WILL YOU STILL STAND FOR CHRIST?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

WILL YOU STILL STAND FOR CHRIST?

By Linda A. Knowles

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Matthew 10:32-34

No matter who we are or what we do, what we believe about who Christ is and what He has done on Calvary matters. At some point, we are each faced with either choosing Christ and continuing on with Him OR we will choose someone or something else over Christ. Christ has done for us what no one else can do. There is nothing that will ever be able to fill the place in our heart and lives that He alone can fill.

No one wants to believe that a family member hates them or will go against them, but it does happen. Our stance in Christ may be the very thing that causes them to go against us. Our position in Christ may be the very thing that causes them to oppose us at any given opportunity. They can mock us and scoff at us. They can even work at trying to get us to change our beliefs about God and what God calls good and what He calls evil. Can family bring us to the point where we will have to choose between them or Christ? Yes. Not everyone will accept Christ. Not everyone is interested in following the ways of God. Not everyone will accept Christ as being Lord and Savior. Not everyone will believe all He did for us at Calvary. Not everyone in our families will be interested in hearing about Christ or about hearing what the Word of God says about living a life sold out to God. Unfortunately, this is altogether sad, but true.

For those who choose to stand for truth, even if it means losing beloved family members, there is hope. Our hope is found in Christ alone, and this is our assurance: Christ is with us until the very end. If we are not ashamed of Him before men, He will not be ashamed of us before our Heavenly Father. For those who choose Christ, even if it means we will be standing alone, the Lord is upholding us in His righteous right hand, and He has not forsaken us. For those who do not deny Christ and love Him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength: to them, they have eternal life because Christ, their Savior and Lord, lives within them, and they will be living life with an abundance of blessings from the Lord.

Will you take a stand even if it means you are standing alone? Will you stand for what is right and holy even in the midst of family members who oppose and betray you? Each of us must ask ourselves these questions.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and mercy. Thank You for choosing me to live for You that I might produce lasting fruit for Your Kingdom. Lord, help me to always walk upright before You, keeping my eyes fixed on the prize before me. Help me to keep my eyes focused on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my Faith. Strengthen me. Guide me and teach me all of Your ways. Thank You for saving and rescuing me. Father, help me to remain strong even though family members may come against me, though they may oppose me. Your approval of me, Abba, is the only thing that matters, not the applause of men. Instruct me as I walk along this narrow path and help me not to slip to the wayside. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

THE STORYLINE NEEDS TO CHANGE

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

THE STORYLINE NEEDS TO CHANGE

By Linda A. Knowles

“Without wood, a fire goes out;

without gossip, a conflict ceases.

Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire,

so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels

that go down into the inmost being.”

Proverbs 26:20-22 (Berean Study Bible)

The storyline hasn’t changed even after all these years. I watched it growing up. The storyline goes like this: Mary gossiped to Ella. Ella didn’t stand up to Mary and chose to listen to the gossip. Daphne heard the gossip Mary was telling Ella, and Daphne told Joe and Elsie who then whispered to Myron then Maria then Julie then Victor. Mary made she sure spoke to everyone Daphne spoke to so she could make sure they had all the details and “correct information.” One person after another heard the gossip, either shared the gossip, participated in the gossip, or just remained silent as the gossiping was going on. Florrie, who was the object of the gossip, was unable to recover her reputation from all the lies the gossipers said. She ended up leaving the church, never to be heard from that church again. Florrie left the church completely disheartened, discouraged, and extremely hurt; the End.

Does betrayal happen in the church from one member of the body of Christ to another member of the body of Christ? Absolutely. The storyline I told above is an all too familiar storyline that still saturates the church today. Gossip doesn’t just happen within the walls of the place of worship, but members of the Body of Christ will sit down over a cup of coffee at another’s house or at a cafe.

Proverbs 18:22 & 26:22 both echo the same words, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.” Gossip has a way of seeping into your spirit, your heart, your mind, and your soul. If you allow yourself to listen to gossip about a person, you will see that person not as he/she is, but you will see them in the light of the gossip you told or entertained.

Lies are always soon exposed according to the book of Proverbs. Truth will always stand the test of time. Whether gossip is all lies or all truth or part true and part lies, gossip just like lying is a sin. The Apostle Paul even addressed this, “Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds,” Colossians 3:9. We must remember we are not controlled by our fleshly desires. We are controlled by the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us into all truth. According to Romans 8:12, we are under no obligation to do what our sinful nature urges us to do. As children of the Most High God, we must understand that our Heavenly Father is the God of Truth and His language is Truth. Therefore, His children should speak the language of truth, not lies.

May I encourage you not to participate in conversations that will tear someone apart? Do not allow yourselves to engage in conversations that will disrupt the unity amongst the believers within the Body of Christ. Remember always your words will either portray or betray who you are.

Heavenly Father, You are the God of Truth. Help me to always speak truth as You do. Give me the words I need to speak. Fill me with the wisdom and understanding that comes from You alone. Give me the strength and help me to walk away from conversations that will compromise my character and my witness. Help me to stand up for what is right and what is true. Your approval is the only approval I need to gain. I give You all the glory, the honor, and the praise. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

CARSON’S NIGHTLY DANCE

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“…behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

-Numbers 32:23 (KJV)

*

CARSON’S NIGHTLY DANCE

Written By Linda A. Knowles

June 2020

*

Carson came home at 4 a.m.

And Emily wondered where he had been

when she came out of her room,

saw him sitting on the steps

and she called out to him, “Dad.”

She wondered what he was doing

and could only assume it was bad.

*

She said he wouldn’t look at her,

His guilt she would have seen,

Who was he with at night after 10:15 p.m.,

especially when Lillith, his wife, turned her head,

only to discover he wasn’t next to her in bed.

*

He doesn’t seem to understand;

Emily kept hearing Lillith cry,

But Darby saw Lillith’s tears,

her trembling with every heavy sigh.

*

Emily wanted to know does he have another kid?

Maybe a third child that he hid?

Carson forgot how to tell the truth.

He just kept on lying.

He doesn’t seem to understand;

his wife is always crying.

*

He needs to man up,

and tell the truth,

That he’s been reckless

and far too loose.

Point of No Return

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Then the LORD said to me: ‘Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them from My presence, and let them go. If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.'” (Jeremiah 15:1-2 Berean Study Bible)

I did a doubletake reading this Scripture when I saw it said, “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before me, My heart would not go out to this people.” Moses and Samuel were both prophets of God. They were two of the greatest prophets amongst the other prophets we see in the Scriptures. The people of Judah had come to the point of no return.

Not even Moses or Samuel would have been able to intercede for the people of Judah at this point. Judah had abandoned God and traded God for the religious systems of men, had adopted the culture of pagan nations, and worshipping the idols/gods of the nations around them. Jeremiah had already been told “As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me at the time of their disaster, ” (Jeremiah 11:14BSB).

Intercession for the people of Judah would have been rendered ineffective even if Moses and Samuel were standing before God interceding on their behalf. God wasn’t even listening to the people of Judah cry out to Him because they only cried out to Him when they were in trouble. God was angry and told Jeremiah, “Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them. Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they have been burning incense, but these gods certainly will not save them in their time of disaster. Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, O Judah; the altars of shame you have set up—the altars to burn incense to Baal—are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.” (Jeremiah 11:11-13) They didn’t commune with God. They were committing the act of spiritual adultery, acting as prostitutes giving themselves away to every pagan deity and were told by God through the prophet Jeremiah “How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you!” (Jeremiah 2:33BSB) They had no shame and could not even blush anymore. They flagrantly flaunted their spiritual adultery and their idolatry in the face of God.

GOD DOESN’T PLAY GAMES. God warned them over and over again, but the stench of their sin had risen up before Him, and they were only sorry they had gotten caught in their sin. They were not repentant for their sins of abandoning God and trading Him in for the religious systems of man, their spiritual adultery, and their idolatry.

This cannot get more sobering than this statement made to Jeremiah by God, “As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me at the time of their disaster.” Will you allow yourself to be found in the same spiritual condition as the people of Judah? Would God tell someone not to pray for you?

THERE IS NO NEUTRAL GROUND WHEN IT COMES TO SERVING GOD. I will be saying that until there is no longer breath in my body. There is no neutral ground when it comes to serving the Lord. CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE.

We have been chosen by Christ to go and bear fruit. Every tree that does not bear fruit will be chopped down and burnt up (Matthew 3:10, 7:19).

“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (James 4:4-6NLT)

Remember God does NOT bless a life of disobedience, but He does bless a life of obedience. He lavishes grace and mercy upon His children who are loving Him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. Favor is the shield around His children.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Repent so you are not found in the same position as the people of Judah. God had enough of their foolish behavior. Do NOT bring God to the point where God tells someone not to pray for you anymore because of your stubborn, hardened, and calloused heart. There is a time when God says, “Enough” as we have seen here with Jeremiah.

There is no neutral ground when it comes to God. You are either on God’s side or you’re not. You cannot claim to live for God and love the things of this world; in other words, you cannot be a friend of God if you are a friend of the world. The God of the Old Testament is still God in the New Testament. God promises restoration, hope, and healing for those who are truly repentant with contrite hearts, those who recognize their need of the one and only Savior.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the One and Only God. You are the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. No one compares to You. You are sovereign and holy, and You do not share Your glory with another. Father, I will seek Your righteousness first and I will follow Your ways. I will obey Your commands and cling tightly to Your truth. I choose to serve You and You alone. Thank You for being my God and my Father. Thank You for Your instruction and Your discipline. Thank You for choosing me to go and bear fruit. Be with me as I follow Your commands and seek out Your ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

About Those Facebook Self-Appointed Prophets

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

I make NO apologies for what I am going to say.

What kind of mumbo jumbo generic hypnotic garbage are these self-proclaimed, self-anointed Facebook prophets prophesying?!

LET ME CLARIFY SOMETHING TO THE SIMPLEMINDED WHO ARE BUYING INTO THIS GARBAGE: If you are living like the devil, God ain’t gonna bless your sorry self who is living a life of wickedness! Give me a break with the generic puffed-up wealth toting prophecies! Where are the messages from these so-called prophets preaching repentance, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of the blood of Jesus, and the story of Redemption?! Oh, wait! No, no, that is not what those who CLAIM to have a relationship with God want to hear. People would rather hear lies than hearing that disobedience does not bring about the blessings of God! (Isaiah 30:10)! No one wants to hear the truth: Living a life of sin brings destruction and sets you on the broad road to destruction. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

No, I’m not keeping my mouth shut on this. Overflow and increase falling into your bank account? Your income will double this year? February is your month of favor?!!! What a load of codswallop!

The Bible is quite clear in Psalm 5:12 when it tells us that the Lord blesses the righteous and His favor is their shield; therefore, favor doesn’t have to locate you if you are truly a child of the Living God. According to Psalm 5:12, you already have favor because His favor is your shield. The Bible is also quite clear when it states the poor in spirit are blessed (Matthew 5:3), and it is because the poor in spirit are those who realize they are in need of God.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 makes it clear, “For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

Most of the so-called prophecies of Facebook push money, income, and wealth higher than God (Matthew 6:23, Luke 16:13), and yes, I have read the so-called prophecies from these so-called prophets. God lavishes those who truly love Him with His divine favor and grace (Deuteronomy 5:10, 1 John 3:1). These charlatans who have run amuck with false prophecies are greedy, self-serving, haughty, arrogant, and filled with pride (2 Peter 2:2-4). The truth does not give a flying fig about anyone’s feelings! God’s truth does NOT change.

I have no problem with people being used in the gift of prophecy.

What I do have a problem with is the false prophetic charlatans who would rather lead people straight to hell instead of telling them the truth. These charlatans are perverting the Word of God and they are lovers of self. In the Books of Jude and 2 Peter, these charlatans are called unthinking animals (Jude 1:10-19, 2 Peter 2:12).

Look at the book of Proverbs and observe carefully how things ended up for the simpletons, for those who are simpleminded. (“Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!”-Proverbs 14:15; “For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.” -Proverbs 1:32; “The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his own sin entangle him.” -Proverbs 5:22; “”How long, O simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?”)

God will not be and is NOT mocked.

(“For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” -Romans 16:18)

Do Not Fear The Reproach Of Men

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law;
fear not the reproach of man,
nor be dismayed at their revilings.
For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
and the worm will eat them like wool,
but my righteousness will be forever,
and my salvation to all generations.”

Isaiah 51:7-8 ESV

God’s Word is so awesome.  It is in the Word that we can find the truth of God.  His truth is not dependent on how man feels or think.  His truth speaks of His nature, His character, His warnings, His commands, and His promises.  His Word clearly defines who we are.  His Word tells us who we are in light of who God says we are, not a man says we are.

You, Child of the Most High God, have not been given the spirit of fear but of love and of power and of a sound mind.  His laws are written in your heart, and His unfailing love banishes all fear.  Those who are persecuting and mocking you are mocking the God you serve, and they cannot prevail against you.  They cannot prevail against you because God’s truth always prevails.

Let God deal with those who oppose you.  In the end, remember God’s Word never fades away, and God is your defense.  The wicked do not prosper, and in the end, they will reap the wages of iniquity they have sown for hating God and for hating what is holy.

You need not fear anything when you are walking in obedience to God and when you are doing what He wants you to do.  So keep focused on serving and loving God and let Him fight your battles for you.  After all, the battle belongs to the Lord.  Keep your mind fixed on Him, and He will fill you with perfect peace because you trust in Him.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, You alone are My Defense.  You are my Strength, and You are my Shield.  Lord, help me to always remain steadfast in following You and Your ways.  You are the One who has ordered my steps.  Thank You for being the Shepherd of my Heart.  Thank You, Father, that I am able to sit before a table You set before me in the presence of my enemies.  Thank You for Your truth that always prevails. Your Word says that if I fear You, I need not fear anything else. I do not fear anyone because You have not given me the spirit of fear, but You have given me the spirit of love and of power and of a sound mind.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Linda A. Knowles

STOP BOWING DOWN TO CULTURE

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“And you shall know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor executed My judgments, but have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are all around you.'” -Ezekiel 11:12 (NKJV)

Israel was no different than us today. They were not supposed to be like the other nations. They were not to participate nor were they to conform to the ways of the pagan nations that were all around them.

As the children of God, Israel was not to take on the pagan customs as their own. They were to have nothing to do with pagan religious rituals; They were not to get involved in the pagan religions at all. They were set apart to stand out, not to blend in. They were called to bear fruits of righteousness and holiness.

Today, we like Israel are not to confirm to the patterns, behavior, or customs of this world. We are called to holiness, called to stand out and not to be like the world. We are to follow God’s commands and laws. We are to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God,” (Romans 12:2 NKJV).

GOD HAS ALREADY SET THE STANDARDS SO STOP TRYING TO REWRITE WHAT GOD HAS PERFECTED.

GOD has made it clear in His Word what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil. It doesn’t matter what the culture around you says. It doesn’t matter what the culture around you calls right and wrong. The vain imaginations of men and the world’s philosophies are not approved of GOD.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” -Romans 1:21 (NKJV)

If your main goal is to please man in what you do and say, and if you are looking for man to approve what you do and say, then you are not a servant of Christ.

“Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ,” (Galatians 1:10 BSB).

As a child of the LIVING GOD, you have been chosen and called to bear fruit (Reference John 15:16). You have been called to be set apart, to be made holy, to stand for truth, not to bow down to the culture around you.

Linda A. Knowles

Choose Your Fights

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

“Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.” -Proverbs 3:30NKJV

There are many things that are worth fighting for, and yes, there will be battles to be fought such as fighting injustice, standing your ground for truth, resisting temptation, and defending what is right.

It is, however, fruitless to argue or have needless fights over trivial matters because trivial matters are not worth fighting over. Save your energy to battle for the things that really matter such as fighting against sin, opposing the lies of the enemy, and contending for the faith.

Linda A. Knowles

Confessions #3: The Great Copier Heaven In The Sky

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

Confessions of a Former Church Secretary #3

THE GREAT COPIER HEAVEN IN THE SKY

By Linda A. Knowles

Brother Vincent, an elder in the church, grunted a hello at Poppy. He came over to her as she was throwing out a copier. When he saw what she was doing, he stood between her and the copier and sternly raised his voice, “Poppy, what are you doing?! Copiers cost a lot of money! Don’t you understand this?! You cannot throw this away!”

“But, Brother Vincent, it’s broken. Even the Copier Repair Man couldn’t resuscitate this thing. It prints globs of black ink on the paper and it failed every test the Copier Repair Man gave it. There is no redemption for this copier. “

But Brother Vincent insisted, “Call the Copier Guy again and have him come to fix it.”

“Brother Vincent, it would cost another $600.00 to get the Copier Repair Man back out here. They sent out what’s called a Specialist Copier Repair Man already. He said and I’m quoting the Specialist. He said, ‘How do I break this to you gently, Poppy? Your Copier has passed from this life into its next life to the Great Copier Heaven in the sky.'”

“So it’s not good then?”

“No, Brother Vincent, I’m sorry, but this copier is as dead as a doorknob.”

Brother Vincent was quiet for a moment as she could see he was thinking, “We may one day need to use this copier. So put it back in storage.”

“Brother Vincent, we have no storage room and it’s broken.”

“Well it prints. It just prints with globs of black ink. So it prints just not correctly so it’s still good. Just put it in storage. Do what I said,” he then left the office.

Pastor Grant came in and saw Poppy puzzled as she was putting the copier in the other room, “Didn’t you move that same copier out here to get rid of it?”

“Yes, Pastor.”

“Then, why are you moving it back to the other room?”

“Pastor Grant, Brother Vincent is 90 years old, and I have to respect my elders. I’m trying to make sure that if he strokes out that it is not because of me. It has to be because you told him the copier has got to go. Besides, you’re the Pastor. He has to listen to you.”

Confessions #2: Look How Well It Worked For Him.

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

Confessions of a Former Church Secretary #2

LOOK HOW WELL IT WENT FOR HIM!

By Linda A. Knowles

Wally came in for his work shift at the church. He was busy getting the trash from the administrative offices. Wally looked distraught so Poppy, who was sitting at her desk doing paperwork, figured she might as well ask, “Wally, what’s wrong?”

Wally looked at her, “Well, Ma’am, I’ve tried everything. I tried being a garbage man. That didn’t work and then I tried being a truck driver. That didn’t work either, and I have had a number of other jobs: What’s the name of that donut shop? It’s like two minutes up the street. I tried food delivery. You get the point. Now I have decided there is only one other thing that I have to try because it’s the only answer.”

Poppy now curious, “So what are you going to be now?”

Wally declared, “I’m going to be a pastor.” Poppy’s mouth hung open and was unable to find any words, “You see, Ma’am, nothing else has worked. So clearly the only right option is for me is to be a pastor.”

Poppy said in complete disbelief, finding her words, “But you hate working! You can’t even show up for your shift on time here at the church! What are you going to do as a Pastor?! You are aware Pastors do work, right?”

He looked at Poppy and spoke rather nonchalantly about being a pastor, “Look at how well it worked for Pastor Grant! He has it made in the shade.” Poppy was shaking her head and looking at Wally at the horror of the image she had of Wally being a pastor as he continued to talk, “I’m serious, Ma’am. Look at how well it worked for him! He sits back in his chair, talks for an hour on Wednesday, talks for an hour on Sunday morning and on Sunday Night. And he rakes in the cash!”

Poppy’s composure was about to give way, but she managed to keep her composure together as Wally continued to talk, “He has no worries, Ma’am! Everything goes well for him,” Poppy found herself tilting her head to the side as she was looking at Wally wondering to herself if she was really hearing what she was hearing as Wally continued to talk, “How difficult can it be to serve communion? Others do it for him. He has everyone doing everything for him. Look at how well it has worked for him! He doesn’t have to do anything. He just comes in, sits back in his chair, and he reads.”

Poppy looked at him, beside herself, “No, no, no, he doesn’t just read…”

Wally interjected, “Yes, Ma’am, he does. I’ve seen him. What would you know about what he does?!”

Poppy looked at him sternly and said, “I’m Pastor Grant’s secretary! Do you have any idea what it takes to be a pastor?! Can you do the preparatory work to be a pastor?! Do you know that being a pastor is a calling not just something to do?! Are you ready to buckle down to study Hermeneutics, Eschatology, Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey?! Could you even sit long enough to study those and those are not the only other subjects you would have to study?! You think Pastor Grant does nothing! Have you seen his schedule?! He does hospital visits, is the chairman at every board meeting, has to keep up with the state of his flock no matter how many there are! He is on the phone praying with people, attends the week day and even night prayer meetings, meets with ministry leaders on a bi-weekly basis, disciples and mentors about five people at the moment, equips the members of the congregation to evangelize. He does marriage counseling, family counseling, and individual counseling! He leads an evangelism team and goes evangelizing in the inner city! He meets with city officials and serves on the board of the local bible college! So are you really thinking that being a pastor is the right option for you?!”

Wally was scratching his head and seemingly confused, “Ma’am, I have only one question.”

Scowling, Poppy asked, “What’s your question?”

Wally stated, “What do you mean by he has to keep up with the state of his flock?”

Poppy sighed, “Lord, help me.”

Confessions #1: Yeah, but is blood gushing out?

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles
Photo From clker.com

CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER CHURCH SECRETARY 1:

YEAH, BUT IS BLOOD GUSHING OUT?

By Linda A. Knowles

No one knows that the church secretary has many bosses as the church has members! At least that is what some church members think.

Daisy can never forget this one particular day, a member of the church who was named Juniper came up to the reception counter, “Daisy, I want to see the Pastor and I want to see him now.”

Daisy responded, “The Pastor is in prayer right now, but he should be finished in about two hours.”

This answer didn’t make Juniper a happy little camper and she became angry, raising her voice, “It’s an emergency, and you need to do your job and interrupt him now!”

Daisy was puzzled by Juniper’s demand and why she was raising her voice at Daisy who trying not to laugh at Juniper’s facial expressions, and Daisy responded accordingly, “I was told by the the Pastor that he is not to be interrupted by anything short of the building being on fire. Therefore, I cannot interrupt him unless you, someone else, or something has set the building on fire.”

All of sudden Juniper burst through the administrative office door which Daisy had forgotten to lock when Daisy had come in that morning and Juniper slammed the door shut.

“Why don’t you do your job?”

Daisy responded, “I am.” Then Daisy reached over and opened the administrative office door and kindly said, “I would appreciate it if you could please leave the office. I will let him know you stopped by when he is done.”

Clearly from the look on her face Juniper was more angry and so Juniper towered over Daisy, and Daisy just looked at her trying to remain serious and not burst out laughing. Daisy asked her, “Is there a problem?”

Juniper responded, “I pay YOUR salary and I pay tithes, and I expect YOU to do your job. “

Then Daisy proceeded to ask, “Did anyone fall and crack their head open?”

She yelled, “No, what kind of a stupid question is that?!”

Daisy said, “A perfectly legitimate question. Is blood gushing out of anyone because that would constitute an emergency?”

Juniper was exasperated and yelled louder, “DAISY! What is wrong with you? No one is gushing blood and no one needs an ambulance in case that is your next question.”

Daisy said, “I wasn’t going to ask you if anyone was in need of an ambulance. I had to determine the nature of the emergency. However, I was going to ask you if you or if anyone was stroking out or about to stroke out because we have a doctor on the premises right now.”

She screamed, “You are incorrigible.”

Suddenly Daisy burst out laughing, “I may be stubborn and obstinate, but I am not incorrigible.”

From the Quiet Place…

Posted on by Dr. Linda Agnes Knowles

God wants to live among His people.  He wants to protect them.  That has always been His desire since the beginning of time.  He desires to commune and have that fellowship with His children.  However, His people have rejected Him as their Lord and their God.  Those who have claimed God as their own have defiled their own bodies and have exchanged the Most High God for other gods, the creation created by God Himself and the things created by man.

GNBThe Church has exchanged what is holy for what is evil and exchanged the truth of God for lies.  Rather than seeking the God Who Provides her with all her needs, she seeks after that which is temporal such as power, prestige, wealth, popularity, and the like.

God is not welcomed in most places of worship, and His Word has been dissected and chopped up to the point it is unrecognizable.  The Word has been made to suit the lifestyles of the people instead of the people seeing themselves in light of the Word of God, repenting, turning from their evil ways, and humbling themselves before God.

God desires a relationship with His people, but they have kicked Him out of their lives and their hearts.  They have kicked God out of their homes and places of worship.

ROMANSThe consequences of their sin are falling on their own heads, and they are blaming God for their suffering.  Their choices have them on the broad road to destruction.  They are headed to Hell.  Their consciences are seared and their hearts calloused.

The anger of God is set against all sinful and wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.  They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them.  The creation clearly shows the invisible qualities of God and so they have no excuse for not knowing God.

HEBREWSEverything is exposed before the eyes of God.  He sees all and yet His children don’t believe He sees all they do and hears all they say.  They are clever at doing wrong, but they are stupid when it comes to doing what is right.  They have chosen death instead of life.  They have chosen to be cursed rather than blessed.

To all those who have believed Him and accepted Him, to them, He gave the right to become children of God.  Those who do His will and walk uprightly before Him, they belong to Him.

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?  Or who may stand in His holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor has sworn deceitfully.  He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who see Your face.”