What A Week!

***The ministry of Dr. Paul Costa last weekend at CMCC was truly special. It started on Saturday evening, May 10th when some of our men met at the Engelhardt’s home for an impromptu meeting with Dr. Costa who shared insight on economic development for Christians. According to Costa, this is a time in the history of the church where God is giving creative ideas for making money for the sake of supporting the work of God’s Kingdom. He told of a start-up business that he is personally involved with that proposes to grow and harvest algae as a fuel source (like ethanol) and he went on to encourage the guys to dream, think, create and work strategically to invest their time, faith and money in creative endeavors.

On Sunday morning May 11th at our main service, Dr.Costa encouraged us to open our eyes of faith and believe God for the promised miraculous power to heal the sick and expect signs and wonders. The Notre Dame educated former NFL star has a unique ministry style that is non-emotional and intelligent, and his faith is so matter-of-fact that he is the veritable anti-type of the stereotypical healing evangelist. During his ministry Sunday morning several notable reports of people feeling a healing touch from God were reported including relief from pain in problem knees, back pain gone, and arthritis pain subsided. In particular was the testimony of one of our members who is battling serious lung disease and on his way out of church remarked that he had not breathed so freely in months! Thank you Lord Jesus!

On Sunday evening Dr. Costa met with our college-age group and taught the kids how to pray for one another for blessings and healing. Of special note was the way Dr. Costa did not actually pray for the people himself but taught our members how to pray for others and be open for the genuine power of God to be displayed.Great fun!

***Last Monday a group of CMCC members traveled to Latham for the annual Alight Care Center banquet. Alight is a help & health center for women-in-need run by our friends at Victorious Life Christian Church in Troy. The center offers pregnancy counseling, parenting classes, anger management classes, clothing and referral support. Alight saw over 3,000 clients in the past year. Attending from CMCC were Pastor Bob and Nancy Engelhardt, Pastor Renard and Gina Barto, Lynn Keator, Marie Spaulding, Stephanie Seminara and Toby Roe.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Bob Paeglow, a physician from downtown Albany who has sacrificed big-money medicine to serve, mostly for free, the poorest of the poor in inner city Albany. His office, ‘Compassion in Action/Koinonia Primary Care’ is part of a larger ministry called the Capital District Prayer and Healing Center where their mission is caring for people spiritually and physically. Dr. Paeglow has been widely recognized for his good work and received many honors including winning the Albany Medical College Humanism in Medicine Award and being named a2006 People Magazine Hometown Hero. There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches. (Proverbs 13:7)

***This past Wednesday evening’s mid-week service was a very special time of impartation from Nancy Engelhardt when she taught a message entitled, ‘So Close and Yet So Far.’ Using the story of the healing of Naaman the Leper by the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 5), Nancy focused on Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, who secretly took the payment offered by Naaman despite Elisha’s orders not to take it.

Gehazi was the closest servant of the greatest living prophet of the time and yet his love of money twisted his heart and in the end, he ended up with the very leprosy that was cleansed from Naaman. In our materialist society it is vital that we remember the commandment, ‘Thou shalt not covet’ (See my blog entry for April 28th). The truth is that we can be very involved in church and good work and never catch God’s heart. What a shame to think that all of the effort and sacrifice that goes into our faith could be for nothing if we don’t obey when it counts. So close and yet so far! Come out this Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm for a great mid-week boost.

***On Thursday evening, May 15, Pastor Bob and Nancy Engelhardt along with CMCC members Ron and Julie Odato attended a 60th Birthday Party/Banquet for Israel at the United Nations in New York City. The event was supported by a diverse group of religious, government and business leaders from both the Christian and Jewish communities and was lead by Rev. Robert Stearns of Eagles’ Wings Ministries. Because of CMCC’s support over the years for Eagles’ Wings mission in building bridges with Israel, our group was given VIP status, enjoying a special pre-banquet reception. This sunset reception was held outdoors on a magnificent terrace several stories up in the UN complex overlooking the East River.

The banquet was attended by Pat & Shirley Boone, Paula White, Michael Little (President of CBN), Rev. John Hagee (the keynote speaker) and many other national leaders from the Christian community. In addition, the Jewish community was very well represented includingspeakers: Asaf Sharif, the Counsel General of Israel in New York; and Rabbi Dr. Schlomo Riskin, an internationally renowned educator, speaker and author. Other distinguished members of the Jewish Community were businessmen/philanthropists Ziel Feldmen, Harvey Krueger, Irwin Hochberg, Robert Rothenberg, and Israel Borovich (Chairman, El Al Israel Airlines).

An especially touching moment was a presentation by German pastor, Rev. Daniel Mueller, leader of one of Europe’s largest evangelical churches. His church has supported Israel since 1982 through social work, community improvement projects and establishing 38 schools in Jerusalem. He is a pioneer in establishing Jewish-Christian relationships and his humble presence at the 60th birthday of modern Israel, given the still-vivid memory of the Holocaust was truly powerful.

***From 2002-2004 CMCC had a billboard on Route 28 near Pine Hill, visible to westbound traffic. Over the years many have shared how they miss seeing our words, ‘Welcome to God’s Country’ and how it used to warm their heart. Well, we are back in business! Within the next four weeks the same spot will be used to post our new and improved ad and greeting to those coming into our region. It will still say “Welcome to God’s Country,” but this time we are adding a full-color photo of our campus and our most recent slogan:Catskill Mountain Christian Center, A World-Class Church with a Hometown Heart. I think you’re going to love it! Thanks to Jessie Moore for the design work.

***Please keep Sherry Bush in your prayers for healing as well as Matty Beutel, Irena Lanzilotta and Lee Jenkins. As always, please also remember our brave American heroes protecting us from harm in the military, law enforcement and fire service.

***Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Question and Answer: Gifts of the Spirit

Hi Pastor Bob, I have some questions.

I’m taking a theology course, and the author of the textbook talks about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He says "the first generation of Christians experienced spectacular signs and wonders which the second generation apparently did not. Citing 1 Corinthians 13:8, the author says that the gift of tongues evidently died as did the gift of prophecy because the gifts were only for the founding period of the church and then withdrawn.

What does this scripture say/mean? Can you tell me from what perspective/ doctrine the author is coming from? Thank you.


Answer: Dear Reader,

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. (1 Corinthians 13:8)

The interpretation you cited is a common anti-charismatic position on the gifts of the Spirit. It is called Cessation Theology, meaning the gifts ceased after the entire body of Scripture was compiled. It is wrong doctrine for multiple reasons:

1. There have been documented miracles throughout the church age.

2. It causes us to be guilty of the indictment against false Christians... "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" 2 Timothy 3:5

3. This Scripture clearly interprets itself further down as to when the gifts will pass away along with knowledge... For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 1 Corinthians 13:9-10

The gifts will pass away, ‘When that which is perfect has come.’ So then, when will ‘the perfect’ come? ‘The perfect’ will come when Jesus returns. He is the ‘Perfect’ one. Anti-charismatic teaching claims that ‘the perfect’ refers to the complete collection of the Scriptures but this is theology based on their desire to reconcile their pre-conceived position. It is clear that, although the complete Scripture has been around for 2000 years, our understanding and power is still pretty imperfect.

Paul is saying that when Jesus returns and His Kingdom comes in its fullness we will not need the gifts and knowledge because, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12. The gifts will pass away when, "I SHALL KNOW JUST AS I AM KNOWN." It is easy to agree that we do not see the Kingdom this clearly yet. Paul says that we will have a complete, open, pure and reciprocal knowledge of God and His plans and purposes. Honey, we ain't there! The gifts are still vital for seeing God's Kingdom still coming.

4. The gifts are given as garden tools, to weed out the works of the flesh and produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5).

5. Even if tongues were not practiced for a long time it only proves what Jesus said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). Although Jesus is directly referring here to His death and resurrection, it reveals a universal spiritual law. The gifts were largely lost to the church for a long time but the seed of God's Word has sprung up again at the beginning of the 20th century and produced incredible life again for the past one hundred plus years.

These are just a few thoughts off of the top of my head so let me know if they help at all. I love this subject!

Question and Answer: The Nature of Faith

A recent insightful question was posed to me and I thought the conversation was worth posting.

Q: Hi Pastor Bob, I was reading Hebrews 11 and was wondering what it means when it says "Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing." Hebrews 11:13 and it says it again in 11:39 "Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised." He gave the examples of Abraham and Sarah, but they were promised a child and they had Isaac. Is he just referring to Heaven and being there? What does this mean? Thanks! Have a great day!

Answer:
Hi, great question! This really speaks to the true nature of faith. Faith is being so convinced of the truth of the Gospel that even death cannot separate you from that truth. Once you get hold of any promise of God, that truth becomes more certain than the laws of nature.

Jesus spent His entire earthly ministry trying to convince His disciples to increase their faith regarding, not just the promise of eternal life, but the reality of the unseen Kingdom of God invading the time-space dimension. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"(Hebrews 11:1).

Therefore, your question accurately identifies the real point of contention between many evangelicals and Spirit-filled Christians. Evangelicals tend to only believe that faith is for our eternal salvation and not for issues of the present age. Many feel that fighting the fight of faith is standing for Jesus in the face of persecution. They do not typically believe actively for the promises of God to be manifested in the here and now.

Spirit-filled believers agree with all of the above and also include the segments of the Bible where we are instructed to have faith for God's manifested glory in our present lives. We believe in the importance of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) as well as the gifts of the Spirit (1Corinthians 12-14).

We believe that the fight of faith includes finding all of the promises of God revealed in His Word and exercising our faith to reveal the full range of God's power. We believe that God is pleased with this more aggressive fight of faith. Mark 11: 23-24... Jesus commanded His disciples to "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Mark 11:22-24 (NKJV)

I hope this sheds a little perspective on this. When you fight the fight of faith for salvation or any other promise, you believe until...
Blessings, Pastor Bob

Why Study the Ten Commandments?

Acknowledgement: Thanks to Dean Malaxos. Input from his research was very helpful in writing this entry.

We study the Ten Commandments for the same reason that we go to school—to learn the truth. The Bible teaches that the law was a schoolmaster, intended to bring people to faith in Christ (Galatians 3:24-25). And just like people who graduate from school do not go to classes or take tests anymore, so we are not under the law anymore. After graduating from school, we take the knowledge we learned into the real world in the same way that God’s Commandments still reveal right and wrong even though we are not under the law. When I graduate from school, two plus two still equals four. When Jesus is my Lord and I am saved by faith, the Ten Commandments are still essential truths in understanding what pleases and angers God.

Following is a condensed version of the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10. Thou shalt not covet.

Commandment One: “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”

Isaiah 43:10 says, “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me.”

Someone once asked Michelangelo why he worked so hard on his masterpiece sculpture, David. He replied: "Young man, there is an angel inside this rock, and I am setting him free." People are often like Michelangelo, trying to chisel away at the rock of life in order to release a god formed how they want it to look. The sin of worshipping other gods is a serious one. In fact, the Bible says that God is a jealous God. He is exactly who the Bible says He is.

In what ways can we be worshipping other gods?

Whenever we put a higher value on anything other than the God who is the subject of the Bible, we are breaking the first commandment. Some obvious examples of worshipping other gods are false religions like Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, and alternate spiritual practices such as witchcraft, palm reading and scientology. There are literally thousands of false gods and religions in the world that people look to instead of God. In America we have freedom of religion but that does not make it ok with God—He is jealous for our love and devotion.

Another way that people worship false gods is more subtle but still a violation of the first commandment. Sometimes people put things before God such as video games, sports, work, money, children, relationships, family, friends, school, etc. All of these things can become more important than our relationship with the Lord if we are not careful.

What can we do to ensure that we do not break the first commandment?

First, trust in Jesus, who is God Himself, and understand that we cannot know the Father aside from Him. “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” Matt 11:27

Second, read the Bible and know the things that God says concerning Himself, and what He expects of us. Cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons have long preyed upon people who believe in God, but have never really learned the importance of knowing God through His Word. Remember the Ten Commandments are about relationship with God and each other. We can never truly have a relationship with God if we never get to know Him.

Commandment Two: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.”

Although it seems strange today, people have, throughout history made statues, drawings, engravings and idols to worship. From the gods of ancient Egypt to modern India, and from new age crystals to Eskimo totem poles, human societies have crafted likenesses of angels, demons, people, animals and strange creatures from their own imaginations out of wood, stone, gold, clay and any other handy substance in order to worship them, hoping to get some spiritual favor or power. God strictly prohibits this!

It might seem silly that God should become upset at this but when people focus their faith on something other than the invisible God of all creation through His Word, their faith becomes perverted. The book of Romans warns about this, saying: “Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things." Romans 1:22-23 (NKJV)

Also, we do not focus our vision on earthen manmade idols because it is God who is forming His image our hearts: “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). The only thing we should gaze upon is the image of Jesus Christ revealed through the Word of God, not some physical likeness from a human being’s imagination. As Jesus said, “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21).

Commandment Three: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”

God is holy and He is powerful. Using His name sloppily makes Him seem common, small and powerless. The Bible tells us to turn away from people who use God’s name in vain: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV). These people have a vain form of godliness— they take the Lord’s name in vain but their intentions are evil!

As Christians, we use the Lord’s name and acknowledge His presence respectfully. He is the Mighty King—the Creator and Master of all that is. His power is infinite, His sacrifice was perfect, His love is eternal and His life is immortal. Jesus said: “you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.” Mark 12:30 (NKJV) We use His name respectfully because of who He is.

A person does not pull a fire alarm foolishly, call the police haphazardly, shoot a gun carelessly or call an ambulance if they merely sneeze. Likewise, we do not invoke God’s name in vain. God wants us to respect His name. He wants us to think of Him as special, holy and powerful and to use his name in a respectful way. Jesus said that we can experience great power through the proper use of God’s name: "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:22-24).

Commandment Four: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

As one of His Ten Commandments, the Sabbath is extremely important to God. He has given it to His people as a gift and for thousands of years observant Jews have gathered to worship God each week like clockwork. The early Christians moved their day of observation to the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, to memorialize Jesus resurrection from the dead, but continued the ancient tradition.

Unfortunately, though, Sunday church has lost much of its influence in our post-modern culture. Many good Christians have been fooled to think of the Sabbath as optional. But remember, the law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24), and the truth we learn, even though we have graduated from school, is still the knowledge we conduct our lives by. Keeping the Sabbath holy stands side by side with “thou shall not murder” and “though shall not commit adultery” in importance to God.

Many present day Christians diminish the testimony of thousands of years of unbroken observance of the Lord’s Day claiming that we are not under the law. This is unfortunate and reveals our culture’s rebellious heart rather than a compliant spirit. Robert J. Morgan says in his book, “Stories, Illustrations and Quotes”, “Our great grandparents called it the Holy Sabbath. Our grandparents called it the Lord’s Day. Our parents called it Sunday. And we call it the weekend.”

Like the waves of the sea, each Sunday for two thousand years, the Christian nation around the world has flowed from inside their homes into their churches. From mud huts in Africa to cathedrals in New York to underground house churches in China—what a glorious thought! Each Sunday, praises ring out to Heaven as congregations gather around the world, like a giant dazzling tsunami wave circling the Earth with the rising sun. “I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people” (Psalms 35:18). This is the great testimony of our faith!

Listen to the early church father, Justin Martyr, on the Sabbath: “And on the day called Sunday, all who lived in cities or in the country gathered together in one place and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read… Sunday is the day on which we hold common assembly, because it is the first day of the week on which the Lord made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead.”

Commandment Five: “Honor thy father and thy mother.”

This is a commandment written to children. Children are commanded by God to honor, respect and obey their own parents. There is no negotiation in this. No ifs, ands or buts. It does not say that children should honor their parents, ‘if’ their parents give them what they want. In fact, it is understood that training children will include lessons and teaching that will be uncomfortable to receive. Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

Regrettably, godless influences have, in recent times, reversed the commandment of God and put guilt on parents to treat their children as equals, considering training in obedience to be harsh and unreasonable. Some teach that rigorous training hurts children and inhibits their individual development, but this is false. Disobedient children are like unbroken horses—wild spirits without self control. Consider the following:

1. If you refuse to obey your parents who you can see, you will never be able to obey God who you cannot see.
2. Success in life depends on learning to obey legitimate human authority, which is what this commandment lovingly teaches through parents. Whether home, school, church, university, work, military or government; human society depends on successfully functioning within structures of authority. Even Jesus became successful as he honored his earthly parents: Then He went down with them (Mary and Joseph) and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them… And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:51-52
3. The promise of long life comes with obedience to this commandment. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12). Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." Ephesians 6:1-3 Although we are to honor our parents throughout our lives, obedience to this commandment begins when we are children.

Commandment Six: “Thou shalt not kill.”

The word ‘kill’ really refers to the crime of murder. It is the unjustified taking of a person’s life. Consider the following:

1. The Bible records the first sin after the Fall of Adam was the murder of Abel by his brother Cain (Genesis 4:1-8).
2. Jesus says of the devil, “He was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44)
3. Not all killing is murder. Jesus praised the Roman army officer (Matthew 8:5-11) for his great faith without comment on his occupation but accused the Pharisees of trying to kill Him (John 8:37 & 40). Also, another Roman army officer, Cornelius, was commended as a devout man who feared God with his whole household, and became the first Gentile to receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10)
4. Murder originates in the heart, and as Christians, we are not only responsible to control our actions but our attitudes and words as well. Jesus said, "You have heard that the law of Moses says, `Do not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. (Matthew 5:21-22 NLT) This shows that hateful, angry, unkind, resentful, rebellious, covetous, jealous and prideful thoughts and words are the seeds of murder. Therefore we must be very aware of our thoughts, attitudes and words.
5. When Moses was born, the devil moved on Pharaoh’s heart to murder babies. When Jesus was born, the devil moved on Herod’s heart to murder babies. In our abortion-on-demand society, millions of innocent babies are murdered each year: Who is the devil trying to kill now? Perhaps the end-time army of God!
6. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him (1 John 3:15).

Commandment Seven: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

Adultery is the sin of being unfaithful to one’s spouse, and like all sin, it originates in the heart. Jesus said, “But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 (NLT) Consider the following:

1. Normally righteous, King David fell prey to the sin of adultery when he stopped doing the strenuous work God called him to. “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1). We must stay busy doing our work for God.
2. David was in his own home when he fell. He was not looking for trouble. Perhaps a little weary, he had just gotten up from a nap—but his defenses were down. “Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.” (2 Samuel 11:2) Today people have to be just as careful as we look out at the world through our TV sets and computers. If David had his eyes lifted up in prayer to God, he wouldn’t have been tempted. “Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things” (Isaiah 40:26)
3. Committing adultery releases disease into the mind of the sinner. “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul.” Proverbs 6:32
4. A husband and wife are two persons, joined into a single life by God Himself and never intended to be separated. Jesus said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 'and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. "Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." Mark 10:7-9

Commandment Eight: “Thou shalt not steal.”

To steal is to take (the property of another) without right or permission.

1. The very first sin ever committed was the sin of stealing fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3).
2. Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, was a thief, stealing money from the money box (John 12:6).
3. Wicked Queen Jezebel stole a vineyard for her husband, Ahab, by having the rightful owner murdered (1 Kings 21).
4. In fact, stealing is the devil’s very nature. Jesus said, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Some common stealing today includes: Burglarizing homes, identity theft, illegal downloading, stealing from cars, not paying taxes, cheating on homework, defaulting on debts, stealing from employers, shoplifting and robbing from God by not tithing.

Fewer and fewer communities today are safe for residents to leave their homes without locking the doors. However, in former days, when Christian influence was much stronger in America, it was commonplace that people never locked their homes or cars. Stealing was very rare in many communities even among the poor. Now, though, it is normal to need elaborate security systems and even so, some homes are broken into multiple times. If we love and obey God, we respect the property of others and trust God to meet our needs. We would never steal because our God is not poor and He has promised to care for us. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Commandment Nine “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

“a poor man is better than a liar” (Proverbs 19:22).

Truth is like an evenly woven fabric. There is a wholeness and integrity to the fabric of our inner life as we live in truth and each time a person lies, misleads or bears false witness a tear occurs to that fabric. Truth begets integrity and lies beget corruption. A liar therefore is worse than a poor man because his soul is tattered and torn, which is far worse than wearing old clothing. The commandment against bearing false witness is critical for a number of reasons:

1. In the court room, witnesses must promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It is universally understood that without the truth, there is no hope for justice. Bad guys win and good guys lose when people lie.
2. Nobody trusts a liar. Today with many untrustworthy politicians, selfish special interests, deceptive sales techniques, different religions, scientists using contradicting statistics and differing opinions about pretty much everything, it is vital for God’s people to be absolutely committed to honesty. We cannot have true community in the presence of public lies.
3. The devil is the father if lies: Jesus said, “When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).
4. Our relationships cannot be healthy when we create a false reality, distorted with lies, exaggerations, mistrusts, and half-truths. At some point most people will wake up and realize that if an acquaintance will lie to other people, he/she will just as quickly lie to me. Lies destroy confidence, security, trust and love.
5. Most importantly, our ability to trust God is connected to the truth. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Our confidence in Jesus is directly related to our ability to trust that He is telling the truth.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all" (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., Ventures in Common Sense, 6)

Commandment Ten “Thou shalt not covet.”

The full Commandment says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's" (Exodus 20:17)

To covet means "to fix the desire upon” or to “lust after.” Therefore, the Commandment here is speaking to misguided, selfish and unrestrained human desire. We cannot do better here than let the Scripture inform our hearts to God’s intention:

1. “I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin took advantage of this law and aroused all kinds of forbidden desires within me!” (Romans 7:7-8, NLT). We must guard our hearts from the forbidden desires of covetousness.
2. “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:8-10) Love produces contentment in our hearts so that we can be happy for our neighbor when they have nice things.
3. “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness (covetousness), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:6-10) As Christians we must look for our contentment in God. Elements of the material world will never deeply satisfy our souls. Someone will always have more than us so we must train our hearts to be content with the fruit of our labors and God’s blessing.
4. “And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.’ And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ‘“But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:15-21)

In conclusion: As a family, it is vital that we wear God’s Commandments on our minds and hearts as the clothing of our souls. We define our lives by His Commandments and depend on His grace through Jesus to forgive us when we fail to keep the standard perfectly. We understand that the laws not only speak to our actions but to our souls and we commit our hearts to the Lord.

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:5-10)

Rejoicing in Truth! 1 Corinthians 13:6

To rejoice in the truth is, first of all, to rejoice in honesty. The commandment says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16) God’s people love and appreciate honesty in themselves and in others. As Christians, we deal honestly with the subjects of life in an open but sensitive way. We do not deceive ourselves and pretend like we are perfect and never have a problem. We understand that we are all learning through life and that an honest self-assessment of our strengths and weaknesses is an important quality. We rejoice in the truth.

To rejoice in the truth is to hate lying. Proverbs 19:22 teaches us that a poor man is better than a liar. In other words, it is better to have less of what the world has to offer than to become dishonest people. A liar has to develop a double mind because he has two versions of the same subject to remember: the truth and the lie. The book of James warns against a double mind: let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:7-8). This scripture shows that as we rejoice in the truth and commit to honesty, 1. Our prayers are answered and, 2. Our lives are stable.

Truth is Jesus Christ
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

The world today offers many variations on the ‘truth’ and we are bombarded with hundreds of different messages offering supposedly true things. Consider the following supposed truths:

• A TV, radio, newspaper or internet commercial advertisement tells us that we will find happiness if we buy their brand of hamburger, car or computer. The next brand tells us to buy its own brand instead. Which one is true?


• Political candidates and commentators promote various ideas of truth, yet their ideologies, strategies, personalities and visions for the future seem directly opposed to each other. Which is true?


• Religious and secular leaders are all sure that they have the truth yet there are thousands of variations of religions, denominations and philosophies. Which one is true?


• Miracle drugs, miracle cures, miracle diets and fads produce a jumble of confusing data in every conceivable area of human knowledge and offer many variations of truth. How can one possibly know?


• Wars are fought; couples divorce and people bitterly argue and fill court rooms with those claiming to represent the side of truth. What is truth?6. Church offers one truth and the school classroom offers another. What is this truth that we are to rejoice in?

Why is Jesus the most important of all truth?
Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. John 6:68

Jesus is the most important truth because, as Peter understood, Jesus offers the greatest reward: eternal life. And furthermore, He proved His ability to give people eternal life by coming back after being dead. Many people falsely claim that Christians cannot show proof of this truth but it is actually the most provable historical fact in human history. Many brilliant volumes have been written to validate Jesus return from death including ‘Evidence That Demands a Verdict’ by Josh McDowell and ‘The Case for Christ’ by Lee Strobel, which are two of the most popular.

All of the most powerful religious, scientific, political and philosophical leaders in human history along with all of the greatest artists, musicians, thinkers and poets have all died in their time and are still permanently in that condition. Only Jesus has defied death. That is why He is the only truth that matters. If I teach flying lessons but have never flown an airplane, you have no proof that I am competent. If I have flown for 20 years however, I have earned your trust. Jesus Christ is the only experienced authority on the subject of eternal life. He has flown into death, flown back out and flown into heaven in front of 500 witnesses. That is why we trust Him and rejoice in His truth!

Jesus is God’s Honesty
Jesus Christ is the truth that love rejoices in because He is God’s absolute expression of honesty.
Jesus reveals:

1. Honesty about God. Jesus Christ reveals God’s love for humans in that He gave His own son as a sacrifice for our sins. (John 3:16)


2. Honesty about sin. Sin is such an awful thing that God had to send a cure from heaven. No human being can cure himself.


3. Honesty about man. All humans are sick with sin and cannot know God without taking the anti-sin medicine. The anti-sin medicine is the broken body and spilled blood of Jesus Christ on the cross and the way we take it is by faith.


4. Honesty about how to live forever. Jesus instructed His disciples to knock the dust off of their feet as a testimony against those who did not believe the Gospel. This is to say that, without faith in Jesus Christ, when you die, you will not have the Heaven that only Jesus promises.


5. Honesty about salvation. …if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).


6. Honesty about Heaven. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. (Rev 22:1-5, KJV)


7. Honesty about what God requires of us. The scripture says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” (James 1:17-18) There is no variation or shadow of turning in God’s gifts or His requirements. The Bible must always be our guide as it reveals God’s requirements which will never change. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." (Matthew 24:35)


8. Honesty about our authority. "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19). So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them (Mark 11:22-24).

Our confession:

• Love rejoices in the truth.


• We rejoice in truth.


• We rejoice in honesty.


• We rejoice in Jesus Christ.


• We feel joyful that we are part of God’s family.


• We are delighted when people are honest and open and pure hearted.


• We feel glad when we are truthful on the inside and our conscience is clear.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11 (NKJV)

This Easter I encourage you to drink deeply of the implications of the Cross of Jesus Christ. Through the various people involved in the biblical accounts of the Cross, many of the faulty human characteristics that show us our need for a savior are revealed. Here are a few of the people and thoughts on their flaws:

1)The religious leaders who plotted and stirred the people up to kill Jesus. These are like people today who use popular sway, secret alliances, deception and treachery as a means to manipulate and control. This is frequently a form of evil done in the name of good.

2)Both Pontius Pilate who knowingly condemned an innocent man because of political ease and Herod who passed the buck back to Pilate. This reveals the weakness we have to avoid our responsibility to defend the innocent and the lack of courage to stand for what is right in light of potential unpleasant fallout.

3)Those soldiers who who killed Jesus. These are the people who excuse themselves from guilt by saying, "I'm just doing my job," or, "I'm just following orders," without taking responsibility for the moral content of their actions.

4)John and the women at the cross: those who looked on as Jesus was killed. Helpless, powerless victims of circumstance. Brave enough to associate with Jesus in His suffering but powerless to make a difference.

5)Those who ran away when He was arrested. Most of the disciples fled as soon as there was trouble. A week before, they were proud to be associated with Jesus as He triumphantly entered Jerusalem, riding across coats and palm branches to the shouts of Hosanna. But as soon as things turned for the worse, they were gone. This is the timid fearful Christian of modern times; confident inside the church but invisible outside and gone whenever there is trouble.

6)The one who betrayed Jesus for money with a kiss. Judas loved money and was stealing from Jesus' ministry fund. In the same way, we can steal from Jesus' ministry fund by not giving tithes and offerings (see Malachi 3). Because of Judas' corrupt heart, he became so enraged at Jesus' use of expensive ointment that he betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver. And he did so with an act of love... a kiss. Christians who do not participate in giving are always the first to turn and criticize. They will always boast of their great love for God, but very quickly betray their relationships.

7)Peter, the one who, under pressure, denies ever knowing Jesus and quickly deteriorates into a vulgar, cursing liar. Poor guy ran his big mouth and then stuck his foot in it. This is Christian who brags of his infallible faith among the Christians but not so much in the real world. Hmmmmm.

8)The mindless mob who called for His death. These people reveal the human weakness to think we know something when we do not. The pundits, preachers, prognosticators and politicians offer us irrefutable proof and evidence from every perspective and for every opposing opinion. We tend to follow the voices we find most agreeable like lemmings, without credible proof, and then close our eyes and minds to any contradiction. Christians must know why we believe what we believe in the spiritual stew of modern culture. We can no longer afford the bliss of ignorance like medieval gray-faced peasants.

9)The two thieves. What flows out when one is under pressure reveals the secrets of the heart. Both are thieves. Both are guilty of wrong. From one comes anger and accusation and from the other comes humility and submission. That we would learn to respond like the latter.

These are just a few of the characters involved directly in the Cross of Christ. Their flaws and weaknesses are no different than ours. As we consider Easter let us remember that Christ did not die for righteous people but sinners. The Father's great love was manifested toward us in paying the necessary penalty for our redemption and giving us the opportunity to forsake the old and embrace the new!

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1

My Testimony

I was born in the Bronx, NYC in 1956, the third of seven children, and raised by hard working parents in the rural upstate community of Earlton, NY where we moved when I was two years old. I graduated from high school in 1974 and went immediately to work for my father's printing company.

As a typical child of the seventies my main recreational activity was partying—partying to celebrate weddings, rock concerts, sporting events, holidays, weekends, birthdays, or for no reason at all. My friends and I were not serious illegal drug users although we had no reservations about drinking alcohol, which we did vigorously and excessively. The years between high school and marriage, though admittedly fun, passed in a blur of shallow self-gratification.

I married my beloved wife Nancy in May of 1977. She is the best thing (besides Jesus) that ever happened to me and marrying her was the only smart decision I made during those years. Besides being in love we were great partying buddies—that is, until she attended a Jack Van Impe evangelistic crusade during the summer of 1977 and gave her life to Jesus Christ. Soon after she received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and as she became more deeply committed to God, I continued to view partying as a harmless form of recreation—something I had no intention of giving up.

It’s not that I didn’t like God in those days. Having been raised in a church, I always believed in God and had even said a half-hearted sinner’s prayer at one point, ostensibly ensuring my salvation. I even remember nearly having a fight at a party once with a guy who was raised in our church and had become an atheist at college. His arrogance and shallow bitter arguments against the existence of God and his hatred for all churches disturbed me deeply and I let him know, in no uncertain terms how I felt. So, although I had some kind of twisted and hypocritical reverence for God in those days, Nancy’s newfound version of Christianity filled with prayer meetings, Bible studies and gifts of the Holy Spirit, was definitely not for me.

Within the first couple years of marriage I began to feel the pressure of life as our babies began to come along and bills piled up. Frantically groping to make up for the lost party years, I enrolled in night college and began working various part time jobs to augment our income. I also left my father's company before long and landed a better paying job at another printing house where I worked my way up to manager over several years.

During these years a shift took place in my drinking and partying habits. Whereas I once felt in control of when and where I decided to drink to excess, slowly it seemed that I had stronger desires to drink myself drunk more frequently. I also began to plan these events in advance, scheming and deceiving to create opportunities to get drunk. In the sport of wrestling there is a move called a reverse. It is when a wrestler is on top and his opponent quickly maneuvers to take the controlling position from him. That was how it felt to me. Whereas I was once in control of my use of alcohol, suddenly I was being driven by it.

I continued to spiral downward in my abuse of alcohol for several years making many classic blunders; from wrecking a car, to drinking away entire paychecks, to being ticketed for DWI. The greatest damage I rendered however was the pressure my failures put on Nancy and my children. Money was always desperately short because of my excesses and Nancy's family was secretly urging her to leave me. We fought incessantly and each time after I fell I was enveloped in a blanket of self hatred. I would make new promises, vows and commitments, pledging never to drink again. Always though, after a few days, weeks or even up to two months, my resolve would weaken and I'd begin to scheme my next outing.

By 1982 our marriage was severely frayed and hostile although Nancy's spiritual life continued to grow. In the spring of that year she began to be tutored in spiritual warfare by a woman friend. (This portion of the story is more her testimony than mine.) Under this tutelage, my wife began an ambitious prayer regimen specifically for me to be saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, and set free from alcoholism. Very quickly, faith began to grow in her heart for victory and as it did I began noticing a change in her attitude towards me. She began to be very loving and compliant, verbalizing her love, commitment and confidence toward me and our marriage like never before. This really confused me because I could no longer justify my actions by reasoning that I needed this alcoholic escape because of my rotten home life. By Thanksgiving 1982 I was looking at her Christianity with more openness than I ever had before.

As was our custom, we traveled to Nancy's parents’ house that year for the holiday weekend. On the Saturday evening following Thanksgiving, Nancy, her mom and dad went out to a prayer meeting and I stayed at their house to watch our kids. When they came home later that evening they had an incredible story to tell. A woman at the prayer meeting, they said, had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. The woman claimed that Jesus had materialized and sat on the edge of her bed and comforted her because of a particularly distressful situation. Her husband apparently slept through the whole ordeal.

What was particularly unsettling to me was, not that Nancy or her mother believed this story, but that my father-in-law believed it. Having been a NYC police officer, my father-in-law was as street smart as anyone I have ever known. He could spot a scam a mile away. So when I saw how shaken up he was, how this woman's encounter had clearly impressed him, it really affected me. I remember wondering if this was possible. Does Jesus Christ really have the power to personally appear to a person? After years of hearing about God from the church, my wife and mother-in-law, and after months of my wife's constant prayer for me, a genuine thought finally penetrated my thick skull. If Jesus Christ cared enough about that woman to personally come to her, I wonder if He would come to me if I asked Him. That thought began to gnaw at me; it lit a flame of hope.

That Sunday evening we drove the two hours back home, arriving about 9:00 pm. After I got Nancy and the kids (three at the time) settled in I excused myself, telling Nancy that I had to go and check out the next days work schedule at the printing plant. I was really going to the plant for another reason altogether. I had decided that I was going to pray and see if Jesus would come to me.

Arriving at the plant, I went to the pressroom which was down in the basement of the building. After thoroughly checking that I was there alone and finding and old wooden pallet, I placed it on the floor as a kneeler. (Kneeling was from my church background.) I paced back and forth for a few minutes, trying to stir up enough courage to start. Finally I knelt, reached deep in my heart and very tentatively said, "God......Jesus... Will you please fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me the gift of tongues." (I prayed this way because for six years Nancy had told me that this was what I needed.) As the words were coming out of my mouth I began to feel a strange tingling sensation on top of my head. Immediately, I was so stricken with fear that I sprang off of the pallet and frantically ran to the other side of the building. Having never experiencing anything even remotely supernatural before, I was terrified at the presence I felt. Something was over there! Something I couldn't see!

After a couple of minutes I got my courage up a second time and decided to try again; only this time I resolved to see it through. I went back to the same pallet and knelt in the same way and tried to recite exactly the same words. (I had already started a new religion!) I said, "God...Jesus...will you please fill me with the Holy Spirit and give me the gift of tongues." This time when the tingling sensation started on the top of my head I didn't move as it increased in intensity and moved down my body. Some have described this feeling like that of hot honey or warm oil poured over you; all I know is that I was filled from head to toe with the most wonderful, warm, pure, and ecstatic feeling I had ever experienced. At the same time I felt a pressure pushing up from the inside of me and knew it must be the gift of tongues. I opened my mouth and began to speak as a beautiful new language practically gushed from inside of me. It continued to pour like a fire hydrant as I experienced wave after wave of this pure ecstasy. In fact, the tongues gushed out with such intensity that for several minutes I honestly could not stop my mouth from speaking this incredible articulate language complete with distinct words, phrases and inflections, all coming out of my mouth but which I could not understand.

I was so happy that I jumped and skipped like a little kid, spontaneously praising God. It seemed like every negative thing in me was simply gone. All the self hatred, guilt, shame and years of accumulated burdens were lifted. I felt like an untethered helium balloon. But the greatest thing of all was the knowledge that, just like the woman my father-in-law told me about, Jesus came to me when I asked Him. I absolutely knew for certain that He was real, that he was a living person and that He loved me. I also had a profound sense of what I later learned that the Apostle Paul said..."If God is for me, who can be against me?"

That day began the most wonderful adventure in my life. To say I turned on a dime is an understatement. I began running for Jesus with all my heart and although my take-off was somewhat shaky at times, God supernaturally delivered me from alcohol, restored my marriage and has given me a life of incredible abundance.

Since that day in November 1982 some of the evidences of this new life are as follows:

• Free from alcohol for 25 years in 2007 and counting.


• Marriage restored—married 30 years in 2007 and counting.


• Ministry education, Ravena Bible Training Center, Ravena, NY


• Prison ministry for five years in a maximum security prison, Coxsackie, NY.


• Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Ministry and Leadership, Antioch University International (AUI).


• Extensive pro-life involvement.


• Co-founder of a pro-life pregnancy distress center, 1984.


• Ordained Minister since 1989.


• Ministered on foreign missions to various nations including Belize, Ukraine, Dominican Republic, Kenya and Uganda.


• Senior Pastor, Catskill Mountain Christian Center, since 1991


• President of Greater Margaretville Area Interfaith Council, 1995-2000


• Senior leader of Catskill Mountain Christian Academy, 1995-present


• Produced and hosted weekly ‘On Fire Radio’ from 1995-2007


• Hosted daily live call-in talk radio show, an hour a day, five days a week for four years. With an evangelistic heart and airing on commercial secular stations, the show discussed current events and related them to Christian truths.


• Interviewed over one hundred Christian book authors for radio broadcast. Some notable interviews were Linda Mintle, Mike Yorky, Tommy Tenney, Elmer Townes, Thomas Trask, T.F. Tenney, Larry Keefauver, Steven Strang, Lee Grady, Jim Goll, Steve Gray, John Sandford, Loren Sanford, Francisco Contreras MD, Don Colbert MD, and many more.


• Founder and senior leader of the Family Table Community Assistance Program. This program distributes over $300,000 worth of food each year to low income people.


• Guest speaker at many men's conferences, leadership seminars and churches.


• Featured guest on 700 Club with Pat Robertson


• Published article in 'Ministry Today' magazine.


• Published two books in the Pure Gold Classics series by Bridge Logos Publishing.


• Third book in contract to be published in 2008.


• Member, Open Bible Faith Fellowship of Canada.


• Member, Your Ministry Consultation Service (YMCS).


• Member, International Coalition of Apostles (ICA).


• Member, International Foundation of Christian Wealth Builders (IFCWB), Ecclesiastical Leadership Council.


• Member, CitiHope International, Board of Directors.


• Member, National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).


• My wife has become a highly effective minister and is in (not only) my estimation, the top woman platform speaker today. She is in a class of anointing, power, honesty, and passion by herself. She leads the women’s ministries at our church, heads our Christian Academy and speaks at many conferences.

I frequently tell people about a trip I once took to Washington State and how overwhelmed I was at the beauty of Mt. Rainier. Rising fourteen thousand some odd feet into the sky, this snow capped peak is a magnificent spectacle of God's handiwork. The day I arrived the sky was blue and the majestic Mt. Rainier dominated the scenery. I found that I could not take my eyes off it. Its beauty, in a way, seemed to nourish my soul. As night fell on that first day I was looking forward to savoring the same spectacular view for the next few days. I was disappointed in the morning to find that Washington's famous rains had moved in during the night and low clouds and fog obstructed the view. So completely was Mt. Rainier cloaked that you would never guess in a million years that behind the flat gray sky was a dominating masterpiece of God's creation. I never did get to view that beauty again - but, I know what I saw!

That is how this experience with God affected me. People can argue faith, philosophy, doctrine or religion. They can believe or not believe. They can theorize and proselytize but the vast majority is doing so from the fog. They believe but have never seen. I know different. I've seen Mt. Rainier for myself. I know it's there. It's the same way I've experienced God. I called Him, He answered in a way that was more tangible than my eyewitness of that great mountain. I know Jesus Christ; I've met Him. And having been touched by Him I have been left with a residue of His presence on the inside of me. So now, when I read the Bible I recognize the same essence as the one who touched me that day. Men can argue over the Bible, whether they believe it or not, but I know it's true. I've met the author.