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Hope to see you at http://tammytooley.blogspot.com/ instead!!!
Sorry for the late update.

God Was Busy!

I received this from a friend and thought it was pretty good.

GOD was Busy:

A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had
completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU. One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform.? I'll give you exactly 15 minutes."

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still waiting."

It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him off the platform . The professor was out cold. The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The
other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence.?

The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

The Marine calmly replied, "God was very busy today protecting America's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So, He sent me."

Matthew 15 v.10-11: "And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

Mark 7 v.20: "And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man."

It would be much better for some people to stay quiet than to open their mouths and let the whole world know how foolish they really are.

We should be very careful what we ask for and say, we just might get our wish!

Until the Shout,
Country Mama

A Prayer Is Answered - and Fanny Crosby Writes Another Hymn

Among many characteristics of the blond poetess Fanny Crosby, three stand out. She always carried a little American flag. She either held it in her hand or kept it in her bag, and it was buried with her when she died in 1915 at the age of 95. Though blinded in infancy, the petite "Aunt Fanny" (she was Mrs. Alexander Van Alstyne in private life) greeted friends and strangers alike with a cheerful "God bless you dear soul." And, according to her own statement, she never attempted to write a hymn without first kneeling in prayer. If this be true, Fanny Crosby spent considerable time on her knees. She wrote no less than 8,000 songs. So many that critics have said the chief fault with her work lies in that she was too prolific. But none can deny that many "pearls are found among the oyster shells."

Under contract for three hymns a week, Miss Crosby was often under pressure to meet deadlines. It was under such circumstances in 1869 that she tried to write words for a tune Composer W.H. Doane had sent her. But she couldn't write. Then she remembered she had forgotten her prayer. Rising from her knees, she dictated - as fast as her assistant could write - the words for the famous hymn, "Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross."

But one day in 1874, Fanny Crosby prayed for more material things. She had run short of money and needed $5.00 - even change. There was no time to draw on her publishers, so she simply prayed for the money. Her prayer ended, she was walking to and fro in her room trying to "get in the mood" for another hymn when an admirer called. Greeting the stranger with "God bless you dear soul," the two chatted briefly. In the parting handshake the admirer left something in the hymn-writer's hand. It was five dollars--even change. Rising from a prayer of thanks the blind poetess wrote:

ALL THE WAY MY SAVIOUR LEADS ME
By Fanny Crosby 1820-1915

All the way my Saviour leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate'er befalls me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Saviour leads me;
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! a spring of joy I see.

All the way my Saviour leads me;
Oh, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest for to me is promised
In my Father's house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song thro' endless ages;
Jesus led me all the way.

God bless,
Country Mama

Good O Meter

How good are you? and how good is GOOD ENOUGH? Do you think bad and good sort cancel each other out?

Think about this. Take an example of a country where you lived in, for example in UK a person who commit raping will be jailed for at least 10 years, in Singapore stealing from the elderly can bring a person up to 3 times canning and a period in jail, in Indonesia is a crime to smugle drug and you can end up with a death sentence.

The idea is clear, if you commit a crime you must be punished! However human mind are inconsistent. In many religion, let's admit it, how many of them that require a person to do this and that? doing good works? helping the needy? fasting? meditation? even up to torturing their own body to repay the sin.

But when you think about it, does it work? If you tell your government that you will go on a year of fasting after raping a girl? or that you will torture yourself after murdering someone? Do you think the government will agree with you? Most likely they will think that you are completely insane. And this is human standard, how about God's standard?

That's right, you are insane if you think you can buy God's forgiveness with goodworks, being a samaritan, tithing, going to church, baptism, meditating, because the weight of your CRIME is DEATH according to the bible, and nothing you can do than to be executed!



Someone ask me, how can Jesus die in our place then? SIMPLE, all of us had commit a crime in the God's standard. And therefore, we have a date reserved for our execution. I can't be executed on your behalf nor can you took my place to be punished, because we ourselves had commit crime, you and I have our own plate of punishment to come. Therefore Jesus is the only substitution, because he had never commit any crime, and he is NOT suppose to be punished, but with all of His love, he decided to take our place.

It is may not sound fair, therefore it called GRACE!
Christian doing good works, being faithful to church, helping the needy, loving one another is NOT (I repeat is not!) to bribe God of His forgiveness. Rather it's to testify and to be thankful to God of how good He is, for He had die in our place!

What Are My Rights?

A few years ago my husband preached on this subject (not necesarrily the title). It really caught my attention.

Do you notice in the society that we live in today how often you hear people talking about their rights? Do you notice how often you hear the phrase "It's against my human rights?" I hear this so much that it nearly makes me ill. It is very misused and abused.

We as Christians can many times get caught up in this problem also, as my husband so lovingly pointed out. The Bible says in I Corinthians 6:19-20, "What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

To make things short and sweet, as my husband said, "WE HAVE NO RIGHTS!!!" The only rights that we have are to spend an eternity in Hell. If we are the Lord's, then we know that we cannot do that. It says in I Cor. 6:20 that we are bought with a price. If we go into a store and buy something then we gain the right to have whatever we bought to work properly and able to be used for its purpose, correct? Well, since Jesus paid the price for our salvation He gained the rights to us. He has the right to expect us to do as we should not as we wish. NO RIGHTS!

Our rights are listed in Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." These are all things that we cannot do on our own. The same One who bought us is also the same One that equips us to do and be what He wills.

I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather live without MY rights. When I am having my way and I'm in control of things they tend to get messy and all warped out of joint, then I'm miserable. When I live as He would have me to, which means surrendered to HIS will (with MY rights dead and buried beneath the cross); life may not be a bed of roses, but there is a peace that passeth all understanding.

Whose rights would you rather be under?
1. Your own, which is mostly for selfish gain and self gratification or
2. The Lord's, who's ways are perfect, just, holy, etc., etc.

Until the Shout,
Country Mama

Three Things In Our Lives

Three things in life, that once gone, never come back:
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person:
1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness

Three things in life that you should never loose:
1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable:
1. Love
2. Family & friends
3. Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain:
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a person:
1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard work

Three things that are truly constant:
Father - Son - Holy Ghost

Until the Shout,
Counrty Mama

Would You Consider Abortion in These Four Situations?

copying from maranatha777 (visit her great blog!)

Would You Consider Abortion in These Four Situations?

1. There is a preacher and wife who are very, very poor. They already have 14 kids. Now she finds out she is pregnant with her 15th. They are living in tremendous poverty. Considering their poverty and the excessive world population, would you consider recommending abortion?

2. The father is sick with sniffles, the mother has TB. They have 4 children. The first is blind, the second is dead. The third is deaf and the fourth has TB. The mother finds she is pregnant again. Given the extreme situation, would you recommend abortion?

3. A man raped a 13 year old girl and she got pregnant. If you were her parents, would you consider recommending abortion?

4. A teenage girl is pregnant. She is not married. Her fiancee is not the father of the baby, and he is very upset. Would you recommend an abortion?

If you have answered “yes” to any of these situations:
In the first case you would have killed John Wesley, one of the great evangelists of the 19th century.
In the second case, you would have killed Beethoven.
In the third case you would have killed Ethel Waters, the great gospel singer.
In the fourth case you would have recommended the murder of Jesus Christ.
With U. S. abortion deaths topping 30 million, only God knows what we have sacrificed in lost human talent and creativity.

It Is Well with My Soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Chorus:

It is well ----with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, tho trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin - oh, the bliss of this glorious tho't
My sin - not in part, but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bare it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
"Even so" - it is well with my soul

Words by H.G. Spafford
Music by Philip P. Bliss

I praise the Lord for such hymns as these. To know the trials that these precious people of God have faced and yet they still have faith and confidence it the Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessing they have been to us down through the years. What a testimony!!

Until the Shout,
Country Mama

The Action (Mode) of Baptism:Sprinkling, Pouring, or Immersion?

Baptism (Greek βάπτισμα and βαπτισμός, from βαπτίζω, baptizô, immerse, perform ablutions)
That's right, the word means IMMERSE, that's what the bible says... don't argue with me, argue with the bible.

Should baptism according to the gospel of Jesus Christ involve sprinkling, pouring, or immersion? Some denominations sprinkle water on the subject, others pour water, others immerse in water, and still others say it does not matter. What action or "mode" is the correct way to baptize? What should a Christian believe according to the Bible?

Introduction:
In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus commanded all people of all nations to be baptized.
Clearly baptism is an important requirement, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood topics in the gospel. What did Jesus mean when He said to baptize people?
The purpose of this study is to consider the action or "mode" involved in baptism.
Physically, what should be done when one is baptized? Is baptism sprinkling, pouring, or immersion?

*****

I. Different Views about the Issue
A. Some Denominations View This as a Matter of Choice (Is that biblical?)
Some churches sprinkle or pour water on the person's head. Most churches say there are several acceptable choices regarding the action involved in baptism. Others only immerse. Consider statements from various "Christian" denominations:
"Baptism may be administered by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion, according to the choice of the applicant" - Church of the Nazarene Manual, 1972 ed., p. 33.
"What is the meaning of the word 'baptize'? 'Baptize' means to apply water by washing, pouring, sprinkling, or immersing" - Luther's Small Catechism, par. 244, p. 170.
"Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; the Baptism is rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling water upon the person" - "Westminster Confession of Faith," par. 6.141, Presbyterian Book of Confessions, 1967 ed.
"How is baptism given? It is given by pouring water over the forehead of the person to be baptized ..." - A Catechism for Adults (Catholic), 1975 ed., p. 63.

B. Some Leaders of the Above Denominations Admit Immersion Is the Biblical Teaching.
"Luther urged, in opposition to the standard practice of pouring, that baptism should be by immersion. He pointed out that the word in the Greek language means 'To plunge something entirely into the water, so that the water closes over it,' and urged that immersion should be the mode of baptism. Today, however, the general practice of the Lutheran Church is to administer baptism by pouring, although immersion is also permitted" - A Compend of Luther's Theology, p. 167, via Handbook of Religious Quotations, p. 11.
John Calvin stated: "The word baptize signifies to immerse, and the rite of immersion was practiced by the ancient church" - quoted by Brents, p. 230f.
“The Scripture makes it clear enough that water is to be used, but it is not so plain at first sight that sprinkling or pouring of water will suffice. In Apostolic times the body of the baptized person was immersed, for St. Paul looks on this immersion as typifying burial with Christ, and speaks of baptism as a bath … [But the belief] that baptism can be validly given by immersion, infusion, or aspersion, is fully justified by tradition … Anciently … baptism was constantly given to adults and the rite of immersion prevailed …” – The Catholic Dictionary on “baptism” and “baptistery,” pp 60-64.
These quotations do not constitute conclusive evidence of the action of baptism, but should give people who practice sprinkling or pouring cause to consider the question we are studying.

C. Definitions of the Word "Baptize"
People often quote definitions from modern dictionaries.
This is used to prove the claim the word can mean sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. But modern dictionaries just define the word as used today. This does not prove what the word means in the language of the Bible.
Even our English words change meaning over time. "Gay" refers almost exclusively today to homosexuality, but it had no such meaning a century ago.
According to modern English dictionaries, the origin of the word "baptize" was a Greek word meaning "to immerse" (Random House College Dictionary). This describes the meaning used in Biblical Greek.
Dictionaries of Bible words show "baptize" means to immerse.
Thayer's lexicon on BAPTIZO says: "to dip, immerge, submerge."
Many other dictionaries show the basic, root meaning of the Bible word is to immerse. (See Vine, Arndt and Gingrich, etc.)
Remember, these dictionaries were written by members of churches that practice sprinkling and pouring. Surely they would have defined the words in a way that defended their church practice if they could have done so.
There are other Greek words for "sprinkle" (RANTIZO) or "pour" (CHEO). Had God wanted to authorize these, the words were available; but instead He chose a word the never means sprinkle or pour.
The Bible word for "baptism" means immersion, not sprinkling or pouring. But most people cannot study Greek to prove this. And dictionaries are written by fallible men. We need to search further, but surely we have reason to suspect modern sprinkling and pouring may not be correct.

D. Only the Bible Can Give a Conclusive Answer to This Question.
Matthew 28:18-20 - Jesus' command to be baptized is based on His authority over heaven and earth.
2 Timothy 3:16,17 - The Scriptures instruct us in righteousness and provide us to all good works. (James 1:25; 2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 3:3-5)
Matthew 15:9 - Following the doctrines of men in such matters makes our worship vain.
Galatians 1:8,9 - Anyone who preaches differently from the gospel is accursed.
This issue can only be settled on the basis of Bible teaching, not on church creeds or traditions.
Note that we do not need a verse that expressly says, "Do not sprinkle or pour." If the Bible teaches us to immerse and never authorizes sprinkling or pouring, then the latter should be rejected as being human in origin and different from the gospel
[2 John 9-11; Colossians 3:17; Jeremiah 10:23; Proverbs 14:12; 3:5,6; Revelation 22:18,19; 1 Timothy 1:3; 2 Timothy 1:13]

*****

II. The Bible Evidence
The best way to understand a Bible command is to study the passages that refer to it in context comparing them to other passages on the subject. This is especially how we learn the meaning of words (children do this, so do authors of dictionaries).
Notice what baptism requires and consider what action fits what the Bible says.

1. Water
The element or substance used is not inherent in the word "baptize." But the element used in the baptism of the Great Commission - the baptism Jesus commanded everyone to receive - is water.
Acts 10:47,48 - "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized..." The command to be baptized refers to baptism in water.
Suppose someone wanted to be baptized in rose petals. Would that be obeying the command, or would that be changing it and following human doctrine? Note that no passage expressly says not to use rose petals, yet that would violate Scripture.
Other verses listed below also show the element in baptism should be water.

2. Much Water
John 3:23 - John baptized near Salim because there was much water there. John chose this particular location because baptism involves "much water."
Do sprinkling or pouring require much water? No! Baptism according to the Bible requires "much water." But sprinkling and pouring do not require much water.
Does immersion require much water? Yes, it requires enough to immerse someone in.
So Bible baptism requires "much water." Immersion fits, because it requires much water. Sprinkling and pouring do not fit, because they do not require much water. This helps us understand the meaning of "baptism" in the New Testament.

3. Coming to the Water
Acts 8:36-39 - They came to some water (v36).
Some folks think the eunuch pulled out a bottle of water and Philip used some of it to baptize him. Not so! The water used to baptize the eunuch was a body of water they came to as they traveled. Other Bible examples also confirm that people who were baptized went to the water. (See John 3:23; Mark 1:9; etc.)
When people receive sprinkling or pouring, do they need to go to the water? No, the water can come to them, because not much is required.
When people are immersed, do they need to go to the water? Yes.
Again, immersion fits the Bible description of baptism. Sprinkling and pouring do not fit.

4. Going Down into the Water
Bible baptism involves going down into the water.
Acts 8:38 - Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him. This shows why baptism involves "much water" - it must be enough for the people to go down into!
Do sprinkling or pouring require going down into the water? No. When denominations practice sprinkling or pouring, does the person go down into the water? No. But Bible baptism requires going down into the water.
When a person is immersed, must the person go down into the water? Yes, so immersion fits the Bible description of baptism, but sprinkling and pouring do not.
But some folks claim you can "go down into the water" and then sprinkle or pour water on the person.
This is how Jesus' baptism is sometimes pictured.
But is this what denominations do? Does the person go down into the water, then water is sprinkled on him? No! Why argue about what could be done if you are not doing it? This "argument" simply does not defend what denominations do!
Why don't denominational preachers take the candidate down into the water to sprinkle or pour? Because it does not make sense to go to all the trouble. And it would not have made sense in Bible times either. If Bible baptism was sprinkling or pouring, preachers would have done what preachers do today when they sprinkle or pour.
Bible examples help us see what the "baptism" means. The fact is that denominations that sprinkle or pour do not do what the Bible says baptism involves. Only immersion fits the description.

5. Coming Up Out of the Water
Acts 8:39 - After the eunuch had been baptized, he came up out of the water. In order to come up out of the water, he first had to be down in the water.
Mark 1:9,10 - Jesus was baptized "in" the Jordan River, then came up from ("out of" - footnote) the water.
When denominations sprinkle or pour, does the person then come up out of (or from) the water? No, because they never went down into it!
When people are immersed, do they come up out of the water? Yes!
Bible baptism requires coming to the water, going down into it, and coming up out of it. None of these are involved in sprinkling or pouring, but immersion requires all of them. Immersion fits the pattern of Bible baptism, but sprinkling and pouring do not.

6. A Burial
Colossians 2:12 - Buried with Him in baptism in which you also were raised with Him.
In baptism we are buried with Jesus and raised with Him. As He was buried in the earth, we are buried in baptism.
Are people buried and raised in sprinkling or pouring? When Jesus was buried, did they sprinkle a little dirt on Him, like folks do in sprinkling or pouring?
Matthew 12:40 - He was buried in the heart of the earth.
Matthew 27:60,66 - He was laid in a tomb hewn out of rock and a great stone covered the opening. He was completely enclosed in the element.
In baptism we are buried (completely enclosed and surrounded) in water, as Jesus was buried in the earth.
Romans 6:4 - We are buried with Him by baptism.
Some say baptism is "just a symbol" of Jesus' burial, so it does not matter how it is done. There is a symbolic element in baptism, but how does that prove that the action does not matter?
Do the passages say Jesus was buried, but it doesn't matter whether or not we are buried? It says we are buried and we are raised in baptism. The one to be baptized must be buried and raised. When denominations sprinkle or pour, is the person himself buried and raised? No. In immersion is the person buried and raised? Yes!
Actually, symbols are important. We have no right to change the symbols Jesus' authorized.
In the Lord's supper, Jesus authorized bread and fruit of the vine as symbols of Jesus' flesh and blood. This involves symbolism, but may we say the symbols do not matter so we may use hamburger and Coke?
Also, in baptism we are buried in water. If this is just symbolic and symbols don't matter, may we use milk or rose petals?
When God ordains actions, even if they involve symbolism, we must respect the act as God commanded it, instead of changing it. Baptism involves a burial and a resurrection like Jesus' burial and resurrection. Immersion fits both God's command and the symbolism He ordained. How can sprinkling or pouring symbolize a burial and a resurrection?
If we are going to change God's command to bury a person in baptism and raise him up, then we may as well use hamburger and Coke in communion and baptize people in rose petals.
The fact remains that immersion fits the Bible description of baptism. Sprinkling and pouring do not fit.

7. A Resurrection
The same passages that say we are buried in baptism also say we are raised in baptism.
Colossians 2:12 - Buried with Him in baptism in which you also were raised with Him.
Romans 6:4 - Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Sprinkling and pouring are not Scriptural baptism, because they involve neither a burial nor a resurrection. Only immersion fits.
H. A Washing of the Body
Hebrews 10:22 - We have our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Note the contrast between the sprinkling of the heart and the washing of the body.
Hebrews contrasts the Old Testament to the New Testament. The Old Testament involved sprinkling of animal blood and ceremonial washings. [Heb. 9:13; Lev. 14:1-9; chap. 15; 16:4,24; 22:6; Ex. 29:4,21; etc.]
In the New Testament, the blood of Jesus is sprinkled on our heart to cleanse us from sin. This must be spiritual, since it cannot be physical. [Heb. 9:14]
But what is washed with water? The body! Clearly, this refers to baptism. Just as with the Lord's supper, baptism involves both an inner meaning and an outer action. In baptism the heart is cleansed of sin when the body is washed in baptism.
Denominations sprinkle or pour water on the head. But Bible baptism involves washing the body. In immersion, the body is washed. Immersion fits the Bible descriptions of baptism. Sprinkling and pouring do not fit.

*****

Conclusion
Scriptural baptism requires all the following:
* Water* Much water
* Coming to the water
* Going down into the water
* Coming up out of the water
* Burial* Resurrection
* Washing the body
Surely this shows us what "baptism" involves. Sprinkling and pouring fit only the first point (water); they do not fit any of the other points. Only immersion fits the Bible description of baptism.
No other form or action is acceptable.
Sprinkling and pouring are human in origin. They are changes from God's plan. Only complete immersion can be practiced according to Jesus' authority.
What if you once received sprinkling or pouring instead of immersion? Gospel baptism is immersion, not sprinkling or pouring. If you have not been immersed, then you have not obeyed Jesus' command! You have followed only the doctrine of men.
If you now wish to obey Jesus, you must do what He said to do: be baptized (immersed) as described in the passages studied above.

I CHOOSE

edited by Country Mama

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early mornig will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love . . .
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy . . .
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical ...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace . . .
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose lonsuffering . . .
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose gentleness . . .
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness . . .
I will go without a pound before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness . . .
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My husband will not question my love and my children will never fear that their mother will not come home.

I choose meekness . . .
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose temperance . . .
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ (through my own bible study and devotions and the preaching of God's holy Word). I choose temperance.

Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

I wonder what type of day you will choose?

Until next time,
Country Mama

Infant Baptism

finally, I had time to edit this entry with KJV verses

Baptism not a requirement for salvation, it's an annoucement to the world that you had been SAVED!

Many churches practice infant baptism. Millions have been 'christened' as infants.
Infant baptism is performed in the name of the Lord, but does the Lord authorize it? Is it of human origin or divine? The child has no choice in the matter. Do parents have the right to have their infants baptized? Let us examine infant baptism in the light of the Word of God.

Terms defined
By 'infant' we mean a baby or small child who is too young to make a decision. Infant baptism is usually performed by sprinkling or pouring. Sometimes it is done by immersion, but most who read this will be familiar with the practice of sprinkling or pouring.

Infant baptism is not of divine origin
I say this without fear of successful contradiction. Jesus said: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:16). Peter, led by the Holy Spirit, said: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). Truth is always in harmony with truth. Scriptural baptism is preceded by faith and repentance. Infant baptism is preceded by neither. To practice baptism before there is faith and repentance is to pervert the gospel. Anyone who preaches a different gospel is accursed (Galatians 1:6-9). When one practices infant baptism he is going beyond the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9).
The first recorded case of affusion was in the year 251. The first law for sprinkling was in 752. It was made by a pope who had to flee Rome (Edinburgh Encyclopedia, Article on Baptism).

Infant baptism nullifies the law of God
Jesus accused the religious people of His day of "Making the word of God of none effect " through their tradition (Mark 7:13). That is exactly what this man-made practice does. It makes the law of Christ of no effect. Jesus taught that every creature is to believe and be baptized, but they who advocate infant baptism nullify this command of Christ. They supplant it by a human law.
Jesus is to be obeyed. This the Scriptures teach: "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;" (Hebrews 5:9). Every one who practices and endorses infant baptism is guilty, either wilfully or ignorantly, of supplanting the divine law of believers' baptism. Are you, my dear reader, guilty?

What about household baptisms?
Some try to justify infant baptism on the basis of New Testament examples of household baptisms. It is argued that infants must have been included when whole households were baptized.

In most passages, however, where household baptisms are reported, hearing and believing are also mentioned, which infants are unable to do. Cornelius "A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, " (Acts 10:2). His household was saved as a result of hearing the gospel (Acts 11:14; 10:44,46). Paul told the Philippian jailer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31). Did this include infants? Can infants believe? We read further: "And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house" (Acts 16:32). What was the response? "And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway" (Acts 16:33). That infants were not included is further indicated by what follows: "And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house" (Acts 16:34).
Crispus "believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." (Acts 18:8).

To teach that infants were included in household baptisms is going beyond what is written. Furthermore, this human addition to the word of God is clearly contrary to what is written. It is to accuse the apostles of sinning by violating the terms of the Great Commission! God forbid. The 'household baptism' argument is simply a case of a drowning man grasping at a straw. If you, my friend, insist on going the way of rebellion do not try to take Peter and Paul with you!
Paul says we were buried with Christ in baptism, in which we also were raised with Him "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12). This shows that the baptism he practiced was not infant baptism.

Let the children come
"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven'" (Matthew 19:14). Perhaps this verse is used more than any other to support infant baptism. But does it say one word about it? Is there in all the chapter even one reference to baptism? Does not this verse teach that children are alright as they are? Jesus says "of such" is the kingdom of heaven. They are alright as they are! What good will a human ordinance do them?
Some say: "Well, it will not hurt them." It certainly may! They might think they have been baptized when in reality they have only obeyed the command of men and not the command of God.

Is it harmless to take the name of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit in vain? For that is what is done every time a child is christened. If I do something in a man's name when he has not authorized it, I am taking his name in vain. Every case of infant baptism in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a forgery.
You who practice infant baptism, how are you going to answer to God for having changed His law, for having put a human law in its place? I know you love your children, then how dare you deceive them, how dare you make them think this human ordinance can take the place of the divine command of believers' baptism?

Baptism and circumcision
Figuratively, baptism is compared with circumcision (Colossians 2:11,12). Because infants were circumcised in Old Testament times, some try to justify infant baptism by this comparison. In many points, however, baptism is different than circumcision. Who was circumcised? Israelites. Do those who practice infant baptism only baptize Israelites? Only boys were circumcised. Do those who practice infant baptism sprinkle only boys? Were not the Jews required to believe and be baptized?

Finally
If you have trusted in this human practice, renounce it at once. If you have taught it to your children, take your Bible and show them that you have been mistaken. Baptism is connected with salvation (1 Peter 3:21). Salvation is too important for one to be satisfied with a human substitute that will not save. Let me quote again the language of Jesus: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:16).

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year, hope to see Jesus second coming this year!!!

Geek Wife

The Presence of The Present

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift

II Cor 9:15

I hope your home today will be filled with joy, laughter and the presence of the loved ones. Perhaps even that eccentric uncle or the cheek-pinching aunt will make their annual appearance.

Children, grand children and maybe even some "greats" will fill the halls of your home with their rapturous echoes of delight. The food, festivities and the fun are all a part of making this day's presence on our calendar memorable.

Of course, the presence of the presents is always a high point at this holiday season. However I sincerely hope and I don't mean ti be sanctimonious that the present of HIS presence will be fully manifest at your house. The presence of the greatest Present ever sent to mankind is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is no longer a Babe in a manger but the coming King of all that exists in Heaven and on earth! What a present God gave the world that first Christmas Day!

Some of you dear readers may be absent from the presence of your loved ones today. The distant miles could not be traversed or scheduling conflicts were too huge to overcome, and you are alone.

Alone?
No, I think not, for the presence of God's greatest Present is with you today, Christ Jesus the Lord.
For He said "Lo, I am with you alway..."

Tim Green

Christian Fellowship

We had a great time of Christian Fellowship in Pastor Roger Tooley's house right after the Carol service in Orchard house. To my apology, we are not allowed to take any picture in Orchard house and therefore there is no picture of our Carol service there at all. But in summary, we had a great time there and guess what.... they wanted us to come once every month to hold a mini service there!!! What a blessing!!!

So we head to pastor's house and had a little bit of games and chat about before continuing with the food (remember we are baptist... fellowship = food, hahaha!!!).

First... introducing the church crowd.





























And then we have gift exchange... and Lo and behold, here comes... Pastor Christmas to distribute the gifts!!!








































And children busy playing..!! We are INDEED had a great time. Thanks to Country Mama and Pastor for making such a pleasant fellowship. Stay tune for more picture of the the very first Candlelight service in our church.

Chrismas Carol Picture!

I'll let the picture do the talking :-)

Geek Wife

Carol Service

We just had our annual Carol Service at the church last night. Everything went well. It is hard sometimes when you do not have your own building to make sure everything makes it's way to the car. When we have special things like this, it makes it even more difficult because you have to take decorations as well. But, all in all I think the room looked very nice for about a 1/2 hour of work.

Talk about nervous! Here we were trying to get everything decorated as quickly as possible (once everything is toted in from the car) so that we have time to run through a few specials that were being sung. Not to mention trying to then give the pianist a chance to warm up also. Talk about a mad 1 hour time frame. Ha! Ha!

In the end it all turned out just fine. We had a few visitors and that was nice. One of our church ladies husband actual came in as well as her mum/mom. She travels about 25 miles to the services (for Americans that is nothing, but for here it is alot) and her lost husband usually sits in the car and waits for her. It was such a blessing to see him come in. Pray the Lord will convict his hard heart and that he will be saved. We had 2 Salvation Army ladies visit. It is nice to know that they will have heard the gospel at least once in their lives. Also, Mr & Mrs. Lane visited with us again. They are the grandparents of one of the young men in the church. They really enjoyed themselves. They stopped off at his house on the way home and was telling his family what a lovely time they had had. His mother was not well pleased. Pray for these folk, as they need the Lord.

We had an added blessing to the service. Bro. Hendy, from Indonesia; was able to be with us last night. It was a blessing to have him in the service. He is an accomplished pianist and played one of the very hard pieces for us. I believe the Lord sent him just for us!! He was sent here (Nottingham) with his job for about a month and was visiting one of the families at church whom he attend school with. He leaves next week and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to meet him and for his willingness to help us.

Pastor did an excellent job preaching the message. It was really good. I know that it gets hard to go think of new ways to present the Christmas Story, but I thank the Lord for the message we heard last night. Some of the lost people had heard it before, but there were some who have never heard and I'm thankful that Pastor tells it straight (with love) and does not beat around the bush. Our society today is hard and calloused, sometime it takes being very direct to get their attention. It just depends on the kind of spirit that is behind the directness. You can say a whole lot more in love than you can get away with if you have a bad spirit about you. Anyway, he did a good job. Thanks, Preacher!!!!

Well, I think I'll go relax for a few minutes until it's time to get ready for church tonight. God bless!

Until the Shout,
Country Mama

Turning ONE is 2 days!!!

My little 'bandel' of joy (bandel = naugthy in Indonesian) will soon turn ONE year old on 15th December. Guess what.... we had not plan for ANYTHING yet.
What a surprise!


Geek Wife

playing with my chihuahua dog doorstopper

see, this is no eyelashese extension, this is for real *wink wink*

the controversy around "Christmas tree"

editted by Geek Wife

taken from Wikipedia

(this means that I didn't type ANY of this! On the other hand I am quite SHOCKED on my findings!!! Is this really what secular world think of us fundamentalist? scroll to the bottom most to find my comment)

A Christmas tree, Yule tree or Tannenbaum (German: fir tree) is one of the most popular traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas. It is normally an evergreen coniferous tree that is brought into a home or used in the open, and is decorated with Christmas lights and colourful ornaments during the days around Christmas. An angel or star is often placed at the top of the tree, representing the host of angels or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity story.



Roots
With likely origins in European pre-Christian cultures,[1] the Christmas tree has gained an extensive history and become a common sight during the winter season in various countries.

Illustration of Yggdrasil from the Ockelbo Runestone, Sweden.
Patron trees (for example, the Irminsul, Thor's Oak and the figurative Yggdrasil) held special significance for the ancient Germanic tribes, appearing throughout historic accounts as sacred symbols and objects. According to Adam of Bremen, in Scandinavia the Germanic pagan kings sacrificed nine males (the number nine is a significant number in Norse mythology) of each species at the sacred groves every ninth year.[2]

According to Church records, Saint Boniface (who, also according to Church records, had felled the Thor's Oak) attempted to Christianise the indigenous Germanic tribes by introducing the notion of trinity by using the cone-shaped evergreen trees because of their triangular appearance.[3]

Other notable traditions in relation to Christmas have also been derived from Germanic paganism, including the Yule log, Christmas ham, Yule Goat, stuffing stockings[4], elements of Santa Claus and his nightly ride through the sky, and surviving elements of Pre-Christian Alpine traditions in the Alps.
Throughout all the ages, evergreen plants were used for decoration in the winter, from laurel, mistle or conifer, and trees had a cultural importance (cf. maypole).

Origin
A Christmas tree from 1900.
The modern custom can be traced to 16th century Germany, but apart from that, there was neither an identifiable inventor nor a single town to have been the sole trigger for the tradition, which was a popular merge from much older traditions mentioned above; in the Cathedral of Strasbourg in 1539, the church record mentions the erection of a Christmas tree, in that period, the guilds started erecting Christmas trees in front of their houses, which hints to an even earlier tradition in the area. Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann (Marburg professor of European ethnology) found a Bremen guild chronicle of 1570 which reports how a small fir was decorated with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers, and erected in the guild-house, for the benefit of the guild members' children, who collected the dainties on Christmas day. Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small tree in house to symbolise the way the stars shined at night. Another early reference is from Basel, where the tailor apprentices carried around town a tree decorated with apples and cheese in 1597.

During the 17th century, the custom entered family homes. One Strasbourg priest, Johann Konrad Dannerstuart, complains about the custom as distracting from the Word of God.
By the early 18th century, the custom had become common in towns of the upper Rhineland, but it had not yet spread to rural areas. Wax candles are attested from the late 18th century. The Christmas tree remained confined to the upper Rhineland for a relatively long time. It was regarded as a Protestant custom by the Catholic majority along the lower Rhine and was spread there only by Prussian officials who were moved there in the wake of the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

In the early 19th century, the custom became popular among the nobility and spread to royal courts as far as Russia. Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg introduced the Christmas tree to Vienna in 1816, and the custom spread across Austria in the following years. In France, the first Christmas tree was introduced in 1840 by the duchess of Orleans.

The Queen's Christmas tree at Osborne House. The engraving republished in Godey's Lady's Book, Philadelphia, December 1850
In Britain, the Christmas tree was introduced in the time of the personal union with Hanover, Germany, by king George III's Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz but did not spread much beyond the royal family. Queen Victoria as a child was familiar with the custom. In her journal for Christmas Eve 1832, the delighted 13-year-old princess wrote, "After dinner...we then went into the drawing-room near the dining-room...There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees...". After her marriage to her German cousin, Prince Albert, the custom became even more widespread. In 1847, Prince Albert wrote: "I must now seek in the children an echo of what Ernest [his brother] and I were in the old time, of what we felt and thought; and their delight in the Christmas-trees is not less than ours used to be". The generous Prince Stuart also presented large numbers of trees to schools and army barracks at Christmas. Images of the royal family with their Christmas tree at Osborne House were illustrated in English magazines, initially as a woodcut in the Illustrated London News of December 1848, and copied in the United States at Christmas 1850 (illustration, left). Such patriotic prints of the British royal family at Christmas celebrations helped popularise the Christmas tree in Britain and among the Anglophile American upper class.

Several cities in the United States lay claim to that country's first Christmas tree. Windsor Locks, Connecticut, claims that a Hessian soldier put up a Christmas tree in 1777 while imprisoned at the Noden-Reed House, thus making it the home of the first Christmas tree in New England. The "First Christmas Tree in America" is also claimed by Easton, Pennsylvania, where German settlers purportedly erected a Christmas tree in 1816. In his diary, Matthew Zahm of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, recorded the use of a Christmas tree in 1821 -- leading Lancaster to also lay claim to the first Christmas Tree in America. [5]

Other accounts credit Charles Follen, a German immigrant to Boston, for being the first to introduce to America the custom of decorating a Christmas tree.[6] August Imgard, a German immigrant living in Wooster, Ohio, is the first to popularise the practice of decorating a tree. In 1847, Imgard cut a blue spruce tree from a woods outside town, had the Wooster village tinsmith construct a star, and placed the tree in his house, decorating it with paper ornaments and candy canes. The National Confectioners' Association [7] officially recognises Imgard as the first ever to put candy canes on a Christmas tree; the canes were all-white, with no red stripes. Imgard is buried in the Wooster Cemetery, and every year, a large pine tree above his grave is lit with Christmas lights.

Many cities, towns, and department stores put up public Christmas trees outdoors for everyone to enjoy, such as the Rich's Great Tree in Atlanta, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City and the large Christmas tree at Victoria Square in Adelaide. During most of the 1970s and 1980s, the largest Christmas tree in the world was put up every year on the property of The National Enquirer in Lantana, Florida. This tradition grew into one of the most spectacular and celebrated events in the history of southern Florida, but was discontinued on the death of the paper's founder in the late 1980s.

In some cities festivals are organised around the decoration and display of multiple trees as charity events. In some cases the trees represent special commemorative gifts, such as in Trafalgar Square in London, where the City of Oslo, Norway presents a tree to the people of London as a token of appreciation for the British support of Norwegian resistance during the Second World War; in Boston, where the tree is a gift from the province of Nova Scotia, in thanks for rapid deployment of supplies and rescuers to the 1917 ammunition ship explosion that leveled the city of Halifax; and in Newcastle upon Tyne, where the 15m-tall main civic Christmas tree is an annual gift from the city of Bergen, Norway, in thanks for the part played by soldiers from Newcastle in liberating Bergen from Nazi occupation.[8]

The United States' National Christmas Tree is lit each year south of the White House in Washington, D.C. Today, the lighting of the National Tree is part of what has become a major holiday event at the White House. President Jimmy Carter lit only the crowning star atop the Tree in 1979 in honour of the Americans being held hostage in Iran; in 1980, the tree was fully lit for only 417 seconds, one second for each day the hostages had been in captivity.
The term Charlie Brown Christmas tree is used in the USA to describe any sad-looking, malformed little tree. Some tree buyers intentionally adopt such trees, feeling sympathetic to their plights. The term comes from the appearance of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree in the TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas.

In New Zealand, Pōhutukawa trees are described as 'natural Christmas trees', as they bloom at Christmas time, and they look like Christmas trees with their red flowers and green foliage.The christmas colours are yellow green and white.



Controversy
The Christmas tree has seen an amount of controversy, mainly involving the secular and non-secular usage of the tree as well as groups who oppose usage of the tree on the grounds of interpretation of scripture and claimed pagan origins and/or pagan character of the custom. There are also those who view it as a Christian symbol. In 2005, the city of Boston renamed the spruce tree used to decorate the Boston Common a "Holiday Tree" rather than a "Christmas Tree". The name change drew poor reviews from the public and was changed back to "Christmas Tree" after being threatened with several lawsuits by Rev. Jerry Falwell and the Alliance Defense Fund. In the same year, Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., asked that the tree that decorates the Capitol grounds to be renamed back to "Christmas tree". It had been renamed "Holiday tree" in the 90s.[16]

Christianity
Jeremiah 10:1-5 in the Bible says the following (KJV):

[1] Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
[2] Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
[3] For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
[4] They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
[5] They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

This is interpreted by some fundamentalist Christians as referring to a Christmas tree, and that therefore the Bible would explicitly forbid the practice. However, the more common interpretation is that the passage refers to idol worship, and it is the practice of making an object out of wood, silver, and gold, and then worshiping that idol, which is pagan.

Others feel that since "Christmas Trees" are not biblically ordained, they should not be used.

Such individuals and Christian denominations are unlikely to celebrate Christmas at all, for the same reason, such as the United Church of God.

Martin Collins from Bibletools.com believes that that the origin of the Christmas tree is tied to the ancient myth of Gilgamesh and Horus,[17] which they associate with character Nimrod in the Bible. Interestingly, that association places the origins of the Christmas tree in to a celebration Nimrod as the "Son of Heaven." By associating this symbol with Jesus, many Christians are replacing that pagan symbology with a Christian one by celebrating the Birth of Jesus on December 25th instead of the Birthday of Nimrod.

Most churches however use Christmas trees as decoration at Christmas time. Some churches use the same stripped Christmas tree as a Christian cross at Easter. See the Old English poem The Dream of the Rood. Both Ezekiel 47:12 and the Book of Revelation 22:2 use trees as a symbol of new fruitful life, comparative to the Tree of life denied Adam in Genesis 3:22-23. Paul makes the link between Adam and Christ clear in Romans chapter 5:

Adam is a type of the one who was to come. (v. 14)

In the same way the Christmas tree can be seen as mirroring the tree of life, a symbol or type of the Crucifix which brings redemption.

Syncretising traditions in Northern Spain, the Bilbao airport displays the foreign tree and the Basque Olentzero.
In some Catholic countries, the tree is seen as a recent Protestant or American influence detracting from the Mediterranean traditions of the Christmas crib. However in many Catholic homes, both types of decoration coexist.

*****

Geek Wife note : I actually had nothing against someone to put up Christmas tree, even after reading this article (but its quite shocking to me that wikipedia, the most famous encyclopedia on the internet mention what some fundamentalist view about it). Even though I don't put up christmas tree and this is my confiction, I certainly WON'T look down on one who does!!
God sees heart and not just the outward appearance. Just like when my pastor preaching about working on sabbath day. Many fundamentalist fail to know this and became like the pharisee. I know there is millions of christian that doesn't know what's behind christmas day, christmas tree, mistletoe etc, and I would think that God won't blame them for not reading wikipedia to learn that many things about christmas is actually pagan! It's became plain WRONG if you place all this things (decoration, gift, celebration) BEFORE the real meaning of christmas, that is the birth of the Saviour.