The Birds and Me

Three kinds of birds are in my life talking to me these days.

I've been a birdwatcher since I was very small. Bird-lister, they call folks like me. The sport involves finding a new species somewhere, anywhere, adding him to your list, and going on to the next one. Pretty simple stuff. My list only amounts to about 230 after all this time. But the memories that go with having found a particular bird, the people who were with me, the place where I was visiting, it's a nice way to tie a life together.

There's a year-round cardinal (redbird to some of you) in my back yard who literally gives me "cheer" in the winter, reminds me he is a "birdie" other times, and seems to welcome me back when I've been away for awhile. God has used him as the "lifter of my head" on more than one occasion.

But there are other birds. For four years there were large mechanical birds that grumbled and growled as they passed over my house. They mocked me and told me I'd never fly like they do. One day I called their bluff. Now they hum on their transit. They call me to get on board with a smile.It seems they are all heading toward the northeastern parts of Asia... Maybe my imagination...

Then the other ones. Oh my. I told you about them before. Remember the "birds of Yanji", residents of that Chinese town near North Korea's border?

This bird has been nicknamed by some kotjebi, the "flower-swallow". In actuality, he's a child. But "child" does not really describe him. He lives in North Korea and surrounding areas. He flits from eating place to eating place, simply trying to survive. No parents. No care at all unless arrested and placed in institutions, "cages". There he is often slowly starved, out of sight of any who can do anything about it. If he gets out of the cage, he is a nuisance, and despised. He becomes a thief. But he's just hungry... Sounds like a bird to me. Couldn't be human.

The birdwatcher in me is stirred. Here is a species I have never seen. But one who only lists birds, what can he do? Unless, of course, the Caretaker of all earth's creatures happens to come along.

Kotjebi! Don't despair! You are loved after all!

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Evangelism Now-Reaching Without Preaching

It seems evangelism has become too difficult in the minds of many Christians and too religious in the minds of everyone else. I regularly hear dedicated Christians describe our mission as if it requires a professional presentation and a degree to share the love of Jesus with someone. Churches have even gotten into the act by having professional tracts, church events and DVDs produced to "make it easier" for regular Christians but this implies, unintentionally, that regular Christians can't do this without such help and tools. Nothing is further from the truth. All anyone needs, to be a witness for Jesus, is natural, real, living faith and genuine concern for the other person.

Natural Christian Outreach: I had the same misconceptions as everyone else at my first ministry post. So, I started a door-to-door program that had pretty good success because we were taking prayer requests, rather than preaching at people. Later, I found we had better success turning the church parking lot into a flea market one Saturday a year, so we could meet our neighbors under more natural circumstances. Finally, after trying evangelism the traditional way for over 10 years, I've come to the realization that most people have their guard up before our second sentence is finished. Here in the USA, everybody is bombarded from every direction by thousands of Christians. All of these approaches have one thing in common...they are as systematic and impersonal as a cheap sales pitch. I'm now getting evangelistic junk email because some poor misguided souls feel they're serving God by irritating strangers with messages they didn't ask for. So, when we approach a loved one with the message of Jesus, it's easy for them to think they know what we're going to say, and reject it without listening. Natural Christian outreach starts with a person who is seeking a solution to one of life's problems. When people discover Jesus as a solution to their problems, He has value to them and they're far more receptive to the message. After all, Jesus healed and fed people...He didn't just preach at them.

Be A Witness Without Witnessing: Another thing that puts people off and negates our evangelistic efforts is "The Presentation." Let me be straight with you, no one wants a canned God. Canned God has been sold to people their whole lives. They don't like how He tastes, how He smells, His mushy texture. The next time someone comes into your group selling the latest in canned God materials, boil up a can of peas for him and ask him if this is the way he likes his vegetables. Serve him some stale bread on the side. The only way to serve God is fresh. If you don't have a fresh relationship with God daily then don't try to serve Him to others. Jesus didn't say to go witnessing, He said to be a witness. It's the nature of a genuine Christian that reaches others for Jesus, not the use of flashy witnessing materials. Jesus is living water that wells up in you to overflowing...but He's got to be flowing in you first.

Have The Bible In You, Not On You: This point is very much like the last. It seems many religious people carry a Bible when they "go witnessing." You may have noticed from this and others of my articles, I speak and write the message from the Bible without quoting it chapter and verse. You and I know the Bible is a highly valuable book...God's Word to us. We use it to guide our lives and often quote it to each other. To those we're trying to reach...it's just a book. You don't need to carry it, quote from it, open it and show people what it says...you just need to live it.

One of my fellow students in Bible College told me about his "street-witnessing" experience the night before. He finally got someone cornered, opened his Bible and started down "The Roman Road" with him. The man interrupted and started disagreeing. It ended with the man running away while the student yelled, "You're going to hell." I'll never forget what my student friend told me next. He said, "At least I planted a seed." What kind of seed? What kind of crop? Will anyone be able to talk about Jesus again with that poor man?

If you have the Bible in you, it will come out in your actions and your words without you even trying. The Holy Spirit will remind you of everything you need to say and do. You'll care more about the person you're talking to than yourself. Leave the Bible on your desk at home, where you can keep putting it in your life, then it will shine through your life in how you treat others.

Share Faith In Jesus, Not The Gospel: Many people share "the gospel" out of a sense of duty, in response to a preacher or book they read or to be active in the latest program their church has to "reach the lost." These people are not acting in the right motivations, and worse, not acting in faith. Faith says Jesus doesn't want anyone to die and that everyone who comes to Him will be drawn by the Holy Spirit. If we're acting in faith, we can leave it up to God to provide valid opportunities to share Him and we can leave the results to Him, as well. If our faith is in Jesus, we don't need to share the gospel, but to live the Good News. We don't need to tell the people they have sinned, that's the Holy Spirit's job. We don't need to judge them, Jesus will do that at the end of time. All we need to do is live the love Jesus has given us and let Him love and help others through us...and believe in Him for the rest. Nothing can be easier than sharing faith, because faith says there is no way to fail.

Glen Williams is an Ordained Minister, Founder and CEO of E-Home Fellowship (EHF), Inc. and Webmaster for http://www.web-church.com. He has been active in ministry since 1989. You can comment on his articles at Web-Church Christian Forums.

Saint Jude Patron Saint of Desperate Cases and Lost Cases

St Jude is considered the Patron Saint of Lost Cases and Desperate Causes Situation in the Catholic religion. St Jude is depicted wearing a green robe which symbolizes life and Hope, as well as a flame above his head were he received the Holy Spirit after Pentecost.

Often time he is depicted with a club, axe or carpenters rulers, the axe or a similar item because this is the weapon that was used to kill him.

The Calendar of Saints is way that the Catholic Church associates one or several Saints with the days of year. These day associated with the saints are called Feast Day, the Feast Day for St Jude is October 28th. Often times local churches will festival and special masses around these date to pay tribute to the Saint on that day.

Legend tells us that he spread the words of the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Lybia. Later in life he returned to Jerusalem around the year 62, and aided the election of his brother, St. Simeon, as Bishop of Jerusalem. We know that St Jude was born Jewish in Paneas, and that his mother and father opted into Christianity. His father Clopas is said to have been murder for his devotion and outspoken ways towards Christianity.

St Jude at the Last Supper with Jesus and is said to have asked Jesus why he did not reveal himself to the world after his resurrection. A devoted Apostle that is said to have traveled to Iran, Beirut and Edessa carry the word and message of Jesus. St. Jude Thaddaues is some time confused for Jude Iscariot who betrayed Jesus to Roman.

Iscariot contacts the Chief Priest and ask what will you give me if I deliver him to you? And so legend tells is that he sold Jesus to the Romans and assist them in the crucifixion.

It is important to understand and know the distinction between the two Judes because St Jude Thaddaeus played a very important and positive part as an Apostle. St Jude Thaddaeus mother was the Virgin Marys cousin and therefore there is a direct connection with Jesus.

In you most desperate situation, when you find yourself completely lost St. Jude is the saint you direct yourself to. He is the Patron Saint of Desperate Cases and lost Causes therefore you evoke prayers and offering to him to assist you in moment of need.

One way to initiate prayers to St Jude is to begin a Novena. A Novena is a prayer that you repeat for nine continuous days and ask for assistance or relief with your suffering. You can also use a prayer book, a Rosary or a 3 day candle.

For More Detailed Information please visit www.novenastjude.com.

Lue Amil

Bible Studies For Women

In difficult times, studying the Bible is more important than ever. Following Jesus with whole-hearted devotion means clinging to Him day by day. And this means really digging into the Bible. As a wife, mother, professional, homeschooling parent, student, or young teenager--whatever life stage you're in-Bible studies for women can help you rise above difficulties, discover new joy, and fall in love with the Savior.

But these times are also busy times, so how do we create the space to do Bible studies for women? Here are some ideas that might inspire you:

1) Read the Bible during meals. We need God's Word as much or more than eating! Develop a reading plan that follows chapter by chapter in each different type of book in the Bible, like historical, wisdom literature, prophets, gospels, letters, etc. If this is too much planning for you find some kind of Bible studies for women and use the verses as a devotional.

2) Read a Psalm from The Message right before you go to sleep at night. Choose a short passage that strikes a chord deep in your heart, memorize it, and make it your mission for the next day. Remember and pray about it even before you get out of bed.

3) Find a woman's small group and get encouragement for Bible study. Many Bible studies for women are online.

4) Search for a mentor that will help you study the Bible for yourself.

5) Use a One Year Bible or the reading plan in the back of a study Bible.

6) Aim to spend time with Jesus first thing in the morning, even if it's just for five minutes! Spending time with Jesus and doing Bible studies for women is not meant to be a burden or another item you check off on your to-do list, but a source of true joy! Whether we acknowledge it or not, we need Him moment by moment, day by day.

7) Practice the presence of Jesus. Imagine Him there with you throughout the day. What is He doing? Where is He? What is He saying? What is His facial expression?

Bible studies for women is not about "cranking the blanks" and getting all the right answers. It's about deepening your relationship with Christ, for you to grow, and for you to become a more fruitful vessel, an instrument of God!

For more inspiration, including a newly published Bible study for women called Becoming God's Bride, go to http://www.angelartswebstore.com/books.html

You will be inspired to cling to Jesus and walk with Him in whole-hearted devotion, in difficult times and good times alike!

The Uncompromising Truth

We have seen many people in the past and also today, that wanted the masses to believe that they knew when the world would come to and end. They were wrong and anyone that says that they know, is a lier and the truth is not in them. There are also many that say, not to be involved or concerned by prophecy, for we can't stop the end anyway, so why bother learning? I am not here to say when the end will come, because I don't know, the thing I want to express is the Uncompromising Truth about the signs of the end days.

Mat 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Matthew tells us that not only the Gospel was a thing to be desired but also the fulfillment of prophecy and the continuance of future prophecy. We cannot ignore the happenings of the past 2,000 years, it would be a terrible mistake on our part.

The whole truth is what we seek. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Israel today, is under attack by the Palestinians, Islamic Militants, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Lebanese, threats have been made by Iran, Egypt and Syria. Russia and China have expressed the concern that Israel is at fault for the trouble in the middle east and should be stopped. Every nation on this earth, with the exception of the United States, has condemned Israel for one reason or another.

Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. Why are all of these things happening? 1. Land. Land is the most important thing in the minds of Israels enemies.

Israel is beginning to prosper, according to prophecy, Iran, Iraq, Russia, China and the other militant nations see an opportunity to gain wealth by the destruction of Israel, remember that the Soviet Union went broke in 1998, and China on the other hand is spending money like its going out of style, building a kingdom with no inhabitants. Here we see, in the end days, Israel will bloom again, desert to green fields, dry ground into a spring of clear water.

The Jezreel Valley (east of the 'hill of Megiddo/Armageddon'), is surrounding by Mt. Carmel and its Shephelah (Lowland) on the west, the hills of Samaria to the south, faulted mountains (including Mt. Gilboa) and valleys on the east and the ridges of Lower Galilee to the north.

See map at; www.bibback.com/Land-RSM5.html. Isa 51:3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

A political, and military agreement between all Islamic and militant nations will take place, with the goal of destroying Israel once and for all. The main goal of all militants today is the securing of Jerusalem for Islam, killing all Jews and Christians alike, removing their influence on the City of David, and forcing the world to accept Islam as the one world religion. The anti-Christ will have other ideas. Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

(Many say that this is the verse confirming the rapture.) Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. The following information comes from BibArch.

The oval-shaped valley, also known as the Plain of Esdraelon, is now commonly known as the Valley of Jezreel. Revelation states that it is Satan's demons, through influencing key political and military leaders, who are responsible for inciting this concentration of forces (Revelation 16:13-16). Absent the intervention of God, in the clash between these two great protagonists, the destruction of all living things would occur, presumably, in a final nuclear holocaust and its aftermath Math.24:22. Western leaders concentrate their combined forces at Armageddon apparently planning to engage eastern forces by a land invasion. The immediate objective appears to be the taking of the rich petroleum fields to the east.

The focal point of the battle is the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2, 3:12), also called the Valley of Decision (Joe 3:1-3. For, behold, in those days, and in that time(This is the time that God has preordained for this war to happen.), when I (God has declared that Israel and Jerusalem, shall be held captive again, all except those that escape Jerusalem thru the mountains per prophecy.) shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, (Judah is the Southern Kingdom which includes the City of Jerusalem.)I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat(The Kidron Valley.), and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.) (Joel 3:14) situated between the Old City of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, now known as the Kidron Valley after the brook Kidron passing through it.

This valley is a deep ravine having very steep sides. Jehoshaphat means "Judgment of YHWH". Here the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, and his supernatural force will engage both eastern and western forces engaged in battle when he returns and stands, just east of the old city, on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:1-4). A description of the battle is given in Revelation 19:11-21. The West bank is north of Jerusalem, Judah and the Gaza Strip is south west of Judah. Jesus stated that;I am, the Way, The Truth and the Life. If we believe Jesus, then we must believe His words of Prophecy. Jesus foretold of many an action against Israel and also told Israel how and when to escape, the coming destruction in chapter 24 of Matthew.

Mat 24:25 Behold, I have told you before. We all know that Jesus was Truth, we know that this times of great tribulation is almost certainly upon us. We are without excuse, in not knowing what is happening and about to happen. ars

Temple of Spirit & Truth Ministries A.R.Smith Ministries http://www.ourchurch.com/member/a/arsmithsermons/

God Speaks Prophetically About Todd Bentley

I am the same God of Moses. I am the Father of nations and if you are a Christian I am your eternal Father. My church it seems is in the wilderness with only a partial anointing of My Spirit. Signs and wonders are not commonplace in the West. So many voices cry out in unbelief.

So many negative voices speak about Todd Bentley, so many people in unbelief rise up in judgment of MY outpouring in Florida. So many people making a name for themselves with what they write about Him.

I delight in Todd and I send my angels to his crusades and my Holy Spirit turns up with power and with the anointing. And yes he has tattoos and he says "Bam" when he lays hands on people. So many people are saying negative things about him and he is my son coming with power.

Nothing has changed. There were mockers of Moses and mockers of John the Baptist and mockers of My Son Jesus. In each generation there are Pharisees people with a form of the religion of Christ, but denying the power of the gospel.

Isn't it enough that I heal through Todd's gift? Does he have to provide doctors letters to confirm healings have taken place? What does he have to do to silence the critics?

He can do nothing!

The mockers will always exist. Ever willing to speak bad of a person that my anointing rests on. You'll remember my Son said to "beware when all men speak well of you."

I am the God of Todd Bentley and He is my anointed healer. He isn't healing in his own name and most of the time he isn't even laying hands of people for them to be healed, My Holy Spirit is healing them.

You can mock my anointed healer. In years to come there are going to be even more weirder prophets and healing evangelists.

Have you ever wanted to see a clairvoyant but the Bible forbids it? Did you know that there are people in churches with a gift of prophecy that can get a message off God for you? You can ask questions of them and they can take the questions to God for you. Eighty percent of the church don't use these people as they don't think the gift of prophecy exists anymore but the people that do use them get tremendously blessed.If you are not a Christian just say that in your email and the prophet will be more sensitive to you. Come and request a free personal prophecy today at http://www.personal-prophecy-free.net

Eating the Sweet Word of God

How wonderful to hear a good sermon. And greater still, how fascinating to dig deeply into the Scriptures and discover for one's self the truths hidden there.

In Revelation 10, the apostle John was told to take a book out of an angel's hand, and to eat it. Oh how sweet the Word was! How enjoyable! But he was warned that after the sweetness had faded away, the bitterness would come. In connection with that bitterness, the angel declares that John would be sharing his message with many nations.

John was very old. I am not aware of a tradition that has John traveling around the world after this imprisonment on Patmos. The general consensus is that John's work, his revelation, committed to a scroll and the publishers of all time, would take that journey without him.

Why is such publishing success considered bitterness? For one thing, the treasures enclosed in that prophecy of John was in part the reason for his own death. It has caused the death of many other witnesses, martyrs. It has been rejected and hated as well as honored and loved. Men have scoffed and ridiculed and largely ignored the writings of what they might call a first century ascetic, or perhaps madman.

Authoring of any kind is a painful business. But bringing forth God's very words on a planet that hates Him is not a way to become accepted and promoted by the masses. The prophet Ezekiel had a similar experience in his day, as well as Jeremiah in his. Jesus, the living Word of God proclaimed by Heaven's publishers, was sent to a garbage dump and left to perish.

Yes, the wonder and fascination of that good word from God have a price tag attached. When the words that have come into the mind, come out of the mouth or the pen, trouble follows. Wonder at the Word is re-directed to the wonder of man's hardness. Fascination is now focused on the many devices the children of men have to reject and isolate.

Every layer of truth is rejected by one class of mankind or the other. Simple truth like the creation is viciously assaulted on college campuses by atheistic professors and their professing Christian counterparts.

Similarly assailed are the cardinal doctrines of our faith. And those who have been born and bred in one denomination will see Scriptures only through their group's eyes and oppose and persecute those who dare to see it differently.

Those who have found every Word of God to be sweet and pure will find themselves ridiculed and set aside in many churches. They will be called legalistic or divisive, the perpetrators not realizing that the bad kind of division is caused by error, not by truth. Jesus promised the other kind of division, the kind that divides light from darkness. He not only sees it coming, He encourages it.

In North Korea, and many other places in this day, everything is risked when one discovers just how sweet God's Word is, whether by owning one's own rare copy of the Bible, or by secretly meeting in out of the way places with others who enjoy the same food.

Point made. The Word is sweet until it is shared. Then one must prepare for a backlash. John enjoyed the revelations he was receiving, as did Paul, but the thorn that followed caused both men, and all of us today in a similar place, to cry out for and receive God's sufficient grace.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

The Deity of Jesus Christ - The Gospels

Though Jesus did not spend inordinate amounts of time stressing His Divinity, He surely did mention it. Here are some key passages in the Gospels:

Matthew 12:8, Lord of the Sabbath. In Genesis 2:1-3, the God of creation ends His initial work, "and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it..." 4,000 years later, a Man stood upon the earth and proclaimed to the Pharisees and anyone else who wanted to hear, "The Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."(Matthew 12:8) The Man is either very presumptuous, or He is God.

Matthew 24:35. Speaker of imperishable words. In the midst of speaking to His disciples one day, Jesus makes this strong statement: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away." Mere mortals don't talk this way. He must be the same God referred to by David in Psalm 119:89, "For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven."

Matthew 28:18, omnipotent one. Omnipotent means, "having all power." We think of God Almighty in Heaven as this One. Well we should. But see His Son make this statement, and you will enter once more into the mystery of God-liness: (28:18) "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in Earth." Truly He emptied Himself when He became a man. Here we see Him re-filled with the glory He had with the Father from all eternity.

Mark 11:3, The Lord. Jesus needs a colt. He is about to ride into Jerusalem, fulfilling prophecy. His instruction to His disciples: "...ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat: loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him..." As the Yahweh of old, Jesus was known as "the Lord" to His followers.

Luke 8:39, God. Here Jesus has cast out devils from one possessed. He is being asked to leave by the residents of the area. But a lone figure positions himself next to Jesus, wanting to go with Him. It is the one formerly possessed. Jesus tells him to "Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee."Jesus equates Himself with God.

John 1:18, formerly unseen God. "No man hath seen GOD at any time." A simple enough statement. But can God ever be seen? Oh yes, the verse continues: "the only begotten SON, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." Here the Father and the Son are seen as one entity, partially seen, partially unseen, all Mystery! But the meaning is clear: we can see God by seeing Jesus!

John 5:17-18, equal to God. Here the Jews get a piece of the puzzle. Jesus had been working on the sabbath. When challenged by the Jews, Jesus simply answered " My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." That did it. "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God." They began to see a glimmer of truth. When they realized just how equal He believed Himself to be, they would put Him on a cross!

John 8:19, Knowable as the Father. The Pharisees want to know where Jesus' Father is. His reply, "Ye neither know Me, nor My Father: if ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also." Stirrings. Search for stones. But they can't kill Him now, "for His hour was not yet come." And why so angry? Once more He had just called Himself God the Father! He had just declared that to know One is to know the Other! He repeats this declaration to His disciples (14:7)

John 13:31 , Glorified One. "Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in Him." Whenever Jesus is glorified, God is glorified. Can this be said of any other human? Is it not blasphemous to suggest God shares His glorious splendor with a mere son of Adam?

John 14:28, Greater but equal. Here the plot thickens. John 14:28 is quoted by those who wish to challenge the mountain of evidence of the Deity of Christ... "...My Father is greater than I." When the overwhelming sense of Scripture points one way, and a lone passage points another, it is probably best to explain the one passage than explain away the many others. Paul will do the explaining of John 14:28 in his letter to the Philippians, 2:5-7: " Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form of GOD [ a pretty straightforward way to put it! ] thought it not robbery [" a thing to be grasped," in Greek ] to be equal with God. [He was God, but was not living in the privilege of One Who is God] but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men [hence God with us, one of us, but actually God! Oh , glory to Him!]"

So for those 30 plus years we know of as the Incarnation, the en-fleshing of God Almighty, Jesus saw the Father as greater, since He had deliberately stooped down to our lowly status, so that He could walk with us. His Father was greater than Him because He had chosen to be less than His Father for that short period.John 17:5 should be the last nail in the coffin of those who wish to take God-ness from Christ. Jesus prays to His Father, "Glorify Thou Me[ more presumption unless He is God and deserves glory!] with Thine own Self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was." !What a prayer! Jesus says, I was sharing glory with you before, I will again. But now, I deliberately tear away from that glory to save these poor earthlings. What a Mighty God we serve! And His Name is Jesus!

John 16:15, owner of all things. "All things that the Father hath are Mine..." 17:9-10 "I pray for them [disciples]: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." What can we say? God owns it all, including all believers. Jesus lays claim not only to the same possessions, but the glory that goes with it! John is truly filled with the wonder of Jesus' Godness.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

The Deity of Jesus Christ - Ecclesiastes and Isaiah

From Solomon to Isaiah, from Moses to John, the message is clear: Jesus is God. Here is a word from Solomon in Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 11:14, Revealer of secrets. "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (11:14) The revealer and judge of every secret. Reminds me of something Paul said about Jesus: (Romans 2:16) "God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel." Everything that "God" is seen doing or being "alone" in the Old Testament, He is seen doing or being in association with one called Jesus in the New. What a unity!

And from Isaiah the prophet, many such words match with a New Testament counterpart.

2:2-4, Lord of the New Jerusalem. What a precious preview of events is given by Isaiah in his 2nd chapter, verses 2-4: "...the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains...and all nations shall flow unto it...and ...people shall say, Come ye, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob...for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."But where is Jesus in all of this? When John sees this final City in Revelation 21, he first is told , "The tabernacle of God is with men...and God Himself shall be with them..."(v. 3) So far, the same scenario as Isaiah. A location in a City, with God as its head. But look closer, in verses 22-23. There is no temple. Why? Because "The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." There is no sun. Why? "For the glory of God...and the Lamb" lighten it

You've heard perhaps of the " parallelism." It's a way of saying two things but meaning only one. Thomas didn't mean to say there were two persons in front of Him when he exclaimed to Jesus, "My Lord and My God!""God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" is another one. God and Father here are the same person, not two. I suggest that the only way "The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb" can make any sense is to consider them the same person. I have already shown that "Almighty God" is a title worn by Jesus! And we know Jesus is the Lamb. Something wonderful here!

7:14, Immanuel. The Name says it all. Isaiah 7:14, golden verse of the Old Testament, "Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name, Immanuel." Brother Matthew, in relating the fulfilment of the prophecy in the birth of Jesus (1:23) goes on to add the meaning of the Name: "God with us." Now, how better can God tell us who this Jesus is?

9:6, Father and Son. I guess this is my favorite of the declarations of Scripture regarding the Deity of Jesus Christ. Read carefully: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."(9:6) I can hardly stand it! Time to dance in the aisles. Time to rejoice in our spirits, though the brain has been dealt another curve. This precious Baby, Jesus, is the Son. But in a way that I hope is becoming clearer through the reading of the Scriptures I have assembled, He is also the Father! Enough said.

41:4, First and Last. "...I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am He." says God.And,these are the very words of our Jesus: "Fear not; I am the first and the last." (Revelation 1:17)

41:14, Redeemer. "...I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer..." But we have always looked to Jesus as our Redeemer, Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law..." Indeed! The chorus in Heaven praises the Lamb Who "redeemed us to God by Thy blood."So here is God, redeeming us to Himself. We still want to see two People here, but our confusion comes because God became a Man. That Man is the one we see and know, because He is one of us. But we must constantly keep the eyes of the spirit open to seeing all that He is. He's one of that other race, too. The race known as the "Godhead."

43:10-11, The One and Only. This one is addressed to witnesses only! "Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen...understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I even I, am the Lord; and besides Me there is no Saviour." I love it! For all time we are told that anyone claiming to be God, Lord, or Saviour is either blatantly false, or to be identified with this God. There simply is no other God. And Jesus, of course, claimed to be all three!

45:23, The One to Whom every knee shall bow. Yet another solemn vow from Yahweh: "I have sworn by Myself , the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." Then Who is this accepting such obeisance in the New Covenant, if He is not God Almighty? Fill us in, Paul:(Philippians 2:9-11) "...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and...every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Jesus is worshipped as God so that God can be glorified. Baffling unless we see them as one.

65:2-3, Spurned by Israel. "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people...a people that provoketh me to anger continually to My face..." Such horrid treatment was given to Yahweh by the Jews throughout their history. Was Jesus involved in this? In a revealing statement recorded by Matthew (23:37), we see that the Word was indeed there: After a full list of denunciations of Israel's religious professionals, it is as though Jesus is overcome by an emotional flood of memories. He could have learned some of this from reading His Bible, but the use of the pronoun "I" rivets our attention...He was there! He knew these people forever! "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" This is the same God who complains through Isaiah of being treated so pitifully poor. The same.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosen together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

In North Korea - Communism, Kimilsungism, Christ - A Comparison

Is North Korean Communism the "real deal" ? Dr. C. Kenneth Quinones says, "Juche [Kim's self-reliance philosophy] is a faint echo of Marxism."

While rejecting parts of Communism, Kim did buy into the whole "class struggle" idea. People fight. Groups of people fight other groups of people. While Marx singled out the clash between "capitalists", people who have money, and "urban workers", who don't, Kim saw things, like neighbor Mao, in terms of landlords vs. peasants. But rather than lift these peasants into the revolutionary class, Kim believed that role should be assigned to soldiers and teachers (mostly soldiers, it turns out!).

Juche is human-centered and nationalistic, as opposed to Communism's universal emphasis. And while Marx and Engels saw mechanical forces governing the world, Kim focused on human conduct.

The goals of the two systems are likewise different. Communism seeks to overthrow the entire world order, replacing all vestiges of capitalism with socialism. The state must "wither away", and all classes with it. A truly equal society. (The dream has never been even closely realized in Communist nations, as there are always some who are "more equal" than others.)

Kim's view was state-centered. It is hierarchical, with clear divisions based on favor. Though he also believed in "collectivism" it was of a different flavor. In the original pattern, collectivism refers to equal sharing of goods. In North Korea, it is a shared effort to unite behind one leader. In essence, Korean collectivism becomes nothing more than the old dynasty mentality, a true monarchy. Titles have changed, but no one questions that Kim was and is king.

Christianity has a different theme altogether: The Kingship of Jesus Christ. I keep hearing it said that "Jesus is in control of North Korea, so don't worry." I think we all understand that ultimately the strings are pulled by a living God. He raises up whom he wills, and whom he wills to abase, he abases. God is in control only in that sense for now.

But when Jesus is truly the Lord of North Korea, every knee will bow to Him. Every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord on that day. When Jesus comes and sets up His Kingdom there will be no more concentration camps, though the Lord will govern with a strict justice. All will be free to worship the King Who will reign in Jerusalem. Godliness will flourish. There will be no more hunger, no need to leave the beauteous mountains for China or any other place.

Those who have already made Jesus Lord of their lives experience how wonderful it is to be ruled by a perfect King. Our ongoing prayer is that soon the status quo will be set aside so that the Gospel of the Kingdom can be preached throughout the land, and many will come to know what a Heavenly King is like.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Three Men Who Will Change All

It's been a while since I have dealt with prophecy in this blog. North Korea, and the Body of Christ there, surely do consume time. I say it humbly and gratefully. But something grabbed me the other day that I thought might be profitable for you. See what you think. Well, I mean, see if this is borne out in the Word.

Two men will suddenly appear on the scene in the days of Antichrist preceding the return of Jesus Christ to the Earth. I will not attempt a defense of that fact here, but assume it going in. Zechariah sees these two, as does John in the Revelation (11). Jesus alludes to it when he says that Elijah truly comes first to restore all things.

Then Jesus leads the reader/hearer to believe that he is talking about John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but wasn't actually Elijah. So John becomes a picture of the Old Testament prophet as well as a precursor of at least one of those coming prophets.

For you see, one of the qualifications for such a man is that he never died in the ordinary sense. Since all men have an appointment with death except end-time saints here when Jesus returns, and since Revelation 11 even records their death, it is safe to assume that they cannot have died before. The traditional wisdom, and that which I have clung to, is that, therefore, Enoch and Elijah must be the two returning men. Neither ever died.

Today I'd like you to look at the possibility of Moses' return. I am quick to inject that the word "died" is used in connection with his departing the planet, in Deuteronomy. But I must hasten to add that there are some strange statements made in regards to this death. First, God buried him. Second, no one knows where the grave or the body is. Third, Jude records a dispute over that body between the angels of God and the angels of Satan.

Why a dispute? Does Satan believe he should be in charge of the dead? Did God have other plans for this particular body? Was Satan grieved because it seemed God was not playing by the rules? Was in fact Moses' body taken immediately to a holding place, to be joined later by Elijah, where they have been preserved ever since?

Why not Enoch? Well, maybe it is he after all, but consider the activities of these two men, described in Revelation 11:

• They will "shut heaven" in regards to precipitation. That was a work of Elijah.
• They will turn water to blood. Moses.
• They will strike the earth at will with various plagues. Again, a Moses activity.

One other intriguing clue is the appearance of these two very men on the mount of transfiguration. Bodies. Not spirits, as we have been led to believe that all men are when they leave their bodies awaiting the resurrection. Here are two glaring exceptions. They had a body just as surely as the One with whom they were discussing the coming sacrifice of God. Where did they go after this incredible experience? Back to the waiting room. They wait there still...

And in an adjoining room, one more waits, hindered or "restrained" (KJV, "let") by a strong angel who will release him at a given cue. That's another story, but connected in a very real way to this same closing chapter of Earth as we know it. These three men will revolutionize the world! And there's no newspaper or magazine you can read to try to figure out if they're "alive" on the planet now. They are very much alive... but not quite on the planet. All in good time...

If America's current problems are the signal of the winding down of civilization, life could get pretty exciting before long

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com. There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com.

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

The Sabbath - Did God's Will for His People Change?

Paul had a high opinion of the holy law of God, but also a realistic understanding of human capacity to keep that law. He sees the law as holy, but carrying a curse because of our weakness. It is in that light that we understand Colossians 2:14 where the apostle states that the "handwriting of ordinances" was nailed to His cross. Some want to put the whole law of Moses up there, but as we have said, the moral law of God is repeated by the Spirit-filled believers. We live the ten commandments when we are filled with God's Spirit. Why would something so holy be "nailed to a cross" to die with Jesus?

What was nailed was the part of the law that was against us. Some translations have it "the certificate of debt". The Old Covenant says, "Do it all or die!" "The soul that sins shall die!" Those statements that cursed us are nailed to the cross. The curse is itself cursed.

But Jesus still maintains, "I did not come to destroy the law." In fact, at the present hour the law is in its fullest exposition ever, since Jesus Himself expanded it during His stay here, and the apostles have had it re-spoken through them, and God's Spirit-filled believers for 2,000 years have demonstrated the righteousness of the law in their holy lives. The will of God for His people never changed!

Another possible or even complementary explanation for those who want to see the entire law of Moses on that cross, is to remember that Jesus was nailed to that same cross. The curses connected with sin and law were certainly dealt a death blow. But there was a resurrection. Both Jesus and His Law live, and are identifiable in our day, though they also look quite different. Both have been glorified. And both the resurrected Jesus and the resurrected law of God work inside the born again believer to bring about the holy life of God intended for us when God "predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). We are called to lives of obedience. Obedience implies listening to the law of God working deep within.

As I personally listen, I believe that the Spirit of God is trying to get my attention, and perhaps that of others, not with threats of curses and loss, but with promises of a fuller expression of my Christian experience, by calling me back to that which was the norm for the Bible's 4,100 years of history, and will be the norm when Jesus comes, according to the prophets, and which both natural Israel and a goodly number of saints through the ages have claimed as their own: namely, a day of rest that actually reflects the original reasoning behind such an institution, that God "rested" from His creative works.

Yes, God rested from His creation of the things of the world. I believe He calls His people to disengage from worldly pursuits and to come apart to Him on the same day.

God allowed His Son to rest in a tomb on the Sabbath so that my sins could be forever erased. He calls me to rest in that same assurance that "all is finished." No more struggle. The debt is paid.

God had the apostles resting on that final Sabbath before the Spirit-filled Church appeared. And on the first day of the week, the work , not the rest, of the church began.

There's a pattern there that is so compelling as to be unavoidable for me. My weekly rest time then becomes a picture of what God did in the creation, what He did in me, and what He is doing for the world by having a church here. It is a picture of the ultimate rest that awaits for His people, when the whole earth will repose under the rule of Messiah, after 6 long "days" of mis-rule and chaos and weeping.

Truly the Sabbath was meant to be forever.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

Abomination That Makes Desolate - The Response

Jesus, Daniel, John, and Paul all talk about a horrendous event that shall come to the planet before Jesus comes and sets things right. Jesus' name for it is "the abomination of desolation." Something that God hates and therefore judges. Ruling out the historical previews of such an event via Antiochus and Titus, we conclude with Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 2, that the ultimate abomination that makes desolate is Satan himself. He will sit in the Temple. Not a pig. Not an idol.

Jesus gives directions to anyone in the area in that day: Get out!

Now, did this ever happen before? Yes. The scene was lived out in AD 70. But it will happen again. Revelation confirms an end time hiding place for those who flee during this period (12:6, 14-16). Then will come the host of pretenders, even miracle-workers, to convince you that Jesus is already back, as they were doing in the Thessalonian church. Paul and Jesus say, Don't you believe it!

Matthew 24:26, "Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it."

This is one of the problems with the so-called "secret rapture" idea. Jesus said it: Matthew 24:27, "As the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

Paul speaks of that same day by the same name in I Thessalonians 4:15-16. At the "coming of the Lord" will be a shout, an angelic voice, and a trumpet, as the Lord is descending from Heaven. No secret here. If Jesus or Paul knew of a prior trip to earth, why did neither of them mentionboth events in the same place? Why allow such confusion in the text? Or is it the modern teachers who have added the confusion?

Plainly, every eye will see Jesus when He comes (Revelation 1:7) just like everyone in the vicinity of a lightning bolt sees it plainly. An even more interesting analogy is suggested by eagles, or more properly in context here, vultures. You've seen them hovering, circling, and when the death is confirmed, swiftly pouncing on the dead body. Vultures go where the action is. Once the body is clearly dead they are not in the air, they are down.

Once Jesus decides to come to earth, he will come to the center of the fray, with an army of believers in his train. No hesitation. No mention of what modern "scholars" and moviemakers promulgate so freely. No preliminary flight. Lightning strike! Vulture landing! It's over. "The Son has come and you've been left behind" to be judged, now.

Matthew 24:29 "Immediately after the tribulation...they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven...and He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds." The angels, the trumpet, the ingathering. It's all here. This is the rapture, this is the catching up of the church. This is the second and final coming, the only one promised by Jesus!

How the "second" second coming came into such strong belief is truly amazing!

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

Embrace the Idea About Learning - Shouldn't You Be Studying the Bible Regularly?

Most Christians own at least one Bible, but the idea of studying it on a regular basis, is normally considered a difficult task for those to perform. If you really want to call yourself a Christian, shouldn't you at least understand, a few things in the Bible?

Maybe something about Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, or what about that guy, what's his name, I think he died for our sins and wasn't he the son of God, what was his name... You might think I'm kidding, but very few Christians, know very little about the Bible.

How do we get Christians to embrace the idea that studying the Bible could benefit them or change their views entirely about their religion? I've always had problems with those who consider themselves practicing Christians, while trying to convert others to Christianity with a limited knowledge about the religion itself.

If you go to church every Sunday, there's a good chance that you will have to touch the holy book of scriptures, at least once. You might even pick it up and turn some of the pages while listening to the sermon. Is this the only time during the week that you will pick up the Bible? And does this bother you?

What about those who read the Bible regularly and don't take the time to interpret it literally. Read the Bible, word for word in order to get a simple understanding of each Bible verse. Don't try to read anything into it or look for hidden messages.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to answer simple questions or understand what your church leaders are talking about? When they mention Paul or Isaiah, are you thinking about your cousin and his friend? Spend a little more time learning about your religion and you will reap the rewards that education has to offer.

There Are Plenty of Problems with the Bible and If You Need More Help, Click on This Link Understanding the Bible

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Click Here If You're a Positive Christian Person.

Check This Out - 1 Corinthians 14:34

If you're a woman, you might not want to read this article. If you're a man who supports male chauvinistic ways, I guarantee that this is going to be an article that you won't want to miss.

I have watched women who believe in other religions, all over the world, consider men to be superior to them. I have watched men treat women as subservient and sometimes has subhuman beings, even though these women are someone's wives, sisters or daughters.

But the Holy Bible, come on I can't believe that this is the word of God. Read this and if you have to read it again, but is this really in the Bible, did God actually write this or is this something that was written by man, to make women live lives of servitude.

Here it is, read it for yourself, 1 Corinthians (TWB) 14:34 let your wives keep silent in the assemblies, for it has not been permitted for them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as the law also says. Is this what Christianity is all about or is this just part of what Christianity represents.

Are women really supposed to be quiet in the assemblies of God, in church or places of worship? Am I reading this right? Your wife's keep silent in assemblies, it doesn't say anything about men remaining silent in assemblies.

Oh yeah, for it has not been permitted for them to speak, what the heck are they talking about. Are you telling me that Christian women are not allowed to speak inside of their place of worship? Is that where these assemblies meet or are they talking about something else.

I would like to make a suggestion, too any Christians that are reading this article, this would be a great topic for discussion, at your next prayer meeting or Bible study group.

With religious text like this, you can understand why some women don't have equal rights to men. Its beliefs like these, that will eventually end up forcing large religious organizations to change or become part of our history.

Watch this Video on Women and Bible Problems

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site: If your interested in a different point of view READ THESE ARTICLES - Great Articles For Christians

Greg Vandenberge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible.

Manipulating Bible Verses - Thou Shall Not Murder

If you're a Christian, you've probably heard of this Bible verse. Thou shall not murder. If you've heard of it, you probably know that it's one of the 10 Commandments or one of the original laws from Moses. However, most people don't know about its application to Christianity.

If I was to tell my children, not to lie and always tell the truth but I was a liar, would this be considered a good example for my children? If my children seen me lying and then I told them not to lie, would they consider that a lie? Does this example make sense to you?

As the parent, I'm the example. As the children, they are my disciples or followers. By lying to my children, I am showing them that it is okay to lie or stretch the truth or even manipulate the English language for my personal benefit.

How much different is this example from the example of the way some Christians use the Holy Bible? "Thou shall not murder," to me translates into," you should not kill." That's pretty simple and easy to understand, wouldn't you agree.

I could easily manipulate this Bible verse into, thou shall not murder, only applying it, to killing someone without a reason or you can kill someone in the name of God. You can change the meaning of anything if you really want to.

The point I would like to make here, is that the truth always comes out in the end, once the lying and the manipulation becomes visible. Do you have the ability to tell who's lying and twisting the Bible scriptures for their benefit or personal gain?

Bible verses that are clearly written, shouldn't have any hidden messages. "Thou shall not murder," is easy to interpret, once you understand what all four of these words mean and this task can easily be accomplished with a dictionary.

Thou - refers to you, the person being addressed or written to.

Shall - it will happen in the future or is intended to happen.

Not - is often used to express refusal, denial or the negation of the statement, just made.

Murder - the crime of killing another person deliberately and not in self-defense.

With the definition of these four words sitting right in front of us, you could still interpret this Bible verse in the few different ways. I'm going to take a stab at it and interpret it as I see it.

"You should not kill another person deliberately or outside of self-defense."

This means that I am not allowed to kill anyone, in the name of God, during war, or for any other reason except for defending myself.

When it says," Thou shall not murder," how does this apply to animals or anyone who is involved in a death sentence. Judges, lawyers, prison guards and other individuals who are directly involved in the murder of someone else.

How many other Bible verses have been manipulated for the benefit of Christianity?

God Said What

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Click here if you're interested in Basic Christianity.

Properly Exercising Faith - People Who Represent Christianity

It's your responsibility as a Christian to properly exercise your faith and to express your opinions as such. If you don't know something for a fact, you are obligated to seek and gather more information about these so-called facts.

With this said, if you hear a Bible verse quoted to you by someone and you don't necessarily understand 100% of what they are saying or you think that they might be twisting around the Scripture, it's your obligation to find out, the truth and nothing but the truth.

Let me give you an example of how to properly exercise your faith. An atheist walks up to you and asks you why you believe in God, you reply," Because it says so in the Bible." Wrong.., wrong answer. Because it says so in the Bible, isn't what I would consider a good answer. It's what I would consider to be a controlled Christian answer, simple but untrue.

The minute that you start referring to things in the Bible and you don't really understand what it is that you're talking about, you're not doing Christianity any favors. The minute that you listen to another person quote out of the Bible and start repeating, what it is that they were saying, without clearly understanding the truth, you're simply spreading rumors.

Think about this, the next time that you tell someone something that you heard, just because you hear something three times, doesn't make it a fact. I would like to tell you a little secret, so pay attention, simply because someone within your religious community, who others look up to, say something that sounds believable, don't start spreading rumors, find out for yourself, if it's actually true.

Christian Bible Problems

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Understanding the Bible

Embrace the Idea About Learning - Shouldn't You Be Studying the Bible Regularly?

Most Christians own at least one Bible, but the idea of studying it on a regular basis, is normally considered a difficult task for those to perform. If you really want to call yourself a Christian, shouldn't you at least understand, a few things in the Bible?

Maybe something about Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, or what about that guy, what's his name, I think he died for our sins and wasn't he the son of God, what was his name... You might think I'm kidding, but very few Christians, know very little about the Bible.

How do we get Christians to embrace the idea that studying the Bible could benefit them or change their views entirely about their religion? I've always had problems with those who consider themselves practicing Christians, while trying to convert others to Christianity with a limited knowledge about the religion itself.

If you go to church every Sunday, there's a good chance that you will have to touch the holy book of scriptures, at least once. You might even pick it up and turn some of the pages while listening to the sermon. Is this the only time during the week that you will pick up the Bible? And does this bother you?

What about those who read the Bible regularly and don't take the time to interpret it literally. Read the Bible, word for word in order to get a simple understanding of each Bible verse. Don't try to read anything into it or look for hidden messages.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to answer simple questions or understand what your church leaders are talking about? When they mention Paul or Isaiah, are you thinking about your cousin and his friend? Spend a little more time learning about your religion and you will reap the rewards that education has to offer.

There Are Plenty of Problems with the Bible and If You Need More Help, Click on This Link Understanding the Bible

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Click Here If You're a Positive Christian Person.

Check This Out - 1 Corinthians 14:34

If you're a woman, you might not want to read this article. If you're a man who supports male chauvinistic ways, I guarantee that this is going to be an article that you won't want to miss.

I have watched women who believe in other religions, all over the world, consider men to be superior to them. I have watched men treat women as subservient and sometimes has subhuman beings, even though these women are someone's wives, sisters or daughters.

But the Holy Bible, come on I can't believe that this is the word of God. Read this and if you have to read it again, but is this really in the Bible, did God actually write this or is this something that was written by man, to make women live lives of servitude.

Here it is, read it for yourself, 1 Corinthians (TWB) 14:34 let your wives keep silent in the assemblies, for it has not been permitted for them to speak; but let them be in subjection, as the law also says. Is this what Christianity is all about or is this just part of what Christianity represents.

Are women really supposed to be quiet in the assemblies of God, in church or places of worship? Am I reading this right? Your wife's keep silent in assemblies, it doesn't say anything about men remaining silent in assemblies.

Oh yeah, for it has not been permitted for them to speak, what the heck are they talking about. Are you telling me that Christian women are not allowed to speak inside of their place of worship? Is that where these assemblies meet or are they talking about something else.

I would like to make a suggestion, too any Christians that are reading this article, this would be a great topic for discussion, at your next prayer meeting or Bible study group.

With religious text like this, you can understand why some women don't have equal rights to men. Its beliefs like these, that will eventually end up forcing large religious organizations to change or become part of our history.

Watch this Video on Women and Bible Problems

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site: If your interested in a different point of view READ THESE ARTICLES - Great Articles For Christians

Greg Vandenberge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible.

Manipulating Bible Verses - Thou Shall Not Murder

If you're a Christian, you've probably heard of this Bible verse. Thou shall not murder. If you've heard of it, you probably know that it's one of the 10 Commandments or one of the original laws from Moses. However, most people don't know about its application to Christianity.

If I was to tell my children, not to lie and always tell the truth but I was a liar, would this be considered a good example for my children? If my children seen me lying and then I told them not to lie, would they consider that a lie? Does this example make sense to you?

As the parent, I'm the example. As the children, they are my disciples or followers. By lying to my children, I am showing them that it is okay to lie or stretch the truth or even manipulate the English language for my personal benefit.

How much different is this example from the example of the way some Christians use the Holy Bible? "Thou shall not murder," to me translates into," you should not kill." That's pretty simple and easy to understand, wouldn't you agree.

I could easily manipulate this Bible verse into, thou shall not murder, only applying it, to killing someone without a reason or you can kill someone in the name of God. You can change the meaning of anything if you really want to.

The point I would like to make here, is that the truth always comes out in the end, once the lying and the manipulation becomes visible. Do you have the ability to tell who's lying and twisting the Bible scriptures for their benefit or personal gain?

Bible verses that are clearly written, shouldn't have any hidden messages. "Thou shall not murder," is easy to interpret, once you understand what all four of these words mean and this task can easily be accomplished with a dictionary.

Thou - refers to you, the person being addressed or written to.

Shall - it will happen in the future or is intended to happen.

Not - is often used to express refusal, denial or the negation of the statement, just made.

Murder - the crime of killing another person deliberately and not in self-defense.

With the definition of these four words sitting right in front of us, you could still interpret this Bible verse in the few different ways. I'm going to take a stab at it and interpret it as I see it.

"You should not kill another person deliberately or outside of self-defense."

This means that I am not allowed to kill anyone, in the name of God, during war, or for any other reason except for defending myself.

When it says," Thou shall not murder," how does this apply to animals or anyone who is involved in a death sentence. Judges, lawyers, prison guards and other individuals who are directly involved in the murder of someone else.

How many other Bible verses have been manipulated for the benefit of Christianity?

God Said What

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vanden Berge is a published author and a inspiration to millions of people. He has been involved in religious research for almost 30 years, and his influence in the Christian community is growing. The Holy Bible, is the core to Christian beliefs and most Christians don't even question it. Was the Bible actually written by men?

His newest book," Did God Actually Say That?" Was written specifically for Christians who are interested in gaining additional knowledge about the Bible. This book provides Christians with advanced biblical knowledge, answer some tough questions and should be read by every faithful follower of Christ.

Click here if you're interested in Basic Christianity.

Book Writing - Page Count and Chapter Length

Regardless of genre, there is no hard and fast rule about how many pages or words each chapter should contain or how many chapters should be in a book. However, there are some general guidelines in this article that may help you determine the page count and chapter length needed for your book.

Pages in a Chapter:

Many people read in spurts, at lunch time, or on the subway to work, readers enjoy chapters that can be finished in ten to fifteen minutes.

I try to set my chapter lengths by how long it takes me to read the material. If it goes past fifteen minutes, I may decide to divide a chapter in half and make two chapters out of it. Take into consideration that I write mostly non-fiction.

As you probably know, there's a difference in the way fiction and non-fiction are handled. In a fiction book, writers use shorter chapters. Some are only one page if that is all it takes to catch the reader up on the action of other characters in other scenes. When writing non-fiction, your chapter content needs to be specific to your chapter's heading or title.

Twenty pages per chapter is a good rule of thumb, but the most important thing is to include everything that relates to a particular topic in one chapter. For example, if your book is about fishing, you want to include the bulk of your information about fly casting in one chapter. All your info about bait and lure would be in another chapter.

Chapters/Pages in a Book:

These guidelines should give you a general idea of how to determine the length of your chapters and your book.

If your book is titled "The Accuracy of the US Census" you may have 52 chapters (one on each state). If your book is titled "Ten Tips for Marketing" you may have only ten chapters. There's no rule about how many chapters a book can or must have.

In order to be considered a book rather than a pamphlet or booklet, a book needs to be at least 10,000 words. If your book has more than 475 pages, you might want to consider producing it in two volumes.

Because you will submit your manuscript as an 8.5" x 11" word-processing document, you cannot be certain of its final length until after your publisher formats it for print. I have found that 250-300 words will approximate one page of 12-point font text in a standard size (5.5"x8" or 6"x9") perfect-bound book.

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (WITS). She and her team of ghostwriters are ready to assist you with writing and editing for books, eBooks, Web text, business documents, resumes, bios, articles, and media releases. For more information about writing, networking, publishing, and book promotion, or to sign up for free email delivery of WITS newsletter, please visit http://www.writersinthesky.com New subscribers receive a free eBook Tips for Freelance Writing

Three Men Who Will Change All

It's been a while since I have dealt with prophecy in this blog. North Korea, and the Body of Christ there, surely do consume time. I say it humbly and gratefully. But something grabbed me the other day that I thought might be profitable for you. See what you think. Well, I mean, see if this is borne out in the Word.

Two men will suddenly appear on the scene in the days of Antichrist preceding the return of Jesus Christ to the Earth. I will not attempt a defense of that fact here, but assume it going in. Zechariah sees these two, as does John in the Revelation (11). Jesus alludes to it when he says that Elijah truly comes first to restore all things.

Then Jesus leads the reader/hearer to believe that he is talking about John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but wasn't actually Elijah. So John becomes a picture of the Old Testament prophet as well as a precursor of at least one of those coming prophets.

For you see, one of the qualifications for such a man is that he never died in the ordinary sense. Since all men have an appointment with death except end-time saints here when Jesus returns, and since Revelation 11 even records their death, it is safe to assume that they cannot have died before. The traditional wisdom, and that which I have clung to, is that, therefore, Enoch and Elijah must be the two returning men. Neither ever died.

Today I'd like you to look at the possibility of Moses' return. I am quick to inject that the word "died" is used in connection with his departing the planet, in Deuteronomy. But I must hasten to add that there are some strange statements made in regards to this death. First, God buried him. Second, no one knows where the grave or the body is. Third, Jude records a dispute over that body between the angels of God and the angels of Satan.

Why a dispute? Does Satan believe he should be in charge of the dead? Did God have other plans for this particular body? Was Satan grieved because it seemed God was not playing by the rules? Was in fact Moses' body taken immediately to a holding place, to be joined later by Elijah, where they have been preserved ever since?

Why not Enoch? Well, maybe it is he after all, but consider the activities of these two men, described in Revelation 11:

• They will "shut heaven" in regards to precipitation. That was a work of Elijah.
• They will turn water to blood. Moses.
• They will strike the earth at will with various plagues. Again, a Moses activity.

One other intriguing clue is the appearance of these two very men on the mount of transfiguration. Bodies. Not spirits, as we have been led to believe that all men are when they leave their bodies awaiting the resurrection. Here are two glaring exceptions. They had a body just as surely as the One with whom they were discussing the coming sacrifice of God. Where did they go after this incredible experience? Back to the waiting room. They wait there still...

And in an adjoining room, one more waits, hindered or "restrained" (KJV, "let") by a strong angel who will release him at a given cue. That's another story, but connected in a very real way to this same closing chapter of Earth as we know it. These three men will revolutionize the world! And there's no newspaper or magazine you can read to try to figure out if they're "alive" on the planet now. They are very much alive... but not quite on the planet. All in good time...

If America's current problems are the signal of the winding down of civilization, life could get pretty exciting before long

Look for Bob Faulkner's home page on http://sermonaudio.com. There you will find a combination of love for the Scriptures and a desire for North Korean believers to have their needs met. There are nearly 300 blogs, over 200 Bible teaching MP3's, lists of resources, NK picture albums, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos3@gmail.com.

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Would love to fellowship with believers who respond.

In North Korea - The Glorious Pyongyang Church

North Korea's church history

As we continue our study of the Body of Christ in North Korea, we simply must stop and talk about the 1907 Pyongyang Revival. The Christian Koreans have a glorious history and a glorious future. Though we cannot understand some of the goings-on in the North today, we are confident that the situation is only temporary. God HEARS and ANSWERS the cries of his people! I quote below from Young-Hoon Lee's Korean Pentecost: The Great Revival of 1907.

The origin of the 1907 Pyongyang revival could be traced to a prayer meeting of Methodist missionaries at Wonsan in 1903, and attributable to Dr. R.A. Hardie, a medical missionary working in the Kangwon province. Although Dr. Hardie worked arduously in his ministry, he was able to achieve very little. Frustrated, he entered into a period of self-reflection. He was strongly convicted as his prejudices, sins and efforts of self-reliance were revealed to him.

Deeply moved, Hardie began to share his testimony of the work of the Holy Spirit and publicly repent before other fellow missionaries. Subsequently, he shared his confessions and repented before Korean congregations, which ignited a flame of revival and a receiving of the Holy Spirit as never experienced before. As the revivals grew in number and intensity throughout Wonsan, the following year witnessed the outbreak of an enormous blessing and revival that swept the area through Pyongyang, Seoul and beyond.

The height of the revivals that took place between 1900-1910 came on January 14, 1907 when over 1,500 gathered for a meeting and were invited to pray. The entire congregation burst into prayer and public confession lasting throughout the night until the next day. The Spirit that came through this Pentecost spread to the children and youth sparking revivals of a similar scale among high school students. It is said that the repentance and forgiveness was to the degree that the jails in all of Pyongyang were empty!

Men and women became walking testimonies of the power of the Holy Spirit as their daily lives were completely transformed to the amazement of friends and family. Korean Christians gained a new strength and boldness as they took leadership in the independence movement and endured terrible persecution during a dark period of Korean history. The face of Korea was changed forever and the spirit of the 1907 Revival has endured throughout the history of the Korean church.

100 years ago God's Spirit poured out on Pyongyang. Then persecution. 2000 years ago God's Spirit poured out on Jerusalem. Then persecution. But persecution leads to deliverances and miracles and church growth. Let us join in praying that the present darkness hovering over the North will soon erupt into glorious light as the Enemy is again defeated. The true Korean War, the one for the souls of men, is in the Spirit as in the natural: no final peace has ever been declared. So let us fight on!

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love chosen together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

North Korea - Short-Lived Joy

North Korean church history continues...

The ultimate surrender of Japan finally comes. The Empire is crushed and humiliated. That's not meant to be critical. Or defamatory. It really happened, and it happened a long time ago. Today's Japan is not yesterday's.

Koreans are ecstatic, and rush into the streets to celebrate. What glory! What joy! Their longtime enemy defeated! One can hear Christians raising up praises to God, singing hymns loudly that they have been forbidden to sing at all. Worship, witness, all restored after 35 long years of oppression.

But in the North, not from the East, comes the next blow against Korea. Due to a decision made far from Korea by persons definitely not Korean, the land of Chosun is to be divided into two parts, "temporarily." The Soviets will be asked to supervise activities in the northern part of the country, and America will restore order to the southern section.

Naive American policy places a division line roughly half way down the peninsula that has remained to this day. The Soviets decide they will not leave, not at least until they have a government established that resembles Moscow. In 1948, two separate Korean governments are formed, and the persecution begins again in the North, where Christ has made the largest inroads.

Five million people, many of them believers, get out of the "paradise" before it can turn into the chaos that will evolve over the decades. At least in the South the President seems to be a Christian, and there they will worship freely. Then, nearly 60 years ago now, the curtain closes. Christian blood begins to flow freely once more. The persecution has continued until now.

Many thousands of Christ's followers are killed and/or placed in forced labor camps. And unlike in the Japanese occupation, the goings-on become very private. Even now, not too many people know what is happening in North Korea. For "liberty" in that land means that the government is "free" to do as it pleases.

What a tragic history is the Korean one. What a lot to pray about.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.

When Peace Comes

I dedicate this article to my brothers and sisters in North Korea, who suffer unimaginably as I write. For them, that is the believers in Christ, the subject of this piece is incredibly delicious. Oh that all of God's people could think it so.

Most people get to Revelation 21 and 22 and take a deep breath. No more vials. No more trumpets. No more seals. No more monsters. Smooth sailing. That's mostly true, but one of the biggest puzzles for me is the timing of this bit of prophecy.

When will arrive the "new heavens and the new earth"? Peter in his epistle sees it coming directly after the present age. The prophets likewise see a time of worldwide peace directed by the Jewish Messiah at the end of the present era. I lean that direction too, for those reasons, and others I will mention. But if that is true, then

• the Bible nowhere speaks of what eternity will be like.
• chapters 21 and 22 are out of order, and go back before chapter 20, which brings readers not only to, but through, and after, the millennium.
• the last recorded event in chronological time is the vanishing of heavens and earth, followed by the judgment of the damned in the Lake of Fire.
• the "new heavens and the new earth" are merely a healed planet, not a brand new creation as in Genesis 1.

Whether the magnificent descriptions of the last two of the Bible's chapters are the millennium or the period following it, one must admit that the Bible does not spend much time talking about things that are so very far away. We will have, after all, 1000 years to hear about the plan for the next phase of our existence. Truly it has not entered into our mind the things God has prepared for us.

But I was saying I tend to agree with the millennial interpretation here. The phrases used are very reminiscent of prophets like Isaiah. Things that happen are very this-worldly. Kings and nations are mentioned, nations that are slowly being healed from the ravages of the governments of men. And very significantly, even though Jesus has everything under control, there is still the potential for evil, as ordinary men live on into this time period. Our city is indeed holy and wonderful, but the whole world is not fully aligned to these things. All of this points away, I think, from an interpretation that says these two chapters are about eternity.

The set-up will be much as Rome dreamed it was going to be hundreds of years back. Their timing was a bit off. There shall indeed be a world empire ruled by the church, but it will be the glorified church descending from heaven, with Christ at the helm, not a military-based empire with a mere human at the head.

At the end of the 1000 years, the evil potential is gathered together for one last assault against the Righteousness enthroned in Jerusalem. Christ is victorious, and now it's time to move on to places as yet unspoken to human ears. What an adventure awaits!

Let us put all things away from our lives that do not matter, so as to be sure not to miss what will surely come our way. Never have God's promises failed, even when we did not fully understand them. They will not fail now.

http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. I have created over 200 blogs and the site features a live news feed , lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together! Contact me any time at diakonos5@yahoo.com

And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. I love to write Scriptural works. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond .

History Written for Children

When is history fun? When it is told or written in story form. Children are more responsive to stories of true events than they are to reading a conventional history book.
Shirley Nelson author of What Happened Here? saw the need for a local history book and wrote it so that children and adults would enjoy learning from it.

Shirley Nelson, author of What Happened Here, took time out from her very busy schedule to give us at Far West Books and Gifts an interview.

What made Shirley want to write a book about the history of this area (Coos and Curry counties, Oregon)? Shirley taught school in Medford, Oregon for several years. The last couple of years she taught fourth grade. At that time, fourth grade children learned Oregon History. Shirley thought they would enjoy stories more and they could learn history that way. She read to them stories about true events written in a way that children could understand. Shirley found that the children responded better to the stories written about history better than reading history.

When Shirley retired and moved here to Port Orford, Oregon, she started to learn about all the rich history of this area. Her idea was to write a book about the stories of the local history, a book which children would like and was in a simple vocabulary that children could understand but adults would read also. Many adults buy the book not only for themselves but for their children also. It was the idea that these stories are interesting, they tell us about who we are and where we come from. Shirley wanted to do it in a form that people would enjoy. There are many excellent history books written on this area, but they are big and long and technical. Many people will not pick them off the shelves and read them. (Shirley included a bibliography of Oregon History books in What Happened Here?)

What Happened Here? is in its second printing and available at several local stores. Far West Books and Gifts now has it available at our on-line store at booksatfarwest.com.
What Happened Here? has received very good reviews from Librarians, Historians and other authors.

When you are ready to learn more about the local history of Coos and Curry counties of Southern Oregon, this book should be on your list. It has fourteen short stories about local stories and legends based on the history of Coos and Curry counties, five maps, 22 pictures and a historical time line from 1848 to 1945. It is also very informative to new residents or visitors of the area.

Catherine Dahrens is the owner of Far West Books and Gifts, an on-line book store located at http://www.booksatfarwest.com