03.18.10
Posted in
General
| 04:33
I no longer have the right to smash my face against the windshild in an accident; someone decided for me and requires I wear seat belts and have airbags. I can no longer have lead paint on my walls because my kids are so curious and so hungry that they will scrape it off and consume it. I can no longer use fuel that may pollute the environment since it can cause global cooling. no, warming; no, just possible climate change. I can no longer voice my opinion on certain subjects because I am demonstrating 'hate'; sorry, I thought it was just my opinion and was as valid as the opinion of those I am suppose to hate. It is such a shame that we have grown so stupid that we can no longer make decisons for ourselves. I now understand why the thought given in Joshua about who we will serve is in the Old Testament; the people then were considered intelligent enough to make a choice for themselves with the understanding they were responsible for their decision and accepted the consequences of that decison. I truly hope we still have the right to make the choice about serving Jesus; I choose to serve Him and freely accept the responsibility and consequences for that choice. What is your choice?
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03.17.10
Posted in
General
| 06:24
Subject: Don't Do As i Do
Neither do as i say, but do as the Word of God says. I am sure you realize I don't write what I write from a point of personal wellbeing or near perfection; I write what God places within me and often it is a rebuke to me. Paul wrote in Romans 7:15 "...for what I do, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do." In verse 20 he says, "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more that I do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." We often get so filled with pride that we believe we have reached a point of sinlessness and are incapable of sin. Be very careful when you view yourself having reach such a level; Satan is ready to prove you wrong. Seek God's guidance daily and pray diligently that we will be protected from the temptations that surround us. Don't do as I do but do only as God leads you to do.
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03.16.10
Posted in
General
| 04:44
Subject: Time For R and R
"If any of you are at all like me, you have times when the weight of the world seems to all be on your shoulders; you need to have the strength of Atlas. We accept too many responsibilities and because of ego we are determined to handle each of them. Soon we are simply dragging through life; frustrated, angry, bitter, and very tired. Guess what! God doesn't expect us to be so loaded down that we have no joy in life, God sent His Son to give us abundant life and that doesn't refer to the burderns we carry now. Yes, many of us carry abundant burdens unnecessarily. Matthew 11:28 says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Verse 30 says, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." All the cares of the world are not yours to carry but are yours to give to Jesus. Jesus wants to take these from us and place them on His shoulders. I am sure you noticed the word 'yoke'; it implies that Jesus wants us to be harnessed with Him and work with Him. Be assured He will carry most of the load and allow us to have a time of R and R."
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03.15.10
Posted in
General
| 04:42
Subject: Be Careful Little Mouth
"This title is from a kids song that speaks of much of the anatomy and each part is to be in subjection to God. Of all the parts we have, the tongue is the one we must be constantly aware of its behavior and continually on guard of what I may do. James 3:6 says the tongue is a fire and a world of iniquity, also, the tongue defiles the entire body. James further says in verse eight that the tongue can no man tame and it an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. It isn't actually the tongue that defilies but our being is already deflied and the tongue is the instrument to project what is within us to the outside world. As the children's song says 'Be carefull little mouth, what you say'. Once those words pass the lips they can't be called back; they are now a part of the world and will accomplish their task. James1:19 says "....let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." It may be advisible to put our brain into gear much sooner than we do our mouth. Before you spit those words out savor them, roll them around with your tongue, taste them and if they are pleasing allow the world to receive them; if they are bitter, sour, spoiled or rotten retain them within you to be passed from you with all else that is waste."
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03.14.10
Posted in
General
| 13:04
Subject: Relationships
"Have you ever been in a relationship that just had that deep feeling of wrong; but for whatever reason you greedily hung on? I am sure we all have had a similar experience. A relationship with another person is much like anything else we do in life; it has a beginning, maybe it has a miggle and some have an ending. If you are in a relationship that haunts you and you know deep within yourself, by the convicting of the Holy Spirit, that it is wrong; revisit the beginning and see if that was of God. Did this relationship begin based on the principles of God or was this the results of human desires? It can be very hard to make this decision; many outside factors will bear on you as you try to decide, fear, pride, and many others. We are told to seek God first; with this being done everything else comes further down the list. You relationship should be no more than second to God's first place. To determine God's will in this and all other situations just ask Him for His guidance. Don't just mouth the words but from the heart seek His will. We are told to in all our ways acjnowledge Him and he will direct our path; this is an example of going to God and then honestly allowing Him to direct. Attune your ear to Him and listen then do only as He leads."
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02.28.10
Posted in
General
| 17:12
Psalm 100:3 says "Know ye that the Lord he is God". I have trouble with this from time to time. I seem to find myself wanting to be in control. Then I read the next line which says, "it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves"; we are the created and not the reverse. I was made of Him, by Him and for Him. Like we created the government of this country; God created us. This verse continues by saying "we are His people". We are His created to do of His good pleasure according to Philippians 2;13. "We are the sheep of His pasture"; He is the sheperd, loving us, providing for us, and protecting us. We need to keep the chain of command in proper order. God is God and we are to be servants of His, sheep of His. We are to produce other sheep or we are useless. A sheep that doesn't produce offspring is worthless. Are you and I of real value to God; do we produce other sheep?
I know it is a sign of getting older when one repeats himself and tells the same stories over and over; so be it, here I go again. It is so awesome to think what we really do when we pray. It isn't just some wasted words projected into space. It is,or is suppose to be, a face to face, heart to heart talk with the Lord Almighty. Take a moment and get it clear in your being just who the Lord is to you. I heard the term yesterday that God is our deliverer. Yes, He is our Creator, Provider, Father, and Savior but He delivers us from all the trials we face, from loneliness, from pain, from sin, from Hell, and from ourselves. The next time you pray, see God as He is to you, but, better yet see Him as He truly is. Thank you Almighty Lord and God for allowing us access to you, for loving us, for being intimately involved with us. So awesome, Father, so awesome.
I many accounts of Jesus after he assended into heaven, we find Him seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus took that place to speak on our behalf when we are accused by Satan. In the story of the death od Stephen, we are told that Stephen saw Jesus standing. Stephen was about to give his life for the gospel of Christ so the Christ stood to personally welcome Stephen home. I have seen many people die throughout my time as a paramedic and many of them had a smile and a glow on their face as they departed this world. A few displayed pain and struggle as they faced their departure; almost to the point that they were grasping for any straw to keep them here. It is promised that each on of us will face that departure from this world to move to the world to come. If you know Jesus as your Savior I am sure you will receive a sight of Him waiting to welcome you. He will have His arms out stretched and a smile on His face. If you have rejected Jesus all that will welcome you are the torments of hell and the realization that this will be your abode forever, with never another chance to say yes to Jesus. If you haven't said yes to Jesus, do it now; you have no promise of another opportunity.
I received a post from a friend stating that she had gone to church yesterday for the first time in two years. She said she had a great time and the void in her life was filled. We all need to thank God for His wonderful work in her life and also to pray that God be very close to her now. You do realize that Satan isn't a 'happy camper' now and will do all he can to steal her joy and peace. The Bible tells us that Satan comes first to steal, then to kill and finally to destroy. Only with the help of God, the Holy Spirit, can we combat this. We must remain close to God and allow Him to place a hedge around us for protection as He had around Job. I praise you Lord for you goodness, for you love and for always being with me. Yes, I walk away from you at times but you are always near, waiting for my return. To you Lord be all honor and glory. You are holy Lord. I love you Father.
On the night just prior to His arrest and trial, Jesus went with a few of His disciples to the garden to pray. He told them to wait and watch with Him as He went a little further into the garden to pray alone. After praying for a time, Jesus returns to find the disciples asleep. Jesus asks them if they couldn't watch with Him for one hour. Jesus leaves to pray alone a second time and returns to find the disciples asleep again. This was repeated yet a third time. Is this an example of how Jesus finds us? Have we walked to the garden with Him with intentions of sharing all with him but when left alone for even a short time we forget our purpose and lose our focus. Jesus told the disciples during this time that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We need to remember this as we attempt to follow the Lord. Our flesh is too weak to walk the walk He has for us alone; we must be empowered and guided by God's Spirit.
As we mature, as we put many days between now and the day we accepted Jesus as our Savior; we can become content in our spirituality. We are devoted to Christ demonstrating this by attending worship services each week, reading from God's Word daily and by times of communication in prayer. We have attained the goal, we are now a 'Supreme Christian'; we have been involved with the Christian life so long we have it to the point of a routine; everything on a schedule and timed perfectly. We read four verse each morning then talk with God for five mintutes as our morning devotion; the remainder of each week is just as routine. We have this life down pat! We have reached the point we no longer need God except on those times of extreme problems. How silly can an adult get? We are just kidding ourselves. Do we not know we never reach a place in our lives where we can live victoriously apart from God's daily grace in our lives. Ask God daily to supply the grace that is required that day. Each day is a new day and different from the last; requiring its own grace. God, please give me the grace I need for today. Amen.
The shortest verse in the Bible is these two profound words. John 11:35 says that Jesus wept at the death of His friend Lazarus. Jesus' weeping was such that those near recognized His sadness; some said "Behold how He loved him!" Jesus as man may have wept for the pain and loss suffered by His friends Mary and Martha; he may have wept even for His loss of a dear friend. Jesus as God may have wept because He could see the many that would die and be placed in a tomb only to arise in Hell. We have another account of Jesus weeping and this was over the disbelief of Jerusalem. As Jesus sits beside His Father in heaven are there still moments when tears form in His eyes to run slowly down His cheeks. Does Jesus today weep because those that proclaim to be His followers exhibit only unconcern for the lost around them? Does Jesus cry because we fail to stand in His power against the attack of Satan? Is it possible that we today could cause tears to flow from Jesus; tears of sadness? If we are to be responsible for causing tears let them all be tears of joy because we are busy spreading the gospel and many are rescued from eternal separation from God.
At least one hundred forty four (144) times is the words "fear not" are found in the Bible. God's Word repeatedly tells us to not be fearful. We, however, seem to have failed to listen; we fear the economy, we fear for our jobs, we fear sending our children to school, we fear that we may offend someone. We have developed the spirit of fear; 2 Timothy 1:7 says "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." The fear that consumes us today is not of God but a product of the lies of Satan. Let us not forget; God is in control, God is all powerful, God loves us, and God gives us good gifts. We should ask God to remove this spirit of fear, to forgive us for lack of faith, and to help our unbelief.
I have been reading a book by Jim Cymbala called 'Fresh Faith'. I had what I call a 'lightbulb' experience when I found the sentence "Faith grows best on cloudy days". When the sun shines brightly into our lives and all is just as we desire we really have no need for faith; in some ways we think we have no need for God. As the clouds begin to roll over the skies above us and the sun is no longer shining upon us, the corners of our mouths turn down, our mood sinks, and we become anxious. At these times we begin to see need in our lives but not supply. As the clouds darken, we open the door behind which we have hidden God; we are now faced by either all consuming doubt or the faint rays of faith seeping in. It seems that in our times of lack of vision we have to turn to faith; faith is the evidence of things not seen. The clouds of our lives block our sight so we must walk by faith.
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01.30.10
Posted in
General
| 17:44
Once, one of my wonderful daughter in laws said to me a very remarkable thing. Her comment was that the best pastures are in the valleys and not on the mountain tops. In my area, the river bottoms, that area of land that borders a river, is the most fertile land; the best pastures. We often believe that we are much better when God allows us to be on top of a mountain. Being on top of a mountain is a nice place to rest and relax but when God is ready to bring new learning into our lives we often must travel into a deep valley. Sure we complain; we like the trouble freeness of the high country. The valley represents problems, troubles and in Psalm 23, even death. The next time you find yourself in a valley, stop; ask God to explain the purpose of the move and what you are to receive in the valley. God is very willing to tell you the lesson He has for you. He doesn't hide what He wants to teach you but, if we will ask, will make it abundantly clear. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened to you.
Sometimes I become so frustrated with me. I see others around me who appear different; who seemed to have a completely different outlook on life than me. My human nature tells me to desire to be as those I see, to become a cookie cutter copy of everyone else. But God tells me I am unique; He didn't make another just like me. Of the billions that have come before me and many that will follow, I am the only me. Even before God designed this earth and began to create it, He had a plan for me; He knew I would exist now. He had a devised plan for my life, allowing me the freedom to either follow or reject that plan. Because of His marvelous love he has influenced me along the way and today I am what I am. We are told that to whom much is given, much is required; much has been given to me therefore much is required of me. I must take the blessings received and the uniqueness created and focus my life on service to God by being a servant to all.
If you remember, I suggested that we contribute to the relief effort in Haiti an equal amount as we spend on ourselves during the weekend. I always try to comply with what I suggest and I did this time. However, when I said what i did about giving I had a figure in mind based on what I normally spend during a weekend. This weekend was going as normal until I happened to stop by the shoe store again; I had been looking for a few weeks. This time I found just what I needed and bought them. I didn't think of the giving to Haiti until after the purchase was made, then God said "you just bought your neighbor a pair of shoes". To be honest, I twisted and squirmed. I tried to convince myself I couldn't do this but God wouldn't allow me to back out. Yesterday, I wrote the check including a pair of shoes and dropped it in the mail. I do hope my neighbor likes their new shoes. I really like the feeling I have knowing I did what I should do. Thank you Lord, for helping me to give.
I just saw the report that the GOP won the special election to fill the Senate seat of Teddy Kennedy; in a state with a large democratic majority
I will insert my disclaimer here: I am not saying these political parties represent good and evil. We can bring about a change in this world if we will follow our leader and unite. We need to stop allowing the enemy to divide us. If we would but focus on the goal at hand with country, this world can change. We can lead the lost to Christ. We can recommit ourselves to the Lord. We can stand up and speak up for what is right according to the Word of God. Why is there a Republican senator in Mass. today? Because many people wanted a change and were willing to do what was necessary to make a change. God isn't going to change our land until we do our part. He is not going to make the first move. Are you happy with the status quo? If you are sit still and do nothing but if a world according to the laws and principles of God is your desire then take the first step. 2 Chronicles 7:14 Humble yourself, pray, seek God and repent of your sin are the first steps necessary.
We each are busy wrting the story of our life. Each day we add a bit more to that story; be it good or bad. We have the luxury of creating the story we desire. As you plan the story of you, what do you desire to include. Is education going to be a major chapter? What about having a family: marriage, kids, a home, bills, headaches, laughter, hugs, and all that comes with a family? Have you considered including anything about God? Will God be an important chapter in your story or just casually mentioned from time to time throughout your life's story without any real importance given to God? You are writing this story not so much for you but for those that follow you. What do you wish them to find? Does your life include loving, giving, sharing, putting others first? Does your life's story tell of that time when you confesssed your sin to God and accepted the gift of Hiis Son as payment for your sin? You are the author, write your story as you desire; but remember others will read it. Once it is written you can't change it.
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