"God who works in me mightily"...

From the book, Mountain Rain, biography of James O. Fraser, pioneer missionary to China (p. 7):

"...But now a whole new dimension of life opened up. God had met with him, A new strong desire laid hold of his mind: 'God who works in me mightily.' He lost interest in the things that had absorbed him before and began to streamline his life like an athlete for the Olympics. Certainly there weren't any half-measures. There was only one thing that mattered anymore. There is no record of his feeling he had renounced anything. He had quite simply found earlier loves eclipsed by a new passion. 'If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.' 1 John 2:15"

He Is There And He Is Not Silent

From 'He is There and He is Not Silent' by Francis Schaeffer:

The historic Christian faith is not a leap of faith in the post-Kierkegaardian sense because "He is not silent," and I am invited to ask the sufficient questions in regard to details and also in regard to the existence of the universe and its complexity and in regard to the existence of man. I am invited to ask the sufficient questions and then believe Him and bow before Him metaphysically in knowing that I exist because He made man and bow before Him morally as needing His provision for me in the substitutionary, propitiatory death of Christ.

Praying for Outreach in Israel

I got this from Rami and the team witnessing in Jerusalem. Rami leads the table outreach there, usually setting up outside the New Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. He has a focus on reaching Muslims, since he used to be a Muslim before becoming a Christian.

Next week it is Ramadan, and we are going to have a special outreach at that time. As you all know, it is hard to talk about salvation with Muslems, but in this month( Ramadan), it gets harder. We need all your prayers that God will protect us and help us. Thank you all.

What Does "Touch Not My Anointed" Really Mean?

This is an excellent article! I wish every Christian could read it. Please click HERE to read what this admonition means in context with the passages in the Old Testament. It has been misused so much when a Christian dares to hold a pastor or any teacher within the church to the authority of Scripture. The article points out that David is the very one who said, "Touch not God's anointed", meaning, to not hurt Saul physically. He said that right before he publicly criticised his teachings, so this phrase has sorely been misused within the church.

May our relationship with God never become boring and hoary as we continue to search the Scriptures like the Bereans to make sure "these things are so." (Acts 17:11)

The God of My Salvation

The Lord lives and blessed be my rock and exalted be the God of my salvation, the God who executes vengeance for me and subdues people under me. He delivers me from my enemies. Surely Thou dost lift me above those who rise up against me. Thou dost rescue me from the violent man. Therefore, I will give thanks to Thee among the nations, O Lord, and I will sing praises to Thy name." Psalm 18:46-49

When I was little, growing up in church, we used to have weekly memory verses for our "quiet time" with God. How precious those quiet times in prayer and reading the Bible are to me today. I plan on memorizing the above verse this week.

Reaping What We Sow

God gave me this verse today in my Bible study: "A senseless man has no knowledge, nor does a stupid man understand this: that when the wicked sprouted up like grass and all who do iniquity flourished, it was only that they might be destroyed forevermore." (Psalm 92:6-7)

We love His judgments when He is our God. No wonder the world does not want a judgmental God. They don't know His mercy. We can't embrace His mercy and forgive our enemies, if we don't trust His perfect judgment on people and sin. The passage goes on to say:

"But, Thou, O Lord, are on high forever
For behold, Thine enemies, O Lord
For behold, Thine enemies will perish;
All who do iniquity will be scattered."
(Psalm 92:8-9)

It is difficult for me to wait on God as He is the perfect Judge. When we see people parading in sin like never before in our culture and when it seems practically every movie exalts immorality in an age where purity is mocked, it is important to remember that God is not done. His promises are still true. The passage goes on to teach:

But, Thou has exalted my horn like that of the wild ox
I have been anointed with fresh oil.
And my eye has looked exultantly upon my foes.
My ears hear of the evildoers who rise up against me.
The righteous man will flourish like a palm tree.
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still yield fruit in old age...
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
(Psalm 92: 10-15)

People without faith in God don't understand such a battle. They live for the approval of the world and often get it. They stake their lives literally on what they can achieve or con their way to get here and now for their own praise. Yet, God has a day coming--and not just in the next life--where "all who love lying" will reap what they sow (Galatians 6:7 and Revelation 22:15). The righteous will also reap what they sow in righteousness. We just have to wait on God.

So, this is good news for the Christian. As we are misunderstood, mocked, and persecuted because of our faith in Jesus to any degree, we are promised that the Lord will repay. He'll repay us with blessings this world cannot offer and repay those who love evil in a way the world cannot ever appease. We have to trust-- as we pray for deadpan deceivers, often with even demonic spirits in this age, people who only mock God's love and mercy in all their flagrant immorality and scoff at the story of Jesus-- GOD IS ALSO JUST.

GREAT NEWS! LTW BEGINS NEW OUTREACH TO THE HOMELESS IN ATLANTA

I have great news! LTW will begin feeding the homeless in Atlanta with a new outreach to the homeless in Little Five Points like we have in Venice Beach, CA... (Our table outreaches are really not focused on reaching the homeless but people from all walks of life.)

Natalie Anthony, who is a member of First Baptist Atlanta, will be leading the outreach. She will be sending photos and summaries of conversations as the team shares the Gospel.

Work Update

I have another busy day with mail outs, bookkeeping and working on songs. We are going through a very tight and hard time financially in this ministry. As I pray about it, I realize it will be good for me to not be able to go out to eat or buy anything extra for myself, putting as much of my own money as possible toward Lighting the Way to continue to have what we need in our operating account. Please join me in prayer daily for the Lord to provide. It won't hurt me to go through this season as I know that many cannot ever have anything extra or ever go out to eat, etc. due to not enough money. This is how I will be living until God lets us bring in more and get caught up. I have had to place a large order for new materials for our outreach locations, and it has really affected our budget. I thank everyone who gives regularly and am praying for God to supply by burdening others to be a part of our ministry through prayers and donations. I know He will be faithful to meet my needs during this time, teaching me to rely on Him more as I am not able to spend money on anything other than what is absolutely necessary for food and basic living expenses. The booklet "Is There A Gay Gene?" has been put on hold, because we don't have the money at this time for printing.

Trusting God in the Midst of Storms

(This devotional was sent to me this morning, and it was a great encouragement to me. I wanted to share it with others. --Dwayna)

Paul’s words contain several principles by which you and I can keep up our courage and be fearless in the midst of life’s storms. We may not be in the midst of a literal storm like this, but we do experience storms. Storms come into our lives, and sometimes they come quite suddenly and are fierce. One day we are in perfect health. Suddenly we experience pain, and within a matter of hours we find ourselves in the hospital and the diagnosis is grim. “We’ll have to operate at once,” the doctor says. A storm has descended on our lives.


One day we are sitting at home eating. The telephone rings, and someone on the other end says, “I’m sorry, but I have bad news for you. Your son has been killed in a tragic accident.” Or perhaps it is your daughter or wife or husband. The storm has descended.

How are we to stand up in life’s storms?

This is how Paul responded to the storm that had overtaken him.

Paul Knew God Was with Him

The first thing is that Paul knew that God was with him. On this occasion an angel of the Lord appeared to him to reassure him of God’s presence. That was a powerful evidence. Yet Paul was aware of this truth at other times too, just as we should be aware of it. The Lord Jesus Christ, when he was about to leave this world for the final time, said to his disciples, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20, italics mine).

The message is the same for us as it was for Paul: “Surely I am with you always.” Christians have found Jesus with them as they have gone through life’s storms. They testify to it again and again.

Christians testify that God has been with them in a way that is supernatural. God has quieted their hearts. He has made himself known in small ways that turned out to be so significant the individuals could testify afterward that God did what he did just to reassure them. He taught them that he had a purpose in it all. Do you know that God is with you? Are you aware of his presence? When the storms come, that will make a great difference.

Paul Knew He Belonged to God

The second principle is that Paul knew that he belonged to God. When Paul mentioned God he identified him as “the God whose I am” (italics mine). That is, I am not my own; I am bought with a price; I belong to him.

In one of his published sermons Donald Grey Barnhouse dealt with this passage by exploring the ways in which we belong to God, using some of the great images of Scripture. He noted that we belong to God as the bride belongs to the bridegroom, since we the church are the bride of Christ. This is a precious, beautiful picture. Nothing is going to tear the bride from the arms of Jesus Christ.

We also belong to God as a child belongs to his or her father, since we are God’s children. What would you think of a father who sees something happening to his child and simply walks off in another direction? We recognize a basic human duty to care for our children. If a father sees his child being hurt or taken advantage of or persecuted in some way, any decent father comes to its rescue. If we think that way, even though we respond imperfectly, we can be certain that God also does.

Third, we belong to God as sheep belong to the shepherd. Recall Jesus’ story of the shepherd who loses one of his sheep. Although he still has the other ninety-nine, he goes to find the lost sheep and searches until he brings that sheep back.

I think of a man who whenever temptation came to him or people were giving him trouble used to look up to heaven and say, “God, do you know that they are attacking your property?”

Paul Was in the Lord’s Service

The third truth is that Paul knew he was in God’s service, about God’s business. Verse 23 speaks of “an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve…” (italics mine). God had told him what he was to do: He was to bear witness in Rome. But he had not gotten to Rome yet, and it does not take an Einstein to figure out the implication of those two facts. If God had told him that he was going to serve him in Rome, bearing a witness there, and if he had not yet gotten to Rome, then the storm that was battering the ship on which he was sailing was not going to take his life. God was going to preserve him.

You and I do not have special revelations of that nature, to be sure. God has not revealed to us any specific length of service or specific future place of service. But we can know that as long as God has work for us to do, God will preserve us to do it. God will not be frustrated; and if God is not frustrated, we do not need to be frustrated either. If God has work for us to do, then God will keep us alive to do it. And if you have finished the work that God has given you to do, why should you want to linger around here any longer? We may want to go to heaven as soon as possible, but until then we need to get on with our Father’s business.

Paul Trusted God in All Circumstances

The final principle comes just a bit later in Paul’s speech, where he says, “For I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me” (v. 25). Paul knew God. So it was not only a case of God’s being with him or his belonging to God or God’s having work for him to do. He also knew God as the God of all circumstances and was able to trust him for life’s details.

When I lose my job? Yes, when I lose my job.

When I have cancer? Yes, that too.

When someone I love has died? Yes, even then.

These things are not insurmountable to God. They are merely circumstances that he brings into our lives for his glory and our good. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

LTW Update: Rio Grande Valley

From Curt and Janie Rolf in the Rio Grande Valley

For a 4th of July weekend, all began very quietly with the number of vendors’ booths down dramatically. About 8:30 A.M., we were pleased to have a Spanish speaking gentleman approach the table; he looked over the materials and asked for materials in Spanish. He took a Spanish Bible for himself, a bilingual New Testament for his wife and a NlrV Spanish Bible for his 16 year old daughter. He couldn’t stop saying “Dios te bendiga”! (God bless you!)

A Spanish speaking couple from the booth next to us came over to ‘check us out’. It was fun to watch her reading “Evangelio Segun Juan’ (The Gospel according to John)...She read THE WHOLE THING!!! PTL!!! What a blessed sight to behold!!! (Normally, we ask if we may take a picture…this one we simply couldn’t resist.)

Another couple stopped by with their 10 year old son. The mom took the booklet, “Would You Like to Know Jesus?”. She said he didn’t like to read….I suggested The Most Important Story Ever Told, and she took that also.

Kids stopped by and liked the coloring pages. Their grandma liked the CBH Devotionals (in Spanish).

Looks like we’ll have to do some ordering of Spanish materials for kids. I was pleased to recently learn that The Most Important Story Ever Told is now available in several different languages.

How exciting, on a few occasions, teachers and Sunday School teachers have come looking for materials to scripturally teach their students. Janie has started translating the Spanish coloring pages into English and vice versa. The coloring pages from ‘Kid.Explorers’ also have several in Spanish as well as English. Sergio and Adriana took advantage of the "extra coloring pages" specifically to meet their teaching purposes.

It was great to have the CBH devotionals “Tesoros para Ninos” for a fellow working with South American kids and a lovely young lady grateful for the coloring pages in both English and Spanish.

There was an unusual amount of Hispanic people that stopped by the table. We suspect that, because of the increasing amount of violence in Mexico and this being the 4th of July weekend, many have come to Texas to enjoy a more secure vacation with their families. We were so grateful for the effort we have been led to make in having Spanish materials. We’re grateful, too, for our Spanish speaking skills, albeit ‘muy pobre’ (very poor).

Even though we were rained out by 1:00, nearly all of the coloring pages left the table. This month’s were on ‘God’s 6 Days of Creation’…..emphasizing the 3rd day……creation of ALL of the plants….with a few pictures of flowers including a water lily and the verses in Matthew 6:28-29 “…consider the lilies of the field”…

This day was truly a "KID’S DAY" at our table. Thank you, Lord, for the freedom to have a table ministry in Harlingen, Texas on this 4th of July week-end.

Relying on Him as “He Directs Our Paths” (Prov. 16:9),

Curt and Janie
Curt and Janie Rolf
Rio Grande Valley
Harlingen, Texas

Work This Week

I have been working on data entry tonight, logging in about 25 names and emails from Theta Baptist Church last night, adding more people to our ministry email list for monthly newsletters.

It will be a busy week, as I am working daily on my concert for Valley Grove Baptist Church this Sunday night in Knoxville, TN. I am also still working on the slide show to make it into a DVD format. I will be sharing my testimony, showing a slide show about Lighting the Way and singing next Sunday night for the entire church service.

This church is very special to me, because this was the church of my grandparents all of my life, and I grew up singing solos in that church as a child. It always brings back good memories of my grandmother and granddaddy sitting on the third row and smiling as I sang in church. Of course, beforehand I would go with my grandmother to her Sunday School class where she taught the youth, or I would go with my grandfather to the seniors' class where  I would sing a solo of a hymn such as "Til The Storm Passes By."

God has done so much in my life since I was a little girl, and I thank Him for every season. My grandfather used to tell me as I grew up, "Life is hard," and he was right. His favorite song was "Jesus Paid It All." Life is hard, but life in the Lord is so good, and He is so faithful to use every victory and mistake to draw us closer to Him and make us stronger in our walk of faith. How thankful I am for my Christian heritage, as I was raised on the prayers of my family and friends in the church. I pray this will be a special service this Sunday night for God's glory.

LTW Update: Testimonial from Outreach in Pakistan

I hope to post more testimonials from Pastor Babar Kamran on a regular basis to show how God is using our outreach in Pakistan. Here is a brief testimonial of how God is at work to give someone faith in Him and His Word as the pastor is out to plant seeds in this very sensitive Moslem area.

[We met] a person named Shoukat. When I met him  for the first time he asked for prayer for his child. We prayed for his child. After a month, when I went there again, he was waiting for me. He said, "Last time you prayed and my son got healed. Now I believe you will pray, and my children will be safe from diseases. [I explained that God does not always heal physically, but He does always heal spiritually when we want His healing for our heart and life.] The people in this area don't have much attachment with God, but thanks to Him who uses us to point them to Jesus and explain to them how to be saved. --Pastor Babar kamran

Theta Baptist Church This Sunday

I am looking forward to being back at Theta Baptist Church this Sunday and will be sharing about our outreach for the entire service Sunday night, as well as singing praise to God for all He has done. I am thankful that the updated slide show is finally finished, just in time for the service at Theta. My prayer is that people will see Jesus through me and all glory will go to God for how He has surprisingly expanded LTW internationally since Theta Baptist began supporting me as a missionary in 2002. I will be speaking to the youth in Sunday School about apologetics and missions and singing and speaking this Sunday night for the entire 6:00 service. I hope anyone in the area will join us. I probably won't be on the computer between now and then. Photos and a summary will be posted hopefully Monday night. Thank you for the prayers, for God to bring Himself glory through all He has done in drawing people to Himself at our outreach locations where we share the Gospel with people from all walks of life and offer them free sermons, articles, books, tracts and Bibles.

LTW Slide Show

Well, after many more edits today, we are getting closer. It could be as soon as tomorrow that the final show is done. I am so thankful for a tech guy who really gives of his time for this ministry, and barely charges anything. I have insisted on LTW paying him a little more for his time, because I am so picky! I just want everything to be the best it can be for God's glory. After my next Christian CD is done--hopefully this fall--we will add music to the slide show, and then I will make copies for ministry supporters to have as gifts. It was tedious to get the slide show updated to this extent.

I had hoped we would expand to Boston this summer, but, to tell the truth, I don't think I could have done it along with obligations now in NYC and the University of TN as we need new leaders for those locations, and I am putting quite an effort in to finding them. I will hope and pray for the new location of Boston next year.

Work Update

I have enjoyed another non-stop day. I am going to take some notes on a sermon tonight, as I really enjoy learning new Bible verses to support WHY we believe what we believe as Christians on any topic. Tonight, I look forward to studying the Sabbath.

First, though, I must work on a letter to Dr. Hall, Director of Baptist Collegiate Ministryat the University of TN, in hopes of getting more students involved there with our UT outreach table on campus.

I also have to register some songs I have written with ASCAP, because one song I have co-written may be used for a jingle for animal shelters.

There is always work to do, and I am thankful to be busy in my life. Today I saw a woman out and about with a beautiful one year old baby. As I spoke with this young mother, she was surprised I had never been married. I said, "I always wanted children, but never without the right husband. I would have loved that if that had been what God had planned, but I have also loved WHAT God has had planned for my life." We agreed that women cannot do everything. I trust I am right where God wants me to be, and I am thankful for all He has given me.

I am looking forward to worshiping at Theta Baptist Church this Sunday in Columbia, TN, and giving an update on our outreach locations Sunday night and singing.

Exposing Islam

Here is what Islam teaches about Jesus. It would do Christians well to remember this quote when Muslems try to persuade us that their faith is the same as ours. Surah 4 also teaches that Jesus never died on the cross; hence, there is no Redeemer. They will say that "Allah" means God, and that their god is the same as the Holy God of the Bible. Not true, because Allah is a perverted, misogynistic god, promising eternal sex to Muslem men who kill Christians. The God of the Bible is pure. Obviously, Islam is becoming more "evangelistic" in their proselytization of the West.

Reaching Children Whose Parents Are in Prison

We are honored to partner with Debbie Walsh and CEF for materials for children at our prison table outreach at Louisiana State Penitentiary at the Angola rodeos...
http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/31138-ministries-go-beyond-bars-to-help-children-of-inmates

"Preach It Teach It" Team for Pastors

Now pastors don't have to study and prepare a sermon. They can join "Preach It Teach It" and download sermons from other pastors. Here is a link to see the pastors outrageously involved in this movement, so devoid of the Holy Spirit. It is all about marketing now evidently. No wonder so many people are having trouble finding a good church in 21st Century America.
http://www.preachitteachit.org/about-us/the-team/

Busy Day

After a lot of mail outs at the post office, much bookkeeping, and time spent running errands, I have been taking my time for hours editing the new LTW slide show. The tech person is doing a great job, but there are still many, many edits that have to be made. He said he won't procrastinate on it to get it to me by the end of the week when I am showing it at Theta Baptist in Columbia, TN, this Sunday night. It is an updated slide show for all of our outreach locations in action. Some of the photos are getting discombobulated, so it has been tedious getting them all the right size with the right text.

LTW to the Smokies Update

(From Claudette Litz, leader)

LTW to the Smokies Outreach Update

July 16, 2011

I arrived at the Sugarlands Visitor Center later than usual, due to rain this morning. Although rain remained a possibility with the clouds covering the sky, I was at the table from 12:30-3:30 P.M. As the clouds became dark, and I started packing up the materials to leave, I was reminded of a verse from my study in Jeremiah this week. “Give glory to the LORD your God before He causes darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains. And, while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death and makes it dense darkness.” (Jer. 13:16) Although God was speaking these words to Judah before their captivity in Babylon in 586 B.C., He is still asking people today to turn from darkness into the light of His Gospel.

A man from India came to the table asking for a map of the Smokies. I told him the maps were inside the visitor center and that everything on my table was about Jesus Christ. He needed direction to drive to N.C., which I gave Him, but as he lingered to look over the materials on the table, I had the opportunity to give him more important directions. Knowing that the Hindu religion puts so much emphasis on works, which leads to different levels of reincarnation, I explained how it is impossible for a person to be good enough to please God, who is holy. That is why Jesus Christ died for the sins of everyone who will believe in Him. He gave His life for us, so we can be the children of God and be with Him eternally in Heaven. We owe our salvation to Jesus, who paid for our sins by dying for us. When we repent of our sins and trust in Him, we are made right with God because Jesus becomes our righteousness. John 1:12 states, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” I offered him materials in the Hindi language, but he requested the following materials in English: 'Can We Be Good Without God?' 'Are You Good Enough To Go To Heaven?' and 'Where Do We Go From Here?' There are many tourists from India, which I see each week, and none of them have stopped to talk with me. I told the man that I felt God brought him over to the table, because He loved him and was seeking to show him how to be saved and have eternal life. Please help me pray that this man will not “stumble upon the dark mountains,” both literally and spiritually. His religion is based on a belief system of works with the goal of becoming gods and goddesses after death and believing in pantheism, where a god is in everything.

In one of the pictures you will see a sweet, Christian family from FL, whose six-year- old son quoted Psalm 67 to me by memory. He had just received his Jr. Ranger badge from a park ranger and was quite excited about me seeing it. I was excited, too, but mainly about him memorizing an entire chapter in the Bible. His little four-year-old sister quoted by memory James 3:17, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” How wonderful to see parents teaching their children at such young ages to love the Lord and memorize His Word! As we pray for this family, who is bringing glory to God through their children, let’s pray that God will give “wisdom from above” to the man from India, also. His family was waiting on him in their car, and I am asking God to save him, as he will influence his entire family.

Several people took sermons by Dr. Nelson Price, Holly Miller, Tommy Fox, and Dr. William Sims. The CDs of Dwayna’s music was very much appreciated, both the Christian songs she sang at age ten, as well as those recorded recently. Many took a CD of her speaking on the radio while in Boulder, CO. One lady insisted on giving a small donation to Lighting the Way, and I gave Dwayna’s business card to Christians, as they seemed so appreciative of this ministry. Everyone was given a card about the new website, bygodsgrace.org ("where God’s grace is enough for you").

In another picture you will see a Hispanic lady, who spoke no English, reading a book in Spanish, 'El Dios Todopoderoso' by Lester Fleenor. She was given, 'La Virgen Maria A la luz de la Palabra de Dios,' by Dr. Labib Mikhail, also. Her daughter and granddaughter asked for a picture with me and were so grateful that I had something for her in her language.

I was sad to see a lady come by the table, who quickly lost her excitement when she heard me say that everything on the table was about Jesus. She said, “Thanks, but I do not believe in Him.” She left quickly, as if further conversation was, not only unnecessary, but totally without merit.

I enjoyed meeting a family from the Chattanooga area. Since I was there in the 70’s and early 80’s, they were too young to have had me as one of their teachers, although they attended Soddy-Daisy Jr. High where I taught. They actually live in Hixson, which is where I lived. It is so much fun to meet people with whom you share areas like this in common. Their daughter took two booklets disputing the theory of evolution and supporting the Bible’s account of creation, as proven by science.

God has all knowledge. He has all the facts and backgrounds of the people He brought over to the table today. In the words of Dr. J. Vernon McGee, “You and I need to recognize that our God is a sovereign God and that we are the clay. We were dead in trespasses and sin, without strength. God is the Potter with the power. ‘So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.’ (Romans 9:16)." God is the One who is in charge of saving people. We are only His unworthy messengers. In His mercy, He gives us the opportunity of sharing His Gospel with others, and He is with us wherever we go.

Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith,

Claudette Litz

Singing Tonight at Women's Prison

I've been practicing this morning to sing tonight at a women's prison. I'm sharing my testimony and singing "Through It All", "No More Prisoner Of Yesterday", "Soon And Very Soon" and "He Looked Beyond My Fault (And Saw My Need." I couldn't help but belt out that last one with all my heart as I practiced, so I hope the neighbors did not mind. I'm so happy...to have such a GREAT God.

He Looked Beyond My Fault" (to the tune of 'O Danny Boy') is beautiful. It is one of the most powerful songs I have ever sung. I will be ending with it in concerts in churches. I just got in the tracks to these songs this morning, so tonight will be the first time I have sung them live since I recorded them (to be on my next Christian CD).

Redeemer Presbyterian NYC "Loving the World (and the lust of the world...)"

Here is the latest with Redeemer Presbyterian NYC.

This valid concern came to me from Jonathan Cousar:

They are asking their members to go to New York City museums, symphonies, ballets, movie theaters (secular movies), music venues (secular music, of course) and come back and talk about what they loved about the experience! They want people to share how they saw “God’s glory” and “evidence of His work of renewal” in these secular (and many adamantly anti-Christian) venues. (This makes sense when you believe as Tim Keller does that “the primary purpose of salvation is cultural renewal”).

http://www.faithandwork.org/glimpses

Pastor Matthew Recker (Heritage Baptist, NYC) wisely comments:

So there is no difference between a Big Mac and seeing “Hangover 2” or whatever else movie, theatre, etc? It sounds to Calvin by saying there is no difference between the secular and sacred, that there is no such thing as the WORLD of lust and pride, to which we are not to be conformed, 1 John 2:15; Romans 12:1,2. It sounds like this statement shows that he is a friend to the world, and this puts him at enmity with God (James 4:4).


Tim Bayly responds astutely:

Hearing Jeremiah 29:7 recently, it struck me that the foundation of the command is that Israel is in exile and would mourn and pine for her homeland were she not exhorted to seek the peace and prosperity of the city of her exile. This is precisely what is missing among the Redeemer crowd, both in NYC and other urban areas. Redeemer churches often are nothing more than the gentrification of the formal religious landscape of the city--more conservative faces taking over the turf formerly claimed by now-bankrupt mainliners.

If we heard or saw anything approximating Psalm 137 from these men, we could understand how God disciplines them, nevertheless, to love their captors.

But captors? Exile? Captivity?

No way. They're entirely at home in Vanity Fair, and think others should come for a visit to see how well they fit in. So MTW [Mission to the World (PCA)] sends missionaries to them to train.
(Psalms 137:1-9) 1 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion. 2 Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps. 3 For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” 4 How can we sing the LORD’S song In a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand forget her skill. 6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth If I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy. 7 Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it, raze it to its very foundation.” 8 O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, How blessed will be the one who repays you with the recompense with which you have repaid us. 9 How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock.

Work Update

I have been very busy with mailouts this week and administrative duties. I've had several appointments with Christians interested in working with us, so it has been a hectic week. All is caught up now with bookkeeping, and I am preparing to sing and share my testimony at women's prison this Saturday.

Work Tonight

I've been running errands all day, and tonight I am 1) meeting with the tech guy who is putting the slide show together and 2) working with my bookkeeper.

I plan to also begin on a new LTW update to send out tonight or tomorrow to prayer partners and ministry supporters.

LTW Slide Show

I have compiled 266 photos for the new slide show. It is has been so much work. The CD will go off to the tech guy tomorrow, so I am hoping we can have the whole DVD done by the end of this week to show at churches where I am singing this month and giving an update on our outreach locations.

I have listened to an excellent sermon by John MacArthur this afternoon called "For Whom Did Christ Die." I plan to listen to it tonight and take notes. What a gift, our salvation.

LTW Update: Little Five Points

Here is a paragraph summary from John Rosser of the day in evangelism. (I will be praying for "Goddess" and Reginald):

It was great that we had the opportunity to work with you and Anthony at L5P. Everyone that came out was really excited about it. But WOW, really was a hot and humid day! The good news is that a young man named Reginald was very responsive to the gospel message. He recognized his need for forgiveness of his sins. He already goes to a church but apparantly did not really understand the message of the gospel. After explaining it to him, he ended up praying to God to place his trust in Christ alone for the free gift of eternal life. We also spoke to a lady named Goddess (yes, that is her real name given to her at birth). She was not a beleiver but at the end of our conversation she stated that felt that she was becoming more open to considering the gospel message. There were many other great witnessing opportunities...Blessings, John

As you can see, we had a great team of Christians today from East Point Church and First Baptist Atlanta. Here are photos before we got rained out. We still thank God for every tract given out and sermon on CD. Anthony is doing a great job as leader, and John Rosser brought over a group from FBA, so it is a shame the weather did not permit us to work longer. I made a run for the car when the big rain drops started falling. Anthony may have waited it out and continued after I left. There was not much traffic due to the high humidity and storms in the forecast. (The box pictured next to the table had shoes donated to the homeless. A woman dropped off the box, asking us to make the shoes available to anyone who needs them, because there are so many homeless people in the area.) Anthony, leader of the Little Five Points outreach

It was great today to work with John, Anthony, Meta, Ntumba, Tayla, Troy and McElroy from First Baptist Church Atlanta and East Point Church.
John Rosser (who leads our GA Tech table outreach location) talking to some men about why he believes in Jesus and what it means to be saved

Little Five Points Tomorrow

I'll be working with the team in missions in Little Five Points tomorrow, weather permitting. I will post photos and a summary of our day. Thank you for the prayers for God to work and save the people He brings over to our table. It is going to be a blessing, as usual, to be used of God in telling others the Good News of Jesus.

Prayer and Fasting

I really believe that this is the best summer of the my life. I count every day of this fast as a special gift from God. I have tried to fast for long periods in the past, but I could not keep it up due to cravings. I pray throughout the day, and I just have so much peace about every area of my life, like I am right where God wants me. I thank Him so much for keeping me close to Him and for taking anything or anyone away who comes between my relationship with God. As a FB friend told me this week, I am going in an opposite direction from Satan, and when someone is going the way of Satan, he or she will not fit with me.

So, I am on "day 4" of the fast. I am taking prayer requests to God all day, and I am actually not even hungry. I have only been drinking fresh vegetable juices and fresh fruit juices with no preservatives.

Some may wonder why I am writing about this, when fasting is supposed to be secret, just before God. The Bible says the Pharisees stand on the street corners and want to be seen by men as religious and even boast about fasting. I am only writing about this, because so little is ever written on fasting--so little, that fasting never crosses the mind of most Christians. Yet, Jesus did not say, "If you fast.." He said, "When you fast..." It is truly powerful to deny the flesh, realizing that it is not for the purpose of God to favor you more or for God to love you more. It is for me to draw nearer to Him. It makes me love Him more as I feel Him so near when I pray.

Pagan Fasting Rituals

I'm watching the "Sacred Sundance" documentary as a study on pagan spirituality and fasting. These people are going without food and water for 5 days, surrounded by skulls of the buffalo with other talismans like feathers for "spiritual protection" as they fast.

They are convinced that we all have the same connection with God, no Jesus needed.( If that is the case, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was a liar and a lunatic, of course!) These people pray to the "prince of the power of the air," and, as they report, "things happen"...

They dance as worship to the sun. (Of course, the Bible addresses all of this and warns that the God of the Bible, the only moral and pure God, will not honor idol worship of the sun or animism because He is a "jealous" God and wants all of our worship. In the Bible it is forbidden spirituality to worship nature.) They pray as they fast. One man says he dances every year for his son. They carry feathers and smoke a pipe as they dance--all with a spiritual significance in communication with demons. The people worship nature--for they explain the trees give them life. They point their pipe to the four corners of the earth as they worship the elements. They say this ritual of pointing the pipe to the four corners of the earth is just like "the Christians when they have their Bible. That is how they make their connection."

No moral God is needed, as they look inside of themselves for the truth. (This makes me think of a quote from the Satanic Bible where Anton LaVey teaches, "Say unto thine own self, 'I am mine own redeemer.'")

It is a sensuous experience, led by the Native Americans. The sundance is a dance of initiation, one participant explains. When a boy turns 12, he participates in the sundance and then pierces himself, giving himself to the "creator." Another participant explains that this sundance honors Mother Earth. She says it "honors yourself."

Physical healing takes place. Some people reading this must wonder why God allows physical healing if this is idol worship and occult spirituality. Can Satan heal? The answer is YES. I will post some verses to show that God gives Satan LIMITED power in this world.

But, unlike Jesus, the yoke of Satan is not easy with a burden that is light. Nope, the must-have rituals of Satan are not easy and very painful. People MUST go into a a sweat lodge to sweat to better communicate with "mother earth." They teach that the sweat lodge signifies the mother's womb, and the sweat lodge is a place to get "reborn." In the sweat lodge they "make new breath and life." When the sundance begins people MUST dance for 16 hours, all day under the sun, to have total control over themselves (as gods) and be "one with nature." Before the ceremony they find a tree, and they pray to the tree, because that tree is the "tree of life." One participant says, "We thank the Tree for giving us life... and we pray in the four directions...That tree stands up proud, because of all the prayers in that tree." [sic] They put prayer flags on the tree to "go up to the creator" as they worship the tree.

They also worship the "four gates." One "road the spirit comes through" is worship of the woman, so one of the gates represents a woman. Another gate represents creation, "and you want to be a part of it," they explain. Creation is represented with a blue flag. On the west side of the prayer field there is a red flag placed, representative of healing, so healing is the third gate. On the north side a flag is placed to represent the last gate, which is forgiveness. (So, we see here that Satan offers a counterfeit forgiveness, a counterfeit healing and a counterfeit creation.) The green flag represents equality. "We are all equal distance to the creator," the Native American leader explains. He continues with with total confidence, "We are all at an equal distance to the middle, which is the core of the earth, and we are all equal distance to God."

They claim they are not judgmental. Yet, these pagans and Native American Indians are extremely judgmental of Jesus! They make Him out to be a liar! They are extremely judgmental toward Christians! They have to make a judgment in order to dance and fast, judging that the fasting can control "the great spirit" to heal their families and "cleanse" them over difficulties in life. These are very spiritual people and people of faith. They say at the end of the fast, the people are offered water, but if they are "one with the creator" they will refuse the water. Boy, I'm glad the God of the Bible--the Lawgiver--is much more loving and does not require anything like these rituals for His own!

The people say they are "giving of their flesh" for "the creator." They go through all of this to "save one's soul" and "put one's self at peace."

And, Jesus sees it all and so does Satan. The Lord obviously observes these people in total rebellion to Him, without one ounce of a desire to worship Jesus, worshiping "the creation instead of the creator", as the Bible warns in Romans 1. How must it make the Lord feel when He sees His own not even denying the flesh enough to skip one meal in order to be healthier and have a more cleansed body for their temple where the Holy Spirit dwells?

The leader of the Native American tribe interviewed ends the documentary by saying, "We're back, and you can't Christianize us anymore."

My question is if these people can fast, without even knowing Jesus as Savior, dancing with enthusiasm to the "prince of the power of the air" (which is Satan), why don't Christians fast unto the only God who rose again from the dead? We serve a living Savior--the only Savior death could not hold--who fasted 40 days and taught that some things only come about by prayer and fasting, yet a world of Christians have never gone without food for even a day for the purpose of prayer and emotional and spiritual healing. GOD DOES NOT REQUIRE IT, AND GOD LOVES HIS OWN BECAUSE OF WHAT JESUS DID ON THE CROSS, NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO MERIT GOD'S FAVOR. HE IS A LOVING FATHER WHO WANTS ALL OF OUR HEART. The Bible says God now dwells in a temple not made with hands; He dwells within His own through the Holy Spirit. Can we not "deny ourselves" in worship to Him for even a day in prayer and fasting unto Jesus, a God who requires no sweat lodge?

How Do We "Crucify the Flesh"?

(Anything goes in Amsterdam, Holland, where I visited last May)

It is powerful to believe as the Bible teaches and be able to say, "I crucify the flesh with its evil desires."

Someone who is not a Christian may ask, "What in the world does that mean? Why would it have any appeal to anyone?" After all, the whole world revolves around "lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and boastful pride of life." Yet these very intoxicating lifestyles are called "the domain of the evil one." The Bible says that the whole world lies "in the domain of the evil one" and explains that "lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the boastful pride of life" are NOT of the Father, but of Satan.

Most people in our culture would certainly disagree. How could such a paradigm be so "evil" when people are just "doing what comes naturally," "following their heart" and "looking out for number one"? Well, just like everything in life, there is more to it than meets the eye. Everything has a spiritual connotation. As I observe people who do whatever they want and don't know anything about "temptation", in their lives filled with sin, because they don't acknowledge the existence of Satan and have absolutely no fear of God, I don't find any life worth emulating, especially over time as you see what happens to such a person.

Les, a friend from Facebook sent me this message, as we have been discussing fasting on my FB wall.

Some years ago - And I forget what the person's name is..., but I do know that he was very grounded in the missions field [as a missionary]. I'll never forget what he said about fasting. He said that in order for one to be completely successful in overcoming lusts, one must reign in all of the lusts - The lust of the flesh - The lust of materialism - The lust of food. And if one does not reign in all of them, then they will have a harder time with any of them . And I would think that fasting would be the most important one to start with first. Do you agree with that, Dwayna?

I answered, "Yes, I agree," and explained that I count every day that God grants me a fast as a gift from God. As I go without food, I pray all day, and I feel so close to God. He proves in my Spirit that He truly does honor it when we "deny the flesh" and walk according to the Spirit. He gives us every good gift, in His timing. The flesh says, "I want it now." The Spirit of God says, "I want to please God more than I want to please myself," AND, OH, WHAT A REWARD HE GIVES US WHEN WE OBEY. This business of denying the flesh is changing me "from glory to glory," as the Bible puts it, as I feel maturing me and showing me the good in not giving myself everything I want, when I want it.

What Does It Mean to Be A "Living Sacrifice"?

I have been drinking fresh vegetable and fruit juices this summer, and the reward has been so great that I wanted to write a blog series on the benefits of fasting. For a Christian, as we juice all day and go without food, it is a tool to change us in more ways than one. It has brought me closer to God this summer as I have had many days of not eating food and only fasting on juices, drinking a whole lot of water and praying a lot. There is a keen awareness that a world of (junk) food is passing me by, and I pray throughout the day as I don't eat.

I realize that we cannot make God love us more by fasting--we are saved by grace and not works. (Ephesians 2:8-9) But, it has drawn me closer to Him this summer. It is not that I need more of Him--He needs more of me! I have to admit that I have never experienced anything more powerful in my Christian walk.

The Bible says in Romans 12:1: "I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, pleasing to God as your spiritual form of worship." How could a "living sacrifice" be fun? Of course, when we obey in every area of our lives, we are offering ourselves to God as a living sacrifice, because our lives are no longer our own. This is the whole core of the Christian life. The payoff is feeling God's pleasure--an experience a lost person will never have. Only the Holy Spirit can make us feel God's pleasure. Sure, we all share in the blessings of God, no matter our faith, but when God indwells a person by the Holy Spirit (which only comes through faith in Jesus as Savior), that person has the pleasure of giving his or her heart to God, for a better plan and a higher purpose. It feels good to have a relationship with such a loving God who has "no deceit found in Him."

Les Thurmond gave this astute commentary on fasting on my Facebook wall yesterday:

Fasting is a form of worship. The purpose of all worship is to change the worshiper in ways that have social and interpersonal impact. We worship not just to gratify ourselves, but also to become empowered to change the world...

[Fasting for Hannah in the Bible] began as a loss of appetite during times of great distress and shame.
- Fasting is a natural expression of grief
- Fasting reflects or proves one's grief to others. (David mourning for Ahab)
- Fasting became a religious custom to placate the anger of God - people fasted to turn away God's wrath and later became a basis for making one's petition effective to God.
- It was widely practiced in New Testament (Jesus, John the Baptist, Paul) - the only guidelines given were that it was not to be like the Pharisees [who only fasted for attention.]
- Revival movements - Each of the 16th century reformers practiced fasting, as did the evangelical revival leaders in centuries to come. Jonathon Edwards fasted for 22 hours prior to "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Billy Graham fasted during his voyage to England for his first British revival.

God's word reveals that He honors and blesses a fast…

• Fasting focuses on God and honors Him. (Although you will receive spiritual blessings, this is not a proper motive for fasting.)

• Fasting has a spiritual purpose. (Although you will likely experience physical benefits such as weight loss, this is never a proper motive for spiritual fasting).

• Fasting causes individuals to humble themselves and submit to God's authority and His Word.

• Fasting deprives our natural desires in order to focus on the spiritual aspects of our nature.

LTW Outreach Table Last Friday Night in West Hollywood

(Update from Dan, leader of the West Hollywood outreach, and Mike--God really used them, and I wish I could have been there, too. I took time yesterday to pray for the people who stopped by our table, thankful for the opportunity to tell them about Jesus and His pure love.)

This is a photo of Sonic who came to the table right after we set up and spent the next four hours talking with us. He is in to the New Age movement and believes he is living out the word of God but does not believe is Christ's deity. We went over scripture with him extensively, which made him aware of a number of things. But he still struggles to grasp the whole of the Gospel. We actually did not talk much at all about homosexuality, which just goes to show that God has us there in this table outreach on Santa Monica Blvd beside the gay bars for His purposes. God "knows all men" and brings certain people over to the table as seekers, never by accident or chance.
The latter part of the evening is when we usually have the most conversations. Unfortunately, we were not able to take pictures at the same time we were speaking to many. One conversation I was able to have was with a man named Michelle. He was a journalist who wrote for many gay magazines...going back to the early 80's. We talked awhile before he came to ask about my feelings on gay marriage, if I thought it was wrong. I started to reply as to the biblical view of marriage when he interrupted me and again asked again about my feelings on the subject. I told him I was opposed to the idea, and one reason for that was because it compromised the individual on every level, not just on a spiritual level but right on down to the physical; as according to the CDC, the life expectancy of a gay man is less than 40 years of age. Than I went on to talk about the political objective of the United Gay Task Force and their disconcern with health issues pertaining to the gay community. Michelle's tune at that point changed dramatically, and we talked a great deal about that. He admitted that a political objective was at the front of the agenda. I told him I'd like to talk more about it with him. We then exchanged contact info. He said he was returning home to Oakland on Sunday. Please Pray for Michelle, that the Lord would put a burden on his heart to know the truth and deliver him from a world of bondage, as well as Sonic, that the Lord would deliver him out of deception.

Jonathan, who has been to our table before and is our friend, stated that though he himself struggles with same sex attraction, he realizes he is not a god! He came up and pretty much confirmed everything we had already said to Sonic with a loud voice so that many of the people passing would hear, "We need Jesus." Once again, we were privileged to be out in West Hollywood as Christians, sharing God's pure love in truth, despite the propaganda of the media misrepresenting Christians, attempting to make us all look hateful.

LTW to the Smokies Last Sat. (July 2, 2011)

LTW to the Smokies Update
July 2, 2011

The July 4th weekend is always a busy time in the Great Smoky Mts. National Park, and today was no exception. I had the outreach table set up by 9:00 in the lawn of the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The first person to come over was a lady asking if she could pay me for the compilation of cassette tapes for the entire Bible. She said she had been unable to find cassettes for her son, and he was only able to listen to cassettes. I let her know that I almost did not bring them because so few people use them anymore. She left beaming with joy over this gift.

The stories of God’s grace in bringing people to the table are too numerous to tell in detail without making this update too long, so I will try to be as brief as possible as I list the following examples of His goodness today.

1. A lady took materials for an inmate who was recently saved while in prison. She visits her each week and appreciated anything that would help her grow in Christ.

2. Two women took materials for their unsaved husbands and especially appreciated the CDs of sermons by Dr. Nelson Price, the interim pastor of 1st Baptist Sevierville, on the 2nd Coming of Jesus and “Everybody Is Somebody” by Dr. William Sims, the pastor of Valley Grove Baptist Church in Knoxville. Although they each came separately, they both said their husbands would listen to the sermons in the car as they traveled.

3. Two tourists expressed doubt about knowing Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, and they listened to the plan of salvation, as I showed them from the Bible Eph. 2:8-9, Romans 3:23, Acts 17:30-31, 1John 1:9, and 1John 5:13. They both took the Gospel of John and other tracts.

4. One man, who is working in this area for the summer, came back after having seen me last week. He had so enjoyed the sermons on CD by Hollie Miller, the pastor of Sevier Heights Baptist in Knoxville, that he wanted more to listen to this week. He took the series of Life Applications’ sermons, as well as a copy of all I had with me, which he had not heard.

5. Each Saturday I enjoy seeing Christians from other states, as they come to the Smokies with their church on mission trips to witness to tourists at the various camp sites. Today I gave them several copies of The Way of the Shepherd by the Family Life Broadcasting System, In Touch magazines, and many “By God’s Grace. org” cards to give to the people they are reaching for the Lord. A singing group called Tymbral asked to link their website with http://www.bygodsgrace.org/. Of course, I let them know it would be good to do this, as more people can be reached. I gave a card to every visitor today, explaining that this website was designed for people who are not saved, as it shows what the Bible teaches vs. the errors in every religion and belief system outside of Christianity.

6. Besides the Child Evangelism materials, the favorite gift for the children was the CD, “God’s Story From Creation to Eternity.” They also liked the music CD of Dwayna singing Christian songs at age ten.

7. Although I had materials in Spanish, a lady who was trying to learn English asked for a Bible in English. Her daughter was with her and read English well. She is teaching her mother. Two other young girls wanted a Bible, because they didn’t own one. They left, thanking me for their "Holy Bibles," as they called them by the title on the front of their new, special Book.

8. A young man from Korea took some children’s materials for his daughters and was so appreciative that he asked if I would be there long enough for him to bring them from Gatlinburg to the table to meet me. I was moved to think he wanted to do this and assured him I would wait until he returned before I left. His daughters are in one of the pictures taken today.

9. After Death What Then, Heaven, and Where Do We Go From Here were the most popular selections of booklets taken by people to share with unsaved loved ones.

10. A public school teacher from FL took a copy of all materials relating to evolution vs creationism, as well as several middle school students who were in public schools.

11. One lady was only interested in anything related to cults and the New Age Movement. She took a copy of each of the following CD’s by Dr. Walter Martin: Transcendental Meditation; Jesus: God, Man, Or Myth; and Riddle of Reincarnation. I explained how he was the original Bible Answer Man and was mightily used by God for many years on radio, television, and as a speaker in public debates.

12. One lady, who had recently left the Catholic Church, asked if I had any tracts that she could share with her family who did not understand her decision. She took Roman Catholicism, Scripture VS. Tradition and the CD “When Jesus Comes…Will You Know Him,” both by Mike Gendron, a former Roman Catholic of thirty-seven years.

13. I enjoyed a conversation with a family from my church, 1st Baptist of Sevierville. Before leaving, they let me know they had not been attending regularly for some time and would be getting back into coming every Sunday, starting tomorrow.

Looking unto Jesus, the Author of our faith and liberty,

Claudette Litz

Quotes from Another America

I've compiled some quotes for a booklet I have put together, with plans for it to be a book eventually...

New York Spectator, August 23, 1831: “The court of common pleas of Chester County (New York) rejected a witness who declared his disbelief in the existence of God. The presiding judge remarked that he had not before been aware that there was a man living who did not believe in the existence of God; that this belief constituted the sanction of all testimony in a court of justice; and that he knew of no cause in a Christian country where a witness had been permitted to testify without such belief.”

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“The Bible is worth all the other books which have ever been printed.”
Patrick Henry
“Orator of the Revolution”
First Governor of Virginia (1776-1778, 1784)

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Article 22 of the Constitution of Delaware (1776)

Required all officers, besides taking an oath of allegiance, to make and subscribe to the following declaration:

“I, (name), do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed forevermore; and I do acknowledge the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration.”

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The three branches of the U.S. Government: Judicial, Legislative, and Executive

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, James Madison proposed the plan to divide the central government into three branches. He discovered this model of government from Isaiah 33:22 with the following domestic assessment:

“For the LORD is our judge, (judicial)
the LORD is our lawgiver, (legislative)
the LORD is our king; (executive)
He will save us.”

[Source: Baron Charles Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws (a book that was read and studied intently by our Founders) 1748: “Nor is there liberty if the power of judging is not separated from legislative power and from executive power. If it [the power of judging] were joined to legislative power, the power over life and liberty of the citizens would be arbitrary, for the judge would be the legislature. If it were joined to the executive power, the judge could have the force of an oppressor. All would be lost if the same …body of principal men… exercised these three powers." Madison claimed Isaiah 33:22 as the source of division of power in government].

“We are not to attribute this prohibition of a national religious establishment (in the First Amendment) to an indifference to religion in general, and especially to Christianity (which none could hold in more reverence than the framers of the Constitution).”

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“At the time of the adoption of the Constitution, and of the amendment to it, now under consideration [the First Amendment], the general, if not the universal sentiment in America was that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the state, so far as was not incompatible with the private rights of conscience and the freedom of religious worship. Any attempt to level all religions, and to make it a matter of state policy to hold all in utter indifference, would have created universal disapprobation, if not universal indignation.”

Justice Joseph Story
Appointed by President James Madison
[Source: Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, and
A Familiar Exposition of the Constitution of the United States]

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“The real object of the First Amendment was not to countenance, much less to advance Mohammedanism, or Judaism, or infidelity, by prostrating Christianity, but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects (denominations) and to prevent any national ecclesiastical patronage of the national government.”

“Infidels and pagans were banished from the halls of justice as unworthy of credit.”

Justice Joseph Story
U.S. Congressman from 1808-1809
Harvard Law School Professor from 1821-1845
Served from February 3, 1812 to September 10, 1845
[Source: J. Story, III, Commentaries on the Constitution (section)
1871 in 1833 and Life and Letters of Joseph Story, Vol. II 1851, pp. 8-9]

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“Let us look forward to the time when we can take the flag of our country and nail it below the Cross, and there let it wave as it waved in the olden times, and let us gather around it and inscribe for our motto: ‘Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever,’ and exclaim: ‘Christ first, our country next.’”

Andrew Johnson
Seventeenth President of the United States
(Term of office: 1865-1869)

This Morning at First Baptist Sevierville, TN

I really enjoyed speaking some about Lighting the Way and meeting Christians at First Baptist Sevierville, TN, where my mother goes to church. I am trying to find a new leader for the University of TN outreach location, so I spoke to some Christian singles in their 20s and 30s about joining us in missions at "LTW to the Smokies", the outreach table outside of Gatlinburg, and sent out a plea for someone to consider leading the outreach table at the University of TN. I really had a fun morning discussing our work in missions and apologetics and look forward to staying in touch with my new friends from FBCS. With pastor Craig Mintz

"Ex-Gay" Christians Make A Stand at NEA

Though these "ex-gay" Christians were mocked, they were privileged to share their testimonies about how God has given them a new, pure life through Jesus. They have left the homosexual lifestyle behind to live for Him. They faced much ridicule and were misunderstood at their booth at the NEA convention, as some homosexuals even accused them of being responsible for hate crimes. Mary Lokers, who has written many booklets and articles of her testimony for our table outreach locations, is pictured. I was happy to pray for them as they courageously made a stand for PURE love and for the only God of pure love at the NEA convention this week.