WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?

 

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?

When leadership is needed,

Yo bring issues to the table,

When the church is spiritually weak,

Who’s responsible?

When teachers are also needed –

Ones who are capable,

Who is able to fill this need?

Who’s responsible?

When elders and deacons are chosen –

Godly men who are eligible,

Whose lives are lived above reproach,

Who’s responsible?

When the church’s funds are low,

And its state is formidable,

When generous, cheerful givers are needed,

Who’s responsible?

Who can fill these roles,

While being sensible?

Who can keep the church on track?

Who’s responsible?

If spiritual gifts are not used in church,

Its demise is inevitable.

Who is then to blame?

Who’s responsible?

WHEN THE POTTER IS ALSO CLAY

 

THE POTTER AND THE CLAY

I am a piece of clay,

Still fresh and easily pliable.

And the work of those who shape me,

Will be judged and they will be liable.

For on a person’s potting wheel,

I can be punched and pounded.

My being may become distorted,

And I will not be well rounded.

I can be molded beautifully when,

On the Master’s wheel I am poured.

A flaw may appear or a total collapse,

But I can be restored.

Over time a pattern is formed,

It is never just a straight line.

Each person I’ve ever known,

Will add to the design.

Each acquaintance will add a mark.

Motive will inspire each spot.

Let’s just hope the ones who destroy,

Will only leave a dot.

All are owned by the Master Potter;

We are dust formed into clay.

Each us has his own potter’s wheel,

And our work will be judged someday.

Pressure must be applied in the process,

And “the pot” will be tested by fire.

But for those who spent time in the Master’s hands,

A true work of art will transpire.

Becky Wall

 

YOU MOVED

HEAVEN & EARTH

FOR ME

You created for six long days.

To move heaven and earth for me.

You wanted my companionship,

Though my future was yet to be.

When my days are finished and trials are over,

And my mansion is prepared by Thee,

Old things will pass, and once again,

You'll move heaven and earth for me.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the

 first heaven and the first earth had passed away, 

and there was no longer any sea. 

Revelation 21:1

beckyowall.blogspot.com

ARE TODAY'S HEALERS FROM GOD?

ARE TODAY'S HEALERS FROM GOD?

Can people still be healed by today’s “healers?” You decide. Whether or not spontaneous healing by a healer still exists has been a touchy subject as long as I can remember. I only know what I have gleaned from the Bible. I put no stock in what I see on television.

I'll start with an explanation as to who are the Apostles. They are the ones given the power of healing by Jesus himself. There were originally twelve of them who followed Jesus. Judas committed suicide from the guilt he was left with after Satan’s demons left him. He had served their purpose of betraying Jesus which would result in his beating and death. A man named Matthias took Judas's place as a disciple. Paul was later grafted in when he was specially chosen by Jesus to spread the gospel and start churches. The Apostles were also called Disciples. They were the chosen ones who were students and friends of Jesus who left everything for him. They failed their lessons many times but Jesus never gave up on them and they never gave up on Jesus – except Judas, of course. We true Christians are now called disciples or saints.

When the Apostles were given the gift of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they were also given the gifts of healing, casting out demons, speaking in tongues or foreign languages (in order to spread the gospel to other lands) and so on. They were able to pass the gift of healing on to others, such as Barnabas. Barnabas played a key role in starting churches and spreading the gospel. He was a companion of Paul on Paul’s first missionary journey. Silas was another “disciple” who helped start churches and spread the gospel but he was never given the gift of healing. The whole purpose of healing was to prove to others that Jesus was and is who he said he is.

The signs and wonders performed by the Apostles were necessary to start churches. People would have been slow to believe without them. In this new beginning, there was no New Testament, no record of prophecies fulfilled or of Jesus’s life, teachings and miracles. It was up to the Apostles and followers (disciples) to start churches. There is no record of the gift of performing miracles being passed on after the ones given this power through an Apostle.

There is a record of aprons and handkerchiefs which touched Paul being taken to sick and demon-possessed people. (A former healer, Oral Roberts, turned this idea into a money-making scheme.) Some Jews, including seven sons of a Jewish priest (did not believe in Jesus), capitalized on this response by people wanting to be healed. The Jews used the name of Jesus to try to summon his spirit in order to cast out demons. They were false disciples or prophets and they were beaten for their fraudulent actions. The bad was turned to good when many Jews became afraid because of what the man who had the evil spirit did to the seven sons. Those Jews converted to Christianity and the gospel message grew in power. See Acts 19:11-20:

"11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power."It is possible for false “prophets” to reproduce some miracles through trickery or with Satan’s help. Consider the ten plagues that occurred in Egypt when Moses tried to lead the people out of slavery in that country. Before the plagues began, Pharoah asked Moses to perform a miracle, Moses told his brother, Aaron to throw down his staff and it would become a snake. Here is what followed, found in Exodus 7:

"11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs."

The first plague happened when the drinking water of the Nile turned to blood. The second was the plague of frogs everywhere in Egypt. The magicians were able to use their secret arts to reproduce both plagues, but with the third plague, gnats, the magicians could not repeat it. They had to admit to Pharoah, "This is the finger of God."

So, this shows you that miracles can be reproduced through fakery of different sorts. It has happened in the past, it is happening in the present, and it will happen again in the future. See Revelation 13:

"11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666."

See also Revelation 16. Demonic spirits performed signs:

"12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty."

"16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon."

Back a few chapters to Revelation 11. Two witnesses perform miracles demonstrating God’s power:

"3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want."

My summation is to judge "healers" and others according to their fruits, be discerning, be wise. Be true to God. Too often people see only the display, the performance, and they hear only the persuasive speech and get caught up in their excitement. One of my now deceased sisters gave a lot of her assets to such a preacher. When I asked if he ever presented members of the church with a financial statement of income and expenses, she said “No, but he showed videos of where he had traveled on mission trips."

Without any Biblical proof, I would venture to say that the devil sends his most powerful demons to work on preachers, evangelists, and anyone else in a successful ministry, or with a popular talent. This also includes those who live lives dedicated to the Lord. They live the Bible and are messengers and examples to others.

The devil doesn’t have to bother with people outside of the church or even lukewarm Christians. Those in the present day and in the future who don’t know the Bible are in big trouble when it comes to making choices as to who and what to believe. Don't just live for the day. Live as if your eternity depends on it, because it does.

Becky Wall
beckyowall.blogspot.com

Key words: #healing #healers #miracle #demons #thebeast #falseprophets 

A TOUR OF HEAVEN

A TOUR OF HEAVEN

My own idea of heaven,

May not be your version.

But let me take you on my trip;

We'll go on a mental excursion.

We won't even need transportation,

When we flash to unknown highs.

We will travel at the speed of lightning,

Or dance with it across the skies.

Through pearly gates we'll enter,

Our heavenly Father we'll meet.

In an emerald mansion we'll stay,

At the end of a clear, golden street.

We will chat with all the creatures,

In a crystal sea we'll swim.

We'll visit with loved ones gone on before,

And we will marvel at them.

The food will be just "heavenly,"

And no creature will have to die.

The wonders we'll see I cannot describe.

No matter how hard I try.

Then on our trip back home,

From star to star we'll skip.

Or we can float upon a cloud,

And from its dew we'll sip.

My best days here on earth,

Cannot compare to such glory.

And if I persevere here on earth,

I'll have an even better story.

Becky Wall

beckyowall.blogspot.com

1997

MY MEMORY OF BLIND MOLLY

Somewhere in West Frankfort a couple of blocks north of the little, green house where we lived was a white house. I was little, so I can’t tell you for sure. The lady in the house had a granddaughter named Molly. Molly was blind, but you would never know it except to look at her eyes. Her hearing was so good that it substituted for the lack of sight. My one memory of her was her chasing me around her grandma’s yard and gravel driveway while she was riding a tricycle, pedaling every bit as fast as I was running. No matter what direction I ran, she was never far from my heels – and I was a fast runner. I was terrified because I didn’t know if she could or would stop if I did. Fortunately, I never found out. I ran up the stairs and into the house to be safe. I would love to meet Molly again. Someone with that much spunk and capabilities would be worth knowing. I just hope she’s not driving a car using her hearing in place of sight.

UNDERSTANDING THE RUIN CAUSED BY PORNOGRAPHY

Pornography viewing is addictive and progressive. Participation in pornography use in one of any of its forms -- magazines, videos, movies -- may start out innocently but the end is ruin. It could branch out into phone sex, sex with prostitutes, a sexual perversion, window peeping, etc. It dominates a person's thoughts once they are hooked, and becoming hooked is quick and insidious. Use of pornography takes a regular guy and turns him into the shell of a man, empty of his once wonderful, normal, happy self. That's not to say women can't be hooked on pornography also.

What begins as viewing magazine pages of naked women could eventually lead to acting out with real women. The viewing continues in your mind's eye until it is constant and obsessive. The victim can't wait for his next fix. He may want to control himself but can't seem to do it. In the meantime, he has to lie in certain situations lest he be found out. He has to hide his double life from loved ones. His behavior becomes suspicious to some.

In the beginning, the addict worries about his relationship with God, rightfully so. But in time, he is no longer concerned with what God thinks. He just needs another high. That is the pattern of other addictions also.

Job 31:

“I made a covenant with my eyes
not to look lustfully at a young woman.
2 For what is our lot from God above,
our heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not ruin for the wicked,
disaster for those who do wrong?
4 Does he not see my ways
and count my every step?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood
or my foot has hurried after deceit—
6 let God weigh me in honest scales
and he will know that I am blameless—
7 if my steps have turned from the path,
if my heart has been led by my eyes,
or if my hands have been defiled,
8 then may others eat what I have sown,
and may my crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door,
10 then may my wife grind another man’s grain,
and may other men sleep with her.
11 For that would have been wicked,
a sin to be judged.
12 It is a fire that burns to Destruction;
it would have uprooted my harvest.

Psalm 101:3-4
I will not look with approval
on anything that is vile.
I hate what faithless people do;
I will have no part in it.
4 The perverse of heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

Ps. 101:4 (a repeat)
The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

Prov. 2:12-14
Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.

Prov. 3:32
For the LORD detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.

Proverbs 28:6
Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

Proverbs 28:18
Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.

Romans 6:11-14

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. 

II Cor. 10:1-5
By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

I Thess. 4:3-5
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God…

I Thess. 4:7-8
For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Jude 1:7

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

A BIBLICAL GUIDE TO COURT PROCEEDINGS

A BIBLICAL GUIDE TO COURT PROCEEDINGS

"Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." II Cor. 13:1b

You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. Exodus 23:2

Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end when your neighbor has put you to shame? Proverbs 25:8

Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the

courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. Acts 19:38

But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? James 2:6

He who speaks truth declares righteousness, But a false witness, deceit. Prov. 12:17

A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies. Prov. 14:5

Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, for would you deceive with your lips? Prov. 24:28

A man who bears false witness against his neighbor Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow. Prov. 25:18

He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness… Matt. 19:18

“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Matthew 5:25

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice(B) against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8

Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” John 7:24

I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 1 Corinthians 6:5

…have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. Exodus 18:22

In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges declare guilty must pay back double to the other. Exodus 22:9

“‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” Leviticus 19:15

And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. Deuteronomy 1:16

A WORLD-KNOWN HOSTAGE SITUATION TOUCHED NASHVILLE, IL

A WORLD KNOWN HOSTAGE SITUATION TOUCHED NASHVILLE, IL

For about 25 years I was part of the Washington County Right-to-Life group in Nashville, IL. When abortion was legalized, I heard it on the car radio and thought to myself, “There will be a civil war over this. The American people won’t stand for it.” But there was only silence.

Now that it was the law, few preachers contested it. It was shocking. So, we in the Right to Life Organization made it our goal to educate people as to why killing unborn babies was wrong. It was mind-boggling that people didn’t hold all human life sacred. Our group was made up of some of the most dedicated women from various county churches and a priest.

An older gentleman, Mr. Zimmermann, sat in on one of our meetings. He was from our area and wanted to be a member of the group. A couple of weeks later we started hearing about a plane being hijacked. The persons in the plane were held hostage on the tarmac in Beirut. One of the crew members was Christian Zimmermann. As it turned out, he was the son of the man who had joined our group. He was also a minister.

He was beaten, along with a couple of men who were beaten to death. Long story short, they were held hostage for 17 days and eventually resolved the situation but not without casualties. A few weeks later, if that long, the Mr. Zimmermann that was part of our group, died. His funeral was held in the Lutheran Church in Nashville, IL. I assume that cockpit crew member, Christian Zimmermann, an engineer, I think, was there but I didn’t get to attend because of my job. It was worldwide news for a long while. And yet it touched our little town in a heartbreaking way. The father likely died from stressing over the plight of his son and we lost a much-needed member of our organization.

So, here we are, millions of aborted babies later -- more than all wars combined -- and little has changed. The men who killed several of the hostages didn't hold life sacred. As a nation and as individuals, do we? Does the size and location of these human beings not count? Though there are more preachers on board, we need all of them on board and more people praying and doing their part in educating people about this travesty of justice. I'm sure both Mr. Zimmermans would appreciate that as part of their legacy. Good can come from bad sometimes.

HOW IMPORTANT IS BELIEF?

HOW IMPORTANT IS BELIEF?

Matthew 18:6 - “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Matthew 21:32 - For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Mark 1:15 - “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark 9:24 - Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

John 1:12 - Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:18 - Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 3:36 - Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

John 5:24 - “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

John 6:29 - Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

John 6:35 - Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6:40 - For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 6:47 - Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.

John 7:38 - Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

John 7:39 - By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.