Sandra Purdue's Blog...

H.R. 2647 With A Little Something Extra...

2009-10-12T16:14:00.006-06:00

Tied in with the new defense bill H.R. 2647, which sailed through the House is another bill, the "Hate Crimes" bill. Now it's up to the Senate to decide whether or not Christians will be able to speak the real truth or speak the "politically correct truth".

Here's what Rep. Mike Pence, R.-Ind. had to say about it: "To put it quite simply, adding hate crimes provisions in this defense bill put us on a slippery slope of deeming particular groups more important than others under our system of justice. Singling out particular groups of victims erodes our long-standing legal principles of equal protection under the law.

"The First Amendment to the Constitution provides that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.'" I guess that's been thrown by the wayside...

"But there is a real possibility that the provisions in this defense bill, having to do with hate crimes and sexual preferences, could have that effect. These provisions, as written, could have a chilling effect against religious leaders in this country.

"As has been previously stated by Judge Carter of Texas, under Section 2 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code today, an individual may be held criminally liable who ‘aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures' in the commission of a
federal crime. Therefore, to put a fine point on it, any pastor, preacher, priest, rabbi, or imam, who may give a sermon out of their moral traditions about sexual practices, could presumably under this legislation be found to have aided, abetted or induced in the commission of a federal crime.

"This will have a chilling effect on religious expression, from the pulpits, in our temples, in our mosques and in our churches. And it must be undone," Pence said. "The provisions added to this legislation threaten religious freedom by criminalizing thought. It is simply wrong to further criminalize thought and chill religious expression of Americans."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

So what should we do? We need to get on our knees and pray that the Hate Crimes provisions are stricken from the National Defense Authorization Act for 2010. Pray the Senate will put a stop to this nonsense before its too late.

Source Used:PENCE CALLS HATE CRIMES PROVISION IN DEFENSE BILL “UNCONSCIONABLE” found at:
http://mikepence.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3721&Itemid=94

And They're Off...

2009-09-07T19:05:00.001-06:00

Parents in the Alameda Unified School District in California are suing the school district for the right to opt their children out of the classes that plan to teach their children, even as young as kindergarteners, all about alternative lifestyles. On top of that, but the school district has decided to become the "thought police".

Yes, you read it right: The schools want to indoctrinate the children into their way of thinking; they want the children to embrace different lifestyles as status quo, to discourage them from thinking for themselves. Politically correct thoughts are the only thoughts allowed inside the heads of the children within this district.

I can hardly say I blame the parents. I mean, who in their right mind would want to send their children to school and have them come home acting like creepy Stepford Children?

America, we need to wake up! As parents, our rights are slowly being taken away. We're losing the right to homeshchool our kids and teach them about alternative lifestyles when they're mature enough to understand what an alternative lifestyle is.

Sources cited:
"Angry Parents Suing California Schools Over Mandatory Gay-Friendly Classes" by Fox News at:http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,546280,00.html?test=latestnews

"Gay Curriculum Proposal Riles Elementary School Parents" by Katie Landan at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,521209,00.html

This is just disgusting

2009-09-01T21:31:00.002-06:00

Evidently, I'm mistaken about the Constitution or someone slipped in a new law giving the courts the right to decide for a parent whether his or her child is home schooled or not. I mean really, when did it become okay to take a child who is excelling in her school work that's been created by certified teachers and approved by her school district and force that child into public school against the primary custodial parent's wishes?

The child in question has already been going to public school for three classes she needed. Isn't that enough socialization? Evidently not.

"According to the court order, the guardian concluded that Amanda's 'interests, and particularly her intellectual and emotional development, would be best served by exposure to a public school setting in which she would be challenged to solve problems presented by a group learning situation and...Amanda would be best served by exposure to different points of view at a time in her life when she must begin to critically evaluate multiple systems of belief and behavior,'" Pete Chagnon said in his article titled "New Hampshire Court orders Christian homeschooled girl to attend public school" at: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=659638/.

In other words, the court has the right to take a smart child, one who seems to be every Christian parent's dream come true, and throw that child into the world full time instead of part time.

Here's another heartbreaking thing going on in our world. In Adams county, Colorado, two children were taken from a single father for no reason whatsoever. Social Services, needing a good reason to keep his children away are claiming he's been abusing the children even though they've acquired no concrete evidence. None whatsoever. (And no, I'm not mentioning any names as I'd like to protect the innocent. And yes, I do know this family personally and am personally familiar with the horrendous happenings.) Evidently there are other parents in Adams County, Colorado who have been filleted and thrown on the grill for no reason.

Don't get me wrong, I believe very strongly that children need to be removed from an abusive or negligent household. But when no abuse can be proven, and when the allegations are coming from an awnry ex who is obviously spouting lies, I think the ex should be investigated. But no. That doesn't happen in Adams County Colorado. In Adams County the innocent are guilty according to the powers that be, and there's no stopping some of them.

Article cited:
“New Hampshire Court orders Christian homeschooled girl to attend public school” written by Pete Chagnon found at: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=659638/

I've just finished another book...

2009-08-27T17:25:00.003-06:00

Here's a little about it: In this fast paced sci-fi fantasy thriller called The Keepers: Liberation, after several terrifying events send Kayla speeding down a collision course with the devil himself, she finds out that no one is who they claimed to be, not even her parents or her fiancé. Traveling into the near future, she discovers a plot by man's oldest enemy to exterminate the human race. With time running out, she's desperate to find her twin brother Kayleb. Without him, it will be impossible to stop the coming apocalypse.

The Keepers is scheduled for release on September 1st and is available for pre-order. To snag your copy of The Keepers head on over to: Amazon or to Barnes and Noble

To find out more about the book and other projects I'm in the process of writing and or editing (the ones that really don't belong on The Bossy Church Lady's site) go to: http://www.sandrapurdue.com/.

Here’s where The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act is doing some good.

2009-07-18T15:22:00.002-06:00

Unfortunately, it’s not good enough in this instance. “Dwight DeLee was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter for the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Lateisha Green outside a Syracuse house party in November because of anti-gay bias” the article said. “The jury acquitted DeLee, 20, of a more serious second-degree murder as a hate crime charge.”

Can you believe that? DeLee only got a minimum of 10 years, but no more than 25 years for taking a life in cold blood. Regardless of whether the victim was a transgender or not, a life is a life no matter whose it is and what he or she chooses to do with it.

I think Mr. DeLee should have gotten more prison time, way more; not the death sentence, but life for what he did. The story I’m talking about is here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31967807/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

I guess what’s really rattling my cage, aside from the pompous creep DeLee only getting 10-25 years for premeditated murder, is that the bill is so lopsided that we’ll start seeing pastors, church leaders, and believers alike thrown into prisons, given harsh sentences and steep fines for preaching straight from the Bible.

I pray I’m wrong. But if you look around, it’s already happening around the world. As it happens, socialism is right on America’s doorstep, trying to forcefully break the door down, threatening to come stomping in to take over what little common sense we have left. If we don’t keep watch, the ugly beast called socialism will strip America naked, tie her up and leave her to be raped of whatever goodness is left.

Article cited:
“Hate crime conviction in transgender's killing: Man guilty of manslaughter, not second-degree murder” found at:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31967807/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

I Saw Your Star: A Final Tribute

2009-07-03T14:22:00.003-06:00
I Saw Your Star: A Final Tribute

Brilliant and powerful, your star crossed the sky
It was impossible to view with the naked eye
Eclipsing the sun, it rocked the universe
Here on Earth, it shook the foundation
Of all we knew, of everything established
Away with the old, something new has come
All borders collapsed; an unstoppable instrument
You gave love, life, laughter, hope, inspiration
A sight to behold, tales will surely be told
Of all you freely gave, asking little in return

Something shifted, changed; the cosmos rearranged
Dignity incarnate, you marched onward
Always looking forward; the hope for better days
Your head held high, you still beheld the lowly
Swaddling everyone, you held them tight
Allowed them to feel your unending affection
The end in sight, you gave a final gift
A burst of brightness, an extra dose of love
Energy spent, transcending hardships and pain
You looked to the future, became something new

One thing certain to stand the test of time
Is the undying love you left behind
Always in your heart, forever safe and secure
Is the world you touched, graced with your beauty
Equally unforgettable will be your majesty
One thing I know; a thing that's true
Deep inside of me and the hearts of the world
From now on, to the end of time and beyond
You will never be forgotten, always in our hearts
Your star will remain, burning brighter than ever before

Copyright 2009 Sandra Purdue, A.K.A. The Bossy Church Lady. You can use whatever I write for whatever purposes as long as you don't take credit for what I've written.

They’re Still At it…

2009-07-02T20:33:00.003-06:00

Well, folks, they’re still at it. This time it’s U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder trying to pull American’s britches over their heads in order to blind everyone so they can be led into the dark, swirling void of insanity he wants America to become.

What, exactly, what am I ranting about this time?

I’m glad you asked.

My husband came home telling me about what he’d heard on the Rush Limbaugh show today. You know me; I just had to check it out. I couldn’t help it. My fingers dancing over the computer keyboard, I came across the transcript of the show he was talking about. It’s titled, “Holder: Whites, Ministers, Military Not Protected by Hate Crime Law” and can be found here: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_070209/content/01125116.guest.html.

To sum it up, Rush was talking about the meeting that took place between Eric Holder and the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, on June 25, to discuss the “The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009”, otherwise known as the “Pedophile Protection Act”, during which a telling question was posed by Jeff Sessions, a Senator from Alabama (bless his heart the dear man, I’m thinking and smiling).

The simple, hypothetical question asked by Senator Sessions left Eric Holder unable to answer satisfactorily, betraying the potential for ugliness if the bill passes.

But before I get to the all important question, let me give you a chilling piece of information: This bill, also known as H.R. 1913 has already been passed by the House; it’s been waiting for approval by the Senate as S. 909 for some time. The text of H.R. 1913 is here: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h1913/text. The text of S. 909, introduced to the Senate is here: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s909/text.

Here’s what President Obama had to say about the bill: “I urge members on both sides of the aisle to act on this important civil rights issue by passing this legislation to protect all of our citizens from violent acts of intolerance – legislation that will enhance civil rights protections, while also protecting our freedom of speech and association.”http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement-by-the-President-on-HR-1913-the-Local-Law-Enforcement-Hate-Crimes-Prevention-Act-of-2009/.

“While also protecting our freedom of speech and association” the president said. Sounds great to me. I mean, if Christians and other religious groups won’t be forced to water down their doctrine, then all is good and well. Everybody’s happy, right?

Er… not so fast. The question that came from Jeff Sessions during the meeting was a hypothetical one in nature, but oh so revealing! Now that the spotlight has been thrown on “The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009” which is being pushed by the Attorney General and his cohorts, we can see how seriously Eric Holder is taking President Obama in addition to the potential chaos this bill would introduce.

The question Jeff Sessions asked Mr. Holder was what would happen if a minister decided to preach from the Bible about the wrongness of homosexuality and was subsequently attacked by a gay activist because of what he said.

Eric Holder, the U.S. Attorney General, admitted that the statute doesn’t address that issue. Later, he reveals that the bill will fail to protect whites and the military. You can listen to the two hour hearing here: http://www.senate.gov/fplayers/CommPlayer/commFlashPlayer.cfm?fn=judiciary062509&st=xxx.

If this passes, proponents, special groups, advocates for said special groups can threaten, harass and injure opponents all they want. Dear God if a preacher mentions that homosexuality is wrong on the pulpit, he or she can expect a lynch mob to be waiting outside the church, ready to torch him or her alive. Naturally there will be no repercussions for said mob, no accountability whatsoever.

Can you imagine what will happen in the public schools?

Along those lines, it’s my understanding that all those science fiction stories featuring the “Thought Police” will soon be coming to life in every courtroom if this bill passes. Judges will be expected to read the minds of the defendants to decipher what said defendant must’ve been thinking when he or she dared to speak offensively in the presence of certain groups.

I can see it now: Courtrooms all over America will become theaters where the curious can go to be amazed. In all seriousness, barring psychic activity on the part of the judges, I can’t imagine how this determination will take place.

Will they whip out a deck of Tarot Cards and lay them out? Will some prefer Oiga Board while others lean towards mediums? To make it easier and less confusing, should all courtrooms be merged with the nearest circus?

Stay tuned folks: America is about to round another corner and I pray these proposed changes will be tweaked a bit to make our country even better for everyone so that no one will get away with discrimination, reverse-discrimination, and the violence that stems from both.

The way I see it, one of the things that makes our country so rich, so satisfying, is the small groups of individuals that don’t care to be like everyone else and aren’t afraid to let their differences show.

Copyright 2009, Sandra Purdue. You can use anything I’ve written for any purpose as long as you don’t claim you wrote it.

Sources used:
“Holder: Whites, Ministers, Military Not Protected by Hate Crime Law”. Here’s the link: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_070209/content/01125116.guest.html.

Bills H.R. 1913 and S. 909 can be found respectively: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h1913/text and: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s909/text

The White House: Office Of The Press Secretary, "STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON H.R. 1913, THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT OF 2009" is here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement-by-the-President-on-HR-1913-the-Local-Law-Enforcement-Hate-Crimes-Prevention-Act-of-2009/

Video of the meeting between U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the Senate Judiciary Committee: http://www.senate.gov/fplayers/CommPlayer/commFlashPlayer.cfm?fn=judiciary062509&st=xxx

About the “LGBT Pride Month”

2009-06-08T16:06:00.005-06:00

Once again, I’m, I don’t even know what… disappointed, disillusioned? They’re too mild of words. Perhaps disgusted is the word I’m looking for. And why? I came across an article titled: “Obama declares June 'LGBT Pride Month'”. The opening paragraph says: “In a presidential proclamation on the White House website, Barack Obama has lauded what he calls "the determination and dedication" of the LGBT movement by proclaiming June as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month". But that’s not what’s really bothering me, what with our National Prayer Day only being only one day and all that’s held on the first Thursday of May. No.

What really frustrated me were the results of a related poll I saw smack in the center of the article that went like this: Question: “What's your reaction to Barack Obama's proclamation designating this month as 'LGBT Pride Month'?”

Out of 120,619 responses, more than sixty-four percent (64.93% to be exact) said that it’s a well deserved celebration. A scant 35.07% of respondents said otherwise (I added the opposing comments together to come up with that number).

Here’s the link to the article so you can see it for yourself:http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=551240
Now, before anyone gets their skivvies in a bunch, let me just say that I still believe that everyone should be treated equally, with dignity and respect. After all, we all belong to God. Each of us is God’s unique masterpiece with all of humanity being a beautiful multi-faceted gem. That’s not the way certain groups see things, unfortunately, as their opinions are the only ones they see as right—to hell with everyone else and theirs as reverse discrimination and harassment are warranted in their minds (read my last post if you don’t know what I’m talking about).

“LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society,” the president’s proclamation said and I agree. The link for the proclamation made by President Obama is here:http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/

Here’s what I don’t understand: We have reverse discrimination happening all over the place that’s going unchecked; it’s like nobody cares anymore. Both types of discrimination are threatening to tear apart our country, but the law only sees something terrible about discrimination against minorities and certain groups of people. Discrimination of any kind should be illegal, but it’s not.

And, yes, I’ve lived reverse discrimination; I saw it with my own eyes, and suffered from it at one of the companies I worked for in the past, and it’s just as ugly as discrimination against special groups, made worse by the fact that there are no laws against it.

Here’s another interesting article I came across that’s related depending upon your outlook: “Next on Senate agenda? 'Pedophile Protection Act' 'Hate crimes' law definitions would protect 547 sex 'philias'” posted by Bob Unruh at WorldNetDaily at: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97115.

“Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., today confirmed he will fight the "hate crimes" legislation pending in the U.S. Senate and, if necessary, will launch a filibuster against the plan that critics have dubbed the "Pedophile Protection Act,"” is what another source regarding the issue said.

Peachy. Just lovely. Okay, so they want to protect the people that have destroyed the lives, the very souls, of so many innocent children? I don’t know why I’m surprised anymore; I really don’t.

Show me any loving parent, whether they’re gay, lesbian, or anywhere in between, that thinks it’s all right to molest their kids, or any children for that matter.

Let’s take this a bit further. Suppose a parent who just happens to be gay or lesbian goes after someone that just molested their kid(s). Will they be jailed? Or does the latter law only apply to straight people? We desperately need more people like Jim DeMint who will step up to the plate for the victims of pedophiles.

Another thing I came across recently: When have the laws changed to require Christians to obtain permits to gather in one’s home? ““If the county thinks they can shut down groups of 10 or 15 Christians meeting in a home, what about people who meet regularly at home for poker night? What about people who meet for Tupperware parties? What about people who are meeting to watch baseball games on a regular basis and support the Chargers?”” Broyles asked in the article titled: “Couple: County Trying To Stop Home Bible Studies” posted on 10 News.com.

Unbelievable! Are we going to require a permit to host a birthday party now? What about gatherings on New Years, Thanksgiving, or say…even Christmas?

Here’s what we need to do: We need to strap in and get ready for an interesting ride as the United States is undergoing some strange transformations. God only knows what we’ll become; it frightens me to think about it too much.

Let me know what you think by posting your comment.

Copyright 2009 Sandra Purdue A.K.A. The Bossy Church Lady, all rights reserved.

Sources used:

“THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release, June 1, 2009 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION”:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/

“Obama declares June 'LGBT Pride Month'” by Jody Brown and Allie Martin - OneNewsNow - 6/2/2009 7:20:00 AM. http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=551240

“Next on Senate agenda? 'Pedophile Protection Act' 'Hate crimes' law definitions would protect 547 sex 'philias'” Posted: May 04, 2009 9:08 pm Eastern by Bob Unruh © 2009 WorldNetDaily. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97115

“Senator threatens filibuster of 'Pedophile Protection Act' DeMint signs on to fight against privileged status for homosexuals” Posted: June 04, 2009 10:40 pm Eastern by Bob Unruh © 2009 WorldNetDaily. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=100162

“Couple: County Trying To Stop Home Bible Studies” POSTED: 5:31 pm PDT May 25, 2009, UPDATED: 1:45 pm PDT May 28, 2009 Copyright 2009 by 10News.com. All rights reserved.
http://www.10news.com/news/19562217/detail.html

Coming To A School Near You: A Mandatory “Gay Day”

2009-06-03T19:33:00.008-06:00
A “Gay Day” is already being observed in California for children as young as five, and parents are helpless to stop it.

In fact, according to the article, Death threats target opponents of 'gay' promotion posted by Bob Unruh at WorldNetDaily on April 18, 2009, those who are in opposition to the day are receiving death threats. Come on, death threats? I mean, non-gays are accused of all sorts of things, including bigotry and homophobia, and some of us are, I’m sure, but does that make it okay for someone to threaten to kill us or harass us because we would prefer to have a say regarding what our children are learning?

Let's take this a bit further, shall we? Suppose we do have a say and decide to keep our children home on Gay Day, does that give the proponents the right to threaten us?

“Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute noted the goal cited by GLSEN is to reduce bullying on school campuses, especially bullying perceived as targeting homosexual students or those with other "alternative' sexual lifestyles,” Bob Unruh said in the article.

Okay, let me get this straight: It’s not all right for a straight person to oppose an alternative lifestyle, but it’s hunky dory for those who support living an alternative lifestyle to harass anyone in opposition to their lifestyle. Got it… not!

How do they know that we’re not teaching our children to respect the rights and privacy of everyone that lives an alternative lifestyle at home? They don’t. How do they know that we’re not teaching our children that God gives all of us a choice and that it’s not our place to judge?

Here’s what an activist quoted by WorldNetDaily in the article titled, “Stealth lessons on homosexuality” had to say about it: “‘The students are warned against "bigoted" values by learning to define "homophobia" and "prejudice,’ England said.” Then she goes on to ask, “‘What kindergartner isn't going to walk away believing they are bigoted or homophobic when their teacher tells them traditional values they are taught at home are hateful?’ questioned England.” Need I say more?

The article continues: “‘CRI has found other districts with policies very similar to SFUSD and parents needs to know that their public school is probably in the process of implementing these policies,’ England's report said.”

But here’s the clincher: “At the same time, school districts are explicitly explaining why they are under no obligation to notify parents about any of the sexual orientation lessons and activities. They have concluded teaching all students to embrace the multisexual agenda is part of creating a "safe" school environment.”

A safe environment for whom, the violent people in support of this madness? For crying out loud, I pray that this country will do something about the horribly lopsided laws that are now in effect, which serve as fuel for this insanity.

Works cited:

BRAVE NEW SCHOOLS Stealth lessons on homosexuality California districts teach, but don't tell parents Posted: May 02, 2009 12:15 am Eastern at WorldNetDaily at: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=96803

Death threats target opponents of 'gay' promotion 'Actions of Day of Silence supporters are speaking louder than the silence' By Bob Unruh © 2009 WorldNetDaily Posted: April 18, 2009 12:15 am Eastern. http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95289

Mandatory 'gay' day for K-5 students Board imposes homosexual curriculum on classes
Posted: May 28, 2009 11:50 pm Eastern By Chelsea Schilling © 2009 WorldNetDaily http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=99442

Copyright Sandra Purdue 2009.

Oh, and by the way, here’s a link for the book called The Little Book of Big Reasons to Homeschool:

The Little Book of Big Reasons to Homeschool

By David & Kim d'Escoto / B & H Publishing Group

If you're looking for a short and painless way to get acquainted with homeschooling--or to gain some encouragement that you're doing the right thing--this concise book is packed with informative and persuasive information that backs up the claims made by homeschoolers. Focusing on the history of homeschooling and the benefits to the mind, body and soul, a variety of statistics, anecdotes and practical information will help to clarify the most important reasons to homeschool. 74 pages, softcover.

Do I have to?

2009-04-25T12:01:00.002-06:00

Even though the Bible says we are to honor our parents, a lot of people are left wondering if they still have to honor their folks even if they aren't deserving of any honor. In a nutshell, yes. The Bible is clear on this matter and it says that we should if we want things to go well for us. No matter what our parents do or don't do currently; or even did or didn't do for us, and some of us have had lousy childhoods, we are commanded by God to honor our parents. It's the fifth commandment.

Now before anyone gets their panties in a bunch over what I've just said, let me quickly make an important point regarding this matter: No child should ever willingly comply with something so offensive such as sexual abuse by a parent or cooperate with parents that want to make the child do something against God, or do something illegal. In that case, he or she (the child) can and should do as prescribed in First Timothy 5:1 and give your parent a gentle rebuke. "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers," (1 Timothy 5:1 NIV).

Let me point out some verses from the Bible that state the same thing I just said: Romans 13:1-2, and 1 Peter 2:17 are two of them, and then there's Daniel 2:22. What the verses are saying is that God is the one Who appointed your folks to be your folks. Likewise, it is God who sets up authority figures such as the president, the police, our bosses, and teachers.

Because it was God's will that our parents ended up being our parents, we honor God by showing respect to our parents. No matter how awful they may be, even if we can't stomach the sight of him or her, or believe he or she has risen from the bowels of hell itself, we're to show our folks some respect.

No matter what, we are never to be contemptuous toward any authority figure. Below are two conversations, one is an example of utter disrespect on the part of the child; the other is an example of how to honor God by honoring the parent.

Wrong:

Parent: "No, you cannot stay out past curfew; it's a school night."
Child: "You're too strict! I hate you!"
Parent: Stands there flabbergasted.

Right:

Parent: "No, you cannot stay out past curfew; it's a school night."
Child says with no hint of anger or sarcasm: "Okay; just thought I'd ask."
Parent: "No problem."
Child: "I love you," and hugs or kisses parent on cheek, "I'll be back on time."
Parent: Smiles and thanks God for giving him or her such an awesome kid.

Of course, there are other ways to honor your folks, such as:

· Helping them financially

· Caring for them, even letting them live with you in their golden years

· Showing them simple respect like the second conversation above

· Showing appreciation for whatever they do for you, no matter how small the gesture may be

· Mowing the lawn, helping with other chores without having to be asked--or threatened

· By walking in your faith

· Being faithful to God always brings honor to your parents

Remember: You honor God when you honor your parents and others in authority.

Copyright 2009 Sandra Purdue, A.K.A. The Bossy Church Lady. You can use whatever I write for whatever purposes as long as you don't take credit for what I've written.

Why Celebrate Easter?

2009-04-11T15:08:00.005-06:00

Why on earth would we celebrate Easter? And why in the world would we let our kids believe that there's an Easter bunny? Finally, why would we decorate eggs with little kids and then hide them, and encourage those same kids to hunt for them?

Because our Easter celebration is a cue for the wee ones--and for us older ones--that something special happened.

Not only does our celebrating Easter let the kids know that something extraordinary happened, but it's also our opportunity to tell the children what happened that makes the day so special. However, if we leave it at the finding of eggs, eating a bunch of chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps, and getting a huge stuffed animal, the real meaning of Easter Sunday is lost.

God demonstrated His undying love for us by coming to this world and dying in one of the ugliest ways imaginable for our sins so that we could live. Easter is our way of celebrating the fact that God was resurrected on Easter Sunday, three days after dying. We celebrate the Lord's victory over evil on Easter Sunday.

If we leave the true meaning of Easter out of our celebration, however, then the real reason for all of the hoopla on one Sunday in particular will be lost; there's really no reason to celebrate on that day.

This Easter, celebrate loud, celebrate proud I say: Tell everyone that'll listen what God did for you and for them. If you've wandered off the straight and narrow path, recommence your life in Christ by first celebrating His resurrection with the rest of the believers, and then by making the commitment to follow Christ Jesus always.

Copyright 2009 Sandra Purdue, A.K.A. The Bossy Church Lady. You can use whatever I write for whatever purposes as long as you don't take credit for what I've written.

Is It Faith Or Works That Saves?

2009-03-28T20:19:00.002-06:00

With all of the books out there and all of the information that a person can obtain on the Internet, I have to admit that I'm flabbergasted by the fact that people are still lending an ear to the false doctrines that some of the major religions have been churning out for centuries.

Every time I think about some of their guidelines, I get the willies. No. Actually, I get upset; I'm terrified for the poor people who believe the madness that these churches have been pumping into the heads of their followers.

Which brings me to the point of this article: I'm writing this article with the hope that the truth—at least the truth about this particular false doctrine that I will be addressing—can be spread around so that certain people who have been misled can come back to the Lord before its too late.

Specifically, the false doctrine that I'm talking about here is the one that teaches that people must do something, or do a ton of somethings, to earn their way into heaven.

People say all the time, "I was raised such and such (whatever religion he or she was brought up to practice), but I’m not anymore," or, "My parents made me go to such and such church, but I don’t believe in God." Why do you suppose that might be? Because they weren't taught to know God. Because they weren't taught that believing in Jesus will make the difference between going to heaven or hell after he or she dies. They've been left feeling empty; they haven't learned that God loves them unconditionally… even if they haven't done anything to deserve it.

From the time that these people first stepped foot in certain churches they were taught to believe that if they're a good person who does good things for other people, all in the name of the Lord, then God will throw open the doorway to heaven for him or her. All that does is leave people with the feeling that they have to be perfect or God will cast them aside. They believe that God won't love them if they aren't good. And, since they've messed up once or twice, there's no reason to keep trying to have a relationship with God. Why? Because these churches aren't teaching them any differently.

I've got news for you: Nobody is good except God (Mark 10:18).

Now I don't want you to think for an instant that I'm saying that Christians shouldn't do kind things for others. Proverbs 3:27 tells us that it is a sin to withhold good from another when it's in our power to do so and James 2 tells us that our faith without works is dead. In other words, if we have real faith, we'll want to do good things for others.

Good works or acts of kindness are meaningless unless they're done out of love. You do good things for others because you love of the Lord and because you love your brother or sister and you want to help him or her. What good has ever come of doing something when the mere thought of doing it, even if it is in the name of the Lord, causes one to roll his or her eyes?

If thinking about doing something for another gives one a feeling of dread or extreme anxiety, then the inspiration hasn't come from God; it has come from the desire to please the flesh. It's coming from a yearning to please other men.

The desire to be helpful or do kind things for others is a fruit of the Spirit of God. Part of the joy of helping someone else is to see him or her smile; to make their day a bit easier. Heaven forbid anyone being denied the joy of being able to help someone else. But the joy of doing something kind for someone else is taken away when people are forced to do it in order to earn that golden ticket into heaven.

I've listed a few verses below that should prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can only be saved by having faith in Christ Jesus:

"For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40 (NIV) I don't see anything here that says that we have to do anything in particular to earn salvation, do you? All I'm seeing here is that whoever will believe in Jesus will have everlasting life. I hope you agree.
"For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." Psalm 86:5 (KJV) This is saying that the Lord is merciful and ready to forgive all who call upon Him for salvation. It doesn't say anything about having to do anything in particular to become saved.
"And Jesus said to him,'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.'" Luke 23:43 (NKJV) Notice that Jesus didn't say, "If you do this or that, then you can go to heaven with me"? Seriously, what could the man have done while he hung on the cross but believe?
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16 (NASB) I see nothing here either that says that we have to do anything to get into heaven, except believe in Christ Jesus.
"It is by grace you have been saved." Ephesians 2:5 (NIV) And, verses 8-9 say, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Funny, I don't see that we have to DO anything to get to heaven here either. We are saved by grace.
"Who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." 2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV) Need I say more?

To drive home the point completely: Nowhere in the Bible does it say that there's some kind of weird karma thing that God uses to determine whether or not we go to heaven and there's no way to purchase our way into heaven.

Again, what is it that makes a person worthy of going to heaven after he or she dies?

A person must believe in Christ Jesus as his or her Savior and repent from his or her sins in order to be saved. That's it. There's nothing more.

I repeat: Anyone who believes in Christ Jesus as his or her savior and has turned away from his or her sins is saved; he or she already stands justified before the Lord.

Next time, we'll talk about another false doctrine—Purgatory.

Copyright 2009 Sandra Purdue, A.K.A. The Bossy Church Lady. You can use whatever I write for whatever purposes as long as you don't take credit for what I've written.

Our Legacy

2009-03-14T15:12:00.003-06:00
The legacy we leave behind says a lot about the relationship we had with the Lord when we were still alive. Our actions, our words, and how we lived our lives will not only determine our future blessings in God’s kingdom, but they will also have a lasting impact on our descendants. When most people are worried about leaving their children with homes, money, stocks, bonds, and whatever else is important to them after they die, we need to keep in mind the greatest inheritance that we can pass on to our children and our grandchildren is the Lord.

Last time, we examined the life of Joseph to see how we can make the most of the trials that we can face in this life. During that study, we saw how our reactions in the face of our trials can have a lasting impact on our own lives as well as affect the lives of our families and descendants. Consider how ripples move outward on a pond; everything we do affects others for better or worse.

This time, we’ll look at the end of Joseph’s life and the end of his father Jacob’s life, to see what we can do to pass on the greatest inheritance of all: God.

Before we look at the end of either man’s life, let’s reexamine how seventeen-year-old Joseph reacted after he was sold into captivity. Though he cried and pleaded for his life, even at his young age, we can see that he had faith in the Lord. How? Because he didn’t complain, grumble, or try to kill his master or anyone else in an attempt to escape: He worked like he was working for the Lord. Through Joseph’s actions, we can see that his father, Jacob, shared his faith and knowledge of God with him while he was still young.

Genesis 22:18 tells us that God promised Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing to all nations. Had Jacob kept silent about the Lord and His promises, had Joseph not known God, as a worst case scenario, he could have reacted in ways that could have thwarted God’s plan for his life and the lives of his family, and future generations, all of which could have profoundly affected the lives of you and me. At the very least, God would have had to use someone else to channel His blessings. Joseph would have missed out on the blessings that God was waiting to bestow upon him and his family. Had Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or even Joseph not believed God’s promises and passed them on, we might not even know the Lord.

Moving to the end of Joseph’s father, Jacob’s life, we read all about what he left behind for his family, “Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.” Genesis 48:21. (Emphasis and underlining mine.) Notice that Jacob didn’t leave gold, silver or any other riches behind? Don’t be mistaken, the small tribe of Israel was extremely prosperous in the land of Egypt. Jacob could have put plenty of emphasis on who was going to get all of his worldly possessions and left everything else out, but he didn’t.

Rather, Jacob passed on the best he had to his son and grandsons: The legacy of God. He reminded Joseph about the promise that God had made to him and gave him a small plot of land that two of his other sons had taken from the Amorites several years beforehand.

Could Joseph make use of the land at the time he received it or any other time during his life? No. Does the Bible say that Jacob ever did anything useful with the land? Nope! So why on earth would Jacob bother with it in the first place? Because Jacob believed God’s promises with all of his heart, he passed on the land as a down payment, an assurance that God would some day fulfill His promise to the children of Israel. That alone is a pretty powerful statement about his faith in the Lord.

Now as we move toward the end of Joseph’s life in verse 50:23 of Genesis, we can see that one of his son’s children was counted as his. Undoubtedly, he taught them about the Lord and repeatedly told them everything that God promised him and his ancestors in his old age. The children probably sat at his feet, fascinated, while he told them all about what God had done for him during his life and what He had done for his ancestors. Perhaps they even made up skits and performed them for everyone who would take the time to watch. The point is that the children were taught about the saving grace of God, which is the most important thing any of us can learn during our lives.

Reading the account of Joseph’s death in verses 50:24-25, we see that he passed his inheritance, the promises of the Lord, on to his brothers and children. “But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (NIV) That’s all that he needed to say to ensure that the legacy of the Lord would be passed on.

After that, like Jacob and Joseph before them, whenever the children of Israel would face trials of their own, they too could draw on the promises of God for strength. Most importantly, the inheritance Joseph passed on to his children is the knowledge of God; the kingdom of heaven, so that after they die, they can be with the Lord forever.

We are called to do the same. The best way to ensure that the inheritance of God is passed from generation to generation is to give our lives to God and then share our beliefs in Him and our knowledge of Him with our children and grandchildren like Jacob and Joseph did.

Ephesians 1:11 tells us that our inheritance is God and His kingdom. Right now, I’m going to challenge you by asking you to make your decision now: Do you want to pass on the legacy of the Lord so that your children and grandchildren can live forever, or do you want to pass on earthly blessings, things of this world that are only temporary blessings that your children and grandchildren can’t take with them after they die?

How To Make The Most Of Your Trials

2009-03-02T15:36:00.005-07:00

Many Christians think that the trials and tribulations we face are evidences of God’s displeasure with him or her. He or she might be thinking, “If I’m careful enough to avoid sinning, that should give God reason to protect me from ever having to suffer or face discomfort of any kind… right?” or “I had to have done something wrong if I’m suffering… haven’t I?”

But that’s not the way that God operates. Even the most virtuous Christian men and women suffer at one time or another during their lives. But that hardly seems fair. So why would God, being a fair God, make us undergo trials then?

Since God wants to teach us to rely solely on Him and quit trying to fix everything ourselves, he uses our trials to draw us closer to Him, to help us develop perseverance, and to purify us like gold that’s been purified in the fire. Will we become angry with God, or will we turn to the Lord and say, “Okay, God, I don’t understand what’s going on right now, but I trust You to work everything out for the good of all concerned.” Hebrews 5:8-10 tells us that even Jesus, who was sinless, suffered through trials so that He could be made perfect.

Further, God tests us to see how we’ll handle disappointment, delays, and hardships. The mark of a mature believer is what he or she does in the midst of suffering. For now, we’re going to travel back to the Old Testament where we can examine the life of Joseph to see what he did so we can learn how to persevere in the face of trials.

At the age of seventeen, Joseph, the son of Jacob, was sold into slavery by his brothers and taken to Egypt (Genesis 37). Could you imagine having to go through something like that? I can’t. I know I would be indignant to say the least.

So what happened? What did Joseph do? After he was sold to Potiphar, after he became Potiphar’s slave, he did everything that was required of him. I can imagine that there had to have been layer upon layer of trials and tribulations for Joseph during this time. It must have seemed like there would be no end to them at times. Surely, he made mistakes; innocent mistakes no less, and was disciplined harshly for them. Since Egyptians considered Hebrews to be lower than dirt. No doubt, Potiphar and his family spoke to him like he was a piece of refuse.

Despite Joseph’s lowly position in the world, the Lord blessed everything he did. When Potiphar, who was a non-believer, saw that Joseph was blessed by God, he put everything he owned under Joseph’s authority. Everything, except what he would eat, was given to Joseph to take care of (Gen. 39:2-6).

Why? How could this have happened to Joseph even though he was considered a lowlife in Egypt? Because Joseph remained faithful to God. The entire time that he was in bondage, the whole time that he was nothing more than a lowly slave, he kept his eyes on the Lord. And no matter what, rather than become discouraged, grumble or complain, he worked like he was working directly for the Lord. In his mind, the Lord was his employer.

On top of that, he knew that seeking the approval of God was much more important than getting Potiphar’s or any other human’s approval. He looked to the Lord for his reward, his eternal reward, while he gave God all the credit for everything good.

Just like most things in life, his rise above his tribulations didn’t happen immediately, but it took time, many years worth of time. Do you have a boss that’s driving you crazy or are you becoming impatient for that raise or promotion? Perhaps your boss promised it to you, but it never happened. Ask God for perseverance and determination to see things through or lead you in another direction. Perhaps your calling is not to be in a position of authority, but maybe God wants you to be right where you are. Pray that God will show you what your calling is and then pray for the courage to go in that direction.

In Genesis 39, we see how Potiphar’s wife makes numerous sexual passes at him. Even though Joseph was young and handsome, and no doubt had physical needs, rather than give in to lust, he dug in his heels and stubbornly refused. The key verse is in Genesis 39:9 where Joseph asked Potiphar’s wife, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Joseph had a healthy fear of the Lord that prevented him from committing fornication and adultery with this woman. Once again, he proved himself faithful to the Lord.

So what happened as a result of his refusing to sin? He was thrown into prison after Mrs. Lustful lied about him by telling her husband that Joseph attempted to rape her. So much for his rise to power. Now he’s a low-down prisoner with no hope of ever getting out. All of his hard earned recognition and favor was swept away, thrown into the sewer because he remained faithful to God. Undoubtedly, he was beaten, humiliated and treated worse than ever in prison.

However, later, Joseph found himself second in command to the prison warden. The warden put him in charge of everything and everyone. Amazing!

Again, how in the world did Joseph gain the favor of another nonbeliever and everyone else that knew him even though everyone thought he tried to molest Potiphar’s wife? The key to his success is in Genesis 39:20 where it says, “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him." With all he had, with everything inside of him, Joseph he clung to God’s promise that He would be with him no matter what he would be forced to endure. Though he couldn’t see God, or even reach out and touch Him, he knew that God was right there with him.

On top of that, rather than let discouragement gobble him up whole, he trusted God to work everything out while he worked like he was working for the Lord, because that’s Who he was really working for, and seeking to please. Through thick and thin, God is with us too.

Some time later, Joseph became concerned for two men who were in his charge. One happened to be Pharaoh's chief cupbearer; the other was his chief baker. Both men had had disturbing dreams the evening prior and neither knew what they meant. Being in prison, since no one would have much to do with them, they had no hope of having their dreams interpreted.

Out of concern, Joseph approaches them and says, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams," (Genesis 40:8). So they tell Joseph about their dreams, and once Joseph interprets the dreams accurately, he asks the cupbearer to mention Joseph to Pharaoh, and see if he could help get him out of prison. Do you think the cupbearer remembered Joseph after he was sprung from that jail? Not on your life!

Two years pass before Pharaoh has a terrible dream and no one in Egypt is able to interpret it.

“Oh yeah… I was supposed to tell Pharaoh about that Joseph guy,” the cupbearer must have thought just before he mentioned Joseph by name.

Figuring that there’s nothing else to lose, Pharaoh calls Joseph to interpret the dream.

Genesis 41:16 tells us how Joseph answered, "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." Then when Joseph does interpret the dreams, he tells Pharaoh, "God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.”

So what happened then? Without hesitation, after Pharaoh realized that Joseph was correct, he put Joseph in charge of everything in Egypt. Second to Pharaoh, he was The Man.

But why? Why would someone like Pharaoh hold Joseph in such high regard? First, while Joseph was forgotten in prison, he didn’t complain or blame the cupbearer. I doubt he even became angry with him for his negligence. Secondly, Joseph gave all of the credit to God so God blessed him tremendously.

Just before Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, he didn’t recognize some other god that couldn’t care less if Joseph and everyone else rotted in hell for eternity or not; he gave the credit to the maker of everything, Who is Father to all. For that, for his faith in God and his obedience, and for his faithfulness in the small things, he was given the position of such high authority. Not only that, but Pharaoh gave him an Egyptian wife. And she was probably drop-dead-gorgeous.

We’re going to veer off the main road of this article for a moment while we examine why God would have permitted Joseph to marry an Egyptian. I believe it’s because God knew that Joseph wouldn’t choose to follow pagan gods, that he would remain faithful to his calling which was to not only be a famous man in Egypt, but a husband who would also be a spiritual leader in his home. God knew that Joseph would teach his wife about Him and that she would become a believer.

If Joseph hadn’t done what he was called to do in his home, I don’t believe for an instant that God would have blessed him with his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who would later be adopted by Jacob and integrated into the twelve tribes of Israel in place of Reuben and Simeon (Gen. 48:5).

Now back to the story: While the famine was in full swing, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt from Canaan to buy food. Let me tell you: Meeting his brothers for the first time in so many years must have been quite a trial! But it wasn’t for Joseph. He didn’t think twice about helping them. Sure, he could have been cruel to them by refusing to sell them grain, but he didn’t. Nor did he charge them double like he could have done. After testing his brothers a little, he was more than happy to help them in their time of need. In fact, he returned their money to them as they were leaving.

What was his reward for putting his full trust in God? His entire family was restored and lived in peace with each other and the Egyptians for many years. His entire family was prosperous.

Later, after Joseph’s father died his brothers were terrified that he might seek revenge for what they’d done to him all those years ago. But did he? Absolutely not! The key to his mindset is in Genesis 50:19 where he said, “Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” Joseph left revenge out of his thinking while he leaned on God for strength and understanding.

Rather than give in to his human nature by repaying evil for evil, he trusted God to see him through everything and to turn all of the bad stuff that had happened to him into something good, something beautiful, and that’s exactly what God did for him. His family remained intact and the world was all the more blessed by his actions.

Unfortunately, when a new Pharaoh took over, he thrust them into slavery (Exodus 1).

Had Joseph not set a godly example for his descendants, had Joseph been rebellious, bitter or angry over what happened to him, his children would have reacted the same way when the Egyptians mad them slaves. The result would have been disastrous as the Egyptians surely would have wiped Israel out.

Because Joseph was obedient to God; because he trusted the Lord, that obedience and faith was passed on to his children, his children’s children and so forth. Because they clung to God and His promises, their nation grew. Even though we aren’t Jewish, we have Joseph to thank not only for his example, but also for the fact that we’ve been adopted into God’s family.

Below, I’ve listed several things that Joseph did in the face of his trials so we can see what we should do when we’re being tested:

1. Through it all, Joseph didn’t concern himself with what men thought of him; he concerned himself with what God thought of him.

2. While he was a slave, he didn’t grumble or gripe about his situation; he made the best of it. His word was good. In every job that he had undertaken, he did what he pledged to do. He worked like he was working for the Lord.

3. Joseph was a man of integrity. Nowhere does it say that he stole anything from anyone even though he had ample opportunities to do so.

4. Despite being tempted numerous times, he ran from temptation when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. He didn’t flirt with sin; he didn’t skirt around the edges of it and become friendly with it like Lot did when he moved near Sodom and then into the city of Sodom, he literally ran from sin (Genesis 39:12).

5. Even after he was falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife, and then thrown into prison, he went so far as to comfort others that needed comforting (Gen. 40:6-7).

6. When his brothers who had sold him into slavery came to him for help, he helped them. He wasn’t bitter or resentful. He forgave them completely because he recognized the fact that what they meant for evil, the Lord used it to fulfill His purpose, which was good (Gen 50:20).

7. He believed in and leaned on God and His promises.

8. Joseph didn’t allow himself to become corrupt when he had absolute power. Instead of putting his faith and trust in the things and people of the world, no matter how bleak and dismal things may have looked from time to time, he pinned his hopes and dreams on the plan that God had for him. He always looked forward to his eternal reward.

9. He didn’t worship the gods of the Egyptians. Doing so would have caused him to be unfaithful to the Lord. But to be idolatrous, we don’t have to bow down to a false god: All we have to do is consider money, fame, or any other thing to be more important than the Lord.

Now that we know what we can do right when we’re going through adversity, now that we know what we can do to live a life full of God’s purpose, we’ll take a look at the surefire ways that we can throw away God’s blessings on our lives:

1. We can gripe, complain, and blame God and everyone else for anything that happens in our lives that we don’t like. But that would only make things more difficult for us and drive a wedge between us and God, and between us and other believers.

2. We can live for the approval of other people. However by seeking the endorsement of men, we’re disobeying the first commandment which is to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls and minds; we’re loving other men more than God (Mark 12:29-31).

3. We could be wishy-washy: We could trust God one minute, and then find fault with what He’s doing in our lives the next. But again, that would just make our trials all that much more difficult.

4. We could be unfaithful with everything God gives to us, but then again, He would take things from us that we don’t even have (Matthew 25:29).

5. We could flirt with sin or we could even keep on sinning. That would make the devil really happy!

6. We could ignore God, and not seek to know Him. Doing so would keep us in spiritual infancy for the rest of our lives, unfortunately.

What it all boils down to is that what we do in the midst of our trials helps define our walk with the Lord. Since our trials are opportunities to learn more about God and to draw closer to Him, with our eyes on the Lord, always wanting to grow up in Him, let’s do what James recommends in the first chapter of his epistle, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

We must always thank the Lord for our trials as we march forward in the Lord always looking forward to the day when we will meet Him face-to-face. But until that day, in order to make the most of our trials, we should never be afraid to ask God for the perseverance and wisdom to get through it while asking Him to help us learn from the experience. By doing so, we’re reaching through the storm and taking God’s hand so He can lead us out of it.

The most important thing though is that if we can bear in mind that our lives here are only temporary, and that our suffering is only be for a little while compared to the glory that awaits us in the hereafter, and if we can cling on to our pure, raw faith in the fact that the Lord will see us through, we will please God because it is by faith only that we can ever hope to please God.

It's finally finished!

2009-02-14T00:58:00.007-07:00

The Bossy Church Lady’s Official Guide For New Christians: 6 Days To Knowing All About God is finally finished! I'm excited about it 1) because I'm hopeful that it will help new Christians take the first steps in the right direction in their walk with Christ, and 2) it is finally finished! In all honesty, I'm a bit nervous about it because I'm not the best writer--truth be told, I'm probably horrible at it.

However, since my heart was in the right place at the beginning and at the end of the project, the main reason why I wrote the book was to help new Christians, I've decided to go ahead and publish it and give it away to whomever wants it. If you want it, you can get a copy of it by going to: http://www.thebossychurchlady.net/free_Bible_study_book.html It’s a PDF file that you can download onto your computer and read at your leisure.

Here's a short synopsis of the book—or the blurb that would be on the back of the book if it was published traditionally: The ultimate in Christianity 101, this book is broken down into 6 easy to digest lessons that cover a variety of subjects ranging from what God expects of Christians, all the way to the gifts of the Spirit, and everywhere in between. At the end of each chapter are challenging Bible study lessons that include a short list of verses to read, a few thought provoking questions, ample space to take notes, true/false questions and more!

This workbook will encourage, edify and prepare you, the new Christian, to be an effective warrior for Christ. Armed and equipped, wearing the full armor of God, you’ll have the confidence to go out and spread the good news, which is a Christian’s highest calling. After all, who doesn’t want to hear the Lord say: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”?

Yeah yeah, I know… the summary sounds full of hype, but I do believe that the book lives up to the promises.

Anyhoo, go and get the book if you want it... it's free! http://www.thebossychurchlady.net/free_Bible_study_book.html

Until next time… The Bossy Church Lady

Who Were The Sons Of God From Genesis 6:2?

2009-02-01T15:11:00.007-07:00

“The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.” Genesis 6:2 (NIV)

Some people think the “sons of God” mentioned in the Bible are fallen angels that married human women producing a cross breed called the Nephilim. Others think that the sons of God are men from the godly line of Seth who sinned by marrying ungodly women from the line of Cain.

I've listed several verses from the Bible that refer to the “sons of God”:

1.“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.” Job 1:6 (KJV).

2.“Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD” Job 2:1(KJV).

3.“When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:7 (KJV).

4.“For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?” Psalm 89:6 (KJV).

Another verse, which can be found in Daniel 3:25, specifically mentions the Son of God, but I believe that the passage is clearly referring to the Messiah. On can hardly equate the sons of God with the Son of God—Jesus.

In the New Testament, the Sons of God are alluded to in a few verses. Two of them are:

1.Jude 6, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” (KJV)

2. Second Peter 2:4, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;” (KJV)

Angels, according to the Bible, are “messengers” of God, and protectors of Israel and God’s children. They were created by God and they are notably strong and very wise. Given all of the above, one could say that the sons of God are angels. However, in light of the verses that I will list below—well, I’ll wait a bit to state the obvious. The verses are:

1. Second Samuel 14:20, “To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”

2. Psalm 103:20, “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”

3. Psalm 104:4, “Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:”

I’m only going to list one out of a multitude of verses in the book of Genesis alone that refer to angels because only one is necessary:

“And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.” Genesis 16:9 (KJV) [Underlining, mine.]

There are people out there that will disagree with my conclusion, but that's okay—we'll just have to agree to disagree. :) To me, it's clear from the verse above that the “sons of God” mentioned in Genesis 6:2 are from the line of Seth. Since Moses wrote the first five books in the O.T., in light of Genesis 16:9 –as well as a multitude of verses that Moses himself wrote—that he knew the difference between sons of God and angels.

Because Moses used the term “angel” when he was referring to an angel, and referred to God-fearing people when he used the term “sons of God”, I believe that it's a complete waste of one’s time to question whether Moses meant “angels” when he used the term, “sons of God” in Genesis 6:2.

Had Moses meant to use the term “angel” for “sons of God” the passage would have read, “… the angels saw that the daughters of men were beautiful…” But he didn’t. He used the term sons of God to describe God-fearing men.

Here are a couple of other verses that refer to the sons of God: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,” the apostle Paul stated in Galatians 3:26 (NIV). And in Hebrews 12:7, he said, “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?”

Another question I thought I'd answer while I'm here is, "Who Were The Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6:4?" The Bible says that the Nephilim were men of renown, which means that they were men of reputation. They were people of great stature. This could mean that they were mighty men of valor, wealth, power, or strength.

* Copyright 2009 Sandra Purdue. New in Christ? The Bossy Church Lady has answers! Visit my website at: http://www.thebossychurchlady.net

The nasty words called “Merry Christmas”

2008-12-19T22:50:00.004-07:00

Heaven forbid if one says “Merry Christmas!” in public anymore!

Sad to say, by giving in to society’s pressures to keep Christ completely out of the public arena we’re keeping the light of Christ under a bushel. Nobody is holding us at gunpoint, forcing us to hide the Lord in a closet and treat Him like He’s our dirty little secret, but we’ve been doing it anyways. The saddest part is that society needs Christ more than ever before.

The fact that cities and counties everywhere are still caving in to the looming threats of lawsuits from the ACLU and individuals who think they’ve been offended by hearing the words “Merry Christmas” or by catching a glimpse of a nativity scene in public is alarming, to say the least. They act like all of civilization has been and will be emotionally scarred for life if they hear the dirty, nasty, vile words “Merry Christmas!” Please.

Dear God; every business runs a huge risk of losing customers by the millions, gazillions even, if they say “Merry Christmas!” Certainly, an onslaught of lawsuits all coming from people who had to suffer by hearing the words, “Merry Christmas!” will bury them alive. All you have to do is go shopping to see what I’m talking about here.

For far too long, employees who happen to be believers have been terrified to discuss their faith at work for fear of on the job discrimination or perhaps being fired. They must surreptitiously whisper Merry Christmas to another, but only if the other person says it first. How sad.

But anyone following any other religion can blather on and on as loudly as he or she wants about any other religion: Satanism, Buddhism, you name it. They don’t have to keep quiet, but we Christians do.

The reason why we give gifts at Christmas is to celebrate the awesome gift that Christ gave to the world. The gifts we give are a reminder that Christ gave His life so we can live. But don’t tell that to people who don’t believe in God, who just happen buy presents for their kids on Christmas, or the entire world’s economy would collapse. Every toy manufacturer and seller would be out of business the instant word got out.

Right now, I want you to say the dirty words (Yes, out loud!) with me:

Merry Christmas!

Again: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Didn’t that feel good? Now, let’s say it again and again:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I don’t know about you, but I feel much better after saying that.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Seriously, if things don't change, if we Christians keep letting the world have its way, the same laws that have stricken the word Christmas from our public vocabulary will be expanded to our private lives. Pretty soon, we won't even be able to say “Merry Christmas!” in our own homes.

Yes! It's true! For crying out loud, if this insanity isn’t stopped, if we don’t stand up for ourselves, somehow, some way, no matter how feeble-seeming the effort, Christianity will become illegal in the United States. That would be tragic beyond comprehension.

All you have to do is look at what’s happening to our Christian brothers and sisters in China, India and other Christian unfriendly places where Christians are systematically martyred, beaten, and raped and their homes and churches are destroyed, all with the government’s blessing to see what’s coming if we continue to lie down and play dead.

Listen folks, if Nicole Kidman can talk about it openly in public by saying, *"This is a small gesture and I would just like to say I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year," to a bunch of little kids at a special screening of "The Golden Compass" in Sydney Australia, then by all means, we can do it too!

Buck society with me. Do your part for the Kingdom of Heaven by joining me in my rebellion. Together, we’ll all fight back by saying the two vilest words ever uttered to everyone we encounter. We’ll offend the pants off everyone we encounter by bidding them a merry Christmas as loudly as we can.

*In the article dated December 18, 2007: “Wish upon this star - Nicole Kidman” Alyssa Braithwaite, National Entertainment Writer, quoted Nicole Kidman as saying, "This is a small gesture and I would just like to say I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year." http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22944598-5001026,00.html

Hello, God… Are You There?

2008-12-04T04:15:00.005-07:00

Foreclosures, layoffs, businesses closing everywhere you look, bills keep right on coming, and now with Christmas just around the corner, it’s easy to let your mind become a swirling vortex of worries. If you’re facing hard times right now, you may be wondering why God is putting you through all of this.

Times are tough for a lot of us, and right now, the hardest thing to do is remember that God has only what’s best for us in mind (Jeremiah 29:11).

What always makes everything seem even worse is when we compare ourselves to other people because those people always seem to have more, they seem to be happier, they seem to make more money, they seem to be better looking. But the most aggravating thing of all is that every time we look, they have what we want. Ahhhhhh!!!

But the biggest problem with wanting something that others have is that we’re being covetous when we’re doing it; when we’re covetous, or envious of someone else, we’re breaking the tenth commandment.

And, when can’t be satisfied with what God is providing us, we’re telling Him that we think He’s not doing a good enough job. (Of course, none of us is big and bad enough to tell Him that to His face; but we sometimes say it loud and clear in other ways!)

But God, knowing what circumstances would push us closer to Him, decided where and when we would be born, and under what circumstances that we would live our lives (Acts 17:25-27). So with that, we need to be thankful that God took the time to orchestrate every minute of our lives for us. We don’t have to worry about anything because God’s got it all under control.

Listen, I’ve been through some hard times myself and God has never let me do without. Nor has He let anyone I know do without. Sure, at the time, I thought I was lacking something I needed, but I learned that I didn’t have to drive the best car, be the best dressed, or live in the biggest house to have what I needed. What I needed was provided abundantly, all I needed to do was be thankful and content with what I had.

Remember: Though you can’t see Him—and He seems farther away when you’re trying to navigate the kinks in the road—He is always with you. He is with you no matter where you are, no matter what you are going through, no matter what you will go through.

Sure, you can go to Him and tell Him all about your worries—He is your dad, after all. After that, treat yourself by letting those worries go, knowing that God will take care of everything for you. And never worry: He will spread His wings so you and your loved ones will have the refuge you’re seeking. All you have to do is allow Him to wrap you in His cloak and keep you warm and safe, and then bask in the love and attention that God longs to shower upon you, His child.

Whew, what a week!

2008-10-05T06:10:00.009-06:00

We started moving almost a week ago and we’re still not done. Boxes full of our precious worldly possessions are stacked here and there in every room. Thankfully, we have a pathway to the coffee pot--and to the chocolate, and, of course, my computer. I honestly didn’t think we had that much stuff, but as I look everywhere, it's plain to see that I was mistaken. Our house, which is larger by the way, is filling up fast.

The best thing about moving is that I've gotten to buy new bathroom accessories--towels, rugs, etc, and, of course, new bedding. Naturally, I had to get sheets to match... and a couple of pillows--and even more wonderful stuff.

Somehow though, while I was out shopping for the bathroom and bedroom--I can't figure out just how this happened yet, but give me a second or two and I'll come up with a semi-reasonable excuse--toys and cute clothes for my nieces and nephews (and of course, my granddaughter) came home with me.

--> How's this for an excuse: Everything latched onto my ankles and wouldn't let go??? (Okay, now that I've picked a cover story, I'd better remember to stick to it...)

Strangely, I haven’t written anything since the 28th of last month and to be completely honest, I enjoyed the break. But now it’s time to get back to work, and I have a lot of it ahead of me... I just discovered that all of the files for the online audio Bible on my website have been wiped out—the file hosting service had a corrupt file—so I have to upload everything again and change the URLs of the files on my web pages. So... if you're looking to listen to the Bible online from my site, or if you have already tried to listen to it and it wouldn't work, please give me a while to fix everything. I should have it back up by tomorrow--Tuesday at the latest.

I’ll check back in soon! Until next time…
Love the Bossy Church Lady

Tag You're It!

2008-09-21T12:17:00.008-06:00

Kim Kasch (http://kimkasch.blogspot.com/) tagged me so here are my answers:

What are your nicknames? Hunz (my husband), San (my dad)

What game show and/or reality show would you like to be on? Deal Or No Deal… Howie is pretty cool. “Deal… or no deal”, I can hear him saying now.

What was the first movie you bought in VHS or DVD? Beauty And The Beast for my daughter… Oh great! Now one of the songs from the movie is stuck in my head, “Be our guest! Be our guest! Put our service to the test…”

What is your favorite scent? Gardenia

If you had a million dollars that you could only spend on yourself, what would you do with it? I’d probably spend it on others because doing so satisfies me.

What one place have you visited that you can't forget and want to go back to? Seaside, Oregon. I loved walking on the beach at night and watching how the moon reflects off the water.

Do you trust easily? No. Trust must be earned.

Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think? Yes, unfortunately, I do think before I act. Sometimes, I have to tell myself to, “Just Do It”!

Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days? No, not really. Life is what you make it.

Do you have a good body image? Nope, never have—even when my weight and all of that good stuff was ideal.

What is your favorite fruit? Apple.

What websites do you visit daily? Rachelle Gardner’s blogsite, MSN for my news.

What have you been seriously addicted to lately? Writing.

What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is? Friendly, outgoing, fun, spontaneous.

What's the last song that got stuck in your head? See question number 3.

What's your favorite item of clothing? My pajamas.

Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy? Nope—I’m the only person I know of that doesn’t like any of that stuff—especially Rice Crispy Treats.

What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground? I’d pick it up and look around to see if anyone is looking for missing money. If not…then I’d thank God for the gift.

What items could you not go without during the day? Coffee, my computer.

What should you be doing right now? Working on my next newsletter because it’s due next weekend (the weekend we’ll be moving into a bigger house).

Panic Time!

2008-09-17T22:13:00.013-06:00

After editing the manuscript that I’ve been working on for the last few months, I read through it again and was certain that it was polished. In my mind, it was spit shined and ready to go!

So, after querying agents, I decided to reread the manuscript just to make sure that there aren’t any spelling errors or anything else like that when I came across something I really didn’t like… the dialogue seemed a little too fakey in my opinion. And then, I found something else that I wasn’t pleased with. Of course, now that I have a bunch of queries out, I’m finding myself fixing everything in the manuscript, even if it really doesn’t need fixing in case an agent or someone happens to be interested in reading it.

Anyhoo… back to the real reason why I’m checking in… I wanted to find out what you thought about a Christian author who writes horror stories. I’ve written one or two and there’s a few more that I’ve been kicking around in my head for some time, but I wanted to get some feedback on the matter before I stamp my real name on the stories.

Feel free to leave a comment or email me with your thoughts on the matter.

Until next time...

I Thought I'd Check In

2008-09-01T17:56:00.009-06:00

As I’m plugging along, editing my newest story, the one that’s been whisking me off to never-never land, I finally realized why I don’t check in here as often as I’d like to: My mind is usually consumed with what I’m writing about. Being a writer, I guess that’s a good thing, but for anyone who likes to read my posts, it’s not so good.

Something else that I thought I’d mention while I’m here is that the majority of the email addresses that are being removed from my email list end with gmail.com. This is nothing that I have control over as the email software that I use automatically removes the addresses that bounce my newsletters back. If your email address ends with gmail.com and you’re not receiving the newsletters, and you would like to have them delivered to your inbox, go back to http://www.thebossychurchlady.net/signup.html and sign up with another email account, such as hotmail or yahoo, both of which are free.

Following that, you can either put my email address in your safe list or add it to your contacts.

Until next time… love ya lots,
The Bossy Church Lady