SUBJECT: PASSION
IF SOMEONE WERE TO ASK YOU, "WHAT LEVEL OF PASSION DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR SAVIOR?" WHAT WOULD YOUR ANSWER BE? HAVE YOU EVER SEEN JESUS CHRIST? OF COURSE REFERRING TO VISION, DREAMS OR SOME AWAKEN STATE. THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE PERHAPS WON'T ADMIT IT.
READ ON!

While in kidnaped captivity, two missionaries observed a man in the neighboring cell. He was a native of that foreign country who wouldn't relinquish his belief in Christ. The guards would take him out every day into the yard and beat him. They beat him morning and evening. The Missionaries knew, and the man knew that when the prison door was opened he would be beaten and told to give up Christ.

One day the guards were especially hard on the man. They caused unusual suffering and life threatening harm to him, resulting in profuse bleeding and unconsciousness. As he lay on the floor of his prison cell, the Missionaries thought that he had died. The guards, also, thought that they had accomplished their goal. (To destroy the vessel that believed in Christ.)

To the amazement of the Missionaries, the badly beaten man rose up to his knees, a radiant look on his face and began to mumble as if he were talking to someone. The jail door opened. The prisoner walked through the door. Then the door to the prison opened. The prisoner walked through it. He found himself in the court yard. He was fearful to cross the open court yard but, the large brick door to the courtyard opened and he proceeded to walk out and to freedom. The guards were not watching the prisoners at the time when all of these events took place. But, these Missionaries to Afghanistan saw that which was previously described.

When the guards went back to their guard posts and saw the prisoner had escaped, they immediately blamed one another for leaving the prison door opened. BUT…they asked the Missionaries what had happened, and they told them that the man walked free as doors opened before him. At first they wanted to blame the Missionaries, but they were still locked in their prison cell.

Some way, the Missionaries received word about the man. The former prisoner informed them that JESUS visited him in the cell and told him to follow Him. His report is that JESUS was dressed a glowing white robe which reached to the ground. JESUS had a beautiful Peaceful countenance, and the man was compelled to follow Him.

In the Book of Acts 12th chap.1-19, Peter was chained between two guards in a locked cell. The House Church prayed that he would be released. While they were praying, the Angel of the LORD came to Peter. The Angel told Peter to put on his sandals and follow him. The chains fell off, the prison door to his cell was opened and all the other doors opened to him as he walked free. (The guards were sleeping.) Read this account.

It's not a popular thing to see visions in America because of the teachings of Sigmund Freud and the ‘Psychiatric' crowd. Some people who have had visions of Christ are afraid to say they have. There are people who are solidly sold out for Christ. The Vision causes you to know that Christ is REAL! Once you have experienced His presence, whether in dream, vision or in an awaken state, you will never again deny or walk the middle of the road. (I would that you were either hot or cold. If you are neither hot nor cold, I will spue you out of my mouth.) Rev.3rd.chap.

There is a motion picture produced by Mel Gibson. He claims to have a vision of Christ; and as a result he has put his encounter on film. (I haven't seen it as yet.) This visionary encounter with Christ, has changed the life of this actor.

Many are ridiculing this actor for his beliefs. He doesn't seem to care. He has something that he has never had before and he doesn't want to go back to the old life. He gave up everything financing this movie; but it doesn't seem to matter to this actor. When asked if he would ever do action movies like he did in the past; he replied that as far as he was concerned that part of his life was over.

While there are segments of our society which run toward, ‘what GOD can give them,' it is refreshing to hear of the release of everything for the ‘Kingdom of GOD.' Many of Mel Gibson's critics have said that he will go broke doing what he is doing. His reply to these statements is casual. He feels that he will have done what his heart's desire has directed.

The WORD of GOD says that "For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16.) There isn't a prerequisite to SEE or VISUALIZE Christ. Aren't you glad? Now the question is what are you doing with what you believe? Do you wish that you could just SEE Him? You're not ready for that. Thomas said, "I won't believe until I place my hands into His side." Jesus allowed Thomas to do as he wished, but Jesus told him "You believe because you have seen; but blessed are those who have not seen but believe." Ref. John 20:24-29.

Have you ever seen Christ? Saul met Christ on the Road to Damascus. As a result of this encounter, Saul underwent a name change to ‘Paul,' gave up his position in the most powerful army of his day, and became, Paul…writer of nearly two thirds of the New Testament. Paul gave up his position of power and prominence which paled in the presence of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is:
The Door of all doors; The Way of all ways; The Truth of all truths; The Life of all lives; The Rock of all rocks; All Mighty; All Powerful; All Knowing; All Presence GOD. He is Hope to the hopeless; Bread to the hungry; Water to the thirsty; He is a Shelter and a Shield; He gives sight to the blind; makes the lame to walk and the dumb to talk; He is the Deliverer to the possessed; He is The Healer to the sick; He is Joy to the disconsolate; He is Rest to the weary; He is a Burden Bearer; He's the Yoke to the downtrodden; He is the Balm of Gilead to the sin sick soul.
Jesus is:
The Lamb of GOD; The Sacrificial Lamb of GOD; He is the Lamb without spot or wrinkle; He is The Only Begotten of the Father; He is The Glory of GOD; The Higher of the highest; The Better of the best; The purer of the purest He is GOD.

A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey has documented traces of many Medications in the water samples from thirty nine states. Better disposal of household medications guidelines is necessary. Until then, it may be a good idea to ask your local pharmacy if they take unused medications. If they don't; it may be better to throw your unused medication into the trash rather than the toilet.
Note: ( Make sure that young children don't get hold of your discards.)

The Archives of Internal Medicine did a double blind study in June and found that the extract of Black, Green, or Oolong Red Tea taken in highly concentrated form, may help lower the low density LDL Cholesterol, which is the bad Cholesterol. Note: Just sipping cups of tea doesn't guarantee that you will lower your cholesterol. These are concentrated extracts equal to hundreds of cups of tea per capsule.

ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS: On the WEB cspinet.org
Most supplements are safe, but the goal is to protect consumers from the ones that aren't. Supplements, unlike food additives and drugs don't have to be tested before they are placed in consumers hands. Warnings are not required on labels nor ads. Manufacturers don't have to notify the FDA when they receive an adverse reaction.
Note: This article suggests that we have a complete overhaul of the legislature that regulates supplements. For more information go to the WEB address listed above.

FRIDAY'S WORD: justification; jus*ti*fi*ca*tion; is a term that has reference to judicial judgment; the meaning is patent in both Testaments:
‘to declare righteous,'‘to vindicate, acquit, pronounce and treat as just.' The nature of justification is shown to be declarative, constitutive, and imputative, so the ground resides in nothing else but the accomplished work of Christ, and it's source in the free grace of God.

It's not March 2004 yet, but that's where I found myself in my next month's issue of, In Touch's Publication. It's from there that I would like to share with you some transforming perspective in which hopefully, you'll find difficult to find disagreeable.

The article is entitled; "Rediscovering Passion and Wonder," written by Richard Winter, author of ‘Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment,' published by InterVarsity Press.

It's one of those articles that I would find myself pausing after nearly each paragraph and actually meditating what I just read due to the shocking truth enclosed, as well as much personal experience in my relationship with Jesus Christ.

I'm breaking into a whole new arena (writing)to me, and I never write an article without taking into consideration how many readers are going to agree, as well as disagree with what's being shared. To be even more honest I have had to overcome thoughts of any and all misunderstandings,(due to context) because it's merely a true to life issue, and I would never get upset with anyone about it. There is something God is teaching you, and He's teaching me, that is: If you have any truth that God has entrusted to you; you have to pass it along whether it's telling a young child to brush his teeth everyday, or read your Bible daily; if the Christian doesn't tell it, how will it be told?

The excerpts alone would make any Christian, or non-Christian pause to think about what's being said, and especially if you look back over the last thirty to fifty years when life and living were much different than today.

Forgive me for not bringing you more of the information, but my writing is very limited, and you can easily get hold of the article or his book. Listen to the very last sentence in his article and it will more than adequately express what I believe in my deepest heart what every Christian needs desperately to not only hear, but experience.

"As we live in relationship with Him and in the light of what He has told us about the world, our perspective on the often difficult and boring things of life will gradually be transformed."

If you'll stop and meditate those words alone,("As we live in relationship with Him. ...,") I hope you cannot even imagine your life being the same. No it's all about conversion,(Matt.18:3) and until you bring yourself to that particular area in your own life, you'll never fully understand the Christian testimony, the Bible, or most important of all Jesus Christ.

I thank God for that article, because of how it helped me to know and have a greater realization that when we fail to communicate what God is at work doing in our lives, we do a disservice to our fellow Christians, and those to whom will become one, because of Christ in us our Hope Of Glory!
S.L.C.