Forgiven? Your Choice!Forgiven? Your Choice!Forgiven? Your Choice! was started as a daily comment and Biblical lessons on Christian life by Pastor Frank Zerbel. We will also be posting a weekly Bible Teaching Starting at the end of February 2006. Please join us daily and add your comments and Articles
LET GO & LET GOD!
2007-01-30 12:48:08 I was speaking with a dear sister in Christ this morning and she is in struggle with the spirit of guilt. Let me step back and fill you in on the situation that leads up to our conservation. Last year she had to have heart bypass surgery and even though the surgery was a success other complications arose. She is now on oxygen due to a collapsed lung and the fact that her diaphragm was ruptured some time ago in a completely unrelated incident. This leaves her tired, in constant need of her oxygen bottle and unable to take extreme hot or cold weather for any length of time as exposure could cause her body to react adversely and send her back to the hospital. We now have to add the fact that she has a passion for teaching, church and the homeless ministry. Before she fell ill she and her husband worked with my wife and I on the ministry team for our church. She spent hours coordinating, speaking and praying for the woman’s ministry, sang in the choir, taught the childr... More About: God , Let Go
LET GO & LET GOD!
2007-01-29 22:42:00 I was speaking with a dear sister in Christ this morning and she is in struggle with the spirit of guilt. Let me step back and fill you in on the situation that leads up to our conservation. Last year she had to have heart bypass surgery and even though the surgery was a success other complications arose. She is now on oxygen due to a collapsed lung and the fact that her diaphragm was ruptured some time ago in a completely unrelated incident. This leaves her tired, in constant need of her oxygen bottle and unable to take extreme hot or cold weather for any length of time as exposure could cause her body to react adversely and send her back to the hospital. We now have to add the fact that she has a passion for teaching, church and the homeless ministry. Before she fell ill she and her husband worked with my wife and I on the ministry team for our church. She spent hours coordinating, speaking and praying for the woman’s ministry, sang in the choir, taught the childr... More About: Let Go
Over and over I hear politicians touting Family Values
2007-01-17 00:39:03 Over and over I hear politicians touting Family Values to get elected, but have you noticed that those values wavier depending on the group they are addressing? Many say that family values are just a term that means something different to each individual and are therefore not important. But they are more important than you could ever imagine. The breakdown of the traditional family unit has caused a myriad of problems that have eroded the moral core of our great nation. We have an epidemic of sexual predators and we seem to be at a loss at how to handle it. Our young men are growing up not understanding how handle the pressures of relationships and turn to dominance and abuse as their answer. We hear it all the time, how you don’t need a man to raise a child, or two men / women can raise a child as well as anyone. Statistics show that most sex offenders were raised in broken homes and have been abused by the men that came into their lives through their mother’s relationships. I... More About: Outing , Hear , Politicians
WHOSE FAMILY VALUES?
2007-01-15 18:00:00 Over and over I hear politicians touting Family Values to get elected, but have you noticed that those values wavier depending on the group they are addressing? Many say that family values are just a term that means something different to each individual and are therefore not important. But they are more important than you could ever imagine. The breakdown of the traditional family unit has caused a myriad of problems that have eroded the moral core of our great nation. We have an epidemic of sexual predators and we seem to be at a loss at how to handle it. Our young men are growing up not understanding how handle the pressures of relationships and turn to dominance and abuse as their answer. We hear it all the time, how you don’t need a man to raise a child, or two men / women can raise a child as well as anyone. Statistics show that most sex offenders were raised in broken homes and have been abused by the men that came into their lives through their mother’s relations...
What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because
2007-01-13 06:37:01 What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we didn't follow Him today? What if God couldn't take the time to bless us today because we couldn't take the time to thank Him yesterday?What if we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when God sent the Rain?What if God didn't walk with us today because we failed to recognize it as His day?What if, God took away the Bible tomorrow because we would not read it today?What if, God took away His message because we failed to listen to the messenger? What if, God didn't send His only begotten Son because He wanted us to be prepared to pay the price for sin?What if, God stopped loving and caring for us because we failed to love and care for others?What if, God would not hear us today because we would not listen to Him?What if, God answered our prayers the way we answer His call to service?What if, God met our needs the way we give Him our lives??? What if, the door of the church was closed because we did not o... More About: Hat , What If , Stop
What If?
2007-01-13 03:24:00 What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we didn't follow Him today? What if God couldn't take the time to bless us today because we couldn't take the time to thank Him yesterday?What if we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when God sent the Rain?What if God didn't walk with us today because we failed to recognize it as His day?What if, God took away the Bible tomorrow because we would not read it today?What if, God took away His message because we failed to listen to the messenger? What if, God didn't send His only begotten Son because He wanted us to be prepared to pay the price for sin?What if, God stopped loving and caring for us because we failed to love and care for others?What if, God would not hear us today because we would not listen to Him?What if, God answered our prayers the way we answer His call to service?What if, God met our needs the way we give Him our lives??? What if, the door of the church was closed because we did not open t...
The Forgotten Word!
2007-01-12 18:36:01 There is a forgotten word that in all levels of our society tears at the very fabric of whom we are as a nation, and that word is “Authority”. Elementary, Middle and High School students openly defy their teachers knowing that their parents will stand on their side no matter what happens. Watching our professional athletes, movie stars and politicians shows us that if we have the right attitude we can get away with anything we want without consequences.When we teach children that we are all the same and we all get trophies no mater how we play the game, what we learn is “Why listen to the guys in the striped shirts?We have literally nurtured our leaders and taken away any vestige of “Authority”.We say, “I’ll follow you as long as it goes my way”. Losing respect for and not understanding “Authority” is a direct by-product of Bible Illiteracy. Listen to;1 Peter 2:13-17 (NIV)13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as t... More About: Word , Gott , Forgotten
BLAME!
2007-01-12 18:36:01 The first time we see the word ‘Deceived” is in Genesis 3 and has to do with the first time the human race didn’t take responsibility for their own decisions. When God found Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit and confronted him, Adam blamed God and Eve; Genesis 3:1212 The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." And when God turned to Eve she blamed the serpent! Genesis 3:1313 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."And there began the human condition called “BLAME”. Blame allows us to be free of reasonability for our actions and continue any lifestyle we find pleasure in. But we are “Deceived”. Satan even wants us to blame him, “the devil made me do it!” When we allow ourselves to be pulled into the trap of blame we take one more step away from God just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden. We need to stop being deceiv... More About: Lame
Dreaming of What?
2007-01-12 18:36:01 Dream ing of a White Holiday?We’re dreaming of a white Holiday, with Holiday trees being decorated and Santa Clause dressed up all in red. We have Holiday parades and Holiday gatherings. And we talk in schools across the country about the traditions of the Holiday season around the world including Hanukah, Ramadan and even Kwanza. To make sure that we are inclusive we take Christmas music and Christmas trees out of our airports, we have the police ask High School Choirs to refrain from singing Christmas carols in outdoor public spaces, and even threaten to close down Christmas festivals for allowing movies like “The Nativity Story” to help sponsor the event for advertising space. We have even Xed out Christ in Xmas! What will it take for us to remember what it is that we celebrate this time of the year; a family coming together is a wonderful byproduct, but that is not the reason, receiving gifts feels great, but that seems to breed selfishness, reaching out to others is somethi... More About: Hat , Dreaming , Ming
Moral Compass?
2007-01-12 18:36:01 We grow more and more accepting as each day passes. Where once we fiercely fought for independent thought and individual rights we now go with the flow; If they say it on CNN who are we to argue? And day by day our moral bearings are blurred.The night time dramas are presented with a quality never before seen on the small screen, Academy Award winning actors play captivating characters in High Definition showing us and our children that we can not escape our immoral behavior so we might as well embrace it. Gone are the days when the family gathered around the table for dinner and spent time catching up about the days activities. Gone are the days when prayer was heard floating from the lips of children as they settled in for bed and parents took the time to pray over them. Next time you think, How did this country get in such a mess?ask yourself Whats happening in your own household?Has Greys Anatomy taken the place of your family time? Do you still pray with your children? Are... More About: Comp , Pass , Compa , Oral , Moral
The Three Funerals
2007-01-12 18:36:01 Did anybody happen to notice the picture that God painted over a 4-day span recently, as we watched the events unfold on every news station around the world — the portrait of three men's lives shown clearly through the events of their deaths. One a wise man, one a foolish man, and one a wicked man.Three men captured the world's attention by their lives and their deaths. Their funerals spoke volumes about the course of life they had chosen to pursue with the few short years God had granted to them. In four days’ time, God opened the book of Proverbs and showed the world the truths contained in His sacred Word.All three men, President Ford, James Brown and Saddam Hussein had choices in their destiny. Today, they have all three stood in front of the God of this universe with those choices unveiled and judged. God allowed us to see these three men.On January 2, President Gerald Ford, a man of faith in God and service to his country, was eulogized by many speakers during the solem... More About: Fun , Funeral
Letter to the Editor!
2007-01-12 18:36:01 Letter To "Singing News" Nov. 2006I am writing in response to the article in the October 2006 issue of Singing News by Roy Pauley “Are Pastors and Churches Too Critical of Song Lyrics”. In this article Roy seems to feel that Pastors are at times having trouble with some songs sung by the Southern Gospel Groups and making comments about or explaining why they have trouble with particular songs. Roy seems to feel that Pastors and Churches should back down and not voice their concerns. He states, “generally speaking, song writers should be given the freedom to write about their personal feelings and experiences concerning forgiveness, salvation and God’s great love and care for mankind.”I am a Pastor, a composer and a musician and I understand that as a musician and writer I need the freedom to express my feelings and experiences through the music that God has given to me. Each one of us has been given a different personality, a unique way at looking at life and the worl... More About: Edit , Editor , Letter to the Editor
Who Did It?
2007-01-12 18:36:01 I Did It! We Did It! It seems that no matter how hard we try to give the glory to Christ we continue to fall short. We dont want to let go of the "look what I did" attitude. Oh sure, we are willing to let God have the glory for some things, but when it comes right down to it we still rob God of the fullness of His glory by taking credit for ourselves. Have you ever been so proud of something you've done or some way that you've acted that you left God out of the glory? That you forgot where that talent came from in the first place? Jimmy Stewart in the movie Shenandoah plays a farmer who has a bunch of sons. The Boys are of fighting age and the father will not let them go off to fight. The family gets the reputation of sitting out the war. There is a scene where they are all around the dinner table and they bow their heads for prayer. Jimmy Stewart says "Lord we planted this seed, we watered the plants, we picked the food and we cooked it, we did it all ourselve...
BLAME!
2007-01-11 22:03:00 The first time we see the word ‘Deceived” is in Genesis 3 and has to do with the first time the human race didn’t take responsibility for their own decisions. When God found Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit and confronted him, Adam blamed God and Eve; Genesis 3:1212 The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." And when God turned to Eve she blamed the serpent! Genesis 3:1313 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."And there began the human condition called “BLAME”. Blame allows us to be free of reasonability for our actions and continue any lifestyle we find pleasure in. But we are “Deceived”. Satan even wants us to blame him, “the devil made me do it!” When we allow ourselves to be pulled into the trap of blame we take one more step away from God just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden. We need to stop being d... More About: Lame
The Forgotten Word!
2007-01-11 05:37:00 There is a forgotten word that in all levels of our society tears at the very fabric of whom we are as a nation, and that word is “Authority”. Elementary, Middle and High School students openly defy their teachers knowing that their parents will stand on their side no matter what happens. Watching our professional athletes, movie stars and politicians shows us that if we have the right attitude we can get away with anything we want without consequences.When we teach children that we are all the same and we all get trophies no mater how we play the game, what we learn is “Why listen to the guys in the striped shirts?We have literally nurtured our leaders and taken away any vestige of “Authority”.We say, “I’ll follow you as long as it goes my way”. Losing respect for and not understanding “Authority” is a direct by-product of Bible Illiteracy. Listen to;1 Peter 2:13-17 (NIV)13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king... More About: Word , Gott , Forgotten
Letter to the Editor!
2007-01-10 18:06:00 Letter To "Singing News" Nov. 2006I am writing in response to the article in the October 2006 issue of Singing News by Roy Pauley “Are Pastors and Churches Too Critical of Song Lyrics”. In this article Roy seems to feel that Pastors are at times having trouble with some songs sung by the Southern Gospel Groups and making comments about or explaining why they have trouble with particular songs. Roy seems to feel that Pastors and Churches should back down and not voice their concerns. He states, “generally speaking, song writers should be given the freedom to write about their personal feelings and experiences concerning forgiveness, salvation and God’s great love and care for mankind.”I am a Pastor, a composer and a musician and I understand that as a musician and writer I need the freedom to express my feelings and experiences through the music that God has given to me. Each one of us has been given a different personality, a unique way at looking at life and the worl... More About: Letter , Editor , Letter to the Editor
Who Did It?
2007-01-10 01:10:00 I Did It! We Did It! It seems that no matter how hard we try to give the glory to Christ we continue to fall short. We dont want to let go of the "look what I did" attitude. Oh sure, we are willing to let God have the glory for some things, but when it comes right down to it we still rob God of the fullness of His glory by taking credit for ourselves. Have you ever been so proud of something you've done or some way that you've acted that you left God out of the glory? That you forgot where that talent came from in the first place? Jimmy Stewart in the movie Shenandoah plays a farmer who has a bunch of sons. The Boys are of fighting age and the father will not let them go off to fight. The family gets the reputation of sitting out the war. There is a scene where they are all around the dinner table and they bow their heads for prayer. Jimmy Stewart says "Lord we planted this seed, we watered the plants, we picked the food and we cooked it, we did it all ourselves, we...
The Three Funerals
2007-01-09 22:23:00 Did anybody happen to notice the picture that God painted over a 4-day span recently, as we watched the events unfold on every news station around the world — the portrait of three men's lives shown clearly through the events of their deaths. One a wise man, one a foolish man, and one a wicked man.Three men captured the world's attention by their lives and their deaths. Their funerals spoke volumes about the course of life they had chosen to pursue with the few short years God had granted to them. In four days’ time, God opened the book of Proverbs and showed the world the truths contained in His sacred Word.All three men, President Ford, James Brown and Saddam Hussein had choices in their destiny. Today, they have all three stood in front of the God of this universe with those choices unveiled and judged. God allowed us to see these three men.On January 2, President Gerald Ford, a man of faith in God and service to his country, was eulogized by many speakers during the solemn a... More About: Funeral |
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