Just another day full of surprises

Today, my grandson asked me what animal produced its own alcohol.  I didn't know and when he told me, I was a bit surprised.  Its amazing how much there is to learn in this world; how much there is to marvel at.  Later, I took a few minutes and thought about how wonderful it was to be a Christian; that God would choose to have anything at all to do with someone like myself is truly amazing.  Consider the following passage from the book of Ephesians.

Ephesians 3:14-21 (WEB)
14) For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15) from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16) that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;
17) that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18) may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19) and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20) Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21) to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

God cares, directs and empowers humans.  I wonder why he chose us instead of simply making a better angel?  What is so special about us anyway?  I have known thousands upon thousands of people, most of them had obvious faults, but a few of them were truly spiritual people.  Even the top five people I have had the blessing to know and call friend still had things about them that were not flattering.  How can God care so much for those who are so flawed?  I haven't a clue, but I believe that HE does and that's all that is really necessary.  Sometimes you just need to accept things, like Hippos giving pink milk or that elephants make their own alcohol.  Isn't life wonderful!!!

What's next, a dictatorship?

Freedom! A concept Americans hold very dear!!!  But, over the past few decades our rights are gradually being eroded by government intrusion into our lives.  Laws and regulations are strangling what few rights we have left and the media is trying to make us think everything is "OK".  It is only a matter of time before being a Christian is a crime.  Think that is far-fetched?  Remember when there was prayer in schools?  Remember saying the pledge of allegiance?  Now, if you even mention God in school, there is a really big problem.  The national debt is astounding and there is a trend towards a world government.  Sounds horrible, doesn't it?  Now, think about the following verses from the Bible and how it should affect our lives.

Romans 13:1-8 (WEB)
1) Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God.
2) Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment.
3) For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same,
4) for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil.
5) Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
6) For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, attending continually on this very thing.
7) Give therefore to everyone what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor.
8) Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

The apostle Paul wrote this at a time when Rome ruled the world, a time when it was unlawful to be a Christian and your property and even your life could be taken away at any moment.  Christians are to be good citizens; acting respectfully in every way, doing the "right thing" without wavering.  What about the consequences?  Some of us may suffer; we may even have to deal with a dictatorship in the next 50 to 100 years.  However bad things get, we must listen to the Bible and obey.  Have faith; if God could overcome the greatest empire on Earth once, could HE not do it again?  God dictates how we live, not man!!!  Even if our republic is somehow transformed into a dictatorship, no one can take heaven away, ever!

Have a little fun in your life!!!

I think I should like to meet whoever lives in this house!  They probably have kids because why else would you put a slide alongside a stairs.  Just imagine for a moment that they DON'T HAVE KIDS.  Then, what does that say about the adults?  Perhaps this passage from Ecclesiastes will shed some light on the question...

Ecclesiastes 11:8-10 (WEB)
8) Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.
9) Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
10) Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

From the condition of the last step I can see that the stairs have been used a lot and the bottom of the slide shows the same thing.  So, whoever lives there does a little of both.  Good for them!  They must have read Solomon's book.  Good idea for everybody!  Don't worry, be happy!!!

Almost Star Wars...

If you took away the pedals and put a motor on it, then you would have something right out of a star wars movie.  Even WITH the pedals, this gets me thinking I would want one.  The methods of our transportation may change, but we still go; no matter what the form may be.  Knowing God is something like that as well.  Originally, The Bible was written on scrolls, without so much as even a chapter or verse number.  Then, they were gathered together into a codex (our modern book form).  Later, about 1300 or so, chapter and book headings were included.  Then in the 19th and 20th century, specialty Bibles like Thompson's chain reference, The Companion Bible and The Emphasized Bible came on the scene.  In the later part of the 20th Century along came computers and with it a whole new ability for study.  Presently, it is very easy to have a whole Biblical research library at your fingertips for free.  What a blessing!!!  Yet, the times have also changed; we have organized opposition to Christianity that could not of existed in former times.  In thinking about this, I remembered one of the first Bible passages I ever knew; it is...

2 Timothy 3:12-17 (WEB)
12) Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13) But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14) But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.
15) From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
16) Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,
17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

To know what God has said and to get to know HIM, is all one could ever really need to face any opposition, even in an age of supercomputers and Internet applications.  It doesn't really matter HOW YOU LEARN, IT MATTERS THAT YOU DO!!!  So, whether its by a parchment, a codex (book), a specialty Bible or a computer program, the important thing is to learn and to know God.  Once you do, you will want to know more and more.  That's the point, isn't it?  I may never ride a bike like the one in the picture above (I probably would fall over right away), but I can get to know and love the God who created me and that will never go out of style. 

And the light shined...

Looks like someone just ripped a hole in the sky to let the light shine in, doesn't it?  Of course we "know" this isn't true and like so many things we take for granted we understand, but, that is what it looks like to me.  Truth seems to be a hard thing to come by lately, as we see so many lies coming from our nation's capitol.  And many will say this is a normal thing, that truth is a matter of perspective; that you believe exactly what you want to believe and that is that.  However, in order for truth to in fact be truth, it MUST be absolute and here we come to the problem.  What standard to achieve this goal?  If everyone is right, then there is no right at all.  For me, to understand this, I need to go back to basics... and that means things I know to be absolute... namely life and death.  Intellectually I know that I will die, but its not until I SEE someone die that it hits me; then, it becomes reality and then I MUST come to grips with it.  I begin with this passage from the New Testament and go from there.

John 1:1-18 (WEB)
1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2) The same was in the beginning with God.
3) All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.
4) In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.
6) There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.
7) The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.
8) He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light.
9) The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
10) He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him.
11) He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him.
12) But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:
13) who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14) The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15) John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’”
16) From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.
17) For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
18) No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

Jesus came back from death.  Truth, documented beyond all doubt.  It is my responsibility to face that fact.  God sent Jesus, he did what he needed to do to combat death and made a way for me to do the same.  The question remains whether or not I will put aside my own will and listen and obey him and THAT IS GENUINE TRUTH.  All the light I will ever need has already been sent... straight from heaven and its better than any opening in any sky you will ever see!!!

When its HOT, its HOT!!!

OK, lately, its been very, very, very HOT!!!  But, I think if I saw this on the TV, I might just get a LITTLE UPSET!!!!  By the time Wednesday came along I would be afraid, but we don't even need to think about Thursday, because I would be comatose already!!!  Now, so much for the "bad news"; the "good news" is that this is JUST A FORECAST!!!  Sometimes, when things look the darkest, there is hope just around the corner.  Consider this passage from the Bible...

John 20:18-28 (WEB)
18) Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.
19) When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
20) When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord.
21) Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”
22) When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit!
23) If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”
24) But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came.
25) The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26) After eight days again his disciples were inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace be to you.”
27) Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”
28) Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

The apostles of Jesus were hiding from the Jews, their master was "dead" and the future didn't look very promising.  Then they get news that HE has RISEN FROM THE DEAD!!! Jesus appears to them and they believe; but not all... Thomas would not believe what anyone SAID and had to SEE FOR HIMSELF.  But when Thomas did see, he did believe!  Just goes to show you not to put too much confidence in forecasts, because things are not always what they seem.  And as far as Satan goes, he does his best work when everything seems fine, HELL COMES LATER!!!

Shocking!!!

This is the first time I have ever seen this and immediately it left an impression on me.  One of the foremost symbols of the freedom of this country being struck by lightening can be likened to freedom being attacked.  Aside from lightening, what could attack our freedom?  This question draws me to recent events within the country.  We have a government that is spending out of control; spending so much that it is beyond belief.  Last year, there was a voter backlash against it and many, many Republicans were elected; representatives charged with reducing the size and spending of government.  Now, they are challenging the status quo and the democrats are fighting to keep things as they are; with no real end of the expansionism that has characterized the past 40 or so years.  The president has used scare tactics once again to force his leftist agenda upon our nation and may in fact bypass the constitution by authorizing an increase to the national debt on his own.  Personally, I find this appalling, but when I think about it, I am reminded of this passage from the book of Romans.

Romans 13:1-8 (WEB)
1) Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God.
2) Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment.
3) For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same,
4) for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil.
5) Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
6) For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, attending continually on this very thing.
7) Give therefore to everyone what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor.
8) Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

We must obey our leaders; this is a fundamental teaching of the New Testament!!!  If they lawfully do what they are supposed to do, no action is necessary.  If they do not, then, we as citizens must lawfully make our will felt at the ballot box.  It is as simple as that!!!  However, one thing remains; we are to respect and to show love towards them!!!!! Now this is hard, as it seems those in government have lost touch with the average American and are leading us to a collapse of civilization.  But, whoever said being a Christian was easy?  I encourage everyone who reads this to pray for them, to try to understand the situation and love them regardless what happens.  Tall order.  However, we all need to remember that God is in control and we need to accept this fact and obey HIM and not worry about the future.  Even if the current situation may attack our way of life and the liberty we enjoy; God is greater than any government or leader ever to take power.  Regardless of the outcome, if you belong to God, then you are really, truly, free and no one, know matter how powerful can take that away!!!!