Love Can.....

Love can surely rescue
A heart in deep despair
A heart that has given up
And no longer feels God near

Love can breathe new meaning
When there’s nothing left inside
When there’s no feeling or emotion
Just dryness in our lives

Love can restore new hope
After it’s withered and died
For hope is what will get us through
And love can be its guide

Love can run and embrace
The prodigal returning home
And the one that has come to the end
Those hurting, lost and alone

For God’s love is the answer
To our broken, empty lives
As we come with an open heart
He can dispel all the hurt inside

And He will heal our brokenness
And lovingly He will bind
The wounds that have left us scarred
And bring soundness to our minds

So give it over to God’s love
Our lives and all that we are
Then we will know and walk in His love
For His love shall dwell in our hearts

How do you spell liberty?

Lord, help us understand. Take it to our leaders to proclaim throughout the land. Help us spell it in a way that's clear to every man.

L...is for our Only Lord.besides Him there is none!

I...means, in His image...He created everyone.

B...stands for the Bible...For the Word of God made flesh.

E...means every knee shall bowand every tongue confess.

R...means righteousness exalts a nation such as ours.

T...means teach what Jesus taught...for He has given power.

Y...is for each yearning heart that yields to God's command to keep proclaiming liberty throughout our troubled land.

Laying up Treasures in Heaven

I have been trying to get my storage unit in order.  You know, trying to make storing stuff make sense.

Like, "Am i really going to pay $1800 a year to store that $50 filing cabinet?"

Or:

"Dude, I have like three of those!"  - because i keep forgetting that i already have two in storage.

Parting with sentimental stuff is difficult.  But, am i willing to pay $1800 a year so i can sob over an old broken chess board?

Another difficult thing is having stuff that i value, but no one else will give any where near what i paid for it. Therefore, it stays in storage losing even more value.

I have donated quite a bit.  In the long run, this seems to be the best option.  It makes sense to give it to people that could actually use it!


Reminds me of this scripture:

Luke 12:33-34  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.  (34)  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.


The cold months are coming up.  If those jackets and sweaters don't fit  anymore there are ministries nearby that can find people they will fit.

Lay up your treasures in heaven.

Christmas giving: Let’s start a new tradition

Here’s an idea worth thinking about. Small steps, followed by a group
of people stepping up, can change the way we move forward. Take a moment to read
these great Christmas gift giving ideas and if they make sense to you, share the
concept with those who you think might appreciate a fresh idea on gift giving.
Happy holidays to all.

There are some great gift ideas here.

Christmas 2011 — birth of a new tradition: As the holidays approach, the
giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with
monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced
at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year
Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no
longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is
produced by American hands. Yes, there is.

It’s time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a
shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Everyone, yes, everyone
gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair
salon or barber?

Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about
somehealth improvement.

Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American
owneddetail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate
or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who thinks nothing of plonking
downthe Benjamins on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful
gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer,
or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants — all offering gift certificates.
And, if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen
breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks, this isn’t about big
national chains — this is about supporting your home town Americans with their
financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck
or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?
Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would love the services
of alocal cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I know I can find some young
guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people
spintheir own wool and knit it into scarves. They make jewelry, and
pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your
server a nice tip. And how about going out to see a play or ballet at your
hometown theater.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you really need to buy another 10,000
Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a $5 string of light, about 50 cents
stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the
mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice, big tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China
can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about us,
encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their
dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities,
and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine.This
is the new American Christmas tradition.

Forward this to everyone on your mailing list — post it to discussion groups — send it to the editor of your
local paper and radio stations, and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn’t that what Christmas is about?

Sin and Human Error

Humans wake every morning to our habits and routines.  It seems wherever we are we have the ablility to adapt, the capability to adjust ourselves to our environment and then begin to develop preferable patterns of behavior.

So what is wrong with us? Why do we do things we do not want to do? And not do the good things we know we should.

Essentially, Why do people do bad things? This is a big question and I am sure most of us have thought a lot about it.

Original sin as the Bible describes it in the book of Genesis occured when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit.  A separation between humanity and God occurred as a result, and humans were banished to live outside of paradise.

Now does that mean God stopped caring about humanity? Of course not the frist thing He did was make them warm clothes. Genesis 3:21

Now that mankind was seperate from God and able to distinguish good from evil, a lifestyle of "sin" was the inevitable side effect.

When we commit sin, it is like an "error" occurs in our once original God-image programming. Humans once being made in the image of God now commit ungodly acts and errors of all kinds due to this corruption of the mind.

So how do we reduce this corruption? How do we stop ourselves from grave error?

Fill your mind with Godly data, or knowledge of God Romans 12:2

Ask for God`s help. Developing a personal relationship to deal with the many moral mistakes you make and asking for His strength, wisdom, and even intervention in your daily life.
Matthew 26:41 1 Corinthians 10:13

Learn from godly others. Humanity was designed for community and relationship. There are many that struggle with the same errors that we do and we can share and learn from each other.
Galatians 6:1-3 James 5:16

Recognizing your sin as a result of corruption and error helps us to understand the state we live in. The results of this are seen throughout the world but with the redeeming work of God`s law and the atonement of Christ we are able to restore what was lost in Eden.

In our bodies we will live out the result of corruption and the consequences of our many errors but with God`s promise we have hope in the restoration of all things: of our minds, bodies, and the physical world with His coming.

Sharpening Iron with a Soft Answer

Often times we run into a confrontation with another person over doctrine.  I have learned that this is inevitable and unavoidable.

In the last recorded prayer of our lord in the bible, Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one.

John 17:21-22  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  (22)  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Unfortunately, there are thousands of protestant denominations.  Each one of them separating over points of doctrine.  No two people agree on all subjects.  Disagreements are unavoidable.

I have never won an argument by raising my voice. This only makes things worse.

Proverbs 15:1  A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

The best approach I have found is to sincerely try to understand the other person’s point of view.  The best way to do that is to ask them if they think you understand their position.

Take a moment, and rephrase their position in different words.  Do not simply regurgitate what they said. Then ask them “is that correct?”

Once they feel confident that you understand their position only then can a constructive truth seeking conversation ensue.

Proverbs 27:17  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

We must look at these differences of opinions as two friends exploring the truth together and not as adversaries.

As much as I study and pray, I have major theological epiphanies quite often.  Ten years ago, I thought I had it down.  Looking back, I am astounded by how much more there is to learn about God and His Word.  Therefore, when I run into a difference of opinion between someone and myself I know who is sold out to God, I handle it with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).

This scripture comes to mind:

1 Corinthians 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

We are all at different levels in our relationship with Jesus.  Speak softly and let the Sword do most of the talking (Ephesians 6:17).