Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Top 10 Predictions for 2011

With all the problems the World is facing, it can be unsettling to the mind.




Today, I will share with you ten predictions that are true!



Top 10 Predictions for 2011



1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still be the most powerful thing on Earth..

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still honor the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost when they come to Him.



Isn't It Great To Remember Who Is Really In Control, and that; "the Word of the Lord endures forever."

( 1 Peter 1:25 )









I hope you found this encouraging!



I sure did, sometimes we need the reminder of just "WHO" is really in control.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Note to Self…

I find that my life is filled with ‘notes to self’ where I need to make

note to self regarding the often obvious issues of the day that I need to

address.

For example ...

-regarding elections.. NOTE TO SELF..’Friends don’t let friends vote for

pro-wrestlers for state governor.

- regarding marriage.. NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Be honest, but careful in the words

you choose to support your wife... and sometimes less is more.

With these two very real world common sense NOTES TO SELF.. let me continue

on this theme.


Old Testament.. NOTES

Adam.. NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Know HOW to multiply’

Adam.. NOTE TO SELF.. ‘a rib in exchange for pretty woman is a sweet deal’

Cain.. NOTE TO SELF.. ‘God’s ways are not PETA friendly’

Mr. Unicorn.. NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Don’t mix up RSVPs with the daily junk mail’

Abraham.. NOTE TO SELF.. Do not confuse ‘My wife and my sister.’

Abraham.. NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Do not confuse wife with maidservant.’

Sarah.. NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Men will always be men.’

Bob the Bull.. NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Beware of a Jew with a meat cleaver’

Sam the Sheep.. NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Always remember to FLOSS’

Spy #1.. NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Don’t hide out with prostitutes’

Guard Tower Sentry.. ‘Don’t Trash Talk those who are in Marching Bands’

Goliath – NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Beware of boys with sling shots that smell like

sheep’

Solomon – NOTE TO SELF.. ‘It is good to be married’

Benny the Baal Priest- NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Jewish Prophets tend to be Smart

Alecs’

Shadrach – NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Hot.. is the new Cool’

Larry the Lion- NOTE TO SELF.. ‘Don’t pig out at the salad bar, and have 3

large pops on all you can eat prophet night at the Old Testament Buffet.'



There you have it.. and today my.. NOTE TO SELF is.. Love God with all my

heart soul and mind and others as myself.. in all that I do. and Trust in

the Lord will all my heart and lean not unto my own understanding, in all

my ways acknowledge Him and He will direct my paths. the rest is trivial
pursuit.



Blessings

Thursday, June 24, 2010

When your’e SMILING..

Today let me share the gospel message from singer songwriter Louis

Armstrong…

but do not be confused.. the cartoons are MINE!.. Louie plays tunes, and I

draw toons.

When you're smilin'....keep on smilin'.. The whole world smiles with you

And when you're laughin'....keep on laughin'.. The sun comes shinin'

through



But when you're cryin'.... you bring on the rain

So stop your frownin'....be happy again

Cause when you're smilin'....keep on smilin'

The whole world smiles with you





(instrumental break)



Oh when you're smilin'....keep on smilin'

The whole world smiles with you



Ah when you're laughin'....keep on laughin'

The sun comes shinin' through



Now when you're cryin'.... you bring on the rain

So stop that sighin'....be happy again

Cause when you're smilin'....just keep on smilin'

And the whole world gonna smile with


The great big world will smile with



The whole wide world will smile with you!



Thank you Louie.. thank you very much!









Ok I am right there with those of you who do not feel like smiling or

laughing all the time in a Ned Flanders-like oblivion to circumstances

around us. The only thing funny in your life right now may be your credit

score, or that big ol zit on the end of your nose.. BUT God is the answer (

sometimes in clearly miraculous ways ) to bad credit scores, zits, rocky

marriages, drink, food, and any other circumstance ever encountered by man.









So with this rock hard truth in mind.. today I choose to smile and praise

God for His love and Care in a world that so often is unloving, and

uncaring.



May God be so very real to each of you today. May His blessing and

providence be your comfort, and may we as believers be His hands and His

feet to a world in need.



SMILE, GOD LOVES YOU!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

STOP THIEF!!

The return of Jesus is like a Thief in the Night as detailed in Matthew 24,

and I believe Luke 12. We do not know the time or the hour of our Lord’s

Return. so..

BE READY!

This is an integral message of the Gospels that Jesus will return and we

need to be followers of Jesus. BUT…

What about us believers who are ready.. BUT ..not ready?


It is like having unexpected family visit from out of town but the house is

a clutter and the guest room looks like a thrift store storage closet and

certainly not suitable for visiting family. The good news is they are

family, but the bad news is this clutter can be embarrassing… even for a

GUY like me.

I know I pass the 'first' READY test because I am a have accepted Jesus as

my savior,. BUT as far as my house in order for when Jesus comes back? I

would have to admit I sometimes have a 'bit' of clutter going on.

My Bible at times is HIDDEN under a stack of junk mail, and

my prayers fit in nooks and crannies of a busy day rather than an action as

natural as breathing.

The sad irony is.. my weary mind may instead decide to Veg-out in front of

the TV as I try to unwind from a busy day INSTEAD of being alone with God

praying or reading His word. This is not a guilt trip just a simple honest

observation.

BUT.. today is a great day to start anew, and clean the cluttered room in

my head and heart. I am rested and thankful for salvation in Jesus, and

thankful for a Heavenly Father who I can talk to through out my day.. and

so today I am ready. Peaceful, smiling, and thankful for a personal

relationship with the creator of all things.

There is but ONE GOD, and He loves me.

Note: So while the return of the Lord is as unexpected as a Thief in the

Night, he is NOT a thief but instead family. When Jesus comes again it will

be a great day, and I plan to be ready.

Finally, remember the Lord’s Return will be a surprise.. no one knows the

day or the hour of His return.. like a thief in the night..

Sunday, May 9, 2010

My Childish Ways!! versus Childlike Ways!!



Matthew 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and
become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

I Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought
like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish
ways behind me.

You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinately. - Ogden
Nash

Ok the first two statements above are gleaned from our Bibles.. the last
quote was from Ogden Nash an American poet known for his sense of humor.

I think if I got a tattoo, the Ogden quote might be the tattoo for me as my
penchant for putting my foot in my mouth while trying to be funny AND the
fact that I am over 50 years old and still enammered with turning wrenches ( mechanicing ) seems to define me.

That or maybe a tattoo that says.. Quick Wit & Slow Mind.

Childlike and Childish are two entirely different approaches to life.

Childlike is the freeing trust in God that gives us peace beyond any
circumstance, and not a blind faith that Christians are smirked at for
having.

Childish is in my opinion a path more traveled in this society shouting ..
I WANT! and I HATE YOU!..and CHARGE IT! This is a ME society that operates
with indifference and naivety contrary to the two greatest scriptures of
perspective to Love God and Care for Others.

I am not a child, and I should not reason as a child but as an adult. The
chasm between the mind sets of Naïve and Trusting is great. Trusting is a
good while naïve.. is well.. naïve.

So today is a good day again to embrace a childlike faith. The last 16
months in particular I am prayerfully learning to claim the scripture Trust
God with all MY heart, lean not unto my own understanding, in all my ways
acknowledge God and He will direct MY paths.. Pr. 3:5-6 Both when life is
rocky AND when all seems well.


Let me close with one of my favorite cartoons based on
readings of Max Lucado.

1. I can’t wait to Wake Up!, and..

May God bless and use each of us this day in great ways. May you enjoy
life, laugh hard, and leave the worries to the Father!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Thoughts about Heaven !!!

I am 51 years old and the reality is I am most likely.. well OVER HALF WAY
TO HEAVEN.

I live in a society where making the monthly mortgage payment is not a
given anymore. So this glimpse of Heaven where my credit score is good, my
mortgage is paid in full, my joints don't hurt is welcome. In Heaven there
is no financial debt, debt of sin, and all other earthly blooper moment is
drowned in a sea of God's grace. When I have these glimpses of Heaven, my
shoulders relax, my mind is peaceful and I smile.

Unfortunately I know as I finish this blog and return to the challenges of
my day my body will hurt, I will get tired, maybe cranky, and there still
will be RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. Bills will need to be paid, tempers will flare,
bad things will happen to good people, and good people will not always be
good. In summary the HUMAN CONDITION will continue.

But praise God for this spiritual journey, and for the love of our creator.
A love so great that He has always been involved with man to the point of
sending his son Jesus to save us... and then.. SOMEDAY HEAVEN.

Heaven is not an exclusive club of the rich and famous or the few and far
between Mother Theresa's. Praise God for the saints, but Heaven is for all
who believe. Let's today fall in love with this truth. Let's not lose sight
of a God who loves us, and in response love Him and care for others like
never before, THEN.. someday Heaven.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Easter Fun


I enjoy the fun my wife and I have shared with our kids over the
years, coloring eggs, hiding baskets, and all the other fun Easter
traditions, BUT I do not confuse this light fun with the Passion of the
Cross.

The Holy week of Jesus with all the cornerstone pieces of the salvation
message MUST be remembered and honored or we miss the point of Easter.

Now we live in a society where schools have Good Friday off, but don’t call
it Good Friday because that would be ‘too Christian’ and disrespectful of
all the other religions in our diverse society.

Happy is the Nation is who’s God is the Lord.
We should be celebrating the Truth of the Easter message
including Good Friday and quit apologizing for it. My fear is we are as a
nation slip sliding away on the slopes of compromise and are on the cusp of
falling far as just another nation and no longer regarded as a Christian
nation, and will suffer the consequences of these choices.

Two things I know :
1. I AM JUST A MAN and not a prophet, so what the HOOT do I know
anyways, and
2. If we are falling as a nation, God will take us back. So let’s as
individuals prayerfully be faithful and unite as a ONE CHURCH (of many
denominations) but with the ONE PURPOSE in honoring our God by loving Him
and others as ourselves. Then as ONE CHURCH let’s start a revival to become
again ONE NATION under God (not multiple gods) with liberty and justice for
all.

BUT I DIGRESS.. and while my point is serious point is made on honoring the
salvation message of Easter, now let me segue gracefully like a Peter
Cottontail down the bunny trail (or a Norwegian bull in a china shop) to my
secular Easter of bunnies, chicks (the birds, not the girls), colored eggs,
chocolate, and baskets.

May God bless each of you this Easter with safe travels, good family fun,
and a great time of celebrating our Risen Lord.

Easter Blessings

Sunday, March 21, 2010

what would happen if we treated our Bible like a cell phone ?


I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we traveled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

This is something to make you go...hmmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Bit Players and Power Brokers of the First Church


Today let me present Bit Players and Power Brokers of the First Church. So
far I have covered the Old Testament, followed by the Gospels.. so why not
The First Church written about in the Book of Acts.

As soon as Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven the bit players and power
brokers were all busy in their roles in and around the First Church.

- At Jesus Ascension into Heaven there was a few bit player who bubbled
over with nervous chatter.
- Just a few weeks earlier waaayyy SOUTH of Jeruselum there could be found
doubting bit players.
- Matthias, a bit player is chosen to become a power broker (aka disciple)
to replace the recently departed Judas.
- Peter and John were imprisoned after inciting a revival. Rumor was they
set up a Nativity Set in the town square.



- Stephen was stoned by the religous right of their day fearing Stephen
would rise from Christian bit player to power broker.
- Influenced by all the public persecutions, jailings, and stonings Roger,
Tim, and Bobemeus enter the very first Witness Protection Program .. as bit
players.
NEXT.. enters Saul the Pharisee Powerbroker until he SAW THE LIGHT along
the Damascus Road reducing him to blind bit player.
- Simon was a bit player in the new Christian movement, but was a power
broker in the emerging tanning industry with his very successful chain of
tanning salons Simons Tanners




- Waaayyy before Simon on American Idol there was a bit player jailer/
music critic who did not believe Paul had what it took to rise from a life
behind bars to become a first century pop star / power broker
- Waaayyy before I ever dosed in Church, bit player Eutychus nodded off,
fell to his death DURING CHURCH, then.. IT'S A MIRACLE.. he is alive again.
Long live the patron saint for those who sleep in church!
- Snake Handlers are misguided bit players in some churches today.. and to
think they were inspired by snake bit power broker Paul.

AND FINALLY..

Besides the life of Jesus Christ on Earth where bit player carpenter was
actually the son of God and true power broker of our Salvation, there has
in my opinion NEVER been a bit player used by God to be a power broker for
His will that all should know Him like the Apostle Paul.

From power broker Pharisee, then blinded by Jesus on that Damascus Road, to
living out his life where all that mattered was telling a lost world the
truth of Jesus Christ. Blinded, beaten, snake biten, persecuted, and
imprisoned..BUT he was too busy serving God to realize it.





I want to be a man like Paul, but I have a ways to go where NOTHING MATTERS
in my life except serving God. I go to church, I am a good guy, BUT.. Paul
raised the bar where few follow.

May God inspire us to love, serve, and be used by Him in ways that are
beyond any bit player status we may believe you carry.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

‘Fist to Five’ Theologians


I know a great 4th grade teacher that uses a system of ‘Fist
to Five’ to quickly survey how well her students understand the concepts
she is teaching.

No, it’s not a crude corporal punishment technique where a sock in the nose
(fist) is delivered (to) the (five) students with the lowest scores that
day. How it works is.. after teaching a new concept, Mary scans the sea of
4th grade blank stares and asks.. “Fist to Five”. Raise your fist means if
you have some idea what is being taught, 1 finger if you have a glimpse of
understanding all the way up to 5 fingers if you go it all down pat or at
least think so.

I like this concept, and so I think Fist to Five would make an interesting
little mini Theological test. So here we go Fist to Five. Remember as you
participate .. knowing and believing are not the same thing.

1. Is there a GOD? Fist to Five. I don’t know what to answer here.. but
Fist to Five do I know there is a God? I would like to say Five, but being
honest, I don’t know BUT.. more importantly I believe.

2. CREATION..Was it a literal 7 days, or figurative 7 days? Fist to Five. I
create cartoons not planets and so I would guess creating Earth in 7 days
goes beyond my skill set of coloring between the lines.


3. I understand how PRAYER works? Fist to Five. Which prayers are answered
and which are not? Do some coincidences I give God credit as answered
prayer, while other times I believe God is not listening while instead he
sees the trees from the forest, and answers accordingly. I heard recently a
quote from Albert Einstein.. Coincidences are those moments when God
chooses to remain anonymous.

4. SALVATION: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! What
about the verse that speaks to the fact that creation speaks the truth that
there is a God, and so all man is accountable for this knowledge and will
be judged accordingly. This does not speak about Jesus at all, but creation
does SHOUT there is a creator. So what about those who were never exposed
to the perfect truth of Jesus? What about those devout believers in Jesus
day that were faithful to God but never learned the Messiah had arrived? Do
they go to Heaven? Fist to Five


5. HEAVEN and HELL: Is it fair anyone goes to eternal damnation? Fist to
Five. Ok, even if we could all agree on the Hitlers, Saddam Huesseins, and
Stalins to name a few as pure evil, and on the flip side Mother Theresa,
Billy Graham as truly blessed and used by God... What about the rest of us?
Fist to Five who goes to Hell and who goes to Heaven? Does a loving God
send people to Hell? Fist to Five

6. LOVE GOD.. with all my heart soul and mind and others as myself? How are
you doing on these two greatest commandments? Fist to Five.. How do I love
a God who is not seen with my eyes, or heard audibly with my physical
ears? How does my physical reality reach out to the omnipresent spirit of
the one true God. Fist to Five

7. God Loves Me.. Fist to Five.. Why would the creator of the world care
about me? This logic flies in the face of what we observe in this world..
BUT this is what I believe. I believe in a perfect God with perfect love
and I believe this is the God of our Bibles.


So much I don’t understand, and this life is hard, and so at this time in
my life.. I choose to reach out with my faith the size of a mustard seed on
a good day, and believe.

Again let me be clear that understanding, and believing are two different
states of mind & heart. Knowledge is good, faith is better. Faith is the
bridge designed by God for finite man to connect with infinite God.

May this day forward we all choose to pursue God in humility while having
our honest doubts. Any misguided pride or elevated self worth is a closed
FIST to the omniscient, perfect ways of our Creator.
(Found on the web - backpew.com)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Who's in control ?


“May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.” Psalm 72:15

Our nation is a divided one and has been for years. Red states, blue states. But whoever is in office, whoever sits in the Senate or the House or behind the benches of the Supreme Court need our prayers. Whoever governs the state where you live, or the town, or the school board needs our prayers. All figures in authority in our nation of the people, were put there by the people or appointed by someone who was put there by the people. Havre you prayed for them regularly?

If we are to remain one nation under God we must be indivisible through prayer. The person in office may not have your beliefs, values or political support, but God is very clear that we are to pray for them and that all people in authority are there for a reason. We must humble ourselves to His wishes and pray for those in authority even though they seem ungodly. We are a blessed nation, one of the wealthiest in the world. Yet we are often barren in our beliefs, personal disciplines and lifestyles. America is the new mission field. America need prayer. So do our leaders.

Heavenly Father, our times, our nation, our states and our towns are in Your Hands and we lift up those in authority. You are a God of wonder, of promises and second chances. If these officials do not know you, we pray their heart may be turned so that they may come to know Your Son as their Savior to rule over their decisions. If they have strayed, we pray that Your voice will lead them back. If they bend a knee every morning to you, we pray that You will give them strength to follow You in all circumstances and be a beacon of justice and truth.. Until the day comes when Your Son returns and every knee shall bow, keep this land in Your sight and under your protective wings and teach us to pray daily for it and those who govern it. Amen.

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Preach the Gospel


"Preach the Gospel, if necessary use words" is like saying "feed the hungry... if necessary use food."

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." – Romans 1:16, 17

The Gospel saves. It is the power of God for salvation. It is the Good News that God has rescued us from His Wrath! If you don't believe it, you cannot be saved. If you don't know it, you cannot be saved. If you do not believe one part or if you take one part out, then you do not believe the Gospel and cannot be saved.

Isaiah prophesied in 7:14 ...

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Christians are followers of Jesus. They believe the Bible as the inerrant Word of God and that includes the biblical account of Jesus' conception, birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven. Christianity is built upon the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Without the Gospel, Christianity does not exist.

So, if a church does not believe that, are they Christians? No, they aren't. They may be deluded into thinking they are.

My favorite book of the bible is Jude. I first rear Jude because it was the shortest book in the bible and I wanted to feel good about myself reading a whole book. After I read it I re-read it many times because of the life lesson it teaches. I still read it a lot and see it as what is happening in some of our churches of today. There are people in our churches that say “God is great” but really don’t believe it. Then they get out of church they go out into the world and live like the world. Its like they wear their Christian badge in church, take it off and wear their sinners badge when they leave. When they are in church you would want to be like them but when they leave not so much.

Jude 12: These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Thank God I have read Jude to help me to understand what god wants me to look out for because it’s up to me who I follow and how I behave weather it’s at church or out in the world. I would not want my kids or any kid I teach in Sunday school to see me doing what I preach against in Sunday school. I don’t want to be a hidden rock in anyone’s love feast.

I have added the book of Jude below so Enjoy !! God is Good !!!

Jerry <><


1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
2 Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied.
3 Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in privily, [even] they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5 Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
6 And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
8 Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities.
9 But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed.
11 Woe unto them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.
12 These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13 Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved forever.
14 And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones,
15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words]), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage.
17 But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 That they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These are they who make separations, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And on some have mercy, who are in doubt;
23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy,
25 to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, [be] glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT...



HOW OUR CHOICES CREATE OUR FUTURE?

by Betty Miller

The freedom to make our own choices is a very important issue in our society. Every day, each of us chooses to do the things that we do, unless we are in a situation where we have been stripped of our freedom and then we must do as those who have control over us command us to do. This would be the case of those in prison or those who are enslaved by force in repressive societies. Even in these circumstances one still has freedom to make certain choices although they may be limited. For example, one can choose as to what kind of attitude and response one would have to his or her oppressors. Those in prisons can still experience freedom when they have Christ, because true freedom is an act of the soul and therefore we each can make choices in our soul. Other men cannot force us to think wrongly unless we choose to agree with them.

There are other circumstances that can limit our choices because of the authority that exists in the world. One of these would be the choices of school children that are limited to the authorities' decisions and rules. This is also true of the military. These are just two of many circumstances that can limit one's own personal choices.

However, no matter what our choices are today, they are ultimately creating our future because every choice that we make will either cause us to be blessed or cursed. Another way to put it, is that things will get better or worse for us. All choices have consequences. These consequences will be for our betterment or will work to destroy us. We are also responsible for our choices. The Bible challenges us with this admonition in Deuteronomy 30:19: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live"

Messages going forth in our society today have stressed our "right to choose" but have not balanced it with the message that our choices also have consequences (especially in the area of lust and selfishness.) For instance, most movies have glamorized many things that are bad for us and have not generally shown the destructive results of smoking, drinking, adultery, fornication, gambling, abortion, etc.

These things do not often hit home until ----

A loved one gets lung cancer and is dying
A child is killed by a drunk driver
Close friends divorce because of the unfaithfulness of a mate
A teen is infected with a venereal disease she will have for life
A family loses their home because of gambling debts
A baby is aborted because of the lust and selfishness of it’s parents leaving them struggling with guilt
OUR DAILY CHOICES

We face choices on a personal level daily:

What shall we eat? ---- We can choose to eat healthy or just "pig out" on junk food.

Whom should we vote for? ---- We can take the time to pray and study the candidates positions and vote accordingly or we can refuse to vote. When we do not vote, we are actually making a choice to allow others to choose who shall rule over us.

Whom shall we marry? ---- This is a serious life-time commitment and should never be gone into without God's guidance. Making this choice foolishly or based on emotion alone has brought much heartache to many a person.

What occupation should we pursue? ---- Those making this decision strictly based on need or money issues will regret not seeking God about this issue. God has gifted every person with certain talents to adapt to the jobs that are suited just for them at the right times in their lives.

Should I return the money that was credited to my account by accident? ---- Remember the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." When only God is watching, what kind of choices do we make? He is looking for people He can trust, as He desires to use us in His work.

Should I purchase this item on credit? ---- Do I really need this item or is it something I want, even though I cannot afford it?

These are just some samples of choices that we face. We also face temptations that we must resist with the Word of God. The consequences of some choices are more deadly than others. When we rebel against God and choose our own way, we are choosing a path of destruction that will ultimately end in hell. Because of God’s love and mercy to humanity, most of our choices do not have immediate results. We are all given a time to repent and find the Lord and His ways. We may all get away with sinning for awhile; however in time we will reap what we have sown.

2 Peter 3:9 says "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

WRONG CHOICES CAUSE SOUL SICKNESS

Many people are sick in their souls because they have not known the ways of the Lord, and therefore have made wrong decisions. God wants to heal us in every area of our souls and bodies, as well as give us a new life in the spirit. To receive healing of the soul, however, we must understand it and why it needs to be healed, restored, and renewed.

The Greek word psuche (pronounced "sue-kay") is the word Bible writers used when talking about things of the natural man, which in English is called "the soul." The soul of man is comprised of the mind, the will, and the emotions. Our emotional patterns tend to formulate our personalities.

The soul, or personality, is formed through a person's reactions to the information the mind takes in. The way each person chooses to react to the things he hears, the things that happen to him, and the things he chooses to receive as truth causes each soul to become what he, or she, is. However, when a person is born again, he becomes a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15), and the soul can be changed and renewed through the Holy Spirit.

As Christians we are to develop the attributes of Christ and become like Him. Because much of our personalities are formed through our choices, we have to make new choices to let go of the old nature and receive the new. Our new natures are formed by the truths from the Word of God. The healing of the soul, which is a cleansing process, takes place as we learn to study the Word and develop a close fellowship with the Lord through prayer.

THE MIND, THE WILL AND THE EMOTIONS

We might look upon human beings in this way: each of us is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body.

The will is how we exercise our freedom of choices. God gave man this freedom when He created Adam. God will not violate our free wills and make us do the right thing, nor will He make choices for us. We can choose His way, "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ" (Romans 8:22:"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."), or we can choose the way of self -- which really is the devil's way or "the law of sin and death."

There are only two ways: God's or the devil's. What man thinks is his own way is really Satan's way and puts him under the authority of the enemy. If someone is not for God, he automatically is against Him (Matthew 12:30). There is no possible way man can just do his own thing and think he is not making a choice. That choice is choosing Satan's way. Even "no choice" on man's part is a choice, because when we refuse to choose, others will make our choices for us. Satan causes men to follow him by encouraging apathy, laziness, or lack of responsibility.

The mind is the intellect, with reasoning being the "voice" of the mind. If the mind remains unrenewed, not "healed," it will continue to think carnal thoughts, believe false information, and result in fleshly speaking and living.

The emotions were designed by God to express His characteristics, which are placed in our spirits when we become born again. Those are the "fruits" written about in Galatians 5:22,23, and other places. If we do not yield to the renewal process, we continue to act like our "old father," the devil.

PUT ON THE NATURE OF JESUS.

Much of the Church considers sanctification or "conforming to the image of Jesus" (Romans 8:29) to be optional. It is not taught or preached as much as it was in former generations. Many Christians born since World War II are as much a part of the "Me Generation" as the world. Self-will and rebellion are more a part of society today than at any time previously in the history of the United States. It is no surprise that much of today's American Church operates in carnality, and it should be no surprise to us that God has finally set out to expose this evil and clean up His Church.

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians about "crucifying" the old man, this is exactly what he meant (Ephesians 4:18-24). When something is crucified, it is put to death. Every Christian needs the things of his old nature (which are part of his unregerated soul), to be put to death in order for the life of God to permeate the whole person. We have been given the power through the Holy Spirit to overcome sin in our lives. We can choose to obey God and He will empower us to overcome every sin.




Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Instead of pursuing holiness, many Christians have just allowed Christ to dwell in their spirits, but have not allowed Him to renew their souls and heal their bodies. As soon as a person is born again, he should begin to make the choices that will put to death his old ways of thinking, talking, and acting, and allow the Holy Spirit to replace them with God's ways.

OVERCOMING THROUGH FAITH

Renewing the soul will cause negative habits and emotions to change. The key to that change is faith. Through our wills we must choose to change. However, it is only the work of the Holy Spirit who can actually bring permanent change in us. We cannot do it in ourselves. We choose to let go of the negative and that allows the Holy Spirit to do the changing. But doubt and unbelief can keep a person from receiving this kind of healing as much as it does healing of the body. A Christian must make the choices for God's way and against his own way in absolute faith that the Holy Spirit will do His part and make the needed changes in us.

If we allow our bodies to be lazy and undisciplined, they will suffer the consequences. Bad physical habits can hinder God's work in us. The Holy Spirit wants to help us overcome these ungodly ways. In the soul, if we choose to be resentful, hateful, angry, unkind, discouraged, worried, fearful, impatient, lustful, greedy, etc., we will allow these things to rule us instead of calling on the strength of Christ to help us to overcome these negative attitudes.

Many habits or addictions of the soul and body can be broken with a three-day fast. Certain desires or feelings of the body are perfectly legitimate, such as hunger, sleep, and so forth. Through the five senses, the body is the receiver of information from the world around it. The senses were given to us by God to protect us, and under the direction of the Holy Spirit, they work perfectly to serve us. However, under Satan's influence, or self-will, the senses are perverted to fulfill the lusts of the flesh which can bring destruction.

CHANGING OLD HABITS

Every sinful habit in our lives gained its foothold through our thoughts and choices. We can gain victory over those habits by thinking God's thoughts. A person who feels unworthy and unacceptable can replace those negative feelings with the truth that through Jesus, he or she has become worthy and acceptable. The process of conforming to the image of Jesus will be successful as we choose to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

The way to change a habit of negative thinking is to choose to change that negative thought for its opposite. The Bible calls that "overcoming evil with good" (Romans 12:19-21). For example, if a Christian finds himself ready to repeat some negative gossip about a brother or sister, he should choose to say something nice about that person instead. Very quickly, the habit of repeating negative things about other people will be broken.

The Lord wants to save us from tragedy, sickness, fear, anxiety, and the turmoil of this world. These things come upon us because of our bad choices or through ignorance or chains of iniquity. Instead, God wants us to walk in the Spirit of life so we may have His love, joy, peace, and victory (2 Corinthians 7:1) over every trial and temptation.

BIBLE CHOICES BRING BLESSINGS

Our future is determined by all the choices we are making today. Let us bring God into helping us make our decisions. In doing that it will determine whether our future will be secure and will have God's blessing on it. Let us be as Joshua was and declare: "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." God promised Joshua good success if he obeyed the words of the Bible and chose to follow Him. Joshua and his family were blessed because he made the right choices; even though he went through many battles, God was with him. He was an overcomer!

Joshua 1:8: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

Joshua 24:14: "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election




1. The Bible will still have all the answers.

2. Prayer will still work.

3. The Holy Spirit will still move.

4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.

5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.

6. There will still be singing of praise to God.

7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.

8. There will still be room at the Cross.

9. Jesus will still love you.

10. Jesus will still save the lost.

ISN’T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS STILL IN CONTROL?

(Amen!)

Saturday, January 2, 2010

I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late ! !


The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBSSunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it.. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.


My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

As Easy As Brushing Hair


This is a story I found on the web and thought I would share it with you.

The story starts out where she, Beth, is sitting at an airport terminal, waiting to board a plane. She was sitting there with several other people who were also waiting, whom she did not know.
As she waited, she pulled out her Bible and started reading. All of a sudden she felt as if the people sitting there around her, were looking at her. She looked up, but realized that they were looking just over her head, in the direction right behind her.

She turned around to see what everyone was looking at, and when she did, she saw a stewardess pushing a wheelchair, with the ugliest old man sitting in it, that she had ever seen before. She said he had this long white hair that was all tangled and such a mess. His face was really, really wrinkled, and he didn't look friendly at all.

She said she didn't know why, but she felt drawn to the man, and thought at first that God wanted her to witness to him. In her mind she said she was thinking, "Oh, God, please, not now, not here."

No matter what she did, she couldn't get the man off of her mind, and all of a sudden she knew what God wanted her to do. She was supposed to brush this old man's hair.

She went and knelt down in front of the old man, and said "Sir may I have the honor of brushing your hair for you?"

He said "What?"

She thought, "Oh great, he's hard of hearing." Again, a little louder, she said, "Sir, may I have the honor of brushing your hair for you?"

He answered, "If you are going to talk to me, you are going to have to speak up, I am practically deaf."

So this time, she was almost yelling, "Sir may I please have the honor of brushing your hair for you?"

Everyone was watching to see what his response would be. The old man just looked at her confused, and said "Well, I guess if you really want to."

She said, "I don't even have a brush, but I thought I would ask anyway."

He said, "Look in the bag hanging on the back of my chair, there is a brush in there."

So she got the brush out and started brushing his hair. (She has a little girl with long hair, so she has had lots of practice getting tangles out, and knew how to be gentle with him.) She worked for a long time, until every last tangle was out.

Just as she was finishing up, she heard the old man crying, and she went and put her hands on his knees, kneeling in front of him again looking directly into his eyes, and said "Sir, do you know Jesus?"

He answered, "Yes, of course I know Jesus. You see, my bride told me she couldn't marry me unless I knew Jesus, so I learned all about Jesus, and asked Him to come into my heart many years ago, before I married my bride."

He continued, "You know, I am on my way home to go and see my wife. I have been in the hospital for a long time, and had to have a special surgery in this town far from my home. My wife couldn't come with me, because she is so frail herself." He said, "I was so worried about how terrible my hair looked, and I didn't want her to see me looking so awful, but I couldn't brush my hair, all by myself."

Tears were rolling down his cheeks, as he thanked Beth for brushing his hair. He thanked her over and over again.

She was crying, people all around witnessing this were crying, and as they were all boarding the plane, the stewardess, who was also crying, stopped her, and asked, "Why did you do that?"

And right there was the opportunity, the door that had been opened to share with someone else, the love of God. We don't always understand God's ways, but be ready, He may use us to meet the need of someone else, like He met the need of this old man, and in that moment, also calling out to a lost soul who needed to know about His love.

- Unknown