I am not much of a cook, but I can say that I can cook a mean plate of spaghetti. For years, my wife had been complaining about cooking. Two years ago, she backed away from cooking and said–It’s your turn! Now, for me, this was a shock. I was old school for years and I had enjoyed the comforts of my wife cooking for me and my family. Now, the ball was on my court.
I learned, ever since then about the fine arts of culinary cooking. Among my challenges, I learned to cook Beef Stew and Roast Beef, as well as heating, some canned soups, but I excelled at cooking Spaghetti and Eggs. I do Eggs in the morning and prefer them scrambled with some onions, garlic, and cheese. As for dinner, I buy good spaghetti sauce with garlic. Then, I add on the onions and heat my spaghetti and I am good to go.
I really enjoy cooking those two items. It’s nice to see your masterpiece on your plate and feeling great when it hits the spot. How about you? What are your areas of expertise?
Where there is no vision, thepeopleperish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18)
In my last blog, I paused my series of prison escapes. The Lord changed my message and had me to share on the subject: “To Serve Man”. In my analysis of this subject, I shared from an episode of The Twilight Zone how important words are, and how to walk in understanding. If you missed it, please check it out; it will help you in your walk with God.
In this blog, we will explore a very popular movie called: “The Great Escape”. This has been one of my favorites and I want to share some Biblical insights on this matter. “The Great Escape” was a movie that was released in 1963. It was a tribute to the fifty prisoners who were shot in cold blood after they were captured by the German Army. It is my prayer that these biblical teachings on this movie, will inspire many to press through obstacles and setbacks. To not give up in your prison of despair, and be able to live for the Lord in victory.
Give Up All Hope.
I compare the Great Escape as a prison of despair. When the Allies were captured, they were told that the war was over and to give up. Unfortunately, many within the camp did not obey that command and tried to escape. My favorite character was Captain Hilts (Steve McQueen). No matter how hard the Germans would try to break him, he never lost his hope to see himself riding into victory in Berlin. When he was sent to the Cooler, he would have his trademark baseball glove. He threw his baseball against the wall, and irritated the Germans.
How about you, Friend, when your back is against the wall? When you feel that you are in a prison of despair, will you lose hope, or will you encourage yourself like Capt. Hiltz? Let’s explore other aspects of this amazing film.
Vision And Divine Connections.
Capt. Hilts never lost hope. In one scene, he and his companions dug a hole underneath the prison to escape. Unfortunately, they got caught and they were put back in the cooler. It seems that the odds were against Hilts until he made a connection with two British Officers. It was at that encounter, that they shared some ideas and made a clever and elaborate plan to escape.
Beloved, God is a God of New Beginnings and Big Visions. While Capt. Hilts was sharing about his plan to escape, the British Officers (who were his fellow prisoners) had a better one in which 250 prisoners would be free. Capt. Hilts thought that it was impossible, but the officers assured him that it could be done. Beloved, your vision may look impossible, but trust in the Holy Spirit, he can make it possible.
Captain Hilts and his fellow prisoners took to planning the escape. They had dug a couple of tunnels around the camp and had code names for them. They were patient and came up with a unique idea on surviving underground by creating a breathing air machine. Brethren, when you have a vision, it is important to consult with God as to the proper timing and plans. It’s also important to hear from God concerning divine connections. God will put in your path people who will make your vision possible. Pat Robertson was sent to Virginia with just $70 dollars by God’s direction. He had a vision. As he stepped forward by faith, he got connected with key people who helped him. In time, he built up a successful Christian ministry which is still active to this day called the 700 club.
Whether it is for Ministry, Personal or Business, God wants to give you a vision. A vision will precede your calling in life. Tyler Perry is another example: He was homeless and probably in despair until he found out that his gift was writing. After stepping out and exercising his gift, he went on to be a success.
There is a saying: “When life gives you a lemon, you start making lemonade”. Don’t let life’s setbacks get you into a prison of despair; step out in faith. You have a valuable gift inside that is waiting to be uncovered. Nurture the vision that God has created in you. Please click on my video link for more on Your Great Escape.
Who remembers Forrest Gump and his definition of stupid is as stupid does? Well, let me replace the words stupid with romantic to start my analysis. The word romantic is defined as an expression of love. Being in love is a good feeling but it goes beyond that.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for Godislove. (I John 4:8)
As a Christian, I go by the Bible to get a real definition of love. God is the greatest lover around, but having said this, let me share some insights. When I met my wife and took her on our first date, I was impressed with her. As I took her home, I actually purposed to her. Yes, she turned me down, but I did not give up. We kept on seeing each other.
A year had passed and we eventually got married. It was not easy, but we have been together for 44 years. Our union has birthed three wonderful boys and four precious grandchildren. I look forward to spending my time with my wife every day.
Being together for 44 years is a long time, but I am still in love with the same woman. It is putting up with each other. Forgiving one another and making the most of every day together. These factors sums up my views of being romantic. What’s yours? Looking forward to hearing other examples of being romantic. God bless and have a great day.
As a Christian, I give thanks to God for giving me another day on earth. I, also, appreciate people’s kindness for one another. Whenever we see a need, we try to help. There are times that our ministry has helped fund the food for the needy and to give a helping hand to the homeless. Helping your fellow man has its rewards.
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. (I Cor 14:2)
What comes to mind when you hear the three words–To Serve Man? Words matter, but they can be easily misunderstood by people. The Bible speaks of understanding; if all of us had understanding added to our lives things would be better. The misunderstanding has created tensions, broken relationships, and even caused wars. In this lesson we will look at the importance of understanding.
Three Major Examples.
I am a Three Stooges fan; some people don’t like the Stooges but I do. When I want a good laugh, I would tune in to those old episodes and have a good time. I saw an episode where the boys were looking for a place to camp. They wanted to hunt game, so Larry (one of the Stooges) shared with Curly that the land was ideal because the sign said: “Fine for Hunting.” (1)
Little did he know that it was on the contrary; they would be penalized (If they got caught) with a heavy fine to pay. One had a certain understanding of hunting while the sign implied something else; I thought that was funny. Another funny incident was on an episode of the Honeymooners: Ralph Kamden was told that he needed to be at the reading of the will of a friend that had passed away; this friend had an inheritance of 40 million dollars.
Can you imagine 40 million dollars? What would you do with 40 million dollars? As usual Ralph had his hopes up and was making plans. Upon the reading of the will, the word my Fortune was mentioned. To Ralph’s surprise, it was a parrot by the name of Fortune–A rude awakening if I may add. (2)
The last example is on my favorite Twilight Zone Episode: “To Serve Man”. It talks about an alien race of Giants that is advanced, comes to Earth, and shares its discoveries with the Earthlings. In the process they give them a book written in a strange language. While the people are busy with their new found “blessings”, one lady is determined to decipher the book’s contents. Again words are important.
Interpretating The Mysteries
Let me caution you in advance, this blog has a spoiler to this episode. If you want to see it in its entirely, click on the link below. (3) The aliens invite the Earthlings to their planet and it is during this time that the lady comes upon a remarkable discovery. She rushes over the crowd and warns them that it is a cookbook. The Giant Aliens was having Earthlings as their dinner. A rude awakening!
Friends I want to encourage you to use your prayer language. As you pray, think about the example of the lady with the Alien book. She was diligent to decipher the mysteries of that book of Alien writings. So, have that in mind and practice the gift that God has given you. Use your prayer language and practice hearing from God. He wants to show you things to come and life’s mysteries. If you don’t know about praying in the Spirit and using your prayer language, click on the link below (4)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 6:12)
In our last post, we explored three best-selling movies such as—
1- The Shawshank Redemption
2-Escape from Sobibor
3- The Great Escape.
We started with The Shawshank Redemption, and we saw how a man who was falsely accused finally saw justice. We have all been there; people have lied and falsely accused us. As Christians we have seen it in the form of persecution and harassment. The central character Andy Dufresne suffered untold torment and harassment.
A ray of light came into his life; his talent as an accountant paid off in jail. As a result of his services he enjoyed special protection, and benefits, but a crooked jail warden used him to make him rich in his corrupt dealings. To make a long story short, Andy escaped from jail and his life was changed.
In this post we are going to look at the movie Escape from Sobibor; based on a true story. Escape from Sobibor was a concentration camp where the Nazis performed the final solution. The Nazis deceived the Jews by telling them that it was a work camp. Meanwhile with each new arrival, they separated them seeking the talents that they can use in the camp. The sick and elderly were separated, as well as some women and children to take a “shower” and get them on their new duties.
The Truth.
As time passed by, the Jews who were separated from their families inquired about them. The Nazis promised them that they would reunite with them soon. Soon the truth comes out; their families were separated to be gassed and cremated. A furnace would be running 24/7 burning the corpses. Anger and vengeance rose up within the camp, but they were helpless until one faithful day some Russian soldiers arrived at the camp. One of the high officials was a seasoned veteran and he was skilled in the art of war.
He gathered the Jews together and told them that in order to win they must be willing to use weapons. Observing the post, he noticed that they had just a few Germans in charge; the rest was run by Ukrainian soldiers. He explained further that to win, and have a successful escape, they had to incapacitate the high leadership in which could send them into a state of confusion.
Seasoned Warriors.
Again I call your attention to Ephesians 6:12, it talks about spiritual warfare in high places. In our lives we are going to go through difficult seasons in our walk with the Lord. Circumstances such as difficulties on the job, sickness, diseases, and financial lack among other items will get us into a state of discouragement. At times it may seem like it gets worse; such as when they found out what really happened to their loved ones who got separated from them during their stay at Sobibor.
There are some battles in which we cannot do alone; we need help. Just as the Russian soldiers came onto the scene and helped the Jews break out of their prison; God will use divine connections. He will connect you to those seasoned prayer warriors who know who to pray to and break you out of your prison.
Brethren, praying in the Spirit is very important because just as the Russian officer made a plan, God has a way to plan your escape. Spending time praying in tongues will reveal God’s mysteries to you, and connect you to the right people who know how to pray. There are some battles that can only be won through the prayer of agreement.
Conclusion.
Summing it up, their escape was a bittersweet victory. I don’t want to include a spoiler because I want you to see the movie in the link enclosed. It is free, and a decent tear jerker in the end. Many victories will be won in the prayer of agreement, but it will not be an easy victory. The secret to winning is to not lose your focus and see yourself victorious. Feel free to click on the link below for the free movie.
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Col 1:13)
We are going to do an interesting study. I enjoy watching action movies, especially with those that deal with escaping prisons, and concentration camps. There are three of my favorite movies that in which I have found some interesting Biblical analogies—
The Shawshank Redemption
Escape from Sobibor.
The Great Escape
Let’s start with the Shawshank Redemption narrated by Morgan Freeman. We see the central character Andy Dufresne, who was a banker that was falsely accused of his wife’s murder. While in jail, he experienced many abuses, was assaulted sexually while serving his time, but then a ray of light. He overheard the captain of the guard talking about an inheritance that he had, but was worried about the taxes.
Sensing an opportunity, he managed to talk to the captain about getting his inheritance tax-free. Since Andy was an accountant, he soon found favor with the guards and would do all their tax returns. He also enjoyed protection from the guards in return for his services. How does that apply to us in a Biblical sense?
When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Prov 16:7)
You may be in a prison of persecution, or maybe you are being persecuted on the job, or by a loved one? Perhaps you have been tormented by this constant onslaught of harassment? If you are experiencing any of these things, you are not alone. Just as Andy Dufresne saw an opening to win favor with the prison guards, God can do the same for you.
While I was working at Verizon, I had a co-worker who hated my guts. He gave me a lot of grief and problems. It got so bad that I was thinking of quitting my job, but thank God for my wife. God gave her wisdom, used her, and encouraged me to stay the course.
I wanted to escape my prison, but God had me to stay. So, I prayed for my enemy every day using scriptures of love. Soon, God started to turn his heart, and the persecution as well as the torment stopped. During those times of peace, my enemy confided in me that he wanted a position that paid well in the company. He encouraged me to pray, and he said that if he got that position, he would buy me a sandwich.
Time passed, God softened my enemy’s heart, and he helped me on my job. Afterwards, after praying blessings for him, he got promoted. He was out of my department, and soon God brought a spirit-filled brother to work with me. As for the sandwich, the day he got promoted, he was looking for me to make good on his promise. Unfortunately, I had taken the day off and missed my blessing. (Smile)
Your prison of persecution can be a source of learning and blessings. The word says to rejoice when you are being persecuted, for great is your reward in heaven. You can get the blessings of heaven just by praising God during your ordeal. I can testify to it; God can even open the prison door into freedom and deliverance adding to your testimony.
Redemption
There are other Biblical comparisons to this movie: Andy Dufresne was taken advantage of by a cruel jail warden. He made him fix the books on his crooked political and financial dealings, but Andy did not lose sight of his freedom. His vision was to escape and move to Mexico; years have passed and he had a plan.
By using a small hammer, he made a big hole during his confinement years. Covering it with a Raquel Welch poster, he covered the big hole. It was during that time that he took the warden’s financial records, as well as his shoes in a bag, and made good his escape. He made his way through the dirty sewers and swam his way to freedom.
Since the warden used a fictious character to cover for his perverted deeds, Andy adopted his identity and made off with about $300,000 of the warden’s money. He also sent the warden’s crooked records to a newspaper. To sum it up, the authorities went after the warden and he winded up committing suicide.
Notice that Andy assumed the identity of a fictious person. As we analyze this on a Biblical principal we were in prison, but when we got born-again, a chain of events happened–
We escaped from our prison of sin and death.
We assumed the identity of a real person—Jesus Christ.
We got back everything that the enemy stole from us and experienced His blessings.
Our enemy fell into his own snare and lost souls that escaped from his prison
Conclusion
Perhaps you have been in a prison; a prison of false accusations, a place where there is no hope. I am here to tell you that Jesus paid for it all. He opened the prison door, gave you an identity, and has a place of milk and honey waiting for you. So, my question is—What are you waiting for? Go and possess the land.
Would you like to find out more on how to escape from your prison? The first step is to accept God’s gift of eternal life. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Click on this link and repeat the prayer enclosed for an exciting adventure in Christ…..
Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. (John 20:23)
Unforgiveness. We have heard the importance of forgiveness, but I want to share the other side of the coin regarding this subject. Many have said that unforgiveness does not hurt the other person, it hurts you. I want to submit to you that the other person can be hurt, too.
When a person clearly mistreats and lies on you, God takes it personal. His word says not to touch the Lord’s anointed. (us) Words can hurt and scar us emotionally for life. Let’s consider the following verse below
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Matt 18:6-7)
In God’s eyes, the born-again believers are considered children thru Christ Jesus. Notice how God reacts when we get treated unjustly and offended- It says woe to that man by whom the offence cometh. Now, I am not implying that we stay angry and hope to see that person’s sin destroys them. Our duty as a Christian is to stand in the gap and pray for our enemies and those who offend us.
The importance of emotional healing.
Again, I call to your attention concerning verbal abuse and persecution. Words can hurt any person and create scars that will take years to heal. Forgiving others is not easy. We can say we forgive, but how do we feel about that person deep inside? Other will say things like this–“You don’t know what he/she did to me” or “You haven’t been in my shoes”.
Emotional hurts are real and it is a major roadblock to forgiveness, but there is good news. Jesus said that he has come to heal the brokenhearted. ( Luke 4:18) Healing of a broken heart will allow you to fight the good fight and be able to forgive others. Let’s look at the example of Joseph.
Joseph suffered abuse at the hands of his brothers. Due to their treatment and treachery, he was sold as a slave. During this time, he had to learn the language and customs of the people in the land. He had spent about 13 years in Egypt. They say time heals the wounds but that is a lie. It only camouflages it. The hurt was still there, but he had forgotten about it.
Then 13 years had passed and his brothers showed up. Since Joseph had adopted the ways of Egypt, he looked and dressed differently. His brothers did not recognize him. He treated them in a rough manner giving them a taste of their own medicine, but we see that God had convicted him. He revealed himself to his brothers and started to cry, which set the stage of his emotional healing. (Gen 43-45)
Retaining sins.
That is why, my brothers, we need to seek God when we are emotionally hurt. I heard a testimony about a man who took advantage of a Christian. This brother would lend him large amounts of money. The time came when he asked for his money, the man told him that he was not going to pay him back.
The brother was hurt and forgot to pray for him. The offender was driving down the road with his girlfriend when suddenly, he lost control of his vehicle. They fell off a cliff and they both died and went to hell. Brethren, many parents and family members have lost their loved ones when they forgot to pray for them. (After suffering abuse). At times, the hurt has been great that it has been hard to pray.
King David wrote in the psalms that he shed endless tears in bed. (Ps 6:6) He had reason to cry. His father in law-King Saul wanted to kill him. An army was after him and even his men turned against him. He did have reason to cry, but he never stop respecting and loving King Saul. He respected his authority and even wept for him when he was killed. (2 Samuel 1)
One key factor is that not getting healed from your hurts will cause you to retain the offender’s sin. In turn, it can spell disaster for the person who offends you. When hurts and offenses comes, let’s be quick to ask the Lord to heal us. Afterwards, let’s just release the person and forgive them. Constant prayer will cause you to change your attitude and walk in the love of God. Remember, it’s not a good idea to retain sin. Decide to walk in forgiveness and watch God move in your life. God bless.
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. (Ezekiel 37: 3)
Our study will be centered on the Valley of Dry Bones. Much has been said about that Valley, but we want to bring it home for personal application. I believe that God’s word will find and speak to us concerning what we are going through in life. In the above passage, God brought Ezekiel to a Valley of dry bones.
As you read the rest of the chapter, God told Ezekiel to prophesy unto those bones. Israel was at a place where they were about to be destroyed and God raised up his prophet to proclaim his word over his people. To bring it home, we must ask ourselves if we are passing through our personal Valley of Dry Bones.
Ask yourself the following questions–
1- Have I been disappointed with my career at my job?
2-Have I been hurt and wounded by a loved one?
3-Have I failed on a business venture and gotten deeper in debt?
4-Have I failed and fallen constantly in my walk with the Lord?
5- Are there habits that I desperately need to be delivered from?
Maybe there are many other things that are not on the list above, but you feel frustrated and at the point of despair. My word to you is be encouraged! God has not forgotten you. A true life story that inspired me was Colonel Sanders, creator of Kentucky Fried Chicken. His life was full of ups and downs, until he discovered that he had the gift of cooking. One key point to remember is to ask God for wisdom.
Another example was the wife of Smith Wigglesworth. There was a time that Smith Wigglesworth backslid from the ministry, but his wife was still faithful to God. She never missed a Sunday going to church. This bothered him and he ordered her not to go to church. She stood her ground and kept going to church.
He threatened to lock her out of the house, but she persisted in going to church. Upon arriving at her house, she was locked out. She slept outside and when he opened the door, she woke up. At that moment, she cooked him his favorite breakfast. This act of love so moved Smith Wigglesworth that he returned back to the Lord and his ministry. Love never fails. (I Cor 13:8)
These are example of how you address your Valley of Dry Bones. Another item to observe is that Ezekiel prophesied to those bones the word of God. Talk back to your Dry Bones. When God has given you a promise, don’t look at the circumstances but speak life to those Dry Bones. Some helpful advice to ponder-Find your calling and gift in life. God has plans for you and wants to use you as a vessel for his glory. Amen.
How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! (PS 84:1)
Are you ready to step into the God dimension? In our last study, We saw how God’s kingdom has no time and how it relates to faith. In this study, we will see how David got addicted to staying in God’s presence. This healthy addiction got him thru difficult situations and trials in his life.
As we look at Ps 84:1, we see that David had stepped into the tabernacle of God. Notice how he praises this place by using the word amiable. Amiable means lovely. David had a good attitude especially when he said—I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. (Ps 122:1)
Pastors would use this verse to stir up praise and encourage the congregation. We should always be joyful when we go to church, but I want to take this a step further. I believe that David was caught up in the Spirit and saw God’s temple in the heavenlies. Notice on Ps 84:2, he mentions the courts of the Lord. Courts indicates being in the presence of the King!
He was so overwhelmed with this that his flesh and heart cried out for the living God. Other words that he used was longeth and fainted. Back in the 60’s, when the Beatles came to America, young ladies would scream and even faint at their presence. They had an effect on them especially thru their music.
I personally believe that this was a counterfeit anointing. The devil likes to imitate God, but when you get into the real deal and in the Lord’s presence, it can so overwhelm you that it knocks you flat on your back. David was addicted with the Lord’s presence. This is a key item to remember when you cross the Valley of Baca (Weeping).
Valley of Baca
Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. (Ps 84:6)
The Valley of Baca is a place of weeping. Brethren, I hate to burst your bubble but we got to pass thru a Valley of weeping. Yes, it is wonderful getting high in worship and appreciating God in the beauty of holiness, but there is a valley of weeping that we must pass by. David realized this and he learned to encourage himself.
That encouragement helped him to be refreshed. The Valley of weeping will leave you dry and we need to learn to press thru the God dimension. Many reading this will go thru a personal tragedy, problems on the job, persecution from a family member, etc. Let’s learn from David how to be refreshed and go from strength to strength. (Victory to Victory)
For more on this subject, I have enclosed a video for further study. It is my prayer that it will serve as encouragement for your Valley of Tears. Be encouraged, brethren, because you are destined to win. God bless.
The Christian Corner Ministries 