Darkness, who needs it?

Gen 1:1-3 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.

Why did God: "Separate the light from the darkness"? Why didn't He just do away with the Darkness? Why did He allow darkness to remain in this world He was creating? Yes, I, like you, more then likely, have always thought this was a good thing, the days, and nights, the passing of time, the darkness so we could sleep......BUT is this what the Darkness really is? The word of God is full of things that have more then one meaning. God never does something without a reason or message to us. He "Separated the Light from the Darkness" He could have destroyed, annihilated , done away with forever, thrown as far as the East is from the West, this darkness. But He didn't, why? He allowed darkness to remain, a place for Satan to hide, slither, do his dirty work, to tempt, to destroy, to take cover, to try and fool us, God's children,from God's love. I don't really understand why God allowed this darkness to remain. You see, before God started His work,"The Earth was formless and empty and darkness covered the deep waters" So there was already a something here, water covered by darkness, nothing else. Why, then did God just separate this from the light after He created light?

I don't know, this thought just came to me this morning. It falls into the same question: "Why does God let Satan hang around, why doesn't He just destroy him? The answer to both of these questions are the same. God does not want a bunch of robots who serve Him, because He says so. He wants us to serve and love Him because we CHOOSE to. There it is, see it? The reason God left the darkness there, just separating it from the Light HE CREATED. If we are to choose Him=, then there must be more then one choice. God, a LONG time ago knew that Lucifer was going to get all "in His face" full of pride and become that other choice for us.

Have you ever felt darkness around you, like it was about to consume you? Yes, I believe we all have at one time or another. It doesn't feel to good, does it? God CAN remove that darkness right there on the spot, and sometimes He does just that. BUT sometimes He separates it from the Light that HE CREATED inside US, the Light we have hidden in our hearts, the light that He created within us. Yes sometimes, most of the time in fact, the darkness is still there, our problems, our fears, our sadness our emotions...........BUT they aren't feeling like they are suffocating us as before. All we feel is God's Light shinning down on us, through us, all around us, and we want to praise Him, not worry about that darkness that is WAY OVER THERE>

Look how God created this Light, He simply said "Let there be light, and there was light". He did not say: "Remove the Darkness and replace it with Light", that is Heaven, this was Earth He was creating then, not Heaven, not yet.


In Jesus' name, we too, can cause the Light to separate from the darkness. How? Simple by just calling out to the one who created the Light in the first place. Darkness is here to stay in this world, but that doesn't mean we have to be slaves to it.


Got Darkness? Allow God to separate it and move forward in His Light.

"HOLY FEAR" Batman,.

"Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom"--Psalms 111:10

What is "Fear"? Have you ever felt fear, of course you have. We have all been afraid. Webster has two different definitions that I really like: the first is: : "to be afraid of : expect with alarm " This is what we usually think of when we hear the word "Fear". But the second definition is what Psalms 111:10 is telling us is the foundation of true wisdom. It is:
-"to have a reverential awe of ". To have respect, reverence, awe, love, ..............of.

When I was young, I really got confused about the "Fear" of the Lord we were supposed to have. I heard preachers shout at me about this fear,and yes it scared me, them shouting that is, I heard older adult Christians talk about the "Fear of the Lord." To me "Fear" was something I did not like. It was not being able to sleep because of the "Monsters" that were in my closet or under my bed. How could this fear be associated with a loving God?
The only "FEAR" that does not have the power to cripple us, is the Fear of the Lord. I have read stories about people who literately died of fear. Those who were so afraid of others breaking in to their home and doing terrible things to them and their property. These people "Worried themselves, literately to death." How in the world can a Fear like this, be good for us? God only wants us to have the best, the best things for us, right? And right here in Psalms 111;10 He tells us, through David His servant, that we are to FEAR the Lord, and that THIS is the foundation of Wisdom"?
I am so confused.

"....Wisdom is the ordering of Life according to God's will. Appropriate fear of God is the only thing that gives us the right perspective of, and puts us in the right relationship with the things around us. Holy reverence is therefore the right basis for coping with life's problems."--Michael Frost/Alan Hirsch from " The Faith of Leap".

It is easy to think of Fear as shaking, agonizing, running away from some hidden evil. But from a Biblical point of view there is nothing neurotic about fearing God. The neurotic thing would be to NOT fear God, or to be afraid of the many other wrong things we fear. To sum this up, the Fear of God helps us to have a gateway to the heavenly. This "Fear" or "Reverence' or 'Knowledge of who God really is, becomes the beginning of wisdom. It is not fearing that God in His anger will stomp us if we mess up, it is Respect, and reverence for WHO HE is, and how much He loves us.

Ever been pulled over by a Cop? Most of us have. What happens? You see the flashing lights, and you get a little nervous, frightened, mad because you realize you were speeding? If your like me, you are very polite to the officer, hoping all the time he gives you a "warning ticket" but if not, take your "Medicine" and start worrying about how your going to pay this fine, and how much it will make your car insurance go up.

Now take that same Police Officer in a different circumstance. Your sitting at a outdoor restaurant eating lunch and a man comes running through knocking over tables. Then that cop comes running yelling "Stop or I will shoot". His gun is drawn, he tells everyone to take cover and he shoots the assailant. Would you fear the cop in this situation? No, you would fear the situation, but the cop represented authority, he was there to stop the bad guy and keep you safe while doing it.

See the difference in the two stories? In both we had some fear, BUT in the first it was the fear of the cop's authority, while in the second it was fear of the situation. We were not afraid of the cop, but what action he had to take to keep us safe and stop the bad guy from escaping and causing more harm to others.

We have fear of being pulled over by a cop, especially if were "trying to make good time" and speeding. That is fear of getting caught in our sin. That is not the Fear of the Lord. To fear the Lord is to respect, acknowledge, accept His authority over us. To know that HE knows what is best for us, and turn our life's over to Him.

Do you think it is a sin, NOT to fear the Lord? I do, when you do this your PRIDE is showing. If we do not fear the Lord, we are saying that His authority is not there. We are trying to put ourselves on the same level with God. God loves us, each and everyone of us. There is NOTHING we can do to change that. We sin, He still loves us. We doubt, He still loves us, We shake our fist at Him and blame Him for life's problems, and He still loves us. We tell Him our sins, confess them all to Him and He not only loves us, but He puts His arms around us and tells us of things we don't know.

Do you,like me, want wisdom? Wisdom only God can give us? Then we need to FEAR the Lord more. Not for what He can do to us, but What He can do FOR us.To fear in this instance, is to Love. I still don't understand it completely, I just know it works. It's kinda like being married, yes there is Love, but there is also a little bit of fear there to. Fear is a good emotion, if it is for the right thing.

Let us go with "Fear and not so much trembling"

From Cats to Ferrari's

I was having a conversation with my cat the other day, something I do quite frequently. I was asking her why she knocked over the kitchen trash can and made a mess all over the floor, and she was asking me why I did not give her more treats. "I mean," she said," I know where you keep them, and I also know that since you shop at "Sam's" there by buying in bulk, that there are at least 6 packages up there where I cannot get to them. So why do you hand them out like they are precious medals are something?" "I give them to you," I answered, " according to how much of your regular food you have eaten." "The better you have eaten of the food that is good for you, the more treats I think you deserve." "YOU THINK?", She responded. "Who made you boss over what I eat?" "Well, left to your own devices, you would eat out of the kitchen trash, and have", I came back. I know what your thinking at this point, Why do I have a cat instead of a dog? Well it is a little matter of a "Pet Deposit" here at the apartment I live. $350 for a Dog and free for a cat. You may also be wondering why a CAT would waste time talking to a human like myself, but my cat, Taters, is quite friendly to us low life humans, especially when she wants a treat.


Have you ever talked to God like this? "Father, I sure would like a Ferrari. Be so cool to drive around have all the women look at me going down the Interstate at 125 MPH>" God says: "Son, I have provided a very piratical car for you, you have no need for anything better. IF you got a Ferrari, who would you serve? The Car or Me? Which is better for you? "But God," I answer, " There is a a Porsche dealership right around the corner from my Dad's house, and they are just sitting there, perhaps a 911 Turbo in red?

Where are our priorities? I know, I know, it is easy to see something we would really like, a Bigger size TV, a sports car, more money, (If I could just win the Publishers Clearing House drawing, I would be sit for life. God can you work on that for me?)

You see, God knows what is best for me, just as I know treats for my Cat all the time would just spoil her, and she would not eat what is good for her. "God, if I just had a rich uncle, who I don't remember, leave me millions in his will, then that would be so awesome. I could do anything I wanted to, and lack for nothing." "Yeah, and how would you know I can supply your needs, if you had none?" answers God.

Don't get me wrong, God wants nothing more then to have us, His children, have everything we would like to have. But what happens to many that win the lottery? Within a very short time the money is gone, they blow it. Why? Because they think they are invincible, rich for the rest of their lives. They buy , buy, buy. The "Hope" comes from money, not God.

1 Timothy 6:9
But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

We all would like not to have to struggle from one paycheck to the next. Some have been blessed by God, some are just so good with handling their finances, paying to God what is God's (Tithing) and giving above and beyond what He requires (offerings), that God has blessed them. I am terrible at my finances. That is why God has not blessed me with abundance, I would go out and blow it on me.

Taters my cat, doesn't need treats, she needs good nutrition and a balanced diet. I don't need that Ferrari or Porsche, I need a dependable car that gets me from point A to point B. Sometimes, though, just as I will give Taters an extra treat or two, just because she looks SO SAD,, God will bless us with something special just because He loves us.


Gotta Go, Taters is asking to go out on the Patio and sit in the chair. "Taters, just a minute, I am doing something important right now........, OK OK I am coming, you are so spoiled."

Legacy

I recently read where two reporters were talking on a TV news show about Obama's Legacy. Don't worry I am not going to get political here, you don't want that. BUT this got me thinking about the "Legacy" we will all leave behind.

I never really knew my Grandpa, my Mom's Dad. My Mom told me about him, about how much I reminded her of him. She told me that he gave his life to the Lord as an adult, but when he did, he really did. She said her father was the reason she became saved. Then there is my Mom. What a testimony, what a life she lead for Christ!! Then there is my Sister and her husband and their family, testimony to God's love, grace, and blessing. There are me and my kids, and their will be more generations if Jesus doesn't come back before I finish writing this:) (That is OK with me, if He does:))
All this is the Legacy of my Grandpa. He gave his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ years ago, and generations have known HIM because of it.

What is your legacy? It seems all Presidents worry about it, do we worry about it? What will our friends and family say at our funeral? Will they speak of love, respect, knowledge of God, sharing Him wherever we went? Will they miss our friendship, our love, our bold witness? Where is our legacy?


In Philippians 1:20, Paul says:
For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.

Can we say this, honestly? Paul was saying that he would never be ashamed of Christ, and in fact Bold for Him. Those words were tested in Paul's life many times, and he never failed to stand on them. Paul did die, and look at what a Legacy he left. He is not remembered for being a "killer of Christians" that he had a part in, he is not remembered for holding the coats of those that stoned Stephen, which he did. He is remembered for bringing Jesus to the Gentiles, showing us that Jesus Christ did not die for just the Jews, but for all mankind. What a legacy.

Who do you remember as having a great Legacy? Many presidents of the United States come to mind, men and women of God, The Apostles, maybe your pastor, your Grandmother or Grandfather. But what legacy are we leaving behind?

If you want to be remembered as a Christian, a God Fearing man, a Man of God, a REAL person who loved and cherished life, and friends and family, then you have to start now.

I want to leave a legacy behind that is positive, Godly, to be remembered as a caring, fun, loving, man of God. How about you? Let's all leave legacies behind for our children grandchildren and future generations that are positive and reflect our love for God.

Obama's legacy? Please, let's NOT go there.

That's What We Do

I was at a baseball game a few weeks back, and I noticed a couple of Round Rock Police Officers standing and talking. I approached them and started up a conversation. I admire Cops, and first responders of any kind. I asked one of the officers how long he had been a cop, "18 Years",, he said with pride. The other officer replied he had been in the Army for 12 years and a cop for 6. "What is it in you, that makes you want to be a police officer?", I said. "I was in the Navy for four years, and would have put my life on the line to save our country, if needed, but I never wanted to be a cop". The senior officer responded quickly, "It's what we do" He said. "It's a calling, you want to help others, to get the bad guys off the street, to be worth something, to be able to go to sleep at night and know you made a difference today". "Wow". I said, "That is the best description I ever heard, thank you. I respect you guys very much and thank you for your service to our community".

I think we all: "Want to help others, to a certain extent, we all don't want the bad guys to get away, we all want to be worth something, and be able to sleep knowing we made a difference, but this does not mean we all want to wear a badge and a gun and be a target for some weirdo out there just wanting to kill us.

Do you consider yourself a Christian? Do you attend church, go to Sunday School class, maybe meet with others throughout the week at homes or coffee shops throughout your city, people who, like you profess Christianity? Is this a Calling? Did you know this is the way you wanted to live your life since you where say 5 years old?

My Daughter is a school teacher. She started telling her Mother at about the age of 7 she wanted to be a school teacher. She is a very good teacher , she cares, yes really cares for her students. For her teaching is a calling. Is serving the Lord our God, a calling for us? Are we passionate about it?

I am passionate about sports, my teams, my players, the teams I have a bond with. I am passionate about watching baseball in person, just something about being there, and enjoying the surroundings, taking it all in, which is how I got the idea to write this in the first place. BUT, as Christians, we are to be THERE for others, we are to LOVE others more then ourselves, we are to SACRIFICE if needed for others, we are to tell others of our PASSION for Jesus Christ, God's Son.

This is what we do. We are CALLED when we accept Jesus into our hearts to TELL EVERYONE we meet about our God and HIS LOVE for us.


Mark 16:15
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

This is the last thing Jesus told us to do before He went back to be with His Father in Heaven. Don't you think it was important? He did not say: "If you feel the urge, Go..........., or If you don't have anything else to do Go,,,,,,,,,,,,or If there is a pretty girl, and you would like to start up a conversation with her, then Go." NO< the Lord Jesus Christ told us to "GO, into ALL the World, and preach the gospel. to EVERYONE. The word preach here gets me thinking that we have to set up Pulpits, alters, pianos, organs, and especially the offering plates, sing three hymns and take an offering and then PREACH, I mean open with a joke, share a scripture and talk about it for 30 minutes, right? No, in this case "Preaching the Gospel" means to share Jesus, because He IS the GOSPEL, to others. Share Him through our experiences, our struggles, our triumphs our failures, our sin, yes I said SIN> with others. How can someone tell you know what they are facing , I mean REALLY know, unless they know you have been where they are, in Sin? AND then you can share with them how Jesus Christ helped you overcome that sin and live a life for Him, with His love, His forgiveness, His passion for others.

We, as Christians, are to be "First Responders". When there is a need, someone loses their job, spouse leaves them, has a death in the family, or feels so bad because they had a problem and sinned, or just don't feel they are living their lives with purpose, or they are feeling like something's missing. First responders go into a situation not knowing the full details, they risk their lives, so that the innocent can be freed. As Christians, we don't always know the situation, we don't know the details, we don't know the depth of the pain, or hurt. All we know is that someone is hurting, and in need of God's love for them, Yes, there could be REAL danger BUT we should go anyway. Why? God told us to, and......


THAT IS WHAT WE DO.

From dirty feet to toenails.

The other day, as I was leaving my Dads, I said: "Anything I can do for you, before I go home, Dad?" He hesitantly said , "Well,I hate to even ask, but I really need my toenails trimmed and I just can't seem to lean over that far anymore." I had no problem trimming my Dad's toenails. He is my Dad,I love him, and will do anything I can to help him. As I was on my way home after doing this deed, the picture of Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples, came to mind. I did not hesitate to trim my Dad's toenails, because of who he was to me. Jesus did not hesitate to wash the disciples feet because of who they were to Him, His friends. These were the guys that had helped Jesus in His everyday life, they had more then likely cooked for him, and all the guys, they had found food when needed, they had taken care of the finances, (Although Judas was the treasurer) Jesus had given them what they needed spiritually, mentally, emotionally, but they had helped Him in the day to day needs of life here on Earth. They were close, brothers, friends. They shared moments that only they could laugh about, times when funny things happen. You know, THOSE TIMES that you remember you whole life, but others who weren't there don't understand.

6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”

Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” John 13:6-9 NLT

I love reading about Peter. He was known as the "hot head" of the group , he had a burning desire to protect Jesus and all the "Guys". He loved them especially Jesus, because of His loyalty He let his emotions show, he would attack anyone or anything that came against this group. He said whatever he thought, regardless of what anyone thought. So here is Jesus washing the feet of His friends, and He comes to Peter and we all know what Peter thinks about this. Peter and the rest of this group were starting to realize just who this Jesus really was, and here He was offering to belittle himself and do what servants usually did? "The King of the Universe wants to wash my feet, No this cannot happen". You see, to Peter this was to much, over the top, Way past the line. Peter was in his thinking way down here, and Jesus was WAY UP THERE. Peter was just a servant, not someone to have THIS Person was his feet.

But Jesus did not just want to wash Peter's feet, He wanted to send these future giants of the Bible a message, to show how true leaders are the lowest of the low, the humblest of the humble, the meekest of the meek. A true leader, one that you will follow to your death, is one who willingly gets on his knees and serves the least among you.

Jesus humbled Himself and came to this Earth as a Human, just as any other person here, He willingly stripped off who He really was, and became what He had created.IN EVERY way He was human. And yet here He was again, humbling Himself even further by washing his "Followers" Feet.

Peter was thinking wrong about what Jesus was offering to do. When Jesus explained that He was going to wash His feet or Peter would not belong to Him, Peter was ready to have a bath. I love Peter's response: "Then wash my hands and my head as well, Lord, not just my feet!"

Ever been to a "Foot Washing" service? It has been years, but I remember a small group from our church we used to attend, had one. Our Senior Pastor and his wife attended this small group, and we took turns washing one another feet. Pastor did not wash my feet, but he washed my wife's (ex wife now). On the way home she told me how having our Senior Pastor, a person we both had high respect and love for, to wash her feet. She said it was a very humbling feeling.

You don't hear a Easter message about Jesus washing feet much. This all happened not long at all before Jesus was lead away in the Garden. One of the last act's Jesus did before going to the cross was to wash his friends feet. How important do you think this was for Him? What kind of message did He want to leave with His Disciples? To wash someone's feet is to put yourself on a plain lower then them. To show that your not better then they are. To show in a way they can see, that you love them. But most of all to show that they are your friend, your brother or sister, and you would do anything for them.

If your boss at work washed your feet, wouldn't you have a lot more respect for them?

Yeah I trimmed my Dad's toes the other day, so what? He needed it, and I love him. He's my Dad. Would I have done the same for your Dad, if he needed it and I was the only one around? How about the homeless guy on the corner, the one who REALLY needs a bath, his toes trimmed, a haircut, and some new clothes? Would we trim his toes, wash his feet, take him to Walmart and buy him some new clothes, get him something to eat, or even bring him home and let him get a good night of sleep in YOUR bed? This is what Jesus was trying to show us. NOT tell us, but SHOW us. That WE are no better then anyone else, regardless of what we think, regardless of our differences, our backgrounds, our lifestyle, our political opinions, our differences in the Sports team we may root for, we are ALL creations of God, and He loves us. If God loves you, then I need to also. What makes me more worthy of His love then anyone else.

In my opinion, Jesus washing His friends feet, was one of the most significant things Jesus did while here on this Earth. There is such a message in that act. Peter didn't understand it, at first, but when he realized what Jesus was showing in this simple act, he was ready for a "double even triple Washing" Are you ready to have the King of the Universe wash your feet? But more importantly are you ready to wash anyone elses feet? Or maybe trim their toes, or wash their hair, or give them some clothes, or bring them a hot meal, or give them a ride to church, or.......................

Yes, what Jesus did on the Cross is the Greatest thing any person has ever done for me, I do not mean to belittle that wonderful sacrifice. But what He did by washing His followers feet, means so much to me, I don't have to die on a cross, He did that for EVERYONE, But I do have to be willing to wash anyone's feet, if they need it. Servants to all, follower of One. Happy Easter.

The faith the size of a Mustard Seed can stop a Tornado?

I was watching the news last night and saw videos of the tornado's in the Dallas Fort Worth area. There was one that made my jaw drop. Tractor trailers and Tractors of the trucking company "Schneider" (you know those orange colored trucks you see on the highway everywhere, it seems?) were being thrown around like they were toys. Someone had taken videos of one being thrown what looked like 100 feet into the air and then came crashing down. This was a TRACTOR TRAILER, you know a 18-Wheeler, a Diesel Truck AND trailer, being thrown through the air like it weighed nothing. Reminded me of the movie "Twister", but with no cows.

This is natures power in action. Mankind thinks we have done so much, accomplished such greatness, but nature can cause our jaw to drop. I am very sorry for loss of property and "things" from these storms in the D/FW area of Texas, but I hope loss of life and serious injuries were kept to a minimum. When we see something like this, it shows us that God is, indeed powerful. He made everything including everything in nature, so this is His creation in action. God did not cause this to happen, a long time ago He started the wheels of the stars, the planets, Heavens, earth, weather.............in motion and has left it alone. He can and has interfered with weather from time to time when someone asks Him to and has faith that He can do anything, But for the most part, He let's nature run it's course.

Have you every been in a storm so terrible it scared you? Sure most of us have. A thunderstorm, a nearby Tornado, A snow blizzard, a hurricane, a flood..................When weather is this bad and we are caught in the middle of it, it is scarey. There is nothing we can do but pray. Who do we pray to? The God who made weather, so why cannot He take care of this weather, and save us? He can, He does, He will, but we just have to ask.

Luke 8:22-25: "One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger.

The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”

The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”

Jesus who was God's Son, "rebuked the winds and the waves" AND they obeyed Him. Why? Because He was the Son of the living God? Because He had extra powers then anyone else? Because He was holding a .357 Magnum? No, only because HE spoke with authority and believed. He had FAITH> He told His friends, the disciples, that they basically could have done the same thing,"Where is your faith", He asked them. He may have been a little upset with them because the woke Him up from a good nap, and He didn't get to many chances to get a little sleep. He more then likely couldn't even sleep after watching the Football game on Sunday afternoon, like ALL men do.

These storms in North Texas yesterday were very powerful, destructive, scarey, but not surprising. It is, of course, springtime, and Tornado time in Tornado Alley. But this does not make it safe, or not scarey, or less dangerous. God IS POWERFUL!!!!!!!!!! He can do anything He wants, ANYTHING. Remember the "Faith as small as a mustard seed, and this mountain is gone" verse? Matthew 17:20
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.

You see Jesus was disappointed His friends had to wake Him up to perform a miracle that they could have just as easily have done themselves. "Where is your Faith"? Does this mean you and I could tell a tornado to go away? If WE have faith, yes. Just the faith the size of a little bitty seed, is all it takes to move a mountain, then that is all it takes to stop a storm also.

Yes there will be tornado's, hurricanes, floods, hail, disaster..........in this world, but if we have Faith in our God, the maker of well everything, we can move mountains. What kinds of mountains? Any kind, our own personal mountains, relationships, income, illness, death, depression, addictions, actual mountains, anything, there is NO limit to God's power, there is however a limit to our faith, because we limit it ourselves with unbelief.

I have prayed and will continue to pray for the people in North Texas, that were devastated by these storms, I pray that loss of life was zero, but I have not heard yet. Remember God has unlimited power He is able and willing to do "whatever we ask or think" but we have to have faith IN HIM, that He can.

Faith, the size of WHAT?

Mark 5:34

He said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you.
Go in peace, free from your affliction.'

REB

I have read this verse many times in my life, not really realizing what it was saying other then this lady was healed. "....Daughter, YOUR faith has healed you." I thought it was through the power of the cross, the power of God Jehovah and His Son Jesus Christ that healed us, but here it says "....Your FAITH has healed you"> I am confused. Who has the power to heal>? Is it God or our faith? Well, I think it is both. You see God's healing power is like a radio or TV or whatever wave, always present always in the air moving around waiting for someone to tap into it. You cannot hear a radio station unless you dial into the correct frequency. Our FAITH is the radio receiver, we have to dial into the correct frequency to receive what God wants to give us.

Have you, like me, ever prayed for something, but deep down in your heart, you really didn't believe the answer would be there? Years ago I had a VERY painful back problem. It hurt so bad, I could hardly do anything else. My ex-wife and I were working at the church at the time, cleaning after the morning service, picking up trash, spot vacuuming and cleaning the bathrooms......in preparation for the night service we had at that time. ( We now have "Cell Groups" at peoples home all over Austin on Sunday evenings.) I was trying to organize the hymn books on a row of pews and the pain was so sharp I just sit down and started to cry. Mary, my ex-wife noticed a few of the pastors lingering in the Sanctuary and asked them to come and "lay hands on me". (Not suddenly, that would have hurt:)) Our then Choir Director, Ms. Kathy Stewart told Mary later, that as she prayed she felt that I would have to have surgery for this, that God was going to heal me that way. I went to the Doctor the next day and had surgery a few days later. I have not had a problem with my back since, and this was about 1998 or so. Why did God not heal me right there on the spot? I don't know God has His ways, But what if I did not have enough Faith for Him to complete the healing instantly? What if God was ready to heal me right there right then, but I could not, or would not believe Him for it? He, being the all knowing God He is, figured out another way for these prayers to be answered. Through surgery and a Doctors hands.

OUR faith is powerful, just as our lack of it is also powerful.

Matthew 17:20
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. ”

Look at what this scripture is saying. It does not say: "If God was powerful enough He could move this mountain., It doesn't say "you could ask for the army to use explosives and blow this mountain to kingdom come, if you had connections' It SAYS "IF YOU had FAITH even the size of a little bitty seed, YOU COULD SAY to this mountain...............and IT WOULD BE DONE"
God can and will do anything we ask for, BUT WE have to have the faith.

Why aren't our prayers always answered? Maybe it is because of OUR lack of faith. Many times, I think, God has to work around our lack of faith, and use other methods to answer our prayers, like with me and my "Bulging Disc" back problem of years ago. I believe there are two meanings to the Word "Mountain" in Matthew 17:20. It refers to our problems we face in this world, the Mountains that we must face, the problems, the disappointments , the depressions, the results of our sin...........But why can it not represent a REAL Mountain? I think it can, if that is in our way, then a Real Mountain is a mountain. Have you ever seen a real mountain just kinda move by itself? Of course not. Why not? Well, Have you ever prayed for it to happen? Of course not, that is ridiculous. Our God stopped the Sun from going down, He stopped a mighty river from flowing, He with the help of Moses' faith, made water flow from a rock. He lead the Children of Israel with a cloud by day and a long fire at night out of bondage. He can move a mountain if WE have the faith. The Power of God is there, more then we can imagine, but WE have to tap into it.

How do you vacuum your carpet? Well, with a vacuum cleaner of course, But what happens if you turn it on and nothing happens? Is it plugged in? It is an electric motor, it needs A/C Electricity. If you don't tap into the current that is in the plugs of your house, the Vacuum will NEVER work. We know that, don't we? An electric appliance needs to be plugged into the Source. Have you ever wondered if the lights were going to come on if you flicked the switch? Maybe if you haven't paid the "Light Bill" but other then that, we have FAITH that if we turn on something around the house, it will work. WHY? Because it has worked before, many, many times.

How many times has God NOT answered our prayers? What is His record? No, maybe He did not answer that prayer the way we thought He should of, but He did answer. The only prayers God has not answered are the ones He has not answered YET. GOD can and is willing to do anything for us, BUT He cannot unless we believe He will and is able.

Faith is powerful, strong, unlimited, and God wants us to have more of it. As our faith is rewarded by His miracles, we get more of it, just as exercising builds muscle, exercising our faith yields more faith. Our faith grows stronger because "He answered last time, why wouldn't He this time?"

God is willing, do we doubt HIM? OUR FAITH is what it is all about. Because of who God is, the rest is taken care of already, just have faith.

"To be is to do, or do is to be, or do be do be do"

"To do is to be"--Descartes

"To Be is to Do"--Voltaire

"Do be do be do"-Frank Sinatra


OK< you can stop laughing now. Why did I copy these quotes? Because I thought they were funny, plus they made me think. Why are we here? What is the meaning of "Life"? Questions mankind has been asking since the beginning of time. Some of us, it seems, think we are here to make as much money as possible before we die, "He who dies with the most toys, wins". Some consider our family as our goal in life, to enjoy it together with good friends and family. Still others think that by staying busy, wither in business, hobbies, sports, whatever, is the meaning of live, to enjoy things you enjoy. So what is the answer? Is it: "To do is to be" or "To be is to do" or just "Do be do be do"? We don't have to climb that mountain and approach the Guru on top to find out the answer to the meaning of life. It's easy. It is to Live a life for God, a good and clean life serving Him and living by His example to show others HIM> Yes in doing this, we also do all the other things I just mentioned. We interact with friends and family, we enjoy doing the things we like, we supply for our family, we enjoy the company of others. We know what is right and what is wrong base upon God's word and nothing else. We stand by our principles, yes we have those, and we do not negotiate

Principles, do we actually have them? In today's world, it seems, not to many do. I support Politicians who really have them, and are criticized at every turn because they won't bend, and stand on them. Sometimes, actually, most of the time, a politician is ruined because of this. Most Politicians are criticized for "Flip Flopping" ,or changing their mind on a certain thing. If they "Flip Flopped" by realizing that they were not standing on their principles and what they were backing was wrong, then I applaud them for this "flip flop". There is nothing wrong with admitting you were wrong and changing your mind. In fact, isn't that exactly what we do when we ask God for forgiveness? "Lord, I am sorry, I have sinned, help me to turn from my sins and live for you"



Ecclesiastes 3:22
So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die.

So, the meaning of life is "Our Work"? Yes, it is, our work is not what you think, though. Our work here on earth is to serve our Lord and to reflect Him, so that others will see Him through us.

I have had many jobs in my life, some I enjoyed, some I did not. But God placed certain people at everyone of these jobs, that I was to reflect Him to. I would like to say I did a very good job at this, but that would not be true. I did for some, but not for all. Our "Work" is for the Kingdom of Heaven

1 Timothy 4:10
This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

OK, let's talk about "Work". At your job, who are you working for? Sure you have a boss, you have a supervisor, you have responsibilities, you have co workers. But your not working for them if you are a Christian. Your working for God. You see, if you are professing Christianity then EVERYONE is watching you. They are trying to find a "nick, a hole," in your armor. They just need to see "one more christian who is not what they claim to be", to doubt a little more in God's love. Don't be that "One More" be that One who instills true belief in Jesus Christ our Lord. Be that one who "lives what they talk", that "Real Deal", shine on for Him. Don't take shortcuts, don't take extra long lunch breaks, don't take advantage of the company you work for. Stand by YOUR principles, which are laid out in the Bible. Do a good job for your earthly boss, and show everyone watching what a true Man or Woman of God is all about.

I actually think Frank Sinatra got the above quotes right. I had rather be "Do be do be doing" taking life as it comes, enjoying my part in it, and "going with the flow" instead of trying to figure out if "doing is being" or "being is doing". But, I must admit, to Be is to Do, and to Do is to Be. If we want to Be Christians, we must Do what Christ said for us to Do.

So, take that "Do be do be do " attitude and enjoy life, and all God has in store for you. I wonder if Pandora has an Frank Sinatra Chanel? Think I will look, I'm in the mood for a little: "Do be do be do" by "Ole Blue Eyes."

I gave myself Life.

Have you ever been in jail? No, not a physical building with razor wire on the top of all the fences, but a "Mental" Jail, a "Jail" of results of wrong decisions, a "Jail" of doubt, of troubles, of unforgivness, of unbelief, of sin? You feel trapped, you might as well be "Locked Up". You feel like there is no escape, that your doing your time in Solitary. No, your not physically in Jail, but you live your life in bondage. This bondage controls every aspect of your life, like a "Jail Guard" letting you go eat, go take a shower, go to the "Day Room" on their orders, when they want you to your freedom is gone, you are serving someone, something but it is not you and it is certainly not God.

I was watching the movie: "The Great Escape" over the weekend for about the 100th time, I guess. It is one of my all time favorite movies. All-Star cast, great suspense, action, and of course Steve McQueen riding a motorcycle over a fence, what more could you ask for in a movie? As I watched it this time, though, I had a different thought then the many times I watched it before. Why did they go to so much trouble to try and escape? Dumb question, they were POW's, in a war, and being held by the Nazi's, the most brutal, dictatorship ever in the history of the world. The premis of the movie was that this was a new POW camp, in which they put all the "Trouble" POW'S, that had tried repeatedly to escape. So, what else would they do? The plan was to dig tunnels, not just one but 3. They go into the trouble with digging the tunnels, the problem with were to put the dirt they remove to dig the tunnels, the task of getting fresh air, light, support inside the tunnels, all kinds of problems all kinds of trouble. Why did they do this? No one was going to break them out of the prison they found themselves in, they were on their on.

Like I started , have you ever been in Jail? You feel no one is coming for you, there is no bail to get you out. Your trapped because of what got you there. You made bad decisions and the result is to be locked away and have your freedom taken from you. What do you do? Relax, just live and let live, be as good of a prisoner as you can hoping for Parole? Or do you devise a plan to escape, knowing that if your caught your sentence will be extended and you could spend the rest of your life on the "Inside"? There are those that are very comfortable in jail. They would not know how to live or what to do if released. I have even known some who get "Paroled" and commit a crime very soon after just so they can go back to jail. It is what they know best, where they feel at "HOME".

Have you ever felt at "HOME" in your bondage? I have, it is fun, it is what I know, it is where I think I am the happiest. It is comfortable to be somewhere where we can feel at HOME> Why would we want to escape? Here we get "3 hots and a cot".

There is one solution to both of these ways of life. One for the ones that want to escape, get to freedom and get out of jail, and the same one who feel comfortable on the "Inside" and would do anything just to stay there for the rest of their life. The solution is: " Let God" He can and will, help us break out of our bondage's, sin, self. He will help us take control back of our own lives. He will send an Angel to open the gates of our cell like He did with Paul and Silas.

Acts 5:19
But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out.

God will help us, but we have to want the help. What about the person, (I used to fit into this category), who does not want help? The guy who is happy in his sin? The person who loves the feeling bondage gives them? God can and will help them too, but there has to be a change of heart. You see, that is where prayer comes in. Those that know your situation and pray for you, and the Father who loves you can and will help your heart to change.

To escape our bondage, our prison, our cell, we must trust in the Lord, and we must want to escape. There are so many sins, bondage's that completely control our lives. The Alcoholic who looses his job because of his drinking problem, then his wife and family leave, then he goes to jail for DWI, then he gives up, "Why go on?" Those are decisions made, that Alcohol was more important then anything else in their life. It is also the same with any other addiction, Drugs, Porn, acquiring Wealth, gambling, acquiring "Things" , Power..............the list goes on and on and on.

Before God can enter the situation and help us, we have to want that help. Many times, more then naught, we have to hit "Rock bottom" before we finally give up and let God take over. And even then, and I speak from experience here, we do fine for a while, and then when everything is going well, slip back into that old jail. "What are you doing back here?" Says Ralph, the guard. "Just shut up and let me back in". We remember that old comfortable feeling and think we need it again. All the while God is waiting with open arms to take us back again. He never gives up on us, even when we give up on ourselves.

We don't have to gather wood for support in our tunnel, we don't have to figure where to spread the dirt so that the guards won't suspect anything, we don't have to spend hours and hours digging through dirt and trying to figure out how far the trees are. We don't have to steal a motorcycle and get caught in a razor wire while trying to escape. All we have to do is ask the Maker of the Universe for help. We must WANT that help, have reached the bottom and give up. "Lord, I can't do it anymore, please help me" I have prayed that prayer many times, and yes a few of them where inside a holding tank, or jail cell.

The only thing you need to remember is that God WILL NEVER give up on you. No matter where you find yourself, whatever you have done, whatever trouble your in, whatever kind of mess your addiction has gotten you in, turn around, ask God for help. Tell Him your ready to let Him have control, you cannot escape this Jail by yourself, you need HIS help. You won't need to fabricate shovels, the gates of your prison will just swing open, and maybe like Paul and Silas an Angel will appear and lead you to freedom.

Freedom, what a lovely word. We put ourselves into bondage, but God is willing to help us to FREEDOM. FREEDOM in Him. FREEDOM from Jail. Think about it, it is awesome.

"Good Morning Class"

" For Every Person who wants to teach, there are approximately 30 who don't want to learn"--WC Sellar and RJ Yeatman (Interesting how 2 people are credited for the same quote?)

"I would like to volunteer to help in the Sunday School department any way I can." "Well, the Boys 6th and 7th grade class needs a teacher", "Did I say I had a allergy to middle school boys?"

Teaching, it seems is a calling. My daughter is a High School Algebra 2 teacher. She wanted to be a teacher since she was about 7 years old. She gets complimented all the time for how good of a teacher she is. Why? Because she is doing something she loves. She loves math, she loves teaching, so she is where she wants to be.

Have you ever taught? Sunday School, Scouts, Bible class, home session, you know things like that. Or maybe, like my daughter, you have taught in a professional capacity. It is not easy. As a teacher you have to have the answers. I don't mean JUST the answers, I mean the process to those answers. My Daughter usually tells her students to turn in ALL their paperwork at the end of a quiz or test, you know the old: "Show your work" statement? It's hard to cheat and show your work, you might see someone else' answer for a question, but copying down all the process to how they got that answer is not quite as easy.

Who is our "Teacher" in this walk of life? Come on, raise your hands, OK, you Jeffery, go ahead. Yes, your right, it is Jesus. (Well it should be Jesus, it depends upon us, doesn't it?) Next question: "What is the best way to learn something new? I don't mean math or dates in history: I mean like you have a new job and you are being trained how to do it. OK any answers? It is by repetition. Someone may first show you how to do it, then you start to do it, and do it, and do it, and do it, and before long you are a pro. BUT you have to have a Teacher to show you the process the first few times, and to tell you how to do it. This is the best way I learn, by sight. The guy or girl who is showing me how to do it has done it and done it and done it , so they know it backwards and forwards. In other words they have experienced the thing they are showing you.


A teacher went to school too. They went to High School, College, taught as a "Student Teacher" and are very experienced in the field of study they teach. Much more experienced then the students they are teaching. They know how to use the formulas to arrive at the answers they are asking. They can show their students step by step how to work the problems. The key word is EXPERIENCE. They have experienced the same problems, asked the same questions, been just as confused as their students, at one point. BUT they had a teacher to help them through the tough times, just as they are now helping their students.

Jesus, Gods Son, came down from Heaven to EXPERIENCE in every way what it was like to be human. The Bible tells us He suffered in every way what we as human beings suffer.

Luke 17:1
[ Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith ] One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!

See? Jesus could say these words because He had been tempted just as we are, by satan. Satan had tempted Jesus in every way, more then likely, more then the average human because of who He was.

Think of the best boss you ever had. Why do you consider him/her the best? Was it because they understood how it was down on your level? Was it because they did not mind rolling up their sleeves and getting dirty when needed? When I was in the Navy, there were two kinds of officers we had the most respect for. 1: CWO"S (Chief Warrant Officers) and 2: "Mustangs" A CWO is a officer who "Warranted" being promoted to officer. They spent years as enlisted and were now given the respect and duties of an officer. A "Mustang" was an officer who spent years as an enlisted, also, but was recommended to become an officer, completed OCS (Officer Candidate School) and were given the rank of an "Zero" or officer. Why did we enlisted men have such respect for both of these Gentlemen? Easy, because they had been were we were. They understood what it meant to be a "Squid" and not always able to eat in the "Officers Only Wardroom". With this respect came appreciation, we would do anything for them, they had earned our respect. Not that "Regular" officers didn't get our respect, but they had to earn it. (My Dad was a "Mustang" in the Marines, he retired as a O-2, 2nd LT., but spent 18 years as a enlisted, a "Gunny" when he was promoted.)

Experience, something we gain with age, repetition, and wisdom. What would we think if Jesus had NOT come down and took His place right along side us, and died for our sins? Would it be harder to "Respect, Love, Serve............" a God who seemingly had no idea what it was like to be human? God showed us how much He loved us, by sending His Son down here to experience what we experience and to show us we can overcome.

Life is a hard lesson, most of the time. Yes, it is rewarding, very rewarding, but it is HARD. We have a teacher, a counselor, a Father, all in one. Jesus experienced everything we do, He knows what we go through, He is our "Accountability Partner" our "Mentor". His voice of reason, of experience, of love help us, bunches. God is our Father, His wisdom, His leadership, His Power, His Love keep us strong, He does things for us and to us to keep us along the correct path. The Holy Spirit is our counselor, our strength, our friend. He is the one who warns us when things aren't right, or when things are really right. He keeps us close to the other Two in the Trinity. You see all three together make up our teacher. Experience, Power, Love and Compassion. Wow what teachers!!

Now, I want you all to do the even numbered problems at the end of chapter 23. Show your work for all problems, and turn it in next class. You have about 10 minutes till the bell, so start to work on this now, and no talking.

The Amazing Cloud

These days, it seems, "The Cloud" can do anything. You know, most of our portable devices can download, upload, from the Mysterious "Cloud". I have often wondered what happens if it is not a cloudy day? If there are no clouds in the sky, then what? I recently saw a ad for a new E-Reader that can store your books on this "Cloud" until your ready to read them, then when your done with that particular book, put them back in the Cloud and get another one. This whole thing kinda reminds me of George Orwell's book of years ago" 1984" But instead of "Big Brother" could "The Cloud" be watching?


Did you know there has been a Cloud type person that has been around forever? This "Person" can upload our request, download answers, and support, send literally tons of information to us all wireless? (No, I am not talking about Terabytes, or even the next whatever Bytes there is, I am talking about a unlimited data stream.) This "Person" actually made the "Cloud".

I know, I know, you think I have gone a long way for a point, but you see my point, don't you? Since the beginning of time, since God made this whole thing, we have been able to talk to our creator, unseen by us. We don't need any wires, a router, a connection to the "Net". All we have to do is mention the name of our God. Let's try it out, shall we? "Lord, our Father, we come to you this morning with praise for all you have done for us. We love you and want to serve you more. Help us to realize that just by the mere mentioning of your name, we can approach your throne room and petition you for our needs and requests. Thank you Lord for your amazing love for us." There, see as I thought those words, and typed them, the Lord of the Universe listened to me. The God of the Clouds, the Father who sits on the Throne, His Son who died for me, heard me, no wires, no internet, no router.............just because He wanted to.

It's easy for me to get excited about new technology. I love computers, personal devices, cell phones.......they have really changed our world. But, God, the maker of everything, has had this "Technology" forever. Have you ever been in a accident, where you only have time to think, or yell Jesus' name? Did you need a piece of equipment for God to hear you? "Sorry, son, there was a Sun spot at that time, and your message wasn't received, good luck". No, God hears everyone who calls out to Him. Bad reception? No such thing, NO "Bars", No Service, Interference? I don't think so. God's "Net" is the very best, the most amazing thing ever. Not only is it wireless, but it can be used just by Thinking something. God hears our THOUGHTS. Wow, how does that work? Easy, He is GOD, that's how.

Hebrews 4:12
"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires"

How can God's word "expose our thoughts and desires" unless God already knows them? God knows everything about us, more then we know ourselves. He knows why we do certain things, He knows our fears that keep us from doing other things. You know "those" fears that we push away, the ones that we don't even admit are there? Yeah, those, God knows about them. He knows the "Secrets" hidden away in our minds and hearts, He knows where they are, and that we think they are hidden from Him, but they are not.

Yes, "The Cloud" is pretty amazing, even on sunny, clear days we can upload or download straight from it. But we know who made the Clouds, the Earth, all the planets, the Sun, the Moon............... Sometimes we, Mankind, think we are pretty slick. We get so arrogant and proud of ALL we have accomplished. I am sure God tires of our patting ourselves on the back, and sitting ourselves up as "Awesome".

Just by saying the word; "Jesus", or "God" or "Father"..........and He will turn His ear to us and listen. We don't even have to say it out loud, just by thinking His name, and He will answer. "Jesus",,,"Yes" He will be there.


Now, how do I upload this to the "Cloud" for safe keeping?

We know what is Good, so why don't we do it?

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

~ Micah 6:8, NLT


I was reading a devotional this morning and this verse hit me right where I live. There it is, the key to living with God: Four words: Good, Right, Mercy, and Humility. The key to life, if you will. That old question that, it seems if you read books, watch movies, or anything else, we all ask. "Why am I here?" The answer it there in Micah 6:8. "NO, o people, the Lord had told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God" There it is, the meaning of life.

What is Right? It seems, it is not always the easiest thing to know. We get mixed signals all the time from this world. But, hey look at the first line of Micah 6:8 ".....the LORD has told you what is good,,,,,,,,,,,," Do you see anything about the world telling us what is good in that verse? No, so that means only God can tell and show us what is really GOOD. OK< then stop listening to the world for the answers to our question of what is good. Now next we read what God requires of us. Let's stop a minute right here. When you truly love someone, do you do what they "require of you?" Yes, and no. Yes, because we love them, but the word "require" bothers us, doesn't it? God is our Father, He has position over us, He is in charge, and yes He does love us more then we could ever imagine. I love my Father, but he is my Dad, and therefore I respect his wishes, or requirements. See, we are obedient to God both because we love Him, and also because we acknowledge He is in charge of our lives, we have voluntarily let Him in to our lives. So if we truly LOVE our Father, Jehovah, God, we will do what He requires out of respect and love for HIM> So what is the first thing He requires of us? To do what is right. OK, we already recognized He has told us what is good, therefore doing what is right is JUST obeying Him, right? How easy is that? Actually it is easy, we are the ones who make it hard. We have that old Lucifer syndrome, you know, PRIDE. WE want the power, the praise, the credit, did I say POWER? Yes, we know what God told us is good and right, BUT, why would we want to do that? If we did it that way we wouldn't get any of the credit, God would. Now of course we never say this out loud or even to ourselves very loudly, I mean God can hear our thoughts, He is everywhere. BUT is this sometimes how we actually feel? I do, and then I feel guilty for feeling this selfish. Have you ever confessed this feeling? I have. God listens and understands.

Now that we have the "Good and Right" things down, what is next? To love mercy. What is mercy? Chris' definition is: To NOT give someone what he has earned, but to show him that you realize he is human, and give him another chance. OK you want a "real" definition, don't you well here you go: a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment

I don't like the word "forbearance" used there. I had a student loan years ago that was in forbearance, which meant that I was given some time off from making payments. This is in a way Mercy, but God does not "call in " the Judgement later. When He gives mercy it is for all eternity. "All (that is you and I) have sinned.............." so ALL should die. The penalty of sin is DEATH, But God in His MERCY, let's us live. THAT is the REAL meaning of MERCY. So the second thing God Requires of us is to love Mercy. I love it when I am shown mercy, but what about ME showing others mercy? Yes It does work both ways. I believe this is one of the reasons God is so merciful to us, so that we will show mercy to others. "Pass it Own" if you will. (That was a great movie, check it out sometime). God loves us, so that we can and will love others, God shows us mercy so that we will show mercy to others, God wants us to SERVE others by loving, showing compassion, showing mercy, caring, waiting on, being examples to, meeting the needs of, helping, and many other qualities. Mercy comes in many forms, giving a dollar to that guy on the street corner, volunteering to work with "Meals on Wheels", cleaning the bathrooms at church, mowing a shut in's lawn, visiting folks in Nursing Homes or shut in's. Mercy is not always about forgiving someones debt to you, it is sharing what you have with others, it is showing compassion. Have Mercy.

OK here is the last thing in the scripture (Micah 6:8) that God requires of us. .....and to walk humbly with your God. If you are regular reader of this blog, then you know I have covered "Humility" several times. Humility is helping a friend who lives in a Mobil Home. His sewer line under his home has come out of the sewer output pipe. Sewage has leaked for several days before the smell warranted an investigation. You volunteer to crawl under there with a can of PCP glue and fix it for him. You crawl into raw sewage for your friend and take care of the problem. I believe that is a definition of true humility. And no, this is not something I did, or anyone I know. I did this for my own home years and years ago, I would have never asked or allowed anyone to do this for me, it was disgusting and I got bit by ants all over my body. But it is the most disgusting thing I could think of, and if someone had offered to do it for me, I would have been astounded, by their humility. Humility is putting yourself on a lower rung on the ladder then others, on purpose. It is serving and not caring about your clean shirt or jeans. It is caring more for someone else then yourself. BUT notice the last two words of the above scripture: ........with God" See, when we do what God requires, He is there with us. He will never leave us or forsake us, especially when we are doing what He requires. Crawling through sewage to help a friend? God, the maker of the universe is right there with you.

Let's all go out there and do what God requires. He requires us to: Do what is Good, Right, love Mercy, and walk with HIM in Humility.

Why Should the Devil have all the good>>>>?

A friend of mine just recently posted a video of the Great Larry Norman singing his "Legendary song" : "Why should the devil have all the Good music". Back in my day, growing up in a Preachers house, this was sacrilegious. Rock and Roll had no place in christian music. But Larry had a point. His point? We don't have to conform to this world, but we can have fun while serving our Lord.

I have been thinking about Larry Norman's message in this song since watching that video of him performing it back in 1999. Christians have embraced Larry's message, it seems, and been very creative with music. "Don't Get me wrong, I love a good hymn, but why ..........." Yes, their is a place for worshipful music, honoring our God, praising Him, raising our hands to Him, the creator, our Father............But there is also a time to tap our toes, clap our hands, "bang our heads" and rejoice in gladness, have fun, and show the world that Yes, we are proud to serve Him who sits on the throne, and we will enjoy ourselves.

What about other arts? "Why should the Devil have all the good movies?" Over the past few years, churches, organizations, actors, pastors, youth groups............have started to stand up and make movies that have a simple message: "God Loves us". It seems we Christians have tired of waiting for Hollywood to give us movies with a good theme. We tire of the "Garbage" that is coming from California, and started to take up that challenge ourselves. The message in many Hollywood type movies is always the same, it seems. Political motivated, wordily agendas, trying to show us "tolerance" toward different lifestyles, regardless of what the Bible says, should be tolerated, even praised. I applaud these many people that have taken on this challenge. I have heard some say that this is good and all, but we should be completely separate from the world. (Reminds me of a Christian Rocker, forgot who, who sang a song about: "Drinking milk from a Christian Cow" ), No, we are part of this world, and to totally try and isolate ourselves from it would be wrong. Yes the scripture tells us: "1 John 2:15
[ Do Not Love This World ] Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you."

But I am not talking about loving this world, I am talking about opening our minds, hearts, souls, and emotions to serving Him in ways that are different then: "The ways we have always done it"

What about TV? There is so much garbage on TV these days, The Show "Family Guy" has a theme song that says, among other things: ".....Violence in Movies and Sex on TV, but we're an old fashioned family............." That is very ironic as the show "Family Guy" is one of the most disgusting shows out there. But they have hit the nail on the head. We, as Christians, as parents, as moral individuals tire of the garbage we are getting into our homes. There are very good Christian TV stations out there, there are very good Networks that show good clean TV shows, But most of these shows are from the era when all TV was clean and morally good. TV Land shows some great old shows, some that I love because I grew up watching them. The TV Networks as "TBN" have good things on it, but I tire of watching people talk, preach, and sing. What about good clean, morally right, enjoyable "SitCom" type TV shows that were made in this decade? They may be out there, and if so I apologize, I do not know about them. I don't mean the "Lifetime" Movie of the week, I mean enjoyable to everyone. (Sorry if you like "Lifetime" I just don't care for most of the stuff on there.)

Hey, what about Broadway? I would love to see a morally, christian based, play very professionally done. I must admit, I have not seen but one "Broadway Type" play in my life, so I am pretty uninformed, these may exist. I love the old musicals. My daughter enjoys them as well. But, to tell you the truth, the very well done, professional ones are just to expensive for me, normally.

My point is this: Larry Norman hit a nerve in me regarding Music Styles. We don't have to sing the "Country and Western" style hymns that were based upon songs sung in bars, and "Honky-Tonks" of our fathers and grandfathers to be christian. My Mom and Dad grew in their thinking to this "Garbage" as the years went on, realizing, these songs still had a message, but just not in the style they preferred.

We all have different tastes in everything. I love very spicy food, most of my family does not. (As I get older, I must cut back on it though, it's rough, because I do love it so:}} My daughter reads a LOT, and loves movies based on some of the books she reads. I don't always enjoy these movies as much as she does, but will go to see one with her, now and then. I love Christian Rock style music, if it is done well, my Dad, on the other hand loves "George Beverly Shea" and the style that takes 5 minutes to sing the chorus. (Sorry Dad, just not my cup of tea.) But yes, there are wonderful legendary praise songs out there sung by Mr. Shea among MANY others that are wonderfully worshipful, and at the right time I do worship and praise God while singing them. The right time, though, is not in my car going to work, usually then I need to Rock Out to some "Third Day", or "Tenth Ave. North" or "Larry Norman"

I guess my whole point here is that we are individuals, God made us that way. We all have our different tastes, we all enjoy praising the Lord in OUR way. Guess what? He enjoys this also. When we praise Him in OUR way, He loves the variety, the talent each of us has that He gave us.

I am so glad other Christians are traveling out side their "Boxes". Branching out and letting their creative juices flow for the Glory of the Lord. But here is THE QUESTION of the Day for each of us: "What is your creativity?, What could YOU be doing for Him"? Think about what you love, your talent, what you enjoy. How could you use it for the Glory of God? The Sky is the Limit, there are no boundaries, ANYTHING . A while back in my church they had artists paint on a canvas what they were feeling, or sensing while the service went on. At first I thought this was kinda strange, but sensed God in it. They were very talented, and were using their talent to praise ans worship Him. Their paintings were then sold to benefit a Kids Camp for Foster Kids our church is a part of every year, (Royal Family Kids Camp). What a wonderful way to serve Him

Years ago two friends of mine and myself formed a "Christian Comedy Team" we called ourselves "Dry Bones". We toured the world of Central Texas and had maybe 5 "Concerts" We made millions, ( I believe one church gave us $20 to help with gas). We based ourselves on the '70's/'80's Comedy team: "Issac Air Freight" but had all original skits. We had fun, and brought a smile on some others in a good clean christian way. I think we three had the most fun, though, writing the skits, cutting up and letting our creative and insane juices flow. I will never forget the skit: "McChurch" (Likely because it was my idea:))

Sometimes we limit God by doing the same ole thing. God wants us to experience Him in a NEW way, but we are still singing three hymns, taking the offering and listening to the Pastor preach his sermon, shake hands go to Luby's. This is NOT a Christian life, this is a RUT. Be creative, let God know you want what He has today that is NEW, Refreshing, over the top, and distinctively YOU>

God loves originality, He invented it when He made each of us. Let's use some of it to worship Him

Romans 8:26

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not
know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit
Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot
be uttered.

NKJ
About 6 years ago or so, I am not good with time passed, my wife and I divorced. It was my fault, I was living a lie, and pretending I was a christian while doing non christian things. I was using her, and manipulating her. She filed for divorce, and looking back, I do understand. But when I moved before the divorce was final, it hit me what I had done. I remember sitting on the bed at this "Extended Stay Hotel" and crying, bawling, snot running down my cheek, just crying. I would have cried out to God, if I had known what to say. I would start to say: "Oh God....." and then just cry some more. I told Him how sorry I was that I had allowed "it" to come to this., I would confess, then I would just cry. Here I am about 6 years later, and just thinking about it makes me tear up again. I was so weak that day, I went to work, but was pretty useless. I did not talk to any of my co workers, I did not say any thing more then I had to. Inside I was still crying. I could not cry out to God, because I had sinned, I had done wrong, and now was feeling the effect of my sin. I was the problem, I was at a point where I could not do anything but cry. Sure, I was devastated, but I had made choices and had to live with them. God, the Father, God the Spirit and God the Son all came to me over the next few months and comforted me. They knew exactly what I was feeling, and knew what I needed. It was not, and still is not, easy. Sometimes I get all sad, depressed, and lonely. But you know what? God still answers my prayers, He still comforts me, He still sends my friends my way, maybe just a text message of: "Hey, how ya doing, just thinking about you. We need to get together for lunch, how about Thursday?" You see, God KNOWS. He knows because His Spirit is active in this World, going to and fro and reporting back to the Father. But I had to confess to Him my sins, I had to show Him that I was truly sorry and not just sorry I got caught. I had to do a "180" and start living for Him and not for myself. Something I still struggle with daily.

As Romans 8.26 tells us above: ...."the Spirit also helps in our weakness. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." What does that mean? It means that when we do not know what to say , we cannot do anything but cry, we are so devastated we are just in a state of mind, a weakness, hurt, feeling alone.....that the Spirit of God will intercede for us with "groanings" which cannot be uttered. Groanings that cannot be uttered, wow that is confussing, isn't it? How can you "groan" something that cannot be uttered? You see, I believe, the Spirit of God, part of the trinity of who God is, has a way of communicating with The Father and the Son that is not understandable to us. (They are the same person, three in one and all that:)) We don't know how to express our hurt, our sadness, our guilt, our problems, we just HURT. The Spirit of God (The Holy Spirit) intercedes for us and tells God and His son, exactly what we are feeling, even though we do not realize it. He, the Spirit, knows what we need, He knows what we are feeling, He knows what we did, and how we feel about it. When you are in this situation, you are weak, very weak, emotionally, spiritually, even physically. The Spirit of God approaches the Father on our behalf, and requests what we need right then. This works just like when the Son, Jesus, approaches the throne of God on our behalf and requests our sins be washed away when we ask, by the power of His blood on the cross.

Do you realize what this means? God wants us to ask Him for the things we need, He WILL answer. He also wants us to ask for the things we want, sometimes, and He will, not always, not everything we want, but He will give us the "desires of our heart". BUT, more importantly, when we do not know what to ask for, when we are in such a state that we can only cry, and FEEL hurt, pain, remorse, did I mention PAIN? His Spirit comes and not only comforts, but "Groans" our "groans" and approaches the throne of God the Father on our behalf and tells Him exactly what we are feeling, and what we need. God knows what we are feeling even when we do not. God made us, so He knows our emotions. He knows when these emotions overwhelm us. He knows what we feel, He knows when we are feeling such remorse, such shame, such stupidity. He also knows when others hurt us, the pain we feel. He suffered terribly on the cross, His closest friends turned their backs on Him. He knows the feelings we have, personally.

I love that last line of Romans 8:26: ".....Groanings which cannot be uttered". This is a statement only God could make. It does not make any sense to us, it is impossible to groan something or say something that cannot be said. But not with God.

How can anyone live without God? I have in the past, and look what a mess I made of my life. BUT when I turned and started relying on Him, my life changed. Yes, I still struggle, as we all do, but I have a advocate to approach the throne of God on my behalf, and argue my case, when I ask Him to.

If your going through something today, and you don't even know what to say, or to ask for. Just "Groan" cry, yell, ask......God. He'll get the message. AND He will know what to do.

Humility is a Verb.

" The trouble with true humility is you can't talk about it"---Michael Thomsett.


"I am so humble, you could learn a lot from me." "If it were not for me, there would not be humility" Sound familiar? Does a true humble person think like this? Of course not, humility is just that humility. Being humble means you don't think about being humble. What is the opposite of humility? That good ole word, PRIDE. In the same way we ask God for patience, and I want it right now!, do we ask for humility so we can show everyone how much better we are then they? But believe it or not there is also good Pride. Pride in our family, our team, our church, our job, our friends, our GOD.

Humility: a trait that many politicians tell everyone they have, but lack in just that. What is humility? Well good ole Webster tells us that "Humility" is: "The act of being Humble" (Don't you hate it when the dictionary does that, makes you look up two words when you just needed the definition of one?{ Anyway "Humble" means:not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive . OK so humility means not being proud, or haughty, not arrogant or assertive. I do not really agree with that definition completely. Because I believe you can be humble and still be proud or assertive. But that is as close to a good definition as I could find. You see to the world, being humble means to be a meek, quiet, unassertive, in the back ground, out of the picture, not wanting to argue with anyone about anything even though you may know more about the subject, a wimp, in other words. That is totally wrong.

To me being humble means caring, not puffing up your self, your accomplishments, putting others before yourself, serving others, helping anyone in need, giving time, money, anything you can to help. It does not mean quietly sitting down and letting no one know right from wrong.

Matthew 18:3-5

New Living Translation (NLT)
3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[a] is welcoming me.

I love this verse, it give me an excuse to act as a little child! But seriously think about how children play, they don't argue over race, color, economic standing, education, politics, they just play. When your playing Cowboys and Indians no one is better then anyone else your either a Cowboy or an Indian. There is innocence in children, there is compassion there is wonder, there is love, yes these things are what Jesus was telling us what humility was through this kids.

Humility is an attitude. It is a way of life. It is a verb. I know a verb is an action word, you see to be humble you have to act. Take action today, care for others, concern yourself with others problems, you will be amazed at how this turns your attention off your own problems.

My Dad has a neighbor, across the street. Very nice man, loves to talk!! But he has been retired for a number of years and likes to stay busy. He mows all the elderly peoples yards on the street. I believe at last count he was mowing 5 yards, front and back. He told me the other day he had both his riding mower and his walk behind mower all tuned up and ready for the summer. He explained to me how he goes through the process of mowing all these yards. First he gets his rider and mows all the front yards all at once. Then he gets the walk behind mower and does each back yard individually. Then he comes back and weed eats, and does the edging in each front yard individually. Finally he gets his blower and blows all the trimmings out in the street. He is retired from the City Parks and Recreation dept ant he calls his buddy who drives a street cleaning truck to come and make a pass up our street to suck up all the yard trimmings out in our street. A few of these neighbors got together a few years ago and wanted to pay him about a couple hundred dollars for doing this so faithfully, but he refused. He said he does it to keep busy and to help, he cares how the lawns on our street look, and knows most of his neighbors are just getting to old to do it themselves. He is not a Christian, just a caring man who helps. Me and Dad invite him to church, talk about the things of the Lord with him all the time. Humility in action by a non-believer.

Humility is a verb, it is acting, it is doing, it is caring, it is showing by our actions our love for others. Say hello to that guy or gal on the street corner asking for a handout, keep bottles of water in your car and hand them out. If you have it, and feel so led, give them a dollar bill or more. BUT just acknowledge they are part of the human race. Show your humility,. See that goes against every definition I have ever heard for humility. Show it, by your actions, not your non actions.

Stand up for what you believe, get in others face if you have to. Is this humility also? Not according to Webster, but I believe it is. Being humble is not being a wimp. It is knowing what is right and what is wrong and pointing it out to people. Humility is a attitude, a lifestyle, a calling. If you see someone living in sin, knowing they are going to hell, telling them this is caring for them and therefore being humble. You care for them and do not what them to suffer a horrible eternity in hell. This is humility in action.

Let us all take action and be humble.

"Remorse: a miscalculation of the chances of detection"---anonymous .


Are you really sorry, or sorry you got caught? This is what my Mom asked me when I was a kid. having just been caught stealing money from the "missions jar". My Dad was in Vietnam, and me and my sister were under the supervision of just my Mom. Mom was feeling the challenge of discipline by herself. I was a boy, always getting into more trouble then I should, getting hurt, doing things I shouldn't do, you know a BOY> When my mother asked me this, of course I was really sorry, I knew what I did was wrong, and I knew I was in Big trouble. I had to go to bed every night that summer at 8:00!! I will never forget that summer, there were so many good movies and shows on TV after 8 o'clock!!:) My Mom for years after I was grown up, would apologize for that punishment, she always considered it to be to harsh. My Dad thought so too, he would always tell her that. But Mom was doing what she could, she had never been the parent that handed down punishment, that was always Dad's job. But the point is: Was I REALLY sorry for my act, or just in getting caught?

Ever gotten a speeding ticket? Were you sorry you were breaking the speed limit, or that you did not see the cop before it was to late to slow down? How about when shopping and the cashier forgot to charge you for that certain item? You realized later that she forgot to ring that one up, just missed it, I guess. What do you do? Go back and show her the mistake and pay the extra amount, or think: "Wow, I got lucky, free stuff!"? It seems in today's world, our "Moral Compass" is all messed up. Yeah, all those years ago that I got caught stealing money from Missionaries, I was sorry I got caught, but I was also sorry for stealing. Look around the world today, do you see remorse? Maybe a little, but not much. Maybe that celebrity makes a speech at a press conference where he tells the whole world how sorry he is, and apologizes to his family especially his wife for the affair that was found out. Is he really sorry, or like most of us believe, just trying to make us, and especially his family, think that he is Truly sorry? If he was truly sorry, he would have confessed a long time ago, not waited until he got caught.

It is so easy for us to be cynical when we hear of those who get caught and then start crying and apologizing to the whole world at a specially called press conference. I mean how many times have we seen it? It seems, most of the time, in a short time, those same individuals are caught again. There are very few who actually come forward before being caught and confess their sins.
Recently Josh Hamilton, baseball player for the Texas Rangers, did exactly that. He is an recovering drug and alcohol abuser, and I might add, a christian. He called a press conference to announce he had had a relapse. No one had said a word about seeing him drinking in a local restaurant, no "Breaking News, Josh Hamilton off the wagon" headlines had been written, he just needed to get this off his chest and confess to his fans, and family and friends that he had messed up. I really admire him for that. The Rangers Manager, Ron Washington, who is also a recovering drug user, said that his respect for Hamilton went up quite a bit after that. See? He was REALLY sorry for his actions, not for being caught, because he wasn't caught.

James 5:16
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Notice that one word that is very important? ......earnest........... You can 'confess' all you want after being caught, but somehow it doesn't seem quite as "earnest" as when you confess when no one already knows your sin. What happens when we are honest and come forward to confess? Others see us as vulnerable, transparent, human. Maybe they are struggling with the same type problem, and by confessing they see you as approachable and realize you could help them with their own struggles. They realize they need to come forward also and make their struggles public. Hidden sins, "faking" it, is where satan thinks he has us. Satan uses these hidden sins to taunt us, and because of them we cannot get as close to the Lord as we need to be. There seems to always be a barrier between us and God. That "barrier" is hidden sin.

So, what is the REAL definition of Remorse? Good question, let's look: " A gnawing distress arising from a sense of guilt for past wrongs : self-reproach".

Did you notice something in that definition? It does not say a thing about being sorry or knowing you sinned. It seems even Webster has "changed with the times". I don't want to have a "rising distress arising from a sense of guilt" I want to feel sick, to know that I have sinned against the throne of God. I want to cry out to approach God's throne and ask forgiveness, because He will. Do I deserve forgiveness? No! How does He forgive? Through His Son's (Jesus Christ) sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. Jesus took on EVERY SIN ever committed or ever to be committed while He was hanging on the cross. Why? For you and me.

"Remorse: a miscalculation of the chances of detection" is funny, because it is so true and how many of us go through life. The funniest things are the ones that are so true. But while we laugh at them, the truth in them sometimes cause us to see actual truth in our lives.

Let's all be remorseful, but truly remorseful. Yes, I am sorry I got caught, but I am more sorry I did the act in the first place. Lord forgive me, and use me for You.

Look where your going, dummy!

2 Corinthians 5:7

For we walk by faith, not by sight.---New King James version.



How are we supposed to walk, if not by sight? If we cannot see where we are going, won't we bump into things, walk out in front of cars buses and trucks? If someone doesn't have sight, that is what "seeing eye dogs" and those long white canes are for, right? You know that feeling when you first get up and you walk around feeling for the light switch? Or maybe a storm has knocked the power out and it is SO dark, so you start feeling around looking for a candle or flashlight.

It seems stupid to "Walk by faith, and not by sight", why would anyone do that on purpose? Let's look at that good ole definition of Faith, you know the "The evidence of things NOT seen..." See there we go again, talking about Not seeing something. How can you Not see anything? You either see it or you don't. To See something is to see it, to NOT see it is, well a stupid statement because you didn't see it.

Did you know our physical eyes cannot see everything? Of course you did. Our bodies have wonderful senses, that God gave us, and they are a miracle in them selves. But we have limitations.
We cannot see the future. All we can see is the past. So by relying on what we can see, the past, it is easy to understand how we get depressed. If we have failed God, our families, ourselves, our friends, everyone around us, then this is what we see. But God, through Paul in the above passage tells us we don't walk by what we see, but by faith. Remember Faith is the absence of physical vision. Wow, now I am confused. Were talking about Seeing what we cannot see, and not seeing what we can. See:) That is where the faith part comes in. Faith is a much more powerful tool that God has given us then physical sight. "But, you say, why did God give us physical sight, if were not going supposed to use it"? Good question, thank you for responding. We need our physical sight to help us get around, drive, walk, you know do about anything. But, we can not, as I said before see with our physical eyes, the future.

Can we see the future with our faith? Well, not really, not actually "See", just "Know". Wow, this is turning out harder then I first thought. As a parent, especially a Mother, you sense when something is wrong with one of your kids, you know the "Mothers Intuition" (I think it is also a Wife's intuition, I speak from experience for both of these>) OK, when we are trusting God for something we have not seen with our physical eyes, how do we know it is going to happen? Well, how did Noah know that if he obeyed God and built this huge boat that he and his family and about a million animals, would be saved? Because God told him he would. No other reason, just faith. Faith is more then a feeling, it is a knowing. No, we don't know how it is going to happen, but we KNOW, it will, because God told us it would. God cannot lie, He cannot manipulate us, He can not speak anything but the truth. All those other things are the Devils department, and he is pretty good at them. Notice, I did not say God Would not do these things, I said He Could not. They are against His very nature, He is a God of Truth, honesty, justice........not lying, cheating, stealing, manipulating anyone.

Sometimes it seems, it is easier to have faith in the weatherman then God. The forecast for tomorrow is 80% chance of rain, better bring an umbrella. But God, Jehovah, the maker of the whole world tells us that He will take care of a certain situation we are facing, and we have trouble believing Him. We cannot see the rain clouds with our physical eyes,yet, but we believe because some guy on TV told us they are coming then they must be. But God tells us to have faith and trust in Him and because we cannot see with our physical eyes anything out there, we have trouble believing? What percentage is the weatherman right? He has to give us percentages of chance of rain, snow......to cover himself. God's record is perfect, He has never said something would happen and it did not, that is 100%. What weatherman would not like those odds?

So, "Walking by Faith.........."what does that mean? It means, that no matter what we see with our physical eyes, we believe our Spiritual eyes more. It means if there is a huge dark cloud coming at us in our lives, that we believe God will take care of us. We bring our problems, our worries, our frustrations, our needs to Him and then have faith. We pray, and then we open our eyes and everything Seems the same, but it is not. The answer to our prayers has already been put into motion. No, the answer will more then likely not come in the form we think it will, God is neat like that, He answers in HIS way not ours.

Sometime when you can try this: Close your eyes, or turn out all the lights if it is dark outside and walk around you house using your other senses. It's hard, isn't it? You even know pretty well where the furniture is and how far to the wall.....But it is still hard. You have to rely on your other senses to help you get around. The world does not recognize "Faith" or "Trust in God" as another sense, but I think that what we, as children of God should. We must use our Faith in Him, to KNOW He will answer us. Just because we cannot see with our physical eyes, doesn't mean the answer is not out there. Do you bring your umbrella to work, when the weatherman says there is a good chance of rain, even though you cannot see any rainclouds?

If God has promised you something and you have not received it yet, the you better get prepared. God NEVER promises and does not deliver. If He told you that you were going to relocate and that He has a ministry He is preparing for you, start packing, because it WILL happen. Do you see anything happening with your eyes? No, more then likely not, BUT if God told you it WILL happen.

Walk by faith, not by sight. Does this mean go around with our eyes closed all the time? Of course not, it means don't believe everything you see. If you see a loved one dying with a terrible disease, it means, pray for God's purpose, and healing. You don't see it, but does that mean it won't happen? Again, you cannot see any storm clouds, but the weatherman says they are coming. Can he see the future? No, but he can see a radar scope. God not just sees the future, but He KNOWS the future for each and everyone of us.

So "Walk by faith, not by sight" Easy to say, but, it seems, hard to do. Where is your faith? My faith is in God, ABBA, JEHOVAH, my Redeemer, my Father, my deliver, my LORD, MY HOPE> It is not in what I see with my limited physical eyes, it is with HIM, and through the work His Son did on Calvary.

Luke 1:37

God is able to do the things he promises."

Klingensmith

Did you read that verse? Did you really hear what it was saying? Read it again, do you get it? Really think do you understand what is being said, here? I like inserting one tiny little word in this verse and have it read: "God is able to do (ALL) the things He promises (and then personalize it) for ME" God will NOT do SOME of the things He promised to do, He will not do them part way, He will not change His mind, He will not forget. God WILL do the things He promises. End of Story, put it in the Bank, send it to the publisher, go to Disneyland, bring down the curtain, head to the parking lot and find your car, it is done. "God said it, I believe it so be it" Remember that saying? Saw it on a few bumper stickers. But actually you could omit the "I believe it" part, cause it don't matter if we believe it or not, God does it.

Here is a question for us: "What has God promised us? That He would never leave us or forsake us, that He would carry us when we could go no further, that He would bless us, that He would provide everything we needed.................?" Why do we worry? Do we not believe Him? Are we actually calling God a liar? I understand how God would be offended by our lack of faith, I don't know if He can be offended, but play along with me, OK? By NOT trusting, by worrying about If or when He will answer, by trying to do it ourselves and ending up in more trouble, we are, basically calling God, Jehovah, the maker of the Universe, a LIAR. We are saying we don't think He is Big enough, or that He doesn't care, or that He is using us for His on fun. Now, read Luke 1:37 again. "God is able to do (ALL) the things He promises, (for me)" Is there any maybes in there? Are there any negative statements there? Do we see a God of limitations refereed to here?
There is one limitation refereed to here. The verse does not say God WILL do all the things He promised, just that He is ABLE. God is able to do anything, but the only limit to this is US. Our faith, our trust that He can do what He says He can.

I love college basketball. This is MY time of year, "March Madness" has begun. My daughter graduated from Baylor University several years ago, and since I have been following the Baylor Bears in every sport almost. The Bears Women's Basketball team are 32-0 right now. Number one in country with a average of 21 points of victory for each game. In other words, they aren't just good, they are head and shoulders above most teams they play. They are the odd on favorite to win the national championship. The Baylor fan base has grown and grown over the last few years, especially with the Heisman Trophy won by Baylor QB RG3, last year. We like winners, and Baylor has proven that they can and do win.

What is God's won loss record? Why are there any doubters out there? Everyone in the world should be a "Fan" of God, because He has NEVER lost a battle. We love winners, God is a winner, WHY does the whole world NOT believe in Him? God represents truth, life, love, all that is right, and this world does not adhere to those principles as we once did. The world follows Satan and his agenda: Sin, darkness, hatred, lies, disgust, greed, lust, ....all the BAD things he brought with him into this world through the Garden of Eden. Satan lies, manipulates us, wants us to fail, whispers lies to us, wants to use us, to defeat us, and yet the world follows him.

I KNOW God is able to , and WILL keep every promise He has ever made to this world, and especially to me. He has no limits , He is not bound by the laws of this world, I mean He made this world.
God, the maker of everything, is limited by only one thing and that is us. He is limited by our choice of "knowing" Him or not, trusting Him or not, loving Him or not.........you see He made the choice along time ago to let us decide to serve Him or not, and He will not force Himself own anyone.

Has God made you a promise? Maybe healing, salvation for a relative or friend, a job, restoration of a relationship, financial blessings..........? He WILL keep these promises, there is nothing else He can do, He only does what He says He will do. He is God, that is His nature. Don't limit God, receive His blessings, by trusting that He is ABLE to do what He says He will do.

This is where my heart has been lately. I have been preaching to myself mostly in these last few posts. He uses the words He puts into my brain and onto this blog to show me my self, my thoughts, where I need Him. It's hard to trust completely, there are so many scenarios that go through my mind, what if's. I just want you to know, I struggle with each and everyone of the problems I blog about. I know what I need to do, and God helps me through these words to see that. I hope they help you see as well. Thanks for reading.