Iraq Trivia Email -- Fact Or Fiction?

American Soldiers Pose At A Statue Of A Lion At The Ruins Of The Ancient City Of Bablyon. Notice Saddam's Abandoned Place In The Background.

If you have been receiving email for very long, someone has probably sent you 22 claims about Iraq in the Bible. The claims of the email are in bold and my response to them is in non-bold print.

1. The Garden of Eden was in Iraq.

We don’t know for sure. Only if the Tigris and Euphrates river, after the flood, are the same riverbeds as before the flood. That is all conjecture and very unlikely. It is more likely that there was a Tigris and Euphrates before the flood and when the sons of Noah discovered these new rivers they named them after old ones that existed before the flood. It is probable that the post-flood topography was very different and that new river beds were formed by the run off of the flood. If it is the same river, we should buy land there because the Bible says there is gold there (pre-flood).

2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization!

True, depending on your definition of civilization. It is where the first major city after the flood was built. Babel. But as you know, it didn't last long. Certainly the nations spread out from there. (See Genesis 11:9)

3. Noah built the ark in Iraq.

Maybe. We don’t know where Noah lived. See Answer #1.

4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq.

True. Babel was located in what is now modern day Iraq.

5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq!

True. Ur was located in what is now Southern Iraq.

U.S. soldiers look out across the desert from the ziggurat in Ur, the birthplace of Abraham.

6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from the city of Nahor, which is in Iraq.

False. The “City of Nahor” is also called Haran and it is located in the modern country of Turkey, 24 miles south east of city of Sanlurfa. (Genesis 24:10)

7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.

False. He met her in Haran, which is located in the modern country of Turkey. (Genesis 29:4)

8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq.

True. The ancient site of Nineveh is part of Mosul, the second largest city in modern Iraq.

Soldiers walking through ruins of ancient Ninevah (Mosul, Iraq)

9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel.

True – partially. Assyria borders partially encompassed the Northern part of modern day Iraq along with several other modern countries. At its height of power, Assyria had more land in other places than what is now modern Iraq.

10. Amos cried out in Iraq!

False. Amos was from a small town named Tekoa near Bethlehem. He prophesied against Israel in the north and several other countries. To my knowledge he never went to Babylon or Nineveh

11. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem.

True. Babylon was located in what is now modern day Iraq.

12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq!

False. This event happened during the Persian Empire, not the Babylonian Empire. Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire, was in what is modern day Iran. We deduce that the capital is where the lions den was because the King was able to retire to his palace in the capital where he did not sleep and then be back to the lions den by morning. (See Daniel 6:18-19)

13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the fiery furnace!)

True. This happened in Babylon, which is in modern day Iraq.

14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the “writing on the wall” in Iraq.

True. This happened in Babylon, which is located in modern day Iraq.

15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq.

True. And after the Babylonians, the Persian Empire spread the Jews all over the ancient world as slaves while others were allowed to go back and resettle Israel.

16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq.

True. He was in Tel Abib near the Kebar River according to Ezekiel 3:15, which is located in what is now Southern Iraq.

17. The wise men were from Iraq.

Maybe but not all of them. Some of them may have been from what is now modern Iraq, but also from many other places too. Some of the nations that would be from were foretold in prophecy.

Isaiah 60:6, “Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.”

Bible Name Modern name
Midian Saudi Arabia
Ephah Saudi Arabia
Sheba Ethiopia

18. Peter preached in Iraq.
False. When he says “Babylon” he is metaphorically referring to Rome, which is where he really was.

I Peter 5:13, “The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.” Rome was like Babylon of old. Peter lived some 550 years after the destruction of Babylon. There was no one in Babylon in Peter’s day. Jeremiah prophesied of her years before Peter. Jeremiah 51:37, “Babylon will be a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, an object of horror and scorn, a place where no one lives.” And so it is to this day. Though Saddam tried to rebuild it, no one dared live there. Locals believe it is haunted. As soon as the U.S. local ousted Saddam, Iraqis destroyed the rebuilt Babylon and sacked the palace he was trying to rebuild. Babylon is again laid waste and uninhabited as it was in Peter’s day.

A Picture of The Ruins of Babylon Taken By An American Soldier In Iraq

19. The “Empire of Man” described in Revelation is called Babylon, which was a city in Iraq!

True. Again Babylon is metaphorically used to represent an oppressive one-world government like the real Babylon once was. (See Revelation 14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2, 18:10, 18:21)

20. Israel is the Nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq!

False. Iraq was not a country at this time the Bible was written and is never mentioned in the Bible.

21. However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The name Iraq, means “country with deep roots.” Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.

False. Iraq is not mentioned in the bible and of the nations that covered the modern land of Iraq, none of them had the exact same borders and most of them were about five times larger than modern day Iraq and covered many other nations as well such as Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and so on…

22. And also... This is something to think about! Since America is typically represented by an eagle. Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages...The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible) Koran (9:11), For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace. (Note the verse number!) Hmmmmmmm?!

False. This passage is not in the Koran! The Koran is a book of lies and false teaching. It contains no prophecy. Mohammed never claimed to foretell the future or do any miracles. He just claimed to be a prophet and if you didn't believe it his armies would kill you. He had an Osama-theology.

Whoever wrote these alleged truths was trying to make modern Iraq appear to be of some prophetic or Biblical importance. These kinds of distortions are often used by false teachers to promote the twisting of prophecy for sensationalized “end times” books which make a lot of money. Some would try to portray the war in Iraq as prophesied in Scripture and of spiritual importance to the end of the world. And they would be wrong.

Christians should be careful passing on emails like this. They can be full of distortions, half-truths, and lies. And certainly we don’t want to bear false witness via email. Always try verifying things before passing them on. And if you have some doubts about something, explain that to the people you forward it on too so they know you are not sure the email is true.

Some Websites that help verify the veracity of such emails are:

Snopes

Urband Legends

Fact or Fiction

Arise, Kill, and Eat. - Acts 11:7

This 9 point buck was harvested on 11-14-05

Considering that I believe that God probably made man originally to be vegetarian, you may find it strange that I hunt and eat meat? But my belief that man was originally not carnivorous is only part of the story.

Before the fall of man, the only mention of food that God gives for man to eat is fruit and vegetables. God says in Genesis 1:29-30 "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground, everything that has the breath of life in it, I give every green plant for food."

Notice that even the animals are all vegetarian. In the original utopian Garden of Eden, there was no killing. Animals all ate plants and presumably lived in utter harmony. But sin brings death in the world and the earth is cursed because of man's sin. Weeds and thorns appear. Man's diet changes.

Genesis 2:16 says, "And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden." As far as we know, fruits and seeded plants were the soul source of sustenance And by all indications the fruit from one tree in the Garden, the tree of life, led to immortality (Genesis 3:22).

After sin enters the world and the human body begins to slowly die, God commands a new diet. They could no longer eat from the tree of life in the Garden and "live forever." Part of the punishment for Adam & Eve was a change in their diet.

God said Adam in Genesis 3:17-19, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

The Hebrew word for "plants" is eh'seb which means, "herbs, grass, or roots." Before the fall, man ate of the fruit of the trees and seeded plants. Now after sin, he is commanded to work by the sweet of hard labor to produce these herbs, grass, and roots. These vegetables are full of vitamins which help slow the aging process started with mankind’s sin.

You will notice, there has been no mention of eating meat. As far as we know mankind did not eat meat until after the flood. After the punishment of the flood, the world had changed again. Before the flood humans were living upward of 900 years (Genesis 5:27). After the flood, the length of men's lives was greatly reduced. Soon man would be lucky to make it over 100. But the pre-flood world was very different according to the Bible.

Before the flood there was a thick water atmosphere above the earth. Genesis 1:6-8 says, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.' So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse 'sky.'" There was the water of the oceans below and the water of a thick atmosphere above and they were separated by the sky. This thick pre-flood atmosphere would have stopped many of the suns harmful ultraviolet rays which cause aging. It would have had a greenhouse effect and turned the whole world into a tropical climate. It would also mean that the world would not know the four seasons nor would there be any rain. Rather the world would be watered by a heavy due.

Genesis 2:5-6 says, "For the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground." Before the flood, there was not rain but the earth was watered with a "mist" or due. In this tropical paradise God had made, he placed man. But after sin, God cast them out of the garden and made them live by the sweet of their labor. But after mankind became so sinful, God chose to destroy the world with a flood. To flood the earth he used this thick water atmosphere, which he drops from the sky on the earth. It was the earth’s first rain.

Genesis 7:11-12 says, "In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." Both water below and water above the earth flooded it. Now the eco-system of the earth would drastically change.

After the flood God explains to man that earth will not be governed by season’s right after he promises to never send another flood. Genesis 8:21-22, "...Never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." Now that there is no longer any thick water atmosphere above the earth equally diffusing heat and moisture throughout the earth, the seasons begin and the world becomes even more inhospitable for man. Now we are bombarded by the suns UV rays and the lifespan of man is greatly reduced. It is also after the flood; God adds something new to mankind’s diet. Presumably because of the change in the earth after the flood, we have new dietary needs.

In Genesis 9:2 God says, "The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it."

Just as God had given green plants in the past, now he was commanding man to eat meat as well. However, you were never to eat meat with blood in it. That is repeated many times in the Bible including the New Testament (Acts 15:29). Notice, before the flood, animals did not fear man. But now that man would be hunting animals, God placed the fear and dread of man upon every creature that moves on the ground. God did this to protect animals from going extinct. If animals did not naturally fear us, they would be too easy to kill. I imagine Adams son Seth playing with a wolf and a lamb as child because they only ate plants and had no fear of man. Things have changed.

After sin, Adam and Eve realized their sin and knew they were naked. God had to make them robes of animal skin. (Genesis 3:21) This first fur coat was the result of man's sin. Blood was shed to cover their nakedness. This is a picture of what Jesus did for us. He died to pay for our sins so that we might be clothed in his righteousness. (See Galatians 3:26-27). But we see that the death and suffering of this fallen world is from sin.

In order for us to live, there is death all around us. I long for the day when we escape this world to live in a place where the wolf lays down with the lamb (Isaiah 11:6 & 65:25). Until then, I will obey God and eat meat. I must need it. I do not hunt for sport but to eat. I won't kill what I won’t eat. Most people eat meat. Most of us are sustained by the death of animals. They provide protean and other things we need to thrive. I long for heaven where there will be no more death (Revelation 21:4). Until then "Arise, kill and eat!"

Its Thanksgiving NOT "Turkey Day"

Its Thanksgiving NOT Turkey Day!

I am sick of humanists trying to remove all reference to God from our society. The latest example is people calling thanksgiving "turkey day." If you call it thanksgiving you will actually have to stop and be thankful for the bountiful blessings God has poured out on us. You will have to do something our liberal society can't stand anymore, which is acknowledge God. (gasp!)

Thanksgiving originated from a feast the early settlers of our country had. It was not until years later that it became an annual tradition. Learn more about the first thanksgiving. Early American's celebrated it on their own. It became tradition in New York State. George Washington gave a Thanksgiving declaration. Abraham Lincoln set it up as a time to be thankful and repent of sins in his proclamation. Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it's date to the present one we have today. It's about remembering the blessing of God and being thankful to him for all we have been blessed with. NEVER FORGET THAT!

In 1778 George Washington wrote a letter to Thomas Nelson, Jr. citing God's divine intervention in the founding of our nation. "The hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this," he wrote, "that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations." Want to know why the early Americans were so thankful? Click Here.

The people who came up with the name "Turkey Day" must have named the holiday after themselves.

George Washington Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

Click to see larger Photo

George Washington Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

Please listen to the following audio clips from the Peter Heck Show.

Clip 1 Clip 2 Clip 3

Proverbs 11:10 "When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. "

Proverbs 28:12 "When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding."

Proverbs 29:2 "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. "

Psalm 95:1-6 "Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker"

Psalm 100:1-5 (A psalm for giving thanks.) "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

How Much Should A Christian Give To Their Church?

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Give Proportionally

In the Bible the church was never funded by non-believers. The church was not funded by craft auctions or bake sales. The Church was funded by generous believers giving proportionally.

I am often asked, "How much should I give to the church?" Many times what people really mean is "How little can I give to the church and still be O.K. with God?" That is the wrong attitude. Our attitude should be, "How much more can I give to God because I want to give more?"

The Bible teaches that we should give proportionallly. Under the Old Law of Moses, everyone had to give 10%. The New Testament does not give a specific amount but it does say we should give proportionally. What proportion? If the New Covenant is better than the Old Law, shouldn't we give more? I know I do.

Give In Proportion To What You Have
2 Corinthians 8:12 “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”

Give In Proportion To Your Income
1 Corinthians 16:2 “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

Give In Proportion To How Levites Were Paid (They recieved 10%)
1 Corinthians 9:13-14 “Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.”

Give In Proportion To Your Desired Harvest
2 Corinthians 9:62 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

Give In Proportion To What You Will Need
2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:10 “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”

Give In Proportion To Your Desired Blessing
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Deuteronomy 15:10 “Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”

Give In Proportion To Your Willingness
2 Corinthians 9:7-8 “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 8:11 “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.”

Give To Your Local Church

Planning For Success

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"I love it when a plan comes together" - Hannibal - A-Team

I don't know who said, "If you fail to plan you plan to fail." There is some truth to that. However, just because you plan does not mean you will not fail. Successful planning takes some other things as well. You can plan all you want, but if you go against God, you will fail!

Proverbs 16:1 says, "To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue." Again, Proverbs 16:9 says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." You can plan all you want but if it goes against God's purpose it will fail.

Proverbs 19:21 explains that, "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." If you want to succeed then you need to plan according to God's purposes not yours. One thing that will bring success into an individuals life or that of an organization is following God's purposes.

The above picture is often what planning is about for some people.

Now delving into the purpose of God for your life is a whole other topic which we can cover at another time. I will say that it could be summed up in the greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-31). However, there are individual gifts God gives each of us which also determine the various purposes which God has in mind specifically for our individual lives.

We may all have the same macro-purpose which is shareuniversalsly but then we have micro-purposes by which we uniquely accomplish the larger shared purposes. So in order to plan your life, you must find God's purpose for you based upon his mission, his commands, and your individual gifts. The same is true of an organization. Follow his mission, and his commands by the use of your unique giftedness.

Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Finding God's purpose in his word, seeking his wisdom in prayer (James 1:5), and acting upon his commands and our conscience is how we commit our way to Him for success. The word for "commit" in Proverbs 16:3 is the Hebrew word "gaw-lal" which means, "to roll together." We must "roll" our way up with the Lord's way, then we will find success. We must align our purposes with His purposes.

The question is, how do we know whether or not we have rolled up our purposes with his? How do we know we are doing his will not just in our macro-planning but also in our micro-planning? Here are three steps toward rolling up your purposes in Gods.

1. Make sure your plans line up according to what God says is right and wrong.

Proverbs 12:5 says, "The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful." God is just and true. He leads in righteousness ndeceitiet or sin. God's purpose is not for you to sin but to do good. To say it plainly, your plans must obey Biblical teaching or they are NOT in line with God's purpose. God's word and God's will will never contradict each other. For example, it is never God's will that you commit fornication with someone so you can evangelise them. God is never calling you to sin. It's never God's will that you break his commands to accomplish his plans for you.

2. Make sure you get advice from multiple wise advisers

Proverbs 20:18 "Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance. " One of the ways God teaches us is by using those who have rolled themselves up in his purposes to the point where they are source of divine wisdom, having walked with God already. Each man contains his own set of unique gifts, insights and wisdom. No man possesses all gifts, insights or wisdom. Therefore, we neeed multiple advisors to gain a full spectrum of knowledge to base plans off of.

Many advisors are necessary. Proverbs 24:6 says, "for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers." How many plans have failed because people rushed in with haste without seeking advice? How many people have listened only to limited advice and lost sight of God's purpose? Even bad advice can make good advice more clear. Wisdom listens to all sides of matter in order to discover the truth. Proverbs 15:22 says, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."

3. Make sure you diligently plan and follow your plan rather than hastily choose.

Proverbs 21:5 says, "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty."

Too often people rush into things. I have seen people discover the Macro-purposes of God for their life or their church, then they rush to obey them without properly planning God's micro-purposes for them or their congregation. For example, it is one thing to know that God wants you evangelise the lost. But if you rush into it without considering how to approach outsiders, you will disobey God's command (Colossians 4:5) and most likely drive the outsider away from faith rather than to it.

Our church decided we needed two worship services to make room for growth. Wanting to solve the problem, we rushed into it without fully involving many advisors and consulting the deacons over areas of ministry effected by this change. We implementedted it in a short time without giving time for diligent planning and prayer. This haste led to a very bumpy transition.

Success comes to those who plan by discovering God's purposes, hold to His word, seek many advisors, and plan diligently before acting.

Thanksgiving Will Be Here Soon

“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.” -George Washington

Helping Tornado Victims in Indiana

Help By Donating to I.D.E.S.

Newburgh home damage

Evansville Moble Home Park

More Damage in Evansville

Doublewide picked up and moved

Home Clean Up in Southern Indiana

Apartments Wiped out

Thankful to be alive and showing it

More debris fields

Horse Barns across the river in Kentucky

The Gambling Industry has been hit hard this year by storms

Looking for survivors in Evansville (they only find one)

The Moble home park where at least 18 are confirmed dead

Gov. Mitch Daniels gives comfort

It's a total loss

This is an open kitchen concept taken too far

They were looking for pictures and keep sakes

Somebodies Memories

Power was out to thousands of people for days.

Going through the debris looking for anything to keep

Brave soldiers looking for survivors on Sunday

They found one little girl still alive in a ditch and that is it

They lost their home in Newburgh, IN

What a mess!

Indiana Task Force 1 rushes in to rescue but it's too late for some

Years of memories gone

Pray for the Hoosiers

Leading People Overboard

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Church leadership is not like any other kind of leadership

Church leaders must be Servants not Lords
Mark 10:42-45 “Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Church leaders must be Amoung not Over
Luke 22:25-27 “Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”

Church leaders must Inspire not Intimidate
John 13:15 “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
1 Peter 5:3 “not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

How to inspire others to walk on water? Look at Jesus example:

1. Jesus the Prayer – He made time for a personal relationship with the Father.
Matthew 14:23 “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone”

2. Jesus the Companion – He spent time with them and shared their challenges.
Matthew 14: 24-25 “but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.”

3. Jesus the Encourager – He knew their fears and always addressed them.
Matthew 14:26-27 “When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It’s a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid."

4. Jesus the Example – He set an example that inspired others to follow Him.
Matthew 14: 28-29 “Lord, if it’s you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”

5. Jesus the Confronter – He loved enough to reach out, rescue and rebuke them.
Matthew 14: 30-31 “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

6. Jesus the Peacemaker – His presence always brought at atmosphere of peace.
Matthew 14:32 “And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.”

You Can't Take It With You

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God says you can't, thats who!

Dad always said you know you can't take it with you because you never saw a hearse pulling a Uhaul. Well now I have. But it's still true that you can't take it with you. Riches are Vain.

Some people believe that "he who dies with the most toys wins." This is a rediculous belief. Everyone knows that when you die your possessions on earth remain here. What is the point of dying with the most toys. Materialism is vanity and a chacing after the wind. Why live your life for something you can't keep when there are eternal riches to be had?

1 Timothy 6:7 "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." We come in empty handed and leave empty handed. Job 1:21 says, "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart." Solomon, known for his wisdom wrote in Ecclesiastes 5:15, "Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. "

We don't even keep our bodies. Genesis 3:19 explains, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." Why live for that which is temporary when you can have an eternal body?

You can make earthly investments which fade or heavenly investments which render eternal rewards. Matthew 6:19-20 says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Matthew 16:26 "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" Your money wont buy you into heaven. What good is it to sell your soul for earthy pleasures and treasure that you can't take with you.

Isaiah 10:3 "What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?" What is the point of massing all this wealth only to leave it to Uncle Sam or some other person who wont keep it either.

Operation Feed My Sheep

Do you have or know someone who has a Bobcat or skid loader, 16’ gooseneck dump trailer or a 6’ X 12’ enclosed equipment trailer that you would donate or loan to Realife Ministries from Pineville, LA to use?

Realife Ministries is helping clean up many home sites. The use of this equipment would allow the work to be accomplished more efficiently. Call Garry Jones at 318.443.0029 or IDES at 765-947-5100. Email – sheltonda@ides.org

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What Kind Of Supreme Court Justice Do We Need?

John Jay

The first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was one of the founding fathers, John Jay. He had been president of the continental congress, fought in the Revolutionary war, served as diplomat, and was later Governor of New York. And what did this first Chief Justice feel about religions involvement in political affairs?

John Jay said, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." He also said that "Only one adequate plan has ever appeared in the world, and that is the Christian dispensation." Today court nominees are grilled for being people of Christian faith and conscience. The founders believed that was to be prefered.

John C. Marshall

The most influential Chief Justice in American history was

John C. Marshall. He served the longest term of any Chief Justice, from 1801 to 1835. No other chief justice had more influence over the role of the Court than him. The last Supreme Court Justice, William Rehnquist once said, “If you could say of any one individual that the court as an institution is the length and shadow of that individual, surely it would be John Marshall.”

He firmly established the principle of judicial review was simply stated by Marshall: "A legislative act contrary to the Constitution is not law." However, he also warned against using the bench to legislate new law rather than interpret the constitution. He said, “We must never forget that it is a constitution we are expounding."

He understood that some would try to abuse the power of the court to try to fix every pet cause and supposed social injustice rather than just strictly interpret whether a law is constitutional or not. He warned, “The Constitution is not a panacea for every blot upon the public welfare, nor should this Court, ordained as a judicial body, be thought of as a general haven for reform movements"

So what kind of justices did the founders choose? They chose Christian men with integrity and Christian principles, who understood that they were to interpret the constitution as written not be a political activist who superimposed a certain agenda or personal view point on the constitution that was not written in by the founders. Is that the kind of Judge President Bush has nominated in Samuel Anthony Alito Jr? Will he be swayed by public opinion or will he stand on principle and judge according to the Constitution?

Exodus 23:2-3 "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit."