one beautiful picture

My granddaughter Amanda came over yesterday and wanted to watch Avatar.  I always enjoyed watching science fiction, so I agreed with an enthusiastic "yes"!  I knew the plot, remembered most of the scenes, but still enjoyed it.  When the story came round to Sully climbing vines in the floating mountains of Pandora, I remembered this picture of China.  I wonder, could this really be where they obtained those images, or is it just my imagination?  I doubt if I will ever really know, but its nice to think I may have solved one little mystery among so many that are out there.  The Bible is full of them, because God's ways are so beyond our comprehension, but here is one that is solved.

Romans 14:22 (WEB)
22) Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn’t judge himself in that which he approves.(14:24) Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages, (14:25) but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations; (14:26) to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

To be a Jew was to be someone special!!!  God had chosen your entire race out of the whole world and given you a special status.  But, a certain eleetism arose (understandable, but regretable) and the Jews forgot God chose them even though they were mere slaves.  Those who became obedient to the faith could just have became a sect of Judaism, but God had other plans.  HE loves the whole world and that means the gentiles as well as the faithful Jew.  Mystery solved.  Case closed. Welcome the whole world.  This is not some slight of hand or trickery like taking a picture of China and transforming it into an alien world, it is the culmination of literally thousands of years of the will of Almighty God.  Now, that is a beautiful picture indeed.

Between the lines

My wife grew up having ice cream every night; I didn't.  So, marriage has been an adjustment for both of us.  Over the years we have "met in the middle" so to speak and now we have ice cream in the evenings a couple of times a week.  Compromise is the stuff that working marriages have are made of.  Like most things with human beings, life is complicated, with a lot of things that are said without being said or actions not being performed witch say a lot.  A good example of this is a statement by our current president who last January encouraged those engaged in political rhetoric to be "civil" and tone the language down a bit.  Now, Labor day rolls around and members of his own party get nasty towards the "tea party" and when his speech follows this bit of not so veiled aggression, he say NOTHING.  Humm, that says a lot doesn't it?  Sometimes, you can say a lot by omission; here is a prime example.

WEB: Mark Chapter 16
[11] When they heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they disbelieved. [12] After these things he was revealed in another form to two of them, as they walked, on their way into the country. [13] They went away and told it to the rest. They didn’t believe them, either.

[14] Afterward he was revealed to the eleven themselves as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they didn’t believe those who had seen him after he had risen. [15] He said to them, "“Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation. [16] He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.

What does it mean to believe in Jesus?  Is it just an acknowledgement of his existence or perhaps realizing he was a wonderful man or a great teacher?  How about mentally accepting the fact that HE is God's son, or that HE is the only way to establish true fellowship with God?  Good, you already believe this...great!!!  However, take a close look at verse 16.  Belief and disbelieve are contrasted, with results for both actions.  One way results in salvation, the other leads to condemnation.  Most rational persons would naturally want salvation and not condemnation.  Yet, there many who refuse to accept the fact that true belief is linked to baptism.  Why, because someone has told them it is unnecessary.  Wrong, notice the "and" which links belief and baptism together.  This makes it part of the definition and to accept otherwise is simply a willful misinterpretation of the text.  Its kind of like the Baskin-Robbins sign above.  It tells you who there are by what they offer - 31 flavors.  Don't be deceived, if you truly believe in Jesus... do something about it... be baptized.  You will be glad you did!!!

Now, MOVE, NOW!

 

Now, MOVE NOW!  Sometimes when we least expect it...WHAM!!!  I feel sorry for the man in the chair, but even more sorry for the punishment that boy is going to get later.  The boy made a conscious decision and so will his "father".  Life is like that... we pay for what we do and then we pay some more and keep paying until, well, who knows.  Jesus talks about reckoning and it isn't pretty.

WEB: Luke Chapter 17

[20] Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "“The Kingdom of God doesn’t come with observation; [21] neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”"

[22] He said to the disciples, "“The days will come, when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. [23] They will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away, nor follow after them, [24] for as the lightning, when it flashes out of the one part under the sky, shines to the other part under the sky; so will the Son of Man be in his day. [25] But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. [26] As it happened in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man. [27] They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. [28] Likewise, even as it happened in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; [29] but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky, and destroyed them all. [30] It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

Not one of us knows exactly how long we will live.  Even the condemned man can't predict the precise second all will COMPLETELY seem to end.  So, why not live life like today was your last day; why not prepare yourself to enter heaven right now?  You only have sinful things to lose and heaven to gain.  Not a bad trade!!!  Remember; you pay for what you do, so now is the time to change, right now!!! 

Toxic detector needed...

During the next 14 months we are all going to be exposed to lies.  Lies of all sorts, little ones and very, very large ones.  The truth will be distorted, altered, spun in so many ways as to almost be unrecognizable.  After a time all this disinformation will become so prevalent that we will just turn everything "off" and listen to no one at all.  Why? In a word...power.  Politicians want and in fact must have power.  Even the disciples of Jesus had this problem.

Matthew 20:20-28 (WEB)
20) Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.
21) He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.”
22) But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to him, “We are able.”
23) He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
24) When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25) But Jesus summoned them, and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
26) It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
27) Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,
28) even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Power can be good... if it is used properly.  The disciples needed to learn this and so do politicians. Until they do, their words will be like sewage, as the most vile thing imaginable.  I urge everyone who reads this to really listen to what the candidates are really saying; sort out what truth you can find.  Vote for the one who you think really wants to serve and not one who just really wants the power.

Help wanted!

Today's post is different.  I learned that a friend named Lori is having a double bypass and needs our prayers.  In times of stress it is a common thing to say the "Lords prayer" and this is a very good thing to do!!!  Please remember Lori in your prayers because she really needs them right now!!!

Thanks a lot

Gary

More than kisses

Once in awhile I see the documentary that was made about Woodstock.  A few days ago it was on again and I did get to see the last part of it.  Santana was great as always, but I didn't get to see Joe Cocker.  His rendition of "With a little help from my friends" always brings back memories.  When I thought about it, I had to ask myself the question: "what makes a friend?".   Then I came across this passage from the book of Proverbs...

Proverbs 27:6 (WEB)
6) Faithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.

This verse ties right in with the picture, doesn't it.  Many people may be "nice" to you and perhaps some may be even "very" nice.  The true friend will tell you the truth, even if it risks their friendship.  And face it, truth really hurts sometimes.  I know Jesus is my friend because he is straightforward with me; he tells me I am his friend IF I do his commandments.  It may sometimes be difficult and painful to what he says, but ultimately, its always the best thing.  I really don't need kisses, but I REALLY DO need a true friend.  Good thing I have found one!!!

Rock on... carefully!!!

Most of my family lives in New Jersey, so hurricane Irene has occupied a lot of my thoughts for the past few days.  The constant TV coverage only made matters worse, but after all, that's what they do.  I don't think I was really worried, more like concerned.  Worry, doesn't become worry (with me anyway) until I start doing repetitive things, like walking back and forth just thinking about whatever is bothering me or sitting in my rocking chair doing nothing else but rocking and thinking.  Yet, that still could be concern and not worry.  The real thing comes when I find yourself doing a repetitive action and mulling over all the possible scenarios of what could happen.  Its a times like these when I go back to the words of Jesus.

Matthew 6:24-34 (WEB)
24) “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.
25) Therefore, I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26) See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
27) “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?
28) Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin,
29) yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.
30) But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
31) “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’
32) For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33) But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
34) Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

I really love what Jesus says here!!!  It puts things in perspective.  We all live and we all die, but what is really important lies beyond the mere concepts of life and death, its about your relationship with God.  If I really believe that God is who HE is, then I should KNOW that HE will care for me because of my relationship to HIM.  That changes things!!!  Things will work themselves out because GOD is working through my life, changing the world through me and also for me.  I will survive as long as HE sees fit to have me here, so there is nothing to really WORRY about because in life and death HE is in control.  I heard a sermon yesterday about contentment that also seems to be right to the point.  Here is the text.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (WEB)
6) But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7) For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out.
8) But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.
9) But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.
10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Perhaps I will take some time today, turn off the TV and just think about both passages.   The stock market may go up or down, storms may come or go, but life goes on.  Jesus lives forever!!!