The Tree of Life

By: Alan Smith

Gen 2:9

In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (NIV)

Gen 2:16-17

"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (NIV)

I once heard a preacher say, “How good is good if God did not want us to know it?”  We usually see in the verse above the word “evil” but not the word “good”.  Why did God not want us to have this knowledge of good and evil?  What else was there to know?  Well, look again, because there was another tree mentioned.  It was called the tree of life.  God wanted us to partake of the tree of life every day.  Why, you might ask?  Could it be that God was trying to tell us something?  Let’s consider this in the natural for just a moment.  Why do we need to eat food every day?  We eat food every day because our bodies need the nourishment to sustain life.  However, it is also vital for our body to get “healthy nutrition” every day.  There are all kinds of diseases and viruses trying to take over our bodies.  They are like unwanted parasites: parasites that are sucking the life from us.  When we feed our physical body life-giving food, it helps to strengthen our immune systems so that we can fight off physical diseases, viruses, and infections.  Just as our physical body needs healthy food, our spiritual body needs healthy food to fight off spiritual diseases, viruses, and infections.  Our spirit needs life-giving food poured into it, not death.  When we spend all day judging what is good and evil, it seems to make us feel weak, depressed, and sometimes sick.  I know we have to make assessments of events throughout the day, but we can do this without passing judgment.

Now, back to the tree of life mentioned in the scripture above.  Maybe we could ask God to give us life from this tree.  If you have asked Jesus to come into your heart, guess what you have access to?  New Life!  You have access to this new life through the tree of life, which is Jesus Christ.  For some of us, though, this new life seems to be uncharted territory.  Can we explore this thought further?  In John 15:1 Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”  So if we have asked Him to live in our heart, and if He is the true vine, then can’t we partake of this tree of life to feed our spiritual body healthy food each and every day?  Let’s look again in John 15:4-5 where Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”  Wow!!!  Jesus is the tree of life in the garden, and in order to sustain our spiritual body each day, we must abide in Him on a daily basis.

I want to make this journey: a journey that will take me from where I am to where I am going, and I am assuming you do also.  The first thing we must do in making this journey is to head in the right direction.  I heard the following said: “A ship will end up where it is heading.”  Jesus is saying to us, “Let’s change your heading. Abide in me, follow me, and experience life.”

Remember, heaven is our destination and life is the journey.  If “life” is the journey, let us experience all of it that we can.  Jesus just wants to walk with each one of us on this journey: just you and Him.  He will walk with you and talk with you and call you His own.  He will lead you and guide you in the direction He has for you.  Isaiah 30:21: “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”  Now, just reach out for His hand this day.  He is waiting.

Blessings,

Alan

Moravian Revival

The Rev. John Greenfield, an American Moravian evangelist, published his book "Power On High" in 1927 on the 200th anniversary of the Moravian revival. The information in this article is from that book, now out of print. The Moravians, a refugee colony from Bohemia, settled on the estates of Count Nicholas Zinzendorf in Herrnhut, Germany, where a powerful revival began in 1727. It launched 100 years of continuous prayer and within 25 years 100 Moravians were missionaries, more than the rest of the Protestant church had sent out in two centuries.

The Holy Ghost came upon us and in those days great signs and wonders took place in our midst. From that time scarcely a day passed but what we beheld His almighty workings amongst us.

A modern Pentecost

A Moravian historian wrote that Church history abounds in records of special outpourings of the Holy Ghost, and verily the thirteenth of August 1727, was a day of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We saw the hand of God and His wonders, and we were all under the cloud of our fathers baptized with their Spirit. The Holy Ghost came upon us and in those days great signs and wonders took place in our midst. From that time scarcely a day passed but what we beheld His almighty workings amongst us. A great hunger after the Word of God took possession of us so that we had to have three services every day, viz. 5.0 and 7.30 a.m. and 9.0 p.m. Every one desired above everything else that the Holy Spirit might have full control. Selflove and self-will, as well as all disobedience disappeared and an overwhelming flood of grace swept us all out into the great ocean of Divine Love.

No one present could tell exactly what happened on that Wednesday morning, 13 August 1727 at the specially called Communion service. They hardly knew if they had been on earth or in heaven. Count Nicholas Zinzendorf, the young leader of that community, gave this account many years later:

We needed to come to the Communion with a sense of the loving nearness of the Saviour. This was the great comfort which has made this day a generation ago to be a festival, because on this day twenty-seven years ago the Congregation of Herrnhut, assembled for communion (at the Berthelsdorf church) were all dissatisfied with themselves. They had quit judging each other because they had become convinced, each one, of his lack of worth in the sight of God and each felt himself at this Communion to be view of the noble countenance of the Saviour. O head so full of bruises, So full of pain and scorn. In this view of the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, their hearts told them that He would be their patron and their priest who was at once changing their tears into oil of gladness and their misery into happiness. This firm confidence changed them in a single moment into happy people which they are to this day, and into their happiness they have since led may thousands of others through the memory and help which the heavenly grace once given to themselves, so many thousand times confirmed to them since then .

Zinzendorf described it as 'a sense of the nearness of Christ' given to everyone present, and also to others of their community who were working elsewhere at the time.

The congregation was young. Zinzendorf, the human leader, was 27, which was about the average age of the group.

The Moravian brethren had sprung from the labors and martyrdom of the Bohemian Reformer, John Huss. They had experienced centuries of persecution. Many had been killed, imprisoned, tortured or banished from their homeland. This group had fled for refuge to Germany where the young Christian nobleman, Count Zinzendorf, offered them asylum on his estates in Saxony. They named their new home Herrnhut, 'the Lord's Watch'. From there, after their baptism in the Holy Spirit, they became evangelists and missionaries.

Fifty years before the beginning of modern Foreign Missions by William Carey, the Moravian Church had sent out over 100 missionaries. Their English missionary magazine, Periodical Accounts, inspired William Carey. He threw a copy of the paper on a table at a Baptist meeting, saying, 'See what the Moravians have done! Cannot we follow their example and in obedience to our Heavenly Master go out into the world, and preach the Gospel to the heathen?'

That missionary zeal began with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Count Zinzendorf observed ' The Saviour permitted to come upon us a Spirit of whom we had hitherto not had any experience or knowledge. ... Hitherto we had been the leaders and helpers. Now the Holy Spirit Himself took full control of everything and everybody'.

When the Spirit came.

Prayer precedes Pentecost. The disgruntled community at Herrnhut early in 1727 was deeply divided and critical of one another. Heated controversies threatened to disrupt the community. The majority was from the ancient Moravian Church of the Brethren. Other believers attracted to Herrnhut included Lutherans, Reformed, and Baptists. They argued about predestination, holiness, and baptism.

The young German nobleman, Count Zinzendorf, pleaded for unity, love and repentance.

Converted in early childhood, at four years of age he composed and signed a covenant: 'Dear Saviour, do Thou be mine, and I will be Thine.' His life motto was, 'I have one passion: it is Jesus, Jesus only.'

Count Zinzendorf learned the secret of prevailing prayer. He actively established prayer groups as a teenager, and on leaving college at Halle at sixteen he gave the famous Professor Francke a list of seven praying societies he had established. After he finished university his education was furthered by travel to foreign countries.

Everywhere he went, his passion for Jesus controlled him. In the Dusseldorf Gallery of paintings he was deeply moved by a painting of the crucifixion over which were the words:

Hoc feci pro te;

Quid facis pro me?

This have I done for thee;

What hast thou done for me?

At Herrnhut, Zinzendorf visited all the adult members of the deeply divided community. He drew up a covenant calling upon them 'to seek out and emphasize the points in which they agreed' rather than stressing their differences. On 12 May 1727, they all signed an agreement to dedicate their lives, as he dedicated his, to the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Moravian revival of 1727 was thus preceded and then sustained by extraordinary praying. A spirit of grace, unity and supplications grew among them.

On 16 July, many of the community covenanted together on their own accord to meet often to pour out their hearts in prayer and hymns.

On 5 August, the Count spent the whole night in prayer with about twelve or fourteen others following a large meeting for prayer at midnight where great emotion prevailed.

On Sunday, 10 August, Pastor Rothe, while leading the service at Herrnhut, was overwhelmed by the power of the Lord about noon. He sank down into the dust before God. So did the whole congregation. They continued till midnight in prayer and singing, weeping and praying.

On Wednesday, 13 August, the Holy Spirit was poured out on them all. Their prayers were answered in ways far beyond anyone's expectations. Many of them decided to set aside certain times for continued earnest prayer.

On 26 August, twentyfour men and twentyfour women covenanted together to continue praying in intervals of one hour each, day and night, each hour allocated by lots to different people.

On 27 August, this new regulation began. Others joined the intercessors and the number involved increased to seventyseven. They all carefully observed the hour which had been appointed for them. The intercessors had a weekly meeting where prayer needs were given to them.

The children, also touched powerfully by God, began a similar plan among themselves. Those who heard their infant supplications were deeply moved. The children's prayers and supplications had a powerful effect on the whole community

That astonishing prayer meeting beginning in 1727 went on for one hundred years. It was unique. Known as the Hourly Intercession, it involved relays of men and women in prayer without ceasing made to God. That prayer also led to action, especially evangelism. More than one hundred missionaries left that village community in the next twentyfive years, all constantly supported in prayer.

The Spirit's Witness

One result of their baptism in the Holy Spirit was a joyful assurance of their pardon and salvation. This made a strong impact on people in many countries, including the Wesleys.

In 1736, John and Charles Wesley sailed to America as Anglican missionaries. A company of Moravian immigrants were also on the vessel. During a terrible storm, they all faced the danger of shipwreck. John Wesley wrote in his journal:

"At seven, I went to the Germans. I had long before observed the great seriousness of their behavior. Of their humility, they had given a continual proof by performing those servile offices for the other passengers, which none of the English would undertake; for which they desired and would receive no pay, saying, 'It was good for their proud hearts,' and 'their loving Saviour had done more for them.' And every day had given them occasion of showing a meekness, which no injury could move. If they were pushed, struck or thrown down, they rose again and went away; but no complaint was found in their mouth. Here was now an opportunity of trying whether they were delivered from the spirit of fear, as well as from that of pride, anger and revenge. In the midst of the Psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the mainsail in pieces, covered the ship and poured in between the decks, as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly sung on. I asked one of them afterwards: 'Were you not afraid?' He answered, 'I thank God, no.' I asked: 'But were not your women and children afraid?' He replied mildly: 'No, our women and children are not afraid to die' (1927:3536).

In Georgia, John Wesley sought spiritual counsel from the Moravian Bishop, A. G. Spangenberg. Back in England in 1738 the Wesley brothers became intimately acquainted with the Moravians, especially Peter Boehler who later became a leading Moravian bishop.

On 4 March, 1738, Wesley wrote in his diary: 'I found my brother at Oxford recovering from his pleurisy; and with him Peter Boehler: by whom (in the hand of the great God) I was, on Sunday, the 5th, clearly convicted of unbelief; of the want of that faith whereby alone we are saved. Immediately it struck into my mind, "Leave off preaching. How can you preach to others who have not faith yourself?" I asked Boehler whether he thought I should leave it off, or not. He answered, "By no means." I asked; "But what can I preach?" He said: "Preach faith till you have faith." Accordingly, Monday, 6, I began preaching this new doctrine, though my soul started back from the work. The first person, to whom I offered salvation by faith alone, was a prisoner under sentence of death.

Eventually John Wesley came to assurance of salvation. His own testimony reads;

Wednesday, May 3, 1738. My brother had a long and particular conversation with Peter Boechler. And it now pleased God to open his eyes; so that he also saw clearly, what was the nature of that one true living faith, whereby alone "through grace" we are saved.

Wednesday, May 24. In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.

Friday, May 26. My soul continued in peace, but yet in heaviness, because of manifold temptations. I asked Mr. Telchig, the Moravian, what to do. He said, "You must not fight with them as you did before, but flee from them the moment they appear, and take shelter in the wounds of Jesus."

The Methodists and Moravians often met together then for Bible study and prayer. George Whitefield's biographer wrote:

Whitefield began the New Year (1739) as gloriously as he ended that which had just expired. He received Sacrament, preached twice, expounded twice, attended a Moravian love feast in Fetter Lane, where he spent the whole night in prayer to God, psalms and thanksgivings, and then pronounced "this to be the happiest New Year's Day he had ever seen."

This love feast at Fetter Lane was a memorable one. Besides about sixty Moravians, there were present not fewer than seven of the Oxford Methodists, namely John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Wesley Hall, Benjamin Ingham, Charles Kinchin and Richards Hitchins, all of the ordained clergymen of the Church of England. Wesley writes: "About three in the morning, as we were continuing instant in prayer, the power of God came mightily upon us, insomuch that many cried for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground. As soon as we were recovered a little from that awe and amazement at the presence of His Majesty, we broke out with one voice "We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord!"

What the Moravians imparted to John Wesley is summarized by one of his biographers, W. H. Fitchett:

"In substance it was three things which lie in the very alphabet of Christianity, but which somehow the teachings of a godly home, of a great University, and of an ancient Church, and of famous books, had not taught Wesley. There are that salvation is through Christ's Atonement alone, and not through our own works; that it's sole condition is faith; and that it is attested to the spiritual consciousness by the Holy Spirit. There truths today are platitudes; to Wesley they were, at this stage of his life, discoveries."

Wesley's estimate of the Moravian revival which resulted in his own conversion was prophetic. When Peter Boehler, nine years his junior, left England for America after several months, Wesley recorded in his journal:

"Peter Boehler left London to embark for Carolina. Oh what a work hath God begun since his coming into England! Such a one as shall never come to an end, till Heaven and earth pass away!"

Peter Boehler wrote to Count Zinzendorf, saying "The English people made a wonderful to do about me' and though I could not speak much English, they were always wanting me to tell them about the Saviour, His blood and wounds, and the forgiveness of sins."

Witnesses unto Me

Zinzendorf's speaking, preaching and letters were full of Christ. Everywhere the Moravians went they spoke of their Lord, sang of Him, and witnessed naturally. The Holy Spirit had filled them, as in the early church, with great love for their Lord.

Their Bishop Spangenberg, for example, told how Johannes, an Indian chief who had been a very wicked man, was converted. The chief said that once a preacher came to their tribe and proved to them that there was a God. They informed him that they were not ignorant of that and told him to go away. Another preacher came and told them not to steal, drink too much, or lie. They regarded him as a fool because they already knew that, and they sent him off to preach to his own people who were worse that the Indians in those vices.

Then Christian Henry Rauch, one of the Moravian Brethren, came to his hut, sat with him and told him about Jesus. Then fatigued from his journey, Christian Henry lay down and slept, unafraid of the chief. Johannes could not get the Moravian's words out of his mind. He dreamt of the cross. He told his tribe about Jesus and they repented as the Holy Spirit moved their hearts. Johannes said to the bishop, "Thus, through the grace of God, the awakening among us took place. I tell you therefore, brethren, preach to the heathen Christ and His blood and death, if you wish to produce a blessing among them."

In Europe, a Countess with close friends among kings, emperors and princes, famous for her brilliant gifts and witty conversation, found that none of her amusements and recreations satisfied her any longer. A humble Moravian shoemaker came into her presence and she was struck with his remarkable cheerfulness. She asked him why he was so happy and he replied that "Jesus has forgiven my sins. He forgives me every day and He loves me and that makes me happy through all the hours" The Countess thought about that and began to pray. Conviction led her into the same joyful faith and she became a great witness for Christ among titled people, especially in the court of the Emperor of Russia, Alexander I, her close friend.

A New Song

Then, as now, the baptism in the Holy Spirit upon the Moravians and then the Methodists, produced a flood of sacred songs. Many of the best hymns may be traced to this outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Moravian hymns were filled with praise to Christ, adoration of him as God, and proclamation of His virtues and work.

Moravian hymns were generally prayers to Christ. It was a Moravian characteristic that their prayers were generally addressed to their Saviour. Honoring the Son, they honored the Father who had sent Him as well as the Holy Spirit who glorified Christ.

A truly converted Catholic or Protestant, Calvinist or Lutheran, Moravian or Armenian, Baptist or Quaker, when baptized in the Holy Spirit and with fire often breaks out into sacred song that is prayer or praise addressed to Jesus.

This was so in Herrnhut. The chief singer then was the godly young nobleman Count Zinzendorf. He became the prince of German hymn writers.

England saw similar developments. One of the many spiritual children of Peter Boehler was John Gambold, a young clergyman of the Church of England, an Oxford graduate and a friend of the Wesleys. He joined the Moravian Church and became its first English Bishop. Some of his hymns and sacred songs became well known.

Another of Peter Boehler's English converts was James Hutton, a famous book seller. He also wrote some precious hymns.

The best known English Moravian hymn writer during the Great Revival was John Cennick. At one of Cennick's famous open air meetings, a young Scottish labourer, John Montgomery, was converted. He joined the Moravian Church and John and Mary Montgomery became Moravian missionaries in the West Indies where they died and were buried. Their son James was educated in the Moravian school at Fulneck, James Montgomery ranks with great hymn writers of that era.

Charles Wesley had more than 6,000 hymns published after his conversion in 1738 through the witness and prayers of Peter Boehler.

The majority of his hymns testify to his great experience of salvation. Peter Boehler had told him: "If I had a thousand tongues, I would praise Jesus with every one of them." This prompted Wesley shortly after his conversion to write the immortal lines:

Oh for a thousand tongues to sing

My dear Redeemer's praise

The glories of my God and King

The triumphs of His grace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,

He sets the prisoner free;

His blood can make the foulest clean,

His blood availed for me.

Fruit That Abides

A traveler of that period wrote this striking testimony, "In all my journeys I have found only three objects that exceeded my expectations, viz.: the ocean, Count Zinzendorf and the Herrnhut congregation." Herrnhut had become a spiritual centre visited by people from all parts of Europe seeking to be saved or to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John Wesley's visit to Herrnhut was typical of thousands of others. "God has given me at length," he wrote to his brother Samuel, "the desire of my heart. I am with a Church whose conversation is in Heaven; in whom is the mind that was in Christ, and who so walk as He walked." In his journal he wrote, "I would gladly have spent my life here; but my Master called me to labour in another part of His vineyard. O, when shall this Christianity cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea?"

At the end of his life, Count Zinzendorf could triumphantly say: I am going to my Saviour, I am ready. There is nothing to hinder me now. I cannot say how much I love you all. Who would have believed that the prayer of Christ, "that they all may be one," could have been so strikingly fulfilled among us! I only asked for firstfruits among the heathen, and thousands have been given me. Are we not as in Heaven! Do we not live together like the angels! The Lord and His servants understand each other. I am ready.

Over four thousand people followed his body to its resting place on the Hutberg, including Maravian ministers from Holland, England, Ireland, North America and Greenland. His tombstone bore this inscription:

Here lie the remains of the immortal man of God, Nicholas Lewis, Count and Lord of Zinzendorf and Pattendorf; who through the grace of God and his own unwearied service, became the ordinary of the Brethren's Church, renewed in this eighteenth century. He was born in Dresden on May 26, 1700, and entered into the joy of his Lord at Herrnhut on May 9, 1760. He was appointed to bring forth fruit, that his fruit should abide.

Renew Our Days

The renewal of the Moravian Church can stir our hearts to pray, "Renew our days as of old."

In 1927, 200 years after the revival in of the Moravian Church, the editor of The Biblical Review, New York, wrote:

No matter whether one is sympathetic toward the idea of revivals or not, if he wants to study the question thoroughly, he cannot afford to overlook the history and teachings of the Moravians. Theirs has been from the beginning a great Revival Church, and its service to the general cause of Christianity, and to foreign missions in particular, is deserving of wide recognition. The story of their spiritual development and its influence is one of the most inspiring in the annals of Christianity.

Their first great experience which gave the Moravians such spiritual power was a personal experience of salvation. The second great experience which gave them such spiritual power and leadership was the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Dr. J. Kenneth Pfohl, a Moravian pastor, wrote in The Moravian in 1927: The great Moravian Pentecost was not a shower of blessing out of a cloudless sky. It did come suddenly, as suddenly as the blessing of its great predecessor in Jerusalem, when the Christian Church was born. Yet, for long there had been signs of abundance of rain, though many recognized them not. In short, the blessing of the 13th of August 1727, was diligently and earnestly prepared for. We know of no annals of Church history which evidence greater desire for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and more patient and persistent effort in that direction than those of our own Church between the years 1725 and 1727. Two distinct lines of preparation and spiritual effort for the blessing are evident. One was prayer; the other was individual work with individuals. We are told that "men and Women met for prayer and praise at one another's homes and the Church of Berthelsdorf was crowed out." Then the Spirit came in great power. Then the entire company experienced the blessing at once and the same time.

In another article in The Moravian, Dr. E. S. Hagen declared: The great revival in 1727 in Herrnhut was the normal and logical result of prayer and the preaching of the Word of the Cross. "Christ and Him Crucified" was our brethren's confession of faith, and "the inward witness of remission of sins through faith in His blood" their blessed and quickening experience. Lecky in his History of Morals says of John Wesley's conversion May 24, 1738, in the prayer meeting of Moravian Brethren in Aldersgate Street: "What happened in that little room was of more importance to England than all the victories of Pitt by land or sea." A renewal of our days as of old involves a return to fervent prayer and to the earnest and effectual preaching of the remission of sins through the vicarious sacrifice and the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Revival time is coming. We cherish a high expectancy of it. Sooner than we dream of, to God's people, who give themselves to earnest, persevering prayer, and the Scriptural testimony concerning the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the windows of Heaven will be opened.

The day of revivals is not past. The Holy Spirit still waits to fill believers with power from on high.

The Path of Life

By: Alan Smith

Ps 16:11: You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (NIV)

The path of life: there is so much revelation here!  It means that life is a journey, not a destination.  Heaven is our destination, but life is the journey.  Can you grasp this thought?  As I contemplate this journey, it brings to my mind the mile markers that we pass when we are driving along on the interstate highways.  Let’s explore the concept of the highway mile markers to help us better understand this journey.

As we drive on the highway, these markers let us know where we are in relation to the state line.  In this same way there are “spiritual” mile markers that can help us to understand where we are on our own personal journey.  So you might ask yourself, what mile marker am I on?  As we all know, everyone is at a different mile marker at any given time.  Very few people will pass the same mile marker at the exact same time.  The view of the landscape is just a little different according to the mile marker that has just been passed.  As we drive and talk to each other on our cell phones, we report a different “view from here”.  Some days we report that we are in the valley, and then other days we report that we are taking a ride to the mountains.  There have been many times during this journey that I have wondered why I do not agree with myself a year ago.  Could it be that I am at a different mile marker on the path of life today?  One day, the report on my “view from here” may be that the landscape looks pretty low.  Then on another day, it may be that my “view from here” would sound like this: “You will not believe what I have just seen!”

On this journey, there are two paths from which we can choose.  One is called the path of life and the other, the path of death.  As you woke up this morning and started your day, you made a choice for which path you wanted this day.  You may have said, “I do not want this path of death, but rather a path of life.  Who will show me the path of life?”  Ps. 16:11 gives us this answer: “You (God) have made known to me the path of life.”  Wow!  Now it sounds like this is possible!  Could the path of life be revealed to us in His Word, the Bible?  Could it be revealed to us through His still small voice?  The answer is yes to both questions.  This path is revealed to us in His Word and through the voice of His Spirit.  He gives us a detailed road map through the Bible; and He speaks understanding to us through the voice of His Spirit.  This Biblical road map is very “user” friendly.  Just believe in Jesus and then it goes on automatic.  What?  You think this sounds too easy?  I know, I know; you thought that it was much harder to follow than this.  Isn’t it amazing how we have decided that it must be too hard to follow this path because of everything we have been told that must be done correctly to stay on the path?  Do not be afraid, my friend, for the One who created the map of “the path of life” will make the pathway known to us according to Ps. 16:11.  We just need to continuously talk to the One who wants to ride with us on this journey.  He will let us drive; He just wants to be along for the ride.  If we listen, He will say, “Turn here”, or “Let’s stop for a little while.”

Now your next question might be, “How will we know that He is with us on this journey?”  Again, Ps. 16:11 gives us this clue: “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.”  Is this great or what?  When we ask Him along for the ride, we have His presence.  How do we know we are in His presence?  We know we are in His presence when we are filled with joy.  Joy, because we know He is with us.  Why is this joy so great and overwhelming?  It is because we are on this path of life that is leading us to “eternal pleasures”.  Ps 16:11: “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Just a thought for this day of the journey!

Alan

A small Missouri town is looking for a man not suspected of a crime but, rather, a miracle.

"I think that this time I've actually witnessed a guardian angel at work," Jeremiah See of the New London Fire Department told ABC News.

An unidentified allegedly drunken driver hit Katie Lentz, of Quincy, Mo., head on Aug. 4 while traveling on Route 19 near Center, Mo., pinning the 19-year-old in the front seat of her convertible. With her vital signs failing fast, she asked rescue crews to pray with her.

That's when first responders say a man who looked like a Catholic priest seemed to appear out of nowhere, despite a 2-mile perimeter blocking the scene.

"He began to pray and use the anointing oil," New London Fire Chief Raymond Reed said. "There was a calmness that, to me, seemed to come over the entire scene."

But that's not the only seemingly divine detail. Firefighters say their equipment kept failing until the mystery man showed up.

"The words were to remain calm, that our tools would now work," Reed said. "Instantaneously, at that moment, our neighboring department arrived with fresh extrication tools."

Lentz survived, but the man vanished before crews could thank him.

The young woman is recovering in the hospital with broken legs and ribs, but some say it could've been worse, if not for the mystery man on the highway.

"Whether it was just a priest as an angel, or an actual angel coming down," Lentz's friend Travis Wiseman said, "he was an angel to everyone and to Katie."

Charging My Spiritual Battery

By Alan Smith

Eph. 3:16-19: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Isn’t it amazing how Jesus can continue to be so rich when He is always giving away all that He has?  Could it be that this “power” He is giving away is part of the inheritance of the saints: a power that comes out of “His glorious riches”?  I always wondered where the “power from heaven” would land in me.  From this verse, I can see that it is in my “inner being”.  When I grow weak in my inner being, I need to be strengthened from above: with strength that Paul calls “power”.  It appears to me that my inner being must have some type of spiritual battery in it.  Sometimes it is strong, and then at other times, it seems to run down and become very weak.  Now, this is really interesting to me because I know that my spiritual battery needs charging on a regular basis.  Let me use my cows to give an analogy of this spiritual truth.

I am a dairy farmer and the cows on my farm have a necklace around their necks.  This necklace has a transponder attached to it.  What is a transponder, you might ask?  A transponder is a little plastic box that contains a microchip inside of it.  This microchip contains the number of the cow on which it hangs, so that the computer can identify her as she enters the milking barn.  High-tech cows, don’t you think?

This transponder contains a battery; a battery that is not accessible because it is covered in plastic for protection.  The developers of this transponder needed a way to charge the battery without taking it out.  Here is what they developed.  When the cow enters the barn, the transponder sends a signal, which is a small electrical signal, to the reader antenna.  When the antenna receives the signal, it then sends back a greater electrical signal to the transponder to acknowledge that the transponder signal has been received.  The weaker receives a greater in return.  The greater signal is from the antenna, so therefore, the battery in the transponder is always charged.  The only way the battery in the transponder grows weak is when it neglects to be in contact with the antenna on a daily basis.  The developers knew the transponder and the reader antenna had to be in relationship with each other, with signals transferring from one to the other.

In this same way, Christians are to keep their spiritual batteries charged.  When I pray and send a spiritual signal which is weaker to God; God, in return, sends me a spiritual signal back which is greater than the one I sent to Him.  High-tech Christians, don’t you think?  The greater, God, is sending to the weaker, us, the divine strength that we need for this new day.  If we neglect contact with this greater source, our batteries will grow weak.  The weaker our batteries become, the more hopeless we feel, only to grow weaker each day.

Okay, so what shall we do?  How can we have strong spiritual batteries?  Just stay in touch with the Source.  The only One who can charge your spiritual battery is the One who created it: our Lord.  We must not neglect our daily relationship with our Lord, so that He can send us the spiritual power to charge our spiritual batteries.  He has also provided us with a quick charge: one that He knew would be needed from time to time.  I believe when believers gather together, a quick charge can take place.  We see this in the verse for today.

Eph 3:17-18 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints.

What an incredible power surge this.

Perceptions: Changed from Glory to Glory

By: Alan Smith

·         2 Cor. 3:18: But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory , even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (KJV)

What a perception: changed into the image of Jesus which produces a reflection of glory!  Not only that, but you can also see the glory intensify as you change.  It is so exciting to know that you are becoming “glory” unto God.  Let’s do it, God; let us become this “glory”!  You will become what you think upon, so you must think upon the “glory” of God if you want to become this “glory”.  Do not think upon the crises or chaos of this world, for it is all passing away.  Do not be a professional Devil watcher, for he is a defeated foe.  Instead, become a “glory” watcher and be changed by the power of being in the “glory”.

It doesn’t matter how horrible things may appear to be, you must use your “will” to discipline your thinking into the image of “glory”.  This image is not a competitive one, but rather a creative one.  Pursue and give your attention unto the “glory”, because it will last for eternity.  Others will look at you and say, “I don’t know what he or she has, but I want it.”  You do not have to compete with the dark world and force “your will” upon anyone.  When you force your “own will” upon another, it is an act of competitiveness, even if it is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  You can say, “But you need Jesus.”  This is a true statement, but you are to live unto it and not force it upon others.  When you live unto “Him”, others will be drawn unto “Him”.  When you are being competitive in the spiritual world, you are struggling to have “power” over these powers.  You must rise above this competitive battle and be creative with God.  You must not lower the Kingdom of God to the standards of competitive man.  Jesus came to bring “glory” unto the world through creative man.  You are being creative when you are being changed from “glory” to “glory”.

God has given man a “will”.  This “will” was created to be a good thing and not a bad thing.  Your will was created for your good, but it can be used upon others for control and manipulation.  Your “will” is the “power” within your soul for change.  This change is to be made upon yourself and not upon others.  The “will” of a man or woman is the most powerful tool known.  Your choices of life are determined by your “will”; your perceptions of life are empowered by your “will”; and your future is created by your “will”.  When you use your “will” upon your own behavior, it will be creative.  However, when you use it upon others, it will be competitive and controlling.  This will cause you to enter into competition with the one upon whom you are projecting your own “will”, then to find that they have rejected it.

Have you ever wanted something for someone only to find out they did not want what you wanted for them?  This is an example of “will” projection.  This behavior seems to be loving and caring, but in reality it is controlling and manipulative on your part. In your conscious mind you are caring, but your subconscious mind has a hidden motive.  The motive may be a good one, but it is “will” projection just the same.  This unhealthy projection will always produce a “rejected” feeling in the one that is “projecting” his or her “will” upon others, often causing frustration and even depression.  On the other hand, spiritual “glory” is only possible to those who rise above soulish “will” projection onto others.  You must rise above this competitive battle for control and direct your passions toward heaven.  It is not necessary to “compete” with anyone, for you were made to “create”!  Set your “will” on a higher plane and experience the Kingdom of God being created in your very soul.

Some people remain in soulish “will” projection because they are not willing to project their own “will” onto themselves for change.  As long as you are trying to change others, you are not allowing yourself to be changed from “glory” to “glory”.  It is this “glory” that others will want to follow and receive, not your soulish “will” upon them.  People are looking for the “glory” to follow.  They will look for it in actors, rock stars, basketball stars, and other famous people.  People want to be close to these famous people because they think they carry the “glory”.  They do carry the glory of man but not the “glory” of the Kingdom of God.  This “glory” can only be obtained by you if you “will” it on your own soul.  You must be willing to engage your “will” upon yourself and resist the temptation of using it on others.  When you project it upon others, the “power” that is to be used to change you has now been spent on trying to change others.  You must learn to trust God with others, for they have their own God given “will” to change themselves.  If you really want to do something for the whole world, be willing to be filled with this “glory”.  The world is looking for examples of this “glory”.  They are not looking for perfect people, but instead, people who are “willing” to be changed from “glory” to “glory”.  It is this rich “glory” that the world is looking for and it is the “hope” of heaven.

• Col. 1:27: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the “glory” of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the “hope of glory” (KJV)

The Bible gives us the principles of this spiritual science of going from “glory to glory”.  To live in the “glory” is the shortest point between the two distances of earth and heaven.  We “go” by being “changed”: changed into an image that can experience but not be consumed by the “glory”.  The “glory of man” will ultimately destroy man, but the “glory” of God will ultimately preserve man for eternity.  You do not need to look for another “glory”, for there is no other that will satisfy.

Blessings,

Alan

Perceptions: The Pathway of Creativity

By” Alan Smith

• Matt. 7:7-8: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (NIV)

How can I be creative, you might ask?  How can I be creative and not competitive in my thinking?  Every pathway of life has a “first step” which must be taken in order to head in the right direction.  How can you end up in a desired place if you are not heading in the right direction which is in relation to your destination?  Creativity is just an expression of the scenery along the pathway to the Kingdom of God; to the One who is the Creator of all things.  If you are to be a creative being with God, you must walk down a pathway that is harmonious with the very nature of God.

As you are” living” toward God, you must ask God for the things you would like to create with Him.  This is very necessary.  Jesus says this, "Ask and it will be given to you.”  Asking God is like striking a note on a piano.  It is the beginning of a harmonious sound between you and Him.  This is the beginning of spiritual dialogue with the Father, which will then allow you to find the will of God for the next note.  I believe asking God is the first note in this three-note harmony chord.  So, how can you find the next note in this three part harmony?  Let’s move further into the scriptures.

• 1 Thess. 5:18: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (KJV)

This is incredible information.  From this scripture, you can see that the sound which produces the second note in the chord comes from a heart that is thankful in all things.  It is in this sound of thankfulness that the will of God can be found.  There is no other place in which you can find this.  You can also see that the sound of this second note is found within your own heart and soul.  A thankful heart produces an attitude within you that is creative in nature.  It is this mental attitude of thankfulness that draws you closer to the Creator Himself.  Being “in-touch” with the very nature of God will bring you very close to His blessings of creativeness.  You can live your life nearly perfect in every way, but not receive more blessings from God because of the lack of “thankfulness”.

Have you ever given a gift and the recipient not been “thankful” for your free gift?  How do you feel about giving another gift to this person?  Probably not very eager, don’t you think?  So it is with God and His blessings.  Many of God’s blessings are a result of your “thankfulness” and His creativity with you.  Remember, “thankfulness” is a spiritual note that is in harmony with the “notes” of heaven.  The more “thankful” your mind is, the more established you are with the very heart of God; therefore, gaining the “will of God” which is always creative.  The very nature of God is to create, so this is always part of “His will”.  The closer you live to the source of all creativity, the more creativity you will receive and experience.

Also remember, this “thankful” note has a spiritual energy that will penetrate the very realities that are all around you.  It is “power” that will change the world.  Thankfulness will keep your heart out of competitive thinking.  Thankfulness will keep your heart looking toward heaven and out of the selfish thinking which only brings hopelessness and destruction to the heart and soul.  Sometimes your realities will try and knock the thankfulness out of you.  You can’t let this happen, for it will cause a sour note to come into your life and destroy the harmony which has been gained through much focus and pain.  Don’t let your thankfulness be destroyed, for this is not the will of God.  On the contrary, let a harmonic sound of praise and thankfulness reach its destination, which is the very heart of God.

Just as a magnet draws metal so does your thankfulness draw creative ideas from the Kingdom of God.  This drawing effect must become a constant “power” which draws creative substance to appear in your realities.  Jesus knew how to capture the ear of God through being thankful.  John 11:41-42: Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.”  Jesus knew that His thankfulness was the attitude which kept Him in harmony with the Kingdom for which He longed.  If you allow yourself to think upon the sour notes of life, the sour notes will begin to be heard in the spiritual music that surrounds your life.  You are either producing this music of the spirit or hearing it being played by another.  It is your choice.  You must never dwell upon the bad sounds, for they are also creative unto your future.

A thankful heart will look for goodness and greatness.  It will look for this in others and not dwell on their faults and failures.  It will be a trained mind that is looking for the best in people and things, which will bring more of the best into your life.  You then discover that it is from this heart of “thankfulness” that more “faith” is born.  Your expectations of good things are the experiences of “more faith”.  Now that you are training your mind to look for goodness and greatness, it opens your spiritual eyes to see what is not seen.  Your spiritual eyes are now opened to see the will of God for you and for the world.  It is through this “faith” that all things that “are not”, “can be”.

• Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (NIV)

The third note in this harmonious chord will find you, for it will be coming from God. 

Alan

What is the true grace of God?  Do we want it upon our lives?  Can it be true? Could it be that Jesus knew the hidden message and power that was in this experience from the Father?

Luke 2:40
40: And the child (Jesus) grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.

Let's dig a little deeper into the word "grace".

NT: 5485

charis (khar'-ece); from NT: 5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):

KJV - acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace (-ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

In the underlined above, we see that grace is the prophetic act of divine influence.  It is through this that all prophetic impressions, visions, and influence come.  For this prophetic influence to flow, we must have a dedicated line; one of understanding.  A life that has the grace of God upon it is a life that understands that it comes totally from God.  If you think you are a contributor to this "grace", then the line has been defiled and the "grace" is no more "grace".  Could it be this simple?  Could it be that g-race truly means God's-race?  Our prayer is to have, like Jesus, the grace of God upon us.

Blessings,

Alan

Perceptions: Life Must Be Found

By: Alan Smith

·        Romans 1:16-17: This Good News tells us that God makes us ready for heaven-makes us right in God's sight-when we put our faith and trust in Christ to save us. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scripture says it, "The man who finds life will find it through trusting God."  (TLB)

What a perception, don’t you think?  How can you be alive and still need to find life?  Could there be more to life than just living?  Here is another one of the secrets of the Kingdom of God.  The man or woman who “finds life” must have a desire for “real life”.  I am not talking about the pleasures of life or self gratification; no, not at all.  To find “more life” means to discover and perform physically, mentally, and spiritually what God has placed inside of you to be and to do.  You know, that part of you that has never been truly expressed.  It is your “inner being” crying out to create something.  You can feel it from deep within you.  Perhaps you have managed to shut down this voice crying from within your soul.  This creative voice which God has put down in the depths of your soul is His voice calling you to come and create with Him.  He is not calling you to recreate what others have already created.  No, He is calling you to come and create with Him.  He is not asking you to sacrifice life and die.  No, He is calling you to start “living more life”.  Before we move on in this thought, ask yourself these two questions.  Are you trying to find “more life” through competitive games with people?  Or are you seeking “more life” by being a creative thinker under the influence of the Kingdom of God?  You must put your “faith and trust in Christ” that His sacrifice was and is the only sacrifice that is needed to save mankind from destructive thinking.  You must stop dying and start living.  You are not the “sacrifice” for man; only Christ could perform this task.  God does not want you to sacrifice yourself for others.  This sacrifice has already been made.  He truly wants you to start living.  Let’s look at this thought more closely.

·        1 Corinthians 15:37: When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. (NIV)

In this scripture you can see that Christ was the “seed” which had to be sown into the earth and die.  You are to be the fruit of Him being sown and you are to live!  As this fruit, He wants you to “find life”, “live life” and then “give life” to others.  So how can you “give life” away unless you are “finding life” through trusting God and the finished work of Christ, the sacrifice for the world?  God wants you to live life fully, with much joy and abundance.  It is then that you can give out of this substance of the Kingdom of God.  You know you have received this revelation of living life fully when you desire for everyone to have this same experience.  You must always remember that God wants all of His creation to discover the true reason for existing.

Is your experience of “finding life” one that you could recommend to others, or are you living a life of competitiveness with people, instead of creativeness with God?  A competitive life will take away and give it unto itself; but a creative life will bless others and in turn be blessed itself.  When you are “finding life” and giving it away, all will be blessed.  No one has to lose to be blessed when God gives away “more life”.  You must stop these thoughts of competition for what has already been created and trust God for new creativity and life in you.  When you gain “more life” from a selfish motive, it is never satisfactory or permanent.  This competitive motive will be conquered tomorrow by another and all that was gained will be lost.  To “find more life” you must “give more life”.  It is in the “giving” that you “find”.  You do not have to take advantage of anyone to gain more life.  On the contrary, you must bless others in order to receive blessing.

You are to create and give away.  In doing this you must understand that this creative supply has no end.  In fact, you are to create with God and not compete with Satan.  Once you enter into competitive thinking with the enemy, you have entered into his game.  This will shut down all creativity in your life.  Once you fall into competitive thinking, all creative thinking will stop.  It is imperative that you rise above this low thinking which comes from the competitive nature of Satan, and have a higher standard of thinking which comes from the creative nature of the Kingdom of God.  Satan has been defeated.  Why do you act like this is not true?  All he can do is seduce you into competing with him and others in all of your thoughts.  You then enter into a war that has already been won; and the victory of Christ has no affect for you are fighting just the same.

When you battle the enemy, you are always taking inventory of your visible supply: a very selfish way of thinking.  When you think creatively, you are always looking unto the limitless supply of your God: a very unselfish way of thinking.  When you start “finding more life” from God, it is because you trust that His ways are true, and in turn, more life is produced in you to give away.  Remember, there is an endless supply of creativity.  This “more life” can have many different forms and values.  It can be more joy, more patience, more love, more laughter, more giving: a higher way of thinking.  It can even be a better attitude or more money with which you can bless others.  When you truly find “more life” in God, all of your creative thinking will bless yourself as well as others.  You will be able to give more to every man than you take from him.  In other words, when you work for someone, you will give more of your labor and attention to him than that for which he is paying you.  This in return will bless you beyond measure.  When you deal with others, you must ask yourself, “Is this going to bless him more than it will me”?  If the answer is “yes”, then this is creative thinking.  Creative thinking will add “more life” to your living.  When you arise to this heavenly thinking, you have left the competitive realm and moved into the creative realm.  It is here that you will find “more life”.  When you give every man more than you take, you are then adding “more life” upon the face of the earth.

So ask yourself, will you let your “light shine” in a dark place?  Sure, there is darkness all around, but “real life” which comes from God’s secret Kingdom will quench any darkness when it enters the room.  The powers of this dark world are always whispering to you depression, guilt, anger, despair, lack, or pride.  They will try to convince you that others have taken all you were to have in this life; that there is nothing left for you.  Let me tell you the truth: this is a lie!  How can others take what has not been created yet?  This is a new day waiting to be created.  I encourage you to trust God, for He is waiting to create this day with you.  It cannot be stolen, for it is waiting to be created.  Again I say “Trust God” and His Kingdom, for His Kingdom is not of this world.  It is waiting to be experienced by the expression of “more life”.  Come near to God and trust Him for His arms are open, just waiting for you to speak to Him.  He will then open your spirit and say “Come”.  Remember, His arms are always open and they are the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Run unto Him and “find more life”.

Blessings,

Alan

Visit Mylow's web-page below. Order his book and you will be inspired.

                                         www.mylowyoung.com

Praise God for the love of Christ! The great and mighty grace of God! Family, God has such a love that He could stand to take a man like me and do the thinngs He's done through me to further the kingdom! Bless His name and all glory to HIM!

That he would take me out of the muck and mire of that pit which for me was a crack cocaine addiction and allow me to live to tell about it. He's Good, right?! Praise His name again! Please pray for me. I am here to speak of His abundant love, mercy and grace. There is an enemy that does not want me to accomplish this and at every turn seeks to discredit me. My prayer is to be steadfast, sober and vigilant... and remain faithful.There is a world that needs to hear what I have to say and I fight daily to maintain my balance and voice to deliver this word. The word is HOPE... FREEDOM... DELIVERANCE! I am a voice to be heard in Jesus name!

Justice of God

by Bob Jones

May 2, 2013

I was praying about certain things that would take place in the earth concerning hurricanes, tornadoes, volcano eruptions and earthquakes. These four things are going to really become rampant in the earth. I was trying to get an insight into the Father’s heart and seeking Him to see if He was the one that will bring the judgments. As I prayed about this I began to see that the Father’s heart is love and how He puts His hand over a people that love and how He protects them from these major tragedies. Most people think that when these things happen it’s the Father bringing the judgments. Maybe to a degree it is because He simply removes His hand off of a people that no longer have any intention of repenting or turning to Him in any way. These people have violated and defiled their conscience to such a degree they can sin without conviction coming on them anymore.

God began to show me certain states that had done this according to His word. They had openly violated their conscience in the laws they made and instituted. The Father showed me that He would no longer cover their sin. When these areas become so dark, the Father removes His hand and the devil is always looking for openings. When the Father removes His hand it’s because man no longer turns to righteousness. They no longer want the Bible or the Word of God. When they remove the word of God from the schools and everything else it brings judgment in the school.

Nearly everybody believes it’s the Father judging and bringing these disasters in the nation. I believe the judgment of the Father is Him removing His hand off of you; then the devil comes in and kills. The devil is the murderer, the liar, thief and killer. Where there’s no protection then Satan has his way and we know his way by how he’s described in scripture.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. (John 10:10a)

I no longer believe it’s the Father bringing judgment but the Father is bringing justice. The hand of the Father is going to cover and protect those who are being led by their spirit and repenting during this time of great pressure. These four things; volcanoes, earthquakes, weather systems including tornados and hurricanes are coming into areas where the Father removes His hand. It is not the will of the Father that these things take place rather it’s the will of the people that have turned against Him, His Word and against His law of love.

Where there is repentance there will be forgiveness and the authority to take authority over these storms. The Father is Love and He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but Satan takes delight in their death. There are areas, even in the United States, where we the people have given it over to Satan. Where there is no intercessor to stand in the gap, God will allow the land to be destroyed.

So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. (Ezekiel 22:30)

Where there are people who stand in the gap for a certain place safety abounds. In the 7^th chapter of Amos, God relented twice because Amos stood in the gap when God was going to destroy Jacob. Moses interceded many times for the children of Israel and saved them from God’s judgment.

There’s a real call of the Holy Spirit for the saints to join themselves together in a unity of repentance and intercession and really expound on the gospel. When we know what the gospel says, we’ll know that God the Father is love. The Father allowing these calamities to take place is His last mercy and grace to wake people up. Where there is repentance and turning away from wickedness God the Father will put His hand back over it and cover them once again.

We’re in the time of the Justice of the Father. When you go to court for judgment, the judge finds for the innocent and rules against the guilty. I think the finding against the guilty will remove the protection by the Father off the places that choose another besides Him. The Father will always rule on behalf of the innocent.

There are eleven northeastern states that have said they don’t want the Bible and they don’t want Christians or their values. When they tell the Father they don’t want Him or His Word, He removes His hand and Satan moves in. You either have the love of the Father covering you or the wickedness of Satan over you. It’s our choice and we live with the consequences of the choice we make.

Parable of the Kite with No Tail
by: Alan Smith

Isaiah 40:31: But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NIV)

The wind was blowing steadily that day and the trees were bending and swaying under the direction of the wind.  The sky was a deep, clear blue and the grass was plush and green.  The meadow was a perfect place to fly a kite, so the children wandered that way to do just that.

It was obvious that they were on a great adventure; but they weren’t having very good success with their kite.  The kite went up in the air fast, and then side to side as if to say, "I will go where I please."  The kite did not have any particular direction in which to go.  It just knew that it wanted to go somewhere without anyone controlling it.  Only the resistance of the string would hold the kite down.  The kite was so fighting the resistance that it went around and around until it crashed to the ground.  The children launched the kite again, only to repeat the same events of the day.

Suddenly, there appeared an old man: a grandfather to the children.  He sat with them and taught them about the laws of the wind and told them that their lives were like a kite.  He told them how the wind was created for their good; how his Father enjoyed blowing onto the ground with his breath, making it possible for things of the earth to soar.  He told them that God created them to fly and soar in life just as the kite.  He shared with them how it took three things for the kite to soar: the first was wind; the second was a tail for their kite; and the third was resistance.

The grandfather first addressed the wind.  He said to them, “The wind represents the Holy Spirit of God.  When He blows into your life, you have the power to soar.  Without the wind, the kite cannot leave the ground.  Its power must come from another; for the kite has no power of its own.  The same is true for you.  The wind of the Spirit is always in unity with the Words of God and will always breathe life into you.”

Next, the grandfather addressed the tail of the kite.  He told the children that their kite did not have a tail, and they asked him why it needed one.  He shared with them that the kite needed direction for its journey.  Without a tail it could not go very high and would crash to the ground every time.  He showed them how the tail felt like a weight to the kite; but in actuality, the tail gave the kite direction.  When attached to the kite, the tail would not let it go astray.  He then told them that the tail was "the Word" for them that day, and that it was very important for them to hear "the Word"; for it was “the Word" that would give them direction to fly higher in this new season and not crash to the ground.

As he shared, he looked to the ground and saw the tail of the kite lying there.  The grandfather asked them why the tail was there.  The children responded that the tail kept getting tangled in the string and they thought that it could fly better without it.  It appeared to be in the way.  The grandfather took an old Bible out of his pocket.  He tore the pages out of it and tied them to the kite’s tail.  The old man taught them that the kite represented their lives, and that life is a great adventure through which everyone would fly.  Their desire would be to fly high and fast so they could see everything.  They would want to go where they wanted to, anytime they wanted to.  However, without the Word of God to give them direction, they would only fall to the ground.

The last understanding the grandfather addressed with the “children” was resistance.  He shared with them how the kite hated the string that was attached to it.  The kite would fight the string as if to say, “If I could just be free of this string that resists me, I could really fly.  I could fly higher and higher and be what I was really created to be.” He told them that without resistance the kite would not have a "negative" from which to trust unto a "positive".  When the kite agreed with the resistance and used it for its good, it took a negative resistance and "transformed" it into the necessary power that would cause the kite to go higher.  The grandfather shared with them that it took a combination of the wind, a tail, and the resistance to actually propel the kite to soar higher and ascend toward its destiny.

Before sending them home, he then quoted to the children what his heavenly Father had told him:

Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (KJV)

When the Word of God is attached to our lives, it is then that we have direction.  This will cause us to soar higher and higher in life.  When we soar higher we can begin to see things as God sees them.

What truly supports the fabric of a kite?  It is the cross that is behind it.  Open the fabric of your heart today because the cross of Christ is supporting you.  The fabric cannot support itself.  Let the wind of the Spirit of God blow against you.  Take the Word of God and let it give you direction for this new season.  When resistance comes, remember that it is necessary for you to go to higher places than you have ever been before.  Do not despise the resistance, as it can be used for your good.  It’s your choice.  Choose this day to believe God.  He will take you on a journey that is unbelievable!

Confidence = Courage

By: Alan Smith

Heb. 10:35: Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. (KJV)

Courage is not something that can be borrowed or bought.  It is an inward behavior which creates the conclusion for your future actions.  It is a predetermined action to any circumstance.  It comes from confidence in God and in yourself—yes, in God and in yourself!  Courage is also an action of faith.  Faith is a spiritual confidence that God really is telling us the truth and that we can pull it off.

So you see, courage is the product of confidence, and confidence is the product of faith, and with faith all things are possible.  Let’s explore this further.

Do you remember the lion in the movie “The Wizard of Oz”?  In the beginning he was very fearful and he lacked confidence in himself.  The cowardly lion spoke these famous words: “Courage!  What makes a king out of a slave?  Courage!  What makes the flag on the mast to wave?  Courage!  What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk?  What makes the muskrat guard his musk?  Courage!  What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder?  Courage!  What makes the dawn come up like thunder?  Courage!  What makes the Hottentot so hot?  What puts the “ape” in apricot?  What have they got that I ain’t got?”

He was created to be the King of the Forest: one who rules with great courage and authority.  Yet, his problem was that he had misappropriated his confidence.  He had placed confidence in his past and not in his future.  He had placed his confidence in fear and failure, instead of who he really was to become.  The lack of confidence equals fear; but confidence in abundance equals courage.  Can you identify with the lion’s character?  Fear is not of God so why should you be in agreement with this creative power?  Yes, creative power—fear is a creative power!  Have you ever considered this: that fear has creative power?  Of course it does.  It will guide every step of your life if you live in agreement with its influence.  Just as the lion agreed with fear, so do you and I at times.  The more he focused on failure, the more fear he created.  The lion’s greatest desire was to have courage to rule and reign.  He had this great need to be all that he was created to be; it just seemed there was an unseen force that hindered him from achieving this crescendo in his life.

Fear caused the lion to feel inadequate.  It even caused him to give himself a new name: he went from the “King of the Forest” to the “Cowardly Lion”.  Have you yielded to this influence of fear and given yourself a new internal name?  Your internal name is the one you live unto.  It is the name to which you respond.  “Bad circumstance of life” was the evidence the lion used to give himself his new name.  He saw himself as the “Cowardly Lion” so he lived unto this name.  He constantly gave testimony to his friends that this was who he was.  Those who opposed him also gave the report of his fear and cowardly ways.  Can you see how you can agree with the wrong information and create a false reality?  A false reality, yes; but a reality just the same.  It is in this greenhouse of false reality where the bad information breeds and grows.  Pretty soon you have a harvest of fruit that, at best, is undesirable and bitter.  The cowardly lion was very unhappy with the false reality he had created; and thus, was on a quest to find courage to overcome the fears that controlled his life.  He was looking, however, to fix his problem from the outside in, instead of from the inside out.

Are you on this same journey?  Could it be that you are letting fear give you a new name?  Can you see how the lion had lost all confidence within himself?  What a dangerous place to be.  It is in this place that you can be controlled by fear.  Fear is darkness and lies and can only be present where there is a void of light.  A lie is darkness running undercover; but it is presented as truth.  How can you know if you are embracing lies as truth and darkness as light?  It is by the fruit of your life.  You cannot escape the fruit.  Do you feel more alive today than ever, or are you feeling death within your soul?  Are you giving yourself a new internal name that speaks death, or is your new name one that speaks life?

Your spiritual enemy is constantly trying to give you a new name, one that reflects sadness and failure.  Just check on the names you are calling yourself—this is your evidence.  When the lion finally saw the Wizard, he found that the Wizard did not have a magic potion of courage to give him, but he did have the truth.  The truth was in the lion all the time.  He just needed to discover the truth of God within himself and exercise faith in it.

If you have received the Spirit of truth in your life, then the truth to set you free has been in you all the time.  You just need to exercise confidence in the truth of God and in yourself.  This confidence will begat courage, and courage will be the spiritual fuel to propel your future.  Confidence and courage says that you will not run from your problems, but will hit them head on.  Confidence and courage says that you will not fail; but you will instead prevail.  God’s call gives you a name.  It is the victorious one, part of a royal diadem.  God has already given you a “new name” to go with a “new nature” of the “new man”.  Will you believe the “lie” or embrace the “truth”?  Could it be possible that the Creator knows best what the creation He created should be called?  Of course He does!  Be courageous and believe.

Isaiah 62:2-3: And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name , which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. (KJV)

Can you see that this new name will be part of the crown of glory that our Lord will hold?  To be part of a crown must mean you have great value.  He died and bought the rites of your heavenly domain name.  Not only is your name part of the Lord’s crown, it is also part of a royal diadem.  Royal means you have “kingly ancestry” and “diadem” means to be wrapped around.  God calls you a royal diadem which means that because of your royal ancestry, you are wrapped around His hand never to be let go.  Can you see it?  Jesus is King, and you and I are His crown.  Not only are you given a new name, you are also given a new address where this man or woman with the new name will live.  This new name is eternal just like the new address is eternal.  This new address only needs a name and destination in which to complete its journey.  This is a spiritual key that creates your eternity as well as your future here on earth.

Rev. 3:12: … I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (KJV)

The name of something is the first line written in an address; therefore, the name is the first thing that determines where the object is going!  You can see that what you call yourself determines where your life is going.  Perhaps you need to learn from this heavenly truth and begin agreeing with your Creator.  Have the courage to believe that you have a new name which sets you free from the past and sends you into your future.  I challenge you right now to pray and ask God what your new name is.  Be courageous.  Don’t be afraid.  Stop right now and just ask.  Listen to His still small voice.  I’ll give you a little help.  Remember that your new name has to do with your destination.  Write me back and let me know what you hear.

I encourage you to confidently step forward in faith and with courage, to embrace who God truly created you to be!

Blessings,

Alan

Alan Smith

This weeks lesson is about a man that would dare to write, "Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us". His name is Paul and his example is one of having joy during hardships and imprisonment. We will be using study material purchased from Precept Ministries International.  You may go to their website and purchase your own Philippians' workbook as you follow these teachings.  This is a sixteen week study. You can view this teaching by clicking on webcast below or you can listen to it via audio by clicking on mp3 below. The webcast teaching starts at 4 min and 30 seconds into the webcast.

Blessings,

Alan

Philippians Lesson 3  [mp3] [webcast]

Preach Jesus with your life and use words only if your life fails to communicate it.

dp

Alan Smith

Dear Society members,

Philip is a friend of mine for years. I recommend his research and writings. Christian Leaders & Scholars is the newsletter and publication site of Philip Ernest Williams, author of The Archaeological Evidence of Noah's Flood (2011). The site is also a ministry not only to Christian leaders and scholars but all who are interested in the more difficult issues pertaining to the Bible and its implications for science and history. (Read more)

Volume 3, Issue 2 March 31, 2013  The Mount Ararat Discovery Greetings, I send this out early Easter morning here in the US. We have become so accustomed to the world recognizing the event that gave rise to Easter that we may forget just how controversial those first sensational reports. They were reporting something that everyone knew to be impossible. In fact their claims were rejected by the religious authorities and, though noticed, more or less ignored by the secular authorities and world. It was not just the astonishing claims, but the lack of worldly reputation of those making them, however great their integrity and sacrifices. This explains why the religious authorities declared their reports to be based on a fraud, a report circulating to this very day. But some did believe the accounts, not only because they had the ring of truth -- until this day, the claims have withstood every reasonable examination -- but also because it appealed to their hearts. Notwithstanding these humble, unusual, and controversial beginnings, the reports arising from the empty tomb ended up changing the world.  In my last newsletter, I mentioned having much to tell you about the Mount Ararat discovery which Ahmet Ertugrul, also known as Parasut, discovered in June, 2008 and which in April 2010, Hong Kong based Noah's Ark Ministries International (NAMI) announced to the world. If you are familiar with this discovery, you may know that it is the first such announcement accompanied by video evidence of something that actually looks like it might be the famous Noah's Ark of the Bible, the reason for the worldwide sensation. I first heard the announcement from Diane Sawyer on ABC's Evening News. You also probably know that the announcement was immediately beset by charges that it was just something constructed for the purposes of filming, and only the latest of many claims to have discovered Noah's Ark. As many of you know, I became involved with this discovery by making a careful investigation of the charges against it, finding them unfair and baseless. I also found those responsible for this discovery (pictured in the photo above) though having made mistakes as would almost anyone confronted with such a great and novel undertaking, to be of outstanding integrity individually and collectively. Along with some other investigators in Europe and America who I will discuss in a future newsletter, I have acquired a considerable amount of new information about the discovery (and the charges against it), much of it coming from a recent trip to Turkey as part of the American Geomatics Expedition (the AGE), accompanied by Reuben Dedmondt of Spartanburg, SC and Rich and Mary Darling, principals of Tucson-based Darling Geomatics. This information is exciting and explains the confidence in which I write about this discovery. As I discuss in the column at right, the discoverers have understandably been reluctant to allow this information to become public until provisions are made for the protection of the site. A chief reason for the present newsletter is that I am concerned that the location of the discovery will too soon become public and endanger the site due to financial pressures besetting the explorers from their not sharing more information that might lead to its location. It is time not only for the responsible archaeological community, but also for believers in America to rally to their cause. In the articles below, I address the charges of fraud pertaining to this discovery. I trust that I explain the charges in a way that makes them not only understandable, but also fair to those who have made them. I think I now understand why someone who worked in the business of searching for Noah's Ark in this part of Turkey, but not having been part of the discovery could easily imagine the accusations. That would be especially the case among those who participate in the Ark searching business but do not believe the remains of the Ark even exist, the case of those who are the original sources of these charges. How much more would rival Ark searchers from America, those responsible for spreading these charges, want to believe them. Similarly, I explain in the article below right, why an unbelieving business woman who had just been jilted in a love affair with someone connected to the discovery and facing a loss of her business due to these events would not only be inclined to believe these accusations, but might work zealously to destroy the business of rivals who she regards as responsible for her misfortune. To discover this, all one need do is to sympathetically listen or read the accusers' words. Accompanying these charges of fraud at the time of NAMI's announcement was a great deal of skepticism concerning the remarkable condition of these remains. If from the famous Noah's Ark, they have to be more than four thousand years old. Everyone knows that wood and straw does not survive for so long a time. But one must also know that this does not apply to organic remains that have been permanently frozen, whether mammoth carcasses in the Arctic or wood and straw from snow-capped mountains. One need only consider the clothing, possession, and flesh of Otzi the Iceman dating from the same ancient era but found only about twenty years ago in the Italian Alps. You can read about Otzi in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology (click to read) How much better protected from decay would be a permanently frozen and buried Ark. In truth, it doesn't seem to matter to most of the world how strong or how much the evidence that NAMI has offered for this discovery or how flimsy, ridiculous, or unfair the charges against them. Regardless their sterling integrity, NAMI's weakness is the same as their strength: the fact that they are in the filming ministry. That is what brought them to the mountain: to film the traditions and searches for Noah's Ark and not, in the beginning, to actually search for the Ark. It was Parasut who convinced them to assist with his search for the Ark. The fact that they must finance their Ark searches and film productions by asking for donations leads to unfair charge that money is their and Parasut's motive. I know their real motive is to have the world know the truth about Noah's Ark and to see this priceless artifact studied and protected. As the discovers themselves well know, what is needed is independent verification by scientists who are known and respected. In fact, all climbs have been conducted under the authority of Istanbul University's Dr. Octay Belli, one of Turkish most accomplished and esteemed archaeologists. Dr. Belli's erudition and archaeological accomplishments, especially his understanding of the archaeology of Eastern Turkey, are incomparably greater than those of Dr. Randall Price, America's self-proclaimed expert on the search for Noah's Ark (see article below left). Scientists from other Asian and European nations have also participated in NAMI's expeditions, but most of them, like Dr. Belli, do not speak English. His scientific language is German, in which most of the archaeological research in Turkey is conducted and published. Dr Belli and some of these other scientists appear in NAMI's documentary, that will soon be available on Amazon. For badly needed support from the American archaeological establishment as well as from American believers, esteemed and capable American scientists also need to be involved in this discovery. That is something already underway. It is also very expensive, and something that neither NAMI nor Parasut should be expected to bear. Those interested in helping fund this research or in helping protect the site can do so by contacting me. Likewise, those with special skills or knowledge that might be useful to this discovery and willing to become part of our team by volunteering their services should contact me and I will put them in contact with the right parties. Now, consider the implications should this discovery prove to be a great ancient ship near the top of a very high mountain, with no evidence of having been constructed there. Suppose the archaeological culture found within this vessel matches a second and subsequent worldwide dispersion of mankind as explained in the book featured above right. Suppose the vessel contains much animal dung in which are found animal hair, feathers, antler chips and the like, indicating a variety of birds and animals of the type presently found on all inhabited continents. Such a discovery would be earth shaking and world changing! Regards to all, Philip Williams New and old recipients Welcome. If this is your first newsletter or even if its not, you may find a lot of interesting articles in the: archive of earlier newsletters. In this issue The Mount Ararat Discovery Protecting the Ark site from treasure hunters Randall Price's version Amy Beam versus Joel Klenck Ebook available!   Ebook versions of my book are now available, at the ebookstores. The Archaeological Evidence of Noah's Flood can be purchased on your favorite reader. Click on links below to the ebook stores.   Amazon Kindle: $9.99 Apple ibook: $9.99 Barnes & Noble Nook: $8.39 Protecting the site from treasure hunters The problem in announcing the exact location of the Ark Protecting archaeological treasures When the Mt. Ararat discovery was first announced to the world in 2010, I heard even prominent archaeologists suggest that those who announced this discovery immediately reveal its exact location. I assume they did so because they did not believe the discovery was serious. Even so, it is irresponsible to advocate something that conflicts with the best archaeological practices and  must result in the loss of precious artifacts or at least compromising if not destroying their archaeological value. In truth, those responsible for this new discovery on Mount Ararat would like nothing more than to tell the world just where they filmed the videos of the discovery that was reported to the world in April 2010. I know this because every week, I hear their concerns.  They have asked my help and I have made the protection of the artifacts my particular concern. To understand the problem, one need only consider the case of the Dead Sea Scrolls, until now perhaps the most important archaeological discovery of all times. The Dead Sea Scrolls have revolutionized the understanding of Second Temple Judaism, the context of which both Christianity and Rabbinic (that is, today's) Judaism arose. They demonstrate that the text of the Old Testament has scarcely changed since the time of Jesus. These were only discovered in 1946, but like the like the historical testimony to the remains of Noah's Ark on Mt. Ararat, the presence of ancient scrolls by the Dead Sea had been reported down through the ages. Just as the case of the Mt. Ararat discovery, the Dead Sea Scrolls were not found by archaeologists, but by shepherds who frequently traveled and knew the area of the discovery. The mountain guides responsible for exploring the Mt. Ararat discovery descend from shepherds who led their sheep on the mountain. As I discovered on my recent trip, some of the climbers still work as shepherds. Reuben Dedmondt with Davut and Ergan's mountain climbing father (Ararat Village) Other comparisons of the Mt Ararat discovery with the Dead Sea Scrolls has been the skepticism pertaining to the very possibility of their existence, along with charges of fraud. It would take many years before the archaeological world fully recognized their existence and importance. As a result, some of the scrolls were damaged and lost or ended in private hands, keeping their existence hidden and making it impossible for scholars to access these important texts. Some of these scrolls have just become known to Dead Sea Scroll scholars through their recovery by the Green family (See last week's newsletter) Artifacts from the Noah's Ark will be no less valued than Dead Sea Scrolls. In truth, the remains of Noah's Ark are already endangered by the Ark searching business in Turkey. How much more when the exact location of the discovery becomes widely known! Those who value this discovery are most fortunate, as I learned from my recent visit to Turkey, that Parasut's climbing team led by his partner Mehmet Cerven, are most devoted to their culture and despise commercial exploitation of the discovery. They have sacrificed much to bring this discovery to the world, including the risking of their limbs and lives. If it is important to explore and protect this archaeological site, it is also important to support and protect those who make this possible. Believers who want to see the world changed for the better should remember those who sacrifice so much in order for this happen.  Randall Price's version Ergan, Philip, Davut, and Reuben Most of you are familiar with the charges against NAMI's discovery made by Randall Price and with my investigation of Price's charges. Price offered to team with Parasut and NAMI's search by offering his archaeological services. Price insistence than only he was capable of determining whether Parasut had discovered Noah's Ark was but one reason that Parasut expelled him from the team. Following NAMI's announcement, Price claimed that someone (who he refused to name) knew how Parasut had fabricated the site as a movie set by hauling timbers from an old ship on the Black Sea. I was stunned when I heard those charges. I didn't think it possible that such heavy and large timbers could be hauled to these heights, then inserted under thousands of tons of rock and ice. How could these mountain climbers have been familiar with, much less duplicate, what appeared ancient patterns of construction? It is just not possible to fabricate wood with surface rot without revealing new construction. In any case, the expense of any such attempt at fabrication would be great, and to what small and temporary advantage would those doing this gain? Didn't the journalists who reported these charges notice that they were based on anonymous sources and were coming from a rival Ark searcher who Parasut had rejected from the team? My connection to NAMI and Parasut was due to my learned defense of their discovery. (See the Mt. Ararat Discovery website below and the Epilogue of my book.) I invited them to present their discovery privately before a learned audience, which resulted in an invitation to address the 2010 National Apologetics Conference. Following that Drs. Price and Don Patton submitted a defense of their charges of fraud. They claim to have found a piece of wood of recent construction at the site of the discovery. But the small, black-charred board they presented was nothing like the huge, surface-rotted brown timbers seen in NAMI's photos. I wrote Liberty University's top officials, asking whether they approve of their professor's use of anonymous sources to make serious and damaging charges. The university promised to look into the matter. Soon after this, an "affidavit" appeared on Price's website. The letter was written by two brothers with the names Davut and Ergan. According to the affidavit, the brothers acknowledged having helped build a movie set on the mountain. They supposed it was for a movie, but were upset to learn that it had been claimed as the remains of Noah's Ark. It was a serious charge from someone giving no address, employer, or last name! Before he saw the affidavit, Price had probably never heard the names Davut and Ergan. At least, he seemed shocked when an angry Davut and Ergan Gimrin, the only licensed climbers in Turkey who are brothers with those first names, appeared on NAMI's website. They used their Turkish identification cards and signatures on the cards to demonstrate that Price's letter was a forgery. Within hours of the brothers' recorded video appearance on NAMI's website, Price removed the "affidavit," promising to look into its source. We see that not only does this Liberty University Professor make charges of fraud based on anonymous sources, he doesn't hesitate to make them based on sources that he himself does not know. Many of us waited to learn what Price would tell us about the source of the forged letter with its claims against NAMI's Ark discovery. But instead of looking into the source of his forged letter, I learned that Price addressed the appearance of Davut and Ergan on NAMI's website, claiming they disputed the letter due to death threats from my friend Parasut. That is not what I learned from Davut and Parasut when I visited their home. (See photo above.) As to the source of the forged letter, Price might check with the secretary of Murat Camping (see photo above right). That should not be difficult since Murat Camping is the base of Price's own ventures on Mt. Ararat. As Price himself well knows, the unnamed masked source of his allegations against NAMI's discovery is also the owner of Murat Camping. NAMI's Ark documentary Give image time to download  (Documentary) Quick Links Christian Leaders & Scholars The Ararat Discovery NAMI's website Amy Beam vs Joel Klenck A camping service popular with American Ark searchers Anyone who has searched the Internet for recent information about NAMI's Ararat discovery may find a lot of information from the talented web professional and travel agent, Dr. Amy Beam. I first heard of Amy when she sent me an email demanding that I not sponsor the presentation of NAMI's documentary in Charlotte. But most of her attention has been directed at the Harvard-trained paleontologist, Dr. Joel Klenck. Amy had a valid reason for being upset with Joel Klenck. Dr. Klenck wanted to conduct a completely independent investigation of NAMI and Parasut's claim. With the knowledge of neither NAMI nor Parasut, Klenck contacted Amy Beam's travel agency to serve as his guide to climb the mountain. But contrary to the strict rules for climbing Mt. Ararat, Klenck departed from his guided mountain climbing party to search the site of NAMI's discovery. His disappearance disrupted the climb of those who had paid Ms. Beam for the tour and caused searchers to be called out to find the missing Joel Klenck. In the interest of making his own independent verification of NAMI's claims, Dr. Klenck violated the rules of Turkish mountain climbing with disruptive costs to Ms. Beam, to Turkish officials, and to the Turkish mountain climbing community. That is most unfortunate due to the fact that Dr. Klenck is a talented, independent-thinking paleontologist who, if we are to judge from the many wire releases that Dr. Klenck has published, seems to have visited the site of the discovery independently of Parasut and NAMI. I do believe that Dr. Klenck made it to the site, and that there is a lot to learn about the discovery from his wire releases. We may learn a great deal more should one of the prestigious scientific journals to which Dr. Klenck has offered to submit his findings decide to publish them. Ms. Beam has suggested that Joel Klenck and I work together. In truth, we have never met, spoken, written, or even tried to email one another. Though I respect Dr. Klenck's talents and knowledge of archaeological zoology and look forward to hearing more about his own discovery and analysis, those of you who have read my newsletters know that I have been concerned about the confusion in which Dr. Klenck's involvement has caused the discovery. This is not just due to his unauthorized climb to the site, but because of his a priori interpretation of the site's dating. Klenck believes the Flood occurred about 13,500 years ago, at the end of the Ice Age. But, aside from his lying to her, Amy Beam had another reason for not liking Joel Klenck. That was due to his scientific support of the discovery made by Parasut and NAMI. I am not sure how Amy Beam became involved in Mt. Ararat climbing, but it may have been through offering her web services to tour and mountain climbing guides on Mt. Ararat. As we learned from her writings, she became romantically involved with a mountain climber who she says jilted her. By then, Ms. Beam was living in Turkey and using her web talents to create a travel agency that partnered with mountain climbing guides. Some of these guides were also employed by Parasut who eventually rejected her from his company of climbers. At that point, Amy Beam became partners with the owners of Murat Camping (see photo above) as was the case when Joel Klenck employed her services. Though popular with American Ark searchers, Murat Camping operates very differently than the family of famous Ararat mountain guides associated with Parasut, who cherish their local reputation and native culture. Parasut's civic and chamber of commerce interest explains why he is often referred to as the unofficial mayor of Dogubeyazit, the town from which most Mt Ararat climbs are based. Parasut does not take parties to search for Noah's Ark without having all the required permits, from the Governors of the two states boarding Mt Ararat, to the military, and National Park services. As I well know, these permits are time-consuming, time restricting, and expensive. But for those willing to pay, there are ways to get officials to look the other way. Sadly, this explains why Murat Camping is popular with American Ark searchers. To understand their reputation, the day that Reuben and I arrived in Dogubeyazit, the owners of Murat Camping were hauled off to jail. The Archaeological Evidence Click to purchase The Archaeological Evidence of Noah's Flood is available from many online booksellers. We notice that the fastest and most reliable way of obtaining the book is from our website which can be accessed by clicking the book icon at right. Price: $34.95 S & H:    4.00  (US addresses)   Tax:       2.70   (NC residents only) Join Our Mailing List!  If I somehow got your email on my mailing list to which you did not want to be subscribed or if you received this at more than one of your email addresses, please accept my apology and unsubscribe by using the SafeUnsubscribe utility below. About Christian Leaders & Scholars is the newsletter and publication site of Philip Ernest Williams, author of The Archaeological Evidence of Noah's Flood (2011). The site is also a ministry not only to Christian leaders and scholars but all who are interested in the more difficult issues pertaining to the Bible and its implications for science and history. (Read more)

  Alan Smith

How does a church begin? What makes the people so special? Is it because of who they are or because of what Christ does? Let us look into the next lesson of Philippians to find a few answers. We will be using study material purchased from Precept Ministries International.  You may go to their website and purchase your own Philippians' workbook as you follow these teachings.  This is a sixteen week study. You can view this teaching by clicking on webcast below or you can listen to it via audio by clicking on mp3 below. The teaching does not start on the webcast for approximately 1 min.

Blessings,

Alan

Philippians Lesson 2  [mp3] [webcast]

A Gift Giver

By: Alan Smith

• Luke 2:8-12: Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” (NKJV)

It was at this time that God wanted to give His greatest Gift to mankind.  This Gift would be a living example of the Spirit of God in human form, and God would be giving all that He had in and through this Gift.  It is God’s nature to give all of the time, and when He gives, a supernatural element is released.  He has given us life, opportunities, food, jobs, the air we breathe, and as noted in the scripture above, even the Gift of a Savior.  Just think, every day that is experienced is a day which has been created and given as a gift by the Father.  Would you like to give to others as the Father gives to each of us?  Would you like to know the secret of the Spirit of giving?  Let’s look at the life of Jesus to gain more spiritual understanding of this giving.

Jesus, God’s greatest Gift to the world, has given more to mankind than anyone who has ever been born.  He has given us the instructions for how we begin this secret journey of gift giving.  First of all, He knew He had to go to the source of all things if He was going to be a Gift Giver.  Jesus knew that within Himself He had nothing to give, but when He cooperated and worked with the Father all of a sudden everything the Father owned became “substance” which He could give away.  His “faith” in the Father made Him whole in everything He did.  What a perception Jesus had in being our example of a Gift Giver!  Jesus had “faith” that the Father would show Him what He should give each and every day, and His faith became “substance”.

Jesus was also a thinker.  He didn’t walk around in a lifeless form.  On the contrary, He was always praying; which being interpreted means, He was talking to God.  Jesus knew the Father wanted to create and give something new and fresh each day so therefore, Jesus would talk and then think with the Father every day.  If we want to be a Gift Giver, we must talk to the Father and then we must think in a certain and a different way.  We must understand that how we do things is a direct result of the way we think.  If we want to do things in life in a “certain way”, then we must learn to think in a “way” that will be in harmony with the “certain way” we want life to be.  Jesus wanted to give so He would “think” in a way which was conducive to giving.

Jesus also wanted to set “free” the riches of the Kingdom of Heaven and He knew that only the “truth” could accomplish this heavenly task.  So we see we must “think” in a certain way in order to be in harmony with the “truth”.  To think and live life in “truth” for the future requires much more of us than allowing our present surroundings to tell us how to think and live.  We must “think” and live in “truth” regardless of our surroundings.  This type of “thinking” is creative in nature.

So how will we be able to give out of what we now have?  Jesus did not think according to His surroundings; no, not at all.  Our surroundings are only the truth of the past and not the truth of the future.  Our surroundings are proof of past “thinking”.  This type of past thinking is very easy and requires no effort, and it will not bring new and fresh things to give away.

If we are going to be Gift Givers and give out of the treasures of Heaven, we must start thinking and living for the future and not thinking and living out of the past.  We must start doing as Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.”  Remember that God is creating a new day every day and He wants us to create it with Him.  To do this we must have a creative type of thinking and not a competitive type of thinking.  It is very hard to maintain this type of creative thinking, especially when our surroundings contradict the “truth” and our “thinking”.  But this is where “faith” comes in.

• Heb 11:1: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (NIV)

Every action in the world which is seen will produce an image in the mind that will start a conflict of “past” versus “future”.  Only the “truth” sustained by “faith” will change the future.  When we walk in this, we will flee from all fear and doubt and walk with the Father into a new day of created abundance from the Kingdom of God.  It is from the abundance of this Kingdom that we can give gifts to God and man.  God sent His Son to this earth as an eternal gift to mankind.  God is the Creator of all things, but this is a minor gift.  His major gift is that of giving: giving freely; giving when there is no appreciation; giving when He is not recognized; giving not expecting anything in return; giving because He first loved us.  God gives because He sees into the future.  He knows that giving freely is pure spirit and pure spirit will last forever.  It transcends time and space and will last for eternity.  The life of Jesus was given freely and God expects nothing in return from us.  All we need to do is receive this wonderful gift from our Father.

Receive this One called Jesus today and receive the true gift of Christmas.  When we have done this, we may live and walk through life asking the Father each and every day what we can give.  Giving is not just one day a year, but instead, the lifestyle of heaven.  Let’s build a fire within our souls today and allow our hearts to be warmed with the Spirit of Christmas.  Let’s give what the Father says He wants us to give.  Let’s not give out of necessity, but out of hearing our heavenly Father say to us: “Help that mother with food for her children this week.  Or, give that homeless man a hug and tell him that Jesus loves him just the same”.  Giving comes from a heart that is in harmony with the Kingdom of Heaven.  Let’s give out of the riches of the Heavenly Kingdom those gifts which have eternal value.

• 1 Corinthians 13:13:  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  (NIV)

Merry Christmas,

Alan