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The Crossing Point Foursquare Church

January – March, 2011 Issue 9 Volume 28

“Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever” Hebrews 13:8

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What is The Crossing Point?

From studying the life and writings of the first-century church, we

understand that the followers of Jesus Christ committed themselves

to fellowship, prayer, breaking of bread, and the apostle‟s teachings.

Therefore, The Crossing Point is a small Group of Believers, who are

meeting together on a regular basis with the intention of building our vertical relationship (with God) and our horizontal relationships(with friends, spouses,etc)

within the community. We are a „Simple Church‟ or a „House Church‟. The first century church, was basically pure in their faith in regard to Christ

and their love for one another. That was a time, for the most part, when there were very few if any religious forms added to worship.

For example: an unhealthy emphasis on buildings; needless costuming;

unwarranted positions of honor; adopting and instituting man-made teachings, and even redefining the meaning of “the church.” Therefore, we call ourselves,

“Community Groups” because that's our purpose: to develop not only the sense of community among the attendees, but also to fortify our physical community

within a foursquare radius. We believe that one of the best ways for a church to achieve spiritual growth (individually and collectively) is by stepping out of our

Sunday morning structure and into a situation where we experience open and honest fellowship on a smaller scale with each other, within a neighborhood.

We take a real-life look at what the words in the Bible really means - then and now. We honor the reality that the Believers are “the church” and “service is

what we do. At The Crossing Point; we value the community around us and our relationships

with each other. We are no one’s victim; but see ourselves as God sees us: we are more than victorious! Please feel free to join us on Sundays at 11am.

We strive to put “NEIGHBOR” back into the “Neighbor/HOOD”

Your Benefits

are > > >

OUT

OF

THIS

WORLD!

MAILING ADDRESS: P. O. Box 33538

St. Petersburg, FL 33711

PRAYER REQUESTS: pray4me@thecrossingpoint.net

PASTORS: Minister Edgar & Sarah Edwards

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A New Year's resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to either master or complete a project. Invoke changes in their lifestyle choices; lifestyle that is generally interpreted as advantageous. ‘Resolution’ are commitments normally that go into effect on New Year's Day. Some examples include resolving to pay your tithes, donate to the poor more often, to become more assertive, become less aggressive, or to become more environmentally responsible.

As Christians, we act similarly. People may act similarly during a fasting period of Lent. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During Judaism's New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one's wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness. The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon self-improvement annually.

Once we examine ourselves and determine which path of life we are traveling, and if we are honest with ourselves; we all desire to improve our lives.

Popular goals include resolutions to:

Improve health: lose weight, exercise more, eat better, stop drinking alcohol, doing drugs or quit smoking

Improve finances: get out of debt, save money

Improve career: get a better job

Improve education: improve grades, get a better education, learn something new (such as a foreign language or music)

Improve self: become more organized, reduce stress, be less grumpy, manage time, be more independent

Take a trip

Volunteer to help others

Success rate Recent research shows that while 52% of participants in a resolution study were confident of success with their goals, only 12% actually achieved their goals. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, (a system where small measurable goals are being set, such as, a pound a week, instead of saying "lose weight"), while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends. Get with a few of your family members, church members and/or friends and neighbors and make a public resolutions together. Encourage one another to do better this year. Celebrate their victories and encourage them in the down lettings. Remember not to forget; you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you. You can make it through this year as being victorious. All you need is a made up mind and a commitment to focus on God’s will for you. The Holy Spirit will lead you unto the Truth – God’s way for you to accomplish your desired results. Page 3

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Community Connections Magazine has no subscription or

newsstand price, and is supported through contributions and

advertisements from Christian owned businesses Articles are

welcome and are subject to being edited for space, not

content. However, we reserve the right to reject any article or

advertisement that does not support what The Crossing Point

represent. Please enclose a stamped, self address envelope if

you desire your materials to be returned to you.

1560 16th

Street South, Suite # XXXX St. Petersburg, FLA 33711 Email: ccm@thecrossingpoint.net

The Cross is the Point 8

A New Dawning 6

Evidence of Black Africans in the Bible 11

What have you resolved to do this year? 3

The Subtlety of Spiritual Abuse 21

Page

Editorial 5

It’s A Man Thing 13

A Woman’s Place 7

The Redeemed Seed 14

A Baby’s World 20

Community Connections "Like a Bulldog with a bone!" 18 Oneness In Christ [Adult Singles] 9

Partner with us in Networking

The Kingdom of God

In PRAYER

with yours!

Email your request to: thechurch@thecrossingpoint.met

God sends the snow to cleanse the earth Rejoice! Spring time and harvest is on the way! Job 37

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How often, when we who have been reborn from the seed of Christ feel an unction from the Holy Spirit, give a shout- out with intense passionate enthusiasm by saying “Glory”. Yet, too many of us have not even begin to understand either what is happening within us and through us when we hear ourselves saying, ‘glory?’. What is Glory? Glory is a very interesting word. As with most words in the Bible it carries several meanings. Regardless of its meanings – we know for certainity – God will not share His glory with anyone! Yet He will give His glory to whomever, He chooses. So what is this thing that the Holy Spirit belts out of our mouths – called ‘glory?’ With that in the forefront of our minds, let us proceed to reason according to God’s precepts - what is in fact is His glory. We are to give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, sing to Him psalms, talk about His wondrous works and make known his deeds among the people. We are to seek afterwards the Lord’s way and accomplish them by His strength; that is Christ within us. We are to remember his marvelous works that he has already done for Israel and for us as individuals. Be ever mindful of His covenant that He swore by Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that the land of Canaan is your inheritance. That whenever they obeyed Him as their Lord; He did not allow anyone to do them wrong, no harm; yet He reproved governments for their sakes. God declared that NO ONE should touch His anointed and do His prophets no harm. We are charged to declare His glory among the heathen; his marvelous works among the nations. We have nothing to fear but our great God who is above all other gods and idols. Whenever we reverently fear God in all the earth; heaven and nature will rejoice and the world will become stable. He is the only all wise God and creator of the universe. He is greatly to be praised. You got it! Glory is the direct manifestation of who God has said that He is. Glory is His reputation being revealed in the earth in every sphere of life. The first institution God designed; was marriage. This could only be finally consummated by a sexual relationship between a man and a woman. Ideally, they both would be virgins. Then those three; God, man and the woman cut a blood covenant, honor the order and the operation of the

family. #2]how to educate and and train up our children. #3] Koininia – how to be civil and have social interactions or fellowships in order to build healthy relationships one with another (recreation/to re-create). #4] how we should implement His power to make wealth in the market-place. After all, it was God who gave the Monks His vision of the ‘corporation’. #5] How to become a citizen of the Kingdom of God [accepting His free importation of His righteousness. #6] How to get your name registered in the Lamb’s Book of Life so that you may learn about him #6] How to reason on His terms in order to enjoy eternal life now; and #7] How to truly worship Him in the Spirit. Yet I hear continuous sounds of a war cry in my heart, from heaven. It sounds like what I’ve heard in movies when I was a child; that the American Natives made whenever they were at war (we called them Indians?). Now, I don’t know if that was a real depiction of what an Indian’s real war cry sounded like or not. But I do know they tried their best to keep the land that God had given and placed them on. History tells us that they were weaken, and compromised with God’s enemies’ so they could keep some of what God had blessed them with. Before long they were fully captivated, their land taken over and their cultural identity was lost. My heart is aching with a thunderous resounding question from the Holy Spirit within: “How long will the Church do the same? “ I the Lord God gave the earth to man [my people]. They compromised and allowed Satan to gain authority through default. I loved the people I’d created so much that I gave My only begotten Son as a ransom. He did not to come to make peace *to tolerate+”. Our warfare is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities, powers on high and spiritual darkness that is working in the earth. God gave all His power to Jesus. Even the government is on His shoulders. Jesus gave all of His power to His Church; His Body. God charged us to subdue, dominate and replenish the earth. Manifest God’s reputation in the earth. I can also hear the Spirit of the Lord saying : His Church, the Body of Jesus Christ [the second Adam] is His voice in the earth. So, rise up and declare glory of God, in all the earth.

Take back everything Satan has stolen from you and all

your ancestors. The Church cannot be successful as a

girl in wedding dress. The Church; the Body of Christ

have been ordained of God to dress in the earth in His

Robe of Righteousness. Page 5

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disciples would watch as well as pray that they would not let no one mislead them. Jesus have already told us that many will come in His name saying that they were the ‘anointed sent one from God’*the Christ+. And they will be successful in misleading a lot of people. Also, we will hear about wars and rumors of wars; but we are not to be afraid. That people of different ethnicities will rise up against each other. Various governments will rise up against other governments. That there will be famines’ and earthquakes in various places. But these happenings are just the beginning of birth pains. And because you are His disciple; you will be persecuted, there will be a great tribulation such as never occurred since the beginning of the world. Those who continue to trust in the Lord will be hated, put in jail; and some even killed for being a Christian – on account of His name. A great falling away from Jesus Christ being the head of His Church will take place – not a great last day revival! Love will wax cold among people-even family members, false prophets will abound perverting the Word of God, and lawlessness will increase. But if you endure until the end – then and only then will you be saved! [redeemed from the tricks of Satan and his peeps] . The only way to work out our soul salvation is to reverence God as our Lord, receive Jesus as the son of God and as God, the son. Most importantly do not allow yourself to become offended by evil acts and wicked ways of people in your family, in the church and/or of the world system of reasons. Never, ever allow anyone to redefine you. Remember never forget that a false messiah cannot reign until they seduce you into believing you are lost without them. A false prophet cannot be empowered until they seduce you to believe their lying lips rather than the written word of God. A false teacher cannot instill doctrines of devils into your heart until they seduce you to believe they have a private interpretation of the public Word of God. Guard your heart. Whatever happens -Don’t become offended! Be happy in Jesus! Page 6

+++ A New Day +++A New Year +++ A New Way

establishing a new government nor a new church house. But rather after he had suffered, died to pay the penalty of our sin that separates us from His love. After he was resurrected as the last Adam; he was given all power in the heavens and in the earth. He in return gave all power and authority to the saints – people who received him as their savior and Lord. They made up the new Temple/ The Church; His Body. The government is on His shoulders. No man made law can govern the Church. The new dawning would only come about after certain things take place. Jesus made sure that His

During Jesus’ ministry here on the earth, he taught diligently on the coming of a new day, a new year and a new way – a new dawning of the ages or dispensation. Then as it is today those who have not chosen to become a legal citizen of the Kingdom of God simply do not/cannot understand its benefits. You see, God words shook the earth during the days of Moses and Jesus promised us, saying: “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVENS.” And this expression, “Yet one more,” denotes “the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a ‘kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire!” Hebrews 12: 26-29. Jesus’ had warned his followers during that time when the government of that day [King Herod] rebuild the Church/Temple; that within three days all of their efforts would be destroy and a new temple will be rebuild. They as now, could not understand that Jesus was neither talking about

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By: Georgia Harkness

The functions of the sexes set forth in the Holy Bible continue to be major functions. Grounded at least as far as women are concerned in biological structure, and to a lesser degree in the superior muscular strength of the male. It seem not too far-fetched to say that they are divinely ordained. However, the views that was a great motivation for Jesus’ reconciliation ministry in the earth was far different than those of the church leaders under the law. There was a difference between the attitude of Jesus and that of his contemporaries. Jesus noted the ambivalence of Paul’s attitude toward the women of the early church. We must appreciate the fact that Eve was deceived by satan; and God did not ‘curse’ she, Adam nor satan. God cursed the ground. With that understanding let us give further considerations needed to be included in the picture of a woman’s place in the church. Throughout the Old Testament and intertestamental period, women remained in a subordinated position. As indicated earlier, these are narratives about exceptional women, such as Miriam and Deborah, Ruth and Naomi, Vashiti, Easter and Huldah. At the end of the book of Proverbs there is a fine tribute to ‘ the virtuous woman’. A woman could be honored as the bearer of sons and the guardian of her household, but she must permit her husband to lord; to rule over her.

To fully appreciate the attitude of Jesus toward women as persons, we must compare it with the degree of the attitude to which women were looked down upon in rabbinical Judaism. I.e.

In the synagogues which replaced the Temple worship in

the dispersion of the Jews, the women were not only

separated from the men but were required to sit behind

screens if they attended at all. The Jerusalem Tahmud says

that the Torah should rather be burned than transmitted to

women. Thus Women were excluded largely from the

religious as well as the social life at the times of Jesus. In the

light of such a setting, the fact that Jesus even spoke with

women takes on the proportions of a remarkable challenge

to the statue quo. It give meaning to the reaction of the disciples after he had talked with the Samaritan woman at the well. “They marveled that he was talking with a woman” (John 4:27). In doing so Jesus disregarded both the written and the unwritten laws of his community. When we add to this the numerous cases in which he healed women and praised their fidelity, no specific words of his are required to demonstrate his belief in the equality of women. That a band of women should have accompanied the journeys of Jesus and the twelve disciples (Luke 8:2-3), should have stood at the foot of the cross and were witnesses to the resurrection, as all four of the Gospels indicated, and should have been present later in the upper room with the eleven remaining disciples (Acts 1:14), must have seemed utterly shocking o the contemporaries of Jesus. I need not restate what has been said earlier of such evidences of the attitude of Jesus, but it is important to see it both I contrast of Jesus, but it is important to see it both in contrast with his Jewish heritage and in relation to a new note which he injected into the stream of Christian thought. We have summed up Paul’s attitudes by saying that as a Jew in the Greek world he was opposed to anyone speaking or assumptions of leadership by women in the young churches, while as a Christian he had a very warm feeling toward the women who were working and witnessing in these same churches. As a situation-conditioned male he had an outlook quite different from that of Jesus, but as a Christian he had caught the spirit of Jesus to the point where he could say, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In a rather extended discussion of marriage in the seventh chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul makes it clear that he is single and thinks highly of this estate. Yet, Paul want us to understand that the head of the women [wife] is the man [husband]; that Christ is the head of every man as well as the Church; His body. This is designed to illustrate the ambivalence of Paul’s thinking in relation to the place of women in the family, and to the church. On the one hand, along tradition reinforced by the second creation story in Genesis made women seem to him “the second sex”. On the other hand, Paul could feel deeply the force of Christian love. Jesus had a higher estimate of the dignity and worth of women as persons. But the weight of social tradition and the influence of the adverse side of Paul’s teaching have submerged this insight. The time is ripe for a clearer vision and reappraisal. Page 7

One should not converse with a woman, not even with

one’s own wife; women are greedy eaters, curious

listeners, indolent, jealous and frivolous; “many women,

much witchcraft”; “ten cabs of garrulousness descended

upon the world.””Bless is he whose children are male and

woe to him whose children are female” – in the light of

these kind of attitudes toward women expressed in those

quotation this outcry was understandable.

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Why Christians could revolutionize Christianity...

By: Dr. Andrew Corbett, http://www.findingtruthmatters.org

Ironically the central truth of Christianity is the most

despised aspect of it, yet the only thing that can transform a Christian...

When I was 16 - I started preaching and sharing Christ on the streets of Geelong. By then, I was recently converted to Christ. I had been brought up to be good and even religious, but I then encountered the risen Savior who exposed my true spiritual condition as bankrupt. I realised that being "good" or "religious" (while having merit for making a person civil) was not the criteria for determining where a person would spend eternity. It was at this point in my life, at the age of 15, that the Cross of Christ's crucifixion began to make sense. In its simplicity, the Cross was: Christ dying for me. As Romans 6:23 states, "the wages of sin is death". The Cross therefore was Christ suffering my penalty of sin. But I've since discovered that the Cross means much more... The Cross is the core of the Gospel. No Cross- no Gospel. At the core of the Gospel is the ultimate Sacrifice. To become a Christian means to embrace The Cross--but it also means to embrace a cross. It therefore means that by accepting the ultimate Sacrifice as the payment for our eternal salvation, means that we too are committed to living "sacrificially".

A recent government enquiry in the USA into the state of social welfare there found that Churches were by far more effective and efficient than the Government at delivering services to the community.

President Bush said that the Government should recognize these "Faith-Based" service providers as being able to do a far better job than the Government and begin to channel funds through them instead. While the enquiry seemed to be more concerned with the economics of social welfare than the motivation for it, they perhaps missed the main reason why Churches generally do a much better job at caring for the community than the Government: the Cross.

To be a Christian is to live out the implications of the Cross. Consider Christ's journey to the Cross. His prayer-life increasingly became one of pleading for the Father's will to be done (Lk. 22:42). For us to live authentic Christian lives means that increasingly our prayer-lives will resemble this Lord's prayer- Not my will, but Your's be done. We are also confronted with a Christ who, moments before His arrest by Temple Guards, is ministering to those who would be His enemies (Lk. 22:51- healing the High Priest's servant's injured ear). Someone has said that the hallmark of Christianity is not just how we treat each other, but how we treat our enemies. To live out the implications of the Cross means that we are even prepared to sacrifice for our enemies (Rom. 5:10).

Throughout the ages, several notable Christians have understood that if the Cross is the core of Christianity then a cross is the core of Christian living.

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matt. 10:38

That's why this recent US Government Enquiry found Churches had a higher degree of volunteerism, genuine compassion for those they served, and preparedness to "go the extra mile". As Christians take up their cross to follow the way of the Cross they invariably find themselves serving their communities, not for monetary gain, applause, or fame, but out of sheer obedience to the Crucified Savior. That's why Christian medics serve quietly in the Third World. That's why Christian missionaries serve as teachers and aid workers in tribal villages where superstition justified such things as infanticide and sati (widow burning) and poor sanitation.

Continued on page 12

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“Love and Marriage Goes together like a horse and carriage” > You can’t have one without the other!” God is Love and Marriage is a blood covenant that God Himself designed and swore by Himself that whoever He ‘joined’ together He would not allow no other person to break or pull down His covenant of Marriage. God do not ‘put’ anyone ‘together’. We have proven what a poor job we can do by ourselves in coming together. Our fatal attractions consists of their eyes, their hair, their hips, their job, or other exterior beholdings. Yes I did say that > the lust of our eye, the lust of our flesh and/or the pride of life draw us nearer to them than to God. We want to be loved; but we won’t accept God’s free gift of being a righteously authentic being as He designed us to be as an original image of Himself (a Holy Spirit with a heart filled with pure Love) inside of a body of His choosing. Therefore, we resign to our natural inclinations to only find out we can’t get no satisfaction; no matter how hard we try. Instead of love, we fall into lust. Instead of getting marriage, we get us a roommate. And we expect society to accept it as a marriage simply because we had a ‘wedding’. Do not confuse a wedding with coming into God’s covenant of marriage. A wedding is a celebration; a party. It was founded as a ritual just like baptism to declare God’s glory of His blessings of two virgins joining themselves first unto Him and then to each other. That is why both man and the woman wore a white. Once the wedding took place between the two virgins; their honeymoon required them to lay upon a white cloth to consummate their vows to God and to each other. The next day, the evidence that blood had been spilled by the virgin woman and thusly their marriage was sealed by God. He sanctified it unto Himself.

Having a wedding does not make a marriage. Your vows to God is the marriage. The wedding is just the celebration you share with your family and friends. OK so you have already blown it – you must know and never forget to remember that God knows what vessels we are made of. That we all were born with a nature full of sin because of Adam’s fall from grace. You know what, God loves us so very much; He before the beginning provided a means for us to escape the penalty of being disobedient. God understands that we are being destroyed because of lack of knowing who He says that He is. So He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to pay a debt he did not owe – the debt we owed; but could not pay it. The great exchange at the cross and his blood paid it all for you and I. We don’t have to unring the bell. We can have a new beginning simply by inviting Jesus into your life. Take upon his yoke and learn about him. You will fill yourself with the love from God, your father, learn to love yourself and only then you are qualified to be used of God as His vessel of honor and He will pour out of Himself His love through you towards others. He will lead you by the power of His Holy Spirit unto all the truth so that you can hear from the Pastor he has already chosen to teach you. The only thing that God requires is that you trust and obey Him. There is no other way to become completely healed and righteous but by Jesus Christ. Ask Jesus right now to come into your life and lord over your choices. Use your own words; but just be sincere in your heart. And He will. Let us know your decision. We want to rejoice and pray with you. thechurch@thecrossingpoint.net Page 9

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Matthias de Soua, [1642] the first African American to sit in any legislative body in what would become the United States.

za

George Washington Carver Teacher & Scientist

SoJourner Truth, Prophetess Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A National Prophet

Mae C. Jemison, MD and Former NASA Astronaut

44th President of the USA

One Thing that the oppressed and the oppressor both need is to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus

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Evidence of Black Africans in the Bible In 1992, I took a class at Emory University in Atlanta called Introduction to the Old Testament. As I read the various required textbooks for the course, I saw something I had not noticed before. Many Old Testament scholars, particularly European scholars of the 18th, 19th and early 20th century, had written their books and commentaries On the Old Testament from the perspective that there were no people of color mentioned in the Scriptures. Puzzled, I began to look into the topic more deeply. I studied intensively for about a year, attending lectures and interviewing scholars. I began to realize that this was a particularly difficult and controversial subject, and it has caused much hurt. Thankfully, times have changed, but some of the wounds remain. So let’s look at it, and put to rest once and for all this biased and unfair distortion of the Bible. Let me apologize in advance for some of the terms that I will need to use as we discuss this topic. They are not the terms we would prefer today, but they are terms that historians, ethnologists and Bible commentators of past centuries, and even the 20th century, have employed to explain their ideas about the origin of blacks. These ideas, steeped in racial prejudice, were alleged to provide a biblical justification for black slavery and the subjugation of black peoples. When I first read about these concepts, they brought tears to my eyes. As a white person in a predominantly white country, I also began to gain a better under-standing of and a greater appreciation for the black experience in the United States. Is the Bible a book by a white God for white people? Of course not. God is spirit and does not have "color" in our human and earthly sense. There is nothing in the Scriptures to indicate that people are excluded from God’s saving grace on the basis of ethnic origin or skin color. God is "not wanting anyone to perish" (2 Peter 3:9). Jesus is the Savior of all peoples. Nevertheless, it is a fact that the majority of European artists and Bible commentators painted and described all biblical characters, including God, as white. This had the effect of excluding blacks from being a part of Scripture and has led some people of color to question the Bible’s relevance to them. Exclusion was only one side of the problem. Where the presence of blacks in the Bible was admitted, primarily among uneducated whites, outrageous myths and fables abounded. This was especially true among white Christians living in the southeastern United States prior to the Civil War. These denigrating tales were believed to support the racist (and unbiblical) notion that the Bible supported a white subjugation of black people.

What do we mean by "black"? There are several difficulties surrounding any discussion of this sensitive topic. Some are obvious; others are less so. Not least is the question, what do we mean by "black" people? In America today, we mean African-Americans — those with African ancestry and dark skin color. But is that how the people who lived when the books of the Bible were written would have thought? There are differences between ancient and modern concepts of what "black" means when it is applied to people. For example, in the table of nations in Genesis 10, the word used to describe the people descended from Ham in the ancient Hebrew, Akkadian and Sumerian languages is related to the color black. But what does this mean? Our traditional understanding of the Old Testament is influenced by the ancient rabbinic method of interpretation known as Midrash. These interpretations sometimes take precedence over the literal meaning of the text being interpreted. They also belong to another time with other socio-economic conditions and concerns. When ancient rabbinic literature mentions black people, does it mean ethnically "Negro" or just people of generally darker skin? Let me give you a modern example. In a congregation I once pastored were two families with the surnames Black and White. The Whites were black and the Blacks were white. Mr. Black, who was white, used to talk about his lovely white grandchildren who were Blacks. And Mr. White talked about his lovely black grandchildren who were Whites. Imagine what someone a thousand years from now would think if they read that. Just because some people are called by a term meaning "black" does not necessarily prove they were what we now call black. Of course, it does not mean that they were not "people of color" either. In ancient times, just as folks did in the old frontier societies of our country, people often were given names that reflected their personality, where they were from or their appearance. But names like "Slim," "Tex," "Kid," "Smitty" or "Buffalo" tell you nothing of a person’s ancestry. Continued on page 15

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THE CROSS IS THE POINT, continued from page

results in high infant mortality and decreased life expectancy So you would think that a Gospel producing such good for society would welcomed by all. But it is precisely this insistence upon the Cross of Christ and a cross for every Christ follower that the opponents of Christianity can't stand.

Why Christianity only works when there is a cross... “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”. 1Cor. 1:18

It is true that Christianity benefits the believer in several ways. Peace, blessing, prosperity, fellowship, knowledge, are just some of the benefits of the Christian life. But the way of a cross means that we are not just believers, but disciples. The cross that we are called to take up daily means that we live sacrificially and under discipline. All too often though, we do the opposite and when we do we give Christ and Christianity a bad name - but even worse, we remove the central truth of the Gospel: the Cross. And once the central truth of the Gospel is removed, the core of truth is therefore removed from society's view and along with it any rationality about what is truly right or wrong. Thus, as we enter into the cultural battles before us

where all manner of sexual perversion is being promoted as merely being "tolerant" and exercising "anti-discrimination" and any religious ideas are acceptable in this "post-Christian-era", and evolutionary philosophy is allowed to masquerade as "science" - we must recognize that this has come about due to an absence of the Cross in Christianity where Christians have lived indifferently to society rather than engaging it with the Gospel.

In our revitalized efforts to engage society through the arts, the academy, law, politics, sport and the media, let us take up our cross and point people to the Cross. We can do this as we live out the teachings of the Gospel found in the Scriptures. That's why while I'm encouraging people to read the Qur'an, this can only be truly effective if we know the Scriptures. Therefore, in our pursuit to find the truth, I'm greatly encouraging you to become an avid Bible reader. To effectively become a daily cross bearer demands that we become a daily Scripture reader and heeder. When we are confronted with various outspoken lobby groups who represent minority groups who seek to overturn all Christian influence from society we must remember that these are people whose lives can only be changed by the Gospel. Ultimately while we seek to repoint society toward True North on the Moral Compass we are only going to fully achieve this if by promoting the Core of Truth: the Gospel of Christ's Cross.

Where You Live is not an issue.

Distance does not matter – You Can Be A Part Of The Tree Of Life First Graduating Class.

January 01 to January 25, 2011 www.treeoflife@thecrossingpoint.net Class Begins: February 10, 2011

You will not have to commute. The Tree of Life Learning Academy classes are held on-line. Become certified as a Pastor, Lay Minister, Church or Business Leader or a student of the Word

Proverbs 15:9

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Pastor Edgar Edwards

Last year my wife, Rev. Sarah, our Senior Pastor and I just quietly celebrated our 50 years of marriage. We choose to celebrate and honor a total of 50 years because we were married twice. We do not honor the 17 years that we were divorced; as it had no effect on the covenant God cut between us. We chalk those years up to our stupidity and our having a full blown out flesh flare up. We realize that God do not put people together – we make a great mess of that ourselves. However, God will ‘join’ together with Himself a man and a woman, based upon His covenant. Yes, God is so good! He knows what vessels we are made of. He stands patiently waiting in line for us to humble ourselves, from our wicked ways >> did I just say that God’s people can do some wicked things??? You bet ya! It does not matter what we do, what we choose or what we desire in life; I guarantee that we are able to justify the whys and how’s of it and feel pretty good about ourselves too. That is until the Holy Spirit, stirs up our soul with a ‘boy, you know that ain’t right’. Then our hearts will either commend us or condemn us. We pay homage and commendation to ourselves by either comparing ourselves with someone else who has done worst; like ‘well, I’m not as bad as that” or “everybody sin every now and then”, or “no one knows what I’ve done or thought”, etc. Now, what will be playing on the other radio station in our mind will condemn us if we don’t turn it down or off. Our heart will convince and convict us that we know better; and we should have done better. Only then will we humble ourselves to repent of that thought, or dirty deed we did. Last year, while celebrating our xx marriage ceremony. A guy asked me, why was I not in my place as the ‘head’ of my wife. My wife is the Senior Pastor, you know. This guy asked me ‘why did I allow my wife to be the Senior Pastor and teach me about God? He told me that God could not use a woman unless He could not find a man to do the job. I didn’t say anything, but I was thinking he is either dumb, blind or

both. He stated that she was to my helpmate and that he would never let any woman teach him anything. I wondered if his mama could tell him anything when he was a youngster? I then realized that this was a holy night and I decided to be quiet and keep it a silent night. Then it took turn for the worse. This dude even as ked me why I was not in the position of the ‘high priest’ in my house. I just stood there, stunned and looked at him. Everything inside me cried out to my mouth> ‘peace be still.” Sadly, he has not been the only male man to approached me through the years with this level of ignorance. I don’t think this kind of attitude had anything to do with my wife, the Reverend ‘Mrs.’ Edwards and I deciding to not have a party this year. Could be?; but just the two of us quietly celebrated it. Now, If she acquires her doctorate degree she as the Senior Pastor will then be the known as the Dr. Reverend ‘Mrs.’ Edwards. So go figure!. My wife and I are so blessed and highly favored of the Lord. Not because of who we are nor because of what we have done. But because of whose we are. We have accepted and received the mind of Christ. Therefore, we can reason with God line upon line; precept upon precept. Jesus set us all free. As our older brother; Jesus made us righteous. We are now His Ambassador and live, move and have our being as evangelists, preachers, prophets, priests, and kings in the earth. However, there is only one high priest in all the earth and He is sitting on the right side of God’s power. His name is Jesus. He is the Christ. Anyone who have the audacity to attempt to replace him in any of our lives has the spirit of the anti-Christ. Yes, I am the head of my wife. In Hebrew, Greek, and

Arabic the word ‘head’ means skull. The skull protects

the brain/mind. The skull does not provide or feed the

mind. God does that. However, I am charged of God to

protect her soul so that she can become everything that

God has created her to be. Remember: Ignorance can

be cured – but there’s no hope for stupid Page 13

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You can count the number

of seeds in an apple; but no one can determine how many apples will come

from one seed

Dave’s family was new in Colorado, and he had always wanted to go trout fishing in the mountains. Because his parents were committed Christians, they didn’t want him hanging around with guys who drank - which included three of the fellows who invited him to go on a weekend fishing trip. When he asked if he could go along, the answer was a resounding no. Dave had practically grown up in the church, and he’d heard a hundred Sunday school lessons entitled “Children, obey your parents.” Only six months before, a youth retreat speaker had concentrated on the problems you bring into your life by doing end-runs around parental authority. He even had to admit that his parents were godly, caring and reasonable. More than once friends of his had comments, “I wish my folks were like yours.” But this time Dave wanted his own way. After all, wasn’t God a pretty easy-going guy who would overlook his breaking a few commandments? Weren’t his parents too strict, and the people at church too concerned about ‘always’ obeying God? He wanted to live a little. Besides, he wasn’t joining a motorcycle gang – he just wanted to go fishing! So Dave concocted his scheme. With his parents’ permission he arranged to spend the weekend with Blake, a Christian from a different church. At school on Friday, Dave told Blake he couldn’t come after all, and sneaked off to go fishing. Not wanting to appear weird, he even brought along a few cans of beer.

How do you think the story ends? 1. They get into a car accident and Dave tells his parents the truth from a hospital bed. 2. Dave’s best friend from Nevada comes for a visit, so Dave’s parents calls Blake’s house. 3. Dave gets by with lying and becomes a first-class hypocrite. Dave’s parents are suspicious when he returns and aren’t totally satisfied with his answers to their questions. They no longer assume that their son tells the truth, and that puts a lot of strain on their relationship. When you face a similar temptation, remember that no lie has a good-ending.

THIS WAY OUT > > > Asking God to Meet Legitimate needs You can grow up in the church and know all the right behavior. But unless you have that deep respect and holy sense of awe for each command of God, you’ll rationalize your way into sin. Today, real respect is almost unknown. People poke fun at the President, criticize the pastor, mock their parents and ignore their teachers. A basic need of your spiritual life is true respect and reverence for God and every word He has spoken.

“Dear God, teach me the true meaning of Proverbs 1:7:” Show me how to worship you

and stand in wonder of your holiness. Help me realize how important it is for me to obey every word you caused to be recorded in your Bible.”

Continued on page 19

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Evidence of Blacks in the Bible, from page 11

Some ancient writers say that the Egyptians and Ethiopians were black. But what do they mean? How "black" were they? Were they merely darker than those doing the writing? The wall paintings and hieroglyphics of the ancient Egyptians and Ethiopians picture some people as black in color. But this was a highly stylized art form, and may have nothing to do with their actual skin color. Some black people are much fairer in skin color than some we classify as "Caucasians." There are also social and legal definitions, based on the percentage of African or "Negro" blood people have in their ancestry. It was not so long ago that certain states had laws that stated that someone was a "Negro" if the person had even a single black ancestor. Physical appearance did not matter. These are some of the difficulties of trying to determine if people in the Bible are what today we consider black. It is therefore irresponsible to draw superficial conclusions either for or against a black presence in the Scriptures. But this did not stop scholars and theologians (who surely should have known better) from suggesting that all people in the Bible were white, and that the Bible record excludes the Asian and "Negro" races, a conclusion that is not true. But suppose it were true? What difference would that make? The Bible account focuses on what we now call the Middle East, and in particular the rags-to-riches-to-ruin story of ancient Israel. It is specific to geography and to a historical period. Other people are mentioned as they pertain to the unfolding of that story. So Eskimos (or Inuit) are not included, nor are Koreans. Yet no one seriously believes that they are excluded from the human race. But when it comes to the alleged absence of black people, we encounter a web of cruel deceit that makes a mockery of the true biblical record. Only when you understand this can you begin to get a glimmer of what it has been like to be black in America.

Among those who have accepted the presence of black people in the Bible, several different views as to the origin of blacks were postulated. Let’s look at some of these. The pre-Adamite view argues that blacks, particularly so-called "Negroes," are not descended from Adam. This view appears to have its origin in the works of such authors as Paracelsus in 1520, Bruno in 1591, Vanini in 1619 and one of the most prolific writers, Peyrère, in 1655. It reached a high level of development with the 19th-century scholar Alexander Winchell in his book, Preadamites; or a Demonstration of the Existence of Men Before Adam, published in 1880. These writers (all of them white), argued that blacks belong to a race created

before Adam and from among whom the biblical villain Cain found his wife. Cain, by marrying one of these pre-Adamic peoples, the reasoning goes, became the progenitor of all black people. Therefore, it was rationalized, black people, especially "Negroes," are not actually human, because they did not descend from Adam but from some pre-Adamic creation, having entered the human race only by intermarriage, and that with a notorious sinner. As non-humans, therefore, they did not have souls, but were merely beasts like any other beast of the field. And since the Bible says God gave humans dominion over the beasts, it was concluded that these soulless creatures exist to do work for the humans. This preposterous theological premise was preached in churches across the United States, particularly in the Southeast, to reassure people that slavery was not only acceptable, but the very will of God, rooted firmly in a "proper" understanding of the Bible. The Cainite view argues that Cain was born white, but after his unacceptable sacrifice and the murder of his brother, Abel, he was turned black as punishment and became the progenitor of all black people. According to some of the rabbinic Midrashim (in both the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud), because Cain offered an unacceptable sacrifice, the smoke from this unacceptable sacrifice blew back on him, turned him black and caused all of his children to be born black. In another Talmudic story, a rabbi says that God beat Cain with hail until he turned black. Stories vary, but it became a common Euro-American belief that God cursed and marked Cain by turning him black.1 The Noahite (or old Hamite) view can be traced to writings suggested in the Talmud and later adopted by Jewish and Christian interpreters (especially among white southerners in the pre-Civil War United States). In this view, Ham violated God’s supposed prohibition against mating on the ark. Because he could not resist, he was turned black. Yet another teaching was that Ham and/or Canaan were turned black as a result of Noah’s curse in Genesis 9:24-27. In this view, because God cursed Canaan, that curse was to go on all of Canaan’s descendants and the curse was, first, that they would all be turned black, and second, that they would be servants to white people. Again, we see here a blatant attempt to interpret the Bible in a way that justifies the institution of black slavery. The New Hamite view is a 19th-century view that holds that Hamites were all white rather than black with the possible exception of Cush. (Cush is a Hebrew term that means "black one.") Scholars, particularly in 19th century Germany, said that even if Cush were black in color, he must be regarded as a Caucasoid black. Why? Because, in their view, Negroes were not within the purview of the writers of the Bible. Even some modern biblical scholars hold this view. For example, Martin Noth, considered to be one of the most Continued on next page

Several views

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There is a strong tradition that some of the descendants of Noah 46 through his son 47

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From the tomb of Seti I:

Syrian, Nubian, Libyan,

Egyptian

Blacks in the Bible

The Adamite view is the orthodox Jewish, Christian and Islamic view. It is based (for Christians) on Acts 17:26, which states that God made all people from one original bloodline, or one source. This, we emphasize, is the only view that is consistent with the true message of Scripture. Nevertheless, these other hideously distorted ideas have been promulgated, and some still have a degree of influence even today.

So what? So, where does that leave us? Feeling slightly nauseated, I hope, over the amazing ability we have to delude ourselves and bend the word of God in any direction that suits our purposes. The overall and surely indisputable message is that God has created us all in his image and has included all members of the human race in the saving work of his Son. Nowhere does the Bible give any indications that black people, or any people, whether "of color" or not, are outside the embrace of his love. But the fact remains that people have believed and taught this error, and sadly, it has been a teaching that still affects the way many of us think about each other, and perhaps even ourselves. The Bible does not focus on skin color as any form of criterion. All have sinned, all have fallen short of the glory of God, and all are recipients of his grace through Jesus Christ. But what about the question of whether black people are mentioned in the Bible? Admittedly it is difficult to build a definitive case, based on textual evidence, to prove beyond all doubt that black people are mentioned in its pages. But why should we have to? Let’s turn the question around. There is no evidence whatsoever that black people — or any people for that matter — are excluded from the purview of the writers of the Bible. Let us put the burden of proof on those who would teach otherwise.

The stories of the Bible took place in and around what we

now call the Middle East, and people moved on and off its

stage based on their relationship with the nations of ancient

Israel and Judah. Consequently the vast majority of the

world’s ethnic and racial groups are not specifically

identified. But some of those who are identified were black.

There is a strong tradition that some of the descendants of Noah through his son Ham were black. Ham had a son named Cush, which means "black" in Hebrew. Cush is the most common term designating color in reference to persons, people or lands used in the Bible. It’s used 58 times in the King James Version. The Greek and Latin word is Ethiopia. In classical literature, Greek and Roman authors describe Ethiopians as black. Archaeology has found these people to be black. In the book of Jeremiah, the question is asked, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin?" Genesis 10:6-20 describes the descendants of Ham as being located in North Africa, Central Africa and in parts of southern Asia. Psalm 105:23 mentions the "land of Ham" in Egypt, and Psalm 78:51 connects the "tents of Ham" with

Egypt.

In Genesis 10, Nimrod, son of Cush (whose name means "black"), founded a civilization in Mesopotamia. In Genesis 11, Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldees, a land whose earliest inhabitants included blacks. The people of the region where Abraham came from can be proven historically and archaeologically to have been intermixed racially. So it is possible that Abraham and those who traveled with him could have been racially mixed. Genesis 14 tells how Abraham’s experiences in Canaan and Egypt brought him and his family into areas inhabited by peoples who were very likely black. Both archaeological evidence and the account in 1 Chronicles 4 tell us that the land of Canaan was inhabited by the descendants of Ham. Further black presence can be found in the accounts of Hagar the Egyptian, Ishmael and his Egyptian wife, and Ishmael’s sons, especially Kedar. The Kedarites are mentioned many times in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Nehemiah, and the word kedar means "blackness." Still further evidence of black presence in the patriarchal period appears with Joseph’s experiences in Egypt. Joseph married an Egyptian woman, Asenath, who was descended from Mizraim, which made her Hamitic. Thus there is a strong possibility that Asenath was black. She was the mother of Ephraim and Manasseh. The New Testament also contains ample evidence of a black presence. Acts 8 tells the story of the Ethiopian eunuch, one of the first Gentiles to be baptized. He came from a black region, so he may have been black. In Acts 13 we read of Simeon, called Niger, the Latin term for black. There is also Lucias from Cyrene, a geographical location of black people Do these references give us absolute proof? No. But the weight of evidence indicates that blacks were not excluded from "Bible action." Modern scholarly opinion refutes the theologians who argued against a black presence in the Bible. But sadly, the past Euro-centrist interpretation of the Bible, which did recognize a black presence in the Bible, was

From the tomb of Seti I: Syrian, Nubian, Libyan, Egyptian

Evidence in the Bible

Other Old Testament evidence

The New Testament

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Evidence of Blacks in the Bible deliberately used by some in the past to justify the subjugation and enslavement of peoples of color. I believe it can be argued that there is a black presence in the Old and New Testaments. But either way, what is certain is that the Bible teaches that God has made all people of one ancestry. All humans — male, female, black, white, red, yellow and brown, are God’s children. They are all made in the image of God for salvation through Jesus Christ. The New Testament makes it clear that no one is excluded from God’s love and purpose. Paul tells us that there is "neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 3:26-29). God’s Word concerns, involves and speaks to all people inclusively.

We could sum it up in the words of the popular song: Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in his sight Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Author’s note: This article is based on a paper I wrote while studying at Emory University in Atlanta. That paper was the product of much research, in the process of which I amassed a large bibliography. There is not space to include it here. But readers who would like further details may access the complete bibliography here. 1 Some teach the opposite to be true, saying that God turned Cain white to make him easily recognizable (marked) in a Middle Eastern context. Some also teach that leprosy (in which the skin turned white) was the curse of God, thus white people are the real cursed ones. This view of Scripture, although equally distorted, nevertheless has had some influence in a disenfranchised black community. 1998, 2007

Contact Ben Rogers, Grace Community International:

www.gci.org/bible/africans

*Note from CC Mag. Editor: Also, the first man and

woman was created in the whole land of ‘Ethiopia’.

Genesis 1:26-28 “Truth and traditional don’t always

walk hand in hand” – it is the tradition of man that

makes God’s word non-effective.

PUT CONFIDENCE BEHIND YOUR CONVICTIONS

The Lord God will fight our

battles for us. Jehovah - Nissi

We have been made righteous in the eyes of God

Jehovah-Jireh

Visible Voices of South St. Petersburg, Florida is a Christian Community Association. It is non-political as well as

Interdenominational. It’s principles are based on the Holy Word of God, the Bible. It’s vision is to glorify God as

their Lord within the community. Loving our neighbor as ourselves. It’s purpose is to empower its residents for self

determination. Become a part of Visible Voices of South St. Petersburg and support the values we desire in our

community. Annual Membership:$3.00 per person. Churches (up to 25 people - $ 35.00) (26 to 99 members - $55.00)

(100 to 500 members - $75.00) (501+ members - $125.00) Request your membership package today. 727. 362.8993

Email:thechurch@thecrossingpoint.net

aka The ‘City of Churches ’ The ‘Bay of the Holy Spirit’

As We are Americans and we have been created in the image

and likeness of God Jehovah-Shalom

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You are loved dearly, you are prayed for consistently and we stand with you in the battle and in the victory! 53

Blessings on you and your family this year and I look forward to working and walking together with you in a 54

new season of accomplishment and favor. 55

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Jesus is Lord! 57

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Pastor Scott 60

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"Like a Bulldog with a bone!" Thoughts by Pastor Scott Reece I have heard that phrase most of my life and while I always understood it's meaning in terms of tenacity, I never fully grasped it's full meaning until an English Bulldog took up residency in our home! Earlier this year, I gave my oldest daughter a little bulldog puppy. I guess I should have looked into the future, because as we say around here..."that dog done growed up!!" She loves to play and as soon as I sit down in my recliner, she runs and gets her tug of war toy which is also her favorite game. It's interesting because my little Jack Russell is also pretty tenacious, but I have a couple of tactics that will make her give in pretty quickly, not so with the Bulldog! The Bulldog locks in and hangs on, no matter what. She will not be intimidated and she's not giving up or giving in...it's a fight til the bitter end!

May I encourage you as you move into a new year, to allow the Lord to revive and recharge the passion that is already on the inside of you to serve Jesus? Not about a new program, a new idea, a different strategy or a revolutionary concept. Those are great and that will happen, but I'm asking the Lord to stir up the deep, first love that each of us has for loving and living for Jesus. Simply that! Lord, I love You, I give myself to serve You, to be where You want me to be when You want me to be there. May you find a deep, abiding place of His grace in your life this year! In fact, His grace IS His favor. I pray that you find increase in favor, both with God and with man. May you see the fulfillment of the dreams, passions and visions in this next year that is birthed out of your intimacy with Him. You are loved dearly, you are prayed for consistently and we stand with you in the battle and in the victory! Blessings on you and your family this year and I look forward to working and walking together with you in a new season of accomplishment and favor.

"So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us.

He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness." John 1:14 NLT

You may be asking what this has to do with you and why would I be telling this story in this newsletter? I have a strong conviction in my heart of not only who I am, but also what God has called me to do on this earth. I was divinely created as a person of destiny and purpose and a very high price was paid for me to be able to fulfill that destiny. Now, here's what I also have learned...the enemy messes with that - all the time! I am constantly bombarded with the lies of the enemy in terms of who I am, what I am called to do, the capacity that God has given me and what my future looks like. Like you, I have had to learn to not take my cues from the lies of the enemy or even from my own inconsistencies, but from the Word of God. His Word has established who I am

and what my life is all about and there is really no need for me to get away from that. I was created for such a time as this, I am in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing, with the right people, (Thanks, Pastor Dale!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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QUESTION: “Can I 64 make my personal life or 65 my world the way I want it 66 with my words?” –JW, GA 67 68

Getting the Facts Straight The book of Proverbs takes nine chapters to tell you how to hear and heed the instructions of wisdom. Why does Solomon spend nearly one-third of his time on one topic? It’s because “commands and exhortations about daily conduct are meaningless to one whose heart attitude is not right before God.” People with stubborn pride in their hearts cite biblical reference to “prove” New Age doctrine, to condone immorality, to consider their race superior – but mostly to justify the sin they wish to commit at the moment. If you’re not willing to do God’s will no matter what, then you will also rationalize Scripture and imagine a God who doesn’t mind if you break a few of His commandments. But, if you submit to God’s laws instead of using His words to justify what you want to do and what you wish to believe, you’ll be able to say with the Psalmist: “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free” (Psalm 119:32)

Rethinking the Situation Dave didn’t enjoy the fishing trip as much as he thought he would. He only drank a couple cans of beer on Friday night, but it was enough to give him a headache Saturday morning. It rained all weekend and he came down with a bad cold. Of course, he had to give away the three fish he caught. He didn’t get home until 10:00 P>M on Sunday, and it was pretty obvious that he hadn’t gone to the evening service with Blake. His parents didn’t say anything, but Dave felt guilty and uneasy. He had a hard time going to sleep that night. Somehow he felt more lonely than ever before. God seemed a million miles away, and Dave knew that was the result of breaking God’s commandments. For weeks Dave was depressed. He noticed his parents’ distrust. They asked more questions and were less quick to give him their permission. Finally, he became so miserable he decided to confess. At the supper table one night, he cleared his throat before blurting out, “I went on that fishing trip. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” “We know,” his parents answered in unison. “But,” his mother continued, “we just prayed that God would make you miserable until you confessed.” They talked for a while, and Dave said, “I sure feel a lot better now that I’m not trying to cover up a sin.” .

“But more than that,” his dad added, “we want you to realize that you can never break one of God’s commandments without suffering terrible consequences in your spirit.”

Putting the Truth Into Practice Always keep your heart open to God’s inspection and repent of every bad attitude He shows you. “Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) There are girls who sleep with their boyfriends, and give glowing testimonies in church. There are guys who do dope on Saturday, and pass the collection plate on Sunday Some kids memorize Scripture by the yard, and cheat in school. Don’t join their ranks! Conform your life to what God says.. After all, He know what He’s talking about Observing the no fishing sign is an except from “Radical Advice from The Ultimate Wiseguy” book by Lorraine Peterson. Excellent reading for teenagers, parents, and teachers of youth leaders.

Order today! ONLY $ 15.00 www.thecrossingpoint.net

REDEEMED SEED “Observing the

NO FISHING Sign” Con’d from page 14

“Is it true that I can make my personal life or my world the way I want it with my words?” –JW, CA

THE BIBLE ANSWER: “If we could, Jesus would have never drank from His bitter cup – He not said not my will, but yours be done. Paul would have gone immediately to Rome as it was his deep desire was to do so –but rather Paul said only if God wills. There is power of life and death in your tongue. If you are not speaking God’s will for you, you may be practicing divination or witchcraft.

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NOW THAT THE TIME HAS COME WHEN YOU OUGHT TO BE 70

TEACHERS, YOU STILL NEED SOMEONE TO TEACH YOU AGAIN 71 THE 72 FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE ORACLES OF GOD; LIKE THOSE WHO 73 NEED 74 MILK, AND NOT STRONG MEAT. FOR EVERY ONE THAT USETH 75 MILK IS 76 UNSKILFUL IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS > > 77

FOR HE OR SHE IS JUST A BABY- Hebrews 5:12-14 78

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FEED US WE’RE HUNGRY

You’ve eaten two jars of G’s Baby food and you are still hungry. That’s good you have a hardy appetite; especially since it is not Gerber’s, but God’s Baby Food! I’m so proud of you for fully digesting the first jar – ‘the doctrine of baptisms’ and the second one – ‘laying on of hands’. Now you should be ready for your next feeding. Yes, I know as you eat it was bitter at first; but don’t forget to remember that sweet taste that was left in your mouth once you finished eating and digesting the word of God. Open wide –I think you will really like this one and you will not spit this one out either. Here goes! It is “the resurrection of the dead”. Yeap! A great getting up from the grave is promised to all the Saints; once they are – what most people call ‘dead’. Go on, eat it all. Swallow it. Let me wipe your mouth. I’ll burp you later! Death was the last enemy of God. Death desire to destroy the human’s body with the expectation of gaining their soul [ mind, emotions and desires] while they are yet alive in order to pervert and/or destroy God’s purpose and plan for them . Therefore, he would tempt them to reject the Lord’s way and boundaries in making their life choices. Of course, he would give them a seemingly good reason to either justify why they choose his way and/or play the blame game. It is either self exhortation or/and false humility. Satan would smear his glory upon them with a false hope. Satan have had a lot of experience with the blame game. He instituted it way back with the first man and woman God created; in the garden of Eden. And have gotten a lot of practice since then. Sinning [missing the mark] is his anchor into their soul. In return, he would use their bodies to move about the earthly realm and infiltrate the world’s systems. Satan knows and understand more than most church folks that not only is he a spirit [evil] being; but also you have been created a holy spirit [in the image and likeness of God] inside of a body [which he does not have].

Since sin entered into the earth by the first Adam in the garden of Eden. They disobeyed God’s directives, and his boundaries. They wanted to know more than what they could understand and subdue. That is, the difference between good and evil. All boundaries God sets for us is for our good. God is good all the time and He only gives good and perfect gifts. Everything God created works together for our good. Even nature! God is Holy; therefore we are to be complete in Him [Holy]. Obvious God cannot tempt us to sin. Rather, we are drawn away by the lust of our eye, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life and/or the deceivableness of riches. And satan is the fisherman for souls. His bait is to offend the children of God; so that they may become ‘reactors’ *to his actions+; rather then responders [to the Word of God]. I believe the two most popular songs in hell are “I did it my way” and “I got to be me”. You must know for sure non of this have taken God by surprise.. He created good and evil alike for his pleasure! Because God loved the world so very much; He gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to pay for the penalties of everyone’s sin nature. Upon accepting Jesus finished work on the cross of Calvary; you become a brand new creature. You are born again with God’s nature. Sin no longer rules the dying of the Saints. We just give up the Holy Spirit so that it will return immediately to God. And soon, Jesus being resurrected [made alive again] by the power of the Father; became the resurrection. As he lives; we also will live eternally. Jesus is going to return and those who ‘died’ *who are just asleep in Christ+ will be awaken/ resurrected first and then those who are still alive will be caught up to meet Him in the air..It will be a great getting up morning. Now, I can belch you and get all that excess gas out of your system.

Now you know, R U Full Yet?

NOW THAT THE TIME HAS COME WHEN YOU OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS, YOU STILL

NEED SOMEONE TO TEACH YOU AGAIN THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE ORACLES OF GOD; LIKE THOSE WHO NEED MILK, AND NOT STRONG MEAT. FOR EVERY ONE THAT USETH MILK IS UNSKILFUL IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS > >

FOR HE OR SHE IS JUST A BABY- Hebrews 5:12-14 6:1-3

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BE AWARE! OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT BUILD VICTIMS “For Satan can

appear as an angel of light….” 2 Corinthians 11:10-15 People learn to be ;or to act powerless by experiencing relationships that have either prepared them to be abused, or not prepared them not be abused. We refer to these as ‘shame-based’ relationships. Shame is not to be confused with guilt. Let us remind you again that guilt is an emotional indication about wrong actions or attitudes. It is the flare that explodes in our conscience and says, “I did something wrong and I feel terrible about it, “Guilt is a constructive signal, telling us to correct bad behaviors. Shame, on the other hand, is a destructive signal about you and your worth. It is the belief or mindset about yourself – that you are bad, defective, or worthless as a person. Shamed-based relationships re relationships based on messages of shame: “You are so weak and defective that you are nothing without a relationship with me[the verbal abuser]. Shame, then, is the glue that holds things together. It is the force that motivates people to refrain from certain behaviors and to do others. Families, churches or any group of interrelated people who are shame based send messages to their members that they are:

Not loved and accepted

Not even lovable or acceptable

Only loved and accepted if, when, or because they perform well to their dictates

Not capable, valuable, or worthwhile

Very alone, not really belonging anywhere to anything, or with anyone

An examination of the following seven characteristics of shamed - based relationships will help explain how victims are built in these relationships. We will give both the dynamic at work and the effect on the one who submits to this type of treatment.

1. Out-Loud Shamming The dynamic: This is the “shame on you” that comes from name calling, belittling, put-downs, comparing one person to another or asking, “What’s wrong with you?”. It is any message communicated out loud that says, “Something is wrong with your” The effect: Negative view of self, even self-hatred, negative self talk, i.e.*“I’m no good,, stupid, incapable, etc.”+, and

Shaming others. 2. FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE The Dynamic: How people act is more important than who they are or what is happening to them on the inside. Love and acceptance are earned by doing or not doing certain things. Living up to the standard is what earns acceptance, the result of which is acceptance of behaviors, not people. Ort once the standard is reached, it is changed or moved Kids can’t be kids because children are imperfect, messy, loud and ask questions that sometimes perplex or embarrassing, none of which is acceptable. The effect: Perfectionism, or giving up without trying, doing

only those things you are good at, cannot admit mistakes,

procrastination; view of God as more concerned with how

you act than who you are, cannot ask for help, cannot rest

when tired; cannot have guilt-free fun; high need for the

approval of other; sense of shame or self-righteousness,

demanding of others, or you expect “nothing” from them;

living a double life.

3. Manipulation The dynamic: Relationships and behaviors are manipulated by very powerful unspoken rules. These rules are seldom, if ever, said out loud In fact, when spoken out our many of them sound ridiculous. No one says out loud, “What people think about us is more important than what is really happening.” Yet the unspoken rules communicate these and other shaming messages. The “can’t talk” rule keeps people quiet by labeling them as the problem if they notice and confront a problem. Because people feel they cannot talk about an unspoken rule, they learn to talk in ‘code’ to convey what they really mean. Coding is an example of verbal manipulation. When we “code”, we say something in a crooked manner. Messages are sent through a verbal code that others are supposed to decode. “Oh, you don’t have to go to all that trouble,” actually means, “I’m embarrassed to ask for this treatment – but I like it!” “Don’t you think it would be better this way?” means, “I want you to do it this way.” People also code non-verbally with body language – by giving dirty looks, becoming lur or quiet, or leaving the room in a sullen or disconnected attitude. Triangling is another way to act manipulative in relationships. This simple means to send a message to someone through another person instead of delivering it directly. Continued on page 21

By David Johnson & Jeff VanVonderen

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The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse

The effects: Great “radar” – the ability to pick up tension in situations and relationships; ability to decode the crooked messages of others; saying things in code instead of saying them straight; talking about people instead of to the; message-carrying for people; expecting others to know your code; difficulty trusting people; reading other meanings into what people say. 4. Idolatry The dynamic: The ‘god’ served by the shame-based relationship system is an impossible-to-please judge, obsessing on people’s behaviors from a distance, whose mood is dependent on them it is a god invented to enforce the performance standard and to keep the system intact. This is a false god, or idol. Anything you serve besides God, or anything from which you derive your sense of life, value and acceptance, is an idol. The false gods, of the shame-based system are: appearance, or how things look, what people think, power-orientation. The effects: Distorted image of God; high level of anxiety based on other people or external circumstances, people pleasing, high need to control thoughts, feelings and behaviors of others in order to gain a sense of well-being.

5. Preoccupation With Fault and Blame The dynamic: Since performance ha so much power in these systems, much is brought to bear in order to control it. Reactions is swift and furious toward the one who fails to perform the way the system deems fit. People have to pay for their mistakes. Responsibility and accountability are not the issues here; Fault and blame are the issues. In the New Testament, the purpose of confessing a sin is to receive forgiveness and cleansing, The shame-based system wants a confession in order to know whom and how to shame – that is, whom to make feel so defective and humiliated that they won’t act that way anymore. The effects: The sense that if something is wrong or someone upset you must have caused it; a high need to be punished for or to pay for mistakes in order to feel good about yourself defensive “skills” (blaming, rationalizing, minimizing, lying); critical of others, giving others the “third-degree”, need to be right, difficulty forgiving self, difficulty accepting grace and forgiveness from God.

6. Obscured Reality The dynamic: In shame-based systems, members have to deny any thought option or feeling that is different than those of people in authority. Anything that has the potential to shame those in authority is ignored of denied. People can’t find out about life through normal trial-and-error learning because mistakes shame. Interaction with people and places outside the system threatens the order of things The system defines reality. Consequently, you can’t find out what “normal” is. Problems are denied, and therefore they remain.

The effects: Out-of-touch with feelings, needs, thoughts, ignoring your “radar” because you are being “too critical”, feel like no one else understands you; guessing at what is normal; threatened by opinions that differ from yours; afraid to take healthy risks; self-analytical; suspicious or afraid of others, narrow-minded, suffering stress-related illnesses, extreme forms of denial, even delusion,

7. Unbalanced Interrelatedness The dynamic: Members of shame-based systems are either under involved or over-involved with each other. Another word for under involvement is neglect. Children of workaholics experience this because one or both parents are not there to teach about life. Consequently, rules take the place of people. There is no relationship structure in which to learn about behavior and consequences. People find out about it alone and by accident. Another word for over-involvement is enmeshment. This is when there are no clear boundaries between people. Two lies govern. First, it is your responsibility to make sure everyone else is happy and well and you have the ability to achieve this. Second, everyone else is responsible to make sure you are happy and well and they are capable of doing so. Consequently, everyone is responsible for everyone else; while ironically no one is responsible for himself or herself. The effects: Fear of being deserted; lack of self-discipline, rebelling against structure; high need for structure, a sense that if there is a problem, you have to solve it, feeling selfish for having need, putting up boundaries that keep safe people away, continually letting unsafe people come close, difficulty saying no, allowing other to take advantage of you.. feeling alone, possessive, in relationships, feelings of guilt when you haven’t done anything wrong, rescuing other from the consequences of their behaviors. If you have come from shame-based relationships in which you were spiritually abused, you may hold to these or other unspoken rules. i.e.

God rewards spiritually with material goods

If I am spiritual enough, thing won’t affect me emotionally

I can never say no to those in religious authority

Everyone in the ministry is called by God is appropriate and must be trusted.

God needs me to do ministry

The existence of trouble in my life indicates a lack of faith

Talking about problems will make God ‘look bad’

Unity means agreeing about everything As you can see, shame-based relationships have significant effects upon those who have experienced them. The relational applications of thee effects are for reaching. As pertaining to spiritual systems, the application is clear. Shame-based relationships build on an emotional foundation that undermines relational honesty; hinders a maturing individual relationship with God and fosters dependence Continued, page 23

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Spiritual Abuse, Con’d.

upon another, who grows in power as a false leader, building an unhealthy system in which appearance is more important than reality. These systems victimize people and set them up to be trapped in future abusive relationships.

Conclusion

To this point, we have discussed the general symptoms of spiritual

abuse. But not all families or churches or leaders who sometimes

slip into legalism, or who occasionally out of security “pull rank”

should be labeled as an abuser

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