Quality Music and Books

Here we are, folks, in the United States of America, with loads of problems.  The reason we can have some of the problems we do is because of our democracy, and this fact should never be out of anyone’s sight.  Within reason, the press can publish what they do because the freedoms written into the U.S. Constitution, we can voice opinions publicly, and live where we please.

Now we have the results of those freedoms going too far, and are living through the downward times as the consequence.  We Christians always say that the U.S.A. is “one nation under God.”  Well, now God is reigning our Godly nation in before it comes to a complete halt.

Big businesses have gotten too big, and the consumer is no longer appreciated as the one who made their growth possible.  They never have enough money–the gross and profit must always be larger no matter what the cost. 

People–the regular guys like you and me–have overspent to have the so-called “American dream” rather than a life centered on God. 

We have made ourselves gods and exercised our right to put ourselves first and then worry about everyone else if convenient. 

We have judged a whole lot of people for the lifestyle they live to how they practice their Christian faith without looking at our own selves first.

The answer is not to blame the government, the politicians, and the businesses without blaming ourselves also. 

For businesses, the answer is not to come along with new ways to entice the public to spend money that they shouldn’t be spending, especially now when we are on the verge of a serious crisis.

For charities, including Christian ministries, the answer is not to prey upon those who you lead and ask for more money because you are running out. 

The situation is the same everywhere.  My business is hurting and we are broke.  You might have lost your job, your house or your self esteem, or all three.  When I get a letter from someone who I have always valued, such as James Dobson, asking for money because his ministry is important, I wonder how my ministry–which is my bookstore–rates lower than his.  Is it because he reaches more people overall?  Is it because those who come into my store and we pray for needs one-to-one just don’t equal the masses that Dr. Dobson reaches?

The bottom line is this.  I am in the retail business selling books, music and gifts.  My husband and I tighten our belts every month, praying for relief to come.  We want to sell to you and everyone who walks through the door of our shop or visits us online–BUT NOT at the expense of the needs you have that must come first.  Bad business move?  Most certainly, it is.  What is the price I would pay, though, if I compromised ethical, moral and Christian principles for the sake of money?

I pray constantly for God’s guidance, and trust that what comes into the till will take care of our store’s needs.  Often, I wonder at how little the Lord thinks that I need.  Yet at the end of the day, as I count what came in, I thank God for providing what is necessary emotionally, physically, spiritually, and monetarily. 

Trusting in God and following God’s will in every Christian’s life are not options.  It is what it is.  Thank the Lord, for He is beyond compare!

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not on thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.   Psalm 46:1 KJV

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  John 13:34 KJV

I will life mine eyes up to the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber.  Psalm 121:1-3 KJV

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

     … babamarusia

I have had richest blessings lately, and I am bubbly with joy.  Are there problems?  Am I encountering difficult situations?  Most certainly!  Isn’t life fabulously grand?

hmmm….. A few sentences, a few lines of text.  Do you think I have gone of the deep end yet? 

I have, but not in the way you think.  There are certain things that happen when you systematically follow the Word of God as your way of life.  Study the Bible, regular prayer, Christian fellowship, giving thanks in all circumstances–what happens is that  you are happy.  You are  at  peace.  You rarely become angry.  You forgive, don’t hold grudges and move on with life.

Am I 100% perfect?  Hardly!  I am forgiven!

Now I have a message for some who may be reading here:  I am NOT forcing you to read this blog, and I am NOT forcing my religion on you.  You must, unfortunately (joke!), continue to think for yourself without my help.

My next message is for Norm Coleman and Al Franken, the two men running for the US Senate seat here in Minnesota. 

Norm Coleman: That is downright dirty to run the cursing video of Al.  It was a poor choice.

Al Franken:  Your rebuttal was very sad.  You did not apologize for saying you hated certain Christian groups, and when you state you hate them you don’t have much respect for God.  Personally, I think a better choice is to judge every person on their own merit, not in groups of 10, 20, or thousands.

Now I am wondering who there is left to vote for in Minnesota’s US Senate race?  I truly don’t hold any ill will against these two men, I think it sad that they both made such poor choices.

PLEASE don’t tell me I’m not perfect either.  I KNOW I’m not perfect.  In fact, I can be on the worminicious side, but I am not wanting to represent EVERY person in Minnesota in Washington D.C.

Since I may, I will, but not for too long.  It’s very late…or very early, depending upon how you look at things.  Principles, morals, ethics:  How firm are you in holding fast to these?  Are you willing to comprise to keep relationships?  How about friendships?  What will you let go of to keep your job or your home?  How will these choices affect your self respect?

More importantly, how will your choices affect your relationship with God who will accept nothing less than 100% of your whole being?

Will it affect your willingness to stand faithfully in truth when being harrassed, slandered, demoralized?
Will it make a difference if you don’t participate in activites that are borderline or wrong?
Will it matter to you if sticking to your principles causes you to make less money or lose money?

These choices are going to become more difficult as time goes on–because the world is becoming more difficult in many respects.  [Let me clarify.  In any given era there have been difficult situations that seemed worse than ever occurred previously.  Nearly every generation has thought it couldn't be much worse than what they experienced.]

Another difficulty is discernment within the ranks of those who define themselves as Christian, and here is where knowledge plays the key role.  PLEASE don’t judge other people without getting the facts first.   I cannot define for you what groups you will call Christian and what groups you will say are a cult.  Many Christian groups are very vocal about this.  Some maintain an extreme narrow field, and some allow a wider field.

There is a line that cannot be crossed, found in John 3:16. 

However, caution must be exercised.  What is to be your guide?  The Holy Bible.  Where can you find it in the Bible?  Not a verse here or there, but where is it in the Bible within context?  What can be referenced elsewhere in the Scripture as further documentation?   What other authoritative sources (tried and true) can you draw from for further explanation?  (This argument came from my Swedish Covenant friend, and a good one it is.)

What then?  Is it up to us to judge and condemn, or are we to show respect and love, leaving it in God’s hands?  Isn’t God the God of everyone according to the Holy Bible?  Isn’t it God’s role to bless, chastise and rebuke?  What good are we doing if our words spoken “lovingly” cause people to reject our Lord and Savior, turning away from Him forever?

There is a place where it goes to far, and that is in certain circumstances when you deny your faith by remaining silent.  You don’t need to beat people over the head with your faith, and you don’t need to brag about how you have it correct and they don’t!  What comes first is witness by how you live your life.    This is the first way Christianity will be judged by non-Christians: by how you live.

Lastly:  What to do when you have been backed into a corner by someone who wants you to agree with their view of religion, and you know it’s wrong biblically, or it just doesn’t feel right?  Let go.  Get out of the situation.  If the time was right for you to witness, the Lord would have given you the words.  That feeling most likely is God telling  you to leave it alone for now.

It is now Tuesday, September 23, 2008.  May our Lord and Saviour, ever faithful in His love for us, bless you this day.  Amen. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

        … babamarusia

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done,
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Johnson Oatman, Jr., was a Methodist Episcopal minister in the late 1800s.  He wrote at least 5,000 hymn texts during his lifetime.  Count Your Blessings is one of them, written for children.   There are other hymnwriters just as prolific, such as Fanny Crosby.  What makes Oatman’s accomplishment commendable is that his full-time work was not his church ministry, it was in the business world. 

It comes to my mind today, though I will soon be 56 years old–not even close to being a child anymore.  Yes, the hymn is pretty corny in this day and age, but the truth is still very present in the poetry.  Often when problems arise we are prone to be so consumed by what is at hand that we forget to count.  Most likely we are even forgetting to give thanks for the present circumstance, let alone making a list of all the ones that can be recalled with thought.

In everything give thanks …. 1Thessalonians 5:18

It is so very important to give thanks, however, because overall it will help you endure what ever the present predicament is.  Let’s look at a few more Scripture verses as well as standard sayings.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge Him,
and he shall direct thy paths.  … Proverbs 3:5-6

Virtue: Moral excellence and righteousness; goodness. (Free Online Dictionary)
Righteousness: Morally upright; without guilt or sin.

Forgiveness is a virtue.
Let’s now replace the word virtue with it’s definition.
Forgiveness is moral excellence and righteousness.
Forgiveness is moral excellence.
Forgiveness is righteousness.
One more switch, replacing righteousness with it’s definition.
Forgiveness is morally upright.
Forgiveness is without guilt or sin (righteousness).

Now let’s take a look at a portion of the Lord’s prayer, using the word sin instead of trespasses.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Compare it to these verses from the book of Matthew:

14For if you forgive men when they sin against you,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15But if you do not forgive men their sins,
your Father will not forgive your sins. (Mt 6:14,15 NIV)

Please think with me now.  Forgiveness is equated with righteousness; or, to be without guilt or sin.  This is the clean slate of Jesus’ gift!

This next quote is from the fourth chapter of Ephesians.  In itself there is quite a bit to glean from what is there.  The essential message is that  sin and anger are tied together, and that when anger comes it must be dealt with and not allowed to continue.  Let’s take a look at Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV.

In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Eph 4:26-27)

There is more to this important message, however, and this is why it is always necessary to consider Scripture in context.  I suggest opening your Bible and reading the whole of Ephesians chapter four.

First, Paul calls himself a prisoner of the Lord, and this is not a bad way to be.  Prisoners are captive, held without there being an escape, all activities controlled.  That is exactly how we should be with our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ!  100% captive and committed!  And what a joyful captivity it is!  When Paul tells us this at the opening of the chapter, he is leading the way for us to follow with Him into the loving arms of Jesus.

He next urges us to be worthy of our calling–called to be a child of God, a servant of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Then, Paul explains what the calling entails.  We are to be humble, gentle, and patient, understanding of other’s peculiarities, and as one in unity with God. 

Here is where we can draw upon the Holy Trinity to understand what this unity is and what it entails.  Remember, the Holy Trinity is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–the three persons, but not as in three separate people or three separate Gods or three separate facets of the one.  As for me, I go on faith here and have no problems with doing so. God is Three and God is One all at the same time. 1+1+1=1.  The important part of this to know is that the Three of the Godhead work cohesively as one unit.  There is no separation and no part that is apart from the other.  It is the unit of unity, and that is how we are called to act with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

What then about the world?  That’s a very good question with a difficult answer.  We cannot have unity with the world, because the world (that is, the people) does not have the 100% commitment to God that is required to work in unity as one.  Though as Christians we believe that all people are born of God, there are many who have turned away to the darkness by rejecting the invitation or turning away after accepting it, and therefore work in dis-unity among everyone, both Christian and non-Christian alike.  To be honest, we Christians for the most part have difficulty with the unity because we don’t follow the New Commandment that Jesus gave us to “love as I have loved you.”

Paul continues by explaining how each person’s calling allows for unity, as the Lord provided different roles within the Body of Christ so to cover all that is necessary to be done.  When we go outside of our calling, when we allow ourselves to be less than completely committed, this is when dis-unity comes about.  He calls us to be “children of the light,” and the light that shines on us so that we can is Jesus Christ.

What is it to not live as children of the light?  It is when we are not humble, gentle, patient, kind, understanding…. and what sums this up best is the word anger.  Anger and all of its forms are the opposite of the love of Jesus Christ–of whom we all should be willing captives.

Anger comes to everyone at some point in time.  It is the dark side of humanity, and we all have the capability to become enmeshed within it.  What is important to remember is to not let anger continue.  Deal with it.  Get over it.  It is an immature “milk toast” Christian who will allow it to go on.  If you cannot deal with it yourself, then get help.  Go to your brothers and sisters in Christ and talk it out, get ideas and solutions, go to the one with whom you are angry if you can, and resolve the problem.  We are not to be problem causers but problem resolvers.  Paul at the end of this chapter writes that we are not to “grieve the Holy Spirit.”  He gives us a list: bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander and every form of malice.

Let’s take a look at that verse again.

In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Eph 4:26-27)

Our anger gives the devil a way in–into our minds and souls, and then eternity slips away.  It’s a hard place to be–in peace, in God–because you will be constantly bombarded by those who won’t understand or like it.  They will never “get” thanking God for difficulties and problems.  They will never “get” praying and asking blessings on those who do wrong against you.  Sometimes, they may even think you an absolute lunatic.  UNLESS-they come to Jesus themselves, and then know the pure joy of having Him within.

On the opposite side, staying in the Word is extremely important–study the Bible, have fellowship, develop Christian friends.

Count your blessings.  Thank God in all circumstances.  Write them down, add them up–make signs if you need to–just never forget to say, “Thank you, Jesus.”  Thank you, thank you.    Stress and heart disease are related to each other–just think of the benefits you have when living life as a child of God, a child of the light.  And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1 KJV)

I close with a request that we pray for the darkness, that God will bring all to light as a beacon for the universe.

God bless and keep everyone in His peace,
    … babamarusia

One of the most difficult acts that Christians perform in everyday life is dealing with difficult people in a loving, Godly way.  Scripture is perfectly clear on what is expected, and anyone who went to Sunday School will know the standard verses that apply to this subject.

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Up to seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I tell you not seven times, but seventy-times seven.” (Mt 18:21-22)  This passage has always been understood as meaning that we must always forgive, but if you do your multiplication even 490 times forgiving one person–hey! that’s a lot of wrongdoing!

“A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) Of course, Jesus loved to the point of giving His life, and forgave those who killed Him while on the cross.

Forgive.  Forgive, Forgive, Forgive…. Sometimes I want to just cry out to Jesus, “Don’t you understand how hard this is??? I am really hurting, Lord!”  I have written fairly frequently about forgiveness, and I believe in practicing it because it is a command from my Saviour, and it is also good for my mental health.

Okay, so now let’s talk degrees of hurt: How badly some people hurt others. 

There are unintentional hurts and those committed for a lack of common sense: saying something that is taken not in the way intended (common sense), saying something that you think just fine and someone else does not (unintentional), injury from accident (common sense or unintentional), extenuating circumstances causing hurt (unintentional).  We are called to forgive and pray for those who caused us harm.

There are petty and moderate hurts done out of childish vindictiveness: destruction of property, not doing what you know needs to be done, cursing at someone, gossiping untruths, etc.  We are called to forgive and pray for those who caused us harm.

There are judgmental hurts that cause people to turn away from God:   ”Lovingly” telling someone that they are going to hell because of a lifestyle or different Christian beliefs than yourself, asking people “Do you know where you are going when you die?” when they are not yet ready to answer.  Who forgives now?  It won’t be the person being turned off to God and salvation.

There are hurts against those who cannot defend themselves:  Aborted babies, those whose mental capabilities render them vulnerable, children being abused verbally and/or physically, the elderly who are feeble in mind and/or body.  Who forgives now?  It may or may not be one of the people in this situation. 

Lastly, there are people in this world whose mean-spiritedness reaches such a level that you wonder if they have been invaded by Satan.  These people practice mind control with both passive and agressive actions.  They are bent on having what they want in their way without thought or care as to who gets destroyed in the process, and don’t give a whit as to what the truth really is.  They lie, they manipulate, and as my great grandmother would say, they are like “a snake in the grass.”  They have no feeling of remorse for what they have done.  We are called to forgive and pray for those who cause us harm.

So there you have it.  People who do such things come from all walks of life.  I am one of them, and so are you.  I would be highly surprised if you felt that not one of these descriptions fit an act that you have performed in the past, did just now, or will in the future.  I would hope that certain descriptions above will never fit something you have done.

There is also the age-old question about “turning the other cheek” (Mt 5:39).  Yes, we are not to return action for action.  My mom would say, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”  They don’t.  Tit-for-Tat makes you just as wrong as the original offender.  In my interpretation, though, I don’t see anywhere that Jesus says to go back and ask for more.  In Matthew 10, Jesus told his disciples to “shake the dust off your feet” and leave when not welcomed in a town.  Though not in context, I don’t find it to be a stretch-of-definition to apply this example to an abusive or highly destructive situation.  Though not returning for more of the same, we should forgive and continue to pray.  If you don’t know what to pray, ask Jesus to apply what He feels best to their situation.

We are called to be in the world, to be a witness to the world, and still maintain our faith, obeying the Bible’s teaching to our lives.  It is inevitable that we will encounter wrongdoing and evil, and it is also inevitable that we will also be perpetrators because we are not perfect.  Only one is perfect, and that is God. 

Spiritual warfare is ongoing.  Though we have salvation through Jesus Christ and have been set free, the warfare continues around the world, in us and through us.  Satan delights in using you for his dirty work when you are at your weakest, and at your peak.  He will kick you when you’re down and bring you down when you are up–unless–you stay firmly rooted in the living, active Word of God.

There are times for some that justice will not come until Jesus does.  That those who don’t seek forgiveness and forgive others will be held accountable is a firm fact.  What do we do then when there is no opportunity to ask for forgiveness or we don’t know that we did something wrong?  Ask Jesus.  The Orthodox pray for forgiveness of sins, both the voluntary and involuntary kind.  Though I don’t attend an Orthodox church at the present time, I pray to be forgiven. 

Remember, though, all that happens will be used for the glory of God, and that nothing… absolutely nothing … can separate us from His love.  We came into this world as His children and will leave that way at the end of our human lives.   Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

The story goes as follows.  What happened could never be explained or documented.  The truth?  I suppose only God knows.

The woman from time to time since she was in her late twenties would have what might be called “religious dreams.”  They seemed to be a message from God, a gift from heaven.  The aftermaths would be happy and peaceful for a time.  Some would describe these times as blissfully relaxed.

To set the whole thing in context, for several years she experienced nightmarish dreams that left her desperate and her breath in gasps.  These went away as her problems were worked out and ceased to exist.  Still, the God dreams continued.

It had been a particularly long period of silence.  Many Christians get frustrated when these times come along–calling it a drought, or God turning His back.  She kept her faith in God, though, as she always had, for she never doubted God.  She doubted herself.  Thus, though the problems kept coming, she thanked God for each one in turn and prayed for those who were a part of the problem.  Sometimes the prayer was a very dutiful obligation–more often than not as a matter of fact.  The woman would examine her heart and her thoughts looking for her responsibility in causing the difficulty.  She would ask God for forgiveness.

During this last silence, though, the times were getting quite desperate.  Money was needed to pay what was already late.  “I caused the debt, Lord, I am the guilty party here.  Certainly I don’t assume that you will get me out of the consequences, but is it too much to ask to show me what I need to do to remedy the situation?”  “Lord, forgive me, for I have sinned both knowingly and unknowingly.  Surely this is the reason for the silence, was her thought. 

There were more prayers, mostly variations of the two above.  Some were pleas, some were prayed in hope of the promise, some were humble.  Through it all –what has happened in the past and the current–she always realized as she examined her intentions and motives that her trust in God was not complete, and that her sin was great and staring her right back.

Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean.  Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (ps. 51 KJV)

The silence remained.  The self-examinations continued with no relief.  Late one night she turned to her Bible before going to sleep.   She had been reading Horatio Bonar literature, and it said that diligence in Bible study was of the utmost importance.  She read from Hannah More’s writings, and was reminded that when all that happens comes from God there really should never be a complaint.

Late one night she turned to the Book of Jeremiah and began to read where the verses sounded pleasant.   But the mood changed and she became frightened.  The words seemed to leap off the page and shout in her ears.

This is what the LORD says:
       “Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
       who depends on flesh for his strength
       and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 

He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
       he will not see prosperity when it comes.
       He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
       in a salt land where no one lives.

 ”But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
       whose confidence is in him.

 He will be like a tree planted by the water
       that sends out its roots by the stream.
       It does not fear when heat comes;
       its leaves are always green.
       It has no worries in a year of drought
       and never fails to bear fruit.” (NIV)

The awesome completeness that encompasses God’s power became real in her mind like never before, and she wasn’t too sure which way it was going for her.  The powerlessness didn’t offend her.  God’s power, though fearful and frightening, made His goodness all the more wonderful in the presence of sin.

Over the course of the next few days nothing changed.  Though she considered giving up, she moved ahead as usual.  How tiresome each day began and ended as the words Jeremiah spoke played over and over in her mind. 

This time, though, upon retiring from the day’s work she dropped to her knees for a long talk with God.  The prayers to come had been prefaced with prayer, but what she planned to say never materialized.  Instead a peace came over her and it felt good.  There was a rich, soft joy in her soul that with each breath consumed more of her body, until she felt a oneness with the Holy Spirit that she didn’t want to lose.

As the woman poised, still on her knees without desiring to leave this beautiful ecstacy, her back arched as her head drew back, and her arms stretched out from her sides.  “Draw me in, Lord,” She prayed.  It was then the mood changed. Now it became somber and she could see herself walking, blood dripping, the cross … and the pain down her arms… as the woman looked out, those with whom she felt offense, their faces appeared before her closed eyes as clear as in daylight and she said to each one in turn, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Understanding like a bright light entered: Jesus’ life, His pain, His suffering and His forgiveness.  And then dark black.  It was hard to breathe… “O God, I beg you, do not leave me here.  I cannot bear it.” 

Though only a few minutes had passed, slowly the darkness lifted.  It was then she…heard? sensed the voice?  We don’t know, but we know for her it was there.  “You are dead in this world.  It is my Spirit that lives in you.”  What bliss!  What joy and peace! 

The woman reports that every day is joyful now, and her trust in having the provisions she needs has grown tremendously.  When brief times of stress do happen, she now pauses to remember the words spoken in her soul.  She knows that life will continue to be difficult, but that those moments are of this world–and it is not where her focus lies.  Rather, her focus is on what is to come, the hope of an eternal future with Jesus Christ, her Saviour and Lord.