Friday, December 23, 2011

Is Music Neutral?

 According to the Word of God music can have a powerful influence on one's emotions, mood, and state of being (1 Samuel 16:15-17, 23).  Secular researchers have confirmed this to be the case.

Music that produces positive effects on the listener is considered 'good'.  Music that produces negative effects on the listener is considered 'bad'. 

Music has five parts to it.  It has melody, harmony, rhythm, pitch, and intensity.

The principles that control these five parts must be followed in order to write good music.  If  one or more of these principles are not followed then the music is considered partially bad. If all of these principles are violated then the music is considered bad.

Good Music: The principles for writing good music is as follows:
 
Source: "What's Wrong With Christain Rock", by Jeff Godwin, Dec 1990, pages 37-40

"Melody - True melody will combine ascending and descending pitches that will end with a definite high place showing resolution."

"Harmony - All harmony is based on chordal patterns which support the melody. There are no excessive consonance and/or dissonance."

"Rhythm - Rhythm is the orderly movement of music through time. Constant alternation of triple and duple measures creates a driving syncopation (a musical rhythm accenting a normally weak beat), producing tension. Subtle balance between regular accent patterns and occasional syncopation is necessary to avoid hypnotic effect."

"Pitch - True music has a variety of pitches which are accurate. Very high pitches are used only for contrast and climax points."

"Intensity - True music employs much contrast between loud and soft, with a constant change in the dynamics level. This is not true about rock music. It has an intensity that is pretty much loud all the time.
Classical and semi-classical music follows these principles."

Rock Music: Rock music violates all the above principles. Specifically,

"Melody  - In rock music there is no melody that combines ascending and descending pitchs but instead it has for the most part static movement and lack of balance which produces either a hypnotic effect or a sense of despair in the listener."

"Harmony - In rock music there are excessive consonance and/or dissonance."

"Rhythm - In rock music, the rhythm is a combination of unending back beats and break beats. The purpose of this is to produce an environment of dominance."

"Pitch - Rock music has constant repetition of pitches almost never modulates, and is slightly under true pitch. The unorderly high pitched screams through out the rock music results in nothing but musical chaos."

"Intensity -   It has an intensity that is pretty much loud all the time."

Rock music does not conform to the principle of what makes for good music. It is not music at all; it is noise.

Secular researchers have carried out experiments to determine the effects of good and bad music on all forms of life;  plant, animal, and human.

Here are a few examples of the experiments that were conducted and their results.

Affects of Music on Plant Life

Source: How Music Affects Your Kids..., What Parents Need to know

Researcher: Dorothy Retallack

A. Experiment #1 - Plants  exposed to semi-classical and rock music

At the end of 2 weeks

a) plants exposed to semi-classical music (good music)
-- plants were leaning toward source of music

b) plants exposed to rock music (bad music)
-- plants were leaning away from music source
-- grew erratically
-- died within a month

B. Experiment #2 - Plants (beans, squash, corn, morning glory, coleus plants) were exposed to four different kinds of music (rock, avant-grade atonal, no music, devotional)

After 10 days, researcher Dorothy Ratallack found

a) Group #1 - Plants exposed to Led Zeppelin and Vanilla fudge (hard rock) [bad music]
-- all plants leaning away from music source
-- after 3 weeks all plants were stunted and dying

b) Group #2 - plants exposed to avant-grade atonal music [partially bad music]
-- all plants were leaning 15 degrees away from music source
-- had medium size roots

c) Group #3 - plants exposed to no music
-- had the longest roots than Groups #1 and #2
-- grew higher than Groups #1 and #2

d) Group #4 - plants exposed to devotional music [good music]
-- grew towards music source
-- grew 2" taller than Group #3

Affects of Sound on Animals

Source: How Music Affects Your Kids..., What Parents Need to know

Researchers - Studied affects of sound and music on mice
   -- Dr Harvey Bird, Physicist from Fairleigh Dickinson University
   -- Dr Gervasia Schreckenberg, Neurobiologist from Georgian Court College in Lakewood

Three test groups.  Mice were tested to see how well they could run a maze to get food after exposed to voodoo music (bad music), Strauss Waltzes (good music), and no music.  All music was kept at low volume.  Done over a period of time.  Mice were tested for their ability to remember the maze over time.

a) Group #1 - exposed to incessant voodoo drum beats (bad music)
    (i) -- had a difficult time running maze
         -- over time this difficulty increased to the point they became totally disoriented and unable to
          complete maze
         -- after a 3 week break from the voodoo drum beats and running maze the mice still could not run
         maze
    (ii) At the end of the experiment brains were dissected
         -- "had abnormal structural changes in their brain cells"
         -- "the neurons in their brains were growing out widely in all directions without connecting to
         other neurons"
         -- "There was abnormal amounts of Messenger RNA, a chemical that the brain uses for restoring
         memories"

b) Group #2 - exposed to Strauss waltzes (good music)
-- had no problem running the maze
-- after a 3 week break from the waltzes and running the maze the mice could run the maze quickly
--  had a slight edge over Group #3

c) Group # 3 - mice were kept in silence
-- had no problem running the maze
-- after 3 week break from running maze the mice could run the maze quickly

Researchers Conclusions:
a) Music effects mental function
b) Exposure to harmful music (disharmonic noise) causes brain damage

Affects of Music on Humans

Source:  "Christian" Rock Music, Christian or Satanic?

1) Researcher - John Diamond, MD
-- "man is rhythmic in respiration, heartbeat, pulse, speech, and gait"
-- "when the rhythm of music corresponds to the natural body rhythm, it produces feeling of ecstasy, alertness, and peace.  It energizes the mind and body, and facilitates balance and self-control."

2) Researcher - David Nobel, MD: an authority on music
-- "has done extensive research on the value of music rhythms corresponding to body rhythms"
-- "rock music contains harmonic dissonance and melodic discord while it accents rhythm with a big beat.  In fact, the anapestic beat (two short beats, a long beat, then a pause) used by many rock musicians actually is the opposite of  our heart and arterial rhythms [thereby causing an immediate loss of body strength]."

"Dr Diamond confirms Dr Nobel's findings and adds that the stopped anapestic rhythm "heightens stress and anger, reduces output, increases hyperactivity, and weakens muscle strength.""

3) "Clinical researchers at the UCLA School of Nursing in Los Angeles, and at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta found that premature babies gained weight faster and were able to use oxygen more efficiently when they listened to soothing music mixed with voices or womb sounds."


Summary

In summary researchers has shown that

a) Rock music (without words) causes negative effects on all forms of life
-- plants lean away from music source
-- mice can't run maze due to brain damage from music
-- all life forms experience either stunted growth, brain damage, and/or death

b) atonal music [partially bad], music that lacks a tonal center, or key (ie, pitch), has a limited negative effect on all forms of life

c) Classical, semi-classical, and devotional music [good music] had a positive effect on all forms of life; it improved the quality of life.


Jesus said, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

God created music and the laws for making music that blesses and/or improves the quality of the life of  the hearer.  When the laws are disobeyed then the hearer is negatively affected.

Is Rock Music demonic?  Rock music causes destruction and sometimes death to the hearer.  Since the objective and purpose of  Satan is to kill, steal, and destroy then rock music is of the devil.

Many Christians play in Christian Rock bands.  Their music is no different than that of secular rock music.  Do the godly words they sing make their songs godly?  The answer is "No".   Rock music causes negatives effects on the hearer and it matters not what the words are.  Godly words will not override the negative effects of the music.

See: Is Christian Rock Music Godly?
http://christianfaith4today.blogspot.com/2011/12/is-christian-rock-music-of-god.html

Sources:

 "What's Wrong With Christain Rock", by Jeff Godwin, Dec 1990
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/190-2427935-5343069?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=what%27s+wrong+with+christian+rock


The effects of rock music on all forms of life cited in this article plus other experiements performed that were not mentioned can be found in the following articles.

"Christian" Rock Music, Christian or Satanic?
http://www.av1611.org/crock/crock1.html

How Music Affects Your Kids..., What Parents Need to know
http://www.vanillafudge.com/link_backups/music2.htm

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Are You Ready for Jesus' Return?

2 Peter 3: 3-4,8-9

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.


Jesus is coming back. The Word of God says He is. The signs of His soon return are quite evident. Nations in the world are at war with one another. Earthquakes are increasing and getting more and more intense around the world. Pestilences and famine are wiping people out. The hatred for Christians worldwide is growing. Sin is greatly increasing. Many false prophets are appearing and leading people away from the true and living God. The gospel is being preached around the world. (Matt 24:4-14)

The world and even some in the Church scoff at this prophecy regarding His second coming (2 Peter 3:3-4). They say things are the same since the beginning of time. Yes, that is true; it has been. However, time is not the same with God as it is with people. (2 Peter 3:8) We might think He is slow about fulfilling His promise but He is not. He is long-suffering with us because it is His desire that we all come to repentance.(2 Peter 3:9)

There are many people in the world that God wants to save before He comes back. We must be about the Father's business. We must pray for them, show them the love of God, and share the good news of the gospel with them so that they might be saved.

There are many people in the Church that are saved but are living their life like they are not saved. They, too, must come to repentance. God's Word teaches that believers are to live godly or they will not be ready for His return. (2 Peter 3:11,14-15)

Jesus told His disciples what the signs of the end time were regarding His second coming (Matthew 24:4-35). He also told them what they needed to do to be ready (Luke 21:34-36).

Jesus gave the disciple some parables that told them what is required of them to be ready for His coming. (Matthew 24:45-51, 25:1-46) These parables teach that a believer must be faithful, live godly, and serve God in word and deed. Those believers who are not ready for His coming will perish.

Are you ready for Jesus' return? Are you living for God?

If not, then recommit your life to Jesus, make Him Lord of your life, and walk in obedience to Him.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Age of Accountability

The age of accountability is an age where a young child knows the difference between right and wrong and is capable of making a decision as to which to choose (Isaiah 7:16). This can vary based on the young child but it probably is somewhere around 3 yrs old.

God saves young children the same way He saves older people; that is, by dealing with their heart about sin, their need for a Savior, and that Savior is Jesus Christ.

Here are a few testimonies of mothers whose young children received Christ as their savior.

Source: http://christianforums.net/f32/hjave-your-children-been-saved-what%20-age-6571/

Poster ID:  Guess

"I know there will be some who will disagree with me, but I really believe that my 3 1/2 has already made a commitment with full knowledge to Jesus. She has already started to evangelize
I was listening to a radio broadcast of James Dobson and he said he made a full commitment to Jesus at age 3 and remembers exactly how he felt - I think we need to not under estimate the ability of a child to comprehend.

A child's faith is an amazing thing."

Poster ID:  lovely

"I do not disagree with you M&M...at all. I was saved at a very young age as well...at age three. There was a woman on our block who taught in her home during the week after school, and attended our neighborhood church. A girl who lived beneath us in our flat use to take me after preschool until my dad was home from work, and she took me to this kind lady's home nearly every afternoon. She taught us all about Jesus, and I fell completely in love with Him. My father was an atheist, but I asked him to let me go to church because I loved Jesus...he did. That woman taught me until I was nine nearly everyday after school, and I sat with her in church on Sunday mornings. I just turned 35, and have served Christ for 32 years now. The Lord bless everyone."

Source: http://www.onlinebaptist.com/home/topic/8830-children-accepting-christ/

 Poster ID: Trish

"about one year ago matt and I became very burdened about Bethany. she was only five but I was five when I was saved. we did not want to rush her we just asked questions and made sure if she ever wanted to talk to us about being saved she could. We just prayed really hard because I really felt she understood. About two weeks later she came to us separately and told us that she was saved. She told us both the same story of her personal conversion. She has such a desire to see people saved and prays every day for her two unsaved friends. she also askes God to let her be a missionary. And just last week she was all broken up because she had lied and felt bad about it. I told her all about confessing our sins to God. The point is I see fruit in her life."

Corrie ten Boom was saved at five years old.  We all know what a servant of God she was.

One Wednesday evening she was speaking in a Church giving her testimony and she encouraged those there to not hesitate to share the gospel with their young children because they are capable of understanding the gospel.  There was a parent there that night that had a five year old and decided to do that.   When she got home she went to her daughter's room and explained the gospel to her.   The young girl wanted to ask Jesus to save her so she did.

The next morning this young five year old girl kept singing about heaven and how she was so happy that Jesus saved her.

Her father drove her to school.  In the afternoon he went to pick her up.  He saw children surrounding the front of a school bus and wondered why.  He went to where they were and he saw his daughter laying on the ground dead; she had run in front of the school bus and it hit her.

Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman had an adopted daughter from China that was four years old.   Her name was Maria.  She attended a Christian School where the teacher had the children sing a song about God's big, big house. 

One morning Maria asked her mother while she was getting dressed how she could go to God's big, big house.  Mary Beth decided that Steven needed to talk to her about it.  So when Steven came home after driving another one of their children to school Mary Beth told him that Maria wanted to know how she could go to God's big, big house.  Steven did his best to explain the gospel to her at her level.  He told her about sin, the cross, the resurrection, and forgiveness.  Maria wanted Jesus to save her, so she prayed.  She prayed on her own  asking Jesus to come live inside her and to take her to His big, big house when it was time.

She was so happy and couldn't wait to tell her teacher at school that she was going to go to God's big, big house.

Three months later,  Maria was out playing with some of  her other siblings when she saw her big brother Will coming down the road.  She loved him so much.  She thought that he would help her get on the monkey bars that the others wouldn't help her with.  So she ran to the drive way to greet him.  Will didn't see her and he hit her.  She was badly injured and died.

God knows each person's future.  He knew that the five year old in the first story and the Chapman's four year old were going to die soon.  These children were at an age where God held them accountable for their sin.  God made a way for them to be prepared to stand before Him without sin when they died.

A child is protected by God's grace before he reaches the age of accountability.  But there comes a time when a young child that knows the difference between right and wrong and can make a decision as to which to choose is no longer under that same grace.  The child must decide for Jesus.

The age of accountability is probably different for each child but God knows when the child becomes accountable to Him for their sin.

Pray for the salvation of your young children.  Ask God to help you share the gospel with them at their level.

[Note:  The story of the mother who heard Corrie ten Boom's lecture in Church encouraging parents of young children to share the gospel with them I read in a book many years ago.  I have forgotten the title and author of the book.  The story of the Chapman's four year old adopted daughter's salvation experience can be found in Mary Beth's book, "Choosing to SEE"] 

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Fear of Dying?

Jesus said that if you love Him you will keep His commandments (John 14:23).  God says in His Word through the Apostle John that if you keep Jesus' commandments then you will be perfected in His love (1 John 2:5).  He said that if you are perfected in His love then you will have confidence before Him on the day of judgment (1 John 4:17).  If you don't have confidence but have fear it is because you have not been perfected in God's love which means you didn't keep His commandments (1 John 4:18). The unknown writer of Hebrews says that Jesus Christ is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him (Heb 5:9).

Once a person becomes born-again through the regeneration of the Holy Ghost and evidences this new birth by a changed life, he is expected to walk in obedience to Jesus (make Jesus Lord) and is to live godly in Christ Jesus. Every truly born-again person starts out on this path but reality has it that some get away from God. They may have been hurt by someone and chose not to forgive. They may have gotten their eyes off of God and had an adulterous affair like King David did or like the man at the Church of Corinth who had relations with his father's wife. They may have gotten involved with the occult (played with the Ouija board or went to a fortune teller for fun). Maybe they just got rebellious towards God about something God wanted them to do. Whatever they have done they begin to walk in the flesh, they come under condemnation for their sins (Romans 8:1), and over time they end up losing interest in the things of God and they live like the world. I have witnessed this in different degrees in several believers.

Jesus place the retention of our salvation into the hands of God.  God will make every effort to bring a wayward Christian back into a right relationship with Him.  The believer can either choose to obey or choose to disobey.  If the believer chooses to disobey and he dies in his sin then he will perish because God is not a respecter of persons. If he chooses to obey then he will live.


Testimony of Gladys, a born-again Christian, who feared dying.

When I met Gladys in the nursing home she was a very difficult person to deal with.  She cussed and was very ugly towards everyone. When I told her she needed Jesus she would say that she already had Jesus.  I told her that she needed to act like it then.

I was going nowhere with Gladys in this issue. God told me to fast and pray for her salvation.  I did. Then some time later when I was visiting her in her room God told me to deal with her in her need to recommit her life to Jesus. I told her that she needed to recommit her life to Jesus and that she heard. When I gave her the gospel the Holy Ghost was all over that lady in a very strong way convicting her that she was a sinner and that Jesus died for her. She wanted to recommit her life to Jesus and she did.

That lady changed. She no longer cussed and was no longer a difficult person to get along with. Plus, there were other changes in her life.

A short time later, maybe 3 weeks or so, when I walked into her room, she said that she was afraid to die. I was sort of taken aback by this. I told God that I didn't understand. She just got saved not too long ago and this shouldn't be. God told me to ask her about her past.

As Gladys recounted her life I found out that she had been wounded real bad by her husband and other people.  She was holding unforgiveness in her heart towards those people. I told her that she needed to forgive them or God would not forgive her. She began to forgive each person as she recounted her experiences with them. When she was done with what God was dealing with her about she said, 'I am not afraid to die anymore.'

Gladys was truly born-again. She showed it by a changed life. But there was an unforgiveness issue that God needed to deal with. When God dealt with it, she responded and forgave. She then was no longer afraid to die.

The only way for a believer to have peace on his death bed is to be right with God (1 John 4:17). If  he has fear, then he is not right with God (1 John 4:18).  If a believer is not right with God it is because there is some sin in his life that God needs for him to repent from. For Gladys it was unforgiveness. For others it might be adultery.  For others, it might be a judgmental spirit.  For others, it may be that they never put God first in their life. What ever the case may be, God knows what it is and He will deal with a believer about the sin issue and give him a chance to repent. If he obeys God, he is cleansed from his unrighteousness and will go to heaven when he dies. If he rebels and refuses to obey, then God cannot cleanse him from that unrighteousness. The believer will perish because he died with unforgiven sin.

Where do Babies go when they Die?

The Word of God says that if we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ then we will be saved.

But what about babies?  They do not have the cognitive abilities to believe.  What happens to them?

Some Christian parents worry about what will happen to their babies should they die before they are able to make an informed decision for Christ.  Many Churches baptize their babies believing that this will assure the child of eternal life.

But is this necessary?  According to the Word of God, "No".

King David had a son that was conceived through an adulterous affair.  God brought judgment on King David that resulted in his son dying.

God said that King David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22).  He kept God's commandments, he followed God with all his heart, did that what was right in God's eyes (1 King 14:8).  From Psalm 23 we can see that King David placed his faith and trust in the living God to meet his needs, to protect him from his enemies, to be with him in the shadows of death, and etc.. King David ends the Psalm with "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6)

King David knew that when he died he would go to heaven.

After King David's son died,  he cleaned himself up, anointed himself, and went into the House of the Lord to worship God (2 Samuel 12:20).

Afterward King David ate. When his servants asked why he ate, he said, "But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." (2 Samuel 12:23)

 I believe God revealed to King David when he went into the house of the Lord to worship God that he would see his son again. Or he spoke through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.  Either way, King David knew he would see his son again.

Since King David would see his son again, and since he was going to go to heaven when he died, then King David's son had to be heaven.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Is Christian Rock Music Godly?

Scripture tells us that we are to love one another. This love is agape love and is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Agape love is an action you show towards someone whether that person is nice or mean, friend or foe, Christian or lost, family or stranger.

There are two aspects to our relationships with people. One is the words we speak and the other is how we treat people.

In our relationships with people, hopefully, we will share the love of God with them by ministering to their need whether it be for salvation, helping to soothe their wounded spirit or whatever. God's Word says in 1 Cor 13:1 that if in sharing the love of God with people through our godly words if we do not show them agape love our words are like sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. The hearer of our words will just want to put their hands over their ears to keep from hearing us for the sounds of our words are wild, harsh, disturbing, repulsive and sometimes our words can't even be clearly heard by the hearer because they have become distorted.

We can conclude from this that if agape love, an action we show someone, is not present, then the words we speak no matter how godly they may be are nothing more than wild, harsh sounds that the hearer tries to block out and reject.

Godly words will not be received by the hearer if it is embedded in an ungodly action. The word-action relationship will not be godly but ungodly because godly words alone are not sufficient to make the relationship godly.

We are commanded to make melody in our hearts to God. The songs we sing we sing for God. But does He receive it? Will He receive a song that is ungodly?

No, of course not, because God is Holy and we are to be holy. If our song we sing to Him is not holy he will not hear it.

A song that is sung has two parts to it also. It has words and it has music. In order for the relationship between the two to be considered godly both parts have to be godly. The godly words have to be embedded in godly music before the song becomes godly just like the godly words spoken to someone in a relationship has to be embedded in a godly action for the recipient to receive the words.

Thus, if we want our song that we sing to the Lord to be received by Him then the godly lyrics we sing must be sung with music that is godly. If the music is not godly then God will not hear us because what we present to Him is polluted.

Adding clean water to dirty water will not make the water clean.  Neither does adding godly words to ungodly music  make a song godly.

Conclusion:

Secular rock music without the words is ungodly (demonic). Since Christian rock music is the same as the secular rock music then Christian rock music without the words is also ungodly (demonic). Adding godly words to ungodly music will not make the song godly.  Thus, Christian Rock music is not godly.

Testimony of Inner Healing

On Sunday evening, the first Sunday of the month of October 1980,  I was talking with the Single's Minister, Bud,  at my Church.  One of his sons, Greg,  came up and asked if he could go eat pizza with the youth.  Since he was busy with me he told him to go ask his mother.   I could tell that Greg didn't want to by his facial expression.

For some reason Greg's response to his dad brought up in me a feeling of hatred.    I began to spew out some hateful words.  Bud just listened.  Afterwards he said that God impressed on him that what I needed was inner healing.  He asked me if I knew anything about it.  I told him that I knew something about it.

Bud said that he knew of someone in the city that had a ministry of  helping people receive inner healing.  He said that he wanted me to pray about it and told me to let him know in a week if I wanted to go see that person.   If I did, then he would have his wife, LeVita,  make an appointment and she and I could go together.

That week I prayed about it.  I studied the New Testament  and concluded that that is something God wanted for me.

The next Sunday I told Bud that  I wanted to go.  Bud had LeVita call this person, her name was Betty, to set up an appointment. We were to go Friday, Oct 31.

When Oct 31 came LeVita and I went to see Betty.

Betty explained to me that to receive inner healing that I needed to be born-again.  I assured her that I was and that the weeks leading up to this day I had recommitted my life to Jesus.

I told Betty a little about my life.  I told her about how my mother, brother, and father hurt me while I was growing up.  She told me that to receive inner healing that I need to forgive them or God would not forgive me.

She asked me, "Do you forgive your mother?"  I responded that I would try.  She asked me if I forgive my brother.  I responded that I think so.  She asked me if I forgive my father.  I responded that I guess so.

She wasn't quite sure of my responses but she decided to proceed.  She explained that I was to visualize Jesus holding my hand as she brought up all these experiences and then to forgive the family member that hurt me.

I bowed my head, closed my eyes, or looked away from her as she brought up some of these memories.  I had no visual imagery.  God protected me from it since visualization is not of God but is an occult technique.

One memory was particularly troublesome.  Betty decided to stop since she could sense that this was not working.

Betty asked how I felt.  I didn't feel any better.  Actually, I think, I felt worse.  Betty explained that sometimes inner healing comes gradually and it might take some time.

Betty made some final remarks.  She had written two books on inner healing that she gave to me.  She asked that I read the first book she wrote within the next week. I told her that I could not promise that I would do it within the next week but that I would read it.

That night, Oct 31, I was invited to a local high school football game by an older couple that I knew.  I don't like football but I went because I liked them and wanted to be with them.

All during the game I kept crying out to the Lord to help me forgive my mother.  I told God that I had little to give in forgiving my mother and that He had to make up for what I did not have.

For over a week I did not read the book that Betty had given me.  However, on Nov 10 I developed an interest in the book and began to read it. I had read that God wanted believers to be healed from the wounds of their past.  To receive healing the believer needed to be born-again.  She continued to say that the believer needed to forgive in order for God to forgive him/her.  She instructed that, with Jesus, the believer should go through all the hurtful memories he/she had and forgive the offender.  Then when that was finished that the believer should ask God to fill him/her with His Spirit.

As I was nearing the end of her book on Nov 11, I went into my bathroom.  I was looking in the mirror and I began to cry.  I said a couple of times, "I want to forgive my mom.  I want to forgive my mom."

I went and sat down on the floor and leaned against my bed.  I began to pray.  I told God that I wanted to forgive my mom.  For an hour and a half God brought up memories of my past that I held against my mother.  With each memory I made the choice to forgive my mom.  As soon as I told God that I forgive He convicted me of having committed the same sin.  I responded, "Oh God, forgive me for having done the same thing."

After God ceased bringing up memories of my past I got in bed and said a general prayer.  I told God that I forgive my mom, ask Him to forgive me for having done the same thing, and concluded the prayer with asking God to fill me with His Spirit.

I went to sleep.

I was awakened in the morning when my radio came on.  I had it tuned to a local Christian Radio Station.  The song, "He Touched Me" was playing.  I sat on the side of my bed listening to the song.  I knew that God had touched me and that I was not the same person.

Everything became different for me.  Nothing bothered me anymore.  I felt like I was on Cloud Nine. If things didn't go right at work, while everyone else was responding in a negative way,  I just said, "Oh well, there will be another day."

I went to my brother's house for Christmas.  My mother came as well.  All the things that she did to me while growing up she did to me again.  It didn't bother me; it was like those things had never happened. I responded to her with agape love (1 Cor 13:4-7).  She would get mad because she could not control me.

My mother use to be able to control me emotionally.  She could break me with just a look.  I was afraid to make mistakes.  At times I hated her.  But after I received healing from the things she did to me while growing up she no longer had any control over me.  It was like those things had never happened. 

I indeed was healed.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

There is Power in the Name of Jesus

Philippians 2:9-11

9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Several years ago I use to take my dogs out for a walk in my neighborhood every night weather permitting. There are many cats in the neighborhood that live outside. All cats that I come across while walking my dogs either ignore us or they run away.

There is one cat in the neighborhood, though, that is totally the opposite. He is all black (not that that matters) and is very aggressive if anyone comes into an area he thinks is his territory.

Well, one night when I was walking my two dogs I came across him. When he saw us he started to slowly approach us with his back arched as if he wanted to attack.

I certainly didn't want the cat attacking me and my dogs, so, as my dogs were sniffing the neighbor's yard, I pointed my finger at the cat and said in a very loud, forcible, and harsh way, "Go, in the name of Jesus!" The cat ignored me and continued to approach with back arched and aggression in it eyes. Again, I said,  with a lower voice this time, but with force and with harshness, "Go, in the name of Jesus!". Still the cat ignored me and continued to approach.

I still felt like the cat might attack. I didn't know what to do. I thought I would change my approach. Again I pointed my finger at the cat, and in a soft, and gentle voice I said, "Go, in the name of Jesus." Well, the cat looked away and started to retreat. He looked back at me again as if he wanted to attack. I said to him again in a soft and gentle voice, "Go, in the name of Jesus." This time he turned and walked away.

There is power in the name of Jesus.  However, that power was hinged on how I delivered it.

God anointed my words when I spoke them in a godly (gentle, meek) way.  He did not anoint them when I spoke them in an ungodly (loud, harsh, forcible) way.

Testimony: God's Creative Power

A Testimony of God creating flesh from nothing.

Back in 1990, I knew a man by the name of Paul that had an elderly basset hound by the name of Dude.

Dude was an outdoor dog and liked to roam the streets. When I came home one afternoon I saw Paul with his dog. Dude was walking on three legs. I asked Paul why. He said that Dude spent the night roaming the streets and came home early in the morning limping. Paul examined his injured paw and discovered that Dude had severed off completely three of his pads down nearly to the bone.

When Paul showed me his injured paw my heart went to that dog. I went home and immediately got on my knees and cried out to God to heal Dude.

About 3 or 4 weeks later I saw Paul and asked him how Dude was doing. He said that he healed up. I asked if his pads were back and Paul said "No". I was disappointed because I believed that God would restore his pads to him.

About a week or so later later Paul and I were talking with a mutual friend. Dude was with him. Paul was trying to explain to our friend what had happened. She didn't believe him so I rolled Dude over to show her. Much to my surprise the pads were there along with the grey matter. You would not have been able to tell that anything ever happened to Dude's paw. Since muscle can't grow back then the only explanation was that God recreated Dude's pads and grey matter supernaturally.

 God did not use natural means to have Dude's pads and grey matter appear; instead He gave the word for Dude's pads and grey matter to appear from nothing in response to my prayer.

 God , through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, is truly a miracle working God.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Why Jesus Came


Back in the early 90's I was making my own Christmas cards that had a  message that the reason why Jesus came was to save people from their sins.  As I was making this card for the people I would give it to the question came to mind, "Why did Jesus come?"  I decided that I would search the scriptures to find out why.  I found that there were 17 different reasons why Jesus came.  Below is a compilation of those reasons.


1) Jesus came to do the will of the Father.

John 4:34 - Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

John 5:30 -  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

John 6:38-40

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.


2) To die; to be crucified

John 12:27 -  Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

3) To call sinners to repentance

Mark 2:17 - When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:32 - I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Matthew 9:13 - But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

4) To save that which is lost

Matthew 18:11 - For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

Luke 9:56 - For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

Luke 19:10 - For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

5) To be a minister

Matthew 20:28 - Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

6) To preach, heal, deliver

Luke 4:18-19

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.


7) To give you life

John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

8) To preach to other cities

Mark 1:38 -  And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

Luke 4:43 - And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

9) Came in His Father's name

John 5:43 - I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

10) God sent Jesus

John 7:16 - Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

John 7:18 - He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

John 7:28-29

28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

John 8:42 - Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

John 9:4 - I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

11) For judgment

John 9:39 - And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

12) As a light

John 12:46 - I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

John 3:19 - And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

13) Not to condemn

John 3:17 - For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

14) Not to send peace

Matthew 10:34-36

34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.


Luke 12:51-53

51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.


15) Not to destroy the law

Matthew 5:17 - Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

16) To send fire

Luke 12:49 - I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

17) Bear witness of the truth

John 18:37 - Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

As I was nearing the end of this search, the Lord kept saying to me in my thoughts,  "So send I you."

John 20:21 - Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.