THE 42nd GENERATION

Lately, I cannot help but wonder where we are headed as individuals, in our relationships, as a nation, and in the world.  I look around and see and hear things like I have never seen and heard before.  I say, "Who would have thought, when I was a kid, 50 years ago, that things would be as they are today?"   I was a kid then, so what did I know to be able to answer that question?   Not much at the age of 12.  But I am guessing that my parents would be shocked at what I see and hear today. Certain beliefs and opinions of people are very troubling.  The obvious deceptions that occur by many politicians is scary.  Wrong is now right, and right is now wrong.  Laws are misguided and persecutionary (is that a word?), some petty, some outrageously wrong, and there are laws on top of laws on top of laws, outdated and even conflicting.  How can we continue to live this way?  How much worse can it get?  Not 'can' it get, but 'will' it get...

Andrew Murray was a South African writer, teacher, and Christian pastor who lived from 1828 to 1917.   He wrote many excellent books.  I just finished one of his books titled, "The Two Covenants".   In the last chapter, he says some things that make me wonder about our condition as Christians, about my condition as a Christian. I wonder if we are wholeheartedly following Christ , or do we have one foot fully  in the world and one foot fully of the world . I wonder if things are getting so bad in the world, even in the USA, that we, as Christians, will stay in our duality of being in and of the world, rather than fully, wholeheartedly embracing a dead to self life in Christ .  Even to the point of living fully in the supernatural realm and relying not on the physical world.  Even to the point of finding a gold coin in the mouth of a fish to pay our taxes. After reading the following excerpt from Andrew Murray's book, "The Two Covenants", ...

Last night, I had a dream about Barak Obama.  It went like this: President Obama was standing on a platform higher than me.  He was directly above me, very close.  He could reach down to shake hands.  He was at a campaign event.  He was smiling, but his smile looked somewhat artificial, not sincere, forced.  He looked at me and said, "Would you pray for me?"    He paused briefly, looking at me, expecting an answer.  I hesitated very briefly because I could not pray for him to win the election, but I knew the request required a proper response.   I understood his question to mean, "Would you pray for me so that I would win the election?"  I thought to myself, I certainly could not pray that he win the election, but I should pray for him.  After my brief pause, I tried to tell him, but I was interrupted by others talking and he was looking away, "I can pray, 'God's will be done in your life'."  He did not hear me. ...

GREAT news for my friend Betsy and her daughter Lissy who was discharged from the hospital last night. They will be coming home to PA Monday from Mayo Clinic.  Thanks for all of your prayers!!! Jen ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Tom and Betsy Gill Date: Fri, Apr 27, 2012 at 9:40 PM Subject: Lissy 4-27-12 Dear Family and Friends, We're ALL back at the rental house!   To our surprise and great delight, Lissy was discharged from the hospital this evening, and we enjoyed dinner together at the house.  Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!  We can't even begin to express how happy and grateful we are that she's out of the hospital, doing well, and that all of you have been so supportive and been praying so diligently! The doctors have requested that we stay in town for a couple of days just to make sure nothing goes amiss, so we will fly back Monday and arrive home Monday night. T hank you for your prayers for little Sydney and her h...

Dear Friends and Family, Lissy was succesfully extubated around 11AM today and is breathing well on her own!  Hallelujah!  Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support!  She is now off of all of her narcotics as well.  Pr aise God for this progress ! Unfortunately, the poor little thing looks like she feels miserable.  She is very weak, shaky and is unable to hold her head up by herself.  Since she "woke up" from the sedatives, she has refused to sleep.  She took a couple of sips of water from a mouth swab (sponge) but refused all other food and drink.  She is not really talking either.  It's possible that she might have had a stroke during or after surgery, though the nurse thinks this is very unlikely as she shows no signs of facial drooping or one-sided weakness.  I think her throat is hurting her so much that she just doesn't want to swallow anything or talk.   Please pray that Lissy sleeps well to...

Here is the request from her Parents: Dear Family and Friends, In spite of everyone's best efforts, Lissy was unable to come off the respirator today. She was extubated (breathing tube removed) briefly, but she couldn't keep her oxygen saturations up, so she had to be reintubated and is now on the respirator again. The doctors think her vocal cords are swollen, thus allowing very little airflow to get into her lungs when she tries to breathe on her own. They have put her on steroids to decrease the swelling in her vocal cords and have said they will try to extubate her again tomorrow morning. Her sedation was increased again to keep her resting quietly until extubation, though she has woken several times today, including to play a bit with her stuffed animals on her bed. Please pray that she can be successfully extubated tomorrow. Since she is still sedated and has not had any nutrition since Wednesday, she was started on ...

We all go through situations that seem difficult or even impossible to overcome.  How we respond in those situations is important.  How we think, and maybe how we feel, are significant also. Take a look at how you feel as you face a current challenge.   Are you afraid?  Happy?  Concerned?  Worried?  Depressed?  Not worried?  What? I just learned to have a new outlook with changes I am facing.  Here's a short story. You know the Old Testament story where the Israelites left slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses.  It was not long before they reached the Red Sea, and it was not long till Pharoah and his army were pursuing the Israelites.  Where were the Israelites going to escape to?  There was the Red Sea on one side and Pharoah's army on the other.  No place to go.  Well, you know the story.  Charleton Heston raised his arms to God, the Red Sea parted, and they walked across on dry land. ...

It's election time again in the USA.  The atmospheres get very stirred up at this time because of all the political debate, people opposing one another, people attacking one another, people uncomfortable with one another, people expressing their beliefs.  There is constant focus by the media that keeps the stirring volatile. People become agitated with one another because of their political beliefs and debate. In elections over the recent decades, I've watched and heard politicians quoting from the Bible and applying biblical concepts in correct and incorrect ways, mostly incorrect ways.   I've heard them say things that indicate they might not really be students of biblical truth, seeking on a daily basis, as a lifestyle and a belief system.  It seems they are pulling on biblical concepts to try and please voters, to win them over to their ideas, to try and let voters know that they are Christians. If you are a "Berean type" Christian, you can immediately ...

Are Christians living in the promised land?  What does that mean? Here is a message that is the first of many to come.  It's time to start broadcasting the Message of "The 42nd Generation" in the marketplace. Living In The Promised Land I give credit to G42 founder Andrew Shearman and his staff for teaching the meaning of "The 42nd Generation" .