What Joshua and the children of Israel faced physically as they began to take possession of the Promised Land parallels what we as Christians encounter when God wants to move us to the next level in what he calls us to do, so we can learn a lot from their example in Joshua 5–

1And it came to pass, when all the kings…heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel,…their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more…

²At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.

 ³And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. …

 ⁸And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.

 ⁹And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

 ¹⁰And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.

Just like the Israelites, when we as Christians are about to be led by God into a place of greater spiritual responsibility than where we presently are, there must be a period of circumcision. There may be some fleshly stuff in our lives that the Lord requires us to cut off. It could be a bad habit that’s hindering us, a relationship that is holding us back, or a negative environment that is keeping us down. Whatever it may be, it has to be sacrificed for us to experience the higher blessing from the Lord.

This is what Christ alluded to when he commanded us in Matthew 5:30 to cut off what leads us to offend, since it is profitable to lose what WE consider important to gain what God deems important. If our focus in our life of ministry is sincerely to glorify God, we will do whatever is necessary to cut those things off, even if it causes our fleshly, selfish nature to experience pain like the Israelite men did in their circumcision.

In the same way the men of Israel were allowed a period of healing, God also allows us the same after we go through our own period of painful self-sacrifice. We find that we have entered our place of Gilgal, a place where God has rolled away the reproach of withholding from us the rewards and benefits he would have shared with us in the past if it had not been for us clinging to a worldly, carnal, “Egyptian” mindset. Our painful circumcision of the fleshly nature unleashes God’s rewards.

At the end of our circumcision of the flesh, our re-dedication period, while we are healing, it is also a time of reflection of what the Lord has done for us. This is when the Israelites celebrated passover. We can do the same by rejoicing and praising Jehovah for his excellent mercy, grace, and patience for giving us time to repent instead of pouring out his judgment. We can praise Jehovah for coming in the flesh as the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God, who shed his blood to make our deliverance possible and who makes it worth our while to go through the pain that precedes our progress, leading us to praise him even more.

–Harry A. Gaylord–

The company, Senomyx, according to its website has  “created proprietary taste receptor-based assay systems that provide a biochemical or electronic readout when a flavor ingredient interacts with the receptor [in the mouth]…As a result, we have identified hundreds of unique potential new flavor ingredients that could not be discovered using taste tests alone.” [emphasis in original].

The thing they conveniently omit  saying about their “flavor ingredients” is that cells from aborted babies are one ingredient. Researchers at Senomyx own patent 7,297,543, which states that they engineer sweeteners using “mammalian cell lines” such as “HEK-293.” This cell line, HEK-293, is the abbreviation for Human Embryonic Kidney cells which they acquire directly or indirectly from abortion clinics.

But wait–THERE’S MORE! Senomyx has contracts with some very popular food companies for using their “flavor enhancers,” including Cadbury Adams LLC (a subsidiary of Kraft Foods), Nestles, and PepsiCo. PepsiCo is still in the experimental stages of developing products using those flavor enhancers while other companies already have their products on the market.

Oklahoma Republican Senator Ralph Shortey recently denounced such products publicly and has formed a bill to ban any and all such products from being sold in his state. He got his information from the pro-life organization, Children of God For Life, which was one of the first organizations to sound the alarm. They, with other pro-life groups, are in the midst of a boycott of these food companies that started in the U.S. but has expanded to other countries.

A resolution from concerned shareholders of PepsiCo was filed with the SEC last year calling for the end of such food product practices, but PepsiCo is fighting to keep the information private. The SEC has yet to make a decision. It’s ironic and telling that a company engineering these products would be named Senomyx, since “sin” is in their “mix.”

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Romans 1:28

Sources:

Children of God for Life. Oklahoma Senator correct – mainstream media wrong:  Aborted fetal cells are used in development of flavor enhancers for food products. January 26, 2012.

United States Patent & Trademark Office. Patent 7,297,543. www.uspto.gov.

Senomyx. Flavor Programs page. www.senomyx.com

–Harry A. Gaylord–

The study showed that narcissism leads to higher levels of cortisol in men. Cortisol is the hormone used to measure levels of stress. The higher the cortisol, the higher the stress. Narcissistic men showed a continually high level of cortisol even in non-stressful situations. Essentially, narcissistic males are stressing themselves out, which hurts them physically (elevated blood pressure & heart conditions) and in their efforts to keep up appearances of looking important, they act out in ways that place a psychological damper on their interactions with others.

Researchers also found that narcissism is continuing to rise in our society. But that shouldn’t be a surprise when one considers the amount of TV ads, music, music videos, reality shows, and YouTube videos permeating our society with the underlying message that a person (especially if they are male) is nothing unless they brag about themselves or make themselves the center of attention.

However, the researchers only discovered what the Bible has been saying for centuries– Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall [Proverbs 16:18]. The pride of men in their narcissism is not only their spiritual downfall, it’s their mental and physical downfall as well. In the midst of their ever-increasing narcissism, the men in our society are unknowingly fulfilling the prophecy that Paul gave about how men would act in the last days in 2 Timothy 3:2-4. God have mercy on our wicked, narcissistic society.

Source: Diane Swanbrow. Expensive egos: Narcissism has a higher health cost for men. Eurekalert.org. January 23, 2012.

–Harry A. Gaylord–

Baby saves father’s life from mother’s womb

Sara McDonald, an expectant mother in Atlanta, GA, got a rude awakening one night. At 7 1/2 months into her pregnancy, she was used to her baby kicking her while sleeping, but this night was different. Her son kicked inside her womb enough to startle her into staying awake long enough to notice that her husband wasn’t breathing. Her husband was totally unresponsive, having no pulse, and turning purple. Sara immediately called 911 and performed CPR on her husband until help arrived. Officers on the scene thought for sure Thomas, her husband, was a goner, but continued efforts to revive him finally succeeded. And all of this thanks to a little baby in the womb used by God to save his own father’s life.

Read & see more of this story at LifeNews.com.

One-year-old girl survives fall from third story

A one-year-old girl fell from a third story window Tuesday afternoon in Riviera Beach, FL. Neighbors who heard the girl’s screams called 911 while one neighbor comforted her until the paramedics arrived. After being rushed to the hospital, she was only kept overnight for observation and was released today. The fall is being investigated by police to make sure no negligence or foul play was involved. One of the baby’s relatives explained her view of why the girl escaped death–”We believe in God, that is why God saved the baby’s life, because we believe in God.”

More of this story can be found at WPBF.com, ABC Channel 25 news.

Babies are truly precious in the eyes of God, who created them to be a blessing.

³Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

 ⁴As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

 ⁵Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them… Psalm 127

–Harry A. Gaylord–

The program was instituted under the guise of preventing ID theft and welfare fraud. Authorities in India point out to those who question the program that it is voluntary, but critics believe the voluntary will eventually become mandatory. To make India “safer”, Indian authorities will track “bank transactions, cellphone purchases and the movements of individuals and groups suspected of fomenting terrorism.” But, of course, the word “terrorism” is always a fluid term, especially when one considers that many Christians in India are targeted for arrest when falsely accused of “forcing” or “bribing” people to become Christians.

So the foundations for new world order and global governance continue to be laid. No doubt this program comes courtesy of the Vatican and its underlings such as the UN and the Bilderberg Group. If the nation of India with its 1.2 billion citizens can pull this off successfully, then the U.S., with its much smaller population, will be encouraged to speed up its plans to do the same through Obamacare or some other program, regardless of which political party is in the White House or runs Congress.

¹⁶And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

 ¹⁷And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13

Source: Brandon Turbeville. Cashless Society: India Implements First Biometric ID Program For All of Its 1.2 Billion Residents. Prisonplanet.com. January 12, 2012.

–Harry A. Gaylord–

God has given us his Holy Spirit and if you look at Acts 11:28, the Holy Ghost told Agabus to warn the church about the inevitable financial/agricultural hardships that were coming and to prepare so the church prepared and the believers prospered during that drought. Since God doesn’t play favorites, you can be assured that if he did that for believers in the first century church, he’ll do it for believers in the 21st century church if we will listen and follow his directions on what to do with our money. Here are two more precious promises to keep in mind:

¹Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

 ²But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

 ³And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psalm 1

⁷Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

 ⁸For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17

Hosea 4 is where this idea comes from. In verses 1-3 we find the following:

¹Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. ²By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. ³Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

God’s beef was that there was no truth, mercy, or godly knowledge in the nation. Proverbs 1:7 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Wherever there is lack of godly knowledge, you can bet that lack of knowledge is a result of a lack of fearing, respecting, and reverencing God since fearing the Lord is where true knowledge starts.

Lack of fear in a society that causes a lack of knowledge then has a negative ripple effect in that society. People in such a society have no concern for what is truthful. They couldn’t care less about whether something lines up with the word of God or not. They say to God’s prophets, “Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” [Isaiah 30:10]. They cry out, “We don’t want to hear about sin or Jesus. We don’t care what the Bible says or what God thinks if there even is a God!” So they exchange the truth of God for the lie that man evolved on his own from primordial sludge, that as long as their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds they’ll be fine. They believe truth is whatever you make it out to be and that whatever makes them feel good is okay.

Resistance to truth leads to a lack of mercy toward others and toward anything God has done. After all, if one doesn’t realize a merciful God has shown them mercy, how can genuine unselfish mercy be shown to others? If it makes a person feel good to use others for their own selfish ends, so be it. If they fear the unborn child inside of them will stand in their way of getting what they really want out of life, then the child must be sacrificed. If someone is seen as hindering them from their goal, all bets are off and situations must be manipulated, rumors and innuendo spread, or frivolous lawsuits filed to push them out of the way with no regard for them or their families.

Lack of knowledge of God that brings a lack of truth that results in a lack of mercy leads us to Hosea 4:2– swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and adultery. Such a society has no problem with using God’s name in vain and misusing God’s name to unjustly curse others. They don’t mind broadcasting their lies by any medium at their disposal to tear someone down or build themselves up. Killing, in the sense of murder, is no problem for them, whether it’s as drastic as taking a person’s life or as simple as murdering another person’s spirit with ungodly words as Jesus points out in Matthew 5:21-22. Thieves lack respect for others’ belongings and lack mercy for whatever struggles their victim went through to acquire what they stole from them. Adultery shows disrespect for what God joined together and lack of mercy for the feelings of the spouse who was victimized.

When these sins run rampant in a society, then Hosea 4:2 states the people “break out.” This is the destruction of all boundaries God has set up for our well-being and protection. People become like a dog who is fenced in for his protection, but wants out, thinking that what lies beyond the fence is much better when in fact they are being protected from being run over by a vehicle, from hunger, or from someone who enjoys harming dogs. When those boundaries are broken, “blood toucheth blood.” People seek revenge or continual personal wars which can result in collateral damage where innocent bystanders are caught in the crossfire.

Collateral damage is not only human, as Hosea 4:3 points out. When men start wars with each other, whether they be legal actions in court or other means, people “languish”, which means it can lead to a lack of personal resources to take care of basic needs. American Indians on reservations are a good example of this. If personal wars are land disputes, not only can the physical land suffer, but animals on the land suffer also by famines or droughts. In the beginning God gave mankind dominion over creation to nurture it, but those with no regard for their fellow man or anything God created, will abuse humans, animals, or land to get what they want.

This is how resisting God hurts the environment. Let me state here that I’m not with the environmental movement or believe the global warming arguments since those movements resist the true God in favor of a god who desires population control (most often via abortion) by any means necessary and they consider animals as man’s equals or superiors. Their policies hurt humans and humans are the only part of creation made in the image of God.

What God mentioned in Hosea 4 can be seen to some degree in every nation and to the extreme in many places on the African continent where civil wars seem to pop up frequently, or in nations that enforce sharia where even Muslims hate each other, or in socialist/communist nations. When they harden their hearts against God and start the process of hurting the environment, God withdraws himself to hasten their downfall so they can eat the fruit of their ways unless they repent.

⁷At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

 ⁸If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

 ⁹And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

 ¹⁰If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. Jeremiah 18

–Harry A. Gaylord–

Today the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously sided with the federal district court by reaffirming that courts are not allowed to consider cases involving who churches and church schools can hire or fire. Chief Justice John Roberts stated in that opinion, “The interest of society in the enforcement of employment discrimination statutes is undoubtedly important. But so too is the interest of religious groups in choosing who will preach their beliefs, teach their faith, and carry out their mission.”

This decision should be a warning to those who would sue churches over being rejected for a position or fired from a position based on how they conduct themselves in their personal lives.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/11/4180271/aclj-applauds-supreme-court-decision.html#storylink=cpy

-Harry A. Gaylord-

The move angered groups giving support to those with real disabilities. They argue that pedophiles will now get higher disability payments from the government than a person who has an organ transplant.

It seems that Greece has returned to the immoral roots of Ancient Greece where corruption ruled the day. Now that Greece has made this move, it will be no surprise if they will serve as the test market for the rest of Europe, who will probably adopt the same or similar lists of disabilities down the road. Isn’t it rather ironic that with the Greek government already in dire straits financially that they would make these changes that will lead to more government spending? I believe this points out how the financial crisis is purposely orchestrated to oppress people for the sake of the people in power and to spread socialism with blatant disregard for the well-being of others.

¹⁵He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD. Proverbs 17

Source: Associated Press. Pedophilia Added To Greece’s Recognized Disability List. CNSNews.com. January 9, 2012.

–Harry A. Gaylord–

However, the world turning against Israel just opens up another opportunity for God to reveal how he is the one who will look out for Israel when no one else will. Although Israel has a whole plethora of energy sources within its boundaries, it has still depended on foreign oil, but that day may soon be over. In the past few years, geologists have found huge amounts of shale oil off Israel’s coast and underneath its land. A large shale deposit has been found 400 feet below the surface of the valley where David killed Goliath. It has the potential of producing more oil than Saudi Arabia, which will make Israel totally self-sufficient.

The company Israel Energy Initiatives has devised a way to use fracking in an environmentally safe way to extract the oil. The method uses horizontal drilling as opposed to the more controversial vertical drilling, which keeps the disruption of the surface layer to a minimum.  The whole process of tapping into the vast resource promises to revolutionize Israel’s influence in the Middle East and around the world. It can become an oil export powerhouse that could make even Saudi Arabia envious. Relik Shafir, the president of Israel Energy Initiatives, believes that “[i]t’s an amazing discovery because it means technology-wise a Western country is able to develop means to extract oil from unknown before resources and free itself from the strangle of unfriendly countries.”

So as the world turns against God’s chosen people to try to hurt them, Jehovah has counteracted their moves with this natural blessing. But it’s not because Israelis are all good people. It’s because God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that he would always look out for their descendants and that he would always have a remnant within Israel who would believe in him. Most Israelis aren’t saved, but for the sake of the few that are, God is showing himself faithful to his covenant with the patriarchs. And if he can do this for Israel, then surely he will do such wonders for us Gentile believers. That’s why I praise him.

Source: Chris Mitchell. Shale Oil Could Make Israel an Energy Player. CBN News. Thursday, January 05, 2012.

–Harry A. Gaylord–