True Meaning

Itinerary
Pastoral Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Special Music: Donald Squillace (Tenor) and Jim Fagen (Classical Guitar)
Sermon: Lindsay Lagasse
Closing Prayer: http://www.findthepower.com/virtualchurch/ChurchClosingPrayer.htm

You sent us Your only begotten Son. He came to a world that hated Him and then died for them--for us. Father, we can not imagine the sacrifice He and You gave, and we can never repay You for it. But, Lord, we bow humbly before You today to thank You--for everything. You do so much and ask so little. So please, God, reign Your Holy Spirit upon us at this time, that we may drink in and process the true meaning of the blessing You gave us over 2000 years ago. In Christ's Heavenly Name we pray, AMEN.
_______________________________

There's a Song in the Air
Lyrics (number 120): http://www.digitalhymnal.org/dhindex.cfm
Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_l-v51VY-w
_______________________________
Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Little early? Perhaps...but the next two Sabbaths will be absent of my presence here, so I have to say it now or never! I do hope that in the hectic Christmas time, we are not forgetting the reason behind it all--the true meaning. It is not simply give and get, it's a day to remember and honor. Whom? Who else? Our Brother, Jesus Christ! It is called CHRISTmas for a reason! Perhaps y'all have noticed, but I hold a low tolerance for "Happy Holidays" and "Merry xmas"--it is just disrespectful to the Maker! Sure, not everyone is Christian, thus they do not celebrate Christmas. But come on--a Holiday Tree in Time Square? WHAT!? The other holidays at that time do not use the tree as a symbol! Thus, a big pine tree with an angel or star on top is for Christmas. Those who love the Lord can not keep contained their devotion to Him. Mark 12:30 says to "love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength". How can we love Him so dearly, and yet let His Word shatter before man? "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (Galatians 6:8). It is clear that if we bow down to please man, keep from offending those sensitive souls by disobeying the Father, then we will lead to our own damnation.

"One of the more neglected areas of God’s love is telling people the truth. Some people practice neutrality and tolerance as Christian love. We are so careful not to OFFEND our neighbors, friends and family by THE TRUTH, so we can say we love them. But are we loving God by doing this? Are we really loving them? Are we so unwilling to endure any rejection that we have become ashamed of God’s word! Is it not better to do what is right in God’s eyes and suffer the consequences from man, then to do what is right in mans eyes and suffer the consequences from God! This is not a time to compromise on what is true to please people so that we don’t look like we are fanatics, it is time to stand up and shine the light because the world is getting darker day by day." (letusreason.org)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Now, before any of you tormentors get on me, I KNOW Christ was not born in December. I know the history behind the December rituals. You try to use that as an argument, but honestly, no one cares. Christians use Christmas as a day to remember His birth. Rarely do we say "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" because we know it'd be incorrect. So why waste your breath trying to poke holes in the logic, when it is obvious you have not done your own homework?

Back on topic here, I often wonder why gifts are given on Christmas. Yeah, I know it started with a kind-hearted German man helping two poor woman by giving them sacks of gold. But why did we pick that up? Or more importantly, why did that become the REASON for Christmas? Material goods have become the meaning behind the sacred day, and it is frightening. Remember, it is easier for a camel to get through the Needle gate (mentioned last week), than it is for a rich man to enter Heaven (Matthew 19:24). So why did a day for Christ become a day for possessions? It is obvious that the Father does not approve of worldly objects, because they distract us from Him. Jesus, on many accounts, tells His followers to drop all their belongings and follow Him. Some people, like Simon and Andrew (in Mark 1:14-20), are willing to drop it all for Jesus. But there are other men, like the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22, who are unwilling to part with their bounty. But our worldly possessions will not come with us into Heaven--it is our godly deeds that will follow us.

So in this holiday season, the season that we celebrate the birth of our Brother, remember the reason behind it all. Before you go and spent $400 on some pointless laptop, stop and think: will this help bring me closer to the Father, or will this only feed my unrighteous antics?

_______________________________
On Christmas day, O Lord, on this day when Your great light came into the world, we celebrate Your birth. We give You our life and give others our gifts as a sign of our love for You. As You brought Your Light for the world to little Bethlehem, let each of us show Your great Light of love, kindness, caring, and compassion to those around us. When we find frustrations in our hustle and bustle in this Christmas season, remind us what we do this Christmas is not just because of You. Remind us, O Lord, what we do is for You and for all of Your children on the earth. Let love be spread all around the world through us because of Your Son coming into the world. By Your holy name, let love touch every heart on earth. Let there be peace and good will amongst all nations. All these things I pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lost in Translation

Itinerary

Pastoral Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse

Special Music: Originally, Katherine Hankey (unsure of the singers of the video I present)

Sermon: Lindsay Lagasse

Closing Prayer: Amber Clark

_____________________________________________________

Welcome Service

Pastoral Prayer: Father, we come to You today with eyes that are blind. The words you spoke through Your many worshippers have been lost to us, and we know not how to uncover the Truth. We pray to You here, Father, that You'll guide us to Heavenly knowledge and insight, so that we may do all that is pleasing You. Work with us here to help us retain what is said, so that as the end-time approaches, we can understand and do what You want from us. In Christ's name we pray, AMEN.



Tell me the Old, Old Story--Hymnal 196

http://www.digitalhymnal.org/dhindex.cfm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXmqCgCEWEo

_____________________________________________________



Good day, Brothers and Sisters! Today is a wonderful day to serve the Almighty Lord! It's cold outside, but the day still carry on. Every day we wake up breathing is a blessing from the Father. Anyway, I was doing my Bible study Thursday morning when I came across this idea for a sermon. But it wasn't right away that it hit me. I do my four chapters of reading like a lot of people do, but then I get this daily "Pocket Testimony" Bible study email. This week they mentioned Matthew 24, which claims it is easier to get a camel through a needle than it is for a rich man to get into Heaven. It went on to explain that in the original Bible, it was the Needle, not a needle. You see, in Jerusalem, they followed the Sabbath laws of no buying or selling on Sabbath. To discourage any breaking of this sacred law, they closed the main gates to carriages and such. But, they kept one small gate open for foot traffic. This gate was called Needle Gate. In order for a camel to fit, you had to unload everything from the camel and just pray the camel was not too big! It was difficult, but possible. That was what the Bible was relating it to. It took 17 years for me to find that out! All this time I thought it was pretty much saying it was impossible for a rich man to enter Heaven (seeing as it's impossible to fit a camel through a needle)! Talk about lost in translation! I didn't get God's hint until Thursday night, though. I was rereading the status I put up about the whole thing to my ma when it suddenly clicked. God had to be patient for ol' thick-headed Lindsay over here :)



But that is just one example of so many. In this sermon I present here today, I am going to cover just a few of the things I have uncovered that have been lost in translation from old Hebrew to modern English. Some things I say here today will, in fact, be repeats from past sermons, but that's quite alright, in my eyes. Doing repetitive things will help solidify what is to be taught in the lessons. Enjoy.



Part One; Alcohol

The word “wine” in the Bible sometimes refers to the new—or fresh juice of the grape; other times it is used to describe the aged or fermented product containing the drug alcohol. The translators never used the term “grape juice.” In the Hebrew text, the writers use different words to distinguish between the two. The word tîyrôsh is used for new unfermented wine, and yayin is generally used for fermented wine, but there were some exceptions (Isaiah 16:10). However, in the New Testament, only one Greek word is used to describe both fermented and fresh grape juice: oinis . But this shouldn’t be a problem. By simply understanding the context of the word in a passage, the appropriate meaning will usually surface. So, unless the passage says old or new wine (as in Luke 5:37–39), the context will often tell us what kind of grape juice is being described.



There are 52 occurrences of the Hebrew word tiyrosh. It is translated as wine in Gen 27:28, Gen 27:37, Deu 11:12-14 (3), Deu 12:17, Deu 14:23, Deu 18:4, Deu 28:51, Deu 33:28, Jdg 9:13, 2Ki 18:32, 2Ch 31:5, 2Ch 32:28, Neh 5:11, Neh 10:37, Neh 10:39, Neh 13:5, Neh 13:12, Psa 4:7, Pro 3:10, Isa 24:7, Isa 36:17, Isa 65:8 (2), Jer 31:12, Hos 2:8-9 (2), Hos 2:22, Hos 4:11, Hos 7:14, Hos 9:2, Hos 9:4, Hos 14:7, Joe 1:10, Joe 2:19, Joe 2:24, Mic 6:15, Hag 1:11, and Zec 9:17. It is translated as new wine in Neh 10:39, Neh 13:5, Neh 13:12, Pro 3:10, Isa 65:7-8 (2), Hos 4:11, Hos 9:2, Hag 1:10-11 (2), and Zec 9:17, and sweet wine in Mic 6:15. The new wine in the New Testament is not the same as the new wine mentioned in the Old Testament. The use of new wine in Acts 2:13 "These men are full of new wine." is the Greek gleukos, akin to glukus. This use in Acts 2:13, the only occasion of the Greek word gleukos, is not talking about fresh wine, but a highly intoxicating wine. If you read Acts 2:12, 13, you'll realize that in this occurrence, they are using the terms new wine to try and describe what they believe to be insanity. They think their fellows are drunk. So, one of the few occurrences that actual wine is used, it is for a negative purpose. The Greek word glukus is used three times and is in James 3:11 and Revelation 10:9-10. In Revelation 10:9-10 it is used two times and is translated sweet and one time in James 3:12 where it is translated fresh.



Words used for wine in the Old Testament

• gath (treading out grapes)


• chemer (fermenting)


• chamar (wine)


• yayin (intoxication)


• yeqeb (wine vat)


• mamsak (wine mixed with water and spices)


• sobe (concretely)


• enab (a grape)


• asiys (fresh grape juice)


• shekar (an intoxicant, intensely alcoholic liquor)


• tiyrosh (fresh grape juice)

Words used for wine in the New Testament

• glyoo'-kos (sweet wine, fermented)


• oinos (wine)


• oinophlugia (excess of wine)


• paroinos (concretely)

Part Two; Meat

I know many hate this part. Now, hey, you eat what you want. I am here to merely point out what has been lost in translations. Read Roman chapter 14, I believe, and you will see that God will not judge us based on what we eat, as long as we're not gluttonous and greedy. So I am not here to sway you on over to my vegetarian cult (though it'd be fantastic), I am merely here to point out a few things.



For example, in John 4:8 it states: "For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat." The word meat was taken from the Greek word trophe, which actually means nourishment. This is exactly the same case in Acts (9.19): "And when he had received meat, he was strengthened." When translated accurately it means that by receiving nourishment, he felt stronger. Now does that say yea or nay to meat? Not at all! I am pointing out the soul fact that just because our modern translations say meat, does not mean it IS meat.



In Luke (8.55) we find, "And her spirit came again and she arose straightaway: and he (Jesus) commanded to give her meat." The word meat in this case was translated from the Greek word phago, which translated correctly simply means to eat. Okay, so it doesn't make sense to our mind, but that's what it says! I suppose in proper english it would be that He commanded to give her something to eat? That's just my opinion on that one. Literal Old Hebrew to English is tough stuff...especially when English is such a wacky, disorganized language! :)



In I Corinthians (8.8) it states: "But meat commendeth us not to God, for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither if we eat not, are we the worse." The word for meat here is broma, which actually means food. Therefore, this verse signifies that eating or not eating food has little to do with our relationship to God and not, as some people think, that eating meat holds no wrong.



In Romans (14.20-21) the verses are: "For meat destroy not the word of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." The word for meat here is broma, which again is a general word that means foods, and the word for flesh is kreas, which does mean flesh. Therefore, this verse is another that is not necessarily supportive of eating meat, but makes it clear that flesh eating is unacceptable.



Part Three; Word Count

Faithful believers, we affirm without doubt the Bible to be totally infallible and inerrant, our sole and supreme authority of faith and practice. We affirm the Verbal Plenary Inspiration (VPI) and Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP) of the Holy Scriptures and identify VPI and VPP Texts to be the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Received Texts on which the Reformation Bible—the King James Bible—is based. But "what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." (Rom 3:3-4).



Those who deny VPP believe that some words of God have been lost and remain lost leading to a "scribal error" view of the OT Scriptures. For instance, W Edward Glenny denies that God has perfectly preserved His Word so that no words have been lost. He says, "The evidence from the OT text suggests that such is not the case. We might have lost a few words …" (One Bible Only?, p121). Based on his "lost words" view of the Bible, he was quick to point out "obvious discrepancies" in the OT like 2 Chronicles 22:2, and pontificates, "These obvious discrepancies in the KJV and the Hebrew manuscripts on which it is based show that none of them perfectly preserved the inspired autographa." (One Bible Only?, p115).



Now, know that 2 Chronicles 22:2 reads "forty-two" in the KJV. A number of the modern versions like the NASV, NIV, and ESV read "twenty-two" instead. So which is the original, inspired reading: "forty-two" (in KJV), or "twenty-two" (in NASV, NIV, and ESV)? In making such a textual decision, we must have a perfect standard, and that infallible and inerrant standard is the inspired and preserved Hebrew Scripture, and not any translation ancient or modern.



It is significant to note that every single Hebrew manuscript reads "forty-two" (arebba’im wushetha’im) in 2 Chronicles 22:2. There is no evidence of lost words—every word to the letter is preserved, and reads precisely as "forty-two" as accurately translated in the KJV. If every Hebrew manuscript reads "forty-two" in 2 Chronicles 22:2, then on what basis do the NASV, NIV, and ESV change it to "twenty-two"? They change "forty-two" to "twenty-two" on the basis of the Septuagint (LXX) which is a Greek version of the Hebrew Scripture just like the NIV is an English version of it. In other words, they use a version or translation to correct the original Hebrew text!



A godly approach is one that presupposes the present infallibility and inerrancy of God’s Word not only when it speaks on salvation, but also when it speaks on history, geography or science. "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Rom 3:4). Such a godly approach to difficult passages seeks to compare (not correct) Scripture with Scripture. There are two possible solutions to the so-called "problem" or "error" in 2 Chronicles 22:2. "Forty-two" could be either (1) Ahaziah’s years counted from the beginning of the dynasty founded by Omri, or (2) the year in which Ahaziah was actually seated as king though anointed as one at "twenty-two" (2 Kgs 8:26). Whatever the answer may be, the truth and fact is: the inspired and preserved Hebrew reading in 2 Chronicles 22:2 is "forty-two" and not "twenty-two," and no man has the right to change or correct God’s Word by "conjectural emendation,". "[..]taking heed to the serious warning not to add to or subtract from the Holy Scriptures" (Rev 22:18-19).



Part Four; Making a Point

Translating things wrong can have an immense affect on those who read it. For example: "Let's go eat, Grandma" verses "Let's go eat Grandma" is a HUGE difference! One little comma killed Grandma; imagine what a mistranslated word could do!

Just for your enjoyment (and to make my point more memorable), here are a few other funny translation errors made in modern times.

• Japanese hotel room - You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid


• Paris hotel elevator - Please leave your values at the front desk


• Tokyo hotel - It is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such a thing is please not read this notice


• Bucharest hotel - The list is being fixed for the next day. During this time you will be unbearable


• Leipzig elevator - Do not enter the lift backwards, and only when lit up


• Athens hotel - Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11am daily


• Belgrade elevator - To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving then going alphabetically in national order


• Sarajevo hotel - The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid


• Moscow hotel - You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursday


• Swiss menu - Our wines leave you nothing to hope for


• Hong Kong tailors shop - Ladies may have a fit upstairs


• Bangkok dry cleaners - Drop your trousers here for best results


• Paris dress shop - Dresses for street walking


• Rhodes tailor shop - Order your summer suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation


• Hong Kong advert - Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists


• Rome laundry - Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time


• Swiss mountain inn - Special today... no ice cream


• Copenhagen airline - We take your bags and send them in all directions


• Norwegian lounge - Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar


• Tokyo shop - Our nylons cost more than common but they are better for the long run


• Acapulco hotel - The manager has personally passed all the water served here

A young believer once asked his pastor this question, "Pastor, are there any mistakes in the Bible?" The pastor assures the young believer with what he claims to be an "honest" answer, "There are no mistakes in the Bible that should cause you any worry." The pastor didn't know it, but he was lying to that poor believer. One must be so careful when exploring the wonders of the Word. I pray you open your eyes, Brothers and Sisters. I pray the Father guides you to Truth, rather than the Serpent leading you to lies. Have a great week.

_____________________________________

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for blessing us with this beautiful day. Thank you for the words Lindsay has shared with us today and help us bring them to heart. I pray that this week you'll watch over all of us, help us with tests or projects we may have for school, and watch over all the travelers going home for break this weekend. Please help us remember to set aside time for you this week, I know often times we forget. It's in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

In God We Trust

http://hishiddenvoice.livejournal.com/3744.html

Itinerary


Opening Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse


Special Music: Glenridge SDA Church Choir


Sermon: Lindsay Lagasse


Closing Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse


Heavenly Father above, we bow before You as Your humble servants. No one is as high and mighty as You, Lord. Each step we take is carefully placed by Your adoring hands. Our paths are laid out and it is our choice whether to wander aimlessly down the road Satan has given, or to walk with purpose in the direction You have mercifully presented. Another week has passed and You have let us live. We thank You, Father, and surrender our will over to You, laying it at Your feet. Be with us now as we read through the words You have given me to preach. I pray all those laying eyes on this will be as blessed as I was in my coming across Your works. In Christ's name we pray, AMEN.





God Will Take Care of You, Hymn 99 in the SDA Hymnal


Music Video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKwFsPsY_YQ


Lyrics and Information (#99)- http://www.digitalhymnal.org/dhindex.cfm





_________________________________________





There can be no doubts that God will take care of us, that I assure you. His every word and every action, are all for your benefit. Every hair on our head is numbered (Matthew 10:30) because He cares about you as an individual. Not even a sparrow can fall without the Father's knowledge (Matthew 10:29), and aren't you worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:31)? If He does so much just out of loving devotion to you, can't you trust in Him? George MacDonald said "“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved", but aren't they the same thing? Don't the two play in the same play-yard? Or better yet, aren't both the offspring of the same womb? Without love, there can be no trust. But without trust, there is no love. John 14:15 claims "If you love me, you will obey what I command". I personally read that in another way sometimes. If you trust me, you will obey what I command. Why do I think that? Simple. You have to trust someone to obey them. If someone you don't trust tells you to stand firm as danger approaches, what are you going to do? I'll tell you one thing, I'd be out of there faster than a strike of a vibrant viper. But if someone I trust says it, well, I will probably listen. I will know that person doesn't want me hurt, so I will trust in their judgement. You get what I'm throwing down? :)





A lot of what I say today is coming from a study lesson in my "Amazing Facts, Study Edition" New King James Bible. I won't be announcing every time I take exact quotes from it, but I will simply put the quotation marks in place. If you see unlabeled quotation marks, you can assume it is a quote from my study guide.





The world is not what it used to be. Past generations look at these modern times with horrified expressions. "Billions are embezzled in corporate fraud; when trusted, spiritual leaders prove false; when lying in politics seems to be the norm; when those you depend on the most often hurt you the deepest--is there anyone left you can trust? Yes! You can fully trust the Bible! Why?" I'll tell you why here, today. This lesson speaks to me in a profound way because this year has been difficult. I am not ashamed to admit my faith has been terribly shaken. I cursed God at times, but would quickly regather myself and hide away my doubts so that the world wouldn't see. The swallowed pain gnawed away at me, making me lose sleep, which caused illness, dropped school grades, and downright crankiness. My friends can testify that I wasn't pleasant--and I didn't care.





We all know God didn't write the Bible, nor did Jesus. It was inspired upon regular people--people like you and me. That raises suspicions about the validity of the Word. But have no doubt, Brothers and Sisters, I can assure you it is true. First of all, Jesus trusted wholly in the Word, and, as Christians, we trust Him. If we trust Him, and He trusts the Bible, shouldn't we trust the Bible too? Like I said earlier on, we listen to those we trust. Listen to Christ our Brother and you'll hear quite clearly that His desire is for us to follow His Father's Word. He demonstrates His unswerving loyalty to the Bible in many places, but specifically in Matthew4:4, 7, and 10. He, as He always does, turned to quoting the Bible as a rebuttal to Satan's attempts to tempt Him. Matthew 4:4 says "It is written: 'Man shall not live by bread alone'". Matthew 4:7 says "It is written again, 'You shall nor tempt the Lord your God'". Matthew 4:10 says "For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve'". Then, in John 17:17, Jesus determines the follow: "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth". The Word is the Bible. Jesus Himself said the Bible was truth. What argument can any Christian give against that?





With all that said, one could ponder the question of whether or not Bible prophecies confirm the inspiration of those forty or so souls that wrote the Bible. Isaiah 42:8, 9 and Isaiah 46:9, 10 claim that God knows all things before they happen, and that it is He who declares the beginning from the end before either happen. There is much truth for those declarations. "Bible predictions of things to happen in the future confirm the inspiration of scripture as they come to pass." Take note of the list I present below. It is a list of events written about in the Bible. However, the Bible was written long before these events took place, and yet it hits the nail on the head. How can we explain that but by the reasoning that God truly did inspire those forty or so human beings?

• For world empires are to rise: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (Daniel 2, 7, and 8).



• Cyrus was to be the warrior to capture Babylon (Isaiah 45:1-3).



• Babylon was not to ever be inhabited again after it's destruction (Isaiah 13:19, 20; Jeremiah 51:37).



• Egypt would never again have a commanding position among the nations (Ezekial 29:14,15; 30:12,13).



• Earth shaking calamities and fear toward the time of the end (Luke 21: 25,26).



• Moral and spiritual decline in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Being surrounded in a world of atheists and agnostics, the topic of science versus the Bible always gets brought up. I am in the middle of reading a book Mrs. Plomaritas, my AP Biology teacher, let me borrow. It is a book by a scientist (from Virginia), Francis S Collins. He has a masters degree and doctorate degree in college. Bottom line is, he's a pretty high leveled scientist (gamer talk right there). Now, I have not gotten very far into the book he has written, but I am going to recommend it. Why? Mrs. Plomaritas recommended it, and I trust her opinion. Mr. Collins wrote it and it's called "The Language of God". He will help in the debate between science and religion. Anyway, I have gotten far enough to come across a nice little piece of information. Mr. Collins said, "In 1916, researchers asked biologists, physicists, and mathematicians whether they believed in a God who actively communicates with humankind and to whom one may pray in expectation of receiving an answer. About 40 percent answered in the affirmative. In 1997, the same survey was repeated verbatim--and to the surprise of the researchers, the percentage remained very nearly the same." Forty percent is pretty good, considering the wild idea that most people have saying scientists could not believe in God. And, doing my own research, I came across a more up-to-date survey. It was conducted in May and June of 2009, by Pew Research Center. The survey was given to members of American Assn. for the Advancement of Science. The group was asked about their belief in God. Now-a-days, 51% say they believe in God or a higher power, and only 41% say they do not. The rest were agnostic (meaning they were unsure).

The Bible also proves for itself that it holds scientific validity.

• "He hangs the earth on nothing" (Job 26:7). Job is the oldest book in the Bible. Now, tell me, I am pretty sure back then we hadn't entered space yet. How was it that the oldest book was correct on a matter that people could not yet even comprehend? You give me an answer outside of the existence to God, and I'll listen.



• "He[...]sits above the circle of the earth" (Isaiah 40:22). The Bible here says the earth is round...Again I point out the simple fact that these books were long since written once we finally got our behinds into space.



• "To establish a weight for the wind" (Job 28:25). Long before the first scientist discovered it, God knew that air had weight.



• "In Him all things consist" (Colossians 1:17). The word "consist" here literally means "hold together" or "cohere". This is the answer to the nuclear physicists' worrisome question about the atom. The real mystery of the atom does not involve its benumbing mega power, but rather, "Why doesn't the atom fall apart?" Scientific knowledge says it should, but it doesn't. Some scientists are wondering what puzzling power, completely unknown to them, is holding it together. The Bible says that mysterious power is the Creator, God Himself.

I am going to end with some amazing facts. One of the greatest miracles of the Bible is its unity, so ponder the below facts (all credit goes to Doug Batchelor and his team for uncovering them for my convenience). Once you've read through them, ask yourself one question: "Do I trust the Bible?" Consider the miracle of it all, and see if you can convince yourself not to answer yes to that question.

"The 66 books of the Bible were written:

1. On three continents.



2. In three languages.



3. By about 40 different people (kings, shepherds, theologians, an army general, fisherman, priests, and a physician).



4. Over a period of about 1,500 years.



5. On the most controversial subjects.



6. By people who, in most cases, had never met.



7. By writers whose educations and backgrounds varied greatly.

"Yet, though it seems totally inconceivable,

1. The 66 books maintain harmony with each other.



2. Often new concepts on a subject are expressed, but these concepts do not undermine what other Bible writers say on the same subject.

"Talk about astounding! Ask people who have viewed an identical event to each give a report of what happened. They will differ widely and will virtually always contradict each other in some way. Yet the Bible, penned by 40 writers over a 1,500-year period, reads as if authored by one great mind. And, indeed, it was: "Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2Peter 1:21). The Holy Spirit "moved" them all. He is the real Bible Author. The four Gospels do sometimes differ in the way they report the same event, but they compliment each other."

It's pretty easy to see that if you can not trust anyone else, you can trust in the true author of the Word--in God we can always trust. Have a great week, Brothers and Sisters.

God, You are so Awesome to us. Your name brings so much comfort to us. Just hearing Your voice eases away pain. Thoughts of You bring so much joy into our life. Everyday we want to feel Your presence. Just knowing we're right there with You makes us feel so awesome inside. We will always call upon Your name when we are feeling low, because You lift us up. You take away all our burdens and help us to stand on our feet again. You lift us up on wings like eagles. As we journey forward in this coming week, we pray that we'll keep our covenant with You and that Your grace will rain down upon us. In Christ's name we pray, AMEN.

Jurassic Park; Yes or No?

http://hishiddenvoice.livejournal.com/3369.html

Itinerary
Pastoral Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Special Music: Lebanon County Youth Chorus
Sermon: Lindsay Lagasse
Closing Prayer: Danielle Plomaritas


Welcome Worship

Father, we sit before You, souls filthy with sin. This week has been painful and joyful, tempting and righteous. It is only by Your majestic grace that we can see the light of another day. Our every breath is a gift from You, and we are so grateful for that. You've guided us loyally along life's paths, and we pray You hold our hand now. Speak through me so that those reading may be blessed. In Your holy and merciful Name, AMEN.

Let All Things Now Living: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpMCE1G3N7Q&feature=related


Sermon

I will be away for Thanksgiving week so no sermon will be presented. The song, you may have noticed, is a song of thanks. I encourage everyone to listen to it (or sing it) on Thanksgiving, because He is what we must be thankful for above all things.

I have a small testimony here. Every week I go through a panic, wondering if the Lord will impress upon me what my sermon should be on. He always shines through, but I go through the same stress every week. Normally I pray every morning, and He'll eventually give me a subtle push to what my topic should be. Well, this week I prayed once. My busy schedule did not stop me from doing my morning and evening prayers, but they distracted me enough that I'd never think to actually pray about my coming sermon. I was sitting in English class, barely listening to Ms. May, when I realized I still had no topic. I like to have my topic planned a week in advance, but here it was Monday and I hadn't given the sermon a thought. So, I prayed right there in class. My eyes hadn't even opened yet before I heard the music of inspiration. "Ms. May, what about dinosaurs?" The class has apparently gotten onto the topic of the Bible (as if always does), and now the Anthonys were showing curiosity...or just trying to fluster the teacher, I don't know. Ms. May, a devote Christian, thought for a moment before looking away and saying "Next question?" real eagerly. I went to answer their ignored question, and realized that I couldn't find the right words to spread some truth. And that is when it hit me; sermon time!

Anyone here a fan of Jurassic Park? I am...okay, more than a fan. If not for being a Christian, I would probably choose Michael Crichton as a god of all things. But he is just a man...a wonderful man. Anyway, before I get myself in trouble here, many may know that before Jurassic Park (published in 1990, movie created in 1993), dinosaurs were a pretty bland subject. They were the creatures for children's minds, and if it went past that, then the people who liked them were nerds. But Jurassic Park made dinosaurs popular. It made them cool. But, now that everyone was a dinosaur fan, Christians and critics began to ask questions. "Hey, this Bible here, there ain't no dinosaurs. I think the book of all knowledge would mention some giant lizard that tromped the lands! Mustn't be true. Gosh darnit, I've been followin' a bunch of lies here." Dinosaurs became the biggest argument in favor of paganism. Athiests would walk on up to a Christian and be like "Where's the dinosaurs? Bible doesn't mention them, stupid." This would cause the Christian to lock up, not knowing the answer. The athiest would walk away, pleased, and the Christian would sulk, crestfallen and doubtful. Darn you, Jurassic Park (I love you)!

Now onto the part that will lift you, my Brothers and Sisters! Dinosaurs are actually mentioned in the Bible! You just need to know what to look for. The Bible refers to many the common animals we know today. The list includes lions, wolves, bears, sheep, cattle and dogs along with various kinds of birds, rodents, reptiles, and insects. What is interesting is that this extensive list includes three animals that we no longer recognize. These three are (in the original Hebrew language) tanniyn, b@hemowth (yes, it’s spelled correctly—at least as close as we can get in Roman characters), and livyathan. Most people would just brush off those names, but we mustn't do so. They're important! Nothing in the Bible is there "just because'. God knew what debates would come up long before you and I were born. He gave us the information needed to justify our beliefs and honor Him, we just need to do a little digging to find His hidden messages.

Although we alter the spelling of behemoth and Leviathan slightly, we still use those same words in Bibles today. However, tanniyn is always translated into another word when we write it in English. Tanniyn occurs 28 times in the Bible and is normally translated “dragon.” It is also translated “serpent,” “sea monster,” “dinosaur,” “great creature,” and “reptile.” Behemoth and Leviathan are relatively specific creatures-- perhaps each was a single kind of animal. Tanniyn is a more general term, and it can be thought of as the original version of the word “dinosaur.” The word “dinosaur” was originally coined in 1841, more than three thousand years after the Bible first referred to “Tanniyn.” To make things clearer, I found the following table comparing the scientific names with the Biblical names tanniyn, behemoth, and Leviathan.

In 1822, Mary Ann Mantell became the first person to discover and correctly identify a strange bone as part of a large, unknown reptile. Her husband, Dr. Gideon Mantell, later named this creature an “Iguanodon.” From that time forward, these forgotten animals were given names chosen by the people who rediscovered them. Of course, the Bible, written between approximately 1450 BC and 95 AD, does not include any of these names.

Reading the Bible carefully, you will realize that no living creature matches the descriptions of behemoth and Leviathan. However, if you grab your kid’s dinosaur book, you will notice several possible matches for each one. Let’s examine those:

Behemoth has the following attributes according to Job 40:15-24

• It "eats grass like an ox"


• It "moves its tail like a cedar" (In Hebrew, this literally reads, “he lets hang his tail like a cedar.”)


• Its “bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron.”


• “He is the first of the ways of God.”


• “He lies under the lotus trees, In a covert of reeds and marsh.”

Some bibles and study bibles will translate the word “behemoth” as “elephant” or “hippopotamus.” Others will put a note at the edge or bottom of the page, stating that behemoth was probably an elephant or a hippopotamus. Although an elephant or hippopotamus can eat grass (or lie in a covert of reeds and marsh), neither an elephant or a hippopotamus has a “tail like a cedar” (that is, a tail like a large, tapered tree trunk). In your kid’s dinosaur book you will find lots of animals that have “tails like a cedar.”

We would expect behemoth to be a large land animal whose bones are like beams of bronze and so forth, so whatever a behemoth is, it is large. A key phrase is “He is the first of the ways of God.” This phrase in the original Hebrew implied that behemoth was the biggest animal created. Although an elephant or a hippopotamus are big, they are less than one-tenth the size of a Brachiosaurus, the largest (complete) dinosaur ever discovered. A Brachiosaurus could therefore easily be described as “the first of the ways of God.”

Comparing all this information to the description in your kid’s dinosaur book, you may come to the conclusion that “behemoth” is not a normal animal, it is a dinosaur—the brachiosaurus. I agree with that conclusion!

Leviathan has the following attributes according to Job chapter 41, Psalm 104:25,26 and Isaiah 27:1. This is only a partial listing—just enough to make the point.

• “No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.”


• “Who can open the doors of his face, with his terrible teeth all around?”


• “His rows of scales are his pride, shut up tightly as with a seal; one is so near another that no air can come between them; they are joined one to another, they stick together and cannot be parted.”


• “His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lights; sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke goes out of his nostrils, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, and a flame goes out of his mouth.”


• “Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; nor does spear, dart, or javelin. He regards iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee; slingstones become like stubble to him. Darts are regarded as straw; he laughs at the threat of javelins.


• “On earth there is nothing like him, which is made without fear.”


• Leviathan “played” in the “great and wide sea” (a paraphrase of Psalm 104 verses 25 and 26—get the exact sense by reading them yourself).


• Leviathan is a “reptile that is in the sea.” (Isaiah 27:1)

Unlike behemoth, who is huge, Leviathan is ferocious and terrifying. Many references (I have not listed them all) refer to the sea, so Leviathan is probably a sea creature. Although some Bibles refer to Leviathan as an alligator or crocodile (and both of these are fierce) neither of these is a sea creature. They like the water, but they spend much of their time on land. Further, the question “Who can open the doors of his face. . . .” implies that nobody can open Leviathan’s jaws. Although an alligator's jaws cannot normally be forced open, a punch to their sensitive snout or poke in eye might startle them enough to release their grip.[2] Although this is a good description of an alligator characteristic, it does not fit perfectly with the description of Leviathan, which in the context of the Bible was supposed to describe an essentially impossible event.

The description of the scales is interesting. Several verses describe these great scales. Compared to Leviathan’s armor, iron is like straw and arrows ca not make it flee. Let’s face it, an arrow can do a lot of damage to a crocodile or alligator. This is not a description of either of them—or any living animal we are aware of.

And now for the key ingredient: fire. It is hard to read Job 41:18-21 without realizing the Bible is telling us that Leviathan breathes fire. That alone will eliminate almost every living animal. Yes, there is one animal like that in today’s world. It is called a bombardier beetle. This beetle is a native of Central America, and has a nozzle in its hind end that acts like a little flame thrower. It sprays a high-temperature jet of gas (fueled by hydroquinones and hydrogen peroxide with oxidative enzymes) for protection. Now, if a Central American beetle can do it, so could Leviathan. By the way, crocodiles and alligators are out of the picture on this one, don’t you agree?

Before we leave the topic of fire, there are two more notes you may find interesting:

• The history of every culture is filled with stories of fire-breathing dragons. If you think about it, in all the past ages wouldn’t someone have made up a story of a fire-breathing lion or something? Nobody did because the dragon stories are based on truth, and only “dragons” breathed fire. It is easy to imagine Leviathan as a member of the dragon (tanniyn) family. (Plus, Isaiah 27:1 strongly implies this connection.)


• Many fossil dinosaur skulls contain unexplained, empty passages. Scientists have not been able to guess the reason for these passages. Would it make sense that some dinosaurs used these passages as “gas tanks” for the combustible mixture used to “breathe fire?” I believe it does.

Comparing all this information to the description in your kid’s dinosaur book, you may come up with the conclusion that Leviathan is a kronosaurus.

Once humans are in the Bible, we unconsciously think that dinosaurs were extinct—and therefore not mentioned in the Bible. As you have just seen, the Bible not only refers to dinosaurs, but has detailed information about two of them.

Unfortunately, our public school system and the media have convinced us that dinosaurs were extinct at least 60 million years before man appeared on earth. They have done such a good job in this area that we can not imagine people and dinosaurs living at the same time. The fact is that dinosaurs were created no more than one day before mankind, not many millions of years earlier. Carbon-14 Date is how fossils are seemingly "aged".

"When a scientist’s interpretation of data does not match the clear meaning of the text in the Bible, we should never reinterpret the Bible. God knows just what He meant to say, and His understanding of science is infallible, whereas ours is fallible. So we should never think it necessary to modify His Word. Genesis 1 defines the days of creation to be literal days (a number with the word “day” always means a normal day in the Old Testament, and the phrase “evening and morning” further defines the days as literal days). Since the Bible is the inspired Word of God, we should examine the validity of the standard interpretation of 14C dating." Mike Riddle (http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/does-c14-disprove-the-bible)

A critical assumption used in carbon-14 dating has to do with this ratio. It is assumed that the ratio of 14C to 12C in the atmosphere has always been the same as it is today (1 to 1 trillion). If this assumption is true, then the AMS 14C dating method is valid up to about 80,000 years. Beyond this number, the instruments scientists use would not be able to detect enough remaining 14C to be useful in age estimates. This is a critical assumption in the dating process. If this assumption is not true, then the method will give incorrect dates. What could cause this ratio to change? If the production rate of 14C in the atmosphere is not equal to the removal rate (mostly through decay), this ratio will change. In other words, the amount of 14C being produced in the atmosphere must equal the amount being removed to be in a steady state (also called “equilibrium”). If this is not true, the ratio of 14C to 12C is not a constant, which would make knowing the starting amount of 14C in a specimen difficult or impossible to accurately determine. Dr. Willard Libby, the founder of the carbon-14 dating method, assumed this ratio to be constant. His reasoning was based on a belief in evolution, which assumes the earth must be billions of years old. Assumptions in the scientific community are extremely important. If the starting assumption is false, all the calculations based on that assumption might be correct but still give a wrong conclusion. In Dr. Libby’s original work, he noted that the atmosphere did not appear to be in equilibrium. This was a troubling idea for Dr. Libby since he believed the world was billions of years old and enough time had passed to achieve equilibrium. Dr. Libby’s calculations showed that if the earth started with no 14C in the atmosphere, it would take up to 30,000 years to build up to a steady state (equilibrium).

If the cosmic radiation has remained at its present intensity for 20,000 or 30,000 years, and if the carbon reservoir has not changed appreciably in this time, then there exists at the present time a complete balance between the rate of disintegration of radiocarbon atoms and the rate of assimilation of new radiocarbon atoms for all material in the life-cycle. Dr. Libby chose to ignore this discrepancy (nonequilibrium state), and he attributed it to experimental error. However, the discrepancy has turned out to be very real. The ratio of 14C /12C is not constant.

Did I have any of you going? Did anyone think those C14, equilibrium words were my own? If so, you need to get to know me better! Mike Riddle (http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/does-c14-disprove-the-bible) wrote all that. I am just barely surviving Pre-AP Chemistry. The only thing I know is Carbon Dating is extremely inaccurate. If you are able to comprehend all the Chemistry, please consider reading the full article by Mike Riddle. I did...but it sort of hurt my brain. I got the basic idea, though. More C14 is always being created. That wasn't what was thought when Carbon Dating first began. So, all the numbers and predictions we got from that process are inaccurate. The world, scientists are beginning to realize, is a very VERY young planet.

Closing Prayer
Lord, You say in Your Word, that we have not because we ask not. So we are asking: give us believing hearts. Give us the "want to" : To make YOU the authority in our lives, to follow and believe Your Word regardless of what culture or man says, and to dig in to tough questions like the origin of life that You have provided answers for if we look. Lord, help us above all to run after You more each day and to love Your most prized creation, other people, to draw them to ultimately to You. Thank You for the beauty and complexity of Your creation, and help us to honor You. Amen.

You Are What You Eat

http://hishiddenvoice.livejournal.com/3103.html

Itinerary

Pastoral Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse

Special Music: Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee (this copy is by LightofChrist02 on Youtube)

Sermon: Lindsay Lagasse

Closing Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse



Welcome Worship

Father Above, oh the mercy you pour upon us! We stand before You, unworthy of the grace You bestow! Our works will never be good enough to make our way into Heaven, only by Your all merciful love can we join You in Your Kingdom. This week has been another one of pain for mankind on earth, and temptation has prevailed. Only You can guide us past the hurt and the sin, lead us to You, Father. As we settle down for this week's end, we pray the words written here will be a blessing to all who witness. In Christ's Name we pray, AMEN.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3e95vb3KMA



Sermon

Jesus, our only joy be thou. We need not partake in worldly things, just to find comfort in this dangerous world. Your face brightens our paths, and Your merciful hand guides us. And yet, we still sink into the tastes of the world. Those few things You have advised against, we continue to relish. The flesh of a swine, the tainted grape, both have been specifically pointed out in the Bible. The Lord knows that pig is bad for the health of our body (temple for Christ), and alcohol--even the smallest sip--fogs the mind, thus destroying connection to the Almighty.



The original diet did not, of course, include flesh. It was the Garden of Eden! No one died, and this includes animals! It is not like the Garden of Eden in the Simpsons, where Homer is Adam and strips bacon off the pig, and the pig doesn't mind. No, you have to kill to get flesh, and that was not permitted (or even comprehended) at that time. "And God said, 'See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food'" Genesis 1:29.



There's no clearer way for me to display what is considered clean or unclean, then by simply quoting Leviticus 11. "Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth: Among the animals, whatever divides the hoof, having cloven hooves and chewing the cud—that you may eat. Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; the rock hyrax, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; the hare, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. They are unclean to you. ‘These you may eat of all that are in the water: whatever in the water has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers—that you may eat. But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you. They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination. Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales—that shall be an abomination to you. ‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, the kite, and the falcon after its kind; every raven after its kind, the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind; the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl; the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture; the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. ‘All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you. Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth. These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you. ‘By these you shall become unclean; whoever touches the carcass of any of them shall be unclean until evening; whoever carries part of the carcass of any of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening: The carcass of any animal which divides the foot, but is not cloven-hoofed or does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches it shall be unclean. And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that go on all fours, those are unclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening. Whoever carries any such carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. It is unclean to you. ‘These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the large lizard after its kind; the gecko, the monitor lizard, the sand reptile, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. These are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening. Anything on which any of them falls, when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is any item of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever item it is, in which any work is done, it must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean. Any earthen vessel into which any of them falls you shall break; and whatever is in it shall be unclean: in such a vessel, any edible food upon which water falls becomes unclean, and any drink that may be drunk from it becomes unclean. And everything on which a part of any such carcass falls shall be unclean; whether it is an oven or cooking stove, it shall be broken down; for they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you. Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean, but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean. And if a part of any such carcass falls on any planting seed which is to be sown, it remains clean. But if water is put on the seed, and if a part of any such carcass falls on it, it becomes unclean to you. ‘And if any animal which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until evening. He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. ‘And every creeping thing that creeps on the earth shall be an abomination. It shall not be eaten. Whatever crawls on its belly, whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet among all creeping things that creep on the earth—these you shall not eat, for they are an abomination. You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps; nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you be defiled by them. For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. ‘This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.’”



I know that's a lot, but there's a lot of guideline to follow! Another thing I know is that, if you're like me, reading too much on one topic causes that topic to become moot. So, I think there's no better way to leave the topic of flesh, than with those words of the Father. But meat is not the only thing He suggests against to maintain a healthy temple for Christ. The fermented grape raises a lot of speculation. Now, a lot of what I write here will be quotes from Doug Batchelor's book called "The Christian and Alcohol", so assume that for all quotations (unless I note them to be from elsewhere, of course).



Paul Harvey says "Tests show that after drinking three bottles of beer, there is an average of 13 percent net memory loss. After taking only small quantities of alcohol, trained typists were tested and their errors increased 40 percent. Only one ounce of alcohol increases the time required to make a decision by nearly 10 percent; hinders muscular reaction by 17 percent; increases errors due to lack of attention by 35 percent by and 60 percent due to lack of muscular coordination." Now, whether you're a Christian or not, shouldn't this be reason enough for you to stop drinking? Unfortuntaly, it isn't for most. Some Christians turn to the Bible, see Jesus drinking wine, and considerate it okay. What they don't take into account, however, is that our modern day English versions are all translations from Hebrew-- and rough translations at that. Like when the Bible says "meat", on some accounts, that just means food. Same goes with the crude translation of wine.



To discuss that further, I must point out that in the original Hebrew Bible, there are two seperate words that got translated to wine in our English editions. The first word is tỉyrộsh. This word can be defined as new unfermented wine. During the story of Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding (in addition to a number of other stories), the term tỉyrộsh is used, thus saying that the water was turned into grape juice. The other word, the word used for fermented wine, is yayin. This term is used in stories like the one of Lot and his daughters. They trick Lot into drinking yayin, and he becomes drunk. This drunkedness causes bad judgement, so he has intercourse with both his daughters. And then there's the little known story of Noah. "The first reference to wine is found in Genesis when Noah, after the Flood, created the original fermented grape juice. "Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent" (Genesis 9:21). The sad record is that Noah drank and stumbled around naked and shamefully exposed himself to his sons. This first experiment with a new drug ended with a scathing curse falling on Noah's posterity."



"Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 'They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?' " (Proverbs 23:31-35).



So much devastation is caused by alcohol in our community, on the roads and in homes, that this is hardly a bold or surprising statement. Indeed, even if the Bible were silent on the subject, the object lessons of devastation from a thousand years of history would still be crystal clear. But the Scriptures say plenty. Jeremiah said God would make "bottles of wine" freely available to destroy the nation (Jeremiah 13:12-15). How true is this in our own country, with advertising directed at our youngest and most vulnerable citizens!



Much of what is here today are not my own words, this I freely admit. But with my heart so strongly convincted on such a subject, how could I find words clear enough to display the importance of such a topic? It is true what they say, that you are what you eat. God wants you to be successful and happy, and He has given you the guidelines to do so. Will you listen?



Closing Prayer: Father above, our lives are lead by the world. We have forgotten what it is You have desired for us. Every suggestion You give is for better reasoning. Only You know for sure what will keep our minds clear and bodies healthy. We pray that You give us the will to follow the guidelines You've so graciously given. And as we face this coming week, filled with temptations and evil, we pray You keep our mind clear so that our actions may be to Your pleasure and joy. In Christ's name we pray, AMEN.

A Hand to Hold

http://hishiddenvoice.livejournal.com/

Pastoral Prayer: God through Lindsay Lagasse

Special Music: Emmanuel Quartet

Sermon: God's voice through the fingers of Lindsay Lagasse

Closing Prayer: God through Natalie Updike



Pastoral Prayer: Father, we call upon You here today to sit with us as we dive deeper into what it means to trust You. This world, we have learned, will always let us down, but You are stronger than the world. Your promises are stronger than steel, and we are so grateful for the assurance that Your word is solid. Without that guarantee, so many of us would fall farther from The Promise, the eternal life You are so graciously giving us. In everything we do, we fall short of You, Lord, but we know Your heart is merciful and will forgive. Thank you, Father. We ask now for You to sit with us and grant us the wisdom and will to drink in all You have given for us to learn today. In Christ's ever-merciful name, AMEN.



Special Music: Twenty-Three by the Emmanuel Quartet- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0T3sTIf7oE

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
--Isaiah 40:31

Brothers and Sisters, let me tell you a story. It is a story about a girl and her conflict between trusting man and trusting God. She was born into a Catholic home to two devoted parents. They raised her to be a loving Christian Soldier. For her family, she was a Christian through and through. They didn't know what those at school knew. She was not a Christian, but rather a worshiper of people. Her trust lay fully in the hands of her peers. This lead to many betrayals, but none very big. A man came into her life, and she trusted him despite their great difference in age. But he hurt her unintentionally, teaching her that humans were not to be trusted. Instead of turning back to God, she remained alone in life with trust for no one. Suicide often crossed her mind, and she attempted on countless occasions. But then she was lead to God and finally, she was happy again. But another adult male entered her life and fought hard for her trust. They were the best of friends, telling each other every secret. But, as could be expected, the man broke the trust that he had formed with her. The going got tough, and he did what he said he'd never do; he "left" her. The girl was devastated. How could she fall for the trick again? This was too much, the betrayal of both older men. She fell into a depression again, and the thoughts of suicide returned. This time, however, there was a difference. She wasn't alone in the journey. Her trust was not all lost, for God still stood loyally by her. Even though the going was excruciatingly painful, He stayed with her. The depression soon wore away, for the little girl realized that, though man will never keep their promises made, God will. She had something solid to turn to.

That little girl, was me. God knew that only through my trials could I learn to lean on Him. But, He was not so cold as to give me no one. My parents were there for me, and probably the only reason I kept breathing with a willingness to survive before I knew the Father Above. And, of course, I had my friends and teachers, who are priceless gems to me. But I was blind to their kindness when the pain had set in. My trust in God was tested, and only because I held firm to Him did I make it through.

You may ask why I dove down so deep into my own personal affairs. Who cares, right? The past is past, I am a firm believer in that. The point was to show you the lesson I learned. Trials happen, but every single one is set to teach you a lesson. Though they may have specific lessons engraved in them for you to learn, the big picture is simple; God wants you to trust Him. Only if you do, can you have the relationship with Him that is a necessity to obtaining the Kingdom in the End Time. As the Bible passage, Isaiah 40:31, states: "They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint". Only God can make that promise, and keep it. Any trial, no matter how hard it seems, can be overcome. We can do all things through Christ our Lord and Savior (Philippians 4:13).

Maybe you trust the Father, but you know someone who is hurting. If you trust in the Lord, do good (Psalm 37:3). "As you prayerfully befriend them, God can heal their hurts. Trust, after all, can make all the difference in the world" (Nature in a Nutshell; Daily Devotions for Juniors).

I want to end with Mark 11:22-24:
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Trust the Father with every fiber of your being, and nothing will be impossible to you. In times of need, when it seems all of humanity has betrayed you, God will always give you His hand to hold.

Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help us to surrender our will unto You, the Author and Finisher of our faith, in order for You to replace it with Your undefiable will. Help us to glorify You through trials knowing that they are the testing of our faith in You. We surrender all of our doubt at Your throne, knowing that You will comfort us with Your everlasting arms and supply in abundance. In Your beautiful name Lord Jesus, Amen!

Say This, Do That

http://hishiddenvoice.livejournal.com/2634.html
Pastoral Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Special Music: Stacie Orrico
Sermon: Lindsay Lagasse
Closing Prayer: Don Besig (http://www.faithsound.com/a_closing_prayer.asp)

Pastoral Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we bow our heads before You today, we know our prayers are heard. Never do You ignore the call of Your children, even if those children have gone astray. Those that seek shall surely find, this we can be assured. We know that we fall short of You and need Your ever bountiful mercy. Father, let the words you’ve given me words that we all need to hear. As my pastor says, we shall not preach unless we are preaching to ourselves. All of us need You, and we all pray you give us the power to take the one step towards You that draws You running with open arms of acceptance.

Special Music: http://www.youtube.com/user/AngelaWho#p/u/12/vGnV1ItpwQo

Brothers and Sisters, I give no “main quote” or “starter verse” today. The topic I have been impressed to cover is lead forth by many words given by our Almighty Father. It is a topic that many of us will feel hit home; hypocrisy. It’s a foul concept that, as Christians, we can not afford to express. However, we do, and a great many are pushed away because of it.

Christians are actors, in the eyes of those we must save. I can witness to that, for it is the very reason I have been a Christian for only two of my seventeen living years. We grow up in a church where the images are perfect; the people around us worship with joyful smiles and kind eyes. But once the sanctuary walls are passed, foul language and sin blacken the perfect image.

When we first begin, we, of course, aim to be the better human. We pray with a whole heart, minds open to the word of the Father. We’re young and innocent; the world’s horrors have not yet set us in unchristian ways. God is good and the world is overtaken by rainbows. We have no reason to doubt, no trials to wobble our faith.

And so we’re happy for this time, lost in a perfect world where God exists, but Satan is nothing but a legend to scare children into good behavior. We’re old enough to know right from wrong, but we’ve never questioned the path of righteousness. All we know is God’s love and mercy, for He has shielded us from Lucifer’s forbidden ways.

As the first trial is laid in place, we hang tight to the hand of the Father. Our faith is only mildly shaken by the unfortunate turn in events, but not enough to draw concern. As the trial, topped with more of it’s kind, remain strongly fighting the light in our hearts, we begin to weaken. God exists, but now Satan does too. Perhaps we begin to think that the Devil is stronger than God because, seemingly, he’s overpowered our Father. He had to do so in order for all this junk to be piled into our lives, right? What a dangerous thought. One that so many, myself included, fall to.

As a last resort, we turn to our church family for support, only to find out that once the church is not in sight, the people are just like the rest of the world we live in; sinful. What a devastating revelation to someone who is already questioning their faith. And so we walk away from God, angry at Him, or simply no-longer believing.

“There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way to death” Proverbs 14:12. And it’s true. If we go down the path to destruction, we obviously think it is right. Satan makes it almost undeniably perfect, tempting by every means. He makes it appear as if his way is better than God’s way, and man believe him because they see all the other Christians doing it and surviving. There used to be a group of kids in Germany called “swing kids”. The Wikipedia definition is “The Swing Kids were a group of jazz and Swing lovers in Germany of the 1930s, mainly in Hamburg and Berlin. They were composed of 14 to 18 year old boys and girls in high school, most of them middle or upper class students, but some apprentice workers as well. They sought the British and American way of life, defining themselves in Swing music, and opposing the National-Socialist ideology, especially the Hitlerjugend.” I watched a movie in German class, called “Swing Kids”, and it instantly made me think of hypocritical Christians. What happened on numerous occasions was a swing kid would join the Hitler young by day, and remain a swing kid by night. They convinced themselves they would live the evil way of life to impress the Hitler army, but that they could continue their rebellion by night. In other words, their daytime activities were hypocritical against their nighttime beliefs. Well, they couldn’t do it. On many, if not all occasions, the twofaced teens would slowly fall away from the swing kids way of life. The dark lord beckoned them, and though they tried to resist, they’d eventually go over to his side. This is like a Christian who tries to live in a life of both Godly and worldly pleasures. Eventually the Godly way will melt away; sin will win because it’s human nature.

How could you know God, say you love Him, and then live in worldly sin? Some may wander away, then give up because they think God hates a hypocrite so He hates them. Well, yes and no. Okay, God does hate sin. But have you ever heard the phrase “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner”. It is true. Completely true. Why else would He send His only begotten son to die for us? We were sinners when He did that! “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8. Also, has He not promised us forgiveness with sincere repenting? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9.

I know I have a lot of work to do. Sometimes I say one thing, but do another. My words are Christian, but my actions belong to the dark lord. I don’t want to journey alone, Brothers and Sisters. Will you join me?

Closing Prayer: The time has come, O Lord - for us to leave this place; Guide us and protect us and lead us in thy Grace. Wherever life may take us as we go our separate ways, help us share with others the things we've shared today. May the peace of God, the Father, and the love of Christ, His Son, Guide us in the days ahead and strengthen us each one. May the blessing of the spirit fill us from within; God bless us and return us to the fellowship once again. In Christ’s name we pray, AMEN.

Pick a Side

http://hishiddenvoice.livejournal.com/2382.html

Pastoral Prayer: Lindsay Lagasse
Special Music: Psalm 101, sung by Jack Marti
Sermon: Lindsay Lagasse
Closing Prayer: Thoughts About God (http://www.thoughts-about-god.com/prayer/opening-prayer.html)

Pastoral Prayer: Heavenly Father, oh how merciful You are. Each breath we take, is only taken by Your absolute and merciful grace. We would have no hope for the future, if not for knowing we have a kind and just Lord to turn our eyes to. We raise our prayers to You this day, Father, knowing they are falling into capable and willing hands. Sit with us here as we dive into a discussion and study of Your word, that we may come to understand Your works, so that we may be able to honor and glorify You with a gleeful heart. We pray all this in the name of our beloved Brother, Christ Jesus. AMEN.

Special Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4yAVwoGA1s

Psalm 101:1-8 I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises. I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure. My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.

I have fallen short of my heavenly Father. I must confess this sin to you, beloved family. Those around me, they are not pure. But I find much pleasure in their impurity, their humor that roars so crudely. I think that being around them is not enough to raise unease in the Father. I think I am strong enough to be around and to overcome. I use the excuse that I plan on teaching them to Good Word. But I don't. I stand and I laugh at what they laugh at. I am wicked.

The Father above does not wish us to walk away from these who do not know Him. We are not to separate ourselves from their lives, or else who can the Lord work through to save them? But we mustn't surround ourselves, burying and drowning ourselves, with nothing but filth. We can not make the dangerous assumption that we are strong enough. By the grace of God, we can overcome all temptation, but do not test Him. We are not to test the Father. He will make it clear who we must devote our energy to; do not take it upon yourself to save the world.

"I will behave wisely, in a perfect way". How can we do such if all we ever see is unwise, immoral images? We must discard such evil from our sight (as if said in Psalm 101 as well). Focus your mind on the clean of thoughts, recharge your battery with the light of the Father's word. We mustn't let Satan win by playing his games while we are weak. "I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me". Do you hate the Devil's work? Then why do we let ourselves enjoy it? It surrounds us, swallows us whole. And we accept it. We seem to live by the phrase "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"! But we CAN beat them! We just have to trust in the Father, stand firm, and let His will be done.

Why, Brothers and Sisters, do we use so much energy trying to convince ourselves that what we are doing is okay? Is that really the easier route? Deep down, we know what we watch, think, and say (all the purpose of being accepted among men) is wrong. But yet, we justify it with "I need to gain their trust by doing what they do, so that they'll listen to me when I go to teach them of the Father". No. Simply N-O. In this process, the Devil will grab hold and drag you to his level. Teach by example and the Lord will impress curiosity in the hearts of those we must save. Lead a life of joy the way God intended, and people will see your smile and realize there's something to all this "God stuff". Do not condemn yourself in order to save the condemned. If you do, you're helping the Devil. He will be "killing two birds with one stone".

Pick a side and stay loyal to that side. Do not endure a proud or perverse heart, or house the wicked. Be Christ-like in every sense. Look at Jesus! He never once fell to the level of the wicked, and yet He saved millions of people! He had not needed to risk His salvation in the small chance that He'd save ours. If He had, chances are, we'd have no future to this day. So, dear friends, who's side are you on?

Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we come to the end of our time together we thank You for what has been accomplished here today. May the matters discussed serve as a catalyst to move us forward and cause us to advance and see growth in all areas of our lives. May we leave here recognizing You are the God of all wisdom and You are willing to lead us forward. This we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

Because I Said So

Pastoral Prayer- Lindsay Lagasse
Music- SDA Hymn 309; I Surrender All
Sermon- Lindsay Lagasse
Closing Prayer- Lindsay Lagasse


Pastoral Prayer: Father, we continuously fall short of Your glory. Many times we hastily ask for forgiveness, but we lack the sincerity to allow You to do so. We bind You down by our unwillingness to put aside time for You and only You. We ask that You soften our hearts, Lord, so that our will may be strong enough to hand it to You. Only by Your grace can we do what pleases You. And now, Father, we ask that You bless what is written here. Each word typed will, by Your grace, be honoring and glorifying Your perfect name. In Christ's good and holy name we pray, amen.

Special Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x2IpLSfqp8 (includes written lyrics as song is sung)

Scripture reading: Jeremiah 7:23 out of the New King James Bible "But this is what I commanded them, saying 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you".

Brothers, Sisters, why are we such a stubborn people? I walk the school hallways and see nothing but rule breaking. A prime example played out in a class of mine today. A young boy used foul language, and then had an attitude when confronted by the teacher. He buried himself deeper and deeper until it was ended by him being sent away. If he had taken the criticism maturely, obeying his superior's wishes, his punishment would have been less severe. In fact, if he had refrained from breaking the school policy on language to begin with, he could have avoided the whole issue. My friends, why are we, as a race, so disobedient?

Am I the only one who's noticed that the ability to follow simple demands has declined in recent years? Another realization is that as fast as those numbers decline, so do the number of Christian teenagers. Connection? Maybe, maybe not. If we can not follow the orders of those older than us that we can see the wrath of, how can we expect to have enough control to behave in a fashion a being we do not physically get spanked by, would approve of. I think it's quite clear that, if we keep going at the rate we're going, many of us are going to get the curse mentioned in Deuteronomy 11:26-28, rather than the blessing said in that scripture. "Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I commanded you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known." Which sounds more like what you want? Obey and be blessed, or go through the trouble of disobeying and get the curse. It's your choice, but it's also your consequence.

All the Father asks of you is to obey His ten simple commandments. If you do so, your peace will be like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea (Isaiah 28:18). He makes it so desirable to do His commandments, it is hard to understand why someone would choose not to. They aren't hard, for the most part. Only worship Him, do not take His name in vain, remember the Sabbath, honor your parents (further discussion on that coming up in this sermon), do not murder (hardest one, sometimes), do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness (aka, no lying), and do not covet your neighbor's house (Exodus 20:3-17). I know sometimes we fall short, and the Lord knows this too. This is why He is willing to forgive when we sincerely seek His mercy. Doesn't get a whole lot easier to please than this--and yet, so many fail to care enough to even attempt.

"If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). To love the Lord, we must know Him. To know Him, we must dedicate time to Him. It is unfortunate when you see a soul lost because they become discouraged when they do not feel the grace of God right after baptism. They failed to take the time to study His word, thus did not grow a personal relationship with Him. It is those individuals that find it so hard to follow the Lord's commandments. If we have a true, earnest love for Him, we will want nothing more than to obey Him simply because He asked us to do so.

In addition to obeying the Father Himself, we are asked to obey another pair of individuals. The fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12), tells us to honor our father and mother. "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is pleasing to the Lord" (Colossians 3:20). However, it also makes it clear in Colossians 3:21 that the father should not tempt the child. "Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged" is a passage that is often forgotten. We know a child should, and must respect their elders, but does that mean a parent can taunt and harass that youngster and expect no retaliation? How is a child supposed to grow in Christ, if their soul role models are hypocritical in their own faith?

"Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding" (Proverbs 4:1). Father could be read literally, or perhaps as a term used for any elder. It is true, for the most part, that a child should listen in order to learn, for those older have seen more, thus know more. A friend once told me to listen twice as much as I speak; that's why God gave us two ears and one mouth. There is nothing more true than that statement. You never learn anything if you continuously spew out sounds. Through all this, however, we must keep Acts 5:29 in mind, "We ought to obey God rather than man". Even if it is an elder telling us to do something, we must run it by God before taking action. We must learn to obey God simply because He said so.

Closing prayer: Father Almighty, we ought to obey You, and yet we don't. No one knows what's best for us as well as You do, and no one wants what's best for us as much as You do. Why, then, can we not follow Your simple demands that You make out of love? Our hearts are hardened against Your laws, Lord, and we ask now that You take them close to Your perfect form so as to soften them. There is not a thing in the world that we want more than to be willing to fully surrender to You and obey You. So, Father, please be with us in the coming week, that we may walk the steps You place before us, honoring and glorifying You. In Christ's name we lift our prayers, amen.