Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 15,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.

“Reverend,” said the young man, “I’m so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip.”

The minister chuckled, “I know what you mean. It’s the same in my business.”

Sobe’s NO FEAR is no longer available, this follows the discontinuation of Sobe’s Adrenaline Rush a little over a year ago.  Both drinks were well flavored and nutritionally magnificent (as far as an energy drink could be), and Pepsi has killed them.

What is left for those of us energy drink consumers?  The plethora of carbonated syrups, tasting like sugared dung, with no nutritional value whatsoever?

I’m furious.  I’m disgusted and appalled that Pepsi would kill the only energy drink in existence which was suitable in flavor and balance for adult consumers.

Is there anything out there that can even compare  to NO FEAR in terms of flavor – I need to find something to drink.

By the way: I’m boycotting Pepsi products completely now as should anyone who enjoyed Adrenaline Rush or NO FEAR.

Heb 11:1  NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

Perhaps no other component of the Christian life is more important than faith. We cannot purchase it, sell it or give it to our friends. So what is faith and what role does faith play in the Christian life? The dictionary defines faith as “belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.” It also defines faith as “belief in and devotion to God.”

Faith – The cornerstone of Christianity

Faith is so important that without it (faith) we have no place with God, and it is impossible to please Him (Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].)

We believe in God’s existence by faith. Most people have a vague, disjointed notion of who God is but lack the reverence necessary for His exalted position in their lives. These people lack the true faith needed to have an eternal relationship with the God who loves them.

God designed a way to distinguish between those who belong to Him and those who do not – faith.  God tells us that it pleases Him that we believe in Him even though we cannot see Him. A key point in Hebrews 11:6 states that “He rewards those who earnestly seek Him”.  This is not to say that we are to have faith in God just to get something from Him although God loves to bless those who are obedient and faithful.

We see a perfect example of this in Luke 7:50. Jesus is engaged in dialog with a sinful woman when He gives us a glimpse of why faith is so rewarding. “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” The woman believed in Jesus Christ by faith and He rewarded her for it. Finally, faith is what sustains us to the end, knowing by faith that we will be in heaven with God for all eternity. “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Faith can fail us at times, but because it is the gift of God, given to His children, He provides times of trial and testing in order to prove that our faith is real and to sharpen and strengthen it. This is why James tells us to consider it “pure joy” because the testing of our faith produces perseverance and matures us, providing the evidence that our faith is real (James 1:2-4).

But how does faith affect your lives?  You get in the car and drive on faith. You do not know if you’re going to make it to your destination alive or not, but you go.  You have faith that the food you buy that is grown by strangers is not harmful, so you eat it.  You have faith that the doctors you see are competent. Therefore, you put yourself in their hands. You have faith that when you flick the light switch, the lights will come on.  If you did not have faith, if you did not trust others you would find it very difficult to drive, to eat, to get help in times of sickness, or to shed light on the darkness. Your life would be very difficult.

A Christian’s faith is very much like the faith we exhibit in daily life: Our faith in Christ is what allows us to live in Him, and Him through us.

The essentials of Christian faith

The essentials are those elements of our faith that we should rely upon and embrace as if our very lives depended upon them – for the truth is that, our lives (our eternal lives) truly do depend upon these foundations of our faith.

These essentials are the deity of Christ, salvation by God’s grace and not by works, salvation through Jesus Christ alone, the resurrection of Christ, the Gospel, monotheism and the holy Trinity.
The deity of Christ. Quite simply, Jesus is God. While Jesus never directly says, “I am God” in the Scriptures, He makes it very clear to those around Him, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees, that He is God. John 10:30 says, “I and the Father are one.” Jesus was claiming “deity” and, interestingly enough, He did not deny that He was God. Another example we find is located in John 20:28 when Thomas says, “My Lord and my God!” Again, Jesus does not correct Him by saying that He is not God. There are many other examples one can find in the Scriptures regarding Jesus’ rightful place in heaven.

Salvation by grace. We are all sinners separated from God and deserving of eternal punishment for our sin. Jesus’ death on the cross paid for the sins of mankind, giving us access to heaven and an eternal relationship with God. God did not have to do this for us, but he loves us so much that He sacrificed His only son. This is grace and it is most definitely undeserved favor. Scripture tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). There is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor or gain access to heaven apart from His grace.

Salvation through Jesus Christ alone. A truly provocative question to ask someone might be “Do all roads lead to God?” The truth is that all roads do lead to God. Eventually, we are all going to stand before God when we die no matter what faith we are. It is there that we will be judged for what we have or have not done while we were alive and whether Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives. For the majority of people this will be a terrible occasion as most will not know Him or be known by Him. For these people, hell will be the final destination. But God in His mercy has provided all of us the only means for salvation through His son, Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 tells us that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” This passage speaks of the name of Jesus and His saving power. Another example is found in the book of John. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). No one gets into heaven except by faith in the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ on their behalf.

The Resurrection of Christ. Perhaps no other event in the Bible, aside from Jesus’ appearance here on earth and subsequent death on the cross, is as significant to the Christian faith as that of the resurrection. Why is this event significant? The answer lies in the fact that Jesus died and then after three days came back to life and rose again to reappear to His followers in bodily form. Jesus had already demonstrated His ability to resurrect others such as His friend, Lazarus. But now God the Father had resurrected Him to display His awesome power and glory. This amazing fact is what separates the Christian faith from all others. All other religions are based on works or a powerless deity or person. The leaders of all other religions die and remain dead. The Christian faith is based on Christ crucified and resurrected to life. “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Lastly, to deny Christ’s bodily resurrection (John 2:19-21) is to deny that Jesus’ work here on earth was a satisfactory offering to God for the sins of mankind.

Monotheism. Quite simply, there is only one God. Exodus 20:3 states very powerfully, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Monotheism is the belief that there is only one God to be worshipped and served. “‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me’” (Isaiah 43:10). Here we see that we are to “believe” and “understand” that God lives and is one. A Christian will know that there is only one God and His name is Yahweh. All other ‘gods’ are false and are no gods at all. “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).

The Holy Trinity. While the concept of a “three-in-one God” is not defined by a single verse or passage, it is described frequently throughout Scripture. If we look at Matthew 28:19 we see the verse calling out the trinity: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” While this verse mentions all three Persons of the triune God, it does not call them the Trinity. Therefore, to understand the doctrine of the Holy Trinity we must look at the “totality” of Scripture and glean from it the very definition of it. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, we see how this comes together “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” Again, we see all three being represented but not titled the Holy Trinity.

Faith – a work?

I mentioned justification by grace through faith alone, not of works. So one may ask if faith isn’t a ‘work’ – something we actually do to gain salvation.

Our salvation depends solely upon Jesus Christ. He is our substitute, taking sin’s penalty (2 Corinthians 5:21); He is our Savior from sin (John 1:29); He is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). The work necessary to provide salvation was fully accomplished by Jesus Himself, who lived a perfect life, took God’s judgment for sin, and rose again from the dead (Hebrews 10:12).

The Bible is quite clear that our own works do not help merit salvation. We are saved “not because of righteous things we had done” (Titus 3:5). “Not by works” (Ephesians 2:9). “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). This means that offering sacrifices, keeping the commandments, going to church, being baptized, and other good deeds are incapable of saving anyone. No matter how “good” we are, we can never measure up to God’s standard of holiness (Romans 3:23; Matthew 19:17; Isaiah 64:6).

The Bible is just as clear that salvation is conditional; God does not save everyone. The one condition for salvation is faith in Jesus Christ. Nearly 200 times in the New Testament, faith (or belief) is declared to be the sole condition for salvation (John 1:12; Acts 16:31).

One day, some people asked Jesus what they could do to please God: “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus immediately points them to faith: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:28-29). So, the question is about God’s requirements (plural), and Jesus’ answer is that God’s requirement (singular) is that you believe in Him.

Grace is God’s giving us something we cannot earn or deserve. According to Romans 11:6, “works” of any kind destroys grace—the idea is that a worker earns payment, while the recipient of grace simply receives it, unearned. Since salvation is all of grace, it cannot be earned. Faith, therefore, is a non-work. Faith cannot truly be considered a “work,” or else it would destroy grace. (See also Romans 4—Abraham’s salvation was dependent on faith in God, as opposed to any work he performed.)

Suppose someone anonymously sent me a check for $1,000,000. The money is mine if I want it, but I still must endorse the check. In no way can signing my name be considered earning the million dollars—the endorsement is a non-work. I can never boast about becoming a millionaire through sheer effort or my own business savvy. No, the million dollars was simply a gift, and signing my name was the only way to receive it. Similarly, exercising faith is the only way to receive the generous gift of God, and faith cannot be considered a work worthy of the gift.

True faith cannot be considered a work because true faith involves a cessation of our works in the flesh. True faith has as its object Jesus and His work on our behalf (Matthew 11:28-29; Hebrews 4:10).

To take this a step further, true faith cannot be considered a work because even faith is a gift from God, not something we produce on our own. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). Praise the Lord for His power to save and for His grace to make salvation a reality!

Faith alone

Sola fide which means ‘faith alone’ is important because it is one of the distinguishing characteristics or key points that separate the true biblical Gospel from false gospels. At stake is the very Gospel itself and it is therefore a matter of eternal life or death. Getting the Gospel right is of such importance that the Apostle Paul would write in Galatians 1:9: “As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” Paul was addressing the same question that Sola fide addresses—on what basis is man declared by God to be justified? Is it by faith alone or by faith combined with works? Paul makes it clear in Galatians and Romans that man is “justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law” (Galatians 2:16) and the rest of the Bible concurs.

Sola fide is one of the five solas that came to define and summarize the key issues of the Protestant Reformation. Each of these Latin phrases represents a key area of doctrine that was an issue of contention between the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church, and today they still serve to summarize key doctrines essential to the Gospel and to Christian life and practice. The Latin word sola means “alone” or “only” and the essential Christian doctrines represented by these five Latin phrases accurately summarize the biblical teaching on these crucial subjects: sola scriptura—Scripture alone, Sola fide—faith alone, sola gratia—grace alone, sola Christus—Christ alone, and sola Deo gloria—for the glory of God alone. Each one is vitally important and they are all closely tied together. Deviation from one will lead to error in another essential doctrine and the result will almost always be a false gospel which is powerless to save.

Sola fide or faith alone is a key point of difference between not only Protestants and Catholics but between biblical Christianity and almost all other religions and teachings. The teaching that we are declared righteous by God (justified) on the basis of our faith alone and not by works is a key doctrine of the Bible and a line that divides most cults from biblical Christianity. While most religions and cults teach men what works they must do to be saved, the Bible teaches that we are not saved by works, but by God’s grace through His gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Biblical Christianity is distinct from every other religion in that it is centered on what God has accomplished through Christ’s finished work, while all other religions are based on human achievement. If we abandon the doctrine of justification by faith, we abandon the only way of salvation. “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:4-5). The Bible teaches that those that trust Jesus Christ for justification by faith alone are imputed with His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), while those who try to establish their own righteousness or mix faith with works will receive the punishment due to all who fall short of God’s perfect standard.

Sola fide—the doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from works—is simply recognizing what is taught over and over in Scripture—that at some point in time God declares ungodly sinners righteous by imputing Christ’s righteousness to them (Romans 4:5, 5:8, 5:19). This happens apart from any works and before the individual actually begins to become righteous. This is an important distinction between Catholic theology that teaches righteous works are meritorious towards salvation and Protestant theology that affirms the biblical teaching that righteous works are the result and evidence of a born again person who has been justified by God and regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit.

How important is Sola fide? It is so important to the Gospel message and a biblical understanding of salvation that Martin Luther described it as being “the article with and by which the church stands.” Those who reject Sola fide reject the only Gospel that can save them and by necessity embraces a false gospel. That is why Paul so adamantly denounces those who taught law-keeping or other works of righteousness in Galatians 1:9 and other passages. Yet today this important biblical doctrine is once again under attack. Too often Sola fide is relegated to secondary importance instead of being recognized as an essential doctrine of Christianity, which it certainly is.

“Consider Abraham: ‘He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’ Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Galatians 3:6-11).

Proof versus faith

Our relationship with God is similar to our relationship with others in that all relationships require faith. We can never fully know any other person. This is because we are incapable of fully knowing others because we cannot experience all they experience nor enter into their minds to know what their thoughts and emotions are.

Proverbs 14:10 says, “The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy.” We are even incapable of knowing our own heart fully. Jeremiah 17:9 says that the human heart is wicked and deceptive, and this verse asks concerning the human heart, “Who can know it?” In other words, the human heart is such that it seeks to hide the depth of its wickedness and gloss over it, deceiving even its owner.

Because we are incapable of fully knowing fellow humans, to some degree faith (trust) is an integral ingredient in all relationships. We all share information about ourselves with others, trusting they will not betray us with that knowledge. We drive down the road, trusting those driving around us to follow the rule of the road. Whether with strangers or with intimate friends and companions, because we cannot fully know others, trust is always a necessary component of our relationships.

Subsequently, if we cannot know our fellow finite human beings fully, how can we expect to know an infinite God fully? Even if He should desire to reveal Himself fully, it would be impossible for us to really know Him. It would be like trying to pour the ocean into a quart-measuring jar.

But nonetheless, even as we can have meaningful relationships with those around us that we have grown to trust because of our knowledge of them and of their character, so God has revealed enough about Himself through His creation (Romans 1:18-21), through His written word, the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:16-21), and through His Son (John 14:9) that we can enter into a meaningful relationship with Him.  However, this is only possible when the barrier of sin has been removed by coming to trust in Christ’s person and His work on the cross as payment for our sin.

This is necessary because, as it is impossible for both light and darkness to dwell together, so it is impossible for a holy God to have fellowship with sinful mankind unless our sin has been paid for and removed. Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, died on the cross to take our punishment and change us so that the one who believes on Him can become a child of God and live eternally in His presence (John 1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Peter 3:18; Romans 3:10-26).

There have been times in the past that God has revealed Himself more “visibly” to people. One example of this is at the time of the exodus from Egypt, when God revealed His care for the Israelites by sending the miraculous plagues upon the Egyptians until they were willing to release the Israelites from their slavery. God then opened up the Red Sea, enabling the approximately two million Israelites to cross over on dry ground. Then, as the Egyptian army sought to pursue them through the same opening, He defeated this enemy by bringing the waters upon them. Later, in the wilderness, God fed them miraculously with manna, guided them in the day by a pillar of cloud and by night by a pillar of fire, visible representations of His presence with them. He also obtained water for this great number of people in the wilderness through miraculous means, including causing water to flow from a rock as Moses struck it with his rod.

Yet, in spite of these repeated demonstrations of His love, guidance, and power, they still refused to trust Him when He wanted them to enter into the Promised Land. They chose instead to trust the word of ten men who frightened them with their stories of the walled cities and the giant stature of some of the people of the land, and to ignore the counsel of two godly men who encouraged them to trust God who had always been faithful. These events, found in the books of Exodus and Numbers, show that God’s further revealing Himself to us would have no greater effect on our ability to trust Him. For were God to interact in a similar fashion with all of the people living today, we would respond no differently than did those Israelites…our sinful hearts are the same as theirs. But even as a few of the Israelites chose to trust God based on what He had revealed of Himself in the past and were willing to trust Him for the future, (going into the Promised Land – Numbers 13:1-14:9), so we can choose to trust Him for our future based upon what He has already revealed about Himself and His character.

The Bible also speaks of a future time when the glorified Christ will return to rule the earth from Jerusalem for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-10). More people will be born on the earth during that reign of Christ. He will rule with complete justice and righteousness, yet in spite of His perfect rule, the Bible states that at the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will have no trouble raising up an army of men to rebel against and to seek to overthrow Christ’s rule. The future event of the millennium and the past event of the exodus reveal that the problem is not with God insufficiently revealing Himself to man; rather, the problem is with man’s sinful heart rebelling against God’s loving reign because it craves its own sinful self-rule.

God has revealed enough of His nature for us to be able to trust Him. He has declared and shown through the events of history, in the workings of nature, and through the life of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise, all-loving, all-holy, unchanging, and eternal. And in that revelation, He has shown that He is worthy to be trusted. But as with the Israelites in the wilderness, the choice is ours as to whether or not we will trust Him. Often, one is inclined to make this choice based on what he/she thinks he knows about God rather than what He has revealed about Himself and can be understood about Him through a careful study of His inerrant word, the Bible. I encourage you to begin this careful study of the Bible, that you may come to know God through a reliance upon His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth to save us from our sin so that we might have sweet companionship with God both now and in a fuller way in heaven one day.

Growing in faith

We are commanded in Scripture to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This growth is spiritual growth, growing in faith.

The moment we receive Christ as our Savior, we are born again spiritually into God’s family. But just as a newborn baby requires nourishing milk for growth and good development, so also a baby Christian requires spiritual food for growth. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:2-3). Milk is used in the New Testament as a symbol of what is basic to the Christian life.

But as a baby grows, its diet changes to also include solid foods. With this in mind, read how the writer of Hebrews admonished the Christians: “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14). Paul saw the same problem with the Corinthian believers; they had not grown in their faith, and he could only give them “milk” because they were not ready for solid food (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

The analogy between a human baby and a spiritual baby breaks down when we realize how each baby matures. A human baby is fed by his parents and growth is natural. But a baby Christian will only grow as much as he purposefully reads and obeys and applies the Word to his life. Growth is up to him. There are Christians who have been saved many years, but spiritually they are still babies. They cannot understand the deeper truths of the Word of God.

What should a Christian’s diet consist of? The Word of God! The truths taught in the Bible are rich food for Christians. Peter wrote that God has given us everything we need for life through our (growing) knowledge of Him. Read carefully 2 Peter 1:3-11 where Peter lists character qualities that need to be added to our beginning point of faith in order for maturity to take place and to have a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

All Christians want, or should want, to increase their faith. But those who have given their lives to Christ have come to realize that success does not come from our own human attempts; we always fail. First Corinthians 4:7 reminds us, “What makes you better than anyone else? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?” Without God, we are left to our own resources, which plague us with pride, stubbornness, indifference, insensitivity, and failure. The only one we can count on who absolutely will not fail us is God (Hebrews 13:5).

Beginning our journey of faith with God requires that we immerse ourselves in His Word (Titus 1:13-14). We must learn about His love, His justice, His mercy, and His plan. We must form a relationship with Him, so that we can know Him personally through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 17:3). We should ask Him to reveal Himself to us and change us. The Bible promises that if we seek God, we will find Him (Matthew 7:7). And if we allow Him to, He will transform us into new people who can know His will (Romans 12:2). We have to be willing to die to our old selves and let go of the pride and selfishness that kept us from Him for so long. As God changes us, we will learn to develop the fruit that comes from the Holy Spirit, who dwells in all Christians (Galatians 5:22-23; John 14:17). As we walk in the Spirit, allowing Him to control our lives, we will begin to trust in Him. “Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done” (Colossians 2:7).

If our trust in God is going to grow, we have to learn to step out in faith, moving out of our comfort zone and taking chances. If we believe that God will sustain us for that day, we can be free to carry out His will, regardless of the consequences. Whenever we face temptations, God will always provide a way out so that we will not be overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13). We need to look for that way out, and praise God when we find it. First Peter 1:7 says He will use trials to test our faith and to make us stronger Christians; we will be given much honor if we can stand strong and not waver. “Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news – the Good News about Christ” (Romans 10:17).

I would appreciate some input from anyone about this topic so I can figure out what to write that would be a benefit for everyone (myself included).

I have long struggled with faith and walking the path God has laid out for me and I feel compelled to explore that struggle and be able to put into writing something clear, concise, and helpful for me and you.

Your input/ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Senate Republican Wants to Make President Obama Use New Health Care Reform

Grassley said, in a statement released to reporters, “It’s only fair and logical that top administration officials, who fought so hard for passage of this overhaul of America’s health care system, experience it themselves. If it’s as good as promised, they’ll know it first-hand. If there are problems, they’ll be able to really understand them, as they should.”

Perhaps it’s just me, but I feel that anything Congress does that effects the way of life for the American populace should be imposed upon them as well. If those elected in to office feel that the Bills they pass are good enough for the people then they should be good enough for themselves also.

Live like you have nothing to gain

Live like you have nothing to hide

1.  Hang out with Christians all the time.  Then, when they do hang out with non-christians, they have a clear agenda.

2.  Quote Scripture out of context to promote personal goals.  For example, Phil. 4:13.  That does NOT mean that you can fly because Christ strengthens you.  Try it.  Ok, don’t try it.  Just throw an egg out of your window and watch gravity win.  Oh, and it won’t help you win a football game either.

3.  Force discipleship.  You cannot artificially put two people together and expect one to disciple the other.  Discipleship takes place in the context of relationships and living your life with others.

4.  Believe everything they read, because ‘it’s on the Christian best seller list.’  Example: The Left Behind series.

5.  Disrespect others.  Not once do you see Jesus disrespecting anyone even when he disagreed with them.

6.  Migrate to the extremes.  No, I don’t have to be a Republican to be a Christian.  And yes, truth does exist in other religions.  They live in God’s world too, so they can’t escape Truth.  Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.  (I’m not saying other religions are correct, but within each religion there is some sort of truth that we can respect and use as a catalyst for conversation.)

7.  Display a lack of authenticity.  Everyone can smell this a mile away.  Just be yourself.  If your hacked off, it’s alright to show your emotion.

8.  Hold others to their convictions.  There are certain areas that are gray.  In these areas, let your conscience hold you accountable, but don’t hold others accountable to your conscience.  You then sit in the judgment seat.  Beware.

9.  Major in the minors and Minor in the majors.

10.  Accept things as truth because they are traditions.  Is the way we do ‘church’ really how it is supposed to be?  What happened to understanding the ‘church’ as God’s covenant people?  Going to ‘church’ was a foreign concept in Biblical times.  It would be like calling your mother an assembly hall.

These are in no particular order, but I needed to get them off my chest.  Do you have any you’d like to add?

• Which is worse, failing or never trying?
• If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
• When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
• Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
• If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
• To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
• Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
• How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
• What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
• Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
• Have you been the kind of friend that you want as a friend?
• Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
• Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
• Has your greatest fear ever come true?
• At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? If not now, then when? If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
• Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
• If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
• What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
• If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
• What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
• What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
• Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., last week introduced a bill to cut pay for members of Congress by 5 percent – the first pay cut in 77 years – to help chisel away at the national debt. “I’m putting my money where my mouth is. I’m leading by example and I hope my colleagues will join me,” she said. The current salary for a member of the House is $174,000, so the pay cut would amount to about $8,700.

I will be the first to stand up and say that the proposal by Rep Kirkpatrick is not nearly enough, and long overdue. However, I will give her kudo’s for at least making an effort to do the right thing. Additionally, I’m surprised that this proposal has come from the left side of the aisle, not what one would expect, but I suppose that the concept of personal responsibility and political ideology don’t always go hand in hand…

I applaud Rep. Kirkpatrick though, what she proposes is most definitely the right thing to do, even if it is little more than a token gesture – it is a welcome gesture and one that should be embraced and passed by the entire legislature.

Consider for a moment that to date, Congress has utterly failed to do the job that it is supposed to do, and if anyone worked for me that repeated and consistently failed to do their job, well…. they wouldn’t be working for me anymore.

If my input counted for anything, I would suggest that the 5% cut be increased to 10% and that additional ‘perks’ be reduced, or eliminated, as well.

From Kiplinger we see this:

A base lawmakers’ salary, for instance, is now $165,200 (a little higher for House and Senate leaders). There is a cheap but excellent federal health care plan and life insurance. Plus free outpatient care from military hospitals. There is an inflation-adjusted pension plan that’s almost three times as generous as the typical private sector pension, and there’s a special thrift-savings accounts, a kind of 401(k) plan, that comes a one-to-one match up to 5% of a member’s salary.

On top of that, they’re given a sizable budget of $2 million to $4 million a year for office administration and staff expenses. There is a furniture expense account, subsidized mass mailings to constituents (known as the franking privilege) and free income tax-return preparation assistance. In addition to all that, members also receive a special tax deduction for maintaining a second residence, and yet more, there are the numerous foreign trips (spouses included) often to exotic places hosted by nonprofit groups. House members, but not senators, can also keep frequent flier miles they rack up on official travel and use them for personal trips later.

What’s more, members have exclusive use of the Congressional Research Service to do their legwork. There is free use of broadcast taping studios, free reserved parking at the office and at Washington-area airports and a free member-only gym and pool, expedited passport services and of course the well-appointed and subsidized members’ dining rooms.

Cheap Federal Health Care plan?  The American populace is going bankrupt to try to get any type of health care…

Free outpatient care from military hospitals?  Absolutely ridiculous.  I’m a disabled vet and I get substandard, as-space-allows care if any. Why should elected officials get something better than me when I’m supposed to be guaranteed that care?

Don’t even get me started on the pension plan and the “401k” plan… I’m all for them being able to contribute to a personal retirement account, but should my tax dollars match their personal funds for that plan?  They don’t match my personal funds if and when I’m able to afford to contribute.

I could go on but I’m starting to get myself ticked off.  So let it suffice for now to say that I commend Rep. Kirkpatrick for what she is proposing and suggest to her, and her fellow law-makers, that serious reductions in salaries and benefits be implemented until the Legislature does, and continues to do, the job they are supposed to do.

Mat 7:1  Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Matthew 7:1, one of the most often quoted, and most often mis-applied and misunderstood passages from the Holy Scriptures.  It has been used, incorrectly, to defend one’s poor decisions and poor behavior, and lifestyle choices, and has even been used in attempts to get out of civic responsibility:

“I can’t do Jury Duty because the bible tells me not to judge others….“

Firstly, let us look at the etymology of “judge” as used by the King James translators:

“Judge” is translated from the Greek “krinō”

Properly to distinguish, that is, decide (mentally or judicially); by implication to try, condemn, punish: – avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.

The term “judge” is used in more than one sense, but Christ’s meaning in this passage is plain.

1. He does not prohibit the civil judgment of the courts upon evil doers, for this is approved throughout the whole Bible.

2. He does not prohibit the judgment of the church, through its officers, upon those who walk disorderly, for both he and the apostles have enjoined this.

3. He does not forbid those private judgments that we are compelled to form the wrong-doers, for he himself tells us that we are to judge men by their fruits. (Mat 7:15-20.)

Christ’s meaning is made clear by the subsequent passage:

Mat 7:1-2  DO NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves.  (2)  For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

What he designs to prohibit is rash, uncharitable judgments, a fault-finding spirit, a disposition to condemn without examination of charges. This command refers to rash, censorious, and unjust judgment and a spirit of condemnation.

Romans 2:1 and Luke 6:37 explains it in the sense of “condemning.”

Rom 2:1  THEREFORE YOU have no excuse or defense or justification, O man, whoever you are who judges and condemns another. For in posing as judge and passing sentence on another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things [that you censure and denounce].

Luk 6:37  Judge not [neither pronouncing judgment nor subjecting to censure], and you will not be judged; do not condemn and pronounce guilty, and you will not be condemned and pronounced guilty; acquit and forgive and release (give up resentment, let it drop), and you will be acquitted and forgiven and released.

We cannot look upon Christ’s prohibition to ‘condemn’ without understanding the “why” for the prohibition. Look again at verse 2: For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

and Luke 6:38  Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you.

Whatever standard of “judgment” you apply to others will be judiciously applied to you.

1. You usually spend time with that person. Jesus is with you everywhere you go—treat Him like it. Talk to Him throughout your day. Spend alone time with Him in prayer, Bible study, and worship, and just talking to Him about your day, your concerns, and the needs of others. Ask Him what He wants to accomplish in your life, the lives of others, the world around you. Ask Him what He likes and doesn’t like.
2. You try to get to know the person better. Of course, this is part of spending time with Jesus. But also, if you want to know a person better, you try to dig a little deeper in than the surface. God has given us the Bible, a holy love letter from Him to us, to help us to know Him better. If you really want to get to know Jesus better, you have got to set aside the time read (not skim), his letter to you.
3. You reserve time for that person. So many things in life will fill your schedule and steal time from what’s really important. If you want Jesus to be real to you, you have to treat Him like He is. Set aside time for Him that is His. Not sure how to squeeze in anything else into an already packed schedule? Ask Him for wisdom, and guidance, and then make it happen. Each one of us makes sure we take time to eat everyday, you have to view time with God as even more important than physical sustenance.
4. You go deeper. You cannot experience the riches of a relationship with Jesus by keeping Him at arm’s-length as a casual acquaintance. It’s true, He already knows your inmost thoughts, your deepest desires, your fears, struggles, likes, dislikes, and deepest secrets—but share them with Him anyways. Tell Him everything. Through doing so, you will begin to hear what He has to say to you about what you share. Through doing so, He will reveal more and more of Himself to you. Allow yourself to touch His heart, and He will most certainly touch yours.
5. You share your thoughts about that person, with that person. Tell God how you feel and think about Him—about how He makes you feel, and think. Tell Him what you like about Him. Reminisce with Him about the times in your life you felt His presence. Thank Him for what He has done and is doing in your life, other’s lives, and in the world.
6. You ask the person to do things with you. The desire we have to spend time with God should be demonstrated by asking God to go along with you wherever you go. You can ask God to go to work with you, or the store, or maybe to a basketball game. Does that sound strange? Don’t let it. You ask others to do things with you, why not God? God wants you to include Him in every part of your life. And if there is a part of your life you feel uneasy about including Him in, you might want to evaluate if its something you shouldn’t do. There should be no part of your life that you wouldn’t feel comfortable with God being there right beside you.
7. You do things for that person, and are comfortable asking them to do things for you. In any close relationship, it is only natural to desire to do things for the other that will please that person. We are glad to do things for them. We also are happy that they are glad to do things for us. God will not always do what we ask. However, He will always do what is best. He has your best interest at heart and will give to you what is good. If you ask for Him to do things that are according to His will, He will give—and often in ways you would not have imagined.
8. You seek forgiveness when you have hurt, offended, or wronged that person. We all make mistakes, and we all will at one time or another cause friction in our relationships. But God is the God of endless forgiveness. Regardless of what we do, if we come to Him and are genuinely sorry for what we do wrong, He will forgive, and forgive, and forgive. It has been said that you cannot out-give God. You also cannot out-Forgive God. Don’t let anyone (including yourself) convince you that what you’ve done is unforgivable. That’s not what God says.
9. You enjoy each other. Is it a stretch to believe that you can enjoy God? Well God enjoys you. He takes pleasure in you and desires you to take pleasure in Him. How? There are countless ways. Perhaps when you look at His creation and you say, “Wow… You do good work.” Perhaps you are walking along, thinking about something, and suddenly God plants a thought in your mind that causes you to see something completely different; and you stop and stand in awe because He never ceases to amaze you. Perhaps He catches you off guard and speaks to you through the most peculiar means, and it makes you laugh while at the same time you are warmed by the sentiment. The list is truly endless.
10. You work with that person. There is a great deal of joy to be found in accomplishing something with someone that you could not have accomplished alone. As we closely walk with God, He will give us opportunity to accomplish great things with Him. Him in you, and you in Him—you will be astonished at what you can do together that you cannot do alone.

How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have, whether costly or meek
Because we believe
Gold for His honor and frankincense for His pleasure
And myrrh for the cross He’ll suffer
Do you believe?
Is this who we’ve waited for?
How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only one did that for me
Oh, all for me, Oh
All for me, all for you
All for me, all for you

Most of the ‘job creation and saving’ reports seem to be more about engaging in statistical gymnastics intended to put a new coat of paint on a condemned building.  My main point of consternation is the jobs ‘saved’ rhetoric.  How in the world can anyone put a figure on such an intangible?

For the government to say that money they poured into the building of freeway overpass somehow saved 12-15 jobs is absolutely nonsensical.  For them to credit the re-employment of an existing highway construction worker as the ‘creation’ of a new job is equally unsettling.

I am not an economist, nor do I play one on TV. I work in retail, on the front lines of the state of the economy in the real world, and this is what I see:

First the good news

More people are buying things.  This increase in customer traffic bodes well for the state of the economy.  In my store the customer traffic has increased by about 11% since July ’09.  However, the news on this front isn’t all wine and roses.  My store is a discount retailer, so my increase in customer traffic is juxtaposed with a corresponding decrease in the shopping malls and department stores.  Long story short?  It isn’t that more people are buying but that the same people are buying where they can get more for their money.

Now the bad news

While my customer traffic has increased significantly, the amount of money spent on each shopping excursion remains relatively flat.  Simply put; more customers are shopping in my store but spending the same amount, or slightly less, than they used to.

This ‘good news/bad news’ paradigm tells me this about the state of the economy:

While many are frustrated with all the doom and gloom of the economic future, they still need things, so they will still buy things.  However, what they will do is buy those things where they can get them cheaper, and they will buy only the specific things they need and not shop for extra stuff.  Their money is used for needs, not wants.  Unfortunately, economic growth is anchored in the purchase of wants as much as needs.

Conversations with many of my customers also reveals some truth about the economic world:

Many are frustrated at the slowdown of their personal economic growth (non-existent cost of living pay raises and forced furloughs which further reduce their income). Many are uncertain of their chances of remaining employed in the future, and many are truly upset that they see no opportunity to move to other employment to improve their situation beyond their current state (simply being thankful they have a job no matter how much that job sucks or how insufficient the income).

I understand that the people who spent billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars to stimulate the economy feel a need to try to justify their actions and show some sort of improvement as a result of those actions, but really, are the American people considered to be so stupid as to believe the rubbish?  The stimulus was, and is, a good idea – something has to be done to jumpstart the country out of this horrific recession.  However, the way the money was (and is being) spent, is far from effective.

Put the money in the hands of the people who need it and who will do something with it to actually cause stimulus.  Help business survive and grow so they can hire, promote, and continue to employ.  The strength of our economy has been, and always will be, based on the strength of business, large and small, not the banks and massive corporations who hoard the money to make their bottom lines look good.  Not government construction jobs that last a few months or weeks, but in the Mom and Pop shops that produce and provide services, pay taxes, and hire a new delivery driver or cashier.

If you are going to spend money we don’t really have, then spend it on something that will actually produce results.

Many assert that Tiger somehow owes the public some sort of explanation for the crash, they speculate on the details of the police report and ridiculously come to the conclusion that Tiger is hiding something and that somehow the general public is ‘owed’ some type of explanation.

Hogwash.

Tiger crashed his car – big deal.  I’ve crashed my car before, in a ridiculously stupid accident.  I hit the gas instead of the brake and drove through a chain link fence.  I wasn’t drinking; I wasn’t fighting with my wife, I wasn’t doing anything except wrecking my car and a fence.

Tiger owes no one anything. His life outside of his public appearances is his life, not ours, not the media’s, not anyone but his and his family’s.

Tiger; keep your private life private.

The rest of the world: Pay more attention to your own lives and less attention to his.

I am telling you that this is not the key to a healthy, happy marriage.  This is the key to self-interest, resentment, and dissatisfaction.

As it is with most things in this life, scripture has given us the answer to the question:  How do I have, and maintain, a healthy, happy, marriage?

Eph 5:25-33 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, (26) So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, (27) That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].  (28)  Even so husbands should love their wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.  (29)  For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, (30) because we are members (parts) of His body.  (31)  For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. (32)  This mystery is very great, but I speak concerning [the relation of] Christ and the church.  (33)  However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly].

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her…”

Think about this admonition for just a moment. When we look at the underlying example given here, we see something that worldly wisdom does not give us. We see the example of Christ’s love and sacrifice and this absolutely is the key element of a healthy, happy marriage – complete and total sacrifice.

How exactly does Christ love the church?  He gave His life for her.

Rom 5:8  But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

Consider for a moment the message of the Gospel – Jesus’ love is such that He gave His life for the church; not based on reciprocation, not based on condition, not dependent upon anything from us, nor requirement of us, just complete and total sacrifice born of love.

Christ Jesus divested Himself of His power, His glory, and His very life, for the sanctification of the world.  He did not say to the world, ‘If you do this for Me, I will do this for you’.  He did not say to His Father in Heaven, ‘If they believe in Me, choose Me, obey Me, follow Me, love Me, then I will sacrifice Myself for them’.

Indeed, Christ’s love for us was much different, it was a love that transcended His own needs, desire for recognition, satisfaction, affection, devotion, or anything else. It was a love that became the impetus for Him to say the world:  “I will die for you because I love you. I am giving my life for you as a gift born of my undying and everlasting love for you. You have to do nothing to deserve it, you have to do nothing to earn it; I’m giving it to you freely and willingly because I love you.”

Not only did He give His life and His love to us unconditionally, He also promises and is faithful to keep His promises (Heb 10:23, 1 Ki 8:56, Rom 15:8) to be faithful to fulfill our needs:

He stays with us, supports us and protects us through hard times:

Isa 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.

He faithfully forgives us, and forgets what we do wrong:

Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more. [Jer. 31:31-34.]

He loves us and supports us when the others turn away:

Psa 27:10 When my father and my mother are turned away from me, then the Lord will be my support.

He takes care of our physical needs and relieves us of the worry of day-to-day things:

Mat 6:25-34 Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?  (26)  Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?  (27)  And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life? [Ps. 39:5-7.]  (28)  And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin.  (29)  Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.]  (30)  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?  (31)  Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?  (32)  For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.  (33)  But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.  (34)  So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

This love and sacrifice that Christ has for His church is the love and sacrifice a man should have for his wife.

What of the wife, what is her role in this relationship?

Eph 5:33 tells us:  “…and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly]. “

The wife’s role is one of faithfulness, trust, and abiding love.  John 3:16 tells us:

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

God’s love came first, our trust and reliance on Him comes next, just as a husband’s love and sacrifice comes first and is then reciprocated by the bride’s trust and reliance on him – she abides in his love.

These passages discuss the role of the wife:

1Co 11:3-12 But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the Head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the Head of Christ is God.  (4)  Any man who prays or prophesies (teaches, refutes, reproves, admonishes, and comforts) with his head covered dishonors his Head (Christ).  (5)  And any woman who [publicly] prays or prophesies (teaches, refutes, reproves, admonishes, or comforts) when she is bareheaded dishonors her head (her husband); it is the same as [if her head were] shaved.  (6)  For if a woman will not wear [a head] covering, then she should cut off her hair too; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her head shorn or shaven, let her cover [her head].  (7)  For a man ought not to wear anything on his head [in church], for he is the image and [reflected] glory of God [his function of government reflects the majesty of the divine Rule]; but woman is [the expression of] man’s glory (majesty, preeminence). [Gen. 1:26.]  (8)  For man was not [created] from woman, but woman from man; (9)  Neither was man created on account of or for the benefit of woman, but woman on account of and for the benefit of man. [Gen. 2:18.]  (10)  Therefore she should [be subject to his authority and should] have a covering on her head [as a token, a symbol, of her submission to authority, that she may show reverence as do] the angels [and not displease them].  (11)  Nevertheless, in [the plan of] the Lord and from His point of view woman is not apart from and independent of man, nor is man aloof from and independent of woman; (12) For as woman was made from man, even so man is also born of woman; and all [whether male or female go forth] from God [as their Author].

Col 3:18 Wives, be subject to your husbands [subordinate and adapt yourselves to them], as is right and fitting and your proper duty in the Lord.

Eph 5:22-24 Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) to your own husbands as [a service] to the Lord.  (23)  For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the church, Himself the Savior of [His] body.  (24)  As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands.

This wifely role has been the source of much consternation for many people.  In the ‘wisdom’ of the world it is a denial of one’s ‘personal power’, it is considered demeaning and perhaps unfair. However, the wisdom of the world is not wisdom, but selfishness and sin.

We see that in this design of God there is a purpose-serving succession/organization:

1Co 11:3 But I want you to know and realize that Christ is the Head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the Head of Christ is God.

Take a closer look at this organization: 

God – Christ – husband – wife

Just as there is organization in leadership and/or subjugation, there is a corresponding succession in love, sacrifice, and response.

Love – sacrifice – devotion – trust – obedience

God loves His Son more than anything, yet He gave Him to be sacrificed on our behalf because He also loves us. Christ accepted that role and sacrificed Himself for us because He shares the love of His Father. We respond to the love of God by abiding Him, trusting and clinging to Him, and obeying Him.

Husbands reflect the role of Christ by loving and sacrificing for their wives first and the wives receive that love/sacrifice and respond by abiding in their husbands, trusting and clinging to them and obeying them.

It must be considered carefully that to have a healthy and happy marriage the relationship between and husband and a wife has to be a reflection of the relationship between Christ and His church; The love is there, the love is demonstrated through great sacrifice and faithfulness to protect, serve, and support; and the response to that love is trust, reliance, obedience.

As God’s love for us is not dependent upon our faith, devotion or obedience but is actually the impetus for our faith, devotion and obedience, so it is in our marriages.  A husband’s love for his wife is not dependent upon her faith, devotion or obedience but is actually the impetus for it.

Her mother took her into the kitchen. She filled 3 pots of water and placed each on a high fire. Soon, the pots came to a boil. In the first pot, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.She let them sit and boil and did not say a word.

In about 20 minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked. Tell me what you see?

“Carrots, Eggs, and Coffee” she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted they were soft.The mother asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted it’s rich aroma. The daughter then asked “What does it mean Mother”

Her mother then explained that each of these three objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. The carrot went in strong and unrelenting however after being subjected to the boiling water it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile but had become hard. The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

Which are you? She asked the daughter, When adversity knocks on your door how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot? that seems strong but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and loose my strength?

Am I the egg? That starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit but after a death or a breakup, a financial hardship or some other hardship have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same but on the inside am I tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstances that brings the pain. When the water gets hot it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean when things are at their worst you get better and change the situation around you.  When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet. Enough trials to make you strong and enough sorrow to keep you humble, and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people do not necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have. The brightest of futures will always be based on a forgotten past; you cannot go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end you re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Are you the Carrot, the Egg, or the Coffee Bean??

Not sure where or how it will go, but I hope to have something up soon.

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119

The chapter in the centre of the Bible is Psalm 118

There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118 and 594 chapters after Psalms 118.

Add these numbers up and you get 1188.

Is it coincidence that the centre verse of the bible is Psalms 118:8?

Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man.

The next time someone says, they would like to find God’s perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the centre of His will, just send them to the centre of His Word!

If indeed we are Saved by Grace (Eph 2:8  For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;), then what does Paul mean when he writes to the Philippians to “work out your own salvation with trembling and fear”?  Are the scriptures in conflict? Does salvation come from our effort, and if so then why is the Gospel a message of salvation as a gift of God?

Notice that in this passage Paul does not say, “Work for your salvation” – it is not “work towards acquiring your salvation”, nor is it “work at your salvation”, nor is it “work up your salvation.” It is none of those things. Every true Christian has received salvation through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. They are all in the state of salvation at this moment. Salvation is God’s gift to them, accomplished by Jesus Christ’s work on the cross, what He himself freely and lovingly chose to endure in their place – the wrath of a sin-hating God. That salvation which was accomplished by Christ alone became ours when God opened our hearts and gave us a birth from above, applying all the benefits of the triumph of Christ to us.

Once again, we come to the distinctly different concepts of justification and sanctification, which are too often co-mingled in the single term of ‘salvation’.  Justification is the gift of God through Christ’s sacrifice; sanctification is the process in which those who have been reconciled to God continue to become Christ-like.

John Piper tells us:

The connection between the sinner and the Savior is trust, not improvement of behavior. That comes later. It is this order that gives hope. “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28). The basis of this wild and wonderful hope (the ungodly justified) is “Christ for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4, literal translation). Through faith alone God counts the ungodly as righteous because of Christ. “For our sake [God] made [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

So, to the passage in question: Paul is writing to the congregation of professing Christians in Philippi who have received salvation (justification). To these saved people he says, “work out your own salvation.” He is not talking about their status of being ransomed, justified, reconciled, forgiven or being clothed in the righteousness of Christ, telling them to work at getting all that. All that is already theirs as a free gift of God; it is all absolutely perfect and nothing needs to be added to it whatsoever. That is accomplished salvation: we have been saved once and for all: that is puncticular salvation.

What Paul is talking about here is linear salvation, progressive salvation, sanctifying salvation, which will not be complete until the day of Christ when we are going to see God and be like him. Paul is urging us here to be promoting that completed full salvation, to advance and encourage that transformation of our lives. “Work at becoming more like the Lord of your salvation.” That is what he is saying.

In other words, full eternal Christ like salvation (sanctification) is not something that is in the atmosphere above and around us – over which we have no control. It is not something that comes upon you when you go into a religious meeting and an atmosphere is created by the music and the lighting and skilful stories and emotional challenges such as going to the front, kneeling and weeping.  The salvation about which Paul is speaking is going on in our thinking, and our decisions, and our enthusiasms, and our affections, and our choices, and in our very bodies today and every day. It is divine ‘work in progress.’ Every part of us is going to be saved and so we are being told to work that salvation out, in other words, work out the implications of it and advance it. Don’t sit back, don’t think to yourselves, “Well, it’s all over. I am saved.” Work at it until it is finished at death. While we live this salvation needs to transform all aspects of our lives. Show a new obedience to God in every part of your life. See what our text actually says, “Continue to work out your salvation.”

Almost everyone knows the “Lord’s Prayer”, either by acquaintance, or by use and intimate knowledge.  I wonder though, do we really understand what Jesus was teaching us, or do we just accept the litany by rote?

Let us look at the reality of what Jesus was teaching us: not just a prayer to be recited, meaningless and dead in spirit, but a methodology of how we are to pray, what we are to pray for, and strong instruction by direct admonition, or by intentional omission, of how not to pray.

At the beginning of this passage Jesus specifically instructs us not to use repetitious, meaningless prayer, not to pray publically for the sake of being seen praying. We are to pray privately, keeping our prayer between God and ourselves. This instruction, this direct admonition, of what not to do, flies in the face of so many religious practices – Roman Catholicism specifically and many Protestant denominations as well – all who maintain repetitious prayer and reciting of creeds and litanies as part of their corporate worship. I could write exhaustively on this subject alone, however, that is not the point of this post.  For now, let the point stand as made:  Recitation of the “Lord’s Prayer” is meaningless and contrary to the instructions given to us by Christ Jesus.

What I really want to discuss are the elements of the prayer and the reasons Jesus instructed us to pray “in this manner”.

(9) Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

John Piper said:

The most important prayer is that the most important person in the universe do the most important act in the universe.

That is why Jesus put this request at the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be your name.”

God is the most important person in the universe – more important than all others put together…The whole-souled act of hallowing God’s name is the most important act in the universe.

To “hallow” means to “sanctify” which in God’s case means to set apart in your mind and heart as supremely great and beautiful and valuable.

“Hallowed be your name” means, “See to it that your name is hallowed. Use your infinite power and wisdom and love to stir up billions of hearts and minds to admire you and prize you above all things.”

(10)    Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

There are two aspects of God’s Kingdom – personal and worldwide:

Mat 6:33 But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

Mat 13:41-43  The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of offense [persons by whom others are drawn into error or sin] and all who do iniquity and act wickedly,  (42)  And will cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth.  (43)  Then will the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears [to hear] be listening, and let him consider and perceive and understand by hearing.

In entreating God to bring His kingdom on earth we seek to let God be the Ruler and King in our lives now. His kingdom is a present reality wherever he rules as King. So when we pray, “Father, let your kingdom come,” we should mean, “Father, rule in my life. Be my king. Get the victory over my anxiety about life’s necessities.” This is the personal dimension of the coming of the kingdom.

Likewise, we are also asking God to draw history to a close and establish his kingdom on the earth.

(11)    Give us this day our daily bread.

Joh 6:35 Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).

This is not referring to food and beverage for your stomach, but for your mind and your soul. It is referring to studying the scriptures of the Bible on a daily basis, and if you seek the word of the Lord daily, He will feed you with understanding of His word.

(12)    And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Matt.6:14-15 – For if ye forgive men (people) their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: (15) But if ye forgive not men (people) their trespasses; neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Forgiveness is a two way street my friends. We cannot seek forgiveness if we cannot give forgiveness. There is so much to write on this subject as well but let me try to be succinct:

Mat 6:14-15 For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  (15)  But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.

Mat 18:23-35 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a human king who wished to settle accounts with his attendants.  (24)  When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [probably about $10,000,000], (25) And because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.  (26)  So the attendant fell on his knees, begging him, Have patience with me and I will pay you everything.  (27)  And his master’s heart was moved with compassion, and he released him and forgave him [cancelling] the debt.  (28)  But that same attendant, as he went out, found one of his fellow attendants who owed him a hundred denarii [about twenty dollars]; and he caught him by the throat and said, Pay what you owe!  (29)  So his fellow attendant fell down and begged him earnestly, Give me time, and I will pay you all!  (30)  But he was unwilling, and he went out and had him put in prison till he should pay the debt.  (31)  When his fellow attendants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and told everything that had taken place to their master.  (32)  Then his master called him and said to him, You contemptible and wicked attendant! I forgave and cancelled all that [great] debt of yours because you begged me to.  (33)  And should you not have had pity and mercy on your fellow attendant, as I had pity and mercy on you?  (34)  And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (the jailers), till he should pay all that he owed.  (35)  So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses.

The point is that if we hold fast to an unforgiving spirit, we will be handed over to the tormentors. We will lose heaven, and gain hell.

The reason is not that we can earn heaven, or merit heaven, by forgiving others, but that holding fast to an unforgiving spirit proves that we do not trust Christ. If we trust him, we will not spurn his way of life. If we trust him, we will not be able to take forgiveness from his hand for our million-dollar debt and withhold it from our ten-dollar debtor.

Paul said in Ephesians 4:32, “Forgive each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” In other words, God’s forgiveness is underneath ours, creates it, and supports it. So that if we don’t give it to others—if we go on in an unforgiving spirit—what we show is that God is not there in our lives – we are not trusting him.

(13)    And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Mat 26:41 All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Jas 1:13  Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one.

Mat 4:1 THEN JESUS was led (guided) by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness (desert) to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil.

So God does not do the tempting—he does not put evil desires in our hearts (for he can have no evil desires in his heart)—but he does bring us into the presence of many tests and temptations. In fact, every step we take is a step into the presence of temptation. There is no moment of your life that is not a moment of temptation—a moment when unbelief and disobedience is not a possibility.

The Lord’s Prayer does not teach us to pray against that kind of sovereign guidance. What it teaches us to pray is that the temptation does not take us in. Do not lead me into temptation. Deliver me from the evil that is set before me.

Today I will stand before innumerable temptations. That is what life is: endless choices between belief and unbelief, obedience and disobedience. Nevertheless, I pray almighty God: forbid that I would yield – hold me back from stepping inside the temptation.

… For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

This is an acknowledgement, a rightful acquiescence, of His sovereignty. The kingdom is His, all power is His, and all glory is His. We have no part in adding to His power and glory, nor do we have any business seeking credit for it.

The reason this is so important is because I know of no truth which is more fundamentally pervasive than God’s zeal to be glorified, which means his zeal for us so to think, to feel, and to act as to make him look as glorious as He is. We do not add to His glory – we want to make God’s glory shine. We want to make it visible. The goal of our lives’ should be to live such, that when people know us well enough, they would say, “God is glorious!”

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.

Enlightening

Psa 119:105  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path

Psa 119:130  The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.

Under the illumination of God’s Word, we see ourselves in the light of God’s holiness. The Bible sheds light on behavior and actions that displease the Lord and lights up the path that God has designated for you to walk.

Convicting

John 16:7-11 However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].  (8)  And when He comes, He will convict and convince the world and bring demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God) and about judgment:  (9)  About sin, because they do not believe in Me [trust in, rely on, and adhere to Me];  (10)  About righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God), because I go to My Father, and you will see Me no longer;  (11)  About judgment, because the ruler (evil genius, prince) of this world [Satan] is judged and condemned and sentence already is passed upon him.

The Holy Spirit’s mission is to convict the world. When spiritually convicted, a person realizes that sin has been committed and that they are guilty before God. Through the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will convict our hearts regarding three things:

• Sin – because men do not believe in me. The rejection of God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ is the prime sin and the most serious one, for it exposes a person to the judgment of God. The eternal destiny of a human life hinges upon the receiving in faith of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:11-13) The Holy Spirit’s mission is to expose any pattern of thought or behavior that is an affront to God.

• Righteousness – because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer. Jesus is the standard of righteousness against which our lives are measured and the Holy Spirit has been sent to convict us of the stark reality of this fact. Compared to the righteousness of Christ, our own acts of righteousness are like filthy rags. (Isa 64:6)

• Judgment – because the prince of this world now stands condemned. Note that the judgment of which the Holy Spirit convicts is the judgment of Satan. The judgment that took place at the cross (Col 2:15) is the pivotal theme of the Holy Spirit’s work of conviction and is the core thread of the entire Word of God.

As long as we are open to the Holy Spirit and to his Word, we will experience this ongoing conviction process. This is a sign of spiritual health, for the Holy Spirit never leaves us in a place of conviction, but leads us into his answer for our lives. The Bible’s amazing answer to sin – righteousness and judgment – is the other side of conviction.

Heb 4:12  For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

Washing

Eph 5:25-27  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her,  (26)  So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word,  (27)  That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].

The Word of God has a washing action (John 15:3). Through his Word, the Holy Spirit renews our minds – conforming our minds His way of thinking. As we expose ourselves to the Word of God on a daily basis, the Holy Spirit will cleanse our minda of the filth of this world’s thinking, which the Bible calls depraved (Rom 1:28) and hostile to God. (Rom 8:7)

Rom 12:2  Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

We cannot be conformed to Christ while still being conformed to this world. The two objectives are totally opposed to one another. Therefore, a major function of God’s Word is to realign our thinking to God’s thinking. This new Bible-based kind of thinking involves:

• The Right View of God (Isaiah 40:18,21-28; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16)
• The Right View of Yourself (Romans 12:3; Philippians 2:3)
• The Right View of the World (Isaiah 40:15-17; 1 Corinthians 1:20-31)

The Bible is God’s tool for renewing our minds. God so wants to renew our thought processes that His way of thinking becomes our way of thinking.

Encouraging

Rom 15:4-5 for whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope.  (5)  Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.

Note that this passage attributes to Scripture that which is attributed to God – encouragement.

Paul writes to the Colossian Christians with the express purpose that they might be encouraged in heart:

Col 2:2  [For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love, that they may come to have all the abounding wealth and blessings of assured conviction of understanding, and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with and may know more definitely and accurately and thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One).

This is a major purpose of God’s Word, not simply to make us feel good about ourselves, but to encourage us to continue to persevere in our faith.

Instructing

2Ti 3:16 Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

Notice that Paul writes to Timothy and declares that all Scripture (not just some of it) is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

• Teaching shows us the right path.
• Rebuking shows us where we have wandered from the path.
• Correcting shows us the way back onto the path.
• Training shows us how to walk on the path.

Psa 119:133 Establish my steps and direct them by [means of] Your word; let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Remember, it is not only the New Testament which has been designed by God for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. In fact, the Scriptures that Paul is referring to when writing to Timothy is the Old Testament. The whole of Israel’s history has been chronicled in the Old Testament, not just as a lead up to the coming of Jesus, but also as exemplary instruction and strong .warnings for you. (Hebrews 3:15-19; Hebrews 4:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:6-12)

Defending

Luk 4:1-12  THEN JESUS, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit  (2)  For (during) forty days in the wilderness (desert), where He was tempted (tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry. [Deut. 9:9; I Kings 19:8.]  (3)  Then the devil said to Him, If You are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf [of bread].  (4)  And Jesus replied to him, It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone but by every word and expression of God. [Deut. 8:3.]  (5)  Then the devil took Him up to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time [in the twinkling of an eye].  (6)  And he said to Him, To You I will give all this power and authority and their glory (all their magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, and grace), for it has been turned over to me, and I give it to whomever I will.  (7)  Therefore if You will do homage to and worship me [just once], it shall all be Yours.  (8)  And Jesus replied to him, Get behind Me, Satan! It is written, You shall do homage to and worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve. [Deut. 6:13; 10:20.]  (9)  Then he took Him to Jerusalem and set Him on a gable of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here;  (10)  For it is written, He will give His angels charge over you to guard and watch over you closely and carefully;  (11)  And on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. [Ps. 91:11, 12.]  (12)  And Jesus replied to him, [The Scripture] says, You shall not tempt (try, test exceedingly) the Lord your God. [Deut. 6:16.]

When Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus did not debate with him or even entertain any discussion. He solely relied on the authority of the Word of God. God’s Word is described as a sword:

(Eph 6:17 and take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.; Heb 4:12  For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.).

When Satan attacks, we can wield the full authority of God’s Word against him. However, we can only wield what has become written on our hearts. (Isa 49:2 And He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand, has He hid me and made me a polished arrow; in His quiver has He kept me close and concealed me.)

Perfecting

Col 1:24-29 [Even] now I rejoice in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf. And in my own person I am making up whatever is still lacking and remains to be completed [on our part] of Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church.  (25)  In it I became a minister in accordance with the divine stewardship which was entrusted to me for you [as its object and for your benefit], to make the Word of God fully known [among you]–  (26)  The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations [from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people (the saints),  (27)  To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within and among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory.  (28)  Him we preach and proclaim, warning and admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One).  (29)  For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me.

Paul’s declared goal, toward which he labored so vigorously, was to present everyone perfect in Christ. This is the exact same goal of God’s Word. As Paul said, he was commissioned by God to present to you the word of God in its fullness. That commission was fulfilled largely through his letters, which make up the bulk of the New Testament.

Eph 4:12-13  His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),  (13)  [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.

Paul’s purpose was God’s purpose – not just that we may be conformed to the image of God’s Son as individuals, but that together, as the corporate Body of Christ, we may reach the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

2 Co 3:18  And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

It is in the pages of God’s Word that we meet with the Lord on terms so intimate that the Bible describes it like looking in a mirror:

Jas 1:23-25  For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;  (24)  For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.  (25)  But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

God’s Word acts like a mirror reflecting God’s glory. By revelation of the Holy Spirit we see, in the Word, dimension after dimension of his glory. This cannot but affect us! We are changed by what we see from glory to glory.

I greatly miss my online friends: Adam the sofyst, jowiki, kristi, and the whole gang of others that frequented Adam’s blog.

I miss my few church friends; Danny, Marla, Pam and Andy and the rest from my study group.

I even miss a few of my old school friends: Paul (my best friend whom I haven’t spoken to in almost 10 years), and ….  well, maybe he was the only one

I fired up the old Facebook and found little or know desire to search people out as I would then have to try to figure out what I would say to them in casual conversation (I suck at small talk).  But that doesn’t change the fact that I am finding myself thinking about these folks time and again.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi turned the health care debate up a notch Monday, penning a column along with her top deputy that questioned the patriotism of those disrupting town hall meetings to air their complaints.

Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer claimed such behavior is “simply un-American.”

It’s hardly the first time Pelosi, who earlier this year accused the CIA of lying to Congress and repeatedly has called Republicans unpatriotic, has employed some serious name-calling to characterize her opponents’ views.

The jab Monday drew swift scorn from Republicans and critics who say the health care demonstrations are as American as apple pie.

“I, like most Americans, would find that kind of characterization of citizens exercising their First Amendment rights to be offensive,” Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., told FOX News. “There’s nothing more American than letting your elected representatives know how you feel about important issues facing the nation.”

In recent weeks there has been vigorous debate over the Health Care plans working their way through Congress, and much of this debate is being seen in protests during ‘town hall’ meetings and the like.

It seems though that the DNC, the democratic leadership in D.C., and even the White House has chosen to spew lies and filth about those American citizens who are exercising their right to free speech – simply because the feelings and ideas they are expressing do not conform to the ideas and plans of the DNC and its automatons (the White House).

The White House has called the uproar at recent town halls on health care “manufactured outrage.” Senator Harry Reid calls the concerned citizens speaking their minds “loud, shrill voices.”  Nancy Pelosi called protesters Nazis, who are “carrying swastikas and symbols like that to a town meeting on health care.” There is no evidence on this whatsoever.

But the polling discredits their charges. According to a recent Quinnipiac poll, on Obama’s effort to overhaul of the health-care system, 52 percent disapprove of his handling of the issue while 39 percent approve. Disapproval jumped 10 points in the last month alone, and 60 percent of Independents – a key voting block – disapprove of the plan. Bottom line: the outrage is real.

Despite the legitimacy of the public’s concern, demonizing democracy has become pretty common these days for the left. They wrote off the tea parties as fabricated and claimed they were funded by FOX News . Most of the mainstream media took their cue from them and refused to report on the gatherings. Congressional Democrats sought to reimpose the “fairness doctrine” on broadcasters in order to shut down the one conservative-leaning communications medium, talk radio. And the administration has already tried to label anyone who speaks up as a “radical right wing extremist.”

By dismissing the anger of conservatives, moderates, libertarians, conservative democrats  and independents the administration looks out of touch and appallingly arrogant. In fact, it will hurt them even more because Obama promised to listen to the concerns of the citizens, not operate with a tin ear.

Some Dem’s have gone so far as to actually compare protestors with Nazis and claim all protests are fabricated:

Replacing a town hall meeting for a conference call in his district, Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., on Thursday compared his constituents’ behavior to Nazi-era adherents.

“What we’re seeing right now is close to Brown Shirt tactics,” Baird told a local newspaper. “I mean that very seriously.”

In an interview Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the protesters, “I think they are astroturf, you be the judge,” using an expression that refers to orchestrated grassroots.

Now then, let me say this:  I am a registered Republican and I have yet to have anyone call me or email me and encourage me to go to a meeting, write a letter, make a call, or ANYTHING to express disapproval with the Democrat’s attempts to forge and force through a faulty health care plan.  It just HAS NOT HAPPENED.

So then, I write here in my blog about those things I agree with or disagree with, and I write what I think and feel, not what I am told to write.  Apparently though, I’m now being told that if I do express disagreement with the DNC and its plans for the country that I am either a Nazi or a puppet expressing the thoughts of someone else, and that if I stand up and say that these are my thoughts and feelings then I am apparently a liar too.

Ya know… I think need to change the opening of this post; I’m not angry – I’m disgusted. I work hard to make my life, the lives of my family, and the lives of those in my community better, because I am an American and that is what we do.  I am a disabled Veteran, I served my country and am disabled because of that service; and because of my sacrifice I feel I deserve a little more respect than to be spit upon by those who are supposed to be serving me.

Congress and the organizations that work with them are not there to dictate my life and cast aspersions upon me and the citizens of this country – they are there to serve the country.  Maybe they should re-read the constitution and re-think their reasons for being in office.

What shape will this reform take?  No one knows although many cry havoc at what they think might happen.

Will it cost too much and provide too little?  Who knows?  Many say it will and many say it won’t.

Some on the side of the left continually claim that those on the side of the right don’t want reform in this area, that they want to stay with the status quo – personally I find this claim to be ridiculous and merely an attempt to sling mud to discredit those who would provide thoughtful and wise warning about moving too fast into areas that have not been explored sufficiently.

One problem we face is the might of the Corporations who have vested interests in controlling how this country does or does not reform our health care system.  In recognizing this problem, our President promised repeatedly to hold open discussions/negotiations (on C-Span even). Sadly this is a promise that Mr. Obama has broken…  Actually he smashed it to pieces and walked away from the rubble.

What we need are specifics, we need factual data that supports, or does not support, the specific elements of any and all proposed plans.  We, the American public, need to know what is being discussed, how it will affect us, can we afford it, and will it do what needs to be done.  We, the American people, will be living (or dying) with whatever health care reform the government implements, we will be paying for it, we will be subjected to it, and we will either be served by it or harmed by it, and since it is we who will bear the brunt of whatever happens, it is we who must be fully informed during every step of the process  – with honest and factually accurate information.

What we do not need is the current state of affairs; we do NOT need closed door discussion by politicians and lobbyists, we do NOT need misinformation, inaccurate information,  and outright fabricated information. We do NOT need some form of crap legislation rammed through Congress and thrust upon the American people which will, in all likelihood, not serve our best interests, grow the government exponentially and bankrupt many, if not all, of us.

We need a balanced, open, well-thought, well-crafted, form of health care that will benefit us (the American people – and not just the government and the special interests who at this point have done very few of us any good at all.

Mr. Obama; step up and do what you said you would do. Use your power as President to bend actions of the Congress to a point where they will do what is right for the citizens of this country. At this point I see no aspect of the government – legislative, judicial, or executive – demonstrating an overriding concern to do what is best for we the people rather than themselves.

I’ve just gone through a phase where my blog has gone rather dormant. This happens to me almost every 3 months or so as daily life overwhelms me and my ability to sit and think about things, find inspiration, and do research, becomes non-existent.

When I get into this funk I feel less enamoured of everything. Mentally I feel insufficient and my spirit feels undernourished.  I need the stimulation this blog gives me and when I’m not posting I feel like a hungry man walking past a free all-you-can-eat buffet.

I have been contemplating a rework of some of my already published works: my Statement of Faith, and my treatise on Christian Liberty. I’ve considered for some time that both of these works would benefit from a serious rehash, cleaning them up, expanding on points made and adding things that I had left out.

However, if anyone out there has any ideas that could inspire me to delve into the fabulous world of intellectual exercise, I would be grateful for the nudge.

BTW – did you ever notice that when you use the spell-check on a blog post the word “blog” always comes up?  Shouldn’t that be part of a ‘blog dictionary’?