Tag Archives: unbelief

Does the Church Hurt Families?

08 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by in faith and Christianity, Integrity, Raising Children, recovery from addictions, Relationships, the Word of God, Think in Today

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Since my time in recovery from alcoholism and drug abuse, I have heard many in meetings say, “church isn’t the place to recover, that will get you back where you were.” It is not a vendetta against the church, it is having watched people go to church for their cure, and wind up back on the bar stool. People in church do not have an idea how to help, AA, NA, do know what must be done. Celebrate Recovery was a breath of fresh air to those wanting Christ-centered recovery, there is more to this story for a later time.
What is God like?
In recovery meetings, the attendees often gain a different view of God. Not the evil ogre they always thought, or aloof and unhearing, they discover a God of love, mercy, and kindness. I do not try to correct the misguided any longer unless opportunity arises. I understand they are beaten enough by self-inflicting and guilt. I do hear their stories of church abuse, or from misguided teachings, and thus understand their disdain for the local church.
Reasons?
Outside of recovery, the church has witnessed a dramatic loss of members from the upper-middle to the lower-income classes, nearly cut in half since the 1980′s. From sexual abuse to cult-type leadership desiring control, to ingraining separation of church and state in peoples minds and removal of prayer from schools and government buildings, many of these people have developed bitter contempt for anything related to church. Relativism, pleasure seeking, science without conscience, greed for more, and sloth can all be attributors to lack of church attendance for many, I’m sure there is more.
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.” Heb.10:25 NLT
People that take their children to church are to be commended. We should know that the child is learning the truth and sound doctrine. The problem may be that the parents do not know anything close to sound doctrine, and for years have taken the teaching they receive at church as truth. We all really need to considered what we believe, why we believe it, and why it is important. If the church is teaching error, and you know doctrine based on scripture, a flag goes up anytime a message is delivered that does not agree with the Word. And when the child comes out of Sunday School or youth groups, the parent should ask them, “What was your lesson about today?”
Does the church hurt families?
Consider this; if you attend one service per week, the church gets an hour of teaching time to it’s members. That’s 52 hours in a year out of 8,760 hours. The school system gets 1170 hours to teach kids the three r’s, and indoctrinate them in their views that disregard religious belief. I have no idea how much time the children watch TV, play video games, participate in sports and other activities. How could the church on such a schedule hurt your children, your family?
I am convinced that church does not hurt families, especially those living in a Christ-centered home. FAMILIES HURT FAMILIES where religion is concerned. Teaching the young traditional religious beliefs that have been handed down for generations, based on family lore regarding what you have to do in order to make heaven, without biblical basis, is destructive. Placing activities ahead of God throughout a child’s entire growing years, is harmful. It is as though we teach them that sports and fun is all that matters, God will always be around when needed. Never having one on one’s with your little ones to show through scripture the awesome nature of God, His many characteristics and attributes, is allowing others to teach them He is nothing more than a myth.
There is so much to say due to the lack of interest in our society, and how we no longer seem to hunger for goodness, and view church as a stop in and visit poor old God, putting on the façade of good living for the neighbors and minister. I feel that the church is still Christ’s body, we need each other, the world needs us in Him.
What do you think? Thanks for reading, God bless and keep you all.

Be Careful Little Mouth

16 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in faith and Christianity, Politics, Raising Children, recovery from addictions, Relationships, the Word of God, Think in Today

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“Please Lord, make my words today sweet and tender, for tomorrow I may have to eat them,” -anon
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” – Rudyard Kipling

The children playground saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” was originated by a person who obviously had skin made of steel. The saying is actually attributed by some from slaves that were talked down to, and called every unholy name by their overseers. The reality is that words effect go far beyond the ear and into the brain. Words go into the very depth of a person’s soul, and there, take residence, Words break up homes, friendships, split churches and civic groups, and words can shut down corporations. With all of the high tech being used as media outlets, words can end a political career by someone’s cell phone footage used on the evening news.

Words can have the opposite effect as well. Encouragement expressed to another, down on themselves and needing confidence, can turn their life’s situation completely around, and turn the misfortunate one onto the pathway of a positive existence. Words from a coach to his team at halftime may motivate players to overcome a mistake ridden first half, into a flawless performance in the second. The right word from an AA, NA, CR sponsor, can cause the one struggling minute to minute to make it one day to the next. A pastor delivers his sermon, maybe the one word he says from scripture lands in the heart of someone that becomes the next Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr, Augustine, or Francis of Assisi.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” Ps.19:14
“A man has joy by the answer from his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” Prov.15:23

How do you talk? Are your words a healing balm to someone that has been badly beaten by life? If not, you have the power to change that. You have the ability to inspire, motivate, and cause those around you to create an environment of achievement. People love being around charismatic, smiling people that encourage them. They feel just the opposite of the negative ones that are only interesting if they are spreading dirt on others.

If your memory serves you well, think back through your recent conversations with others. What did they say? How did you respond? If you are completely honest, and can see that you may not be the person you hold so highly above reproach, you can change your way of speaking from negative to positive. Ask God to help you, and make you aware of what you plan to say, whether it edifies or tears down. Be a life-changer with the way you speak.

Thanks for reading, God bless and keep you all.

Hear The Prophets

12 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by in faith and Christianity, History, Politics, Raising Children, recovery from addictions, Relationships, the Word of God, Think in Today

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Sir Winston Churchill was a voice crying in the wilderness. Prior to WWII, he warned the people of Great Britain of the danger that Adolph Hitler posed. Then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, met with Hitler in Europe and returned with cheers from the Brits, having obtained Hitler’s word and signed agreement of no further aggression in Europe. Churchill knew better, Hitler could not be trusted, and within a short time, the aggression began. Churchill was right, but few believed him.

In the Old Testament, from Isaiah to Malachi, the warnings to Israel and Judah from these prophets fell on deaf ears. Actually, their ears heard, but the people would not heed them. People do not want to believe their world would possibly change, or that anything they are doing needs to be altered and that may bring judgment. Israel and Judah were stripped from the land God promised them, carried off to be enslaved by a pagan nation. Every warning was ignored. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses declared the blessing of keeping the laws of God, and the cursing. In the children of Israel’s history, they experienced the blessing, and the cursing to their entirety. Yes, the worst of the curse that would come if they refused to obey the law happened. They did eat the flesh of their own children.

…”Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Hear me O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established; believe His prophets and you shall prosper.” 2Chron.20:20 NKJV

The New Testament has equal warnings, but not just to Israel. These warnings came from Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John. Matthew 24, Jesus tells the signs for the disciples to watch for. In 2Tim.3, Paul, under inspiration, told of the last days and what people would be like. Take a few moments and read these two passages. If you don’t see how these passages reflect our day, think hard and read it again. People have said, those events have happened throughout the ages, our times are no different. That is saying, “I don’t believe that.” Many people don’t believe it. Six plus billion people in this world, and few believe it. “The majority can’t be wrong.” people say. Friends, the majority is normally wrong.

We have fallen into a deeper hole from years of ignoring warnings of the few bold enough to say “STOP.” The inability of people to say no to their desires and cravings have led millions into addictions to drugs and alcohol, as well as pornography, gambling, etc. The schools systems have beaten biological evolution into the minds of people, that even the most brilliant minds believe it. Now that this demonic doctrine is falling apart, many are scrambling for a new explanation of how we came to be. The government has decided that it knows what’s best for the people and enact laws that force behaviors and denounce God’s ways on every platform. Truth is objective. We have arrived. The warnings have been ignored.

The main thing for you and I to remember to do is, keep praying for all people. Our failure to do so has a horrendous effect on ourselves and those near and dear to us. Pray for your neighbors, for the leaders, for the churches. Then, take a look at those passages, they are earth shaking and revealing of this time. When you see this, then see you. What controls your thinking? Your actions? If you see personal need of change, pray for yourself too.

Thanks for reading, God bless and keep you all.

Ms. Tubman’s Prophecy

12 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by in faith and Christianity, History, Politics, Raising Children, recovery from addictions, Relationships, the Word of God, Think in Today

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February gives us pause to reflect on our historical past  failures as a nation. Yes, America the beautiful has a tainted past that we should never forget. The dark present, however, is what my focus is on, and how it is affecting our future. Harriet Tubman was a woman of great courage that helped many slaves find their way to freedom in the nineteenth century. The following words she spoke of and what could have been, as she reflected on the ones she lead to freedom, and the slaves she wanted to help but could not help.
“I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if they only knew they were slaves.”
Interesting. She knew something about the slaves having no understanding of their plight, how they were generations into slavery, unaware they were anything different than what the “owners” told them they were. Brain-washed and uneducated to believe they were nothing more than property of the superior white folk. The travesty, and the indignity suffered by these poor innocent people, was not overlooked in the eyes of Justice. The price to be paid by the high and mighty white superiors, who were mostly apathetic in the north, and ignorant in the south, came in the 1860′s Civil War, where over 600,000 Americans lost their lives. There is always a recompense for evil. Write that down and review it daily. Don’t think for one second that you can commit any act, good or bad, that will not return to you with payment.
Why I think her words are prophetic is that today, millions of our young are enslaved to alcohol, drugs, porn, and to everything we have once considered to be immoral. Our country is full of me-gotists, doing their own thing, because it feels right to them; and they have no idea that they are slaves of darkness, headed for their reward unwittingly, thinking there is nobody to answer to. This is not exclusively the young people, all age groups have fallen prey to self-indulgent living. Our leaders, those who are devising curriculum in public education on every level have no moral compass it seems. They have omitted any reference to values and principles, replacing those with subjective/objective truth; if it is right for you, it is right. Really? In California, they ask seven year old children, what do you think you are, male or female? (gender orientation) Victims of crime are ignored throughout the country, a Presidential sexual act performed in the place many prayerful decisions were made in the past, is lauded in the work-place, “I don’t blame him,” was heard by workers. Those seeking justice, and a return to morality are looked at with disdain. May God have mercy on us. We call good evil, and evil good.
This month is National Recovery Month as well as Black History Month. I can only propose that we honor the past by changing the direction of our future. In Ms. Tubman’s words, we don’t know we are slaves. We must pray and repent as a people, that is, for those in this country who follow Christ. I cannot speak for other religions, I only know that in Christianity, some still believe in this passage:
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2Chron.7:14
No direction of man’s good intention, no legislation, no attempted explanation of the “educated,” will improve the method of turning a people away from eminent judgment. The historians would argue my point, and stand by the succession of the southern states had little to do with slavery, but the blood of those who died has an uncanny historical echo of the price paid for unjust action by a nation too arrogant and greedy to repent. Today, in this month of reflection, take note that we need to see Christ abolished slavery of every sort 2000 years ago. One day, if we observe and do what the passage above says, February may be called, “Freedom Month.”
Thanks for reading, God bless and keep you all.

A Month of History and Help

07 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by in faith and Christianity, History, Politics, Raising Children, recovery from addictions, Relationships, the Word of God, Think in Today

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I am convinced that people who have never had the grand pleasure of being addicted to drug use, alcohol, gambling, porn, overeating, etc., or have had mental health issues, or have had no family or friends with any of these issues…yet, could care less that February is National Recovery Month. In the same respect, people outside of the African-American community, have little interest in Black History month, unless they are history-buffs. There are many other months that the government recognizes for people of various heritages, Irish, Hispanic, Jewish, Filipino, et al, that I had no idea existed. This is the way we Americans celebrate various cultures in our country, ignoring them. Awareness has become, and is becoming more important to me as I grow in recovery, and in Christ. The reasons for their importance is the three tenses, past, present, and future.
Past
“Study the past if you would define the future.” – Confucius “Those unable to catalog the past are doomed to repeat it.” Lemony Snicket, The End
I love history. There is little of the past that doesn’t intrigue me. Americans have this tendency to be so busy racing to the end of life from the time of their adolescence, until in their late forties, when sensing their mortality, and slamming on the brakes of time, and calculating how fast things happened. Just a few years ago, when the kids were little…we pause in reflection of how good the past was, those warming memories of loved ones passed, prices in grocers and restaurants, old TV shows, and the like. If we can look at the importance of the past to teach us the treasure of living one day at a time, we would never be in the zoom-zoom mode, and see the past for what it truly is…a professor of now, and tomorrow.
Black history is important. As a society, we should never want to see happen to a race of people that happened to them. The history of how slavery of African peoples came to be, must  be viewed as diabolical, the greed and treachery of men, never to repeated at all cost. But my view today is not to remember the how, but the why, and look how this culture has risen out of their low estate, to prominence. The focus today should  be on the history and the admiration of a people’s rise from ashes. The contributions of  African-Americans, both noted and unknown, can help every American see that all people, all cultures are important to society.
One more quote:
“I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.” -Morgan Freeman 
Present
To believe that slavery ended in the nineteenth century is error. I am not referring to the 27 million slaves in the world today, but the millions of Americans addicted to substance abuse, those chained to fears and mental illness, and to love of self, desiring more and more things that have everything but happiness included. Recovery month is obscure to most Americans, mainly because of apathy, some ignorance too. We don’t know, and we don’t care, until directly affected. Get involved, don’t wait for others. Find ways to be a part today, and if nothing else, pray daily for the nation.
The actions I take today has a great effect on my tomorrows. Making decisions early each day to give God the first acknowledgement ahead of what I want to do, has a profound influence on the rest of the day. Each one of us who have been graced with the gift of salvation through Christ Jesus, as well as those of us with the gift of sobriety, should be deeply aware of the danger of ignoring the past, get our spiritual battle gear on, and fight the good fight against slavery to addictions in the realms unseen, the real battlefield. Now, today, the present is the day of salvation. Time is short and even Jesus said we should pray for laborers to enter and work.
“In an acceptable time I have heard you. and in the day of salvation I have helped you,” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2Cor.6:2 “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into HIS harvest.” Matt.9:37-38
Brighter Future
We all want the future to be an improvement. The Black history month, Irish, Hispanic, Jewish months, are months we reflect on the past of suppressed peoples, living and contributing in our society today. Through prayer, awareness of this new slavery to substance abuse, and the old ploys of the enemy, using fears to drive greed, hatred, racism, and all other forms of evil, these can be shaken, and strongholds he has built up into the minds of individuals, even entire communities can be toppled.
Forgiveness is key, allowing the light of God’s Word to infiltrate those dark areas we have placed bitterness, and allowed it to fester, rejecting other cultures and their contributions, can be banished. We must make the conscience decision to love. It is Christ alone that can bring us as a people, to accept and unite. The government cannot, secular education will not. It is spiritual in nature, only by understanding the plan and purpose of God can we say, “I once was blind but now I see.”
Thanks for reading, God bless and keep us all.

Eyeballing Death, with Joy

02 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by in faith and Christianity, Raising Children, recovery from addictions, Relationships, the Word of God, Think in Today

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“People living deeply have no fear of death.” Anais Nin
“Reality means you live until you die…the real truth is nobody wants reality.” Chuck Palahniuk
I can say, without reservation, I have never seen so many people within my sphere of friends and acquaintances, passing away with such frequency. What is happening? It isn’t the elderly, that would be expected. People under retirement age, most less than 60 years, are entering into eternity long before the average age of a man or woman to live. Working with alcoholics and addicts would cause one to think that isn’t so odd, you deal with that often. It is not people with addictions leading this parade of sorrow. Sickness disease, and accidents are the causes of late, and my mind is thinking darkly, “who’s next?”
Death can have different effects on different people. When an acquaintance passes, I normally have little emotional reaction to their passing…at first. It usually smacks me in the face a couple of weeks later. I have this sudden realization, they’re gone, lost to the ages! Memories of times we talked, or were together in school or partying fill my thoughts. I then see how frail life is. Questions come into my mind of what their final days were like, or after they were diagnosed, how did they react?…how would I react?
I have so much gratitude to God for the grace He has shown me through Christ. That grace extends over all of my life, casting those fears of death and living, that could give me a paralysis to think and act in joy through sorrow that is personal, knowing my end is the beginning of life. Those passages spoken at funerals, the 23rd Psalm, Paul’s writings in 1 Cor.15, open up thanksgiving within, amid weeping and grief around me.
“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, “death is swallowed up in victory,” O death where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?” 1Cor.15:54-55
Faith, hope, and love in Christ is the internal knowledge that eternal life awaits those who trust in the Lord Jesus, that we who trust in Him shall stand in the sunlight of His presence on that day the sun never again sets. There is no pipe dream, no explanation to be given to the unbeliever. This reality of what will be is born in “new birth” as we put all our hope and dreams in Christ. The joy, however, comes with the revealed presence Who is present in us now in our sorrows and grief, knowing that He has taken the sting of death, the darkness of the grave away, and shepherds us, bearing our sorrow and grief for us.
Hear me well here. No other belief system, no other god of man, no educational reasoning, none, offers what Jesus offers when you ask Him for mercy, and forgiveness, and to enter your heart as Savior and Lord. He has no rejection, never says no to that request. If you want to eyeball death peace and joy, make the request. Thanks for reading, God bless and keep you all.

Birthing and Breakthroughs

01 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by in faith and Christianity, Raising Children, Relationships, the Word of God, Think in Today

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“God is about reading to give you that breakthrough.” the media ministers exclaim. Not one, but many on Christian TV and radio ministries use this expression. I received an email some time back of a skeleton sitting at the computer with the caption, “still waiting for the miracle” below the picture. I thought that was hilarious after hundreds of emails promising a miracle would happen if I would send that email to 20 friends. The miracle was real if I would forward the email. Those 20 people would miraculously end up on a mailing list they didn’t want. I learned no matter how cool the email was not to forward it if the mail had a message at the bottom like that. I especially hated the email that said, “if you are not ashamed of Jesus, you WILL forward this.” Really? I group those emails with the evangelist’s breakthrough promises.

Business as Usual
I am concerned that we, followers of Christ have heard so much rhetoric from religious programming over the years, that we take for granted that what is preached by someone famous on the boob-tube is truth. First of all, God is not a procrastinator. He is not “getting ready” to do anything for you or me. Jer. 29:11 doesn’t say “I’m getting ready to have thoughts about you”…it says this:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” nkjv

He already has a plan for you and I. Before we arrived on this planet, He already had the plan laid out, the perfect plan. It is our coming into conformity with the Word of Truth that brings us in line with His perfect will in our lives. Not the promise of sending in a faith offering to Brother so and so, and keep his faithless ministry going. “Folks, if you don’t send in the money we need, we are getting ready to go off the air!” Adios! Tata! See ya! Go off the air then! If God called you into that ministry, it’s a shame to think He isn’t strong enough to keep you afloat. Quit playing on the emotions of people and misleading them so you get to take the first-class ocean cruise instead of the coach-cruise. Please stop embarrassing the body of Christ in the media, and bringing reproach on Jesus. It is okay to ask for financial help for your ministry, but please stop begging, stop promising a “breakthrough.” I do believe 1 Tim. 3:1-9 and 2 Pet.2, is speaking of some of these “waterless wells.”

Intentions and Truth
Many of those, perhaps the majority of media ministries are good, wonderful people who love God and have all of the integrity you would expect. But even they can choose wrong ways of expressing their needs for financial help, and people are mislead in a pay-to-play gospel, contorted in their minds by the enemy.The second thing I feel leaves an ugly scar on the body is that, I’m not getting any “breakthroughs” from God. I received THE breakthrough when I accepted Christ as Savior and Lord. According to scripture, I have been adopted into God’s household with full privileges because of what Jesus has done through His death, burial, and resurrection, the only breakthrough needed.

Birthing (real breakthrough)
I love to listen to many of the radio and TV broadcasts we are blessed to have today. They are there for edification of the body of Christ, and for God’s glory. But the breakthroughs, or answers to prayer, and the conforming to the image of Christ comes from birthing such in prayer in travail, and intercession, in tears and trial, in dying to self and servicing the body. ( I am speaking to me, more than you here) Fasting from ourselves, and from certain foods, or totally fasting with water only, going into the prisons, visiting the sick, and all of the things Jesus spoke of in Matt.25:34-40, is where we birth spiritual fruit into the physical world, not purchased with money.

Final Word
I am not trying to speak in a condescending manner, or be a spiritual know-it-all. God, in my thinking, does not give us breakthroughs, we birth them in spiritual practices, or through the workings of the Spirit of God in us. We experience breakthroughs through brokenness. I thought of a man watching a TV minister tell the audience God is getting ready to give them their breakthrough if they are obedient and send a “love gift” to his ministry. It really doesn’t matter that the man is a critic, a gossip, and verbally abuses his family. He wants that breakthrough so he can be blessed by God. Give it some thought, what do you think?

Thanks for reading, God bless and keep you all!

Slavery You Own

20 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by in faith and Christianity, History, Raising Children, recovery from addictions, Relationships, the Word of God, Think in Today

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The word slavery causes people to shutter as they think of people bound in chains, beaten, forced into labor. Anti-slavery activists have their hands full in these modern times with a reported 27 million people enslaved. As I read some of the details of this modern day evil; I realized slavery wasn’t a dark part of history, it is alive and well on planet Earth. Sadly, much of this slavery is within our own borders; in the inner-cities, young men and women kept against their will, held as prostitutes. How we need to pray for their liberation.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King, Jr

Friday night, the Celebrate Recovery meeting was a reminder to me how that slavery goes far beyond individuals being kept against their will. The 27 million is dwarfed in number when we consider the masses enslaved by their past hurts; abused from childhood, hung-up from being bullied and belittled, and those given to self-will, owning habits that are chains not easily broken. Many are the slave owners, self is enslaved to addictions that are destructive. In the final analysis, our ownership must be admitted, we cannot blame and point our finger at anyone for our remaining chained to any hurt, habit, or hang-up. Freedom is in sight the moment we find our way to recovery, by God’s grace. So why do so many stay in their personal slavery?

That question has many answers. Some aren’t ready to surrender because they have not experienced enough pain. Some have a fear that freedom is enslavement. Really? Yes, they feel they will never enjoy parties, lose old friends, have to live a morbid existence and follow rules…they find this boring. Others that struggle with depression, past abuse, work-a-holism, etc., are still in denial, “I drink everyday, but never get out of control,” they think. Some think because they have tried and failed over and over, it won’t ever work. these enjoy times of freedom, but like the dog returning to eat his own vomit, they return to their enslavement. Everyone, yes, everyone has something that binds them. We all need to be liberated. Do not think that worry, pride, gossip, and lying are not enslaving, or that you do not need help to be free of…they are just as deadly. These will kill you spiritually.

Of everything I mentioned above, there is another evil that transcends all of the others, and goes relatively unnoticed. It is the one thing we must be very wary of, once we have accepted truth, and now live in freedom; Selfishness. It is so easy to enjoy release from our bondage that we forget it is a gift that you and I must give. Complacency is the beginning of a whole new way of dying. Not sharing your freedom by giving that freedom away is terribly self-serving. Not wanting to, not feeling like it, too tired, are all mostly love of self deception, keeping you from the real joi de vivre, joy of life. We who have this wonderful gift from God, given from others, can stifle spiritual growth, and replace the chains of past addictions, hurts, habits, and hang-ups, to serve self, the worst of slave owners.

“The time is always right to do the right thing.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

We are liberators, emancipators, we have a gift to give. We may not be able to walk into the inner-city house of prostitution and demand the freedom of the enslaved. We may not be able to go into the third-world countries and tell them to let the slaves go free. We can pray. We can pray en-masse, and in agreement in Jesus name. We must, once free from our chains, free others, serve in some capacity even if it is praying continually. But do not put yourself back into slavery. Joy, peace, love, and freedom awaits you.

Thanks for reading, God bless and keep you all.

Wishes, Wants, and Choice

21 Friday Dec 2012

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I regret not continuing blogging about advent, but after the recent tragic event I felt it important to add my personal thoughts on the matter, for what they are worth. We must continuing in prayer for these victimized families, and for all of the people involved, that they may be able to heal in every way.

I Wish

I wish we lived in a time like the one my parents grew up in. People were polite, children were mannerly. Families, for the most part, stayed together. If you were in need of a job, you went to the company and applied for a position, not the internet. You could call to check on your application and talk to a person without listening to the entire menu because options have changed…I think they must change daily. Times were different then, no cell phones, wiis, Gameboys, no wide-screen, microwaves, and all of the modern items that make life so convenient we actually forget how to live. They experienced nature much more than we do today, every time they had to go…you had to visit the little building outdoors. Well, that may not be a good old days feature I wish to return to.

I Want
I want to see my children to have opportunities that I have had in life. They may, or at least have been able to up to this point. A job, a home, cars, and all of the things I have enjoyed in life may get out of reach in their lifetime, certainly their children will not experience those things without a complete change in political thought and fiscal responsibility. The outlook is extremely dark for generations ahead, depending from where you are looking. I have heard that if you do not like what you see from where you stand…move.

This past week has been very trying for us as a nation. The tragedy in which 28 people, including 20 little children were murdered, has left us stunned once again. Our people are looking for answers and the government is trying to respond for they feel they must do something so we, the people, know they are in charge and really care. the debate on removing fire arms, and amending the 2nd amendment to the constitution is what they feel will do the trick. And the people, on the left agree. On the right however, anger is setting in again. The government takes, they are saying. They took away prayer from our schools and began this ripple effect of societal woes springing from our schools as God takes vengeance on us for removing Him, and the 10 Commandments, and anything related to the biblical God from our schools.

I do agree somewhat with how the people think. But the reality is this, He was dismissed from education long before prayer was removed from public schools. He was given His walking papers when we added the view of biological evolution to the textbooks. It was impossible to think that in 6 days everything made was created by a Deity by speaking it to be that way, so we traded one impossible for an even more impossible way to believe we exist. God, You can go, we can handle this. What disturbs me more is not that secularist and humanistic thought has invaded every aspect of society, but what has me really perturbed is that Christians do not see their part in this mess. Prayer was removed from the home long before it was removed from our schools. If petition to God does not return home first, forget it ever from returning to public anything. If your children know how to pray, they can pray in the school and the law cannot legally stop that.

We, the body of Christ, have been asleep at the wheel with every step toward the eventual downhill slide we remain on. We elect men and women who do everything to remove God, offending Him, and do it quietly as possible. Christians do a better job than they do to offend Him. Nowadays, 74% of Christians do NOT take the Bible literally, and do NOT believe it is the inspired Word from God. Many Christians believe that 6 days to create everything IS impossible, even for God, until they are in desperate need for His help…then we tell Him, God all things are possible with you! The reason for their doubt is that the mind hears much more about man’s evolving than man’s creation. Even atheistic scientist have been jumping off of the evolution bandwagon with so much being discovered about the human cell.

Our Choice
We must be concerned that God has taken a back-seat to government. The many tragedies we have already experienced with school shootings, postal rages, and all of the insane behavior to get attention, will continue, likely worsen. Laws are passed by lawmakers that submit bills that are for their personal promotion through mainstream media, or their foundational beliefs, or because lobbyist play to their personal greed, not laws that improve us and guard our core values. If the church, (the entire body, protestant and catholic, and anyone who claims Christ as the head and Lord), does not repent and unify, teaching prayer in the home, and foundational truths to their children, rejecting secular science and fully accepting the Word as Truth, we can only look to see more of what we are getting, and history proves it.

Thanks for reading, God bless and keep you all!

Advent…Hope Realized

19 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by in faith and Christianity, History, Raising Children, recovery from addictions, Relationships, the Word of God, Think in Today

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Hope, is the forgotten virtue of the alcoholic, addict, over-eater, the couch potato, the individual fixed in their dead-end job, etc. Hope is used by so many of us in an off-handed way that when we say to another, “I hope you have a nice Holiday Season, and it is forgotten as fast as it was heard. I am guilty of passing conversation like that. In reality, I really want those I converse with to have a good day or a great holiday, I hope they do, I’m sure you do as well.

Hope is missing in so many people’s lives today. Why? Many reasons, sickness, jobless without prospect, broken relationships, to name a few. I have mentioned this before, and feel it worth repeating. The happiest children in the world is in, of all places, Nigeria. These children face danger daily, possible genocide of the Christians from the Islamic groups that say convert or die. These children are happy because they have hope of a better tomorrow. The most unhappy children in the world are right here in the USA. They seem to have everything, why are they unhappy? Because they have nothing to look forward to…everything they want is within reach, even for most of our poor, but certainly not all.

“Hope deferred, (unrelenting disappointment), makes the heart-sick, but when desire comes, (a longing comes true), it is a tree of life.” Prov.13:12
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Martin Luther King Jr.

Attend recovery meetings and observe the broken entering for their first few meetings. These people are hopeless, beaten down, and walked on, by their own doing. Nobody loves them, none care, even God…there is no hope for them, so they think. But by showing up and at least giving recovery a try, the lights come on for them and they get a small glimpse of hope, and suddenly, that light is in their eyes, hope has been re-discovered! Desiring to live, accomplish, and to become someone who can make a difference is indeed a tree of life. You do not have to have addictions, or overwhelming problems of any kind to be hopeless. Having no purpose, no ambition, and failures have left you totally defeated. You need that tree of life. That tree is the tree of death that Jesus died on, but life for anyone and looks to Him in hope.

“To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. HOPE means hoping when everything seems hopeless.” G.K. Chesterton

Prior to the first advent of Christ, the people of God looked forward to the “Hope of Israel,” the promised One who would appear. Their hope appeared in Jesus, but that wasn’t what they expected. We still look at Him for hope today as we look back at what He accomplished through his death, burial, and resurrection. By our believing on Him, and inviting Him into our heart for a personal advent, He arrives and our hope is realized, a real tree of life living and changing us continually. This is a mystery to the unbeliever that is hopeless, but certainly not unattainable. HOPE is found in Him. Just ask Him, he will come to you too, and then we can together look for to the second advent, the “blessed hope!”

“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13

Thanks for reading, God bless and keep you all, Merry Christmas!

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