He that saith, I know him and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him.
(1 John 2:4)
Article Excerpts
Understandably, there is confusion regarding just what blasphemy is and what punishment it carries. There are biblical passages that speak of the blasphemer being put to death, others speak of his forgiveness. There are also the scriptures that speak of the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost which constitutes the unpardonable sin. Its not only imperative to understand how to avoid committing the unforgivable, but also to understand exactly why there is forgiveness for blasphemy against Jesus, but not against the Holy Spirit. Misunderstanding of this truth, sadly, has been used to give credence to the false teaching that Jesus is not God since blasphemy against Him is pardonable. What Is The Blasphemy Of The Holy Ghost And The Unpardonable Sin?
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There's not a person living who hasn't done something foolish or acted irresponsibly. Does he deserve mercy or a second chance? Does he deserve to be rescued? Some say, yes, others, no. What does God say?
Read three very entertaining short stories based on real events that depict how God's intervention worked in the lives of three people who found themselves in desperate situations. Readers gain a scenic comprehension of biblical truths that may be applied to their lives or the lives of friends and family in the true stories of: The Silver Platter, Hope In God Springs Eternal & Some People Never Learn.
"Come quick if you wanna' see yo' daddy alive again!"
That statement sent twenty-two-year-old Shaunette Higgins moaning and spinning aimlessly around her living room. Suddenly, she stopped to stare, wide-eyed at Solomon Chandler, her father's cousin and bearer of the fateful news.
"What happened!" she asked, her face reflecting disbelief. "He was just here a few minutes ago." Her arm made a sweeping motion stopping at the very spot her father had stood before leaving her apartment.
"I know, I know. He was changin' a flat tire when somebody banged him in the head with a claw hammer. They rushed him to Alex Memorial. Solomon Chandler's voice fell. "He ain't expected to make it, Shaunette." Shaking himself, he then yelled, "Now, C'mon, we gotta' go!"
Shaunette hurriedly put shoes on her two small sons and followed Solomon to his car. During the short ride to the hospital, she silently prayed. Please God. Don't let him die. Give him another chance. Shaunette prayed because she wanted time to get to know this man she had been told was her daddy. She prayed because in the five months since she had met him, she found him to be a drunk and a liar. Still, there was so much she wanted to know that only he could answer. Where had he been while she was growing up? Was he sorry for having abandoned her? And the most important question of all; did he love her? Her thoughts then abruptly switched to the one man she had called "daddy" all of her life, Russell Stafford.
With the back of her hand, Olivia wiped the sweat from her brow wrinkled with frowns as she walked down Sonnet Lane. The sticky heat had taken its toll on her.
God I know I shouldn't have run away like this but...but I'm here now and I... Her thoughts were interrupted as she spotted the sign of the Silver Platter restaurant across the busy street in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Olivia stood there, her big brown eyes squinted from the glare of the merciless sun. It was July 15, 1962.
I should be able to get a drink of water in there. Her thoughts were interrupted a second time by the growl of her stomach, and the fret of little ten month old Isaac.
"Shh, its okay honey, mommy's going to get you something to eat." Her voice disguised the worry that was culminating into panic. But suddenly, her frown faded into a smile. She gently stroked Isaac's thin hair and gazed into his little round face that reflected his own discomfort. For a brief moment, fear was forced to concede to her adoration of him. Her escape from reality was short-lived and she returned her sight to the Silver Platter restaurant. Her long legs made strides towards the restaurant as though it were a house of refuge in the middle of a desert.
"Good afternoon, will it be a party of one?" Asked the hostess almost immediately upon her entrance to the empty eloquent dining room.
Olivia hesitated before answering. She would grant Isaac and herself a moment to relish the instant comfort of the air conditioning.
"Uh, one please," she responded awkwardly to the hostess who led her to a table next to a large tinted window.
"Your waitress will be with you shortly," the hostess said as she placed a large glass of ice water on the table, her face expressionless. Again, Olivia's dilemma faded in the gratifying relief of her voracious consumption of the ice water and the comfort it was to see Isaac's thirst quenched.
"Good afternoon, my name is Mary Beth. I'll be your waitress today. Would you like to begin your meal with appetizers? We have a variety to choose from." Mary Beth's smiling face was unable to conceal her curiosity about the unkempt teen and small child with her. I wonder what's the story here, she thought. Olivia nervously gazed into the waitress' face. Despite Mary Beth's friendliness, Olivia knew that she was not properly dressed for dining in a restaurant of the caliber of the Silver Platter. She imagined what the waitress must have been thinking of her appearance.
I...uh... I'm not ready to order yet," Olivia stuttered and lowered her eyes in shame as Mary Beth walked away. Oh God, you know I need you to help me, I'm sorry for running off, but I need you to help me." Olivia continued to pray as she fiddled with the menus while making her detailed supplication to God as though He were not the all-knowing. God, please help me out of this. I'm sorry for acting foolishly but I ain't got no money and... and no where to stay. I don't know nobody and I gotta' take care of Isaac. I...
Once again, her thoughts were broken by the appearance of a tall man through the main entrance. She knew he commanded respect as he authoritatively made his way to the back where he disappeared from sight. Olivia would have resumed her thoughts and prayers, but this time she would not get the opportunity. She noticed that the man who had broken her concentration with his entrance now stood gazing at her. But he was not alone. He remained near the back, Mary Beth at his side, in a section restricted to employees. Mary Beth leaned close to the man, speaking into his ear. And as her lips moved, her green eyes shifted to Olivia.
Not wanting it made obvious to the two strangers that she was aware of their unusual interest in her, Olivia kept watch of Mary Beth and the tall man from the corner of her eye. Penny, just arriving to work, soon joined the waitress and the man.
As Seth filed off the big, gray bus along with the others arriving in Waterloo, Iowa at the Mohawk Half-way House for Men, he thought, This is it. I'm not going back. Waterloo is going to be the place where I get my new start.
Seth was tall, six feet, three inches. He had celebrated his twenty-seventh birthday in prison a few months earlier.
Seth had been raised in Dubuque, Iowa. That's where all of his school chums and running buddies lived. His Burt Reynolds looks had brought him much attention from the ladies, young and old. It was also the place where he, along with some of his buddies had started his life of crime.
When he was a teenager, doing time in the detention center had been a breeze. After a few chores and group counseling, he and the other residents could hang out shooting pool and hoops. But the past four years spent couped up in a tiny cell for close to twenty hours a day, or watching his back when on the yard, had been a living nightmare. Well, no more! He was staying out of prison if he had to mop floors or flip burgers.
Six weeks wasn't very long for a stranger in town to find a job, especially a guy with a prison record. Three weeks passed with no job offers. Seth lit a cigarette and began pacing back and forth. "I'm gonna end up going back to the joint," he said aloud. Help me God to turn my life around, he prayed silently. How's a man supposed to change when no one will give him a chance?
The above stories are available in our subscribers only area, an area we have recently launched. Subscribers have access to Christian fiction that offers biblically accurate instruction on the hard questions of life through the entertaining works of talented authors.
Subscription is $3.00 for a month of unlimited access to the subscribers' area. Please note that at this time we've chosen not to have subscriptions automatically renew, so after expiration, subscribers will need to renew manually. Automatic renewals will be implemented only if the majority of our visitors and subscribers requests such an option.
We accept all major credit cards through paypal. Please note that you do not need a paypal account to use your credit card. You will received your username and password by email within 24 hrs of receipt of payment for subscription. Once a username and password has been received, simply access the subscriber's area from the homepage of Heavenly Manna.
Simply email us to request a FREE two-week subscription
