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| "Behold, He cometh with clouds." Revelation 1:7 In the Bible clouds are always connected with God. Clouds are those sorrows or sufferings or providences, within or without our personal lives, which seem to dispute the rule of God. It is by those very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were no clouds, we should have no faith. "The clouds are but the dust of our Father's feet." The clouds are a sign that He is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow and bereavement and suffering are the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near without clouds, He does not come in clear shining. It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials: through every cloud He brings, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in the cloud is to simplify our belief until our relationship to Him is exactly that of a child - God and my own soul, other people are shadows. Until other people become shadows, clouds and darkness will be mine every now and again. Is the relationship between myself and God getting simpler than ever it has been? There is a connection between the strange providences of God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Unless we can look the darkest, blackest fact full in the face without damaging God's character, we do not yet know Him. "They feared as they entered the cloud . . ." - Is there anyone "save Jesus only" in your cloud? If so, it will get darker; you must get to the place where there is "no one any more save Jesus only." | ||
I will lift up my eyes unto the hills.
We cannot protect ourselves or anyone else
we must look to to Him to be 'lightened'
"they looked unto Him... and
their faces were not ashamed."
http://bible.cc/psalms/34-5.htm
---------------------------------------
You CANNOT use your iphone without going
TO the 'tower' and THROUGH the 'exchange'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_exchange
We were honoring our pastors on their
wedding anniversary - over 25 years.
there am I thinking he must
"have it all together"
everything seemed
so 'peachy'....
well, he publicly
confessed that...
they were only able to communicate
and get ANYTHING done WHEN they
focused each on keeping a good
personal relationship with God.
But if we walk in the light,
as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
http://bible.cc/1_john/1-7.htm
In the path of righteousness for HIS names sake
July 27th 2011 - CHAMBERS
THE WAY TO KNOW
"If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine . . ." John 7:17
The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect, but obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience. If things are dark to me, then I may be sure there is something I will not do. Intellectual darkness comes through ignorance; spiritual darkness comes because of something I do not intend to obey.
No man ever receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test over it. We disobey and then wonder why we don't go on spiritually. 'If when you come to the altar,' said Jesus, 'there you remember your brother hath ought against you . . . don't say another word to Me, but first go and put that thing right.' The teaching of Jesus hits us where we live. We cannot stand as humbugs before Him for one second. He educates us down to the scruple. The Spirit of God unearths the spirit of self-vindication; He makes us sensitive to things we never thought of before.
When Jesus brings a thing home by His word, don't shirk it. If you do, you will become a religious humbug. Watch the things you shrug your shoulders over, and you will know why you do not go on spiritually. First go - at the risk of being thought fanatical you must obey what God tells you.
-----------------------------------------------------------
entangleth
tied up
mixed up
not free from
uncertain
confused
No man that warreth entangleth himself with
the affairs of this life; that he may please
him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
1 Timothy 5:22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands,
and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
-----------------------------------------------------------
2 Timothy 2:24 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel;
instead, he must be kind to everyone,
able to teach, not resentful.
-----------------------------------------------------------
YOU ARE NOT LIKE THEM
3Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
4He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
5Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
6And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.
-----------------------------------------------------------
16But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
17Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.
18When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.
19Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.
20Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.
21These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
22Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
23Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Ephesians 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless
deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
<< Psalm 1 >>
King James Version
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
What God said:
Jeremiah 15:7 I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the city gates of the land. I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people, for they have not changed their ways.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
What the people said:
I want to do my own thing
I don't want to answer to no one, and...
no one is going to tell me what to do !!!
This is why I don't want to hear about the bible and God.
A timely reminder from Donna
like a mighty army
moves the church of God
brothers we are treading
where the saints have trod
we are not divided
all one body we
one in hope
and one in faith
and one in charity
onward christian soldiers
marching as to war
with the cross of Jesus
going on before
Obama inherited financial collapse, deficits and debt. He inherited a broken political culture. These things weren't his fault. But through his decisions, he made them all worse?????
He really dislikes the other side, and can't fake it. This is peculiar in a politician, the not faking it. But he doesn't bother to show warmth and high regard. And so appeals to patriotism—"Come on guys, we have to save this thing"—ring hollow from him. In this he is the un-Clinton. Bill Clinton understood why conservatives think what they think because he was raised in the South. He was surrounded by them, and he wasn't by nature an ideologue.
Barack Obama is different, not a political practitioner, really, but something else, and not a warm-blooded animal but a cool, chill character, a fish who sits deep in the tank and stares, stilly, at the other fish.
He doesn't know how to confuse his foes with "outreach," with phone calls, jokes, affection. He doesn't leave them saying, as Reagan did, "I just can't help it, I like the guy." And because he can't confuse them or reach them they more readily coalesce around their own explanation of him: socialist, destroyer.
This isn't good, and has had an impact on the president's contacts with Republicans. And it's added an edge to an emerging campaign theme among them. from NOONAN Friday 6/3/11
YES BUT CAN HE CHANGE?
WILL HE CHANGE...in time to get that 2nd term?
PostScript: "the powers that be are ordained of God!!!"
the gold and the glory
I am not going to hang around
folk who are talking about
a jealous God.
so I left...not realizing
there was only one
other option.
My father let me know
pretty early on
from the
Bible
ONE
the choice is
always
mine
TWO
there are only
two options
whatever I have
will come from
God or the Devil
and whatever I do
is by one or the
other.
so my thinking is
now Oprah has
the gold and
the glory
maybe she
doesn't
need a
God who
is jealous.
she did make
the choice...
right?
and don't bother asking me if
she is saved...I don't know!!
***************************
IMAGINE NOAH
Harold Camping, 89, of Oakland-Calif.-based Family Radio
made worldwide headlines in recent months for his
prediction that Judgment Day was guaranteed to be May 21,
2011, prompting many believers to quit their regular jobs
to help spread the warning....It was not the first time
Camping got the forecast wrong, having prognosticated the
return of Jesus numerous times, including 1994. "This guy
is something else,"We are calling for the Family Radio
board to remove him."
http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=303093
***************************
"We support free speech, but this is shouting 'Rapture!' in
a crowded theater" - John Keiser
***************************
Glastnost
more like chapter 16
restructuring
***************************
Another atheist with the group, Bob Seidensticker, said,
"There must be consequences. For this radio network to be
financially healthy when they have caused many of their
listeners to be destitute or distraught – that's wrong. We
want a way for those injured by this prediction to come
forward so they can be compensated by Family Radio."
++++++++++
"There must be consequences. For this
bank/entertainer/church/employer/political
party/school/advertiser/network news team.. to be
financially healthy when they have caused many of their
listeners/viewers/followers/employees/stockholders to be
destitute or distraught – that's wrong. We want a way for
those injured by this/these prediction(s)/claims etc to
come forward so they can be compensated by Family Radio or
whoever."
++++++++++
..atheists are lamenting that religious organizations are
exempted from disclosure requirements by the Internal
Revenue Service, precluding the public from finding out how
much money Camping and his network have collected from the
Judgment Day campaign.
...we call on Congress to make the rules consistent for all
nonprofits. If a ministry is comfortable with God knowing
how it spends its money, surely it can't have anything to
hide from the public."
http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=303093
***************************
THE OATH
http://alerts.worldnetdaily.com/HM?a=ENX7Cqi_FJYf8SA9MKJD3Y
znGHxKLEr1EvcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_Hhe-ud1Oy
He will have acted not as a constitutional representative,
but as a monarch, subversive of, or above, the law." - Dr.
Larry Arnn of the Claremont Institute
'For one man to defy a law or court order he does not like
is to invite others to do the same. This leads to a
breakdown of all justice. Some societies respect the rule
of force; America respects the rule of law.' - Kennedy
"Votes alone do not make a person president of the United
States. There is a requirement that precedes obtaining the
power and authority of obtaining the presidency. It is the
oath of office. It is swearing to preserve, protect and
defend the Constitution. It is accepting the obligation
that the laws are to be faithfully executed. - Rogan
***************************
The date was July 16, 2008. It was late in the afternoon
and I was sitting in my hotel room in Louisville, Kentucky.
I was scheduled to speak that evening for the Kentucky
Association of School Administrators (KASA).
I was a little "down in the dumps." I hadn't gotten to
exercise lately because of my traveling schedule and
recently I'd experienced some mild bouts of vertigo
Patrick Henry Hughes was born with no eyes, and a
tightening of the joints which left him crippled for life.
However, as a child, he was fitted with artificial eyes and
placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he
discovered the piano. His mom said, "I could hit any note
on the piano, and within one or two tries, he'd get it." By
his second birthday, he was playing requests (You Are My
Sunshine, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). His father was
ecstatic. "We might not play baseball, but we can play
music together."
Today, Patrick is a junior at the University of Louisville.
His father attends classes with him and he's made nearly
all A's, with the exception of 3 B's He's also a part of
the 214 member marching band. You read it right...the
marching band! He's a blind, wheelchair-bound trumpet
player; and he and his father do it together. They attend
all the band practices and the half-time performance in
front of thousands. His father rolls and rotates his son
around the field to the cheers of Patrick's fans. In order
to attend Patrick's classes and every band practice, his
father works the graveyard shift at UPS. Patrick said..."My
dad's my hero."
***************************
http://www.familylife.com/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=d
nJHKLNnFoG&b=3842489&ct=10037207&utm_campaign=TFR-20110520&
utm_source=CON&utm_medium=Email-N&utm_content=article
Once again, Cameron Diaz is earning headlines for her
comments about marriage.
The 38-year-old actress has had a succession of boyfriends
but has never married. Recently she told one magazine,
"Marriage isn't important to me … If I try to lock
something down, I'm missing out on all the possibilities of
what it could be."
When another interviewer asked if she believes marriage is
a dying institution, she answered, "I do. I think we have
to make our own rules. I don't think we should live our
lives in relationships based off old traditions that don't
suit our world any longer."
***************************
GOOGLE as GOD
http://whitepapers.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=2415647&pr
omo=550&trial=25398584&tag=nl.e550.em
The Old Testament is
confusing to some peolpe
because it is filled with
'fear inducing' incidents.
Jesus quoted from it.
It has things that seem
difficult to us regarding "acts of God"....
the same God who Jesus called His Father.
Hebrews 1:2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe...
He said in John 12:48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
-----------------------------------
2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts...
2 Peter 2:10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings
Scoffers - In Jude 1:18 the same Greek word is rendered "mockers." The word means those who deride, reproach, ridicule.
2 Peter 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.
-----------------------------------
1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
3579
channels of blessing = scripture, beleived & spoken
or
Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies:
for false witnesses are risen up against me,
and such as breathe out cruelty.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
the LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes,
came upon me to eat up my flesh,
they stumbled and fell.
3Though an host should encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear:
though war should rise against me,
in this will I be confident.
4One thing have I desired of the LORD,
that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
and to inquire in his temple.
5For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion:
in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;
he shall set me up upon a rock.
6And now shall mine head be lifted up
above mine enemies round about me:
therefore will I offer in his
tabernacle sacrifices of joy;
I will sing, yea,
I will sing praises
unto the LORD.
7Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice:
have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8When thou saidst, Seek ye my face;
my heart said unto thee,
Thy face, LORD,
will I seek.
9Hide not thy face far from me;
put not thy servant away in anger:
thou hast been my help; leave me not,
neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10When my father and my mother forsake me,
then the LORD will take me up.
11Teach me thy way, O LORD,
and lead me in a plain path,
because of mine enemies.
12Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies:
for false witnesses are risen up against me,
and such as breathe out cruelty.
13I had fainted, unless I had believed to see
the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Holy Spirit, faithful Guide, ever near the Christian's side;
Gently lead us by the hand, pilgrims in a desert land.
Weary souls fore'er rejoice, while they hear that sweetest voice,
Whispering softly, "Wanderer, come, follow Me, I'll guide thee home."
Ever present, truest Friend, ever near Thine aid to lend,
Leave us not to doubt and fear, groping on in darkness drear.
When the storms are raging sore, hearts grow faint and hopes give o'er.
Whispering softly, "Wanderer, come, follow Me, I'll guide thee home."
When our days of toil cease, waiting still for sweet release,
Nothing left but heaven and prayer, wondering if our names are there;
Wading deep the dismal flood, pleading naught but Jesus' blood,
Whispering softly, "Wanderer, come, follow Me, I'll guide thee home."
Today US forces are claiming victory in the death of
Osama Bin Laden. His body, according to government forces,
has been buried at sea. The New York Daily News is marking
the event with the headline "ROT IN HELL".
Yet, for all of the celebratory drinks that will be downed
today,and as good and needful as it is for dangerous people
to be stopped, this could be a sobering moment for followers
of Christ.
http://beenthinking.org/2011/05/02/bin-laden-tornadoes-and-tsunamis/
I've also been thinking about what to make of the fact that God
allowed Satan to use a windstorm to take the lives, that tested
Job's faith…before the LORD, himself, finally spoke out of
another violent storm… (Job 1:19 ; 38:1)
**************
He suffered at the hands of these rulers (Jesus the heavenly ruler)
He beareth not the sword in vain (the earthly govonors)
All over the United States and the world itself, millions are
rejoicing at this moment over the death of one of the most
evil men the world has ever known.
Our feelings of jubilation as Christians should also be
balanced with the fact that a human soul has been lost and
will spend forever in the torments of eternal fire. One wonders
if our response to the death of Bin Laden should be one of somber,
humble quietness and we consider the words of God who expressed
His feelings on even those such as
Bin laden who are such evil men.
Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them: "As I live," says the Lord GOD,
"I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked…"
Even in His perfect judgment, the Lord does not glory or
cheer when even a man as evil as Osama Bin Laden is killed.
The death of a human soul and the assignment of that soul
to eternal punishment is not something to glory over.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,
as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us,
not willing that any should perish but
that all should come to repentance.
Rob Robinson
*****************
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by rules and expectations?
Think of how the Jewish people must have felt as they tried
to keep up with more than 600 rules from the Old Testament
and many more that had been imposed on them by the religious
leaders of their day. And imagine their surprise when Jesus
simplified the pursuit of righteousness by narrowing the
list down to just two—"love the Lord your God"
(Matt. 22:37) and "love your neighbor as yourself" (v.39).
http://odb.org/
*****************
John Paul said the great work of God is man, and the great
redeemer of man is Christ. Therefore, "Christ cannot be kept
out of the history of man in any part of the globe, at any
longitude or latitude. . . . The exclusion of Christ from
the history of man is an act against man!"
"I speak . . . for St. Paul: Do not quench the Spirit. . . .
I speak again for St. Paul: Do not grieve the Spirit of God!"
"You must be strong, my brothers and sisters. You must be
strong with the strength that faith gives. . . . You need
this strength today more than any other period in our
history. . . . You must be strong with love, which is
stronger than death. . . .
Never lose your spiritual freedom."
*****************
May 2nd.THE PASSION OF PATIENCE
"Though it tarry, wait for it." Habakkuk 2:3
Patience is not indifference; patience conveys the idea of an
immensely strong rock withstanding all onslaughts. The vision
of God is the source of patience, because it imparts a moral
inspiration. Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right
and duty, but because he had a vision of God. He "endured,
as seeing Him Who is invisible." A man with the vision of God
is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is
devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is
of God because of the inspiration that comes with it; things
come with largeness and tonic to the life because everything
is energized by God. If God gives you a time spiritually,
as He gave His Son actually, of temptation in the wilderness,
with no word from Himself at all, endure, and the power to
endure is there because you see God.
"Though it tarry, wait for it." The proof that we have the
vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped.
It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. "What shall I
render unto the Lord?" said the Psalmist. "I will take the cup
of salvation." We are apt to look for satisfaction in ourselves
- "Now I have got the thing; now I am entirely sanctified;
now I can endure." Instantly we are on the road to ruin.
Our reach must exceed our grasp. "Not as though I had already
attained, either were already perfect." If we have only
what we have experienced, we have nothing; if we have the
inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can
experience. Beware of the danger of
relaxation spiritually. - Chambers
*****************
Everyone looked at the propaganda of the state, at its lack of
truthfulness and its disrespect for reality, and they thought:
It's all lies. Everything the government says is a lie.
The government itself is a lie.
Twenty-three years later, in an interview, the Solidarity leader
Lech Walessa told me of how John Paul galvanized the movement
for freedom: "We knew . . . communism could not be reformed.
But we knew the minute he touched the foundations of communism,
it would collapse."
Some will speak of mistakes and sins in his papacy, and they are
right. But saints are first of all human, and their lives are
always flawed, full of contradictions, and marked by
stark failures. Yet they are individuals of heroic virtue.
As he was.Santo Subito. Make him a saint. - NOONAN
******************
Many on the right are critical of the fawning over the Royal
wedding ceremony for Prince William and his bride, Kate,
broadcast around the globe today. They point to the American
Revolution and our endeavors to shed the tyranny of the Crown,
and they mock the stodginess of the Royals while noting the
irony of several failed marriages among the recent crop from
the House of Windsor - most notably, William's parents.
But whatever one thinks of the Monarchy, in an increasingly
pathetic MTV world - the ceremony today was extraordinary,
and a good thing for the world to see. It was nothing short
of impressive - timely, carried out with precision, dripping
with military, christian and royal traditions. The music was
magnificent - there were actual hymns rather than gaudy
"praise music" rock bands, a church that looks like a
church, and the participants and guests were dressed not just
appropriately, but perfectly…
The event was broadcast to an estimated 2 billion people.
And in my view - that is a good thing. It can hardly be bad -
for whatever flaws of the people involved - to remind people
through the broadcast of a high religious ceremony that
Christ is Lord. It can hardly be bad to have 2 billion people
hear a Christian reminder of the importance of marriage in
furthering mankind. It can hardly be bad to remind people
that for all its flaws, the Anglo-influence has indeed made
the world a far better place. And it is hardly bad to remind
people that tradition matters - that carrying ourselves the
proper way matters. Today was a day for the British to be proud
of the civilization they have built - and a civilization that
shaped the world. A civilization that birthed America.
http://www.redstate.com/hogan/
***************
What does it mean to be blessed? It means that you are
supernaturally empowered to do whatever God has called you
to do; to be whoever God has called you to be; and to have
whatever God has called you to have. God's blessing is His
empowerment! The key is this: you have to believe it in order
to receive it. You can't walk around in guilt and condemnation
from the past thinking you can't do anything right and expect
to keep moving forward. You have to shake off those old mindsets
by declaring God's truth over your life. Truth sets you free.
When you speak God's truth that you are blessed, you will be
free to believe it and free to receive it! Today, take hold of
what belongs to you. Approach the day with an attitude of faith
and victory knowing that you are already blessed! - Osteen
****************
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, lie,
and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward in heaven!
The prophets who lived before you were persecuted in these ways.
13"You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste,
how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for
anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.
14"You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden
when it is located on a hill. 15No one lights a lamp and puts
it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it
on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house.
16In the same way let your light shine in front of people.
Then they will see the good that you
do and praise your Father in heaven.
http://gwt.scripturetext.com/matthew/5.htm
****************
INVERTEBRATES and other unlikely things.
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone (or spine).
The group includes 95% of all animal species
It's a very ancient saying,
But a true and honest thought,
That if you become a teacher,
By your pupils you'll be taught.
As a teacher I've been learning --
You'll forgive me if I boast --
And I've now become an expert,
On the subject I like most.
Getting to know you.
Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.
Getting to know you,
Putting it my way,
But nicely,
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.
Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me.
Getting to know you,
Putting it my way,
But nicely,
You are precisely,
My cup of tea.
Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say
Haven't you noticed
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day.
Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say
Haven't you noticed
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy?
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day .. by ... day.
My mentor warned me just
this past week about
calling people names.
I did it again.
I was wrong.
I don't know people
so I try to learn more about them
the more a find out about them
the more I realize they are like me
but learning about people is not always easy
some people don't want to share about themselves.
for a long time I was ashamed, fearful, closed.
I thought no one liked me. One of my counselors
wondered out loud wether I would ever be able to
have meaningful relationships. I think he was
having a difficult time getting through to me.
CAUTION RAMBLING I still cry sometimes at easter.... He saved A WRETCH : Me ! click it-> Confession - BEING WRONG <- click it .....my attitude towards other people and my self-obsession—I had a lot to think about in my life that I wasn't very proud of. For the first time in my life, I realized I'd made a mess of things. A person who rushes through life mostly using people. I thought much more about my own self-interest than anybody's else's. That led to the breakup of my first marriage; I was responsible for that. *************************** Please pray for mommy..a lot that God would make her stong sustain her...and our brother David ...DON'T FORGET...God is able !!! *************************** Pastor was talking last night about THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD... it's really, really bad out here !!!! but you are the Light of the world... don't EVER FORGET ! ! *************************** what would pain, tradgedy, job loss etc....do to my faith? what if I am wrong? ...it was part of what I needed as a Christian: to see how other people lived, to be in a position where I was helpless and had to learn how to lean on God. - COLSON |
.....my attitude towards other people and my
self-obsession—I had a lot to think about in my
life that I wasn't very proud of. For the first
time in my life, I realized I'd made a mess of
things.
I began to see the whole thing closing in on and
me and getting worse and worse and worse and
worse.
I began to have different values and a different
attitude. I began to study the Bible....taught
me lots of what I needed to know as a Christian
and helped me to live my faith.
I'm watching everything I've worked day and
night to build collapse around me.
As much as being worried about my own future, I
think that was what had me searching for
something more meaningful in life.
you don't make any close friends... no one
does. I realized how easily everything you put
your heart and soul into for two years, three
years, four years could go down the garbage.
That was the disillusioning part.
My biggest regret is that I saw things going on
that I should've known were wrong or I knew were
wrong but then I rationalized them away. I
didn't say anything. I should've spoken up a
number of times and said, "Wait a moment, this
isn't right," and I didn't. That's my greatest
regret.
What do you think stopped you?
to be perfectly honest, I wanted to stay in the
inner circle. It was self interest.
A person who rushes through life mostly using
people. I thought much more about my own
self-interest than anybody's else's. That led to
the breakup of my first marriage; I was
responsible for that.
I can't imagine I lived the way I did. I cannot
imagine. I shudder when I think about it,
because I feel so totally differently about
life. Now, please don't get the impression that
somebody who's a really bad guy and then all of
a sudden finds Christ, the next day he's a
saint. It doesn't work that way.
I've discovered that every year you grow a
little more than the year before. It isn't like
all of a sudden you turn a switch and you go
from A to B. You do in one sense, because your
whole worldview is very different; you realize
you've got to see things the way God sees them,
not the way you do. So that part changes fast,
but it doesn't immediately reflect itself in how
you live. That part takes time.
Paul, who was the greatest apostle of the
Christian Church, said, "I die daily." He meant
the old Paul had to die so the new Paul could
live, and I think if we're honest with
ourselves, we all need to do that.
I kept a lot of my old friends. And I have to
tell you, over a period of time, many of them
became believers.
Even to this day, I go out of my way to spend
time with people who are in the same position I
was in before my conversion, because I know how
much they need to find Christ, and how much they
need to have hope in their lives. I don't just
stop seeing people.
...it was part of what I needed as a Christian:
to see how other people lived, to be in a
position where I was helpless and had to learn
how to lean on God.
The prevailing view well into the 1970s was that
crime is caused by environmental factors—by
dysfunctional childhoods, by racism, by poverty.
So the criminals became victims, victims of
society, which to me didn't make sense. Then I
came across two people who were doing studies on
criminal behavior, and they came to the
conclusion that crime is not caused by
environment or poverty or deprivation. It is
caused by individuals making wrong moral
choices....WHY ????
Samuel Yochelson said something very, very
significant; he said crime is caused by people
making wrong moral choices. The answer (to crime)
therefore is the conversion of the wrongdoer to
a more responsible lifestyle. I think that's
exactly what a Christian conversion is: to leave
a wrongful style of life behind and realize, if
you want to follow Christ, you have to live a
Of all the religions and philosophies in the
world, Christianity is the most interested in
people who've made mistakes, because it says you
can repent and be forgiven and start over again.
Buddhism doesn't offer that, nor does Hinduism,
nor does Judaism, nor does Islam. Christianity
is the religion of second chances....I talk
about the fact that you can be forgiven of your
sins and be given a new life. In Hindu
countries, their eyes open like saucers because
they've never heard that. I think Christianity
is one of the most tolerant of all religions
when it comes to making mistakes.
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Each of you must examine your own actions. Then you can be proud of your own accomplishments without comparing yourself to others.
