Repaying kindness – After a life of charity, she died without even money for a burial; now loved ones hope to raise enough for a service to pay respects – By MIKE TOLSON, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Jan. 30, 2010, 7:21AM

If you have been in any Christian Churches, chances are you have heard the term “walking in love.” But what does it mean to walk in love? Where have we received the definition for it? And do we really know love? According to God’s Word, God IS love – 1 John 4:7-9 says:

See, the problem is that we have looked to the world and all that is in it for love that satisfies emotional and physical needs. We have watched movies and TV shows or read fictitious books that have tried to layout good love and romance scenes that definitely appeal to the emotions and flesh, but never seem to measure up in real life – why?

The truth about a real love walk – one that fits into a man and woman relationship or into walking in love toward other people – has no basis in emotion or flesh/physical. Real love starts when our hearts are changed and transformed by what God created love for – it’s why He is love! The great thing is that when you read about Sister Maggie’s life story, what jumps out is that she knew or at least must have know about this love walk that God has ordained for us because of the perfect example she set by her work. 1 Corinthians 13:3, says:

See, Sister Maggie could have done all the works that she did and gave all she had to take care of those less fortunate or needing whatever she had to give, but without love – the Love of God – I honestly do not believe we would have heard of her or seen this article. Why? Lack of love does not compel others to step forward and call to give a person like her a proper, respectful and paid in full burial. If she did all that she did and did not have love, no one would have done anything this respectful. The State or local government could have handled things and there would be no one there to pay respect to her – she would have been just another person that no one had anyway to contact family to let them know of her passing. But Sister Maggie was different! She had the Love of God! What does that look like? 1 Corinthians 13 goes on in vv. 4-8 to say:

Look at v.4 – it says, “Love suffers long and is kind….” The first step to walking in the Love of God is exactly where Sister Maggie would start – suffering long and being kind! Suffering many times is associated with dealing with the negative, but in God’s Word it means and comes from a root meaning to forbear or to have fortitude, being patiently enduring. What is the old saying…good things come to those that wait! And kind here really does not need defining, but God’s Word says that to be kind is to show oneself as useful in a manner or morals of goodness, gracious and being kind. The act of being patiently enduring and showing oneself as useful in a manner was exactly what was described here in Mike Tolson’s article. Its positive proof that Sister Maggie had the love walk working in her. And if she had this love walk working in her, then we know that it was God who was working in her. Why? Remember what 1 John 4 said? Well, if God is love, then it’s obvious that we could place God’s name everywhere in 1 Corinthians 13 that the word “love” appears – so it would read:

What wonderful Truth we receive when our hearts get full of this! When we realize that our loving, Heavenly Father is love and that He is all that 1 Corinthians 13 says He is, its hard NOT to walk in love toward anyone, especially if He lives in and through you, by the gift of our Lord and Savior Jesus, through the Holy Ghost! And look at the awesome, mighty promise, that we can ALWAYS lean on no matter what, in verse 8 – “GOD NEVER FAILS!” If He never fails and we have love in us, then He is in us! And that means we never fail! Sister Maggie never failed in her walk because she had love living in and through her. It was her calling and the calling of all those that are Christians!

We should be encouraged and take time to meditate on those things accomplished by God through Sister Maggie who was yielding and walking in the love of God. We do this by walking out and allowing God to perfect and deliver His love through us as detailed by 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. If you are a Christian, then just pray over yourself that the love of God, as designed by God and detailed in His Word, would work in and through you every day. As you do this the fruit of love will shine through in all that you are called to do. It all begins with the first step in your love walk.

And that is The Truth!
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Hard Rock Corporate – Histrory

I was digging through some old stuff that I had from when I was kid and found some papers, a menu, and a button from the first time I ever went to a Hard Rock Cafe. While I was parsing through those items and trying to determine if these little trinkets of my past were worth holding on to, I ran across one of the Hard Rock Cafe’s Corporate philosophy statements – “Love All – Serve All.”

As these words uttered in my head and in my Spirit, the Holy Spirit reminded me that the same philosophy was owned by one person over 2,000 years ago – Jesus. Regarding loving all, Jesus said the following in John 13:34-35:

Regarding serving all, Jesus said the following in Matthew 20:26-28:

It is clear from these two scriptures that Jesus already had the simple concept of “Love All – Serve All” before the Hard Rock Cafe came along. As you look at the ministry of Jesus, it becomes VERY clear that He did indeed Love ALL and Served ALL! Everything that Jesus did during His earthly ministry, as well as why He came and what He accomplished on the Cross was done through His love and serving of what God called Him to do. In fact, we are told in John 3:16-17 the following:

How unselfish! How full of love! Who would EVER sacrifice their only child for just one person, let alone the whole world full of people? Have you ever met anyone in this world that has had so great a love for people as this? But yet, it is clear from what Jesus taught us in the scriptures before this that when we love as He has loved us that the world will know us as Jesus’ followers and TRUE Christians if we love with His unconditional love. It won’t be through Christian music, or the little “Jesus fish” on the back of your car, or the WWJD necklace you where around your neck. It will only be through the love that you receive from God through our Lord Jesus Christ that they will know. This is why it is so important to Love All. Here at Herald of The Truth we have talked about this before and for further reading on loving all, be sure to revisit the article, “Love All!”

What about this serving of all? Look again at what Jesus said – he said we are to be servants to one another. In fact, he says that you are to be a slave to one another! A slave? That means surrendering all your rights, all your wants, all your desires, and all your comforts, to serve those things for others! You may be thinking, “Wait a minute! You mean Jesus wants me to give up my wants and desires to help provide the wants, desires and comfort by serving others? That sounds a bit unfair!” Well, isn’t this what Jesus had to do? Think about it for a minute – before Jesus came to this earth, where did he reside? Did he not reside in heaven with God? And if He was there, don’t you think that He lives in heavenly peace and did not know pain, bruising, bleeding, cutting, or any harm to Him? Do you think it was His desire, personally speaking, to be nailed to a cross and go through the torture and pain? Recall what even Jesus went through hours before being handed over to the Jews so that God’s Will may be fulfilled – Matthew 26:38-39:

Jesus prays to Father God about not having to endure what He knew He was going to have to do, but yet what prevails here? Jesus’ prayer is not His will be done, but that Father God’s will be done. What was Father God’s will to be done? We mentioned it earlier in John 3:16-17. Doing the will of the Father is being a servant. Jesus was serving the need also of all of humanity too! Had He decided not to do what His Father willed, we would never have the salvation that He completed through completing the will of God! And we have MUCH to be thankful for Jesus being obedient, even unto the completed work upon the cross! That is serving unselfishly and without thought of Himself – PRAISE BE TO JESUS!

Loving all and servant hood should be at the heart of every Christian and should drive us in all that we do. As we do these two things and step out to “Love All – Serve All” only then will the world see who Jesus is in and through us!

And that is The Truth!
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Seeking Psychics: Consumers Look to Outside Help for Financial Advice

Which is worse? To receive counsel and trust in financial advisers like Bernie Madoff or to listen to the counsel of fortune tellers, soothsayers, mystics, or, as they are now called, “Intuitives?” When it comes to your finances and the financial decisions you make in this world’s system, you better choose neither choice, at least as a Christian and follower of Jesus!

While this article does not disclose the actual numbers that are turning to using these “Intuitives” it does present some startling information of how much they are used. From companies and corporations enlisting the services of Intuitives for $10,000 a day, to Intuitives building large companies that can support over 150 employees and have “sales” increases that average 7 1/2 percent year over year – MUCH better than most of the corporations that are struggling just to stay open and afloat during this economy! Their customers could describe them with words like “boost” givers, anxiety relievers, life-direction givers, confidence instillers, life coaches, advice givers, and even counselors.

While many will find encouragement and direction, we have to be clear about whom Intuitives are and what the Bible says about them. First of all, an Intuitive, by definition is someone having the “power” to discern the true nature of a person or situation. A synonym that could be used is to call them instinctive, which, by definition, is acting or happening without apparent forethought, prompting, or planning. Notice that they are void of involving God, His Word, Jesus, or in seeking the Holy Ghost regarding anything. Everything they advise on comes from them – in some cases, we may call them their own gods.

So what does the Bible say about these Intuitives? Jude, the brother of James warned the body of Christ about these people and even reminded us of them that had been marked before! In Jude 1:4 (New Living Translation), Jude calls them out:

For us, as Christians, we must watch those that come into the body of Christ that have nothing to do with Jesus and then proclaim to be able to help direct our lives and show us the things they “instinctively” know about us. Do not be convinced nor deceived into believing things that the Word of God does not even speak over you! Only the God Himself knows this. He has already told us in Jeremiah 29:11:

Who else would know more than the Lord God Almighty?

Jude goes warning Christians in Jude 1:17-19 (The New Living Translation):

Notice what Jude said here – they are out to satisfy their own desires! Brothers and Sisters in Christ, if these people had your best interest in mind, would they not offer up their “gifts” to HELP the body of Christ as we, as Christians are called to, without looking to be paid for it? The body of Christ is to operate in similar Gifts of the Spirit to edify and help everyone with giving them leading, direction, guidance, edification, and building each other up in faith, without any need for payment!

Even further, notice what Jude says in verse 19 – “They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.” Sounds exactly like the “Intuitives” or “Instinctive” ones described in the article. As a result of this, what happens when these people get into the body of Christ or begin to influence one of Christ followers? Jude calls it out clearly at the beginning of verse 19 – “These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you.” This is what causes people to be double-minded or following both Jesus and God’s word, while trying to listen to their “Intuitive.” You cannot follow two different words that oppose one another or contradict each other – that is called confusion and has lead many to mental distress and even to not knowing who or what to trust.

So what are we to do? Let’s let the word speak for itself – Jude 1:20-25 (The New Living Translation):

If you encourage, build up, and use the Gifts of the Spirit that God has imparted to you, who have Jesus living in and through you, this is how we keep each other safe in God’s love! The love of God being shed abroad in the body of Christ’s heart is how we can receive all that we may think we need from some Intuitive. No Intuitive can give what Jesus has given! But notice here too, that the same love that keeps us safe is the love we are to extend to those that have waivered or are wavering and allowing this stuff to contaminate their lives that believe and choose the word of an Intuitive over the Word of God. Pray for them to know The Truth and to not be destroyed by the choices they make now, but to be saved by and through the choice the make for New Life! Stay focused on this Truth in verse 25 – “All glory, majesty, power, and authority are His before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.” That sounds like a future and a hope that can only be delivered by one person and that is the Lord, Master and King, Jesus!

And that is The Truth!
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Reuters News Article: Kathy Griffin’s Jesus remark cut from Emmy show

Proverbs 18:20-21 states:

The Book of Proverbs is not the only place that we hear this sort of instruction from God’s Word. Jesus had clear instruction about what you say as well in Matthew 11:23-24:

Now, I can understand that as Christians many people look at situations like this and state, “You Christians can be so prude. Can’t you take a joke? I mean, she is a comedian and is entitled to her own comments. What’s the big deal?” And for a portion of those comments, they are right. Each person is personally responsible for his or her own words and life, for that matter. They are personally responsible for their own beliefs. And they are definitely responsible for their own actions in everything they do.

What is clear here is that Kathy Griffin has used her platform of “worldly fame” to take responsibility for all those things. She has made it abundantly clear by the words out of her own mouth where she stands and what she believes. As the Word says in Proverbs 18:21-22, she is satisfying herself with the fruit or words she produces out of her own mouth. She is creating the very death or life that her life will live and consume. Be it a joke or be it a fact that she was serious about what she said, does not mean a thing. Notice that no where in these passages of scripture does God make place for people to have some gray area that He says, “Jokes are great and I’m so glad when they make fun of the greatest sacrifice I’ve ever had to make for people and individuals just like Kathy. Please continue to make jokes about the person who has The Life and The Way to me!”

Instead, what does Jesus say – the very person she clearly has claimed she will not worship and is no longer her god? In Matthew 11:23-24, Jesus says that if you have no doubt and unbelief in your heart and believe what YOU SAY, then whatever YOU SAY will be done. Sounds very similar to what the scriptures said in Proverbs. For us as Christian – as believers in Christ and in the Word of God – when the Bible mentions something in two or more places, then God must have been trying to get our attention regarding this topic, or otherwise He would not have spent so much time being redundant.

While what Kathy has stated may have been a joke, may have been something that she thought was a great idea to spark more media attention about her, may have been her way of poking fun at her beliefs, or whatever, the reality is that she allowed her words to produce life to something for her life. The fact that the power of death and life are in what you say should bring all of us to an awareness in the things we allow to come out of our mouth. It’s not enough to say, “Well, can’t you take a joke?” Back under the Old Covenant, people would be stoned for blasphemous talk such as this. But why? Because they offended people? No! Because the people of God understood the power behind a corporate agreement and in saying and believing the same as what God’s Word said.

While the power to create death and life can affect one individual, that same power, when released through words spoken, can create so much more. Words can divide or they can bring together. Words can give or they can take. So when we say that life and death are in what you say, you can quickly see that we must become more aware of the words we release into our life, our families, our church family and the world. Everyone and everything is listening. Will the rocks cry out and be louder than the voice of the righteous? Will the redeemed of the Lord say so? Or will the voices of death and blasphemy rule? If you have spent anytime reading the Bible and know what the “end” holds, you know the answer. What we must do as Christians is line up with that and be reminded to not side with talk like this and let the Truth of God’s Word prevail!

And that’s The Truth!
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