CHRIST ALLONE IS YOUR LIFE PRESERVER

Embrace Biblical Ethics , Your Life Preserver

When it comes to ethics, Bonhoeffer noted, "(i)t is not only what is said that matters, but also the man who says it" (Ethics, p.267).

Third, like Aristotle, Bonhoeffer stays as close to the actual phenomenon of making moral choices as possible. What we experience, when faced with a moral choice, is a highly concrete and unique situation. It may share much with other situations, but it is, nevertheless, a distinct situation involving its own particulars and peculiarities, not excluding the fact that we are making the decisions, and not Socrates or Joan of Ark.

And finally, again like Aristotle, Bonhoeffer sees judgments of character and not action as fundamental to moral evaluation. Evil actions should be avoided, of course, but what needs to be avoided at all costs is the disposition to do evil as part of our character. "What is worse than doing evil," Bonhoeffer notes, "is being evil" (Ethics, p.67). To lie is wrong, but what is worse than the lie is the liar, for the liar contaminates everything he says, because everything he says is meant to further a cause that is false. The liar as liar has endorsed a world of falsehood and deception, and to focus only on the truth or falsity of his particular statements is to miss the danger

 of being caught up in his twisted world. This is why, as Bonhoeffer says, that "(i)t is worse for a liar to tell the truth than for a lover of truth to lie" (Ethics, p.67). A falling away from righteousness is far worse that a failure of righteousness. To focus exclusively on the lie and not on the liar is a failure to confront evil.

 

You Must Discern And Choose God Honoring Decisions For Your Lives 

Recall  the Disney Children's Film,  Pinocchio  ,  where having been through all his tumultuous misadventures,  his  father Gipetto sits  grieving at his  sons  bedside, ,  when Pinocchio ,  his lifeless little  body   starts to stir , as if in prayerful mourning    Gepetto   whispers  audibly , 

 " Pinocchio   ,  Pinocchio , my little wooden head, your dead, dead. Put your head down , Pinocchio , your dead"

  All the while Gepetto grieving , Pinocchio stirs to life from   silent slumber wiggling to life and amazement , announcing in delight to  all,  " Father Father I'm not dead, why, I'm alive ,    And  I'm real , I'm a  . I'm a real boy."

Of course there is a  real truth here , and we are rarely  as alive in a  spiritual sense  as when we experience stress by  confronting  evil, that is poised by undermining our moral values. 

Don't stand for it. Let us, like Pinocchio stir from slumber. 

 We are lulled to pacifity   At the humming of the ideology  via  compromise .

  

 If we  are thinking that tolerant is as a virtue in this sense , we are  slumbering still if we are not aroused and called to Action.  "Hell in a Handbag" is pretty much the  condition of things if we remain at  ease. We can hardly "stir the waters" they are already a rolling boil. .  

Dear fellow Christians ,  know  your  Bibles.  You must  practice Spiritual Disciplines such as Prayer and Fasting.   Show yourself  strong, a fortitude of conviction., 

Arm yourself   With a    Resolute  purpose , that is to have your mind made up already  to  be accountable as  men  and  women   of Faith able  minded to embrace righteousness when it is yours to do so, or  reject summarily with  prejudice , such moral filth   that is  now legislated  upon  our collective   Consciences. . 

. "Gird your minds for action "share your convictions and do not be silenced by Political  Correctness , to do so will make your testimony null and void.  this is exactly what the church succumb to in Germany during Nazism . 

  

Let us  be heroines and heroes of the Faith by dissenting  Moral Filth, and in response modelling  godly and virtuous traditional values.  

Innocence   must never be condemned to lies as the alternative  lifestyle. 

It is degrading, shameful ,  debilitating , and unnatural . 

Save children from the Hell of spiritual darkness .  

Do this for our  children, they cannot do this for  themselves  . " 

Shonda Davis July 4 2015 

Compounded Grief of the Widow

It is difficult to imagine in sweltering   temperatures rising to   averages  102  F .  sustaining this for days  to  another   Extreme   Soon  following torrential rain , with absolutely nothing to   alleviate that  condition of living. 

But   this  widow works ,  for her seven children as the sole breadwinner of the home.  

 She  works seven days a week   a humbl  laundry woman   working   in her customers   

homes   

There  are no comforts nothing resembling a belying a purchase anything of  pleasure  . 

 Notwithstanding,  she  is  confronted  continuously    As    sole  Provider  for the welfare  of the family. They are barely making it. Not a big leap to say it is sub sistence    living, but  it  it has been the best she can do. 

 To make matters worse this year is the  sixth  death anniversary observed  , and these independently observed of each other ,  which is  a tradition   acknowledged   in the Phillipines,  two   Children  and  their  premature deaths and   her  husbans  murder.

 

  Her living condition are so deplorable ,  seems  bereft  of hope,  yet , she is not without such. 

Not only is her thankful spirit visibly  discernible , she has a remarkable absence of expectations from others.  Instead she  is motivated with a great sense of duty, in her Faith and for her children. 

 So much so is her great sense of responsibility for her family. 

As of last Sunday Mary Jane slumped forward in her  seat at Church ,  barely aware of her surroundings. 

  She  was taken to the  Provential Hospital , by Simon and Leah who attend that church. 

  She was  admitted. She had had a heart attack. 

And then  in and out of awareness for the next 48 hours Mary Jane  somehow managed to be concerned about her job and having her employers know she would find a temporary replacement.

She had survived but is told if she does not remain at rest she will certainly have another event. 

We have provided a modest supply of heart health vitamins and  remain " vigilant  " in terms of probable financial assistance for her family.

Indeed, "the poor you have with you always". Jesus 

"And the poor heard Him gladly" 

Please  email me if interested  in helping. Thank you . 

First time team teaching

With in a couple of days   arriving in  DUMAGUETE    We hosted  our first team teaching PTA seminar on   Marriage and Family. It was candid very informative and  enjoyable for all the participants . Jim and myself comprised  the team,  below, we are photographed with dear friends. 

Death in Calvary Chapel Bishop brings travailing and difficult birth pangs

Death  in Calvary Chapel Bishop brings travailing and difficult birth  pangs . 

It would forever be the furthest thing from anyone's  mind. No, it would have seemed not on the improbable but nearly impossible to imagine. On the night of March 27th 2015 nobody would ever expected that Pastor Daniel McClenaghan would not wake up in the morning to greet his  wife  Barbara  in bed next to him. 

 While Daniel quietly slipped away from this life in his sleep leaving no trace of pain   Or  struggle it certainly   could  not be said of  Barbara  his wife  , his family    and the church  he left behind. 

 The existing leadership cloistered around Jim and I when we arrived that late morning on March 28. The necessary questions of priority and what came first and a sense of organisation were the primary jobs for the next 48 hours, under Jim's leadership.

   It  was evident that this Body was committed to each other, and committed to working through and supporting each other  in the  midst of  this difficulty. 

I personally  sat with those through the grieving process listening and offering my heart and in general being available any time for them, either at the graveside or in the service and on Sunday morning.

Jim has made himself available as  Interim   Pastor  assisting in the administration the phone calls to set up  visiting pastors and we have   stayed with members of the Body and found them very giving and loving. To us this feels like our own loving church family we are very close to them. 

New life has begun a  Calvary  Chapel  Bishop  it has been a  triumph beset by tragedy  but God is doing a work of healing and hope.

Photo by Rob Miller

ELEPHANT COUNTRY

Elephant country

The photos show  the place we are staying and the heat of the sun by 7:30 am

 may give you the sense it's blazing. I refer to this inescapable  heat as the, " Ill Tempered Sun " 

 In the shade we read 92 on the temperature gauge but have added  10 degrees more under the sun. I walked under the shade of  our  umbrella. 

  The local people living in this vicinity  live with the constant. ever present threat  of the  wild  elephants.  These  live under such risk to life and limb. Largely due to the lawlessness in the jungle borders with the armed militia. The elephant  reacts aggressively. 

The very  act of returning  home at night on the motorcycle is far from benign.  We have seen fires along the road for xtra light and as an attempt to turn away any oncoming elephants, but the alarm of sightings rise as the sun sets. The land  cools , the winds blow and the herds begin moving. 

Two months ago a young woman was coming  back  to her home here on her motorcycle and when dropping the package, she stopped to retrieve i   She  was then attacked and killed by the  elephant .  . 

Sad and tragic loss. In light of all the precautionS, these animals are largely unpredictable. 

These visits by the marauding. Hulks have come in the cool if the night and Jim and I hear only the short and rhythmic pops of firecrackers.  One mornings  we were shown a coconut tree , plummeted and pushed over for the coconuts. 

After dinner   We  left for the evening session  of the    marriage  seminar . 

As I listened  and joined in  with the   laughter , punctuated  appropriately during the sessions his  obvious enjoyment  with his  students , has become his signature style.  

It is recognized as a warm tribute to his method  of teaching, and the passion which has made his work so memorable through  these   Past 27 years . 

His knowledge  of random information , inserted with his customary expressions , finds  favor and easy assimilation . Through these years he additionally has acquired various cultural nuances and this has enriched the  work,

He is a gifted Missiologist . 

If you know my  husband  Jim,  you know he has  an unreal amount of information that he makes work for him. It is respectable.  He warms  hearts to himself .

 He remains equally interesting in every culture  to hear  and  watch. 

Just avoid trying to untangle the into nations of English once home. 

   . To sum it up, I like this quote . 

  

". The secret of success is to go through life   As a man who never gets used up . "

Dr Albert Schweitzer  

 

 Fully . 

Bamboo Camo

 This camp is built right at the jungles edge and the primary building material is predominately bamboo. 

I call this Refugee Camp,  the Bamboo Camp though it is known by its official name. 

  These Refugee   are Karen, having left the political Conflict and active  aggressive threats  still ominous and military action. Which took thousands of young and elderly Karen lives.  For Tribal    People as these, the  maiming, torturing and 

 Cruelty is not abstract but intensely personal and must be reckoned with retribution , 

This Camp was established in 1984. 

  There are 4000 Refugees that live here in a community , full with Church traditions , Youth Programs and Cultural celebrations. 

To the untrained understanding , life seems to be as normal as can be.  There is a sense of peace that pervades, yet there are active  restrictions so there are few coming into the camp. 

In short Tourists are not allowed.  

 We arrived via special permission on Friday Feb. 13 and began the Seminar in Inductive Bible Study method.  

Through introductions and through the translation from our Karen Pastor , we put together a scenario of life here. 

I found    our  brief time here to be very pleasant, accommodating and kind. 

The Karen are a noble people, very mindful of their heritage  and  place in this difficult  time in history . 

The children and adults were candid and  happy to be photographed. 

I have included the images here for you. 

The dirt road in and out is so deeply grooved that the driver 

 Went no faster than 10 mph. This was in his  4wheel drive. 

  Wewere jostled    bouncing  in our seats involuntary . Like body hiccups. 

Of course being  constantly pitched forward  and sideways was equal to air turbulence  in discomfort . 

For the hour long  journey , the slow accented ,  emphatic heavy stressed syllabic  language of the driver mesmerised  me.

So  punchy and tired  my  Thoughts    Came in and out like the tides, to  rise and fall with his spoken pattern .

In a  manner   of speaking , Jim and I were as seaweed brought in on those tides of thought. 

tired and ready for bed. 

We would return to the Camp and stay overnight to extend the Workshop into a  few   evening hours, 

 thought 

I kept my nose in my books preparing notes   our  marriage seminar. 

With stories I have heard and seen to be accurate I was very thankful for the resources I had  in my IPad   . 

Now to   cross the Karen Culture  barrier and  make appropriate  examples and application . 

The day was pregnant with instruction from Jim, classroom work and the ever present  heat of the " ill tempered sun" .  Of evening we all, in a great sigh, cooled off simultaneously. 

Children appeared in groups playing simple games , a few teens  wandered past in their  signature styles which included hair styled  in keeping with trend and the girls with friends  talking  and giggling. 

Mothers appeared in doorways cuddling their babies and children . 

After a pleasant dinner of rice, assorted vegetables and chicken , we  gratefully  slipped into sleep. 

 to the native and private room offered to us. 

The Elements Of This World , Reclaim

  

 Strangely enough ,    

The elements of the physical world take  .

Back  what is of their own substance in structure or edifice. It is called  decay.

This biological science is a law to itself. It happens without prejudice. 

This was once a beautiful home, but it has been abandoned to deteriorate from its former estate. 

Constant exposure to  conditions that degrade and stress will destroy the integrity and and eventually the very foundation . All this would take is care and attention unto restoration. 

Subsisting without care, interest , and or 

  guardianship  would further   encourage   The  rigours  of  deterioration . 

Tragically unnecessary. 

 There is the spiritual  Law. 

I could hardly ignore the  relevant and   truth in this dilapidated house. 

 Not only is the physical world subject to stress , also the Christians Faith.    

 James  4 versus 4 to 8

The Christian finds himself at constant 

 Strain and tension with worldliness as he or she juxtaposes themselves comfortably .  No one enjoys  being  ostracised for  their point of view including the  Christian . 

 But   engagement and romance with the ethics and elements of  worldliness, and not desiring to be identified with  CHRIST eventually wearies  down the believer. Compromise  is an affective game plan of the Christians enemy.  

James 4;4-8 makes me wonder about my 

  Own worldliness .

In other effective tool against the Christians    is  irrelevance

Believing that it is irrelevant  to  oft  repent   and appropriate the grace of God since He sees my weakness  and knows me  ultimately .  

  an infringement free appRoach  to Faith Management  seems to find more appeal. 

 

When I  was a little girl I   Memorised in VBS Ephesians 6: 11-18  

I did not grow out of or away from spiritual  truth,  instead I think of it  often  because it makes sense of things.    In connection to 

 the many things that I fight and struggle with in my life as a believer. 

So , the recourse , attention, response and  vigilance to the hope that lies within you. 

Considered   Jude  20 and 21

     But you  beloved building yourselves on your most holy faith praying and the Holy Spirit keep yourselves in the love of God waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ  to eternal life.   

In care of our fate we would do very well to practice spiritual disciplines. One is to give ourselves to prayer daily praying for others , and or forgiveness.  repentance asking the Lord to instruct our minds and prayers of thankfulness

 

Another discipline is to give  oneself to the reading of the word of God and to meditate on it so  making every effort applying it to   Ones  Thoughts and course of action.

 The Christian life is a very active life not only a life of contemplation meditation. 

It is a life of service to others. 

  My husband   keeps our personal  properties maintained. He practices maintenance. 

While this is mundane , it demonstrates commitment  and care and maturity, one that must be also practised in our spiritual  life here on Earth. 

Galatians 6:8

8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.  

I came across this in my studies and  it  defines   part of today's spiritual condition  Very interesting and thought provoking.  Allow me to share with you  and I certainly do not mean to imply anything other than this a very good description of self love gone wrong

Lovers of Self – 2 Timothy 3:2

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Dr. Dan Hayden •

Self-centered behavior is the most destructive influence upon interpersonal relationships imaginable. It eliminates concern for the other person’s welfare and sucks the life out of any meaningful communication. It is the first sin of the universe, when Adam and Eve chose themselves over God, and it tops the list of sins that God hates (“pride”—Prov. 6:16). Self-love is the cesspool out of which oozes every other perversion of the human heart, for ultimately everyone and everything else becomes expendable in the pursuit of its insatiable lust. Yet the thing that is most exalted in our society is the “self.” Self fulfillment, self-determinism, and self-image are highly regarded as the essence of life by our hedonistic culture.

Paul warned Timothy that the “last days” culture would be characterized by peril due to the loss of moral integrity (2 Tim. 3). The list of eighteen sordid dehumanizing attributes of this culture begins with “for men shall be lovers of their own selves” (2 Tim. 3:2). Actually, “lovers of their own selves” is one word in the Greek text—philautos. This compound word is built around the intensive pronoun autos which means “self,” and is translated variously—himself, herself, ourselves, themselves. This word has invaded our English vocabulary in a multitude of compound words—autograph, autobiography, automobile, autocratic, automatic, etc. In all of these words, the idea of “self” or “by itself” is dominant. For instance, “autobiography” is the biography of oneself—and, “automobile” is the idea of being mobile by itself.

Now in the Greek word philautos, the additional word philos is added to the notion of oneself (autos). Philos is the common Greek word for love and signifies the kind of love that comes from the emotions of the heart. When we are attracted to something or feel emotionally drawn to someone, we are experiencing philos. Basically, philos is what turns us on. Therefore, when added to the word autos, this compound word indicates that the thing which turns us on is ourselves—philautos. This, the Apostle Paul says, will be the most defining element of the last days culture—people will be “lovers of their own selves” (philautos). More than anything else, this is the reason we are seeing a major decline in goodness and a drastic increase in badness. People are acting selfishly. They are putting their own interests ahead of the needs and concerns of others