Joanne Lowe's Meditations

DID YOU EVER WONDER

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Genesis 1:1 (King James Version)

There are only ten words in our Scripture verse for today but these ten words are the most powerful words in the world because they describe the heart of our Heavenly Father. Did you ever wonder why God, our loving compassionate Heavenly Father, created us when He knew that His beloved Son would have to be crucified on a cross of horror and excruciating pain for our sins?

That didn’t make any sense to me at all because not only does God give unconditional love, His very nature is love! I wondered about that many times so one day I asked Him. I said “God, You are a loving compassionate Heavenly Father. Please tell me why You created us when You knew that Your precious and beloved Son would be crucified, tortured and beaten beyond recognition for us?”

He spoke to my heart and said “I am God. I don’t need anybody or anything. However, I desired fellowship and that is why I created you”. When He told me that I cried, because none of us, including myself, fellowship with Him like we should. If we will listen with our hearts, we will hear the heart of our Heavenly Father saying to us “I miss you. It’s been a long time since we fellowshipped together. Do you have time for Me today”?

We read in the Bible “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). When God formed man, it was the start of His dream, the beginning of His desire that we would fellowship with Him. How we must hurt Him and break His heart when we don’t fellowship with Him!

How important is fellowship? It is the most important thing in the world to God. He desires us to fellowship with Him and with one another. What a sad commentary it is on those of us who claim to be Christians that we don’t take the time to fellowship with Him and with one another. Why don’t we fellowship with Him and with each other more than we do? I believe it is because there are times when we sit and watch television hour after hour instead of fellowshipping with our Heavenly Father and with one another.

Will you respond to the cry from our Heavenly Father’s heart and fellowship with Him? Spending time with Him does not mean just our quiet times with Him or the prayers we say for others. It means an ongoing fellowship with Him that never ends even in the midst of our daily activities. I started a prayer to Him on January 24, 2005, the day that He entrusted me with and gave me the ministries of encouraging pastors and writing devotions. I have never said Amen to that prayer.

I don’t do a lot of talking to Him. I listen so He can talk to me and tell me what He wants me to do. Many times when I want to pray for someone, I just say the person’s name. God knows a lot better than I do what the person needs. There are times when we hinder God working in the hearts of people by what we say in our prayers. I heard a man say one time when he was praying “Father, my son has to go to this college I want him to attend. Make him go there”.

How dare you and I pray to a Holy God and demand anything from Him? He knows what we need and what is best for us. We need to stop praying so selfishly, get out of His way and stop telling Him what to do. I think sometimes we forget that we are the clay and He is our potter. “But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand” (Isaiah 64:8).

“Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still.” If these words of this beautiful inspiring song are not the cry of your heart, ask God to give you a heart checkup because something is very wrong! It is a lot more important that you allow God to check your spiritual heart than it is to go to the doctor so he or she can check your physical heart.

Heavenly Father, we have heard the cry from the depths of Your heart for us to fellowship with You. Please have mercy on us and forgive us for hurting You by not spending more time with You than we do. May we always remember that You created us to fellowship with You and that fellowship is very important. You have told us that not only do You desire us to spend time with You, but we also need to spend time with each other.

Please forgive us for being selfish at times and help us to realize the importance and urgency of turning off the television set and reaching out to one another and loving each other with Your unconditional love. Please plant a desire deep in the heart of every one of us to get out of our comfort zones and spend time with You and with one another as You desire us to do. Amen.

Joanne Lowe

joannelowe8@cox.net

www.joanne-ourprecioussaviour.blogspot.com

Poem for Today

Love Flowed Freely

.
When love flowed freely from the Cross,
Man’s richest gain was Heaven’s loss.

When love flowed freely on that day
It washed the darkest sin away.

The Saviour paid the price for sin,
Repentant hearts can enter in.

Love flowing freely from His side,
The bridegroom waits His spotless bride.

When freed from sin, from toil, from pain,
Our joyful praise is Heaven’s gain.

In service now, our arms we raise,
To Him in everlasting praise.
© 2010 Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Bring back any memories for you?

Someone asked the other day, 'What was your favourite 'fast food' when you were growing up?' 'We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,' I informed him.
'All the food was slow.'

'C'mon, seriously.. Where did you eat?' 'It was a place called 'home,'' I explained. 'Mum cooked every day, and when Dad got home from work we sat down together at the dining-room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate, I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.'

By this time, the lad was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table.

But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I'd figured his system could have handled it:

Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore jeans, set foot on a golf course, travelled out of the country or had a credit card.

My parents never drove me to school. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow).

We didn't have a television in our house until I was 10.
It was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at 10 pm, after playing the national anthem and epilogue; it came back on the air at about 6 a.m. and there was usually a locally produced news and farm show on, featuring local people...

I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line.

Pizzas were not delivered to our home... But milk was.

All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers --My brother delivered a newspaper, seven days a week. He had to get up at 6AM every morning.

Film stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the films. There were no movie ratings because all movies were responsibly produced for everyone to enjoy viewing, without profanity or violence or almost anything offensive.

If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don't blame me if they bust a gut laughing.

Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?

MEMORIES from a friend:
My Dad is cleaning out my grandmother's house (she died in December) and he brought me an old Royal Crown Cola bottle. In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it... I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea. She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. I knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to 'sprinkle' clothes with because we didn't have steam irons. Man, I am old.

How many do you remember?
Headlight dip-switches on the floor of the car.
Ignition switches on the dashboard.
Trouser leg clips for bicycles without chain guards.
Soldering irons you heated on a gas burner.
Using hand signals for cars without turn indicators.

Older Than Dirt Quiz:
Count all the ones that you remember, not the ones you were told about.
Ratings at the bottom.

1. Sweet cigarettes
2. Coffee shops with juke boxes
3. Home milk delivery in glass bottles
4. Party lines on the telephone
5. Newsreels before the movie
6. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning.. (There were only 2 channels [if you were fortunate])
7. Peashooters
8. 33 rpm records
9. 45 RPM records
10. Hi-fi's
11. Metal ice trays with levers
12. Blue flashbulb
13. Cork popguns
14. Wash tub wringers

If you remembered 0-3 = You’re still young
If you remembered 3-6 = You are getting older
If you remembered 7-10 = Don't tell your age
If you remembered 11-14 = You're positively ancient!

I must be 'positively ancient' but those memories are some of the best parts of my life.

Don't forget to share this with others, especially with all your really OLD friends!

Latest issue of 'The Voice Christian News & Views' is out!

The latest edition of The Voice Christian News & Views magazine is out, and is packed with interesting articles, features and much more. In this issue we have the first instalment of K P Yohannan's book, Revolution in World Missions, which is a must read for every Christian. There is a great article by J Lee Grady and also one from Carter Conlon of Times Square Church in New York. Add a good dash of humour and features such as the one on the hymn-writer Philip P Bliss, and you have a really good read, and it's all for FREE! All you need to do is email me your postal details and you will be added to the Mailing List. The magazine is sent out every two months free-of-charge to subscribers across the world. Why not join them yourself!

“Prayer Can Cut Crime”

I found this on my friend Andy Rogers' blog and thought it was well worth sharing with you, dear reader. There is nothing more powerful than the believer's prayer in the hands of someone committed to serving God's purpose.

“Prayer Can Cut Crime” – The Independent.

January 30, 2010

A policing group which believes that the power of prayer can catch criminals and keep officers safe from harm has been awarded a £10,000 grant from the Home Office

A Christian policing group which believes that the power of prayer can catch criminals and keep officers safe from harm has been awarded a £10,000 grant from the Home Office to widen its involvement with local church groups.

The Christian Police Association (CPA) wants members of the public to “adopt a cop” by praying for the safety of local officers as they ply their beats. Subjects that the association says congregations should be encouraged to pray for include “helping officers make on-the-spot decisions” and encouraging them to “resist corruption”.

The nationwide organisation, which boasts 2,000 members, claims that there is “circumstantial evidence” to suggest that regular prayer sessions can help reduce crime rates and encourage criminals to make a new start to their lives.

This week they are launching a new initiative called “CoAct”, which is partly funded by a £10,000 Home Office grant, to improve links between local church groups and police officers and encourage congregations to act as “peacemakers” in areas where gang violence and antisocial behaviour is high.

Don Axcell, a retired Metropolitan Police sergeant who heads the CPA, told Police Review: “We want people to pray for the police, for example in solving crimes or protecting officers. We want to see the Christian community fully interacting with the service. I think it will break down barriers.”

Mr Axcell said two incidents from his own career had made him believe that prayer really could help apprehend suspects. “One officer was investigating an incident but had not been able to apprehend a suspect,” he said. “He encouraged a church to pray for him and within days a suspect had been charged. Another officer encouraged churches to pray about domestic burglary and over the year it came down by 30 per cent. We do not discount good police work, which is why we call it circumstantial evidence.”

Les Isaacs, the founder of the influential Street Pastors movement, which patrols more than 70 cities across the country helping drunken revellers and diffusing gang tensions, says church groups already play a strong role in tackling antisocial behaviour.

“The approach has to be both pragmatic and spiritual,” he said. “Prayer makes a tangible difference, we see it every day. If you pray for the well-being of the community around you will see people physically become less aggressive.”

But Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said the Government should not be funding religious-oriented police organisations which he believes have helped factionalise officers into competing camps.

“I have no objection to a local congregation praying for their community but the Government should not be funding these sorts of sectarian police groups,” he said. “If there’s one institution that should be avowedly secular, it is the police force. Yet we have Christian, Muslim and Jewish police associations all battling for greater recognition and government funding.”

Matt Baggott, chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and president of the Christian Police Association, said CoAct would be a “great way of giving police officers the support, care and encouragement that they need and value”.

A Home Office spokesman added: “We have given the Christian Police Association a one-off grant of £10,000 to support its ongoing work to improve community safety, tackle antisocial behaviour and reduce violence.”

via independent.co.uk

Comment on my 'Madeleine McCann' posts. . .

My posts on the subject of Madeleine McCann have turned up some interesting comments form folk, most of which have been positive. It's good to create an atmosphere in which subjects such as this can become the centre of the forum.

There are some points which I would like to make that I think are important:

• Regarding the circumstances which led to little Madeleine's disappearance in the beginning, there can be no questioning of the fact that she, like any small child, should never have been left alone. This is particularly the case when in a foreign country.
• From the outset there appears to have been a number of 'false leads' which were allowed to muddy the waters somewhat. For this I blame all those involved in publicising such 'leads' without anything except hysteria as a base for them.
• From all of the reporting that I have come across, (and I, like the majority of people interested in this case, have only the plethora of media reports to trawl through), the conclusion that I draw is that the investigations were handled in a desultory manner.
• I am concerned that it would appear that people on both sides are profiting from the whole matter. That is not in the interests of Truth, Justice, or Madeleine.
• I disagree with Goncalo Amaral making money from the case, but then I also disagree with anyone from the McCann camp profiting in any way just as strongly.
• Sadly, despite approaching three years has gone by since Madeleine's disappearance, nobody is any closer to discovering the truth of the matter. The more time goes by then the farther away it would seem that such a discovery is.

I have to hold my hands up and say that, as my information is gleaned from the public domain, I can be wrong in some of my opinions.

Madeleine McCann: 'Anonymous' comments once again!

Last Saturday (5th March) I posted an entry on my Blog about the inefficiency of the Portuguese Police Department in their dealings with the Madeleine McCann case, and once again one of their supporters, who hides behind the title 'Anonymous', tried to leave a comment on my Blog site. Whilst I enjoy getting comments I have a strict policy that dictates that I never, and I do mean never publish any comments where the writer remains anonymous. In literary terms it's rather like the method that terrorists deploy to hide their identity, and is the mark of cowardice in my estimation.

This particular 'Anonymous' questioned my right to comment on the fact that the Portuguese Police Department dismissed reports of dozens of potential sightings of Madeleine as irrelevant and not worth looking into. This person who is afraid to be identified, questioned how I could write as I did without sighting the Police Records.

Well, the answer to that is easy! The existence of these files which the Portuguese Police Department would have preferred to have remained secret, became a matter of Public Knowledge when they came to light in a legal action brought by the McCanns against Goncalo Amaral, the disgraced detective who was in charge of the case at the time, and who is subsequently trying to enrich himself by making unproven accusatory claims against the McCanns.

I suspect that 'Anonymous' is actually one of Amaral's supporters, although it's irrelevant to me because as long as they hide behind a cloak of anonymity I have neither concern nor interest in them.

In this case the facts that I stated in my Blog post on Saturday are the reporting of a matter which is finally denuded of its cloak of secrecy and has been exposed to the cold, harsh light of day. I have no need to offer judgment in the matter. The facts are judgment enough of the inefficient manner in which they were dealt with.

There can be no doubt that many of the reported sightings are untrue for a variety of reasons. Perhaps, in some instances, claims are made in good faith by people who are genuinely mistaken, only for them to have been wrong, and in other cases it may well be that claims have been made by people seeking publicity for themselves, seeking for their fifteen-minutes of fame. However, even if just one claim is dismissed without being properly checked out, it is sad to think that it may have been the one claim that was genuine. This is why, in a case such as this, it is important to leave no stone unturned.

Hayley Oliver, UK's Queen of Country!

Regular readers of my Blog will know that I'm very much a Country Music fan. I've loved C & W music since I was in my early teens. In fact the very first album that I ever purchased was a Slim Whitman Album called Slim Whitman Sings. I was about 15 or 16 years old. I still have the album and still enjoy the songs on it such as Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain and When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again.

My love of Country Music was refuelled a while ago when I discovered the amazing fireball of talent that is Hayley Oliver, the Queen of the UK Country Music scene. Her latest CD, I Can Still Dream, is an out and out winner. If you haven't added it to your collection yet then check in at cdBaby and get a copy pronto!

Hayley now goes off on gigs with her own band which you can see for yourself by checking out the videos of Hayley and the guys in action on The Hayley Oliver Band website. Not as fabulous as seeing and hearing them live, but still a great thing to experience. Don't just take my word for it, check it out for yourself. On the website you'll find details of where they are gigging as well, so keep a check on when they are near you.

You can also listen to sample tracks from the latest Hayley Oliver Band album, Naturally by following this link.

Joanne Lowe's Meditations

IN THE STILLNESS

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7 (King James Version)

One of the definitions in Webster’s Dictionary for the word “silence” is “absence of sound or noise”. It seems like every place we go there is noise. Our world is full of noise and our homes are full of noise. It seems like every activity we attend has noise, loud noise. There is nothing wrong with having music at activities but we do need to have activities that do not have music.

What breaks my heart is that I have been to churches where the music was played so loud during the invitation time that I couldn’t hear what the pastor was saying. How that must hurt Jesus and break His heart! Many years ago, I asked a pastor “Do you have a time when the church is open, when it is quiet with no music being played so people can come and pray”?

The pastor replied and said “We do open the church once a month so people can come and pray but there is always music being played”. I don’t know about you but when I pray, I don’t want to hear music or have any other distractions. I want to come to my Heavenly Father in a reverent stillness.

When I was in the mental hospital, practically every patient there was taking tranquilizers to calm them. Instead of the attendants playing calm and soothing noise to help calm the patients, the loud speakers were blasting with loud noise. The music, (in my opinion, it wasn’t music, it was just noise) was so loud at times that it rattled the windows.

Instead of calming the patients, it excited them. The music was playing so loud one day and got the patient sitting next to me so excited that all of a sudden, without any warning, he pushed his feet through the glass windows and cut himself. When the other patients saw his feet bleeding and the attendants wrestling him to the floor to subdue him and put a strait jacket on him, they got very upset and shouted “Turn the music down!”

When we pray, we should go to our Heavenly Father with an attitude of awe. It is a privilege to talk to Him and we should treat Him with respect. I received an email several months ago from someone who told me “I pray but I don’t hear God saying anything to me”. I asked this person if the radio or television was playing while the person was talking to God. The person replied and said “Yes”.

It is no wonder at all that we don’t hear God talking to us. He isn’t going to shout to make Himself heard over loud music or other distractions. He speaks to us in the stillness as we come to Him with humble hearts. Are you willing to shut off the television and anything else that is a distraction and pray in the stillness so you can hear God when He is talking to you?

If we aren’t willing to talk to Him when it is quiet, then we shouldn’t complain that we can’t hear Him talking to us. You might say “I don’t have any time where I can be alone and pray”. I heard a pastor say this in one of his sermons when I lived in Oklahoma “If you can find time to read the newspaper, you have time to pray and you can go to the bathroom to pray if you have to.”

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for allowing the noise of this world and other distractions to keep us from hearing You when You are trying to talk to us. Help us to come to You in the stillness of our hearts and listen to You. May we stop complaining and start praising and thanking You for what You have already done for us. Amen.

Joanne Lowe

joannelowe8@cox.net

www.joanne-ourprecioussaviour.blogspot.com

Time for a thoughtful smile!

These cartoons are by Cody Stromberg. If you want to see more of his work then why not visit his website at www.codystromberg.com

These cartoons are Copyright 2010 by Cody Stromberg. Please contact him if you wish to publish them elsewhere.

Jon Venables : Time for the WHOLE truth!

The revelation this week that Jon Venables, the notorious murderer who, together with fellow-killer John Thompson, brutally killed little Jamie Bulger in the most horrendous manner back in 1993, is once more incarcerated, must have brought a degree of pleasurable relief to the thousands of people who have felt since the trial that these killers were treated too leniently.

However, as more and more information about Venables' life gets leaked through the Media, one cannot help questioning why he has not been arrested previously since being let out of the 'soft-option' incarceration that he was sentenced to.

Why, for example, if the stories of his previously attacking people since his release are true, was he not immediately arrested.

Why was he allowed to work as a nightclub bouncer --- a 'profession' in which it is recognised that there are often instances of severe brutality --- if he was genuinely being monitored?

Why was he allowed to roam relatively freely in the Merseyside area despite one of the terms of his release being that he was not to enter Merseyside for any reason. Once again I ask the question, "Where was the monitoring of this dangerous individual?"

The crime of murder that Venables and Thompson committed was heinous enough, but the form that the murder took makes it forever unforgivable in the eyes of the vast majority of the public. Most people, even though who would normally oppose the death sentence for the taking of life, would almost certainly have supported the concept that both of these killers deserved to have their lives eradicated. Many more might even have offered to carry it out. This is why huge sums of money are spent to protect these two from falling into the hands of people far less violent that they themselves.

It is, of course, for God to judge them in the final day, but there must be many who would feel happier if they were brought before God sooner rather than later.

Madeleine McCann: How much more is hidden from view?

It was revealed recently that the inefficient Portuguese Police Department decided that the vast majority of the reports coming in to them claiming sightings of little Madeleine McCann were probably false and so not worth even bothering to investigate.

I draw a parallel here with the question of whether to give to the beggar in the street. Of course, there are a huge number of people on the streets begging for enough to get them through the day who, if you investigated them, may well have a greater income than you do yourself, for begging can be extremely lucrative. However, if you give to fifty beggars and only one or two are genuinely in dire need then, particularly if you have given in good heart, it's worthwhile. The alternative is to ignore them all as though they are irrelevant, but this means that ultimately the lives of those one or two will probably be lost to malnutrition, hypothermia or disease, or a combination of any or all of those dreadful things.

In the same way, what would it matter if there were a hundred reported sightings of Madeleine which, when investigated, proved to be false, yet the one hundred and first proved to be genuine and perhaps was even responsible for returning her to her family.

The more revelations that come to light regarding the Portuguese Police Department, the more I cannot help feeling that even Inspector Clousseau would be better at directing their operations. At least he would have followed every lead dogmatically!

Perhaps there has been too much of a rush for those members of the PPD involved in the investigation to write books in order to endeavour to enrich themselves as a result of their bumbling, fumbling and downright tardiness at doing their job properly.

Joanne Lowe's Meditations

BECAUSE OF JESUS

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.”

Hebrews 13:8 (King James Version)

I have a lot of songs that I love but I think if I had to choose one to be my favourite song of all it would be “Because He Lives” by Bill Gaither. I love these words “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives.”

I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. I don’t know if it will be a day filled with happiness and laughter or a day filled with sadness and sorrow but one thing I do know, because of Jesus I can face tomorrow.

I pray with all of my heart that every person in the world will feel the joy, the happiness and the excitement that comes by knowing Jesus. Do you know my precious Saviour? Do you know that He weeps when you cry and He rejoices when you laugh? He loves you so very much.

He sits at your bedside and holds your hand during the long and lonely nights as He whispers tenderly “I’m here. I love you and I will never leave you”. O what a Saviour! What a friend, this Jesus of Nazareth!

If you have never given your heart and life to Jesus, I urge you; I plead with you to open the door of your heart and let Him come in to be your personal Saviour. He will forgive all of your sins and will save you. However, after you are saved, you must spend time with Him getting to know Him.

For those of you who are saved and have been for many years, do you know Jesus? Do you laugh with Him and cry with Him? I don’t know what heartaches and trials you have in your life but Jesus knows and He is more than able to not only carry you through the dark valleys of your life today, but also to carry you tomorrow and every day for the rest of your life. Put your hand in the hand of Jesus and say to the world “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow”.

Joanne Lowe

joannelowe8@cox.net

www.joanne-ourprecioussaviour.blogspot.com

Is the UK Government a pawn of the Islamic Fundamentalists?

It is a matter of history that when the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight Eisenhower, found the victims of the death camps he ordered all possible photographs to be taken, and for the German people from surrounding villages to be ushered through the camps and even made to bury the dead.

He did this because he said in words to this effect:

'Get it all on record now - get the films - get the witnesses -because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened'

This week, the UK debated whether to remove The Holocaust from its school curriculum because it 'offends' the portion of the Muslim population which claims it never occurred. It is not removed as yet. However, this is a frightening portent of the fear that is gripping the world and how easily each country is giving into it.

It is now more than 60 years since the Second World War in Europe ended.

This message is being passed on as part of a memorial chain, in memory of the 6 million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians, and 1,900 Catholic priests who were 'murdered, raped, burned, starved, beat, experimented on and humiliated' while the German people looked the other way!

Now, more than ever, with Iran, among others, claiming the Holocaust to be 'a myth', it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets.?

This message is intended to speak the truth to 400 million people! Be a link in the memorial chain and help distribute this around the world.

How many years will it be before it is claimed that the attack on the World Trade Center 'NEVER HAPPENED', because it offends some Muslim in the U.S. ???

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE...SOMEONE HAD TO PAY FOR IT

Jennifer Douglas sings 'Love Away the Hate'

Love away the Hate, the song released on the Sheer Joy Music label recently by Jennifer Douglas, is one of 24 tracks on the latest compilation CD released by New Christian Music (NCM#71), and as a result it's being played on Christian Radio Stations all over the world. One of them is on-line radio station Divine Authority.

Jennifer Douglas' latest single, If Only I Had Wings is due for release at the end of March. Watch out for this song, described by recording studio owner Sean Kenny of Ten21 Studios as a fantastic singer and a fabulous song. Watch out for it!

THE MOST EXTREME MAN or WOMAN in the CHURCH

Anna Wood, the author of this piece, manages to hit the nail right on the head about the need to speak out God's truth. All too often the message that comes from church pulpits is a watered down version of the gospel, designed to 'tickle the ears' of the listener. Alternatively, and far worse are the other forms of gospel that are promulgated from many pulpits, either the 'prosperity gospel' or the 'social gospel'. None of these will point people towards repentance and ultimately salvation. They serve the world's purpose, not God's, and are not only useless, but also false. The only gospel of any real and lasting value is the Gospel of Jesus Christ; that He was sent by God as the sacrificial Lamb, to pay the price of the salvation of mankind from the depths of their sinful natures. Nothing less than this Gospel will bring people to true repentance and salvation, reconciling them to God the Father.

THE MOST EXTREME MAN or WOMAN in the CHURCH

By Anna Wood (http://annawood.wordpress.com/)

The most extreme man in the church today is the man is the one who stands on God's Word alone.

He is the "voice crying in the wilderness" of modern 'churchianity'.

It is he who dares to ask not, "Is this okay? Can we "get away with it"?", but "Is this honoring to God Almighty?"

Here is one who refuses to engage in frivolity while the world slides to hell.

Here is the man who isn't afraid to stand before men and be laughed at; he is afraid only of standing before God and being condemned.

He stands for truth in a time of compromise.

He constantly searches out the Word of God and demands a "thus saith
the Lord" in a time of me-centered, watered-down, cotton candy
teachings.

He believes that there is one way, God's Way, and he is willing to give up home, income, reputation.indeed, he is willing to give up all that he has, all that he is.in order that it may be taught.

Here is the one who knows "doing for God" must grow out of "being with God" and not the other way around.

Here is the preacher who isn't afraid to "step on toes" or make someone uncomfortable when the need arises.

He is one who will preach boldly against sin in all of its manifestations.

He is a man who constantly invites his Lord to "search me.try me.see
if there is any wicked way in me".

He is one who knows Jesus wasn't just "meek and mild" but also the Lion of Judah Who was zealous for God's house and he tirelessly seeks to follow his Master's example.

He is the husband, the father, who leads his family to go against the world-no matter how unpopular, how uncomfortable the position-rather than ride the flow that leads to hell.

Here is the young man who seeks out a woman of true loveliness, one who loves God and shows much growth in godliness, rather than one whose beauty is only skin deep.

The most extreme man in the church is the one who unfailingly takes God at His Word and then, believing, acts on it.

He teaches truth even when persecuted for it.

He sees the times and, understanding the dangers ahead, beseeches God
on behalf of the people who are failing Him.

Here is one who will lose sleep to "stand in the gap" for his family, the church, the nation.

He is not afraid of censure, of unpopularity,of ridicule but only of displeasing his Lord.

He is one who has obviously "been with Jesus".

He knows intimately the throne of grace and lives at the foot of it.

He knows the Cross of Christ for he makes his home in its shadow.

He loves God and thus loves the unlovely-even those who would cause him harm for his "extreme" positions.

Here is one to whom praying is as natural as breathing.

He is known in hell and hated for his prayers aren't prayers for personal comfort but for God's will to be done-and then, when the prayers are momentarily complete, he gets up and makes himself available to be the instrument through which God's will can be accomplished.

One who knows sleepless nights spent crying out to God that He may be known and honored among men.

A man who has absolute faith in God that His Lord is able to do all that He has promised.

Here is a man to whom the thought has never occurred to not "accept" Jesus as His Lord.

One whom, knowing his own sinfulness, is humbled by the grace-filled opportunity to serve His Lord in any and every fashion that God bestows upon him.

A man to whom God Himself is more important than any other gift that God could bestow.

Well said, Lord Carey!

I have long stated my opposition to the persecution of Christians and the marginalisation of Christianity in the United Kingdom, which seems to have been a deliberate policy of the current government. Certainly, they have done nothing to oppose it and much to encourage it, as the stories which regularly appear in the Media prove beyond doubt.

Of course, part of the problem lies with this nation belonging to the European union, an organisation which was created to ensure that both failed and retired politicians would have an opportunity to remain on the gravy train. Neil Kinnock is a prime example, but there are many more from all the member countries.

The EU is determined to create a united Europe under one government --- theirs --- and this means that all other government will ultimately have to go. National governments will eventually have no more power than local councils, but the EU will keep political leaders on their side by the promise of great wealth in exchange for power.

Not only this nation but also most of Europe was built on the foundation stone of Christianity, yet it is this very foundation that is being eroded at an alarming rate. One of the greatest tools that the EU uses is the massive immigration of Muslims into Europe, and in particular the platform afforded to Islamic extremists who are fanatical in their determination to impose Islam on Europe. The UK Government is at the forefront of this onslaught, not only allowing Islamic Fundamentalists to settle here but even paying them handsomely via the Welfare Benefits system, payment which enables them to freely peddle their hate-filled diatribe invariably under police protection. Without this protection they would be subjected to Christians handing out Gospel tracts proclaiming the love of Jesus, something these peddlers of hate are violently opposed to.

It is important for all true Christians --- those who actively seek to fulfil the commands of Jesus Christ, and who seek to serve only God in all that they do --- mobilise against the constant persecution which is now an everyday part of UK life. This does not mean mobilising against Muslims or those of any other faith, for we are to be tolerant towards all people, but it does mean that we need to recognise that this is part of a Holy War where the forces of evil will dominate unless Christians oppose them. So refuse to accept the enactment of laws which marginalise Christianity under the guise of 'equality' or 'multi-faith', and instead lobby your MP's and the government in general to support and strengthen the Christian foundation of this nation.

I had been invited to the Christian Broadcasting Council's symposium which was held in the House of Lords yesterday, but was unfortunately unable to attend. However, I thank a fellow CBC member for the following report.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury warns of ‘strident campaign’ to marginalise Christianity

The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, has warned that Christianity is being sidelined in the UK as never before. He called on Christians to return to the public squares of Britain to speak up and defend their faith.

Lord Carey was speaking at a symposium on Christian persecution in the House of Lords. He said: 'Christianity, which has given so much to our country, is now being sidelined as never before as though it is a stranger to our nation.

Fearing the abandonment of Britain’s Christian heritage, he continued: 'We have reached a point where politicians are mocked for merely expressing their faith. I cannot imagine any politician expressing concern that Britain should remain a Christian country. That reticence is a scandal and a disgrace to our history.'

The former Archbishop of Canterbury issued a call for Christians to become more assertive about their faith and heritage: 'If we behave like doormats, don't be surprised if we are treated as though we are. It is time to return to the public square.'

Dr Carey was speaking at a symposium held by the Christian Broadcasting Council in the House of Lords. Examples were given of Christians who had been sacked or suspended from work in the UK for speaking about their faith.

Olive Jones, a teacher who lost her job for asking permission to pray for a sick pupil, told the meeting: '20 years of teaching dismissed for sharing the goodness of God in this Christian nation. I felt I had been treated as a criminal.'

Caroline Petrie, a nurse, was suspended for offering to pray for a patient. She said: 'I was told if I continued what I was doing I would be struck off the nurses' register.' She was later reinstated after seeking legal assistance.

And sex therapist Gary McFarlane lost his job with Relate after being asked what he would do if he were required to give sex therapy to a gay couple. 'I said I couldn't do that, and I was dismissed for gross misconduct.'

The meeting heard that some 250 million Christians around the world suffered persecution, and more had been martyred for their faith in the last century than at any other time.

While Lord Carey said there could be no direct comparison between the pressure being put on Christians in the UK and the violent persecution of many believers abroad, he identified a 'strident and bullying campaign' to marginalise Christianity in the UK being waged by atheists, in the name of political correctness.

‘This bullying campaign seeks to ban faith schools, despite evidence that faith schools perform better than many others. It is clear that we must stand up against this marginalising of faith. We must constantly remind society of its Christian roots and heritage.’

Dr Carey added: ‘I want to thank the Christian Broadcasting Council for the way it promotes such fearless Christian work in this country.’

CBC chairman Olave Snelling said: ‘We in the media have the duty of telling the stories of those suffering persecution for their faith, overseas, and now, it seems, in Great Britain also - where pressure is building against Christians in what was once a Christian land.’

Music news from my Tallahassee trip - 2

I mentioned in my previous post that I had sung a new song which I composed on the Saturday prior to the launch concert. Through the course of my stay in Tallahassee I composed six new Country Gospel songs which will hopefully form the basis of Charlotte's next CD, once her current round of concerts eases off and she's had a rest from the current one.

In the meantime, here are the lyrics for Let Go and Let God:

Let go and let God!
Serve Him all your days –
Give Him all the glory –
Give Him all the praise!

If it seems that life is a struggle –
That your journey is made on your own,
Hand yourself over to Jesus,
He’ll not let you make it alone.
He’s with you each step of your travels,
He walks with you when life seems tough,
Sharing your joys and your laughter,
Carrying you when roads are rough.

Easy to think that nobody cares,
That your struggles are made on your own;
Jesus will always be with you,
There’s no need to journey alone.
He’ll carry you when you are weary,
He will lift you whenever you’re blue,
Hand your life over to Jesus,
And He’ll always carry you through.

So, let go and let God!
Serve Him all your days –
Give Him all the glory –
Give Him all the praise!

Yes, let go and let God!
Serve Him all your days –
Give Him all the glory –
Give Him all the praise!
© 2010 Colin Gordon-Farleigh

Tallahassee CD Launch Concert

Charlotte Kerce, pictured here with Warren Halstrom at the piano, gave a concert performance of her new CD, He's Always With Me, at Wildwood Church, Tallahassee, on Sunday 21st February. The packed audience showed great appreciation for the evening and gave a warm welcome to Charlotte, Warren and myself.

I explained that all the glory for the songs goes where it belongs, to the Lord. I believe that the Holy Spirit creates them for me to deliver, and that makes me just the mailman. At the concert I sang a new song which I had composed on the previous morning titled Let Go and Let God.

"I'll tell you how this all started ..." I give my testimony to the way in which God has blessed my ministry, and continues to do so.

Warren accompanied Charlotte for some of her songs, including her ever-popular rendition of Victory in Jesus which she sang in addition to all the songs from her CD.

Charlotte sings with passion for the Lord, using her gift to praise her Creator.

Rehearsal time in the afternoon of the concert.

Vicky was a great help in selling copies of the new CD after the concert.

Music news from my Tallahassee trip - 1

A couple of days after arriving in Tallahassee for the launch of Charlotte Kerce's new CD, He's Always With Me (Sheer Joy Music label), Charlotte, Warren Halstrom and myself were interviewed for Faith Christian Radio by Scott Beigle. It was a great interview and Scott generously played three tracks from the CD which got the studio phones ringing with complimentary messages.

Scott Beigle sitting at the control console like an emperor surveying his kingdom! What a nice guy he is. It was a pleasure to be interviewed by him.

What a great voice Charlotte has. I remember the first time that I heard her singing. I found a track that she had recorded on my friend Greg Scheer's website, and once I heard her voice I thought that it was a voice I could listen to all day. Now, thanks to this CD, I can! Warren Halstrom has done a good job of producing the CD for SJM, and Charlotte tells me that she could think of no-one better to work with.