..

At first he did not even pay attention to her..

But the woman keep comeing to see him about her troubles..

Finally he got tired of her comeing .

He said to himself , " Even though I am not a good man,

I will do what this widow wants so she will stop bothering me..

Then Jesus said learn a lesson from the unjust judge..

He did what the women wanted because she came to him often..

Shall God not grant the wishes of thoses that call on him day and night ?"


Luke 18-6.. And the Lord said.. Hear what the unrighteous judge says..

Luke..18- 7.. But will God not at all execute the avengment of His elect,

thoses crying to Him day and night , also,

being patient over them?

Philippians 4:6.. Be anxious about nothing , but in everything by prayer
and by petition with thanksgivings, let your requests be known to God..

Philippians 4:7... and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding
will keep your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ..

Philippians 4:8.. for the rest , brothers , whatever is true, whatever
honorable, whatever ( is ) just, whatever pure, whatever lovely ,
whatever of good report , if ( of ) any virtue and (of ) any praise,
meditate ( on ) theses things....

Philippians 4-9 .. And what things you learned and received and heard and saw in me,
practice theses things, and the God of peace will be with you..


Prayer written about in the Bible..
Comes full of hope.. It helps sometimes when you feel..
That there is nothing else you can really do at the time..
That the situation is bigger then you. Then one you can handle alone..
Of course one should help themself in other ways to get better with a
physical illness or a mental one in a physical world..


But the Bible is full of good news when it comes to the power of prayer..
Prayer is a way of feeling closeness and communicating with God..
Letting go and turning your problems over to a higher power..

To show your love and care for God as well...
It can mean so many things and is written about alot in Scripture..

It says about the power of prayer... In the Literal Translation which will work in the King James Translation as well... (((( Smiles ))))

In Luke 11:1... And it happened in His being in a certain place praying,
when he ceased , one of his disciples said to him, Lord teach us how to pray, even as John also taught his disciples..

Luke 11-2: and He said to them.
When you pray, say, Our Father who ( is ) in Heaven, hallowed be Your name, let Your Kingdom come,
let Your will be done on the earth as ( it) also (is ) in Heaven..

Luke 11:3.. Give us our needed bread day by day,

Luke 11:4.. and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone
indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation , but deliver us from the evil..

Luke 11:5.. And He said to them , Who of you shall have a friend, and will
come to him at midnight and say to him, Friend , lend me three loaves..

Luke 11:6... ( For ) a friend of mine arrived to me from a journey , and
I do not have what I may set before him..

Luke 11:7... And answering from within that one may say, Do not cause
me troubles . The door has allready been shut , and my children are in bed
with me . I am not able to rise up to give to you...

Luke 11:8 ... I say to you, even if riseing up he will not give to him
because he is a friend , yet because of his shameless insistence ,
rising up he will give him as many as he needs..

Luke 11:9 .. And I say to you Ask , and it will be given to you, seek;
and you will find ; knock , and it will be opened to you..

Luke 11:10.. For everyone asking receives , and the( one) seeking finds,
and to the ( one ) knocking, it will be opened..

Luke 11:11.. And what father of you , ( if ) the son asks for a loaf.
will he give him a stone ? And if a fish , will he give him a snake instead
of a fish ?

Luke 11:12.... And if he should ask an egg would he give him a scorpion ?

Luke 11:13 .. Then if you being evil know to give good gifts to your children,
how much more the Father out of Heaven , will give the ( the )
Holy Spirit to thoses asking Him ...

God still sits on the throne.

Each and everyone of us are going through tough times right
now, but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can.
Keep the faith.

My instructions were to pick four
people that

I wanted God to bless, and I picked you. Please pass this to at
least (4) people you want to be blessed and a copy back to me.

This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we
receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray
for one another.


The prayer:

Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that
I care deeply for, who are reading this right now. Show them a new
revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to
their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your
peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence
through Your grace. Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their
needs. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their
comings. In Jesus' precious name. Amen.


(If the Lord lays upon
your heart to send this to more than four "4" people, you are
truly blessed).

The Rainbow (((( Smiles ))))

There are lots of covenants in the Bible , but God's covenant with
Noah is the first one. A covenant is an agreement in which people
promise to do certain things. Thie rainbow was the sign of God's
covenant promise never again to destroy the earth with a flood..


The word that the Bible uses for rainbow also means a " war -bow "
This symbolizes God lowering his bow to declare peace.......

Peace and War and through Illness and bad health,

We can't avoid life's unpleasantness..
We can control how we deal with it.
I suppose that's the most positive attitude of them all.
We don't have to be governed by occurences outside of our control.
We can take charge our own lives..

And decide how we are going to react to events..
And reflect on rainbows...

But about the power of rainbows....
For anyone that thinks about rainbows like I do..
And I think rainbows are just beautifull in color..
It's just awesome to read about..

Rainbows are mentioned in the Bible also in Revelation 4..
About : a throne was set in Heaven , and the {One } sitting on the throne,
And the { One } sitting was in appearance like a jasper stone , and a sardius; and a rainbow was around the throne ,
in appearance { like } an emerald.

And also Revelation 10:1..
About the scroll and the seven thunders..
And I saw another strong angel comeing down out of heaven,
haveing been clothed, with a cloud and a rainbow on the head;
and his face as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire...

But whats even as awesome as rainbows...
Is the power of prayer...
In history without any real scientific like based proof to show the effects of prayer..

In that type of way.. though remissions can happen and prayer can show up in many medical healing ways...
but no real proof of connection besides maybe getting better or doing better..
And that person happens to pray and believe thats why..
But now.. They know medical wise more then in the past about the
positive features of faith and hope on the body and ones mental health..

But it even goes beyond that and then you wonder what the future beholds
in more finds..

God and the brain...
As Time Magazine had an articule long ago about the God Gene..
Are we programmed to search for something bigger then us..
Are we also programmed for the healthy effects of prayer..
For they see it now..
In the brain as the brain lights up with prayer..
It has a neural effect on the limbic system and other features on the brain...

As we know about the limbic system..
Anyone that has read up on tinnitus or hyperacusis knows how important
that system can be..

So.. for one that believes in prayer..
As I allso believe that the effect of prayer is the more powerfull
when it is combined with faith and hope..

For thoses who feel this way..
Could it also be helpfull in a condition such as hyperacusis or tinnitus ?
Because of it's effect on the brain ???
I believe so..
I believe it can..
I believe it could help one cope better overtime..
And also I believe it's possible to help one in healing over time as well..

I think that prayer especially for thoses who believe so..
Has a positive effect not only on the limbic system and brain..
But on the physical body as well..
Even if it only helped one cope with being ill...

I think thats a positive thing within itself..
In my feelings of belief..
I believe in the power of prayer just because the Bible says it's powerfull
to do so...

Thats allways been good enough for me but thats just the way I am..
Like so many other's out there.. I'm not alone on this..
I'm Thankfull for that...

And the same with forgiveness in the right way..
By working through the grief..
To truely let go..
And heal in some way over time depending on the situation..
On how to get there..
And maybe thats an interesting subject for thoses that find it so..
The Bibles perspective on forgiveness..

I think all that does have a positive effect on ones health in someway..
On the road to getting better or improveing ones life in some way..
I for one..
Do believe in the God gene that we were programmed just for this..
For knowing God..
But of course thats just me and thoses who feel like I do..
But I think that the Bible know's what it's talking about
when it comes to all this..
How really helpfull this may all be...
And the medical community is just catching up to it all..

This Is a good One... (((( Smiles ))))

Good for the Limbic system when just doing so add's comfort and hope and
lasting words of encouragement for a person...
Who just loves the written word for thoses that finds wisdom there like I do...

How about Solomon's advice...

What To Read
Solomon's Wise Advise..

" To the makeing of many books there is no end , and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh."
{ Ecclesiastes 12:12 }

In penning theses words some 3,000 years ago, wise King Solomon of Israel
was not discourageing reading..
Rather , he was commenting on the need to be selective.
How timely that reminder is today, as billions of pages of reading material
roll off the world's printing press's annually !

It is evident that " many books " to which Solomon referred were not upbuilding or refreshing..

Therefore, he argued that devotion to them , instead of providing positive and lasting rewards , is " wearisome to the flesh ."

However, was Solomon saying their are no books that offer sound,
reliable guidance that can benefit the reader ?
No, for he also wrote:
" The words of the wise ones are like oxgoads, and just like nails driven in are thoses indulging in collections of sentences;
they have been given from one shepherd."
{ Ecclesiastes 12:11 }

Indeed , there are written words that " like the oxgoads " can provide positive motivation.
They can spur a person on in the right way.
Futhermore, " like nails driven in , " they can serve to strengthen ones resolve and have a stablizing effect.

Where can we find such wise words ?
Preeminent among such, according to Solomon,
are thoses that orginate with the one Shepherd , Jehovah.
{ Psalm 23:1 }

Therefore, one can do no better then turn to the book that is inspired by God-- the Bible..
Reading such inspired words regularly can help one to become...
" fully competent, completely equipped for every good work."
{ 2 Timothy 3:16,17 }

And about Solomons written advice on the subject of books above..
And...
I just think this is so totally awesome as well but thats just me or..
also others who feel like me..
What makes me feel so secure in it all...

An aspect of the Bible that one may find significant is it's inner harmony..
This is really remarkable, considering...
that the Bible's 66 books were written over a period of 1,600 years.
Suppose you went to a public library and chose 66 religious books that had been written over a period of 16 centuries..
Then you had thoses individual books bound into one volume.

Would you expect that volume to have a common theme and a harmonious message ?
Hardly. That would require a miracle..

Consider this: The books of the Bible do have such a common theme,
and they do corroborate one another.
This demostrates that there must be one mastermind , or author,
who directed what the Bible writters recorded..

I don't know but to me.. It's just like...
Takes my breath away and to me proves it's of divine origin even besides.. the many prophecies written within...

I don't know.. But thats why I do what I do and believe what I believe..
And it did help carry me through my hyperacusis and tinnitus expirence..
Wasen't easy though.. but..
Through it all for me.. All I went through...
This was just one of the things that keep me going and hopeing and..
praying for help...
Just the awesomeness of it all.....
It keep me going....

On the subject of books above....
How was information delivered....
According to the written word.....
Interesting subject...

Audibly { Exod.19:19, Matt.3:17 }
in His own handwritting { Exod. 31:18}
through angels { Luke 2:10-12, Heb 2:2 }
through prophets { Jeremiah 1:5 , Hebrews 1:1 }
through dreams { Dan. 2, Matt. 1:20 }
through visions { Ezek. 1:1 }
through apostles { Acts 1:2 }
through inspiration { 2 Tim. 3:16 }
through revelation { Gal. 1:12, Eph. 3:3 , Rev 1:1 }
through Jesus Christ, the Son of God { Heb.1:2 }

In Time Magazine recently...
April 2, 2007

In an articule on religion and teaching the Bible.
According to Religious Literacy, polls show that....
nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the Bible holds the answer to..
" all or most of life's basic questions, " but pollster George Gallup.
has dubbed us " a nation of biblical illiterates. "

Only half of U.S. adults know the title of even one Gospel.
Most can't name the title of even one Gospel.
Most can't name the Bible's first book.
The trend extends even to Evangelicals,
only 44 % of whose teens could identify a partcular quote as comeing..
from the sermon on the mount..

Yet.. Simply Put, The Bible Is The Most Influential book ever written.
Not only is the Bible the best-selling book of all time,
it is the best selling book of the year every year....
------------------------------------------------------------

As I would imagine wise King Solomon saying..
How could that be ??
for a bestseller loaded with lots of wisdom and practical advice..
Which the majority seem to agree with/ that are of the Christian faith..
Is the Bible that hard to understand ???
or read ????

Hope This Helps....
Someone out there..
For thoses who find it so....

Understanding The Bible...
A Pleasure Open To You ...

The Bible contains precious truths from God.
It tells us about the purpose of life, the cause of human suffering,
and the future of mankind.

It teaches us how to find happiness, how to make friends,
and how to deal succesfully with problems.
More then that, we learn about our creator and heavenly Father,
Jehovah..

Such knowledge brings us delight and gives meaning to our lives..
Takeing in knowledge of God is likened in the Bible to eating..
Jesus said : " Man must live , not on bread alone, but on ever utterance..
comeing forth through Jehovah's mouth..
{ Matthew 4:4 , Hebrews 5:12-14 }

Just as eating nourishing food each day is neccesary to keep us alive,
so reading God's Word regularly is neccessary for us to benefit from God's promise of everlasting life..

We enjoying eating because of the way we are made and because it fills
a basic need...
However , we have another basic need that we must care for if we want to be happy...

Jesus said : " Happy are thoses conscious of their spiritual need. "
{ Matthew 5:3 }

Happiness is possible because that need can be satisfied through an understanding of God's Word...

True, some find that it is a challenge to understand the Bible...
For example ,
you may need help with texts that refer to unfamiliar customs...
or use figurative expressions.

Then, there are prophecies written in symbolic language that can be understood only by referring to other ..
Bible texts dealing with the same subject..
{ Daniel 7:1-7 } { Revelation 13:1,2 }

Even so , you really can come to understand the Bible..
How can you be sure of that ?

A Pleasure Open To All...
The Bible is the Word of God...
In it God express's his will to us..

Would God provide a book that is impossible to comprehend or that is
understandable only to highly educated people ?
No, Jehovah would not be so unkind.
Christ Jesus said:
" Which father is there among you who, if his son asks for a fish,
will perhaps hand him a serpent instead of a fish ?
Or if he asks for an egg will hand him a scorpion ?
Therefore, if you,
although being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more so will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those asking him !"
{ Luke 11:11-13 }

Thus, you can be sure that an understanding of the Bible is well within your reach and if you ask God sincerely,
he will provide the help you need to understand his Word..

Why, basic Bible teaching can be grasped and appreciated even by children!
{ 2 Timothy 3:15 }

Though it takes effort to understand the Bible,
doing so can have a powerful, uplifting effect on us..
After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to two of his disciples
and spoke to them about Bible prophecies..
Luke account says: " Commencing at Moses and all the Prophets he
interpreted to things pertaining to himself in the Scriptures..
What was the result ?

That evening , as they reflected on what they had learned,
the disciples said to each other:
" Were not our hearts burning as he was speaking to us on the road,
as he was fully opening up the scriptures to us ?
{ Luke 24:13-32}

Understanding God's word gave them pleasure because it strengthened
their faith in God's promises and gave them a positive outlook on the future..

Far from being a chore, comeing to understand the word of God is interesting and beneficial ,
as enjoyable as eating a hearty meal..
What must we do to gain such understanding ?
The following article shows how you can enjoy....
" the very knowledge of God."
{ Proverbs 2:1-5 }

Like A Loveing Father,
Jehovah gives holy spirit to help us understand the Bible...

Understanding the Bible..
What Will Help You ?

" You have carefully hidden theses things from wise and intellectual ones,
and have revealed them to babes. "
{ Luke 10:21 }
Theses words that Jesus addressed to his heavenly Father indicate that
to understand the Bible, we must have the right attitude.
Jehovah's wisdom is revealed in that he has provided a book that only humble,
teachable people can truely understand..

Humility does not come easy to most of us..
We all have inherited tendency to be proud...
In addition we live in " the last days," almong people who are lovers
of themselves ,..... headstrong , puffed up with pride."
{ Timothy 3:1-4 }

Theses are attitudes that work against our understanding God's Word.

Regrettably , to some degree we are all influenced by our surrounding..
How, then , can you acquire the attitude needed to understand the Bible ?

Preparing the Heart and the Mind...

Ezra, an ancient leader of God's people,
" prepared his heart to consult the law of Jehovah..
{ Ezra 7:10}

Is there some way that we can prepare our heart ?
Yes.
We can begin by adopting a proper view of the Scriptures.
To fellow Christians , the apostle Paul wrote:
When you recieve God's word, which you heard from us, you accepted it,
not as the word of men , but , just as it truthfully is , as the word of God."
{ 1 Thessalonians 2:13 }

Though man was used to write the Scriptures, what they wrote was from Jehovah..
Recognition of that vital fact will make us more receptive to what we read.
{ 2 Timothy 3:16}

Another way tro prepare our heart is by prayer.
Since the Bible was inspired by holy spirit,
it's message will become understood to us with the help of that spirit..
We must pray for such help..

Notice how this was the concern of the psalmist who wrote:
" Make me understand ,
that I may observe your law and that I may keep it
with the whole heart."
{ Psalm 119:34 }

We need to pray not only for the mental ability to comprehend what is written...
but also for the heart attitude that will allow us to accept it..
To understand the Bible , we need to be receptive to what is true..
As you meditate in order to have the right frame of mind,
consider what studying the Bible can do for you...

We have many excellent reasons for consulting God's Word ,
but more important then any other is that it helps us to draw closer to God.
{ James 4:8}

As we read about how Jehovah reacts to different circumstances ,
how he appreciates thoses who love him , and how he deals with thoses who leave him , we discern what sort of a person he is..

Our primary motive in reading the Bible should allways be to become better acquainted with God and thus strengthen our relationship with him..

Obstacles to Haveing the Right Attitude...

What might hinder us from understanding God's word ?
One obstacle is a misplaced feeling of loyalty.
For example ,
you may hold the beliefs and opinions of certain ones in high esteem..
However , what if theses individuals do not really uphold or value the truth of God's Word ?
Under such circumstances ,
to understand what the Bible really teaches may present a challenge..
Thus, the Bible encourages us to assess carefully what we have been taught.
{ 1 Thessalonians 5:21 }

Jesus' mother , Mary faced, such a challenge...
She was brought up according to Jewish tradition.
She carefully observed the Mosaic Law and doubtless went to the synagogue..
Later in life she recognized that the way of worship that her parents had taught her was no longer acceptable to God..
Consequently , Mary accepted Jesus' teaching and was among the first members of the Christian congregation.
{ Acts 1:13,14 }

This was not showing disrespect for her parents or their traditions;
rather, it was an expression for her love for God..

If we are to benefit from the Bible, like Mary we must put our loyalty
to God before loyalty to anyone else..
Sadly, many people put little value on Bible truth..
Some are content to follow religious traditions that are based on falsehood.
Others show disregard for truth in their speech and way of life..

Accordingly, accepting Bible truth comes at a price..
It may out you at odds with friends, neighbors, workmates, and even your family..
{ John 17:14 }
Neverless , the wise man wrote: " Buy truth itself and do not sell it."
{ Proverbs 23:23 }
If you hold truth in high esteem, Jehovah will help you to understand the Bible..

Still another obstacle to comprehending the Bible's message is an unwillingness to apply what it says..
Jesus told his disciples:
" To you it is granted to understand the sacred secrets of the Kingdom of the heavens, but to thoses people it is not granted..
For the heart of this people has grown unreceptive, and with their ears
they have heard without response."
{ Matthew 13:11, 15 }
Most of those to whom Jesus preached were unresponsive , unwilling to change..

How unlike the traveling merchant Jesus spoke of in an illustration !
Upon finding a pearl of high value , the merchant promptly sold all the things he had to buy it..
Understanding Bible truth should be equally precious to us..
{ Matthew 13:45,46 }

The Challenge Of Being Taught...

A major challenge in understanding the Bible is that of being teachable.
A person may find it difficult to except new ideas from someone who
appears to be lowly.

Yet, the apostles of Jesus Christ were " unlettered and ordinary " men.
{ Acts 4:13 }

Explaining why, Paul wrote : " You behold his calling of you, brothers,
that not many wise in a fleshly way were called, not many powerful ,
not many of noble birth ; but God chose the foolish things of the world,
that he might put the wise men to shame."
{ 1 Corinthians 1:26, 27}

If you find that being taught by a lowly person challenges your humility,
remember that he or she is merely the means used by God to teach you.
What privilidge could be greater than to be taught by Jehovah ,
our ' Grand Instructor "?
{ Isaiah 30:20 , 54:13 }

The Syrian military commander Naaman was someone who found it challenging to recieve insrtuction from a lowly one..

Seeking a cure for his leprosy , he went to see Jehovah's prophet Elisha.

But God's instruction for a cure was relayed to Naaman through a servant.
The message and the way it was presented challenged Naaman's humility,
so that he at first refused to obey the word of God's prophet...

Later , Naaman changed his attitude and was healed..
{ 2 Kings 5:9-14}

We face a similar challenge when we turn to the Bible..
We may learn that to be cured spiritually and morally,
we need to follow a new way of life..
Will we have the humility to allow someone to teach us what we need to do ?
Only thoses with a teachable atitude can enjoy an understanding of the Bible.

A fine attitude was displayed by a man in power under Candance,
queen of the Ethiopians..
He was returning to Africa in his chariot when the disciple Philip ran alongside and approached him..
Philip asked the man if he understood what he was reading..
The offical was humble enough to reply:
" How could I do so , unless someone guided me ?"
Upon gaining an understanding of God's word,
that man was baptized.

After that , " he " kept going on his way rejoicing."
{ Acts 8:27-39 }

Understanding the Bible can warm ones heart...
As well as ..
Prayer helps a person to gain the strength and the peace of mind
that are essential when one is faced with anxieties..
{ Philippians 4:6, 7 }

As My Refuge and Strength and hope thru faith..
For thoses that find it so and enjoyed the articule above..
Here's one for you... (((( Smiles )))

Are You Strengthened By God's Word...

When faced with a challenge, how do you cope ?

In Jesus' case, recalling an appropriate scripture helped him face Satans challenge..
{ Matthew 4:1-11 }

Likewise, when King David faced personal trails, he was strengthened by God's word..
He said:
" When my disquieting thoughts became many inside of me,
your own consolations began to fondle my soul."
{ Psalm 94:19}

In a similar manner, recalling a favorite scripture can console us or give us
stength when we faces challenges..
For example , Rex, who is now 89 years of age, has been a full- time evangelizer since 1931..
Yet he says: " I often felt inadequate when given a special assignment in the ministry."

How did he cope ?

"I recalled my favorite scripture, Proverbs 3:5 , which says:
' Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding.'
Recalling and applying this scripture helped me to carry out my assignment succesfully."

Even young ones benefit from haveing a favorite .
Six- year-old Jack says that his favorite scripture is Matthew 24:14..
This scripture motivates him to go preaching with his parents.
He says :
" I like going witnessing every Saturday with my mum, dad, and sister."

Like Jesus, do you sometimes face direct challenges to your faith ?
Then Philipians 4:13 may become one of your favorite scriptures..

Like King David, do you suffer from from " disquieting thoughts "?

Then recalling Philippians 4:6,7 may help you cope.
Do you sometimes worry that your service to God is in vain ?
Then remembering 1 Corinthians 15:58 will give you strength..

By memorizing approprate scriptures , we allow God's word to exert power in our lives.
{ Hebrews 4:12 }

Such favorite scriptures can provide us with both....
Strength and comfort...
{ Romans 15:4 }

My Refuge and Strength Hope thru Faith .. ((( Smiles )))
Following the following articule in trend....

For thoses who feel such as I do..
In faith together... For thoses that find it so...
Or thoses that just enjoy reading an interesting articule...
This is for you....

The Bibles Viewpoint...
Does Christian Unity Allow for Variety ?

Unity in the Christian congregation is vital..
Disunity in doctrinal belief would rise to fierce disputes,
dissension , and even enmity.
{ Acts 23:6-10}

The Bible says that " God is a God , not of disorder, but of peace."
{ 1 Corinthians 14:33 }

Are theses words and similar Bible passages encourageing strict uniformity
among Christians in every respect ?
{ John 17:20-23 } { Galatians 3:28 }

Does true Christianity as described in the Bible encourage variety when
it comes to individual personalities ?

Are all Christians expected to fit into some sort of rigid mold ?

God Appeals to Us Individually....

Some people strongly believe that the Bible is just another tool
for arbitrary control of the masses...
Granted, it has often been misused that way by some sects..
Jesus , however,
painted a very different picture of the scriptures and their Divine Author.

He has described God as one who has an intense interest in each of his creatures...
At John 6:44 , Jesus explained ;
" No man can come to me unless the Father , who sent me, draws him.
" The verb used here does not suggest that God drags people ,
against their will..
Instead , God gentally attracts , appealing to the heart..

There is, as one Bible scholar put it ,
" an influence from God to incline the mind to believe. "

The Creator does not view the human family as a faceless mass.
He makes an evaluation of individuals and gentally draws to himself
thoses who have a heart that is rightly disposed...
{ Psalm 11:5 } { Proverbs 21:2 } { Acts 13:48 }

Note how adaptable the apostle Paul was..

He recognized the special needs of each individual and acknowledged
that certain viewpoints were common to particular nationalities or backgrounds..

Then he adapted his approach accordingly.
He wrote :
" To the Jews I became as a Jew , that I might gain Jews...
To the weak I became weak , that I might gain the weak..
I have become all things to people of all sorts ,
that I might by means save some. "
{ 1 Corinthians 9:20-22 }

Clearly , Paul did not stereotype people or treat them all in the same way.
He gave them encouragement:
" Let your utterance be allways with graciousness , seasoned with salt,
so as to know how you ought to give an answer to each one."
{ Collossians 4:6 }

Yes , Paul and the other Christians had to recognize and respect each
person's uniqueness in order to help them....

God's Original Design...

This respect for a person as an individual continues after one becomes
part of the Christian congregation..
God's people do not drown in a sea of complete uniformity and absolute
conformity to the preferences of thoses in authority..

Rather, they enjoy a wide variety of personalities and have different abilities,
habits , and opinions..
The individuality of each one is not viewed as a bother or nuisance..
It is part of God's originial design..

Hence , in the new world promised in the Bible for the righteous,
perfection among humans will allow for great diversity..
{ 2 Peter 3:13 }

Under the heading " Perfection , "
the Bible encyclopedia Insite on the Scriptures appropriately makes the following comments:
" Perfection does not mean the end of varitey, however,
as persons often assume...

The animal kingdom, which is the product of Jehovah's perfect activity'
{ Genesis 1:20-24 } { Deuteronomy 32:4 }
contains enormous variety. "

Insight adds :
" Perfection of the planet Earth is likewise not incompatible with variety,
change, or contrast;
it allows for the simple and the complex , the plain and the fancy,
the sour and the sweet , the rough and the smooth ,
the meadows and the woods, the mountains and the valleys..

It embraces the stimulating freshness of early spring,
the warmth of summer with its azure-blue skies,
the loveliness of autumn colors , the pure beauty of freshly fallen snow..
{ Genesis 8:22 }

Perfect humans will thus not be stereotypes of identical personalitys,
talents , and abilities."

Concern For Others...

However, true Christianity does discourage a self-centered disregard for
thoses around us..
The apostle Paul watched closely every feature of his life and conduct
in order to avoid stumbling others..
He said in his letter to the congregation at Corinth:
" In no way are we giveing any cause for stumbling,
that our ministry might not be found fault with,"
{ Corinthians 6:3 }

Sometimes, we must control our personal desires and put the need
of others above our own preferences..
For example, Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome :
" It is well not to eat flesh or to drink wine or do anything over which
your brother stumbles."
{ Romans 14:21 }
Similarly today , a person may choose to refrain from consuming alcohol
in the presence of one who has a problem controlling his drinking.
{ Corinthians 10:23,24 }

This is done , not out of a compulsion to conform,
but as a noble act of kindness and love..
" Even the Christ did not please himself..
" Jesus was an individual , but he did not assert his preferences at the expense of others' feelings..
{ Romans 15:13 }

Still, one of the most refreshing aspects of true Christianity is it's respect
for individual freedoms and preferences within the bounds of the Bible guidelines..

It teaches that God made us to be distinct and unique..
At 1 Corinthians 2:11 , we read:
" Who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of man
that is within him ? "

We try to understand others as much as possible..
But this verse implies that we each have a uniqueness understood
only by ourselves and our Creator..

We have a " secret person of the heart " that we reveal as we choose.
{ 1 Peter 3:4 }

Unity and Variety -- A Delicate Balance..

The apostle Paul set a good example of Christian balance..
Although haveing authority as an apostle of Christ ,
he was carefull not to impose his opinions on others..

For instance , Paul had a strong opinion about the advantages of singleness
in this imperfect world...
He himself was single at the time he wrote:
" Thoses who [ marry ] will have tribulation in the flesh, "and,
" [ a widow ] is happier if she remains as she is, acoording to my opinion."

The fact that his words became part of the inspired Word of God indicates
there was nothing wrong with his opinion."
Yet , he allso explained:
" Even if you did marry , you would commit no sin."
{ 1 Corinthians 7:28, 40 }

Evidently, most of the apostles were married men,
as Paul acknowledged with the words :
" We have authority to lead about a sister as a wife ,
even as the rest of the apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas,
do we not ?"
{1 Corinthians 9:5 }

Christians knew that in this matter they could make choices different
from Paul's and he would still respect them..
Worshipers of God have allways been allowed to express their faith in
harmony with their unique personality...

In fact ,
God even allowed the Bible writers to use individual style when writting.
For example in all humilty Nehemiah wrote his account in the first person..
{ Nehemiah 5:6 ,19 }

On the other hand out of modesty the apostle John never once used his
own name in his Gospel account and rarely reffered to himself..
God approved of both styles and had them preserved in the Bible..

Similar examples of balance and reasonableness are found throught Scripture.
Clearly, Christian unity allows for varity.
Of course , diversity of backgrounds and opinions can lead to disunity when
spiritual qualites are lacking..
{ Romans 16:17, 18 }

But when we ' clothe ourselves with love , the perfect bond of union,'
we learn to accept and enjoy the unique personalitys of others..
{ Colossians 3:14 }

" Therefore welcome one another , " says the Bible,
" just as the Christ has welcomed us , with glory to God in view."
{ Romans 15:7 }

With the help of God's spirit , Christians can achieve the delicate balance
of maintaining unity while enjoying a variety of unique personalitys
in the congregation...

This a good articule on Libraries... Enjoy...
Libraries Gateways To Knowledge...

Libraries have been termed " one of the pillars of civilzation.
" The world book of Encycopedia says that they are among the most
important contributers to human culture and technology..

The German poet Goeth called them the memory of mankind..
Which libraries have been the most important " pillars of civilization. " ?
Which book has had the greatest influence both on libraries and
on the spread of literacy ?

And how many books do the largest of modern libraries hold ?
To answer the first question ,
let us step back in time and visit one of mankinds earliest libraries....

An Ancient " Encyclopedia of Human Knowledge "

King Ashurbanipal of Assyria , whose library held cuneiform clay tablets,
650 B.C.E...

Picture yourself in the Middle Eastern country known today as Iraq.
The year is 650 B.C.E.....
You are within the towering walls of the city of Niveveh...
( near modern- day Mosul)..

Lomming before you is the imperial palace of King Ashurbanipal--
ruler of Assyria , Egypt and Babylonia. *

* Ashurbanipal thought to be the Asenappar mentioned in the Bible at
Ezra 4:10, was a contemporary of Judean King Manasseh... *

Theses men have just returned from the extremites of the Assyrian
Kingdom and are attempting to gather every known work about the social,
cultural, and religious traditions of the people liveing in Ashurbanipal's realm.

Opening one of the jars,
you notice that they are full of pillow-shape clay tablets about
three inches wide by four inches long.....

You follow one of the men inside the palace,
where you see scribes with bone styli makeing wedge- shaped
impressions on small tablets of moist clay...

They are transalating foreign- language documents into Assyrian..
Later the tablets will be baked in an oven,
makeing the records almost indestructable....

The records are stored in rooms filled with shelves that are stacked
with hundreds of jars..
On the doorposts of the rooms ,
plaques state the subject of the records held in each location..

The more then 20,000 clay tablets in this library contain information
about business transactions , religious customs , law, history,
medicine , and a human and animal physiology,
forming what a later scholar described as....
" an encyclopedia of human knowledge.. "

Before and After the Nineveh Library..

Other great libraries existed before Ashurbanipal's library at Nineveh..
King Hammurabi built a library in the Babylonian city of Borsippa a
thousand years before Ashurbanipal..

Rameses II founded a famous library in the Egypitian city of Thebes
more than 700 years before Ashurbanipal..
But the diversity of information and the sheer number of records earn
Ashurbanipal's library the reputation of being...
"the greatest of the ancient world."

It was 350 years before another library surpassed it..
The great library was bulit by Ptolemy I Soter,
one of Alexanders the Great's generals, about the year 300 B.C.E..

It was constructed in the Egyptian seaport city of Alexandria,
and it's librarians endeavored to collect copies of most of the writings
in the inhabited world...

According to tradition, it was at Alexandria that about 70 scholars started
transalating the Hebrew portion of the Scriptures into Greek..
This translation came to be called the Greek Septuagint and was used
extensively by early Christians...

Oriental Libraries...

At the time that Ashurbanipal was improveing his library,
the Chou dynasty was ruling China..
During the reign of this dynasty, from 1122 B.C.E to 256 B.C.E,
a group of books were produced that came to be known as the Five Classics...

They included a handbook for interpreting the future,
a collection of speeches of early rulers, poetry,
instruction for religious ceremonies and rituals,
and a history of the state of Lu from about 722 B.C.E to 481 B.C.E..
the last book being ascribed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius..
The Five Classics and the numerous commentaries about them influenced
Chineses thinking and formed the basis of both imperial and private
libraries for more then two millenniums..

In Japan , Hojo Sanetoki, a member of a ruling samurai family,
founded a library in 1275 at his family home in Kanazawa..
( now part of Yokohama )

He attempted to collect evey existing book in Chinese and Japanese..
Although diminished in content, this collection of books still exists today..

The Bible, Monastery Libraries, and Western Culture..

" The power of the printed word, and the value of the Library,"
says the book A History Of Libraries in the Western World,'
" is nowhere better illustrated then in the rise, spread and durability
of the Christian religion.
" What is the relationship between the development of libraries and
the spread of Christianity ?

After the Roman Empire disintergrated and the contents of it's grand
libraries were destroyed or dispersed,
Christendom's monasteries emerged throughout Europe and gathered
remnants of theses ancient libraries.

One key activity of many of these monasteries was the copying of
Bible manuscripts as well as others by hand..
The Benedictine monasteries, for example ,
lived by the" Rule of St Benedictine ,
" which commanded the reading and copying of books..

Libraries in Constantinople stored and produced copies of ancient
manuscripts that eventually reemerged in Italy...

It is believed that these manuscripts played an important role in
triggering the Renaissance..

Historian Elmer D. Johnson says.
" The role of the monastery library in the preservation of Western culture
cannot be denied..
For more or less a thousand years, it was the intellectual heart of Europe,
and without it western civilization would have been a far different world."

The work of copying the Bible helped to keep...
" the intellectual heart of Europe " beating during this period.
And as the Reformation swept through Europe,
the desire to read the Bible motivated ordinary men to cast off
the shackels of illiteracy..

The book the story of Libraries says :
" We find in the Protestant Reformation the beginnings of the idea that
every member of society must have at least enough education to read
the Bible.

As theological controversy increased,
the abillty to read a broader range of religious writings became important..
This required not ony the knowledge of how to read ,
but physical acess to the books as well."

The Bible thus played a key role in the spread both of libraries and of
literacy throughout the Western world..
Then with the invention of the printing press,
huge private and national libraries containing books on a vast array of
subjects emerged throught Europe and,
eventually , the rest of the world.....

The British Library in London holds the second-largest number of books,
more then 18 million of them...

The Russian State Library in Moscow holds 17 millions books...
and has a collection of some 632,000 annual sets of newspapers..

The National Library of France,
one of the oldest surviving national libraries in Europe,
has 13 million books...

In addition, the book Library World Records states:
" The French national library was the first library to provide full-text..
access to a great deal of it's collection via the Internet...
" For anyone with an access to a computer,
the Internet has provided unprecedented ease of access to mankinds..
storehouse of knowledge....

As never before,
the quality of information available to the public is exploding..
It is extimated that the total stock of human knowledge is doubling
every four and a half years...

In the United States alone,
over 150,000 new book titles are published every year..
Especially relevant today, then,
is the observation of the ancient scholar , writer and King -- Solomon..
He wrote:
" To the makeing of many books there is no end,
and much devotion to them is wearsome to the flesh."
{ Ecclesiastes 12:12 }

When used discerningly, though,
libraries continue to be what the United Nations Educational,
Scientific , and cultural Organization calls a..
" local gateway to knowledge. "

I was looking at a poster of the solar system and I was thinking..
how totally amazing life is..
I mean.. Even with gravity and all.....
If a person throws a rock or metal up into the air..
It fall's straight down as it's heavier then air...
Though air does carry weight but thoses elements carry more..
Yet..
The Earth is formed of rock and metal...
Completely heavy and full of water...
Yet forces and natural laws not created by us of course..
Yet observed by us hold it all together so it all works...
Just hangs in space...
And of course we have the nitrogen and oxygen that allows life to exist..
It's all so wonderfully made and works so well..
Of course that is when we don't pollute it and mess it up..
From it's orginallity..
And what about the sun....
An amazeing star..
a giant ball of hot gases that creates light and heat..
It produces more energy each second then all the power plants ..
on Earth could produce in 2 million years..
Isn't it nice to wake up to a nice sunny day....
With the flowers blooming....
When it works it works well...
Isn't it just an amazing world...
Nothing simple about that....

An Appeal For Darkness...

Astronomers in France are battling for more darkness..
The vast amount of stray light in urban areas make a clear view..
of the starry heavens nearly impossible..
According to the magazine Le Point,
astronomers are urging city authorities to equip street lights..
with reflectors that direct the light downward and to require..
that advertising and office building lights, as well as laser- light displays,
be turned off at 11 p.m Michel Bonavitacola,
president of the Center for the Protection of the Night Sky, argued:
" Today not one child in a hundred can say that he has seen the
Milky Way...

Yet this spectacle, which is both magnificant and free,
helps us to comprehend our true place in the universe....

" A Faithfull Witness in the Skies "

Poets and songwriters have long extrolled the moon as an object of beauty.
For example ,
a divinely inspired song speaks of a women who is
" beautifull like the full moon." a faithfull witness in the skies."
{ Psalm 89:37}
What is the significance of this expression regarding the moon?
The moon unfailingly completes it's orbit around the earth every
27.3 days.
Hence,
the moon's faithfulness can refer to it's reliability.
However,
the psalmist may have had a much deeper meaning in mind.
He called the moon " a faithfull witness " in prophetic song about
the Kingdom for which Jesus taught his followers to pray.
{ Matthew 6:9,10 }
Over 3,000 years ago,
Jehovah God entered into the Kingdom covenant with King David of
ancient Israel.
{ 2 Samuel 7:12-16 }
The purpose of that covenant was to provide a legal basis for
Jesus Christ , as David's heir , to possess the throne forever.
{ Isaiah 9:7- Luke 1:32,33 }
Referring to the throne of David's " seed"," the psalmist sang:
" As the moon it will be firmly established for time indefinite,
and as a faithfull witness in the skies."
{ Psalm 89:36,37}
The ' luminary that dominates the night'-- the moon-- is a fitting
reminder of the permanance of Christ's rule.
{ Genesis 1:16 }
Concerning his Kingdom, Daniel 7:14 states:
" His rulership is an indefinitely lasting rulership that will not pass away,
and his kingdom one that will not be brought to ruin."
The moon is a witness that reminds us of the Kingdom and the blessings..
it will bestow on mankind..

Neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore..
" The former things have passed away."
{ Revelations 21:1-4 }

Are You " Kicking Against the Goads " ?

In Bible times , an oxgoad -- a long rod, usually tipped
with a sharp metal spike -- was used for driveing and guiding
draft animals..
If the animal stubbornly resisted the prickings of the goad by
pushing against it, what was the result ?
Rather then gaining relief, it only inflicted pain on itself.

The resurrected Jesus Christ spoke of goads when he appeared
to a man named Saul,
who was on his way to arrest some of Jesus' disciples.
Out of the mist of the blinding light,
Saul heard Jesus say:
Saul , Saul, why are you persecuting me ?
To keep kicking against the goads makes it hard for you."
By maltreating Christians, Saul was actually fighting against God,
pursuing a course that could only harm himself.
{ Acts 26:14 }

Could we also unintentionally be " kicking against the goads " ?
The Bible likens " the words of the wise ones " to oxgoads that prod
us to move foreward in the right direction.
{ Ecclesisates 12:11 }
The inspired counsel in God's Word can motivate and guide use correctly-
if we let it.
{ 2 Timothy 3:16 }
Resisting it's proddings can only harm us.
Saul took Jesus' words to heart, changed his course , and came to be
the beloved Christian apostle Paul.
Our heeding divine counsel will likewise bring us eternal blessings.
{ Proverbs 3:1-6}

" Happy Are Thoses Conscious Of Their Spiritual Need "..

How can one find inner peace and a purpose in life ?

" Even when a person has an abundance ," Jesus said,
" his life does not result from the things he possess.."
{ Luke 12:15 }

For the love of money is a root of all sorts and injurious things,
and by reaching out for this love some .....
have stabbed themselves all over with many pains. "
{ 1 Timothy 6:9, 10 }

Where does one find meaning and purpose in life ?
For David.. as he said in Psalm 119:105..

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path..
106: I have sworn and I rise to it, to keep Your righteous
judgements..
107: I am afflicted very much, O Jehovah, give me life
by Your word..
108 : Please, O Jehovah , accept the free offering of my mouth
and teach me Your judgements..
109: My life is in my hand continually yet I do not forget your law.
110: The wicked have laid a snare for me; yet I do not wander
from Your precepts..
111: I have inherited Your testimonies forever; for they are the
rejoicing of my heart allways to do Your statues to the end..

For David.. The love of God.. Brought much joy.. To him....

My refuge and strength.. Is.. And reason to believe..
Beside all the other reasons that give one hope..

Is Luke 24:36..
And (as ) they were saying theses things ,
Jesus Himself stood in their midst,
and said to them, Peace to you !
37: But being terrified and being filled with fear ,
they thought they beheld a spirit.
38: And He said to them, Why are you being troubled ?
And why do reasonings come up in your hearts.
39: See My hands and My feet that I am He ?
Feel Me and see , because a spirit does not have flesh and bones,
as you behold Me haveing.
40: And haveing said this, He showed them ( His ) hands and feet.
41: But yet they not believeing from the joy, and marveling.
He said to them , Have you anything edible here ?
42: And they gave a broiled part ( of ) a fish.
43: And haveing taken theses before them, He ate.
44: And He said to them, Theses ( are ) the words which I
spoke to you, yet being with you, that must be fulfilled all the things
haveing been written in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and
the Psalms, concerning Me.
45: Then He opended up their minds to understanding the Scriptures,
46: and said to them, So it has been written, and so the Christ must
suffer , and to rise from ( the ) dead the third day.
47: And repentence and remission of sins ( must )
be preached on His name to all the nations , haveing begun from
Jerusalem.
48: And you are witnesses of theses things,
49: And, behold !
I send forth the promise of My Father on you,
But you sit in the city of Jerusalem untill you are clothed with power
from on high.

I must be about my Father's Business { Luke 2:49 }
And Jesus did just that....
That just fills me with such hope..
He overcame death..
Thats the promise that we can too...
In the resurrection..
No pain no sorrow as death will be no more....

But It's O.K. to rejoice.. Jesus said if you love me you'll rejoice..
Being not of this world.. He was happy He was going home..
To be with the Father He loved.. We should be happy too..

John 14:18..
I will not leave you orphans; I am comeing to you.
19: Yet a little ( while ) and the world no longer beholds Me,
but you behold Me Because I live , you also shall live.
20: In that day you shall know that I (am) in My Father,
and you in Me, and I in you.
21: The ( one ) haveing My commandments and keeping them,
that one is the ( one ) loveing Me; and the one loveing Me will
be loved by My Father , and I will love him and will reveal Myself
to him.
22: Judas said to Him , not the Iscariot, Lord, what has happened
that You are about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world ?
23: Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will
keep My Word , and My Father will love him , And We will come to him
and will make an abode with him.
24: The ( one) not loveing Me does not keep My words, And the Word
which you hear is not Mine but of the ( one ) haveing sent Me, ( the)
Father.
25: I have spoken theses things to you, abiding with you;
26: but the comforter the Holy Spirit , whom My Father will send
in My name , He shall teach you all things and shall remind you
( of ) all things that I said to you.
27: I leave peace to you, My peace I give to you, Not as the world
gives I give to you. Let not your heart be agitated, nor let it be fearfull.
28: You heard that I said to you, I go away, and I come ( again) to
you.
If you loved Me , you would have rejoiced that I said, I am going
to the Father ; for My Father is greater than I am.
29:And now I have told you before ( it ) happens , then when it
happens you may believe.
30: No longer many things I will speak with you, for the ruler of this
world is comeing, and ( he) has nothing to do with Me.
31: But that the world may know that I love the Father,
even as the Father commanded Me, so I do, Rise up, let us go from here.

What profound words.. And who is the ruler of this world who's
comeing who has nothing to do with Jesus or the Father..
As Jesus loves the Father. I love Him too...
How could I not... Jesus made his love known to us all..
But the expirence was so profound...
It changed the world.. Changed lives....

Faith With Understanding..

Christians accept the resurrection accounts on faith, but it is a faith
sealed by the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit.
And faith is not blind, unintelligent trust.
Theology has been defined as " faith seeking understanding."
Christian worship God with their minds as well as their hearts.
The four gospels records an event hard to explain in face of the
most obvious evidence-- the existence of the Christian Church.

Something unprecedented happened in Jerusalem in the first century.
This forces the question: What kind of history do we see in scripture ?
Arthur Glasser calls the Bible " interpreted history." He said " it's great
truths [ come infleshed in historical events, human expirence,
and prophetic exposition" ( Kingdom and Mission, pages 18, 16).

Hugh Anderson sheds more light: " We expect the historian to -day
to be as scientifically accurate as possible in reporting of facts.
By contrast the historians of Israel viewed history as the sphere of
God's activity. Their purpose in telling the story of Israel was to
confront men with the sovereign authority of a high and holy God,
calling upon them to surrender their lives to Him."
( Historians of Israel, Vol 2 , pages 26,28 ).

The Gospel writters were concerned with spiritual meaning and eternal life.
They gave us history plus interpretation. Matthew , Mark, Luke and John
were preachers before they were historians.
Yet the resurrection accounts provide a compelling example of faith
meeting understanding. They make sense once the Holy Spirit enables
us to believe. For example:

* First , there is the most embarrssing honesty of the resurrection
accounts. The doubts of Thomas , Peter and other apostles are
candidly set forth..
{ Mark 16:9-14 }
The New Testament is hard on it's heroes.

Who in the early Church could have written such things about prominent
Church leaders still alive unless thoses things were really true ?
The transformed lives of the apostles are exactly what we would expect
if Christ was resurrected.
{ Acts 4:13 }

* Who among the disciples could invent such a story as that of
Jesus of Nazareth ? Could men who where often chided for their
slowness to believe and their lack of spiritual imaganation.
{ Matthew 16:5-12 }
have invented such challenging phrases as:
I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me"
{ John 14:6 }

British Bible scholar C.H Dodd recorded that as a young man he
fretted about the time interval between events mentioned in the
Gospels and when thoses events were written several decades later.
He changed his mind:
" When Mark was writting there must have been many people about
who were in their prime under Pontius Pilate, and they must have
remembered the stirring and tragic events of the time....
If anyone had tried to put over an entirely imaginary of ficitious account
of them , there would have been middle-aged or elderly people who
would have said..
You are wasteing your breath: I remember it as if it were yesterday.' "
( Traditions; Old and New, page 41 ).

* It is hard to account for the Christian Faith's sweep across the
Roman Empire without a spectacular primary cause.
The ressurection was the catalyst.
" One of the most compelling proofs of the resurrection is that the
crucifixion left the disciples in despair and that, hopeless, they
were transformed by their expirence of the risen Jesus....
Even more important was the conviction nourished in Christians
that by the resurrection Jesus had been vindicated and had been
show to be the Son of God with power"
( Kenneth Latourette, A History of Christianity, Vol 1, pages 58-59)

That power, that life, proved invincible. It still is...
The Plain Truth April 1995