pamela – Page 89 – The Welcome Home

The three legged stool. Where in the Word is that?

This ought to rock your boat.

In a Crosswalk interview, Kay Warren had a whole bunch to say. And, by the way… this is not a mean-spirited post against Kay Warren or another rant against all the contemplative-seeker-purpose-yada-yada-yada. But the alarm is blaring. Can you hear it?

A few years ago Kay Warren read a magazine article presenting the plight of the HIV-positive millions and the millions with AIDS. “If He couldn’t get my attention with the pictures, He got my attention with the words. There was a little box off to the side that said, “12 million children orphaned in Africa due to AIDS. I had no idea. I didn’t know a single orphan, so I just couldn’t imagine that there were 12 million anywhere, not yet in one place.”

In the back of my mind I was recalling the recent One campaign, the Red campaign and other comments regarding the plight of the world and then her comments as I read the rest of that interview. It is incredible to me to consider that just bcz *some* of the “church” doesn’t know about real problems in the world doesn’t mean that *all* of the “church” is AWOL or that the church hasn’t been doing lots of ministering around the world. Sure it hasn’t been as flashy and splashy as conventions, rock concerts or mega-benefit shows, but what she either refuses to see or ignorantly doesn’t realize is that men and women have been working tirelessly for many decades to reach people. But when the social gospel agenda is the focus everything else is out of focus. The church has been asleep?

“We believe the church has been the missing leg of a three-legged stool. Governments are doing things. Private sector businesses are doing things, trying to go after global giants, but the church has been absent. We have been trying to bring the church back to the table and say “It’s going to take all three.” The main reason is that the church has the widest distribution center. The church exists in places where there is nothing else. To utilize the distribution channels for care and compassion and teaching and training. It’s the way to go. It’s smart!” – Kay Warren

Genesis 3.6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

“I’d like to encourage the readers to become seriously disturbed. God is looking for seriously disturbed men and women who will no longer be OK with people living in poverty or without medical care. We won’t be content to be in our own little world. We are so focused on our own lives. All of us are. “My family, my life, my church, my job, my ministry.” God wants us to be disturbed by the pain and suffering in this world, and do something about it.” [Kay Warren answering questions in a Crosswalk interview.

It’s a pretty arrogant position to believe that the “church” has not responded to the needs of the world. Says, Mrs. Warren, “We have abdicated our God-given responsibility to care for the sick and the poor. We have been AWOL from that. In that vacuum, nongovernmental organizations have come in and filled that gap admirably and with incredible dedication and love and compassion – being the hands and feet of Jesus. I think the paradigm must shift a little. I think that, in time, the parachurch organizations will exist to support the local church, rather than the local church existing to resource the NGO.”

Who is the NGO? Do you know? Can you say: The United Nations?

And people thought “a thousand points of light” was dangerous. That was NOTHING.

More and much better stuff from Slice of Laodicea and you sure ought to read Steve Camp’s entry here. If the pictures don’t grab you, nothing will.

I’m thinking that we’re soon going to see a whole lot of jumping ship by genuine believers in mainstream churches. When reality dawns, there will be many who gasp and say: Wait, I’m not part of that! I didn’t know they believed that. You know how it goes: O, I never believed all the PDC stuff. I just went along bcz other people were doing it. I just wanted to do what all the other pastors were doing. That, or *many* will slide and be carried away.

More and much better stuff(!) from Slice of Laodicea here.

I’m still waiting for a solution to the blog links, etc., problem. I will post in a day or so — when the problems are resolved. Actually, this is a very good thing. I need to be busy at home, and loving my husband and children… you know, Titus 2 things —- very good things — and then I’ll post again. Links ought to be repaired soon.

dead links

I’m not sure what the problem is with the links on this blog.TWH.site and so I am not able to correct. Not that I get lots of feedback… but I’d like to have things running smoothly nonetheless. Attempts have failed. I’m ready to simply post entries on the website and eliminate wordpress. Alas, it is a challenge to be an out-of-shape-out-of-sorts bespectacled grandma. With a blog. And no real computer skills. None that matter in a storm, that is.

14 Days of Homeschooling

This, from Anne Zeise’s A to Z Home’s Cool Homeschooling:
(Yes, you’ll probably attempt to sing it. Yep, I know… I did, too.)

14 Days of Homeschooling

To the tune of “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

On the first day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can you homeschool legally?”

On the second day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the third day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fourth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fifth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “YOU ARE SO STRANGE! What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the sixth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How long will you homeschool, YOU ARE S0 STRANGE, what about P.E. , do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the seventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the eighth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the ninth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “They’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the tenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the eleventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can they go to college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied: “They Can go to college, yes you can do this, they can have graduation, we don’t like the prom, we do it cuz we like it, they are missing nothing, we’ll homeschool forever, WE ARE NOT STRANGE!, We give them P.E., and we give them tests, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!

On the fourteenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How can I get started, why didn’t you tell me, where do I buy curriculum, when is the next conference, WILL PEOPLE THINK WE’RE STRANGE? I think we can do this, if you will help us, we’ll join a sports team, and we’ll homeschool legally.”

Improved sinners…

You know what’s so hard about disagreeing with the methods of the pdc stuff or the seeker stuff or the whole mega “church” stuff? It’s taken as being tantamount to judging or condemning the “leaders” to the eternal abyss or the lake of fire or whatever other word it’s called. And that’s not what I’m intending here. I disagree with some of the philosophies and methods and certainly their interpretations and definitions of both their job descriptions, the message story they read and the places and/or methods of what they call worship (if they call it worship, which I don’t know that they do). But the individuals—the people? Well, I’d probably gladly visit with and serve them a meal and a piece of pie and a cup of coffee right alongside my family at the table. So, it’s not them individually, per se, it’s all the stuff. Hey, that’s a thought: it’s not all about them.

I’m reminded of a group we used to be associated with ( btw, bad grammar wasn’t a teaching from one of the booklets, that’s mine). Anyway, one of the programs this group heavily promoted and used was a character program where they would teach character in schools and businesses. The head of the organization said that it was a method of improving lives… sort of that he knew they couldn’t convert the sinners, but that they could “improve them.” Really, that’s a quote. Well, so, that never set well with me or my husband. Improved sinners are still going to spend eternity separated from God no matter how well behaved they are trained to be or how good they look in a shirt and tie with their good manners and attentiveness or whatever other character quality they were learning that week. So, it always bothered me to endorse and spend time on programs that would teach people in the pharisaical system and get them all cleaned up; for what? I always wondered: when are you going to tell them the Truth? How are you going to tell improved sinners… O, by the way… you’re works are as filthy rags and you’re headed for a Christless eternity and eternal separation from God. People who disagreed with stuff in the whole program were sort of labeled: bitter or great wasters or whatever. I don’t really care all that much for labels. I don’t wear them, anyway.

So, then there’s the global peace plan and folks who aren’t on board are considered to be hateful and narrow minded and probably like fundamentalist Christians: enemies of the “church.” But that’s really not true. That’s a lash-out and a cop-out. I am so all for helping the sick, the poor and the downtrodden—totally. But — and this is very important, we are called to preach the gospel, we are called to proclaim Christ and Him crucified. And then we are called to visit the sick, the poor, the imprisoned, the impoverished, the widows and orphans. World hunger, a.i.d.s. and poverty and a host of other scenarios are very, very important—but improved sinners, helped sinners, healthy sinners, working sinners, free sinners……… are ALL going to spend eternity in hell if they don’t know Jesus as LORD. All of them. So to not preach Jesus Christ is a shame.

There is no other name given among men by which we must be saved. Jesus said: “I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No man comes unto the Father but by Me.” We cannot, must not, put our own plans, peace or otherwise, before the mandates of the Word.

There’s lots going on. Lots.

and it goes on and on

the dialectic praxis and the pdl and denial of the real Truth of the Word. Watch what’s going on—be very careful, listen and hold everything up to Scripture. Not the message story, but the Bible – not a modern day ‘best-seller’ but the preserved Word of God.

So, right before our eyes, the sand is shifting.

I believe that Berit Kjos has the most carefully documented, well organized and succinct account:
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/006/pd-deception.htm

No time or energy to write, but didn’t want to miss the op to post a link. More on the peaceful (and let us not forget to also add) tolerant Syria – this, according to one of America’s most influential pastors. I’m guessing poli-sci wasn’t a favourite course or maybe he doesn’t really get into reading current events.

ps – the audio clip is a 3/4 scroll down the article

This oughtta just grip you.
Faith Leaders Deserve a Shot at Creating Peace on Earth.

I’m thinking: what?!?!

Colossians 2.6-10
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

It seems to be that right before our eyes we’re witnessing prophesy. In yet another, “I have no mouth and yet I must scream,” moment: O, how I pray for the church in America. The ways of some “leaders” and parts of the body of Christ are amazing. I purposely (no pun intended – really) have not blogged on all the astonishing revelations regarding “officials” in church organizations, and, in particular, probably the most prominent pastor in America. It’s staggering that there isn’t an outcry that he went to Syria, that he spread the information he did and that there isn’t extreme outrage regarding the misinformation regarding the treatment of Christians (and Jews) in Syria. I pray the church will watch carefully what’s going on, listen carefully to what’s being said, and be wisely discerning the “signs of the times.” The seeming silence of “the church” regarding such recent news is deafening.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53055

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52971

Probably more staggering is the floundering of the church and the seeming willing acceptance of a a slow departure from the ways of God and the directives of the Word and tremendous distortion of the Truth of God.

One must pray for wisdom and understanding regarding the reading of current events in the news and then to hold it up to Scripture. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6.7

2Timothy 4.1-5
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Is it peaceful?

Do you have any idea -even a small notion- of islam ?
Obsession – Radical Islam’s War Against the West
And then… only in America… Can a man separate himself (or actions) from his beliefs?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Qwr-LMFZc

The LORD blessed our nation for centuries and for centuries America praised and thanked Him for His gracious gift of life, land, liberty and freedom. As we’ve witnessed decades of decline, we now see the results or the fruit of foolishness of a nation who, though once prosperous, has turned from the LORD and for doing so, can only reap destruction.

For lack of wisdom, people perish. For lack of wisdom, understanding, faith and righteousness: nations are destroyed.

Psalm 107
1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
4 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
6 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:
12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
13 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
15 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.
17 Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.
19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
32 Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33 He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;
34 A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
35 He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.
36 And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;
37 And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
38 He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
39 Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.
40 He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.
41 Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.
42 The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
43 Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Trust in the LORD – call upon His Name

2Corinthians 5.4-10
For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

Unspoken Requests

I have wondered many times over the years why “the church” has had such little impact on or in America—original impact aside. Consider the avalanche of reading and audio/visual materials. Consider the “churches” and universities and seminaries. Considerable is an understatement, to say the least. I was reading a news story this morning about a man who, visiting the Supreme Court building, was told by the tour-guide in Washington DC that the inscriptions were the “…ten amendments.”

I had a revelation of sorts… it sort of goes along with my thoughts on that news piece and another thought that often times our involvement in “church” is like a weekly bus ride or a Sunday bus ride. I know that many are offended by that comment for their experience is not like that. However, for many, it is that and more (or less, really). For many, “attendance” is very “satisfying” and they rightly edify and are edified by a weekly gathering. For others, however, the weekly “service” is just that: a service—an obligation or a routine course of action and that’s all. It’s pretty easy and for most pretty comfortable to go through the motions of life never bumping into others and never really being known — just seen.

So, my ‘revelation’ this morning? Unspoken (prayer) requests. I think we’re trained to be unspoken just like we’re trained or conditioned to say, “fine, thank you” when asked how we’re doing. You know the way it goes and it always goes something like: are their any needs? Few or no hands but many nods. Any unspoken requests? Many hands, many nods. And that’s how we pray for each other. It’s sort of like: I know you must have needs — maybe even important situations are concerning you — so I will pray for you. I don’t really know what your need is or how I might be used of the LORD to assist you, but I will pray for you and your… unspoken request. And we go on — content with our experience because we know nothing different.

You know why this practice is so menacing? Because it sort of makes us “unspoken” Christians as well. Incognito prayers make incognito pray-ers and incognito believers and, sadly, incognito to the world. As far as being the feet and hands of the LORD Jesus, we are too often incognito. Now, I don’t mean that we should boast of our doings or take glory or credit for righteous deeds, but I do think that it should be obvious that we are different —a peculiar people— in the world. It should be the desire of every believer to outwardly demonstrate the inward change that only Jesus makes. Instead, we blend, we fade, we quietly follow the ways of the world and not only is our lamp hidden, but maybe we don’t even get filled with oil and aren’t lit. Could it be that our unspoken requests become unasked or unsaid prayers and we become unspoken Christians.

Does it surprise some people when they hear that you are a believer? Or is your faith and trust in the living LORD obvious and is it obvious that He is alive and working in you? O, let us not have unspoken lives and be unspoken believers. Lets us live and demonstrate enough evidence to prove our case: Jesus is LORD. This is one of my prayers.