FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Why do we agonize over whether we ourselves will be able to forgive those who have sinned against us? Our forgiveness is a pale substitute of what is needed. Instead, what is necessary is just this: that we allow Christ's forgiveness of us--the forgiveness that flows through us and brings life to us--to flow outward from us to reach the others in our lives who, like us, are equally undeserving of his mercy. For "[i]t does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." (Rom. 9:16).

WHY DID JESUS SAY: " My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

Click here to see: Psalm 22:1: My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?

HOW CAN YOU TRUST GOD?!!

God Can Be Trusted

Hebrews 10:23
He who promised is faithful. The devil is trying to get you to doubt God and His Word. The devil wants you to give up on God, to not trust Him, to not  expect Him to do what He said in His Word.

Do not give up! God can be trusted. Someone who loves you enough to die in your place can be trusted. Someone who created all that you see, and all that you don't see, can be trusted to handle whatever you face.

TITUS 1:2 

In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,God is not a liar. Whatever He says comes to pass!

1 THESSALONIANS 5:24
The one who calls you is faithful and will do it. God is trustworthy. Don't be moved by the circumstances. God will not fail you.

SAY THIS:
God is worthy of my trust. I trust Him with my past, present and future.
 

THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM

The Council of Jerusalem (or Apostolic Conference) is a name applied by historians to an Early Christian council that was held in Jerusalem and dated to around the year 50. The council decided that Gentile converts to Christianity were not obligated to keep most of the Mosaic law, including the rules concerning circumcision of males, however, the Council did retain the prohibitions against eating blood, or eating meat containing blood, or meat of animals not properly slain, and against fornication and idolatry. Descriptions of the council are found in Acts of the Apostles chapter 15 (in two different forms, the Alexandrian and Western versions) and also possibly in Paul's letter to the Galatians chapter 2[1]. Some scholars dispute that Galatians 2 is about the Council of Jerusalem (notably because Galatians 2 describes a private meeting) while other scholars dispute the historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles. Paul was likely an eyewitness, a major person in attendance, whereas Luke, the writer of Luke-Acts, who was a later follower of Paul, may not have been in attendance, and thus may have written second-hand, about the meeting he described in Acts 15.

Council of Jerusalem generally dated to around year 50 AD, roughly 20 years after death of Jesus of Nazareth, dated between 26-36, (see Chronology of Jesus). It has not been established to have been the first council of the new community's leaders, but it is the first one of which records exists (in Galatians 2, in Acts 15, and in the writings of the Church Fathers). The account in Acts may not have been written by an eyewitness to the event, but Galatians (if it is about the Council of Jerusalem) was; and both accounts suggest that the reason the meeting was called was to debate whether or not male Gentiles who were converting to become followers of Jesus were required to become circumcised, presumably in accord with Genesis 17:14, a law from God which according to Genesis 17:13-19 God said would be eternal, and therefore always applicable, see also the Jewish background to the 1st century circumcision controversy and Biblical law in Christianity. However, Circumcision was considered repulsive during the period of Hellenization of the Eastern Mediterranean[2].
At the time, most followers of Jesus (which historians refer to as Jewish Christians) were Jewish by birth and even converts would have considered the early Christians as a part of Judaism. According to Alister McGrath, the Jewish Christians affirmed every aspect of then contemporary (Second Temple) Judaism with the addition of the belief that Jesus was the Messiah.[3] Unless males were circumcised, they could not be God's People. Genesis 17:14 said "No uncircumcised man will be one of my people." The meeting was called because, according to the NRSV translation of Acts 15:1-2, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." However, this command is given considerably before Moses' time, stemming from the time of Abraham (see also Abrahamic covenant), but it is cited as 'the custom of Moses' because Moses is the traditional giver of the Law as a whole. Jesus himself also says in John 7:22 that Moses gave the people circumcision. It was hard for Gentile Christians to keep up with all the laws listed in the Jewish Scriptures, which Christians came to call the "Old Testament", a term linked with Supersessionism (see the proposed more neutral modern term "Hebrew Bible" for details)[4].
The purpose of the meeting, according to Acts, was to resolve a disagreement in Antioch, which had wider implications than just circumcision, since circumcision is the "everlasting" sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:9-14). Some of the Pharisees who had become believers insisted that it was "needful to circumcise them, and to command [them] to keep the law of Moses", according to the popular KJV translation[5] while another translation[6] translates: "They have to be circumcised; we have to proclaim and keep the law of Moses".
The primary issue which was addressed related to the requirement of circumcision, as the author of Acts relates, but other matters arose as well, as the Apostolic Decree indicates. The dispute was between those, such as the followers of the "Pillars of the Church," led by James, who believed, following his interpretation of the Great Commission, that the church must observe the Torah, i.e. the rules of traditional Judaism,[1] and Paul of Tarsus, who believed there was no such necessity. (See also Supersessionism, New Covenant, Antinomianism, Hellenistic Judaism, Paul of Tarsus and Judaism)
At the Council, following advice said to have been offered by Simon Peter (Acts 15:7–11), James, the leader of the Jerusalem Church, gave his decision (later known as the "Apostolic Decree"):

"Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.[2] For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day" (Acts 15:19–21).

The Western version of Acts (see Acts of the Apostles: Manuscripts) adds the negative form of the Golden Rule ("and whatever things ye would not have done to yourselves, do not do to another").[3]
This determined questions wider than that of circumcision, most particularly dietary questions but also fornication and idolatry, and also the application of Biblical law to non-Jews. And this Apostolic Decree was considered binding on all the other local Christian congregations in other regions.[7] See also Biblical law directed at non-Jews, Seven Laws of Noah, Biblical law in Christianity, and the Ten Commandments in Christianity.

HERE'S MY LOVELY NEW WEBSITE!

Here's my lovely new website! Thanks to Todd and Glory to God.

  www.gennaruffin.com 

Official Site of Genna Sapia Ruffin

CURSES!!

Father God, in the Name of Your Son Lord Jesus I ask that You forgive me for speaking curses and idle words over my life. Your Word declares that death and life are in the power of the tongue and that we will be justified or condemned by the words that we speak. So I ask You now Lord, to take those ungodly words that I spoke and break the power of them from my life from the beginning by the power of Your Cross and Your blood. Lord Jesus, I ask that You reverse those curses from my heritage past, present and future and that by the Power of your blood You cleanse and uproot all evil affects of the negative words that I spoke. I ask now Lord that You take those negative words and cause them to fall to the ground and take no root or affect in my life past, present and future. I ask now that you bless me according to Your Word which declares that the allotment of the righteous will never go to the wicked and that the lines of the righteous are fallen on a goodly inheritance.

I ask You Lord Jesus now to put a guard over my mouth so that I will speak your word only, no matter what the situation may look like. Help me to guard my heart, for out of it comes the issues of life. My life is now hidden in You, Jesus, and it is in You that I now move, breathe and have my being.

I thank You now Lord, that You will quicken me by the Power of YOUR HOLY SPIRIT to speak life out of my heart for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks--so let my heart be full of You, overflowing in Your goodness and thankful in all things and situations knowing that all things will work out for my good because I am called of the Lord. I present my mouth, my voice and my thoughts to You LORD to transform me so that I may not only please You, but find life--because life comes out of my mouth and heart. In Jesus Name, Amen

THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU!

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.,He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; for thou art with me;thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

I WAS LOST BUT NOW I'M FOUND--MY SUNGLASSES

May 18, 2008

You know how it is: you misplace something. First you retrace your steps in your head. Then you call everywhere you may have been, then you go there because you don't believe them when they said they didn't find them. You tear your car apart several times, turn your home upside down and downside up--again, dump out your purse on your bed morning and night and search every pocket on every garment you ever had! Then you get serious!

I wear prescription glasses (blended trifocals, so I'm very attached to them)! I have the kind that have the magnetic sunglasses. They're not prescription, but they only fit the glasses you buy them with, so you don't want to either lose them or break the glasses! 'Cause then you have to do something you may not want to do. Like buy some more. I'd already lost and replaced the sunglasses a few months ago, so I decided that instead to believe that they would show up. All I had to do was to hold off a few days and believe. So, I broke out the old clip-ons--which in no way fit my glasses; besides which they scratch them--and clung with faith to the fact that the other ones would show up. They took two hands to put on and take off, and still one side was shorter than the other. They were a big hassle. But I was grateful to have them--old standbys that they were.

One morning about a week or so after I first "lost" the sunglasses--Monday May 12, in fact--I was going through my usual routine in the mornings, which includes listening to a verse of the Bible, while reading and marking up my Bible--y'all call it "meditating", I think. That morning, running short on time, I glanced at the clock and saw that it was the exact time that I had to leave if I intended to make it to work on time. I had already placed my easy-access, open shoes strategically between my reading room and the front door, with an easy detour to the bathroom in-between. I put them there and I glanced at them again as I decided to turn back in there from the bath and obey God. They were still there, just as I had placed them. I had done everything that I needed to do except read my verse. Normally I try to read it first thing, but this time I hadn't. So, I was like, "Oh well, I'm just going to have to be a few minutes late. Or God will somehow make up the time for me, like He's done so many times before". I read my verse. It turned out to be a short verse, and when I finished, I looked at the clock. Six minutes had gone by. "Not bad", I said aloud. I turned, walked through the door, looked down at my shoes and my sunglasses lay fairly winking up at me, having been placed diagonally across them.

I did a double-take, then glanced at the old clip-ons on a table by the door where I had placed them with my keys. They were still there!! I looked at my shoes again, and yep! They still had sunglasses on them. I stooped down, and as I picked the glasses up, I started talking to them like an old friend and thanking my Father! He is so good!

I couldn't wait to get to the car to call somebody! It turned out to be Kim from church who answered the phone and I think I yelled the story to her all the way to work! I could hear her grinning! Glory to God, Jesus is a Friend of mine!

And no, I was not late!

TIMES ARE TOUGH

Romans 8:37

...but despite all this, unfathomable victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us.

A SHORT PRAYER OF SALVATION

O God, be merciful to me a sinner. I've missed the mark with my life, and I repent. I turn my back on the past. I renounce the devil and all of his works. 

By faith, I receive Jesus Christ as my Savior. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Save me, heal me, deliver me, and set me free. From this hour I will serve God with all of my heart, soul, and mind. In Jesus' name. Amen.

BREAKTHROUGH 2 JOY

Around the New Year of 2008, I began to have the feeling that God wanted to and was going to change my name that year. The feeling remained and even grew stronger as the months went by. I had no idea what it would be, I just knew it would have meaning and be relative to the life I now have in Him. I had no idea how it would happen--looking back, I guess I kind of thought it would be something that would come to me as I read the Bible. I really didn't spend a lot of time trying to figure that out; I just knew it was going to happen. And, "Yes", I thought. "That does seem appropriate. What with all the healing and all. I was coming out of an old life and old identity to a new life and a new identity in Christ! I was suddenly looking very much forward to finding out who God would have me be--and His reason for the change!

So, at the end of our final Inner Healing class (called “Breakthrough to Joy”) at church (which this time Brother Stephen taught--on walking in the spirit. And on being), we always have the father's and the mother's blessings spoken. I found out that not only me, but a lot of us were probably not spoken blessings over as children--maybe even curses. So the leaders speak those blessings over a grateful bunch of healed and healing children in the form of adults to reverse those curses and to bring those blessings into fruition. Again, I was led to go to Brother Stephen. Some were reading from a page, but he did not. He spoke quite a long blessing over me and I wish I could remember it all verbatim. In fact, I wish I had a recording of it. But there was a point when it seemed to me (and I bet he'd know when that was) that he began to prophecy. He said that I was going into a time of rest and that I'd be able to bring that rest to others. He said that I was going to be like "a sponge for God" and that every time anyone squeezed me, I'd ooze the love and joy of God out all over them. And that God was going to keep refilling and refilling me. He said that I was going to change everyone I came in contact with; everyone I spoke with (this part felt like it was especially [but not only] referring to my job, where I speak to people on the phone all day and have been waiting on God to tell me how to be in the job and to stop worrying about getting out of the job). And then, "Your whole countenance is changed. In fact (as he took me by the shoulders like a Father might), I'm changing your name right now! He continued, fairly shouting, YOUR NAME IS JOY!"

I had my head down with my ear by his mouth so as to not miss one word, so I couldn't really jump--much as I wanted to, I had to force myself not to. I didn't want to bust him in the chin! But I started stomping and stomping my right foot, saying "I knew it, I knew it, I knew He was going to do this this year!" Then there was like an explosion and I've lost track of all that happened there. Then Steve was saying "Now we have to change your name tag!" I was asking "What about a last name? It can't be this" (pointing to the name tag). He said "What was your maiden name"? I pointed again to the hyphenated name; he kind of shrugged and said maybe it's just JOY". I was kind of in a daze, but remember going over to Jennifer, who had been a co-leader, and was excitedly telling her about it. When Steve went by, she said, "Have you met Joy"? "I was there when it happened!" he said. Irene went by and I was going to tell her, but she said she had heard the whole thing! So there were at least two witnesses! I wasn't trippin'! Wow.

I stumbled around the church quite a while and told everyone I saw! Again, the funny looks! I just didn't know what to do next. My old life was outside and I wasn't sure how to approach it as Joy! Finally I got in the car and drove. As I went down Fairground Street mumbling in my head about a last name, the Holy Spirit told me as if to pacify me "Ok, go online to one of the searchable Bible sites when you get home and search "Joy". You'll find something there (I think He said 'to use for now if you must')." I did just that and found a lot of things that wouldn't work, like "Joy in the morning", "Joy in the Lord" etc. Then I saw "joyful heart". That was it! Joy Fulheart. God is a good Father. But wait, it's not over. I believe He is going to change my last name again before the year is over. Fulheart wasn't what He wanted; He just did that for my sake. I didn't want to go without a last name. So in His time, He will reveal the last name He wanted me to have. I'm thinking it may even already belong to someone, and we will just share it! (Wink, wink.) So, I will wait. If no further name changes have been revealed, maybe I'll do the legal name change to Joy Fulheart at the end of the year. And let next year worry about next year!

Three really cool postscripts:

(1) He let me know in advance He was doing this. It was a prophecy fulfilled and was probably necessary to help me know that it's real. (John 14:29 "I've told you this beforehand, so that when it does happen, the confirmation will deepen your belief in me").

(2) The name of the wife after me was "Joy". So, I know that I know that it was not me who chose the name for myself! That would have never crossed my mind in my wildest dreams! LOL.

(3) And I didn't realize this part until I was emailing folks about this later that night—but it was a Breakthrough to JOY!! That's me!

BUY HERE: "DELIVERED FROM TEMPTATION". MY LIFE W/& W/O DAVID RUFFIN

http://www.amazon.com/Delivered-Temptation-Salvation-Genna-Sapia-Ruffin/dp/144906955X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

WOW, READ THIS EXCELLENT EMAIL I GOT TODAY!

"Hopefully you all got a chance to watch the Unsung - David Ruffin episode last night.

I wanted to make certain to watch it and I was quite pleased with it because of the huge presence of our friend Genna Sapia Ruffin and her son, David Ruffin Jr, during the broadcast. 

As I watched, I couldn't help but smile just a little, stick my chest out just a little, as the following thoughts crossed my mind...

1. When I first met Genna, back in the late 1990's, she had just put the finishing touches on her book ("A Memoir: David Ruffin--My Temptation") and she wanted me to review it. I figured that since I had seen the Temptations TV movie, I pretty much already knew

everything that I needed to know about David Ruffin. After not only reading the book, but also several marathon telephone conversations with Genna, I found out just how little I knew about David Ruffin. More

importantly, she was very excited about the fact that she was going to market the book online pretty much exclusively. She told me that she had already been severely attacked by many people (some famous and some not so famous) here online, trying to discredit her. I saw some of these disgusting emails and I applauded Genna's courage in continuing to move forward with her plan, despite the ferocity of opposition that she faced  from people that didn't know her or her family. Seeing her on TV last night, pretty much as the "expert" on the topic of David Ruffin,must have felt like vindication for Genna, after all of these years of people trying to  discredit her.

2. A few years later, I had asked Genna to do a presentation at the 2004 Soul-Patrol convention about her book. She agreed to do so and when that day came, in front of a crowd of about 500 people inside of the

auditorium of the Kennedy Center in Willingboro, NJ, I was pleased to introduce Genna Sapia Ruffin to the crowd. When I was done with the intro, I was surprised when Genna grabbed my arm and whispered to me;

"You have to stay here with me, I'm too nervous to stand here and do this all by myself." So that is what I did :) Watching Genna last night on TV, telling her story to millions of people, just as cool as a cucumber, with all of the confidence of a network news anchor, was for me a wonderful thing to behold. =)

3. Later that same evening, I surprised Genna by calling her up on stage and presenting her with the "Black American Standard Music: Internet Pioneer Award." She came up onstage, she was in tears, she hugged me and

whispered; "I'm no pioneer--hell if anything, I should be giving you this award." I laughed and told her; "It isn't my place to get awards, only to give them, just listen to me while I explain to the audience why you deserve to be recognized as an internet Pioneer of Black American

Standard Music." I told the crowd how Genna Sapia Ruffin was the FIRST person that I knew of who had a REAL STORY TO TELL US ABOUT BLACK MUSIC

HISTORY THAT WAS BEING SUPPRESSED and actually did something about it. She had discovered that she could use the power of the internet to LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD, not only for herself, but for anyone else who wanted to do so. She deserves this "Black American Standard Music: Internet Pioneer Award" because she was the FIRST person that I knew who did exactly that.

Watching her on TV last night just plain made me feel good. Made me feel like...well, like sometimes justice actually happens.

And of course I am quite proud of her. I'm still smiling, my chest is still stuck out and I feel absolutely inspired....

Bob Davis

earthjuice@prodigy.net

bobdavis@radioio.com

609-351-0154"

"BABY COME HOME" (26th in a series of my poetry and prose)

"Baby Come Home"

Sun is shining, a new day has started.

But no day is bright, when you feel broken-hearted.

Sun is shining, plenty of light,

But my days are all dark, as if it were night.

Now that you’ve left me, crying and blue,

Nothing but grey skies have come into my view.

Everything should be cheerful and gay,

But I can’t be happy when you’re so far away.

Losing my hope and faith in myself,

Putting my heart back up on a shelf,

Can’t seem to shake it, this feeling of doubt.

How can I go on when my love light’s gone out?

I pray every morning you’ll come home today.

Don’t you know that I need you in my life to stay?

Everything I am and do is a reflection from before...

A shadow dangles over me

‘til you’re in my arms once more.

"SAME OLD SONG" (25th is my series of poems)

"Same Old Song"

Tomorrow is today in the darkness of the night.

Yesterday’s the day before,

But something’s just not right.

We’ve spent the whole night crying;

It can’t go on like this.

Where did we get off the track

When we started with a kiss?

One word led to another,

Then you turned on the light.

We spent the whole night sighing...

We didn’t mean to fight.

Come on now, let’s close our eyes,

We’ll work it out tomorrow.

Come on now, our love will keep.

And the dawn will fade our sorrow.

Dry those tears, no need to weep.

We’re on the straight and narrow.

There’s no problem we can’t solve...

We’re shot with Cupid’s arrow!

Let’s make love and hold on close...

Let’s just kiss and say goodnight.

Our special love is stronger than most.

I’ll see you in the morning light...goodnight.

"LETTER HOME" (24th in my series of poems)

"Letter Home"

Everything here remains the same.

Except, the sun eternally shines.

Palm trees still sway in the breeze,

Reigning forever over lights and seas.

The planets are magnificent

From the highest hilltops.

And the stars sparkle plenty

From the warm tile rooftops.

Jupiter and Saturn aligned last week...

And the full moon had a lunar shadow.

Two weeks ago, eclipse of the sun...

I think it was July sixteenth or so.

The ocean is endless and undulating...

Blue then white, blue then white.

Best beach time is when it’s forsaken...

Almost always late at the night.

The mountains pop up amid beaches and valleys.

Too far to walk, you hike or drive it.

There’s a cozy place by a tall pine tree...

Made for a quilt and grapes and tapes and we.

That’s how it is here still...

Of course, I dearly miss you

But I don’t often get lonely or bored, 

I'm surrounded by the art of Our Lord!

"BECAUSE OF YOU" (23rd in a series of my poems)

"Because of You"

It’s a new day and a new way

Now that You’re in my life.

Paranoia is gone...insecurity too

And it’s all because of You.

You showed me how to have faith...

In You, in God, and in myself.

You touched my hand and taught me pride...

You made me feel it deep inside.

After all, You’re right, you know…

I really do deserve the best.

The best is You, and in the end.

You're my Savior, my Healer, my Friend.

"STRAWBERRY SEEDS FOREVER" (22nd in a series of my poems)

"Strawberry Seeds Forever"

I don’t know how to write it out...

We all know John Lennon’s dead.

A man I don’t know what to say about.

No cutesy names for death...he’s just gone.

I try to understand...must be a secret

That I just can’t begin to know

Except that maybe if we all just

Put our heads together it’ll show.

Seems to me that’s the point.

We must unify to survive.

And if it takes this much to wake us up,

Then we’re dead. Or half-alive.

Races and countries may be out of reach;

Okay, not the whole world...it’s too vast.

But someone has to start it.

You’d be surprised how it would last.

It only takes the one reading this ode

To smile at the next face you see.

Do it in the name of Lennon...

Then his death meant something to me.

"JESUS LOVES ME" (21st in a series of my poems")

"Jesus Loves Me"

There’s a rhyme I want to write

To set the people free...

There only is one answer

To the problems that we see.

There’s a verse I want to say

To make people understand...

That’s love’s the only answer

And the answer’s in our hand.

Come on, sisters!

Come on, brothers!

Let’s raise our voices high.

First love one another

For the mansions in the sky.

Time is passing quickly,

You’ve got to make your peace somehow.

Try to let it flow

Before you take that final bow.