Weekly Word Definition – Catholic

Catholic

• a. Of or involving the Roman Catholic Church.
• b. Of or relating to the universal Christian church.
• c. Of or relating to the ancient undivided Christian church.
• d. Of or relating to those churches that have claimed to be representatives of the ancient undivided church

Catholic: wide, general, liberal, global, varied, comprehensive, universal, world-wide, tolerant, eclectic, all-inclusive, ecumenical, all-embracing, broad-minded, unbigoted, unsectarian He was a man of catholic tastes, enjoying music and fine arts of all kinds.

The word catholic literally means “universal.” Catholic has its origins in Greek from kata meaning “concerning” and holou meaning “whole” thus “concerning the whole” or universal.

1. What is the difference between Christianity and Catholicism?
   • Christianity is the religion having faith on Jesus Christ and his teachings. Catholicism is a branch of Christianity. The other divisions of Christianity are Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
   • The major difference is how you deal with sin. Churches that pretend to be Christian churches will tolerate living in sin daily as long as you ask forgiveness each night.
   • The Christian churches believe in living the bible every day and sin is no longer a consideration. Christians have no need to sin.
2. What does it mean to be catholic?
   • To be Catholic means to be whole, one with community, rich in spiritual tradition. Catholicism is a lens or filter which provides a meaningful pattern to our experiences which otherwise would be lacking in life and interest. It is comprised up of faith, theologies, and many different doctrines, even ethical and spiritual orientations, and behaviors.
   • Christianity has a simpler way. Faith! Theologies and different doctrines do not exist. Christians live God’s Word. Ethical and spiritual orientations and behaviors all become one. Worshiping God. By simply living the bible every day, all the complications of salvation become our means to a new way of live.
3. Where is the Catholic (universal) Church?

It is in your heart.

If you have been born again, have studied the bible, are living the bible, and you love your neighbor, you are a member of the Universal (Catholic) Church.

Weekly Devotional – Aug 14, 2021

The Misused Psalm.

Psalms 23:1-6

I have been hearing this Psalm since I can remember. The problem comes from where I have been hearing this Psalm used. Most of the time this Psalm is used for funerals. Although I do agree that the message is a good one to convince people to think about the hereafter, it is also a good Psalm to use other places.

If this Psalm is so good at inspiring people to think about their future, why not use it in a place where it will do some good for everyone. Many times, I have heard this scripture used when the person being buried was not a Christian, the scripture will not do that person any good.

I can only remember this scripture being preached one or two times in my lifetime in a church service. Why do preachers avoid this scripture so often? I personally think this scripture should be used at least twice per year. I would like to see Psalms 23 used where it would do the most good, with the live people.

The sheep owner frequently tends the flocks himself, but more often he delegates the work to his children (1 Samuel 16:19; 1 Samuel 17:15) or relatives. We know that Jesus is the head of the church (Eph. 1:22), but Jesus has so many flocks in the one congregation, He allows a family member (Romans 8:15) to lead the individual family unit, the husband (1 Cor. 11:3). In such cases, the sheep have good care because the keepers have a personal interest in the well-being of the family unit.

When I was young I longed for the spring when the pastures turned green and the meadows brought forth their wildflowers. I don’t think there is a more beautiful or relaxing place in the world. At least that was what I thought at the time. In my later years, I have found, not a place, but a book that gives me the same secure feeling and the same beauty I experienced in those green pastures. That book is the bible, God’s Word. After I became a Christian, I found that the bible should be used daily to comfort and encourage the family.

God created both the man and woman in His image (Gen. 1:27) and when they sinned, God set into motion a plan to return them to His image. Without hesitation, God gave His Only Son to die on the cross for our sins. The death of Jesus on the cross gave us the opportunity to “keep silence” in the world (Psalms 4:4) and not sin. The bible teaches us to “be still” (Psalms 46:10) so we can hear His word and learn to live for Him. What family household doesn’t need that in their lives these days?

This valley of the shadow of death we call live is the one thing that no one should have to fear. We fear our first years of school, we fear our graduation from college or high school, we fear marriage. Yes, there are many things in this life the world has taught us to fear. But God, tells us in His word not to fear any of these things (Matthew 6:25-34) for He will be our provider. God has never said anything about making us rich, but he will never let us need for anything essential.

I believe that Psalms 23 has more to do with the family than the dead. If we used it in the correct context, I believe it should be used to inspire the perfect “wedding vows.” These vows would be read by the husband and wife simultaneously. If I were to use it for the vows, they would read something like this.

• God is the Shepherd of our household
• He will lead us when we go to work and when we are together at home
• We will have no need in our marriage, for God is our provider
• We will study God’s Word and allow God to comfort us in the green pastures of life
• We will still our hearts to allow God to guide us every step of the way
• He has restored our souls to His image through the death Of Jesus on the cross
• We will live the righteousness expected of someone in the Divine Nature of God
• We will abstain from sin for His name sake
• As we walk through this valley called life, we will fear no evil For God is with us
• His word and His church they comfort us
• You send me out before the lost of the world to spread your word
• You anoint us with the oil of your faith and our hearts overflow with Your love
•  With your help, our family will live in the goodness and mercy of Your love
•  And we will live in the church with our brothers and sister in Christ forever. AMEN

Who is guiding your marriage?

Weekly Devotional – August 7, 2021

The First Redeemer

Genesis 1:27

The name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering of the Hebrew ʾEl, from a word meaning to be strong; also of Eloah and its plural Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah, the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered as “Lord,” printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. The only argument to prove the existence of God is in the heart. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding (Psalms 14:1).

Man was made last of all the creatures: this was both an honour and a favour to him. Yet man was made the same day that the beasts were; his body was made of the same earth as theirs. While he is in the body, he inhabits the same earth with them. God forbid that by indulging the body, and the desires of it, we should make ourselves like the beasts that perish!

Man was to be a creature different from all that had been made. Flesh and spirit, heaven and earth, must be put together in him. God said, “Let us make man.” Man, when he was made, was to glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Into that great name we are baptized, for to that great name we owe our being. It is the soul of man that especially bears God’s image. Man was made upright, Eccl 7:29. His understanding saw Divine things clearly and truly; there were no errors or mistakes in his knowledge; his will consented at once, and in all things, to the will of God.

His affections were all regular, and he had no bad appetites or passions. His thoughts were easily brought and fixed to the best subjects. Therefore man was holy, man was happy, Man was one with God. But how was this image of God defaced by man?

Here we find the “woman,” rather the female (gunē) in Greek, shares with the male the image of God, reflects God’s power and majesty on earth and is commanded to multiply and bring dominion to the earth. From Genesis 1:26-28 there is no suggestion of inferiority of the female to the male, nor is there any suggestion of her submission to his dominance. Rather, they are pictured together, the male and the female, as the representation of their Maker. A woman is a person in every respect as a man; she shares in the image of God and has the potential of varied ranges of response to culture, community, and life about her.

Another thing both man and woman shared in was “the fall.” We find the details of the fall in Genesis 3:1-13. Although both of them made excuses and tried to get out of punishment, they were both guilty. The first sin was not the eating of the fruit, it was the willful disobedience of God. Truthfully, that was true then and is also true now. We put many labels on sin, as God did in the Ten Commandments. Truthfully sin is the same. God said, “You shall not kill.” If we kill, it is not the act of killing that is the sin. The sin is the willful disobedience of God.

When God found that the man and woman had sinned, He could have just killed them and started over. Instead, God chose to redeem them, but with restrictions. Because the woman was easily deceived, God mad the man head of the household (1 Cor. 11:3). God changed childbearing from a pleasure to a burden. But man didn’t get off scot-free either. The man was to forever till the soil by the sweat of his brow.

In every situation of sin, there is a price that must be paid. God loved His creation of man so much, He foreordained that at a set time in the future, God would come and live among man so He could die on the cross for the sins of those who would believe in Him and turn back to Him forever (John 3:16). This makes God the first “Redeemer.”

Weekly Word Definition – Civilized

1. cultured, educated, sophisticated, enlightened, humane All truly civilized countries must deplore torture.

2. polite, mannerly, tolerant, gracious, courteous, affable, well-behaved, well-mannered Our divorce was conducted in a very civilized manner. www.thefreedictionary.com

What makes a person civilized?

To my mind, civilized people ought to satisfy the following conditions:

(a)They respect the individual and are therefore always indulgent, gentle, polite, and compliant.

(b)They do not throw a tantrum over a hammer or a lost eraser.

(c)Their compassion extends beyond beggars and cats.

(d) They are hurt even by things the naked eye can’t see.

(e)They respect the property of others and therefore pay their debts.

What is the opposite of civilized?

The Opposite of Civilization is Human Nature.

Occasionally, regrettably, human nature finds a way to break through the behavioral, cultural, social, and even religious boundaries constructed around it.

Romans 6:11-14 (NKJV)

Likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but present ourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

2 Peter 1:2-4 (NKJV)

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

What makes up a civilization?

A civilization is a complex society with many elements present such are government, religion, art, architecture, educational and writing systems, different occupations, advanced agriculture, and large settlements. A civilized person follows all the laws of society.

What are the 6 basic characteristics of civilization?

1. cities
2. organized governments
3. art
4. religion
5. class divisions
6. and a writing system.

Also.

1. Stable food supply
2. government
3. highly developed culture
4. Jobs
5. Social Classes

Look at your heart. Are you civilized?

Weekly Devotional – July 24, 2021

The Word is Born

John 1:1-18

All four Gospels begin by placing Jesus within a historical setting, but the Gospel of John is unique in the way it opens. The Book of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus that connects Him to David and Abraham. Mark starts with the preaching of John the Baptist. Luke has a dedication of his work to Theophilus and follows that with a prediction of the birth of John the Baptist. But John begins with a theological insight.

It is almost as if John had said, “I want you to consider Jesus in His teaching and the good deeds He performed through His miracles. But you will not understand the good news of Jesus in its fullest sense unless you view Him from this point of view. Jesus is God manifest in the flesh of a man, and His words and deeds are those performed by the Holy Spirit who lived in Jesus” (Matthew 3:16-17).

The simple and earnest reason why the Son of God is called the Word seems to be, that as our words explain our minds to others, so was the Son of God sent to reveal his Father’s mind to the world.

What the Apostle John says of Christ proves that he is God. He asserts His existence in the beginning; His coexistence with the Father. The Word was with God. All things were spoken into existence by him, but not as an instrument. Without him, there was nothing made from the universe to the smallest mammal. This shows how well qualified he was for the work of our redemption and salvation. The light of reason, as well as the life of magnificence, is derived from him and depends on him. This eternal Word, this true Light shines, but the darkness, the world,  comprehends nothing. Let us pray without ceasing, that our eyes may be opened to behold this Light, that we may walk in it; and thus be made wise, from belief to salvation conceived by faith in Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist came to bear witness concerning Jesus. Nothing more fully shows the darkness of men’s minds, that when the Light appeared, there needed to be a witness to call attention to it. Christ was the true Light; that great Light which deserves to be called so.

 By his Spirit and grace he enlightens all that are enlightened to salvation; and those that are not enlightened by him, perish in darkness. Christ was in the world when he took the nature of man was upon him and He dwelt among us. The Son of the Highest was here in this lower world. He was in the world, but not of the world. He came to save a lost world because it was a world of his own making. Yet the world didn’t know Him.

When he comes as a Judge in the end times, for He is the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end (Rev. 1:8) the world will surely know him.

Many say that they are Christ’s own, yet they don’t receive him, because they won’t part with their sins, nor will they allow him to reign over them. All the children of God are born again. This new birth is because Jesus, the word of God, is the means (1Pe 1:23). and by the Holy Spirit of God as the Author.

By his Divine presence, Christ always was in the world. But now that the fulness of time had come, he was God in the flesh of a man.

Men disclose their weaknesses to those most familiar with them, but it was not so with Christ; those most intimate with him saw all of his glory

Though Jesus was in the form of man, He had the same Holy Spirit that is given to man through spiritual baptism. This same Holy Spirit will lead and guide the lives of all who allow Jesus to control their lives.

Do you have the Spirit of God in you? Are you part of the Divine Nature, thus a part of God? You should be!! Why Aren’t You?!

Weekly Devotional – July 10, 2021

Are You Called By God?

Jeremiah 1:1-10

Jeremiah’s early call is documented and proclaimed to the world. The fact that Jeremiah was ordained before he was formed in his mother’s womb has two separate and distinct messages for us. These messages are spoken loud and clear by God through Jeremiah.

The first message is about abortion. The people who are for abortion say that if the fetus is aborted before the third month, it has not been formed and that is not murder. This scripture is proof they are wrong. If Jeremiah had been aborted before the third month, before he had been formed in his mother’s womb, the world would have lost a great prophet.

God doesn’t give children to people just so they will have children. Each child is born with certain talents to pursue. Some may become school teachers, some may become congressman, etc. The fact is that God has already equipped these people to do a job for Him. God wants us to thrive as a nation and satan wants to stop God. That is not going to happen.

Satan is trying, through abortion, to manipulate our nation and the other nations of the world to conform to his agenda. If he can stop at least some of the great people God has already given a mission, he will be able to dictate the outcome of wars and set many nations against their neighbors.

As Christians, we should study God’s word and listen to Him. Pay no attention to the world. Stand fast against any scientist, congressman, or any other person that tries to push abortion. This is our duty as Christians (John 14:15).

The second message is to not let the world dictate the education of this country. There have been many great preachers and Apostles who could not read or write.

When Jesus chose the Apostles, he didn’t choose those who were well educated, he chose those who would be faithful and follow Him. Some of the Apostles could neither read nor write. Yet they were chosen to carry God’s Word to the world. These men learned to read and write from each other

One of these fisherman who only knew how to catch fish and count money, became the “rock” of the foundation of the church and delivered the first sermon after the day of Pentecost. This man who could not write his name, was equipped by God and led the movement of the church to his very death.

Today if some of the preachers who are turned out of the “mind mill” we call a college were told they would have to stop preaching or die, we would have a lot more bus drivers. God doesn’t call anyone to His service that He is not willing to equip for that particular service. Yes, we need the colleges, but they need to be regulated. No one who has not been called by God should be allowed to attend a seminary. After a person is called, they should study on their own for at least two years. In this time God will help them study and teach them the things He wants them to preach. Not every preacher or teacher has the same message. After God has given them the message He wants them to preach or teach, then let them go to college to learn the administration of the church.

These ten verses of scripture, if we heed them, could bring our nation to serve God. Study them and listen to God. Tell the world to be quiet.

Weekly Devotional – June 19, 2021

A Parable of the Vineyard!

Matthew 21:33-40 (NKJV)

“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

Of course we know the landowner was God. God had promised Abraham that his seed would be as the sands of the sea. The seed of Abraham would prosper under the protection of God and they would be God’s people.

Over the years the world (vinedresser) sold the descendants of Abraham into bondage, they needed them to build a pyramid for their king. Again God rescued His people and established their worship of Him. God placed a judge as their overseer, and established the order of the priesthood to carry out His work for the people. The people and the world again betrayed Him.

This time God sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross that we might have eternal life. Jesus established the church and removed God’s people from the law that was responsible for hurting His people. When God’s own people rejected Jesus, they lost their share in Heaven.

When the landowner comes to gather His people, those who have betrayed Him will have to stand trial. If found guilty, they will die (Romans 6:23).

The scripture above is a parable. A parable is a story that resembles real life. This story is the story of salvation and why it had to happen. When Jesus established the church, God again placed a line of preachers, teachers, and other clergy to oversee and educate the church. God also gave us His will for us, and we call it “The Bible. “Over the years these clergy allowed the world to creep into the church and corrupt it. These same clergy also allowed their hearts to harden. The bible that God gave us has been perverted over the years and used against God not for him.

This time God did things differently. The church is not a tangible asset. The church was placed in the hearts of the believer. This time each and every person can change the outcome of the church. By studying the word of God for ourselves and finding out His will for us, we can remove the church from the world and lead it out of bondage ourselves through faith in Jesus Christ.

The landowner’s son died in our place. The least we can do is allow Christ to take charge of our lives and lead us through the desert (life) and bring us to the Promised Land (Heaven).

After all, Jesus died in our place for that privilege. (Romans 8:11)

Weekly Word Definition – Bondage

The Definition for the week is Bondage: the state of being a slave

the tenure or service of a villain, serf, or slave

:  a state of being bound usually by compulsion (as of law or mastery): such as

• a:  captivity, serfdom
• b:  servitude or subjugation to a controlling person or force young people in bondage to drugs

            Merriam-Webster

Used in two senses in Scripture, a literal and a metaphorical sense.

1. In the former sense, it refers
   1. to the condition of the Hebrews (ăbhōdhāh) in Egypt (Exodus 1:14; 2:23) which is frequently called “the house of bondage,” Exodus 13:3, 14; 20:2; Deut. 5:6. It also refers to the condition of the Hebrews in Babylonia (Isaiah 14:3) and in Persia (Ezra 9:8), where a slightly different form of the same root (abhedhūth) is used in the original. In both these cases the bondage was not so much personal as national. As a rule, individuals were not subject to individuals, but the whole Hebrew people were subject to the Egyptian, Babylonian and the Persian states. They were forced to labor on public works, and otherwise, and were denied their own freedom when the exigencies of state seemed to demand it. The former word ʿăbhōdāh is also used in Neh. 5:18 as descriptive of the subject and depressed conditions of the Hebrews in Palestine during the earlier years after their return from captivity, when they were still living under Persian suzerainty.
   2. The word bondage ʿăbhādhīm is also used to describe the slavery into which the poor Jews were being forced by their more prosperous brethren in the earlier years under the Persians in Palestine (Neh. 5:5). Here true personal, though temporary, slavery is meant.
   3. Marriage is once referred to as a bondage (1 Cor. 7:15). It wasn’t the marriage that Paul was referring to, it was the obligations concerned with marriage.
2. It is used in the metaphorical sense only in New Testament.

 “Bondage,” is the power of physical corruption as against the freedom of life (Romans 8:21), the power of fear as over against the confidence of Christian faith (Romans 8:15; Hebrews 2:15), and especially is it the bondage of the letter, of the elements, of a ceremonial and institutional salvation which must be scrupulously and painfully observed, as contrasted with the freedom of the sons of God, emancipated by faith in Jesus Christ. This bondage is a peculiarly Pauline idea since he was fighting for Christian freedom (Galatians 2:4; Galatians 4:3, 9, 24-25; Galatians 5:1). In 2 Peter 2:19 the idea is essentially different. Libertinism, masquerading under the name of freedom, is branded as bondage, in contrast with the true freedom of righteous living. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

Bondage to sin is not necessary. Those who are true Christians have nothing to do with bondage to sin. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will guide us in a life free from sin if we will let Him. Don’t get caught up in bondage, it’s not worth it.

Love Never Fails

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

1 Corinthians 13:8 (NKJV)

During World War 2, we had some great Generals leading fighting men to keep our freedom in this country. General Eisenhower became President of this country soon after he retired. This country will never forget Generals Patton and MacArthur.

There were two men they tried to get rid of at the start of the war. One was an Air Force Pilot. They turned him down for the Navy because he was too tall. When he went to the Air Force, he was turned down for being underweight. After he gained the weight, they finally waived his height and allowed him to fly. You can see the rest of James Stewart’s story in a movie called “Strategic Air Command.” What he has done for his country was not contained in the service. Jimmy Stewart dedicated his life to entertaining America.

The second man they didn’t want was a man who was too short and too weak. He was constantly sick and had only a fifth-grade education. This man was constantly risking his life for his friends. By the end of the war this man had more and higher decorations than any other man during World War 2. He then went on to dedicate his life to entertaining America. His name was Audie Murphy. You can see his story in the movie, “To Hell and Back.”

There was another man over 2000 years ago who was ridiculed and rejected by His own people. He came preaching salvation and they laughed at Him; His own people turned against Him. This man gave the ultimate sacrifice so undeserving people like you and I could be saved.

Jesus Christ came to this earth to demonstrate a love stronger than that shown by any other man ever. That love is still demonstrated every day.

Jesus died on the cross of Calvary to demonstrate that love, He paid the ultimate price for OUR sins and demonstrated the ultimate love.

These two men continued to show their love for their country through their acting. But in the end that acting came to a stop when they were old.

Christ, however, not only carried His love for all Christians to the grave with him; he also brought that love from the grave when he was resurrected. God’s (Christ’s) love continues today and will continue beyond the end of time. God’s love can never fail.

Let God be Magnified

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified!”

Psalm 70:4 (NKJV)

One Friday night you were at a bar downtown and you saw one of the church’s deacons and another man sitting with two women that you knew were not their wives, As the night went on the two men got loud and vulgar in their speech.

As the night progressed, you saw the deacon laughing and talking to the young lady he was sitting with. At the end of the night, the deacon escorted the young lady out of the bar. As you followed them, you saw the young lady get into the deacon’s car and they drove away.

It’s 2 a.m. and it’s time to go home. Why was the deacon there and who was that other man? I guess all these answers can be found tomorrow because at this point it’s time to get some sleep.

The next day you just keep thinking over and over why was the deacon there? Were the deacon and his wife having problems and no one knew? What about the other man, he wasn’t a member of the church or you would’ve seen it? Why did the deacon choose to not say hello?

You have a lot of things to think about over the next few days. I guess the main thing was whether to trust your instinct or to trust your feelings of anger and betrayal? Should you tell the pastor what you saw, or should you confront the deacon himself? This Friday night out had proven to be something of a dilemma.

How could you let everyone know what you had seen without putting your own participation in the eyes of the public? Perhaps if you went to the pastor and gave him a hypothetical situation. Perhaps he could use the guise of saying he was asking for a friend. No that wouldn’t work. The pastor would want to know what you was doing at the bar.

That Sunday the pastor preached about deception. The pastor talked about how deception can eat a person from the inside and work on their nerves. What were you to do? If you didn’t do something soon, you felt like you were going to go crazy.

Finally, you decided. You were going to talk to the pastor about the whole incident. When you arrived, there he was, it was the deacon. Now, what were you to do? There had to be a resolution to this dilemma that would glorify God. It was just a matter of finding it.

It wasn’t long until the deacon and that other man left. The deacon didn’t see you and after they left, it was your turn.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

1 John 1:9-10 (NKJV)

When you saw the pastor, you suddenly decided it would be better if you confessed of your sin and received forgiveness than to rub someone else’s name in the mud. Perhaps the deacon was there to confess his sins also. You decide to get yourself back in good stead with God and receive God’s forgiveness and love.

 After all the stress and anxiety, you had gone through, you decided to tell no one what you had seen and just move on with your life. By doing so, one of God’s children would receive forgiveness and love and God would be magnified for His grace.

A couple of days later, you picked up his newspaper and there it was. There was a front page spread about the bust of a drug gang and the woman’s face was on the front page. You had not known the deacon was a police officer. God was magnified again.