One weekend, I decided to go camping. I slept soundly that night. Waking up in the middle of mist and fog early in the morning, I stumbled across a figure among the mist, which looked like a man.
“What do you want?” I asked in fear.

“You are so selfish. You have not done the things I have required you to do. I asked you to give of your self and you didn't do it. The man down the street you met you could have witnessed to, died this morning without Christ. What about the severe accusations you made against the brother at church? Just because you have had a bad time, you took it out on him. You have hurt a child of God. To be scared of the Lord coming because you want to do more in this life is selfish. You should love His coming. Your lack of interest teaching others has gone by without any thought to how you could be a blessing to others. I'm so sorry but I can't give you any rewards.”

“Wait a minute, am I supposed to be in Heaven.”

“Oh, You are at the judgement seat of Christ.”

As I started to pray to ask forgiveness of all the things I was to doing wrong, I suddenly heard a big rumble.

“What is that:?” I asked quickly.

“Oh that! That is the dead in Christ rising from the graves and going to heaven.”

Weeping, thinking I had missed out on those things I should have been doing. I started to feel the shaking. With tears in my eyes, I woke up seeing my friend standing over me.

“What's wrong?” he asked with great concern.
I put my hands on his arms and told him I had to go out for a while to put things right with those I have neglected and hurt.

It is going to be in a twinkling of an eye when Jesus comes and we won't have a minute to put things right with those we have done wrong.

May we answer this question in our hearts... What is our lives like right now?

“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things DONE IN THE BODY, according to what He has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

This Story is fictional with a very true meaning.

Posted by pkwd1 at 12:21 PM NZT

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Relating to my life, I watch the wrestling on television as a relaxation. It comes amazing to me as I see them jump the ropes and do somersaults over the ropes and down on to the thin foam mats below. As I watch them, I notice it takes time for them to get up. Their opponent does not let them because this is an advantage for them so they can win the match. Before you know it, the wrestler is thrown into the ring, a cover is implemented and a three count is counted by the referee.

When we get attacked by Satan, or by people Satan uses, he does not want us to get up. We get kicked, we get held down so he can win.

Watching the wrestling, I often see the opponent held down raising his arm so he will not lose the battle. In comparison, we can hold our hands up in prayer as Satan who may think he has the win over us over taken by God's almighty hand.

To my surprise sometimes, I see the person I think is going to win the match, lose to the three count by the referee. It may seem like we have lost the match sometimes, but just like the wrestlers we can get up with triumph and fight another day.

An injured wrestler will rest by not fighting another match until his wounds and breakages have healed. We need to be assured the injured wrestler will come back to challenge another match.

Because a Christian has been hurt or injured does not mean we are out of any ministry. A person in this category needs healing from the Lord to be raised up stronger than ever before.

Consuming other peoples lives in their own demise is not a wise thing to do. As I watch wrestlers do the wrong thing by others, I see the destruction of their own fame and injuries sustained because of their own stupidity.

Before jumping the ropes to destroy someone's testimony we should consider the consequences of our actions before listening to what Satan has to offer. It is not worth the time consuming effort it takes to hurt someone else.

Posted by pkwd1 at 10:54 AM EADT

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Time progressed slowly when I was young, as some of us may recall. We would remember our going to bed and saying “good night” to our parents or guardian. I remember that my bed was tucked in so tightly with sheets and blankets I could hardly get into it. I know now beds were prepared this way in the era I had grown up in. Or, was there some other reason that I did not know about?

During the quiet of the night while the rest of my family were asleep, I would pull the top sheet and the blankets out from the bottom of the mattress. After being free from my tightly tucked bed, I would then go to the bottom of my bed head first, and see if I could turn around in a circle underneath the bed linen and blankets without going over the edge of the mattress. Every morning my sheets and blankets were on the floor. It was thought by my parents that I had nightmares.

Looking back it doesn’t seem long before I became a young man and left home. This was not easy. I had thought that I could change a lot of things in my life and I would be free; just like I was free from the tight bedding at home. It wasn’t long before I bought myself a digital clock and a quilt. My sleep became very restful because of my very own quiet clock, and a quilt.

One night, years later, I had an experience which I will never forget. It was a cold night and was in bed with my new wife.
(You know what’s coming don’t you. Well, you can just wait for the rest of the story!)

Thinking I was under the warm quilt I woke up very cold. Weary eyed, I looked over to the other side of the bed to find my honey rolled up in the quilt. I looked down at myself thinking that there maybe something over me, but shivering away there was nothing to be seen.

Not being able to move the quilt, “Are you quite warm, Hon?” I asked in a shivering voice.

“Yes.”

There was a silence for a while, when a question came. “Have you put the garbage out?”

“No! I am not going out in the cold. I am cold enough without the quilt over me.”
“Ok.”

At this point I had three choices. The first choice was to get angry and pull the quilt off her. The second was to wake her up, which I didn’t have heart to do, or third, was to speak with her in the morning. However, for the night, I laid there like a good husband.
Folding my arms and curling up trying to keep warm, I dozed in and out of sleep for the rest of the night. I woke up before her at day break.

(Now you are starting to get interested aren’t you?)

I got dressed into some warm clothes, and made myself a cup of coffee. While sitting drinking it in the kitchen my Hon woke up and came in.

My voice cracked. “Did you have a good sleep Hon?”

“Yes, I did. What about you?”

“No I didn’t; you had the quilt all night.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“I did; I asked if you were warm enough and you said ‘yes’, and then you asked if I put the garbage out.”

At this point my loving husband attitude had gone and she noticed it.

(I have your attention now!)

Well the “debate” went back and forth of the occurrences through the night as you may imagine. Then, she said something that changed the situation around.

“I honestly don’t remember talking to you, or asking you about the garbage.”

Realizing what had happened, I knew that it was time to reconcile with her. She was so upset I knew that my tender loving care had to come back.

It was a wonderful experience to forgive each other, and we still laugh at this experience we had that night.

I will always remember the joys we had when we were growing up and the well tucked in nights that we once enjoyed and we will always cherish the experiences of marriage as we grow to be more like Christ, forgiving one another.

(What happens with our quilt now? Not telling!)

Posted by pkwd1 at 10:34 PM EADT

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During my working life with you I have seen all types of media telling their story regarding wars and major events in the world. I have spent my time in trousers, shirts and even on a bed side tables. I have been able to put my own slant on stories gathered around the world. Having money in my pocket has been exciting to gather. When the day ended, I was jammed full.

With a lot of thought, I have been able to select an amount of money to publish what I wanted to share. I have been able to report about the devastation and starvation of children.
The company I work for is grateful because I have earned so much money.

Everything will be okay. The public will have fund-raising events. With this help and without my help, everything will be apples.

Oh no! Not another phone call. It’s singing that same old song “Give them all to Jesus.” I'm going to bury myself deep so I don't hear that annoying song.

“Hello,” a robotic voice blurted on loud speaker.

“I have got to hear this!”

William leapt to see.

“Yes, we have a job for you to report on a story, in a faraway land. Would you like to go? “

A hand went to grab me.

“Again, I can make more money.”

“You will have to share a room.”

William was in doubt about sharing a room. The two men climbed into their separate beds. On the other side of the second bed was another like me on the table.

“Hey, you there, I feel sick,” William whispered.

“No wonder,” said Peter, “Look at yourself, you are so packed full, you will have to give some of that money away.”

“Oh no, I couldn't, I need it to earn money for our company. Anyway, I cannot give money away. Now you have made me sicker.”

The phone rang at that very moment. “Give them all to Jesus” it played.

“Oh be quiet, “said William, frustrated. “

Hello,” Spoke a stern voice.

“Yes, there has been another tragedy. People cannot get through on the roads because of a land slide. Children are without food.”
Oh no, they want money from me again. I am not going to. Anyway what has Jesus got to do with it? William thought, quite disturbed.

The phone hung up. William was so disturbed; he felt sicker. “Oh no; what am I going to do.”

“Do you want some help?” Peter asked.

“You see William, the problem is not just being sick, it is because you look so guilty and you know that there is something you must do.”

“Oh thanks very much, I don't need you to tell me,” William said, obviously offended.

“It is a heart problem. You see when you are nice, soft and ready to give what God wants you to give; then, you will feel better. You do not have to give everything, unless God directly says you should. Opening your heart to him and let him be the judge how much you can give will help your release and the enclosure you find yourself in.”

The next morning, the man that owned William, brought a new wallet with him. Because Williams’ heart was soft and was opened the money went into the new wallet.

William had become New William. The old William had gone. It was thrown out into the trash can.

Peter saw it. He jumped for joy.

“What happened?” Said Peter to new William.

“Oh, I kept on thinking about that song “Give them all to Jesus.” “The words of the song were going around in my head. I realized I had been hanging on to a lot, not just my money but also my heart to Jesus. I prayed for Jesus to come into my heart. Now I have a new life. I am a new William.” He said with happiness in his heart.

“Oh, that is so wonderful New William.” The two men picked up Peter and new William. They left for the landslide to see how God could use them.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

Posted by pkwd1 at 11:41 PM EADT

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I got Tenth place for this writing in a writing competition

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” James 3:6 KJV

I guess these are strong words; nevertheless they are words that never can be altered.

A fire can destroy property and ruin one financially even to the point where one needs to move. When we compare this to the tongue that it can set something alight, it can ruin a person’s life in the community.

The Tongue can give a devastation of reputation. The Tongue can leave ashes or things in that person’s life that cannot be repaired.
Photos and personal belongings can be destroyed by fire, as so with our tongue set on fire to ruin ones life and destroy the photo image of one’s reputation.

Satan wants to destroy people’s testimonies not only in churches but in the community so that churches even believe the supposed wrongness that was started by the fire of the tongue.
I was in a Church at one time I thought was right for my Children and myself. The Word of God was preached and I did not have a problem.

Much to my dismay, I was called to a meeting with the Pastor and two other “mature” Christians. Without going into too much detail, I was accused of an unruly act. Not only was this act against the Word of God the Bible, it was also against morality.
Of course the act that I was accused of, I could never do. The rumour got around the small church so bad that I had to leave. This little fire nearly ended our marriage, as we were so distraught.

After a time, I looked up the internet to see what others have done in a similar situation. Yes, with no surprise, some had ended their marriage. Some had moved to a faraway State. And some had even left the country after having such a false accusation done to them.

How big is the tongue of iniquity? It is world size. It is a world size of darkness; evil; immortality; injustice; unfairness and wickedness.

The tongue defiles the whole body or it pollutes the whole body. We have heard much about pollution in this expanding world. We learn over the TV and News media, how we need to clean up pollution. Yet there is not much said about cleaning up the defilement or the pollution in our lives from the fire of the tongue.

If we have a real fire and there were chemicals near by; the air would stink. So do our lives when we defile the whole body and others with our tongue.

The words of the tongue can never be altered weather in beauty or as a fire that could destroy a life.
An affective prayer I have used before.
So let us pray.

Father in Heaven; forgive us this day if we have used our tongue in an unwise way that could have destroyed someone's life. I pray for that person and that he or she will ask God for His wisdom and to guide them in the way that would be pleasing to you. I also ask that you would forgive me for saying things that I should not have said and ask that you will teach me to ask of you what I should say before I speak. I pray this in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ amen.

Note: This writing was inspired by another of my writings but different.

Posted by pkwd1 at 6:47 PM EADT

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A True Story

I was working with a Christian company when I was in my twenties. A sum of money was given to the employees at one Christmas for the sole purpose to give to a missionary of our own choice. I asked my boss about a missionary that he would suggest, to give my donation to.

My heart was in it. I sent the cheque with a kindly letter stating this might help them get back to the mission field. With this correspondence, I thought I would get a thank you letter from them.

On my way to work for a night shift, I quickly retrieved my letters from the mail box. I instantly opened it and read it. My mouth dropped, my heart sank as I read it.

Not remembering now what it said, in a nicely handwritten letter, the content revealed how nasty and how unthoughtful I was supposed to be sending them the letter and the money, because I had no intentions of continuing support.

Feeling alone with disappointment and heart broken, I threw the letter in the bin. Dragging my feet, I continued to go to work with a gloomy heart.

Maybe being a bit more mature, I could have found out what the problem may have been. I certainly did not mean to hurt them in anyway. Whilst I did not feel guilty or in my mind cause the problem, I prayed for them.

What we do or our reaction to things may not be important to us, but they may be important to others. Sometimes we do things not knowing what we do, can hurt another.

Reaction from others may not stem from what we have done. The reaction could be what someone else has done or what they think has been done to them.

My reaction of throwing the letter away may have been an immature thing to do at the time. It could have been what God expected me to do, so He could do what he wanted for their lives.
We can learn from our mistakes and become the person that God wants us to be. At the same time he can deal with the person that we may have had correspondence with, even if we have lost contact.

We need not feel alone. God knows what he is doing.

For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone. Ps 86:10 KJV

Posted by pkwd1 at 8:06 AM EADT

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If I had a conversation with our Lord face to face, I wonder what it would be. Would I tell Him about what somebody else has done to me? I wonder if it would be about what I did for someone else.

It is amazing today how often we say things about others. The amount of misunderstanding in conversation that happens between two or more people is staggering.

Would we discuss the love that we have for our Lord? That would go against man’s nature.
A love one killed by some kind of accident might be a topic to talk to Him about. Maybe we would ask him, Why did you do it Lord? That would be hard to ask a person that question let alone our Lord. Yet there may have been times when that question has already been asked.

A natural disaster has happened the day before we spoke to our Lord. A house is lost, a child dies, or hundreds of lives destroyed. Would we be game enough to ask our lord “why” face to face?
Yet, complaining and asking our Lord is done on a constant basis in our thoughts, our deeds in talking with others, and even in our prayers.

May be our prayers are not answered because we do not give him the praise He deserves. Maybe we are talking or thinking behind his back. Or even discussing what is unnecessary with others.
It remains our responsibility to talk to him in prayer and to others the same way we would talk to him in person face to face.

People get hurt when they find out that what they have said is behind someone’s back. I wonder what our Lord may think. Our blessings, prayers and fellowship could be hindered because of it.
Think about it. Would we want to be hospitable and have conversation with someone who was talking behind our back all the time? I think we would lose fellowship with that person quickly or even instantly.

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God. Psalm 50:23

Posted by pkwd1 at 10:57 AM NZT

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TITLE: Salt of Life or Salt of Sin
By Philip Barrington
30/08/10

“And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” Matt 16:3.

Many times we have heard that the Lord is going to return soon. I believe He is. I myself want to meet Him in the air. In 1 Thess 4:16:18 it says: “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Not knowing all the ailments of this world that point to the coming of our Lord, I still love to hear about those things that should discern us.

As a believer in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, I see that things are so backwards in thought, and actions of those in the world and who are active in sharing principalities and powers
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Eph 6:12.

We can surely see the wickedness of this world and relate it to the soon coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”Matt 24:37

Oh how we can relate to Noe’s day with what is in this world today. With wickedness in high places or authority has this world in disarray.

Even if we do not understand all that is written in the Bible about Israel and those things that are happening to His chosen people. We all can understand that evil is getting worse in the world in which we live.

What, do we not know the event in the Bible about Lot? There was so much wickedness in the plain where Lot was living. So much so that even his family was directly affected.

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Luke 17:28-30

From history and Bible knowledge, we do not need to look very far to relate it to the Lord’s coming. It is so evident and obvious that the World is in so much wickedness that it would be hard not to think that the Lord’s coming is emanate.

When my Kids were young we were out having a picnic lunch with some church folk. Only being thirteen months apart, one of my boys said to me: You know Lots Wife. I said yeah in anticipation what could be coming. He continued, well, you know when we put salt on our food, we are really putting Lots wife on our food. Of course I laughed.

When we really look at what my boy said up close. When we look back to our sin and do what sin is suggesting. Then we are really consuming the world and all of its wickedness. Oh, it may enhance flavour in our lives, but just like Lot’s wife she became part of the earth when she turned into a pillar of salt so shall we become part of the world’s wickedness when we participate by involving ourselves with the sin of the world.

Can we as Christians discern the wickedness of the world and look for our Lord’s coming? Or is it possible that we might fall into the trap of the world’s ideas and be a part of it so we are not recognised by Spiritual standards and diagnosed as hypocrites?

KJV Bible

Posted by pkwd1 at 11:30 AM NZT

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Phils notes on 1 Timothy 3-4

3. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

4. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

“As I besought thee to abide, still at Ephesus….” Timothy was left here at Ephesus by Paul.

Paul wanted Timothy to emphasize to the Church at Emphasis to teach no other doctrine than the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles Doctrine. The doctrine needed to be that of scriptural truth.

Paul had the spiritual maturity to know that there may have been some that had doctrine that did not meet with spiritual standards. Because it was some that seem to be the most danger; Paul wanted Timothy to carry on for a while. Paul wanted to make sure that no other doctrine was introduced.

Paul had know the possibilities of fables or things that were untrue. Paul thought it not profitable for these fables to be told.

Paul was very thorough as then he was keyed into the fact that there were genealogies that were endless and had no need in the house of God. There were private and public genealogies of the Jews which showed what tribe they were. And weather they were Priests or Levites. This Cause debates and questions that was not profitable for the Church.

“…rather than godly edifying, which is in Faith.”

It is evident here that it was Paul’s intention to build up the people in the faith and he had the full intention to do so through Timothy. The people of Ephesus needed to be encouraged to have a Godly and enriched from the Doctrines of Christ and those things Paul had Spiritual discernment.

It is important to note that Paul was not against the Biblical genealogies such as written in the Bible today but there were unimportant genealogies that had became a debate and wasting of time of which could of and should have been put into building each other up.

There are many today who will go into endless debates in Churches which I find quite disturbing. Examples of those debates are: Is the Holy Spirit a He or a She? Or Should women be preachers in a Church?

As with Paul’s instruction that is most agreeable by me, we should measure those things which seem debatable with scripture. Paul had many things to say in his writings. Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Timothy and Titus. To save writing I know there are more.

In the day of Paul, He saw that there were problems in the Church and there needed to be some guidance to sort those things out. I wonder what he would think today in today’s world and Churches.

Nevertheless, these writings and instructions became a big part of God’s Word. Since Godly instructions are in the Bible than it should be followed. I guess, then it comes to the question well, if we did everything in the Bible at all times, we would then be sinless.

So what part of the Bible should we do away with? None is the answer. God wants us to be conformed to the image of His Son. As issues in our lives and the understanding of what the Bible says come our way we should listen and contemplate weather or not we are doing the right thing or not. Importantly in church, when we gather to worship Him.

It is important that we build up each other. Let us not fall into the trap of endless debates but encourage one another to examine the Scriptures.

KJV Bible

Gills Commentary

Posted by pkwd1 at 1:13 PM NZT

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TITLE: Eye Sight, My Sight and His Sight
By Philip Barrington
07/27/10

Note of interest

The word “see” is recorded in the KJV Bible in five hundred and forty nine verses. To have this unique ability to see is a truly needed attribute to our bodies.

You see, this is my Story

Seeing partially because one may have eye problems is disturbing. Thus my story of seeing problems I have had.

From about the age of twenty one, I complained that I could not see properly. With great concern I went to the optometrist to have my eyes tested. With much correspondence they agreed to send me to another eye doctor to investigate my eyes.

After examining me they told me to read under a bright light. Having done this for quite a while, I was still having problems to see.

Marching myself back to the Optometrist, I had my eyes tested again. After my eye test, he told me that I did not really need glasses but there is a slight problem with my vision. I could wear reading glasses if I wanted to.

Opting to wear reading glasses, I struggled because sometimes I did not know where I put them. Well, you know how it is. So reading became a less of a problem.
Only to See the Dirt

Struggling through life as a cleaner, many times I had to get close to the object of cleaning, especially when my boss yelled at me to show me where it was not clean. It was difficult to wear reading glasses while cleaning. For many years, I changed my reading glasses every two to three years.

You See, More Health Problems Found

Receiving an injury to my cervical spine at work, quitting my job was the only option.
In time I moved to the Mountains. During my time here, the pain in my lower back got worse.  Having more scans on my lumber spine, the doctors found that I had a hole in my spine. Goodness knows how it happened.

You See, I needed to see

Also during my time here in the Mountains, I found that I needed bifocals. Wearing them for a couple of years, my eyes seem to have got worse.  I went to the Optometrist. After having the test, I could not pay for my new glasses. I carried on with the glasses I had.

Within approximately, six months, I went back to the Optometrist to have another eye test done. After the eye test the eye doctor said that he could not give me glasses because I had opacities. I would then need to go to a specialist.

Nearly back at my car, Confused, I made a beeline back to the optometrist. I asked very demandingly “What are opacities? Opacities are cataracts. Oh, I know what cataracts are I said with determination.

I then asked; well, how come six months ago you could give me glasses but today you cannot? Reasonable question don’t you think? After things been explained to me; after being assertive with my questions, I finally understood what was happening with my eyes. I did need cataract surgery. Does not “cataracts” sound more common than Opacities?

After about two years of having surgery on two eyes, I only need laser treatment on one of my eyes tomorrow Thursday 29 July 2010. Being fifty six, I can see much clearer now than when I was twenty one. I do wear reading glasses now. After laser treatment is finished, I will probably get long distance glasses for driving.

His Sight

We need to be able to see clearly as Christians. When sin came into the world, the knowledge of good and evil was seen. God had knowledge of the Angel that was cast out of heaven that became Satan.

We need to see clearly, the marks of sin in our own lives so that one can clean it up. Not like I missed the dirty marks at work because I could not see clearly.

How do we see clearly? We see clearly by staying close to God and getting the right information. Unlike me, receiving an unclear diagnosis on my eyes, we need to be close to God and Spiritual encouragement for our Spiritual eye sight.

Once we receive the right spiritual sight, we are then able to see clearly and be more available for our Lord’s service

Posted by pkwd1 at 8:33 AM NZT

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