tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31350119545872768432024-03-05T18:56:31.928-06:00My JourneyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-57080740336009967772014-04-14T16:23:00.001-05:002014-04-14T16:24:44.609-05:00Team Aspie<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My son was recently diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. I always knew my son was a unique,
eccentric, and quirky little guy.
Apparently, having those traits can get you a disorder classification. (See how flippant that previous sentence
was? That’s a symptom…more on that
later. ) Well to everyone’s surprise
except mine, he is just like his dad. I
too have Asperger’s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism named after the
Austrian doctor Hans Asperger, who defined the disorder in 1944. Asperger’s symptoms vary but the common ones
are as follows: <b>lack of social skills, difficulty communicating, eccentric behaviors,
and limited but obsessed interests</b>.
Of course, only those without Asperger’s see these symptoms. For us, this is normal behavior and you’re
the one who is <b>codependent, touchy,
boring, and scattered.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a child (who am I kidding, even as an adult), I preferred
to be alone. Of course there were
seasons where I played with other kids, but aspies prefer solo missions. We find that groups slow us down, or even
more tragic, speed us up. Very few
things in life irritate us more than being rushed. There is absolutely no excuse for an aspie to
move quickly. Even if a neurotypical
(that’s you), finds us idle in a burning building, we’re not idle. We could be thinking about how to fight the
fire, as running may be third on our list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nothing has managed my Asperger’s more than my relationship
with Christ. God’s truth is timeless. It is powerful enough to overcome generations,
cultures, personalities, and disorders. One of the reasons it is difficult for an
aspie to communicate is that aspies have a hard time showing empathy. They also have difficulty initiating and
maintaining conversations. This isn't
because aspies are more self-centered or less considerate. It is because aspies toggle between being socially
nearsighted or farsighted. They don’t
have a good blend. This is not an
excuse, but an explanation. People with
AS have a hard time noticing anything outside of what they are already focused
on. It's as if our minds have a tilt shift lens. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10oulKYiDO1NOk7LIMI9PcHBL7U2tpfhMCTysVfbSk29Cf9TLeAHQAO91OWQt5ocCRjeKXwFnp6iFY1u4J-T04u87WUEqwKsK0jOkVYDlJZu2T38X_t94gRMTHKGXXvCyaBcU2H5fNbyb/s1600/tiltshift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10oulKYiDO1NOk7LIMI9PcHBL7U2tpfhMCTysVfbSk29Cf9TLeAHQAO91OWQt5ocCRjeKXwFnp6iFY1u4J-T04u87WUEqwKsK0jOkVYDlJZu2T38X_t94gRMTHKGXXvCyaBcU2H5fNbyb/s1600/tiltshift.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If our focus is on something far
away, we will trip over a couch as we make our way to that object. If our focus is on something close, we are
blind to the person awkwardly waiting for us to acknowledge them. How do I meet this challenge? I play offense.</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I don’t intentionally decide to prefer others, prior to
walking into a crowd or meeting, I will easily get distracted, as I auto-switch
between focuses. I have to make a
decision to honor and focus on others. If
I do, I will likely be the life of the party.
Conversely, if I am in my solitary default state, throwing me into a
social situation will bring about one of two outcomes: I will put everyone in queue as I continue my
current action, or feelings of obligation will cause me to pause what I am
doing and I will rush through social pleasantries. Both of which leads to me to be, awkward at best,
or offensive at worst.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aspies may struggle with nonverbal communication such as eye
contact, facial expressions, and gestures, but what we lack in body language,
we over compensate with our unfiltered words, straight from the tap. For example, a person with AS may engage in a
one-sided speech about a topic that only he is familiar with. Even worse, your signals that you have no
idea what they are talking about go unnoticed as they transition into verbose
mode. People with AS tend to be loud and
partisan in their speech. My wife has
expressed concern and frustration over the years for having to field questions for
me. Our friends would rather ask her a
question than ask me. And if it was
something only I could answer, they would ask her to ask me. Just as my etiquette needs to be intentional,
so does my silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they
hold their tongues. Proverbs 17:28<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWN1-FU5XQOCiWK8t_E-Kx3HLRSJrL27_OMEZ635mC4qcK6wi6yOSQH1Xd_O9jtMlX8B657hboJCdSZOzBCVNaP22-c8F7KJ4XAWWPg_9UqFF30onCV23Ck7Iq9ZvlBpi8OGkox_Weg1AS/s1600/RightToRemainSilent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWN1-FU5XQOCiWK8t_E-Kx3HLRSJrL27_OMEZ635mC4qcK6wi6yOSQH1Xd_O9jtMlX8B657hboJCdSZOzBCVNaP22-c8F7KJ4XAWWPg_9UqFF30onCV23Ck7Iq9ZvlBpi8OGkox_Weg1AS/s1600/RightToRemainSilent.jpg" height="114" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But even that can backfire.
Guess how many times I have been accused of being unkind because I was
silent? Aspies don’t bounce ideas, and
we don’t play verbal tennis. We prefer verbal dodge ball. My constitution gives me the right to remain silent. My Bible gives me the responsibility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works
are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalms 139:14<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before you get the idea that having Asperger’s is a joke and
a curse, let’s discuss the positives. My
God made me this way for a reason. Did
you know my syndrome won’t let me quit what I’m focused on? It is true that at times, I will almost crash
my car looking for a McDonald’s fry that fell under the seat. It is also true that my family will wait 15
minutes in the car while I hunt down a fly I spotted while grabbing my
keys. Aspies are committed people. When I read the Bible, I find what God wants
me to focus on. And if I find it, it
will be my mission till completion. Once
an aspie is on mission, he cannot be distracted. Once we believe in something, we will fight
to the death for it. But that belief
doesn't come easy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move
you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know
that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9B9nTLtiSTFva2brdBrDVCaRfvuAzd-j16ImDuDot4PrNxxfmSt7_lfx5OkUcu2HEPLgi7eu26gf03eL4q7L4ty2MKaDDhZ6buUAPuUYQRICgzOU_kstrSYshyhSQ0szjRCOXMP_ONxG/s1600/dontyouthink.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9B9nTLtiSTFva2brdBrDVCaRfvuAzd-j16ImDuDot4PrNxxfmSt7_lfx5OkUcu2HEPLgi7eu26gf03eL4q7L4ty2MKaDDhZ6buUAPuUYQRICgzOU_kstrSYshyhSQ0szjRCOXMP_ONxG/s1600/dontyouthink.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In general, aspies are born skeptics. We don’t just believe anything. That is why we have a hard time with
religion, tradition, and authority. However,
once I had an experience with God, everything changed. An aspie is not impressed with history and
testimony. Aspies have to experience it
for themselves. This is why aspies are
rough to speak with. They don’t have
opinions, they have conclusions. If I am
not convinced about a subject, it’s not a subject I am interested in
discussing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have
seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed." John 20:29<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I may be a doubting Thomas, but now that I’ve
experienced the Lord, nothing will ever change my mind. My son also has a heart for God. Jesus is in both of our lives. And I know that will always be the case, because
aspie hearts are impregnable fortresses.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-29873380441611311502013-01-08T15:29:00.001-06:002013-01-08T15:30:14.394-06:00Citizen, Government, 2nd Amendment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXavNaF9qV1jKdA2xkoRfJk4lbj1zFpMBFwgC-wKSI0Q3uRp6xHWgifq8L1boGBWa87d-sWRF-wc_KScMpAn9DdREsYeOAuWvuPiADIWSzb18Q_DddG6EFxKBZ2zb_AhnCCY4JAx3FdqlQ/s1600/2nd+Amendment+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXavNaF9qV1jKdA2xkoRfJk4lbj1zFpMBFwgC-wKSI0Q3uRp6xHWgifq8L1boGBWa87d-sWRF-wc_KScMpAn9DdREsYeOAuWvuPiADIWSzb18Q_DddG6EFxKBZ2zb_AhnCCY4JAx3FdqlQ/s400/2nd+Amendment+-+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-56537451459851276212011-06-29T14:40:00.005-05:002013-10-08T12:38:09.083-05:00Who's You're Daddy?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn8lrBJGbXJ4W_NdOUTNeKDvVLazii-Ucrr8OzTz-uq1yIDKS6SLq6bLVzWs8bq3kAMtvZgmcpRCtSwsYlln8ehPf4I4XfHnrRdIl38W6BTP1k3oXyugYjFllz840H6Seg2HJLif8CzJP/s1600/interrogation-police.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjn8lrBJGbXJ4W_NdOUTNeKDvVLazii-Ucrr8OzTz-uq1yIDKS6SLq6bLVzWs8bq3kAMtvZgmcpRCtSwsYlln8ehPf4I4XfHnrRdIl38W6BTP1k3oXyugYjFllz840H6Seg2HJLif8CzJP/s200/interrogation-police.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Have you ever just wanted to handcuff God, drag him to the nearest precinct, sit Him down, and ask Him a few questions? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why is this happening to me? Where are you?</i> I have no problem with Him being omniscient. I am relieved He is omnipresent. But what is going on with His omnipotence? You wouldn’t expect a police officer to idly watch as a bank is being robbed. You wouldn’t expect a doctor to continue eating his lunch as a patron goes into cardiac arrest. So why does it seem like God can be a lazy, late, and lost Superman whenever I need Him the most?</div>
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I spent last week teaching my son how to ride his bike. At first, he didn’t want anything to do with it. He preferred the training wheels because it was too much work to balance himself. After his first fall, my initial reaction was to pick him up and put him back on his seat. But I knew that would only prolong the training. I decided the best thing to do was give him instructions. Michael is strong enough to pick himself up, so I knew helping him physically wasn’t necessary. What IS necessary is to help him spiritually. I can think of no better spiritual exercise, than the exercise of obedience.</div>
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Michael already has a tendency to whine and demand relief. And as my only son, I already have a tendency to use my power to give it. But is that really the best thing? In America, we’ve adopted a Chinese proverb for the importance of reproducing our values. (If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime.) I commanded Michael to get up, stop whining, and get back on the bike. On his third attempt, I let go of his shoulders, and he’s never looked back. It took discipline for me to idly stand with arms folded and tell him what to do. If felt uncomfortable because my desire was to give him temporary relief from his pain and let him continue with the training wheels. But I also knew about the future joy and freedom that he would experience once he did it. This was something Michael had to trust me with. But I had to MAKE him trust me.</div>
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<b><i>But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. – James 1:22</i></b></div>
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margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s1600/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7WMThU_64PPp09qn9gR6EGr0De_HvW404AzMS7PGwzad69v6eKTizEUABk7OYPWwRSviZNUzdr0Hh6abeNBDzmaPUBYyu3Az3v5iegFMmmUYJKFHNA8Rj8pp8nWwRc0s3LXrMt3UjyNX/s200/following-instructions-for-dummies.jpg" width="159" /></a></div>
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I have met many Christians who are quite familiar with the scriptures. But knowing God’s word in theory is powerless. The power of God’s word is in the application. I know a guy who has no job and has recently filed for bankruptcy. He claims he is trusting God, but in reality he’s not. God has already provided us with a book to align ourselves with His will and purpose. My friend isn’t trusting in God to come through. He is trusting in his fairy God-Mother to appear, cut up his credit cards, turn off the television, iron his clothes, re-work his resume, AND drive him around in a limousine while filling out applications. Did I mention he is unemployed by choice? Well he is. This is just one example of how we can completely ignore the fact that God is NOT interested in our temporary comfort. He is interested in conforming us into His image. The quicker we get back on the bike, the quicker we can learn the lesson. I have assembled many entertainment centers, play sets, and office furniture WITHOUT following the directions. In doing so, I’ve wasted hours of my life having to go back and start over. Sadly, I’ve done the same thing with my life, and wasted YEARS.</div>
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<b><i>But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. – 1 Samuel 30:6</i></b></div>
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It may seem like God is silent, absent, or apathetic. But that is a feeling that we need to douse with the water of God’s word. He said He would never leave us or forsake us. The very hairs of our head are numbered. Nothing happens without his knowledge. We may not understand it. We may not like it. It may hurt. But it all boils down to who knows best. If He knows best, there is no reason for God to explain Himself. God had to endure 37 chapters of Job and the peanut gallery struggling to explain what was going on? When Michael fell off his bike and began to whine, I had to silence him with a raised voice. I love the fact that God did the same thing with Job. God answered THROUGH A TORNADO and said, </div>
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<b><i>Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” – Job 38:</i></b></div>
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If God seems silent in your situation, open your Bible and speak to the situation.</div>
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<b><i>The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap one or the other. – Proverbs 18:21</i></b></div>
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If God seems still in your situation, put on your work gloves and do something about it.</div>
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<b><i>Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. – Ecclesiastes 9:10</i></b></div>
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If God seems stoic about your situation, get on your knees and trade your fear for His faith.</div>
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<b><i>Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. – Matthew 8:26</i></b></div>
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Now that I think about it, I can’t recall a time when Michael came to me with a legitimate emergency. Embarrassingly, I can recall dozens of emergencies that I’ve waved in God’s face. I’m encouraged to know that God raised his voice and set the record straight with Job. Who’s knows you better than you know yourself? Who answers to who? Get back on the bike and do exactly as He says. Those who want the temporary bowl of RELIEF to satisfy their hunger will delay REVELATION and the banquet table of God's purpose in their life.</div>
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<i><b>"When you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” </b></i></div>
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<b><i>Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” – John 21:18-19</i></b></div>
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I'm growing older in my relationship with God, and I can tell by the lessons. I'm sure Michael can tell as well.<b><i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-66652950582586587572011-01-19T15:28:00.010-06:002011-01-19T15:54:21.171-06:00Itinerary<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18ES_Mf5MxMDroBV8rUev5XxQgCLAdypC_g7MKOdCX9P2u_glDGOz2OPhybATWy5bK9jYBYv1TCehaaLwO7NY3sWQ3KFr-WUJQtWovzsyPZ8yQEpzoduUVhm7eRkgY9UqOgIMjtZHpA28/s1600/itinerary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; height: 144px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 191px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18ES_Mf5MxMDroBV8rUev5XxQgCLAdypC_g7MKOdCX9P2u_glDGOz2OPhybATWy5bK9jYBYv1TCehaaLwO7NY3sWQ3KFr-WUJQtWovzsyPZ8yQEpzoduUVhm7eRkgY9UqOgIMjtZHpA28/s200/itinerary.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;">What makes the Christian life exciting also makes it terrifying - there is no itinerary. Sure, you can create your own. However, I suggest you write it in pencil and leave plenty of room in the margins – cause’ there will be changes. Having a goal, a plan, or an outline is like my wife having a perm; it may look and feel better, but it’s only temporary. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<blockquote><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalms 119:105</span></b></i></div></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Oh how I wish it said, He is a system of street lights so I won’t fear what’s lurking in the bushes. I’d even settle for Him being high beams so I can see a bit further and wider. Like mapping programs, why can’t God offer a zoom out button? It can be quite frustrating when I don’t know what’s going to happen next. It’s my life and I should be able to make decisions that have my best interests at hand. Had I known my plan would draw enemy fire, I would have drawn a fallback plan. If God would clue me in, I could help Him strategize, or at least discuss a compromise.</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">BINGO!</span></b><br />
<blockquote><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;">And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” Luke 8:22-25</span></b></i></div></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">(Why didn’t you tell me there was going to be a storm that would scare me to death? I would have still sailed…honestly.)</span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mKqxoo2V0djztEfRkHGtmW8ZxSjMr-V9cEATXS12jZJQtKoF_vsCub7VErsaLYmcwO8ZIz9xPEuFtassnl1u3HGqBFK8JGTEIC4yl2_9GOkttVEEP2RA18R3f-dyh9dmR3PvOjOcR2DM/s200/baracus.jpg" width="161" /></span><span style="font-size: large;">God knows that men and rivers follow the path of least resistance. He is a candle at our feet, so we won’t stub our toe; and a torch on the path so we can stay ON it. He never promised to be a spotlight so we would know when to jump off. Here’s a principle; if Jesus doesn’t tell you what is ahead, it’s probably because you would avoid it. Remember, the only way Murdock got B. A. Baracus in the air was to wake him after the flight. If the plan called for air travel, best you leave that part out. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div></div></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<blockquote><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. John 16:12</span></i></b></div></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">G</span><span style="font-size: large;">od’s direction get’s us moving; but His direction, is not always His destiny. God will give us just enough information to get us to the next pit stop. What’s great about having a map is that I can SEE my route. What’s bad about having a map is that I can see OTHER routes. It is the alternate routes that God wants us to stay away from. He knows that at first sign of traffic, I’m already looking for a side street to cut through. Here’s another principle; most of our short cuts go back around the same mountain. God in His infinite wisdom has ordered our lessons perfectly. There is no skipping and coming back to it later.</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If God told you that you would lose your job, would you have still given that much to charity? If God told you they would never come back, would you have let them go? If God told you she would leave, would you have still loved her? If God told you he would die young, would you have allowed yourself to fall in love? Here’s a thought; Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, but that didn’t change the picks. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSUVtjhMURzCNVbd6u3mv425oZKUZU7jzbxYZoDo4WWjCR-YiiSlH0ykWpVc9-Gx6vVBOQU7p-8WIAoiOUp3SihSWKfqTPBIytFQJvfSPa5lv9RzN9dKaZFw8AJla-hbiCmEy2-5vEj45/s1600/lamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSUVtjhMURzCNVbd6u3mv425oZKUZU7jzbxYZoDo4WWjCR-YiiSlH0ykWpVc9-Gx6vVBOQU7p-8WIAoiOUp3SihSWKfqTPBIytFQJvfSPa5lv9RzN9dKaZFw8AJla-hbiCmEy2-5vEj45/s200/lamp.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">The Bible says that “our ways are not His ways” and “our thoughts are not His thoughts.” As a follower of Christ, I need not worry about the future. He reserved my destination and my future is secure. It is the journey that makes this life worth living - a journey that is lit at my feet. Because getting me there is His job description; trusting Him is mine.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-34177426384620701652010-07-27T11:40:00.169-05:002010-07-27T17:59:04.249-05:00False Advertising<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpxztnV20Y3Vjv5VQ-GPIE6kaOgnnmjZt-NvU359NblNZRCkqGvvRyIKjUxcdkUndyrtCRkMojzKnhohiF5phgdBSqH0nC9NA8oZ22ky7cMHsb-1oAyngJDH3inO7PsmCwqSeMIm9PoYz/s1600/10items.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpxztnV20Y3Vjv5VQ-GPIE6kaOgnnmjZt-NvU359NblNZRCkqGvvRyIKjUxcdkUndyrtCRkMojzKnhohiF5phgdBSqH0nC9NA8oZ22ky7cMHsb-1oAyngJDH3inO7PsmCwqSeMIm9PoYz/s200/10items.jpg" width="200" /></a>Growing up, I never swore or cursed. Raised Catholic, I was all too familiar with the Ten Commandments. To me, breaking the third commandment was just as bad as breaking the sixth. Let's assume I was lucky enough to be behind you at the Wal-Mart 10 items or less lane. For me to mumble "Jesus Christ"; while you paid for your 23 groceries items with food stamps, paid for your beer with a check, and talked on your IPhone, would be no worse than beating you to death with the register. <br />
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<blockquote><b><i>You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold </i><i>him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:7</i></b></blockquote><br />
What does is it really mean to "take" God's name in vain? Interestingly, it has nothing to do with speaking, much less cursing. The word 'take' in this verse has the same meaning when describing someone who "can't take it anymore." The Hebrew word used is <i>nasa'. </i>The word means to lift, bear, carry, or take.<br />
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<div class="lex2">So does the third commandment forbid lifting or carrying large billboards that spell "JESUS"? The Hebrew word for 'name' is <i>shem</i>. In English, I would say my name (shem) is Steven. In our Western mind, my name has nothing to do with my nature. It doesn't describe me, it just identifies what I am called. If you wanted to describe me, you would be describing my character. In Hebrew, the word for 'character' is the same word, '<i>shem</i>'. It carries the same meaning as used in the idiom, "make a name for oneself."<br />
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<blockquote><b><i>Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.</i></b> <i><b>Exodus 34:14</b></i></blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4ntveIbzofueHDkOZVmVIHCZzdZLWz7vJh4qrOvXjtCXSGKKjPILYW8zUYO-4omD-f901fDqmJ7j6vhpb18fkmEusHHSt50sZbvWgpbZGF_YB9ojUd79nDpOnbiRyw-TE-BbfMLkRzre/s1600/lives+on+cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4ntveIbzofueHDkOZVmVIHCZzdZLWz7vJh4qrOvXjtCXSGKKjPILYW8zUYO-4omD-f901fDqmJ7j6vhpb18fkmEusHHSt50sZbvWgpbZGF_YB9ojUd79nDpOnbiRyw-TE-BbfMLkRzre/s200/lives+on+cookies.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>In Biblical times, a name wasn't just something on your driver's license. It was the essence of who you were. Your name was a word picture of your character. The third commandment wasn't about using God's name inappropriately. It forbade carrying the character of God in vain. The word for vain in Hebrew is the word '<i>shav</i>', and it simply means fruitless, useless, or nothingness. So what does it mean to carry God's character FOR NOTHING?<br />
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Let's assume I was participating in a rescue mission tasked with bringing food and water to some folks lost in the mountains. After traveling 5 miles, they are now in my sights. Just before reaching them, I carelessly trip over my own feet and lose all of the water and food down the side of of a cliff. From everyone's perspective, I hiked 5 miles for nothing. In the end, it was fruitless and useless. My intentions were good, but my actions during the home stretch wiped it all away.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b><span class="woj">I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!</span> <span class="woj">But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!</span> Revelation 3:15-16</b></i></blockquote><br />
What happens when you combine Christ-like "talk" with a secular "walk"? If I was to pour boiling hot water into a pot of ice cold water, it would cease to be either. Have you ever met a Christian whose walk didn't represent their talk; or how about their talk not lining up with their walk. One of the most important jobs of a Christian is to "protect your cargo." The Bible teaches that a Christian is the "temple" of God's spirit. We are the carriage that carries the King. We are called His vessels. We are ambassador's of Christ sent out to "carry" His "name" into the nations. How fruitless would it be to drop our cargo just as we arrived? Have you ever gotten to know a Christian only to discover they were much more appealing when you only saw them once a week?<br />
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<blockquote><b><i>In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, <span class="woj">“May you never bear fruit again!”</span> And immediately the fig tree withered up. Matthew 21:18:19</i></b></blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAPpccQ_yQsMlkV7_dH0tqYO_hYNKRPeSIftIhyphenhyphen0wfpFyec7PXzi5IJgj-qsR6FyIooWNNmCW9f4mD40aOXqjjx2FD28WTwOcqiQO1AKtsJPZnlub-K-CaCFRO2xdZvDCq0LfeA7DI6Nv/s1600/pinata-party_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAPpccQ_yQsMlkV7_dH0tqYO_hYNKRPeSIftIhyphenhyphen0wfpFyec7PXzi5IJgj-qsR6FyIooWNNmCW9f4mD40aOXqjjx2FD28WTwOcqiQO1AKtsJPZnlub-K-CaCFRO2xdZvDCq0LfeA7DI6Nv/s200/pinata-party_300.jpg" width="168" /></a></div>To understand this verse, we have to have to understand fig tree growth in first century Jerusalem. There is an important relationship between leaves and fruit on fig trees. Figs appear at the same with leaves. As Jesus approached the leafy fig tree, he had no reason NOT to believe he would find fruit. From the perspective of a "hungry" Jesus, the fruitless tree was useless. It would be like hanging a piñata for bunch of excited kids only to discover that it was empty. How cruel is that?<br />
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Remember how important names are in Jewish culture? Well the Greek city of Antioch had a name for these people telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. They decided to call them "Christians". You see, back then, they would call YOU that. Today, we assign it to ourselves. On some days, we need references.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord Acts 11:20-21</b></i></blockquote><br />
<blockquote><i><b>.......It was at Antioch that the believers<sup> </sup>were first called Christians. Act 11:26</b></i></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-16142691543961223982010-05-21T15:44:00.001-05:002010-05-21T16:35:13.743-05:00Move Over AmericaAmerica has had a great run. Until the turn of the 20th century, the Bible was the most commonly used textbook in America. Despite what our current President says, America IS the world's most Christian country. No other nation on Earth is more recognizably Christian than America. It wasn't moderate Muslims, violent Buddhist, or messianic Jews on the Mayflower. They were English Christians who wanted to separate (Separatists) from the Church of England. American was built on religious freedom, but the slab was unique to the God of the Bible. The concentration of Christian values was so great, that after 233 years, American is STILL the most recognized Christian nation in the world. <br />
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Despite being 233 years old, America has only been a superpower since WWII. After the war, the British Empire was dissolved, leaving only two superpowers left in the world, America and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union lost the "Cold War" to the United States and dissolved itself in 1991. By 1992, America was the single most powerful nation on the Earth. America has starred or directed in every major world event, for the last 50 years. To imagine a scenario where America isn't on the world stage is not only inconceivable, but disturbing. But we wouldn't be the first empire to rise and fall. In fact, the prophet Daniel doesn't even give America a mention in his revelation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream.<br />
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King Nebuchadnezzar saw a statue with a unique construction. It's head was of fine gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and it's feet were part iron and clay. Daniel then told the King that each part represented four successive world empires that were to come. Daniel starts by saying that King Nebuchadnezzar's empire was the head of gold.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38 and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold. Daniel 2: 37-38</b></i></blockquote><br />
Daniel tells King Nebuchadnezzer, that the head of gold was his kingdom, the Babylonian empire. This empire lasted 70 years as the most powerful kingdom on earth. In 536 B.C., the Babylonian empire, the "head of gold", came to an end when it fell to the Persians, the "chest and arms of silver".<br />
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<blockquote><b>But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; Daniel 2:39</b></blockquote><br />
The Persians fell to Alexander's Greek empire, the "belly and thighs of brass" in 336 B.C. The Greek empire lasted for over 300 years until it gave way to the Roman Empire, the "legs of iron".<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others</b></i><i><b> Daniel 2:40</b></i></blockquote><br />
Unlike the previous three, the fourth empire has no conqueror. Also, the fourth kingdom is depicted TWICE. It is first shown as being separated with two legs of iron. Just as Daniel predicted, the Roman Empire had grown so large, it was divided into two, the Western Empire at Rome, and the Eastern Empire at Constantinople. Two hundred years later, the "brittle" iron empire of Rome collapsed under its own stress.<br />
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But Wait.., There's More (in a Billy Mays voice) Daniel isn't done with the fourth kingdom. Daniel continues with the re-emergence of the same Roman kingdom. But this time, they've been given an extreme makeover.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. Daniel 2:41-43</b></i></blockquote><br />
Unlike the previous kingdoms, the re-emergence of the fourth kingdom BEGINS divided. The Bible predicts that the fourth kingdom rises again in the form of a ten-nation confederacy. Daniel had another vision of four great beasts; a lion with eagle's wings, a bear, a winged leopard with four heads and;<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. Daniel 7:4-7</b></i></blockquote><br />
History identifies these beasts as the same four Kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar's image - Babylonian, Persia, Greek, and the Roman Empire. Consider the accuracy of Daniels visions. Daniel's third beast corresponds to the third kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar's image - the leopard with four heads and four wings. The wings symbolize the speed of which Alexander expanded the Greek empire. In just 13 years he had conquered a majority of the known world. The four heads symbolize the four divided kingdoms ruled by his four generals after Alexander's death. The Angel Gabriel revealed this to Daniel in explaining another vision.<br />
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Daniel has a vision where he sees a very powerful two-horned ram. Suddenly a goat with a prominent horn came from the west, crossing the earth with great speed (sound familiar). The goat tramples the ram and becomes very great, but at the height of his power his horn is broken and four horns grow in its place. Gabriel interprets the dream as follows:<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power. Daniel 8:20-22</b></i></blockquote><br />
Let's go back to the fourth kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar's image. The fourth kingdom refers to the fourth beast in Daniel's vision. The ten toes of the image represent the ten horns of the beast. Daniel also gives a clue as to when this new kingdom will be in power.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Daniel 2:44</b></i></blockquote><br />
These same kings are described in Revelation and will ultimately be destroyed by the FINAL kingdom represented in the image.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:34-35</b></i></blockquote><br />
And now we come full circle. Daniel prophesied four great kingdoms before the one that ultimately destroys the renewed and divided Roman empire. So we come back to the question. How can there be a powerful and prominent revised Roman empire with 10 kings if there still exists an American superpower? I believe we are in the time between the third and fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar's image. The iron legged kingdom of ancient Rome is history. However, 1600 years after its fall, the new Roman empire of the EU is ready to take the reigns. But there is one problem, America still has them.<br />
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The EU isn't powerful enough to be in a position to be crushed, but thanks to America's slow descent, it will be soon. There are only TEN nations that hold full status in both the European Union and the Western European Union, and that doesn't appear to be changing. There are other states that participate, but there are only 10 kings calling the shots. The following quote suggest they don't need any more.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>Following a decision taken on 14 June 2001, the Secretary-General stated during the 1352nd meeting of the Council of Western European Union on 28 June 2001 that, with regard to the period from 1 January 2002, the Member States deemed it unnecessary, in present and foreseeable circumstances, to make any formal change to the statuses of non-full members.</b></i> <a href="http://www.weu.int/Delegations.htm">source</a></blockquote><br />
America has been in the driver's seat for over 50 years. What puts us in the back? Are we still in the car? No one really knows. For now, I can't think of a more accurate description of the EU than 'partly strong, partly fragile.' It's members share everything but sovereignty. They have no constitution, no a central government, and no king. Well, not yet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-5102500252160909872010-04-16T14:02:00.002-05:002010-04-16T14:40:43.707-05:00Discerning the False<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLhisN4MoTJyRbUp1IB5kTCIV1CbpRoHYdpc55fMp7UQX_zlgE9WvftDFmfjeLUse6Rv4E52lju3mc3aDmlYQP8HhB3Q88d_aUAd9lzcdzsxhwywOua7U7BHlmbCdP9sQBRdAh_CwTxTt/s1600/True-False-Question.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLhisN4MoTJyRbUp1IB5kTCIV1CbpRoHYdpc55fMp7UQX_zlgE9WvftDFmfjeLUse6Rv4E52lju3mc3aDmlYQP8HhB3Q88d_aUAd9lzcdzsxhwywOua7U7BHlmbCdP9sQBRdAh_CwTxTt/s200/True-False-Question.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I was always good at taking tests. Even if I didn't know the subject matter, I could successfully guess my way through most questions. No matter how tough the question, with a quick process of elimination, I could easily be down to two choices. It's not always about finding out which choice is right. Sometimes it's easier to just rule out the ones that are wrong.<br />
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My favorite questions are True/False statements. The single most important rule in analyzing True/False statements is every part of a true statement must be true. If any one part of the statement is false, the whole statement is false despite many other truths. You don't always have to know what is true. If you can recognize any part as being false, you can confidently mark the whole statement as false, and move on.<br />
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<span id="goog_320170954"></span><span id="goog_320170955"></span>Often in life, we get inundated with problems that completely overwhelm us physically, mentally, and spiritually. The reason is that problems by definition force us to make decisions on how will we respond to them. Most problems don't just go away. They stand there nagging, whispering, and tapping their foot waiting for you to reveal your strategy on dealing with it. Like a crying baby needing to be fed, problems want attention, and they want to know what are you going to do about it.<br />
<blockquote><i><b>You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked Proverbs 3:25</b></i></blockquote>Problems don't wait until you've had 8 hours of sleep and 2 cups of coffee. Most of our problems come upon us suddenly. Suddenly, you lost a job. Suddenly, you get a letter from your kid's school, your lawyer, or the IRS. Suddenly, you have problems, and you need sudden solutions. In the heat of the moment, when the pressure is on, what will you do? What can you do? Our immediate response would be to strategize, brainstorm, or grab at anything that looks like an answer. But like the strategy for True/False statements, If any part of your solution isn't of faith, then the entire solution isn't of faith.<br />
<blockquote><div style="border: medium none;"><b><i>For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7</i></b></div></blockquote><div style="border: medium none;">Any imagination, thought, or plan born out of fear, must be immediately arrested and investigated. If God never gave us fear, then anything born of our fear must NOT be from God. We may not know what the answer is, but there is a sure way to know what isn't. We make a lot of mistakes in the heat of the moment. Our survival instincts immediately kick in when our health, security, and peace is threatened. No matter how well we think we know how to fix the situation, most of the time, it does the opposite.</div><blockquote><div style="border: medium none;"><b><i>There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12</i></b></div></blockquote><div style="border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLX0bwZuxoM2LP7qKnF9D1jk-vwmv5xNyxx-erLjLeYMkXJHDuZ7HASVdrQu31YxJb4cnGjcDlsrBczlU7fUnj3GRgiv1v7NnoF8CIHA-GtdLb_zk0Toul8sS0RlJnLgWho1Kw4DZuMAMN/s1600/quiet+please.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><i><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLX0bwZuxoM2LP7qKnF9D1jk-vwmv5xNyxx-erLjLeYMkXJHDuZ7HASVdrQu31YxJb4cnGjcDlsrBczlU7fUnj3GRgiv1v7NnoF8CIHA-GtdLb_zk0Toul8sS0RlJnLgWho1Kw4DZuMAMN/s200/quiet+please.jpg" width="200" wt="true" /></i></b></a>Sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is to circle False, then go to bed.</div><div style="border: medium none;"><b><i></i></b><br />
<blockquote><div style="border: medium none;"><b><i><b><i>Be still, and know that I am God! Psalm 46:10 </i></b></i></b><br />
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<b><i><b><i>Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5</i></b></i></b></div></blockquote><b><i></i></b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-39755515455166567582010-03-24T06:47:00.007-05:002010-03-24T07:04:09.026-05:00The Ambassador<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2aSqpQjLG2yt38K9xnxvooXBQLnXMB6JCviZkYnEetYRqER8guRBLheo4Bvcmp-NxJYKJm1fQRl8VoRFUVOmIEeYhAv-6wlqMbEPlYKXLw8aQUv7S11-kEm-5vV6U-_q2cwqoW1_7WxS/s1600/Bus_Wreck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2aSqpQjLG2yt38K9xnxvooXBQLnXMB6JCviZkYnEetYRqER8guRBLheo4Bvcmp-NxJYKJm1fQRl8VoRFUVOmIEeYhAv-6wlqMbEPlYKXLw8aQUv7S11-kEm-5vV6U-_q2cwqoW1_7WxS/s200/Bus_Wreck.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>As I watched the House of Representatives pass the Health Care Reform Bill, I felt like I had been in a car accident. For a brief second, I couldn't breathe. First came the feeling of shock., then a sense of confusion, followed by grief. My only relief, if you can call it that, was that no one was looking at me. All eyes were up front. I wasn't IN the accident, but I sure felt it. I wasn't behind the wheel. I didn't agree with the route. I didn't even vote for the hired driver. But that offered me no protection from my seat on the bus. The emotions were as real as the damage. I wasn't in the accident, I witnessed it. Had I been involved, I would have had to concern myself with the consequences. Like being immersed in a book or movie, I forgot who I was, or more accurately, whose I was.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you. Luke 17:20-21</b></i></blockquote><br />
An ambassador is the highest ranking resident representative of a foreign nation. They are messengers sent to live in a foreign nation with the express purpose of communicating the interests and goals of their home country. They are ministers of the highest authority, with full power to represent their head of state. Ambassador's allow national leaders the ability to be in many places at once. If you are speaking to the ambassador of a nation, it is understood you are speaking to it's leader. It is the duty of an ambassador to speak ONLY on behalf of their home country, and not on behalf of the country they reside.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:19-20</b></i></blockquote><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxx74MWp0aJqMFdtSR8apDFjZmX0yL_aHMZI5rV5r74bzCcmWpeREn-qyLmgJ0kVw3x9Iw_JErPyvi-qE50-BLJjLX2Q5CcDzBsleWor1MO3cOmr70jOcoNMlkW9EPTyYDIz6gJVCJKWB/s1600/Luxury_Tax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxx74MWp0aJqMFdtSR8apDFjZmX0yL_aHMZI5rV5r74bzCcmWpeREn-qyLmgJ0kVw3x9Iw_JErPyvi-qE50-BLJjLX2Q5CcDzBsleWor1MO3cOmr70jOcoNMlkW9EPTyYDIz6gJVCJKWB/s320/Luxury_Tax.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a>As an American, I couldn't help but feel the effects of the initial impact. But I am also an ambassador of Christ, a citizen of the substantial, superior, and spiritual Kingdom of God. The health care bill will have an economic and social affect on all Americans, but I'm not just an American. As an ambassador of Christ, my security is in a head of state that isn't bound by limitation, opinion polls, and economic trends. I am as passionate about politics as the next guy, but the difference is I know who is in control of my destiny. I may live in America, but I understand whom I answer to. Political activism is my responsibility as an American, but it's not my burden. It is one avenue in which I carry out my real job - being a diplomat for Christ. If Jesus didn't worry Himself with the decisions of an inferior government, why should I? The religious leaders of Jesus' day were notorious for asking Him political questions. On one occasion, they wanted to get his take on Caesar's tax increases. Jesus thought that question was so important, He responded with as much emotion had the question been about Parker Brothers' decision to increase the Luxury Tax on the Monopoly board from $75 to $100.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><blockquote><i><b>Jesus said, "Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a coin. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Matt. 22:19-21</b></i></blockquote><br />
It is undocumented, but I believe the follow-up question was whether or not he believed Caesar should sign "Climate Change" legislation, but I can't prove it. And just in case you didn't get the insult, God provided an object lesson. On another occasion, Peter was approached by the IRS and asked if Jesus paid taxes. Surprisingly, Jesus didn't respond by opening an account with H&R Block or scrambling to find all of his gas receipts. Jesus let them know how serious he was about tax season and having to hand out more of Caesar's Monopoly money.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>Jesus said, "Go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” Matt.17:27</b></i></blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgSwVqhyphenhyphenrBLOR8VK58N3Pz5FXKkg5qw-g7QSI1UadNN7pkYrmXIfxDGFhBIDB7h3ILFieleto-RWVvt7W2FRhVKvOQyVvG4TjfhCjNcg8FnKDhZhefh013ZJZvDEh5CpFcnxfwcbCUHw3/s1600/life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgSwVqhyphenhyphenrBLOR8VK58N3Pz5FXKkg5qw-g7QSI1UadNN7pkYrmXIfxDGFhBIDB7h3ILFieleto-RWVvt7W2FRhVKvOQyVvG4TjfhCjNcg8FnKDhZhefh013ZJZvDEh5CpFcnxfwcbCUHw3/s200/life.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Compared the the Kingdom of God, our system of government rivals a board game. God's authority is superior and nothing can float out of the sewers of Washington to change it. Ambassadors may live in their host country, but they are NOT exclusive citizens of it. Ambassadors may have to participate in it's commerce, but they are NOT slaves to it. As long as you are doing the work of an ambassador, you will always have your embassy, your provision, and the power and authority of Christ himself. Jesus is alive and he is busy preparing a new place for us. When he left, who did He leave in charge of the store? That would be me.<br />
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<blockquote><i><b>I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:14-18</b></i></blockquote>After the signing of the health care bill, I prayed for the Americans. I then cited diplomatic immunity.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-43613946811698476072010-03-11T15:14:00.000-06:002010-03-17T10:31:10.497-05:00Clean End of a Turd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGV-QQcqeDVy7RxaKcagvXmDV2drXSaH9FD0PZOAxbU2LLEBKNVQV4a-Vy9uagJUSMQdNo4JsllHrPRuOxWICcPLQCt3cSA13VB_BwtJMzG-8JZ9IQoKTWZM-cQHx9VElbsM4pkat2cJw5/s1600-h/hanky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGV-QQcqeDVy7RxaKcagvXmDV2drXSaH9FD0PZOAxbU2LLEBKNVQV4a-Vy9uagJUSMQdNo4JsllHrPRuOxWICcPLQCt3cSA13VB_BwtJMzG-8JZ9IQoKTWZM-cQHx9VElbsM4pkat2cJw5/s320/hanky.jpg" /></a></div><div>Political Correctness is a term that has been thrown around for years, but few of us know what it is. I must have heard the term a hundred times before looking up the definition. Even then, I was confused to what it meant. All I knew was that I needed it, If I was to avoid being sued, fired, or labeled racist, homophobe, or intolerant. Because there is no shortage of politically correct phrases, understanding what is expected of us is as easy as Paris Hilton...er... I mean an economically exploited sex care provider.</div><div><br />
</div><div><blockquote><b>This is an African American neighborhood.</b></blockquote></div><div><blockquote><b>You cannot fly airplanes because you are visually challenged.</b></blockquote></div><div><blockquote><b>He is hair disadvantaged like his father.</b></blockquote></div><div><blockquote><b>Pat is considering gender reassignment surgery.</b></blockquote></div><div><blockquote><b>Where do the involuntarily undomiciled get cardboard and Sharpies?</b></blockquote></div><div><br />
</div><div>One doesn't need to know the definition of political correctness to understand what it's all about. In it's simplest form, political correctness is a term that describes language, ideas, and behavior that seeks to minimize offenses by averaging out our differences with a thesaurus. For example, only a small percentage of our population has had a sex change. But unless you are walking around twirling your umbilical cord, we've all had some type of surgery. Before Political Correctness, the thought of having a sex change was culturally taboo. But today, It's something we're not supposed to even blink at. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Before Political Correctness, being poor was a temporary setback or an obstacle that needed to be overcome. There used to be a stigma associated with being poor that discouraged you from getting comfortable and spurred you to get back on your feet. A generation ago, If you were on welfare, you hated that you were. Thanks to Political Correctness, you can be financially disadvantaged and feel better about it. Poverty has nothing to do with finances. Political Correctness is the poison that turns your temporary situation into a permanent perspective.</div><div><br />
</div><blockquote><b><i>The victimization of the poor IS their poverty. Proverbs 10:15</i></b></blockquote><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWvv9HeHEGNBVJ01zW5l3IkXZ-kriLowR9sjscZxcLEPSSe4DHsf_YwTQn3gwns7t6FWlNsg0uLowtvAFgnceFfV1BhA8NULOD4nnBcvFp6_OhOl_LRRUoNPkMiQVCPE99eET-zi_kH4r/s1600-h/MexiforniaDL-650x404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWvv9HeHEGNBVJ01zW5l3IkXZ-kriLowR9sjscZxcLEPSSe4DHsf_YwTQn3gwns7t6FWlNsg0uLowtvAFgnceFfV1BhA8NULOD4nnBcvFp6_OhOl_LRRUoNPkMiQVCPE99eET-zi_kH4r/s200/MexiforniaDL-650x404.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>Not to be left out, illegal aliens can now plunder America guilt free. It is politically incorrect to demand that existing US laws be enforced. Consequently, It is costing U.S. tax payers over $300 billion a year in welfare, medicaid, and other government services to support illegals. Political Correctness would have you suspend that fact and believe that they are not illegal aliens, but undocumented workers. Guess how much taxes "undocumented" workers pay toward the $300 billion it cost to support them? Which begs the question, what kind of workforce COSTS you money? Don't ask bankrupt California. It's politically incorrect to investigate that crime scene.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was quoted as saying she will no longer use the word "terrorism" because it causes people to fear terrorist. <i>(Crazy, I know.)</i> She will now call them "man-caused disasters." We can all sleep better knowing that aeresol cans and Jihadists are equally scary. Which is probably why airport security spends equal time certifiying my mouthwash and my passport. Political Correctness is something that we innately know to be stupid. But that doesn't stop us from choosing to go along with it.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div>The Apostle Paul spoke of a time when the world would choose to believe something they knew to be a lie. Eventually, they would get so good at it, they could no longer distinguish the lie between the truth. Everyone who graduated the fourth grade knows WHY the Vikings called Greenland, GREENland. It's not the settling of the science, but the searing of the mind. They have "departed" from their own conscience because it was the Politically Correct thing to do.</div><div><br />
</div><blockquote><b><i>The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by (politically correct) demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 1 Tim. 4:1 (NIV)</i></b></blockquote><div><br />
</div><div>Texas A&M holds an annual contest for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term. A few years back the term up for definition was 'Political Correctness'.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLTJllqQtJ1nWVMnG6z3FPagXLzXUC8ol4qdvw6jl6ILqHcIJSrCMBnb3K_zoPrCIhbHjmCceTC3kQBYMRg4PjHGaMEb15gqdTPbNGUemwMrezVysrY9Qk5irOd1siNQ8PMLKaTME9zJj/s1600-h/scratching_head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLTJllqQtJ1nWVMnG6z3FPagXLzXUC8ol4qdvw6jl6ILqHcIJSrCMBnb3K_zoPrCIhbHjmCceTC3kQBYMRg4PjHGaMEb15gqdTPbNGUemwMrezVysrY9Qk5irOd1siNQ8PMLKaTME9zJj/s320/scratching_head.jpg" /></a></div><div>And the winner is: "Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-67020665342650056962010-02-26T13:17:00.000-06:002010-03-04T15:38:10.756-06:00God's Question<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi3qQptYd4THzFd8lJEaZNAgRjvhfbUrpw72nIlkfO6Zfd5YxmZcsu9m_gGdX5HnCCmg8SCaJpYe5bbNGZ2gLd2JrQgrb1ln2NfE9UrceN1Sw7pXrzZIKiY3wb8xyuT2uB1cQJ2uoyXO4/s1600-h/question20mark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi3qQptYd4THzFd8lJEaZNAgRjvhfbUrpw72nIlkfO6Zfd5YxmZcsu9m_gGdX5HnCCmg8SCaJpYe5bbNGZ2gLd2JrQgrb1ln2NfE9UrceN1Sw7pXrzZIKiY3wb8xyuT2uB1cQJ2uoyXO4/s200/question20mark.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>God has only one question for mankind. He's been saying it for 6,000 years. Some of us have heard him say it multiple times. On the surface, the idea that an all knowing God would even ask a question sounds counterintuitive. But when one looks deeper, the answer is apparent. If God is asking us a question, it's because WE choose the answer. God may know how we choose to answer the question, but He still gives us the free will to answer it.<br />
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<blockquote><b><i>Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9</i></b></blockquote><br />
God's first question to mankind was "Where are you?" It is a question only we can answer. God didn't create robots pre-programmed to love him. He created free will agents with the ability to choose Him, or not. Hense, When God asked Adam, "Where are you?", He wasn't referring to his physical location. God asking the location of your body is absurd. God asking you to decide the location of your heart is the single most important question of your existence.<br />
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<blockquote><b><i>Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Joshua 24:15</i></b></blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXiSFweETv4jmB4uHOnwRjTsCo4AWP7JrW1hyS_FMtG4vEfR0GXsJL1JTR6K5saHVu6PDNB98SIPX4JQdLuFF3cG420GkNJ5fSVpA2Mp45a5IoTfceK72mMVlF2xdc5tu5P29bPMOh4_f/s1600-h/tree_fence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXiSFweETv4jmB4uHOnwRjTsCo4AWP7JrW1hyS_FMtG4vEfR0GXsJL1JTR6K5saHVu6PDNB98SIPX4JQdLuFF3cG420GkNJ5fSVpA2Mp45a5IoTfceK72mMVlF2xdc5tu5P29bPMOh4_f/s200/tree_fence.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We are all born into this world as trees planted on a fence line. On one side of the fence is evil, representing our world right now. On the other side is good, representing our life in eternity. We remain on the fence line, up until the point God asks us that very important question. If we choose Christ, we are uprooted and transplanted into His righteousness. We are grafted into the vine of Christ and our identity is now in Him. If we don't choose Christ, we are transplanted to the other side and thrown into the elements. On one side is a life hid in Christ, planted in eternity, and justified. On the other is a life hid in uncertainty, hopelessness, and separation. As long as we breathe oxygen, we can choose where we want God to plant us. So where are you?<br />
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<blockquote><b><i>Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy? You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on their lips, but you are far from their hearts. But as for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered! Jeremiah 12:1-3</i></b></blockquote><br />
The prophet's question is as valid today as it was 2,600 years ago. Why do wicked people prosper? Why does it seem like good things happen to bad people, and vice versa? The answer is obvious when considering the branches of a tree. Having your tree planted in Christ doesn't mean you won't have branches hanging over into evil. If I'm in traffic, at the Popeye's drive thru, or at the mall, you might actually see them grow faster than Jack's beanstalk. But those are my branches, that is NOT where I'm planted. As I've mentioned in previous posts, we are not what we've done. We are where we choose to be, and choose to trust.<br />
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Just like a Bible toting, bumper-sticker, lapel pin Christian can have branches sneaking over into wickedness, a sinner can have branches reaching over into charity, righteousness and good deeds? The answer to the age old question is this: God MUST redeem the good branches of the wicked in this life, because their next life is only judgement. For the Christian, we have already been judged at the cross, so our next life is only reward. We redeem the reward of our good branches, on the side of our planted hearts. We redeem the consequences of our bad branches, on the other.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1cbVc0QD32LzFQO0-orP7zZX7UuRwVP_CrtJAbBNQ5WgRF090SxKIg17uOtt7hyphenhypheny2i-_X9JpHOI3nVQ8UXvyubw4nIu1QDGqbDLi_MjldheNk4iFhTiEOHyIuHEkvIow8cJrx9_0gqEU/s1600-h/pruning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1cbVc0QD32LzFQO0-orP7zZX7UuRwVP_CrtJAbBNQ5WgRF090SxKIg17uOtt7hyphenhypheny2i-_X9JpHOI3nVQ8UXvyubw4nIu1QDGqbDLi_MjldheNk4iFhTiEOHyIuHEkvIow8cJrx9_0gqEU/s200/pruning.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>When a Christian reaches into sin and unrighteousness, God prunes them. He doesn't even try to clean it up. He leaves the dead branches on the ground for all to see and read. ( Think Jimmy Swaggart, Ted Haggard, King David,etc. ) When the branches of a wicked person reach out into righteousness, God prunes them and their reward is given to them now. Why? Because their answer to the question was, "right here and I'm not moving." When God asked Adam, "Where are you?", it wasn't because He needed to know where he was. He wanted to know which side of the fence to plant him on. On one side is forgiveness and eternal life, on the other is shame and suffering. The question hasn't changed in over 6,000 years.<br />
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<blockquote><b><i>For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36</i></b></blockquote><blockquote><b><i>But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15</i></b></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-14055840810046411692010-02-19T11:46:00.000-06:002010-02-19T19:52:45.634-06:00Falling Off The Earth<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjfxOMtSJ2jsaVQkHlhnr-OX8YS0sBqhmlgoFtDhWIHZeoKUXFX0Nmvr5whR5Abc_zNneL7gEiSJhTwiog341DEtk6u_s0sKc_3JwWvVYAR5Uz-boJ9nzPLcdwAx-b7zKlQezUPEX6-tS/s1600-h/flat-earth-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440013598196385202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjfxOMtSJ2jsaVQkHlhnr-OX8YS0sBqhmlgoFtDhWIHZeoKUXFX0Nmvr5whR5Abc_zNneL7gEiSJhTwiog341DEtk6u_s0sKc_3JwWvVYAR5Uz-boJ9nzPLcdwAx-b7zKlQezUPEX6-tS/s200/flat-earth-3.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 184px;" /></a> As a child, one of the games I used to play with my brothers was Keep Away. Keep Away is a children's game in which two or more players pass a ball to each other, while a person in the middle attempts to steal it. Of course, Keep Away could be played with anything. I've played it with a ball, a television remote, or anything wanted by the one in the middle. For me, Keep Away was more fun if the person in the middle didn't want to play. There was an added feeling of joy and happiness when you're taller, faster, and in possession of something valuable to the poor victim.<br />
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<div>Many years ago, I came to a major crossroads in my life. It was decision time and I didn't know which way to go. I had just graduated High School and was deciding on whether to join the military, head to college, or attend seminary. I was so scared about making the wrong decision, I spent the entire summer worried about what was going to happen next. Would I go to college? If I did, would I pick the right major? What about the military? Which branch would I choose? I didn't want to waste time, and I certainly didn't want to screw it up. It was during this time of paralyzing pressure that God spoke to me these words, "It's easier for you to fall off the Earth, than to fall out of my will. </div><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1kqDnGRz_Mpq0dPPs8dzw8iSMFU31ty95SrpcXT-pgzSnE91AUPM6c-WxHmOhyphenhyphenvwDkmJBOg2MOcquAHviFthJ7m_oOJdjNWyLSrzLS8Sbu5jMXhtcdfxUeEorldkZA3lH5Q5vavK1m1mA/s1600-h/PC_DogTreat.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1T3al7EsH1kwddCJNu7NRxj5llEISw8AEfBYoQjImgpTMShSzoOSInoBVGmAzkpLCAg8FDj-Sj4Sghju39_dcaIx8hmlZA8sd_m7D8SA9C_ndTHRqNCbq_T416o4qRq8D51TMOWkZYmn/s1600-h/PC_DogTreat.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxRpgkna3A0zGeDRBJaQXNGdQv0m8bz1v6WwPGZRRKoABVYRGU1aXrD-BqCiokEwQpuOaUkvHYGMtnXl80HApov4rRxTm2am2HE6FIxzWweLuWYtpi8-fbPKh7EIREtRrYCmlMOLKP7SH/s1600-h/lets-make-a-deal-doors-300x186.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440019142378028066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxRpgkna3A0zGeDRBJaQXNGdQv0m8bz1v6WwPGZRRKoABVYRGU1aXrD-BqCiokEwQpuOaUkvHYGMtnXl80HApov4rRxTm2am2HE6FIxzWweLuWYtpi8-fbPKh7EIREtRrYCmlMOLKP7SH/s200/lets-make-a-deal-doors-300x186.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 124px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>Before hearing those words, I always thought that God's will was like a doggy treat that I only got if I deserved it. If I prayed enough, had good church attendance, read my Bible, or sat still long enough, then God would reward me. It's as if God was Jay Stewart and I was on "Let's Make a Deal". If Jay liked me, perhaps he would give me a wink or some-type of sign to tell me which curtain I should go for. No one wants to get zonked in life, and perhaps a little flirting before the show will get me something big. I spent the entire summer being on my BEST behavior. In reality, I became religious. I pictured Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit playing a game of Keep Away. If I wanted His will, I needed to work for it.<b><i></i></b></div><b><i></i></b><br />
<blockquote><strong><em>The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Psalms 23:1-3</em></strong></blockquote>So why do we think we need to "make" things happen, when the scripture clearly teaches that He is the shepherd, and we are just the dumb sheep? It is the shepherd, not the sheep, that know where the next pasture is. It is the shepherd that makes the herd sit down and rest. It is the shepherd that takes the herd from danger. It is the shepherd that causes them to be where they need to be. It doesn't say he only leads the sheep with the whitest wool. It doesn't say he leads them if they've been good that day and haven't caused too many problems. The Lord leads them because of one thing. Because HE is a shepherd. Shepherds don't play Keep Away. God doesn't withhold good from us. For a sheep that WANTS to remain in the herd, it would be easier to fall off the earth than fall out of the Shepherd's will.<br />
<div><br />
So what about Jonah? What about the sheep that seem to fall out of their shepherd's will? What you have to understand is that Jonah was a prophet of God to Israel. You don't get to be God's prophet by being rebellious. Jonah wasn't running from God, Jonah was running from an assignment. There is a big difference between a single act of rebellion, and living a rebellious life. It was because Jonah was in God's herd that He went after him. Jonah knew exactly what he was doing. Jonah didn't accidentally take the wrong flight and end up in Tarshish. Even when we purposely flee from our Shepherd, He comes after us. Why? Because that's what shepherds do. For a Christian who is in God's hand, and WANTS to be there, there is nothing that will be able to take you out of it. Even in the heat of the moment, when you jump yourself.<b><i></i></b></div><b><i></i></b><br />
<blockquote><strong><em>I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me. John 10:28</em></strong></blockquote><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8vxWBwQ6djRkH1VFRaD-sJ5yhQ74HsyENUpPRcuF_zOg-S3_WEywE_0c9TrD87ZY41MS_tA2Ts4-7ekMA3kr6ZMr6j-lEk4DraLXCkiF21LxNkG4gtTzpBqG6XUBByh1ydloMv3BN-M1/s1600-h/jonah1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440015906241551586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8vxWBwQ6djRkH1VFRaD-sJ5yhQ74HsyENUpPRcuF_zOg-S3_WEywE_0c9TrD87ZY41MS_tA2Ts4-7ekMA3kr6ZMr6j-lEk4DraLXCkiF21LxNkG4gtTzpBqG6XUBByh1ydloMv3BN-M1/s200/jonah1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 180px;" /></a>Jonah is known by us as the guy who ran from God. But Jonah was known by God, as HIS sheep that had gone astray. Yes, you have a free will, and God will never violate that. But He does have a Ways and Means Committee that will ensure you return to the herd, one way or the other. Jonah was NOT the rebellious prophet who didn't want God. You are never who you are right NOW, and you are not who you used to be. Right now, you are His. You are not what you've done. You are NOT the rebellious child who had an abortion, had a child out of marriage, robbed a bank, or stole a car. God knew Jonah's heart and He knew that the Jonah's heart still belonged to Him. </div><div><br />
</div><div>God knows your heart, and he knows who you are, even when others don't. If you are in His family, then you are His responsibility and He will be the perfecter of your faith. Don't let the devil, your in-laws, or your friends tell you otherwise. And don't worry about tomorrow, next week, or next year. Keep your eyes on the Shepherd. The sun will rise, gravity will remain, and you can't sneak past the Shepherd. He's just too good at it what He does.<b><i></i></b></div><b><i></i></b><b><i></i></b><br />
<blockquote><b><i>But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7<br />
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And let us run with endurance the race God HAS SET before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2</i></b></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-11275056366914891542010-02-05T07:48:00.000-06:002010-02-12T12:18:41.709-06:00The Spotter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreLRnd2BndL1bwZClws6LI0TFt4FKSDZ1FpQpDXOqoM45TRmr3TBDYV63CK4xDop3rrDEQsTwfDbwNkRl_FolOtqwEp3ljjo5e3uIubO5RQ35z2jqbXGPWALRXW6bhEHi5WYPy4LLchId/s1600-h/spotting.png"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 132px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434828730186734434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreLRnd2BndL1bwZClws6LI0TFt4FKSDZ1FpQpDXOqoM45TRmr3TBDYV63CK4xDop3rrDEQsTwfDbwNkRl_FolOtqwEp3ljjo5e3uIubO5RQ35z2jqbXGPWALRXW6bhEHi5WYPy4LLchId/s200/spotting.png" /></a> <div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><b><i><br /></i></b></blockquote><blockquote><b><i>Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Eph. 6:10</i></b></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>Long before 38 Special released the album, strength in numbers was an idiomatic expression referring to the physical and emotional strength drawn from a group of people. The phrase implied that individually, we are nothing, but together, we are a force to be reckoned with. I have no strength, but the numbers do. Similarly, the Bible doesn't tell us to be strong. It tells us to be strong in the Lord. We have no strength, but God does. We have no power, but He does. Being strong in God has nothing to do with how well we quote scripture or the size of our authorized King James. Being strong in God is simply positioning yourself under his responsibility and his care.</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><b><i>Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor. 12:10</i></b></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>No one likes to appear weak. We're not even interested in being strong, just as long as others think we are. We all have a tendency to flex our own muscles. We can't help it. We buy stuff, wear nice clothes, put on make-up, be on our best behavior, and change the way we talk. All because we want to project in public, a bigger, better, and more successful image of ourselves. Most of us are like walking power-point slides. We accentuate the positives. We underline and italicize. Even our walk looks like scrolling text, as we say our name in bold. But inside we know better. Paul didn't hide his weaknesses, he displayed them.</div><div><br /></div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434829527940076194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB2N1Pg5GVrRAxv0fG2HGQdzjZZhir0OurcRyXQuGWd9QlY6EEJ72LG-c15ROk_pD9UbMJXBNNVsrJVF2Xpzq5zoWCmKAF4F9D5CogK5Mw2ciCFb_SmHVbEDzyLb-EqTCPnOoauzJPDJF/s200/car_stranded-jpg-600x600.jpg" /> <div>Paul isn't indulging in masochism. He's simply realized that troubles in life have aided in the popping of his bubble, the snapping of his girdle, and the crumbling of his wall. If it's down, God can lift it up. If it's out, God can put it back. If it's dead, God can make it live again. Paul understood that God doesn't compete with his kids. He doesn't say, "Let's flip a coin. Tails, you can do it your way. Heads, you have to follow me." If you want it bad enough, God will give it to you. God will never take the microphone out of your hand. He'll let you talk your entire life, and patiently wait for you to lose your voice. Paul embraced his suffering because he noticed how quickly it caused him to pull over, get out of the driver seat, and let God drive the car. Being lost with no gas, no money, and no place to go is a clue that you should have never been driving in the first place. Need proof? Ask Jonah.</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><b><i>No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Cor. 10:13</i></b></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>Paul invites weakness, because it allows God to be strong. Paul also says that God doesn't test us beyond our limit. So which is it? How do we reconcile God being our strength in weakness, with the fact that he said he wouldn't tempt us pass our weakness? We have to recognize that HE is the way of escape, that allows us to bear it. The escape isn't an admission of defeat or a retreat. The escape is a part of the victory. The escape is a testament to God's faithfulness and His strength. Religion will teach you to return to battle with the latest Hillsongs album and quoting more scripture. Christianity teaches that it isn't about you, it's about Christ! Those that battle sins and habits on their own, fail miserably. Ask me how I know. Remember Joseph didn't conquer the temptation with Potiphar's wife, he RAN from it. Jesus was the only one who ever conquered sin. Flexing our muscles and standing in our own strength may seem like the Christian thing to do, but in the end, it will kill you.</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><b><i>There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Prov. 14:12</i></b></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 113px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434834950009962754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoN9bfO4W8Pt6FV4yEj8uLuUPv5iMv86-NEfbctSivGkQlTzlE226XD_808QPFV5VQrt58upYQ39hb6X8POQeTp5llMowBdli7AS4l7sfofD2Y34TSlIq2EfC3cbApLgGQyJrZ_Z4steM/s200/bench_press-300x169.gif" /> <div>Spotting is a crucial part in weight training. The main job of a spotter is stand next to the lifter with his or her hands under the bar. By doing this, the spotter can place MORE weight on the bar allowing the lifter to push more weight than he or she could normally do. If all we ever lifted was what we can already push, we would plateau and never go to the next level. A spotter ensures that your weight limit is always rising. God never brings us into situations where He isn't going to "spot" for us. And if God is spotting, there's NOTHING we can't lift. I've foolishly placed weights and had to call for a spot a few times. It's not a good feeling. Many choose to live their lives without God's love and protection. For them, there is no way of escape. ....unless you call for one.</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote><b><i>For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13</i></b></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-7626477707837908722009-12-15T10:27:00.000-06:002009-12-15T17:23:12.326-06:00The Suicide Signer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSsXbV44N26u7_A78vF1-loqtYjQPqPPvjRGjmCemHU-rCA3gIBGT58EXVD60G0-Cn4SnqowxGKxQc0hzgUjgTO0KSk-HS4LzSz753SdmgBBxbNhmb6330YC8SbZ5HsVcWrlaAb4BZsZ3/s1600-h/Ahmad-Vahidi-Ali-Mohammad-Habib-Mahmoud-300x202.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSsXbV44N26u7_A78vF1-loqtYjQPqPPvjRGjmCemHU-rCA3gIBGT58EXVD60G0-Cn4SnqowxGKxQc0hzgUjgTO0KSk-HS4LzSz753SdmgBBxbNhmb6330YC8SbZ5HsVcWrlaAb4BZsZ3/s200/Ahmad-Vahidi-Ali-Mohammad-Habib-Mahmoud-300x202.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415506683182990482" border="0" /></a><div>Damascus is believed to be the oldest city in the world. With some archaeologist placing it's birth between 8,000 to 10,000 BC., it remains the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth. It has never been abandoned or destroyed. It's longevity is nothing short of astounding, if not a miracle. But according the Bible, Damascus won't be around forever.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><blockquote><b>This message came to me concerning Damascus: "Look, the city of Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins. The towns of Aroer will be deserted. Flocks will graze in the streets and lie down undisturbed, with no one to chase them away. The fortified towns of Israels will also be destroyed, and the royal power of Damascus will end. All that remains of Syrias will share the fate of Israel's departed glory," declares the Lord of Heaven's Armies. Isaiah 17:1-3</b></blockquote></i></div><div><br /></div><div>This particular prophecy of Isaiah has yet to be fulfilled, and for good reason. Verse 14 describes Israel "waiting" in terror at night, but by dawn, it's enemies are all dead. This is the only generation where total annihilation can be accomplished within hours through the use of technology. It took the Japanese days before finally surrendering to the Allies after the nuclear bombing of it's cities. (There is no such thing as a "proportional response" when your goal is to win wars.) Isaiah predicts that Israel will erase Damascus from the globe forever, in a matter of hours. Perhaps there wont be anyone left to surrender.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><blockquote><b>In the evening Israel waits in terror, but by dawn its enemies are dead. This is the just reward of those who plunder us, a fitting end for those who destroy us. Isaiah 17:14</b></blockquote></i></div><div><br /></div><div>As a Bible prophecy junkie, I have always wondered what scenario could involve Israel and Syria in a nuclear confrontation. I got my answer this past Friday. Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi and Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mohammad Habib Mahmoud signed a mutual defense agreement. War between Israel and Iran is pretty much a far gone conclusion, but Syria was a mystery. The destruction of Damascus didn't fit any current scenarios. But there's one now.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Iran has called for the destruction of Israel and has promised to wipe Israel off the map. Israel has no choice but to draw first blood and strike at Iran's nuclear facilities. If Syria responds, (which is what they have agreed to do on Friday) Israel will have no choice but to make this 2 against 1 fight even again. And given the fact that Syria holds chemical and biological weapons, Israel will do it in one blow. Pearl Harbor pushed America to the point of creating TWO parking lots in Japan. Isaiah says Syria will push Israel to do the same thing. God help them if they just signed their lives away.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-82759988470402765832009-11-24T12:22:00.000-06:002009-12-01T15:09:43.507-06:00A Good Soldier<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTv81o_-033C9oTzyvOaNs4ILAn9yOnzGo_f-HwD7tRe71mHdBXWhNYcH_GlnHh_ZR5GlWHQddHx3NMiHipecMI0gVsmNE7Sug01iU4FA6NWxyWKUGC_o5LAxJMpuQPbgBjBY_FTu7fLKe/s1600/Soldier_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTv81o_-033C9oTzyvOaNs4ILAn9yOnzGo_f-HwD7tRe71mHdBXWhNYcH_GlnHh_ZR5GlWHQddHx3NMiHipecMI0gVsmNE7Sug01iU4FA6NWxyWKUGC_o5LAxJMpuQPbgBjBY_FTu7fLKe/s200/Soldier_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407737517392070642" /></a><br />A good father would defend his family against dangers that come.<br />A good soldier will preemptively attack the dangers before they mobilize.<br /><br />A good father would take a bullet for his family.<br />A good soldier would give a bullet for yours.<br /><br />A good father affectionately engages his family.<br />A good soldier harshly engages the enemy.<br /><br />A good father stands up to a bully.<br />A good soldier lays down a bully.<br /><br />A good father locks the house and tucks his family in at night.<br />A good soldier loads his weapon and tucks his country in at night.<br /><br />A good father will cancel anything to attend his child's birth.<br />A good soldier may have to skip the birth to ensure his child will grow up.<br /><br />A good father loves ONE woman and his loyalty is without question.<br />A good soldier loves ONE country and his weapon is pointed accordingly.<br /><br />A good father leaves an inheritance for his children.<br />A good soldier leaves an inheritance for a generation.<br /><br />A good father would die for his family.<br />A good soldier would die for yours.<br /><br />Thanks to all of the good soldiers that allow us to be good fathers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-90639669040193524702009-11-05T14:05:00.000-06:002009-11-05T16:55:09.988-06:00Playing Poker With God<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_TGhK5vvmgTnM3JObxZA0JNm3V7Fa5AXvBOuocvGvs81y8d5yMl9b3_YAqPqCwuiFmQEYLLw2bTDZJNmTVlq7c-yvWP4WraUNwVUSGkYrAxmSa5GxWT9LWvwYt774Ksh-cMeZVSffVRr/s1600-h/pokerjesus.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 162px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_TGhK5vvmgTnM3JObxZA0JNm3V7Fa5AXvBOuocvGvs81y8d5yMl9b3_YAqPqCwuiFmQEYLLw2bTDZJNmTVlq7c-yvWP4WraUNwVUSGkYrAxmSa5GxWT9LWvwYt774Ksh-cMeZVSffVRr/s200/pokerjesus.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400753789531863138" /></a>I love watching poker. Poker is a game of chance, wrapped up in probability, and deep fried in psychology. The goal of the game is to get big portions of other people's money using our single greatest asset - Our God given ability to deceive. Deception, or bluffing, is the main weapon in poker. Of course it helps to have a good hand, but great cards only provide a sort of "side arm" in the event your main weapon jams. The cards in your hand are mainly there to provide the "plot" of the story. It's still your job to tell it, and to tell it convincingly.<br /><br />If you have strong cards, the plot of the story is that you have descent cards and are hoping "lady luck" blows you a kiss. If you are successful in telling your story, this will cause other players with descent or strong cards to throw their money in the "fair" fight in hopes of winning the communal pot. If you have weak cards, the plot of the story is that you have strong cards and everyone better mind their distance. I know there's a lot more to it, but you get the idea.<br /><br />What makes poker so entertaining to watch is that everyone is pretending to have something they don't, or pretending to want something they already have. All of this is done to get as much as they can from the other players without actually having to reveal their own cards. Like I said, it's really fun to watch. What's not so fun to watch is when mortal man plays it with Almighty God. There are many problems with playing poker with God. First, He already knows what your holding, so your bluff won't work. Second, He's pretty boring at it. He doesn't bet or fold according to what the other players are doing. It's like He's playing by His own rules. In fact, it's more like He's not playing at all. In reality, we deal God a hand whether he's playing or not.<div><br /></div><div>One of the regular and oldest poker games exists between God and the so-called "atheists". I say "so-called" because the very purpose of the match is to convince others that there really is an absence of belief. Since the Bible says there exist no such absence, the atheist has no choice but to deal God a hand and hope He plays. The bluff of the atheist is to act as though his hand contains NO proof that there is a God. The atheist begins to act in such a way to portray that he has the weaker hand. They ignore evidence, and even ignore their own conscience, just to keep the story convincing. In poker, the purpose of appearing weak is to increase the size of the pot.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have you ever heard an atheist say, "If there's a God, then why does evil exists?" That's a topic in of itself, but the point is that the atheist weakens his hand to bait God into "sweetening" the pot, or giving into the pot as to make it more appealing to the other players. The atheist wants God to remove evil, sickness, global warming, and world hunger. Once the pot is sweetened enough to their evidentiary standards, they will gladly fold their hand without revealing their cards. At least, that's the plan. But it only works when you're opponent can be manipulated. <div><div><br /></div><div>When God doesn't give us the cure for cancer and cool the earth, the bluffer HAS to keep bluffing. The last thing the atheist wants is to still be playing during the last phase of the poker hand, the showdown. It is in the showdown, you MUST reveal your cards. The showdown is the judgement phase of the hand. The cards don't lie. No one wants to stand before Almighty God holding the wrong cards. And for the atheist, those cards are Romans 1:20, and Romans 1:21<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><blockquote>For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Romans 1:20-21</blockquote></span><br />Everyone is born with the knowledge of God. It's better to fold early.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another popular poker game exists between God has His own kids - the Christians. Not to be out done by the atheist, Christians are also notorious for playing down their hand so daddy can bless the pot, in Jesus' Name. Amen. You can spot these professional players from a mile away. You won't hear them talking about how great God is, or how better their life is now with Christ. You'll hear how life is unfair, God is far, or God doesn't care. You'll hear how they believe the relationship "ball" is in God's court, and that they have their doubts that God is gonna play ball. For them, life has asked some pretty hard questions and God has lots of explaining and reaching out to do. To them, God is only as good, faithful, or trustworthy as the last pot he's blessed.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of my former complaints about God was that He wasn't co-dependent. What good is my bluff if God doesn't need me to agree with Him. Most of us are so insecure about ourselves that we will climb mountains and swim oceans to get approval and acceptance. God is so NOT insecure, you won't find Him running behind everyone shouting, "Can I rephrase that?", or "What can I do to make you love me more?" God is God whether we agree with Him or not. He is good, whether we trust Him or not. He wants our best, whether we believe Him or not. We sometimes get this whole relationship with God backwards. God died once, and for all. He hung once, and He's not doing it again. If our opinion of Him isn't already settled, then there's nothing He can do the the "pot" to change it.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><blockquote>Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him. Job 13:15</blockquote></i></div><div><br /></div><div>If our attitude towards God isn't already trust and faith, then we've missed the point. God isn't moved by need. If that were true, India would be the most blessed country on Earth. There's more poverty and need in India than any place on the planet. It's not NEED that moves God. It's faith. God does NOTHING outside faith. You can't scare, manipulate, or shake Him down. He holds the universe in His hands. The sooner we realize that we're here to serve and give Him pleasure and not the other way around, the sooner we live a blessed and purpose filled life.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the story of the prodigal son, you'll recall that the father never went after his son. He didn't even talk him out of going. The father knew that his son could navigate back home. When we stray from God, He patiently waits. Reconciliation HAS to come from us. We have to already know that it was better to be in HIS house doing His will than outside doing our own. It makes no sense to go through life playing the weak hand. It is a hard lesson to learn that I need Him, and He doesn't need me. Whining, complaining, and acting like a victim is NOT how you show up on God's radar.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jesus passed by His enemies. Jesus passed by those wanting to kill Him. Jesus passed by those who didn't want Him. If fact, Jesus went out of his way to OFFEND the ones who had already made up their mind. There are too many people who depend on Him for God to be nervous about our poker faces. Yet we continue to play the weak hand and pack our bags in the event God calls our bluff. Like the prodigal son, we will eventually come around....right after we play a few hands with the pigs.</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-84632023682897160792009-10-24T08:42:00.001-05:002010-04-16T12:02:28.064-05:00The Gift of Love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWBqLh80K4czyegJwB77e703DPoi1GX9hvkw10d9JbaQycb8DhYddKdNAPe9-HU_oMdc3_6embTDpZDHa5fuefZZbOIAWW0-1wTjRp3L_Da5wZql4-wV6oYBa39oOllLnmdngpXjyMDcr/s1600-h/rainbowman.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389524169214359330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWBqLh80K4czyegJwB77e703DPoi1GX9hvkw10d9JbaQycb8DhYddKdNAPe9-HU_oMdc3_6embTDpZDHa5fuefZZbOIAWW0-1wTjRp3L_Da5wZql4-wV6oYBa39oOllLnmdngpXjyMDcr/s200/rainbowman.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 132px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>One of the most recognized verses in scripture is John 3:16. Even if you don't know what it says, you at least know it's there. The verse has become a part of our pop culture; showing up on signs, business cards, and even tattoos. It has been called the "Gospel in a nutshell" because it summarizes the story of God, in one verse:<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<blockquote><b><span style="font-style: italic;">For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16</span></b></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />
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I have a bad habit of using the wrong words to communicate. It is for this reason that my wife knows that I love her AND Popeye's Chicken. ( Isn't she special? ) Of course on most days, I love my wife more than Popeye's Chicken, but it is a perfect example of how weakened our words and ultimately, our relationships have become. Love is one of those words we casually throw around to describe how "good" something makes us feel. Because of my careless use of words, unless my wife "knows" me, she could assume that she is in the same league as fried chicken, Fridays, and Facebook. As American English speaking Christians, John 3:16 doesn't sound so potent anymore. We've watered-down words so much, that we have reduced the Gospel to forgettable and familiar cliches.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTWwbCUL-cCk4yLrNGITbW5Z2g9X6hvSwJW_SvKRbqagBtuheVm904aFViWVUI0YZMPeVKVSLy6QyHpLGOIrXw2iZnQOZDQOvd5IamtTOSCZ4r1pZsJlL8Dw8L5me8jhijqNOHe2I4f4S/s1600-h/He+Loves+Me+He+Loves+Me+Not.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389524981914943682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwTWwbCUL-cCk4yLrNGITbW5Z2g9X6hvSwJW_SvKRbqagBtuheVm904aFViWVUI0YZMPeVKVSLy6QyHpLGOIrXw2iZnQOZDQOvd5IamtTOSCZ4r1pZsJlL8Dw8L5me8jhijqNOHe2I4f4S/s200/He+Loves+Me+He+Loves+Me+Not.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 133px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>The problem with love is that everybody's saying it. Hearing that God loves me isn't that big of a deal to most of us. This is because we've heard it before, and we know how the game is played. Ask any guy why he loves his wife and you'll soon find the problem. He might say something like, "I love her because she treats me like a man", or "I love her because we make a great team" Ask a woman the same question, and you might hear; "I love him because I enjoy his company and he makes me happy."<br />
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The love we know is all about "MY" needs and "MY" best interests. We love people and things that make us happy. Therefore, We understand that others love us based on how we make them feel. We learn that as long as we are able to contribute to their well-being, they will add us to the list of people, places, and things, that they love, and who doesn't want to be on that list? Most of our relationships begin and end with US in mind. As long as there's something in it for us, we will continue to love them. Sadly, that is where we tend to lose God in the mix. We don't really have a problem with being loved by God. Our problem is that we don't understand why. I can easily make a list of why I think people love me. But God, well we just don't get it. I can treat God's love the same way I treat a hockey match on television. Because I don't understand it, I just change the channel.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />
<blockquote><b><span style="font-style: italic;">We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. 1John 4:16-17</span></b></blockquote><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLw6Mm8fBCvmSrU9PkhVvFIg9W_nJN50hv-h4Iw15WmLibTRu7FsRDWT69CkNId85QOj5e9i7Rh4LevBQ4upFK9wbnRUBFcjJWB-LUEdzMEHNdsmQZRjMOPjfPuUTTEhpKSzw8jxARccn/s1600-h/Rain.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389526449031994802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLw6Mm8fBCvmSrU9PkhVvFIg9W_nJN50hv-h4Iw15WmLibTRu7FsRDWT69CkNId85QOj5e9i7Rh4LevBQ4upFK9wbnRUBFcjJWB-LUEdzMEHNdsmQZRjMOPjfPuUTTEhpKSzw8jxARccn/s200/Rain.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 134px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>In Hebrew (the language of the Bible), there is no word for our definition of "love". The closest word in Hebrew is the word "Ahava", which means "I will give" or "giveness". Ahava is a state in which all I want to do is give. The reason God loves us is because He IS love. To God, Love is NOT an emotional response, it's who He is. To say that God loves us, is like saying the rain waters the ground. That's what rain does. The rain can't come and NOT give water. If there is no water, there is no rain. The rain doesn't make a choice. It doesn't pick and choose where its going to fall. It will fall on those who receive it and those who'll turn it away. It will fall on the garden, and it will fall on the concrete. God's love through Christ fell on the entire world, regardless of soil of your heart. God doesn't choose who He wants to love. There is no such concept in God, but WE do it all the time.<br />
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God's love is completely opposite of our view of love. Where we tend to analyze the relationship for "mutual" interests and benefits, Ahava says I will give regardless of what you do. There is no mutual benefit requirement for Ahava. God doesn't look down from Heaven and wait for us to do something cute so He can love us. God already loves us. God didn't create a focus group to find out what percentage of mankind would accept Him, if he came to earth and died. That's what we do. We don't like to waste our affection on folks who don't appreciate or recognize us for it. We don't waste our time, talents, and money on people who don't contribute. Those people don't DESERVE it. That's why God's love is confusing to us. Our definition of love is not even a word in the Hebrew Bible. Our definition makes us ask "why", "what's the catch", or "what's it gonna cost me?" We've been looking at love through the wrong eyes. We need to have God's perspective on love, not what our culture says. If we take the literal meaning of love, we get a better picture.<br />
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<blockquote><b><span style="font-style: italic;">Because God is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">giver</span>, to the world He <span style="font-weight: bold;">gave</span> His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16</span></b></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyIbFIwH-tflWCCiYiWmn6PO0ZsZskU3NIXYiUpfnfvyXz7xRF5xSs8yhhBJ37ja9kgGH18CQWouMvj31lM0Lo1emZcyAYk5KERKY2DgJ7C96wMhEe1Z8FLLSGUWINhgPfZ3q3BvAWNCX/s1600-h/Handshake.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389528979569278850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyIbFIwH-tflWCCiYiWmn6PO0ZsZskU3NIXYiUpfnfvyXz7xRF5xSs8yhhBJ37ja9kgGH18CQWouMvj31lM0Lo1emZcyAYk5KERKY2DgJ7C96wMhEe1Z8FLLSGUWINhgPfZ3q3BvAWNCX/s200/Handshake.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 173px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>The dictionary defines marriage as "a formal agreement between two companies or enterprises to combine operations, resources, etc.., for mutual benefit; merger." When analyzing our definition of marriage, I can't believe how America's divorce rate is as low as it is. That's astounding! Since half of all marriages end in divorce, our marriages are doing better than most businesses. Restaurants only have a 20% change of surviving two years. No one starts a marriage (or business) with the intention of failing, but when your definition requires the other entity to do their part, their are no guarantees. I have heard it said that marriage is a two way street. I have also heard it said that marriage is 50/50. It may sound good, but is it true? You wont find that definition in scripture.<br />
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In Hebrew, there is also no word for our definition of "marriage". The closest word in Hebrew is Nisuim or Nisuin, which means "to carry". In ancient Jewish weddings, the groom would "carry" the bride off to his tent to consummate the marriage. This is where we get the tradition of "carrying" our bride across the threshold. God didn't create the concept of mutual benefit, or merger. Man, culture, and tradition did. God's view of marriage was that I want to give what I have, BECAUSE YOU NEED IT!. Marriage was always the concept of I love you so much, that I can't help but want to carry you, and and I will carry you no matter how heavy you get. What would our divorce rate be if we adopted THAT concept. In reality, we already do that. We just call it "dating" or "courting". Once we tag em and bag em, its back to loving you as long as you do for me.<br />
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<blockquote><b><span style="font-style: italic;">But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at <span style="font-weight: bold;">first</span>! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at <span style="font-weight: bold;">first</span>. Revelation 2:4-5</span></b></blockquote><br />
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Could it be that marriages fail because love fails? During courtship, there was no such things as too much time or money. Before marriage, we had friends complaining that they never saw us anymore. Before marriage, we were borrowing money because we spent it all on our date. Before marriage, money, time, and other people's opinion didn't matter. We loved by giving. We KNEW what love was. But now we are "mature", and someone told us love was a two-way street. Someone told us that marriage was 50/50. Someone told us that we needed to tone it down because we were spoiling them. Someone told us that we needed to come to reality. They said it was just a phase. Enjoy the honeymoon, you'll come out of it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4jG4lo7pZt2aE0bYEziI0pqtaQ6oGebAUx-oxWWJx3fwNMlaVJu1evaT1fJMD44ZyuHA3AklO7zELp3IeJdnHSpWLTDZfPokypUGKJVGlfa4GBgSOypkZIMALt2XZTLVzX2tnssgk5BY/s1600-h/cellphonemarriage.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389531670149448482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4jG4lo7pZt2aE0bYEziI0pqtaQ6oGebAUx-oxWWJx3fwNMlaVJu1evaT1fJMD44ZyuHA3AklO7zELp3IeJdnHSpWLTDZfPokypUGKJVGlfa4GBgSOypkZIMALt2XZTLVzX2tnssgk5BY/s200/cellphonemarriage.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 166px;" /></a>The Bible says that we fall out of love, because we quit giving. We quit doing the things that made us fall in love, in the first place. Marriage teaches me to do my part, and expect you to do yours. It teaches us to compromise. It teaches us to meet in the middle. If I go to work, you raise the kids. If I cook the meal, you cut the grass. If I clean the house, you take out the trash. But Nisuim, teaches me to do everything. Nisuim says I'm gonna make the money, clean the house, cut the grass, and take out the trash. Nisuim says that I decide to give 100%, regardless of what you give. There is no Hebrew word for a mutual parasitic relationship. But we have one in English.<br />
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<blockquote><b><span style="font-style: italic;">But God showed his great <span style="font-weight: bold;">love</span> for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8</span></b></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-22722801136302042612009-10-14T11:54:00.000-05:002009-10-14T15:11:16.045-05:00Rest Area<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBS2NiedRviVpReUR8kb4-5wuSYc-V7KAcvTobnD1LSI5ftQf0rhHjnEq2HL5vyGXLNxsfKgxcN8PMZWt8qIFwFTKq5ax7c-WvXfs9Kgp2npowP1BT9r8qfVo8VAKrLOaGsuKrMsGEqSyY/s1600-h/restarea.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 102px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBS2NiedRviVpReUR8kb4-5wuSYc-V7KAcvTobnD1LSI5ftQf0rhHjnEq2HL5vyGXLNxsfKgxcN8PMZWt8qIFwFTKq5ax7c-WvXfs9Kgp2npowP1BT9r8qfVo8VAKrLOaGsuKrMsGEqSyY/s200/restarea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392500965350163330" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">A good friend of mine mentioned that my posts were becoming increasingly "preachy" and long. Because I love him so much, I'll give him a break and allow him to catch up. I admit, there was a definite theme with the last 10 or so posts, but that's where I was. That's why it's titled, "My Journey - Witness God lead, drag, and by gun point, take me into his perfect will." </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Being a Christian isn't about always appreciating the scenery, or choosing the pitstops. That's what separates Christianity from all the religions of the world. All of them say do this, don't do that, or turn here, and if you're lucky you'll arrive in heaven's parking lot. Christianity is about handing over the car keys. Firstly, because there's only one person who knows how to get there. We are born clueless to our purpose and have no idea how to navigate a weekend, much less navigate into eternity. Secondly, we're too drunk with life's problems to be able to steer. Talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous enough. Most of us go through life talking on multiple cell phones. We have a work phone, a family phone, a church phone, a sick grandmother phone, and a ADD child phone. But we start the car everyday and think we can juggle it all and STILL find out our destiny. I never know where I'll end up, but I'm at peace knowing that when I get there, I'm in HIS will, and I'm on His itinerary.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">There's an old Buddhist proverb that says, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." For the past few months, that has truly been the case. It's amazing what can happen in your life, in just a short time, if you quit watching the news. I became so disillusioned with current events and politics, that I decided to stay away from it. Of course, I did feed the beast a little snack every now and then with a few evenly spaced Facebook quips. But for the most part, I've stayed away from what has become to me, a cartoon. By not dwelling on Obama, Middle East drama, and economic trauma, I made myself ready. And when I settled down, God showed up with a fresh supply of peace, tranquility, hope, and joy.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><i></i></span></b><blockquote><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Hand over your keys, all who are too drunk, busy, and ignorant to drive, and I will let you nap in the back. You're gonna need your rest when I wake you up at the next stop. Matthew 11:28</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> ( New International Truck Drivers Version) (ok it's mine)</span></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-82415608557187749112009-09-28T16:05:00.001-05:002009-09-29T13:58:11.948-05:00Seeker Insensitive<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yjePNjnv4mIgsF4sS7cvZ2WnFk3VqJ7nNsNR-LejIOna1yVviGLa_L-CSbHKhvzZZEtxj80iRUvPXKTS9FxdQbVRzm9Km_pgoXi_T3Ab39EHgtfDRdgrodNrbFV8FEQHXwUExRs9Hs-G/s1600-h/jesushomeboy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yjePNjnv4mIgsF4sS7cvZ2WnFk3VqJ7nNsNR-LejIOna1yVviGLa_L-CSbHKhvzZZEtxj80iRUvPXKTS9FxdQbVRzm9Km_pgoXi_T3Ab39EHgtfDRdgrodNrbFV8FEQHXwUExRs9Hs-G/s200/jesushomeboy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386907614657992514" border="0" /></a><div>The most recent pit stop, in "my journey" through this Christian life, involves a wound that I've carried for a long time. In fact, It was a wound that I didn't know was there until God removed it. This wound, like most, began as a verbal offense. Most offenses are the result of theft. Theft is defined as "the taking of something without consent" If I "take" an offense, and none was given, then the offense is stolen. Most people don't intend to offend us, but that doesn't stop us from taking it.<br /><br />Have you ever observed someone irresponsibly lay down their wallet, keys, etc.? Have you ever taken it to teach them a lesson about taking care of their stuff? After a few minutes of anxiety, you finally give it to them, proud that you showed them a lesson. Being offended is similar. We easily justify our theft by convincing ourselves that they should have been more careful with their words. How dare they trample our feelings with their free-speech. They need to learn to pay more attention to their tone and choice of words. We take an offense and we teach them a lesson by becoming offended. We take what was not given to us, and we make it into something it else.<br /><br />If that wasn't bad enough, sometimes we take it, but don't tell them. That's called teaching them a "valuable" lesson. We take it forever. We hide it, and nurse it. We never tell them that we're offended. The only way they will ever know, is if they figure it out through the many clues we leave behind at family gatherings. Sometimes we leave a big clue and tell someone else. Then we deny it later to really make them sweat it out. It's normal for us to hide what we steal. Hidden offenses thrive in cold dark conditions. If they stay too long, they grow and cause infections. That infection creates a wound that brings pain for as long as the offense is hidden. Have you ever taken an offense that ate you up inside? Did the person you take it from KNOW that you took it?<br /><br />A few years ago, I stole an offense from one of the leaders of a church I was attending. It turned out to be disastrous and completely changed the course of relationships. For years I harbored resentment towards the way they did ministry and their approach to people. I became disillusioned with the seeker sensitive, purpose driven model that so many churches have adopted. Church became dull and boring. I began to wonder why so many similar churches were making members instead of disciples. The sermons, the music, the activities; all were geared toward bringing the crowd into the church doors. I was all for bringing in the crowd, but what about the core? What about the struggling, hurting, and wounded brothers and sisters, who were no longer apart of the crowd, but now spending every waking minute volunteering and working to bring <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">them</span> in? Who is ministering to them? Who is helping to carry their burdens?<br /><br />For years, I loathed the term "seeker". I've always felt the seeking was to be done OUTSIDE the doors of the church. I thought seeking was done at schools, workplaces, and laundry mats. When did the church service become an infomercial for people who might happen to walk through the doors that Sunday? If I wanted to go to a higher level, a deeper understanding, or a closer walk with God: who would I follow? Who would be my guide?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Pn6oZK6JcK49D28gNxXtbg16LZ7IEO5gse0W1xnzcjU2aKxwWdr6l03l72rXbbVfrnmbNiWkwvIyiTrcrJ1Dy1HEPs6f3xkYiaQmbhw4V5GsdkqN2VYqfcb4ZXsP5ZW0RZ-3UyWFKKS5/s1600-h/Formal_Living_Room.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Pn6oZK6JcK49D28gNxXtbg16LZ7IEO5gse0W1xnzcjU2aKxwWdr6l03l72rXbbVfrnmbNiWkwvIyiTrcrJ1Dy1HEPs6f3xkYiaQmbhw4V5GsdkqN2VYqfcb4ZXsP5ZW0RZ-3UyWFKKS5/s200/Formal_Living_Room.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386908223002886370" border="0" /></a>It's interesting that the seeker movement came around the same time "formal" living rooms started showing up in house plans. Families needed a room to entertain guests who didn't live there. They needed a place to showcase their cleanliness and how perfect their house was. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Take my word for it. All the rooms look like this</span>. ) Seeker Churches decided they needed the same thing. Over time, Sunday services became like the "formal" living room. It needed to be clean, traditional, and less homely. So if the Sunday service was the formal living room, where did the "real" living take place? Where did the family get to be themselves? Where would they get a chance to take their shoes off, and take off the masks? Well, we created cell groups for that.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own. – Bill Hybels</span></blockquote><br /></div><br /><div> </div><span class="verse Exod_16_4">Don't be so hard on yourself Bill. You did exactly what God wanted you to do.</span> The quickest path to peace is acceptance, and God has brought me into acceptance with seeker churches. After Moses led the Jews out of Egypt, they came to rest in the desert. God never intended that they stay in the desert. He wanted them to go through the desert and move into the promised land. But most of the Jews didn't want to go. They didn't think it was worth the fight. God brought them out of Egypt. They didn't earn it or work for it. But the promised land was something that had to be fought over. Hybels believes he should have taught the people to become 'self feeders'. That's great, but what if they don't want to be self feeders? Well God has a backup plan.<br /><br /><span class="verse Exod_16_4"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Then the L</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="vsmallcaps">ord </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> said to Moses, "Look, I'm going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. Exodus 16:4</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Nvbeon-0GcjZfmv-MKXeXEGkatxwz7O9pLwOnXzyfKB-1EQXtguCZ17KhqJKO8nJW1wCMGF-9zENZC1VtjxkDxirCrK37cHGtcOMP9v1VafUgD6L8c0G-R7cxOkyxdIr2z-qXcuIkWk1/s1600-h/tent_desert.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Nvbeon-0GcjZfmv-MKXeXEGkatxwz7O9pLwOnXzyfKB-1EQXtguCZ17KhqJKO8nJW1wCMGF-9zENZC1VtjxkDxirCrK37cHGtcOMP9v1VafUgD6L8c0G-R7cxOkyxdIr2z-qXcuIkWk1/s200/tent_desert.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386917080036951922" border="0" /></a><span class="verse Exod_16_4">I have come to accept the reality that there will always be people who receive God's free gift of salvation, and refuse to go any further. Sadly, more people will choose to pitch their tent in the desert, than go fight the enemy. But God in His infinite love and mercy will feed them regardless of their decision to stay where they are. The Apostle Paul understood the tendency to accept Jesus and just wait for Heaven.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="verse Heb_6_1"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;" class="verse Heb_6_1">So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Hebrews 6:1</span></blockquote><br /><span class="verse Exod_16_4"><br />God and He alone, brought them out of Egypt. That made hungry wilderness Jews His responsibility. I believe God not only allows, but blesses, seeker churches because they are STILL feeding people. No longer will I look at them in contempt or in judgment. I regret past comments I've made about other churches, and I realize that ALL churches are needed. God took care of His people even though they didn't want to go any farther, and I believe He still does. There are a lot of people who need Christ. We need all the churches we can build. Because I am a self-feeder, I'll be at peace if God ever wants me to attend a seeker church again. I'll work instead of whine. I'll participate instead of put off. I'll be anything God wants me to be. Souls are at stake, friends. It's time to get the job done, and quit stealing.<br /></span><div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law,s I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. 1 Corinthians 9 19-23</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-54791367232231669772009-09-22T15:38:00.000-05:002009-09-23T10:00:37.873-05:00Days of Our Lives<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_scGIT7j8x1chobq6NQneqEPqcCSnBXfmVQmTwfqKeU6v-SG-5o7GfyrSjzYaa2a0sNraXFXn2LoyI-EIrfrBgTxdNUjMMb9vUFn0hLdnXeLsAFC_-RNEZNTR3q58az9GhutYlUpyGuM5/s1600-h/hourglass.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_scGIT7j8x1chobq6NQneqEPqcCSnBXfmVQmTwfqKeU6v-SG-5o7GfyrSjzYaa2a0sNraXFXn2LoyI-EIrfrBgTxdNUjMMb9vUFn0hLdnXeLsAFC_-RNEZNTR3q58az9GhutYlUpyGuM5/s200/hourglass.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384396423292903682" border="0" /></a>One of the interesting aspects of creation is that God took six days to create everything. The Bible doesn't say that creation took six days. It says, God <span style="font-weight: bold;">took</span> six days. There is a huge difference. Creation taking six days, implies that God underestimated the scope of work, and finally finished on the sixth day. God could have done everything in an hour, but He chose to take six days.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Genesis 2:2</span></blockquote><br />The word 'rested' in Hebrew is "shabath". It literally means "to quit" or "to cease". God didn't quit because He ran out of nails. He didn't get tired, or realize that He had dinner plans. He chose to quit, and He knew exactly when it was going to happen. Most of us never choose when we quit. It is always the result of us running out of money, energy, or time. Most of us never to choose to rest. We work until we have to take a break. Have you ever heard someone say, "I need a vacation?" The problem is that we wait until it's needed.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. - Thomas Jefferson</span></blockquote><br />Why not Mr. Jefferson? What's the hurry? God created birds and fish on Day 5, but "put off" beasts for Day 6. God could have created everything in the first day, but He strategically created the universe in a specific order. God started and stopped for a purpose. He rested for a purpose. Even in creation, God was speaking to us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqo7I-RFS7c2-iqCZx2Je6t8TbzxPJv5MajiIHFS2i7o0DAb5dn6U9CcGPSP8IY1EfImOaJVKUsvHdP8sa9bOf9m3xj94E1ph5frhRIEAdjw37Gj1k5B89YWSlxW0_RSV2msIY4btFXQsC/s1600-h/underconstruction.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqo7I-RFS7c2-iqCZx2Je6t8TbzxPJv5MajiIHFS2i7o0DAb5dn6U9CcGPSP8IY1EfImOaJVKUsvHdP8sa9bOf9m3xj94E1ph5frhRIEAdjw37Gj1k5B89YWSlxW0_RSV2msIY4btFXQsC/s200/underconstruction.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384400815548426658" border="0" /></a>Creation tells us that rest is more important than completion. On Day 2, God created our atmosphere. He created our sky and what we call, the ozone. But He didn't create birds until Day 5. You would think that if God had all day to create something, He would have more to show for it than just more empty space. Unlike Us, God doesn't feel the pressure to stay late after work. God didn't feel like His sky was missing something. He didn't think the sky needed birds before He could punch out and call it a day. How often do we keep going because our work just isn't done yet? We do THIS, but it needs THAT. We have a picture in our mind of what it's "supposed" to look like. We spend days, months, and years "tweaking" our life, so that one day we can enjoy it. God didn't call His sky a "work in progress", He called it GOOD.<br /><br />We will never enjoy our skies today, if we can't wait for our birds tomorrow. So many times, we miss opportunities of rest, because we aren't completely satisfied with our NOW. We can't enjoy our house NOW, because the carpets need to be replaced. We can't enjoy our job NOW, because I'm not in management yet. We can't relax NOW, because we still need to unload the dishwasher. God knew birds were going to be flying in His sky, but He was completely OK with waiting a few days.<br /><br />The reason that I am in debt NOW, is because I can't wait until tomorrow. The credit card allows me to get my sky AND my birds all in the same day. It allows me to "never pay cash tomorrow what I can charge today". Debt and lusting for everything now, is a major reason most will never enter into financial rest. I know people who won't get a job NOW, because the job they could get today only pays minimum wage. In their mind, it is OK to earn nothing while they "hold out" for something else. If there house was flooded, they would rather let MasterCard, the government, or their parents sustain them on their rooftop until a yacht, and nothing less, is able to rescue them.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. Zechariah 4:10</span></blockquote><br />Creation also tells us that our rest is more important than our needs. On Day 3, God created the plants, but He didn't create the Sun until Day 4. How insensitive is God that He would allow His precious plants to be without sunlight for for a whole day. Obviously He doesn't understand how photosynthesis works. Have you ever left for vacation, and forgot to make arrangements for someone to feed your pets? Have you ever felt like God left for vacation, and forgot about YOU and your circumstances? It is easy to get excited, worried, and stressed out when you feel like you are all alone, and now one knows what your going through. We believe God takes care of us, but it sure seems like He's not in as much of a hurry as we are. I learned very quickly, God is NEVER in a hurry. If I think God is taking to long, then its because I don't really trust Him like I say I do.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToH7zXsAcoXyyaGqhgw3coiUCszd45MDr4SqmiFyuoTvpz3DgmxPhyphenhyphenemNlszdMUxNiJGyKwX_Mn9xTPorWwBXWuhmhCie9CIeQ5ihLI4_MhWKa8rY5AZUXaDVl3IXIIaFxoMLy-6Djarp/s1600-h/lastmeal.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToH7zXsAcoXyyaGqhgw3coiUCszd45MDr4SqmiFyuoTvpz3DgmxPhyphenhyphenemNlszdMUxNiJGyKwX_Mn9xTPorWwBXWuhmhCie9CIeQ5ihLI4_MhWKa8rY5AZUXaDVl3IXIIaFxoMLy-6Djarp/s200/lastmeal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384401435580156194" border="0" /></a>No matter how good it is, you will never enjoy a meal, that you call your last. Have you ever had trouble going to sleep because you knew what would be sitting in the rocking chair when you woke up? Our rest is often stolen by the cares of tomorrow. God has the benefit of knowing the end AND the beginning. We don't. We may want look at our life NOW and say darkness, coldness, or hopelessness. But from God's perspective, it's still GOOD. The Sun WILL rise in your life. Even if he hasn't created it yet.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Give your burdens to the Lord , and he will take care of you. Psalms 55:22</span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6</span></blockquote><br />God is in control. He wants us to rest. He wants us to trust Him. Our lives look unfinished for a reason. We're unfinished people. But that isn't a reason to get sweaty and nervous. He's on a schedule, and He's is enjoying every minute of your life. Your sky may be unfinished, but it's only Day 2 and there's a good reason. If he gave you the birds NOW, where would they build their nests? He doesn't create dry ground until Day 3.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><blockquote>For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9</blockquote></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-15303613827999728912009-09-14T14:26:00.001-05:002009-09-15T14:50:19.040-05:00Belle of the Ball<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxlxvBMhzFY3Yiv6xcUG8es8hEEmXc4zMwyfLQYO_6CK2bRgAP02jrDO0iHZrdXZ5Hisk9F6c_MtuLe1djYqLeNBI7Xwg1iZVk6mkkw2umhLsPmppj_cwZA155rEnaCLEdG1ls1-PXY0Y/s1600-h/cinderella.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTxlxvBMhzFY3Yiv6xcUG8es8hEEmXc4zMwyfLQYO_6CK2bRgAP02jrDO0iHZrdXZ5Hisk9F6c_MtuLe1djYqLeNBI7Xwg1iZVk6mkkw2umhLsPmppj_cwZA155rEnaCLEdG1ls1-PXY0Y/s200/cinderella.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381679791488113922" border="0" /></a>One of the arguments against becoming a Christian, is that Christians are no different than the rest of the world. I disagree. They are worse. But this is just my opinion, and I call myself a Christian. That may sound harsh, but let me explain. People expect Christians to be certain way. And when they're not, it is very disappointing. Most of the time, you can find us living in the outskirts of Normalville.<br /><div><br />You can easily spot the Cinderella Christians. They dress, act, and talk holy, but are really no different than the rest of us. They don't go to church, they go to the ball. They put on their best smile and manners, and act like they belong there. But Cinderella can't go the distance. Her disguise only lasts until noon, or 30 minutes before kickoff (whichever is sooner). For Cinderella, Christianity is not a philosphy. It is a religion, an escape, a fill-up, or a check box on an ever increasing list of things to do. Cinderella Christians are hourly and need to mind the clock. If they stay out too long, their cover will be blown to pumpkin seeds.<br /><br />Cinderella wears her Christianity, but Lady Tremaine enforces the dress code. I have been turned off by many wicked Stepmothers of Jesus than I care to name. They believe themselves to be gatekeepers of all that is holy and good. They are experts in Christian living and serve us mortals as heavenly hall monitors. If you prove yourself worthy, they might even invite you over for a Christian video and show you their collection of glass slippers. The stepmothers of Christianity wear their religion on their sleeve, and are easily offended by the Cinderellas for their lack of commitment and loyalty. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1VePVzarIBtkiXCLpgUJ-UGE2c1LCeNDknKDhr0wUlSKTINkCMhPp4sLD804e34pMRMmU6NxfUrVUt2pSJr-Dt9EYTNGywCViee2DrcELPLkI5YpYqiz6_Fkk3SDe-MrgOPDBj-_poXc/s1600-h/tremaine1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1VePVzarIBtkiXCLpgUJ-UGE2c1LCeNDknKDhr0wUlSKTINkCMhPp4sLD804e34pMRMmU6NxfUrVUt2pSJr-Dt9EYTNGywCViee2DrcELPLkI5YpYqiz6_Fkk3SDe-MrgOPDBj-_poXc/s200/tremaine1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381681771577562946" border="0" /></a>Nothing ticks them off more than watching Cinderella attend church AND get to go home and be casual. Cinderellas only fool other Christians, but the religious stepmothers have to fool everyone, all the time. That's not fair!<br /></div><div><em><blockquote>When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. Galatians 2:12-13</blockquote></em></div><div>Peter was a "Cinderella" because he ate with non-Jews ONLY when the Jews weren't looking. When Peter was in the company of Jews, he would turn his back on the Gentiles and morph into the custodian of clean cuisine. Living a balanced life is something I have to choose moment to moment. I often jump between being Cinderella and Jesus' stepmother. It depends on who I am hanging around with. So what causes us to be like Peter? What causes us to flip flop on our beliefs to the confusion of others? What makes us want to put on our costumes one minute, or sleep in our uniforms the next? What makes Christianity so irrelevant to the outside world?</div><br /><div>I believe the answer revolves around our understanding of what makes one a Christian. For most folk, Christianity is a religion that needs to be followed. For others, it is an experience that needs to be felt. The truth is, its a position that needs to be accepted. Salvation is not <strong>conditional</strong>, it is <strong>positional</strong>.</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><blockquote>For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:6</blockquote></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqIepk0haEO0OqqjYsvuhkCd-tiOStE6vPMGD6hHRN2aQcZO9CqqsGPWDTeKxv8pSjRucphk0P8ahKVo4L1CYsg-simEeI8mN-US3wzLTvIfks38JvqySa_fqzQHN8og014ZLF1Hw6bvG/s1600-h/traffic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqIepk0haEO0OqqjYsvuhkCd-tiOStE6vPMGD6hHRN2aQcZO9CqqsGPWDTeKxv8pSjRucphk0P8ahKVo4L1CYsg-simEeI8mN-US3wzLTvIfks38JvqySa_fqzQHN8og014ZLF1Hw6bvG/s200/traffic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381682112626895586" border="0" /></a>It is hard to believe that we are seated in heaven when we are sitting in traffic, at the laundry mat, or laid up in a hospital bed. The reason why most Christians become Cinderella or the Stepmothers in Christ is because they believe salvation is conditional. Cinderellas need to act, talk, and be a certain way so as to prove they are saved. Stepmothers think they need to maintain it every 3000 miles or else they void the warranty. THAT is when Christianity becomes a religion. Christianity was never supposed to be a religion. Religion is man's way of reconciling himself to God. Christianity is a philosophy that understands that God already reconciled man to Himself. We had nothing to do with it.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">And not only </span><i style="font-style: italic;">that,</i><span style="font-style: italic;"> but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Romans 5:11</span><br /></blockquote>The Bible doesn't say we earn reconciliation. It says we receive it. But who wants something for nothing? Christians are no different than the rest of the world. One of the reasons we act weird is because we have truly received a gift, and we are having a hard time accepting that we didn't deserve it. This isn't an excuse, it's the truth. We go around propping ourselves up, exaggerating our deeds, and sometimes confusing the hell out of everyone else. We can get so crazy that no one wants to follow us into a Wal-Mart much less follow us to heaven. We can't give someone else the love of Christ if we are too busy trying to pay Him back. It is human nature to first say "What's the catch?" and then think of ways to do them favors.<br /><br />Some try to earn salvation (religion), but others think they deserved it. Just like with anything free, there will always be people who believe they were entitled to it. This is a dangerous place to be as you can easily believe that some DON'T deserve it. Have you ever been around a Christian who looked down at you? Have you ever looked down at someone else, and deduced in your mind why they were "down there" in the first place? Salvation is simple. Christianity is simple. Christians and religion are not.<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3</blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm46bDHsnHC12iE2MClgLoUrIDWdMacUVZvitOy4ABdUQyjmh0BtwxkuhjVHJpP38PzPxStIWt0wiBxMFfvCPDM_zJBjkhOk2KJutGND0LSsVb2mBsePIrEwF5xBCl3_HDMBtTRTc-NDMv/s1600-h/money-bag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm46bDHsnHC12iE2MClgLoUrIDWdMacUVZvitOy4ABdUQyjmh0BtwxkuhjVHJpP38PzPxStIWt0wiBxMFfvCPDM_zJBjkhOk2KJutGND0LSsVb2mBsePIrEwF5xBCl3_HDMBtTRTc-NDMv/s200/money-bag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381689016373405906" border="0" /></a>Don't let the simplicity of salvation move you away from Christ. And if you're not a Christian, don't let the religion of others deter you from the love Christ has for you. If you found a counterfeit bill inside of a bag of money, would you throw out the entire bag? No, you would throw out the counterfeit. Don't let a bad experience, marriage, church, etc. keep you from accepting something genuine and beautiful. You can come to God NOW, and just as you are.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">And you </span><i style="font-style: italic;">He made alive,</i><span style="font-style: italic;"> who were dead in trespasses and sins Ephesians 2:1</span></blockquote>Salvation is positional, not conditional. Most of us need to shake off our religion and return to true Christianity. Christianity is not a social club of elite Jesus groupies. No one ever found Jesus. He wasn't lost. He found us, and we were as good as dead. He took our dead spirit and reconciled us back to God. What gives us the right to pull people over and give them a sobriety test before we share the love of Jesus with them?<br /><br />For us Cinderellas, stop dressing up. It hurts to much to walk around in costume looking constipated. Eventually, who you really are will come out. And the fact that you tried to hide it, will end up hurting more people. Evil Stepmothers, chill out! When Christ found you, you didn't even have a pulse. No one wants to feel intimidated, made less than, or unworthy.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14</span><br /></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-0l0KvQyajTmTdtjGvJcsUJV7g3QNzQ_No9DVmqAJfooxQqgnJb3AWYCIZ2RSJffvr1y4c6huWoc4XWxS-43vMFOJ6mx0-8zC0N1A_V6bbHaVzsEbb_Uy-f4MsE-TVor3ofXP6XVfAJf/s1600-h/ultimate_flash.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-0l0KvQyajTmTdtjGvJcsUJV7g3QNzQ_No9DVmqAJfooxQqgnJb3AWYCIZ2RSJffvr1y4c6huWoc4XWxS-43vMFOJ6mx0-8zC0N1A_V6bbHaVzsEbb_Uy-f4MsE-TVor3ofXP6XVfAJf/s200/ultimate_flash.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381689286221244898" border="0" /></a>The problem with being the light of the world is that we enjoy shinning it in each others eye. Oh God, heal those whom I have blinded and give me another chance to shine. I promise to tone it down a bit.<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-57068900417574466322009-09-08T16:30:00.000-05:002009-09-09T12:23:19.053-05:00War of the Words<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYPkBWhlsJAR_QDzjVMPWw1JjBncLSXskgCoj4btA8PSfDWgfM_Z54TynVzL8CIgQZUCyiUW0ZTOfm97Fs9GJ4AutZ1eZHIr0nf_D493_nRLMN-l_Bw5cnD3u-cs-JydYqXw2-sILAx0M/s1600-h/warofthewords.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; float: left; height: 174px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379514306150848130" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYPkBWhlsJAR_QDzjVMPWw1JjBncLSXskgCoj4btA8PSfDWgfM_Z54TynVzL8CIgQZUCyiUW0ZTOfm97Fs9GJ4AutZ1eZHIr0nf_D493_nRLMN-l_Bw5cnD3u-cs-JydYqXw2-sILAx0M/s200/warofthewords.JPG" border="0" /></a></span> <div><span style="font-size:85%;">Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Faultier words have never been spoken. Most of us are not walking around on crutches due to someone breaking our bones. However, we have been crippled at some point, because of the words of other people. The problem with words is that a lot of us don't understand its purpose. Most of us believe words are only used to communicate. We understand verbal and written words are used to share feelings and emotions as well as transfer knowledge and facts. But communication is the secondary purpose of words. Creation is its primary purpose.<br /><br /></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:3</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />God spoke the very first words of our known universe. Notice, he wasn't talking to anyone. He spoke in order to create, not communicate. Words are the seeds of creation. God didn't create light by thinking about it. He didn't meditate on it. He didn't write it down and put it under his pillow or stick it on the bathroom mirror. He spoke it. God used the spoken word as the tool of choice to create and shape this world into existence.<br /><br /></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:3</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Words not only have meaning, they have power. Words always create FIRST, and communicate second. When I give someone encouragement, I unknowingly create a feeling and emotion that translates into that person desiring to continue and exceed expectations. Even though my comment was meant to communicate praise or recognition, I ended up creating a positive and fertile environment for more fruit. The opposite happens when I give discouragement. My intention may be to communicate disapproval, but I am in danger of creating a negative environment that demotivates and causes that person to feel personal rejection.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLcUwmIVKhcjgIVYWjFfsP1z1x_jTC0mYUB4ULx3aEN1NMvP0y8ufdWQfE87Y8d78_AAZ8ig4flUgPPGoDmPdKDOJ9qNrKz6syi87LXffhVWEt2cT7CMpyqoe5QdXWKpZ27QrhRKO56Hx/s1600-h/standing-ovation-0907-lg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLcUwmIVKhcjgIVYWjFfsP1z1x_jTC0mYUB4ULx3aEN1NMvP0y8ufdWQfE87Y8d78_AAZ8ig4flUgPPGoDmPdKDOJ9qNrKz6syi87LXffhVWEt2cT7CMpyqoe5QdXWKpZ27QrhRKO56Hx/s200/standing-ovation-0907-lg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379514618402793698" border="0" /></a>It's not that hard a concept when you think about it. When someone receives a standing ovation or trophy, we don't expect them to stand there like their from Vulcan and acknowledge that they were just doing their job. Everyone takes it personal when they receive praise and recognition. We can't help it. So we shouldn't act surprised when people take it personally when we hit them with criticism or disapproval. We often defend ourselves by saying, "its just business." We say, "don't take it personal, here comes some constructive criticism". Constructive criticism is one of the most brainless terms in the English language. It basically means, I'm going to build up, BY TEARING DOWN! It's disingenuous, and it doesn't translate into the real world. There is no such thing as "constructive criticism" when your wife is trying on a new outfit.<br /><br /></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />It's interesting that God said "death" before he said "life". Perhaps it is because He already knows what we are predisposed to. I've never had to excuse myself from a family meal because someone was being too kind. I've never had to turn off the television because the news was just too good. I've never kept what God was telling me, a secret, because I knew my friends would be too supportive. When we make our pros and cons list, we don't need help on the cons side. When we want to go back to school, we have plenty of reasons why we shouldn't, and only a couple of why we should. When couples are separated, they can talk for hours about the reasons they should get a divorce, but rarely do they mention reasons why they shouldn't. We have no problems justifying why we can't do things, and we will gladly help other come to the same conclusion.<br /><br /></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. Proverbs 6:2</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Thank God it doesn't say, you are snared by the thoughts of your mind. The Bible doesn't say that you are what you think. Most of my thoughts are not pure, honest, and good. But that doesn't mean that I am those things. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God judges our thoughts. It says that God judges our hearts. You can't control what comes into your brain, but you can control what you think and meditate on. And you can certainly control what comes out of your mouth. Your success, prosperity, and fulfillment in life hinges on what you believe about yourself. Do you believe what God says about you, or do you believe what other people say about you?<br /><br />Words, like guns, are amoral. They can be used for good as well as evil. Words can build up, but they can also tear down. Words don't know motive or intent. Have you ever had to defend yourself because you said something, that you didn't mean? Most of us have had to go back and explain ourselves, because we used the wrong words. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">If only words knew our heart and intentions before they decided to fly off our tongues. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">We've all heard the expression, "think before you speak." </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLelo2qTbYuxLnLo32uU9lgOebd9L83KyWEwe9_uf4QOJ5e_kC2SAZCnPwn7zsDtyDqBZJeWgIQ09znpqHQ30gb2WH-IPAazDiPVFkf8zYzrs5uNhGIze0TeLJwdJkB4eGKDnmfXCIGrbj/s1600-h/are_you_sure.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 216px; float: right; height: 168px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379215895802930898" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLelo2qTbYuxLnLo32uU9lgOebd9L83KyWEwe9_uf4QOJ5e_kC2SAZCnPwn7zsDtyDqBZJeWgIQ09znpqHQ30gb2WH-IPAazDiPVFkf8zYzrs5uNhGIze0TeLJwdJkB4eGKDnmfXCIGrbj/s400/are_you_sure.png" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;">We don't get any mulligans when we speak before thinking. The best we can do is get out the ketchup, because it makes the crow easier to swallow. You know, Microsoft Office had some annoyances, but their heart was in the right place.<br /><br />Positive confession is not the same as positive thinking. Thinking positive causes you to face the right direction, but in reality, it gets you nowhere. Positive thinking is like believing in God. Most people believe in God, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">wooptido</span>, so what? Believing in God doesn't change your life, it just means you're not an idiot. Many people have said "I believe in God", but that's not the same as saying, "I agree with God". Our eternity isn't based on believing with our brain that the life we're living isn't an accident. Our eternity is based on confession. It is based on agreeing with God. Our salvation in Jesus is made manifest by us speaking God's light into our existence. It's not a head knowledge. It's a heart knowledge. We are not what we believe in our brains. We are, however, what we believe in our hearts. God existing in our brains doesn't change us, God existing in our heart does.<br /><br /></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">For as a man thinks </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >in his heart</span><span style="font-size:85%;">, so is he will be. Proverbs 23:7</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />There exist among us, a 'war of the words'. Some words come straight from our brains and out of our mouth. Some originate from our hearts. When disciplining my son, I often have him repeat words back to me. I know that when he says them, they are not coming from his heart. My goal is to have him repeat them often enough so that they will eventually BE in his heart. Some of us have heard negative things repeated to us so often, that they are now part of who we believe ourselves to be. Some of us have been called losers so much that we believe in our hearts that we are, and we act accordingly.<br /><br />The words of our hearts and the words of our mind are in constant battle. This is the same battle that causes a 80 pound woman to look into a mirror and believe she is fat. It doesn't matter that the eyes connected to her brain see bones poking through her skin. Her wounded heart is speaking louder than her brain. We are who we believe in our hearts. Whether or not our heart is telling us the truth, is irrelevant.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eYhhJNIO_qLgE5UoZy5Izk91qg72CxfbLfHEpj2GMOy0fR_t97sRXBWScnFUpjcZleiWxPjhi-3gMm57A8nZ-1JlCV8X9sQOaWbddz83RaKQIxAW7gRaFNUCLrU506RT6TFkOu9ALgyh/s1600-h/peerpressure.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eYhhJNIO_qLgE5UoZy5Izk91qg72CxfbLfHEpj2GMOy0fR_t97sRXBWScnFUpjcZleiWxPjhi-3gMm57A8nZ-1JlCV8X9sQOaWbddz83RaKQIxAW7gRaFNUCLrU506RT6TFkOu9ALgyh/s200/peerpressure.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379515646156622994" border="0" /></a>So how do we fight this battle? How do we know who to believe? Do we believe what our parents, friends, and teachers say about us? Do we believe "science" and our brains. Do we believe our feelings and our hearts? The answer is simple. We believe God. Everything else changes. Feelings, people, and science are always changing. We need to believe and confess something that never changes. We need to believe what He says about us. We need to confess with our mouth, what He already said.<br /><br />Most of us are carrying around a lifetime of pain and guilt, created by the words of other people. The only remedy is to create a new life using the words of God. Positive thinking won't make it better, but positive confession will. If the words of other people and your own mind got you where you are today, just think about what the words of the living God will do for your life. Don't just stay positive. Don't just think positive. Speak positive! Words are not magical, they are powerful. So powerful, that heaven requires you to SPEAK them.<br /><br /></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >confess with your mouth</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Most people won't come over for dinner, unless you invite them first. Jesus is one of those people. He couldn't have made it any easier. </span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-44169869301919181852009-08-31T15:28:00.000-05:002009-09-01T12:08:20.709-05:00Only As Good As.....<span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LnpSsHNA8fiKYB47GSiHtIZKHP7uUHOXWKIzLVkt-33BeVgyTaOKKztEQEj9sswuy4Jd1KBD49x5skx0Sd78eICrBu_pFOyRUSyDwqdZZhYfZK8D6iRNlIXK1zz7LeFKlRaeW-kgPvbT/s1600-h/gigli.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LnpSsHNA8fiKYB47GSiHtIZKHP7uUHOXWKIzLVkt-33BeVgyTaOKKztEQEj9sswuy4Jd1KBD49x5skx0Sd78eICrBu_pFOyRUSyDwqdZZhYfZK8D6iRNlIXK1zz7LeFKlRaeW-kgPvbT/s200/gigli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376523162240134642" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >There's an expression in the movie business that goes, 'you're only as good as your last picture'. Some have adopted the phrase and applied it to their own experiences. Athletes have learned, you're only as good as your last game. Models know, you're only as good as your last hairstyle. Writers are only as good as their last piece, and friends are only as good as their last piece of advice.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >It is a reality of life. Humans are "now" people. We live moment to moment and poll to poll. We care little about adventure and cling to whats comfortable and popular. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >We are a society of microwaves, drive-thru windows, and 10 items or less(even if we have 11). We want what we want, and we want it now. It makes no difference if we've been friends since the fourth grade. So what that you helped pay my rent, put gas in my car, and bailed me out of jail 3 times. It doesn't even matter that we have the same momma. How are you helping me now and what are you bringing to my table? If you don't agree, count the friends you have, that are poorer than you. Friends with jet skis, time-shares, swimming pools, and four wheelers are on back order.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I like a good chase movie. It is especially funny to watch the ones involving a boat or plane. Almost always, is there a scene where the bad guy isn't going fast enough. He immediately begins dumping cargo, and sometimes people, to lighten the load. He needs to get somewhere fast, and he doesn't care who or what gets tossed out. Everything but the gold, will be thrown into the ocean, or sky, and he won't feel bad that you left without a parachute.<br /><br />Have you ever felt so heavy with life, that you "lost" a few folks along the way? Have you ever wanted something so bad, it didn't matter who you had to throw overboard to get it? We have all had times in our life where the pressure of "the moment" has made us do things we wouldn't have normally done. Some of us have relatives we haven't spoken to in YEARS because of something stupid they said at Thanksgiving dinner 12 years ago. To us, it doesn't matter that they are a good person. Maybe they apologized, maybe they didn't. We forgot about their history, or what's really true about them. We made a quick decision and it has affected the course of the relationship. We wanted us to be right, and them to be wrong so bad, that when the opportunity presented itself, it was man overboard! I've already thrown them from the boat. To circle back now, would waste too much time.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I have heard many Christians say, "I'm mad at God." When I first heard those words, I was surprised to see them in church the following Sunday. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Not because I wasn't expecting them to show up, but because I wasn't expecting them to be breathing. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I thought for sure, God was gonna show them who's boss. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I was afraid that IF I saw them, they would be in a hospital gown eating through a straw. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I quickly learned that God isn't provoked like I am, n</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >or does he need to prove himself. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >God does what He does, and says what He says. </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc88H_p_zDKMK-DBQVRcCQv6Zi7ZgtcoXtySGpY2DGnoyh6nzqg503Dwy7lvAnqo2VxzmZpAkyM78H_ahzF9Lrbqc21KvMyqM_aUW0Lc4VGPtv8trWiiDHbpqvbHdfAdleXXjRRZPttR8P/s1600-h/child_crying.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc88H_p_zDKMK-DBQVRcCQv6Zi7ZgtcoXtySGpY2DGnoyh6nzqg503Dwy7lvAnqo2VxzmZpAkyM78H_ahzF9Lrbqc21KvMyqM_aUW0Lc4VGPtv8trWiiDHbpqvbHdfAdleXXjRRZPttR8P/s200/child_crying.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376526097670327346" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >And He's not gonna get embarrassed because His kids are pitching fits in the toy aisle of the Wal-Mart. God doesn't have to prove he exists. God says that all of creation know and are without excuse. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Everyone believes in God, but not everyone acknowledges Him. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Early on, I believed I could manipulate my father, just like Michael and Anna can manipulate their father. Much to my chagrin, God isn't co-dependent.</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! Exodus 14:21-22</blockquote></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived. Exodus 14:26-28</blockquote></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses. Exodus 14:31</blockquote><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTIIZsq5OEaYEdu6M_5x533Gn2orpld8y0I4SRtKJgVWB0BAD54RsGXUP6_3HBK9RT74qpV6q3OKjWgv-Wftxf5J0qR9dibAcsUQRGfLHyoDLMgpOOhqTeZ0cecMwPTFKehn_dHZi3kAU/s1600-h/whathaveyoudone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTIIZsq5OEaYEdu6M_5x533Gn2orpld8y0I4SRtKJgVWB0BAD54RsGXUP6_3HBK9RT74qpV6q3OKjWgv-Wftxf5J0qR9dibAcsUQRGfLHyoDLMgpOOhqTeZ0cecMwPTFKehn_dHZi3kAU/s200/whathaveyoudone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376527204786695922" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><br />After one month, the Israelites heard Janet Jackson on the radio, and cried out to God, What have you done for me lately?! For you Oh God, are only as good as our last steak dinner, and we can't remember when that was.<br /><br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death. Exodus 16:3</blockquote><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >How quickly do we forget the greatness of God. The Israelites had just finished walking across a dry sea bed. Before their very eyes, God creates the worlds first aquarium, and then collapses it, killing the entire Egyptian army. And when they entered the wilderness, they complained that God delivered them just to make them starve in the desert.<br /><br />For most of us, God is only as good as his last miracle. We are so consumed with our lack and limitation that we forgot that we were as good as dead before he found us in the first place. We never give God the benefit of the doubt. We throw Him and His kids under the bus because of stupid stuff. People have left churches because they thought the music was too loud, their name was misspelled in the bulletin, or because the Pastor didn't visit their mother in the hospital. We assume the worst, and take offenses based solely on our emotions.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:3</blockquote><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Could it be that our deserts are where God chooses to humble us and purge our whacked-out thinking? The Jews were willing to go BACK to making bricks and being slaves because Pharaoh fed them well. They were willing to suffer the oppression of Egypt and ignore their cuts and callouses, just so they could have the free jumbo shrimp at the casino. God took them out of Egypt, but used the wilderness to take Egypt out of them. You can never go into your promise carrying around your hopelessness. God won't allow you to enter into your new house carrying the curtains from your old. They won't match, so don't bother. You can't go into the level of abundance until you shed the level of just enough. God miraculously provided them food, but what they gathered every morning, only lasted for that day. If they tried to store it for later, it would rot. Sound familiar?<br /><br /></span><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread. Psalms 37:25</span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Have you had extra money, just to see it fly away with a car or home repair? I have lived all my life in the promise of God providing for all of my needs. God has always been faithful and provided on time. But that gets old pretty quick, especially when your desire is to have extra to give or invest. Abundance is ONLY a product of the Kingdom. It was God alone that brought the Israelites out of Egypt. It was His fault they were in the desert, and they were His responsibility. God, recognizing that fact, decided to feed them everyday. They didn't have to pray and obey God to get 3 hots and a cot. God was faithful to His kids in spite of their unbelief. God made sure they were warm and fed. God made sure they had just enough to survive the day. There was nothing extra for movie tickets, barbecues, or mission trips. It was in the desert, that the "fundraiser" was born. In the desert, churches "raise" money. In the Kingdom, churches "lower" it.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">For I will bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors—a land flowing with milk and honey. There they will become prosperous, eat all the food they want, and become fat. Deuteronomy 31:20</blockquote><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Where the desert was full service, the promised land was self service. It was a land of abundance, but it was also a land that had to be plundered. </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >For a long time, I sat in church and sang along with Janet Jackson - "What has God done for me lately?" </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEhME9DY6atQ55SG3vur02BJGeU0hVZ32utCbwS5mCWjqwal9d6Etx89MdOlOb4z_NLWcmdwznL4070DXG6Nx8iwd3tPnl95v-Gtq5xg0k06G-OmazEy-a7fR2iLmhZVF6sbqRpfqiMEH/s1600-h/stopwhining.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEhME9DY6atQ55SG3vur02BJGeU0hVZ32utCbwS5mCWjqwal9d6Etx89MdOlOb4z_NLWcmdwznL4070DXG6Nx8iwd3tPnl95v-Gtq5xg0k06G-OmazEy-a7fR2iLmhZVF6sbqRpfqiMEH/s200/stopwhining.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376530436309690114" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >I was always looking for God's next trick, miracle, or rescue. But the fact is, I was in the desert. There's no such thing as leftover mana, only enough to make the bills and only enough to get by. How did I bust out of the desert? That answer is too long for this post, but here is the first step. I stopped complaining. I stopped doubting God. I stopped feeling sorry for myself. I stopped wishing I would have majored in business after high school. I stopped thinking about what could have been. I stopped making God smaller, because I felt I deserved better. I stopped telling God what I needed, as if He didn't already know. God isn't moved by need. If that were true, India would be the most blessed country in the world. Need doesn't move God, faith does.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6</blockquote></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-61751139412328928782009-08-24T15:39:00.000-05:002009-08-26T14:42:42.461-05:00Delay of Game<span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpbzsG71ZOTfXNBI57anp7v_kgBa3qJkehv3OogATGLNHqpmkoWrKsslV9FtC3XX3ftdyPgeIPF7Fyvy_KK_PaMnKmOJ6Tu6SDNAgFtglbOx_V4NJZ2jHpS94LUTyirUeIvPLsXGbuIRJ/s1600-h/delayofgame.png"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 155px; float: left; height: 200px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373945904972384754" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpbzsG71ZOTfXNBI57anp7v_kgBa3qJkehv3OogATGLNHqpmkoWrKsslV9FtC3XX3ftdyPgeIPF7Fyvy_KK_PaMnKmOJ6Tu6SDNAgFtglbOx_V4NJZ2jHpS94LUTyirUeIvPLsXGbuIRJ/s200/delayofgame.png" border="0" /></span></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" > </span><div><div><div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >In sports, there are some plays that seem to defy our natural eyes: a 100 yard kickoff return from the goal line, a buzzer beater from downtown, or an out of the park hit with all bases loaded. We love to see them, but we also know their rarity. Neither do we expect blowouts in every game. In fact, the really great games are the ones that have the closest margins. As the saying goes, the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Being in relationship with Christ doesn't guarantee an untouched walk into the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">end zone</span>. We may get them, but those are rare occurrences. Most of our plays end with us buried under a pile of sweaty enemies. Sometimes we gain a few yards, sometimes not. Satan, the opposing coach, and his host of teammates, will never allow you move the ball without a fight. That's the only play in his book. He can't affect the outcome of the game. He already knows he lost. His strategy is to keep you from advancing, and he will defend every inch. He does this mainly by deception and intimidation. He wants you off the field. He doesn't care if your on the bench, on injured reserve, or in the church stands wearing your team colors. Waving our #1 foam hand singing "Shout to the Lord" doesn't make him nervous. But strapping on your "cup" and taking the field will cause all hell to break loose. </span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">I have never seen a linebacker fight his way into the nose bleed section just to steal <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">some one's</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">hotdog</span>. Similarly, the Jews never had to fear that their enemies would come into the desert and take their abundant resources.(sarcasm) Satan isn't after your pew. He's after your potential. His desire is not that you miss church. He wants you to miss life. He wants you out of combat and out of commission. And if he can intimidate you with hi-definition pummels, sideline microphones, and pastors being carried off the field in stretchers, he'll gladly subsidize the peanuts.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span">I was prevented until now</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span">. Romans 1:13</span></span></em></span></blockquote></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzywfMdyGQyVuum-z3qRZZzd12eGFAufEgiL0Mnxhzmi7s3gEXZalT1k5SeCgaU13z0wE2TncoEJoaEthWBOdmoZs2BuoQ93jmGjvtKqoWiOvMRenQIP-OF_sC45p-b04Ch4WBuZ-8ZtV/s1600-h/delayed.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px; float: right; height: 200px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373932015688886770" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuzywfMdyGQyVuum-z3qRZZzd12eGFAufEgiL0Mnxhzmi7s3gEXZalT1k5SeCgaU13z0wE2TncoEJoaEthWBOdmoZs2BuoQ93jmGjvtKqoWiOvMRenQIP-OF_sC45p-b04Ch4WBuZ-8ZtV/s200/delayed.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Have you ever planned on doing something, and it never happened? Maybe you planned on going to college. Perhaps you planned on finally cleaning out that garage or taking that vacation. You may have planned on starting your own business, getting out of debt, or losing a few pounds. We've all felt that great since of expectation and euphoria during the first week of January. But it doesn't take long before we slowly move from the field, to the bench, to the stands, and then before long, we just stay home and watch it on television. </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Paul wanted to go to Rome on many occasions. It wasn't because he had a time share. He wanted to go because he wanted to minister to the church. He wasn't going because he heard Bono was touring. He was doing God's work. Have you ever wanted to do something FOR GOD, and it never happened? We're not surprised when our trip to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Las</span> Vegas is suddenly ripped from under us. But <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">c'mon</span> God, I was saving for a missions trip to Nicaragua to feed hungry children. You could have at least let me get the time off from work. (God seriously needs to hire a public relations team.) Traveling for God doesn't get you the extra seat in first class. It might not even get you a seat. So what prevented Paul? Was it gas prices? Was it the recession?<br /><br /></span></span></div><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span">but Satan prevented us</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span">. 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18<br /><br /></span></span></em></span></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioju2rqTWtkGud6CWD3DxU4YVir70YSGEUPr2hKPIfCAPrBU3YwLnoqoobkZ6f04p-WCy6-haKPvPwp8JcHNraXZskbOS07aqwurDvHbBwJE9341w3nKVkvAoYv5ksFfikgM1ZhCe6zPxl/s1600-h/undereveryrock.png"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 139px; float: left; height: 174px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373937294079877746" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioju2rqTWtkGud6CWD3DxU4YVir70YSGEUPr2hKPIfCAPrBU3YwLnoqoobkZ6f04p-WCy6-haKPvPwp8JcHNraXZskbOS07aqwurDvHbBwJE9341w3nKVkvAoYv5ksFfikgM1ZhCe6zPxl/s200/undereveryrock.png" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">If Paul was a member of most churches, he would have been laughed out of the sanctuary and given the book, "A Devil Under Every Rock". God's man! God's pen, that recorded most of the New Testament, is blaming Satan for delaying his ministry. Paul wasn't prevented, because he lacked discipline or time management skills. He wasn't stopped at the border because of an expired passport. He was stopped because of an active enemy. The same enemy that wants to prevent us from being used of God. It would have been nice if Jesus sprayed me with mosquito repellent and put a garlic necklace around my neck. But that's not what happened when He found me. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">At the moment of salvation, I became a target. Not because of what I've done, but because of what I can do. In Christ I have unlimited potential. My destination is heaven, but my destiny is taking back ground. The game may be over for Satan, but it doesn't mean he has to like it. We'd be a fool to think he's gonna let us skip up and down the field shouting "Na-Na-Na-Boo-Boo You can't catch me".</span></span></div><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><br />Very few churches, teach about real spiritual enemies who fight and discourage God's kids. They'll blame Murphy's Law and assume bad luck before blaming a lying stealing devil. They'll recommend a book, before they'll agree with you in prayer. It's as if they're ignorant he exists. In the meantime, there's a battle for souls going on right under our own nose.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><blockquote><em><span class="Apple-style-span"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> </span></span></em></span></em></blockquote></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></em></span></em></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><em></em></em></span><div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">It doesn't say that we sometimes fight. It doesn't even say that we mostly fight. It says we fight. Yes, there are times when we lose out because of our own lazy and defiant self. But we already know it wasn't the devil that lifted the spoon of Blue Bell to our mouth. But there was an unseen salesman over your shoulder selling it to you at the store. It was the same guy that sold you the guilt when you finished it off in 10 minutes. Who is to blame when we lose our job? Is it the economy, the unfair boss, or office politics? </span><span class="Apple-style-span">When we lose our marriage, do we blame everything but us, including the dog? </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-PAToLUwad-btzutJHjgD6GxjYMy-GV67xbRyAdk5pn0MXpsFxtltfVRaIikohk_rYy_OcKcMQH1zunhh42Zbch0GZ8Clt80LOxsOauIsNxZ9U8KpB6dJItqVoM8e9oxkVqk-u-TKnlh/s1600-h/fingerprint.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 178px; float: right; height: 200px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373939222202398594" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-PAToLUwad-btzutJHjgD6GxjYMy-GV67xbRyAdk5pn0MXpsFxtltfVRaIikohk_rYy_OcKcMQH1zunhh42Zbch0GZ8Clt80LOxsOauIsNxZ9U8KpB6dJItqVoM8e9oxkVqk-u-TKnlh/s200/fingerprint.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></span></div><div><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />Satan can't keep you from heaven, but he can keep you busy at every crime scene of your life dusting for prints. He will make you crazy and suspicious of everybody and everything just to keep you in the cheap seats and as far away from God's will as he possibly can. He knows your going to heaven, but he's asking that you slip in through the back door and don't wake the neighbors. If he can keep you busy nursing offenses with your mother-in-law, he is free to steal everything in your life that isn't nailed down in Christ. Jesus gave us power over the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, <strong>but He didn't give us power over each other</strong>.<br /><br /></span> </span></div><div><blockquote><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11<br /><br /></i></span></span></blockquote></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZmLoRMUmCBOSLt002ntNubvu8S51XdU4nLHIy9EOePw5WMitpGMHafEkKmQJu5_S_SiCjhJaVNvHgEfUdxoOPxyk6bDa3WJ3juYELmtBDCANlcoPHu6MfeeYMnHxYp8v3GJ3uweulWgk/s1600-h/boxseats.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; float: left; height: 133px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373944262808071026" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZmLoRMUmCBOSLt002ntNubvu8S51XdU4nLHIy9EOePw5WMitpGMHafEkKmQJu5_S_SiCjhJaVNvHgEfUdxoOPxyk6bDa3WJ3juYELmtBDCANlcoPHu6MfeeYMnHxYp8v3GJ3uweulWgk/s200/boxseats.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Paul is warning us that one of Satan's schemes is to have us too busy fighting each other to be an effective force against evil. If he can get churches, couples, and communities splitting over trivial issues, he need not be concerned with your effectiveness on the battlefield of souls. When we're too busy defending our opinions, we have no energy to advance on our real enemy. The moment we start fighting personalities instead of principalities, we have been outsmarted. We have forfeited our position on the field for box seats and a half-time show.<br /><br /></span></span></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" > </span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><em><blockquote><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em>Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 1 Peter 5:8-9</em><br /></span></blockquote></em></span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-89182248447984082792009-08-17T14:43:00.000-05:002019-07-30T15:42:21.768-05:00The Joshua Fast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmFe3k_1U-oU-9y8xqGwx6-gL0wUAGjCGUFw8cjLGepLIzIsoH5_U8PqDHjMHX_tTguPO_jRXDYMjOIPeEn1yI5c3XQ5tLWrFaulGZ50WRsJqMiNLFa9V0XiheB96svjQjJ4nXAHIlB9t/s1600-h/plate.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371025761241897730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmFe3k_1U-oU-9y8xqGwx6-gL0wUAGjCGUFw8cjLGepLIzIsoH5_U8PqDHjMHX_tTguPO_jRXDYMjOIPeEn1yI5c3XQ5tLWrFaulGZ50WRsJqMiNLFa9V0XiheB96svjQjJ4nXAHIlB9t/s200/plate.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 164px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a> <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In scripture, the act of fasting is as common as prayer. To understand fasting, one must first understand food. In God's original creation, everything was made perfect. Before the fall, Adam was a vegetarian. Judaism teaches that, prior to the original sin, there was no excretion because food had nothing negative to which the body couldn't use. Rabbis teach that this convenience resumed during the days of the Exodus. Because mana "came from heaven", it was also perfect, and thus potty breaks were not necessary. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I don't know if this is true, for these teachings are from extra-Biblical sources. But it does make sense, especially when considering the layout. The camp in the wilderness was very large, more than ten miles across. A trip to the bathroom would have been painful, since Jewish scholars agree that those "trips" had to be done outside the camp.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So what is food? We understand it as "fuel" for our body. But we get a better picture by understanding what happens when we stop eating. After a few days, we start to become weak and faint. If we continue long enough without food, our soul separates from our body. We call this death. We now understand that food is what is used to connect the soul to the body. It connects our minds with our flesh, the spiritual with the natural. It is no coincidence that God describes the sacrifices as "food".</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they are my food. Numbers 28:2</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">God was connected with man before the fall. God and Adam walked together. It wasn't until Adam broke that connection that the sacrifices began. Adam needed an umbilical cord back to God, or he would be forever disconnected.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die. Genesis 2:16-17</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here's the good news. At the moment of sin, the connection between Adam's soul and God's spirit was broken, and a new connection (knowledge) of the world was born. Animal sacrifice was God's answer to a broken chain between himself and mankind - a feeding tube if you will. This continued until the ultimate sacrifice was made by Jesus Christ. Christ connected us back to God, removing the feeding tube and making the sacrifices of NO effect.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But here's the bad news. Jesus restored our connection with God, but we are still born into a sinful world. At the moment of birth, we are connected to sin. At the moment of salvation, we are connected to God. Paul talks about these two simultaneous connections when he wrote.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but </i><i>because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Romans 7 21-25</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The purpose of the fasting isn't to remove the connection from my body to my soul. The purpose is to "weaken" it. If we can weaken the connection, we can weaken the influence. It is during this time that the flesh begins to take a protective stance instead of a destructive stance. Paul said that when he wants to do good, his FLESH wants to do the opposite. We already understand this problem. Everyone can relate to the reference of a good angel and a bad angel on our shoulders. Fasting is a way to prevent the bad angel from showing up because he is too busy looking for a sandwich.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While the flesh is screaming bloody murder, the connection to God through our "spirit" can flow uninterrupted. It is that continuous flow from God to our spirit that grows and begins to take majority share in our hearts and minds. Only when the "current" from God is stronger than our flesh, will we be able to run and NOT grow weary. Too often we focus on the lack of food or activity, but doing that misses the point. The goal of fasting isn't just to weaken the body, but to strengthen the spirit.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When Joshua was preparing for the battle at Jericho, he ordered a fast. But this wasn't a food fast. This was a speaking fast.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.” So he had the ark of the LORD circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp. Joshua 6:10-11</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For seven days Joshua commanded the army not to speak a word. Joshua knew that nothing kills opportunity and victory more than negativity. To march around a city with instruments that you can't play must have looked foolish. Joshua needed murmurers and complainers like he needed a hole in his head. Joshua didn't want his people to be defeated because of someone complaining it was too hot and how crazy they were for allowing God to embarrass them. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sometimes in life, we just need to disconnect. Disconnect from the TV and it's blues. Disconnect from our "friends" and their half empty negative outlook on everything. Disconnect from family who only remember the wrong choices you've made. God's vision for your life needs to be protected and nurtured. There's always someone in line to steal it.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">God told me to do something as embarrassing and stupid as walking around a city. So I went on a Joshua fast and decided not to talk about it. "Throwing it out there", when God already said it, will only invite the naysayers. When God says it, no need for a second opinion. Needless to say it worked. No one could talk me out of it. They didn't know.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on (mocked), and the birds ate it (digested in negativity and fear). Luke 8:5</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When God tells you to go plant, don't tell the birds. It's hard enough that you know.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135011954587276843.post-77783432468528801392009-08-10T10:44:00.000-05:002009-08-11T10:10:55.741-05:00It's Harvest Crime!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9h2r0O5-7Us7owO4l5pEXr0zzhH-FjS5KV1pOeDArKTjS1ivbB6u8vVjL1TqiraDzTCxSEgV7vMz4431G14DCs8_wqOitMTDqIJBRNMQJlH4W_GL-s0usf7VyVBFXKkV8-OUYa1ck1lD9/s1600-h/seasons.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368446157813895202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9h2r0O5-7Us7owO4l5pEXr0zzhH-FjS5KV1pOeDArKTjS1ivbB6u8vVjL1TqiraDzTCxSEgV7vMz4431G14DCs8_wqOitMTDqIJBRNMQJlH4W_GL-s0usf7VyVBFXKkV8-OUYa1ck1lD9/s200/seasons.jpg" /></a> <div><div><div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Regardless of how strong and long Al Gore preaches global warming, God has already decided that the Earth will go through seasons and cycles. And there is nothing we can do to change it.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><blockquote><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">While the earth remains, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Seedtime</span> and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease. Gen 8:22</span></span></i></blockquote></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">No one is arguing that it isn't warmer than it was 230 years ago. No one has crossed the frozen Delaware since George Washington. And the last Mexican who died of hypothermia trying to reach San Antonio, was on his way to The Alamo with Santa Anna. But It's nothing like it was during the 10<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> century. The Vikings didn't give Greenland THAT name to be sarcastic. The Earth has cycled through temperature variations for thousands of years. Politicians see a tax revenue and call it global warming. Humans feel warmer and call it weather. God creates "cold and heat" and calls it "good".</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Just as sure as God's cycle of "hot and cold" is His cycle of cycle of "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">seedtime</span> and harvest." Night is different than day, but they are related. Cold is different than heat, but both are needed to help define the other. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Seedtime</span> and harvest are related in the same way. You can't have harvest without <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">seedtime</span>. In fact, the definition of harvest relies on it. The dictionary defines harvest as "the result or consequence of an act, process, or event" You can't harvest corn unless it's been sown. You can't harvest grapes unless they've been planted. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">There is nothing spiritual or supernatural about sowing and reaping. The Bible teaches that man sows and man reaps, but it's God who gives the increase. Jesus didn't say he would provide the mustard seed and plant it for you. He said if WE supplied the mustard seed and sowed it, we could harvest a product that would move mountains. But planting the seed and watching God increase it doesn't guarantee we'll get it.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><blockquote><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So it was, whenever Israel had sown, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Midianites</span> would come up; also <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Amalekites</span> and the people of the East would come up against them. Then they would encamp against them and destroy the harvest as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Mi</span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">dianites</span>, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD. Judges 6:3-6</span></span></i></blockquote></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368447482872429650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjv9GID0SnM-lxqzSsEKaAQ6lkRGwVaG9bjIWMtSsHgC47ZjibOCz58WwylPopCqza2Vt__mppvIp-E-iQPsQRCm_KYvY5s1VxehIDggTT63nzvP4-cY4dVMnJKSlZA8AfZvesRkHTTnE0/s200/locust.jpg" /> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Thieves never come during planting season. They come during harvest time. Thieves don't care about seed, they want the finished product. A thief, by definition, throws away his own seed and takes the fruit of yours. Thieves will kill their own potential and wait patiently for yours to blossom. They will gladly watch Oprah and text on their cell phones as you water the ground and shoo the crows. Your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">seedtime</span> will be a season of peace and you will feel close to God as He directs you to sow faith-filled seeds of blessing into your life. And then, right on schedule, they will arrive hungry, needy, and violent.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">How many of us have spent hours, days, and years believing God for something and just when it was close enough to smell, it was gone forever? I know Christians who attend church every Sunday, give of their time, talents, and money, and never see a harvest. It's as if, out of nowhere, it was erased from their destiny. A pink slip, a divorce, a death, a deal gone bad, whatever it was, it had enough poison to disarm and dishearten. Wounded, we retreat, allow the enemy to plunder, and give the Christian response. <i>"I guess it wasn't God's will."</i> That wasn't the attitude of David's mighty men. When the entire Israelite army retreated, Shammah defended a lentil patch against an entire Philistine army. (2Samuel 23:11-12)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><blockquote><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. John 10:10</span></span></i></blockquote></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Because the thief takes what he wants, and destroys the leftovers, we learn to sow sparingly. Why bother planting all summer when everything is stolen? Why give, pray, and offer up mustard seeds of faith when most of the time we get nothing? This is the strategy of the thief. If the thief can steal your harvest enough times, soon you'll stop planting so much. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I recently spoke with a Christian woman who was deeply discouraged. She complained that everyone around her was taking, taking, and taking from her. She is chronically depressed, and has nothing more to give. Everything she plants in the kingdom is stolen. This has caused her to be without hope, and she has become indifferent towards her church. Satan has stolen so much of her harvest, that she believes everyday of her life is a waste of time. "Why doesn't God just take me home?"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We must recognize that things of value always attract thieves. Your marriage, romance, family, and potential are always targeted. Jesus never promised us immunity from being targeted, but he did give us power over the thief. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div></div><blockquote><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1John 4:4</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you James 4:7</span></span></i></div></blockquote><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We don't deserve what we don't pursue. God freely gave us Christ, and He will freely give us all things. But that has nothing to do with thieves. Everything God gives us is valuable, so you can expect every promise of God to be a target. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If we don't prepare for it, we will be left with nothing. It does us no good to call the intercessors, listen to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Hillsongs</span>, and speak faith, if we just stand paralyzed during harvest time. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUg0iSS566iWSBuf_qNdoBcN4HWhk96XKGScN3fEyuQJfCRE9bmTtQ2cMTZyq1xiI3XMe6gAsunnjeFhFSH4MI6Fn9JHpujJJslZVLByF7Zgn-hmw2Ks-IIKciPAsIzVsfqvH7iQ_u3xBE/s200/thief_3_thumbnail.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368517942265303618" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Seedtime</span> and harvest are not automatic. We have to plow, fertilize, and plant. But the thief doesn't care about your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">seedtime</span>. He's after your harvest. Trusting God is NOT walking away and believing God will harvest and serve it up to you for supper. Trusting God is walking away and believing He will bring the increase. It is during that time you walk away and put on your armor. Because you can be sure, your not the only one waiting for it.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><blockquote><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9</span></span></i></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0