Notes From A Retired Preacher

Entries from June 2007

Picky With Words.

June 30, 2007 · 6 Comments

I have been known to be narrow-minded — and, believe it or not, some have even accused me of being “picky.” What? ME?

Guilty as charged, but in a nice way. This is not a deep theological dissertation but just an observation, begging for clarity and simplicity when we write or speak.

Frequently we hear believers in Christ say, “My relationship with Christ is not what it should be.” Or, “I am looking and trying for a better relationship with Christ.” Many organization’s Statements of Faith infer something like, “Obedience leads to a better relationship with Christ.”

These all sound nice, but could be more accurate and much clearer.

Dictionary.com says: “…the preferred usage of ‘relationship’ is for human relations or states of relatedness); “the relationship between mothers and their children”

The word “relationship” does not appear in the KJV Bible but is implied in this and many other verses:

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them gave He power to become the sons of God, to them that believe on His name:”

Our relationship with Jesus Christ begins the moment we trust Christ as Savior. It is unchangeable and eternal, never to get better or worse. One who trusts Christ as Savior is a son of God forever. Never a lesser son, never more of a son. For a believer in Christ, relationship to God never changes.

However, a believer (son of God) who disobeys, rebels against or ignores his Savior Who bought him “with a price…” is still in perfect Father/son “relationship” with God. His fellowship with his Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and other believers suffers greatly.

Ephesians. 5:11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. “

1 John 1:3 “…and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

In I Corinthians, chapter one, the Apostle Paul pleads for the believers not to have contentions or divisions which were ruining the fellowship within the Corinthian church. He stresses the difference between their standing (perfect, eternal relationship in Christ) and their fellowship (their abhorrent behavior). He emphasizes that their behavior should reflect their perfect standing in Christ.

Relationship — A believer’s standing is Eternal in Jesus Christ — and once settled by his faith in Christ, it will never change.

Fellowship — A believer’s state or condition, fluctuating day to day, moment by moment as we are obedient or disobedient to God’s Word.

Let us use language easy to be understood as we write and speak about our Savior. Is that “picky?”

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Categories: Christianity · Faith · Religion

USA Supports Destruction of Israel.

June 23, 2007 · 21 Comments

Tom, over at The Red Hunter writes a stomach turning article on how the Bush administration and its cohorts are effectively endorsing and facilitating the destruction of Israel.Here are some excerpts — but you must read it all.

This past February Secretary Rice announced that the United States was going to “talk” with Iran and Syria over the future of Iraq. Although she quickly “clarified” that the talks wouldn’t be direct, it didn’t really matter. After 9-11 President Bush announced that “you’re either with us or against us in the fight against terror.”

[....]

Now the Bush Administration has pledged it’s support for Fatah in the wake of Hamas’ takeover of Gaza. We’re even going to send them $60 million to “upgrade Mahmoud Abbas’s presidential guard and for other security expenses”. No doubt in the months to come we’ll see more announcements of programs designed to prop up Fatah, as our “partner in peace”.

We allowed al Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgent terrorist groups refuge in Iran and Syria. We refused to attack their bases or supply depots there. We have done nothing about Hezbollah in Lebanon, other than force a “peace” settlement on Israel that does nothing but give the terrorist group time to rearm.

[....]

All this is making the left chortle with glee. But then they’ve always wanted us to abandon Iraq to it’s fate, make nice with every Palestinian terrorist group and Arab dictator (witness Speaker Pelosi’s trip to Damascus).

[....]

There isn’t going to be any “two state solution”, as long as either Fatah or Hamas are in charge. Neither wants to live side by side with Israel. We’re only fooling ourselves by trying to play one off of the other.

What Fatah Stands For

Fatah is basically a terrorist organization. Its very name means “conquest”, that which is supposed to happen during or after a jihad; the holy war leads to conquest. They don’t choose these names by accident or without considering their meaning. Fatah was created by the late terror master himself, Yasser Arafat. It was operatives from Fatah which formed Black September, the group which carried out the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic games in Munich.

Today the organization is led by Mahmoud Abbas (or “Abu Mazen”, or whatever name he goes by these days). If Arafat was a street punk grown up to be the local crime boss,

Abbas is the nutty neighbor down the street. In his 1983 Phd.D dissertation, The Other Side: the Secret Relationship Between Nazism and Zionism, he

…suggested that the figure of six million Jews murdered by the Nazis was a false one, “peddled” by the Jews. To bolster that thesis, he quotes known Holocaust revisionists as authoritative sources. Seeking conspiracy theories that would serve Arab interests, Abu Mazen also wrote that the Zionist movement “led a broad campaign of incitement against the Jews living under Nazi rule… to expand the mass extermination.” Zionists, he contends, collaborated with the Nazis to murder Jews, in order to gain sympathy for the creation of the State of Israel.

And this is the guy we’re trying to make nice with. This is insane.

Look at Fatah’s Constitution. Under “Goals”, we have

Article (12) Complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence.Article (13) Establishing an independent democratic state with complete sovereignty on all Palestinian lands, and Jerusalem is its capital city, and protecting the citizens’ legal and equal rights without any racial or religious discrimination.

“Complete liberation” does not mean the West Bank and Gaza. It means that and the whole of Israel too.

[...]

Read it all at Tom The Red Hunter and be prepared to be sicker to your stomach. Tom is right on target!

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and for our President to wake up!!!

How to have eternal life..

Categories: Christianity · Faith · Israel · Patriotism · Religion · Uncategorized

Amazing Grace Brautiful Rendition

June 18, 2007 · 16 Comments

Thanks to Bookworm:

The most beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace I have heard in years.

No Contemporary nonsence, no whining, no screaming.

Just pure beautiful Amazing Grace — my favorite hymn by vocalist Haley Westerna.

How to have eternal LIfe

Categories: Christianity · Faith · Religion · Uncategorized

About a Dear Friend

June 16, 2007 · Leave a Comment

This morning I received a phone call from Rev. Bill Adams, a good friend of many years. He worked for me and with me in my business while we studied for the ministry at Florida Bible College. He then served as my Assistant Pastor and Youth Director when we later started our church in South Florida. After several years as a faithful minister, and with good will all around, Bill left us and went on to start churches and work in some large prominent ministries throughout the country.

On faith alone and believing the Lord wants him to minister in the Dallas, TX area, he has just moved to Arlington TX. His wife, Brenda and their family will soon follow.

He is praying first that the Lord will provide him with a ministry in the Arlington (Dallas-Ft. Worth) area. He is likewise praying that, if not an immediate ministry, then a satisfactory job that will allow him to support his family and leave time for the Lord to use him sharing Christ in some way.

Also, if you know of a loved one, family or friend in the area who needs to hear the Gospel and trust Christ as Savior or receive some clear Bible teaching, Bill will gladly help. You will find no finer or more faithful witness for our Savior. Please contact me through my email contact at the bottom of this post.

Likewise, please pray for the safety of Bill and Brenda’s fine young Marine son, Brett, who is right now in Anbar Province, Iraq. They’ve not heard from him in months because of the nature of his military mission.

Bill and Brenda and I will appreciate your help and prayers. Bill is a man with a mission to share Christ with lost souls and is certainly deserving of your prayers, help and support.

If any of you, my dear readers, know someone whom the Lord can use to help Bill or that he can help, I will appreciate you letting me know.

Please email me at: Jack’s Email.

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Categories: Uncategorized

Errors Regarding Israel in Prophecy

June 14, 2007 · 8 Comments

I copied below an outstanding short article taken from the ISRAEL MY GLORY Magazine – May-June 2007, a publication of Friends of Israel.The article offers a great explanation of the difference between a correct interpretation of Biblical history and the lie that has recently come about called “Replacement Theology.” This false doctrine states that Israel is no longer relevant in Biblical teaching and history and has been replaced by the church. If you have ever sought the truth in the Bible about the past and future prophecies regarding Israel and have been confused by teachers who know not of what they speak, this article will help clear your mind and aid you in the proper study of Israel in God’s Word.

The Importance of Literal Interpretation

By Bruce Stott,

Staffing Coordinator, Friends of Israel.

Hermeneutics is the art and science of interpretation. When most readers open a news paper or book, they assume the author intends for them to understand what he is saying. They also instinctively assume that, to understand what the author is saying, they must use a literal, or normal, hermeneutic,: They must interpret the text literally or naturally, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Interpreting the Bible is no different. The goal is to understand what the human author, as he was moved by the Holy Spirit, intended to say. We do so by using a literal hermeneutic (even with passages dealing with end-times prophecies), unless the context indicates otherwise.

Unfortunately, much of Scripture, especially the Old Testament, is interpreted by replacement theologians who use what is known as the allegorical method. It assumes there is a deeper, more spiritual or mystical, understand­ing of Scripture beyond the mere literal understanding and that this hidden understanding is found only by those who are able to search out its secrets.

This mindset is especially prevalent when it comes to prophecy. With the allegorical method, prophecy is not to he taken literally but, rather, figuratively and symbolically.

The allegorical method, however, leads to several major errors:

1. Jesus’ Comings. It is hermeneutically inconsistent. Replacement theologians interpret prophecies related to Jesus’ First Coining literally, but prophecies related to His Second Coming they interpret figuratively.

2. Israel. The allegorical method fails to make clear, biblical distinctions between Israel and the church, Even though there are scores of Biblical passages declaring that God has a distinct future for Israel, replacement theologians either ignore those passages or explain them away or apply them figuratively to the church.

They are eager to apply Israel’s blessings to the church, but not so eager to apply Israel’s curses to the church,

Additionally, if the church is now “spiritual Israel,” as Replacement Theology claims, who is now spiritual Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, Egypt, and all he other nations mentioned in the Old Testament?

3. God’s character. The allegorical method also raises serious questions about God’s veracity. If, in the Old Testament, God promised Israel a literal, earthly Kingdom, but He really meant a figurative, immaterial kingdom, what does that say about God’s character? Does God deceive His people with literal promises and then hold them accountable for not recognizing that they were actually figurative?

In contrast, when a literal hermeneutic is used consistently, there results a consistent understanding of Scripture as a whole. Separate administrations of God’s rule on Earth come to light. A distinct program for both Israel and the church is revealed (not two ways of salvation, but a distinct plan and program). New Testament revelation does not redefine Old Testament concepts.

In addition, a massive amount of unfulfilled, prophetic Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, is faced squarely and addressed. End-times events begin to take shape and fall into their proper chronological places. And God’s character is not impugned, but vindicated. His glory is seen as the chief goal of all of history.

A literal hermeneutic does not make these things so. Rather, it reveals them to be so.

When a literal hermeneutic is used consistently to understand Scripture, the end result is Dispensationalism. When literal hermeneutic is not used consistently the end result is Replacement Theology.

(Friends of Israel web site).


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Categories: Christianity · Faith · Israel · Patriotism · Religion · Uncategorized

Will Israel Survive?

June 7, 2007 · 7 Comments

Honest, discerning, Conservative Christians need to see more of this truth as it relates to Israel This article tends to back up prophecies in God’s Word, The Bible..Can Israel survive the onslaught of enemies all over the world? Will America watch as Israel is swamped by those who would rejoice if Israel is wiped off the map?

From the Israel National News – (Arutz Shiva) an article by Cale Hahn, who is an American Gentile living in Texas. He worked as a journalist in Jerusalem in the late 1990s. His articles have appeared in several Israeli, US and international media publications.

The War’s Upon Us.
by Cale Hahn

We have come to the end of the road.

“We hoped for peace, but no good has come. A time of healing, but there was only terror.” (Yirmiyahu 8:15) [Jeremiah 8:15 NIV]

We have come to the end of the road. No more initiatives. No more recycling under different names the same failed formula for Middle East peace. The end of the road is conflagration, not coexistence.

The peace process is dead. The time of wars has begun. Israel has been sufficiently weakened for the Muslim world to once again attempt annihilation of the Jewish state. The facade of Muslim desires for peace is lowered, and behind the curtain looms a violent and murderous religion that brooks no opposition.

The peace process is dead. The time of wars has begun.

Islamic peace is: no god on earth but Allah. Islamic honor may only be restored by the destruction of the Jewish nation. Hence, their nakba is the “catastrophe” of Israel’s birth.

The Muslim nations are actively preparing for war; to declare there is hope for peace given the mountains of evidence to the contrary is manic delusion. Unfortunately, those who say these things are currently running the country.

This is precisely the reason the Muslims will soon attack. Israel is led by a coalition of political hacks who exhibit colossal incompetence and cinematic buffoonery. They possess no will to fight beyond a staged photo op. They are hollow men, empty shells without convictions and without courage beyond self-preservation.

As Ehud Olmert confessed, “We are tired of fighting, we are tired of being courageous, we are tired of winning, we are tired of defeating our enemies.

In previous wars, Israel was armed with superior US weapons systems, while the Muslim armies fielded inferior Soviet-bloc material. Though significantly outnumbered, Israel possessed enough of a qualitative advantage to overcome significant quantitative disparities.

Not so anymore. The Muslim nations are armed with the latest Western weapons platforms and, for the first time, possess not only numerical superiority, but qualitative parity with Israel in many areas. Under the auspices of enlisting Muslim support in participating in its “War on Terror,” the US has armed Israel’s enemies with its latest weapons systems. Examples include Harpoon anti-ship missiles, F-16 fighters, Apache helicopters, Abrams main battle tanks, JDAM bombs, AWACS radar planes and Avenger Air Defense Systems.

Israel has voiced deep alarm to Washington at Muslim weapons parity vis-a-vis the Jewish state, but to no avail. Washington continues arming Israel’s enemies, knowing these systems may soon be employed against the Jewish state.

Along with Western weapons, the Muslim armies possess advanced Russian, Chinese, Iranian and North Korean rockets. These will target Israel from the Golan to Eilat, employing the successful strategies garnered from the Second Lebanon War. Utilization of chemical, biological or nuclear munitions cannot be ruled out.

The most likely casus belli is an Iranian terror proxy launching attacks against Israel’s borders, forcing Israel to respond in kind. The situation will quickly deteriorate to include rocketing from Syria, Lebanon, Hizbullah, Iran, Gaza and other Palestinian enclaves. These attacks will dwarf the Second Lebanon War in terms of intensity and accuracy.

The Muslim nations will then follow the rocket blitz with conventional forces to rid the Jews from Palestine. Dar-Al-Islaam, at last.

Indeed, this is precisely the reason the US has restrained Israel from responding to the rocket barrages on its southern border. The US is deeply concerned an Israeli invasion of Gaza will trigger a regional war or possibly World War III.

Knock one domino down and it is connected by a tripwire to others, which will blow from Gaza to Afghanistan in a quick succession of cataclysmic explosions. Islamic war planners deliberately engineered the structure as such.

America is feverishly working to keep this from happening. US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack cautioned, “We’ve urged them [Israel] to consider the consequences of defending themselves.”

But global war is precisely the goal of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It is the prerequisite for the Islamic Messiah (the Mahdi) coming upon the world stage to lead the Islamic ummah (“nation”) to global victory. Ahmadinejad believes he is the one chosen to usher the Mahdi’s coming.

The whole of the Middle East is a mountain of munitions atop a rumbling, ash-belching volcano. Late summer or fall appears to be the intended point of detonation. When it erupts, it will blow the US from the Middle East and propel Israel to the brink of destruction.

These are heady days for the ummah. They are drunk on the power their oil wealth brings. They sense a moment of historic tectonic shift is soon to occur, an imminent glorious triumph over the infidel.

Iran is on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons and is restoring Islamic honor by standing up to America. Every Muslim nation is undertaking a massive armament campaign, ironically provided in large measure by America. The US fatally misidentified their enemy as terrorism, when in actuality the enemy is Islam, from which terror springs.

The Muslim nations haven’t made the same mistake. They know America’s veneration of its economy, and they intend to bring it down in a ruinous, smoldering heap. They intend to drive the US from the region and shut the oil taps to its markets. The OPEC oil embargo of the 1970s is returning, only this time it will be utilized to a much greater effect, intended to destroy the US economy.

America should prepare for numerous terror attacks using conventional and non-conventional munitions. A Department of Homeland Security agent said Al-Qaeda has several South American training camps to instruct terrorists in Spanish and the Hispanic culture and infiltrate them across the US-Mexico border as illegal immigrants. He stated there are several thousands of terrorists who have successfully infiltrated the US and who are awaiting orders to strike.

The coming conflagration in the Middle East may be the trigger to activate these cells; almost certainly, should a shooting war develop between America and either Syria or Iran.

Since the Rabin-Arafat handshake fourteen years ago, 2,000 Israelis have been killed, 14,000 wounded and unnumbered hundreds of thousands psychologically scarred. Israel was willing to pay the price for peace. Time and again, Israel gave faith. Time and again, faith was violated. Time and again, Israel hoped. Time and again, Israel was targeted.

Israel will learn its lessons. After the war, all of Jerusalem will be free from Islamic domination. No area will be off-limits to Jewish worship.

After the war, all of Jerusalem will be free from Islamic domination.

Israel will not fall. He who keeps her will neither slumber nor sleep. HaShem [God] is faithful to His promises and His people: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Psalms 46:10-11)

In a break with protocol, I would like to make a personal appeal. I would like to bring my wife and little girl to Israel to live and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel during this difficult period. I’ll need work, and a place to live until we get situated. I lived a year in Israel in 1999 and am well acquainted with the difficulties of living there. But what an amazing country! If there is a place for us, we would come. Please e-mail Texaswatcher@yahoo.com with any suggestions in this regard.

Go to the Arutz Shiva article: The War’s Upon Us

Can the Departure of believers (Rapture) be close at hand? It is a good time to know for sure you are Heaven bound.

Are you SURE of Heaven, Eternal Life? Find Out.

Categories: Christianity · Faith · Israel · Religion · Uncategorized

An Agonizing Decision

June 5, 2007 · 4 Comments

My beloved sweetheart wife Fern  and I bought our MotorHome just after we retired. We used it with a passion, sharing our Savior with whomever would listen as we traveled. We enjoyed viewing the land and visiting friends and family all over our beautiful, majestic country. We had wonderful memories of the last few years of our lifetime!Then five years ago, we were camping in Chattanooga , 800 miles from home, when Fern unexpectedly passed from this old earth to be with her Savior in Heaven. What a shock!

That drive home in the RV was without my sweetheart Fern. This was one of the most traumatic and difficult times of my life but thankfully my family came with me. Through all this, I thanked the Lord for His faithfulness in affording me many opportunities to share my Savior during that time.

Fern  was absent from her body and present with the Lord, (2 Corinthians 5:8) for which I was thankful, but I was still here! It was I who should have been the first to go home to Heaven. We had talked about that.  However, the Lord’s plans are perfect even though it did not seem so at the time. It is difficult to imagine how much I missed her, my precious Fern, with whom I had spent 49 wonderful years. To say I missed Fern was an understatement.

But the Lord is always faithful. Four years ago, I met and married a very wonderful and special lady, Shirley. The Lord showed His special Grace by bringing to me this perfect person for that time in my life. Shirley is all and more than I could have ever asked of the Lord.

And now, I regret that Shirley and I have not been able to travel nearly as much as I had planned for her. My eyesight is failing and my health is otherwise not cooperating.

Reluctantly, we put an ad in the online RV Trader today to sell the MotorHome.

This is not an easy decision, since all my family and I have thousands of warm memories, accumulated for over ten years as we have traveled America.

Please, go look at our ad and see what we will be missing.

Click Here to see details and pictures of  our MotorHome.

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Categories: Uncategorized