tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2570715696785241772024-02-08T08:22:19.943-08:00What's This God Thing?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-88817337032265962122016-08-24T13:47:00.001-07:002016-08-24T13:50:46.366-07:00Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-14040641207966244762016-08-24T13:47:00.000-07:002016-08-24T13:50:42.472-07:00Even Demons Believe..........<h3>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Do
you know what the difference between an Atheist and a Demon is? Demons
believe in God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Let's look in the book of James for proof. James 2:</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">18 </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your
faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my
works. </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">19 </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">You believe that God is one; you do
well. <b><i><u>Even the demons believe</u></i></b>—and
shudder! </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">But let's not let the believers off so easy either. It reminds me
of a story by John Wesley. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: rgb(242 , 242 , 242); font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Being
much concerned about the rise of denominations in the church, John Wesley tells
of a dream he had. In the dream, he was ushered to the gates of Hell. There he
asked, “Are there any Presbyterians here?” “Yes!” came the answer. Then he
asked, “Are there any Baptists? Any Episcopalians? Any Methodists?” The answer
was Yes! each time. Much distressed, Wesley was then ushered to the gates of
Heaven. There he asked the same question, and the answer was No! “No?” To this,
Wesley asked, “Who then is inside?” The answer came back, “There are only Christians
here.” (</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">1 Cor. 1:10-17</span><span style="background: rgb(242 , 242 , 242); font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: rgb(242 , 242 , 242); font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Well if all those Baptists are in hell, why
then </span><span style="background: white; border: none 1.0pt; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; padding: 0in;">is just being a good
person not enough to get you into heaven? </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">The problem is that most, if not all, religions are ethically based.
Islam, Judaism or just plain old humanism all teach that to get to heaven you
just have to be a "good person". Follow the Ten commandments if
you are Jewish, The Quran if your Muslim or just follow the "Golden
Rule" to get to that Stairway to Heaven. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">I know a lot of people with "servant hearts". People that
do blood drives or others that are there for you any time of day rain or shine.
Many truly believe that this will get you into heaven</span><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">.
</span><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">They feel and many
times rightfully so, that they do more good work than many so called Christians
that they know. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">A big part of the problem here is what many nonbelievers see in
believers. They don’t see anything. I totally get it. My mom
wouldn't go to church because she thought the church goers to be hypocrites.
She said she drank beer with them on Saturday night and then they go to
church on Sunday and act like goody two shoes. And a lot of those beliefs
that nonbelievers have about believers is true. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">James 2:1-7 says it best. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">The Sin of Partiality</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">2 </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">My brothers, show no partiality as
you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">2 </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">For if a man wearing a gold ring and
fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also
comes in, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">3 </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">and
if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit
here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over
there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">4 </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">have you not then made distinctions among yourselves
and become judges with evil thoughts? </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">5 </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen
those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the
kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">6 </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">But you have dishonored the poor man.
Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag
you into court? </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">7 </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">Are they not the ones who blaspheme the
honorable name by which you were called?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I am not trying to take up for my mom. Bless her heart; she really didn’t know what
Jesus was about, much less church. But make no mistake, church is full of
sinners. Churches and the people in them should not judge
people, just help broken people and we are all broken. Every Christian is a broken person. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">It’s actually taken me a long time to figure out
church myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">I kind of thought that having good music and
listening to good sermons makes everything good. In reality, we miss the mark entirely if
that’s our goal. A real church attracts
broken people with the truth and unconditional love. We share the grace of God
with all. That’s what a real church
looks like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 18pt;">My wish for you is that you find a church that “gets
it”. A church family that has real faith
not a dead faith. A church that shows no
partiality and loves everyone without judgement. I am afraid that many of our </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 24px;">churches</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 18pt;"> and many of those sitting in the pews have a "dead faith". <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16pt;">My next post will be about faith and works. Christians and nonbelievers alike argue over
this all the time. It’s really quite
simple when you get right down to it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 18pt;">I love to add a song at the end of a post that best </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 24px;">demonstrates</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 18pt;"> what I have been talking about. I think Johnny Paycheck's Outlaw's Prayer fits today. This song tells about a church at shows partiality and not loving all people. It also tells where Johnny Paycheck stands in his faith. Feels like the "living a good life" way to heaven and at the end, says that he hopes he gets to see Jesus one day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 18pt;">People with real faith are secure in their knowledge of their eternal life with Jesus. For those </span><span style="font-size: 21.3333px; line-height: 24px;">nonbelievers</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 18pt;">, I just want to tell you that Jesus loves you. He loves you regardless of race, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation or whatever other way you want to classify people. He shows no partiality, he loves everyone. And just know that a true believing Christian believes this too and won't judge you. </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-59392518007098692642015-06-04T11:38:00.000-07:002015-06-04T12:02:36.099-07:00God didn't Bless AmericaSometimes I just laugh at how high and mighty we Americans feel about ourselves. We have this great superiority complex and think that the world should bow down to us. We go around patting ourselves on the back for all the good things that we do. <br />
<br />
As far as I can tell, the only people that God chose were the Jews. When Christ died for us, the way to salvation was opened to the Gentiles. Who do you say are Gentiles. Everyone that's not a Jew. We Gentiles that accepted Christ were simply grafted into the Jewish tree. <br />
<br />
There's no mention of America there. We are not even one race of people like the Jews, we are a melting pot. A melting pot that includes peoples from all over the earth. Our founding fathers were, for the most part, Christians. And for the first 150 years we claimed to be a Christian nation. I think that this is where we got the notion that God blessed America.<br />
<br />
Isaiah 40: 15-17 is clear as to how God feels about nations.<br />
<br />
<span class="text Isa-40-15" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">15 </span>Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-40-15" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">they are regarded as dust on the scales;<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-18436AS" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-18436AS" title="See cross-reference AS">AS</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-40-15" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-18436AT" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-18436AT" title="See cross-reference AT">AT</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-40-16" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">16 </span>Lebanon<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-18437AU" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-18437AU" title="See cross-reference AU">AU</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> is not sufficient for altar fires,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-40-16" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">nor its animals<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-18437AV" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-18437AV" title="See cross-reference AV">AV</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> enough for burnt offerings.</span></span><br />
<span class="text Isa-40-17" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">17 </span>Before him, all the nations<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-18438AW" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-18438AW" title="See cross-reference AW">AW</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> are as nothing;<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-18438AX" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-18438AX" title="See cross-reference AX">AX</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-40-17" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">they are regarded by him as worthless</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: monospace; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Isa-40-17" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and less than nothing.</span></span><br />
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The last verse states that nations are worthless and less than nothing. <br />
<br />
So who or what does God bless? God blesses his people. If the people of a nation are followers of Jesus, by virtue of their obedience to God, the nation goes along for the ride. But make no mistake, it's not the nation that God is blessing. <br />
<br />
The last 50 years have seen the American people turning away from God. We stopped prayer in schools, we allowed abortion, we simply thought that we could handle everything without God. When you separate yourself from God, you grieve the Holy Spirit and are no longer blessed. You may be saved, but you are missing the blessing. <br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, I love the United States, but at the same time I am sadden by what she is turning into. Now there is a movement to remove "In God we Trust" from our coinage. I personally won't be too upset, because why put it on your coinage if you don't believe it. "In God we Trust" is not just some words written on a dollar bill, it's a way of life. And if you don't try to live that life, why tell people that you do trust in God. <br />
<br />
Now some of you will start to label me as some right wing Christian radical preaching end times with some hell fire and brimstone thrown in for good measure. And I am not trying to push my beliefs on you or judge you for your beliefs. You and you alone answer for your own sins. I'm busy dealing with my own. <br />
<br />
Do I believe that we are in the end times? The simple answer is yes. Ah, ha, I was right you say. I believe that the end times began when Christ arose from the grave and ascended into heaven. I can hear you laughing and saying that was over 2000 years ago. 2 Peter 3:8 says,<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">So, 2000 years ain't that big a deal to me. James 4:14 tells us;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">We are only here for a short time. I know the names of my great great grandparents. I know when they were born and when they died. I don't know about their daily struggles and whether they were liked or not. I never grieved over them, cause I didn't know them. Three generations is about it when it comes to how you were remembered. I remember my grandmother and hurt terribly when she passed. My grandkids have only seen her picture and have no knowledge of the type of person that she was. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">What does all this rambling mean? Get over yourself. Accept Christ and know what it's like to exist for eternity in heaven.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Now your preaching again, you say. Not really, Max Griner, creator of The Empty Cross in Kerrville, Texas, says it best: " If Jesus is God, wouldn't you want to know".</span><br />
<br />
On the subject of politics, the truth of the matter is, I don't care much for either the Republicans or the Democrats. 2 Timothy 3: 1-9 is a true picture of my feelings. <br />
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<span class="text 2Tim-3-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="chapternum" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; bottom: -0.1em; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; left: 0px; line-height: 0.8em; position: relative;">3 </span>But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29855A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29855A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span> <span class="text 2Tim-3-2" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">2 </span>People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29856B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29856B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> boastful, proud,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29856C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29856C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> abusive,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29856D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29856D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> disobedient to their parents,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29856E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29856E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> ungrateful, unholy,</span> <span class="text 2Tim-3-3" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">3 </span>without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,</span> <span class="text 2Tim-3-4" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">4 </span>treacherous,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29858F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29858F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> rash, conceited,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29858G" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29858G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—</span> <span class="text 2Tim-3-5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">5 </span>having a form of godliness<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29859H" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29859H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29859I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29859I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span class="text 2Tim-3-6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">6 </span>They are the kind who worm their way<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29860J" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29860J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,</span> <span class="text 2Tim-3-7" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">7 </span>always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29861K" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29861K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span> <span class="text 2Tim-3-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">8 </span>Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29862L" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29862L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> so also these teachers oppose<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29862M" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29862M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> the truth. They are men of depraved minds,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29862N" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29862N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.</span> <span class="text 2Tim-3-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">9 </span>But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29863O" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29863O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> their folly will be clear to everyone.</span><br />
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Pretty much sums it up for me. Whoa, you say. This guy is just a doom and gloom fatalist. I had to go look that word up. Here's what it means. <br />
<ol data-ved="0CB8Q_xc" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15.6000003814697px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<li class="mod" data-md="61" style="border: 0px; clear: none; line-height: 1.24; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 20px 20px 0px;"><div class="_oDd" data-hveid="32" style="overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 20px;">
<span class="_Tgc" style="font-size: 16px;"><b>Fatalism</b> is a philosophical doctrine stressing the subjugation of all events or actions to fate. <b>Fatalism</b> generally refers to any of the following ideas: The view that we are powerless to do anything other than what we actually do.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 19.8400001525879px;">That sounds like a guy that doesn't have any hope. Does this sound like you?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 19.8400001525879px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 19.8400001525879px;">That's the complete opposite of me. I want to share 3 verses with you that are a real part of my beliefs. I am full of hope.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 19.8400001525879px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Matthew 28:19-20 </span></h3>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”</em></div>
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<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></em></div>
<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 Corinthians 13:13</em></div>
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<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></em></div>
<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; line-height: 19.5px;"> And now these three remain </span><strong style="background-color: #fff9e3; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">faith, hope,</strong><span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; line-height: 19.5px;"> and <b>love</b>. But the greatest of these is love.</span></em></div>
</div>
<br />
Hebrews 11:1<br />
<span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px;">Now </span><strong style="background-color: #fff9e3; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">faith</strong><span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px;"> is being sure of what we </span><strong style="background-color: #fff9e3; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">hope</strong><span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px;"> for, being convinced of what we do not see.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px;">In closing, God didn't bless America, he blessed his people who happened to be Americans. But as the people of this country fall away from Christ, his blessing will grow farther and farther apart. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px;">I would be remiss if in closing I didn't invite you to know Jesus for yourself. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff9e3; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19.5px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.</span><span style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;">God Bless you. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14px;">Here're one of my favorite hymns. I know Whom I have believed...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-19108393031737568312014-07-08T10:35:00.000-07:002014-07-08T10:35:26.319-07:00Changed Our PrayerWow, it's been over a year since I have written here. Lots of life has happened. Some good, some bad, but through it all he's carried me. <br />
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We have found a new church home and we know it's where God wants us to be. Love oozes from that church family. And they want to serve. Have to tell you about <a href="http://compass-church.org/" target="_blank">Compass Church</a>, in another story.<br />
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We change our prayers in a small way. Instead of just asking for blessings, we began to ask God to allow us to serve him. To put someone or something in our way that needs God's blessings. We always ask that God uses whatever we do to glorify him. That's it, we just asked that God give us things to do.<br />
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You know that old saying, "Be Careful What you ask for, You might just get it.", well all I can say is don't pray to God and ask for service if you don't mean it. He will use you if you let him. And you never know where it's coming from and when. You have to be ready at any time to drop things and do his work. That is extremely hard to do at times, but you will miss the blessing if you don't do it.<br />
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I can't wait to tell you about all the things that God has put in front of us. But we have been on a real adventure for God. It's exciting and tiring at the same time. <br />
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Right now, I should be doing some work for my new boss, work that needs to be done. I truly believe that God sent me to this job. There is no other explanation and I'll tell the story in the future. I am doing work that I love. I am working for the <a href="http://www.naturaldogcompany.com/" target="_blank">Natural Dog Company</a> and we sell products for dogs. <br />
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But the part of the story that I want to tell today is what God has done for us in the last two days. A couple of weeks ago, we had a bad storm in the evening with 70 mph winds. Our home was spared but we had lots of downed trees, all around the place. My chain saw wasn't working and I was feeling burdened by the amount of work that needed to be done. Not moving as fast as I was in my younger years. <br />
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A friend of ours that moved to Cincinnati a year or so ago, came to town to see about the home that they still own here. I had no idea he was around. He showed up last Sunday after church and saw all the tree limbs that were down. Yesterday, he showed up at 5:30 p.m. with a chain saw and said let's get to work, In the span of two hours, we managed to cut up most of the tress and we even burned some of the branches. True blessing from God.<br />
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And it's gets even better. Got a call this morning from my daughter. She has been suffering from Crohn's Disease the past couple of years. The treatment that she needs is very expensive and she couldn't afford it. We have been praying for her to get the treatment or to be healed. Well today, she called and finally went to see the doctor to see what could be done. They are going to work with her to make sure that she gets the treatment that she deserves. God has washed us in love the past couple of day. And I just had to tell the world. <br />
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Changing our prayer has opened up a new world for us. And it's great to see God at work. It's humbling and amazing. As you know, if you have read any of my past posts, I love music and some video always sticks in my mind to go along with the post.<br />
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My new bosses's niece is married to Cory Morrow and I love his music. Since she told me the connection, I have been listening to his videos on You Tube. Found one that I really love. It describes my life and life in general. I love this song. <br />
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Hope you enjoy it. If you change your prayer, be prepared to work. <br />
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Then get ready for the blessings <br />
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With love from God<br />
MikeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-41209173708120002432013-02-17T21:42:00.000-08:002013-02-17T21:42:40.398-08:00I don't have the answers.<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Until you learn
this simple lesson, life can be tough. Until you can turn it over to
God, life can be tough. The hardest part is to really turn it over
to God. We can say it all the time, and sometimes fool others but
we aren't fooling God. <b>Matthew 17:20: This is Jesus talking, He
said unto them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to
you, if you have the faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say
to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and
nothing will be impossible to you. </b></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I
am as guilty as the next<span style="font-size: medium;"> of saying it, <span style="font-size: medium;">but not fully giving it over<span style="font-size: medium;"> to God. </span></span></span>I am dealing with church issues and they
are a real burden to my heart. I pray about it and am still confused
with what to do. That mountain is <span style="font-size: medium;">still there. </span> I know it's me that is causing my problem. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I
love people but I don't love the way that people treat each other.
And I truly get conflicted with passages in the Bible. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">We
all know the bible verses in the in the gospels about judging others.
Luke probably said it best, verse 6:37. <b>“Judge not, and you
will not be judged, condemn not, and you will not be condemned;
forgive, and you will be forgiven.” </b></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">That's
pretty short and to the point. But what if things happen that you
just don't think are right? What do you do about quarreling, discord
and anger in a church. What about that turning the other cheek
thing that you read about in the Bible, what does that really mean.
Instead of copying it down here, I am just going to direct you to a
page that gives a good definition of what I<span style="font-size: medium;"> think t<span style="font-size: medium;">hat </span></span>Matthew means when he
writes this passage. It's found in Matthew 5:39 <a href="http://provocativechristian.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/provocative-bible-verses-turn-the-other-cheek/">Read
this link</a>. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">That's
a tall order especially when people speak hateful things or seem to
be full of spite. God tells us to love those people and sometimes
that a hard thing to do. Why? Because we are all human and our
pride always seems to get in the way.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I
found another link that I want you to read, because it states
perfectly what I feel. It has to do with <a href="http://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Audio.details/ID/2342/Anger-Part-1.htm">anger</a>.
</span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=257071569678524177" name="en-NIV-29299"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=257071569678524177" name="en-NIV-29300"></a>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">You can't really deal
with anger unless you can understand the concept of righteous
indignation. I've got to tell you, I struggle with this. I just
want to ask you to read the 4th chapter of <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4&version=NIV">Ephesians</a>.
</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Paul
is talking to us here, especially in verse 26. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> “In your anger do not sin”:
Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do
not give the devil a foothold. </b></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Jesus never
once became angry because of what people did to Him. He got angry
because of what people did to each other in his name and because of
the rejection of the truth of God. <span style="font-size: medium;"> It's ok to be an<span style="font-size: medium;">gry<span style="font-size: medium;"> but no<span style="font-size: medium;">t out of spite. And all too often, anger<span style="font-size: medium;"> turns into<span style="font-size: medium;"> spite<span style="font-size: medium;">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We are all guilty.</span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=257071569678524177" name="en-NIV-23431"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=257071569678524177" name="en-NIV-23432"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=257071569678524177" name="en-NIV-23433"></a>
<span style="font-size: medium;">So what are you to do? </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Here's
another verse that came come up in a conversation like this. Matthew
10:13-15. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> 13 If the home is deserving,
let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to
you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words,
leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly
I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the
day of judgment than for that town. </b></span>
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<b><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Can
you substitute church for home in this verse. I think you could. So
what's a person to do? Are we to just dust off our feet? We all know the answer. We all know that we
don't have the answer ourselves. We are commanded to turn it over to
God<span style="font-size: medium;">.<span style="font-size: medium;"> I<span style="font-size: medium;"> prayed before <span style="font-size: medium;">writing<span style="font-size: medium;"> this. I believe in <span style="font-size: medium;">God's pr<span style="font-size: medium;">omise.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> I am really tryin<span style="font-size: medium;">g to</span> turn<span style="font-size: medium;"> this</span> over to God. It took me all this time to tell you that I don't have the answer myself. </div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">I know a preacher asked a lady in the church, do these <span style="font-size: medium;">pe<span style="font-size: medium;">ople love one another<span style="font-size: medium;">? She just said no. <span style="font-size: medium;">That hurts</span>. I<span style="font-size: medium;"> cry, then I pray. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Even more hurtful to me is to not even try to have Vacation Bible School. We don't have many kids, so we<span style="font-size: medium;"> just giv<span style="font-size: medium;">e up. Besides<span style="font-size: medium;">, we can make<span style="font-size: medium;"> some money by renting the<span style="font-size: medium;"> building out that week. It seems t<span style="font-size: medium;">hat we have <span style="font-size: medium;">lost our faith... That reall<span style="font-size: medium;">y makes me sad. This one is the mount<span style="font-size: medium;">ain<span style="font-size: medium;"> that I want to move. Remember that mustard seed....or maybe I need to <span style="font-size: medium;">dust my feet off. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ever heard the song, What if Jesus c<span style="font-size: medium;">omes back like that? Think thi<span style="font-size: medium;">s<span style="font-size: medium;"> is a good place to play it. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-25265216302082276712012-12-20T22:50:00.001-08:002012-12-20T22:50:29.283-08:00Are you ready for Finals?
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tis the
season. I think most college students dread finals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A whole semester’s worth of work is supposed
to be summed up in a three hour exam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
make matters worse, more often than not, you usually had the two hardest finals
on the same day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Days leading up to
finals were hectic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cramming, study
sessions and more cramming were just a part of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tis the
season. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you ever thought that Christmas
brings finals to our churches?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before
you think that I have finally gone crazy, think about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who shows up in our churches on Christmas?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
Christmas Christian shows up in our churches for the Christmas service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much like the groundhog on Groundhog Day, the
Christmas Christian makes a quick appearance before going back into hiding till
Easter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This Christian
shows up two times a year. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our churches
will be full this weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People that
you haven’t seen since Easter are back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
you glad hand them and tell them how wonderful it is to see them, they are
looking just as hard back at you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Think about
it. You only have two times a year to let those people know if you have been
naughty or nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While you have them for
that hour, can they see Christ in you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
know you are going to be nice to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s a given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real question
is whether they see someone that really cares about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you showing genuine love for your fellow man?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In reality,
you are probably thinking about going to grandma’s later on in the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides, since they don’t show up that often
it really don’t matter all that much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll
see them later in the week at the grocery store and tell them how glad you were
to see them at church on Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you
ever really wondered why these folks only show up twice a year?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people are Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you know that they are not so vain as to
believe that showing up at Christmas and Easter will gain them some favor with
God.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alas, but I
am afraid that some regular churchgoers do believe just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s a shame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We miss out on some of the best opportunities
to tell people about Jesus, because we have already decided that they aren’t
really interested. We believe that they show up, just to be seen. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So it’s just
my silly thought that Christmas and Easter are finals for those of us that
consider ourselves regular churchgoers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We need to take all that the pastor has taught us and demonstrate our
knowledge and love of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we
need to show the Christmas Christian that we are real. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So if you
happen to go the church this Sunday, look around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will have a great opportunity to witness
for Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you miss this
opportunity, you’ll have another opportunity in the spring.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Be ready for
Easter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These finals are real
important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are a matter of eternal life
or death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So study hard.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">God Bless
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you have a Merry
Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-91509167463490070912012-12-06T08:25:00.001-08:002012-12-06T08:25:19.302-08:00Good Grief Charlie Brown, They called me an Evangelical
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All this
time, I never dreamed that being called an evangelical was a bad thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also didn’t know that there were several
definitions of evangelicals and then, you have to separate the fundamentalists
from the evangelicals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fundamentalists
have been described in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelicalism" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Wikipedia</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
as a group that aggressively attacks their liberal enemies while evangelicals
concentrated more on outreach and conversion of new members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now even
that definition is convoluted because it goes on to describe three different
types of evangelicals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Quoting
Wikipedia again: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.The
traditionalists, characterized by high affinity for certain Protestant beliefs,
(especially penal substitutionary atonement, justification by faith, the
authority of scripture, the priesthood of all believers, etc.) which, when
fused with the highly political milieu of Western culture (especially American
culture), has resulted in the political disposition that has been labeled the
Christian right, with figures like Jerry Falwell and the television evangelist
Pat Robertson as its most visible spokesmen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2. Centrist evangelicals, described as
socially conservative, mostly avoiding politics, who still support much of
traditional Christian theology.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3. Modernist evangelicals, a small minority in
the movement, have low levels of church-attendance and "have much more
diversity in their beliefs".<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wow, I have
to have a dictionary in order to read a dictionary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What is a “traditionalist
evangelical”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading that definition, I
don’t have a clue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally have never
heard of “penal substitutionary atonement”, so I had to look it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to
<a href="http://www.theopedia.com/Penal_substitutionary_atonement" target="_blank">Theopedia</a>: “Penal substitutionary atonement refers to the doctrine that Christ
died on the cross as a substitute for sinners. God imputed the guilt of our
sins to Christ, and he, in our place, bore the punishment that we deserve. This
was a full payment for sins, which satisfied both the wrath and the
righteousness of God, so that He could forgive sinners without compromising His
own holy standard.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t know
how you could be a Christian without believing Christ died for your sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So now I am starting to sound like a
traditionalist. But wait, that makes me part of the “Christian Right”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who are those folks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they associated with those crazies that
blow up abortion clinics?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But what if I don’t agree with Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guess I have to know what they believe
first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But I do
believe in my constitutional right to vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am sure that I would vote for a Christian over a non-Christian given the
opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does that make me part of
the Christian Right or is that just one of my American Rights?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That being
said, I think I would rather be called a centrist evangelical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Socially conservative, but staying out of
politics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or at least, keeping my
politics to myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want people
to think that I am crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hold on, what
does “support much of traditional Christian theology” mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What part don’t I support?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that I support “penal substitutionary
atonement”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will that belief, preclude
me from being a centrist?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am getting
lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe I will
just be a modernist evangelical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds
pretty good to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t go to church
much and I can believe what I want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow,
that sounds like the majority of people that I know, yet the definition says
that this is a small majority of the movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thinking about it, I do like to go to church and I believe what the
Bible says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I am not a modernist
at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I really don’t
fit into any of the three definitions of an evangelical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I am a fundamentalist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First of
all, we have to back up and define this “liberal enemy” that fundamentalists
are attacking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is this the guy that just
voted for Obama or is it somebody that just doesn’t agree with your beliefs
about Christianity. For example: You believe in a strict literal translation of
the Bible and another person believes otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is that person a “liberal enemy”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know and I bet you don’t either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the reason I don’t care is because I am
not about having a label attached to my beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think that I am a fundamentalist
either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Charlie
Brown:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe in evangelism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus told us in the great commission to go
and reach people for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That should be
my goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The media might
paint me as a religious zealot that goes around bible thumping and preaching
hell and damnation if I was to speak publically about Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And nothing could be further from the truth,
at least in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a
recovering alcoholic and a supporter of the 12 step system, I adhere to the
belief that the only way to help myself is to help other alcoholics that ask
for my help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean get down in the dirt
help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean helping that other
alcoholic with whatever means necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jesus taught
his disciples to do the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
taught love and understanding, not hate and prejudice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">People throw
around names and labels without knowing what they are truly saying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find that I don’t really fit into any of
the above definitions of evangelicals or fundamentalist, but that’s ok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call me what you want.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I shouldn’t
worry about the labels; I should worry about whether you see Christ in my
actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, that’s the only
thing that matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Listen to the following song by Johnny Cash. I think it more than appropriate. </span></span></span></div>
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Heck after listening to the song, I might just be a Methodist...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-55357646047663177892012-12-01T17:20:00.001-08:002012-12-01T17:34:38.261-08:00Fear, Faith and Fumbling Around <br />
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It seems
that I am always in the company of one of these three F’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I bet that
there’s at least 100 books on “how to conquer your fears” and another 100 on “how
to live on faith”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either I haven’t read
the right book or the ones that I read are just wrong, because I spent most of
my time just fumbling around through life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everybody
will tell you to “face your fears head-on” or “stand up to your fears”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the same people will tell you to “have
faith” or “trust in Jesus”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For 99% of
the people out there, you might as well just told them what time it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are too deep in believing their fears to
face them and just too afraid to have faith in anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They might believe the time of day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As humans,
we are taught fear from birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t
matter what culture you are brought up in, fear is universal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your mom taught you not to stick your finger
in the electric socket because it would hurt you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You became afraid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even today, you have fears in your life that
limit the good things that you could accomplish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are afraid to take that unknown step.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Faith could
very well be the opposite of fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
don’t have enough faith to take that unknown step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why don’t we have enough faith?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fear is deep seated and well learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We gain faith simply by having faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s that simple, but that is exactly what
makes it that hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what do
we do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just fumble around most of the
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see, one of our biggest
problems is our prayer life or mostly lack of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We tend to judge how much faith that we have by our answered
prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we get good answers, we
shine with our faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we don’t get an
answer or the answer isn’t what we wanted, our faith goes away and is replaced
by our fears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And I don’t
know who taught us to pray, but aren’t we really selfish in most of our
prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go the Lord seeking his
favor and wanting things to turn out the way that we want, not seeking God’s
will in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to know that
100 years from now, nobody will remember the things that filled your life with
fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if we spent our time seeking
God’s will, in a hundred years we will be with him throughout eternity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To prove my point, do you really know
anything about the daily fears that encompassed the lives of your great grandparents?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that I don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So here I am
fumbling around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I guess, no I know,
that the answer is in Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find
great comfort in Jesus; I just forget to go to him a lot of the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faith is such a powerful thing for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can do most anything with faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem is that after a little success,
we start to think it’s by our own doing and we forget Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we start all over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think that
this is probably how it will always be for us and our future generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s all right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The greatest among us will not be the ones
that have all the fame, the greatest amoung us will be those that live their lives for Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I always
like to end with a song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today’s song is
“Jesus is Just Alright” by the Doobie Brothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s ok, just listen and think about what I said. </span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-40823116413360912582012-11-05T05:42:00.000-08:002012-11-05T05:42:34.699-08:00Standing Outside the Fire.I've got to be honest with you. I have been a pew sitter most of my life. That means that I have been content to just go to church on Sunday morning and let the preacher give me a message. I'll shake his hand on the way out the door and tell him what a good message he delivered that day. I would come back the next Sunday and do the same. All the while, not remembering what the preacher had said the Sunday before. <br />
<br />
Am I saved, you bet. I know that I have invited Jesus into my heart. So why do I act like I do? I can tell you that I have tried to get involved in church before and have always been hurt and astonished by the way that Christians treat each other. And there is nothing more harmful to a church than church gossip. Innuendo, snide remarks and people just insisting that nothing ever changes in a church lead to revolving door members. <br />
<br />
We are all different. God made us that way. We all have different talents. We all have different life experiences, Church members can be the most hurtful people because they hurt their own. Lots of times we treat visitors better than we do our own members. Now you may be asking, how I can write like this. I confess, I have been guilty of it all. I am not pointing a finger at anyone. You know in your heart if you are guilty.<br />
<br />
So what is different this time? Why do I think I have changed at all and the better question is why should you think that I have changed?<br />
<br />
I go back to the phrase: "standing outside the fire". Up to this point, I never really realized that a walk with Jesus isn't going to be a walk in the park. Remember the poem: "Footprints in the Sand". I always thought that meant that Jesus was carrying me when bad things happened to me. When parents died or something horrible like that. It seem that I have missed the point of this poem altogether. Jesus is carrying you when you walk in the fire. <br />
<br />
There are lots of passages that refer to swords in the Bible. I am now 60 years old and finally understand the symbolism of the sword. Walking with Jesus is double edged. <br />
<br />
By trying to do what God is telling me to do, I have experienced some of the greatest highs that I have ever known. It's intoxicating and makes you want to do more. <br />
<br />
But that's where the problems start. First of all, you start to forget that it's God performing his work using you as a vessel. I don't deserve the credit, yet this frail human spirit is always battling me for credit. I have to pray about this all the time. Secondly, when you do what God has called you to do, you will be attacked. And some of the most severe attacks come from "well meaning" Christians.<br />
<br />
<br />
Without a doubt, the hardest part of all is being able to be strong enough to confront those Christian brothers and sisters when you feel that they are hurting others. Again that double edged sword comes to mind. Because it's difficult to confront another Christian without being judgemental. And it's the most painful thing to do. I know that I don't want to do it and I know that the Christians that I confront will not only be hurt but probably resentful. We are humans and that is a normal human reaction. <br />
<br />
We will say hurtful things and make rash decisions. This is why churches split and great foundations fail. We just don't love each other enough to overcome our own shortcomings. And then, God gets the blame. <br />
<br />
Think of it another way, how many people will tell you that they don't go to church because the church is full of hypocrites. We have all heard this. And it's true. But the real truth is that we are all hypocrites and we all sin. <br />
<br />
The preacher preached last Sunday about faith. Jesus taught us about faith and love. We need to concentrate on that instead of the petty things that we deal with in everyday life.<br />
<br />
So what does "Standing Outside the Fire" mean to you? To me it means that I can no longer sit on the sidelines or sit in the pew and watch Sermon Sundays go by. I have to follow what Jesus tells me to do. I don't have a choice. If I want the blessings, I have to be able to withstand the hard times too. I have to firm and unwavering in my life. <br />
<br />
Will I fail? Most certainly. But it is as these times that I know that Jesus will be carrying me. I just encourage you to search your soul and do whatever it is that the Lord is leading you too. <br />
<br />
I like one of the lines in the song: "Life is not tried, it is merely survived, if you are standing outside the fire". Listen to the song and enjoy. Think about your walk with the Lord. Are you going to stand outside the fire and sit in that pew or get up and follow Jesus and like Daniel, get in the fire... The choice is yours..<br />
<br />
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-59587544005057837442012-02-18T19:54:00.000-08:002012-02-18T19:54:41.841-08:00I Hear a Symphony, Leadership Series Part IIThis is the second in a series of blogs talking about leadership and in particular church leadership. This blog deals with how leaders should empower the membership of the church. <br />
<br />
Last week I had the pleasure of visiting <a href="http://www.martin88.com/" target="_blank">Joseph Martin</a> at his home. He is one of the premier church music composers in America today. My wife, Carla, Michael Slaughter, Music Minister of <a href="http://www.fitzhughbaptist.org/" target="_blank">Fitzhugh Baptist Church</a>, and his wife Rachel accompanied me. We were in for a real treat. <a href="http://www.heathersorenson.com/sorenson/" target="_blank">Heather Sorenson</a> was recording an album at Joseph's home that week. <br />
<br />
We sat and listened as Heather played the piano. Joseph and a recording engineer were with us listening to her play a song. She would play the same section of that song many times. Each time, Joseph would critique her performance. One time he said he could hear her thumb too heavy on a key or another, she lifted her foot off the pedal too slow. He even said she missed playing a B note one time. To my untrained ear, each performance was beautiful and sounded the same. To the trained ear, Joseph heard each little nuance. I was amazed and asked him why it mattered so much, that I thought that it was all beautiful. He replied that once a recording is done, it is forever. <br />
<br />
You see, Joseph is a perfectionist. He has conducted an orchestra at Carnegie Hall. He will soon perform at the Lincoln Center. Joseph knows how to blend all types of instruments together and come out with a beautiful noise. <br />
<br />
That made me think about a church and how the leaders of the church are something like a conductor in a symphony. You see, all members of a symphony know how to play their particular instrument, but it takes a conductor to bring it all together.<br />
<br />
The different members of a church congregation all have different talents. It takes leadership in the church to let the members use their talents in concert with the other members of the church to work effectively for God. When the leaders are not empowering the membership, talents are wasted. Many people are never even given the opportunity to use their talents. <br />
<br />
Many many organizations including churches get into the same rut. We have all heard the same cliche over and over. Eighty per cent of the work gets done by twenty per cent of the people. Most of the time its those twenty per cent that tell you that they are doing all the work. My contention is when twenty per cent are doing all the work, there is a serious void of leadership in that organization. Frequently that twenty per cent don't want any help, even when it's offered. They get pretty comfortable with the idea that they are indispensable to the organization. <br />
<br />
Now don't get me wrong, they are very important to the organization. Equally important is that other eighty per cent. They need to be brought into doing God's work. They don't need to be Sunday Pew Sitters. These people are missing out on real blessing. <br />
<br />
A friend of mine, Rick Carson of the <a href="http://vertrouefoundation.net/Home_Page.html" target="_blank">Vertroue Foundation</a> is a great leader. I will never forget what he shared with me. He said that he is always looking for his replacement. He understands that he will not be there forever. My pastor shared the same idea with me this last week. That's real leadership. When a person is thinking more about his followers than he is himself, it shows. And people will follow that person. That's how Jesus treated his flock. <br />
<br />
I mentioned in a earlier blog that a church is either moving forward or backwards that there is no neutral. It is up to the leaders of a church to keep that church in forward gear. The only way for the leaders of a church to keep it in forward gear is to empower the members of the congregation to use their talents effectively for God. That church will thrive and it's members will demonstrate great love for God and a huge desire to do his work. They will be a true family. <br />
<br />
This type of leader gets down in the trenches with his followers. He encourages them, challenges them and instructs them in the ways of the Lord. He is a spiritual leader, yet he will get his hands dirty. He is almost always there to demonstrate to others his dedication to the Lord and shows the members first hand how hard he will work for the Lord. But, he always gives credit to God and seeks none for himself. As we always have heard there is no i in team. The leader is a team player and shows it by his actions. I pray for leadership in our churches. <br />
<br />
Diana Ross and the Supremes first recorded, "I hear a Symphony". I wanted to let you hear it when recorded by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Hope you enjoy it. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/X_dXJK0m_j4/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/X_dXJK0m_j4&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/X_dXJK0m_j4&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-46454453822349461092012-02-16T08:34:00.000-08:002012-02-16T08:34:04.974-08:00Everybody's Talking at Me. Leadership series Part 1.I am starting a series of blogs talking about leadership and in particular church leadership. God has put this on my heart and I feel obliged to at least put the thought out there for your consideration. I have used several sources for this post. The title of that blog is <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/management/lead-follow-and-get-out-of-the-way.html" target="_blank">Lead, Follow and Get out of the Way.</a> I encourge you to read it. <br />
<br />
I am attempting to take the main points that apply to leaders in that post and apply them to church leaders. The first and probably most important trait of a leader is the ability to listen. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Leaders listen.</span></strong><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Listening is not waiting for your turn to speak. Listening is an active engagement with the person you are talking with. Leadership grows out of knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your colleagues, their fears and triumphs, what motivates them and what turns them off. There’s a trick psychologists recommend, where you try to summarize what your conversation partner just told you and what you understood them to be saying, like this: “So the police officer gave you the ticket anyway, and you feel that was unfair?” This gives your partner a chance to correct you if you’re wrong or confirm that you more or less got what they were saying — plus it helps you to <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">learn</span></em> and not just <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">respond<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></span></div><em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I think it’s important to go to the bible and just see what The Bible says </span></em><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">of a flock of sheep. <span style="font-family: Calibri;">about listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: #e46c0a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #E46C0A; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent6; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">"He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (Matthew 11:15).</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">What is the intent of this verse?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does this apply to leaders in our church?</span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Many times I have heard that the leaders of a church are like the shepherds of a flock.</span><br />
<o:p></o:p> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Well, this is a fairly good analogy except for one point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human beings have feelings and have the process of thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were made in God’s image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So really, you shouldn’t treat humans like sheep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This happens fairly often in our churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">The even deeper problem lies in the fact that you can let someone talk all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can talk till they are blue in the face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, is anybody listening to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listening is a conscious thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t tell me that you haven’t sat in a Sunday sermon and quit listening to the pastor somewhere during the sermon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you don’t agree with him or maybe you are thinking about what you have planned for the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The end result is that you quit listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">You know, I have often heard that listening is an art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think there is something to that idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too often we have our own preconceived ideas about what someone is telling us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We often speak before we know what is being said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a person fails to listen to you and you have told them several times how you feel about a subject, they are diminished in your eyes. You are may have been wrong, but you will never know, because the person didn't listen to you. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just take that to the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the leaders don’t listen to the people, they began to get discouraged and they began to leave, or maybe even worse, stay and complain and cause trouble in God’s house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even worse yet, they sit in the pew and say nothing and contribute nothing to the spirit of the church and cause newcomers to wonder what is wrong?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let’s go to the Bible for some more instruction.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"He who answers before listening--that is his folly and his shame." (Proverbs 18:13).<br />
We should be quick to listen and slow to speak. (James 1:19).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><b><span style="color: #e46c0a; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #E46C0A; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent6; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Acts 14:23<o:p></o:p></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #e46c0a; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #E46C0A; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent6; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sup><span style="color: #e46c0a; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #E46C0A; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent6; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">23</span></span></sup><span style="color: #e46c0a; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #E46C0A; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent6; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They had the disciples in each church choose spiritual leaders,<sup>[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+14%3A23&version=GW#fen-GW-27421a" title="See footnote a"><span style="color: #e46c0a; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #E46C0A; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent6; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">a</span></a>]</sup> and with prayer and fasting they entrusted the leaders to the Lord in whom they believed</span>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The congregation chooses their leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know so much about fasting anymore, but I do know that it is done with lots of prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read this verse carefully, “they entrusted the leaders to the Lord in whom they believed”.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">This is where one’s interpretation of the Bible gets tricky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to remember that not everyone is a Bible scholar, (this includes me), not many have gone to seminary, few get intense Bible training and lots of people just go to church on Sunday and listen to the sermon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even more don’t go to the church, but claim to believe and trust in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the one thing that I have heard all my life, is that your interpretation of the Bible is between you and God.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Many people take the Bible literally, some are Biblical historians and take it in context of the times of Jesus, Some believe in Biblical myths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gets very confusing to people because most can’t defend themselves when confronted with someone that is a Bible scholar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">So now back to Act 14:23.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does that last sentence mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you pray about it, it means what God tells you it means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But my interpretation is a follows:<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">The disciples believed not only in the Lord but the leaders that they felt the Lord sent to them. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Many people may say that it is just the Lord that the disciples believed in and that’s their right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just add the leaders to whom the disciples believed in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">I want to insert another line from the link that I found about leadership:<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It follows then that leadership is not a trait of individuals. Leadership theorist James MacGregor Burns describes leadership as a collective process, a characteristic of the <i><a href="http://www.lifehack.org/3bv"><span style="color: blue;">relationship</span></a> between individuals</i> rather than a property of individuals themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The old saying is that “leaders are born not made. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vince Lombardi said, “</span></span><span style="color: #003399; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://thinkexist.com/quotation/leaders_aren-t_born-they_are_made-and_they_are/149885.html"><span style="color: #003399; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.</span></a>”<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Who is right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well there are probably both types.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaders have followers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do people follow someone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many ingredients, but one of the most important is listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Please pray about this and the future blogs that I write about leadership. These are just my thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to close here, but as almost always, I need some music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please enjoy the following.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Most of you remember the song, "Everybody's talking to Me", by Harry Nillson. The most important line in that song is the first line. "Everybody's talking to me, I can't hear a word their saying". Quite frankly that's the problem</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/j0km3VRu_4Y/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j0km3VRu_4Y&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j0km3VRu_4Y&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-36023455694137175932012-02-08T08:09:00.000-08:002012-02-10T09:48:02.806-08:00Only the Lonely<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our music is rapt with great songs about the number one and how lonely a number it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVo_Y2wZ0Tw" target="_blank">One is the Loneliest Number by Three Dog Night</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2whGEvy13Ag" target="_blank">Only the Lonely by Roy Orbison</a></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMPvVhcv3K4" target="_blank">Lonesome 77203 by Hawkshaw Hawkins</a></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6UDea519Kg" target="_blank">Oh Lonesome Me by Don Gibson</a></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qzctdbSRQI" target="_blank">Lonesome, On’ery and Mean by Waylon Jennings</a></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And the list goes on and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing that we are afraid of, whether we admit it or not, is being lonely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the reasons that suicide rates soar during the holidays is the fear of being alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alcoholism and drug abuse is a common thread among loners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Genesis 2:18.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
“It is not good for the man to be alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will make a helper suitable to him.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">God knew that it was not good for man to be alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Man has gone to great lengths to make sure that he is not alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The current riptide of Social Media makes sure we are not alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People carry that mobile phone with them everywhere to make sure that they can be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The radio in the car is not enough company for us anymore, so we talk on the phone while we drive or even worse text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So why do so many people that need to have company all the time, want to keep God in their heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hear it all the time, I don’t need to go to church, I know God and my relationship is personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s about the only thing that people keep personal, just check out Facebook and people tell their innermost feelings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jesus told us to go make disciples in all nations and tell the Good News, yet all we tell people about is about the new restaurant that we found.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s a sad commentary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know if it is society, the government or something else that has cause Christians to be put into a box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like a box of cereal that we only take out on Sundays, put a little in the bowl and put the box back until next Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know many churches are moving away from Sunday night services, because people just don’t show up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to compete with a Super Bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t believe that I just said that, but’s it true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We miss out on so many blessing because we keep Jesus in our pocket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have found that church is the place that I can go and not be lonely, be with believers, and find the courage to step out on faith and try to do God’s work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a joyful place, a place to find comfort and a place where all are welcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My church does something that I love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before the pastor delivers the sermon, we stop and welcome everybody and shake hands and hug our fellow members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feels like a family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would encourage you to find a church family and stay there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t keep Jesus in your heart, share him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do what he has commanded and share the Good News.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-81086294129688185282012-01-29T13:56:00.000-08:002012-01-29T14:21:56.171-08:00What are you Praying for?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever sat down and thought about how powerful prayer is?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean really thought about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our silly little short lives we have such a hard time doing just the simplest of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s always I’m gonna do it myself without even thinking about turning some task over to God.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before I get started here, I want to say that I ain’t even close to being what I’d call a good Christian, but I am trying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was baptized almost 44 years ago and I haven’t gotten much closer to God than I was on that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a long time to be treading water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back then, I really thought that God was calling me to the ministry, but somewhere along the way, I quit listening to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, I have had stretches of what you might call faithfulness, but looking back, it was all about me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really wasn’t listening to God.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a really rough last year, God finally got me attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was near the bottom and God lifted me up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since then, I have enjoyed just trying to listen to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which brings me back to prayer.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My wife and I were trying to leave our home last week and go to the coast for a few days of relaxation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our goal was to leave on a Wednesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was raining real hard so we put it off till Thursday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got busy with some chores at home and decided to leave on Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That gave me the opportunity to go to a men’s prayer breakfast at my church before we left.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The message was about a new foundation that some men had formed to help live kidney donors with the expenses involved in donating a kidney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I truly believe that these men are on a mission for God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please check out the </span><a href="http://vertrouefoundation.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Vertroue Foundation</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the breakfast, I sat and talked to these men and told them that I might know some people that could help them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked up and told Rick Carson (founding member of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vertroue) that I wasn’t even supposed to be at this breakfast, because I had other plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He looked me square in the eye and said “you were supposed to be here, we have been praying for people to come forward and find people that can help us”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am telling you it gave me a cold chill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God was at work and I didn’t even know it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another incident at the breakfast also demonstrated the power of prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of our regular guys at the breakfast told us about his friend that was sick and our group praying for him. This man had learned that he had stage 4 cancer. He was an agnostic. But our member kept lifting him up in prayer and we always prayed for him. Well, last week the lastest report on his cancer came back and the scan showed no trace of cancer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The doctor was amazed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man is now wanting to know more about Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miracle? Not really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Power prayer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would say so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no other explanation.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This morning I was going to go to church with my wife down here at the coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a 10 a.m. service and I just didn’t get ready in time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I stayed at our little cabin and watched some preachers on TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both sermons were on prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They weren’t about your “bless this meat, let’s eat” type prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were talking about down on your knees asking for real powerful actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first preacher was talking about answered prayer and said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not magical, it’s not hocus-pocus, it’s about focused prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might ask, “What is focused prayer”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep reading, we’ll get to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just remember that answered prayer is not really a miracle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even said it at our breakfast when we learned about the man that was cancer free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone said, “It’s a miracle”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t a miracle, it was God hearing focused prayer and answering it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we don’t have an explanation for something, we just make something up to express it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s how simple we really are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That doesn’t mean that we ought to trivialize what has happened, we just need to learn to recognize just how powerful prayer is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And thank God for the answered prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is showing us how to turn our lives over to him, we just need to listen every day and look for him and chances for us to give praise and glory to his work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next preacher that I listened to was Joel Osteen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now sometimes I think he is a little to much into self-promotion but he was right on today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned that I need to pray about my thoughts about Joel’s ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God was there this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I just need to be humble.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He was talking about prayer this morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read the next part carefully and think about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said too often we just pray <strong><span style="background-color: orange;">“get by”</span></strong> prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, "Lord help me make enough money to feed my family”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Lord, help me get well”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Lord, help me pass this class in school, or help me find a job”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have all prayed these prayers in one way or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joel said that we are praying small prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We aren’t praying big prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why, because we were taught these small prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes someone with vision to pray big prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this person with vision is walking with the Lord and is not afraid to pray big prayers and believe that God will not only hear the prayer but answer the prayer.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have heard it all my life that God answers prayer in his own time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just accept that because that is what we have been taught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you ever thought that maybe your prayer isn’t being answered because that God is not sure that you really want his answer, or even believe that he can answer a prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Remember the saying; "Be careful what you ask for, because you might just get it". </span>I have participated in many prayers, when we just pray for comfort for a terminally ill person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t even pray the big prayer for healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason it always makes my think about that mustard seed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Jesus asked the two blind men what they wanted, they asked for the big thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They asked for their sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you remember what happened?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus blessed them and they could see.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They call it a miracle in the bible, but really it was just focused prayer by a true believer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grew up watching preachers healing people on TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was every Sunday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They screamed and hollered and people just danced around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was fascinating, but it felt like more self-promotion of the preacher to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do know that I have witnessed a lot of answered prayer this last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it’s real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I know it's very real. </span>But I do know that I have been guilty of praying small prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joel Osteen said; “If you can do something on your own” and you are praying about it, it’s a small prayer”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lot of truth to that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Joel said to ask for something big when you pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t just thank God because you have enough to get by, ask for more so you can use it for God’s glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you really give it to God, you always get back way more than you gave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be bold, stretch your faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Please read the 81<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> Psalm after you read this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quoting Psalm 81:10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God was talking to the Israelites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.”. This is a great video. Just over 7 minutes long. Put together by a young lady. Very moving. Psalm 81 is the focal verse. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pretty good message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give all of yourself to God and he will fill you up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask for big prayers and stand back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch it happen!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My last post I was talking about vision for my church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember my church is almost 100 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been praying and just wanting to get 100 people there on any given Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our community is much larger than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s like begging for a penny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Small Stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet, that’s one of our goals and it isn’t even written down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just talk about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about baptizing one soul a month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds like a big number compared to what we have been doing, but that’s not even a drop in the bucket. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Churches need to pray big prayers for their people and their church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then we need to get down on our knees and truly ask God how we can help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Kris Kristofferson’s song, “Why me Lord” sung by the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gaither Vocal Band.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow the lyrics along as you listen to the song. It might be a good idea to stop and say a prayer before you listen to it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/4GYxiCVGVyM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wasn’t that beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you read the words along with the song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What have I done to deserve even one of the pleasues I’ve known”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to ask ourselves that question every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now don’t forget, we are human and was are going to make mistakes and we are going to sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But remember that we are conditioned to think and act in a natural way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to remember that God is supernatural and all things are possible through him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not just a saying, that is God’s word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I need to close here, I am getting long in the tooth, but just remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pray big prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I found another video that I would like for you to watch. Clap your hands and sing along. There's Power in the Blood. God Bless.</span></span><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-6253808589899342352012-01-25T07:31:00.000-08:002012-01-25T12:32:05.992-08:00We gotta find a new name for Stewardship.My preacher has been preaching about stewardship the last couple of weeks. Gives a lot of people the Heebie-jeebies when the preacher gets on this subject. It's about money and about your service to the church. Well just so you understand. Only people my age (late 50's) and older know what Heebie-jeebies is, and the same goes for stewardship. <br />
Young adults have a hard time with this word. Lots of "with it" churches uses the words like soul prints or your personal calling. They understand these terms, but stewardship sounds like the work of a bunch of stodgy old deacons. Therein lies the problem.<br />
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While we were on the subject of stewardship, my church began talking about their vision. Now I just want to say here that this church will celebrate it 100th birthday in 2014. Kind of long in the tooth to just now be talking about a vision. In reality, the neighborhood has grown tremendously. So, I think my church needs to talk about it's vision. Just got to add that this isn't the first time, my church has looked for a vision.<br />
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The problem is when you start talking about vision it always turns to tangible things, like new buildings and such. I hear people say, we just can't attract people to an old church, when so many new churches have popped up around us. Whoa, need to stop right there. Granted, I don't want to go to a run down building either, but our vision can't be based on tangible objects. <br />
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Jesus wrote down the vision for the church in "The Great Commission". Quoting from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_commission" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>, <br />
some version of the great commission appears in the Gospels of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Matthew" title="Gospel of Matthew">Matthew</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Mark" title="Gospel of Mark">Mark</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Luke" title="Gospel of Luke">Luke</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_John" title="Gospel of John">John</a>, and in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_the_Apostles" title="Acts of the Apostles">Book of Acts</a>, which is the second part of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke-Acts" title="Luke-Acts">Luke-Acts</a>. Details vary from book to book, see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_harmony" title="Gospel harmony">Gospel harmony</a> for the attempts to harmonize them. In Matthew, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus" title="Jesus">Jesus</a> directs the disciples to baptize people of all nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, similar to the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitarianism" title="Trinitarianism">Trinitarian</a> formula of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_the_Father" title="God the Father">God the Father</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_the_Son" title="God the Son">God the Son</a>, and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_the_Holy_Spirit" title="God the Holy Spirit">God the Holy Spirit</a>. In Luke, Jesus tells the disciples to preach <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repentance" title="Repentance">repentance</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgiveness" title="Forgiveness">forgiveness</a>, and promises that they will have divine power. In John, Jesus says the disciples will have the Holy Spirit and the authority to forgive sins and to withhold forgiveness.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_commission#cite_note-1">[2]</a></sup> In Acts, Jesus promises the disciples that the Holy Spirit will inspire them.<br />
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I have to confess, I have only been back to my church for a year now. Was out in the world for a number of years. My church is one of my greatest joys. Stewardship and visions go hand in hand. They have to be found together. <br />
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We have all heard the argument that I don't have to go to church to pray to Jesus. I know Jesus is in my heart and that is all that I need. I cannot disagree with that statement, yet that person in my opinion will always feel like something is lacking. You find a lot of people in the church that just come to church and don't participate in anything else. That's OK too, but I feel that person is going to be prone to drift away from the church. You know that "any old reason" excuse. I can speak from personal experience here.<br />
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You see the great thing about church is that it allows all the members to contribute their talents. We all have different talents and no talent is greater or less than any other talent, if they are used for Jesus. Not everybody is going out to be missionaries or lead crusades. Lots of people work behind the scenes and may for example, just pick up the church grounds. Remember the church is the house of the Lord. This person that picks up the grounds is just as great in God's eyes as the person that preaches to large congregations. Everyone matters to Jesus.<br />
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So, if you worship at home or just go to church and then go home, you are missing out on a blessing. <br />
People at church are people too and sometimes they do or say things for the wrong reason. It happens. But I believe that the people in a church that really contribute to that church don't do it for the wrong reasons. They do it because they feel that God has led them to this work. <br />
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Just to tie this all up. When you walk with the Lord and you do it over and over again, the path just gets deeper and better. Jesus is there with you and will carry you on this path when you can't walk it yourself. You will find the people in your church in that path with you. Believers walking with Jesus. I am telling you it don't get any better than that. I remember as a small child a path that led to my grandmother's house from my house. It was only about 50 yards long. My mom would let me go by myself, but told me to stay on the path. It wasn't a straight path but I felt safe on that path. And I know now that my mom watched me all the way. That's how Jesus walks with you. That's why I have committed myself to my church. I get the blessing and it's worth it. And I get to walk with true believers. <br />
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One more thought... If you follow the words of Jesus and go out and tell others about him. Good things will happen. A church will grow and maybe need a new building someday to house all the new believers. The most important thing is to pray and plan. <br />
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God Bless You<br />
Fitzhugh Fits Me, Does it Fit You<br />
<a href="http://www.fitzhughbaptist.org/" target="_blank">Fitzhugh Baptist Church</a> <br />
Mike<br />
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PS. Anybody that knows me knows that I talk a lot. Can't help it. I found this video about another church somewhere in this country. It's a great video, and I challenge my church and all other churches to try and be like this church. This should be the goal of all churches. Please watch this video and pray.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5glxwAJtgsw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-11660780993648623612011-12-06T17:12:00.000-08:002011-12-06T17:12:32.442-08:00King James and I<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The English language can be a big problem for a lot of Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yep, that’s right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But of course I am talking about King James English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the Bibles that I grew up with were translated into King James English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dare say that many a problem has arisen because of someone’s interpretation of a verse in the King James Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was reading in Hebrews today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chapter 2, verses 5-8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am just going to quote verse 5 here: “For unto the angels hath he not put into subjection the world to come, whereof we speak”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You got me, I didn’t have any idea what that meant and I graduated from college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The NIV Bible says: “It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a little better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I just don’t know which of the other translations are accurate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is always some controversy over the translation from Hebrew to English or Greek to English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>King James is always the one that I go back to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And you know, I think a lot of Christians have this problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s probably part of the reason why we have so many different protestant denominations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two old guys got in an argument over the meaning of some verse and pretty soon they started a new church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I like to read the Bible taking into consideration the time and place of the verse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was going on at that time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why did the New Testament writers need to bring up a subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking verses out of context and then using King James English can lead to problems in my book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think I could read 3 chapters a day in the King James Bible and not understand over half of what I read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is true confession time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how do Christians overcome the challenges of King James English?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I am going to start sounding like a broken record here, but I only know of one way to learn the Bible, regardless of the translation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go to church, Sunday school and pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By talking and praying with other Christians is the only way that I know of that will really help me grow in my Christian life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t sit at home and grow because I need someone to explain to me verses like Hebrews, Chapter 2, and verse 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kN7-EvgKAsk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-21976269853085323472011-12-06T12:49:00.000-08:002011-12-06T12:49:18.572-08:00Cowboy poetryGot this in an email. Thought that it was appropriate. Good reminder why you should pray regularly. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="background: white; color: navy; font-size: 18pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jake, the rancher, went one day</span></b><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="background: white; color: navy; font-size: 18pt;">To fix a distant fence.<br />
The wind was cold and gusty<br />
And the clouds rolled gray and dense.<br />
<br />
As he pounded the last staples in<br />
And gathered tools to go,<br />
The temperature had fallen,<br />
The wind and snow began to blow.<br />
<br />
When he finally reached his pickup,<br />
He felt a heavy heart.<br />
From the sound of that ignition<br />
He knew it wouldn't start.<br />
<br />
So Jake did what most of us<br />
Would do if we had been there.<br />
He humbly bowed his balding head<br />
And sent aloft a prayer.<br />
<br />
As he turned the key for the last time,<br />
He softly cursed his luck<br />
They found him three days later,<br />
Frozen stiff in that old truck.<br />
<br />
Now Jake had been around in life<br />
And done his share of roaming.<br />
But when he saw Heaven, he was shocked --<br />
It looked just like Wyoming !<br />
<br />
Of all the saints in Heaven,<br />
His favorite was St. Peter ...</span></b></div><o:p></o:p> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: navy; font-size: 18pt;"><br />
So they sat and talked a minute or two,<br />
Or maybe it was three.<br />
Nobody was keeping' score --<br />
In Heaven, time is free.<br />
<br />
“I've always heard,” Jake said to Pete ,<br />
“that God will answer prayer,<br />
But one time I asked for help,<br />
Well, he just plain wasn't there.<br />
<br />
Does God answer prayers of some,<br />
And ignore the prayers of others?<br />
That don't seem exactly square --<br />
I know all men are brothers.<br />
<br />
Or does he randomly reply,<span style="background: white;"><br />
Without good rhyme or reason?<br />
Maybe, it's the time of day,<br />
The weather or the season.<br />
<br />
Now I ain't trying to act smart,<br />
It's just the way I feel.<br />
And I was wondering', could you tell me <br />
What the heck's the deal?”<br />
<br />
Peter listened very patiently<br />
And when Jake was done,<br />
There were smiles of recognition,<br />
And he said, “<i>So, you're the one</i>!”<br />
<br />
“That day your truck, it wouldn't start,<br />
And you sent your prayer a flying,<br />
You gave us all a real bad time,<br />
With hundreds of us trying.<br />
<br />
A thousand angels rushed,<br />
To check the status of your file,<br />
But you know, Jake , we hadn't heard<br />
From you in quite a long while.<br />
<br />
And though all prayers are answered,<br />
And God ain't got no quota,<br />
He didn't recognize your voice,<br />
And started a truck in Minnesota.”</span></span></b><o:p></o:p></div><o:p></o:p> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="background: white; color: red; font-size: 20pt;"><o:p></o:p>BETTER KEEP IN TOUCH</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-22292784435970426012011-12-05T14:16:00.000-08:002011-12-05T14:16:44.460-08:00What is Prayer?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If I were a poet, I would come up with something like Bob Dylan’s “The answer is blowing in the wind”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But alas, I am not a poet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If I were a wordsmith, I would stitch together a mosaic of multi-syllable words that would paint a rather elaborate picture of prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But again, I am not a wordsmith.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And if I were a biblical scholar, I could quote you verse after verse of scripture to illustrate what prayer is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorrowfully, I am not even a good Biblical student much less a scholar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can I possibly answer the question?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no means with which to adequately describe prayer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or do I?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the ordinary Christian have the tools to answer the question?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s complicated, but after examining the question, I believe that I have the ability to answer the question: What is Prayer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you do too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real problem with the question though, is that there are many answers to the question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the light of your personal relationship with Jesus, you know what prayer means to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like fingerprints, no two Christians have the same prayer life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So if the question is multiple choice, and I answer “a” and you answer “b” and your friend answers “c”, we are all right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I explore the answer, I find that the best type of prayer for me is a prayer of searching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Searching for the “next right thing” to do that would please God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I pray for others, it’s to find peace in their relationship with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most people have close ties to their biological families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most families have ties with denomination families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is only natural. On one hand you have the Catholic faith that requires great study just to become a Catholic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Catholics are not encouraged to marry outside the denomination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only guess that they want to keep the Catholic faith true to its roots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see practicing Catholics as living a very structured life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunday services consist of rituals and liturgies that are strictly adhered to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Catholics aren’t the only denomination that has these types of services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Baptists publish “What we believe” on our web page and in our Sunday morning handout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you agree with us, then we are quite happy to dunk you and put you in a pew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which side is right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to answer that question for yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But I think it is quite rare for people to change denominations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if they do, it is most likely to a non-denominational church. The best answer for you is the best answer for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ha, that was a copout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s true, only you can decide how to find your own personal relationship with Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now I want to explore the biggest stumbling block for most Christian and non-Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t seem to adequately answer the question: “Why does bad things happen to good people and what we perceive to be wicked people get a free pass”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I had the answer to that question, I could fill all the churches in the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would be jam packed every Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you go to church at all, you have heard many sermons on this subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I was in alcohol recovery, the biggest challenge for most people in rehab was turning their lives over to a “Higher Power”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this “Higher Power” could be anything that kept you from drinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s evident to me that the underlying personal struggles of alcoholics point back to a real problem in believing in anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While they don’t want to relinquish control of their lives to a Higher Power, they fail to recognize that in fact they have done just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only their “Higher Power” is alcohol or the drug of their choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to quote you a passage from a book that I have been reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Trembling at the Threshold of a Biblical Text, by James L. Crenshaw. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Small wonder that the prophet wanted to understand why God strengthens such cruel people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we hear a second prayerful complaint from his trembling lips: “Why do you allow relatively good people to fall at the hands of those who are wicked than they?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prophet knows that his own people are far from perfect, but he also knows that some of them try to practice common decency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why, then must they die when their murderers are totally devoid of goodness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This, too, is the universal cry when innocents perish and worthless people thrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is there one among us who has not uttered this cry at some time or other?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a protest against wasted lives, the early death of a loved one who might have brought so much happiness to others, now forced to endure great loss for no apparent reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At is very heart this is a question about the way God runs the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From our perspective, God is not doing a very good job”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">People don’t understand the way of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they get angry when there is no good reason to give them for a tragedy other than “God needed another angel”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truest fact is that we are all going to die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have wrestled with that wondering why I was even born if I have to die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until I found strength in Jesus that I could be unafraid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, when a loved one dies, we are afraid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are afraid for ourselves and for our loved one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are afraid that we can’t live without that loved one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are afraid for our loved one too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s because of that story about the mustard seed in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We profess faith, but yet many times our faith is no larger than that small mustard seed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can be ashamed of our lack of faith, but we all struggle at times with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Jesus was tempted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we must just pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, the last question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can someone teach you how to pray?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My personal feelings are it’s a very personal thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, that being said, I really like a prayer group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A small group of people that you can share with and pray with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to attend a men’s prayer group on Friday mornings at my church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find a lot of strength there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Men praying to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It don’t get much better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Here's Bob Dylan singing "Blowing in the Wind".</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/_zY_cM0_6vA/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_zY_cM0_6vA&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_zY_cM0_6vA&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-33100002896875333182011-11-30T12:43:00.000-08:002011-12-02T12:32:32.429-08:00I Pledge Allegiance To the Flag<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of the United States of America</span></span></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And to the Union<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For which it Stands,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One Nation, Under God</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Indivisiable,</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With Liberty and Justice for All.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the big political footballs this election cycle is God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians are all up in arms because many want to take the “under God” phrase out of the pledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t tell you how many emails that I have gotten on this subject and I am supposed to send the message to 10 of my friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same with Facebook, the action states, “repost this if you agree”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like if I don’t repost it, then I am against this little two word phrase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve got some news for you; we have more problems that worrying about this phrase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t want them to take the phrase out of the allegiance, but I am not going to get all that bothered by it either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We Americans are quite smug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took over the word, American.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last I looked there was a North America and a South America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Canadians are in North America with the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aren’t they Americans?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about the countries in South America?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The citizens of the United State have the idea that we are a chosen nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s where the smugness comes in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ask, chosen by whom? Do you really think that God chose the United States?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, what were we chosen to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel about the pledge of allegiance like I feel about a common prayer that we say when we sit down to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Thank you God for our food and our health today, Amen.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We say it like we were repeating a nursery rhyme, almost like we were singing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally feel like the powers that be are making a big deal out of the “under God” phrase so we forget about the second half of that sentence, “with Liberty and Justice for all”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s the part of the sentence that I am concerned with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember religious liberty is a part of liberty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they take away our liberties, we lose more than just that “under God” phrase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And don’t get me started on “justice”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all know that “money talks” in our political system and yet we just let it happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We feel powerless and in many ways we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To leap to the assumption that the United States is “God’s chosen people” is just wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But first, let’s just play like we were “chosen by God”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be careful of what you ask for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can all agree that the Israelites in the Old Testament were “God’s Chosen People”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did God do for them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many times as they drifted from God, he let other countries defeat them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Defeated so badly,that they lost their homeland and were dispersed throughout the Middle East.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Persecuted by their enemies and many were killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we are “God’s chosen people than we have a lot to look forward to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now some will tell me that’s exactly what’s happening to the United States today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are being punished because we are turning away from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now we are getting closer to the true problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are we teaching in our churches?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like one extreme or the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a preacher in Houston whose church was a pro basketball arena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s on every Sunday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thousands of people in attendance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to be careful here, because I do not want to be seen as judging him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My concern with him and his church is it’s what I perceive to be an “entertainment church”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now you say, “What the heck does that mean?”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me it means that the sermons are all about “feel good”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s always preaching about how God wants you to have money, a job and to be successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He says, “look at me” and is proud of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I almost feel like I am attending a multi-level distribution company convention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The top level distributors get up on stage and tell about their struggles and they still made it to the top and by golly so can you. If I could just recruit those thousands of people in his church to sign up as my recruits and pay the monthly fees to do it, I could be rich and successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wait a minute, that’s exactly what’s he done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I need to go start my own “feel good” church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other side of the coin is the “hell, fire and brimstone” preacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know you have all heard a preacher like this one, but he one that comes to mind for me was on the television real early on Sunday mornings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He always drew a picture while he preached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He drew with chalk, and he was quite the artist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watched the show just to watch him draw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He preached “gloom and doom”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never once did I hear him tell about the joy of being a Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His church was always full, but it was a small church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think of those types of preachers as “Old Testament” preachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God was quite vengeful in the Old Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All Christians in the United States are either in churches like the two that I described or more likely somewhere in between.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many claim to be Christians but don’t attend church at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They say, I don’t need church to know Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you know, that’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians are in many phases of development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little Christians (young kids) are still in that magical phase, where they liken Jesus to Santa Clause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can’t see either one, but believe in both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some Christians never get out of this phase and even some mature Christians are lured back into this phase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the magical phase, God always rewards good and punishes evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Raise your hand if you’ve ever prayed like this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“God, I’ll never do it again if you’ll just get me out of this jam”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or how about this prayer that many say while sitting in the waiting room at a hospital while a loved one is undergoing surgery in a life threatening situation: “God please don’t let them die, Please take care of them” repeated over and over and over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come on, I know you’ve done it; I know I have on many occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In an earlier post, I said that you are either moving forwards or backwards in your Christian belief, that there is no neutral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many Christians start sliding backwards when they don’t get favorable answers to their prayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s a shame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they retreat back to their couch on Sunday mornings and watch church on TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they flip channels like they were watching football games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying to find that one preacher that is preaching a message that makes them happy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">While we are watching TV, we are multi-tasking and doing the Facebook thing too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are looking to see if somebody gave us a heart or helped us on Farmville or posted a picture of their kids or grandkids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I daresay that we all know what “like” means on Facebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then someone comes along and posts something about somebody wanting to do away with the “under God” phrase in the pledge and wants us to like their post and then repost it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doing our Christian and patriotic duty, we “like” them a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh boy, now we feel good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t even have to watch that preacher any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have done our duty for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just wonder how much God “likes” us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am lucky in that I found a church that lives in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our preacher tells us about life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How the life we live here on earth is just a journey to prepare us for heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As in any journey, there are good times and bad times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is constantly teaching us throughout all phases in our life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knows we will hurt at times and he will comfort us if we turn it over to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My church tries to live by Jesus’s word: “Love one another like you love yourself”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find great comfort in that message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I am so grateful that I see that message in the members of my church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can see the footprints of God there and feel his presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As for me, I just pray that God’s helps me to hear him when he tells me about his will for my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get confused and I need God and my church family to help me. I need to read the Bible daily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the only way that I can continue to grow in my Christian life. I need prayer to guide me, my church family to show me and the Bible to allow me to read the greatest story ever told.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-42178634989208242472011-11-25T17:38:00.000-08:002011-11-25T17:38:46.167-08:00Oh, The Games People Play Now<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every night and every day now<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Never meaning what they say now<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Never meaning what they say.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh, they while away the hours<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In their ivory towers<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To be covered up with flowers<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the back of a black limousine<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Games People Play, by Joe South.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You know I am finding it’s a little tougher being a “listening to God” Christian than I ever thought it would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was saved a long time ago and have said my prayers for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, I have not practiced what I espoused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s funny how you can read the Bible for a lifetime and never realize the persecution that early Christians went through to be believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We back down from our beliefs if we are thought to be threatening at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We sit silent in our pews. </span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week, I had a “Facebook Friend” post the word Hypochristian and give the definition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all, I found the definition of <span id="goog_478493639"></span>Hypochristian<span id="goog_478493640"></span> in the <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/" target="_blank">Urban Dictionary</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Click on the link to take you to it’s home page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right off you find: Urban Dictionary is the dictionary <b>you wrote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What this means is that anyone on the internet can make up any word and post it in a dictionary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This so called friend posted it like it was authoritative, but he gave no resources as to where he found the definition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found the definition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now go the this link: <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hypochristian" target="_blank">Hypochristian</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here you will find the so called definition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My so called friend only posted the first of 3 different definitions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below is the first definition which I replied back to my friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Contraction of the words 'hypocrite' and 'Christian'. Any Christian who claims to follow the teaching of Christ but whose belief structure, values and/or actions directly contradict such a claim. Typically, hypochristians support things such as the Death Penalty, engage in heavily in proselytizing and judgement of others whose beliefs differ from theirs. Additionally, they often oppose things that go against their beliefs such as gay marriage, evolution, and other scientific law amidst wide amounts of ethical, scientific, moral, and logical arguments (even within their own supposed claim of beliefs) that would prove otherwise. Hypochristians are best categorized as individuals so stubbornly and fanatically devoted to their beliefs that they border on sheer stupidity.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I told him that I was not proselytizing or judging anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went further to say that Christians are sinners too and we have our faults, but that doesn’t make us a hypocrite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went on to say that I respect the right of anyone to their beliefs, but I have my beliefs and it’s just wrong to call me a name because I am a Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was trying my best to be polite but firm and let him know that I love Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He came back and said that my reply fit the definition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was a little to much to get go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him that I would be a hypocrite if I let him post something that was entirely made up and then let it go as authoritarian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would also be a hypocrite if I didn’t let him know that his post was just wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love Christ and it is my duty and obligation to defend Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By being quite, I am simply living in that Ivory Tower in the above song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I put it back to him rather strongly and quite frankly, it felt good.</span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want to recommend a book, The Culture of Disbelief, by Stephan L. Carter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a review that I found.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The Culture Of Disbelief </span></b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">has been the subject of an enormous amount of media attention from the first moment it was published. That media attention was only amplified when President Clinton praised the book while telling a group of religious leaders that America is too secular. Hugely successful in hardcover, the Anchor paperback is sure to find a large audience as the ever-increasing, enduring debate about the relationship of church and state in America continues. </span><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">In <b>The Culture Of Disbelief</b>, Stephen Carter explains how we can preserve the vital separation of church and state while embracing rather than trivializing the faith of millions of citizens or treating religious believers with disdain. What makes Carter's work so intriguing is that he uses liberal means to arrive at what are often considered conservative ends. Explaining how preserving a special role for religious communities can strengthen our democracy, <b>The Culture Of Disbelief</b> recovers the long tradition of liberal religious witness (for example, the antislavery, antisegregation, and Vietnam-era antiwar movements). Carter argues that the problem with the 1992 Republican convention was not the fact of open religious advocacy, but the political positions being advocated.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">On page 107, in the chapter on The Separation of Church and State, he says; <strong>“For the most significant aspect of the separation of church and state is not, as some seem to think, the shielding of the secular world from too strong a religious influence; the principal task of the separation of church and state is to secure religious liberty.”<o:p></o:p></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This country was founded on great principles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The love of God was one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time to stop hiding your beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like every time I speak out now, some people are offended by my beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just speaking about Christ almost makes me a radical right winger in some places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve got to tell you, I don’t even know what they are really talking about when people say I am part of the “religious right”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I am right about Christ and that’s enough for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The teachings of Christ tell us to tell people about him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prefer to do it with my actions rather than words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But….sometimes you just have to stand up and be counted as a Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may mean ridicule, persecution or you just lose friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, that’s OK.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Well I have been rambling a bit so to sum it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to pray every day for God to give me the strength to stand up for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want to back down and not be counted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope you will join me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Oh, the games people play…… Here's Joe South singing "The Games People Play". If it's been a while since you have listened to the words, I encourage you to listen to the whole song. It's a good one. Think about it. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PojXf-spKKM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-71674632317742254422011-11-22T07:15:00.000-08:002011-11-22T07:15:06.343-08:00Life, Liberty and Blah, Blah, Blah<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our founding fathers were brilliant men, no doubt about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Declaration of Independence is one of the most remarkable documents ever written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I fear that my generation bears little resemblance to our founding fathers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The founding fathers of any nation are passionate about their dreams for their country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, as generations pass, nations drift farther and farther away from their original ideals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, the United States, are not any different.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am quite sure our founding fathers would not recognize the United States of today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And maybe it’s partly their fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We they said, “We hold these truths to be self evident”, they never realized that future generations would twist these words to pacify a people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“That all men are created equal”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After nearly 250 years, we aren’t even close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, we abolished slavery, gave women the vote, and integrated our schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We kept the Indians on the reservation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You see, our founding fathers were shortsighted in some ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They weren’t thinking about Indians, Negros or women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were thinking about themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Democracy was a new idea at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great experiment so to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could they include any other classes of people when freedom was something so new?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They needed to experience freedom themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now let’s talk about “Certain Unalienable Rights”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the heck does that mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just rolls off your tongue and it just feels powerful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s start with the definition of “unalienable”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had to look it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unalienable: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><u>The state of a thing or right which cannot be sold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></u></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, these rights are inherent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are rights given by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now let’s talk about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first unalienable right mentioned is the right to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somebody has got to help me here, I can’t find that chapter and verse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can find the part about “An eye for and eye” and “thou shalt not kill”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It takes a real spin doctor to put those two together for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can also find the part that tells us that we are not promised tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So just what is this “right to life”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God gave us life and he can take it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is God given not a man’s inherent right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do have man made laws that punish those that don’t respect life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s true, but in the end, God has given us this human life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s up to us to use that life honoring God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God has promised us eternal life if we believe. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So to me the only unalienable right granted by God was that of our salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t sale or give away that right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we believe, then we are promised eternal life in heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So how can I rationalize abortion rights, the death penalty and cruel and unusual punishment?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And thankfully, it’s not my problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that sound crass, but in reality, I have to just give it to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know what I believe about abortion and the death penalty and just like trying to reconcile “an eye for and eye and thou shalt not kill”, I can’t explain them to anyone without putting my spin on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now let’s talk about liberty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The liberties of the founding fathers were reserved mainly for male landowners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Liberty was a big thing for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the due course of the last 250 years, we have eroded our liberties to the point that the founding fathers would call for another revolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem is that our liberties have been taken away so gradually that we don’t even see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like sticking a chicken in a pot of water and start cooking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chicken is cooked before he realizes that anything is wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so goes with our liberties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are pretty much cooked, we just don’t know it yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last unalienable right specifically mentioned is “the pursuit of happiness”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this right is the most misunderstood and has caused us the most trouble as a nation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all, how do you pursue happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More money, bigger job, bigger house, more toys..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all know in our hearts that material goods don’t bring real happiness, yet this is what we always think this part of the Declaration of Independence means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pursuit of happiness has brought us; alcoholism, suicides, drug addiction, and numerous other addictions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has made a whole industry of counselors, therapists and a new branch of medicine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy do we have the drugs to counteract any feeling that we might have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All in the name of “the pursuit of happiness”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In reality, the faster you pursue happiness the more elusive it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what did the founding fathers have in mind when they wrote down the pursuit of happiness?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well remember, it was a Christian nation at that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they meant the ability to live a Godly life here on earth without fear of persecution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because isn’t that where real happiness lies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it is for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I am close to God, I am happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no fears, because I give them to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, that’s the pursuit of happiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t know why this came to mind, but it did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess God wanted me to say it or at least write it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Declaration of Independence means something different to me now than what I was taught growing up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">God Bless..</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Please listen to a reading of the Declaration of Independence. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/I3zr8ZY5c1c?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-67654693707935407892011-11-19T06:54:00.000-08:002011-11-19T06:54:58.743-08:00Follow the Recipe<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Gary Zukav’s book; “Soul Stories”, he tells about a baker that is showing his students how to bake basic bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said that there were two major requirements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second of which is to follow the recipe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you guess what the first requirement is?<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first requirement is, you gotta want to make that bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I can hear you saying, “That goes without saying”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without thinking about it much, I would have to agree with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But let’s look deeper into this “want to” thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you ever wondered why sometimes mom’s recipe doesn’t turn out just right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You follow it to the exact measurements, but it just doesn’t taste like the recipe that you remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ever wonder why some teams win all the time and other teams with the same talent are just mediocre. It’s very simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You gotta want it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a previous post, I talked about either moving forward or going backward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember there is no neutral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exactly what does “gotta want it” mean?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well it’s very hard to explain in words, because it something from your gut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something that you feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something that you can’t turn loose of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This time last year, my wife and I were both in Alcohol Rehab Centers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Different centers, but we were both inpatient for 30 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I missed Thanksgiving last year with my mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was her last Thanksgiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I regret that, but I was committed to my 30 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in a 12 step Rehab Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In those 30 days we covered the first 3 steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those first three steps involved recognizing that you were powerless over alcohol, that there was a higher power that could help you and the third step involved turning you life and will over to your higher power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Big Book, written for alcoholics, was very specific in that if you didn’t turn your life and will over to your higher power, then you would not succeed in staying sober.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pretty heady stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They preached this to us for 30 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What still amazes me about Rehab, was that it was not the first Rehab for about half of the patients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One guy was at his 10<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> rehab and he was in his mid 20’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To stay sober, you “gotta want” to stay sober and you have to turn it over to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sounds very simple doesn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it is elusive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to be diligent and want it every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you know this is true with anything in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t want it, you won’t get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can spend thousands and thousands on self-help books and gurus. You can attend many conferences and talk to lots of counselors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there is only one counselor that counts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will come into your life if you ask, but it’s something you gotta want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nobody else can help you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who is that counselor?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So now let’s get back to the recipe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s really very simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1. Believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and ask him to come into your life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love your neighbor as you love yourself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh, people will tell you that there are other requirements and try and complicate the recipe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to the Lord, he will guide you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now go bake this recipe every day and watch your life change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I love music. I like to listen to music while I read. It soothes my soul. Today's video is one that I found on Youtube. Never heard it before but I like it. Turn it up. Let it lift you up.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxXFEacL0HKcJxaG-ffI42umw47TD0mm3foG0r-XdLrHL-xPtuI8zC-hNXo8MpDH8caZyHOgeeURCv-iTDHgg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-64009288877078029252011-11-17T01:17:00.000-08:002011-11-17T04:41:52.489-08:00I Recognize that ChurchI've been a Southern Baptist for over 40 years now. Still not sure exactly what that means. The other day a friend of mine told me he was a recovering Baptist. I think that I know what he means. Wrote this little poem that kind of tells the Baptist story for a lot of folks. <br />
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</div><div align="center">Baptists on Sunday</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Stand up, Sit Down</div><div align="center">Pass the plate around</div><div align="center">Special tunes</div><div align="center">Be home soon</div><div align="center">The preacher's right on time.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Invocation</div><div align="center">Convocation</div><div align="center">Shake the preacher's hand</div><div align="center">Car zoom</div><div align="center">Get there soon</div><div align="center">Just to get in line.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">Sit down, say a prayer</div><div align="center">Eat some Luby's fare</div><div align="center">Give special thanks to the Lord</div><div align="center">We beat the Methodists there.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="left">I pick on the Methodists here because the Catholics always had early Mass and were through early anyway. Besides, there were always having a Pot Luck Dinner at the church. We Baptists finally caught on to that one. </div><div align="left"><br />
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</div>I have been reading parts of a book, "And Jesus Said", by William Barclay. This little books explains the background of the parables spoken by Jesus in the New Testament. I was particularly interested in Matthew 25: 14-30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have all read or heard The Parable of the Talents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of talents as money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The master was going away for a while and left 3 of his servants with different amounts of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to the following video to hear the Bible Verses. <br />
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<div align="left"></div>There are many lessons to be learned from this Parable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the last verses in this reading stood out to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quoting the book, “In Matthew the parable nears the end with the saying that the man who already has will receive still more, while the man who has not will lose what he has.”<o:p> </o:p><br />
<div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div>Ponder on this a minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look deep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The book goes on to say that this verse is a universal law of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep thinking.<o:p> </o:p><br />
<div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div>When you were young and your mom forced you to take piano lessons, you learned to play a little bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You hated it and quit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now today, you’re lucky if you can play chop sticks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now think about your church pianist or music director.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t you love to hear them play?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may have had that opportunity, but you lost it.<o:p> </o:p><br />
<div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div>Do you get it yet?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The person that learns and keeps learning gets better and better, while the one that quits playing, loses the little that they had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p><br />
<div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><strong><em><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I’ve taken a long time getting to this point, but now think about your church in regards to this verse.</span></em></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p><br />
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<div align="left"></div>I ask you, Is your church growing? Are you investing in the church?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or like the 3<sup>rd</sup> servant are you just trying to keep what you have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many Baptist Churches are so steeped in tradition that they are just trying to keep what they have. They think that taking any chances is bad. And they just won't take a chance. <br />
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We are so used to the old hymns that we sometimes reject the new music that is coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard people complain about guitars and drums in a service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t sound like that old tinny piano that you used to hear while sitting next to your grandmother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you can still hear her voice, and she is off key and shrill but you cling to it.<o:p> Listen to this video and see if it doens't bring back some memories. Maybe last Sunday.. I think I hear my grandma's shrill voice if I close my eyes and listen.</o:p><br />
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Now listen to this modern version of Bringing in the Sheeves and tell me which version would the young people today like to hear. Would playing this version constitute taking a chance. For some it would. <br />
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<div align="left"></div>I don’t go to my church because it’s a Baptist Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I go because I love the people and feel God’s presence there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like I said earlier, I am not sure what being Southern Baptist really means and I really don’t care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I have seen some Baptist Churches drop the Baptist name and become a nondenominational church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the most part they are still a Baptist Church, they just don’t call themselves Baptists anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess these are Recovering Baptists.<o:p> I really think that these churches are changing to meet the needs of their people. I am not advocating this position, I am just pointing out that it happens. And it's happening more and more frequently. </o:p><br />
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<div align="left"></div>Churches are full of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People just like you and me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my lifetime, I have seen many theological changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some are good and some are bad, in my opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like this parable in Matthew, you either learn or lose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are either going forward in your knowledge or you are going backward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no neutral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same is true in your knowledge and understanding of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t grow in the Lord unless you continually seek him.<o:p> </o:p><br />
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<div align="left"></div>I think a lot of church members get lazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They let others do the work and they just sit quietly in their pews on Sunday. They only talk when they are complaining about changes in the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people doing the work in the church are getting all the benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are growing in the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You stop and look at those in your church that are the hardest workers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can see Jesus in them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now look at yourself if you are not working in your church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Church is pretty much a hobby for you. You go when you feel like it and stay home if you can find something else to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you are always there on Easter.<o:p> </o:p><br />
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<div align="left"></div>I am almost 60 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church member that I have been describing is me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been a lazy Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have lost numerous talents because I didn’t want to change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope and pray that that is the old me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the Lord’s help, I will continue to serve him.<o:p> </o:p><br />
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<div align="left"></div>I am not talking about my church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although, I think that we have some tendencies there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Change is hard for little country churches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I think this applies to a lot of churches, not only Baptists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p><br />
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<div align="left"></div>Please say a prayer for your church.<br />
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Please listen to the following Youtube Video by Paul Simon. Slip Sliding Away. I hear something different now as I relate this song to the Parable of the Talents. Enjoy<br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"></div><div align="center"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-27088364677126884982011-11-16T02:35:00.000-08:002011-11-16T04:31:50.007-08:00Coincidences, I think not.<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been a few days now since the tragedy next door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I am tired to the bone, I have never experienced as close a relationship with God as I have in the past few days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been incredible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you really believe in coincidences?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We throw the term, "coincidence" around all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or how about this; “I can’t believe that this happened, it’s just a miracle that all these things came together”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve heard that before and not really thought anything about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just a saying. Ten minutes after you say it, you have forgotten all about it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, maybe that's the problem that we Christians have in today’s secular world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been inoculated with phrases and clichés that we have learned in church all of our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s gotten to the point where we can repeat these phrases and not really mean it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It's just our coping mechanism. We really don't want to get involved any further than acknowledging that "it's a miracle". </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">While applying for an insurance sales job back in my younger days, I was required to take an aptitude test to measure my sales aptitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will never forget the owner of the agency talking to me after the test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He told me he had given this test many times and had never seen anything like my score.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The test showed that I had “zero” empathy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It meant that I really didn’t care about anyone or anything but was smart enough to know it and could produce “fake empathy” as needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has bothered me for over 20 years now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It was tough to hear someone tell me that I didn't have any empathy. I can remember Ella Fitsgerald singing in that </span>old commercial; “Is it real or is it Memorex”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am always looking at my emotions to check up on myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Am I really feeling something or am I faking it?</span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can tell you, I wasn't faking it last Friday. It was real. I know what I felt. I felt the presence of God. It was very powerful. So, now the question for me has changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is no longer, do I believe in coincidences, but what are coincidences?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know the answer and you do too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coincidences are opportunities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God puts them there for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because he wants you to grow in your faith and learn to trust him more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the real growth occurs before the coincidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look back and see how God was preparing you for the “coincidence”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess the real question is; Were you ready and then did you share Jesus?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you give God the glory?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Did God prepare me for this last week?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely….. I am now convinced that the reason that we, as humans can’t stay in constant contact with God is that while it is incredibly invigorating, it is also very exhausting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you do get a glimpse of eternity and that should be enough to keep you coming back for more.</span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So my challenge to you and to myself is to get off the bench.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be prepared, because you never know when God needs to use YOU.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hope you take time to listen to the song that I have included here. It is so true about me. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lwkAtGNitZQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-82856151894607998902011-11-11T19:55:00.000-08:002011-11-11T19:55:32.944-08:0011-11-11As this day draws to an end, I know that it is a date that I will never forget. A day that started with such promise and ended with a terrible tragedy. <br />
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This morning started out great. I went to the Friday Morning Prayer Breakfast at Fitzhugh Baptist Church. This is a breakfast for men. <br />
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A young man named Cory brought the message today. It was all about leadership. He told about several figures in the Bible that God chose to lead. He talked about Moses and Gideon. These men never thought of themselves as leaders, as a matter of fact, they felt that they were anything but leaders. But they listened to God and did his will. Cory also made the statement that you can love somebody but not necessarily lead them, but that you can't lead anybody that you don't love. Simple sentence, deep thought. <br />
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I took those statements to heart and when I got home, my wife and I did our daily reading in "The Purpose Driven Life". Today's reading talked about you. "Only you can be you". God gave each of us, different abilities. No one is the same. The chapter covered three ideas. 1. Applies your abilities. 2. Using your personality and 3. Employing your experiences. <br />
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I want to backup a minute and talk about last night. My wife and I invited our pastor and his wife over for dinner. We had a great time. I expressed my desire to use my abilities to help the church in some way. The first thing that he told me was to get involved in Sunday School. Odd request I thought, but I said OK. He said that it's in Sunday School that people learn the most about their fellow members. He said that God will lead you. Little did I know. <br />
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Now back to today. God in his grace gave me all these thoughts just in time. I was eating a late lunch around 2 this afternoon, when I heard my wife screaming in the other part of the house. She has had many health issues this year and I came running. She was crying and said that our next door neighbor had just called and that her husband had shot himself. She said he was gone. The last thing my wife told me as she ran out the house was that 911 hadn't been called and to make the call.<br />
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My wife is a rock in an emergency. She handles the stress quite well and deals with what is at hand. Me, on the other hand can get through it but it's very hard to get my emotions out of the way.<br />
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EMS had me on the line while the police were in route and asked me to look in the room where my neighbor had shot himself. They wanted to know if he was breathing. I took one look, one that will stay with me for my life, and turned away. <br />
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I was able to get though it and wait with my wife and the wife of the deceased. The lady was hysterical. It was a very difficult situation. But the emergency crews arrived and I was able to relax a little. <br />
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Now here comes the part that Jesus had prepared me for. Amazing. My wife was consoling the lady and I was waiting outside for the 2 sons and some grand kids to arrive. These folks have been my neighbors for 30 plus years and I watched these boys grow up. About 4 years ago, the third son died in the house of an overdose of drugs. Now we have a suicide. <br />
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This family is like any other family and there are a lot of family issues involved. But at the end of the day, they are a very close and loving family. I really didn't know if the husband was a christian or not. I missed an opportunity there. I will regret that one.<br />
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I knew that God wanted me to wait outside for the family members as they arrived. The place was crazy with all the police and fire department members there. All I knew to do, was to hug the boys as they got there and pray with them. Share Jesus with them. Let them know the my wife and I will be there for them.<br />
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It is amazingly simple. God puts you in position to share his word. I was feeling really good this morning. Then at the time of tragedy, I simply did what God had given to me. I have been though lots of trials this year and God was simply using my experiences to help someone else. Again, the simplicity amazes me. I was using all the tools that God gave me from the reading the book this morning and the prayer breakfast. I was prepared for the situation. How easy is that. Just make yourself available. <br />
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It was one of the most satisfying experiences in my life. God gave me such serenity and I was just able to use it to his glory. I had the opportunity that share Jesus with people all afternoon. I am not bragging on myself at all. I was just the instrument that allowed God to comfort these people. I just made myself available, that's all. <br />
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The most amazing thing is the feeling that you get. I know you have heard it, You don't need drugs or alcohol if you just get high on Jesus. I got high on Jesus today. And I want more......Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895795045418438490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257071569678524177.post-73410637873585621462011-10-25T23:36:00.000-07:002011-10-26T04:43:44.786-07:00CourageThe Chistian that I describe here is someone that you know. This Christian goes to church on Sunday, gives money to the church and even does service work. Pretty upstanding person. I know that you know this person because it may describe yourself. Now let's see how that Christian operates in the real world.<br />
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I know you have heard this before. I believe in Jesus, but I don't believe in religion. I don't go to church because of all the hypocrates there. I don't need any church, because I have my own relationship with God. <br />
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We have all heard these statements and we have all nodded our heads, sometimes in agreement, other times just acknowledging the statement. We let it pass and whoops, we failed that test. God put this person in your life so you could witness to them. I've made those statements before when I was away from the church. Yes, I believed in Jesus, but I was on the sidelines. Satan had disconnected me.<br />
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It took years for me to get back to church. I just wish that someone had stayed on my case and gotten me back sooner. Jesus was waiting for me, I was not listening. <br />
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I want to be clear about something. I am a very poor student of the Bible. I cannot quote you one verse from memory and that is something that I am working on. So, you ask, how can someone like me tell people about Jesus. Easy, pray about it and just follow Jesus.<br />
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That person that tells you that they don't need the church may not be a lost soul, just a disconnected soul. If we have trouble witnessing to lost souls, we should start on disconnected souls. We run into them all the time and just let our opportunities pass. Opportunities that God gave you to share your faith. <br />
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Now I don't want you to think that I am calling you out for these missed opportunities to witness. I am guilty myself. I need to remind myself of this. These people are in need of our prayers and our attention. You don't need to be overbearing, just be there. Just don't deny Christ and say nothing or agree with the person. God will be there to help you. <br />
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Now as you read this, you may be thinking that I am some religious nut or part of the religious right. No to either one. I just love Jesus and it was his command to tell people about him. I am simply trying to follow him..<br />
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If you have never heard the story behind the song; "Why Me Lord" by Kris Kristofferson, watch this video. Great story and song. He was invited to church. <br />
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