I like the “Old Paths”, when Moms were at home.
Dads were at work. Brothers went into the army.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!

Crime did not pay; Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook; Dads would work; Children would behave..

Husbands were loving; Wives were supportive; And children were polite.

Women wore the jewelry; And Men wore the pants.
Women looked like ladies; Men looked like gentlemen; And children looked decent.

People loved the truth, And hated a lie;
They came to church to get IN, Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly; Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal; And crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked; Drinking was evil; and divorce was unthinkable.

The flag was honored; America was beautiful; And God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public; Prayed in school; And preached from house to house
To be called an American was worth dying for;
To be called a Christian was worth living for;
To be called a traitor was a shame!

Sex was a personal word. Homosexual was an unheard of word, And abortion was an illegal word.

Preachers preached because they had a message;
And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!
Preachers preached from the Bible; Singers sang from the heart;
And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!

A new birth meant a new life; Salvation meant a changed life; Following Christ led to eternal life.

Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God;
Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord;
Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus;
And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!

Laws were based on the Bible; Homes read the Bible;
And churches taught the Bible.

Preachers were more interested in new converts, Than new clothes and new cars.
God was worshiped; Christ was exalted; and the Holy Spirit was respected.

Church was where you found Christians on the Lord’s day, rather than in the garden,
on the creek bank, on the golf course, or being entertained somewhere else.

I still like the Old Paths the best ! Jeremiah 6:16

– - – poem “Old Paths” was written by a retired minister who lives in Tennessee.

Book : The Pursuit of the Holy by Simon Ponsonby

Simon Ponsonby gives fresh perspective to God’s invitation to “be holy as I am holy”

Can a godless society be expected to become godly without seeing what godliness is? Are Christians today willing to live their lives in such a way that they reflect God’s holiness? Simon Ponsonby’s The Pursuit of the Holy: A Divine Invitation tells the story of a holy God seeking friends among the unholy and bringing life to those who, left to themselves, would miss out completely on the joy of His promises. Ponsonby begins by looking at God’s essential and unique holiness and what it means for us as sinful human beings.

When we learn that God is actually moving towards us and not away from us, the command to ‘be holy as I am holy’ becomes reachable.

First, we need to understand what it means to be holy. The Bible uses the word holy in context with other words such as cleanliness, purity, blamelessness, glory, righteousness, godliness, and trustworthiness. These words provide a starting point for Christ-followers to understand the invitation to reflect God’s holiness and the fullness of what it means in our relationship with God. Ponsonby states that holiness is a way of behaving that is determined by the being of God—a life that becomes like the God who possesses holiness.

Rather than unattainable perfection, Ponsonby encourages others to understand that our pursuit of holiness is a life-long transformation process that is not only desirable but is also an exciting opportunity and offer placed before us to go for it. Holiness is a supremely positive word that reflects God’s desire to restore His children into His likeness. Moses and Isaiah are two characters Ponsonby uses to provide vivid windows into God’s restoration process. Careful study and examination of these men and their encounters with God reveal many things about the divine characteristics of God’s holiness:

* God’s holiness doesn’t preclude His visitation to sinners.
* God’s holiness doesn’t negate His revelation to sinners.
* God’s holiness doesn’t eliminate His desire to communicate with and show compassion for sinners.
* God’s holiness won’t destroy us if we repent of our sinfulness.
* God is gracious, forgiving, and cleansing, removing sin in an instant.
* God will employ us in His service, despite past failure, if we will only say, “Here I am.”

God was separated from evil. God isn’t darkness. God is light. God doesn’t lie. God is truth. In these examples, we can see that God doesn’t mingle good with evil, but He is wholly and completely separated from impurity. So in this regard, holiness is to be pure and separate from evil.

For God, holiness simply means to be separate from evil. For He is the great Creator, and there’s no impurity in Him: to be separate and distinct from evil is enough for holiness. Yet for the Christian, it takes on a slightly different form: we are to derive our holiness from Christ’s holiness. And so in this way, holiness becomes a slightly different goal.

If Christ is our holiness, then we have but one goal: to devote our mind and body to God’s using, and to separate ourselves from the uncleanness that is in the world. Holiness is a singleness of purpose. Yet this is true only insofar as the purpose that we are channeled towards is holy: this can only come from Jesus Christ.

Ponsonby wants people to understand the grace and mercy of God’s invitation to holiness. He writes that once we understand this, we will no longer desire to live as we once lived, as sinners. Instead, we will desire to live like God. “God-likeness, conformity to His character, is a pilgrimage, a journey made together. We are to walk and work with one another as a family of God’s children,” Ponsonby states. This pilgrimage is not one of subservient creatures before their Creator, neither of soldiers before their commanding officer, but of sons and daughters and lovers of God.

To be holy is to be fully alive, fully human, and whole, as God intended.

Want to buy the book online? Buy it here for 11$ from Amazon.com.

Shroud of Turin – The Real Holy Face of Jesus

Is the Shroud of Turin fake or real?

The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth believed by some to have covered the buried body of Jesus Christ. Accounts of Jesus’ followers wrapping his body with a linen cloth are mentioned in all four gospels (Matthew 27:59,Mark 15:46, Luke 23:53, John 19:40). The shroud, which has a known history dating back to 1353, is about 14-feet long by four feet wide. It is called the Shroud of Turin because it permanently resides in the city of Turin, Italy, though on occasion it is exhibited elsewhere.

The shroud bears markings that appear to be front and back impressions of a crucified man. Apparently, the cloth was folded over itself, one half above the man, the other half below. Interestingly, the man’s wounds are consistent with the wounds inflicted upon Jesus during the torture He endured leading up to His crucifixion. There appear to be wounds around the hairline, matching the biblical description of the crown of thorns. Several small stripe-like wounds extend from the shoulders to the lower legs, matching the biblical description of His torture by whipping. There is also a wound in the area of the chest, which matches the description of the piercing wound inflicted on Jesus shortly after His death.

Shroud of Turin – Experts say

What do experts think about the Shroud of Turin? That depends on who you ask. Some experts consider the Shroud of Turin to be authentic, while others believe that it is a rather sophisticated hoax. A few people have even claimed that the shroud was never intended to be anything more than a work of art. This explanation doesn’t seem probable because of the shroud’s unique design, a style that had never been observed in any previous major work of art. This fact leads most experts to conclude that the shroud is either authentic or it is purposely designed to look as if it is authentic.

The ‘Holy face of Jesus’ picture, the holiest of all Jesus Pictures, has been venerated by Saints like St. Francis DeSales, St. John Don Bosco, Pope Saint Pius X and revealed by miraculous visions to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (Little Flower) and to Blessed Sister Maria Pierina De Micheli (beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on May 30, 2010). All these holy souls believed and venerated the image on the Shroud as the true picture of Jesus.

All our recent Popes have strongly asked us to venerate the ‘Holy face of Jesus’. Their quotes on the Holy Shroud picture are given further down on this page, but we will highlight here just one quote, by our late saintly Polish Pope, Pope John Paul II - “Why don’t we contemplate the Icon of Icons: The Holy Face of Jesus! Instead of icons made by man, let us venerate the greatest icon of all: The Holy Face of Jesus!”

The burial cloth of Jesus had been kept hidden, for most of the time, during the 2000 years of its history, for the safety and protection of this most holy relic. Since the year 1578, the holy Shroud is preserved with utmost care in the Royal Chapel of the ex-kings of Italy, in the city of Turin. Since the holy Shroud is preserved and kept in the Royal Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, it is commonly referred to as the ‘Shroud of Turin’ or the ‘Turin Shroud’.

More on the Shroud of Turin at this website.

What do you think? Is the Shroud of Turin real or fake?