‘Feed my sheep’: Denzel Washington Reveals What God's Been Telling Him To Do

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By Jeannie Ortega Law,

Christian Post Reporter Twitter| 

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Actor Denzel Washington attends the premiere of "FENCES" in Manhattan, New York City,

December 19, 2016. | Reuters/Andrew Kelly

Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington recently revealed what the Lord has been telling him to do when he prays in this season. 

Washington was among the featured speakers at "The Better Man Event" hosted by First Baptist Orlando in Florida on Saturday, where he revealed to his spiritual mentor, Pastor A.R. Bernard, the senior pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York, the message he's consistently been hearing from God.  

“At 66, getting ready to be 67, having just buried my mother, I made a promise to her and to God, not just to do good the right way, but to honor my mother and my father by the way I live my life, the rest of my days on this Earth. I'm here to serve, to help, to provide,” Washington shared at the Christian men’s conference. 

During the nearly 30-minute sit-down discussion, Washington told Bernard what God has been telling him every time he prays.

"In every prayer, all I hear is: 'Feed my sheep.' That's what God wants me to do,” the “Fences” actor shared. 

Washington admitted that often his response is, “What's that mean?” But, he added, "What I found out in the last couple of years is there are all kinds of sheep. So that's why I talk to experienced shepherds to help guide me.”

“The world has changed. What is our role as a man? The John Wayne formula is not quite a fit right now. But strength, leadership, power, authority, guidance, patience are God's gift to us as men. We have to cherish that, not abuse it,” the actor advised. 

During the discussion, Washington wanted the audience to know that despite his redemptive characters on screen, he’s endured his own battles in choosing to live for God.

"What I played in the movies is not who I am, it's what I played," he stressed. "I'm not going to sit or stand on any pedestal and tell you about what I had in mind for you or your soul. Because the fact of the matter is, in the whole 40-year process, I was struggling for my own soul.

"It [the Bible] says in the last days we'll become lovers of ourselves. The number one photograph now is a selfie. So we all want to lead. We're willing to do anything — ladies and young men — to be influential. ... Fame is a monster and we all have these ladders and battles, roads we have to walk in our given lives. Be you famous or whoever's out there listening, we all have our individual challenges. It's cliché [but] money, don't make it better. It doesn't. Fame just magnifies the problems and the opportunities,” Washington continued. 

The New York native went on to share guidance for men who are looking for success. 

"Stay on your knees. Watch me, but listen to God,” he added. “I hope that the words in my mouth and the meditation of my heart are pleasing in God's sight, but I'm human. I'm just like you. What I have will not keep me on this Earth for one more day. Share what you know, inspire who you can, seek advice. If you want to talk to one someone, talk to the one that can do something about it. Constantly develop those habits.”

Throughout his discussion, Washington frequently quoted things he learned about God from Bernard.  

"Fear is nothing but contaminated faith,” Washington said, echoing an earlier comment by Bernard. He then added: “My chest is sagging right now because I haven't been lifting weights. I'm losing weight first. So you got to lift them faith weights. You got to do your curls and your squats daily. You may get injured; you may want to throw them down, you may want to give up, you may never be big ... you have to refill your bucket every night. You have to refill your bucket every morning.”

Washington concluded his faith-filled talk by noting that although he has money and stardom, what he’s discovered is that one always needs to leave “room to learn.”

In an interview with The Christian Post back in 2017, Washington shared part of his Christian testimony, saying that when he was 20 years old, "it was prophesied that I would travel the world and preach to millions of people. I thought it was through my work and it has been."

"My mother said to me, when I was 59, she said, 'Denzel, you do a lot of good. You have to do good the right way and you know what I'm talking about,'" Washington continued. "I don't drink anymore; I don't do any of those things. I'm all about the message, to the degree that I know it, and I'm unashamed and unafraid to share it!

"So you have to be unafraid and unashamed to share it in the way your millennial generation knows how," he told this CP reporter at the time. 

The Oscar winner now regularly uses his platform to inspire others.

Denzel Washington Implores Millennials to Be Unashamed of Their Faith in Social Media Age (Interview)

Denzel Washington recounts being filled with the Holy Ghost: 'It scared me'

Gus, Apostle to the Andes

This is a brief, but remarkable story of a friend of mine whom God used in a most amazing way. Gus does not call himself an apostle, it is a title of respect bestowed upon him by South Americans.

La Paz, Bolivia

Gus Schlamp, was born in Swift Current Saskatchewan in November of 1941, but was raised in the small logging town of Vanderhoof, in central British Columbia, Canada. He remained in Vanderhoof and worked in the forest industry for twenty five years, and another two years in Edson, Alberta. From that humble beginning, Gus could never have imagined that he would one day be responsible, in partnership with God, for delivering the Gospel to 7,000,000 people.

Life was good for Gus. He met and married a beautiful woman named Martha, and they soon began having children.

One Saturday Gus was in town where he bumped into an acquaintance who was a night watchman at a sawmill. They weren't that acquainted with each other, but they knew each other somewhat and had a casual chat.

Monday morning, while Gus was working in the bush, word came from town that the mill where this man was a watchman burned down. And the night watchman died of a heart attack. He was somewhere in his 50s, but he dropped dead.

Gus Schlamp and some schoolchildren

This really shook Gus up as he began to question the meaning of life and the meaning of death. His questions soon led him to the Bible where he found the answers and committed his life to Jesus Christ. Gus was 31 when received the assurance of salvation; he had been married about ten years.

Meanwhile, God had already brought Gus's neighbour into his wife's life. She was an on-fire Christian and soon led Mrs Schlamp to Jesus, and then to church. Gus had attended church as a youth but it was not an evangelical church and Gus found little real relevance in what he learned there. So with both Gus and his wife becoming new Christians, they decided to find a church, but not the one Gus attended as a child. They went to the church their on-fire neighbour attended and they got lit-up.

They started a Sunday evening sing along with the young people from his former church, which eventually developed into an Evangelical church. Gus's good life got even better than he could have imagined. It wasn’t long before he decided to go to Bible College. He graduated from Prairie Bible Institute in beautiful, downtown Three Hills, Alberta, in 1980. He then returned to his first occupation – logging. Soon, child number six was born.

Alas, life is never one filled with long periods of great joy and happiness. Times of testing come upon us bringing great difficulties into our lives, sometimes they come from the most unlikely source.

Gus's wife bought a really nice skirt, one day; it fit her beautiful figure very flatteringly. Gus loved it. It had a slit up one side that revealed a little leg. She looked fantastic in it. Unfortunately, her neighbour's husband thought so too and complained to his wife that he was being tempted by her appearance in that skirt with the slit.

The neighbour, the very one who led her to the Lord, rebuked Martha for tempting her husband. Where I come from, this is often called mis-placed anger - she probably should have rebuked her husband for not looking away. Or, perhaps she was jealous that her husband admired her neighbour so much. Or, perhaps she was jealous that she didn't look as good as the woman who had 6 kids.

Vanderhoof, British Columbia

A gentle word, I'm sure, and Martha might have made sure to not where the skirt around the neighbour's husband. Nevertheless, Martha disposed of the skirt, never wearing it again. That unfortunate incident began to erode her enthusiasm toward church.

One day, Gus and Martha found a bottle raspberry juice that had fermented, and they drank it. That was so much fun that they began buying wine and drinking it. Over time the drinking increased. As the drinking increased, the fun decreased, and Gus would often find his wife staying up late rather than praying together and going to bed with him. If he had only gone out to her and encouraged her to come to bed, things might have worked out very differently; but he didn't, and since they no longer prayed together the two grew farther and farther apart.

Okanagan Lake at Summerland

Gus’ marital relationship deteriorated over the years to the point of an official divorce in the year 2000, after which he retired. But divorce and retirement left Gus experiencing a very lonely and empty life. He moved to Summerland, in southern British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, but just continued to spiral downhill. He began to contemplate suicide. Then he began to plan his suicide.

There was a large sign on the side of the highway not far from where Gus lived. He decided that if he hit that sign on his motorcycle at about 100 mph, it would decapitate him instantly and he would hardly feel a thing.

Before Gus could exercise his plan, the Lord opened his eyes and heart through Job 2:9. Then he understood what Job’s wife meant when she said to Job: “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” What he understood her to say was, “Why don’t you do yourself in”? At that point Gus understood that if he was to take his life into his own hands he would be cursing God. Gus had enough fear of the Lord that he did not want to curse God. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." Prov 9:10.

(In the Bible, the word translated “fear” can mean several things. It can refer to the terror one feels in a frightening situation (Deuteronomy 2:25). It can mean “respect” in the way a servant fears his master and serves him faithfully (Joshua 24:14). Fear can also denote the reverence or awe a person feels in the presence of greatness (Isaiah 6:5). The fear of the Lord is a combination of all of these.)

Gus abandoned his suicide plan and decided to start over and build a new life. He didn’t feel that he had a right to start another relationship, so he looked at other options. He thought about moving away, but as his relationship with the Lord was improving, Gus struggled with his motives for wanting to leave, but then God pointed him to Isaiah 49:13 and on:

"Sing, O heavens!

Be joyful, O earth!

And break out in singing, O mountains!

For the Lord has comforted His people,

And will have mercy on His afflicted."

Isa 49:14  But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." 

Isa 49:15  "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. 

Isa 49:16  Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. 

Isa 49:17  Your builders make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you. 

Isa 49:18  Lift up your eyes around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, declares the LORD, you shall put them all on as an ornament; you shall bind them on as a bride does. 

Isa 49:19  "Surely your waste and your desolate places and your devastated land-- surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away. 

Isa 49:20  The children of your bereavement will yet say in your ears: 'The place is too narrow for me; make room for me to dwell in.' 

Isa 49:21  Then you will say in your heart: 'Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away, but who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; from where have these come?'" 

Isa 49:22  Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

This seemed to be loaded with purpose and promises to Gus.

With the Lord now directing his path, Gus didn’t move down the road, or to another part of B.C., He decided that he was going to start over in another country, Gus investigated Costa Rica but found no opportunities. So, he ended up moving to Bolivia where he bought ‘farm’ land consisting of 247 acres of heavy jungle, with a river bordering the north end, and a lake on the south end. He then bought a bulldozer and built seven kms of road to the property.

The first year he lived in a tent under a straw roof in the yard of the people from whom he bought the land. After the road was built and some clearing done, Gus built his house, shop and garage all under one large metal roof. He then started clearing the jungle and planting rice. He also had some pasture with cattle.

Mud is a problem on the mostly dirt
roads, especially in rainy season

During his time on the farm, Gus attended a Spanish church in a village called Santa Maria, 20 kms away. But to get there he had to reach the main highway, which meant crossing the river by ferry for the first 2 1⁄2 years before a nice bridge was built.

For about six years, Gus developed his farm quite successfully, but during this time he became rather concerned about the salvation of the many children throughout Bolivia. When he would see children the question that would always come to mind was this: “What opportunity will these children ever have to come to know God and His eternal salvation?”

The Lord developed that question to a very specific call and led Gus into His ministry to bring the Word of God to all the public schools throughout Bolivia.

During those six years, Gus found that he had some of the Lord’s funds on hand, tithe money that he hadn't yet disbursed, and he did not know where to designate it. Then it came to mind that he should purchase some children’s Bible story books and give one to each family in his church. He did.

After that, he felt like the Lord was saying, (that’s fine but there are more children). So he thought maybe he should do this to other churches as well. But then the question came to mind saying, “Gus, why do you only think of the children in church?”

That question hit fairly hard because Gus felt that the Lord wanted him to do this over all of Bolivia, and that was a much bigger project than he could even imagine. There were so many questions like; where would the material come from, where would the funds come from to purchase the material, how would it get distributed, what material should be distributed?

Gus went around this tree while road-making

While thinking on all this the Lord gave him the Bible verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:24 “Faithful is He who calls you who also will do it”. By now you have probably figured out that Gus doesn’t do anything half-way; perhaps that’s why God chose him for this great challenge. So, Gus sold his farm and all that he had and bought a vehicle to transport the material. He also purchased two apartments for rental purposes to generate some income, and he rented a room together with a secure car garage in the city of Santa Cruz.

Then he ordered 500 children’s Bible Story Books from Ohio, USA for $700.  Gus distributed these to schoolchildren and teachers in a town north of Santa Cruz called Rurenabaque where he had done a survey to get an idea of the number of students in schools. Gus was very excited to have received such a holy calling, and determined to not give God a divided heart which meant sell everything and go into this full time.

After some time, a friend came from Paraguay with some Scripture material and asked Gus if he could store it in his garage for a while. Two weeks later, the friend asked if Gus had looked at the material yet which he had not, but as he looked at it he knew immediately this was exactly what he needed, and it just happened to be in his garage.

This was enough to give him a really good start. Montero was a smaller town North of Santa Cruz where he knew a pastor who was very excited about this mission. He would provide him with a bed for the night and also arrange for either himself or another pastor to go with him for the day as he distributed the booklets. During this process he met up with many pastors, and this is where he met with Rene Estevez Ordonez who worked on the project until 2011.

Following up on where the material came from, Gus found that David Klassen from Canada was instrumental in directing the material to Paraguay from World Missionary Press and was more than willing to arrange for them to receive this material as well.

Gus soon realized that his funds would run out and that funds would have to come in from outside sources. Therefore, he felt the need to make himself accountable somehow and, so, developed a board of directors consisting of some Canadians and some Bolivianos.

He also realized that support would likely come from Canada and, so, he also formed a board in Canada consisting of persons who have been in Bolivia and have seen the work first hand. Since then they have become a charitable organization known as Next Generation Ministries Inc. (NGM).

NGM is committed to the following ministries in Bolivia:

Bolivian Board

1. Presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every school, student and teacher.

2. Work together with evangelical pastors to bring this about.

3. Supply each student with the Word of God.

4. Supply each teacher with Bible study booklets.

5. Encourage these helping pastors to follow up on all these students and teachers.

The country's schools only go to grade six. This means that every six years they will all be new students. So it would be good to cover Bolivia every three to six years.

What do the materials consist of and how are they produced?

The material is in booklet form and it is mostly Scripture. Actually it is the Bible in condensed form with all the major doctrines of the Gospel. They are printed and shipped for free from WMP (World Missions Press).

   

This is the cover and second page of the booklet.

NGM’s access to Bibles has been very limited, but when they have Bibles or New Testaments they try to leave at least one with each school and, if possible, one with each teacher. Their next shipment is going to have 1,250,000 Scripture Booklets.

What has happened as a result of this mission in Bolivia?

Since this mission started in 2005 the gospel has been presented to more than 7,000,000 teachers and students, and may soon exceed 10,000,000. Every schoolchild in Bolivia and every teacher has received the booklet. Today NGM has workers in the cities of Cobija, Trinidad, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, La Paz and Sucre.

Recently the door has opened to Peru, but with the existing mission, they are not able to use funds that are given to NGM for the work in Peru.

NGM has contacted WMP who are prepared to ship a small container to Lima, Peru, if Gus can coordinate the work there to unload and distribute the material. As of this writing, WMP is contemplating the shipment of a container to Lima.

This container of Scripture booklets is to be placed into the hands of the Assemblies of God, which is a very large organization in Peru. Gus spoke to a leading pastor in Lima who told him that he has the oversight of 6,000 pastors in Peru. So, it appears that they have all their workers in place and will make good use of the material, with God’s blessing.

It is just amazing how God can use one humble but determined man to begin and run a work whereby the Gospel reaches 10,000,000 people – perhaps an entire generation of an entire country have the opportunity to receive the assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Is it any wonder that they call him the Apostle to the Andes.

But Gus would want to make sure you know that this is not a story about him; it’s a story of what God can do, and he would give Him all the glory which is right. But I would like to point out that for God to glorify Himself He needs servants who listen, are willing, have faith, and are courageous. Gus is such a man. God bless him.

If you would like to be a part of this incredible ministry, please visit NGM’s website: http://nexgenerationbolivia.org

 You also have the opportunity to support NGM’s Supplier: www.wmpress.org

'Harbinger' Messianic Rabbi: 'Smile of Heaven' Removed from America

WASHINGTON – The prophetic words delivered in 1789 by President George Washington in his first inaugural speech echoed loud and clear Wednesday evening in the chamber of the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall – this time in the voice of Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, author of the best-selling “The Harbinger.”

The venue was a one-of-a-kind prayer meeting called “Washington: A Man of Prayer, 2014,” commemorating the events of April 30, 1789, when, after being sworn in at Federal Hall, Washington, accompanied by Congress, proceeded to St. Paul’s Chapel where, as one of his first official acts, he offered a prayer of dedication to God on America’s behalf.

Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn

The hall was filled with government officials, members of Congress, justices and other invited guests. The event – hosted by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. and emceed by Mike Huckabee – was televised and live-streamed by WND.

Cahn wove his challenge to the attendees by referencing Washington’s address and his warning that the new nation could not expect to prosper if it forgot God: “The propitious smile of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself hath ordained.”

Cahn continued: “We stand tonight on Capitol Hill, in the city named after the one who gave that prophetic warning, to ask, can a nation drive out the name of God from its public square, and the Word of God from its schools and the ways of God from its culture and still expect the smiles of God to shine upon it?

“Can the blood of 50 million unborn children cry out to heaven from this land and the smiles of heaven still remain?

“Members of Congress, can a government call evil good and good evil and forge laws that war against the laws of the Almighty and the smiles of heaven still remain?

“Supreme Court justices, can you strike down the statutes of the Almighty and overturn the judgments of the Most High and still expect the smiles of heaven to remain?

“Mr. President, can you place your left hand on the Word of God to assume your office and with your right hand sign laws which break the very Word upon which you swore and still expect the smiles of heaven to remain?

“The voice of our first president cries out to us tonight and answers, no you cannot do so and still expect the smiles of heaven to remain on this land.”

Christian leaders participating include the program director for the event, Dr. Jim Garlow, as well as Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., Dr. Robert Jeffress, Phyllis Schlafly, Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, Star Parker, Penny Nance, Dr. Peter Lillback, Bill Federer, Bishop Angel Nunez, Rosemary Schindler Garlow, Charmaine Yoest, Sergio De La Mora, Tony Perkins, Samuel Rodriguez and Rafael Cruz (father of Sen. Ted Cruz.)

Watch the video here. It may be the most amazing 4 minutes you will ever spend watching a video.

I Love It When People Listen to God

This is a follow-up to: Listening to the heart of God

At a dinner just before Christmas, an amazing young Christian man told me that I was under 'tremendous' spiritual attack. I agreed with him without hesitation. It has to do with my other blog (see the link above), and maybe my soon-to-be-published book, and maybe, also, my wife's ministry with Pulmonary Hypertension sufferers. See: God answers prayer

At any rate, this past weekend it became obvious that the attack had expanded to include some of my children. Two of our children on consecutive days suffered significant trauma in their lives. It became obvious that we needed people praying for us.

However, we were too sick to go to church Sunday, and I was too sick to go to the intercessory prayer meeting that I usually attend on Monday evening. I was thinking that I would have to wait for Saturday night before finding people to pray for us.

Then the phone rang. It was a friend from the apartment building we just moved out of. She and another good friend had felt that they were supposed to call a prayer meeting for Thursday evening to pray for my wife and I and our ministries.

Wow! That's listening to God! 

I am quite looking forward to what He is going to do. God doesn't call a prayer meeting for fun; it's very likely that He plans to do something. I'll report back Friday or Saturday.

Meanwhile, if you could think of us occasionally in your prayers, it would be greatly appreciated.

What is Jesus to You? Questions and Answers from Ann Voskamp

This is an excerpt from Ann Voskamp's blog - A Holy Experience, posted yesterday. Even though she mainly ministers to women, she is closer to God than anyone I know today except for Jesus Himself.
Today's blog is just a powerful. See lower right column for connection.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2014/01/the-most-important-skill-that-your-2014-really-needs/
And the wonder Christmas whispers it right into the pragmatism of my New Year:

Is Jesus merely useful to you — or is He ultimately beautiful to you?

When Jesus is useful to me, I’m looking for a genie in a bottle, to give me the life I want.

When Jesus is beautiful to me, I’m looking for His face in my life, to give Him the love I feel.

When Jesus is merely useful to me, I want Him to move my world.

When Jesus is ultimately beautiful to me, it’s my heart that is moved – and this begins to change the world.

When I see Jesus as useful, he’s a gadget to make my life better. When I see Jesus as beautiful, He’s a joy that makes my heart sing louder….

Am I a Jesus-user?
Or a Jesus-adorer?

In a new year, the only hope of a new me, is only Christ in me.

The most important life skill to have in 2014 is to live aware that Jesus is the only life I have.

Nothing will happen this year apart from Him. Nothing will be remade, nothing will be transformed, nothing will be satisfying apart from Him. Jesus is the only life I have. His shed blood is the only blood I have. His given heart is the only heart I have. His identity is the only real identity I have.

The most important skill to have in 2014 is paying attention to Jesus — nothing else is worth spending your one beautiful year on.

The only real self-help you can ever really muster is preaching Jesus to yourself.

I sweep needles out from under the Christmas tree, and it’s like finding the needle in the hay stack, finding what I need for a new year. It’s all getting simpler:

Just  be with Jesus. Listen to Jesus. Rest in Jesus. Wait for Jesus. Be Loved by Jesus. Wonder over Jesus. Live through Jesus.

When who Jesus is overwhelms you — nothing that happens can overcome you.

Steep your soul in Jesus and nothing is too steep to overcome.

Whatever you do, do it as Jesus.
Whatever you do, do it as to Jesus.

The New Year just got ultra-simplified:

Do everything as Jesus.
Do everything to Jesus.

Duck Dynasty Star Suspended for Calling Gays Sinners

Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson is off the hit A&E reality series indefinitely after disparaging gays as sinners akin to adulterers and swindlers, the network said.

A&E announced Wednesday what it called a "hiatus" for Robertson, 67, after he disparaged gays in the January edition of GQ magazine. He also said that, growing up in Louisiana before the Civil Rights movement, he never saw mistreatment of blacks.

Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson

Of course, growing up in pre-Civil Rights Louisiana, he might not fully comprehend what mistreatment is.

In a statement, A&E said it was extremely disappointed to see Robertson's anti-gay remarks, which it said were based on his personal beliefs and do not reflect those of A&E Networks or the show. A&E called itself a supporter of the lesbian and gay community.

The channel's move was lauded by the gay and lesbian media advocacy group GLAAD, which had quickly condemned Robertson's comments.

"What's clear is that such hateful anti-gay comments are unacceptable to fans, viewers, and networks alike," said GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz. Robertson's removal "has sent a strong message that discrimination is neither a Christian nor an American value."

Robertson and his extended family became wealthy manufacturing duck calls and were turned into TV and pop culture stars by Duck Dynasty, which has set cable ratings records for a non-fiction series. Several family members appeared in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving parade.

In his GQ interview, Robertson was asked his definition of sinful behaviour. "Start with homosexual behaviour and just morph out from there," such as bestiality, he said.

GQ said he then paraphrases a biblical reference: "Don't be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers — they won't inherit the kingdom of God. Don't deceive yourself. It's not right."

Robertson and his family had no comment on his hiatus, A&E said on their behalf. He may be in some previously taped scenes when the show returns Jan. 15 for its fifth season, a network spokesman said.

Robertson did respond to initial criticism of his GQ remarks.

"I myself am a product of the '60s" who indulged in sex and drugs until hitting bottom and accepting Jesus as his saviour, he said in a statement. Although his mission is to teach people that men and women are meant to be together, Robertson said he "would never treat anyone with disrespect" because they are different.

This is an example of what I wrote above. He is not fully aware of what might be mistreatment or discrimination. In my humble opinion, what he said was true and the Scriptures he paraphrased were accurate enough, but the way he said it was certainly offensive, although I don't know if there is any way of saying it that is not offensive.

The LGBT community and its supporters would like to have the many Scriptures condemning homosexuality removed from the Bible or, they would probably prefer to have the Bible outlawed as hate literature. 

That poses a dilemma for Christians who believe the Bible is the written word of God. We can say nothing and allow gay people to meet the fate God has promised them, or we can tell them what God said. Which is more loving - to allow someone to spend eternity in Hell, or giving them a chance to spend eternity in a new Heaven and earth by offending them?

While we Christians often articulate things very poorly and often fail to manifest the character of Jesus, especially in dealing with gays, I submit that the more loving thing to do is to tell gays of the consequences they will meet when they stand before Christ, rather than being silent for fear of offending them.

In the interview, he also said that in his Louisiana youth he picked cotton with African-Americans and never saw "the mistreatment of any black person. Not once."

"We're going across the field.... They're singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, 'I tell you what: These doggone white people' — not a word!" Robertson told the magazine.

A&E said it had received no complaints about those remarks.

Amazing Testimonies of Heaven and God's Miraculous Healing

Below is an exchange on Facebook where my wife, Patricia, has a lot of PH friends. My wife was instantly healed of PH when a group of friends and I prayed for her. The story is on the link just below. 

I post it to give glory to God Who still heals today, and to give hope to those who are dealing with chronic problems. Don't give up hope. Whether your healing comes in this world or the next, it will come if you believe in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.

Meanwhile, please pray phor a cure for PH. There are way too many people suffering and dying from this horrible disease.

Patricia McFarland-Myers -Yesterday as I stood in line at the Post Office I was overwhelmed by God's Grace. 2 yrs ago I could not stand in line. I was in a Wheelchair. 1 yr. ago I had the incurable disease PH (Pulmonary Hypertension).

We moved back to B.C. to be closer to more family...after Gary & friends prayed Drs. are saying they can't find it. See full story.

2 days ago either our son Bob or Hubby & I had no place to live after Christmas. (We are using his small cute apt.) I stood in line at the Post office to send a very modest rent to a young man in England. We will be house sitting his beautiful furnished high-rise apt. for possibly the next 6 yrs. Humbled by Gods Grace. I feel like Tye Pennington had just yelled "Move that Bus!"

For those of you who don't know, my PHriend who posted above Alice Jaehne has a great experience too. She was all but dead 3 months ago. She was on life support...She saw Heaven. 4/5days later she was back at home. God is listening. If you don't think so. .just ask Him.
about an hour ago via mobile · Edited · Like


Alice Marie Jaehne - Hello, I am the ph friend Patricia is referring to.

On Sept 30 my husband called 911 and my last memory was him running down the hall for the phone, next memory I was in a place so bright it was absolutely stunning! I knew I was in heaven, my brother died in 2012, he was with me, he had become a quadriplegic 10 yrs ago when he rolled his big rig to avoid what he thought was a card load of kids! His voice was barely a whisper with all the tubes, but in heaven when he talked to me it was his voice before the accident, I was just stunned, then I heard another voice telling me it was not my time!

Then I woke up and it was 4 days later, I was still on the life support and failed the first breathing test, 24 hours later I passed on day 5 and got off the breathing machine and went home on day 6. I had gone into renal failure and had full blown sepsis shock and the dr. told my husband if they could bring me back I would be on dialysis the remainder of my life. 

We know the Lord was working with those dr's because they were in shock that when I woke they tested my kidneys and today I do not have even 1 percent of kidney damage. PRAISE GOD! I looked up full blown sepsis shock and its not pretty but for me to have full working kidneys and come off life supports also is truly a miracle, not to mention getting to see a glimpse if heaven. 

So for any that are not sure if there is a God or heaven Patricia McFarland and I can tell you there is and the Lord was with us both, Patricia's miracle just touches my heart so deeply, it shows how powerful prayer is and that God listens to us all no matter how big or small! I know that people on here were praying for me, and my husband by my side praying, I want to thank you all because your prayers worked and I am very grateful!


Velma Jean Ettlin God is so great and I do love when we get yes but some times he says no with the same love.
I experienced a miracle healing of a blown disk in my lower back in 1975 and a no when the disk in my neck blew. Later God did heal me thru a dr and surgery. He taught me to praise with a yes and to praise louder with a no. We dont always get a yes but God is in control.
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Velma Jean Ettlin I write this for those that have prayed and didn't get a yes. Just know God always hears and answers for your best.

The Self-Immolation of the Republican Party of the US

When I think of the Republican in the US, I envision a dirt-poor, idiotic hillbilly sitting on the ground with a rifle happily shooting his toes off one by one. His demented brain thinks the pain is actually fun. That he will soon bleed to death never occurs to him; he's having fun.

As a born-again, right-wing, conservative Christian, I have a certain empathy for the Tea-Partiers and share many of their beliefs, but their methods are repulsive. The Tea Party has forced Speaker Boehner into the corner that he's in - a corner with no possible way out with dignity, and no  possible way out without losing a great deal of political collateral.

The Tea Party, though small in numbers is steering the Republican Party like a rudder steers a ship. It is using threats to less conservative Republicans to support their plans or they will be challenged in the next election. Tea Partiers wave the Stars and Stripes, ask God to bless America, and generally appeal to Christians because of their stance against abortion, gay rights, big government, etc. They are also against universal health care which they have convinced Christians is a bad thing.

Here are the problems with Tea Partiers and their supporters:

Refusing health care for some people is completely unChrist-like. The Bible says that we will be judged on our attitudes and actions toward the sick and the poor. Being a Christian will not exempt you from that judgement.

You cannot set up a theocracy in the US! It will result in absolute anarchy and will make the Gospel impossible to share with anyone who isn't already a Christian.

Fighting against the government in an effort to destroy it is also anti-Biblical. Neither Jesus, nor any of the Apostles, fought against the governments of their day. They taught respect for authority, not contempt. In the first century the Biblical world was run by Romans. During the latter days of Paul and John, Nero was Caesar. Nero used to turn Christians into living candles to light his garden at night. Yet, not one word has been written by either disciple against him.

The only people for which Jesus showed contempt were the religious hypocrites. The people who were so dogmatic they didn't recognize God when He stood in their midst. In today's world, that might be the Tea Partiers. Do they not realize that God appoints rulers? Can they not see that President Obama won the last election because of his reaction to Hurricane Sandy? Do you think hurricane Sandy was not ordained by God? If so, you don't know your Bible, and you don't really know God.

Christians, you are being manipulated, used and abused by people who think they can run the US better than the man God appointed. If your attitude is one of contempt toward Barack Obama, then you are expressing contempt for God Who chose him. You should be very uncomfortable with that.

You cannot hate someone you are truly praying for. Real prayer will result in loving the person who is the focus of your prayer. If you hate Obama it is because you are not genuinely praying for him - for him, not for his views to line up with yours - that is praying for yourself. Pray for God to meet his needs and for him to turn to God often and to hear His voice.

Stop the political nonsense and concentrate on the spiritual, on prayer, on the Gospel, on helping those in need wherever they are, and on glorifying God by acting in a manner consistent with the character of Jesus every moment of every day, in every situation. Do that and you will change the world.

God is so Cool!

Yesterday and the day before were travel days for my wife and I and Butch the undercover police dog. We brought our little trailer back down to Abbotsford, B.C. from Edmonton, AB, in case we decide to go south this winter (to southern California). Some questions need to be answered before we decide.

We spent the night before last at Mount Robson National Park. Robson is a very impressive mountain in the Canadian Rockies but was clouded in when we got there. I did get down to the river and took this stunning picture of the gorge near Mt Robson on the upper, Upper Fraser River.

Mount Robson gorge on Fraser River

We got home yesterday in time to drop the trailer and unload the several bins of stuff we brought back from Edmonton, just before dark. When I walked Butch, it was already dark. Unfortunately, upon our return to the apartment building, I realized that I had lost my key fob. To make matters worse, it's black! So here I am in the dark looking for a black key fob in the parking lot and in the grass.

Of course, we have 2 key fobs, but the second one is with my son, an hour away, for him to use while we were away in Edmonton. Now the problem becomes serious - we can get away without a fob for a couple days, if necessary, as long as one of us stayed home to buzz the other in. But at the end of a long and tiring day, I was starting to get frustrated.

Just then I remembered one of my own proverbs (see Gary's proverbs column). It's the one about glorifying God every moment of every day, in every circumstance. I would remember that one. I began talking to God, "OK, Lord, how do I glorify You in this circumstance?" I immediately thought - by not getting frustrated.

"OK, Lord, I can live with the inconvenience of this situation without getting upset or even annoyed." Immediately, I stepped on something in the grass that didn't belong there - it was my key fob! I wasn't even surprised. God does stuff like this so often it's almost funny. Blessed be the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and blessed be His Son, Jesus Christ.

God Answers Prayer

This is a copy of a post on my other blog "Save A Child from Sexual Abuse." Thought everyone should read it.

Almost exactly one year ago, my wife, Patricia, had knee replacement surgery. After the surgery she developed pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in the lungs). Over the summer this turned into pulmonary hypertension – a significant increase in the blood pressure as it flows from the lungs to the heart. This causes damage to the left ventricle of the heart, and, if left untreated, will usually kill you in 2 to 3 years.

Pat was diagnosed in October, last year, and as fall turned into winter and winter ever-so-reluctantly into spring, the symptoms worsened. In late winter, I had to take her to emergency because of atrial fibrillation.

In early spring we were in Edmonton. We were invited to a senior’s function at the church we had attended a few years ago. Several days before the function, I felt God impress on me that we should attend and ask some of the seniors to pray for Pat.

On the day of the event Pat was having a very difficult time breathing. As we got ready to go, it was a question of whether we go to the event or to emergency. We decided to go to emergency. As we headed to the truck I was questioning God, "Didn't You want me to take her to the event so to have people pray for her? If you do, then You will have to make it happen, otherwise, we are going to emergency." Immediately, Pat announced that the fresh air seemed to help a lot. So, we went to the seniors function instead, promising to go to emerg if she has trouble breathing again.

Pat was fine through the event but as it was ending the breathing difficulty returned. I asked the remaining seniors to pray for my wife. A half dozen of us, all very good friends and very committed Christians laid hands on her and prayed fervent, heart-felt prayers. During the prayer, Pat felt something in her chest, as though she was doing an interior sit-up. Immediately, she could breathe much better.

What had God done? She suffered very little in the way of breathing problems since but still had considerable fatigue and some other symptoms. So, she went through another battery of tests with a new Respirologist here in Abbotsford. Yesterday, we got the results: Pulmonary Hypertension is completely gone! The symptoms she is still feeling are probably from the medication she is on. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.

God answers prayers, sometimes in spectacular ways. Prayer should be our first resort. Your prayers can make the world a better place. Please pray.

Does God Go Before You?

One of the most profound pieces of scripture can be found in Joshua’s final address to his people shortly before his death. That’s where you will find the infamous line, “But me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” However, there is so much more in the passage.

Johsua had led the people into the Promised Land, and after several years of war had rid the land of its original inhabitants, but not completely. They had left some alive including the entire Gibeonite tribe which tricked Joshua and the elders in making a treaty with them. Joshua and the elders neglected to consult God regarding the matter and it would eventually cost them dearly in future generations.

We New Testament Christians enter the Promised Land when we surrender ourselves completely to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Until then we just wander through the wilderness where our ‘old man’ must die and all things become new. What the Hebrews did in the flesh corresponds well to modern Christians in the spiritual.

The Gibeonites and otherites who were left alive against God’s commands represent serving foreign gods to us Christians. They are the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. They are ambition, riches, pride, sensuality – any thing that pulls us away from single-minded obedience to God and causes us to set our own course.

For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no-one has been able to stand against you to this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. Therefore, take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God. Or else, if indeed you do go back and cling to the remnant of these nations – these that remain among you – and make marriages with them, and go into them, and they to you, know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they will be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. Joshua 24:9-13 NKJ.

This amazing passage reminds us that the Lord goes before us to lead us into the Promised Land. However, our lack of faith and our disobedience get in His way. Remember Jesus said, in John 14 and 15, that if we love Him we will keep his commandments, and if we don’t keep His commandments it is because we don’t love Him. So Joshua’s admonition that you love the Lord your God, calls us to obedience. Furthermore, God, by his permissive providence will test both our faith and our obedience, so failure in one will lead to failure in the other.

The Hebrews had to turn back into the desert – for 40 years – because of their lack of faith. Despite all the incredible miracles God had so recently performed in their midst, they didn’t trust Him to go before them and deliver the giants and walled cities into their hands. They returned to the desert until every last male over the age of 20, at the time of their rebellion, had died, but for Joshua and Caleb.

Heb 3:18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?

Heb 4:9-11 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

Rest, ie peace, is what the Hebrews received after they had rid the land of most of the foreign peoples. To do that they had to be willing to go to war and they had to go to war. They had to fight, but their victory was assured because God went before them, except when they disobeyed God as Achan did (see Joshua 7).

Similarly, we have to fight to rid ourselves of those lusts and temptations that pull us toward worldly desires and away from God. We do that by ‘knowing’ God. Love is often a function of communication; loving God requires our communicating with Him. We communicate with God by reading about Him, by meditating on Him (Be still and know that I am God), by worshipping Him, by praying and by just walking with Him and listening. As we get to know Him better and better, we love Him more and more and obedience becomes easier than we can imagine. Then we can enter God’s rest on earth.

It’s when our hearts and minds are so busy with the ‘cares of the world’ that we become like the disobedient Hebrews. The Lord no longer goes before us and we are soon plagued by snares, traps, scourges and thorns until there is no place found for us in God’s rest. God’s rest is not only here on earth, but in Heaven and probably also in the Millennial Reign. God’s rest ends when He returns to earth and sets up the New Jerusalem. Then, I believe, it’s back to work for us, but in a far, far better world.