A BIT OF HUMOR

The following is an excerpt from the lost biography of George Washington.
"George, son, did you chop down the cherry tree?"
"No, Dad."
Several months later...
"George, I've heard from others that you did chop down that cherry tree last
winter. Did you? Your punishment will be much worse for you if you lie. Now,
tell me the truth!"
"Dad, I answered your question truthfully. Yet, I must take complete
responsibility for all my actions. While my answer was legally accurate, I did
not volunteer information. Indeed, Dad, I did cause the cherry tree to be lying
on the ground. To do this was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse in judgment
and a personal failure on my part for which I am solely and completely
responsible. I know my answer to you gave a false impression. I misled you, my
own father. I deeply regret that. I can only tell you I was motivated by many
factors.
"What I did, Dad, was use a saw to cause the cherry tree to fall. Only after the
tree was already down did I go get my axe to chop off individual branches.
Therefore, legally, I told the truth. I ask you to turn away from the spectacle
of this fallen tree and to return our attention to a solid family relationship.
After all, who's going to remember a cherry tree as a symbol of my character and
ability to lead?"
[forwarded by Steve Sanderson]
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Somebody finally invented a a solar-powered laundry dryer! It's called a
"clothes line."
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MIKEYSFUNNIES.COM

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Relating to a Legal Approach

Romans 7:1a
Do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to men who know the law...

In our passage today, Paul is speaking not only to his Jewish brothers who were well versed in the law, but to us as well. Many Christians today wonder: "Exactly what Law is Paul speaking about, and how does it apply to me?" It's a good question, because many of us consider our day and age of fuzzy boundaries to be in sharp contrast to Paul's -- where just about every element of daily life was governed by Law.


 Often times we think of the law as only The Ten Commandments, but it is also inclusive of every other law we've read about in the Old Testament, plus all sorts of interpretations and other specific instructions. How did it get so complicated? The same way our own legal system did -- by law breakers trying to find loopholes. For example, on the surface the fourth commandment from Exodus 20:8-10 might seem pretty straight forward: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy... On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates." Then an attorney asks: "Exactly what is work?" The answer might be: "Well, any kind of work." The legalist comes back: "Is doing chores around the house work? If so, then isn't taking out the garbage work? Therefore I should let it pile up on the Sabbath -- right?" So new laws must be written for when it is appropriate to take out the garbage -- and when it is not.

 I think you can see where this is going. The law, if left to man, can become very detailed and overly complex -- a minefield of requirements which no one can keep. Remember what Stephen said in his defense in Acts 7:52: "You who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it." And in Acts 15:10 Peter called it a yoke "that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear".
So how does this apply to us? Very simply -- legalism is any system of beliefs that says: "I can earn God's approval by working for it." If we think that by attempting to follow the Ten Commandments, praying more, attending church, or performing charitable acts we will earn God's grace -- then we are sadly mistaken.

I am always concerned when long time Christians give new believers rules for Godly living -- which on the surface seem reasonable -- yet become a legalistic trap if any believer (long time or new) believes any act of his own can save him from sin. Instead we need to turn our lives over to the Spirit of God, yield to Him, and let Him do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Have you made rules for your own Godly living? What happens when you fail? Where does God's grace come in? Have you learned to rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit or do you still think rules will save you?
POCKETPOWER.ORG

YOU ARE THE AIR I BREATHE

 

If I told you that you have one hour to live, what would you do?

 

Think about it for a minute.

 

Would you waste precious minutes feeling sorry for yourself?

 

Would you waste precious minutes worrying about problems you would have had to face tomorrow?

 

Would you waste precious minutes watching TV or playing video games?

 

Would you waste precious minutes on the hurtful words someone said to you yesterday?

 

I highly doubt it. You would probably want to be with those you love, to express your love, to reassure them, to make sure they know how you feel. You would probably want to make last appeals to those you love who don't know Jesus because you are concerned about their eternity.

 

So why don't we live every moment of every day like that?

 

Jesus told us to be prepared, to be found faithfully fulfilling our duties when he returns. He told us that the matters of the Kingdom are the priority and all that matters in the Kingdom is our relationship with God and getting the word about Jesus.

 

Jesus told us this is such a priority that it is worth leaving everything we have to go in search of the lost. Do you recall his story of the lamb that had wondered off and the shepherd who left what he had to retrieve it? Do you recall the charge he gave to his disciples when he ascended? Did he not tell him to go throughout the world telling everyone about him, making disciples, not church goers? Does the Word not also say that our citizenship is no longer found in this world but in the Kingdom?

 

So let's look at our attitude for a moment.

 

How entrenched have we become in this world? Do we consider our work a means to provide for the Church in its mission or to provide for ourselves? Do we see our Father as our provider in this place? Are we trying to make a name for ourselves here or is Jesus enough for us? Is money our big concern? Do we need possessions? Is our joy effected by the amount of money we have? When we have it, do we make sure the church is provided for and then do we spend it on others, or is it all about our needs?

 

What decides our thinking on right and wrong? If it is accepted in society do we accept it as good? Or is it the Word of God that sets our standards? Do we make knowing and understanding the Word our priority? How do we make it a priority? Do we cut out other things to give it priority or do we fit it in around other interests? Do we want to know what God thinks? When we find out what he thinks, do we make it a priority to allow him to instill it in our lives? Is there more to our relationship with Jesus than emotions and music? Do we do what Jesus commanded as long as it is convenient to us or are we willing to give up our life to stand by what he said?

 

When we say that we love God with all our heart, mind, soul, body, and strength, how is that worked out in our day? How would it be worked out if we only had an hour to live? A week? A month? A year?

 

We sing songs that express that Jesus is the air we breathe and that he is all we need. So, today, everything of this world will be stripped from you, including your freedom. You will be locked up in jail, cut off from all that you love. You will be told you have 24 hours before your execution. Will you still be able to sing? You are told you will not be put out of your misery in 24 hours but will be locked away for the rest of your life, to rot in your cell. Is he still the air you breathe? Does he remain all you need? Do you still have joy and peace?

 

How entrenched are we in this world? Which system is more important to us? Are we able to see the Kingdom of God through our dependence on this world? To whom do we belong? Who do we serve? What do we love? How will we spend the next 60 minutes of our life?

 

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthhhy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." - Jesus Christ

PASTOR PAUL VAN BUREN

http://pastorpaulvbsblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/you-are-air-i-breathe.html

1 PETER 2:13-15 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

– 1 Peter 2:13-15 (NIV)

Today’s commentary
by Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org

Just before this passage Peter calls us a royal priesthood and a holy nation, now he talks about submitting ourselves to human institutions (and this was in the time of Caesar!). This is an important progression because the royal priesthood sets us apart from every other people group, but by submitting ourselves to local authorities we cannot segregate ourselves from the culture at large. In others words, our unique identity is meant to be expressed in the mainstream of life and not in isolation. Our salt is for those who don’t believe. Our light is for those who are in darkness.

THEDAILYBIBLEVERSE.ORG

WHEN DID GOD CHANGE?

          

,

 

by Brian McCutchen on July 26, 2013

http://www.heartlight.org/articles/201307/20130726_whengodchange.html

The year was 1978. My father had a Ford Station Wagon that was green, with brown paneling on the side. In those days, station wagons were made with a backseat that faced the traffic in the rear.  It was great to make faces at oncoming cars and to get truckers to honk their horn. The day was December 31st. We were on our way to baptize my brother, Keith. I remember as if it were yesterday. It was unusual to have thunderstorms in St. Louis in December. It was raining hard. Thunder was loud. Lighting lit up the sky. As I was sitting in the far backseat on our way to the church, I was scared. Not scared of the loud thunder or the flash of lighting, but scared that if Jesus came that night or I was hit by lighting and died, I wouldn't go to heaven.
I was 12. I heard all the fire and brimstone sermons. Preachers pounded the pulpit. The same question sermon after sermon, "If Jesus were to come today, would you go to heaven?" At 12 years old, I was so afraid that I wouldn't go to heaven. I wanted to go to heaven! I wanted God to love me and not be mad at me.
As my father drove, I sat quietly. Praying. "God, if you get us to the church building safely, I will give my life to you. I will be baptized. I will live my life for you."
We made it! Our family entered the church building and my brother Keith was preparing to be baptized by my brother Jim. I sat on the front seat with nervousness. "I made a promise to God," I said to myself. I finally got the nerve to go to my dad and say, "Dad, I want to be baptized, too."
My dad asked, "Why do you want to be baptized?"
I said, "Because I want to go to heaven. I want Jesus to be Lord of my life. I want to be a preacher and tell others about Jesus, too."

God has always been about grace!

  My father wrapped his big arms around me and gave me a big hug and said he was proud of my decision. After Keith was baptized, it was my turn. My brother Jim baptized me on a rainy night in December. As I resurrected from the water, I knew! I knew that something changed within me and connected me to God, Jesus, and Spirit. It was more than any feeling I had felt before. It was powerful! 34 years later, I can still feel what God did at my baptism.
During the last 34 years, I've gone against God's best for me. I sin. I'm weak. I feel the pressures of life. Early in my life, I only heard about the punishing God. The all-seeing eye watching every move we make kind of God. If we get out of line, he will surely punish us.
That was then. Today, I know a God who is deeply in love with his children. I also know that God does not call us to be perfect; he calls us to trust him. He will get us through all the difficulties we get ourselves into. When we love him with all our hearts, soul, strength, and mind our attention is taken off ourselves and placed on God. We will do our best to serve and be involved in kingdom work, not because we are trying to please God, but rather, we desire to glorify God.
The faith journey is not perfect, but his forgiveness is limitless:

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness (1 John 1:9 NLT).

Our spiritual life will have traces of weakness — but his grace is sufficient:

My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness... (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT).

We will get weighed down by pressures, life struggles, and sufferings. Yet Jesus said we can always come to him:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out…Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life (Matthew 11:28 MSG).

God has always been about grace! He has never been the all-seeing looking out to catch those doing wrong. God has always been the all-seeing Father who cheers our victories, hurts when we do wrong, forgives when we're sorry, lifts us up when we are down, and loves at all times.
God has always been mercy! God has always been a forgiver!  God has always loved us deeply and forever!
Today, I know a God that I didn't know 34 years ago. He hasn't changed, but thankfully knowing grace has changed me!

A BIT OF HUMOR

While proudly showing off his new apartment to friends, a college student led
the way into the den.

"What is the big brass gong and hammer for?" one of his friends asked.

"Oh, that's the talking clock," the student replied.

"How's it work?" the friend asked.

"Watch," said the student, then proceeded to give the gong an ear-shattering
pound with the hammer.

Suddenly someone screamed from the other side of the wall: "KNOCK IT OFF, YOU
IDIOT! It's two-thirty in the morning!"

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The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

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MIKEYSFUNNIES.COM

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Never Let Others Put Words In Your Mouth & Dictate You

Jul20

Have you ever been in a situation or several of them where there are people in your life that put words in your mouth, that dictate you and your every move and whatever you say? Do some people in one’s life tend to assume all the time about you, about what you are feeling, what you are or not interested in and who to speak to, who not to talk to, who to accept as a friend, who not to accept as a friend. I am sure in one point in our lives it has happened, and sometimes you cannot control it and sometimes you can be afraid to retaliate. In my life, I have had several people do that to me, they make my decisions for me, they decide what I have to say, what I have to do, who to be friends with, who not to be friends with. I mean we all have personal issues behind closed doors to deal with and what human being doesn’t have problems? I am sure we all do, and there are people who do not accept that and end up dictating your life because you have such a soft heart, always accepting of everyone, regardless of anything.

People then assume that you are not interested in something, where you are interested, then people start putting words in your mouth and then you are stuck in the middle and confused about it. I have been through this many times and I said this is the last time I will let anybody make my decisions for me. I am an adult now, and old enough to do that, and I will not let anybody else tell me what to feel, tell me what to do, tell me what to say, and then again I fall for it, and then at the end I suffer for it. Well, this time it is iron clad, I will not be letting others walk all over me. Yes although sometimes it is great to assist people, and care about what people do in their lives and how they live their lives, and who they talk to, or whatever, and it is great to see people genuinely care and everything which is awesome, but then again you shouldn’t let people overpower you all the time. You are an individual, and there is going to come a time where ultimately the decisions that you make you have to do it yourself. You have to develop independence, you have to develop a self of being just you, and you making whatever decision that reflects you.

Sometimes we make choices in life that we are not proud of and we all make mistakes, we all sometimes get vulnerable in certain situations, but if it is something that you don’t learn from and you keep making the same mistakes day in and day out, then that is a course of concern. Stand up for yourself, even if it means standing alone. When you are deciding something as a group, when its something that is a mutual agreement, mutual understanding, and mutual decisions or decisions as a team and if you all are on the same page on something than that is great, but then when you are not on the same page, and you know in your heart it’s not such a great decision made, then that means that you should speak up and be heard. If it means that you lose those friends, that means they weren’t your true friends to begin with, so I would rather stand alone then have people make decisions for me.

Assumptions are a big hazard and it can destroy friendships, relationships and bonds and you have to be very careful when you assume things on other people, it can backfire on you and you will not have a great outcome on it. The next time someone decides to dictate you and what you have to say about something or acting on something, just tell them kindly, you know I appreciate your willingness, and your strong personality and telling me what to do, and what to say, and being forced into things, but I am going to have to disagree with you and tell you my feelings and my thoughts on this certain situation. the point I am trying to make is that don’t let others force you into things that your heart and mind are not into, and don’t let others force you how to feel, what to say, what to do. Ultimately it is your life and how to deal with it, and don’t let others ever govern your life. Stay away from people like that. You will know who your true friends are and you will know who sticks behind you 100% when that happens. Just think about it, and go with the flow.

I am always here for everyone, and I am always here to help you on your journey, give advice, and hopefully give great advice that you will take with you in your life span. All the best to you and remember, you are you, and don’t let others tell you otherwise. I wish you all the best.

 

A Writer named Talin Orfali   http://talinorfali.wordpress.com/

JUST DANCE LIKE DAVID DID

Wow! This morning there is a real presence of sheer JOY that  engulfed my spirit as I worshipped the Lord!
Do  you know that when you spend time with God in Praise and Worship you are  actually Praising with all of Heaven? YES! You are! How exciting! What a  blessing!

There is such a freedom to just let go and allow your spirit to soar just  like David did and Dance!
Sometimes during the onslaught of the enemy it’s easy to become  overwhelmed with circumstances.

Let me share with all of you a little of what our Ministry and home have  been through.

Since January, there has been a series of attacks from every direction and  the enemy has certainly tried to knock us out, but every time God intervened and  turned everything the devil meant for destruction to good!
The next few weeks we will share personally what our family/ministry have  gone through.

We want to encourage and inspire you to look past your circumstances  and look up because God not only allows us to go through the fire He brings us  into a deeper walk with Him!

He amazes us just how He intervenes because He delights in doing so.
If Praise be on our lips it matters NOT what we are facing! It’s all about  positioning ourselves in a posture of praise. You really can have joy in the  midst! I remember Him saying… Remain the same
The apostle Paul learned this and so can we!
Just get up and Dance like David did!
Fyi, it’s ok for the neighbors to think you a little weird-  Amen?

Read more: http://www.bible-knowledge.com/just-dance-like-david/#ixzz2aRWvJOZ0

PSALMS 30:5 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God is the God of all comfort (see 2 Cor. 1). Even when he deals harshly with our sin and rebellion, it is for our good. It will last only a short while and then it gives way to rejoicing. If you are in a time of discipline or facing the cruel consequences of sin, please don't give up. Morning will come, and on that dawn will come God's grace. It's more than worth the wait!

Prayer...

Father, please bless your children who are facing hardships and difficulty. Please help them endure through "the night" so that when your dawn comes, they can experience the great rejoicing that lies ahead. Please bless the following people, dear Lord, and help the find your joy.... In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

—Psalm 30:5 (NIV)

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi/todaysverse.cgi

ROSE AND LINDA'S JOURNAL RED CARDINALS

Red cardinals sitting on a fence, a personal reminder to us of God's Love for us and also for these and all His creation.  We are all familiar with the saying 'stop and smell the roses,' yet do we?  In doing so do we take the time to thank the Lord?

Watch a young child, and enjoy the sight of them finding things for the first time  Things that we take or granted on a regular basis.  How many times have we seen the excitement of tearing open a package, and then to find they like the box more than what it contained?  The treasures that are found and brought home as loving gifts, trash to the one who threw it away.  More happiness in a broken bike than the shiny new one given to them.

Yet we grow up and put away childish thoughts.  We no longer look at what something can be, instead of what it is.  We ted to do the same thing with ourselves and others.  In all this do we stop and smell the roses?  Do we stop and say thank You Lord for all You have done for me?

Red cardinals on a fence, bringing to mind that we are alive, and can make a difference in our life's and the life's of others.  Not just smelling the roses, but remembering that God created them and they serve a purpose.

What purpose are we serving tor our Lord:  With all the reminders of His love around us, how are we giving to others so that they might know of His love also?  What we ask is when is the last time we looked at others with the innocence of a child?

God Bless,
recj/LJG

A BIT OF HUMOR THIS IS NOT THE TYPE OF REDNECK JOKES WE HEAR, THI IS BEAUTIFUL

We have enjoyed the redneck jokes for years. It's time to
take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that
values home, family, country and God. If I had to stand
before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd
choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up.
Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what rednecks are
made of (and those of us who believe we have the right to
bear arms in the protection of our way of life and our family).
I am one of those. If you feel the same, pass this on to your redneck friends.
Y'all know who ya are.
You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to
be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God..'
You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing
the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a redneck if: You still say ' Christmas'
instead of 'Winter Festival.'

You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when
someone prays.

You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your
hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem
You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces
veterans with great respect, and always have.
You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an
American flag, nor intend to. (Except as part of a proper flag disposal!)
You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe
and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and
raised your kids to do the same.
Some of you are so old you don't have elders to respect.
You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to
a friend.
You might be a redneck if: You believe in God & Jesus
Christ and believe that others have the right to believe in which
ever God they believe in as long as their God does not
tell them to kill anyone who does not believe the same
as they do!!!!!
If you got this email from me, it is because I believe that
you, like me, have just enough Red Neck in you to have the
same beliefs as those talked about in this email.
God Bless the USA !

Keep the fire burning, redneck friend.
IN GOD WE TRUST!

Thanks Betty Williams

WISDOM FROM THE PSALMS

Psalm 139:12

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

Sam stuck close to his dad. The old building was dark, and Sam wasn't sure what might be out in that darkness. All he knew for sure was that his dad was big and brave, and he wasn't afraid of the dark. Sam hoped that one day he would be like his dad: able to walk in darkness just like he would in broad daylight.

Our Lord goes with us into the dark times of our lives. He holds us by the hand and lets us know that we have nothing to fear. Darkness and light are the same to the Lord. He will lead us through our times of fear and bring us back into the light every time.

Prayer: When I am fearful, Lord, I will reach out to You. Walk with me through the dark times. Fill me with your courage. Teach me to walk in Your light always. Amen.

Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

PROVERBS 14:15 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

These next two Bible verses for the day really apply to all of us in the fast paced world in which we all now have to live and work in. These next two verses are going to tell us to consider well our steps and that someone who is hasty can be lead into poverty due to the bad decisons they have made.
Here are these two very good verses that we all need to take a very strong hold of in this day and age where everything is now moving at break-neck speed:

1.  “The simple believes every word, but the prudent man considers well his steps.” (Proverbs 14:15)
2.  “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)

The very first verse where it tells us to consider well our steps is a very catchy verse. How many of us can look back on some of the bad decisions we have made over the course of our lives and see now that those bad decisons were made because we did not consider well our steps like what this verse is telling us to do. In other words, we did not properly analyze the move we were looking to make and the consequences that would unfold as a result.
We now look back realizing that had we simply took a little more time to analyze the situation and looked at the possible consequences our act would unleash, that we would have never done what we did. Hindsight is always 20/20, so that is how we learn in this life.
The 2nd verse then adds a little more to this when it tells us that anyone who is “hasty” can be led into poverty. Again, sometimes we make decisions too hastily and too quickly without taking our time to examine everything all the way through. Again, we can all look back and see that had we just taken a little more time to examine everything all the way through, that we would have never made that bad decision in the first place.
Many people have now become very impulsive in their decision making due to the very fast pace of our world, and as a result, they are constantly making bad and poor decisions and then have to spend quite a bit of time to dig themselves out from the repercussions of their bad decisions.
So the next time you have to make a decision on anything significant, make sure you abide by these two verses and consider well your steps. Carefully consider the consequences of your actions if you move in one direction or another. Sometimes God will lead you as to what He will want you to do as you are carefully analyzing your options. Sometimes God’s choice for the situation will be the most logical and reasonable answer staring you right in the face.
http://www.bible-knowledge.com/blog/index.php/2012/01/28/proverbs-145/

ROSE AND LINDA'S JOURNAL MENTAL ILLNESS OR DEMON INHABITATION

Acts 8:7-8
"With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city."

There's a biblical subject that isn't talked about or mentioned in most churches or even considered a possibility by many Christians -- demon inhabitation. If Phillip had come to your town instead of Samaria, and he had run across someone inhabited by a demon -- what do you think "our" diagnosis and recommended course of treatment would involve? When we see unnatural behavior, we immediately think mental illness. This is sensible -- there is evidence that many strange behaviors in people are nothing more than mental issues. Our solution might be to get the person to a crisis center or into some type of counseling (which might involve a drug therapy as well). My point is that the thought of demon inhabitation does not even enter our minds.
Why is that? Has demon activity ended? Hardly! Has it moved to places nobody goes? In other words, have demons decided to ignore civilized or "Christian" settings? Biblical evidence suggests demons were exceptionally active in regions where God was worshipped. I believe our lack of awareness is because the "enemy" has so successfully penetrated our culture and even our churches that he has completely camouflaged himself from our thought process. The popular Christian views relating to demon inhabitation is that it is either a "superstition," is so rare as to not be a concern, or only possible in a third world country. We hold these opinions despite the fact that Jesus Himself regularly addressed the issue of demons (Mark 1:23-26, 5:2-20, 7:25-30) and in Matthew 12:23-27 confirmed that one of the signs that the kingdom of God had come to His believers was the casting out of demons. As we see in our passage today, the disciples of the new church followed Jesus' instructions and example and cast out demons wherever they went -- what followed was great joy, "...evil spirits came out of many... so there was great joy in that city."
You will note that whenever Jesus spoke, demons were forced to obey (Mark 1:27; Luke 4:41); Jesus gave His disciples this same power through His name (Matthew 10:1,8); and which we have inherited as "co-heirs" with Christ (Romans 8:17). So there is no need for us to fear demons. However it would be irresponsible for us to ignore their existence and their influence on both the believer and unbeliever.

What is you opinion regarding demonic influence in our society? How about in our church? What about in people? Has Satan hidden from your view, or do you clearly see his presence? What is your role as a Christian in dealing with demonic influences?

pocketpower.org

ACTIVE WORD

Silence Speaks
In the morning…they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. Mark 15:1 (NKJV)
The Jewish rulers had heard enough. On a set of trumped-up charges, they decided to execute Jesus. But because their people were under the rule of Rome, they had to get the permission of the Roman Governor, Pilate, to put Jesus to death. So as soon as day broke, they brought the case before Pilate.
Pilate was a well-seasoned soldier. He had spent his share of time in the trenches of life. Pilate had seen humanity at its worst, both on the battlefield and in other desperate situations, and he knew what to expect when it came to men who were on the brink of dying.
From a purely earthly standpoint, that’s where Jesus was at this point. He was being sentenced to die, and only one person stood in the way of it: Pilate. In the past, Pilate had undoubtedly heard countless pleas and petitions from condemned criminals begging him to intervene and save them. After all, what wouldn’t a man do to save his own life?
So it got Pilate’s attention when Jesus appeared before Him without doing any of that. Jesus stood in silence, even in the face of the false accusations that were being thrown at Him by the Jewish establishment. At this point in Pilate’s life, it took a lot to impress him, but Jesus did:
Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled. Mark 15:5 (NKJV)
What does this silence say to us? It tells us that Jesus was fully submitted to the Father’s will for Him to serve as our sin sacrifice. He didn’t struggle, physically or verbally, in order to escape it. He was completely committed to His calling, and His silence speaks to this.
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps…who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously… 1 Peter 2:21-23 (NKJV)
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
Pastor Bob Coy   Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

ROSE AND LINDA'S JOURNAL COMMON LANGUAGE

Watching a group speaking in Spanish in a chat room, it struck me as odd when out of the blue someone typed in "English Please."

Being an American living in America we do believe English should be our first language.  At the same time when a group is speaking or writing in their native language what right do we have to say 'English please' unless they are speaking to us or we have a question for them.

Whatever does this have to do with the Bible?  When we become a Christian the Bible becomes a part of our life  Whether we have read the Bible all our life's or glanced briefly, the Bible changes when we ask the Lord into our life's.  Now we are to have a new first language-the Bible.

Mind you the Bible should be our first not second language.  Living in the world we think with our head, living for Christ we are to think with our Hearts.

Romans 12:2 tells us to renew your mind.  With any new language it is awkward to begin with.  As we read, study, and grow in the Lord, soon our language will be as the Lord's.  Full of wisdom and knowledge.

God Blessed

recj/LJG

ACTS 5:29 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

This next Bible verse is another major one that all Christians need to get worked into their walk with the Lord. This one right here will determine whether or not you fulfill all of your divine destiny for the Lord in this lifetime.
This first verse I will give you will tell us that we have to obey God in this life, not man. Here it is, and then I will point out a few key things on this verse and the second verse that follows right after it:

1.  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
2.   “If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.” (Job 36:11)

When the first verse tell us that we have to obey God in this life instead of man, that includes even your parents and your best friends. If your parents are wanting you to be a doctor, but God is calling you to be a great pastor of a church, then you will have to go with God’s call on your life, not what your parents are wanting you to be.
If your parents and friends are telling you to marry the person you are dating, but then God comes along and tells you this is not the person He has in mind for you to marry, then again, you have to listen to and obey God with what He is telling you to do, not your family and your friends.
As we have said before, we believe that God has a perfect divine plan and destiny set up for each person’s life if they are willing to yield to it. But you will never reach that divine destiny and totally fulfill it unless you are willing to fully obey God every step of the way.
Notice the 2nd verse above says that “if” they obey and serve God, they shall spend their days in prosperity. The key word is “if” – if they obey God and they do what He tells them to do as they journey through this life.
Your life is like a chessboard to the Lord and He has to be the One to tell you not only what specific chess moves to make, but exactly to when to make those specific chess moves, as many of these chess moves in your life will have a major timing factor on them.
Again, we cannot emphasize this divine truth strongly enough. I do not have to tell you how many landmines that are out there that could totally derail you on your walk with the Lord – and only God knows where those landmines are located at, and only He can show you how to navigate around them so you do not lose your chance to fulfill all of your divine destiny for Him.
Many Christians have have their lives cut completely short with an early death because they would not be obedient to the Lord with the specific instructions He was giving them.

Remember – Father always knows best. Simply obey God every step of the way as you embark on His divine plan and destiny for you life, and you will then reach your own personal finish line in the Lord with all of your divine destiny fully completed for Him.
newsletter@bible-knowledge.com

ROSE AND LINDA'S JOURNAL PONDER ON THIS

Proverbs 19:23   The fear of the Lord tendeth to life, and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited by evil.

To fear the Lord, not to be afraid of Him, but to fear, oh what a mighty God we serve.  The rewards of serving Him far out weight any thing we can think of.  There is nothing like making mistakes to realize how He can protect us and keep us safe, under His wings.  Oh Lord we love You.  To have that deep a relationship with Him.   We should strive for that everyday of our life's.

Think of Job, the devil had to ask permission to touch any thing that belonged to him including himself.  God will protect us always even in the middle of our problems.  Thank You Lord.

God Bless

recj/LJG

A BIT OF HUMOR

A man shouted frantically into the phone, "My wife is pregnant, and her
contractions are only two minutes apart!"

"Is this her first child?" asked the dispatcher.

"NO!" he exclaimed, "this is her husband."

[forwarded by Laura Pimentel]

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Women should not have children after 35. Really...35 children are enough.
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MIKEYSFUNNIES.COM

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

God's House, God's rules!

Romans 9:14
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!

 

 

Last weekend, my Grandsons, Conner (6 years old) and Christian (4 years old), came over to play with Amanda and I. I asked Conner, "What's your favorite game to play at recess (he's in First Grade)?" Conner answered, "Kickball." I said, "Let's play!" I set up the bases and began to organize the teams: Amanda and Conner against Christian and I. Conner looked confused. I asked, "What's wrong?" He said, "This isn't the way we play -- it's not like baseball." I said, "Oh, really. So how do you want to play?" He thought about it for a minute, then squared his shoulders and answered, "That's okay Grandpa, let's play your way -- your house, your rules!" I smiled at the maturity of my "big" grandson.

 Although we ended up playing by Conner's rules that day, as I read our passage, I thought back to Conner's perspective: "Your house, your rules." It was rather refreshing. Too bad more people don't hold to this simple point of view when approaching the throne of the Almighty God. Did you create the universe? Is this your house? Of course not, it is God's. We are His creation, guests in the world of His creation. If we believe this, then who of us has the audacity to stand in His presence and question His decisions? His rules? His authority? You can count me out of that kind of rebellion. Instead, you will find me humbly on my knees before my Creator and Redeemer, acknowledging whatever choice He makes is the right one. We may not know all of the many mysteries and intricacies leading to the sovereign decisions of God, but one thing we do know for certain, we can trust Him to act with justice and in love.

 

 

As long as we live in God's universe, like it or not, we play by His rules. God said through the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 45:22), "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other." Sooner or later, we little men and women will ultimately learn to bend our knees to the authority and justice of the Great and Mighty God. Isaiah 45:23b: "Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear." I choose sooner rather than later -- today in fact, I submit to God. Which do you choose? God's rules or your own version? Which will prove right?

ENEMIES OF GOD

What do you have to do to be saved? By saved I mean saved from eternal damnation. It is a good question that should have a simple answer but in this age of "enlightenment" it is a simple answer that is getting lost in the noise. It is a good thing to refresh ourselves in what the Word says about salvation.
Jesus referred to a second type of birth. He told someone that we need to experience a new birth, into what our Father desired us to become; his children. In our current form we cannot be the children of God. Not everyone in the world is a child of our Father, but he desires them to be:

-->

 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. (John 3:16, CEV)
It is the Father's desire that none should perish but he decided from the beginning that he would not force himself on us. The only love he wants from us is what we freely give to him. Our mistake is thinking that we are all born as his children and if we behave ourselves we will all get to go to heaven. It's not the truth. We are all born as enemies of God but he had compassion on his enemy and desired for us to be his children:

Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son’s life. (Romans 5:10, CEV)

But to go from being the enemy of God to being his children we have to experience a new birth. Jesus said:
“I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God’s kingdom!” (John 3:3)

When asked how a man can be born a second time Jesus explained:
Humans give life to their children. Yet only God’s Spirit can change you into a child of God. Don’t be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. Only God’s Spirit gives new life. (vv. 6-8)

And this only happens through Jesus. He is the first born, who opened the way for the rest of us to follow. So this second birth comes down to this, a very simple act of trust:
Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life. (John 3:15)

A voluntary act of trust; an act provoked in us as we accept that God really loves us that much, that we are sinners separated from God and that only Jesus can get us to where we need to be; with our Father. Adopted as "sons" of God; chosen to be loved; transformed by the spilled blood of the Son of God.

However, the cross where Jesus died is not the end of the matter. In fact, the cross is only the beginning; the open door to a brand new adventure.  The cross is the beginning of the transformation process, as we go from what we were to the new creation God has destined us to be. We leave the old behind as we take up the new. All priorities and desires change as our destination changes. That is the road we are on now, of this new adventure.

However, new adventures can have difficulties and we can get tired, even weary. But we mustn't. We must rest on Jesus' strength. We must abide in him and he in us. We must remain intimate and vulnerable to God because going part way is not good enough. Close doesn't count. We have to go all the way with Jesus, right to the last breath.

But that is another story for another day. It is enough to know today that you are not saved unless you have made that decision to voluntarily accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, having faith that God loves you and wants you as his children. It isn't yours because your parents are Christians. It isn't yours because you go to church. It isn't yours because you do good deeds and think about God every now and them. It is only yours when you make that decision to accept Jesus, his love, his sacrifice because you know you are an enemy of God and don't want to be any more. Have faith in Jesus and he will do the rest.

Posted byPaul Van Buren at8:34 AM

http://pastorpaulvbsblog.blogspot.com/

HABAKKUK 2:2 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

John Hagee Ministries

"Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it." Habakkuk 2:2

Get a vision of what you want God to do with your life, your family, your children and grandchildren. Dare to believe that Jesus Christ is the High Priest of your Prophetic Blessing. Have faith that He will lend His power and authority to fulfill it in agreement with His Word.

ROSE AND LINDA'S JOUNAL WALKING WISE

PROVERBS 13:20  

He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.   

In life we will meet many people.  In is only in getting to know people that we can decide on what level that friendship should be.  We are taught in the Bible that we are to love everyone, and we should.  We will meet people that tell of their love for Christ Jesus, but will not budge on their beliefs that are unacceptable, that the Bible clearly says are sin, or holding on to teachings or practices that do not line up with the word. 

In developing relationships we have to be careful of how close we let people into our life's.  We can pray with them and try to guide them to the truth but sometimes we have to make the decision to let go.  There are also times we know a person  for a while and are surprised to learn much later some of their beliefs.

LJG and I post the teachings of others on our sites and we have always tried to know exactly what a person's stand is on many issues.  We are aware that you our readers might read and follow some of these teachers and /or pastors.  That excites us.  We want you to learn.  

After weeks of reading the beautiful writings of one person we asked and received permission from that person to post their articles on our sites.  The very next day they posted on my site teachings that do not line up with the Word of God, which I deleted right away.  In all the time I knew this person I never knew this about them, had never saw any sign that they  believed this way.  I immediately contacted LJG and told her what I had saw.  We canceled any of this person's writings that we had planned to post.  

We want you to understand we are responsible for what we post, we have to answer to God for what we write and what others write and post on these sites.  If any one of you chooses to read someone and then begins to believe these wrong teachings, we are responsible as we lead you to this person.  

As uplifting as this person's articles are,  to walk with a fool can cause harm to us and to you.  Being Believers/Christians we will come in contact with many people in life, and we are to share the Word of the Lord with all. At the same time we are to use wisdom in all areas of our life's.

We are human, did I made a mistake, yes.  Now in wisdom LJG and I are correcting it.  God just brought to my mind, this is the very reason He has us do this.  Even we can trust someone unknowingly.  We are not perfect, we make mistakes.  We thank the Lord that He uses our mistakes to teach us to be stronger in Him.

People we have to always be on guard as to whom we listen to, the devil is not always packing a gun walking in plain sight.  He waits to see one small way to try to get into our life's.  But we will not be defeated.  

Our Lord is a Mighty God, He is worthy to be served. We will teach the truth as the Bible says, not man made traditions or beliefs. 

God's Blessing on you all 

We are Your Sisters in Christ recj/LJG

A BIT OF HUMOR

Faced with hard times, the company offered a bonus of one thousand dollars to
any employee who could come up with a way of saving money.

The bonus went to a young woman in accounting who suggested limiting future
bonuses to ten dollars.

[forwarded by Steve Sanderson]

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With a calendar, your days are numbered.

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MIKEYSFUNNIES.COM

POWER OF SIMPLE PRAYER

First is a 10 minute teaching clip from Joyce Meyer on

the Power of Simple Prayer.

 

A few highlights are:

 

Prayer is having a conversation with God, praising, worshipping, committing things to God, which should be part of everyday life, just like breathing.
Sometimes our answers to prayer are... no, wait or yes. Whatever God says, He is always right! His timing is perfect and of course, His answers are too
You can't change your family members, we can be a good example. Quit telling everyone what to do, and be an example.
Interesting story on Smith Wigglesworth. He was a mean man prior to getting saved. He would lock his wife out of the house after she went to church. Great story to hear on the power of prayer!

 

Next up is a little bit of humor, especially since

yesterday was dad's day and this is a hilarious clip of

a toddler finding his dads wallet and decides he has a

better place for its contents LOL

 

Toddler With Dads Wallet

 

Then the last is an awesome classical version of

Amazing Grace from Andre Rieu, a Dutch violinist,

conductor, and composer.

 

Amazing Grace from Andre Rieu

bible-knowledge.com

EXDOUS 20:8-11 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

– Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV)

 

 

Today’s commentary by Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org

When God finished creating the world, He rested. And He set aside a way of resting for all of His creation to observe from that day forward. God did not rest because He was tired; He rested to show that everything was complete and perfect in Him. Nothing else was needed. It was finished. When we keep God first in our life we stop living like we are gods, as if everything depends upon us. We show that God is in control of all that He created—including us!

If we live in the reality that God is the only true God, we do not have to live frantic, frenzied lives. Because God is great and powerful, we can rest. And now, the amazing truth is, we can live a life of Sabbath rest because of Jesus’ completed work on the cross. There is nothing left to do…it is finished!

THEDAILYBIVLEVERSE.ORG

MOURNING

How many of us have heard at a Funeral service the words of David in 2 Samuel 'I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.'  In the agony of a death these words comfort us that know we can one day reunite with those that have passed before us.  David assures us of immortality, he begins by asking 'Can I bring him back.' The hurtful truth to us at a time like this is no we can not.

We were reminded of this yesterday as a young women we had been praying for lost her unborn child.  We are told that at 4 months the child was perfectly formed without blemish.  Could we say our prayers went unanswered?  In the past few weeks it appears that many we have prayed for have passed from this life.  We looked back over those prayers, we prayed the Word, we stood on the promises God has given to us, we prayed in the spirit, did we not ask for God's most perfect will.  Who are we to judge His most perfect will?  

Still a part of us wonders were there unseen things that did in fact hinder those prayers?  Harsh, it might seem, but truthful nonetheless.  We listened to a women say we prayed but we knew the child would not live.  Listening to this and other negative remarks, we wanted to shout shut-up.  While we were praying in earnest, is this what the young woman had heard.  How then could she keep the faith that God would save her unborn child?  We though do not know her heart.

As harsh as it sounds at a time of death, we are to speak only good things.  We have never been to a funeral where the Preacher has said 'We don't know where this person has gone,' that would be hurtful even if true.  Yet in quietness many speak amongst themselves, 'if they made it to heaven anyone can make it.'  Why then do we not in this time of mourning ask ourselves 'am I going to make it'.  Many who think they are, are in fact living life's of lies.  Harsh yes, Cruel no, not if it gets us to open our eyes to the fact that 'NO SIN' shall enter into heaven.  And the truth shall sat your free. 

Are we fearful of hurting someone's feelings.  Alas we only thrive to get you to open your eyes.  Death is a reality.  Not having Christ in your life is a sure path to hell.  Mourn. The Bible tells us there is a time to mourn, it is a part of the healing process.  At the same time let it be a time to open your eyes to truth, a truth that can save the unsaved and set the saved back on the path to heaven.

There is nothing we can do but mourn the passing of a loved one, and we should.  But it is the living that we can still continue to pray for that they might be saved and have eternal life.

God Bless you this morning

recj/LJG 

A BIT OF HUMOR

10 SIGNS YOU MAY NOT BE READING YOUR BIBLE ENOUGH

10) You open up your Bible in church and a huge dust cloud rises.

9) You think Abraham, Isaac & Jacob may have had a few hit songs during the
 60's.

8) You open to the Gospel of Luke and a WWII Savings Bond falls out.

7) Your favorite Old Testament patriarch is Hercules.

6) A small family of woodchucks has taken up residence in the Psalms of your
Bible.

5) You become frustrated because Charlton Heston isn't listed in either the
Concordance or the Table of Contents.

4) Catching the kids reading the Song of Solomon, you demand: "Who gave you this
stuff?"

3) You think the Minor Prophets worked in the quarries.

2) You keep falling for it every time when Pastor tells you to turn to Second
Opinions.

And the number one sign you may not be reading your Bible enough:

1) The kids keep asking too many questions about your usual bedtime story:
"Jonah the Shepherd Boy and His Ark of Many Colors."

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The chief cause of problems is solutions.
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MIKEYSFUNNIES.COM

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

DON'T HOPE… DECIDE!

 

While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life-changing experiences that you hear other people talk about — the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly. This one occurred a mere two feet away from me.

Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family.

First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other's face, I heard the father say, "It's so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!" His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, "Me, too, Dad!"

Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son's face in his hands said, "You're already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!" They too hugged a most loving, tender hug.

While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her mother's arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said, "Hi, baby girl!" as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment.

After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last!" and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed, “I love you so much!" They stared at each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands.

For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be. I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?

"Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those." he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face.

"Well then, how long have you been away?" I asked. The man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile. "Two whole days!"

Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks – if not months. I know my expression betrayed me.

I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!"

The man suddenly stopped smiling.

He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope, friend… decide!" Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!"
…..Copyright© 1997 Michael D. Hargrove by way of ©2012 Tim Levin – “Tim’s Inspiration” (timsinspiration@yahoo.com) and “Christian Voices” (ChristianVoices@att.net)

THE GOSPEL IS OFFENSIVE BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE

Erik Raymond

In old episode of Seinfeld George cleverly attempts to establish his own charity. Since he doesn’t really support any cause except himself he creates a vague shell organization called “The Human Fund”. As he promotes the “cause” he finds that people are generally pretty happy to be associated with this nice sounding foundation.
The sarcastic sitcom makes its point: we like being a part of something that makes us feel good as long as it is also comfortable for us.
This is especially dangerous for Christians, particularly believers living in the West. If we are honest we’ll admit that we can hear the crackling social eggshells underfoot. As we attempt to live as Christians in this world we have a choice to make:
1)      Walk on the cultural eggshells, fearing any whiff of being labeled intolerant or
2)      Faithfully, thoughtfully and winsomely walk, knowing that you may well be labeled strange or out of step.
When thinking about how we declare and demonstrate the gospel it is important to remember that we did not come up with this. The gospel is the great announcement of what happened. We cannot edit the events, air-brush Jesus’ character, or turn down the volume of emphasis upon God’s character. We have been given this faith, we did not create it (Jude 3).
1- You Cannot Remove the Offense without Losing Everything
I used to work in a compliance department. The prevailing buzz was that it was our job to put back into the marketing pieces everything that the sales guys edited out because it was too off-putting. Sometimes we default to evangelical sales guys. We think, “The gospel is really offensive. It could be better received if we weren’t so hard on sin.” The trouble with this is when we pull on that string we unravel the whole thing! Think about it, what is at the heart of the offense of the gospel?
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18)
What is the folly? What is the foolishness? It is the cross. So, if in effort to remove the offense we would unwittingly remove the substance! There are sharp edges to this gospel. There is blood, death, wrath, sin, greed, and anger. You can’t sand that down without losing it all. Paul continued to preach Christ and him crucified (even though he knew it was perceived as folly) precisely because he knew that this same (foolish) gospel was also the saving gospel:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16, see also Gal. 2:21)
2- The Point of the Story is not Congratulations but Confrontation
Sometimes we forget that as we talk about Jesus and what he has done that it is actually a referendum on our performance as humans. Jesus did not come saying, “Hey, great job everyone. I’m here to lead a movement of good people who have excelled in their calling as humans.” Far from it. Instead we read of Jesus saying, “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Lk. 5:32)
This is a huge point. If we think of the gospel and our mission in the world as Jesus coming to bring us the birthday present for our moral awesomeness then it is not the gospel. It is by grace that we are saved. Grace is a gift. Salvation is from sin, Satan, and death. Part of our salvation is salvation from God himself! (Rom. 5:9).
If our tone is about preserving people’s high opinions of themselves we can be sure we are do not have a very high opinion of the gospel. The gospel does not congratulate but rather confront—and then convert!
3- The Story is Not About Ultimately About Us Anyway
One of my favorite preachers said that Americans struggle with a “Where’s Waldo” approach to the Bible. Like when we look at a picture for that smiling, stripped sweater-wearing guy, we are always looking for ourselves in the passage. The trouble is, the Bible in general, and the gospel in particular is not ultimately about us. The gospel is about God. The story unfolds of God taking the initiative to insert himself into human history in order to rescue rebels like us from what we justly deserve. It is a story of divine love, divine mercy, divine sacrifice, and divine grace. The gospel glorifies God before it does anything else.
This is why it is counterintuitive to edit or invert the content of the gospel. It is inclined toward God, accomplished by God, and magnifies God. To pump ourselves up as the point of the gospel is to give the gospel a flat tire. It’s about God.
4- The Gospel is Offensive But You Don’t Have to Be
Since the content of the gospel is unashamedly offensive (Rom. 1:16) we have to keep in mind that we don’t by necessarily have to be offensive ourselves. In other words, the gospel is offensive because it unseats self from the throne of the heart and establishes God as King. If we have God reigning on the thrones of our hearts we will not be quick to lash out or lack sensitivity in our witness. We come to unbelievers with the sensitivity and understanding that we too have been hungry and hurting from the hangover and lies of sin. We have been wooed by the hiss of the serpent. We know what it is like (Eph. 2:1–3). Therefore, we can identify. We get it. We reach out in truth and love.
George Costanza made it up and it cost him. He ended up having to return the contributions. When we start editing the gospel for fear of offense we lose everything. Without the gospel we have no message, no mission, and no church. We are left twiddling our comfortable little thumbs promoting the Human Fund.
Erik Raymond is pastor at Emmaus Bible Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He and his wife, Christie, have six children. You can follow Erik on Twitter @erikraymond and read his blog at ordinarypastor.com.  
http://www.christianity.com/theology/salvation/the-gospel-is-offensive-but-you-don-t-have-to-be.html?p=0

EXODUS 20:12 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

– Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

Today’s commentary by Caesar Kalinowski, GraceNYC.org

 

None of us showed up on this planet by accident. God, in his sovereignty, has chosen the time and place that each of us would live. He also chose who our parents would be. Because of this, we can honor and respect our parents—not because they are perfect—but because God is perfect. If we live with unforgiveness or distance between our parents and us, we actually place our self in the position of being God. That would violate the 1st Commandment of having no other gods before God. We are not God! If we reject our parents, we are rejecting God’s perfect will for our life. To honor our parents is to respect them, as fellow flawed image bearers of God, and allow God to love them through us. To honor our parents is to honor God as LORD in our life.

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ROSE AND LINDA'S JOURNAL SOMETIMES WE WONDER

Oh Lord our God, we do at times wonder.  The things that happen to open our eyes, instead we shut them to.  We live and do not learn, that scars still hurt years and years afterward.  While many turn to the Lord and forgive as He tells us to, for those that do not have that relationship with You, try to battle things themselves.  Help us Lord Jesus to forgive, to let You do the battle.  To turn the wrongs to right.  Help us Lord to try to understand that You did not want us to be governed this way, it is what we wanted, and now the very thing we asked for has turned against us causing pain.  Help us Lord Jesus to turn back to You as our ruler, Your laws, Your way , not man's.  Amen So Be It

God Bless

recj/LJG 

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Less of Me, All of Him

Romans 9:16
It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.

 

 

One of the hardest lessons I had to learn as an adult was to rely on God's mercy versus my own drive, desire, or effort. I would ask: "How can it be with God -- that less of me means more of Him?" I think this question is well answered by the words of Saint Augustine: "We must be emptied of what we are full, so that we may be filled with what we are empty."

 Too often mankind looks upon God's mercy as recognition or reward for the work we've done. We think our efforts cause God to look upon us with more favor. However, if God rewarded our desire or effort with His Mercy, then we would be filled with pride because of what we had accomplished. The election of God is not something we can run for, earn or win. It does not depend on anything we do.
Do you know why God saved me? It certainly wasn't because of anything I did. God saved me because He is God and He had mercy on me.

 

 

Of what are you full? Pride at what you've accomplished, or gratitude for God's mercy? We must lessen so He might increase. What is your perspective? Which of your attitudes need adjustment

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MAN AND THE TREE IN THE HEBREW BIBLE

In the Hebrew Bible there are several passages that make comparisons between man-אָדָם  and the tree-עֵץ. These passages are classical and many commentaries have been written about them. I will try in a nutshell to take you on a journey that connects these two important elements in our world; man, who should be the ruler of this world, and the tree, which represents nature.
Let's start with the passage upon which several famous poems and songs were written, which deals with actions during war, as written:

"“When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?"(Deuteronomy 20:19) Many translations suggest that this verse ends with a question mark, but some commentaries suggest that this verse could be also be a declarative sentence, in which case, the meaning changes. If this sentence is a question, it means that there's a difference between man and the tree, since man is not fighting with the tree. For that reason, the man must not destroy the tree of the field. On the other hand, if you read the sentence in a different context, so changes the comparison between man and the tree, which suggests that in the same way it is forbidden to destroy trees in war, nor should you destroy and kill people, since peace is preferable to war. Whenever I teach the fourth course of Biblical Hebrew, I get excited because the first passage that we commence our course with after some lessons of review is Psalm 1. Let's enjoy the words of this fabulous passage: "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners ,nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."(Psalms 1:1-3)     Here there's similarity between the man and the fruitful tree. The imagery used is of the righteous man being a tree that yields fruit whose leaves never wither. For that reason, all the actions of the righteous man bring him prosperity and success. However, in other texts in the Bible we can see that there's a difference between the man and tree. When Jeremiah wants to discuss injustice in the world he describes the wicked man as the tree, not the righteous man, reversing the earlier metaphor (see Jeremiah 12:1-3). As well, Job, when he speaks about the miserable destiny of man in Job 14, uses trees to make a negative point. Man according to Job 14:2 is like a flower that withers, for his life is short; for that reason all he asks is for quiet in his miserable, unchangeable life! Let's see what happens to the tree, unlike man, as written: "For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the dry soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like a plant."(Job 14:7-9) The tree symbolizes hope; it can come back to life with the help of water, whereas man cannot do the same, unless of course it is suddenly the era of the resurrection of the dead- תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים. Of course these passages that I have mentioned are just a few from many; if you know of more passages that discuss the relationship between man and the tree, you are welcome to comment here! Have a blessed week, ElieTeacherBiblical.com

EXDOUS 20:13 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

“You shall not murder.

– Exodus 20:13 (NIV)

Today’s commentary by Caesar Kalinowski, GraceNYC.org

When we read this 6th Commandment, ‘you shall not murder’, we all sigh a breath of relief, “At least I’m keeping this command!” But remember, Jesus really raised the bar on this when he taught that if we have hate or hard hearts toward another person it is the same as if we murdered them. Ouch. Now we’re not doing as well. Murder, either physical or via our hearts, is a big deal to God because it infringes on his rule and reign. He created all people and relationship, and he alone has control over our lives. If we keep the first command to have no other god before God, then we can never place our self in the position to take a life. Murder happens because someone wants to change a situation to his or her liking by removing another person-either physically or by rejecting them. That is playing God.

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ROSE AND LINDA'S JOURNAL THE TROUBLE IS I AM A WOMAN

In looking through the history of the rise of London, I have come across an religious teachings that were brought to the people that has sparked my interest.  During the 600 century women were thought to be less than man.  This way of thinking would continue as we know for many centuries.  I want to share with you how women of that era were instructed.

It is the nature of woman to incline to frivolity and the sins of the flesh, and mortal sin as well.  Women are in special danger of hell.  it is in their nature.  God has made women the weaker vessel, a defective seed.  this is necessary to provide vessels by which mankind many continue.  It is man who is made in God's image.  Man's seed produces His perfect likeness.  woman, being only the container in which the seed matures, is therefore inferior.  She may still reach heaven, but being inferior, it is harder.

How then could a woman be saved during that age?  They were told to pray earnestly, obey their husband in all things and there are those that say only a virgin can easily pass into heaven.
Sound crazy, today there are still groups that teach that women are less than man.  As I read the above I took a break and walked into my living room and looked at a speech I have framed on the wall.  I encourage you to go online and look up Sojourner Truth.

Born a slave name Isabelle in New York, she became free July 4, 1827.  She worked tirelessly to end slavery and help suffering blacks.  She is dear to me because of a speech she gave at the 1851 Woman's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.  Sojourner Truth's 'Ain't I a Woman' speech was in response to a minister who said at the convention '...women can't have as much rights as men, Christ wasn't a woman.'  Her speech included this comment '...where did your Christ come from?  From God and a woman.  Man had nothing to do with Him.

Ponder on these thoughts, again as we look at why we are taught what we are taught in our churches.

God Bless,

recj?LJG