God Save the USA…May We Seek You…

If only we can lower our regulations and have the simpler system we had in earlier days. The more regulation, the more trouble. More deficit, more trouble. More money printed, more trouble. The more companies, more jobs, the better the economy. Doesn’t take a brain to figure this one out. History tells the story of both sides… There are some videos at the bottom of this post that represent important issues with today’s economy. It is not money that is evil, it is the fact that we make money the slave of our lives. Our hearts should be for the poor, no matter what we make or what our status is. Our desires should be to please God, no matter what we make or what our status is. Our love should be for all our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as our communities, no matter what we make or what our status is. Our responsibility should be to as good stewards of money, no matter what we make or what our status is. Our motives should be centered in humility, no matter what we make or what our status is. Our blessings come from Christ, no matter what we make or what our status is. Our satisfaction is from Christ, no matter what we make or what our status is. This is why the more regulation the government gives business and families the more they are running our lives and making decisions for us. This has ultimately led to the downfall of nearly all democracies. Every democracy being eliminated or extremely changed in the past. The average age of democracies over all of God’s creation has been 200 years. May God have blessing on ours. I’m quite certain that if we keep going the way we are in our country we will end up loosing that blessing, help us all.

The Message Bible Translation

Ecclesiastes 5

^8-9 Don’t be too upset when you see the poor kicked around, and justice and right violated all over the place. Exploitation filters down from one petty official to another. There’s no end to it, and nothing can be done about it. But the good earth doesn’t cheat anyone—even a bad king is honestly served by a field.
¹⁰ The one who loves money is never satisfied with money,
Nor the one who loves wealth with big profits. More smoke.

 ^18-20 After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.

Galatians 5

 ^13-15It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

 ^16-18My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

Proverbs 22

 ⁶ Point your kids in the right direction—
when they’re old they won’t be lost.

⁷ The poor are always ruled over by the rich,
so don’t borrow and put yourself under their power.

1 Thessalonians 4

 ^11-12Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You’ve heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts. We want you living in a way that will command the respect of outsiders, not lying around sponging off your friends.

1 Timothy 6

 ^6-8A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough.

Proverbs 11

 ²⁸ A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;
a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.

Hebrew 13

 ^5-6Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote,
God is there, ready to help;
I’m fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?

Proverbs 12

 ²⁴ The diligent find freedom in their work;
the lazy are oppressed by work.

2 Thessalonians 3

^6-9Our orders—backed up by the Master, Jesus—are to refuse to have anything to do with those among you who are lazy and refuse to work the way we taught you. Don’t permit them to freeload on the rest. We showed you how to pull your weight when we were with you, so get on with it. We didn’t sit around on our hands expecting others to take care of us. In fact, we worked our fingers to the bone, up half the night moonlighting so you wouldn’t be burdened with taking care of us. And it wasn’t because we didn’t have a right to your support; we did. We simply wanted to provide an example of diligence, hoping it would prove contagious.

 ^10-13Don’t you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” And now we’re getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately—no excuses, no arguments—and earn their own keep. Friends, don’t slack off in doing your duty.

 ^14-15If anyone refuses to obey our clear command written in this letter, don’t let him get by with it. Point out such a person and refuse to subsidize his freeloading. Maybe then he’ll think twice. But don’t treat him as an enemy. Sit him down and talk about the problem as someone who cares.

God’s love is prevalent in so many ways.  It’s amazing how God love hits us differently through trials and achievements in life.  The fact that God loves us as much as He does, when we are so unappreciative and not worthy of His grace, is in and of itself amazing.

1 John 4:7-21

7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.

8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.

10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.

12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.

14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.

16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

19 We love each other because he loved us first.

20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.

NLT

I AM

I was regretting the past

and fearing the future…

Suddenly my Lord was speaking:

“MY NAME IS I AM.” He paused.

I waited. He continued:

“WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE PAST,

WITH ITS MISTAKES AND REGRETS,

IT IS HARD. I AM NOT THERE.

MY NAME IS NOT I WAS.”

“WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE FUTURE,

WITH ITS PROBLEMS AND FEARS,

ITS HARD. I AM NOT THERE.

MY NAME IS NOT I WILL BE.”

WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE MOMENT,

IT IS NOT HARD.

I AM HERE.

MY NAME IS I AM.”

- Helen Mallicoat

WHAT GOD HATH PROMISED

God hath not promised

Skies always blue,

Flower- strewn pathways

All our lives through;

God hath not promised

Sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow,

Peace without pain.

God hath not promised

We shall not know

Toil and temptation,

Trouble and woe;

He hath not told us

We shall not bear

Many a burden,

Many a care.

But God hath promised

Strength for the day,

Rest for the laborer,

Light for the way,

Grace for the trials,

Help from above,

Unfailing sympathy,

Undying love.

                                      - Annie Johnson Flint

John Mark McMillan

Jared Anderson

Chonda Pierce…

Here are some good laughs for you today, found myself chuckling at some of these… As I was listening to the radio I heard her “Girls Night Out” act.  It was very funny and highly recommended by me.  Laugh on…

RISING UP…

Though the Earth Cried out for blood

Satisfied her hunger was
Her billows calmed on raging seas
for the souls on men she craved

Sun and moon from balcony
Turned their head in disbelief
Their precious Love would taste the sting
disfigured and disdained

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

So three days in darkness slept
The Morning Sun of righteousness
But rose to shame the throes of death
And over turn his rule

Now daughters and the sons of men
Would pay not their dues again
The debt of blood they owed was rent
When the day rolled a new

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke holding keys
To Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

On Friday a thief
On Sunday a King
Laid down in grief
But awoke with keys
Of Hell on that day
The first born of the slain
The Man Jesus Christ
Laid death in his grave

He has cheated
Hell and seated
Us above the fall
In desperate places
He paid our wages
One time once and for all

Prophecy…

Psalm 16:9-11

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 40:1-3

40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.

Matthew 12:40

40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Luke 24:25-27

25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Matthew 16:16

16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

1 Thessalonians 4:14,17

14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Acts 4:12

12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 16:31

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Other…

Acts 1:3

3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

John 11:25

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

1 Peter 1:3-9

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Corinthians 15:12-14

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

Acts 4:33

33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

Philippians 3:7-11

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Courtesy ESV, English Standard Version.

An image a week 13…

Universalism, HERESY or truth…

This is one in several responses I will submit in understanding, unbarring, and undermining universalism which is affecting/infecting our evangelical doctrine and doctrines of other denominations as well.  Not only is it slithering its rustic scales into evangelical churches both to those churches outside the evangelical label as well.  To understand the concept of universalism is to appreciate Christian orthodoxy even more.  What more, to appreciate the God of our existence and the grace through faith he gave us in Jesus Christ on the cross.  We all have intimate knowledge of right and wrong, to see God in something around us; this being possible in ourselves being made in the image of Christ.  Praise God in all His glory for redemption of our sins. Praise God…

Children’s Ten Commandments for Parents…

I recently read this short in a publication that quoted Kevin Lehman from “Dear Abbey” January 12 1981. This is a great reminder to us as parents of our attitude towards our kids and others’ kids as well. We sometimes forget they are living as children in our grown up world. Sometimes we have to get down to their level, both physically and mentally, to understand and react properly . Our ignorance in forgetting these principles is a cultural awareness issue. We seem to be so engrained into this me first, selfish culture of today that our thinking and reactionary measures become molded by it. How true and good are these eleven reminders (I added number eleven from my own convictions) that I feel I should print and paste them onto a wall for viewing constantly. That being said, I could wallpaper the whole house. For, we as parents have a responsibility, maybe our biggest in our lifetimes, to nurture and grow our kids up right so that they can become able, discerning adults. The task is enormous, unfathomable, daunting, exhausting, and joyful all in one. But it is a responsibility before God and our kids, anything else would be a failure. Well, here it is….

Children’s Ten Commandments for Parents…

1. My hands are small; please don’t expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture, or throw a ball. My legs are short; slow down so that I can keep up with you.

2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; let me explore it safely; don’t restrict me unnecessarily.

3. Housework will always be there; I’m little for only a short time.  Take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.

4. My feelings are tender; don’t nag me all day long (you would not want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness). Treat me as you would like to be treated.

5. I am a special gift from God; treasure me as God intended you to do – holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by, and discipling me in a loving manner.

6. I need your encouragement (but not your empty praise) to grow. Go easy on the criticism; remember, you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.

7. Give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I will be prepared to make the decisions life will require of me.

8. Don’t do things over for me; that makes me feel my efforts didn’t measure up to your expectations. I know its hard, but don’t compare me to my brother or my sister.

9. Don’t be afraid to leave for a weekend together. Kids need vacations from parents, and parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it’s a great way to show us kids that your marriage is something special.

10. Take me to sunday school and church regularly, setting a good example for me to follow. I enjoy learning more about God.

11. Be authentic.

Wow, Way Cool!

Stephanie Nielson, a testament to God’s strength and love.

Grace to Those Who Cannot Here…

Wow, this is a subject many have questions about.  God creates life at the moment of conception, yet he lets it be taken after conception due to sin in this world into elderly ages.  How can those who don’t have the physical ability to believe in Christ be saved from hell?  Most people don’t wish an immortal life in hell for the young, but how many of us really understand the truth of the Bible in what it says of those who cannot comprehend.  A great pdf and listening message on this subject by John MacArthur, after his showing on Larry King Live.  God does stretch his attribute of Grace to limits we cannot comprehend sometimes.  I cannot wait to see and rejoice with those parents, brothers, and sisters, that will be rejoined in Glory to there lost babies, brothers, and sisters.  Enjoy this link as I have.

The Salvation of Babies Who Die

Larry King Live with MacArthur and guests…

MacArthur on the Bible…

Thank You Lord!

A Prayer for today…

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.