Rachel and Luke

Here's Rachel having her first rice cereal, and she ate it all. She also ate the whole bottle of her first sweet potatoes.

Here's Rachel sleeping the other night.

I didn't know having kids could be this much fun.

Their smiles, their expressions, their new words, their discoveries make the day worthwhile even if nothing else does.

Rachel and Luke are pure joy.

Here's Luke on his tricycle he got for Easter. He's getting where he can really pedal it well.

Here's Luke trying to look at himself on the camera while I try to take his picture.

Planting the garden

We had to wait until I finished exams to plant our garden. After clearing out a place with waist-high grass, we got the ground ready last Friday and planted some seeds on Saturday at dusk.

Here's Luke planting his first garden.

Baby Dedication

Back on Mothers Day we had Baby Dedication. There were four babies, one of whom was Rachel Ruth. Here are a few pictures.

Graders for Graduates

Graders or 'teaching assistants' just don't work for graduate-level work.

Dr. David Black has a good article on "graders," those people who work for professors and grade tests and papers but who do not know what is going on in class. Nearly every time I have been graded down on a paper or any subjective work, it has been by a grader.

This past year I have had a tough time with Dr. David Hogg's graders in Church History. I began to recognize their handwriting, and if my paper happened to get in one grader's pile, I'd get an A. If it got in another grader's pile, it was a B- or C every time even though I wrote the same format every time. To Dr. Hogg's credit, he himself graded the final exam.

Once over ten years ago at Fuller it was Dr. Chuck Kraft's grader whom I unintentionally embarrassed before Dr. Kraft. At an appointment with Dr. Kraft, I asked him why I was graded so low in a course of his. I didn't want a change in the grade, just to know what was wrong so it would not happen again.

He couldn't answer the question, but instead turned to his teaching assistant who was hiding in the back of the office. He couldn't answer the question either. The reality was probably that he himself had a lot of finals work to do and graded on a curve for the class. I got stuck in the middle of the curve.

Dr. Kraft told me that despite the difficulty of changing a class grade with the registrar, that he would order it done, and told the now angry TA to file the paperwork with the registrar. I thanked Dr. Kraft and left his office happy.

As I was leaving I ran into a friend named Jane Anne Pratt from Dallas who had Dr. Kraft's next appointment. The TA came out of the office as we were standing there on the balcony overlooking the garden court. He looked at me and said, "You know, some people are just not cut out for graduate work!" Jane Anne gasped and couldn't believe he said that.

The TA never followed through on changing the grade.

Luther Rice

The SC Baptist Courier has a great article on Luther Rice, the incredible early Baptist who raised funds for missions and worked hard to bind Baptists together in a call to missions. (Pictured: Luther Rice and others at their commissioning to foreign missions.)

I have visted his grave twice in Saluda County, SC. The first time I was scouting the historic Cherokee Path which runs across South Carolina and was an important early road inland. His grave is very close to the Path. The second time, I was leading the Cherokee Prayer Initiative team on its first segment in 1999. At that visit, Linda Fulmer gave me a Yemenite shofar from Israel which I have on my bookcase today. It came from a young man on Samuel's Mountain, a hill just south of Jerusalem where the prophet Samuel is thought to have used for judging and prayer.

Congradulashuns Grajuetts!

JOON 14 GRADUATION
JOON 10 BAC ALAURE ATE
JOON 8 YEARBOOK DANSE
JOON 12 SENOR PIGNIK

Names of God III

Other combinations with YHWH:

· YHWH-Jireh – “The Lord will provide” (Genesis 22:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:24).

· YHWH-Rapha – “The Lord who heals” (Genesis 20:17; Exodus 15:26; 2 Kings 20:5; Psalm 103:3; 147:3; Jeremiah 3:22; Matthew 12:15).

· YHWH-Nissi – “The Lord our banner” (Exodus 17:8-15).

· YHWH-Shalom – “The LORD our peace” (Judges 6:23-24); cf. Eph 2.

· YHWH-Raah – “The LORD my shepherd (Psalm 23:1)

· YHWH-Tsidkenu – “The LORD our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6)

· YHWH-Shammah – “The LORD is there” (Ezekiel 48:35)

· YHWH-Hoseenu – “The Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6; Hebrews 11:10; Ephesians 2:8-9)

· YHWH M’Kaddesh – “The Lord who makes holy” (Exodus 19:5-6; 20:8, 11; 31:13; Leviticus 20:8; 21:15, 23; 22:8-9, 15-16, 32-33; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Genesis 2:3) 700x

A War of Northern Aggression

Here's a four minute video showing the War between the States' four years. One second is one week. Note the wholesale, unmitigated disrespect of human life and political and civil rights in the unrelenting, rabid invasion of Southern homes by the Northern Huns. Also notice that the silhouette of Lincoln continues to appear, demonstrating his Administration's unrelenting aggression toward peaceable citizens of sovereign states.

Au Furore Normanorum, libera nos, O Domine!

Graduate Sunday

It was Graduate Sunday yesterday at Amis Chapel, and we honored four graduates. Click on the photos for a larger look.

Florence Blackwell received her B.A. in Education from North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC, in December 2006, after eight years of study while raising a family of three boys and working full-time. Quite an accomplishment! She will teach 6th grade next year at Toler-Oak Hill Elementary School.

Kristen Currin graduated from J.F. Webb High School in Oxford and plans to attend Vance-Granville Community College in radiology.

Jacob Seymour, or "Paco" as everyone calls him, graduated from J.F. Webb High School and is working with BTC Electric.

Darrell Shotwell, the musician among the group, graduated from Webb High School as well and will attend North Carolina State University to study electrical engineering. He was baptized just a few weeks ago on Easter Sunday.

Congratulations, graduates!

North Carolina Secession Day

Today is the anniversary of the secession of North Carolina from the Union, precipitated by US President Lincoln's order to all states to supply a portion of 75,000 troops to suppress rebellion in the Deep South states which had re-assumed their sovereignty from the United States.

The NC Ordinance of Secession was on display this past weekend at the State Capitol, having been lately returned from a long absence due to the theft of it by Sherman's rabid hordes.

Following is the wording of the NC Ordinance of Secession:

AN ORDINANCE to dissolve the union between the State of North Carolina and the other States united with her, under the compact of government entitled "The Constitution of the United States."

We, the people of the State of North Carolina in convention assembled, do declare and ordain, and it is hereby declared and ordained, That the ordinance adopted by the State of North Carolina in the convention of 1789, whereby the Constitution of the United States was ratified and adopted, and also all acts and parts of acts of the General Assembly ratifying and adopting amendments to the said Constitution, are hereby repealed, rescinded, and abrogated.

We do further declare and ordain, That the union now subsisting between the State of North Carolina and the other States, under the title of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved, and that the State of North Carolina is in full possession and exercise of all those rights of sovereignty which belong and appertain to a free and independent State.

Done in convention at the city of Raleigh, this the 20th day of May, in the year of our Lord 1861, and in the eighty-fifth year of the independence of said State.

Source: Official Records, Ser. IV, vol. 1, pp. 335-336

NC's secession was timed to be signed on the anniversary of the famed Mecklenburg Resolves

Its date, May 20, 1775, is found on the NC Flag, but it could be noting instead the May 31, 1775, articles of association which were adopted and of which still exist, the date discrepancy having to do with a change from the old Julian calendar to the Gregorian. Following are the alleged Mecklenburg Resolves.
(aka Charlotte Town Resolves and Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence). While no copy of the document has ever been produced, a Raleigh paper in 1819 published a reading of it from memory.

Here is the text presented as the "Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence" by the Raleigh Register on April 30, 1819:

1. Resolved, That whosoever directly or indirectly abetted, or in any way, form, or manner, countenanced the unchartered and dangerous invasion of our rights, as claimed by Great Britain, is an enemy to this County, to America, and to the inherent and inalienable rights of man.

2. Resolved, That we the citizens of Mecklenburg County, do hereby dissolve the political bands which have connected us to the Mother Country, and hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British Crown, and abjure all political connection, contract, or association, with that Nation, who have wantonly trampled on our rights and liberties and inhumanly shed the innocent blood of American patriots at Lexington.

3. Resolved, That we do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people, are, and of right ought to be, a sovereign and self-governing Association, under the control of no power other than that of our God and the General Government of the Congress; to the maintenance of which independence, we solemnly pledge to each other, our mutual cooperation, our lives, our fortunes, and our most sacred honor.

4. Resolved, That as we now acknowledge the existence and control of no law or legal officer, civil or military, within this County, we do hereby ordain and adopt, as a rule of life, all, each and every of our former laws - where, nevertheless, the Crown of Great Britain never can be considered as holding rights, privileges, immunities, or authority therein.

5. Resolved, That it is also further decreed, that all, each and every military officer in this County, is hereby reinstated to his former command and authority, he acting conformably to these regulations, and that every member present of this delegation shall henceforth be a civil officer, viz. a Justice of the Peace, in the character of a 'Committee-man,' to issue process, hear and determine all matters of controversy, according to said adopted laws, and to preserve peace, and union, and harmony, in said County, and to use every exertion to spread the love of country and fire of freedom throughout America, until a more general and organized government be established in this province.

Wisdom for Living - Ephesians 5:15-17

Pray and Read: Ephesians 5:15-17

15 See (beware of, consider), therefore, how accurately you are walking, not senselessly but instead wisely, 16 making the most of (redeeming) the season of time (buying the opportunity), because the days are wicked (evil). 17 Because of this, stop becoming ignorant (foolish), but be understanding what (is) the will of the Lord.

Opening thought:

Be careful! These are words which are very familiar to all of us. In fact, we use these words to exhort one another quite often. When our children leave the house, we often say, “Be careful.” If our children are teenagers, and are driving the car, we might say, “Be careful, drive safely.” What we are saying is “Watch out! Don't do something foolish! Look out for the other guy! Watch your step!” We not only exhort our children this way, but we also exhort one another this way.

Contextual Notes:

Ephesians 5:15-20 is a summary paragraph of what Paul has been discussing since 4:17. This passage began in Chapter 4, Verse 17, with the apostle's admonition to live no longer as the Gentiles do. He then describes how that is and goes on to exhort, rather, that Christians live as they have been taught to live in Christ -- that is to put off the old nature and put on the new. That simple process of putting off and putting on is what the apostle means by walking.

Exposition:

1. Take a look at your life (5:15)

a. Accuracy (5:15)

i. KJV – circumspectly. Walking through life by the principles in God’s word, in small things as in large things, watching yourself and watching for danger for you and others for whom you are responsible. Never let your enemies say that you are all holy in your doctrine and profession of faith in one way, but then you live any foolish way you choose.

ii. John Gill: “such walk like fools, whose eyes are not upon their ways; who walk in their own ways, which are crooked, and ways of darkness, and lead to destruction; who walk after the flesh, and naked, without the garments of a holy life and conversation; and with lamps, but no oil in them: and such walk as wise men, who walk according to the rule of God's word, make Christ their pattern, have the Spirit for their guide, and walk as becomes the Gospel of Christ; inoffensively to all men, in wisdom towards them that are without, and in love to them that are within; and as pilgrims and strangers in this world, looking for a better country; and so as to promote the glory of God, and the good of souls.”[1]

b. Wisdom (5:15)

i. Paul uses an unusual word here, the only time in the NT for foolish – without wisdom.

ii. If you are a wise person, then you are engaged in making the most of your time. One of the reasons that we're exhorted to be careful is because time is finite and limited. There is only so much time available to us. A wise person uses time, a foolish person wastes it.

iii. An article was once published entitled, “If You Are 35, You Have 500 Days To Live.” The article went on to contend that when you subtract the time you spend sleeping, working, tending to personal matters, eating, traveling, doing chores, attending to personal hygiene, and add in the miscellaneous time stealers, in the next 36 years you will have only 500 days to spend as you wish. Think about how you spend your time. When all of the necessary things are done, how much time is left? No wonder the Psalmist advised, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.”[2]

c. Redeeming the season (5:16)

i. Lit. “buying the opportunity.” From a metaphor of businessmen or trader taking advantage of a good price on item they need or stock.

ii. Being prepared – Willing to take risks

iii. Matthew Clarke: “Let time be your chief commodity; deal in that alone; buy it all up, and use every portion of it yourselves. Time is that on which eternity depends; in time ye are to get a preparation for the kingdom of God; if you get not this in time, your ruin is inevitable; therefore, buy up the time.

iv. John Gill: “here taking time for a space of time, it denotes a careful and diligent use of it, an improvement of it to the best advantage; and shows that it is valuable and precious, and is not to be trifled with, and squandered away, and be lost, as it may be; for it can neither be recalled nor prolonged: and taking it for an opportunity of doing good to ourselves or others,”[3]

d. Motivation: Days are wicked (5:16)

i. The present times are dangerous, they are full of trouble and temptations, and only the watchful and diligent have any reason to expect that they shall keep their garments unspotted.

2. Refuse Ignorance (5:17)

a. Matthew Henry: “Wherefore,” says the apostle (Eph_5:17), “because of the badness of the times, be you not unwise, ignorant of your duty and negligent about your souls, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Study, consider, and further acquaint yourselves with the will of God, as determining your duty.” Observe, Ignorance of our duty, and neglect of our souls, are evidences of the greatest folly; while an acquaintance with the will of God, and a care to comply with it, bespeak the best and truest wisdom.[4]

3. Embrace His Guidance (5:17)

a. This is a practically knowing God’s way through Scripture, through prayer, through counsel of Godly people, and through the witness of the Spirit.

b. Axiom to go by: If you sense the conflict in your spirit and not peace, the Lord is probably not in it. If that peace that passes understanding is there, no matter the circumstances, you are right where the Lord wants you.

c. Colossians 4:5

Application:

• Take some time in quiet to take a look at your life, where you are, what you’ve accomplished, where you’re headed, and ask the Lord to show you what He dreams for your life.

• Take advantage of the opportunities the Lord puts in your path with school, job, friendships, opportunities to serve and grow in Christ, business, etc.

• Be a lifelong learner. Refuse to cave in to ignorance.

• Seek the Lord’s direction through the Bible, prayer, and wise counsel. Ask God to make it clear to your spirit which direction to take, then be obedient and seize the opportunity set before you.

Invitation:

---

[1] John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible, Ephesians 5:15.

[2] J. David Hoke, “Our Identity in Christ: Ephesians 5:15-17” August 16, 1992.
[3] Gill, Eph 5:16.

[4] Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Ephesians 5:17.

Names of God II

Three major compound names:

YHWH Elohim – is translated in the KJV and NIV as LORD God (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 118:27; Zechariah 13:9) This name combines the personal name of God (relationship) with the plural name for God (Three in One). The Majestic Omnipotent One.

Adonai YHWH – is translated by the KJV as LORD God (Exodus 23:17; Psalm 16:2). This name combines the personal name of God (relationship) with the name of Lord (sovereignty). A name that uses this combination is Adonijah. Used over 200x in Ezekiel alone.

YHWH Sabaoth – is translated in the KJV as “LORD of hosts” or LORD Almighty” in the NIV (1 Samuel 1:3). God reveals Himself in spiritual warfare. (See A Mighty Fortress)

Better than MS Vista . . .

Places to get free books

Source: friedbeef.com

Top 10 list with full reviews
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Pay Mom what she's worth

It’s Mother’s Day again, and it’s time to smile and give your queen the honor of royalty today.

One very famous mother today is a British royal. Because she had a great smile (in contrast to some other British royals), my favorite queen is Elizabeth Angela Marguerite. She became known as "The Queen Mother" to avoid confusion with her daughter, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, who's now known as Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen Mother, aged 101, was formerly known as the Queen Consort, meaning she married the king but had no rights to the throne herself.

And what's a queen without a king? One of Elvis Presley’s film co-stars is now a mother ... a Reverend Mother, in fact. Dolores Hart, who appeared with the King in the motion pictures Loving You and King Creole, left Hollywood behind and moved to Connecticut in 1962 to serve a different King. Today, she’s prioress at the Abbey of Regina Laudis.

A little over a year ago, a Romanian woman plenty old enough to have grandchildren (or even great-grandchildren) became a mother for the first time. Adriana Iliescu became the world's oldest first-time mother when she gave birth to little Eliza Maria on January 16, 2006, at the age of 66. (Her record was broken by a 67-year-old mother later that year.) While in-vitro fertilization worked in Iliescu's case, it was reported that she found herself unable to breastfeed her baby. That’s too bad, because if she lived in Maryland, she wouldn’t have to pay sales tax on any breastfeeding equipment she purchased.

But she would probably not mind paying sales tax if she had earned what Salary.com has determined a Mom’s salary is worth this year. Based on its survey of more than 40,000 mothers, Salary.com determined that the time mothers spend performing 10 typical job functions would equate to an annual salary of $138,095 for a stay-at-home mom. This is a three percent increase over the 2006 salary of $134,121. Working mom’s "at-home" salary is $85,939 in 2007 – an increase of only $63 from last year; this is in addition to the salary they earn in the workplace. The job titles that best matched a mom's definition of her work are (in order of hours spent per week): housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, CEO and psychologist.

In past Mom Salary surveys, many playfully asked, “So, who will pay mom’s salary? This year, Salary.com worked with Abbott’s Similac brand to create a nationwide contest to answer this question. Abbott is holding the “Similac Mom’s $135K Payday” contest, which will award one mother with a full year’s salary in recognition for all her hard work. For more information, visit http://SimilacMomsPayday.com.

Unfortunately, since our retirement-age Romanian mother, Ms. Iliescu is unable to breastfeed, she is perhaps helping fund the contest by buying Similac for her bouncy baby girl.
Source: mentalfloss.com

Moms and their families can create their own "mom paycheck" with the Mom Salary Wizard®

Clemson Math Exam

1 Samuel 3 -- Raising Young Samuels

1 Samuel 3 Contextual Notes:
According to John G. Butler, Samuel was
Conceived in Prayer (1 Samuel 1)
Consecrated to God (1 Samuel 2)
Called of God (1 Samuel 3)

Samuel himself was an answer to prayer for the intercessor Hannah. The prayer warrior Samuel grew into one of Israel’s greatest leaders, helping the nation transition from an old tribal confederacy of divisions and personal prejudices to a monarchy, a unified nation under the leadership of a king.

In the first three chapters, the author alternates between the boy Samuel and the sons of Eli, called “sons of Belial” in order to present a sharp contrast of how good Samuel is. Alexander Maclaren, that great 19th C Scottish expositor called Samuel “a white flower blossoming on a dunghill.”[1] Eli’s sons acted arrogantly, in full knowledge that what they did was wrong with utter contempt for God personally and for His Law. Samuel responded with faithfulness and obedience to God’s word.

How old was Samuel? The Hebrew word means “young person” and suggests he was in his early teens when this incident took place.

Samuel was a man who walked in close fellowship with God, who lived an upright life, who was born in prayer and was a man of prayer, and who faithfully declared the message of God though his hearers did not want to hear it sometimes. Samuel was a tower of strength, steadfastly loyal to God, and a great example for every believer.[2]

Exposition:

Samuel’s desire for God’s Presence
1 Samuel 3:3, 15, 19

Samuel’s Willingness to Obey
1 Samuel 3:4-6, 8-9, 17-18
He was afraid: This “was Samuel’s first experience of the prophet’s cross: having unwelcome truth to divulge to those he loved, honored, and feared.”[3]

Samuel’s faithfulness to the Word
1 Samuel 3:7, 11-14, 18, 19-21; 1 Samuel 4:1
Samuel’s first test was this – Was he going to be honest with Eli about what God had said? There could be consequences. Eli could beat him, abuse him, starve him, or worse, for young Samuel’s saying things against his family. But Samuel was faithful to the word of God despite the potential consequences. He was afraid (3:15, but Samuel told him everything (3:18).
The OT prophets were often called to warn Israel of coming judgment for sin. They were not especially popular in their own time!

Presbyterian leader in the mid-20th century, Robert McNeill, in a small book called Prophet, Speak Now! published in 1961 writes, “The main issue of Christianity is being religiously avoided. Instead of possessing a vibrant faith, Christians are content to go to church on Sunday and refrain from the obvious sins, but we are not prepared to submit our whole lives to Christ and His Lordship. We are not prepared to obey His Word over our whole lives. “When the preacher condemns customs and practices of long standing, the people cry aloud for a pastor who will visit, pray, and condone and not disturb them from the pulpit with the ethical demands of the gospel.[4]

First Samuel 3:20 says that all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized Samuel’s office as a prophet of the Lord. That’s like saying, “from New York to L.A.” Why? Because of Samuel’s faithfulness to the Word and person of God. But Samuel’s ministry was not well received, which is not unusual for God’s servants. Though he was the best of Israel’s judges, Israel wanted a king. Though as a prophet he warned them of the burden of a King, Israel ignored him. Samuel could not get along with Israel’s first king Saul because Saul was a man of pride and sin. Eventually, Samuel was cut off from his association with Saul because of the king’s sin, but he had a deep relationship with David, another man after God’s own heart.[5]

No one in the Bible has as much Scripture under his name as Samuel does. Samuel was a man of the word.

Samuel’s Biblical understanding of Prayer
1 Samuel 3:10
A two-way conversation

Application:
* We must pray for our children and grandchildren to be rooted in Christ.
* We must train our children as mothers and fathers to give attention to the Lord in His Word and in Prayer.
* We must build into our children a willingness to be obedient to Christ. (Our hypocrisy shows to our children when we go play church at 11am on Sunday and then go home and rip apart everyone and everything that happened at church.)
* We must model for our children a life of prayer, a life in the Word, and a willingness to be obedient to his Lordship in our lives.

These are the days that God is cleansing us of the way of Eli – fat, lazy, spiritually out of shape, his sons sleeping with prostitutes and stealing the best meat for themselves, a way of division, of infighting, of personal agendas and back room politics.

The Lord is bringing us into the way of Samuel, to hear His Voice, to live in close relationship with Him, to speak the word of God boldly, to live a life of radical holiness, to become a prayer warrior. He is calling us to unity, to submission of our ways to His way, to laying down our own agendas to take up His agenda, to walk away from provincial ignorance and embrace the way of the King, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the head of the Church.

[1] John G. Butler, Samuel: A Prophet of Transition, (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 1997), 54.
[2] Butler, 7.
[3] Butler, 62.
[4] Robert B. McNeill, Prophet, Speak Now! (John Knox Press, 1961), inside front cover.
[5] Butler, 7.

Debunking the Five-Second Rule

Demonstrating that Clemson University researchers have more time on their hands than they do brains in their heads, they have just released a "scientific" paper testing the five second rule -- you know, the one which says dropped food is OK to eat if it has been there less than five seconds . . .

Oh boy, what earth-shattering discovery will be next from that great tax-supported institution of higher learning that is a suburb of Pumpkintown?

10 Most Common Passwords

Do you recognize yours? If so, you may as well hand over your wallet or purse to the first person you see on the street.

Bruce Olsen

"I looked into the faces of my executioners and saw that many of them had tears in their eyes."

In 1961, Bruce Olson, a brilliant 19-year-old linguistics student, tells his parents he wants to be a Christian missionary. In disgust, his dad buys him a one-way ticket to Caracas. Without sponsors, he walks alone into the jungle looking for the Motilone natives. A Motilone arrow pierces his thigh, and he is taken back to the village where his fate will be decided. He is eventually accepted into the tribe and begins to evangelize without disrupting the culture. In 1988, Olson is captured and condemned to die by guerrillas.

Investigating the story, journalist Maria Caballero ventures into the jungles to interview indigenous leaders, who testify to Olson's 30-year history of service to them and in some cases volunteer to die in his place. The president of Colombia says, “This is the first white man to be defended by the indigenous communities in our country, in Latin America.”

Confederate Memorial Day

Today is Confederate Memorial Day in North and South Carolina. It is the anniversary of the death of Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson.

Memorial Day as we know it began in April 1866 when US General John A. Logan, commanding occupying forces in the South, noticed Southern women decorating the graves of fallen Southern soldiers in Columbus, Mississippi, at the Shiloh battlefield. He was outraged.

Logan then ordered his department the next May 30 to observe a memorial service for fallen federal soldiers. In 1868 at Arlington Cemetery, the home that the US government stole from Robert E. Lee, President Ulysses S. Grant observed the first large memorial day exercise for the United States on May 30 each year. The tradition has continued.

Ode: Sung on the Occasion of Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead at Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, S.C., 1867 by Henry Timrod

Sleep sweetly in your humble graves,

Sleep, martyrs of a fallen cause;

Though yet no marble column craves

The pilgrim here to pause

In seeds of laurel in the earth

The blossom of your fame is blown,

And somewhere, waiting for its birth,

The shaft is in the stone!

Meanwhile, behalf the tardy years

Which kept in trust your storied tombs,

Behold! your sisters bring their tears,

And these memorial blooms

Small tributes! but your shades will smile

More proudly on these wreaths to-day,

Than when some cannon-moulded pile

Shall overlook this bay.

Stoop, angels, hither from the skies!

There is no holier spot of ground

Than where defeated valour lies,

By mourning beauty crowned.

Names of God I

Three primary names in Old Testament:

YHWH – (Relationship) the distinctive name of God of Israel. It’s original pronunciation lost b/c of unwillingness of Jews to pronounce the divine name. In the KJV, NIV, and NASB and others, the divine name is written in small caps (Lord or God) so that you can recognize it. The seminal text for this name is Exodus 3:14-15.

The name is often used by God when relationship between Him and man is involved, especially when man’s redemption is in view. For example, Israel’s redemption from Egypt demonstrates his divine attributes of holiness, justice, and love. YHWH is often used in covenants of grace with Israel

Examples: Exodus 3:14-15; 6:3; 20:12; Genesis 15:2; Jeremiah 31:31-34

ELOHIM – (Plurality in Unity) is the name most frequently used of God in the OT, and sometimes appears as El or Eloah. It is a common word for God in the ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East. The derivation is conjectural, perhaps a root meaning “strong One” or a root denoting “fear.” Possibly both meanings help us see the word as one calling for reverence.

Elohim is plural in form and for centuries has been seen as implying the Trinity. Liberal theologians and Jewish scholars have disputed it, but the word is definitely plural and occurs in places where the Trinitarian nature of God is shown. The name Elohim is sometimes used with singular and sometimes plural pronoun and verb agreement showing the 3 in 1 nature of God. In the Sh’ma, Elohim (plural) is called one. This concept of unity is not foreign (see marriage Genesis 2:24).

Examples: Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 31:42, 53; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 86:15; 138:1

ADONAI or Adon – (Sovereign Master) Also a frequent designation expressing Lordship, sovereign dominion, and possession. It can also be used of the relationship of master and servant and husband and wife. As used of God it indicates His essential deity as Lord or Master of men.

Examples: Exodus 23:17; 34:23; Joshua 3:13; Judges 6:13

Herod's tomb discovered

Herod's tomb has been discovered at Herodium (12 km south of Jerusalem). The discovery of the grave solves one of the great mysteries of archaeology in the Land of Israel. The tomb was discovered by Professor Ehud Netzer of the Hebrew University, who is considered one of the leading experts on King Herod.

Netzer has conducted archeological digs at Herodium since 1972 in an attempt to locate the grave and tomb. Herodium, a fortified palace built by Herod some 12 kilometers south of Jerusalem, was destroyed by the Romans in 71 CE.Hordes, also known as Herod I or Herod the Great, was a Roman client-king of Judaea (ca. 74 BC - ca. 4 BC in Jerusalem).

The details of his biography can best be gleaned from the works of the 1st century AD Jewish historian Josephus. To many people, Herod is best known for his role in the events known as the Massacre of the Innocents, an account of which is given in Chapter 2 of the Gospel According to Matthew.

Herod is particularly known for his dramatic expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem which is sometimes referred to as Herod's Temple. (Israel national News, 5/8/07)

John 15:1-8: Abiding in Christ

Contextual Notes:
In the OT, Israel was often referred to as a vineyard (cf. Isaiah 5), most often in the context of being unfaithful. Here Jesus says he is the true vine, pointing to his Messiahship and divinity.

The word for Abide is meno, or remain, abide, dwell. God dwelt with his people Israel in the Tabernacle and the Temple. Now we have the privilege of His dwelling in us with power right now every day. Every believer is a temple, and we collectively are a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Exposition:
1. Union in Christ (15:4, 5)):
Union with him in salvation
Union with him in baptism
Union with him in discipleship (word, prayer)

2. Cleansing in Christ (15:2-3):
Cleansing of areas of sin
Pruning of relationships, vocations, hobbies, unhealthy attachments
Cleansing of deep wounds
Cleansing of demonic presence / inner healing

3. Bearing Fruit in Christ (15:4, 5, 8)
Much fruit (15:5, 8)
i. Fruit of the Spirit
ii. Who bears the fruit in a vine? The shoots, the branches? No. The Vine bears it through us.
Nothing apart from Christ (15:5)
i. Nothing of lasting value
ii. Nothing of eternity
iii. Nothing of real contribution

4. Warning to those who do not abide in Vine/bear fruit (15:2):
“(1.) The doom of the unfruitful (Joh_15:2): They are taken away. [1.] It is here intimated that there are many who pass for branches in Christ who yet do not bear fruit. Were they really united to Christ by faith, they would bear fruit; but being only tied to him by the thread of an outward profession, though they seem to be branches, they will soon be seen to be dry ones. Unfruitful professors are unfaithful professors; professors, and no more. It might be read, Every branch that beareth not fruit in me, and it comes much to one; for those that do not bear fruit in Christ, and in his Spirit and grace, are as if they bore no fruit at all, Hos_10:1. [2.] It is here threatened that they shall be taken away, in justice to them and in kindness to the rest of the branches. From him that has not real union with Christ, and fruit produced thereby, shall be taken away even that which he seemed to have, Luk_8:18. Some think this refers primarily to Judas.[1]

5. Authority in Prayer and Glory for God for fruit bearers (15:7-8)

Application:
Are you bearing fruit of Christ your Vine?
Are you in the vine? Do you need grafted in through the salvation that is a free gift from him?
Does your branch need some new life?
Are you abiding in Christ daily?

Invitation:

[1] Matthew Henry, John 15:1ff., e-sword.net

Three martyred horribly in Turkey

On April 18, 2007, three believers were brutally tortured and killed in Turkey by Islamicists simply because they peaceably practice their faith in Jesus Christ. Here are more details about their martyrdom.

I received the following from a professor friend at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, Egypt.

Subsequently, I have corresponded with Pastor Fikret Bocek of the Protestant Church of Izmir (Smyrna), who published the report of the martyrdoms. At his request I have posted the report here in its entirety.

Dear Pastor Gene Brooks,
Thank you for your kind words and prayers. It comforts us to know that our brothers and sisters are praying for us. Please continue praying for the widows and their children.

Thank you for putting our letter in your blog. I am attaching a revised and corrected report of the account. Can you please put the revised report on your blog?

Blessings,
Pastor Fikret Bocek
www.izmirprotestan.org
To the Church in Smyrna:
"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10

A letter to the Global Church from The Protestant Church of Smyrna

Dear friends,
This past week has been filled with much sorrow. Many of you have heard by now of our devastating loss here in an event that took place in Malatya, a Turkish province 300 miles northeast of Antioch, the city where believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).

On Wednesday morning, April 18, 2007, 46 year old German Christian and father of three Tilmann Geske prepared to go to his office, kissing his wife goodbye and taking a moment to hug his son and give him the priceless memory, “Goodbye, son. I love you.”

Tilmann rented an office space from Zirve Publishing. Zirve was also the location of the Malatya Evangelist Church office. A ministry of the church, Zirve prints and distributes Christian literature to Malatya and nearby cities in Eastern Turkey. In another area of town, 35 year old Pastor Necati Aydin, father of two, said goodbye to his wife, leaving for the office as well. They had a morning Bible Study and prayer meeting that some other believers in town would also be attending. Ugur Yuksel likewise made his way to the Bible study.

None of these three men knew that what awaited them at the Bible study was the ultimate testing and application of their faith, which would conclude with their entrance into glory to receive their crown of righteousness from Christ and honor from all the saints awaiting them in the Lord’s presence.

On the other side of town, ten young men all under 20 years old put into place final arrangements for their ultimate act of faith, living out their love for Allah and hatred of infidels who they felt undermined Islam.

On Resurrection Sunday, five of these men had been to a by-invitation-only evangelistic service that Pastor Necati and his men had arranged at a hotel conference room in the city. The men were known to the believers as “seekers.” No one knows what happened in the hearts of those men as they listened to the gospel. Were they touched by the Holy Spirit? Were they convicted of sin? Did they hear the gospel in their heart of hearts? Today we only have the beginning of their story.

These young men, one of whom is the son of a mayor in the Province of Malatya, are part of a tarikat, or a group of “faithful believers” in Islam. Tarikat membership is highly respected here; it’s like a fraternity membership. In fact, it is said that no one can get into public office without membership in a tarikat. These young men all lived in the same dorm, all preparing for university entrance exams.

The young men got guns, bread knives, ropes and towels ready for their final act of service to Allah. They knew there would be a lot of blood. They arrived in time for the Bible Study, around 10 o’clock.

They arrived, and apparently the Bible Study began. Reportedly, after Necati read a chapter from the Bible the assault began. The boys tied Ugur, Necati, and Tilmann’s hands and feet to chairs and as they videoed their work on their cellphones, they brutally tortured our brothers for almost three hours.

Neighbors in workplaces near the print house said later they had heard yelling, but assumed the owners were having a domestic argument so they did not respond.

Meanwhile, another believer Gokhan and his wife had a leisurely morning. He slept in till 10, ate a long breakfast and finally around 12:30 he and his wife arrived at the office. The door was locked from the inside, and his key would not work. He phoned and though it had connection on his end he did not hear the phone ringing inside. He called cell phones of his brothers and finally Ugur answered his phone. “We are not at the office. Go to the hotel meeting. We are there. We will come there,” he said cryptically. As Ugur spoke Gokhan heard in the telephone’s background weeping and a strange snarling sound.

He phoned the police, and the nearest officer arrived in about five minutes. He pounded on the door, “Police, open up!” Initially the officer thought it was a domestic disturbance. At that point they heard another snarl and a gurgling moan. The police understood that sound as human suffering, prepared the clip in his gun and tried over and over again to burst through the door. One of the frightened assailants unlocked the door for the policeman, who entered to find a grisly scene.

Tilmann and Necati had been slaughtered. Ugur’s throat was likewise slit and he was barely alive.

Three assailants in front of the policeman dropped their weapons.

Meanwhile Gokhan heard a sound of yelling in the street. Someone had fallen from their third story office. Running down, he found a man on the ground, whom he later recognized, named Emre Gunaydin. He had massive head trauma and, strangely, was snarling. He had tried to climb down the drainpipe to escape, and losing his balance had plummeted to the ground. It seems that he was the main leader of the attackers. Another assailant was found hiding on a lower balcony.

To untangle the web we need to back up six years. In April 2001, the National Security Council of Turkey (Milli Guvenlik Kurulu) began to consider evangelical Christians as a threat to national security, on equal footing as Al Quaida and PKK terrorism. Statements made in the press by political leaders, columnists and commentators have fueled a hatred against ‘missionaries’ who they claim bribe young people to change their religion.

After that decision in 2001, attacks and threats on churches, pastors and Christians began. Bombings, physical attacks, verbal and written abuse are only some of the ways Christians are being targetted. Most significant is the use of media propaganda.

From December 2005, after having a long meeting regarding the Christian threat, the wife of Former Prime Minister Ecevit, historian Ilber Ortayli, Professor Hasan Unsal, Politician Ahmet Tan and writer/propogandist Aytunc Altindal, each in their own profession began a campaign to bring the public’s attention to the looming threat of Christians who sought to “buy their children’s souls”. Hidden cameras in churches have taken church service footage and used it sensationally to promote fear and antagonism toward Christianity.

In an official televised response from Ankara, the Interior Minister of Turkey smirked as he spoke of the attacks on our brothers in Malatya. Amid public outrage and protests against the event and in favor of freedom of religion and freedom of thought, media and official comments ring with the same message, “We hope you have learned your lesson. We do not want Christians here.”

It appears that this was an organized attack initiated by an unknown adult tarikat leader. As in the Hrant Dink murder in January 2007, and a Catholic priest Andrea Santoro in February 2006, minors are being used to commit religious murders because public sympathy for youth is strong and they face lower penalties than an adult convicted of the same crime. Even the parents of these children are in favor of the acts. The mother of the 16 year old boy who killed the Catholic priest Andrea Santoro looked at the cameras as her son was going to prison and said, “he will serve time for Allah.”

The young men involved in the killing are currently in custody. Today news reported that they would be tried as terrorists, so their age would not affect the strict penalty. Assailant Emre Gunaydin is still in intensive care. The investigation centers around him and his contacts and they say the case will fall apart if he does not recover.

The Church in Turkey responded in a way that honored God as dozens of believers and pastors flew in as fast as they could to stand by the small church of Malatya and encourage the believers, take care of legal issues, and represent Christians to the media.

When Susanne expressed her wish to bury her husband in Malatya there were many complications. However, in the end Tilmann was buried in an old Armenian graveyard on April 20th.

Ugur was buried by his family in an Alevi Muslim ceremony in his hometown of Elazig on April 19th, his believing fiance watching from the shadows as his family and friends refused to accept in death the faith Ugur had so long professed and died for.

Necati’s funeral took place in his hometown of Izmir, the city where he came to faith. The darkness does not understand the light. Though the churches expressed their forgiveness for the event, Christians were not to be trusted. Before they would load the coffin onto the plane from Malatya, it went through two separate xray exams to make sure it was not loaded with explosives. This is not a usual procedure for Muslim coffins.

Necati’s funeral was a beautiful event. Like a glimpse of heaven, hundreds of Turkish Christians and workers came to show their love for Christ, and their honor for this man chosen to die for Christ. Necati’s wife Shemsa told the world, “His death was full of meaning, because he died for Christ and he lived for Christ… Necati was a gift from God. I feel honored that he was in my life, I feel crowned with honor. I want to be worthy of that honor.”

Boldly the believers took their stand at Necati’s funeral, facing the risks of being seen publicly and likewise becoming targets. As expected, the anti-terror police attended and videotaped everyone attending the funeral for their future use. The service took place outside at Buca Baptist church, and he was buried in a small Christian graveyard in the outskirts of Izmir.

Two assistant Governors of Izmir were there solemnly watching the event from the front row. Dozens of news agencies were there documenting the events with live news and photographs. Who knows the impact the funeral had on those watching? This is the beginning of their story as well. Pray for them.

In an act that hit front pages in the largest newspapers in Turkey, Susanne Geske in a television interview expressed her forgiveness. She did not want revenge, she told reporters. “Oh God, forgive them for they know not what they do,” she said, wholeheartedly agreeing with the words of Christ on Calvary (Luke 23:34).

In a country where blood-for-blood revenge is as normal as breathing, many many reports have come to the attention of the church of how this comment of Susanne Geske has changed lives. One columnist wrote of her comment, “She said in one sentence what 1000 missionaries in 1000 years could never do.”

Many Christians in Malatya will most likely move out, as their families and children have become publicly identified as targets to the hostile city. The remaining 10 believers are in hiding. What will happen to this church, this light in the darkness? Most likely it will go underground. Pray for wisdom, that Turkish brothers from other cities will go to lead the leaderless church. Should we not be concerned for that great city of Malatya, a city that does not know what it is doing? (Jonah 4:11)

When our Pastor Fikret Bocek went with a brother to give a statement to the Security Directorate on Monday they were ushered into the Anti-Terror Department. On the wall was a huge chart covering the whole wall listing all the terrorist cells in Izmir, categorized. In one prominent column were listed all the evangelical churches in Izmir. The darkness does not understand the light. “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.” (Acts 17:6)

Please pray for the Church in Turkey. “Don’t pray against persecution, pray for perseverence,” urges Pastor Fikret Bocek.

The Church is better having lost our brothers; the fruit in our lives, the renewed faith, the burning desire to spread the gospel to quench more darkness in Malatya …all these are not to be regretted. Pray that we stand strong against external opposition and especially pray that we stand strong against internal struggles with sin, our true debilitating weakness.

This we know. Christ Jesus was there when our brothers were giving their lives for Him. He was there, like He was when Stephen was being stoned in the sight of Saul of Tarsus.

Someday the video of the deaths of our brothers may reveal more to us about the strength that we know Christ gave them to endure their last cross, about the peace the Spirit of God endowed them with to suffer for their beloved Savior. But we know He did not leave their side. We know their minds were full of Scripture strengthening them to endure, as darkness tried to subdue the unsubduable Light of the Gospel. We know, in whatever way they were able, with a look or a word, they encouraged one another to stand strong. We know they knew they would soon be with Christ.

We don’t know the details. We don’t know the kind of justice that will or will not be served on this earth.

But we pray-- and urge you to pray-- that someday at least one of those five boys will come to faith because of the testimony in death of Tilmann Geske, who gave his life as a foreign Christian in Turkey, and the testimonies in death of Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, the first martyrs for Christ out of the Turkish Church.

Details in this letter were obtained through various news and media sources based on preliminary press releases and interviews. The court cases are pending and specific evidence and autopsy reports from the crime are not yet available to the public.

Reported by Darlene N. Bocek (01 May 2007)
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Please pass this on to as many praying Christians as you can, in as many countries as you can. Please always keep the heading as “From the Protestant Church of Smyrna” with this contact information: izmirprotestan@gmail.com // http://www.izmirprotestan.org/

STATEMENT FROM Dr. Murat Uğraş, a spokesman for the Turgut Özal Medical center:

Dr. Murat Uğraş, a spokesman for the Turgut Özal Medical center“He had innumerable scores of knife stab wounds. It is obvious that these wounds had been inflicted to torture him. His fingers were repeatedly sliced to the bone lengthwise. His buttocks, his tecticles, his rectum, his lower and middle back had dozens of cuts. There was a very long and open cut on his neck from ear to ear. His esophagus and trechea were cut with the knife-stab wounds. He was taken into surgery at 14:25. Teams from 4 units of the hospital participated in the surgery. 51 units of blood were given. After the hospitals blood stock were depleted, the blood was supplied from Kizilay (Red Crescent). Nevertheless, Ugur lost his life at 17:30.”

Başhekim Yardımcısı ve hastane sözcüsü Doç. Dr. Murat Uğraş
"Sayamadığımız kadar çok bıçak darbesi vardı. İşkence amaçlı olduğu çok açıktı. Kalçası, testisleri, anüsü, beli ve sırtı onlarca bıçak darbesi ile doğranmış. Parmakları uzunlamasına ve kemiğe kadar defalarca kesilmişti. Boğazında da boydan boya çok uzun ve açık bir yara var. Yemek borusu ve soluk borusu bu darbelerle kesilmişti. Saat 14.25’te ameliyata alındı. Hastanedeki 4 birimin ekipleri ameliyata girdi. 51 ünite kan verildi. Hastanenin kan stokları tükendiği için kan Kızılay’dan tamamlandı. Ancak Uğur saat 17.30’da hayatını kaybetti."