God's Beautiful Planet

I came across this picture on ViewAt.org and I just had to pause while looking at some of these awesome panoramic pictures. This one caught my eye because of its beauty and it just causes me to think that God is so glorious and beautiful in holiness. All the beauty in this shot is only a candle in the sun when it measures up to the glory and beauty of God...this picture is worth way way more than 10,000 words and everything in it was created with only a few..God is good....reflect...

And we beheld His Glory...

John 1:14

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, ( and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Grace: charis - that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, favor, acceptance, for a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks gratitude. A favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive on the bounty and benevolence of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor. - Zodhiates

God's glory displayed in Christ was overflowing with His grace - it was a pleasure and a joy for those who Christ revealed Himself to, to take in ,and behold, and see and touch and talk with the brightness of the glory of God in the flesh.(Hebrews 1:3) His glory and His presence to those who received Him was delightful, joyous and favorable. The lives of His disciples were forever changed because of the grace that had been given to them to see and enjoy God in Christ and Christ Himself. There is all satisfaction in Christ, all pleasure in Christ, enjoyment and thankfulness in Christ. It is where every Christian should find the most pleasure and delight, in beholding the person of Jesus Christ. But this revealing and seeing Him and enjoying Him doesn't come from anything in ourselves; there is nothing a man can do to experience this joy and life in Jesus Christ - John 1:12 - this savoring of His Son is not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man - but it is only of God who gives grace freely to those whom He chooses - and when He gives grace to see and enjoy and behold the glory of Christ, it generates faith, which is another gift of God. God is glorified and His glory is seen clearly, when in us, it produces joy and satisfaction and a thankful heart in Him. That is the glory of grace, that to whom grace has been given, they find rest and enjoyment and satisfaction and are forever and eternally grateful to Jesus Christ....

Iraqi Christians Killed...

KIRKUK, Iraq – At two Christian homes, the gunmen used the same methods: point-blank fire that claimed three lives in a 30-minute span. The attacks left another outpost of Iraq's dwindling Christian community frightened Monday that it could become caught in the struggles over disputed Kirkuk.

"Innocent people who have no relation with politics and never harmed anyone were killed by terrorists in their homes just because they were Christians," Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako told more than 600 mourners in this ethnically mixed city 180 miles north of the capital.

The motives behind the late Sunday attacks remained unclear, with suspicions mostly falling on Sunni insurgents linked to al-Qaida in Iraq.

But fear of reprisals and worries about vulnerability have become common themes for members of one of the world's oldest Christian homelands.

Iraq's Christians, who numbered about 1 million in the early 1980s, are now estimated at about half that as families flee warfare and extremist attacks that target their churches and homes.

For the full article click here...

The Prosperity Gospel - part 1

My View on the Prosperity Gospel from Rayshawn Graves on Vimeo.



This is a video on what I believe about the prosperity gospel. My aim isn't to attack the ministers of it, nor to attack the followers of it. The purpose of this video is to present what the Bible says about God's soverignty over all things and how the prosperity gospel attempts to re-define God's Soverignty and limit the displaying of His glory only to prosperity and blessing. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him in the midst of prosperity or poverty, blessing or wealth. When we look at the Word of God in context all throughout the Bible and when we observe historical Christianity, we will never see the "gospel" that has been crafted in this country over the last 30 years...The gospel that says "you ought to be rich and healthy and blessed all the time...and if youre not, you need faith". The thing that makes the prosperity gospel so incomplete is that it takes this "Americanized" message and exports it all over the world to underpriveledged countries and would tell the hungry, sick, impoverished, and oppressed to compare their lives with the wealthiest of people in their nations and it says to them "God wants you to have that...nice cars, houses, wealth, no problems...why not? Youre a child of God, right?" And instead of pointing these people to the all satisfying Jesus who will and can be glorified in their lives in any situation ( pain, hunger, sickness, oppression), this gospel points them to the pleasures and good life of this world IN Jesus name and then turns God into some Genie in a Bottle and a Santa Claus who will give them all these things. This is wrong and makes this gospel incomplete because it clearly does not apply to everyone for whom Christ died!

The prosperity gospel is always coming up with some new fad or slogan for the year...its "prophecies" always deal with "blessing" and it says to its followers that if youre not "living in abundance" by their standards and the worlds, then "something is wrong with your faith"..."youre operating in fear" and "God's hands are tied because you arent DOING something right" ...thats not in the Bible...

Ill pause with this...look at the life of Job...we can see how God was glorified in both Job's wealth and blessing , and not even in that, namely his uprightness and hatred for evil ( Job 1:8 ), and God was glorified even more in Job's poverty and sickness, and pain , and suffering...compare that to "The prosperity gospel" and Hebrews 11 and youll see how the prosperity gospel falls short and is incomplete...

questions, comments, post em...there will be a part two..Im not finished...

Just a poem to reflect on...

But can mortal man behold him? The eagle veils his eyes
before he can gaze upon the unclouded sun.
Who then can gaze upon the visage of that God
whose shadow illumines the sun, and who covers
himself with light, as with a garment?
Nevertheless the pure in heart shall see God.
They shall see him in all his works of nature, providence, and grace.
They see him alike in the minute insect, and huge elephant;
in the sagacious mocking bird and the stupid ostrich.
They see him sprinkling the earth with flowers,
and gilding the firmament with stars!
They see him walking with Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego,
in the fiery furnace, and sitting with Daniel in the lion’s den.
They see him while a babe in the manger, and a man
quelling the raging sea amid the howling storm!
They see him amid the lightnings and thunders of Sinai,
and amid the tears, the groans, and the blood of Calvary!
BISHOP DANIEL ALEXANDER PAYNE

Circus Church Weekly Sampler

Circus Church Weekly Sampler



Circus Church Weekly Sampler
Apr 16




It’s time to embrace manhood at Maranatha Chapel, and this is what they say manhood looks like. Get your tickets now, men, for the retreat.

Catalyst Church featured Easter Sunday at the beach so non-Christians wouldn’t feel “threatened.” This is the same church that went to bars and handed out specialized shot glasses as a promotion.

Here’s a desperate church that decided to attract attention by erecting signs with provocative messages like, “No More Christians” and “Why You Should Be a Muslim Instead of a Christian.” Yes, that will bring ‘em them in by the truckload. Then again, so would having the pastor repel off the City Hall building dressed like Sponge Bob. Hold on, that will be next.

Covenant United Methodist is sponsoring a real circus on May 1-May 2. The Zerbini Big Top Traveling Circus from Florida is coming to Covenant Church for three shows. They want you to know that the circus will feature trick dogs, flying trapeze, clowns, jugglers, camel rides, cotton candy, popcorn and more! In other words, just like regular church.

Here’s your cool pastor deep thought for the day. To think they go to seminary for this.



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I love it!

Thanks D for this article! Although I don't really know too much about Pastor McClurkin, I love him for his position on this! This is truly a blessing for someone of his standing in "celebrity christian america" to say this. May God continue to bless him and the flock that he shepherds.

Donnie McClurkin Disgusted with Pastoral Excesses and Abusesed by Bishop
Andy er, D. Min. on March 29, 2009 at 1:00am w Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D.
Min.'s blog
(Embedded image moved to file: pic26500.jpg)
Pastor Donnie Mcclurkin
Perfecting Church, Freeport , New York

This past week, popular preacher, recording artist and pastor, Donnie
McClurkin, went on record to declare his deep disappointment with what he
sees as pastoral abuses in the body of Christ. His comments has raised a
legitimate question about abuse and excesses in the body of Christ and has
brought attention to a topic that has largely been ignored in the church
community.

In an article appearing in Essence this past week Pastor McCLurkin is
quoted as saying:

"As pastors, we have to link arms and have bi-partisanships. The [Black]
church has always been the face of the community. Now we have to take on
the responsibility of becoming true servants to the people from all walks
of life. I get so mad when I see these pimpin' preachers driving
Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, flying around in their private jets, and making it
seem like prosperity and money is the way of God when 90 percent of your
congregation is on
Section 8 or can't figure out how they are going to keep their lights on
or feed their kids. I'm big on perception, and what would it look like for
me to live so lavishly if the people in my church are struggling?" says
Pastor McClurkin in the article."

In venting his frustration over the behavior of some in the church
community, Pastor McCLurkin reveals his own humility and sense of service to God and God's people, by outlining his own relationship, financial and
otherwise, with his church and his refusal to take revenue from a
congregation that he has built from the ground up.

"I've done great in gospel music, and only a few of us have
accomplished what I have, and guess what? I live in the 'hood, not
some place on the outskirts of the 'hood. There ain't no gate
around my house; I have a white fence because the people I pastor
live in that community. I have one vehicle and it's not a
Mercedes, it's a Lincoln Navigator. I don't receive a dime—not an
Abraham Lincoln copper coin—and haven't for the last
seven-and-a-half years because I'm okay." he tells Kenya Byrd of
Essence Magazine.

As such, Pastor McCLurkin has become a model and an example for others to
emulate. His mentality and actions, that places a greater emphasis on
service than profit, can only be admired by all of those who love the Lord
and are seeking to do his will to the best of their ability. Pastor
McCLurkin makes it clear that he has options, but chooses to live a modest
and humble lifestyle because that what God has called him to do.

If I wanted to buy a Phantom or Bentley I could and not hurt my
pockets, but I'm okay with what I have. I can sing and work and I
let all that money go back into the church so we can buy the
delicatessen on the corner, or the house next door to make it
state-of-the-art low-income housing. We've trained our people to
put their leaders on pedestals, and some people want to live
vicariously through their pastor and say, "My pastor has this and
he's on television and so on," but then what do you have? How have
you prospered and grown? So when I hear other pastors say, "My
people take care of me," I'm thinking, But you're supposed to be
taking care of the people. I just don't get it. Pastor McCLurkin
goes on to say.says McClurkin.

What is best gleaned from the wisdom and honesty of Pastor McCLurkin is
his healthy attitude about the church and who it belongs to. His
"ecclesiology", which is worthy of our consideration, perhaps best
represents what Christ had in mind when he gave pastors to the body of
Christ in the first place.

I don't have a church, but I do have a church that I pastor. I
can't name something the Donnie McClurkin Temple because the
people do not belong to me and if they did that would mean I have
slaves. I am simply a vessel to deliver God's word. At the end of
the day, it's God's church, not mine. advises Pastor McCLurkin.
May the Lamb that was slain recieve the reward of His suffering...

11 Tests of a True Christian

These are 11 Tests of a True Christian: these are all found in the book of 1 John: test yourself, examine yourself daily to see whether youre in the faith. All who are Christians should be living by these wonderful principles.

1. Those who are born of God keep His commandments.
1 John 2:3-4;3:24

2.Those who are born of God walk as Christ walked.
1 John 2:5-6

3.Those who are born of God don't hate others but love them.
1 John 2:9;3:14;4:7-8;4:20

4. Those who are born of God dont love the world
1 John 2:15

5.Those who are born of God confess the Son and recieve (have) Him.
1 John 2:23;4:15;5:12

6. Those who are born of God practice Righteousness.
1 John 2:29

7. Those who are born of God dont make a practice of sinning.
1 John 3:6,9-10;5:18

8. Those who are born of God possess the Spirit of God.
1 John 3:24;4:13

9. Those who are born of God listen submissively to the apostolic Word.
1 John 4:6

10. Those who are born of God believe Jesus is the Christ
1 John 5:1

11. Those who are born of God overcome the world.
1 John 5:4


* from John Piper's book 'Finally Alive'

Do we really understand the Atonement - part 2

More on the Atonement. There are so many types and shadows in the Old Testament that represent the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. From Adam and Eve being clothed with the skins of a slain animal in Genesis 3:21 ,representing the slain lamb covering our wretchedness ; to Abraham, taking his promised son Issac on the mountain to kill him - before hearing the Word of the Lord and finding the ram in the bush(Genesis 22:9-14),Christ absorbed the wrath of God and was slain by His Father for the sins of His people. "For it pleased the Lord to crush Him"(Isaiah 53:10) ;to the events in Egypt during the Exodus: darkness for three days over Egypt (Exodus 10:21)representing that darkness for three hours on the cross(Matthew 27:45); the blood of a slain lamb applied to the doorposts of Israel during Passover (Exodus 12:22)representing the blood of The Slain Lamb which covered the Door of eternal life(John 10:9).The last and final plague that struck Egypt was the angel of death, sent by God, to take the lives of the firstborn in Egypt(Exodus 11:4-5).On that day that Christ was crucified on the cross, bearing the wrath of God upon Himself, the "firstborn of many bretheren" and the only begotten Son of God died bearing he sins of many. (Romans 8:29; John 3:16)
In the Old Testament the high priest would atone for the sins of the people by taking a spotless lamb and killing it on the altar before the Lord (Leviticus 4:4) The priest would then take the whole of the slain lamb outside of the camp and burn it on the wood with fire. (Leviticus 4:12,21) The same was done for the atonement of sin for the entire congregation. The priests would lay their hands upon the head of the lamb and confess the sin of the people. The body of the slain lamb was then taken outside of the camp and burnt with fire. Even so, Jesus Christ, the slain and spotless lamb of God (Revelation 5:6) was crucified on the cross outside of the city gate, in order to sanctify us with His own blood (Hebrews 13:12, Hebrews 9:14). Christ now serves as our High Priest, atoning for our sins once and for all (Hebrews 9:28). "It is finished" He declared (John 19:30) The atoning work of Jesus Christ in bearing the sins of many upon the cross, absorbing the white-hot and infinite wrath of the Almighty God,and being crushed by His fury is finished. Christ has given His life as a ransom for many, coming to serve, rather than to be served (Mark 10:45).

All men deserved the wrath and fury of God as judgment on them bcause all men are sinners. God's chariots and weapons were directed twoards man to destroy him because man walked contrary to God: hating Him, hating His laws, trampling His glory and were unthankful for His goodness and mercy. God would not and could not justify men as wicked sinners because "he who justifies the wicked is an abomination to the Lord"(Proverbs 17:15). God is a God who upholds His infinite glory, which is of infinite worth, and demonstrates His all powerful righteousness in upholding and valuing His glory as infinitely valuable. When men dishonored and disrespected God's glory by sinning and finding pleasure in other things rather than Him and His glory, God still treated mankind better than they deserved and in his divine forbearance He passed over sins which mankind previously committed..why? Why did God look the other way instead of wiping mankind off of the map?? To display and show His righteousness at this present time. God, instead of utterly destroying mankind ,chose by the council of His own will to display His grace and mercy and righteousness by sending His Son as a substitute in our place, to bear all the fury and wrath that we deserved. Justice had to be satisfied and never could be as long as God was divinely forbearing sin through offerings and sacrifices of bulls and goats. God, in a sense said, " Someone must pay, someone must quench the thirst of justice which says that God's infinitely valuable glory has been trampled on and someone must die for it. Someone must bear the infinte fury and punishment that comes with sinning against His Holiness." Therefore, since all men were sinners and fell short of God's glory, in living up to His standards, and upholding that Glory as supremely valuable, we all deserved death. But then there was a Substitute. Christ was sent as the only begotten Son of God to this earth to take the punishment that men deserved. God had predestined a people from before the foundations of the world for Himself, and Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of this innumerable multitude of people.(Revelation 7:9)"To bear the sins of many"...not just the Jewish nation only but for the sins of the whole world (1John 2:2; John 11:51-52), and to bring in His sheep from other folds. (John 10:16).

Christ was our Substitute and on that cross, He was slain as the pure and spotless lamb who was without sin and became sin for us when He Himself never sinned. Because of His death and His resurrection, God imputed to us, by His grace, the righteousness of God in Christ; meaning, that God imputes Christs sinless, spotless righteousness to us ( God sees us(those that believe on Christ) as He sees Christ.) Not because of anything that we have done or because we have any merit of ourselves, but only by His grace. Christ was our substitute, bearing the wrath of Almighty God on the cross, atoning for the sins of His people and securing salvation and irresistible grace for all those who will believe on Him. His life is counted as ours, and our sin was carried on His cross. Now we must take up our cross,and folow Him.

Saving Ourselves or Losing Ourselves?

America today is a “save yourself” society if there ever was
one. But does it really work? The underdeveloped societies
suffer from one set of diseases: tuberculosis, malnutrition,
pneumonia, parasites, typhoid, cholera, typhus, etc. Affluent
America has virtually invented a whole new set of diseases:
obesity, arteriosclerosis, heart disease, strokes, lung cancer,
venereal disease, cirrhosis of the liver, drug addiction, alcoholism,
divorce, battered children, suicide, murder. Take your
choice. Labor-saving machines have turned out to be bodykilling
devices. Our affluence has allowed both mobility and
isolation of the nuclear family, and as a result, our divorce
courts, our prisons and our mental institutions are flooded.
In saving ourselves we have nearly lost ourselves.4

- Ralph Winter

Do we really understand the Atonement? - Part 1

I figured that I would write something on the Atonement, considering Resurrection Sunday is next week and Palm Sunday just passed. The main question i want to answer and ask is, "Do we really understand what Jesus did on the cross?" This might sound basic to some and some may even read over this and skim through this because it may seem so basic...In this day we take on this attitude that says that "Im past the cross, and Im moving on to bigger and better things in God...the cross is elementary". Now, while many don't say these words with their lips, the fruit of their Christianity corresponds with this statement. The cross is not some "one-time" historical act that we honor and remember annualy like we do Lincoln's Birthday or something. It is so much more than that.We need to keep the cross before our eyes at ALL times. We live in a day where people are after "signs, wonders, and miracles...new levels and "greater heights in God"...but many dont even understand or are even moved by what Christ did on the cross in saving a people. To many,Christ's death is a one time event that gets you in the kingdom. Sure, we see the TV specials on Easter; we might see a few films on the life of Jesus...and Im sure we will all be breaking out our copies of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ", popping them into our DVD players and reliving the crucuifixion experience of Christ all over again. But is this the only time we really even consider the cross? Is this the only time we sit and think about the Glory of Christ in saving sinners? Next week, millions of people will dress up in bright colored suits, wear beautiful flowers and all pile into well- lit churches and cathedrals with exciting music, moving easter presentations and sweet uplifting sermons....all in the name of Christ...and thats great!!...but how many of us have really grasped Who He is and what He did on that day 2000 plus years ago?

















God's sending of His Son is the greatest manifestation and demonstration of His glory, namely, the glory of His grace, that has ever been shown and will ever be shown throughout all the ages ( John 1:14 ) . When the Rock Solid Justice of God could have wiped out sinful, God-hating mankind, the millisecond after Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit, God, because He is the essence of love (1 John 4:8), chose to display His glory and demonstrate His love in sending His only- begotten Son to this infinitely small world (in comparison to the entire universe) to save a people for Himself that He had chosen from the foundation of the world (Romans 5:8 ). And what the devil meant for evil in deceiving Adam and Eve, God had already designed it for good, foreordaining Christ to die for His sheep from the foundation of the world ( 1 Peter 1:18-20 )
Because men were enemies of God, sinners, and wicked, we deserved the burning hot, incomprehensible, fiery wrath of God. His fury was twoards us because we walked contrary twoards Him. His wrath is infathomable; He held us in His his hands looking upon us in anger...holding us over the blast furnace of hell, like one holds a spider by one of its tiny limbs. His weapons were aimed at us, His arrows were sharpened and His sword was pointed to destroy ( Psalms 7:11-13 ) ...because we trampled His glory underfoot, and when we knew God in our inner consciences, we rejected Him and were unthankful, not giving Him glory. (Romans 1:21)
God was just in condemning us. He would be going against His infinitely valuable glory and righteousness if He just forgave sinners without executing punishment for their crimes. Proverbs 17:15 says " He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD." Seeing this verse, it creates a great dilemma for us. God could not justify the wicked and uphold the inifinite worth of His glory and righteousness. He would be just in punishing us , because we deserved His wrath. But God treated mankind and His chosen people much better than they deserved. He let the sun rise on the kingdoms that rejected Him and He gave breath to those who fought against Him . In Israel's sacrifices unto God, and in all the burnt offerings, God passed over and atoned for the sins of the people...but this wasnt enough.Hebrews 10:4 says "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins"...no price had been paid and no punishment had been executed for mankind's trampling of God's glory . Justice must be satisfied and someone had to pay. Someone had to bear God's wrath! ( 1 John 4:10 ; Romans 3:23-26 )

Romans 3:23-26

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

More to come...