Walking in the Way: March 2012

Saturday, March 31, 2012

David's Letter to His Dead Dad #317

Make sure to 'like' us on Facebook, and become a 'Follower' here, or sign up for email notifications on the bottom right of this page. As always, thanks for stopping by, and may God bless you!-Walking In The Way

"I don't believe in Heaven or Hell."

Unholy Huddle

Early in 2008, a couple were snowboarding in New Mexico when they became lost in a snow storm. They had a cell phone to call for help, but decided not to because they were experienced hikers. They believed they could save themselves. They built a shelter in the snow and spent the night huddled together in the freezing conditions. The next morning they realized that they were not going to be able to make it alone, so they called for help, and then they carved an SOS in the snow. Had they not forsaken their own efforts, they certainly would have perished.

Most of humanity huddles together in this cold world, thinking that they are going to save themselves. They trust in their own religious works. It is only when they realize that their hope of saving themselves is hopeless, that they will humble themselves and call upon the name of the Lord. May God help them to understand this, and that time is running out. Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Psalm 86:5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

The Ability to Believe

. . . believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead . . .
–Romans 10:9

It is impossible to believe anything into existence. The Gospel did not come into being because men believed it. The tomb was not emptied of Christ’s body that first Easter because some faithful persons believed it. The fact preceded the faith. We are psychologically incapable of believing without an object of our faith. The object of Christian faith is Christ. Faith means more than an intellectual assent to the claims of Christ. You are not called upon to believe something that is not credible, but to believe in the fact of history that in reality transcends all history. Faith actually means surrender and commitment to the claims of Christ. We do not know Christ through the five physical senses, but we know Him through the sixth sense that God has given every man—the ability to believe.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
As I keep my eyes on You, Lord, my faith does not waver. Too often I look down and stumble. Let me comprehend today afresh the power that raised You from the dead.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Sound Man

Every human being is morally obligated to thank and praise God for the precious gift of life. So often we treat Him as we would the “sound man” at church, giving Him no thought until something goes wrong. As Christians, we should also be bursting with worship, praise, and thanksgiving to God for laying the foundation of our eternal salvation. See also Psa. 136:1; Rom. 1:20,21.

Ezra 3:11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel. Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

Wretched: Pants on Fire!

A Young Man's Invitation to a Life of Sacrifice by Paul Washer

Endless Forgiveness

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us . . .
–1 Thessalonians 5:9,10

Look at Christ’s death. In one biography of the great American, Daniel Webster, 863 pages deal with his career and just five pages are devoted to his death. In Hay’s life of Abraham Lincoln there are 5,000 pages but only 25 are devoted to the dramatic story of his assassination and death. In most biographies the deaths of the subjects are mere incidents at the close of the books. But when we come to the four “biographies” of Jesus, the four Gospels, we are confronted with a strange fact. One-third of Matthew is given to a description of the death of Christ. One-third of Mark, one-fourth of Luke, and one-half of John are given to His death. All these pages are devoted to the last 24 hours of His life. The death of Jesus Christ is a significant fact in human history, because Jesus Christ came for the express purpose of dying for sinners. When He left heaven, He knew He was going to the cross.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Lord Jesus, what agony You suffered for me upon the cross. I deserve Your judgment, yet You have given me forgiveness and eternal life. I praise Your beloved name.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Israel's Enemies Unite for March to Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Security forces in Israel are on high alert ahead of Friday's "Global March to Jerusalem."

Organizers hope one million people will march on the border of Israel. But, there's growing concern the event will turn violent and be used to shine negative light on the Jewish state.

Close to 100,000 people marched in the streets of Morocco earlier this week, chanting they would redeem Jerusalem with their blood.

Organizers of the Global March to Jerusalem hope that same result takes place at Israel's borders and its embassies around the world.

"The march will demand freedom for Jerusalem and its people," a statement on the event website reads. "And put an end to the apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and judaization policies affecting the people, land, and sanctity of Jerusalem."

But supporters of Israel say the Jewish connection to Jerusalem dates back 3,000 years.

Some fear the March 30 marches will take a turn for the worst.

In June 2011, thousands of Syrians tried to breach Israel's northern border. Several died during the confrontation with Israeli troops.

Some believe it's this kind of incident that would play into the hands of the Global March organizers by making Israel look bad.

An email exchange by two organizers offered insight into what some are hoping.

"This will undermine the Israeli state like no other strategy and then it will all begin to unravel," one email said. "The zionist edifice, which is unravelling as we speak, will soon fall."

Middle East expert Daniel Pipes said the March represents a new strategy.

"The real war now is the war of public opinion. It's the war of television and writing and radio and Internet," he said.

"To embarrass Israel, to make life difficult. I mean, how are you going to stop a large number of people marching?" Pipes continued.

"So I think it's indicative of a new way of expressing hostility and trying to deligitimate, and eventually eliminate Israel," he said.

The participants are a virtual "who's who" of Israel's enemies: the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and some of the same parties involved in last year's flotilla, which tried to break Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli intelligence sources also say Iran is directly helping organize the marches. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei has openly declared his support of the Global March to Jerusalem.

Critics also point out the irony of nations like Syria and Iran accusing Israel of human rights abuse.

Yet, just across the border, the Syrian regime has killed thousands of its own people. And Iran is threatening to execute Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani because he refuses to deny his faith in God.

Soul Winners

“You all desire to glorify Christ by becoming soul-winners—I hope you do—and be it remembered that, other things being equal, he is the fittest in God’s hand to win souls who pities souls most. I believe he preaches best who loves best, and in the Sunday-school and in private life each soul-seeker shall have the blessing very much in proportion to his yearning for it. Paul becomes a savior of many because his heart’s desire and prayer to God is that they may be saved. If you can live without souls being converted, you shall live without their being converted; but if your soul breaks for the longing that it hath towards Christ’s glory and the conversion of the ungodly, if like her of old you say, “Give me children, or I die,” your insatiable hunger shall be satisfied, the craving of your spirit shall be gratified.” Charles Spurgeon

Genesis 30:1 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die! Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die!

Wretched: Warning: Christian Persecution.

Paul Washer - Husbands - love your wife!

How do I repent? - Tim Conway

Cleansed by Blood

. . . unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
–Revelation 1:5

Blood is mentioned 460 times in the Bible. Fourteen times in the New Testament Jesus spoke of His own blood. Why? Because by the shedding of His blood, He accomplished the possibility of our salvation. He paid the penalty for our sin and redeemed us. The penalty for our sin and rebellion is death; Jesus stepped out and said, “I’ll take that death.” He voluntarily laid down His life and took the penalty we deserve. That’s what the cross is all about.

The blood of Jesus Christ not only redeems us, it justifies us. Being justified means more than being forgiven. I can say, “I forgive you,” but I can’t justify you. But God not only forgives the past, He clothes you in righteousness as though you had never committed a sin. Yet it cost the blood of His Son on the cross.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Lord Jesus, with a deeply grateful heart I thank You for Your sacrifice upon the cross. Your blood has cleansed my sin and made me worthy of forgiveness.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

God wants to keep people from having knowledge

Some skeptics see the word “knowledge” in Gen. 3:5 and conclude that God wants to prohibit man from having knowledge. They claim God likes people to be ignorant and unthinking, but they fail to consider what it is a knowledge of. But their sin brought evil into the world, and once mankind knew both good and evil, he had to choose between the two.

Before sin was in the world, Adam and Eve knew, and experienced, only good; in fact, God’s entire creation was “very good.” These same skeptics often complain about the evil they see in the world and blame it on God—yet it was because of Adam and Eve's desire to know good and evil that we now know and experience evil.

Genesis 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

Wretched: Behar to Cameron: Shut Up!

You Are Never Walking Alone

Deacons, Decisions, and Depression #314

He is the Light

The Lord is my light and my salvation . . .
–Psalm 27:1

Under the picture of Peter Milne, hanging in the church he founded on the little New Hebrides Island of Nguna, these words are found: “When he came, there was no light. When he died, there was no darkness.” When Christ came into the world, there was no light. Matthew (quoting Isaiah) said of Him, “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up” (Matthew 4:16). Harry Lauder once said that during his boyhood, he could tell where the lamplighter was “by the trail of light he left behind him.” Christ was the heavenly Lamplighter. Everywhere He went, the midnight gloom of sin and despair disappeared before Him.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
My heart and soul praise You, my risen Redeemer, for the light that pervades the deepest gloom and transforms our lives with Your love.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Sleeping Giant

The church in America is like a sleeping giant that needs to be awakened.

Studies show that only two percent of evangelicals share their faith. The problem is the millions of spurious converts who sit within the Church—tares among the wheat, foolish virgins among the wise, goats among the sheep, etc. These people are in the midst of the American church, but they are not part of the true Church. If they were awakened to their true state, instead of a mere 2 percent we would see 100 percent sharing their faith, because they had a passion to do the will of God.

Zechariah 4:1 Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep.

The Great act of Humility

. . . he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
–Matthew 23:12

In almost every instance in the Bible, as well as in life, pride is associated with failure, not success. We hear a great deal about the inferiority complex, but the superiority complex of pride is seldom spoken of. It was pride that caused the fall of Lucifer, and he became Satan, the devil. It was pride that led King Saul down to a shameful and untimely death. It was pride that caused Peter to deny his Lord.

The greatest act of humility in the history of the universe was when Jesus Christ stooped to die on the cross of Calvary. And before any man can get to heaven, he must kneel at the foot of the cross and acknowledge that he is a sinner, that he has broken the Ten Commandments of God, and that he needs the grace of God in Christ. No man can come proudly to the Savior.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Lord Jesus, You suffered such humiliation and pain for me on the cross. I ask You, humbly, to forgive my pride and errant ways that nailed You there.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Eric Ludy - Asking the Tough Questions

Eyes wide open

When we come to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, we no longer walk in darkness. Non-Christians are like someone who is driving directly toward the sun, low on the horizon. It is very difficult to see clearly. But it is so different when driving with a low sun behind you—everything can be seen clearly. To those who have never repented and trusted in Jesus Christ, nothing will be clear. They search outer space to try to find their origins, because they don’t know where they came from. Neither do they know why they are here, or where they are heading. However, repentance is a complete change of direction. When we repent and trust in Jesus, all things become clear. Our eyes are opened to the truth and we hear the words of the Lord. We come to know Him and why we are here. We are not an accident, but were made by God for God. That is the purpose of our existence: to enjoy Him and His creation forever.

Numbers 24:15 So he took up his oracle and said: The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God, And has the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open...

Let His Light Shine

. . . light is come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light . . .
–John 3:19

The world’s difficulty is summed up in the words, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness understood it not.” The light of Easter is shining, but men refuse to turn to its healing rays for
forgiveness, redemption, and salvation. Thus Christ is being rejected by the overwhelming majority of humanity today. As a result, men stumble on in spiritual darkness blindly toward destruction, judgment, and hell. In the midst of the darkness and “void” at the creation of the world, God said, “Let there be light.” In your own mind-darkened, will-paralyzed, conscience-dulled soul, God can make the light penetrate and turn the darkness of your own life into day, if you will let Him. Many of you are living in spiritual darkness, confused, frustrated, disturbed, and fearful. Let the Light come into your heart by faith.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
At Easter time, as nature breaks through into glorious re-creation, I am reminded of the glory of Your resurrection! I praise You, Lord Jesus, for Your light which shines through the dimness of my soul.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

2012 Mission Trip

Please watch this video when you get a chance entitled "2012 Mission Trip" at the bottom of our site. I am in the process of doing some fundraisers to go on this mission trip to Uganda to help these children in September, but I still need sponsors. I'm looking for about 40 people that would make a $100 donation to sponsor me to go help build and orphanage for these children and share the love of Jesus with them. Donations are tax deductible, but must be sent in by May 30th to THE LORD'S CHILD, ATTN: DAVID MAY, P.O. BOX 6120 SEVIERVILLE, TN 37864. Just include a letter with your donation saying "I would like to sponsor Michael Surber for the 2012 Mission Trip to Uganda in September".

I know we all care about children and I'm sure many of you would like to go, but can't so please send me for you. Where a child is born should not determine whether the child gets to live or die. Thank you for your support and as always, God bless!

With love,

Evangelist Michael Surber

Living Sacrifice

“If by excessive labor we die before reaching the average age of man, worn out in the Master’s service, then glory be to God. We shall have so much less of earth and so much more of heaven. It is our duty and our privilege to exhaust our lives for Jesus. We are not to be living specimens of men in fine preservation, but living sacrifices, whose lot is to be consumed.” Charles Spurgeon

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,which is your reasonable service.

Sensitivity towards Others

If a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God—for God is love.
–1 John 4:8 (TLB)

Jesus wept tears of compassion at the graveside of a friend. He mourned over Jerusalem because as a city it had lost its appreciation of the things of the Spirit. His great heart was sensitive to the needs of others. To emphasize the importance of man’s love for men, He revised an old commandment to make it read, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart . . . and thy neighbor as thyself.” This generation is rough and tough. I heard a little boy boasting one day about how tough he was. He said, “On the street I live on, the farther out you go the tougher they get, and I live in the last house.” Until you have learned the value of compassionately sharing others’ sorrow, distress, and misfortune, you cannot know real happiness.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Lord Jesus, sensitize my heart with Your compassion so that I may truly love.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Hypocrites

“Many people have forsaken the church, complaining that there is too much hypocrisy in it. Business is full of hypocrites, too, but no one stops making money because of that. The relationship between sexes, generations, and nations is full of hypocrisy. Notwithstanding, people fall in love, cohabit with children and parents. Nations coexist. How many remain bachelors and spinsters because married life is full of hypocrites?

“One place is surely full of hypocrites. It is hell. Instead of not going to church because you cannot suffer those who only pretend to be religious, you had better beware that you don’t go to hell which is full of men with false hearts. In church you are with the hypocrites for only an hour; in hell for eternity. If you loathe hypocrisy, then take decided steps to get to heaven, the only place where full sincerity reigns.” Richard Wurmbrand, Reaching Toward the Heights

Psalm 26:4 I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites.

Open Air on Fountain Square

Had at meeting downtown today. Afterwards decided to try a little open air preaching on the fountain. Passed out a few tracts and got to do a one to one with a man named Eric who said he believes in God, so I shared with him anyway letting him know that just because you believe in the Judge, doesn't mean He will pardon your death sentence. He thanked me for talking with him, took a tract, said God had put me there for a reason, and told me to keep doing what I was doing. Glory to God!! Share your faith today!

Make sure to 'like' us on Facebook, and become a 'Follower' here, or sign up for email notifications on the bottom right of this page. As always, thanks for stopping by, and may God bless you! -Walking In The Way

Friday, March 23, 2012

Insight

Perhaps in Jonah 2, we have insight into the sufferings of the Savior. The waters of the wrath of God encompassed Him as His soul was made an offering for sin (see Isa. 53:10). A crown of thorns was wrapped around His head as He took upon Himself the Genesis curse. Jesus Himself said that He went into the heart of the earth (Matt. 12:40), into the pit of death.

But death could not hold Him; God spoke to death and brought Jesus’ soul up from the grave (v. 10; see also Acts 2:24).

Jonah 2:2 And he said: I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried,And You heard my voice.3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me.4 Then I said, I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head.6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its barsclosed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God.

Jesus never Changes

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
–Hebrews 13:8

The Bible says, “It is appointed unto men once to die,” and to the average person this seems a stark and hopeless situation. Hundreds of philosophies and scores of religions have been invented to
circumvent the Word of God. Modern philosophers and psychologists are still trying to make it appear that there is some way out other than the path of Jesus. But people have tried them all, and none of them leads anywhere but down. Christ came to give us the answers to the three enduring problems of sin, sorrow, and death. It is Jesus Christ, and He alone, who is also enduring and unchanging, “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” All other things may change, but Christ remains unchangeable.

In the restless sea of human passions Christ stands steadfast and calm, ready to welcome all who will turn to Him and accept the blessings of safety and peace. For we are living in an age of grace, in which God promises that “whosoever will” may come and receive His Son. But this period of grace will not go on indefinitely. We are even now living on borrowed time.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Jesus, even if loved ones, friends, acquaintances change, You are always the same. Thank You for Your unchanging love.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

A pure Heart

Keep thyself pure.
–1 Timothy 5:22

The Pharisees were not happy men. They had furrowed brows, nervous tension, frustration. They were full of resentments, bitterness, prejudices, and hatreds. Why? Simply because they had lost sight of God’s conception of the pure in heart. They thought that as long as they kept the letter of the law that was enough. But this was not God’s plan. This did not produce purity of heart. This did not bring about happiness of soul. Jesus taught that God looks deeper than the outside actions of an individual. He searches and ponders the heart. God judges not so much the outside as He does the inside. He looks to the motives, thoughts, and intents of your heart.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Father, give me purity of heart that in true humility I may serve and praise You.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Gospel - Paul Washer

"I don't believe in Religion."

Elway: Tebow 'Disappointed,' Handled News with Class

Tim Tebow is handling the loss of his starting quarterback position with the NFL's Denver Broncos with class, according to Broncos executive John Elway.

Elway told a news conference Tuesday that Tebow was "disappointed but understanding" when told of Denver's plans to sign former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

Tebow's reaction didn't surprise Elway, who said he's the kind of guy he hopes his daughter would marry.

For as much as Manning's signing has meant to Denver, Elway hopes this opportunity turns out well for Tebow, too.

"It would be our goal to get him in the best situation possible, for him to have success also," Elway said.

Tebow's future is getting as much press coverage as Manning's deal with the Broncos. The devout Christian led the Denver team back to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2005. He's been a role model since his days at Florida where he led the Gators to two national titles.

Manning said he planned to reach out to Tebow once he settles in after his whirlwind free agency tour of several NFL franchises.

"I know what kind of player Tim Tebow is, what kind of person he is," Manning said. "What an awesome year he had this year. If Tim Tebow is here next year, I'm going to be the best teammate I can be to him. He and I are going to help this team win games."

"If other opportunities present themselves to him, I'm going to wish him the best. He's going to be a great player wherever he is," he said.

Several teams are said to be in discussions with the Broncos about a trade for the former Heisman trophy winner, including San Francisco and Green Bay, as well as Tebow's hometown team, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

House Church in Xilinhot Raided: Officials Destroy Property, Detain Pastor

BEIJING, CHINA-- In Xilinhot, officials from the Religious Affairs Bureau, the Public Security's Domestic Security Protection Squad, the United Front Work Department as well as local police raided a house church, confiscating its property and arresting the pastor and several of his congregation.

Pastor Wang Dawei and two others were taken to the Xilinhot police station and interrogated for hours before they were finally released.

The officials warned that if those attending the the Canaan Church didn't join a Three-Self church, their house church would be banned and they too would be arrested; the officials then confiscated all the Bibles and hymn books, installing new locks on the doors before they left the building.

The officials later threatened the landlord of the meeting site and told him that Pastor Dawei was a wanted criminal and that his lease with the church should be terminated. But the landlord replied, "Even if I don't rent this place out to the church, they will go find another place to rent and worship there. And if their pastor is a wanted criminal, how come you released him the same day you took him in?"

"Because Ive been doing evangelistic work in Inner Mongolia for many years, so I have had many experiences of persecution by local authorities, including direct physical harm to me," said Pastor Dawei. "After we planted more than a few churches, they (the government) have been constantly pressuring me to lead these congregations to join the official Three-Self church. Our church follows the Reformed Christian tradition and our allegiance to the faith does not allow us to ally ourselves with anti-Christ forces and fake churches. Our believers are very clear about this, that forcing us to join the official church is the same as forcing us to abandon our faith."

Pastor Dawei said that he and his congregation are prepared to suffer persecution for the sake of faith; he asked that churches everywhere pray for them.

Make sure to 'like' us on Facebook, and become a 'Follower' here, or sign up for email notifications on the bottom right of this page. As always, thanks for stopping by, and may God bless you! -Walking In The Way

Satisfaction in Him

I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
–Psalm 17:15

Is it not logical to believe that the only one who can recreate us is the One who created us in the first place? If your watch were out of order, you wouldn’t take it to a blacksmith. If your car needed overhauling, you wouldn’t go to a machine shop. Our spiritual problems can be solved only by the God who created us originally. He created us in His own image and likeness; today, by the grace of His Son, He can recreate us in the likeness of His resurrection. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are recreated and become partakers of His life.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
There is so much that is out of order in my life, Lord. Remake all the parts that need the infinite healing of your re-creation.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Sir Isaac Newton

“All material things seem to have been composed of the hard and solid particles above mentioned, variously associated in the first creation by the counsel of an intelligent Agent. For it became Him who created them to set them in order. And if He did so, it’s unphilosophical to seek for any other origin of the world, or to pretend that it might arise out of a chaos by the mere laws of nature.” Sir Isaac Newton

Psalm 25:14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.

Group Urges UN Action to Free Pakistani Christian

Fifty human rights activists from around the world are calling on Pakistan to free Asia Bibi, an imprisoned Christian mother sentenced to death for blasphemy.

The group presented a signed petition this week to the United Nations Human Rights Council urging leaders to put pressure on the country.

French journalist Anne-Isabelle Tollet is among those seeking justice for Bibi.

"Asia Bibi is innocent, but the Paksitani government does nothing in fear of reprisal," Tollet explained. "By refusing to act and to impose reforms, the Pakistani government becomes the accomplice for the fundamentalists."

A Pakistani court found Bibi guilty in 2009 of defiling the prophet Mohammed. She has been imprisoned since then, and her case is on appeal.

The petition describes the poor conditions she's facing, including a "windowless cell, where she can touch both walls by stretching out her two arms."

CBN News met with Bibi's husband and daughters late last year. They asked people to pray for Bibi's safe return home.

Pakistan's blasphemy laws enact harsh penalties for anyone who speaks against Islam.

Bibi was first reported to authorities after an argument with two Muslim co-workers about her religion.

Mufti: Arabian Peninsula Churches 'Must Be Destroyed'

Saudi Arabia's highest Islamic authority said no Christian churches should be allowed in the Arabian Peninsula.

Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the Saudi grand mufti, said it is "necessary to destroy all the churches in the region."

The sheikh was responding to a question by a delegation from Kuwait asking about a Kuwaiti parliamentarian's call to remove all churches there.

Abdullah cited an Islamic hadith quoting the prophet Mohammed on his deathbed, who said, "there are not to be two religions in the [Arabian] Peninsula," meaning only Islam can exist there.

Later the sheikh clarified his remark, saying that "Kuwait was a part of the Arabian Peninsula and therefore it is necessary to destroy all churches in it."

Christianity is forbidden in Saudi Arabia and there are no churches there.

Other nations included in the Arabian Peninsula are Yemen, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

Rep. Wolf: Time to Bring Sudan 'War Criminal' to Justice

Ethnic cleansing, mass murder, and rape are something the people of Sudan face every day.

The Islamic regime in the North is continuing its assault on the Nuba Mountains, home to one of the country's largest Christian communities.

Now, Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., is asking the Obama administration to intervene.

Living in Fear

More than 25,000 refugees are living in Camp Yida, just 20 miles south of the Sudan border.

They have fled the fighting in the nearby Nuba Mountains, where the armed forces of President Omar Bashir are terrorizing people with daily air strikes and house-to-house raids.

One refugee woman said she lived in fear as bombs flew over her family's head every day.

"You just prepare yourself for death because there's nothing you can do when something is flying over you and you're just lying on the ground," she said.

Wolf, a long-time advocate for Sudan, recently visited the refugee camp, which is run by the Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse.

He is the first member of Congress to visit the camp in Yida. When he returned to the United States he held a press conference to make a plea for help.

"The world should be outraged; this administration should be outraged," the Virginia lawmaker said.

"And if it's happening in southern Europe, or southern Africa or southern Sudan, there ought to be a similar parallel of value. The people are the same here," he said.

Graham: U.S. Must Step In

Franklin Graham, who head's Samaritan's Purse, said the attacks could escalate into a full-blown war.

He told CBN News that the international community should establish a no-fly zone over the region and the Obama administration should work to broker a peace deal.

"You need to have somebody who is willing to take the leadership for peace," Graham said. "Yes war will break out. I think the U.S., I think President Obama has an excellent opportunity to bring all these sides together and hammer out a peace accord."

Wolf said what refugees need most right now is food, warning that if they don't get it, they could be facing a severe famine. He said Bashir and his forces have denied access to food and humanitarian aid.

Tom Andrews, president and CEO of United to End Genocide also called on the U.S. to intervene.

"We have half a million people facing starvation and the president of the United States and the secretary of state have to personally stand up and call upon him to lift that blockage," Andrews said.

Operation Blessing:

The blockade didn't stop CBN's Operation Blessing International last summer from taking a team into the Nubas.

When the Operation Blessing President Bill Horan heard about extreme shortages of medicine there, he put together an emergency relief mission. The team brought in medicine and other medical supplies --enough to set up a temporary clinic.

Horan also witnessed firsthand the brutality of the Khartoum regime.

"A school was actually targeted, a school that was filled with children in school, in session - two huge bombs," Horan recalled.

"Thank God they missed but not by much -- two giant craters in the soil but it was close enough to the school that some shrapnel fell and penetrated the walls of some of the school buildings," he continued.

"One child was killed, and a whole group of children were injured," he said. Who in the world would target on purpose children?"

A War Criminal at Large

Bashir is an indicted war criminal for the genocide in Darfur. He also remains on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

"Bashir needs to be brought to justice," Wolf stated. "No American tax dollars should go to any country that welcomes Bashir - period. Absolutely, positively none."

The Nuba people suffered persecution at this level during the 1990s. Humanitarian organizations say the same people who killed more than 500,000 people back then are trying to "finish the job" today.

'Winter Jam' Turning Thousands of Youth to Christ

Winter Jam, Christian music's biggest annual tour, is well underway for its 17th year, and so far, thousands of lives have been changed as a result.

Since January, the tour has seen more than 100,000 people give their lives to Christ. The concert series covers 47 cities and includes 10 bands.

But the event is not just about great music for tens of thousands of fans. Evangelist Nick Hall, who delivered messages at this year's concert tour, said the concert is a great way to impact lives, especially young people.

Although this is his first time participating in Winter Jam, Hall has seen lives changed first-hand, including a young girl who was cutting herself and a woman addicted to painkillers both giving their struggles to God.

The evangelist has a heart for young people, and started the Pulse movement -- one of the largest student-led prayer and outreach efforts in America

Stand Firm

So use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will still be standing up.
–Ephesians 6:13 (TLB)

Daniel and his companions were tempted to forsake their godly heritage, but they refused. They even faced a fiery furnace rather than compromise. God honored their faith and mightily used them. Moses was surrounded by the luxury and godlessness of the Egyptian court, but cast in his lot with his own people. Lot lived in Sodom and saw the obscenities of that doomed city. God saved him out of it because he trusted in Him. Every one of our Lord’s apostles sealed their faith with their lives. Since then, history has been replete with the lives of men who have put God and His way of life above all else.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Help me to stand by faith in You, when I am tempted, almighty God.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Bible contradictions

Are there multiple “Gods” as this verse implies, or is there only one as Deut. 6:4 states: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one”?

There is only one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth. The Bible teaches that God is Triune by nature. He exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God in three divine, co-equal Persons. For example, Scripture reveals that Jesus Christ, God the Son, was preexistent before He was manifest in human form: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1,2,14). Jesus said of Himself, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). For verses mentioning the three Persons of the Trinity, see Matt. 3:16,17; John 14:26; 15:26; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 4:4–6; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 John 5:7.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

We need Faith

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
–Mark 11:22

Dr. Wernher von Braun, the guiding scientist in the development of our great space rockets, has said, “The materialists of the 19th century and the Marxist heirs of the 20th tried to tell us that as science yields more knowledge about the creation, it makes us able to live without faith in a Creator. Yet so far, with every new answer we have discovered new questions. The better we understand the intricacies of the atomic structure, the nature of life and the master plan for the galaxies, the more reason we have found to marvel at the wonder of God’s creation. But our need for God is not based on awe alone. Man needs faith just as he needs food, water, and air. With all the science in the world, we need faith in God.”

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Father, man’s incredible inventions are so insignificant when I contemplate Your magnificent creation. Yet, in complete dependence, I realize my need of faith in You for my smallest need.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Weighed by the Law

“Now, my friend, are you ready to be weighed by this Law of God? A great many people say that if they keep the Commandments they do not need to be forgiven and saved through Christ. But have you kept them? I will admit that if you perfectly keep the Commandments, you do not need to be saved by Christ; but is there a man in the wide world who can truly say that he has done this? Young lady, can you say: "I am ready to be weighed by the Law? Can you, young man? Will you step into the scales and be weighed one by one by the Ten Commandments? Now face these Ten Commandments honestly and prayerfully. See if your life is right, and if you are treating God fairly. God's statutes are just, are they not? If they are right, let us see if we are right. Let us get alone with God and read His Law—read it carefully and prayerfully, and ask Him to forgive us our sin and what He would have us to do.” D. L. Moody

Leviticus 18:5 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

Tame your Temper

Doest thou well to be angry?
–Jonah 4:4

You have a temper! There is nothing unique about that. Most people have tempers, in varying degrees, of course. God does not ask that you get rid of that temper. But He does say that if you are to be happy, it must be brought under control and rechanneled to proper use. God cannot use a man without a temper as well as one with a controlled temper. Too many professed Christians never get “wrought up” about anything; they never get indignant with injustice, with corruption in high places, or with the godless traffics which barter away the souls and bodies of men.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Use my anger to help others, Lord. When I see them hurting or Your world decaying, let me be challenged to reach out—instead of merely exploding.

God is Perfectly Crafting the Circumstances of My Life - Tim Conway

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Is there reasons to believe in a supernatural, intelligent Creator

There are trillions of reasons to believe in a supernatural, intelligent Creator. From DNA, to the basic atom, to the amazingly designed tiny fleas, to massive elephants, to the sun and its circuit, to the millions of stars and the entire universe, there is incredible complexity and order throughout creation. Let’s say you were walking along a beach and saw a message written in the sand: “Johnny, Make sure you come home at 5:00 p.m. for dinner. See you then. I love you. Mom.” Could you ever believe that the order of the words happened by a random process—by sheer accident? Could you conclude that perhaps the incoming waves left the words written in the sand? I seriously doubt it. Their very order and their constructed logical coherency tell you that the message was written by an intelligent mind. However, atheistic evolution takes an even greater leap away from common sense than just believing that a wave created a logical message. It says that there was absolutely nothing—no sand, no beach, or wave. It maintains that nothing created the sand and the waves. Such thoughts are totally illogical and are a departure from the laws of science. Something cannot come from nothing. If it did, then it wasn’t “nothing.” It was some sort of creative force.

What proof is there that this God exists? Even though through my natural senses I cannot see, hear, touch, taste, or smell Him, there is one other sense that I must not overlook. It is called “common” sense. When I look at a building, how can I know that there was a builder? I cannot see him, hear him, touch, taste, or smell him. Common sense tells me that the building is absolute 100 percent scientific proof that there was a builder. There cannot be a building without a builder. Buildings don’t build themselves. I don’t need faith to believe in a builder; all I need is eyes that can see and a brain that works.

This same concept is true for paintings and painters. When I look at a painting, how can I know there was a painter? Common sense tells me that the painting is absolute 100 percent scientific proof that there was a painter. Paintings don’t happen by themselves. I couldn’t want better proof that there was a painter than to have the painting in front of me. I don’t need faith to believe in a painter; all I need is eyes that can see and a brain that works.

Exactly the same reasoning applies with the existence of God. How can we know God exists? We cannot see Him, hear Him, touch, taste, or smell Him. Common sense tells us that creation is absolute 100 percent scientific proof that there was a Creator. We cannot have a creation without a Creator. We don’t need faith to believe in a Creator. All we need is eyes that can see and a brain that works. This is exactly what the Bible says: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20).

So, just as I don’t need faith to believe in a builder because I have the building in front of me, so I don’t need faith to believe in a Creator, because I have creation in front of me. However, if I want the builder to do something for me, then I need to have faith in him. The same is true with God: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).

Albert Einstein may not have trusted in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, but he believed in the existence of God. He said, “In the view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views.” A little child and the genius of Albert Einstein have one thing in common: common sense.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse...

Sight to the Blind

. . . one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
–John 9:25

I try to explain to you the joy of following Christ: the thrill, the excitement, the exhilaration—knowing where I’ve come from, why I’m here, where I’m going! There’s a reason for existence. There’s a reason for getting up every morning of the year. I try to tell you what I’ve found in Jesus Christ, and in studying the Scriptures and walking with Him, and you say, “I can’t see that!” Of course, you can’t. You are blind. Try to explain television to a blind man. He can understand a little of it, but it doesn’t make sense to him. Try to explain a sunset to him. He’s blind to it. The scales must be removed from your eyes, and only Christ can do that. He can remove them right now and you can start living and seeing a whole new world that you never knew existed, if you will let Him open your spiritual eyes.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
I thank You for that Power that is able to give sight to the spiritually blinded eyes of each person who trusts in You, Lord Jesus.

Friday, March 16, 2012

The Gospel

3:16 Day

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

Wretched: Have you broken the law?

The Secret to Contentment

I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great
his power is to help those who believe him. It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead . . .
–Ephesians 1:19,20 (TLB)

Jesus told His disciples that the world would hate them. They would be “as sheep in the midst of wolves.” They would be arrested, scourged, and brought before governors and kings. Even their loved ones would persecute them. As the world hated and persecuted Him, so it would treat His servants. Thousands of Christians have learned the secret of contentment and joy in trial. Some of the happiest Christians I have met have been life-long sufferers. They have had every reason to sigh and complain, being denied so many privileges and pleasures that they see others enjoy, yet they have found greater cause for gratitude and joy than many who are prosperous, vigorous, and strong.

In all ages, Christians have found it possible to maintain the spirit of joy in the hour of trial. In circumstances that would have felled most men, they have so completely risen above them that they actually have used the circumstances to serve and glorify Christ.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Lord Jesus, keep us ever mindful of the need to rejoice in You constantly; to go beyond the circumstance, no matter how desperate, and to see You as our hope and joy.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Wretched: Proof God Exists.

Marriage

Is there a difference in attending a wedding for a gay couple and one for a couple that is living together? What about if the bride is pregnant?

The moral Law is spiritual, so anyone who has as much as looked with lust has committed adultery in the heart (see Matt. 5:27,28). It is therefore not unreasonable to conclude that in some way every couple has sinned sexually in God's eyes—whether they are physical adulterers, adulterers-at-heart, or fornicators, pregnant or not. However, by getting legally married they are fulfilling God’s plan for a man and a woman, because He is the One who sanctioned the institution of marriage (see Gen. 2:24, Matt. 19:5,6). Every wedding I have attended falls into this category.

However, “marriage” between homosexuals has never been sanctioned by God. Marriage is God’s institution and He said it is between a man and a woman. Two men or two women cannot be married. So when gays are “joined together in holy matrimony,” it is as meaningless as a man being married to his dog or cat, hoping for God's blessing on bestiality. God has never authorized such a union, nor such behavior. God’s Word says, “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination” (Lev. 20:13).

Lifehouse's Everything Skit

Worship God With Your Life

Documentary Goes 'In Search of Our Nat'l Treasure'

Christian actor Kirk Cameron, most famous for his role in the 1980s sitcom "Growing Pains," believes America has lost its way and fears for the future of the country - a topic he explores in a new film due out his month.

"I think America is in deep weeds," Cameron said. "We're out in the wilderness, and we've thrown away the guide."

"We need to get to the place of blessing," he said. "And the way we do that is by going back to the things that made this nation so prosperous to begin with."

In the faith-based documentary "Monumental: In Search of America's National Treasure," Cameron takes a look at how America can get back to the place that once made it so great.

Cameron spent a year and a half traveling across the United States and Europe, retracing the footsteps of the nation's forefathers to see if they left some sort of guide on how to rebuild a great nation.

"What I've learned from studying our forefathers and retracing the escape route of the pilgrims from England to Holland and then to America, is that change and solutions for the problems that we're facing as a nation do not come from the White House," Cameron said. "It comes from your house and my house," he continued. "And the 'land of the free' starts in the homes of the brave where moms and dads at the dinner table teach their kids the meaning of the story of America, and the values and the virtues that gave birth to this kind of freedom that we experience today," he said.

The former teen heartthrob believes America's families are still worth fighting for today but warned the time to act is now if they want to secure the future.

"I believe that we're in an even more critical time now, a monumental moment in history to make the right choices," Cameron said. "History tells us that if we keep going down this road, our country will fall apart, it will implode."

"It will be destroyed from the inside, just like the Roman Empire. Greece and so many other massive powers, have all gone away because they strayed from the eternal truths and the strategy that God has given us in His Word," he added. "And that's what has made America so unique all these years," he said.

Monumental opens in theaters March 27. In a special event opening night, Cameron will address theater audiences in a live broadcast. The 'Monumental' producer will also invite people to stand with him in this monumental moment in history.

"This is the most important journey of my life," Cameron says in the film. "My family is worth fighting for and so is yours."

'Kony 2012' Exposes Lord's Resistance Army Crimes

A grassroots effort across social media platforms to return justice to a country terrorized by a war criminal is taking off like wildfire.

KONY 2012, is a new documentary and a social media campaign from the group Invisible Children, an organization hoping to end Joseph Kony's reign of terror and abduction of children for his army in Uganda. They are seeking to restore peace and prosperity to the affected communities in Central Africa.

On their website, Invisible Children explains they want to inspire young people to help end the longest-running conflict in Africa

Kony is a Ugandan guerrilla group leader and the head of the Lord's Resistance Army, which has terrorized parts of Africa for decades. It has recently launched new attacks in Democratic Republic of Congo this year, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Invisible Children's latest film exposing Kony and the LRA's alleged abuses has gone viral since its posting on YouTube just this week, attracting about 8 million views since March 5.

The film tells the story of a former child soldier called Jacob and how the filmmaker was inspired to get involved to lead a movement for change.

The video has gathered a lot of attention online through it's Facebook and Twitter campaigns at the hastags #stopkony and #kony2012.

It gained even more attention from Twitter followers after being tweeted by celebrities including Juliette Lewis and Zooey Deschanel.

Invisible Children wants to make Kony even more famous in the U.S. by having young people plaster their neighborhoods with posters featuring Kony's picture.

At sundown on Friday, April 20, the organization is urging young people to gather together and work all night putting up posters. They have printed hundreds of thousands of posters in preparation for the event.

The organization believes once people find out more about what Kony has done, then justice will prevail.

California musician Topher Daniels, 29, said he believes this could be the event that marks his generation.

"I've thought of my generation, including myself, as a pretty self-centered generation. This film helped to rekindle the fire I thought had gone out. People DO care and there IS a way we can fight injustice in the world. These are exciting times," he told CBN News.

"I hope that this particular campaign will be a tipping point with my generation. I pray that this is only the beginning, and that after Joseph Kony is arrested, we turn our attention on the next guy and do the same to him," he added.

Questions about Invisible Children

Some critics have raised questions about the group Invisible Children since the KONY 2012 effort went viral.

They contend that the non-profit organization, headquartered in San Diego, Calif., spends most of its money on its administration and filmmaking efforts. Charity Navigator rates the organization 2 out of 4 stars on accountability and transparency.

The KONY 2012 campaign to find and bring Kony to justice after 20 years of torture and murder of thousands of people has lit an intense fire among young people through social media.

However, some of those same young people are questioning the KONY 2012 campaign itself, saying efforts should be focused on Kony rather than on the campaign to find him.

Grant Oyston, a sociology and political science student at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada wrote in his blog:

"Is awareness good? Yes. But these problems are highly complex, not one-dimensional and, frankly, aren't of the nature that can be solved by postering, filmmaking and changing your Facebook profile picture, as hard as that is to swallow," he wrote.

"Do I have a better answer? No, I don't, but that doesn't mean that you should support KONY 2012 just because it's something," he added. "Something isn't always better than nothing. Sometimes it's worse."

Michael Wilkerson, an Oxford student, writing in a blog posted on Foreign Policy.com, noted, "What worries me more is that it's unclear what exactly Invisible Children wants to do, other than raise a lot of money and attention."

Still, others say raising the awareness and inspiring young people to address the issues of injustice is not a bad thing.

"It's good that we are continuing to raise awareness," CBN News Sr. International Reporter Gary Lane, who has covered Kony's atrocities and the LRA for years, said. "This is an important issue."

This is not the organization's first attempt to stop the violence in Africa. Their first film released in 2003 titled "Invisible Children: Rough Cut," exposed the tragic realities of northern Uganda's night commuters and child soldiers to millions of people around the world.

Clooney: Christian Ministries Key to Helping in Sudan

Hollywood actor George Clooney is using his star power to shine the light on human rights abuses in Sudan.

He credits the work of Christian aid groups for providing healing and relief.

Clooney returned from a trip to Sudan this week to document cases of bombing attacks, burned-down villages, and ethnic killings against people living near the border of South Sudan.

He shared some of the victims' stories, including one about a boy who lost both hands during a bombing raid.

He's urging lawmakers on Capitol Hill to increase pressure on the Muslim-dominated north to stop what he calls "war crimes."

In a one-on-one interview, Clooney told CBN News that Christian ministries play a key role in helping those suffering.

"They lead the work a lot of times here," he said. "When we were at the Darfur rally it was ministers. It was a lot of people of faith that had been working very hard on this."

"So in some ways I'm trying to honor whatever part I can in the hard work that they do because I'm a big fan of all of the work that's being done," he added. "And people really put their hearts and souls in it."

Clooney also credited CBN founder Dr. Pat Robertson for speaking out against the Sudanese government.

"When Bono was doing his 'One' campaign, that's when I met Pat Robertson. I said to Bono, 'Who do you have from sort of the Christian world?' And he was like, 'I don't know.' And I said, 'What about Pat Robertson?'" he recalled.

"So I called him (Robertson) up, and I said, 'Listen, we're not going to agree on too many things, but there's no two sides to this issue, and you and I can work together on this. And he said great. And he's been terrific on this," Clooney said.

Meanwhile, Clooney will be meeting Thursday with President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to address the humanitarian crisis.

Needing a Breakthrough

. . . may the God of peace . . . produce in you through the power of Christ all that is pleasing to him . . .
–Hebrews 13:20,21 (TLB)

When I was a boy, radio was just coming of age. We would gather around a crude homemade set and twist the three tuning dials in an effort to establish contact with the transmitter. Often, all the sound that came out of the amplifier was the squawk of static; but we knew that somewhere out there was the unseen transmitter, and if contact was established and the dials were in adjustment, we could hear a voice loud and clear. After a long time of laborious tuning, the far distant voice would suddenly break through and a smile of triumph would illuminate the faces of all in the room. At last we were tuned in!

In the revelation that God established between Himself and us, we can find a new life and a new dimension of living, but we must “tune in.” There are higher levels of living to which we have never attained. There is peace, satisfaction, and joy that we have never experienced. God is trying to break through to us. The heavens are calling. God is speaking! Let man hear.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Lord, help me to be so attuned to Your will that I will experience all that You so lovingly wish to bestow

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

When Afraid, I Will Trust In God by Carter Conlon

How to use Science in Evangelism #304

"I believe in God and Reincarnation."

The Secret of Happiness

So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.
–Matthew 6:34 (TLB)

King George V wrote on the flyleaf of the Bible of a friend, “The secret of happiness is not to do what you like to do, but to learn to like what you have to do.” Too many think of happiness as some sort of will-o’-the-wisp thing that is discovered by constant and relentless searching. It is not found by seeking. It is not an end in itself. Pots of gold are never found at the end of the rainbow, as we used to think when we were children; gold is mined from the ground or panned laboriously from a mountain stream.

Jesus once told His disciples, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” The “things” He spoke of were the things that make us feel happy and secure—food, drink, clothes, shelter. He told us not to make these the chief goal of our lives but to “seek the kingdom” and these needs would be automatically supplied. There, if we will take it, is the secret of happiness.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Forgive me, Father, for the times when I am anxious. You have promised to take care of all my needs.