tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43008799109649839662024-03-14T03:25:11.806-05:00The Immortal BlogThis is the weblog of The Immortal. It's intent is the widespread exchange of timeless (immortal) ideas with relevance to today in a free environment.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-10324606600355704152010-12-17T23:04:00.000-06:002010-12-17T23:04:07.013-06:00Merry Christmas!I’m terribly sorry if that offended you. I’m not sorry that I said it, and I’ll say it again. I’m just sorry that you have become so sensitive and intolerant as to be offended by me wishing you joyfulness during the holiday that is about to be celebrated.<br />
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You have the right not to participate in the holiday. You have the right to get a job somewhere that doesn’t close for Christmas and work like it isn’t happening. You have the right not to return the greeting. You have the right not to give or accept any gifts. You have the right not to celebrate with a feast. You have the right not to put up a tree and decorate it. You have the right not to decorate your house with lights. You have the right to select music that has nothing to do with the holiday. You have the right not to watch the special programming on television. You have the right not to participate in the celebrations at your local church. You have the right to treat Christmas like an ordinary day just like any other. You even have the right to be offended when I say it and NOT have a merry Christmas, but you do not have the right to stop me from saying it.<br />
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In the United States, after the Constitution that established our country was ratified, some intelligent men realized that the ability to speak and worship freely was extremely important and should be protected. It became the highest priority to amend the Constitution to include that right. That Amendment says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”<br />
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So, you see, you have lots of rights, but the very first law passed after our constitution says I can say “Merry Christmas” to you … and I will because regardless of your ethnic background, beliefs, or creed, I truly want your Christmas to be merry.<br />
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<b style="color: red;">Merry Christmas!</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-41146077257173513182010-07-16T10:22:00.001-05:002010-07-18T22:48:38.550-05:00Saturday Morning<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Concept: Power Over Death</span><br />
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Today’s question is: What scares you? What is that one thing that strikes fear in your heart, that seizes you up and leaves you shaking afterwards? What is your worst nightmare?<br />
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New question: What is the most powerful thing you can think of? 220V house current? Three phase electrical lines? A nuclear bomb? The sun? A quasar? Puny. Miniscule. Easily overcome.<br />
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People have always feared death. It is completely unknown. People can’t come back and report on it. It’s a one way ticket and always has been. Billions upon billions of dollars are spent each year pushing death just a few days further away. The entire medical industry counts on that reaction to pedal their newest drugs, newest treatments, and nice hotel-like hospitals. We have tablets and capsules and liquids and injections. Women spend hundreds and thousands and some even millions on makeup and creams and ointments and botox and lifts and tucks and implants just to give the illusion that death is further off than it really is. Men spend time in the gym and exercise like madmen to keep the same illusion. Yet death will come. It always does. We are powerless to change it.<br />
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About 2000 years ago, someone came on the scene that was able to supersede natural laws. Just as the law of gravity can be overcome by the laws of aerodynamics, he demonstrated that his new law overcame the old. Boundaries of nature and physics were crossed as easily as magnetism overcomes gravity to lift iron. He never violated laws, but showed that He knew higher laws. He controlled weather. He healed the sick. He multiplied food. He made water into wine. Then, near the end of his life, he did the unthinkable. He showed that he was superior to death. He brought a friend back from the dead (Lazarus – John 11:1-44) and he came back from death himself.<br />
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In spite of all the arguments against, the evidence that Jesus was executed by professionals in front of hundreds of witnesses, was buried in a tomb sealed by the Roman government, and rose from the dead and walked among people for forty days afterwards is irrefutable. Although they deny Jesus was the messiah, Jewish historians recorded it. Although they refused he was God, the Roman government recorded it. Though they don’t trust in him, modern theologians can’t explain it.<br />
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Jesus came. He showed who he was and that he had power over death. Then he returned to sender. He ascended back into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). Remember this concept: <b>Jesus has power over death</b>. <br />
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Let’s review our concepts. Sin requires blood. God offers salvation. Repentance is to turn back to God. We need to proclaim this message. Jesus has power over death. These concepts have the key to Return to Sender. As you travel back, some of you will relax and for you camp will be over. I hope it is not. I hope that each morning you seek the Sender and return to Him.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-54565236937611935012010-07-16T10:08:00.001-05:002010-07-16T10:08:57.476-05:00Friday Morning<span style="font-size: x-small;">Concept: Proclaim the Message</span><br />
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Today’s question is: If you discovered a new cure-all drug that would cure cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, heart disease, malaria, tuberculosis, measles, whooping cough, tetanus, meningitis, the common cold, the flu (including H1N1), and allergies all in a single dosage of a homemade cure that can be easily put together with items to which everyone has free access, who would you tell? I discovered that a few years back. I figure maybe I’ll publish it some day.<br />
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No way! Unless you’re a sadistic jerk, you would tell everyone. In fact, you would try to spread the word fast enough that no one could try to control it. It’s information that can save lives! You would give it away a quickly as possible, giving it to all the sick people you can find. And you would tell the ones you told to pass it on to others.<br />
<blockquote>There was a man from the desert with naps on his head<br />
The sand that he walked was also his bed<br />
The words that he spoke made the people assume<br />
There wasn't too much left in the upper room<br />
With skins on his back and hair on his face<br />
They thought he was strange by the locusts he ate<br />
You see The Pharisees tripped when they heard him speak<br />
Until the king took the head of this Jesus freak<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">-DC Talk (Jesus Freak) about John the Baptist</div></blockquote>John the Baptist was an interesting dude. He sported the newest line of camel hair with a leather belt. He lived in the wilderness. He ate bugs and honey … all the time. He was born obsessed with one thing: The messiah is coming. Get ready. Remember yesterday’s word, “repent”? That was John’s favorite word and he said it a lot.<br />
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The Jews were tired of the occupying Roman government. The messiah was supposed to be a deliverer from bondage. Naturally, they expected that to mean deliverance from Rome’s rule, but it was so, so much more. When John said the messiah was coming, people headed to the desert in droves to hear him. Then he hit them with his favorite word: Repent! Turn back to God! Return to Sender!<br />
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It’s an enduring message. If you haven’t yet, Return to Sender! Return postage is free! If you have embraced this message, it’s time to spread the word. This is the cure to the disease of sin that ails us all.<br />
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Remember this concept: <b>Proclaim the Message</b>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-38231100702943914312010-07-14T09:27:00.001-05:002010-07-15T08:12:49.272-05:00Wednesday Morning<span style="font-size: x-small;">Concept: God Offers Salvation</span><br />
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Here is today’s question: How many doves did Moses put on the ark? How many alligators? How many unicorns? The answer is the same for each. None! Moses didn’t put any animals on the ark! Noah did!<br />
Have you ever stopped to think how difficult that was? What must it to have been like to build such a huge ship? … on land … nowhere near water … when it had never even rained before … and you’re following a voice of someone you can’t see for building instructions?<br />
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Emotionally, there would have been challenges. Maybe people looked at him weird. Maybe the neighborhood kids called him crazy and made interesting little sing-song chants about him. Maybe he got a terrible nickname. Maybe his family had to endure ridicule from their friends and they pressured him to stop. Maybe his best friends alienated him. Maybe he wasn’t welcome in places he wanted to go. Maybe places that had once been comfortable were now intolerable. Maybe he wanted to quit. Maybe he questioned his own sanity.<br />
Building a multi-story cruise ship with built-in mega kennel using nothing but three sons to help is quite an undertaking. He probably got blisters. He probably fell off ladders. He probably smacked his thumb with a hammer. He probably got pinched between boards. He probably got splinters. He probably bumped his head. He probably pierced his skin. He probably bled. He probably got bruises. He probably had to carry heavy loads. He probably got sore muscles. He probably got really tired.<br />
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Spiritually, it would be tough too. It would have taken a long time to build such a large ship. It would be difficult to get up in the morning knowing that all you were going to do was work on the ark. It would be difficult going to bed knowing that all you were going to do tomorrow was work on the ark. It would be difficult to see the only thing on your to-do list for the day was “ark”. It would be difficult to see tomorrow’s to-do list was the same as today’s, …, and yesterday’s, … and last week’s, … and last month’s. It would be difficult to tell friends that you couldn’t do something fun because you needed to stay home and work on the ark. It would be difficult to work on the ark after a month of hating it.<br />
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Does any of this sound familiar? Sure, you may need to replace “building the ark” with some other point of obedience, but today’s pressures and consequences aren’t that much different. What is the payoff to following God?<br />
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The one sentence of Hebrews 11:7 sums it up: “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”<br />
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Remember this concept: <b>God offers salvation</b>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-88257228863609986952010-07-15T08:12:00.000-05:002010-07-15T08:12:13.957-05:00Thursday Morning<span style="font-size: x-small;">Concept: Repentence</span><br />
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Have you ever left something important behind? Your glasses, sunscreen, keys, a favorite toy, your phone, a ring, that thing your sweetie asked you to hold, tickets to the event to which you are currently driving? We all have. Most of the time, there is usually a point of no return, a point at which it is better to leave it behind and get it later rather than go back and get it right then. However, many times deferring the pain of going back can get you in more trouble.<br />
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In last night’s teaching we heard about a bunch of kings. A few kings were good. Many kings were bad. Some kings were downright evil. Josiah was a good king. His father was a bad king – so bad that his officials conspired against him and assassinated him. His grandfather was evil – sacrificing his own son in the fire, building altars to stars, practicing sorcery and divination, consulting mediums and spiritists, even erecting objects of worship of other gods in the temple. Josiah didn’t have a great family legacy to fall back on.<br />
Josiah was eight years old when he was made king. What were you doing when you were eight? Riding your bike? Jumping rope? Playing tag? Ever rule a country? Me either. Josiah didn’t have a great childhood, the wisdom of age, or an incredible stately presence to fall back on.<br />
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What did Josiah do that gets him a special mention? 2 Kings 22:2 says “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his [fore]father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” Josiah’s strength was his willingness to follow God no matter what. In the eighteenth year of his reign, He ordered some repairs to the temple and a neglected scroll was found. All he had known was the evil reign of his father and grandfather. When the scroll was read, he immediately took action to get the country back on track. He cleaned all other influences out of the temple and brought it back to good repair. He destroyed all the altars and objects of worship to the false gods. He cleaned up the entire kingdom and led the people back to God.<br />
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This turning back is called “repentance”. To repent is to immediately turn back the way you came – like a military about face.<br />
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So, if you left something valuable behind, would you go get it? What if it were something that made the difference between life and death? God is the source of life. Where did you leave Him? He’s waiting for you to return. As soon as you turn around and take the first step, He will run the rest of the way to meet you. Do what needs to be done today to return.<br />
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Remember this concept: <b>Repent</b>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-51501880588160195902010-07-13T00:11:00.000-05:002010-07-13T00:11:27.869-05:00Tuesday Morning<span style="font-size: x-small;">Concept: Sin Requires Blood to be Spilled</span><br />
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Here’s a tricky question: When was the first blood spilled on Earth? Did you catch it in the teaching last night? Was is when Cain killed Abel? Nope. It’s earlier and much more subtle. Here’s a hint. Adam and Eve were naked, then they sinned, realized they were naked and made clothing. From what was the clothing made? They made loincloths made of fig leaves. I’m sure it was quite fashionable. After all everyone was wearing it … literally.<br />
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After God enters the picture and pronounces punishment, it says in Genesis 3:21, “And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Skins?! Where did He get skins? Genesis 2:2 clearly says that God was finished with creation. He couldn’t have created more skins. And what was wrong with their own high fashion apparel? Does God have something against clothes made from plant fibers? I hope not. I’m a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy. Most of what I wear is cotton.<br />
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The truth is that sin always requires blood to be spilled. Read this excerpt from Hebrews 9:15-28:<br />
<blockquote>For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance — now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. <br />
In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep." In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and <i>without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness</i>. <br />
It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. </blockquote>From the earliest sin to the ones you’ve already committed this morning, blood was required. Adam and Eve’s sin required an animal or animals to die to cover them. Your sin required Jesus to die to cover you.<br />
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Remember this concept: <b>sin requires blood</b>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-76803203220682674302010-07-12T21:43:00.001-05:002010-07-13T00:10:51.684-05:00Timmy's Letter HomeRevolution Parents,<br />
We are taking great care of your students. Relax and enjoy a week free from active parenting. Now would be a great time to enjoy a good book (I've got some parenting book suggestions if you are interested), take a spontaneous road trip, or just spend some alone time with your spouse. It was a hot trip down and it's incredibly muggy, but all is going well and all the students are responding well to leadership, the speaker, and the worship. Before leaving for camp, I came across this letter that was forwarded to me in an email. I assure you that we will be taking better care of your kids than this. Enjoy!<br />
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<blockquote>Dear Mom and Dad:<br />
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Our Scoutmaster told us to write our parents in case you saw the flood on TV and are worried. We are all okay, only one of our tents and two sleeping bags got washed away. Luckily, none of us drowned because we were all up on the mountain looking for Chad when it happened.<br />
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Oh yes, please call Chad's mother and tell her he is okay. He can't write because of the cast. I got to ride on one of the search and rescue jeeps. It was neat. We would never have found Chad in the dark if it wasn't for the lightning.<br />
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Scoutmaster Don got mad at Chad for going on a hike alone without telling anyone. Chad says he did tell him, but it was during the fire so he probably didn't hear him.<br />
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Did you know if you put gasoline on a campfire, the gasoline will blow up? The wet wood didn't burn but one of the tents did and a lot of our clothes. David is going to look weird until his hair grows back.<br />
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We should be home on Saturday if Scoutmaster Don gets the car fixed. It wasn't his fault about the wreck. The brakes worked fine when we left. Scoutmaster Don said that with a car that old you have to expect something to break down; that's probably why he can't get insurance. We think it's a neat car. He doesn't care if we get it all dirty, and if it's hot he sometimes lets us ride on the fenders. It gets pretty hot with ten people in a car. He let us take turns riding in the trailer until the highway patrol man stopped and talked to us. Scoutmaster Don is a neat guy. Don't worry, he's a good driver. In fact, he is teaching Terry how to drive on the mountain roads where there isn't any traffic. All we ever see up there are logging trucks. Scoutmaster Don hopes that Terry can drive us home.<br />
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This morning all of the guys were diving off the rocks and swimming out in the lake. Scoutmaster Don wouldn't let me because I can't swim and Chad was afraid he would sink because of his cast. So he let us take the canoe across the lake. It was great. You can still see some of the tree tops under the water from the flood. Scoutmaster Don isn't crabby like some Scoutmasters. He didn't even get mad about the lifejackets. He has to spend a lot of time working on the car so we are trying not to cause him any trouble.<br />
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Guess what? We have all passed our first merit badge. When David dived into the lake and cut his arm, we got to see how a tourniquet works. Wade and I threw up, but Scoutmaster Don said it was probably food poisoning from the left-over chicken and not the blood. He said he got sick that way from food he ate in prison. I'm glad he got out and became our Scoutmaster. He said he sure figured out how to get things done better while he was doing time. </blockquote><blockquote>I have to go now. We are going to town to mail our letters and buy some more beer. Don't worry about anything, we are all fine.<br />
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Love,<br />
Timmy</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-8097102457772188302010-07-06T21:44:00.001-05:002010-07-06T21:46:18.916-05:00The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - A Male PerspectiveUnfortunately, every review I’ve read online for Eclipse was written by a woman, and when it comes to the The Twilight Saga, it somehow seems that women have completely lost their minds. I saw the movie on a Monday morning, almost a week after its unconventional early-in-the-week release. The theater was packed with women of all ages, some escorted by very patient significant others, and of course a few die hard movie fans like myself.<br /><br />The women seemed to take no heed to the “don’t add your own soundtrack” warning after the previews. They giggled constantly, cheered when characters were shirtless, awed when they kissed, and the young lady sitting next to me interjected some cat-calling language that I’m sure would bring a lawsuit if directed to her from some construction workers. Surprise, surprise, there <b><i>is</i></b> a double standard.<br /><br />A day before I saw this movie, I witnessed a heated Facebook “argument” over who was going to marry which character. It took a great deal of restraint to keep from jumping in the middle of it and posting a reminder that these people <b><i>are not real</i></b>.<br /><br />Females are reacting to this movie like they are combining heroine and ecstasy, atomizing it, and pumping it though theater ventilation systems. Here is why. Every image and conversation is specifically designed to cater to an unachievable fantasy of what women perceive romance to be. It makes no sense to a logical male mind. For example: A coming threat is leering on the horizon. Conversations are frantic about “preparing” and “training” and “getting ready”. Cut to Edward and Bella lounging in the middle of an idyllic field of flowers having a casual conversation. This happened multiple times. Girls see it as romantic. Guys see it as the illogical nonsense it is.<br /><br />The one bright spot in the film was support of marriage. Edward’s dedication to abstinence from sex before marriage is a positive. Even in the face of Bella’s constant bombardment pushing for sex, Edward stays constant to his moral commitment. His explanation, however, was a little weak, citing an old-fashioned “that’s how it was” reasoning. Bella ridicules him calling it an “ancient” standard and pushes for a “sex now” mentality. For those of us that work with youth, this sounds too familiar. It appears that Edward is winning this battle so far in the series, much to the chagrin of the fairer sex seated around me. Also, a conversation between Bella and Charlie about whether the institution of marriage has any value comes through with a positive but unlikely “yes” from Charlie, even though he is an unmarried divorcée. Hurray, Charlie!<br /><br /><u>My advice to women</u>: Don’t get your hopes up. These people aren’t real. No one will treat you like that. Fantasy and reality clash. Men will protect you, but they have physical limitations with no super-human strength, impossible speed, or telepathy, and we can’t change ourselves into extra large wolves. We can’t read minds. Don’t expect it.<br /><br /><u>My advice to men</u>: See this movie with your girl. She will hold you tight during it and be very affectionate afterwards. Go directly to a sporting goods store and buy a pair of boxing gloves and a 100lb bag – because she will ignore the last paragraph and you will eventually need a safe way to vent your frustration.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-15586200841483394062009-08-23T08:45:00.001-05:002009-08-23T08:47:08.637-05:00My new friend<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">I have a new friend.<span style=""> </span>I obsess over her.<span style=""> </span>She’s the first thing I think about in the morning.<span style=""> </span>She’s the last thing I think about before I go to sleep.<span style=""> </span>I constantly think of her good qualities.<span style=""> </span>I crave communication with her.<span style=""> </span>Everything fun I think about, I think “would she enjoy doing that with me?”<span style=""> </span>She inspires me to be better in everything I do.</p><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">I felt like that about someone else once.<span style=""> </span>When my relationship with Jesus was new, I obsessed over him.<span style=""> </span>He was the first thing I thought about in the morning.<span style=""> </span>He was the last thing I thought about before going to sleep.<span style=""> </span>I constantly thought of His good qualities.<span style=""> </span>I couldn’t get enough conversation with him.<span style=""> </span>Everything fun I thought about, I thought “would he enjoy doing that with me?”<span style=""> </span>He inspired me to be better in everything I did.<o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal">What happened?<span style=""> </span>Did He change?<span style=""> </span>Did He become less amazing?<span style=""> </span>… less inspiring?<span style=""> </span>… less fun?<span style=""> </span>No, and it took a new interest to show me that.<o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><br /><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I’ve rekindled by relationship with my Savior.<span style=""> </span>He’s usually occupied the number one position in my life, but now our relationship has grown and is experiencing a new fervor that it was missing before.<span style=""> </span>My new friend is amazing, but the best thing about her is that without even trying, she brought me back to a better relationship with my friend that sticks closer than a brother, Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-87592229213139734402009-08-06T11:38:00.001-05:002009-08-06T11:39:38.382-05:00Unique Situation?<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman; color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 (NLT)</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman; color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, "Here is something new!" But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don't remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">When we are in a bad spot, it's not uncommon for us to think that our situation is unique. We feel that no one has ever been through anything this bad before, that we are being exclusively persecuted.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Solomon said that there is nothing new. I'm sure he wrestled with a flaky cell phone battery when he was on the side of the road with a flat, right? Probably not. But the notion of being stranded without communication was certainly not new. Even though every situation has not been exactly duplicated, the concepts are not new. Relationships, difficulty with taskmasters (bosses), a lack of resources when they are needed are all models on which there are millions of variations.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The Bible's ability to deal with these concepts makes it a timeless book. When you go through a tough situation, the Bible has a solution to the concept of the problem that can be extended to your specific situation. Search for it!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-40538981440203768682009-08-04T08:34:00.004-05:002009-08-04T08:41:55.314-05:00What a Mess!<span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rom 8:28-29 (NIV)</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-family:times new roman;font-size:78%;" >And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Is your life a mess? Are things not lining up for you the way you planned? Everything is going wrong. Nothing is going right. Plans have fallen flat. In your life, chaos and destruction reign. The worst part is that no one seems to care.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Does this sound familiar? You aren’t the first to feel like this. What’s the solution? The answer can be found in a tapestry. A what? A tapestry. A tapestry is a heavy woven cloth with a rich design. Many are absolutely beautiful. They are like intricate paintings in vibrant varicolored thread. Some have delicate designs that are evidence of true artistry. Some are like portraits. Others have bold panoramic views depicting heroes defeating their foes. Their designs are as varied as the artisans who created them and the materials they used. As diverse as these magnificent works are, they all have one thing in common. From the back, they look like a mess.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">That’s right. From the back a tapestry is a mangled chaotic muddle of thread. There are knots and frays and loose ends. The color combinations can be nauseating and seem to have absolutely no coordination. It looks unorganized, unplanned, and unappealing. From the back, a tapestry looks like a rainbow threw up in a cement mixer. If advertised from the back, no one would buy a tapestry.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">But that’s not how tapestries are made to be viewed.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Your life is a work of art like a tapestry. Right now it may look like a terrible, unplanned, disorganized mess, but there is a plan. You’re life is being woven together with artistry by a master artisan. He sees your problems. He knows your concerns. Best of all, He cares for you and loves you deeply. He is making sure that every thread of your life is placed exactly right, so your life will be a magnificent work of art, unique and unmatched in value.</span><o:p></o:p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-66409303692325101992009-07-30T08:11:00.002-05:002009-07-30T08:15:54.490-05:00Murphy's Law<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);" class="MsoNormal">Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style="font-size:78%;">For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Sometimes life stinks.<span style=""> </span>Things don’t go our way.<span style=""> </span>Murphy ’s Law engages and it seems that anything that can go wrong does.<span style=""> </span>Why does God allow such things?<span style=""> </span>If He is such a benevolent God, why does anything have to go wrong?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">First, let’s get some perspective.<span style=""> </span>We must admit that in order for things to make a turn for the worst, things must not have been as bad before the turn.<span style=""> </span>In order to get the perspective that something is “going wrong” it must have been “going right” for a while.<span style=""> </span>What do you know?<span style=""> </span>Things haven’t always been bad.<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Second, let’s look at a caterpillar.<span style=""> </span>It lives its life in relative comfort munching on leaves and other caterpillar delicacies, then one day spins a cocoon and takes a super-long cat(erpillar)-nap.<span style=""> </span>Then one day it awakes.<span style=""> </span>It feels trapped and needs out.<span style=""> </span>It feels abandoned by God.<span style=""> </span>It struggles and struggles.<span style=""> </span>It goes through the worst situation it has ever faced in its entire life.<span style=""> </span>Then it finally breaks free – as a beautiful butterfly.<span style=""> </span>It is no longer confined to munching on the plant it was munching on before, but now has freedom to go anywhere.<span style=""> </span>It has the power of flight.<span style=""> </span>It is much more beautiful.<span style=""> </span>In short, its life is vastly improved.<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Do you know what happens if someone helps the butterfly by cutting it out of the cocoon – even at the right time, when it is breaking free?<span style=""> </span>It dies.<span style=""> </span>The struggle is an essential part of the process.<span style=""> </span>It is required for the butterfly to have the ability to survive as a butterfly.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Your life is the same.<span style=""> </span>Look back on some of the hard times in your life.<span style=""> </span>Now look at character values those situations gave you: patience, strength, endurance, etc.<span style=""> </span>The hard times in life are the times we grow the most.<span style=""> </span>Although you may not know the purpose, God has a plan behind it.<span style=""> </span>Trust Him.<o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">When life sucks raw eggs and everything seems down, remember these three things: 1) It hasn’t always been bad, 2) hard times produce the most growth and are necessary to build you into the person you need to be and 3) God is working out a plan for you that gives you hope and a future.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-23009894331512948572009-07-27T10:32:00.002-05:002009-07-27T10:35:11.118-05:00God forgets; People don't<span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV)</span> </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"> <span style="font-size:78%;">No longer will a man teach his neighbor,</span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"> or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"> because they will all know me,</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"> from the least of them to the greatest," </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">declares the Lord.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"> "For I will forgive their wickedness</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"> and will remember their sins no more."</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">God's forgiveness is complete. He not only forgives us for the wrong we've done, but He chooses to not even remember them. In His eyes, you are perfectly clean, just like His son.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Our memories, however, stay in tact when we've been hurt. Even if forgiveness has been given you still remember the offense. This is by design.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Since God is omnipotent (all powerful), we really have no power to bring any harm to Him. We can disappoint Him and grieve Him, but we can't hurt him. However, humans do a great job of hurting each other. Even after you forgive someone, they can hurt you again and again. For this reason, God allows us to remember the offense. We have been given this gift so that we don't continually put ourselves in compromising situations that will allow us to repeatedly get hurt from the same injuries. In short, this is a gift of learning.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">By learning from our mistakes and knowing who we can trust, it minimizes the chance that we will allow the same person to hurt us in the same way again. Unfortunately, there is a down side to this remembering. It also makes trust a commodity that is difficult to regain. If you are hurt, you are more likely to be cautious to guard yourself from being hurt again. Forgiveness is irrelevant at this point. Self-preservation requires that some trust be withdrawn and reliability be proven before it is restored.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">When someone doesn't trust you because of something you've done in the past, remember that you need to show yourself reliable and trustworthy in order to regain their faith in you. New memories must be built to override the old memories. Trust must be built...slowly...and steadily...with care to be trustworthy in the smallest of details.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I hope this encourages you.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I love you for free!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-44801461699346111612009-01-12T09:57:00.003-06:002009-01-12T12:32:53.242-06:00Sold Out<span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" >Rom 12:1 (NIV)</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. </span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />What does God want? If He already has everything what does He want? He wants you.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">In order for Him to have you voluntarily, He first had to save you from destruction. He did this by Jesus’ sacrifice. If that hasn’t happened yet, that is the first step. Here's a quick breakdown: Like everyone else, you've screwed up. (Romans 3:23) The penalty for being imperfect is permanent separation from God - the source of life and everything good. Separation from life is death, so we're talking about a permanent, spiritual death. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">(Romans 6:23) </span><span style="font-family:arial;">God loved you enough that He sent His son, Jesus to die in your place and take that penalty. (Romans 5:8) He offers this substitution as a completely free gift. (Ephesians 2:8-9)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Secondly, He wants you to voluntarily sacrifice yourself. There’s that word again – sacrifice. Jesus set the example. You follow. He wants you – all of you - all your hopes, all your dreams, all your focus, energy, strength, thoughts, intentions. Romans 12:1 says to offer yourself – your entire being </span><span style="font-family:arial;">–</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> as a living sacrifice. Often we hold something back. It’s time to sell out. You need to have nothing left. You need to go all in. You need to give Him a blank check. You need to give Him all of it. Use whatever analogy you want. You need to give it all. Even giving Him everything, you can’t outgive what He’s given you.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">That sounds risky doesn’t it? Romans 8:32-33 says that He has our best interest in mind. He doesn’t treat you as a throw-away. He holds you as valuable.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> He treasures you. You can trust Him.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> He’s already sacrificed his Son. He doesn’t want that to be a waste.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rom 8:32-33 (NIV)</span><br />He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">According to Barna polls only 1 in 10 Christians live a fulfilled life. That’s because 90% stop after receiving salvation. They’ve never offered themselves. They made God savior, but never made Him Lord. They never put Him in charge. Until that happens, fulfillment is automatically limited. They try to follow Christ, but hold on to something else. Living with two masters can’t please either and makes the servant miserable. You <i>will</i> serve someone. Choosing a single, benevolent master with your best interest at heart just makes sense. Some translations say that this is your “reasonable” act of service.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Sell Out!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-18151848905245586602009-01-11T17:33:00.001-06:002009-01-11T17:35:55.082-06:00Secular Worship<span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);font-size:85%;" >John 4:23-24 (NIV)<br />Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Worship has many forms. Some like to worship quietly and reverently. Some like to worship boistrously and with reckless abandon. Which is correct? Scripture shows both as honoring to God. Styles of worship vary widely. This is probably why there are half a dozen churches within walking distance of mine ... and when I say walking distance, I'm talking about Winter walking through snow walking, not "it's a great day, let's go for a walk" walking.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Music styles are pretty diverse, too. Some churches play strictly hymns. Some play only choruses. Some like repetition. Some can't stand it. Some sing acapella, some use a piano and organ, and some have a full orchestra. I was on The Voyage Blog recently (http://voyageministries.blogspot.com/index.html) and I mentioned that some secular songs cause me to worship God. Why not? After all, true worship isn't the product of music and message. True worship is a by-product of a condition of the heart. True worship is an overflow of adoration. Does the following sound like it limits worship?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Psalms 150:3-6 (NIV)<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing,praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals,praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I'll blog more on true worship later. Today, I want to see comments on secular music that inspires you to worship. What makes you worship?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-13550778315639496592009-01-08T23:47:00.002-06:002009-01-08T23:55:04.691-06:00Burn Your Bridges<span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">James 1:21</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />I ran across this passage today. It reminded me of a concept that I teach my students: Burn your bridges. Often when we decide to break a bad habit we leave a way back to it. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we leave a way to make it easier to return to it. I say burn the bridge. For instance, if you want to stop smoking, you need to clean tobacco out of every nook and cranny in your house. Don't go to places where people smoke. Avoid going to place tobacco is sold. If you decide to stop smoking, but leave a pack of cigarettes "just in case," you aren't ready to quit. Burn your bridge. Make it impossible (or at least as difficult as possible) to return to that habit.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">This concept translates to any sin or habit in your life. We've got to stop making it easy to sin. In the passage above, the word translated "throw ... in the garbage" literally means to "lay it down and push it beyond reach". In <span style="font-style: italic;">Sparkling Gems from the Greek</span>, Rick Renner says that it is the word used in the first century to describe someone removing filthy work clothes and putting them beyond where they can influence sleep in preparation to get into a clean bed. How silly would it be to put muddy, sweaty, stinky, filthy clothes back on and climb between clean sheets!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">What bridge do you need to burn? You may need to delete an Internet link. You may need to block a channel on your TV. You may need to throw something out (all the way to the <span style="font-style: italic;">outside</span> garbage can). You may need to delete a phone number from your phone's memory. It's individual to you. Burn your bridge right now.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 153, 0); font-weight: bold;">Romans 13:14</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-84666383178097915852009-01-08T01:35:00.001-06:002009-01-08T01:40:09.425-06:00Friend of God“What would you do if you really met God?” – Alan Shore<br />“Probably take Him fishing.” – Denny Crane<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I caught this conversation on a commercial for Boston Legal. It jumped out at me as a fantastic answer. What could be greater than taking God with you to do what you love?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">God demands our respect and awe. He <span style="font-style: italic;">wants </span>to be our friend. Too often, our devotion to him is compartmentalized and reserved for auditoriums, churches, and “worship centers.” That’s good. Worship him at home, at work, in your favorite restaurant, and while you’re engaged in your favorite hobby by honoring Him by doing your best without reservation. That’s better. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">John 15:13-14 says “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Jesus laid down His life for us. We usually consider that to be a reference to His crucifixion. I think it’s more. He laid down His life for us when he became human. He laid His life down for us when He put His life on exhibition. Everything He did was an example of laying His life down. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Do you want to truly love? Start laying your life down in everything you do. It may not require your death, but it will require you to die to yourself.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-43360203279584058242009-01-06T21:44:00.004-06:002009-01-06T23:44:26.007-06:00Your ToBe ListI’m terrible at ToDo lists. I usually start the day with dozens of things on the list and by the end of the day I’ve managed to check off a few, but the next day I have the remainders of yesterday’s list plus enough new ones leave me losing ground.<br />Sticking to a ToDo list makes me cranky. I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. I may get some stuff done, but the benefit isn’t easily seen. It is very task based. Instead, I’m turning to a ToBe list. Instead of listing things I want to <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span>, I list things I want to <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span>. Today I want to <span style="font-style: italic;">be </span>a good writer. With that goal in mind and the clear benefit in my mind, the tasks necessary to be a good writer (writing) come naturally.<br />I know that Sunday morning I will want to <span style="font-style: italic;">be </span>a good teacher. Instead of focusing on <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span>ing (such as I want to teach a good lesson), focusing on <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span>ing a good teacher makes me want to study and <span style="font-style: italic;">be </span>better. Teaching a good lesson will then come naturally.<br />This year you probably started with resolutions. It’s been a few days, so chances are you’ve already broken them. I know I did. Focus this year, on <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span>ing who you were designed to <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span>. You might want to <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span> a better parent. You might need to <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span> a better son or daughter. You might want to <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span> a better {fill in your occupation here}. We all need to <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span> better role models. Maybe you want to <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span> a better example of Christ. Make a list of the things you want to <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span> and focus on those instead of what you want to <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span>. This year, <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span> all you can <span style="font-style: italic;">be</span>.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Inspired by Chip Ingram.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-43732807956367480072009-01-04T18:53:00.003-06:002009-01-04T18:57:18.335-06:00God Is Into NewHave you ever wondered why God created seasons? What about procreation? Flowers? Our God is into new.<br /> I’ve been working with youth for a long time … a couple of decades now. When the grunge music came on the scene, so did an interesting fashion trend. My youth, even the trendiest and most wealthy – actually especially the trendiest and most wealthy – were intentionally going to thrift stores to buy their clothes. Shortly after, several jeans companies started selling <i>new</i> jeans that were specifically “distressed” to look like old jeans. My affluent teens didn’t think twice about spending a few hundred dollars (no exaggeration) of their hard earned money (actually I mean their parents’ hard earned money) on a single pair of jeans that looked like they had been used as a rag for changing oil in the car, washed in old coffee grounds, splattered with bleach, then dragged behind the car for a few miles. They had holes and stains. The hems were frayed and the buttons and rivets scratched. I witnessed them buy new baseball caps and bend the brim severely and scrape it along the ground to ruin the newness.<br /> I didn’t get it. I like bright, new shiny things. I like opening the new impossible-to-open plastic sealed clamshell packages because I know that the contents have never been used by anyone else. When first cracking one open, I like the smell of the new useless plastic trinkets. That euphoric sensation that almost makes you woozy because it’s the first time the molded plastic has breathed. I like the shine of new metal, smooth with no flaws in its surface. I like the burned ozone smell of brand new electronics when you turn them on for the very first time. It excites me to get something new. It’s embarrassing, but I’ve purchased things that I know I already have enough of, just because I want a new one.<br /> Things with no scratches and that new smell have always held much more attraction for me … unless it’s something I really love. When it’s something I really love, I want it repaired. I want it re-made, recreated into something useful again. When I love something, I don’t want to let it go.<br /> Our God spent only seven days creating a good universe with very good people in it (Genesis 1-2). He said he was finished creating. Then Adam and Eve screwed it up. For the first time, it was broken. He’s been recreating ever since. Flowers bloom, attract insects to spread pollen, then die. Next Spring, they bloom again. Man dies, but his progeny lives on through procreation. Even in the end, when the Earth is destroyed, there is recreation into a new Heaven and a new Earth. <br /> I tell my youth all the time that they are lucky I’m not God. (They are quick to agree.) The day the forbidden fruit was eaten in Eden, I would have destroyed it all and started over from scratch. No witnesses, no foul. He didn’t. He loved man too much. His justice required the penalty he had ascribed for rebellion, but his grace provided the sacrifice in man’s stead. Atheists ask me all the time “how could a loving God callously send people to hell?” My response has always been. “He couldn’t. I believe a loving God would probably try to keep people out of hell. In fact, He would probably do everything He could to keep people out of a place like that. I believe a loving God would make personal sacrifice to help people avoid that. I believe He would even sacrifice His own son to keep people out of hell. That’s what a loving God would do. That’s what a loving God did.”<br /> As our calendar arbitrarily changes to a new year, remember that God has provided newness for you and wants to continually renew you. This is a chance to start new and fresh. It is an opportunity to let Him recreate you a little closer to His image. You may need allow Him to recreate you by eliminating bad habits that just won’t die. You may need to allow him recreate in you good habits that just won’t stay alive. You may need to allow Him to recreate strained relationships to strong ones. You may need to let Him recreate romantic relationships into friendships. Allow God to recreate you this year. He’s into new.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-46790687877489740732008-06-18T21:35:00.003-05:002008-06-18T21:45:36.812-05:00Gehazi's Oops<div class="Section1"> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Passage: 2 Kings 5</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Story Synopsis:</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Naaman was an important man, captain of the Aram military machine that had been kicking tail all over the Middle East. He was also a leper. An Israelite servant girl said that God would heal him if he visited his prophet Elisha in Samaria. He got permission and headed there. When he arrived, Elisha didn’t even meet him, but gave him instructions to wash seven times in the dirty Jordan River.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Naaman was furious and almost left. He had cleaner rivers at home and had travelled a long way to see a man that sent a servant to meet him. His own servants pointed out that if he had to do something difficult for healing, he would follow instructions carefully, so he humbled himself and washed in the Jordan seven times as instructed … and was healed of a deadly, contagious disease with no cure. Naaman had a complete change of heart and switched from worshipping false gods to confessing the God of Israel as the One True God.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >That’s where the story usually ends when it’s told, but let’s go a little further. Naaman offers Elisha a gift. He had brought with him approximately 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothes. Elisha, refused, showing that God operated differently from the false gods that required gifts for their favor. Naaman left pleased and with a better understanding of who God is.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Enter Gehazi, Elisha’s servant. Gehazi secretly chases down Naaman and tells a lie to get about 150 pounds of silver and two changes of clothes. When he returns Elisha confronts him for corrupting Naaman’s view of God and Gehazi and his family are plagued with leprosy.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >So where did Gehazi go wrong? Here are a few hints:</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >James 1:13-15 NIV</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. (James)</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Proverbs 23:7 ASV</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >For as he thinks within himself, so is he…. (Solomon)</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Matthew 12:34 NIV</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks…. (Jesus to Pharisees)</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Genesis 4:7 NIV</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” (God to Cain just before Cain killed Abel)</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The battle of the spirit isn’t won or lost in the spirit, but in the mind. Gehazi’s first makes his mistake in 2 Kings 5:20, when he <i><span style="font-style: italic;">thinks to himself</span></i> that Elisha let Naaman off easy. He missed the point of grace and seeks to get something in return for God’s favor. Naaman, a man who was culturally ingrained with Baal worship, where to get anything required giving something, left Elisha with an understanding of grace. Gehazi, a man who had been around grace in Elisha’s house for much, much longer, completely missed the point. You can see it in his language. Elisha said “as surely as the Lord lives, <i><span style="font-style: italic;">whom I serve ….”<b><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></b></span></i>Gehazi said “As surely as the Lord lives …” but conveniently leaves off the “whom I serve” that would indicate that God is really his Lord and master.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Isn’t that just like us? Many sit in church every Sunday, hearing God’s Word, seeing God work, experiencing worship, but completely and utterly missing the point. They’ve experienced <i><span style="font-style: italic;">church</span></i> their entire lives, hearing truth and understanding it, but never letting it inside. They <i><span style="font-style: italic;">believe</span></i> in who God is, but have never taken the plunge to <i><span style="font-style: italic;">trusting </span></i>Him to be their boss. In the end, the reward is spiritual separation from God, the source of everything good. Others, who experience God for the first time, completely turn their lives over to Him and are saved to live everlasting lives.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Romans 10:9-10 NIV</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Belief alone isn’t enough (James 2:19). You must make a confession of Christ as Lord (boss, master, and controller). A true confession means to admit that you’ve done it. If you haven’t really done it, it’s a false confession and holds no merit. When you’ve done this, leave me a comment and I’ll do what I can to help you start your new life!</span></span></p> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-22527591883336115502008-06-05T01:34:00.004-05:002008-06-05T01:37:31.812-05:00Revolution 2008 Saturday Quiet Time<div class="Section1"> <div style="border-style: none none double; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:12;" >The Lion of Judah</span></span></b></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">"Life is yours to be spent. Not to be saved." -D.H. Lawrence</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">The modern American church has emasculated Jesus. I know. It sounds sick, and it really is. When Jesus is portrayed, he is usually profoundly Caucasian, has a thin build, speaks in a soft sing-song voice, and turns the other cheek in a wishy-washy milquetoast way at every opportunity.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">I’ve read my Bible and it’s not the picture I get. I see a carpenter that has had to manhandle heavy wooden timbers since he was 10. I see an orator who speaks loudly enough to engage the attention of an entire crowd of over 5000 men not including women and children. (For comparison, the Falls Creek tabernacle can seat 7,253 people – and it uses lots of amplification.) I see a man powerful enough to drive businessmen away from their businesses when they were cheating people in the temple. I see someone bold enough to confront the most powerful men in the country and call them “whitewashed tombs”, and a “brood of vipers” when they were hindering people from coming easily to their God. I see the bravery of a man who approached a deranged demon-possessed man when others watched from a distance. I see a man who had the courage to knowingly walk into his own impending torturous doom head-on to save the people he loved.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">My Jesus isn’t afraid to confront evil. He’s not afraid to protect the people he loves. Although he won’t squabble over details that aren’t critical, he doesn’t back down from a righteous fight and he isn’t afraid to correct when it’s a major issue. He aggressively spreads the good news of God’s redemption even when it isn’t safe.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">This is the last day of camp. Tomorrow you will be home. Tomorrow, the enemy will use everything he has to bring you down and keep you there. Tomorrow, he will try to limit your influence and keep your camp experience at camp. You need a plan and today is the time to make it. Develop a strategy. Make a list of the things you need to do to integrate what you’ve learned into your daily life and to maintain the closeness you’ve developed with God this week. It’s going to take guts, determination and commitment.</span></span></p> <div style="border-style: none none solid; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">My Jesus isn’t a wuss and he’s called me not to be either.</span></span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Deut. 31:6 (NIV) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >John 16:33 (NIV) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >James 1:22 (Msg) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! </span></span></p> <div style="border-style: solid none none; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;color:windowtext -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Challenge:</span></span></i></b><i><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > Develop a plan for when you go home. If you need to eliminate a habit, make a plan. If you need to develop a new one, make a plan. Tell a friend so they can help you stick to it!</span></span></i></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></span></p> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-60884498893868189242008-06-05T01:34:00.003-05:002008-06-05T01:36:59.808-05:00Revolution 2008 Friday Quiet Time<div class="Section1"> <div style="border-style: none none double; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:12;" >The Way, the Truth, and the Life</span></span></b></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >“There couldn’t possibly be just one way [to God].” --Oprah Winfrey</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > “All religions are equally false and equally true, depending on how you use them.” --Eckart Tolle (Oprah’s spiritual advisor)</span></span></p> <div style="border-style: none none solid; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Eckart and Oprah have been saying that there are millions of ways to get to God. They say that every religion is equally right. This creates a problem. This means that any religion that claims to be the <i><span style="font-style: italic;">only</span></i> way also must be right. However, if two create they are the only one that is right, you immediately have a paradox and that theology breaks down. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Logically, not everyone can be right. Everyone can be wrong, but not everyone can be right. The trick, then, would be to find the one that is correct. You can start by eliminating anything that has internal contradictions or logical errors. This will immediately rule out several. Then eliminate those that obviously violate reality or have to change as new evidence becomes available. Now eradicate those that have any false, ambiguous, or missed predictions. Finally, purge all those whose leader didn’t do what he said he would and those that lack proof. What remains is a religion that is consistent with its own doctrine, logical, conforms to reality, remains stable throughout history, has a reliable leader, and has reasonable proof. What remains is Christianity.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Yesterday, I exposed Jesus as the Lamb of God, who permanently removes our sin. Today, I want you to see that Jesus is the only way to God. He is the only Truth. He is the only Life. He is the only Way. There is no other method, work, deity, prayer, person or action that can save you. He is the only Truth. Everything said about him by an Old Testament prophet, or recorded that he has said has been proven absolutely correct and true. He is the Life. He was the source of life in the beginning (John 1:1-3), he holds life together now (Colossians 1:15-17), and he is the only way to have life in the future (John 3:16). </span></span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >John 14:6 (NIV) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >John 1:1-5 (NIV) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Col. 1:15-17 (NIV) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. [16] For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >John 3:16-18 (NIV) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >John 3:36 (NIV) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." </span></span></p> <div style="border-style: solid none none; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;color:windowtext -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Challenge:</span></span></i></b><i><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > If you haven’t accepted Jesus as the only way to God, talk with a sponsor. If you have, be sure to tell someone.</span></span></i></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></span></p> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-44894562545644121472008-06-05T01:33:00.002-05:002008-06-05T01:36:27.933-05:00Revolution 2008 Thursday Quiet Time<div class="Section1"> <div style="border-style: none none double; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:12;" >The Lamb of God</span></span></b></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >What good is a lamb? Their wool makes great sweaters and socks that stay warm even when wet. A well-cooked lamb chop is pretty tasty. Beyond that, they don’t have much good purpose to us. However, to an ancient Hebrew, a lamb was so much more. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The Bible says that the tabernacle was designed as a representation of heaven. There was an outer court accessible to all men. Only the priests entered an outer room, called the Holy Place where they fulfilled various duties, but the innermost room, the Most Holy Place, was divided by a thick curtain that could only be entered once a year, and only by the High Priest after he had gone through a week long strenuous process of cleansing himself, and even then only with the blood of a perfect yearling lamb. Failure to follow these instructions to the letter resulted in instant death.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The Most Holy Place, often referred to as the Holy of Holies, was the holiest place on the face of the earth. It was representative of where God would dwell among His people. In the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant that had gone before the Israelites throughout their conquest of Canaan, the altar of incense, and a copy of the law to be a witness against the people. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The law exposes sin. It condemns. It was impossible to perfectly follow. It was designed to show that we all fall short of God’s perfection. We all do things we know we shouldn’t. We all leave undone those things we know we should do. The law witnessed against the Israelites just as it does before us today. There was no escaping the fact that humans were – and still are – imperfect and separated from God by that imperfection.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The blood of a perfect yearling lamb was sprinkled, atoning (covering) the sinfulness of the people. Until the next year when it would have to be repeated, the covering blood of a perfect lamb allowed our perfect God to stay in a relationship with imperfect people. </span></span></p> <div style="border-style: none none solid; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Then Jesus came and was proclaimed by John the Baptist to be “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus lived a perfect life. Even those who were with him nearly every day of the last three years of his life said they never saw him do <i><span style="font-style: italic;">even one thing</span></i> wrong. He sacrificed himself and became the sacrifice whose blood <u>permanently</u> covers the sin that separates us from God.</span></span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Hebrews 9 (It explains this concept in detail, but especially verses 24-28 below)</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Hebrews 10:1-2 (NIV) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Hebrews 10:10 (NIV) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. </span></span></p> <div style="border-style: solid none none; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;color:windowtext -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Challenge:</span></span></i></b><i><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > If you haven’t done so already, be sure to seek out a sponsor and discuss how to claim Jesus’ sacrifice for yourself.</span></span></i></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></span></p> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-18565383589309917792008-06-05T01:30:00.002-05:002008-06-05T01:31:54.462-05:00Revolution 2008 Wednesday Quiet Time<div class="Section1"> <div style="border-style: none none double; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Arial;font-size:12;" >God is Love</span></span></b></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >“What is love? Baby don’t hurt me.” –Haddaway</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >“Hello. I love you. Won’t you tell me your name?” –The Doors</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >“Sometimes I feel I’ve got to run away” –Softcell</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >“She wants to see you again … see you slowly twisting in the wind.” –They Might Be Giants</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Our music gives us a pretty screwed up image of what love is. Is it an emotion? Is it something you feel in response to an emotion? Is it a noun or a verb? Is it something you choose, or something you accidentally fall into? What’s the difference between love and romance? Ask the question “What is love?” and you’ll get as many answers as people you ask. One thing we do agree on though. Whatever it is, we all want it and lots of people will go to extreme lengths for it. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Most people confuse love with infatuation. Infatuation is that ooey-gooey feeling you get that feels like you swallowed warm hot chocolate on a cold winter day. It’s emotional and it produces a physical response that makes you feel good. It’s tricky. It’s possessive, obsessive, and unfortunately, it’s also self-centered. The objective of infatuation is to make <i><span style="font-style: italic;">you</span></i> feel good. It may obsess on another person, but it really has selfish “I want” motives that focus on <i><span style="font-style: italic;">your own</span></i> feelings.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >True love, on the other hand is others-oriented. It is always focused on another person’s well-being. When you truly love, you care more about the other person than even yourself. You are willing to go to extreme lengths to make sure they stay safe and healthy. Their long-term well being is your goal and you will sacrifice your own well-being to make sure theirs is protected.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >God is love. Not the love between a man and woman. Not the love between two brothers or close friends. God is an unconditional, proactive, unrelenting love without end or limits or boundaries and He’s focused that love on <u>YOU</u>.</span></span></p> <div style="border-style: none none solid; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;color:-moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >That desire that everyone has for love is a built-in longing for the Creator. They chase infatuation, but what they really yearn for is true Love. You may have left a “significant other” at home. You may have brought them with you. This week, I encourage you to chase after true Love. Chase after God. He is the Love you’re craving.</span></span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:10;" >1 John 4:7-10 (Msg) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:10;"> My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:10;" >1 John 4:15-17 (Msg) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:10;"> Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:10;" >John 15:13 (NIV) </span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:10;"> Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. </span></span></p> <div style="border-style: solid none none; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;color:windowtext -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Challenge: </span></span></i></b><i><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >During your free time today, take a poll from youth at other cabins. Have them define “love.” It’s a great conversation starter.</span></span></i></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span></span></p> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4300879910964983966.post-46183775228954448302008-06-03T07:42:00.001-05:002008-06-03T07:44:23.773-05:00Revolution 2008 Tuesday Quiet Time<div style="border-style: none none double; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; border-width: medium medium 4.5pt; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span style="font-family: Arial;">I AM<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">I AM.<span style=""> </span>It means “I exist.”<span style=""> </span>Only a fool says there is no God.<span style=""> </span>As Creator, I have placed adequate evidence so all who can reason can see proof of my existence.<span style=""> </span>Evidence of Me can be seen in the brilliance of a diamond, the symmetry of a flower, the intricacy and order of DNA, and the expanse and balance of the stars and planets.<span style=""> </span>I AM.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">I AM.<span style=""> </span>I have intentionally set up laws of nature, then intentionally superseded them to prove my existence beyond nature.<span style=""> </span>I established the second law of thermodynamics (entropy – the tendency of things to naturally seek chaos), then built order into my creation.<span style=""> </span>I set up the laws of physics, then multiplied food for thousands not once, but twice.<span style=""> </span>I mandated the law of life and death, then raised Lazarus from the dead.<span style=""> </span>I required the law of punishing the guilty for sin, then took the penalty upon myself for you.<span style=""> </span>I created the law of gravity, then ascended before dozens of witnesses.<span style=""> </span>I AM.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">I AM.<span style=""> </span>My name is not “I WAS.”<span style=""> </span>This week you may have left behind a difficult family life, problems that are stressing you out, or a relationship that takes all your time.<span style=""> </span>You may have other baggage that has caused you to be distracted from Me.<span style=""> </span>You are separated from those things this week to make it easier for you to find Me.<span style=""> </span>If you dwell on those things this week, you will miss Me because My name is not “I WAS.”<span style=""> </span>I AM.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">I AM.<span style=""> </span>My name is not “I WILL BE.”<span style=""> </span>You may have big things coming up next week.<span style=""> </span>You may have summer jobs, summer vacations, summer fun, and maybe even summer school.<span style=""> </span>Those things may steal your attention or cause you to worry.<span style=""> </span>I will be with you through each of those things <i style="">as you go through them</i>, but if you worry about those things this week you will miss me because my name is not “I WILL BE.”<span style=""> </span>I AM.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <div style="border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; border-width: medium medium 3pt; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">I AM this week, today, this very moment.<span style=""> </span>I AM with you.<span style=""> </span>I AM loving you.<span style=""> </span>I AM revealing myself to you if you will watch and listen.<span style=""> </span>I have been since before the world began and I will continue after it is gone.<span style=""> </span>In every moment … I AM.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Exodus 3:13-14 (NIV)<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style=""> </span>Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Psalm 14:1a (NIV)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style=""> </span>The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Job 36:26 (NIV)<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style=""> </span>How great is God--beyond our understanding!<span style=""> </span>The number of his years is past finding out.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style=""> </span>Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Matthew 6:25-34</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> (passage on worry)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <div style="border-style: solid none none; border-color: windowtext -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color; border-width: 3pt medium medium; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none ; padding: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Challenge:<span style=""> </span></span></i></b><i style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Spend the time you need today to “release” yourself from past mistakes, baggage and things you left behind.<span style=""> </span>Trust God to help you through next week’s problems and ask him to remove those things from your mind this week.<span style=""> </span>Concentrate on spending each and every moment in God’s presence (a form of the “present”).<b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0