Ark of Faith Foundation Inc.

Serving those in need in greater Muskogee OK

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October Message: Transition – God’s Revelation

This is the 4th month of a year-long Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) discussion group at the Ark.  It is amazing to me!  God keeps encouraging us.  One example: the ActiveHeroes.org’s 22 Pushups Challenge going worldwide.

Statistics show that 22 veterans commit suicide each day. The challenge is for people to do 22 pushups a day for 22 days to honor struggling soldiers.  Recovery from PTSD first requires awareness.  Second, it requires love and trust to encourage the wounded to ask for help and support.  This reminds me of how Jesus left the 90 and 9 to find just one lost sheep.  One is worth it all!  I always knew this, but the PTSD group is bringing new awareness.  Our group is based purely on faith and availability, and our veterans voted to open the group to others suffering from PTSD.  They are still serving.  Do keep this mission in earnest prayer.

Our Deaf Signing classes have started again.  At the Coffeehouse on September 30, beginning signers and people who are deaf came together and learned by sharing and fellowship.

Enrollment is huge for this Anger Management Resolution and Domestic Violence Prevention Class .  My husband, Garry, reminded me to put Resolution back into Anger Management classes.  We don’t just want to manage anger; we want the skills to resolve anger.  We all know violence comes out of anger (which may be hidden or suppressed) until it erupts in rage and violence.  Proverbs 29:20 states, “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?  There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

Have you ever said, “I wish I hadn’t said that”?  Over and over scripture warns and tells us to wait before the Lord.  One way to resolve anger is to ASK the Holy Spirit to help, lead, and show each of us correct responses.  If we don’t ask, we won’t receive.  At 83, I am still learning to wait and ask for Holy Spirit help.  Romans 8:26 says, “In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

The Recovery Devotional Bible reminds us: “Fortunately, God is aware of the problem and offers His own Spirit to pray with us and for us.”  No matter our ages, we must continue to seek God’s will.  He knows the way through the wilderness and walks with us “through the valley of the shadow of death.”  (Psalms 23:4)  “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of sound mind, peace, joy, and love and self-control”. (II Timothy 1:7)

Satan tempts children, even adult children with fear of rejection, abuse, anger, lack, and abandonment.  Traumatic experiences triggered by Satan (often called “flashbacks”) may be activated by a harsh tone of voice, a certain scent or reminder of a past bad decision. Those hinder forward motion in today’s life journey.  Unrealistic self-expectations can weaken today’s self-respect.  The Holy Spirit’s gentleness and touch can show us that He protects us in our daily lives.  I am circling the words “show and tell” in my Bible.  As a teacher, Jesus used show and tell, as does Father God.

Toxic or incorrect thinking causes 87% of today’s illnesses according to scientific studies. As Jack Hawkins’ teaching on “Possessing the Mind of Christ” encourages: we must adapt and adjust our thinking and so manage responses to current events.  Yes, we do “have the mind of Christ.”  Please read: I Corinthians 2:14-16.

September Message: The Revelation of His Perfect Love Drives Out Fear

eternal-securityGod is not the author of fear.  The devil–the tormentor–is the author of fear.  Fear and security cannot co-exist.  We shall know the truth and the truth brings freedom.  God doesn’t want us to fear Him but to receive His perfect love, abounding grace and acceptance.

Fear can strike through a manipulating thought and evil imaginations. If fear is allowed to grip your heart, the pressure can become an obsession which causes debilitating anxiety.

We must renew our minds daily by spending “alone time” in God’s Word.  We need to keep our focus on the Word and not life’s problems.  We must choose to turn from dark thoughts and torments and allow the light of Jesus’ words to enter our situations.  God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit cannot lie; so choose to allow His light to break through Satan’s darkness.  Keep meditating on His word.  “The Lord IS my Helper; I will not fear.”  (Hebrews 13:6) or “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  (Hebrews 13:5)

Thoughts of defeat and despair or flashbacks must be replaced with thoughts from the mind of Jesus.  We do “love the mind of Christ…”  (I Corinthians 2:14-16)  “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right and pure and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  (Philippians 4:8, NLT)  Willpower alone will not blot out bad thoughts.  We must replace the wrong thoughts and beliefs with God’s truth.  We must replace destructive, hateful and even angry thoughts by speaking the Word and thinking on a pleasant, happy activity or fun time with family or friends.  We must pull away from too much hustle and bustle and simply meditate on God’s promises.

Memorize and quote His Word.  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”  (Isaiah 26:3)  Then ASK God and his Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus “to keep [me] in perfect peace and lead and guide [me]… not in [my] own strength but the strength of Christ alone.” 

God’s word is sure and unshakable.  Will you choose to receive and believe His grace and open your mind and heart to allow His words to restore and make you whole?  “The Law of Moses appoints men who are imperfect to be high priests; BUT God’s promise made with the vow, which came later than the Law, appoints the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”  (Hebrews 7:28)  “This difference then, also makes Jesus the guarantee of a better covenant.”  (Hebrews 7:22)  So, our Jesus now sits at the right side of our Father ever [always] interceding, “pleading with God” for us.  (Hebrews 7:25)  This far better hope—Jesus–allows us to “come near to God.”  (Hebrews 7:19)

Today, be made whole and continue on this journey realizing you have been chosen to serve Him…  You, by grace, ARE the righteousness of Christ…  He lives in each of us… the Holy Spirit, teaching, guiding and comforting us… as we daily renew our minds in the mind of Christ…  “because God had decided on an even better plan for us.  His plan [is] that only in company with us would we be made perfect.”  (Hebrews 11:40)

August Message: Be Holy

Scripture says, “Be holy because I am holy.”  (I Peter 1:16)  Holy (without fault) means perfect; and with Him, in Him and Him in us, we can be holy.  We must continually renew our minds to the Word.

Consider: I Corinthians 2:14-16: “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.  But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.  For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him?  But we have the mind of Christ.”

Yes, God wants each born-again believer to have that same discernment of Christ.  We are the temples of the Holy Spirit.  My desire is to have Christ functionally-formed and living through each of us here on earth.  Jesus, Himself tells us to go and do the things He did.  Consider this: “For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”  (II Corinthians 4:11)

Do you desire this?  I do.  My mentor in Prison Ministry is still teaching me to think not as a prosecutor whose quest is to condemn, but as the Savior whose heart is to redeem.  We must stop making excuses, taking the comfortable, convenient path of least resistance with little or no effort.  That response often leads to failure.

I Peter 1:19-25 reminds us, when we pray, we call Him “Father”:  “He judges all people by the same standard according to what each one has done… we are to spend the rest of our lives here on earth in reverence for Him… it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, like a lamb without defect or flaw… through Him we have believed in God, who raised Him from death and gave Him glory; and so our faith and hope are fixed on God… by our obedience to the truth we purify ourselves… and come to have a sincere love for other believers, and love one another earnestly with all our heart. For through the living eternal word of God… [we] have been born again as children of a parent who is immortal, not mortal… the word of the Lord remains forever.”

This is the Good News that He wants us to proclaim!  He wants us to “grow up and be saved…”  (I Peter 2:2)  Each believer is “chosen by God as valuable.  Come as living stones and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests… But you are a chosen race, the King’s priests, the holy nation, God’s own people chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God.  He called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  (I Peter 2:4-9)

One of the important steps is your submission to the words of Father God and the leading of the Holy Spirit to listen, meditate on His word and then, obey.  “For the sake of the Lord, submit yourselves to (every) human authority: to the Emperor, who is supreme authority, and to governors, who have been appointed by him [the Emperor] to punish evildoers and to praise those who do good… God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do!  Live as free people; do not, however, use your freedom to cover up any evil, but live as God’s slaves.  Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God and respect the Emperor.”  (I Peter 2:15-17)  Only with daily renewal of our mind, Christ’s mind in us, can we duplicate His works and obey His word.Today, be made whole and continue on this journey realizing you have been chosen to serve Him…  You, by grace, ARE the righteousness of Christ…  He lives in each of us… the Holy Spirit, teaching, guiding and comforting us… as we daily renew our minds in the mind of Christ…  “because God had decided on an even better plan for us.  His plan [is] that only in company with us would we be made perfect.”  (Hebrews 11:40)

Help Us Rebuild

building fund and progress updates

The government of Haiti estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged. There has been a history of national debt, prejudicial trade policies by other countries, and foreign intervention into national affairs that contributed to the pre-existing poverty and poor housing conditions that exacerbated the death toll.

Haiti, Haiti, the further I am from you, the less I breathe. Haiti, I love you, and I will love you always. Always.
Jean-Bertrand Aristide

The earthquake caused major damage in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other settlements in the region. Notable landmark buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail.

Among those killed were Archbishop of Port-au-Prince Joseph Serge Miot, and opposition leader Micha Gaillard. The headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti , located in the capital, collapsed, killing many, including the Mission’s Chief, Hédi Annabi.

Originally inhabited by the indigenous Taíno people, Spain first became aware of the island on 5 December 1492 during the first voyage of Christopher Columbus across the Atlantic. When Columbus initially landed in Haiti, he had thought he had found India or Asia. On Christmas day, Columbus’ flagship the Santa Maria, ran aground north of what is now Limonade. As a consequence, Columbus ordered his men to salvage what they could from the ship, and he created the first European settlement in the Americas, naming it La Navidad after the day the ship was destroyed.

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Education began in prehistory, as adults trained the young in the knowledge and skills deemed necessary in their society. In pre-literate societies this was achieved orally and through imitation. Story-telling passed knowledge, values, and skills from one generation to the next. As cultures began to extend their knowledge beyond skills that could be readily learned through imitation, formal education developed. Schools existed in Egypt at the time of the Middle Kingdom.

The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.

Carl Rogers

A right to education has been recognized by some governments, including at the global level: Article 13 of the United Nations’ 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes a universal right to education. In most regions education is compulsory up to a certain age.

Plato founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in Europe. The city of Alexandria in Egypt, established in 330 BCE, became the successor to Athens as the intellectual cradle of Ancient Greece. There, the great Library of Alexandria was built in the 3rd century BCE. European civilizations suffered a collapse of literacy and organization following the fall of Rome in AD 476.

In China, Confucius (551-479 BCE), of the State of Lu, was the country’s most influential ancient philosopher, whose educational outlook continues to influence the societies of China and neighbors like Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Confucius gathered disciples and searched in vain for a ruler who would adopt his ideals for good governance, but his Analects were written down by followers and have continued to influence education in East Asia into the modern era.

After the Fall of Rome, the Catholic Church became the sole preserver of literate scholarship in Western Europe. The church established cathedral schools in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education. Some of these establishments ultimately evolved into medieval universities and forebears of many of Europe’s modern universities. During the High Middle Ages, Chartres Cathedral operated the famous and influential Chartres Cathedral School.

The medieval universities of Western Christendom were well-integrated across all of Western Europe, encouraged freedom of inquiry, and produced a great variety of fine scholars and natural philosophers, including Thomas Aquinas of the University of Naples, Robert Grosseteste of the University of Oxford, an early expositor of a systematic method of scientific experimentation, and Saint Albert the Great, a pioneer of biological field research. Founded in 1088, the University of Bologne is considered the first, and the oldest continually operating university.

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text – programs and classes

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

Feminism in parts of the western world has gone through three waves. First-wave feminism was oriented around the station of middle- or upper-class white women and involved suffrage and political equality. Second-wave feminism attempted to further combat social and cultural inequalities.

The women’s movement became more popular in May 1968 when women began to read again, more widely, the book The Second Sex, written in 1949 by a defender of women’s rights, Simone de Beauvoir, (and translated into English for the first time in 1953; later translation 2009). De Beauvior’s writing explained why it was difficult for talented women to become successful. The obstacles de Beauvoir enumerates include women’s inability to make as much money as men do in the same profession, women’s domestic responsibilities, society’s lack of support towards talented women, and women’s fear that success will lead to an annoyed husband or prevent them from even finding a husband at all.

De Beauvoir also argues that woman lack ambition because of how they are raised. Girls are told to follow the duties of their mothers, whereas boys are told to exceed the accomplishments of their fathers. Along with other influences, Simone de Beauvoir’s work helped the feminist movement to erupt, causing the formation of Le Mouvement de Libération des Femmes (The Women’s Liberation Movement). This determined group of women wanted to turn these ideas into actions.

Contributors to The Women’s Liberation Movement include Simone de Beauvoir, Christiane Rochefort, Christine Delphy and Anne Tristan. Through actions the women were able to get few equal rights for example right to education, right to work, and right to vote. One of the most important issues that The Women’s Liberation movement faced was the banning of abortion and contraception. The women saw this banning as a violation of women’s rights and were determined to fight it. Thus, the women made a declaration known as Le Manifests de 343 which held signatures from 343 women admitting to having had an illegal abortion.