Am I Devoted?

My mind is so busy with thoughts that I am not sure where or how to start! Yahweh is leading me in His paths of Righteousness, and in so doing, He teaches and convicts me of things in such a wonderful way! Tonight, He has caused me to ask myself, where is my devotion? Let me explain! :)

Think of a tree that has been translanted after many years of growth. This beautiful tree has been growing in the same soil for years, it has grown to love its surroundings, stretching its roots deep. It has grown comfortable, and it intends to continue to grow stonger and more beautiful as time goes by. But now, it finds itself in a state of shock; the tree has been transplanted from its well rooted soil, to a completely new area. This once beautiful tree, now in shock and confusion, must learn to adapt, as well as learn how to devote such strength in its growth as it did in its previous state.

This is a sort of comparison to myself. I was born into, and grew up in a Baptist home. I grew strong and my roots grew deep. I knew what I believed, and I pursued it with zeal. I had a special devotion towards all I held Scripturally dear. By the time I was fifteen, I never missed my personal morning and evening prayers with my Creator. I did my utmost best to keep up on my daily reading of two chapters out of my Bible a day. I was devoted to what I believed, and I wasn't afraid to stand on the streets with my dad while he preached and be ready to talk to someone about the Bible, if they came up to me. Devotion and a steady mind kept a spring in my step.

But now, my roots have been dug up and exposed to so many new thoughts and ideas, so many Scriptural eye-openers! I find myself climbing down the tree of the approximate 32,000 (something like that:) Christian and non-christian denominations, and climbing onto the Branch of the Root of Yahweh! And, though I have learned SO much in these past 3-5 months, and though I am loving every bit of it, and though I have such a strong desire to learn more and more, I realize that, I am not devoted. If I was devoted, I would not miss my every morning praise to Yahweh for the day He created as I step out of my bed to begin my day; I would not miss my special daily prayers; I would not miss my daily reading of the Psalms & Proverbs; And I most certainly would not miss my Shabbat Torah Portions!

Yes, I am learning, but my fire in the camp of devotion has died down. But, HalleluYah (Literally meaning, Praise Yah!), my Creator has slowly, surely, and sweetly began to bring this to my attention and lay it upon my heart! I read the most amazing article tonight taken from the book called, 'The 48 Ways to Wisdom' by Rabbi Noah Weinberg, called 'Way #1 Be Aware of Every Moment.' I suggest everyone read this! Rabbi Noah wrote of paying attention to every detail, to devoting oneself to take time every day to simply....think. To stop wasting time daydreaming, and put those wasted minutes to use! Use these times and moments to think of a personal problem, and think of ways to better it. Or, simply use this time in prayer. All in all, be aware of EVERY moment! Be devoted to a cause, pursue it with zeal, and use your mind as Yahweh intended for us to.

This is so convicting to me, as I am sure that, if I put all my wasted minutes to use, I could have read my two chapters daily, I could have got on my knees and prayed, I could have studied some Hebrew, I could have finished two or three books that I started a month or two ago.

My roots are being planted, now it's time for me to devote my strength to the cause! May Yahweh my Elohim show His lovingkindness and patience towards me as I take this next step into the growth if my roots! May the camp of devotion be rekindled, and may I always be aware of every moment that Yah puts in my life.

Shalom Aleichem, friends. I pray your camps are burning brightly!

You Are What You Eat

This evening I'd like to bring out some thoughts concerning the things we eat, but in order to do so, I have to make mention of the chain of events/thoughts that caused me to blog this. So, here it goes!:) Today at lunch time, my Grandpa prayed over the food, and like most people do when they pray over their meals, his first words were, 'God bless our food.' Silently, I started thinking about how I used to pray like that myself, that is, until some good scriptural points were made concerning how and what we eat, and therefore, how we give our blessings during meal time.

Never once in Scripture are we told to pray, Bless this food, God! Is that how Yeshua prayed? I don't believe so. Let's remember the loaves of bread and the fish that Yeshua served to thousands of people. Both times that this is mentioned in the gospels, it says:

"And Yeshua took the loaves; and when he had GIVEN THANKS, he distibuted to the disciples..." John 6:11 & Mark 8:6

Most people 'blessing' their food are doing so as blessing it for the nourishment of their bodies. Isn't that what we're supposed to do? I'm not so sure. When I pray over a meal, I do not ask Yahovah to bless it, rather, I bless Yahovah for giving us the food! My prayer starts with 'Blessed be Yahovah for this food you've given us.'

But why is this? Because of this very reason: Yahovah has ALREADY blessed what we eat. He blessed our food when He told us what was clean, and what was unclean. He blessed it by saying, this is food to you. Whatever Yah blessed for our meat is considered FOOD. If Yah says the swine is unclean, then He does not consider (and neither should we) pork to be FOOD in the first place. It's not food. It's unclean, it was made to eat filth (as is the same with all the unclean animals Yah commands us to stay away from). Swine have a purpose, but that purpose is not for us to eat it, therefore it's not even considered a food item.

My point? If it's declared clean by the Creator, then it's a food item, and if it's a food item, then Yah has blessed it to be so. He has already blessed it, now we simply thank/bless HIM for it.

Think about it, you're sitting at the supper table with Aunt Susie, Uncle George, Grandma Jane and goodness knows who else. You've got all the family there and yall are having a feast. There on the table is a honey baked ham. You fill your plate up with that honey drizzled ham, then you sit down and 'bless' your food. Let's look at an example of how this probably looks:

"Dear God, I know you said in Levitcus 11:7-8 that the swine is unclean to me...(i.e. Yah did not bless this as a food item)...but I'm asking you, change your mind and bless this 'food' for me today! Amen."

This happens somewhere, everyday in most Christian homes.

You are what you eat. What is swine, what is catfish..(etc.)...?? Unclean. Used as garbage disposals. Filthy. You are what you eat!

These dietary instructions were not given to us because Yahovah joys in putting His people in bondage. He gave us these instructions because...well, He knows what he's doing! He made these animals as garbage disposals. He knew they'd be carrying toxins, therefore He says, My children, I want what's best for you! Follow Me, follow My Words/Instructions/Torah, and shalom and long life shall be added unto you!

"My son, forget not my Torah......For length of days, and long life, and shalom (Peace!), shall they add to thee..." Proverbs 3:1-3

I believe that:

1.) The Creator of all really does know what He's doing, and has specific reasons for what He does.

And:

2.) That whoever came up with the term, 'You Are What You Eat' is/was brilliant.

Shalom Aleichem!

Holy Spirit, or Ignorance?

~Years ago I knew a group of Baptists that insisted that all they needed was the Holy Spirit to guide them in their study of Scripture, therefore making an understanding of Hebrew....(the language Moses used to write Yahweh's Words/Instructions/Torah)....uneccesary.

One year around the winter holiday season, they were telling everybody about their new found 'knowledge', and this was that the word, 'Noel' actually meant, No God.

There is only one way you can get this meaning, and that is by taking the English word, No....and the Hebrew word, El; Now combine the two words from two different languages and, shebang, you have an entirely new meaning. Let's brake this down. We have three things here:

1.) No---the English word for, in this case, the non-existence of a being

2.) El---the Hebrew word meaning Great/Mighty One; better known to most as the word, God

3.) Thus meaning, No God---an Impossible defintion.

At the time of hearing this from my fellow baptist friends, I believed it just as much as they did. Afterall, it helped us stand against our belief on not celebrating Christmas, as we could point out that a well known carol was actually saying, 'The First No God.' I look back on this now, and I realize this makes no sense whatsoever, but because I/we were taught that an understanding of the God if Yisrael's language wasn't needed, I simply accepted it...everyone else was.

It's not until now, with where Yah has me in life, learning Torah and learning Hebrew, that I can say, 'Wow, I actually know what Noel really means!'...As well as being able to see the hypocrisy of the people I was around.

The hypocrisy being their anti-Hebrew/anti-knowledge towards true definitions, yet, when they thought a word meant something that could be used in their preaching towards something they stood against, well, of course they'll use it!

The Holy Spirit, or Ignorance?

Wether I agree with the well known christmas carol or not, the word 'Noel' ....upon what I've found...means, Birth of God.

Perhaps all we really need IS Yah's spirit, but, perhaps His spirit and His still small voice is crying out for man to seek knowledge, to seek wisdom, to learn His ways, to learn His words. So, journey with me as I seek to find my Hebrew roots, as I seek to learn the One True El's language!

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the Torah of thy Elohim (Plural form of El; God), I will also forget thy children." Hosea 4:6

Southern states!

Howdy yall...recently I've heard some debates as to wether or not the state of Texas was in the Confederacy. Now you see, I was born in Texas, so when folks said Texas wasn't a Southern state, it kinda wanted to give 'em my boot spurs..Grin:). Anyhow, I found this picture on Wikipedia, searching under 'Confederate States of America.' All the states in the dark green were indeed part of the confedaracy, and the states in the olive green were states claimed by the CSA without formal session and/or control. I intend to write more on this, but don't have time right now. But here's just a bit so you that are doubtin' ol' Texas can cool it, and those that might'a been a wee bit worried about their Texan birth can say..."I always knew it!"

Prayer

"Christ hath put the power of prayer into the hands of men, and the prayers of men have saved citys and kingdoms from ruin; Prayer hath raised dead men to life, hath stopped the violence of fire, shut the mouths of wild beasts, altered the course of nature, caused rain in Egypt and drought in the sea. Prayer rules over all gods; it arrests the sun in its course and stays the chariot wheels of the moon; it reconciles our suffering and weak faculties with the violence of torment and the violence of persecution; It pleases God and supplies all our need."

~Jeremy Taylor



I do believe Jeremy Taylor says it well. But for me, the best thing about this quote is not just that I like it or that it just sounds good, but, that it's true. All through the Bible prayer is encouraged, and used by all who truly seek God.



Although, before you start praying, let's ask ourselves a question:



To whom are we praying?



"Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." ~Psalm 5:2-3



The Living God of heaven is to whom I pray....but, if you're an unbeliever..(or someone who has lost faith through heavy winds and the trying trials of your faith:)..you might be asking the question, "Is He worth praying to?"



Well, King David, who was a man after God's own heart, and who wrote the book of Psalms seemed to think so...



"Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping. The LORD hath heard my supplication; The LORD will receive my prayer." Psalm 6:8-9



And I too would say those words with all belief in my heart...1.) Because the Bible says so....""For the word of the LORD is right.." Psalm 33:4...And 2.) Because God has answered some of my own prayers throughout my short 17 years of life, more specifically the past 10 years of my life, for, this summer marked the tenth year of my salvation!



Now, I really wasn't planning on doing this, but I've decided to share with you a dear memory of mine...and that memory is the 1st memory I have of God answering my prayer.



I was nine years old, and had been saved for two years. I can't quite remember what was going on in our lives at that time, but I do remember that for a month or so at this point, I was very discouraged and kept thinking things like, 'God doesn't hear me'..and, 'He doesn't really care what His children might be going through'..and, 'He certainly isn't gonna worry about answering my prayers...even if He does hear them!" I think it was just a point in my salvation (like all other people who get saved and truly want to serve God:) where the Devil was working hard to get this toddler in the Lord to doubt my salvation, and God's goodness.



But one day that all changed. You'll probably (undoubtedly:) get a laugh outta this story, and I hope you do! But even more so, even though it could (And might very well be:) be rated a silly story, I hope it encourages you.



Have any of you ever eaten one of those wonderfully delicious, hard caramel/toffee candies called "Werthers"? Well, if you haven't then you should! Anyway, they were my very, very favoritest candies of all..(and still are on my favorite list:). Well, one Sunday my Dad and my 2 older brothers went street-preaching, and when they got back in the evening daddy told me he had something for me and he handed me....guess what he handed me?!....YES! A bag of Werthers! I was delighted, of course. So, through the course of the evening and the next couple of days I'd pop one into my mouth...and probably more often than I should have...but they were so good, I simply couldn't resist! All this time, though I'm luvin' the candy, my spiritual well being is not doing too good. But, in the afternoon of Tuesday I remember nearly galloping (wink:) into my room and grabbing a piece of candy every half hour or so. Well, we all know that a bag of candy only lasts so long, right? I knew that too..but I was dreading it. But, it came.



My memory is very clear at this point...I walked into my room, and over to my dresser I went to put my hand in the werther's candy bag and grab yet another cavity encourager (Though I didn't have a cavity until I was 17...Grin:)...but, it was empty. I was so upset. I placed my elbows on my dresser and cupped my chin with my hands, looking into the mirror, yet not seeing my reflection because of deep thought, I simply, but really meaning it, said, "Lord, it sure would be nice to have one more..just ONE more werthers!" The moment I said that I was quite inspired with great enthusiasm, and got a crazy impression to look under my dresser. I immediatly plopped down on the floor and looked searchingly under the opening of my dresser. Tell me...what do you think I found? Yes, low and behold, I found 'ONE more werthers!' I was so happy! I cryed and laughed at the same time; No, not because I had a piece of candy, but because God had answered my prayer. I thanked Him over and over, and from then on referred to Werthers as my Prayer candy.



See, I was a little nine year old girl, and, my Lord knowing that, had sent me a simple yet 'get to the point' answer to all my past discouragement. He was good. He did answer prayer. He did hear. He did care. To this day God still reminds me of that 'Prayer candy.'



That's my own personal experience, but here's some verses to back it up:



"Casting all your care (hey--'ALL your care' includes asking for just one more piece of candy...to the biggest things in your life:) upon Him; for He careth for you." 1st Peter 5:7



"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." 1st John 5:14-15



"Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it." 1st Thessalonians 5:24



"But the LORD is faithful, who will stablish you and keep you from evil." 2nd Thessalonians 3:3



As Jeremy Taylor said, "Prayer pleases God"...it not only pleases Him, but it is something He has given to us so as to be our daily comfort and communion with Him. I'm so thankful I can pray to my God anytime, but it sure is mighty encouraging to be able to pray to Him and talk to Him when my heart is down and the rain is just pouring.....David the Psalmist says the same thing, but I like how he puts it better:



"When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until..(note: Remember that word...it's important:)...I went into the sanctuary of God.." Psalm 73:16-17



You know what these verses are saying? They're talking about all those hurtful things in your life that you just don't understand, and you think on them and it is 'too painful' for you. This is indeed a sad thought and I'll bet that whoever you are reading this can think of atleast one, if not many many more, things that you can think on that send you great pain and many tears. But you know, no matter how gloomy those thoughts are, let's remember that David felt the same way...but, the question is, what did he do about it?



It says it was too painful for him....Until....Until....Until he went where? Until he went into the sanctuary of God! My friend...Go. Go and speak to God in the sanctuary of your heart. You may not come back any clearer on God's direction, or what in tarnation is going on, but I believe you'll came out of that sanctuary knowing that God is there; Is able; Is your comfort; Is good; And will be there to help carry your burden. I love those verses..even now I'm encouraged myself by just posting this.



If you're not encouraged or believing in the power of prayer yet, then I ask you to keep reading..there's still a ways to go! The Lord has given me several more verses and thoughts, so I intend to bring all of it out...Keep ridin' cowpoke's...



I'd like to give you another example of a man of God that took prayer quite seriously...and therefore God took him quite seriously. Who? Nobody but Daniel himself.



This is what he says..."And I set my face unto the LORD God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession..." Daniel 9:3-4



Does God leave this man in the cold? Does Daniel ask and not receive? Does God forget His tender mercies and compassions that fail not?



Daniel speaks of God's answer in this next verse: "Then said He unto me, Fear not, Daniel: For from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words." Daniel 10:12



God is good. I'm sure Brother Daniel was deeply thankful, humbled, and full of praise to his God.


And here's yet another one...this one has always been a blessing to me because the Bible points out that he was a man just like us, and God still hearkened unto him...



"Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." James 5:17-18



If you haven't noticed it yet, the Bible encourages prayer time and time again. And, here are a few more verses to prove just that:



"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16



"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2



Even the apostle Paul said he prayed..."I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers." Philemon verse 4



The Bible even encourages you asking for prayer..here's a short one that gits right to the point:



"Brethren, pray for us." 1st Thessalonians 5:25



Now if I wanted to force someone to pray (which of course I certainly wouldn't do...it's what's from the heart in faith and sincerity that counts:), I'd scare the devil outta them by giving them these next two verses which show you what happens when you don't come to God....and honestly, these verses remind me of America...



"...All this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand Thy truth. Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: For the LORD our God is righteous in all His works which He doeth: For we obeyed not His voice." Daniel 9:13-14



I know this has been a long post, but I have one or two more things I'd like to write out. The next thing I'm going to give you is something God gave me as an encouragement this past year. I call it, "God's triple 'P' solution."



He's given us, through Him, a solution to our problems....and here's a bit-o one that I hope is a blessing:



1.) Prayer 2.) Patience 3.) Perseverance



Each of these words are Biblical, and starting with prayer in the first place, Patience & Perseverance play a definant role in your journey of Praying.



1.) Prayer "Pray without ceasing." 1st Thessalonians 5:17



2.) Patience "I waited Patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1



3.) Perseverance "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all Perseverance and supplication for all saints." Ephesians 6:18



What is to Persevere?....To Persevere:



To persist in an undertaking in spite of counter influences, opposition, or discouragement.



Definition of Perseverance: The action of persevering: Stedfastness



God has blessed me with this and I like to remember it in my own personal prayers, and prayers for my family...for me it goes along with this quote:



"If we desire to retain our zeal for those for whom we are praying, and if their needs and distress are to move us to intercede for them daily, we will find that this does not take place without striving and wrestling on our part." ~Not sure where I found that'n



I do have loved ones that I pray for, and for me, praying for them is where patience and perseverance sets in.



"To live in prayer together is to walk in love together." Margaret Moore Jacobs



I'm gonna let yall sit in yer saddles and think on that for awhile, and simply leave off ridin' into the sunset with one final verse:



"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God." Mark 11:22

Where are the Street-Preachers?

"Last Eve' I perceived as I walked down the street, seven men of as they went out to preach. They went through the highway, the streets of the land, crying, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!" But where are their fellows that stood with them there, proclaiming God's Words to all who would hear? One year there were thirty and ten men of God, who 'stood in the gap' with a Sword and a Rod. Last year there were thirty; this year there is ten. Now there is seven,O, where are the men? Where are the street-preachers God called to this place? Where are the men that did once run the race?Where are the preachers that did cry near and far? "We're too busy", they said.....Miserable liars ye are! Nay, but there was room when it came time for fun! Only no time for this Jesus you serve, save Sunday and Wednesday, for Him ye reserve. Ye call yourselves 'preachers', nay but ye cowards, chickens, women ye are! Stand up for Jesus, ye true men of God, and return to the highways with your Sword and your Rod. For the people do perish, as sin takes its toll! And no man careth at all for their soul!"



I have been raised with a Daddy who has gone street-preaching for as long as my memory will allow me to look back on. Yet, my own opinion on street-preaching is not merely on the fact that I was raised with the like, rather, my opinion comes from more grounded and meaningful reasoning. What reasoning is this? Two things: 1.) The Bible and 2.) Having gone out on the streets myself with my Dad and other brethren and sisters in the Lord.



Let's start by asking what our Bible's say about it.



"Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.Selah." ~Psalm 60:4



"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." Isaiah 58:1



These two verses from the Old Testament of our Bible are pictures of what you would see if you happened to be passing by while a group of street-preachers were out on your city's corners. Many would be holding signs displaying the Truth of God's Word and the Truth of America's sins. And, you would hear a man's voice from the group 'crying aloud', 'sparing not', and calling out the sins of our world and nation.



Moving on to the New Testament.....



"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." ~Matthew 4:17



"And saying {Jesus is speaking}, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye and believe the gospel." ~Mark 1:15



"And He said unto them {Jesus again}, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth." ~Mark 1:38



Now, the book if Acts is barreled full of good street-preaching storys...and here's a bit of one:



This story is in Acts chapter 5. It's an amazing story of Peter and the Apostles preaching for their Lord; being put in prison for it and were commanded by the counsel and the high priest NOT to preach in Jesus' name. And then....wait, what do you think happens now? Does God tell Peter to listen to the counsel and 'obey the laws of the land?' I think not.



No siree, God opens the prison doors, sets them free and says, Go git em' boys! Indeed, for the Bible says....



"....the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.....Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 5: 27-29



Yeehaw! I'd love to say, "Preach on Brother Peter, preach on!"....*Grinning like wild*:)Listen to this.....



"And they departed from the presence of the counsel, REJOICING that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for HIS name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they CEASED NOT to teach and preach JESUS CHRIST." Acts 5"41-42

Today's churches are filled with pastors and preachers who fill their congregaton's ears with smooth words of man's wisdom. Sin is hardly ever preached on anymore...and to hear a pastor say, "Repent ye!" is almost unheard of! So, we take the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ to the highways and hedges and by God's grace, compel them to come in.

When I was real young, in the winter time, my family used to take hot cornbread, beans, and coffee to the homeless in Atlanta, Georgia. First, Daddy would preach to them, and afterwords everyone would line up for a hot meal. Those were my first experiences of street-preaching (that I can remember:). The next outings I remember was going and standing against abortion in front of the abortion clinic (murder mill:) in Shreveport, Louisiana. I always enjoyed it, but at that point I don't think it was something I believed should be done, just that I thought it was great that we were doing it.

It wasn't until I was 12 years old and my family went on the road street-preaching for 2 years, that I realized that this street-preaching was becoming very much something I believed in and loved to do..knowing that it was Biblical and right.

I learned alot of things in those two years of street-preaching. Of few of them are these: 1.) People are vile and wicked...2.) It caused me to get in my Bible more so that I could have answers..3.) God's word is indeed a two edged sword; I would see it cut people to pieces and, out of their conviction and anger, would thrash out at us with filthy language and nasty tactics.

We often heard these things said to us.."Judge not!"....."God loves everybody!"....and "Get a life!".....Of course, much, much more was said to us, but I wouldn't dare repeat any of their vile conversation for the life of me!

You might too be thinking, "Well, it does say 'Judge not'.." Yes, it does...but let's finish that verse, and look at a few more...

"Judge not...cuz it's a SIN!" ~Matthew 7:1 Wait..let's try that again......"Judge not, that ye be not judged." ~Matthew 7:1 KJV Yes, there we are. If you'll read your Bible, then you'll see that the following verses are telling you to be careful, because, if you DO judge someone, you are going to be judged for the same. But, verse five tells us we can judge, IF we ourselves don't have that 'beam in our own eye.' See, "Thou hypocrite, FIRST cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Mtt 7:5

I'll leave you to chew on that..but be prepared to be bombarded with several more...

Calling out sin is very important, and Biblical. When we are on the streets and the signs we hold and the men preaching are speaking up against sin, it causes a very negetive effect...and is looked at as 'Judging'.

What DOES our God say about calling out sin? Let us dig through the buried treasure of our perfect Bible and find the Truth!

"Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear." 1st Timothy 5:20

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

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Romans 16:17-18

"He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, and nations shall abhor him: but to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them." Proverbs 24:24-25

So folks, I think you and I can both see that the Bible speaks for itself. What would our Nation be like if we had men of God today who would stand up and.."Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke with all longsuffering and doctrine.."(2nd Timothy 4:2:) ? I'd guess it would be a purty good place, yeah?

I hope these verses and thoughts will enlighten you to the truth of street-preaching, and perhaps even make you too wonder, "Where are the street-preachers?"

Friendship

Today I'd like to take the time to add a few quotes, thoughts and scriptures on friendship and how sweet a gift a dear friend can be, and is. ~Let's start out with this thought in mind:

"True happiness is not in the multitide of friends, but in their worth and choice."

This is so very true. You can have a corral full of friends, but, what friends are they if there is no true connection between you both In all you value and hold dear? Are your friends a good influence? Does your friend "love at all times.." ? ~Proverbs 17:17~ Do your friends help you along in your walk for the Lord; encourage you to be better for Him; and hope for the same encouragement from you?

In the first chapter of Psalms, and the first verse it says, "BLESSED is the man that walketh NOT in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."

"Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul." ~Proverbs 22:24-25

I believe these two verses (and many more in the Bible:) are a call to be careful with whom you're around. I hope you and I both will weigh out the worth and choice of our friends.

Here are some wonderful quotes for you to share with those friends of yours who have proven that they "Love at all times.."......

~~~A person can hear, but a friend listens for the meaning~~~
~~~A person can look, but a friend sees the heart~~~
~~~A person can know, but a friend understands your dreams~~~


"A friend is the hope of the heart." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"A genuine friendship is a heavenly present. It blesses our hearts because God's love is in it." ~Evelyn McCurdy

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go....some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same." ~Unknown

"Friends are angels who lift our feet when our own wings have trouble remembering how to fly." ~Unknown

"With the death of every friend I love...part of me has been buried...but their contribution to my being of happiness, strength, and understanding remains to sustain me in an altered world." ~Helen Keller

Now, I wouldn't for the life of me leave off writing this post without mentioning that there is indeed one Friend whom has been with me through everything and has Never, ever failed me or forsaken me.

My dear reader, this Friend has me in amazment, for, He is the Friend that.."Sticketh closer than a brother..." ~Proverbs 18:24

This Friend is Jesus Christ! The Son Of God who lives within my heart, through the good times and the bad. I hope you know Him today...for, if you do not, then your life is hopeless without Him. This Friend is the Friend above all friends, may you make your heart His home today, before too late.