Monday, April 18, 2011

A Carrot, An Egg, and A Cup Of Coffee

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup
of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things
were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and
wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as
one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and
placed each on a high
fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the
second she placed eggs,
and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil;
without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots
out and placed them
in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she
ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she
asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and
noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg
and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter
smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it
mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same
adversity: boiling water.
Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.
However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became
weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its
liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside
became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they
were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your
door, how do you respond? Do get soft and weak like the carrot? Do you stay hard on the outside, yet grow a tough bitter heart on the inside? Or are you the coffee, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you?

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate
yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an
egg or a coffee bean?

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Would St. Patrick like the association with green beer, and leprechans?

St. Patrick might be a little disconcerted today with all the hoopla associated with him ... parades, celebrations and the wearing of the green. He probably would not understand. At the age of 16, he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped and returned to his home country of Britain where he quickly joined the Catholic Church and studied to become a priest. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 Years later Patrick returned to Ireland bringing Christ to that polytheistic nation. Using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, he spent nearly 30 years teaching the truth of Jesus as Savior to the Irish people. Through the Holy Spirit, God's Word penetrated the darkness to help the Irish discover the truth that comes when you encounter and yield to the One who is living truth. Free from the bondage of sin, the believers became children in the family of God. So today if you choose to "sport" the green, remember its beginnings. Darkness yields to light when the unbeliever becomes free from sin as a believer in Christ. Intercede for America that the need for God's truth would become evident to those who lead.

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Did you know Libya's origins go back to Christianity???

The beginnings of the Church in Libya go back to the origins of Christianity itself. One recalls Simon of Cyrene who helped Christ carry the cross (Mk 15, 21). On the day of Pentecost, there were in Jerusalem, some devout men coming from Libya, belonging to Cyrene (Ac 2,10). After the persecution of Jerusalem, it was some citizens from Cyprus and Cyrene who carried the Good News of Jesus to the Greeks (Ac 11,20). According to the tradition of the Coptic Church in Egypt, St. Mark would be originally from Cyrene. Some historians hold that in the year 40 AD, Mark was back in Cyrene where he converted many Jews and Greeks. Later around the year 60, he went to Alexandria where he founded several Christian communities.

Martyrs
There are lists of those from Cyrene who were Martyrs for their faith. In the Roman Martyrology we find the name of Theodorus, bishop of Cyrene who was martyred in 302 AD; another Theordorus together with the deacon Irenaeus and the Lectors Serapius and Ammonius, suffered martyrdom on 26th March 319 AD. One of the most famous martyrs of the persecution of Diocletian, was St. Cyrilla, a noble girl from Cyrene.

The Church in Cyrene
The Church in Cyrene unfortunately became very famous because of the heretic Arius who came from Tolemaidis. Arius was still a deacon when in 317 BC. he started to preach his heresy in Alexandria of Egypt. At the Council of Nicea (325 BC.) which defined the Divinity of Christ, three faithful followers of Arius, bishops Secundus of Tolemaidis, Theonas of Derna and Eusebius of Nicomedia, refused their allegiance to its decisions.

Conquest of Islam
The rapid conquests of the arab-muslims, between the 7th and 12th centuries, gradually obliterated christianity from North Africa.

Those who continued to follow Christ
Christianity never stopped existing in the North Africa though. In the beginning of the 12th - 13th century the Christians were no longer natives but foreigners, mainly merchants from Pisa and Genoa and Maltese. Christianity became therefore of foreigners to which the Church provided assistance through the missions. During the 13th century, the Republics of Genova and Venice had managed to re-establish commercial relations between old Africa and Europe and much to the credit of ST. FRANCIS of ASSISI, which brought more opportunity for Libyans to hear about Christ. But in 1219 while St Francis departed to Egypt, his followers in 1224-25 went to Morocco where they were martyred.

There have been so many who have died for their faith there throughout the years.

Pray for the Libyan Believers that they will be protected, yet brave enough to be Christ to their lost countrymen. Pray also that the Libyan who don't know Christ will seek out the history of their country and find what will bring them true life, beyond the desperate life so many of them have lived for so long at the hands of darkness.... His name is Jesus...

Thursday, March 03, 2011

A Day in the courtroom of a pro-Marriage citizen in the face of angry activists

Even though I was outnumbered by the hundreds of homosexuals bussed in by anti-marriage activists, I found strength with fellow prayerful Americans.


"What an education this was for me... Marion and I arrived about 10:30AM.

The hearing room was already filling up (the hearing was to start at 1:00).

We soon found ourselves in the middle of the homosexual lobby -- literally surrounded for the next 9 1/2 hours.

I didn't get up to testify until 8:00PM. In the meantime I had to leave the room every hour or so just to walk and pray because I was so overwhelmed. It was positively grueling -- physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. While in my seat, we were praying in the spirit most of the time.

I was shocked to see the power and organization of the homosexual lobbyists. What a well choreographed display -- a well oiled machine. I kept thinking -- where is the Church in this??

There were many there speaking for the opposition to same sex marriage, but compared to the enemy, their testimonies were weak and disorganized. The homosexuals played the "equality" "right to love and marry" and "civil right" cards over and over again. They emphasized their "true" love against our "hate" and "homophobia" continually...

My heart was broken for the young people (as most of them were) as they kept filing in and filling the chairs all around us the entire day (others would leave so new ones could come in). For them it was the atmosphere of a family reunion. Most of the opposition could not be in the hearing room (there were other rooms set up with screens) because the seats were taken and held all day by the homosexual lobbyists.

What disturbed me the most were the "straight" people -- especially the clergy -- who stood in support of the bill. Over and over they blasphemed God and interpreted the Bible to support their cause, citing the love of Jesus for everyone as their support, while calling our refusal to recognize gay marriage as hate.

Of course, the issue is not love at all, it is the redefining of marriage. One "Reverend" actually said that the Bible isn't relevant to the issue because we are not living in a theocracy but a democracy! He didn't have any of his facts right! We live in a republic! - or at least we are supposed to be.

I fear and grieve for their souls. In fact I was grieving all day... for the lost, the captured, the deceived, the dragging of the name of Jesus and the Word of God through the mud...

By the time I got up to speak, everyone was tired (though I must commend the Judiciary Committee for their attention and respect to everyone all day). So they were cutting everyone short. I was not able to deliver my whole message -- even though I shortened it considerably at home to fit into the time slot. Three minutes goes very fast. Marion said it went well. But I left feeling exhausted, defeated, and disappointed.

BUT you prayed (THANK YOU!) and I obeyed. So I trust that God did something."

Loving Blessings,

Barbara


"What an education this was for me... Marion and I arrived about 10:30AM.

The hearing room was already filling up (the hearing was to start at 1:00).

We soon found ourselves in the middle of the homosexual lobby -- literally surrounded for the next 9 1/2 hours.

I didn't get up to testify until 8:00PM. In the meantime I had to leave the room every hour or so just to walk and pray because I was so overwhelmed. It was positively grueling -- physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. While in my seat, we were praying in the spirit most of the time.

I was shocked to see the power and organization of the homosexual lobbyists. What a well choreographed display -- a well oiled machine. I kept thinking -- where is the Church in this??

There were many there speaking for the opposition to same sex marriage, but compared to the enemy, their testimonies were weak and disorganized. The homosexuals played the "equality" "right to love and marry" and "civil right" cards over and over again. They emphasized their "true" love against our "hate" and "homophobia" continually...

My heart was broken for the young people (as most of them were) as they kept filing in and filling the chairs all around us the entire day (others would leave so new ones could come in). For them it was the atmosphere of a family reunion. Most of the opposition could not be in the hearing room (there were other rooms set up with screens) because the seats were taken and held all day by the homosexual lobbyists.

What disturbed me the most were the "straight" people -- especially the clergy -- who stood in support of the bill. Over and over they blasphemed God and interpreted the Bible to support their cause, citing the love of Jesus for everyone as their support, while calling our refusal to recognize gay marriage as hate.

Of course, the issue is not love at all, it is the redefining of marriage. One "Reverend" actually said that the Bible isn't relevant to the issue because we are not living in a theocracy but a democracy! He didn't have any of his facts right! We live in a republic! - or at least we are supposed to be.

I fear and grieve for their souls. In fact I was grieving all day... for the lost, the captured, the deceived, the dragging of the name of Jesus and the Word of God through the mud...

By the time I got up to speak, everyone was tired (though I must commend the Judiciary Committee for their attention and respect to everyone all day). So they were cutting everyone short. I was not able to deliver my whole message -- even though I shortened it considerably at home to fit into the time slot. Three minutes goes very fast. Marion said it went well. But I left feeling exhausted, defeated, and disappointed.

BUT you prayed (THANK YOU!) and I obeyed. So I trust that God did something."

Loving Blessings,

Barbara

Have you ever considered that Muslims are victims of Satan's hatred?

Have you ever considered that not only Christians but Muslims are victims of Stan's hatred. If you have ever studied Islam and the history, or spoken to someone who has reaped the negative aspects of the Islamic religion... You will see that Muslims are victims of a perverted social order Mohammed implemented with his actions, that destroys families and society. In an article written by Tom White, director of Voice of the Martyrs called "The Orphans of This World and the Next", he talks about learning that although orphanages in Egypt are full, it is illegal to adopt children. Only four of 47 Islamic countries -Tunisia, Indonesia, Iran and Azerbaijan- allow adoption.

"In the Quran, Chapter 33, verses 4, 37, and 40, Mohammed describes how he confiscated his adopted son's wife in the name of Allah. To simplify this arrangement, Mohammed established that the children of his adopted son could never become his own. Mohammed's example of denying orphans a family to expedite his lust has become a curse that has been handed down for 1,400 years. Today, an orphan may be sponsored by a new "parent" but the orphan may never receive the sponsor's name or property. And the child can be reclaimed by the state or by relatives at any time. Mohammed's attack on the family structure is further advanced in the Quran, Chapter 33, verse 50, where he gives lustful permission for sex with other relatives." (Tom White, Voice of the Martyrs, p.2).

We don't seem to hear about that from most Muslims, or Islam supporters/propagators because they either agree with it (but realize society won't accept it), don't know their true religion or read the Quran, or are sympathetic to Islam, b/c they are ignorant and speak without the facts.

"This same destructive principle applies to the adoption of Muslims into the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Muslim converts to Christianty are called MBB's or Muslim Background Believers). MMB's are the most hated of all citizens in Muslim countries" (at least by the very devout). Their spiritual adoption into the Christian family is forbidden in most Muslim countries.

Many female MBB's are beaten by their own relatives, threatened to be killed, and raped and beaten by police. One pastor was killed who dared to marry Muslims who converted to Christianity. Many Christians everyday in Muslim countries, especially Muslim converts, are disowned by their families, beaten, put in prison, raped, tortured, or just disappear. Satan tries to destroy any path leading to Christian love and harmony.... thus both kinds of adoption, physical and spiritual, are opposed.

But... a Muslim who becomes a Christian Believer knows that he or she may be rejected by their earthly family, has know they have been grafted into an eternal family where there is "neither Jew nor Greek", and if you have ever met a Muslim convert to Christianity you will hear an amazing testimony of going from the evils of darkness into the light, and any persecution they may experience or suffer is worth leaving that darkness and finding an amazing light, love, and acceptance into a new family.

Pray that God's word would spread like wildfire during these dark times in the Muslim world. Pray that "Muslims", many who are only Muslim in name, would find the light that leads to true life. Pray God would protect them or uphold them to be a witness in their persecutions... and that we as Believers would see Muslims as orphans needing a Savior to save them from the horrible darkness of Islam.