Awareness and the Father of Deception

Posted on January 17, 2012 by

While training David, one of my long term clients and good friend, he mentioned a dream and a conversation with his priest. The word given to him by this event was awareness.  I think most people are aware that the lifestyle choices we make have a definite impact on our long term health. We are aware but we still have the choice of which path to take in regards to health or sickness. But are we aware, as Christians, why the foods we choose to eat are so important to our mission “to go into all the world?” Let’s start with the first book and the first chapter of God’s Word, Genesis 1:29, 30 – Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

Now, I don’t know about you but, for me, usually the first chapter of a book lays the foundation for understanding the rest of the book, right? So, in the first book and first chapter of the Bible, God gives us the ideal diet for thriving health – plants, fruits, nuts, seeds in the perfect environment; the garden of Eden, where God said in Genesis 1:31, “and it was very good,” perfect without blemish – no sin had occurred.

The First Temptation of Man and Christ

In Chapter 3 of Genesis sin makes its appearance and everything changes. Out of everything that was at the disposal of Satan to temp man, what did Satan use? Food, the fruit of the tree of life, it looked good for food, it was appealing, and would give man wisdom. Genesis 3:1-5 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Nothing bad could come from having a little fruit from the tree that God made, right? What did Satan use to temp Christ? Food, bread! Matthew 4:1 – Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” So, let me understand this, the first temptation of man and of Christ, Satan uses food! Why food? Food is so basic, normal, and essential. It is essential for life and in every culture, almost every religion; it is a part of the rituals, celebrations, and fellowship. I don’t know of many events in life where food is not a center piece of that event.

Satan’s Deception

Satan tells us; 1) Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die 2) We are all going to die of something, I might as well enjoy it while I can 3) God made everything good so what’s wrong with eating it. Have you said anyone of those things before or heard someone else say it when it comes to their diet? The result of this line of thinking is a sick, tired, and dying body of Christ. Satan is using food to take us out of the game, the serious game in which we all have been called to play – the game where we were called by God to go into all the world and share the love, grace and mercy of Christ Jesus. Most Pastors spend the majority of their time visiting the sick members of their congregation in their homes, in hospitals and in nursing homes. Pastors spend most of their time with the physically sick and dying members of the church vs. the spiritually sick and dying of the world – Pastors are therefore taken out of the game!

The members of the church are sick, tired and dying because of lifestyle choices. They are too tired to serve, too sick to go and dying 20 or 30 years before they should. We spend our time visiting doctors to treat our sick bodies and minds with drugs that only manage the illness so we can survive longer sicker lives – members taken out of the game!

“Go into the entire world,” are you aware of how important it is for you to be healthy and to be in the midst of the battle for the eternal souls of man? Eat the foods that will bring you thriving health – whole foods as they are on the branch – vine – bush – or out of the ground, and get back to the most important game we will ever play!

In the Love, Mercy and Grace of Christ,

Mike Inabinett

Christian Health and Fitness Coach

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In The Belly of the Great Fish but Missing the Point

Posted on December 19, 2011 by

While visiting with someone the other day who always likes to challenge my faith and the Bible says to me, “you know the Bible has a mistake in it, a whale is not a fish but a mammal.”  My response was who said anything about a whale that swallowed Jonah?  Reading Jonah 1:17-2:1 we find these words, “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.  Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly.”  If you are a Christian you are going to face many challenges to your faith and your knowledge of God’s word.  One reason for this I believe is that many people want to pull you back down into the mud of life (sin) on this earth and away from the washing away of these sins (mud) through the blood of Christ.  This person does not want to face a life that he knows has been wasted on the lust of the flesh.  He knows the Bible better than the majority of Christians I know but knowing it does not mean that you get it.  If you search the Bible for your truth you will find it.  His truth is that it is written by man without any inspiration from God and is filled with mistakes and superstition.  Accepting the Bible as the inerrant word of God, written by man through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit would mean this person would recognize the emptiness of a life filled with serving himself and not the God that created him.

Knowledge without the guidance of the Holy Spirit has led this person to miss all the lessons taught through the actions of Johan. 

(1)    Jonah is running from God but can you blame him?  Jonah has been asked by God to witness to the most despicable people of his day.  This assignment would be the same as any of us being asked to witness to murders, rapist, child molesters, terrorist, etc.  He choice to run away from this assignment because he so hated these Assyrians.  Our lesson, will we answer the call of God on our life or will we run and suffer the consequences as Jonah did.

(2)    Jonah in the belly of the fish three days and three nights prayed and repented of his sin and recognized from whom his salvation comes.  Jonah was thus given new life just as we are when we recognize from whom our salvation comes as a result of His overcoming death and the grave and being raised after three days and nights.  Jonah then went forward to fulfill his mission to witness to those in Nineveh.  The result was thousands who were lost to sin were saved from eternal death by the answered call of Jonah.  What can God do through you today to save the souls of those in your circle of influence if you would just say yes to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through you?

(3)    Jesus used the miracle of Jonah in His ministry to expose the hardness of the hearts of those of His day.  Despite their knowledge they remained blinded to the miracles that God had provided all around them which would have lead them to His truth.  Matthew 12:39-42, But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, faithless generation would ask for a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so I, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.  The people of Nineveh will rise up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah.  And now someone greater than Jonah is here-and you refuse to repent.”

We can see throughout history that knowledge does not always lead to the truth.  We saw this in Germany during the Second World War when the most educated people on the planet turned away from God and His truth and fell for the lies of a mad man.  Just as Jonah when he decided to run from God and His call, many of us have failed to answer God’s call on our lives.  Because of fear, anger, hate, prejudice, etc. placed in us by the Devil we run just as Jonah.  As long as we run from God we will suffer a life unfulfilled, incomplete and empty.  More importantly, those that God has placed before us to share the love, grace and mercy of Christ will continue to live a life swallowed up in the belly of the fish – dark without the light of Christ to show them the way to a life blessed by the truth of God’s love through His Son Jesus Christ.

In the Love, Mercy and Grace of Christ,

Mike Inabinett

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The WInds Of Change

Posted on November 25, 2011 by

It seems to me, since the winds of change shifted to our current President, Congress, Senate, and Supreme Court; I cannot remember a time when we the people of these United States were so divided and unhappy.  The winds of change that have swept across this Nation have brought with it words which I never thought I would hear from a President of these United States, “We are no longer a Christian Nation.”  We have been labeled a Nation of ideals – “Whose ideals?”  I for one agree with our first President (George Washington) that we can never hope to be a happy nation if we do not include the God of Christianity and the example of how we are to live given by the Son Jesus Christ.

We are a nation, which is divided by race, nationality, income, political party, education, geography, and Church denomination.  We are no longer a melting pot where peoples from all parts of the world migrate to become Americans, to melt into the truly unique character of an American Citizen.  Now many come to take advantage of what America and it citizens (Americans – not African Americans, Italian Americans, Irish Americans, etc.) were able to create as a result of melting all of these unique people into a new people who loved all that America represented.  However, the new immigrant has no desire for this but wants to remain a foreigner with some form of identification that says a citizen of America – not an American citizen.

 The only way that the enemies of this great Nation could hope to defeat us is to destroy the foundation upon which this nation and our representative form of government were founded – Christianity and God’s Bible.   As we have heard before, a Nation divided is a Nation defeated.  The prayer given for the United States of America by our first President is timeless, and, I pray, will open our eyes to how this Nation became great!

George Washington’s Prayer for the United States of America

Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy Holy protection; and Thou wilt incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field.

And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the Characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.

Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Walking in God’s Grace,

Mike Inabinett

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I Am A Christian, I Sleep At A Holiday Inn!

Posted on November 11, 2011 by

We have seen the commercial, an ordinary person sleeps at a Holiday Inn and they now act as though they can make decisions and take action as if they were a doctor, plumber or electrician. As is often the case for me while talking with a Christian, I have found that this person rarely reads the Bible outside of a class and cannot remember reading through the Bible even once. Not reading and studying the Bible is as common today as owning a Bible. Millions have one or more Bibles in their homes, cars and sometimes even their work places. Unfortunately, most Bibles are not opened only moved (relocated). It does not matter what denomination this is common with them all.

Here in America, we currently find only nine percent of our population has a Biblical World View -according to Barna Research Reports. What is a Biblical World View? This is where all of life is viewed through the lens of God’s Word. How can we expect the people of American to have a Biblical World View if they are not exposed to the words of the Bible? How are they to receive this exposure? It must be from Christians (Go into all the world). We have a problem; only 19 percent of Christians have a Biblical World view according to this same Barna report therefore 81 percent of professing Christians do not have a Biblical World View. How are Christians to have an impact for Christ when they have no clue who He is? Christians today are unable to distinguish what is from God and what is of the world.

When listening to those who preach and teach, how do we know whether what they say is Biblical or not? We must know the teachings of Christ to make that important decision.

If we are not reading, meditating and studying the Word of God, what are we reading, meditating and studying? We are reading Harry Potter Novels, tabloids, and emails – meditating on the next vacation or toy for our garages – studying, not much. The average person in America spends the majority of his or her down time in front of a TV or other electrical media. We are wrapped up in the things of this world and all of their trappings. Scripture states in Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” As we allow space for more “isms,” world views, the result is “a church that has become tolerant of a vast array of morally and spiritually dubious behaviors and philosophies,” Barna Reports.

We have all heard that the universe does not allow a void. As we continue to remove God and His Word from our culture, remove prayer from schools, remove the Ten Commandments from schools and Government buildings, and remove the name of Christ from military prayers, the void will be filled. Our children currently spend 7.5 hours per day on average connected to some form of electronic media that will fill the void and influence their world view. How much of that do you think is dedicated to God’s Word?

“My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge,” Hosea 4:6. If we do not know Him and we do not know His Word, we will be destroyed from this lack of knowledge. It is so easy to say you are a “Christian,” but is it just because you “sleep in a Holiday Inn” or is it because you are saved by His grace and your life is built on the foundation of His love revealed through His inspired Word, found in His Bible? Make the time today for God and His Word; you will be glad you did.

In the Love, Mercy and Grace of Christ,

Mike Inabinett

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Education and the Battle for Our Children and Our Nation

Posted on October 28, 2011 by

Hosea 4:6 – My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. 

When you trace the beginnings of education in this country you must first go back to the establishment of the colonies which were founded mainly by men and women seeking religious freedom.  They desired the ability to practice their Christian religion as they saw it, without the restrictions of a national church.  The early settlers understood the importance of the children being able to read and understand the principles of religion and the laws of the Common Wealth. 

The most successful educational textbook of the early colonies was The New England Primer published between 1687 and 1690.  It was the first reading primer in the colonies and was the foundation of early learning for the youth of the day.  It was based upon The Protestant Tutor written by the same author Benjamin Harris.  The book drew many of its sections from the King James Bible and the puritan ideals of that time to train up the child in the respect of God and parents. 

The first official act toward insuring the education of our youth was a Massachusetts Law of 1642.  There was no mention of a school or school system but that the parents or master (as in an apprentice program) were responsible for the education of those in their charge. 

A second law was added – The Old Deluder Satan Act of 1647 that came out of the first as towns grew and met certain requirements.  This law first recognizes that Satan is real and seeks to keep men from the knowledge of God. They knew the importance of our youth receiving an education to avoid the traps of Satan and of man. 

The colleges of Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard (established in 1636), Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale were established to promote education based on biblical Christianity.  These colleges and others were to provide the clergy of the various Christian denominations.  In fact 108 of the first 110 colleges established in this country were founded as a result of religious motivations – ministers of the Gospel. 

The 1800’s – Noah Webster, William McGuffey and Charles Darwin 

“Noah Webster (1836) was “The Father of American Scholarship and Education.”  He said, “In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed…No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.” 

From these early principles, we see the reliance on education to provide for the future of our youth and to produce for our free government a populace able to read and understand the principles of religion as well as the ability to comprehend and follow the laws of the Common Wealth.  Horace Mann later established the first public schools in 1837. 

 In 1836 the McGuffey Readers were introduced and according to Wikipedia “become one of the most widely used textbooks from the mid eighteen to mid nineteenth centuries with over 120 million copies sold from 1836 to 1960.  William McGuffey is remembered as a conservative theological teacher. He interpreted the goals of public schooling in terms of moral and spiritual education, and attempted to give schools a curriculum that would instill Presbyterian Calvinist beliefs and manners in their students.” 

During the 1800’s we also have what many believe to be the most influential writings since the Bible – “The Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin.  Combine that with the philosophies of Karl Marx in “Das Kapital” which he wanted to dedicate to Charles Darwin and the perfect storm has been created, I’m sorry evolved.  Friedrich Engles said, “Just as Darwin discovered the law of evolution in organic nature, so Marx discovered the law of evolution in human history”  

From these writings we see evolution as the foundation in the development of Marxism, socialism, communism and Nazism.  The following is a quote from the book “The Long War Against God,” What they both (Darwin, Marx) celebrated was the internal rhythm and course of life, the one the life of nature, the other of society, that proceeded by fixed laws, undistracted by the will of God or men…God was as powerless as individual man to interfere with the internal, self-adjusting dialectic of change and development.”  God was kicked from His throne and evolution moved into His place. 

A Dramatic Shift

If you are familiar with the “cycle of sin” that was a part of the history of the people of Israel, you know that God blessed the people of Israel – they were given peace from their enemy’s, food in abundance, population increase and overall cultural prosperity.  But soon the good times got the best of the people as well as its rulers, and they fell away from God and plunged head first into idolatry and apostasy.  The result was a period of correction of his people by God.  The  people then would repent and return to worshiping and honoring the God of creation.  This cycle of sin was repeated again and again throughout the Old Testaments. 

Of course, the history of the United States has followed a similar pattern, though not to the same extent.  We experienced great blessings as a result of the revolutionary war with the design of the greatest establishment of government ever seen on the earth.  The weaknesses of that design were exposed and dealt with through the Civil War and a course correction was achieved with a period of prosperity and growth.   

Following World War I we began a massive shift as the influence of evolution and Marxism with their “survival of the fittest” appeared. The word “class” at this time was substituted for “race”.  It was during this period that the wheels of social, cultural and political change were at their peak. 

Nazism (National Socialism) 

As my wife Barbara and I toured the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., one of the things that stood out in the tour was how Hitler took immediate control of Germany’s education system.  He understood that the future of The Reich would be in controlling the minds of the German youth.  His plan, as with totalitarian governments throughout history, was to have a state-sponsored indoctrination program, where the minds of the young could be molded to match the values set by the ruler (government). 

“The Youth of today is ever the people of tomorrow.  For this reason, we have set before ourselves the task of inoculating our youth with the spirit of this community of the people at a very early age, at an age when human beings are still unperverted and therefore unspoiled.  This Reich stands, and it is building itself up for the future, upon its youth.  And this new Reich will give its youth to no one, but will it take youth and give to youth its own education and its own upbringing.”  Quoted from “The Treats to Homeschooling: From Hitler to the NEA” 

“It takes a community to bring up a child.”  Hillary Clinton 

Marxism – Communism 

During the same period John Dewey, “The Architect of Modern Education,” and the chief founder of the “progressive education movement,” brought his extensive study of the Russian education system, and his socialist and materialistic pantheist beliefs to America, (beliefs which were also adopted by nations around the world). 

“An absolute faith in science became the driving force behind the progressives…the most important idea that would influence the education was that of evolution-the notion that man, through a process of natural selection, had evolved to his present state, from a common animal ancestry.  Evolution was as sharp a break with the Biblical view of creation as anyone could make, and it was quickly picked up by those anxious to disprove the validity of orthodox religion.” Trojan Horse in American Education 

The child moves from being created in the image of God, with significance, a unique one of a kind individual with purpose, into an evolving animal that should be trained as such and molded to fit into his/her appropriate place in society.  Evolution had now dethroned God and the peak of His Creation, man.  

John Dewey along with other leading evolutionist of the day also formed the American Humanist Association in 1933, becoming its first president.  I recommend you read the three Humanist Manifestos to discover what the foundation of our modern education system is based upon.  In short, stressing evolution over Biblical creationism.

Consider this quote from an article by John Dunphy (“The New Faith of Humanism and Teachers”) published in the Jan/Feb 1983 issue of THE HUMANIST MAGAZINE:

“I am convinced that the battle for humankind’s future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity that recognizes and respects what theologians call divinity in every human being. These teachers must embody the same selfless dedication as the most rabid fundamentalist preachers, for they will be ministers of another sort, utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit to convey humanist values in whatever subject they teach, regardless of the educational level — preschool day care center or large state university. The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new — the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism. It will undoubtedly be a long, arduous, painful struggle replete with much sorrow and many tears, but humanism will emerge triumphant. It must if the family of humankind is to survive.”

Martin Luther was right when he observed that “…the universities and schools will prove to be the gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount.” 

This is a quote from John Dewey, “The Architect of Modern Education,” ‘There is no God, and there is no soul. Hence, there are no needs for the props of traditional religion.’” The results of this Godless system of education – increases in teen pregnancy, the epidemic of STD’s, abortions, drug abuse, alcoholism, violence, suicide and illiteracy rates that are as high as 50% among some groups. 

Can we not see that when we fail to “bring the child up in the way that he should go,” with the wisdom from the God of the Christian Bible, our children will be indoctrinated into a system that denies the God of creation and replaces Him with His creation, man? 

Christians have a self imposed silence, the result; those that would have any trace of God removed from our society and our country’s history have succeeded in firmly establishing their atheistic education system.  It is like kids fighting over a new toy, the child that screams the loudest gets the toy.  Because we stepped back from the battle, the smallest percentage of our society has come to rule over the majority.  That’s what we have allowed to happen while we moved back into the safety of our churches.  

People, we are in a battle for the souls of our children, our society, our nation, and our world.  Are we prepared for the challenging days to come?  Are we equipped with truth?  “Thy Word is truth” John 17:17.  Just as Pilate said to Jesus, “What is truth?” John 18:38, so our culture asks us the same question and how do we respond?  Is His truth in us?  If we are to change this world for Christ we must know Him as revealed in the Bible!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NKJV) – 4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!  5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

Yours in the Love, Mercy and Grace of Christ,

Mike Inabinett

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Freedom To Worship

Posted on October 26, 2011 by

“You confine yourself to the church.  I’ll take care of the German people.”  Hitler

Do we not hear these same words being spoken today in this country?  There are many prominent leaders in our government saying virtually the same thing when they speak of the separation of church and state.  Many in the media, universities; and public schools use these same words to influence the minds of our young people.  We remove the Ten Commandments from public view; we can pray as long as we don’t mention Jesus in government-sponsored events; students can’t mention Jesus in their valedictorian speeches; or in the prayers before sporting events…keep your Jesus anyway you want just keep Him in your church. 

There has been a recent shift by our President and Secretary of State that is very interesting.  They both have avoided the phrase “freedom of religion” and now often use, “freedom of worship.”  Words are important!  We know from the George Orwell book, “1984” common words can take on new meaning.  We have begun to see our country move down a very slippery slope to a loss of religious freedom.  

Why be concerned with just a few words?  Read the following from an article by Ashley Samelson entitled, “Why ‘Freedom of Worship’ Is Not Enough.” 

The reason is simple. Any person of faith knows that religious exercise is about a lot more than freedom of worship. It’s about the right to dress according to one’s religious dictates, to preach openly, to evangelize, to engage in the public square. Everyone knows that religious Jews keep kosher, religious Quakers don’t go to war, and religious Muslim women wear headscarves—yet “freedom of worship” would protect none of these acts of faith.

Those who would limit religious practice to the cathedral and the home are the very same people who would strip the public square of any religious presence. They are working to tear down roadside memorial crosses built to commemorate fallen state troopers in Utah, to strip “Under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance, and they recently stopped a protester from entering an art gallery because she wore a pro-life pin. 

http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2010/02/why-ldquofreedom-of-worshiprdquo-is-not-enough

Christians find themselves struggling as citizens of earth and citizens of heaven; struggling with the gods of this world and the God of Heaven.  We are approaching a time just as the German Christians faced when we either allow Jesus to stand side by side with all the other gods professed by man, as Oprah has professed, or we make sure that Jesus stands alone as the only way to God the Father, as the only way to redemption and salvation as the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Are we prepared in our hearts to stand at the Cross of Christ and confess Him as our Messiah?  We must ask ourselves this question and we must answer it.  Jesus is awaiting our reply! 

Walking in His Grace,

Mike Inabinett

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From The Eyes Of A Child

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

I have had the privilege to deliver meals through the Meals on Wheels program sponsored by my church.  It has been about 10 years now since we joined this great program. This group provides a service to those in need of at least one hot meal per day.  This not only meets the physical requirement of food but the opportunity for interaction with others.  The volunteers are also another person to check on the homebound to make certain they are ok since many have serious illnesses.

During the years I have met many great individuals that have added much to my life and the visits always help me appreciate how I have been blessed. The majority of the people are so appreciative of the visit and the meal.  These people, despite their circumstances, have brightness in their spirit and joy that goes beyond their current
situation.

A small percentage though has a very indifferent attitude or even an attitude of resentment, maybe even anger.  The energy in these homes is so dark; there is no hope and no expectation of good or of anything better.  In one particular home I often will bring an extra meal whenever one is available because they seem to have the greatest need.  Often there will be 3 to 5 adults in the mobile home with a similar number of children.  In the 2 plus years that I have delivered meals to this home, the folks who live there including the eldest person for whom the meal is delivered and all the other adult women (whose ages range from the late teens to early 20’s) have never said thank you.  In fact the last visit when I delivered an extra meal, I said, “good morning I have an extra meal for you today” and the response was yeah OK.  No thank you or we appreciate it, just yeah Ok.  Outside the home are bags of trash filled with empty beer cans and cartons of cigarettes; inside the home is not much better.

Then you see the children being jerked around and yelled at and your heart breaks for them, for they are trapped and they will adopt the attitudes of their adult caregivers just so they can survive.  But then this one young girl maybe three or four years old with deep brown beautiful eyes comes to the screen door without the screen.  I look back as I walk to the car to leave and see this beautiful little girl looking at me.  She has this look of anticipation as if there is something more than food she wants.  Then as I give her a great big smile and say hey pretty girl, you see a light in her eyes but not a smile.  You know that the fire of life is still there in her soul but it needs to be stoked before it goes out.  As I pull out the drive I will smile and wave good by and she too will wave but still no smile.  I reach the road in front of the home and look back once more knowing the little girl is still there for just one more
wave good bye.  I realize then how important the spirit we bring into a situation is for we can give light where
there is no light, hope where hope has been replaced with despair and love where love has been rejected.  That is
the little something more this beautiful young girl is searching for, and I ask
myself did she find it in me?

It is said by leading psychologist that even the shiest among us will influence ten thousand people in their lifetime.  How have we influenced others?  Do we change the dynamics of a home by the spirit we bring for better or worse?  Will that child at the screen door see a spirit of joy, hope and love in you? What will be your influence on your inner circle?  I hope that we can always be aware of how we influence every situation we experience in life and can leave it better than we found it.  And that is worth thinking about.

By Mike Inabinett

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Christian Perspectives

Posted on September 25, 2011 by

Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalites, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The verse above will serve as the foundation of this blog.  I have witnessed many Christians who live each day never giving a thought to this verse of scripture.  They live a life in this world, having become one with the world and the principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness and the hosts of wickedness.  Many Christians today do not possess a Biblical World View, they are not guided by nor do they evaluate the things they read, watch or hear from the words of the Christian Bible.  Most have not read it; many more have never studied or meditated upon the inspired word of God.  The results of a world view, not guided by His Word, is what we see all around us and it will only get worse as we continue to turn to “experts” guided solely by a humanistic philosophy.   

I know you probably remember when the book “The DaVinci Code” was released and all the hype that was built around it.  A member of my health club came to me so excited about this book he had just read and how if I were to read it would make me rethink what I believe about my faith in the Bible.  I responded quickly, NO it would not because I do not evaluate the Bible by what is written by men but I evaluate the writings of men by the inerrant word of God given to us in the Bible.  As our world spirals out of control into global socialism, relative morality and situational ethics we must put on the whole armor of God and be guided by His Holy Spirit.  We must have a foundational knowledge of the Word of God if we are to navigate through the overwhelming amount of
information coming at us that is packaged to deceive even the saints among us.

I pray that this blog will create a desire in us to overcome the challenges that life presents in this fallen world
through the guidance of the written Word of God and His Holy Spirit. 

Yours in God’s Love, Mercy and
Grace,

Mike Inabinett  

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