ONE MESSAGE. ONE FAITH.

John 7-9 My daughter told me of a dream she had the other night, while we walked to the store yesterday: She was in a temple and someone was trying to get her to leave and come to their church activities. We believe in God" he said, and promised fun and games. She said no, because she could SEE that this man was not who he claimed to be. The man approached her again in disguise, but she could SEE through it, Again he used the same line, "we believe in God." This time she put up her hand to stop him and "no! Get away from me." I told her it was an interesting dream, not wanting to make more or less of it than necessary. Then she went back to kicking leaves at her brother. Today's reading in John caught my attention as each passage was woven together by the same theme- they had eyes but could not see. How often do we find ourselves stumbling over truth that is right in our faces? It resonates deep in our inner beings, but fear, uncertainty, doubt, and pride...

Thanks to our friends over at PrisonerAlert  and The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) , we have a few more prayer requests for you guys to lift up to our Father. We pray that His will and His will only be done! We desire that things turn out safe and sound for our scattered family, but we have to trust in God's vision with every outcome. Son Jong Nam , North Korean Christian has been waiting a year to be publicly executed Rivka , an 11-year old Messianic Jew whose family is being persecuted by Jewish extremists Brothers, Viktor and Didrikh Leven & Feruza Utegenova , all fined, convicted, and facing deportation for "carrying out missionary activity without local registration."  World Possessor's Church International , in Namasuba, Uganda were attacked by Muslim extremists during their worship service. Thank you so much to those of you who are recognizing God's call to action and responding with faith! Continue to pray for our "solders" and "gospe...

Psalm 100 ( NKJV) A Psalm of Thanksgiving 1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

#84 Turkey Hell The comic above shows a boy and his friend watching him mom put a turkey in the oven. The boy tells his friend, "This is the time of year my mom sends a bad turkey to the fiery pits of hell!" Luke 12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Have a glad and thankful heart during this Thanksgiving season! We'll see you back here next Wednesday! Indebted to The Back Pew and ManKind Toons this week!

Bless the Lord you guys! Thanks to the Holy Spirit, Chantel and I have been encouraged by 2 Corinthians 12:9 which says "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness!" We truly received that word and that's why we're bringing the Mission for Monday on Tuesday! Praise the Lord with us for His bringing us through our weaknesses and trials of Monday that we can fellowship with you today! Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 The scripture above came to mind when I stumbled upon this week's mission. It reminds us to watch what we say and how we say it at all times because not only is it not becoming of a child of the King to joke coarsely or have inappropriate conversation but also because we must make every opportunity to communicate an opportunity to kingdom-build. But have you ever cons...

1 Chronicles 13:8 Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets. ( 1 Chronicles 13:8 , New King James Version ) I didn't get up this morning until ... A knock at the door. I fluttered my eyes, and slowly came to, at the second series of knocks. My brain told me I was not dreaming, and I had obviously overslept. "Oh no" I groaned, pushing myself out of the fully reclined recliner, baby in one hand. I grabbed the door with a start knowing it was my mother who was coming to pick up the kids for school. The whole house within minutes was in an uproar. I handed the baby to my mom, and ran up the stairs two at a time to wake up the husband and the kids. He should have been on the road over an half hour ago, but there he was sitting at the edge of the bed, shaking off the numbness of sleep, same as I. We somehow manged to get on uniforms and grab coats and boo...

John 5:1-7 Imagine the cacophony at the pool. Only one was guaranteed healing once the waters had been stirred by the angel, and not just one, but the first one who stepped in. There were possibly people who were worse off, just trying to get to the pool- the pushing and shoving, and tripping, and yelling. Fights may have broken out between people who may have felt cheated. Amid all of this, even at the sake of themselves and others around them, deliverance was the goal. This makes me think of Esther in the old testament where she declared, "If I perish, I perish- I am going to see the king." Well as it goes, Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, made it possible for as many as the Lord beckons, to receive salvation from the disease of sin. True followers of Christ have been given the task of sharing the remedy of salvation to those who are lost. Jesus, referring to the in pouring of his Spirit in us, said there is to be an outflow of living water . Those who are desper...

It's true you have fallen, You slipped and you fell, You made the wrong choices, Fell under sin's spell. Yet you need not lay there, Your face in the dust, Your life is not over When in Him you trust. From your view it's ended, From His it's begun, If you've learned you need Him Sin's pleasure to shun. It does not come cheaply, Forgiveness and grace, It's bought by Christ Jesus Who stood in your place. It's your debt He carried, It's your shame He bore, Each time that you fall down You're hurting Him more. It's time for commitment, Stop pleasing yourself, Put your plans, desires, On His divine shelf. Fulfillment, contentment, Will be your reward, His love and compassion On you will be poured. So get up, go forward, Forgetting the past, A new life is waiting, His mercy is vast. This poem was written by Carol Penhorwood for the Christian Poet's Pen . I hope you enjoyed this as much I did when I firs...

Daniel 7-12 Mesmerized. My eyes are wide open. My breath caught in my throat me as I took it in. As I write this, my fingers feel numb. I am speechless because the only thing that comes to mind is "Whoa!" But then is it "woe"? I feel like I am reading the daily news article, from the very near future. I can understand Daniel's perplexity- he was stunned. I, living in the time he was only looking into, am stunned at how present this really is. Daniel 7-12 shows us the here and now. This is no longer the future, but this is ours- this generation's, future. The resounding image we see is someone rising up in power not by might, but by intrigue. This someone will intrigue the world, and will do it deceptively. Daniel calls it the abomination of desolation, as does Christ in MAtthew 24. Paul calls him the son of perdition in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, and he is also commonly called him the antichrist. Yet Paul warns us that the spirit of the antichrist is in the worl...

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See what happens when the children of God pray?! Read the email that I received yesterday! From our friends at ELAM: ------ RELEASED! Maryam and Marzieh set free after 259 days in prison Praise the Lord! Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh were released from Evin prison in Iran today, Wednesday November 18, 2009 at 3:30pm, without bail. However, they may yet have to face a court hearing and still need our prayers. “Words are not enough to express our gratitude to the Lord and to His people who have prayed and worked for our release," they said. Maryam and Marzieh were arrested because of their Christian faith on March 5, 2009. Though their health has suffered greatly while in prison, they are doing as well as could be expected, and are rejoicing in the Lord’s faithfulness to them. “Maryam and Marzieh have greatly inspired us all. Their love for the Lord Jesus and their faithfulness to God has been an amazing testimony,” says Sam Yeghnazar, Director of Elam Min...

#80 Bad Timing Bad timing! How fitting! A man who's wearing a red devil costume complete with pitchfork is standing in front of the Gates of Heaven Judgement Day Check-In. The clerk behind the desk says, "Bad timing on that costume party...huh!" Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Check back next Wednesday for more Humpday Humor! Grateful to ManKind Toons !

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ( Romans 1:16 , New King James Version ) “Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting. ( Numbers 2:2 , New King James Version ) When the children of Israel were numbered for war, they were instructed to arrange themselves according to the Lord's instruction. The arrangement was set, and the order was given for them to have a standard lifted so they could be easily distinguished from the other tribes. The standard was an emblem of their identity. Imagine seeing a great multitude of 603, 550 warriors, in addition to thousands of men 19 and younger, women , and children. This is thick mass of people traveling together in the desert. Amidst them there are banners on poles, bobbing and weaving with the wave...

Hi all! It's Missions Monday!! I get so excited! Truly! While on Beautiful Mess-Psalm 40 's blog, I was touched so deeply by her post on Water For Christmas! It's definitely a cause to support! We have all kinds of gadgets, movies, CDs, and gift cards that are all just distractions waiting to be bought and given this Christmas holiday. But there are over a billion of people all over the world who don't have access to clean water! Ridiculous! We're dying and killing ourselves over debt but our brothers & sisters are dying because of lack of clean water. Water has so many more  uses besides just drinking! Charity:water  says that the average American uses 150 gallons of water a day while the average person in a developing country struggles to find 5 gallons! This is what charity:water says to the question "Why water?" U nsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of...

What makes Paul so admirable in the eyes of today's Christian? Paul himself made a point to emphasize that he is no more than a vessel, for he declared that in his flesh is nothing good. He shares his inner struggle with his will to do right, and the flesh's seemingly stronger will to please only itself ( Romans 7:17-19 ).So what is it that draws our hearts to applaud Paul and all he did? His willingness to be wholly subject to the will of God, his total submission to God's Holy Spirit, and his uncompromising adherence to the teachings passed to him by Jesus's followers. In 1 Timothy, Paul gives personal guidance to his spiritual son, urging him in matters of ministry and leadership. Since we are all called to be ministers, servants to the people of God, it is good to take note of the words of doctrine Paul gives. The first rule of thumb he is compelled to share is this - Teach no other doctrine, or teaching, than the one I, coming from direct contact with the L...

Road trips. Some of us love 'em! Some of us hate 'em. But I'm pretty sure we've all been on one just as I'm sure you've gotten lost along the way or worse - you've forgotten your mapquest directions! So like the wise individual that you are, you stop, and ask for directions. Only when you got them, the directions were either unclear, the person wasn't from the area and gave you a butchered go-right-go-left, the person while confident led you somewhere else entirely, or you got perfect directions! When you're travelling and out of the familiar, you're definitely at the mercy of anyone! Thank the Lord for GPS' right?! (Sometimes!) Our life is most like a road trip before we come to know the Lord. We have a desire to go in a particular direction, we make a plan, but somewhere along the way we get lost and the person we asked instructions from sent us on a detour that led right to Our Father, God. How amazing?! While our encounters may seem sim...

What more is there to dig? All this talk about veterans this week has made me grateful for the freedoms we enjoy so casually everyday. As a matter of fact I am blogging on the bible, and I am certain that is not something I can do in just any country. I also thought of the veteran Christian. The been there- done that christian, who has gleaned all there is to glean from the word of God, and has convinced themself that they can live off of yesterday's or last year's portion. The book of Daniel, chapters 1-6, were nothing new to me. I could not help, however, feeling appreciative of the freshness of it all. Daniel, unafraid to be peculiar ( 1:8 ); His comrades unafraid to trust ( 3:16 ); Daniel, uncompromisingly truthful regardless of the audience ( 5:17 ); Daniel... There is so much to learn in so few chapters, from this unwavering child of God. Daniel grew older, seeing the passing and the initiation of kings, and still, he approached God as a servant. He never got to the point...

Asia Bibi is a Pakistani woman who is being imprisoned on charges of blasphemy. Just 37 years old, married with daughters, she's being blamed for speaking against the Pakistani government when failing to renounce Christ and follow Islam. Women she'd been working with have been trying to convince her to follow Islam but she preached Christ to them instead, telling them that Christ is the true prophet of God and He's not dead like their Muhammad! Whew! You've gotta admire her zeal! Because of her tenacity and her failure to comply and conform, she's been described as a threat to government. She's still being held! There's still much that can be done! The Voice of the Martyrs has posted information on their blog where you can write to her (in English or translated into her language) and even write the Pakistani Government officials, asking for her release! Please pray with me that God's will will be done in this case! Pray that the country of Pakistan wil...

As I was doing an internet search for missions projects that we can feature on our Mission Mondays, I came across a story in the Christian Telegraph that stirred something in me! Please read!                        Iranian Christian women refuse order to deny Christ Two young women are still being held in Iran's notorious Evin Prison after refusing to deny Jesus Christ and return to Islam, reports  Baptist Press . Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, were detained by Iranian security officers in March after being arrested on grounds of being "anti-government" and "a threat to national security," according to freethemm.com, a website dedicated to winning their release. At an Aug. 9 hearing in Tehran's Revolutionary Court, the two learned the sole charge against them is apostasy -- leaving Islam. When the judge told them they would be executed if they did not recant their faith, the two reportedly told hi...

(Photo cannot  be archived, but you can view it at the link below!) #69 Job's Misfortunes This comic, titled "The Beginning of Job's Misfortunes" features Job sitting on the toilet reading a book on Fortune. He reaches for the toilet paper and he utters, "Oh no!!" when he realizes that there is none on the roll! Job 1:12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then,  everything he has is in your hands, but on the  man himself do not lay a finger."  Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. Check back next Wednesday for more Humpday Humor! Appreciative to  ManKind Toons ! 

A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;    a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day. Proverb 15:13 One Message. One Faith. has been thinking an awful lot about you (and future readers too!) and have been coming up with ideas to keep you encouraged and motivated. One of those is the start of Humpday Humor!!! WOOT WOOT!! Mondays are rough, Tuesdays are recovery days for Mondays, and Wednesdays, well they remind us that we still have two more whole days until the weekend! The anticipation and anxiety can just be too much! Soooo, to lighten it up a bit, we'll be featuring a cartoon or comic strip on Wednesdays! Christian in nature and accompanied by a scripture to meditate on. Please, by all means, comment, comment, comment! We love to hear from you!  Also, don't be alarmed if some of the boxes on our blog go a bit wonky after clicking on title. It's not your eyes, it's not your screens. If you happen to know a "tweak" that can fix this dr...

"O, Come, let us WORSHIP and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our maker, for He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hands" Psalm 95: 6-7 Just this past Sunday I felt to talk to my sunday School class about the discipline of worship. I asked them what came to mind when they thought of worship. Their responses were what I expected: "Praising God" said one of the young men; "cheering for God", was another answer that came forth. I admitted that the first thing that came to my mind, even knowing the deeper meaning of it, was lifting my hands. We all may have a presumption of what worship is, and even still, worship of the one true God. Jesus commented that the Father is seeking true worshippers- those who will worship him in spirit, and in truth. I came to learn that worship means to acknowledge. My class and I dug deeper and looked up acknowledge and saw that it means: to admit as true in existence. Wow! When we admit...

Most Christians are familiar with the following verses: Matthew 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in [ a ]  the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." We all know it as The Great Commission. But have any of you felt that at some point this commission doesn't apply to you? Have you maintained the perspective that this was talking about missionary work only and foreign missions at that?! Or maybe you figured this was a directive to apostles only? Well let me pose The Great Commssion to you another way? Matthew 28:18-20 (The Message) Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near,...

2 Thessalonians The air chills and leaves fall aimlessly to the ground. They fall with less and less effort from the wind as they die, unable to hold on for lack of nutrients, for lack of strength. Here is the Christ followers forecast. Where the Farmer's almanac may fall short, this book depicts not just the weather, but the spiritual outlook of the future. The Apostles, inspired by God sent letters of teaching to all the new and growing saints. After seeing what it was the Apostles did, in the record of their actions in the book of acts, the Christ follower is made aware of the maturation process of salvation. Letters to churches in Rome ( Romans), Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Phillipi, Collose, Thessalonica, and more, give us access to for-your-eyes-only information for the believer. It is to the believer, that Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy, compile a letter encouraging the saints to hold fast to what they have been taught. There is a sense of urgency as they make refernce ...

Deep Breath. I welcomed myself to a couple of deep breaths, and opened the bible to Ezekiel 43, the first chapter of today's reading. Three straight chapters of dimensions can do that- cause one to breathe deeply. And then reflect further still on the giver of that breath. I recall "breath" again, just a few chapters back- chapter 37- where thousands of dry bones in a valley responded to the breath of God. I too, with my bible open to the last few chapters of Ezekiel, respond, and breathe. With an inhale and only a few verses in, I see these words: "And the glory of the Lord came..." ( Ezekiel 43:4 ) Then a breathy "Wow" , as I realize, that all of the specific building instructions - the cubits and the hand breadths, the windows and the columns, the gateways and the walkways - comes to this: the entrance of God's glory. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says " Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells i...

Just 5 more minutes of sleep without interruptions from the kids, my handsome husband beside me when I wake up, surprised that he took off a day just to give me a break, more than $0.75 in change scattered around my purse, my kids to be satisfied with everything I do for them for ONE WHOLE DAY, no crying or whining, to make it a day without a single, broken dish, dinner done on time, kids to bed on time and they stay there until morning and wake up rested, ...seriously, this list can go on & on! Does your's sound similar? Do you have a list of "If onlies"?

...but one way to build the house of God- His way ( and very precise, I might add) (Ezekiel 40-42) This week has gone by so quickly! I was amused to see that we had not posted anything since last Friday, October 23rd. It was also a good sign to me that there was more than just eating going on but some digesting. Speaking of digestion- I found that I have to take Ezekiel in small bites, as it is very dense. It's hard to keep myself from reading more into it than is there sometimes, as I am wanting to be enlightened from the daily bible reading. Sometimes God just wants to talk to us, and for us to listen. My husband and I can connect over a simple "what's for dinner " convo, as well as a deep "how do we budget this?" convo. Either way, we still communicate. In God's word, likewise, sometimes God just wants to talk, and we learn about him this way. Sometimes God needs to instruct, sometimes God needs to warn. But as the word of God states, " All sc...

" The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him:'Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times'." - Luke 22:61 There were many things that caught my attention as I read through the passage for this day. I journaled my thoughts, and this note I jotted down is worth sharing. What was Jesus thinking when he looked at Peter, Luke 22:61 , after Peter denied him the third time and the cock ( rooster) crowed? What does God's gaze imply when he is looking at us? A lot can be said with the eyes. Yes I want God to gaze on me, but I want that look to be one of endearment and not one of sadness at the choices I make from moment to moment in each day. So what do you think Jesus' eyes were saying?