Bring on the Rain

I received this in a forward. It was an amazing read and I thought it was worthy to share. Please pass this on too!

THE QUESTION that CHANGED MY LIFE
-by David Ryser.

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of teaching at a school
of ministry. My students were hungry for God, and I was constantly
searching for ways to challenge them to fall more in love with
Jesus and to become voices for revival in the Church. I came across
a quote attributed most often to Rev. Sam Pascoe. It is a short
version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this:

Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece
and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution;
it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and
became an enterprise. Some of the students were only 18 or 19
years old--barely out of diapers--and I wanted them to understand
and appreciate the import of the last line, so I clarified it by adding,
"An enterprise. That's a business." After a few moments Martha,
the youngest student in the class, raised her hand. I could not
imagine what her question might be. I thought the little vignette was
self-explanatory, and that I had performed it brilliantly. Nevertheless,
I acknowledged Martha's raised hand, "Yes, Martha." She asked
such a simple question, "A business? But isn't it supposed to be
a body?" I could not envision where this line of questioning was going,
and the only response I could think of was, "Yes." She continued,
"But when a body becomes a business, isn't that a prostitute?"

The room went dead silent. For several seconds no one moved or
spoke. We were stunned, afraid to make a sound because the
presence of God had flooded into the room, and we knew we were
on holy ground. All I could think in those sacred moments was,
"Wow, I wish I'd thought of that." I didn't dare express that thought
aloud. God had taken over the class.

Martha's question changed my life. For six months, I thought about
her question at least once every day. "When a body becomes a
business, isn't that a prostitute?" There is only one answer to her
question. The answer is "Yes." The American Church, tragically,
is heavily populated by people who do not love God. How can we
love Him? We don't even know Him; and I mean really know Him.

... I stand by my statement that most American Christians do not
know God--much less love Him. The root of this condition originates
in how we came to God. Most of us came to Him because of what
we were told He would do for us. We were promised that He would
bless us in life and take us to heaven after death. We married Him
for His money, and we don't care if He lives or dies as long as we
can get His stuff. We have made the Kingdom of God into a business,
merchandising His anointing. This should not be. We are commanded
to love God, and are called to be the Bride of Christ--that's pretty
intimate stuff. We are supposed to be His lovers. How can we love
someone we don't even know? And even if we do know someone,
is that a guarantee that we truly love them? Are we lovers or
prostitutes?

I was pondering Martha's question again one day, and considered
the question, "What's the difference between a lover and a prostitute?"
I realized that both do many of the same things, but a lover does
what she does because she loves. A prostitute pretends to love, but
only as long as you pay. Then I asked the question, "What would
happen if God stopped paying me?"

For the next several months, I allowed God to search me to uncover
my motives for loving and serving Him. Was I really a true lover of
God? What would happen if He stopped blessing me? What if He
never did another thing for me? Would I still love Him? Please
understand, I believe in the promises and blessings of God. The
issue here is not whether God blesses His children; the issue is
the condition of my heart. Why do I serve Him? Are His blessings
in my life the gifts of a loving Father, or are they a wage that I have
earned or a bribe/payment to love Him? Do I love God without any
conditions? It took several months to work through these questions.
Even now I wonder if my desire to love God is always matched by
my attitude and behavior. I still catch myself being disappointed
with God and angry that He has not met some perceived need in
my life. I suspect this is something which is never fully resolved,
but I want more than anything else to be a true lover of God.

So what is it going to be? Which are we, lover or prostitute?
There are no prostitutes in heaven, or in the Kingdom of God for
that matter, but there are plenty of former prostitutes in both
places. Take it from a recovering prostitute when I say there is no
substitute for unconditional, intimate relationship with God. And I
mean there is no palatable substitute available to us (take another
look at Matthew 7:21-23 sometime). We must choose.

-Dr. David Ryser.


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Here are some tips to really dig deeper into the Word of God. The Bible is like a jigsaw puzzle, and the pieces are ALL OVER the Bible, in both the OT and NT. Every verse has layers, and it leads to a bigger picture. The Bible can be the most exciting and exhilarating book you'll ever read!

Tip #1: Find Keywords. Each word is a key to a bigger piece of the puzzle. Track it down all over the Bible and list it.

Tip #2: Get the Greek and Hebrew translation. The grammar is structured differently, but you can find the real and accurate definitions to the word. Sometimes the English word can have three or four different Greek words and meanings to the same word.

Tip #3: Get a concordance and find all the references to the verse you want to learn more deeply.

Tip #4: Once we unlock a piece to the puzzle, we'll find MORE puzzle pieces and trails! So write down what you have learned in a journal, and categorize it.

Tip #5: Most importantly of all.. Pray for God to reveal his truth to you. Only he can lift the veil off our eyes and make his Word manifest to us. It is the living Word, and it leaves 'wise' men of the world dumbfounded. The carnal mind cannot perceive it, only the spirit can.


In our group, when we bible study together, we have several books open all at once at the table. We have the KJV open, the Geneva Bible open (has amazing and historical notes from Puritans that were martyred and persecuted for hundreds of years), The Greek and Hebrew translation, Strong's Concordance, and a dictionary.

Here are the special names of God in the Hebrew tongue! I learned the list of names in the Biblical Doctrine class at my church and it stuck with me since. I found it useful when I praise God and worship him! These names also show the many awesome qualities of God!

Jehovah Rophe- Our Lord who heals (Exodus 15:26)
Jehovah Tsidkenu- The Lord our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)
Jehovah Shalom- The Lord our peace (Judges 6:24)
Jehovah Nissi- The Lord our banner (Exodus 17:15)
Jehovah Shammah- The Lord is present (Ezekiel 48:35)
Jehovah Sabaoth- The Lord of armies (Isaiah 44:6)
Jehovah Jireh- The Lord will provide (Genesis 22:14)
Jehovah Rohi- The Lord is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1)
Jehovah Mekeddeshem- The Lord who sanctifies (Leviticus 20:7-8)

More people are spending time on the internet than ever before. There is easy access to every kind of information available online, chat rooms, social networks, instant messengers and emails. We also get to know many new people from all over the world. It is fun and exciting, but it can also be dangerous. Talking to strangers online is just as dangerous as talking to a stranger on the street.

Here is some information to help everyone learn about internet stalking and how to protect themselves from that.

There are three general types of internet stalkers:

1. Obsessional Stalkers: You may have known them, had a friendship with them, and ended it but they refuse to accept that the relationship is over even when they have been told repeatedly it is. They may still contact you in emails and instant messengers, or persistently try to add you on Facebook, MySpace, or other social networks. Do not think they are harmlessly in love because many of them may have been emotionally abusive, controlling and even carry a criminal record for stalking.

2. The Delusional Stalkers: They have never had a relationship with the person outside of their own mind. They could have mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or erectomania. What they have in common is a false belief that keeps them tied to their victims, even things like walking on the same side of the street, buying the same brand of orange juice, etc. There may be delusional stalkers who are determined to prove their love to the victim somehow believing they will return the same feelings. This can be dangerous, like the stalker of Jodie Foster who shot President Reagan for her.

Delusional stalkers are often loners, unmarried, socially immature, and don't really have much people skills to keep friendships and relationships. They often stalk victims who are unattainable such as celebrities, married people, and tend to draw to those in helping professions such as doctors, thearapists, teachers etc. They can be very difficult to get rid of and can be around for years.

3. Venegeful Stalkers: They get angry at their victims over slight (either real or imagined) problem. They are dangerous because they can stalk the victim but believe themselves to be the "victims." This commonly includes disgruntled employees, ex-spouses, etc. They may show a flame war, want to argue with you, disagree with you, and may even create a website about you. They can go as far as tracing you, calling you at home, at work, sending you hate mail or even going as far as finding you offline.


How to Protect Yourself.

-If you are a minor, please contact an adult immediately. This kind of thing cannot be kept a secret. Let your parents know right away! And parents, guard your children. Always know who they are talking to!

-Stop all contact with this person. Do not respond to them anymore. Do not continue the conversations, do not argue with them, just cut off all ties with them.

-Block their emails, their IMs, and any other access they may have to you. Disappear online by changing your identity and if necessary your Internet Provider. Your safety is more important than the inconvenience of having to change your online identity.

-If there are threats being made, make a report to your local police station. Bring any logs or emails with you as evidence. Keep all correspondence in order for them to be able to be traced.

-Be on guard when you are online. Do not share your information. Do not give out your home address or phone number. Do not give any information that could reveal where you are.

-If you feel uncomfortable around someone online, listen to your feelings!


Go to this website for more information:
http://www.wiredsafety.org/cyberstalking_harassment/stalker.html

I found those two pictures while I was searching online for something else. These two pictures had an impact on me. A picture is worth a thousand words. I will leave it at that.

I am taking a Personal Evangelism class through my church. It is an extended bible college program and I go there every Tuesday night. My pastor teaches this one, and last night he taught us this: How to Lead a Child to Christ. Of course, I whipped out my pen and wrote it down! I thought it'd be interesting to share with all of you!

1. You must be on their level (physically, mentally, spiritually)
Get down on your knees, be at their eye level (kids love that). Excite them and ask who is the smartest, who knows all this stuff, etc.

2. Use Much Repetition (over & over & over).
When you go over a step, stop, then review all the steps before that then move to the next one every time. The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God.

3. Use visual aides!
We can get creative with this! Draw pictures! Use diagrams!

My pastor drew a picture of everyone on a plane with sin spots all over them heading towards the fire, but Jesus got them tickets to go to heaven and now they're happy!

The Wordless book is a popular method too and it's just a book of colors! The colors each represent something, and it's very simple! SisterLisa decided to use M&M colors for an extra treat!

Growing in Grace Magazine has the Wordless book online, CLICK HERE to go there!


Right now, my kids are fairly young and I would say they are too young to grasp the entire concept of salvation. If your kids are young too, we can still teach our kids about sin whenever they do wrong. We can remind them when they lie, when they steal cookies, when they hit their siblings, rebel against us, etc that it is what the Bible calls sin. This can prepare them to realize they have sinned many times and it will be easier to lead them to realize they need a Savior.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 John 1:4

Many of us who read the Bible notice that God uses the same numbers over and over in different circumstances. I've often wondered what those numbers meant. I found something online that was fascinating and was very helpful in understanding! I wanted to share it with you all-