Eastwoodtulsa’s Weblog

The short answer is “No” if you mean “Do dead people come back as ghosts?” When a person dies their spirit is either present with the Lord in heaven or separated from the Lord in hell. There is no temporary period when a dead person’s spirit lingers in this world or is able to haunt or harass the living.

In the movie “Ghost Whisperer” Melinda Gordon (played by actress Jennifer Love Hewitt) supposedly has a gift – she can communicate with earthbound spirits or ghosts who cling to the living because they have unfinished business in our world preventing them from “crossing over” or going into the light. This movie was inspired in part by the work of famed medium James Van Praagh and of Mary Ann Winkowski, a supposed real-life communicator with earth bound spirits. GHOST WHISPERER explores the spiritual side of life and death. Melinda bridges the gap between the dead and the living with her actions as an intermediary between the ghosts and those they haunt.

People are searching. There is a lot of emphasis on the supernatural. However, being a medium or contacting the dead is forbidden by the Scriptures [Lev 19:31, 20:6, 2Kings 23:24, 1Chron 10:13, 2Chron 33:6]. It is forbidden because it is really contact with demon spirits, not dead human beings.

Satan is very deceptive. The movie industry is taping into a real need in peoples lives: the spiritual. A person today can be “spiritual” and not be a follower of Jesus Christ. We don’t have to fear ghosts (which are not real) or demons (which are real).

More later…

Gordon

It’s hard to believe that camp is almost here, and we will soon be making the trek to our favorite valley in Arkansas.  This will be the 35th year that Eastwood has hosted this camp which has seen literally thousands of lives changed over the years.  There are pastors and missionaries all over the world who trace their call back to a service at Faith Week.  What an incredible privilege it is for our church to be part of such a dynamic ministry.

Pray for our students and workers as we head to Arkansas June 8-13.  Pray that God would meet us there and that lives would be changed and through those lives God would ignite the world!

This years speakers are:

Camp Speaker:    Brad Fogarty

Youth Bible Study:     Kyle Doan

Adult Bible Study:     Gordon Small

Worship Leader:        Kyle Spencer

Why do we or why are we taught to bow our head and close our eyes in prayer?

People may have personal reasons for bowing their heads. I think the main reason is to close out distractions and also to humble ourselves outwardly. Obviously you should pray with your eyes open and head up if you are driving in your car. It would be unwise if you are the driver to take your eyes off the road. I pray when I drive and have heard others say the same thing.

We teach children to bow their heads and close their eyes in order to make a conscious effort to focus on God and humble ourselves before Him. When you talk to someone your attention shows that you care about them. It is easier to hear God when He speaks to us if we are not distracted.

There is no law or rule about our posture of prayer. Notice the following verse; it appears that Jesus has His eyes open and looks toward the sky. Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You” John 17:1.

God sees our heart motive so we can pray standing, sitting, kneeling, lying down, head up, head down, eyes open or eyes closed, it really does not matter. However, the Bible has many verses which show people on their faces before God. If our request is urgent or extreme or deeply weighing you down your physical posture will change. Notice the following verse when Jesus is in the Garden before His crucifixion:

[Jesus] went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You [will]“

Mat 26:39.

Gordon

Why do Catholics use the  Apocrypha and we don’t?

The Apocrypha is included in the Latin Vulgate (the standard authoritative Bible of the Roman Catholic Church). The Catholic church views the Apocrypha as Scripture.  The Episcopal Church also reads from the Apocrypha during some services.

Because of the origin, authorship and questionable authenticity, the books of the Apocrypha were not included in the canon (books considered as authoritative Scripture). There are many “Apocryphal” books, biblical and non-biblical, OT and NT that are rejected by the Catholic church too. Roman Catholics and Protestants generally agree on the canon of the New Testament (the 27 books that we accept as Scripture).

How should we view the Apocrypha and it’s Purpose?

We should not view the Apocrypha as Scripture like we would the 66 books of the Bible. There is nothing wrong with reading the Apocrypha, but it should not be the spiritual source of your walk with Jesus Christ.

It would be good to read portions of the Apocrypha in order to become familiar with it. It would be helpful in dialogue with people who accept it as Scripture.  Many skeptics site apocryphal works to argue that the Bible is missing important information.

Look up the Apocrypha on Google and study some more. There are pages of information; more than this POST can address.

Gordon

“Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision], the people cast off restraint …” (Proverbs 29:18).

There is a difference between holding on to a principle and having a vision. A principle does not come from moral inspiration, but a vision does. People who are totally consumed with idealistic principles rarely do anything. A person’s own idea of God and His attributes may actually be used to justify and rationalize his deliberate neglect of his duty.

Jonah tried to excuse his disobedience by saying to God, “… I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm” (Jonah 4:2). I too may have the right idea of God and His attributes, but that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty. But wherever there is vision, there is also a life of honesty and integrity, because the vision gives me the moral incentive.

Our own idealistic principles may actually lull us into ruin. Examine yourself spiritually to see if you have vision, or only principles. Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?

“Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision] … .” Once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless. We cast off certain restraints from activities we know are wrong. We set prayer aside as well and cease having God’s vision in the little things of life. We simply begin to act on our own initiative.

If we are eating only out of our own hand, and doing things solely on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on a downward path. We have lost the vision. Is our attitude today an attitude that flows from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done before? Is there a freshness and a vitality in our spiritual outlook?

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, May 9

As I was thumbing through “The Westminster Directory of Public Worship,” I came across a very interesting topic called “Of Singing of Psalms.” I find it to be a wonderful description of how we are to come together in corporate worship on Sundays.

“It is the duty of Christians to praise God publicly, by singing of psalms together in the congregation, and also privately in the family. In singing of psalms, the voice is to be tunably and gravely ordered; but the chief care must be to sing with understanding, and with grace in the heart, making melody unto the Lord.”

The “duty” of Christians! Wow, what a concept; that as a Christian we are called to praise God corporately! Note my favorite part: although this addresses the tune and ordered sound of our voices, it takes the focus off whether or not we are good singers and if the music is flawless, but we are to “sing with understanding.” I am constantly convicted as a Music Minister that although it is my job to lead in congregational singing, I must not get up on stage and dutifully sing the lyrics to the songs, but sing with understanding and grace.  This is my desire as the leader in corporate worship; that whether we are singing a classic hymn or a new chorus, that we would truly meditate on what we are singing to gain a better understanding of who God is, with grace in our hearts, as an offering unto the Lord.

“…but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.” -Ephesians 5:18-20

Worshiping with our lives, not only with our music.

Kyle Spencer

Eastwood Baptist Church, Music Ministry

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Pick up a newspaper or turn on a news television program and you are bombarded by reporters telling of the desperately bad financial situation of people all over America—lost jobs, home foreclosures, needing to cut down on buying almost anything.

I don’t want to downplay the fact that some of this is happening, but what we are experiencing is not anything new. I spent many years in the work force and I went through some of these same things through the years.

I’ve lost jobs more than once and had to settle for much lower-paying positions several times. Thank God I’ve never had a house suffering foreclosure but then we never went out on a limb for something we couldn’t afford and we made it a point to pay off what we owed as quickly as possible. We’ve also lived in the same, relatively small house for 40 years. Is it as large or snazzy as we might have wished throughout that time? No, but it has been adequate and not lacking in necessary comfort.

Have we cut down on buying things we might have wanted? Sure, but we’ve learned that a lot of those were truly “stuff” which were not needs, just wants. And we’ve even learned since retirement that, yes, you can live on what Social Security pays, which is not all that much.

Are all these things, these questions, valid things to consider? Should we be wringing our hands and agonizing about them or should we be welcoming them as opportunities to grow in faith?

Because the real question is: Do we believe what our Bible tells us in Philippians or don’t we? If we cannot accept these words as truth, then aren’t we placing ourselves in a position of doubting whether we can accept any of what we read in the rest of the Bible—little details like God loving us so much that He sent Jesus to this world to save us? Easter just passed. What about what the Bible shares about Jesus’ suffering, His death, burial, and resurrection?

We all know there are people in this world who believe that the words in Philippians and all the rest are not true. How sad it is that they will have to spend an eternity learning how wrong they were.

Dear Lord, I thank you for the promise of your Word and trust that it is true. I also stand amazed that not only do you supply all my need but even so often give me extra “wants” as well.

Trudy Graham

This Sunday we are going to continue to look at the presence of God. I am thankful for everything that God has done for me and everything that He has given to me. I want to be just as satisfied with HIM and His PRESENCE alone.

I want to identify with the Psalmist when he says, “You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence…” Psalm 21:6. I want us to experience the presence of God to such an extent that His presence [and nothing else that He might give us] makes us exceedingly glad!

See you Sunday!

g

Jude 24

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. NKJV

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. KJV

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy–NIV

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, ESV

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, NASB

And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy. NLT

As we consider the nearness of Jesus coming for His Church, listen to these words of God in the following three verses:

God loves those who love Him, and those who diligently seek Him will find Him. Proverb 8:17

Then (after Jesus comes for us), they will call on Me but I will not answer. They will seek Me diligently but they will not find Me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. They would have none of My counsel and despised My every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way. Proverbs 1:28-31

If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! 1 Cor. 16:22

What better question (in the days in which we live) can we ask another than: “Do you know and love Jesus? We must sense urgency every day for the name of Jesus to be in our conversations.

Read: Philippians 2:5-11

Pat Hutchens