4/21/11 THE PROBLEM OF PORNO AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES, MAUNDY THURSDAY

4/21/11

pic http://3.bp.blogspot.com

THE PROBLEM OF PORNO

image from http://www.cleancutmedia.com
AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES,

...so I'm sitting here @ B Library working on a project and the table I'm at happens to be right behind a public computer and a guy looking at pic after pic of naked or near-naked women and also various sexual images.....its clear as day from where I'm sitting...

now I'm a heterosexual man  myself and like woman, but I'm also a Christian and don't like to see  women exploited for their bodies only, and am also concerned about the  effect that non-stop porno viewing has on people such as this  fellow...and what about kids in the library ? this is a serious issue..  not to say the body is bad,,,in fact the body is GOOD, God made Adam  & Eve and said it was "good"...

http://www.paintgallery.net/adam_and_eve_a25987 .jpg
The problem isn't the body, nor the  naked body, nor is the problem sexuality or sex in general (and since  he's not looking at homosexual images I don't need to discuss that  here)...the problem is just the "raw" gazing upon anonymous images,

http://suescheffblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/internetporn .jpg

...one  after another, looking them up & down and all around without any  shame..and also if it takes young men away from reality..from the  healthy desire for the REAL THING Rather than pics of it.

http://www.bookswim.com/images_books/large/Real_Sex_for_Real_Women-122765732879190 .jpg

http://www.cdc-crdb.gov.kh/cdc/first_cdcf/session1/images/hiv_aid_91-07_04 .jpg

Of course in  liberal society today if women, as well, are afraid of the REAL THING  its a "vicious spiral"...and when I speak of the real thing I mean in a  committed relationship...

http://romanticpoems4all.com/romanticpoems22 .jpg

that's what is pleasing to God..."go and  cleave" to another ( i.e. a person of the opposite sex)

"...a man shall  leave his
father and mother ...

http://i43.tower.com/images/mm101165594/for-these-reasons-shall-man-leave-his-father-nathan-r-byrd-paperback-cover-art .jpg

...and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall  become one flesh...

http://www.stanmullins.com/images/adam_eve_painting .jpg

and the man and his wife were both naked and they  were not ashamed" Gen 2.24-25)

http://www.goodtimecharlieblog.com

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/8/85/20101107120938!Van_Loo_Naked_Man_and_Woman.jpg
http://www.askart.com/AskART/photos/SAH20090427_37752/912 .jpg


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBwcMiZtyCkT658dynrt2-gLGfs-H13Zoo2SPJ5G2BaLUlBquqLduJDoijryCBDVHC1qF6o1YIY4W2FM6pgwgqF4CFv4H2kvLEkY3oJNv_kiB_L4QS150g8TbSs9tlyFQyZyI7p-jbLY/s400/BIBLE-iamyourwife .jpg...and what about Matt 5.27 and "adultery in  the heart" ?

http://ucgmikebennett.files.wordpress.com

http://4.bp.blogspot.com

Of course, I don't like libraries that have internet so  obsessively triggered to block any & all websites that MIGHT contain  "adult images" (but might not; at one library they block youtube and  also a site named scribd which is mostly written documents, not a video  site, and definitely not aimed towards adult content) ..so the body is  good & sex is good, but lusting and adulterey in the heart is  bad..but what about when u r still single and searching ? is it ok then  ? I'm still not so sure its healthy. I don't even think a quality  relationship should begin based solely on physical qualities. Maybe  that's why we have a divorce problem in the USA . ..anyways, I also  posted a video of me at a library facetiously being "tempted" by adult  material on the website ("I confess..." ..with the point being to raise  this matter as an issue of concern and to talk about it, online, and to  give my theological viewpoint(s) as I also continue to grow and  learn...and still, occassionally, yearn for a committed relationship  with the right person of the opposite sex. God bless you all. Pray for  those who are afflicted with demons of addiction...

http://www.mavav.org

...to porn or other material(s) (drugs, etc)...that  keeps them constanly "pumped up" but not in touch with reality ...and  not participating as citizens in trying to make this world a better  place for everybody..ultimately, the incessant viewing or pornography  (and especially those who "get off" on it, I.e. masturbate)...
http://www.howtostopmasturbating.com
STOP JERKING OFF
is simply a  problem of being SELFISH...

http://www.esquire.com
STOP USING THE VIBRATOR

...and it causes other social problems..if you  are trapped in a cycle of addiction, there are ways to BREAK FREE...AND BE REAL !

http://gamesnet.vo.llnwd.net/o1/gamestar/objects/135334_main.jpg

...and  of course I always talk about Jesus Christ as the Way...

http://mudpreacher.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/jesus-the-way-the-truth-the-life.jpeg

..and ultimately  the only way, but if that's not your cup of tea (coming to Christ  involves commitment and work) there are other forms of treatment for  addiction..

http://2.bp.blogspot.com

MAUNDY THURSDAY

search the web, you'll find it..be brave enough to ask for  help...let us all keep growing either in faith or in citizenship or both  and keep making this world a better place for all...both men &  women..set aside your selfish habits that you may say is your "legal  right" but nonetheless is harmful in some ways to the betterment of  society..I invite you to take a new step today..for Christians...as we  approach Easter three days from now..we are at the end Of Lent... and I  hope u gave up something for a while..and if it was a selfish addiction  don't go back to it...leave it behind forever..have courage, God will  not let you down...!

http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/20091201

4/2/11 NOTES FROM FINAL DAY, SESSION 2, 168 FILM FEST,

4/2/11 

NOTES FROM FINAL DAY, 

SESSION 2, 

168 FILM FEST,

 
          ALEX Theatre, GLENDALE, CA

thanks to http://www.collidemagazine.com for the above pic

(by the way, last year they specifically said in one of ther pubs "please take lots of pics"..now he just said for first time, "please no cams" (inside theatre) (later, he said take pics during their award ceremony and said pics during the movies don't come out anyways...well, in fact, they do turn out just fine... but i'm not taking any chances of uptight film people sending me angry messages, despite professing to be Christians (like last year when I tried to promote a few 168 films by showing clips of their vids; fortunately, most of the Christian film people did not object and seem to be sincere Christians.. but the guy who produced "In the Hands of Sinners" really came on very angry and overbearing re my posting of a clip of his film...which, ironically, in retrospect, I realize now was actually a criticism of Christianity, not pro-Christianity...thus he was an imposter in the 168 film fest...; ironically, there may be too many film makers who are overly eager to criticize the church & Christianity itself in their own re-make of what they think Christianity should be..to such film makers if you say you are Christian, then .just promote the Gospel, don't spend all your time being armchair quarterbacks re the church)  ...(surprise appearance by actor erik estrada in "Inspector Sanchez"... to the founder and employees of 168 keep up the good work ..to nellie from the netherlands..nice chatting with you... remember me ? you recognized my name as Dutch.

4/2/11 NOTES FROM FINAL SESSION 2, 168 FILM FEST, ALEX THEATRE, GLENDALE, CA 120-3pm; .good 2nd session of films...here's some of the verbatim.. [this is unedited, incuding typos..last year I posted little clips of each vid, trying to promote the faith, & advance the kingdom..but I'm noticing more "copyright" claims at the end of these films...(I never understand "Christians" who claim copyrights on "Christian" material)...so I might not be posting vid clips..even tho I want to promote the faith..some of these "industry" people can be seriously uptight about this stuff (I remember a few messages from last year)...(which is a shame b/c the true Christians who want their stuff promoted for Kingdom purposes, may get left out..its too much of a danger for me..on YouTube..getting one more strike could lead to my entire 15,000 plus video website being shutdown) (the entire verbatim won't fit here so for all of it go to http://hwblog.posterous.com/4211-notes-from-2nd-session-final-day-168-chr. ;Here's my notes & some verbatim from the 2nd session: "Rapper..quick reminder..doesn't matter..u and your career..nobody buy a gospel ..contract..ur not coming back..stupid..id kill for your life..wrong house..dj trizz..xompilation..handed kets..blamin god..scr..y hgo yhis route..didn't want just what I wanted..now how I feel..let me spin a verse..this ain't just entertainment..this is ministry..gotta know god..take some time..looks like eminem..credit card declined..sleeping on couce.demise of o child..nack at nightclub..women..ochild..slot in beat feast ..be huge..o-child new rap..won't go back..like nothin I've ever done..freedom.. ------------------ Digging w. Shovel..eery...pushups..lady..mommy..fish..cutting..sending messages..potato..eating raw..can't go back..fixing electronics....its not ok..news clips..pop control, apocalypse..pond..canteen..water from creek..snipers ..visual..dna confirmation..take her alive..chase...shot..inject self..kills self..been discovered..10 mins to repair machine ..may be last transmission..bible by transmittor....dr...know uve been receiving ..read your last article...final message his voice "if my people.." ..so scared..mot here to hurt u... ---------------- Paul ulring ...Eric waters..mill run sanctuary..sirvey of chr thought..average life cycle of ch is 50 years..brodie taphorn ..invited to youthgroup..ulring..godly grandmother ..atheist lawyer who chhallaenghed me..rob paul keith aaron....bufff delcamp..resident advisor...r.a. ..clipboard..nominal churchgoer..to be a better disciple..bill ..cool guy.woke..john stoltzenbach..was elem hi school teacher...brother at this church..came to shut him up..fund mssing piece..jesus..four years..fr heathen to seminary..explain the main thng..go make discples..mmain thing be & maje discple..wake them up..reach people..bring them to jc...no empty chairs..disciples disciples..rabbi..go do it ..sends 72 ..I'm a wounded healer..could have brken me....not so much learn in classroom..they atch master..info..skills..testimony story..brief answer ..who discpled u..all ought to say god loves u wondrfl plan..but fallen world...plenty heroes..executed..only one risen..lunch pin is ressurection.. ------------------ Inspector sanchez,..take him out back..throw him it ..bike..2nd gen health inspctr..try hand at acting..pretending to cry..sppsd to be big day..like estrada..wanted to see me ..u tried..they're gangstas..sopranos..lucianos today..have to leave early today..don't let me down..I love u maria..must not wait..mouzs..scream ...jalapeno juice....stuck in car..skrry thought I coykd be an inspector..spec appearance by erik estrada..shut lucianos down..sergio marcos, alejando edda plays julio ------------------------ Mike shields, Robert adan , elly kaye, She's in warehouse..red eyes..batman figure..its me joni....fatal flaw..bubble..fool for love...stop u cold..roll..on a roll ..blue blue blue..took my arm...enouh sleigh of hand..fiery freeak..love grown cold..now a mere mortal..blaze pad ...woeking fine ..blue blazes ..it s finished..does he seem finished to u..blue blazes trouble..tblue blazes..is he ok..let the suit fit..I got into a scrap..not me..why say my full name...beautiful like I..out of anytime minutes..people defenseless..iu can do this meet your new boss..dontgo blue.. -------------- Guide me home,,,singing...where is the pain..wha happened to feeling..rain ..ceiling.. ..sunging..to forget ..will u guide me home....clouds..sun..beach..dir clay banks, ..susan silvestri, kendal brenneman.. ------------------ Mark blitch..basex on verse re grace..so many directions..being abt 2 thieves..adam kitchen..character gets caught..convey sb who no way desrves grace..intrstng things..adam flew in from l.a. ..called me a few be

DECEMBER '09 thru JANUARY '10 SLIDESHOW VID : FAITH, HOPE, LOVE

thanks to http://www.fabiovisentin.com  for the above pic

DECEMBER '09 thru JANUARY '10 

SLIDESHOW VID : 

                                                                    FAITH, HOPE, LOVE

JAPAN TSUNAMI: REMINDER OF HOW FRAGILE LIFE IS...MOVED JAPAN 8 FEET

JAPAN TSUNAMI: 

REMINDER OF HOW FRAGILE LIFE IS...

IT MOVED JAPAN 8 FEET

BY LUCK is NOT BY FAITH

MARCH 14, 2008
LIVING BY FAITH
IS NOT
LIVING BY LUCK

BY PASTOR KOK III

“Now faith is the
substance of things
hoped for,
the evidence
of things not seen.”
Heb 11:1


“Now faith is
being sure of
what we hope for
and certain of
what we do not see.”
Heb 11:1 NIV

“Now faith is
assurance of (things)
hoped for,
a conviction of
things not seen.”
Heb 11:1 ASV


“Faith is the confidence
that what we hope for
will actually happen;
it gives us assurance
about things we cannot see”
Heb 11:1
Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®,

“Es, pues, la fe la certeza
de lo que se espera,
la convicción de lo que no se ve.”
Heb 11:1

(from RVR 1960 © 1960 Sociedades Biblicas en América Latina.)

DEAR FRIENDS,

HAPPY PALM SUNDAY ! It is March 14, 2008 and I am in, of all places, PALM DESERT, this morning. I came here to attend the LIVING LORD’s SUPPER worship service at the ROCK CV CHURCH. I’ve never been here before but they advertised this worship service on a BIG BILLBOARD along the 10 FREEWAY which cuts through COACHELLA VALLEY—which I noticed a few weeks ago when I was coming out here for the annual DATE FESTIVAL in Coachella.

So here I am, starting out at a STARBUCKS around 7 a.m. before the 9 a.m. worship service. And I’ve been thinking about this message for some time now; given the fact that some people CONFUSE “FAITH” with “LUCK.” The two are NOT THE SAME.

In fact, even some of my professors at FULLER SEMINARY may be confused about the difference between FAITH versus LUCK. I was looking back at some of my old papers and one of the professors ( I think it was the wife of MIROSLAV VOLF (who is now at YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL) ) wrote “NICE TRY” on one of the answers that I got wrong; and on a few others something similar—as if it were all just a FANCY CROSS-YOUR-FINGERS GUESSING GAME, as if I was simply hoping to get ‘lucky” albeit given I got “A’s” on MOST OF THE GREEK EXEGESIS PAPERS she should have known better.

BUT that is a noticeable DEFICIT sometimes in the ACADEMIC-FAITH community. FIRST, some say ‘ACADEMIC FAITH” community is an oxymoron; and that the emphasis on INTELLECTUAL or ACADEMIC faith is CONTRARY to DEEP, PASSIONATE HEART FAITH.

Some of the professors in the ACADEMIC COMMUNITY (and really that’s what it comes down to—an “academic community” trying to teach “FAITH” almost solely at an intellectual level, which, perhaps, is why FULLER is sometimes known as “THE LOGICAL” SEMINARY”—a play on “theological”; THEO of course is GREEK for GOD—has FULLER SEMINARY taken GOD out of the picture ? I can’t help but wondering sometimes, and couldn’t help but wonder when I was a student there; especially after sitting through NANCEY MURPHY’s class in apologetics (I recently noticed as well that she apparently embraces EVOLUTION as opposed to CREATIONISM);

And so it was somewhat DISCONCERTING , to say the least, to arrive at an alleged ‘THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY” and be exposed to alleged “CHRISTIAN PROFESSORS” who seemed to almost DELIGHT in mocking faith and mocking CHRISTIAN PASTORS-TO-BE. In fact, RICH MOUW (the president of the seminary who also still teaches an occasional class and was once a philosophy professor at CALVIN COLLEGE) seemed to enjoy saying the word “pastor” in a SNEERING or JEERING voice.

Of course, TO BE FAIR, I can’t say CALVIN SEMINARY was much better, if at all. This is NOT TO SAY that we should DUMB DOWN the seminary; but it is to say that we should not OVERLY EXALT so-called ‘ACADEMIC” LEARNING at the expense of a DEEP ABIDING FAITH IN THE ONE LIVING GOD.

I would say that FAITH ALONE can take us much further in life and TRANSFORM communities MUCH MORE than ACADEMICS ALONE. Together, when it is a HEALTHY MARRIAGE faith & academics can do even greater miracles; but if I had to choose one over the other, the FAITH ALONE community would be my instant choice.

In fact, some PROFESSORS in the academic community—at the seminary, are simply living PARASITICALLY off of those with TRUE FAITH. And because they are VIRTUALLY GUARANTEED A JOB FOR LIFE once they get tenure (which is another TRAVESTY) it means that several generations of theological students will be taught by some of the same people. The SEMINARY PROFESSOR becomes an “OLD TESTAMENT KING’ of sorts, for BETTER or for WORSE.

You ever read the OLD TESTAMENT and go through the books of KINGS and notice how some KINGS were obviously GOOD & GODLY while others were much less so; well, the same seems to go for SEMINARY PROFESSORS; and the effects of being in their presence are LASTING. The GOOD ONES are worth their weight (x 10) in GOLD; whereas the BAD ONES are SETTING BACK the faith community; impeding the progress of GOD’s KINGDOM here on earth.

We DON’T NEED to be challenged by NANCEY MURPHY at the seminary level ; to be ridiculed my Murphy about our faith in CREATION BY GOD. We get that EVERYWHERE WE GO in the secular world. If she thinks she is playing ‘DEVIL’s ADVOCATE” –preparing us for what we will inevitably encounter anyways it is pretty short-sighted on her part. We need to be NURTURED and cared for when we arrive at the seminary and pay our 1000’s of DOLLARS in tuition (somehow I have to find a way to pay back $70,000 in student loan debt before I die).

WE see “LIVING BY LUCK” EVERYWHERE WE GO IN THE WORLD. We don’t need to see it at the seminary as well. Every time I stop in at a convenience store or gas station I inevitably end up waiting in line for somebody who is choosing LOTTO numbers and buying another LOTTERY TICKET. That’s LIVING BY CROSS-YOUR-FINGER LUCK, NOT FAITH.

A few weeks ago after a church service I passed by SANTA ANITA HORSE RACE TRACK—a beautiful racing facility along the foothills of ARCADIA, CA; and stopped in to see what it was all about. SEEING THE HORSES CLOSE-UP and watching a race is a PHENOMENAL experience; very marvelous aspect of GOD’s CREATION; but the environment is IMPAIRED by the fact that 90% of the people there are GRIMLY GAMBLING on the horses; hoping to make money off of the race. I e-mailed my dad and Shirley Zink about this experience—saying “Why can’t they just race for fun ?”

And I think back to my brother-in-law ENGELBERTL SLANDERSON and his wife, SISSY, back in St. Joseph, MI and I realize that they too, are LIVING BY LUCK, not faith; and it’s a shame because I believe that at the heart of a LOT OF MENTAL ILLNESS is the LIVING BY LUCK FALLACY. It’s that LACK OF CONVICTION that acquiesces to the notion that all that matters is money and paying the bills, etc; or in other words, in some cases it comes down to TRYING TO BE JUSTIFIED BY LAW; which is also nothing more than a LUCK game—because we know that NOBODY IS JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW ALONE.

“…know that a man is not justified by
observing the law,
but by faith in Jesus Christ.
So we, too, have put our
faith in Christ Jesus
that we may be
justified by faith in Christ
and not by observing the law,
because by observing the law
no one will be justified” .
Gal 2:16NIV

“ Clearly no one is justified
before God by the law, because,
The righteous will live by faith.
The law is not based on faith;
on the contrary,
The man who does these
things will live by them.
Gal 3:11-12

At the HEART of many illnesses (which includes ALCOHOLISM, both PHYSICAL & MENTAL, may perhaps lie some GLITCH IN LIVING BY FAITH. The NEUROSIS of TRYING TO BE JUSTIFIED BY LAW leads to cynicism and despair, at which point some turn to alcohol or drugs to try to NUMB the pain or emptiness they feel, having admitted DEFEAT to being UNJUSTIFIED BY LAW and not allowing CHRIST TO TAKE OVER in their lives.

This applies to CHURCH-GOERS as much as anybody else. Have you ever noticed how some CHURCH-GOERS may HABITUALLY attend the same church ALL THEIR LIVES, always on time, sometimes always in the same place; year after year after year. And this is NOT TO CONDEMN them for attending church (for church is good) but if their attendance is NOT LEADING TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH then YES there is a problem.

If you are a CHURCH ATTENDEE—but have not progressed, ask yourself, WHAT’S NEXT in the LIFE OF FAITH ? Can you take the NEXT STEP, and become a LEADER? Take a SMALL STEP at first. DON’T OVERDO IT. But make sure you are taking at least some small step forward.

Back at the SEMINARY the problem is TENURE and professors getting STUCK IN THEIR WAYS and relying on the LAW OF TENURE and PUBLICATION for justification. Some of them have FALLEN PREY to the FALLACY that by virtue of being “published” they are justified . And being published often leads to TENURE so they do go hand-in-hand. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT A LOT OF NONSENSE GETS PUBLISHED all the time, both in the faith community as well as the secular community.

Back at the CHURCH—maybe you have become a deacon, or an usher, or an elder; and have done that for many years; WHAT’s NEXT ? YES, you can MOVE BEYOND that level too ! No matter what we do in life there is ALWAYS ROOM FOR GROWTH. When we STOP GROWING and rely upon being ‘JUSTIFIED BY LAW’ which is an OXYMORON, people become neurotic and sometimes even psychotic and either hurt themselves or others in the process.

Back in St. Joseph, MI my brother-in-law ENGELBERT is an attorney there, but I see PROBLEMS because both he and “his wife” SISSY believe that they can be justified by law alone; and they often LACK THE SPIRIT. I’ve talked about this before.

Here in COACHELLA VALLEY where I taught school back in the 90’s—MY FIRST TEACHING JOB I ran into LEGALISM at the administrative level. ONE OF THE LEGALISTS, FOCH PENSIS, is still with the district; and went on to become a superintendent, but did so by WALKING OVER PEOPLE and CHEATING PEOPLE, including myself; his SIGHTS set firmly on becoming the superintendent, but at WHAT COST and AT WHOSE EXPENSE?

When I talk about GROWTH I don’t necessarily mean you have to ASPIRE to a formal position in the church or other organizations. In fact, sometimes the FORMALITY of creating positions and then keeping these positions SECURE creates more LEGALISM problems in and of itself. People are granted LARGE SALARIES in formal positions and become COMFORTABLE and over time a sort of HARDENING OF THE ARTERIES sets in and GROWTH STOPS; and the ENTIRE BODY becomes infected after a while.

This is why JESUS CHRIST as well as the APOSTOLE PAUL USED THE ‘BODY’ (and SPIRIT) analogy so often:

Your eye is the lamp of your body .
When your eyes are good,
your whole body also is full of light.
But when they are bad,
your body also is full of darkness
Luke 11:33-34


This is my body given for you;
do this in remembrance of me."
Luke 22:19


"A person who has had a bath needs only
to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.
And you are clean, though not every one of you.
John 13:10

“But if Christ is in you, your body is
dead because of sin, yet your
spirit is alive because of righteousness”
Rom 8:10


“ If the whole body were an eye, where
would the sense of hearing be?
If the whole body were an ear,
where would the sense of smell be? “
1 Cor 12:17-18



“ Now you are the body of Christ ,
and each one of you is a part of it.”
1 Cor 12:27

To NOT TRULY UNDERSTAND how we are the BODY OF CHRIST, or NOT TRULY BELIEVE IT can cause neurosis or psychosis, including ALCOHOLISM to numb the pain of being SEPARATED from the love of CHRIST and the wear-and-tear OF the endless quest to try to be justified by law, which is IMPOSSIBLE.

When we LIVE BY FAITH and allow ourselves to be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH (as opposed to ‘KICKING AGAINST THE GOADS” so to speak) we BECOME THE BODY OF CHRIST COLLECTIVELY and this CURES AILMENTS & ILLNESSES because it is according to GOD’s PLAN & PURPOSE for our lives :

“ It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Eph 4:10-13

There is NO LUCK in the FAITH LIFE. “Assurance” is a deep conviction WAY BEYOND cross-your-finger luck. If you have ever been in the presence of TRUE, DEEP, FAITH, you will know the difference. “Hoped for” or “assurance of” in Hebrews 11.1 comes from the GREEK “elpizo” and means “EXPECTATION” with UTMOST CONFIDENCE > NT:1679 elpizo (el-pid'-zo); from NT:1680; to expect or confide:KJV - (have, thing) hope (-d) (for), trust.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

And this kind of HOPE or CONFIDENCE is QUALITATIVELY DIFFERENT than the type of HOPE or CONFIDENCE that is found in the LAW, which is sometimes closer to the game of “luck” we think about in more stereotypical ways. The HOPE we have as believers is a CONFIDENCE that comes from the SPIRIT within us (which comes from KNOWING CHRIST in a relational way), and IS EVIDENCED by the FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT , against which there is ‘NO LAW.”

Likewise “substance” of things hoped for comes from the GREEK hupostasis and refers to something with STRONG SUPPORT, like a well-built building or even skyscraper which you enter and go to the top of without any fear whatsoever of it falling. : NT:5287 Upostasis or hupostasis (hoop-os'-tas-is); from a compound of NT:5259 and NT:2476; a setting under (support), i.e. (figuratively) concretely, essence, or abstractly, assurance (objectively or subjectively):

(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)


It’s ABSOLUTE UNWAVERING CONFIDENCE but again, not the type of “CONFIDENCE” given by the law—that’s a MAN-MADE artificial form of confidence that is ultimately HOLLOW (albeit in good courts of law (the few & between that exist out there) it is, at least, somewhat HONEST). This CONFIDENCE we have as BELIEVERS comes from the SPIRIT OF GOD in us, individually and collectively; and CANNOT BE SHAKEN. Again, the evidence ARE THE F RUITS OF THE SPIRIT:

But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
Gal 5:22-23

And so I will leave it at that for now. Since I began this message at 7 a.m. subsequently I’ve been to THREE CHURCHES, including the LORD’s LIVING SUPPER at the CV ROCK CHURCH , and I also stopped by the annual LA QUINTA ARTS FESTIVAL (my first time ). Also happening in CV (Coachella Valley) this weekend (and next) is a PROFESSIONAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT featuring some of the top names (both men & women). I inquired about a ticket—they’re about $30 each this weekend. I’ll let you know if I end up going.

Meanwhile, REMEMBER that WE, the BODY OF BELIEVERS, live by UTMOST FAITH (which is UNWAVERING CONFIDENCE) in the promises of GOD as we CONTINUE TO GROW IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST AND THE BODY OF BELIEVERS. !

IT’S ST. PATRICKS DAY !DON’T LIVE BY THE ‘LUCK OF THE IRISH”! LIVE BY STEADFAST FAITH

JOHNNY TOMMY PHILIP CHRISTMAS KOK
PASTOR KOK III
CHIEF BIG FAITH


DON’T SAY GOOD LUCK
TO ME
SAY
“GOOD FAITH”

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