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.

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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

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S
1789 THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be - That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks - for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation - for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war - for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed - for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted - for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions - to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually - to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed - to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord - To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us - and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Perception: Creating Your Reality

by Alan Smith

• Matt. 12:22-24: Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"   Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."

Perception: what a “word”!  How can this “word” be worthy of writing about, you might ask?  Well, I believe this “word” is the most powerful “word” in anyone’s life.  I am asking you to stay with me for a few minutes, as we explore the depth of this “word”.  Let’s first look at its meaning from the dictionary.  Perception: recognition and interpretation based chiefly on memory.  Perception is the result of perceiving or seeing.  It is how things look to us.  Sometimes perception even brings with it a mental image.  Our perception determines the reality we live in; just like the Pharisee’s perception did for them in the verse above.  Their perception was that Jesus was casting out demons in the name of the devil.  Do you think their perception of the event and the person was correct?  I think not.  Not only was their perception off, it was completely the opposite of the “truth”.  They had created their own personal reality based on their perception.  Have you ever done this?  You know, created your own reality based on your perception?  You might say, “Well Alan, you just don’t understand my circumstances in life.”  I know I don’t, but I do understand how we get “stuck” in life.  I understand that the reason for our feeling “stuck” is because our perceptions are holding us where we are.  The Pharisees were “stuck”, and they were “stuck” because they refused to be teachable.  They refused to allow their perceptions to be challenged and changed.  Are you and I like the Pharisees, or do we want to be challenged and changed?  Let’s take a closer look at how our perceptions are created and guarded.

Perceptions are the eyes of the soul.  The body has physical eyes which see physical things.  Our soul has eyes also, and these eyes are our perceptions.  This is how we view the world and all of those in it.  How we see things will determine how we react and respond to situations and circumstances.  Let’s look again at the definition of the word perception.  Perception: recognition and interpretation based chiefly on memory.  Memory is to perception what sunglasses are to the eyes.  Memory, like sunglasses, filters what is allowed to come in to be seen.  Perceptions are created by our observations passing through our memory filters.  These memory filters are created by our past experiences.  Therefore, our seeing or our perceptions of life today must pass through our filters or past experiences to create the reality we are living in today.  If you understand what I just wrote, you now understand the title of this Thought of the Day, “Perception: Creating Your Reality”.

The perceptions of the Pharisees created not only their realities, but the reality of the fate of Christ.  The Pharisees were “stuck”.  They were “stuck” in their religious perceptions, which in turn equaled death and not life.  Is anyone feeling “stuck” in a dead life, and not a life that is always coming into more excitement and into more abundant life?  Well, perhaps we need to allow our perceptions to be “born again”.  You may be wondering how this can happen.  Let’s look at another passage of scripture that is based on a healthy perception: a perception based on a deliberate influence of hope of the future and not the past.

• Matt. 9:20-22: Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.

This woman was not willing to let her past history dictate her future.  Her perception of Jesus was different from that of the Pharisees.  Her perception of Him created a reality of faith; which in turn created an influence of hope.  Her perception was being influenced by the hope of a brighter future; because her perception of Jesus was that He loved her and cared for her.  She received from Him exactly what she sought after.  Her perception created a new reality for her life.  I realize that what I am saying here might be a stretch for you, but I am asking you to consider it.  Your life will not change until you change your perceptions about you and about your life.  If your perceptions stay the same, then your life will keep repeating itself over and over.  Your past history will dictate your future life.  So what have you got to lose?  Let’s change our perceptions so that the future we are about to walk in will create a positive history for us to look back on.  A healthy perception is a perception of life based on a filter of “faith” for the future and not a filter of “memory”.

• Heb. 11:1-2: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Do you see the perception of faith?  This is a perception based on hope and not on history repeating itself.  My prayer for you and I will be that we will let our “perceptions” be born again.  How do we know if it happens?  We will know because our lives will be full of faith: faith that all things are possible to those that believe.

• Mark 9:23: Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Blessings,

Alan

Heaven Is Real: A Doctor’s Experience With the Afterlife

‘You have nothing to fear.’ ‘There is nothing you can do wrong.’ The message flooded me with a vast and crazy sensation of relief. (Photo illustration by Newsweek; Source: Buena Vista Images-Getty Images)

Glory Revealed

By: Alan Smith

Click here for video teaching.

• Matt. 5:15-16: Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (KJV)

Does your light shine and radiate life before all men?  Or have you hidden it under a basket in your heart?  Do you believe and embrace this “new perception” about yourself: the perception of your light shining before men?  You know, are you shining and radiating light upon your realities?  Is your light so shining that others may see the way they should go?  According to Matthew 5:15-16, anyone who has trusted Christ has received this “light”, and this “light” is radiating.  Where is this “light” within you and from where does it come?  Let’s look a little closer in the scriptures for these answers.

• 2 Cor. 4:6: For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (KJV)

This is absolutely incredible!  God Himself has shined this” light” and its destination is your heart.  It is an act of God and He compares this impartation of light to the light of creation.  Therefore, His “light” within you will be a creative “light”.  This creative “light” is full of the knowledge of God’s glory, which is revealed in the face of Jesus Christ.  Since the Holy Spirit abides within you, this “light” will also radiate from your face.  Your face is the place of export of this “energy” of the “light” within.  How does your place of “export” look?  Is your face a reflection of darkness or is it a place which radiates “light”?  How can this “light” grow within you, until it is so great that it shines through your face?

This light comes from your “inner man”; your “heart”.  This is the place of your subconscious, and it is the innermost part of your being.  Here, all of the automatic functions of life are stored, such as your breathing or your heart beating.  You can also store learned behavior, such as playing the piano or typing, in this part of your being.  All of these types of functions can become automatic to you.  They do not have to pass through your conscious mind before they are projected into your realities.  Perhaps there has been a time that you did something you wish you had not.  Your response may have sounded like this, “Oh, I just was not thinking when I did that.  This is impossible.”  You have to think before you act; but this thinking can be coming from your subconscious mind, your “inner man”.  All through the day you are reacting to people and circumstances and wondering why you are not more productive and successful with these encounters.  I would like to suggest to you that your “inner man” or your subconscious mind is living your life for you more than your “outer man” or your conscious mind.  Your subconscious mind is louder than you think!  The information that is stored in your subconscious mind will come forth with no argument from your conscious mind; it just comes forth.  And remember, your conscious mind adds information, which it considers to be “truth”, to your “inner man”, whether it is truth or not.  It stores it regardless, and it is used when your brain calls for a reaction.  This is why the apostle Paul tells us to renew our minds, or make them fresh, with new ideas based on truth and faith.  You don’t want your “stinking thinking” to control your life.  Instead, you want the light of God that has been placed within you to control your life.  You want to “radiate” not “agitate”.  Without thinking, you can “radiate” through your face what is in your heart, if your inner man is not hiding this light of God under a basket.

This “inner man” is to be the center of your being, where your true authentic self lives and thrives.  This is where the “light” of God, His Son or sun, shines before you every day and every night.  It is at this point that all of the energy of the “light” is distributed through your entire body.  When this “light” shines, it actually produces an energy that is projected throughout your spirit, soul, and body; and this energy can bring healing to the spirit, soul, and body.  When this energy reaches higher levels and cannot be contained, it then seeks an exit, which is through your face.  It is at this point that others around you may see and feel this wonderful “light” of peace and safety.  This spiritual radiance will then have a drawing effect: a spiritual magnetism.  You just cannot stop the effect.  As Jesus was walking on this earth, He could not help but draw crowds of people seeking this glory that shown through His face.  His cup was running over with the “light” or energy and power of God.  Just the presence of a person that radiates this power and light of God will calm the most difficult situations of life.  A “radiating” life brings health to the person “radiating”, as well as to those around them.  It causes a pleasant atmosphere, which, once again, will draw people unto it.

When this “light” is covered or hidden by “fear”, the power and energy which is produced will begin to fade.  Fear, an enemy of the light, must be destroyed at all costs.  When the “light” begins to fade, it causes the spirit, soul, and body to become confused, tired, and sick.  The flow of the radiant power has been interrupted, causing chaos throughout the entire body.  I believe this is why some sicknesses and diseases get a foothold in the body.  This energy produced from the light of God within is like the “sun” to the body.  It is the source of eternal life given to man.  Just as your body needs the sun on the outside to receive certain vitamins; so your inner body needs the inner light of God within you.  This light is called “Jesus, the Son of God”.  The scriptures speak about fear and how fear does not come from God.  Let’s look further.

• 2 Tim. 1:7: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (KJV)

Do you see it?  God gives us power, love, and a sound mind.  All of these are to be stored in the “inner man” to bring health: “power” for the spirit; “love” for the soul; and a “sound mind” for the body.  A sound mind filled with love and power will radiate health to the entire body.  When this “light” becomes individualized, one person at a time, it brings a unique, spiritual dynamic in a corporate setting.  A corporate light and power is then ignited, which can soften the hardest heart and heal the broken spirit of individuals, towns, entire countries, and one day the entire earth.

Your “inner man” is the place of this new beginning.  Your thoughts of the conscious mind are programming your “inner man” daily.  You must take these thoughts captive.  These thoughts are fuel to the light within.  The character of these thoughts determines if your “light” will shine or be hidden.  Remember what Jesus said about the light.  He said it would radiate throughout the whole house: Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

You have been invited to: Let your light so shine before men.  The more you shine, the more energy will be radiated: energy of courage, hope, healing, and confidence.  You must be aware of the “light” that has been placed within every believer.  This awareness of the “light” within will destroy all fear, and it will bring harmony to the physical body and to the earth.  But, this awareness will do nothing by itself.  You must begin to release this “light”; and you do this through practice.  Just like an athlete gets better and better with practice, so shall we, the Body of Christ, become better at releasing the “light”, the power of God, as we practice it day by day.  My prayer is that our “inner man” will become one with God, walking and talking with Him.  Our actions and reactions will flow from an automatic “inner man” liken unto the Son of the Living God.

Blessings,

Alan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressing the 66th UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2011.

Ladies and gentlemen, Israel has extended its hand in peace from the moment it was established 63 years ago. On behalf of Israel and the Jewish people, I extend that hand again today. I extend it to the people of Egypt and Jordan, with renewed friendship for neighbors with whom we have made peace. I extend it to the people of Turkey, with respect and good will. I extend it to the people of Libya and Tunisia, with admiration for those trying to build a democratic future. I extend it to the other peoples of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, with whom we want to forge a new beginning. I extend it to the people of Syria, Lebanon and Iran, with awe at the courage of those fighting brutal repression.

But most especially, I extend my hand to the Palestinian people, with whom we seek a just and lasting peace.

Ladies and gentlemen, in Israel our hope for peace never wanes. Our scientists, doctors, innovators, apply their genius to improve the world of tomorrow. Our artists, our writers, enrich the heritage of humanity. Now, I know that this is not exactly the image of Israel that is often portrayed in this hall. After all, it was here in 1975 that the age-old yearning of my people to restore our national life in our ancient biblical homeland -- it was then that this was braided -- branded, rather -- shamefully, as racism. And it was here in 1980, right here, that the historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt wasn't praised; it was denounced! And it's here year after year that Israel is unjustly singled out for condemnation. It's singled out for condemnation more often than all the nations of the world combined. Twenty-one out of the 27 General Assembly resolutions condemn Israel -- the one true democracy in the Middle East.

Well, this is an unfortunate part of the UN institution. It's the -- the theater of the absurd. It doesn't only cast Israel as the villain; it often casts real villains in leading roles: Gadhafi's Libya chaired the UN Commission on Human Rights; Saddam's Iraq headed the UN Committee on Disarmament.

You might say: That's the past. Well, here's what's happening now -- right now, today. Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon now presides over the UN Security Council. This means, in effect, that a terror organization presides over the body entrusted with guaranteeing the world's security.

You couldn't make this thing up.

So here in the UN, automatic majorities can decide anything. They can decide that the sun sets in the west or rises in the west. I think the first has already been pre-ordained. But they can also decide -- they have decided that the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Judaism's holiest place, is occupied Palestinian territory.

And yet even here in the General Assembly, the truth can sometimes break through. In 1984 when I was appointed Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, I visited the great rabbi of Lubavich. He said to me -- and ladies and gentlemen, I don't want any of you to be offended because from personal experience of serving here, I know there are many honorable men and women, many capable and decent people serving their nations here. But here's what the rebbe said to me. He said to me, you'll be serving in a house of many lies. And then he said, remember that even in the darkest place, the light of a single candle can be seen far and wide.

Today I hope that the light of truth will shine, if only for a few minutes, in a hall that for too long has been a place of darkness for my country. So as Israel's prime minister, I didn't come here to win applause. I came here to speak the truth. (Cheers, applause.) The truth is -- the truth is that Israel wants peace. The truth is that I want peace. The truth is that in the Middle East at all times, but especially during these turbulent days, peace must be anchored in security. The truth is that we cannot achieve peace through UN resolutions, but only through direct negotiations between the parties. The truth is that so far the Palestinians have refused to negotiate. The truth is that Israel wants peace with a Palestinian state, but the Palestinians want a state without peace. And the truth is you shouldn't let that happen.

Ladies and gentlemen, when I first came here 27 years ago, the world was divided between East and West. Since then the Cold War ended, great civilizations have risen from centuries of slumber, hundreds of millions have been lifted out of poverty, countless more are poised to follow, and the remarkable thing is that so far this monumental historic shift has largely occurred peacefully. Yet a malignancy is now growing between East and West that threatens the peace of all. It seeks not to liberate, but to enslave, not to build, but to destroy.

That malignancy is militant Islam. It cloaks itself in the mantle of a great faith, yet it murders Jews, Christians and Muslims alike with unforgiving impartiality. On September 11th it killed thousands of Americans, and it left the twin towers in smoldering ruins. Last night I laid a wreath on the 9/11 memorial. It was deeply moving. But as I was going there, one thing echoed in my mind: the outrageous words of the president of Iran on this podium yesterday. He implied that 9/11 was an American conspiracy. Some of you left this hall. All of you should have. (Applause.)

Since 9/11, militant Islamists slaughtered countless other innocents -- in London and Madrid, in Baghdad and Mumbai, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, in every part of Israel. I believe that the greatest danger facing our world is that this fanaticism will arm itself with nuclear weapons. And this is precisely what Iran is trying to do.

Can you imagine that man who ranted here yesterday -- can you imagine him armed with nuclear weapons? The international community must stop Iran before it's too late. If Iran is not stopped, we will all face the specter of nuclear terrorism, and the Arab Spring could soon become an Iranian winter. That would be a tragedy. Millions of Arabs have taken to the streets to replace tyranny with liberty, and no one would benefit more than Israel if those committed to freedom and peace would prevail.

This is my fervent hope. But as the prime minister of Israel, I cannot risk the future of the Jewish state on wishful thinking. Leaders must see reality as it is, not as it ought to be. We must do our best to shape the future, but we cannot wish away the dangers of the present.

And the world around Israel is definitely becoming more dangerous. Militant Islam has already taken over Lebanon and Gaza. It's determined to tear apart the peace treaties between Israel and Egypt and between Israel and Jordan. It's poisoned many Arab minds against Jews and Israel, against America and the West. It opposes not the policies of Israel but the existence of Israel.

Now, some argue that the spread of militant Islam, especially in these turbulent times -- if you want to slow it down, they argue, Israel must hurry to make concessions, to make territorial compromises. And this theory sounds simple. Basically it goes like this: Leave the territory, and peace will be advanced. The moderates will be strengthened, the radicals will be kept at bay. And don't worry about the pesky details of how Israel will actually defend itself; international troops will do the job.

These people say to me constantly: Just make a sweeping offer, and everything will work out. You know, there's only one problem with that theory. We've tried it and it hasn't worked. In 2000 Israel made a sweeping peace offer that met virtually all of the Palestinian demands. Arafat rejected it. The Palestinians then launched a terror attack that claimed a thousand Israeli lives.

Prime Minister Olmert afterwards made an even more sweeping offer, in 2008. President Abbas didn't even respond to it.

But Israel did more than just make sweeping offers. We actually left territory. We withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 and from every square inch of Gaza in 2005. That didn't calm the Islamic storm, the militant Islamic storm that threatens us. It only brought the storm closer and make it stronger.

Hezbollah and Hamas fired thousands of rockets against our cities from the very territories we vacated. See, when Israel left Lebanon and Gaza, the moderates didn't defeat the radicals, the moderates were devoured by the radicals. And I regret to say that international troops like UNIFIL in Lebanon and UBAM (ph) in Gaza didn't stop the radicals from attacking Israel.

We left Gaza hoping for peace.

We didn't freeze the settlements in Gaza, we uprooted them. We did exactly what the theory says: Get out, go back to the 1967 borders, dismantle the settlements.

And I don't think people remember how far we went to achieve this. We uprooted thousands of people from their homes. We pulled children out of -- out of their schools and their kindergartens. We bulldozed synagogues. We even -- we even moved loved ones from their graves. And then, having done all that, we gave the keys of Gaza to President Abbas.

Now the theory says it should all work out, and President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority now could build a peaceful state in Gaza. You can remember that the entire world applauded. They applauded our withdrawal as an act of great statesmanship. It was a bold act of peace.

But ladies and gentlemen, we didn't get peace. We got war. We got Iran, which through its proxy Hamas promptly kicked out the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority collapsed in a day -- in one day.

President Abbas just said on this podium that the Palestinians are armed only with their hopes and dreams. Yeah, hopes, dreams and 10,000 missiles and Grad rockets supplied by Iran, not to mention the river of lethal weapons now flowing into Gaza from the Sinai, from Libya, and from elsewhere.

Thousands of missiles have already rained down on our cities. So you might understand that, given all this, Israelis rightly ask: What's to prevent this from happening again in the West Bank? See, most of our major cities in the south of the country are within a few dozen kilometers from Gaza. But in the center of the country, opposite the West Bank, our cities are a few hundred meters or at most a few kilometers away from the edge of the West Bank.

So I want to ask you. Would any of you -- would any of you bring danger so close to your cities, to your families? Would you act so recklessly with the lives of your citizens? Israel is prepared to have a Palestinian state in the West Bank, but we're not prepared to have another Gaza there. And that's why we need to have real security arrangements, which the Palestinians simply refuse to negotiate with us.

Israelis remember the bitter lessons of Gaza. Many of Israel's critics ignore them. They irresponsibly advise Israel to go down this same perilous path again. Your read what these people say and it's as if nothing happened -- just repeating the same advice, the same formulas as though none of this happened.

And these critics continue to press Israel to make far-reaching concessions without first assuring Israel's security. They praise those who unwittingly feed the insatiable crocodile of militant Islam as bold statesmen. They cast as enemies of peace those of us who insist that we must first erect a sturdy barrier to keep the crocodile out, or at the very least jam an iron bar between its gaping jaws.

So in the face of the labels and the libels, Israel must heed better advice. Better a bad press than a good eulogy, and better still would be a fair press whose sense of history extends beyond breakfast, and which recognizes Israel's legitimate security concerns.

I believe that in serious peace negotiations, these needs and concerns can be properly addressed, but they will not be addressed without negotiations. And the needs are many, because Israel is such a tiny country. Without Judea and Samaria, the West Bank, Israel is all of 9 miles wide.

I want to put it for you in perspective, because you're all in the city. That's about two-thirds the length of Manhattan. It's the distance between Battery Park and Columbia University. And don't forget that the people who live in Brooklyn and New Jersey are considerably nicer than some of Israel's neighbors.

So how do you -- how do you protect such a tiny country, surrounded by people sworn to its destruction and armed to the teeth by Iran? Obviously you can't defend it from within that narrow space alone. Israel needs greater strategic depth, and that's exactly why Security Council Resolution 242 didn't require Israel to leave all the territories it captured in the Six-Day War. It talked about withdrawal from territories, to secure and defensible boundaries. And to defend itself, Israel must therefore maintain a long-term Israeli military presence in critical strategic areas in the West Bank.

I explained this to President Abbas. He answered that if a Palestinian state was to be a sovereign country, it could never accept such arrangements. Why not? America has had troops in Japan, Germany and South Korea for more than a half a century. Britain has had an airspace in Cyprus or rather an air base in Cyprus. France has forces in three independent African nations. None of these states claim that they're not sovereign countries.

And there are many other vital security issues that also must be addressed. Take the issue of airspace. Again, Israel's small dimensions create huge security problems. America can be crossed by jet airplane in six hours. To fly across Israel, it takes three minutes. So is Israel's tiny airspace to be chopped in half and given to a Palestinian state not at peace with Israel?

Our major international airport is a few kilometers away from the West Bank. Without peace, will our planes become targets for antiaircraft missiles placed in the adjacent Palestinian state? And how will we stop the smuggling into the West Bank? It's not merely the West Bank, it's the West Bank mountains. It just dominates the coastal plain where most of Israel's population sits below. How could we prevent the smuggling into these mountains of those missiles that could be fired on our cities?

I bring up these problems because they're not theoretical problems. They're very real. And for Israelis, they're life-and- death matters. All these potential cracks in Israel's security have to be sealed in a peace agreement before a Palestinian state is declared, not afterwards, because if you leave it afterwards, they won't be sealed. And these problems will explode in our face and explode the peace.

The Palestinians should first make peace with Israel and then get their state. But I also want to tell you this. After such a peace agreement is signed, Israel will not be the last country to welcome a Palestinian state as a new member of the United Nations. We will be the first. (Applause.)

And there's one more thing. Hamas has been violating international law by holding our soldier Gilad Shalit captive for five years.

They haven't given even one Red Cross visit. He's held in a dungeon, in darkness, against all international norms. Gilad Shalit is the son of Aviva and Noam Shalit. He is the grandson of Zvi Shalit, who escaped the Holocaust by coming to the -- in the 1930s as a boy to the land of Israel. Gilad Shalit is the son of every Israeli family. Every nation represented here should demand his immediate release. (Applause.) If you want to -- if you want to pass a resolution about the Middle East today, that's the resolution you should pass. (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, last year in Israel in Bar-Ilan University, this year in the Knesset and in the U.S. Congress, I laid out my vision for peace in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state. Yes, the Jewish state. After all, this is the body that recognized the Jewish state 64 years ago. Now, don't you think it's about time that Palestinians did the same?

The Jewish state of Israel will always protect the rights of all its minorities, including the more than 1 million Arab citizens of Israel. I wish I could say the same thing about a future Palestinian state, for as Palestinian officials made clear the other day -- in fact, I think they made it right here in New York -- they said the Palestinian state won't allow any Jews in it. They'll be Jew-free -- Judenrein. That's ethnic cleansing. There are laws today in Ramallah that make the selling of land to Jews punishable by death. That's racism. And you know which laws this evokes.

Israel has no intention whatsoever to change the democratic character of our state. We just don't want the Palestinians to try to change the Jewish character of our state. (Applause.) We want to give up -- we want them to give up the fantasy of flooding Israel with millions of Palestinians.

President Abbas just stood here, and he said that the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the settlements. Well, that's odd. Our conflict has been raging for -- was raging for nearly half a century before there was a single Israeli settlement in the West Bank. So if what President Abbas is saying was true, then the -- I guess that the settlements he's talking about are Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jaffa, Be'er Sheva. Maybe that's what he meant the other day when he said that Israel has been occupying Palestinian land for 63 years. He didn't say from 1967; he said from 1948. I hope somebody will bother to ask him this question because it illustrates a simple truth: The core of the conflict is not the settlements. The settlements are a result of the conflict. (Applause.)

The settlements have to be -- it's an issue that has to be addressed and resolved in the course of negotiations. But the core of the conflict has always been and unfortunately remains the refusal of the Palestinians to recognize a Jewish state in any border.

I think it's time that the Palestinian leadership recognizes what every serious international leader has recognized, from Lord Balfour and Lloyd George in 1917, to President Truman in 1948, to President Obama just two days ago right here: Israel is the Jewish state. (Applause.)

President Abbas, stop walking around this issue. Recognize the Jewish state, and make peace with us. In such a genuine peace, Israel is prepared to make painful compromises. We believe that the Palestinians should be neither the citizens of Israel nor its subjects. They should live in a free state of their own. But they should be ready, like us, for compromise. And we will know that they're ready for compromise and for peace when they start taking Israel's security requirements seriously and when they stop denying our historical connection to our ancient homeland.

I often hear them accuse Israel of Judaizing Jerusalem. That's like accusing America of Americanizing Washington, or the British of Anglicizing London. You know why we're called "Jews"? Because we come from Judea.

In my office in Jerusalem, there's a -- there's an ancient seal. It's a signet ring of a Jewish official from the time of the Bible. The seal was found right next to the Western Wall, and it dates back 2,700 years, to the time of King Hezekiah. Now, there's a name of the Jewish official inscribed on the ring in Hebrew. His name was Netanyahu. That's my last name. My first name, Benjamin, dates back a thousand years earlier to Benjamin -- Binyamin -- the son of Jacob, who was also known as Israel. Jacob and his 12 sons roamed these same hills of Judea and Sumeria 4,000 years ago, and there's been a continuous Jewish presence in the land ever since.

And for those Jews who were exiled from our land, they never stopped dreaming of coming back: Jews in Spain, on the eve of their expulsion; Jews in the Ukraine, fleeing the pogroms; Jews fighting the Warsaw Ghetto, as the Nazis were circling around it. They never stopped praying, they never stopped yearning. They whispered: Next year in Jerusalem. Next year in the promised land.

As the prime minister of Israel, I speak for a hundred generations of Jews who were dispersed throughout the lands, who suffered every evil under the Sun, but who never gave up hope of restoring their national life in the one and only Jewish state.

Ladies and gentlemen, I continue to hope that President Abbas will be my partner in peace. I've worked hard to advance that peace. The day I came into office, I called for direct negotiations without preconditions. President Abbas didn't respond. I outlined a vision of peace of two states for two peoples. He still didn't respond. I removed hundreds of roadblocks and checkpoints, to ease freedom of movement in the Palestinian areas; this facilitated a fantastic growth in the Palestinian economy. But again -- no response. I took the unprecedented step of freezing new buildings in the settlements for 10 months. No prime minister did that before, ever. (Scattered applause.) Once again -- you applaud, but there was no response. No response.

In the last few weeks, American officials have put forward ideas to restart peace talks. There were things in those ideas about borders that I didn't like. There were things there about the Jewish state that I'm sure the Palestinians didn't like.

But with all my reservations, I was willing to move forward on these American ideas.

President Abbas, why don't you join me? We have to stop negotiating about the negotiations. Let's just get on with it. Let's negotiate peace.

I spent years defending Israel on the battlefield. I spent decades defending Israel in the court of public opinion. President Abbas, you've dedicated your life to advancing the Palestinian cause. Must this conflict continue for generations, or will we enable our children and our grandchildren to speak in years ahead of how we found a way to end it? That's what we should aim for, and that's what I believe we can achieve.

In two and a half years, we met in Jerusalem only once, even though my door has always been open to you. If you wish, I'll come to Ramallah. Actually, I have a better suggestion. We've both just flown thousands of miles to New York. Now we're in the same city. We're in the same building. So let's meet here today in the United Nations. Who's there to stop us? What is there to stop us? If we genuinely want peace, what is there to stop us from meeting today and beginning peace negotiations?

And I suggest we talk openly and honestly. Let's listen to one another. Let's do as we say in the Middle East: Let's talk "doogri". That means straightforward. I'll tell you my needs and concerns. You'll tell me yours. And with God's help, we'll find the common ground of peace.

There's an old Arab saying that you cannot applaud with one hand. Well, the same is true of peace. I cannot make peace alone. I cannot make peace without you. President Abbas, I extend my hand -- the hand of Israel -- in peace. I hope that you will grasp that hand. We are both the sons of Abraham. My people call him Avraham. Your people call him Ibrahim. We share the same patriarch. We dwell in the same land. Our destinies are intertwined. Let us realize the vision of Isaiah -- (speaks in Hebrew) -- "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light." Let that light be the light of peace.

Perceptions, Cynicism: A Deceptive Perception

By: Alan Smith

• Gal. 6:2-4: Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  Each one should test his own actions.

Cynicism, what a word!  How could this possibly be a problem, you might ask?  I thought being “cynical” was just a word for people who are not like me?  Let’s take a closer look at this word, because in my studies, I am finding that this is a spiritual disease.  A person who has allowed “cynicism” to be part of his/her “perceptions” is a person that will soon be divided from church, family, and friends.  Pretty strong statement, huh?  I believe when this spiritual disease invades a person’s mind that his/her spiritual man becomes sick and will eventually die!  Did you know that when “cynicism” has been introduced into your thoughts, your perceptions have been invaded by the powers of darkness?  Here is the definition of the word “cynicism”.

• Cynicism: An attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others.

Have you ever let your thoughts run wild, seeing only what is wrong with every thing?  Perhaps it has been more subtle than this for you.  Maybe you started out just trying to help some one in trouble, but then began to see yourself as the “great, wise one”.  Or maybe you have told yourself that your gift of discernment is kicking in when you have seen “hidden motives” in other people?  Remember, there is a very fine line between having “discernment” and being “cynical”.  Again, I believe being cynical is the worst thing that can ever happen to anyone.  The danger and destruction of this spiritual disease is staggering; and spiritually, it is deadly.  Most of the time, you do not even know you are doing it.  One of the problems with this deadly “perception” is that you believe it is the Holy Spirit giving you this internal prophetic information; when actually it is a projection from the dark side of your own heart.

Let’s do a brief history lesson on the origin of this word, cynical.  In ancient Greece there was a group founded by Antisthenes called Cynics, and cynicism was their philosophy.  Their belief system was built around the “perception” of neglecting anything that was not furthering their perfection of virtue.  Therefore, they considered themselves the chief judges in the matters of human behavior.  These Cynics were very intelligent and were even sought out for judgment about certain matters.  They perfected the art of “criticism” and used “sarcasm” as part of their language of communicating their beliefs.  One of their trademarks was that of ridiculing the behavior and motives of others.  As time progressed the Cynics sold their homes and all of their possessions.  Their “perception” was that all of these “things” were against “virtue” and were ultimately bad.  They believed in their philosophy of religion, which was cynicism, to the extent of neglecting personal hygiene, family obligations, and society.  Ultimately, they believed they were “happy” because every thing around them was bad, except for their perfect way of thinking.  Their “perceptions” of cynicism caused them to become isolated from every one around them, and therefore, singled them out of society.  The term “Cynics” is actually derived from the Greek word “kuon”.  In English the word is “dog”.  This word was given to Cynics because they ultimately lived like dogs in the outskirts of Rome.  Nearly 2000 years later, writers such as Shakespeare and Swift used heavy sarcasm and satire to ridicule human behavior, thus reviving cynicism into human culture.

I’m sure you may be wondering at this point how you can know if you have been infected by this spiritual disease?  First of all, you must understand that this disease or “spiritual destroyer” must have a place where it attaches itself and grows.  This place within you is “pride”, and pride is the fertile ground of this “fatal disease”.  Cynicism will take root and grow at a rapid pace in a perfect environment of pride.  It is a spiritual disease that must first seduce and then deceive its carrier.  How can you know if you have allowed this to happen?  You can know if you stop “carrying each others burdens” and start thinking too highly of yourself.  This disease is “pride” on steroids.  Christ has called us to help, and not to condemn one another.  Let’s explore cynicism further to see how it evolves within our thinking.

I believe there are 4 stages to the disease of cynicism.  Below, I have listed these stages of development.

Stage one of this fatal disease is “hopelessness”.  Cynicism starts taking over when “hope” begins to diminish.  Diminishing hope is “bate” on a spiritual hook.  Satan’s attack is to discourage you, because he knows when you are discouraged you are a candidate for his religion and philosophy of “cynicism”.  In this stage you will lose hope in your friends, family, and the church of Jesus Christ.  As imperfect as we all are, we are still to love each other in our imperfections, for we are looking unto that day that we will all be like Him.

• 1 John 3:2-3: Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him , for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Hope in Him, and not in every thing that is wrong with every one, purifies your “thoughts” and helps create fresh perceptions that are full of fresh ideas of life and not of death.

Stage two of this false religion is “criticism”.  When you become better at “criticizing” than loving the unlovable, you know that you have started this journey of deceiving yourself.  This deceptive road is a very lonely road.  The further down this path you go, the less people you see traveling with you; thus creating a spirit of fear and loneliness.  For some reason you will say to yourself, “I feel the best I have ever felt in my entire life and I have never thought more clearly”.  However, deep inside, you feel alone, scared, tired, and very unhappy.  What a deception!  This “criticism” will cause you to bear a false witness in your heart against the ones you once loved and respected.  You have now not only taken the bait, but you have begun to swallow the hook.

• Exodus 20:16: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Stage three of this deadly spiritual disease is feeling very “intellectual”.  The further from the Spirit of God you get, the smarter you think you have become; only making it harder for the truth of God to invade your thoughts and change your perceptions.  This deceptive, lonely road has been paved with stones of pride laid by your very own intelligence.

• Gal. 6:3: If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Stage four is the stage of death.  The bait has been taken, swallowed, and now the hook has been set.  Your thoughts have been taken captive by the evil one.  When you have been fully captured by this false religion, you have lost “faith” in the things that once had tremendous spiritual value to you.  You can be certain that your “faith” has been robbed from you when this evil perception starts living in you.  This is the weapon of Satan to stop spiritual revival within you.  This type of thinking seems right, but it brings death to your soul and spirit.  This capturing of your thoughts is the most deceiving weapon upon the Christian church.  It is a subtle spiritual virus that will invade your perceptions, thus changing your realities into ones of dividing you from the Body of Jesus Christ and others.  It also prevents any harmony in your life.  Let’s once again consider this scripture.

• Gal. 6:2-4: Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  Each one should test his own actions.

My prayer is for each one of us to identify this scheme of the dark side and to not participate in any of its activity.  Each one of us must test our own actions to see if they are truly in harmony with the Kingdom of God.

Blessings,

Alan

The Four Winds,

The Sounding Trumpets, The Big Horns, and The Word

Chapter 3

By: Alan Smith

Trumpets: trumpets everywhere began to come forth from the heavens and rest upon the lips of some of the angels.  What an incredible sight to behold!  I could not understand why every angel did not have a trumpet in which to blow; but I just kept watching as the mystery unfolded.  There were trumpets of silver and of gold, each having a distinct shape which produced its own individual sound.  They also reflected, like that of the swords and shields, a light that intensified as the sounds they projected grew louder and louder.  Sounds: what unbelievable sounds came from the trumpets!  They were sounds of authority and direction.  I could not help but notice the notes as they came to attention when certain sounds came from them.  I could feel the presence of these sounding winds upon my face as I gazed in their direction.

“You must hurry; blow winds blow,” I heard the voice from behind me say.  Suddenly, the winds upon my face grew stronger and stronger.  I thought I would fall under their intense presence.  Sounds of light penetrated every part of my entire being.  My whole body grew transparent as the sounds of light entered in.  I knew at this point, that everyone in this heavenly host could see through me.  “Breathe in the sounds of the winds,” I heard the voice say.  “For when you do, you will become transparent before us and you will fly.”  When the sounds of the winds left the ends of the trumpets, they were round in their spiritual glory, but then became humble and began to flatten themselves as if to be a covering or a carpet.  The winds that the trumpets created were like little spiritual flying carpets, upon which the treble clef notes were riding toward their destination of planet earth.  I had not seen the spiritual carpets all of this time.  It was only now that I had eyes to see this part of the revelation of the Four Winds.

“Is this thunder?” I asked myself.  “My whole body is vibrating.  I am shaking from within.”  This vibration stimulated my spirit and soul and created a cadence deep within me.  As this new vibration took over my being, it produced a flutter deep within my soul.  I felt the depth of the flutter within me, and I also felt a sensation of many waters enter my being.  I then saw brass instruments, much larger than the trumpets, coming from the west.  The brass instruments moved more slowly and there were not as many of them as there were the trumpets; but they were huge.  I then noticed a few of the angels lowering themselves before these big horns, as if to bow.  What a sight to behold!  As they bowed before the big horns, the horns slipped over the heads of the angels almost becoming part of them.  The angels then blew into the mouth piece of the big horns and sounds began to come forth.  I wondered what sounds these could be.  What was their purpose?  They were so deep and wide as their sounds sent peace and safety throughout the heavens.  The vibrations of the big horns were flat in appearance and much bigger than those of the trumpets.  Their thunderous vibrations were much lower than the trumpet sounds and were not as piercing as they shook the heavens and all that were in it.

As sounds proceeded from these tremendous instruments, another angel moved beside the big horns and raised its sword and was swinging it back and forth as the voice from behind it gave instructions.  “Swing now,” the voice said.  When the voice gave the command, the angel moved the sword right in front of the big horn and the sounds proceeding were then cut into measures of vibrations.  These vibrations then produced other flying carpets with much depth and width.  These vibrations were not as fast as the others, but were needed when the “Symphony of Praise” would be gathered on earth.  Somehow, I knew that these sounds would be the foundation upon which all others notes would build.

I looked with amazement as the bass clef notes boarded the magnificent flying carpets of the big horns.  “All aboard, all aboard,” I heard the musical voices of the carpets say.  “We must hurry for the treble clef notes are waiting.”  Then the voice from behind me, with a thunderous applause from the notes, called the “Word” forward to commission the notes on their earthly journey.  Oh my, I could not believe what I was seeing.  I could feel the presence and power of the Word before His arrival.  All of the notes, along with me, began to vibrate with this anticipation of the Word.  “He is coming, He is coming,” I could hear the notes say.  Then they shouted, “Can you hear Him?  Can you hear Him?”  As I turned, I began to see an object appear in the far distant part of the heavens.  I heard the faint sound of horse hoofs, as though they were beating a drum.  The cadence was that of royalty entering this enormous congregation of sound.  I could just barely see the imprint of a horse and rider as He was approaching.  I felt He was already among us, even though I could see Him far away.  I could not understand my experience, for He was with me and He was coming for me all at the same time.  When I tried to understand it with my mind, the experience would turn to black and white with no life or color and it would leave me confused.  I started to lose hope when I used my mind to see.  But when I viewed it through my spirit, the experience turned into a full color production of the heavens and all hope returned.

His tangible presence came closer and closer.  The brightness of His coming was blinding to the soul but illuminating to the spirit.  The reflections of the trumpets, big horns, and shields gave strength and power to the notes as the “lights” of His presence entered them.  The more light they received, the greater the vibrations.  I had not noticed before, but as the notes were being empowered by the light, you could see their color intensify.  I somehow knew that the intensity of their color determined how much light and life they had stored within them.  “More Lord; more Lord,” I heard the angels say to the Lord at His appearing.  “Give them more, for they will need it for the great Symphony of Praise.”  The Word: I see Him, and I could also feel Him in the deepest part of my being.  The lights that projected from His presence were just incredible, for they were like swords of fire.  They were every color that could be imagined as they shone in the heavens.  They illuminated and penetrated the treble clef notes, the bass clef notes. and the flying carpets.

I never heard the Word speak audibly.  He just seemed to speak with His eyes.  He would look and somehow you knew what He was saying.  He then turned and looked toward the heavens.  Once again, I began vibrating and started looking transparent.  As I did, I felt a floating sensation and began to fly.