Rainbows

The first rainbow was God's promise to Noah to never create such a flood again. God's word is chuck full of "rainbows" for us today:...All things work together for good...to be conformed to the image of His Son...

...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee...

...My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness...

...And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus...

...But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil...Have you ever noticed how the vast majority of the promises in the New Testament point to Christ's abilities? And yet we, as humans, have this tendency to think that it's somehow about us and what we can do.

It's not.

It's about Christ and what He can do.

sun please?

I need the sunshine. I need it. And right now, I miss it...badly.

Praise God for His Patience!

Have you ever had one of those experiences where you think you have things under control; you think you have a handle on things, and then something happens to make you realize you don't?

It seems I struggle time and time again with reducing God to a methodology. If I just do 'A', 'B', and 'C', then I'll get a Godly result. I become so focused on doing the "correct thing" that I allow my relationship with Christ to fade into the background. I forget the law of Love. I forget total surrender. I begin to think that I've got it figured out. I think that I have a grip on the situation.

Then time and time again God gently shakes me and says "Wake up. Wake up from this place where you're alienating yourself from our relationship."

It's so easy to get my eyes focused on this horizontal plane of living life. I forget to look up. I forget to focus on the cross and on the empty tomb. I forget that this world is not my home. It doesn't happen overnight. The forgetting is a slow process. And you know what? It usually happens when things are going well for me. When the decisions I make are turning out "good" for me.

And then when it all implodes, that's when I see myself for what I am. That's when I begin to grasp my size compared to the Almighty God of the Universe, and I am humbled. Once again I come crawling back, and once again I feel His love, forgiveness, hope, and tenderness all over again. And I am thankful.

All praise be to the one who saw fit to come and take the form of wretched man in order to communicate to them His love and compassion!

Who Will Rescue Me?

Ever feel like this? I do...a lot actually.

Thankfully Paul gives us the answer in verse 25 (highlighted).

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
--Romans 7: 14-24 (NIV)

Lord forgive us for when we think we can stand on our own.

I can take a few tears now and then and just let em out,
I'm not afraid to cry every once in awhile,

I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house,
That don't bother me,..

Wow...that's a lot of calcs

This week in Switzerland, the BMW Sauber F1 team introduced the world to Albert2, the know-it-all bag of silicon parts it hopes will give it an edge on the tarmac next season. No ordinary pile of sand, this. Albert2 is on the Top-500 list of most powerful supercomputers as Europe's fastest machine. Sporting processors from Intel, with whom the team has a sponsorship deal, Albert2 will take the place of a second wind tunnel -- which teams without supercomputers have been building -- calculating computational fluid dynamics (COMPFLUDY) problems (on its 10 trillion hands) for aerodynamics development. Under the hood, Albert2 has 256 nodes with two Intel Xeon 5160 dual-core processors each, with main memory is 2,048 GB, and maximum computing power of 12,288 gigaflops -- or 12,288,000,000,000 floating-point arithmetic operations per second. BMW says that's like everyone in Munich multiplying two eight-digit numbers every three-and-a-half seconds for an entire year. In other news, BMW-Sauber has laid off the entire population of Munich. – Mike Spinelli

Be the Change

You must BE the change you want to see in the world:

I got this in an email today. It was definitely thought provoking for me, so I thought I'd share. It's a good reminder that it's about relationship.The following might be what Christ would like us to understand about His birthday.

Dear children,
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival, although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth just, GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Now, having said that let Me go on.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can and may remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15:1-8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list.
1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile it could make the difference. Also, you might consider supporting the local hot-line, they talk with people like that every day.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name. You may already know someone like that.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them (and I suspect you don't) buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Marines, the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

P.S. Don't forget: I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember,

I love you.

Author: Unknown

Suffering

Look at these pictures.

We are truly a sheltered people. May we not forget the suffering that the majority of the world must endure.

Sorry

I've got nothing of note.

Let me know if there's something you want me to write about. I'll see what I can do.

Sobering

Pr 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Trust

"Lord, you are perfect LOVE, and you only want the best for me. You are perfect WISDOM, and you know what is best for me. And you are perfect POWER, and you are able to make it happen."

So why do we worry?

God has given us the perfect "manual for living" with the Bible. Let's do our best to live by it's revealed teachings and then trust in the sovereignty of God that everything is working for our sanctification; even in our failures. Let us lean on our relationship with Christ our Savior as we strive to keep the main thing the main thing.

Sleep Facts Part 2

I'm getting very frustrated with blogger not letting me upload pictures. Anyone find a good solution to this yet?

Here's a continuation of the sleep facts. If you read part 1, be sure and go back and read the comments. Dan did a little legwork on some of the research and found out that some of it had been disproven.

- The NRMA estimates fatigue is involved in one in 6 fatal road accidents.

- Exposure to noise at night can suppress immune function even if the sleeper doesn’t wake. Unfamiliar noise, and noise during the first and last two hours of sleep, has the greatest disruptive effect on the sleep cycle.

- The "natural alarm clock" which enables some people to wake up more or less when they want to is caused by a burst of the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin. Researchers say this reflects an unconscious anticipation of the stress of waking up.

- Some sleeping tablets, such as barbiturates suppress REM sleep, which can be harmful over a long period.

- In insomnia following bereavement, sleeping pills can disrupt grieving.

- Tiny luminous rays from a digital alarm clock can be enough to disrupt the sleep cycle even if you do not fully wake. The light turns off a "neural switch" in the brain, causing levels of a key sleep chemical to decline within minutes.

- To drop off we must cool off; body temperature and the brain's sleep-wake cycle are closely linked. That's why hot summer nights can cause a restless sleep. The blood flow mechanism that transfers core body heat to the skin works best between 18 and 30 degrees. But later in life, the comfort zone shrinks to between 23 and 25 degrees - one reason why older people have more sleep disorders.

- A night on the grog will help you get to sleep but it will be a light slumber and you won't dream much.

- After five nights of partial sleep deprivation, three drinks will have the same effect on your body as six would when you've slept enough.

- Humans sleep on average around three hours less than other primates like chimps, rhesus monkeys, squirrel monkeys and baboons, all of whom sleep for 10 hours.

- Ducks at risk of attack by predators are able to balance the need for sleep and survival, keeping one half of the brain awake while the other slips into sleep mode.

- Ten per cent of snorers have sleep apnoea, a disorder which causes sufferers to stop breathing up to 300 times a night and significantly increases the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

- Snoring occurs only in non-REM sleep


- Teenagers need as much sleep as small children (about 10 hrs) while those over 65 need the least of all (about six hours). For the average adult aged 25-55, eight hours is considered optimal

- Some studies suggest women need up to an hour's extra sleep a night compared to men, and not getting it may be one reason women are much more susceptible to depression than men.

- Feeling tired can feel normal after a short time. Those deliberately deprived of sleep for research initially noticed greatly the effects on their alertness, mood and physical performance, but the awareness dropped off after the first few days.

- Diaries from the pre-electric-light-globe Victorian era show adults slept nine to 10 hours a night with periods of rest changing with the seasons in line with sunrise and sunsets.

- Most of what we know about sleep we've learned in the past 25 years.

- As a group, 18 to 24 year-olds deprived of sleep suffer more from impaired performance than older adults.

- Experts say one of the most alluring sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the internet.

- The extra-hour of sleep received when clocks are put back at the start of daylight in Canada has been found to coincide with a fall in the number of road accidents.

Sleep Facts Part 1

Due to my recent prolonged lack of sufficient sleep, I decided to look up some sleep facts. I found these interesting. I'll post the second part tomorrow.

-The record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes during a rocking chair marathon. The record holder reported hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses.

- It's impossible to tell if someone is really awake without close medical supervision. People can take cat naps with their eyes open without even being aware of it.

- Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you're sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you're still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted you feel sleepy by day.

- A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year

- One of the best predictors of insomnia later in life is the development of bad habits from having sleep disturbed by young children.

- The continuous brain recordings that led to the discovery of REM (rapid eye-movement) sleep were not done until 1953, partly because the scientists involved were concerned about wasting paper.

- REM sleep occurs in bursts totalling about 2 hours a night, usually beginning about 90 minutes after falling asleep.

- Dreams, once thought to occur only during REM sleep, also occur (but to a lesser extent) in non-REM sleep phases. It's possible there may not be a single moment of our sleep when we are actually dreamless.

- REM dreams are characterised by bizarre plots, but non-REM dreams are repetitive and thought-like, with little imagery - obsessively returning to a suspicion you left your mobile phone somewhere, for example.

- Certain types of eye movements during REM sleep correspond to specific movements in dreams, suggesting at least part of the dreaming process is analagous to watching a film

- No-one knows for sure if other species dream but some do have sleep cycles similar to humans.

- Elephants sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but lie down for REM sleep.

- Some scientists believe we dream to fix experiences in long-term memory, that is, we dream about things worth remembering. Others reckon we dream about things worth forgetting - to eliminate overlapping memories that would otherwise clog up our brains.

- Dreams may not serve any purpose at all but be merely a meaningless byproduct of two evolutionary adaptations - sleep and consciousness.

- REM sleep may help developing brains mature. Premature babies have 75 per cent REM sleep, 10 per cent more than full-term bubs. Similarly, a newborn kitten, puppy, rat, or hampster experiences only REM sleep, while a newborn guinea pig (which is much more developed at birth) has almost no REM sleep at all.


- Scientists have not been able to explain a 1998 study showing a bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain's sleep-wake clock.

- British Ministry of Defence researchers have been able to reset soldiers' body clocks so they can go without sleep for up to 36 hrs. Tiny optical fibres embedded in special spectacles project a ring of bright white light (with a spectrum identical to a sunrise) around the edge of soldiers' retinas, fooling them into thinking they have just woken up. The system was first used on US pilots during the bombing of Kosovo.

- Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05%.

- The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, the Challenger space shuttle disaster and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been attributed to human errors in which sleep-deprivation played a role.

Great Analogies!

The 25 Funniest Analogies (Collected by High School English Teachers)

The e-mail said they were taken from actual high school essays and collected by English teachers across the country for their own amusement. Some of these kids may have bright futures as humor writers. What do you think?

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a ThighMaster.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Oaths

I'd be interested to get some feedback on how you guys view this stuff. Is it an overreaction by Prager, or is this something you think we need to be actively resisting? I know it's kind of long, but I really think it would be worth your time.Please take a moment to read the following TownHall.com column by Dennis Prager, who is a Jew. After reading the column, take the suggest action at the bottom of this email.

America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on
By Dennis Prager - Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran.

He should not be allowed to do so -- not because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American civilization.

First, it is an act of hubris that perfectly exemplifies multiculturalist activism -- my culture trumps America's culture. What Ellison and his Muslim and leftist supporters are saying is that it is of no consequence what America holds as its holiest book; all that matters is what any individual holds to be his holiest book.

Forgive me, but America should not give a hoot what Keith Ellison's favorite book is. Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned, America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don't serve in Congress. In your personal life, we will fight for your right to prefer any other book. We will even fight for your right to publish cartoons mocking our Bible. But, Mr. Ellison, America, not you, decides on what book its public servants take their oath.

Devotees of multiculturalism and political correctness who do not see how damaging to the fabric of American civilization it is to allow Ellison to choose his own book need only imagine a racist elected to Congress. Would they allow him to choose Hitler's "Mein Kampf," the Nazis' bible, for his oath? And if not, why not? On what grounds will those defending Ellison's right to choose his favorite book deny that same right to a racist who is elected to public office?

Of course, Ellison's defenders argue that Ellison is merely being honest; since he believes in the Koran and not in the Bible, he should be allowed, even encouraged, to put his hand on the book he believes in. But for all of American history, Jews elected to public office have taken their oath on the Bible, even though they do not believe in the New Testament, and the many secular elected officials have not believed in the Old Testament either. Yet those secular officials did not demand to take their oaths of office on, say, the collected works of Voltaire or on a volume of New York Times editorials, writings far more significant to some liberal members of Congress than the Bible. Nor has one Mormon official demanded to put his hand on the Book of Mormon. And it is hard to imagine a scientologist being allowed to take his oath of office on a copy of "Dianetics" by L. Ron Hubbard.

So why are we allowing Keith Ellison to do what no other member of Congress has ever done -- choose his own most revered book for his oath?

The answer is obvious -- Ellison is a Muslim. And whoever decides these matters, not to mention virtually every editorial page in America, is not going to offend a Muslim. In fact, many of these people argue it will be a good thing because Muslims around the world will see what an open society America is and how much Americans honor Muslims and the Koran.

This argument appeals to all those who believe that one of the greatest goals of America is to be loved by the world, and especially by Muslims because then fewer Muslims will hate us (and therefore fewer will bomb us).

But these naive people do not appreciate that America will not change the attitude of a single American-hating Muslim by allowing Ellison to substitute the Koran for the Bible. In fact, the opposite is more likely: Ellison's doing so will embolden Islamic extremists and make new ones, as Islamists, rightly or wrongly, see the first sign of the realization of their greatest goal -- the Islamicization of America.

When all elected officials take their oaths of office with their hands on the very same book, they all affirm that some unifying value system underlies American civilization. If Keith Ellison is allowed to change that, he will be doing more damage to the unity of America and to the value system that has formed this country than the terrorists of 9-11. It is hard to believe that this is the legacy most Muslim Americans want to bequeath to America. But if it is, it is not only Europe that is in trouble. (End Commentary)

Do it anyway

I recieved this quote from Ted Witzig Jr. several days ago. I really appreciate it's message and thought it was worth sharing. Things always seem to have a way of coming back to motives“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous of you. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, may be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give it your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”

--- Mother Teresa ---

Sometimes...

Luke's wisdom for this Tuesday the 28th of November 2006.

Sometimes when you're struggling with a negative attitude or you just feel a little down, the best way to get over it is to do nice things for other people.

*bows quickly and exits the stage*

Thanksgiving

Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving!

Ro 14:6-8
He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

Amen?

Holiness

I've been thinking this morning about God's attribute of holiness. Two different times in scripture where someone is allowed to see the throne room of God, they describe the words "Holy, Holy, Holy" being called out continually in the presence of God.Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. There are a lot different adjectives that God could've decreed to be sang for eternity in His presence - Loving, Loving, Loving... Righteous, Righteous, Righteous... Forgiving, Forgiving, Forgiving... Sinless, Sinless, Sinless... Yet "Holy" is what God has decreed.

In the Hebrew language a word is repeated to when they want to show emphasis. If there was a really big storm last night, they would say something like "it was a stormy storm". Holy is the only word that is repeated 3 times in the Bible indicating that God's holiness is bigger than can ever be explained.

Now take that same concept of repetition to show emphasis, and imagine an endless chorus of "Holy, Holy, Holy" echoing through enternity. Our finite minds will never come close to understanding that degree of ANYthing, let alone holiness.

Now for the challenge: 1Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

God forgive us when we think we can even begin to approach you any other way than clothed in Christ's imputed righteousness.

Peace?

A former president of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and historians from England, Egypt, Germany, and India have come up with some startling information.

They say that in the more than 5,600 years since 3600 B.C., the world has known only 292 years of peace!

During this period there have been 14,351 wars, large and small, in which 3.64 billion people have been killed. The value of the property destroyed would pay for a golden belt around the world 97.2 miles wide and 33 feet thick.

Since 650 B.C. there have also been 1656 arms races, only 16 of which have not ended in war. The remainder ended in the economic collapse of the countries involved.

The Personnel Journal reported only slightly better statistics, saying that since the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than eight percent of the time! In its study, the periodical discovered that in excess of 8,000 peace treaties have been made -- and broken. Peace treaties signed by people who really do not want peace are worth about the cost of the paper they are written on.

In addition to national wars, in every nation's cities and villages, men, women and even children war with each other, often killing and maiming each other, often within the same families.

We live in a world without peace. Yet, paradoxically, God's Word repeatedly tells us to be at peace and to have peace. What is the answer?

Someone has said, "Safety consists not in the absence of danger but in the presence of God." You could also say, "Peace consists not in the absence of conflict but in the presence of God."

Galatians 5:22 tells us that peace is a fruit of the Spirit.

May Christ's Spirit bring you peace in the midst of this turmoil we call life.

Pencils

"We are all pencils in the hand of God"

---

Mother Teresa

Somedays I really feel like a pencil.

stacking atoms to reach pluto

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.Can you imagine it any other way? Have you ever had a really good spiritual week? I'm talking about a week where EVERYthing goes right. You feel like you're right on track. God just HAS to be loving you a little more than he did last week right?

Right?

On man's BEST day - On our best day EVER - We are SO incredibly far from God's Holiness that it's like we barely breathed. And yet, from our pathetic perspectives, we sometimes look at our lives as this ebb and flow of spiritual achievement and failure when, in reality, the incredible distance that man is from God's holiness makes our ups and downs indiscernible.

God forgive us for thinking we're acheiving something on our good days, and forgive us for thinking we're worthless on our bad days.

Lord, help us to trust in your sovereignty as we walk the journey of our lives, and help us to rest in your loving promises as we build a relationship with You.

Would you?

Another great message from Bill Bright from Campus Crusade for Christ.

I once heard a story about a baby girl who lay near death, critically injured in an automobile accident. She desperately needed a blood transfusion, but no one could be found who shared her rare blood type.

In the midst of their frantic search, the doctors discovered that the child's older brother, Kevin, had the right type of blood. Anxious to proceed, one of the doctors sat down with the seven-year-old boy and talked quietly with him.

"Your sister is very sick, son," he said, "and if we don't help her, she's not going to live. I want to know if you are willing to give your blood to help your baby sister?"

His face pale with fear, Kevin seemed to struggle with his answer. But after a few moments, he said softly, "Yes, I will."

The little boy watched sadly and silently as his blood flowed from his arm through the tube. "We're almost finished," the doctor smiled encouragingly.

Kevin's eyes filled with tears. "How long 'til I die?" he whispered.

Looking at him in amazement, the doctor realized that Kevin thought he had been asked to give all his blood to save his sister. That brave little boy had believed that his act of mercy for his sister would cost him his life. Yet he was willing to do it!

What great love! Our Lord Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13, NIV). It makes me wonder how many of us would be willing to give up our own lives so unselfishly for someone we love, much less someone we do not even know, especially if they are living a sinful life? "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, NIV).

The Bible also reveals, "He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again" (2 Corinthians 5:15, NIV).

Let us, indeed, no longer live for ourselves, but for Him, who died for us. How can anyone say no?

Wishin'

I'm wishing I had something to write - something profound to consider - something that would touch people.

But I don't.

Do you ever have those times in your life when the relationship between your wretchedness and God's infinite holiness seems to be so clear?

And yet there is no way for us to even minutely understand that gaping chasm.

wait

If you wanna see a bunch of pictures from our N.C. trip go over to facebook. I have close to 120 pictures of the trip posted there. It was a great trip.

The trip home definitely made some memories. Our flight was two hours late leaving Raleigh meaning we missed our connection in Atlanta. It was the first time I ever had to spend the night somewhere due to a missed connection.

We arrive at the Raleigh airport at 5:45pm for our 7:01pm departure. This was when we first learned that our flight out of Raleigh was going to be delayed. We finally went to our rooms at a hotel in Atlanta at 1:30am. Out of this 7hrs and 45 minutes of time 1 1/2 hrs of it was actually spent flying to Atlanta. The rest was spent waiting. What an awesome lesson in patience! I'm thankful I was with friends who kept a great attitude.

It was definitely an "experience". I deciced you couldn't pay me enough to be a customer service person for an airline.

Teaser

I'm still in NC, so this'll be short. Here's a sample. It's been a great trip so far! Beautiful scenery.

Faith & Breakfast

Sorry this got kinda long. I wasn't planning on that.

So, I met with my mentor over breakfast this morning. We usually meet on Friday mornings, but I'm going to be in North Carolina on Friday morning. Five of us (Josh Gerber, Jake Gerst, Trent Leman, Tony Esslinger, and myself) are going out to visit John Eisenmann. We're leaving this evening around 6:00pm and getting home on Sunday night around 10:00pm.

So anyway, I met with my mentor this morning, and we discussed a bunch of issues, but one of the issues that came up was "pleasing God".

How do we please God? How do we make decisions that please Him? When we're new born babes in Christ, we're ignorant of a lot of the principles that are found in His Word. Does that mean, when we make decisions in ignorance, that we're less pleasing to God?

The Scripture says that "without faith it is impossible to please God". Does that mean that all it takes it faith to please him, or is it just saying that without faith it's impossible to do the things that please God? See the difference?

See...if you believe that faith allows us to do the things that please God...then when we do things in ignorance of His Word, then that would be "displeasing" because we're doing the wrong things.

However, if faith is what it takes to please God, then where does obedience to His Word fit in?

Motives? It starts with faith. Faith in what? Faith that God exists. Faith that He is who He says He is. Faith in God's promises in His Word. Faith that He'll continue to work out our sanctification regardless of our ignorance. Then that faith will manifest itself in our obedience - in our things. It isn't the manifestation of the things that our Father is looking for. It's the motive behind them. It's the relationship He's seeking, not our actions.

I know it may seem like an insignificant thing to some of you. I mean...if obedience is what it comes around too...As long as we're obedient, we're all good right? Well, this is where I struggle. Obedience for the sake of obedience isn't really the obedience that's on God's heart. I struggle with the mindset of, "If I do A, B, and C, then I'll end up with D. If, when I get up in the morning, I read for a half hour and then pray for a half hour, then I'll eventually overcome this certain sin in my life. If I'm obedient...If I just do what I'm supposed to do, then I'll be victorious right? That's not necessarily how God works. Sometimes we're doing all the right things, and we still can't seem to overcome an issue.

That's where it comes back to the heart! Let's focus on God...on who He is...on our perspective...on our relationship, and let our obedience flow from an awe of HIM!

God Bless.

Matthew 24:6

Read this.
















James 4:1

Resting in the Arms of The Sovereign

"Nothing can happen to you outside the parameters of the sovereign hands of God. The question Christians need to ask is not how can I get away from suffering but the key is why did my loving heavenly Father allow this? A wrong response to pain, trouble, suffering, sorrow and failure is a lack of trust in God's sovereignty over every area of your life. Understand the goal of suffering is to make us more Christlike." Kimber Kauffman, pastor College Park Baptist Church, Indpls, IN

"The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surronding our lives are no accident: they may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God." Margaret Clarkson

It is not just a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body. And it is adversity that makes us exhibit His life in our mortal flesh. The only thing that will enable me to enjoy adversity is the acute sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in me. No matter how difficult something may be, I must say "Lord, I am delighted to obey you in this." Instantly, the Son of God will move to the forefront of my life, and will manifest in my body that which glorifies Him. You must not debate. The moment you obey the light of God, His Son shines through you in that very adversity; but if you debate with God, you grieve His Spirit. You must keep yourself in the proper condition to allow the life of the Son of God to be manifested in you, and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to self pity. It is one thing to choose adversity, and quite another to enter into adversity through the orchestrating of our circumstances by God's sovereignty. And if God puts you into adversity, He is adeuately sufficient to "supply all your needs". (Phil 4:19). Oswald Chambers

The Heart of a Child

A nurse on the pediatric ward, before listening to the little ones chests, would plug the stethoscope into their ears and let them listen to their own hearts. Their eyes would always light up with awe, but she never got a response to equal four-year old David's comment. Gently she tucked the stethoscope into his ears and placed the disk over his heart. Listen, she said...........what do you suppose that is? He drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled line and looked up as if lost in the mystery of the strange tap - tap - tapping deep in his chest.

Then his face broke out in a wondrous grin and he asked, "is that Jesus Knocking?"

Power of Prayer

Another message from Bill Bright.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5:16, (KJV).

Dear friends:

In the 1930s, Stalin ordered a purge of all Bibles and all believers in the former Soviet Union. Millions of Bibles were confiscated and multitudes of believers were sent to the gulags (prison camps), where most died for being "enemies of the state." In Stavropol, Russia, this order was carried out with a vengeance.

Recently, the CoMission ministry, which Campus Crusade for Christ sponsored, sent a team to Stavropol. The city's history was not known at that time. But when our team was having difficulties getting Bibles shipped from Moscow, someone mentioned the existence of a warehouse outside of town where these confiscated Bibles had been stored ever since Stalin's day. After much prayer by the team, one member finally got up the courage to go to the warehouse and ask the officials if the Bibles were still there. Sure enough, they were. Then the CoMission asked if the Bibles could be removed and distributed again to the people of Stavropol. The answer was "yes"!

The next day the CoMission team returned with a truck and several Russian people to help load the Bibles. One helper was a young man, who was a skeptical, hostile, and agnostic collegian who had come only for the day's wages.

As they were loading the Bibles, one team member noticed that the young man had disappeared. Eventually, then found him in a corner of the warehouse weeping.

He had slipped away hoping to quietly take a Bible. What he found shook him to the core. The inside page of the Bible he picked up had the handwritten signature of his own grandmother! It had been her Bible! Out of the many thousands of Bibles still left in that warehouse, he stole the one belonging to his grandmother -- a woman persecuted for her faith all her life.

No wonder he was weeping -- God had just dramatically revealed Himself to this young man. His grandmother had no doubt prayed for him and for her city. Her prayers had followed him, and now this young man's life has been transformed by the very Bible that his grandmother found so dear.

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33, KJV).

Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,

Bill Bright

Cloudy and Cold

It's Monday. It's cold. It's cloudy.

Talk about a great day for a fireplace, some hot chocolate, and a good book. Or better yet, a fireplace, some hot chocolate, and a good friend.

Thanks to all the Kansas people who stuck around awhile after College Weekend. I praise God for our friendships. You totally made my weekend. Each one of you really bring your own special spirit to our group.

Bummer about the StL Cardinals. Better luck Tuesday. Yesterday's game was definitely a nail biter. I even sensed Jake getting a little worried when the bases were loaded in the ninth inning. *grin* Turns out he had nothing to worry about. The Tigers held onto their lead and got a well deserved win.

I love Baseball.

We WIN!

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to the World Series again! I didn't get to watch the game last night since I went to Thursday night Bible Study at ISU, but man what a battle!

I had to think, as I reflected back on how close the game was and how close the Cardinals were to losing in the ninth inning, how thankful I am that getting to heaven isn't that nerve-wracking. I'm thankful that my battle's already been won by Jesus Christ! I'm thankful that the Bible tells us that we're already winners! I don't have to get nervous and wonder if I'm part of the winning team. I'm thankful that Jesus loved me enough to fight the battle for me.

Pictures that wouldn't publish yesterday

Eating...I don't have any acceptable pictures of us eating...I was busy.

Rock Climbing...There's an amazing view from the top.

View from the top...see, told ya it was amazing.

Bus riding...Great time for great conversations.

A few things

First off:

Here's the group that went to Apple River State Park this past weekend. We're standing in front of the little white church where we worshipped together. The weekend was a great success. It's a wonderful time of true fellowship. Thanks a TON to everyone who made it possible.

We played a lot of catch with the football.


We frolicked along the trails


We climbed "The Rock", ate a lot, and spent a lot of time on the bus. I was going to post pictures of some of that stuff, but Blogger's screwing up.


Secondly:
Mark has a post on his site regarding the topic of our discussion last week

Encouraged!

I want to truly thank everyone who contributed to this dicussion on eternal security. It was an excellent growth activity for me, and I hope it was for everyone else who was following along! It is my prayer that this blog will be read for encouragement and challenge in our Christian walk, and that it will not sow discontent or discord among the Body of Christ. I appreciate those of you who's comments focused on reminding us that issues such as these shouldn't be our "main focus". Our main focus should always be on Jesus Christ, His payment of our debt, and living our lives in submission to Him.

I want to begin wrapping up this discussion with a warning to both sides of the issue.
**The responsibility of a proponent of eternal security is to avoid the following pitfall: If a little boy prays to receive Christ in a Good News Club at eight years old, he is permanently grafted into God's family. This sonship is permanent and unalterable no matter what he does from then on. If that little boy grows up to live a life full of drunkenness, drugs, immorality, rape, and murder, he still goes to heaven, for his salvation is not based at all on anything he did or does—but totally on what God did for him on the cross. This is the radical view of unconditional security. When a person is justified it is once for all. All the convert's sins—past, present, and future—are forgiven. So future sin is irrelevant to his salvation—they have all been forgiven in advance 2000 years ago. As far as his salvation goes, sin is irrelevant.

People off this side of the road don't need to worry much about sin in their lives—they can simply rejoice that "there is therefore now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus." Being in Christ is irrevocable insurance—the premiums were all paid in advance by Jesus death.

In its most radical forms, unconditional security proponents will argue that if the Lord returned today there would be thousands of people raptured right out of the arms of prostitutes or gay lovers, for their salvation is not based at all on any behavior, but only on something which happened in the courts of heaven.This radical form of unconditional security follows a path far off the road on the left. But there is a path far off on the other side too.
The danger for the people who believe in conditional security is in their defining of the "conditions". It's possible to steer off the other side of the road, constantly anxious about their own salvation. They disbelieve unconditional security so much that they practice eternal insecurity. They believe "one sin and you're out" of God's family. This sort of insecurity leads to spiritual hypochondria as people constantly check their pulse to see if they're still spiritually alive.

If these eternally insecure people slip into sin, they feel they have to get born again, again . . . and again, and again. One single slip is grounds for expulsion from God's family. Any thought, word, or deed that is disobedient breaks the relationship with God and will damn the individual.

People on this insecurity path are never sure. They are not sure that they are in or out today, so they turn morbidly introspective trying to eliminate any vestige of wrong thoughts, words, or deeds. They reason that if they live a perfect life, totally free from any sin, then they will be saved.

Their mistake is focusing on themselves instead of Jesus, as if all responsibility for staying saved is theirs and God is somehow looking for an opportunity to kick them out of the family. In their preoccupation with human effort they are more humanist than Christian.**I think we can all agree that the Bible teaches Holiness. Regardless of your view, we are to always love God with everything we have in us, and love our neighbor as ourself. Let these truths be our uniting factor.

If anyone has any closing comments or would like to respond to a comment that was posted earlier, feel free to do so here.

**Taken from http://www.crivoice.org/security.html** on 10-13-06**

Eternally Secure? Part II

First off, if you haven't read the previous post and it's comments, this post won't make as much sense as if you had read them. I know this is long, and I'm sorry if some of you have a hard time getting through it all, but I'd like to get all this out there for discussion at once rather than stringing my views over several days. Please don't give up on it, just because of it's length...print it off and read it at your leisure, and then come back and share your thoughts with me on it. I'm really interested in feedback on this.

As you read through these discussions it's important to remember that no one here believes in Hyper-grace, or the ability to just say "I accept Jesus" and then go out and live in wickedness with your salvation "secure". We all agree that Holiness is the mark of saved person. Please continue reading with the motive of Love for our brother and a desire to be a Berean!

Before I get into the my understanding of eternal security, I'd like to lay some groundwork by going over the Biblical definitions of "sin". The Bible does not refer to all sin in the same manner. There are specific words to refer to specific types of sin. In the broadest definition, "sin" is any action or attitude that is not motivated by love for God, for others, or ourselves.

Christ makes this clear he declares that the most important commandments are to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV).

So I did sin, when I got angry and yelled at my brother, by not having loving attitudes toward him. But under this broad definition of sin, there are different types of sins. For instance, the apostle Paul writes that "all have sinned" (Romans 3:23 NIV). We would say that a minister, who uses pastoral influence to lure others into sexual activity, has sinned. A drug-dealing pimp, with a criminal record as long as his stretch limo, has sinned. A person who chooses to reject God, has sinned. And a person whom God tells to "depart into utter darkness," has sinned.

While I've used the same English word in these five cases, the New Testament's original language distinguishes between each with five separate words--with five separate meanings.

1. Hamartia

Paul uses this Greek word in the sentence "for all have harmatia-ed and fall short of the glory of God." Hamartia describes actions and attitudes that "fall short" of God's perfection. I hamartia-ed when I yelled at my brother. We hamartia when we're impatient with the clerk at Burger King. We hamartia whenever our actions and attitudes are not completely God-like.

Luke uses hamartia in his version of the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our hamartia-s for we also forgive everyone who hamartia-s against us" (Luke 11:4 NIV). Christ implies that his followers do hamartia--fairly regularly!

John is even more direct. "If we claim to be without hamartia , we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8-10 NIV). But John encourages us by revealing "there is hamartia that does not lead to death" (1 John 5:17b NIV).

Occasional hamartia, then, doesn't cancel one's reservations for heaven. But it mustn't be ignored! When hamartia is not confessed and repented of, it can evolve into deadlier varieties.

2. Adikia

While often translated "sin," adikia more accurately describes an action that is "a perversion of righteousness." The person who adikia-s has lost sensitivity to God and views immoral actions as completely normal, even righteous. The minister who uses parishioners sexually--and even believes this is spiritually helpful for them--is sinning in this manner. The whole being is twisted toward impure living.

I was concerned about pleasing God in my actions and attitudes, so I wasn't adikia-ing when I gave in to the temptation to tell Tom what I thought of him at that moment. And so, I was still in relationship with God--and that is what determines where we spend eternity! The person who adikia-s has willfully and deliberating turned away from God and His love, and will spend eternity separated from God unless he or she restores that relationship with God.

3. Anomia

The drug-dealing pimp with twenty years in the business is living a lifestyle of sin. This is not the occasional woops-I'm-sorry-God-I-won't-let-it-happen-again sin, but anomia.

Just as fish understand no other life than swimming, anomia -ers understand no other life than sinning. So while I hamartia-ed by calling my brother a "fool," I was still trying to live, as best I knew, a life that was pleasing to God and others. Therefore, I had not anomia-ed or disqualified myself from heaven.

4. Asebia

Asebia deals specifically with rebellion toward or rejection of God. The Lord will never cut off the believer who wants to please Him and maintain a relationship with Him.

Paul reminds us in Romans: "For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels won't, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God's love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are--high about the sky, or in the deepest ocean--nothing will ever separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us (Romans 8:38-39 TLB).

However, we can choose to reject God--through active rebellion or passive indifference--and thus separate ourselves from Him. The Apostle Paul uses the word asebia when he describes the immorality and idolatry in the first chapter of Romans (18-32).

My anger toward my brother was in no way a willful, conscious rejection of God, the Bible, or the church. I may have wanted to reject my brother at the moment, but I had not asebia-ed.

5. Parabasis

Finally, parabasis is a legal term for guilt and condemnation. This term was reserved for condemned criminals: "Guilty as charged!" But Christians don't live under God's gavel of judgment: "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). "God's love is made complete in us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment (1 John 4:17).

For believers, who have sincerely asked forgiveness for past sins (all varieties) and desire to daily love God, others, and themselves, there is no parabasis. There will be occasional times when Christians will sin (hamartia) by falling short of God's perfection. However, hamartia shouldn't be taken lightly, but confessed since the "wages of hamartia is death" (Romans 6:23). I not only had to ask God for forgiveness, but my little brother as well.

These occasional hamartia-s, however, do not earn one an overheated eternity--unless the believer chooses to reject God (asebia), live a lifestyle of immorality (anomia) and unrighteousness (adikia), while refusing God's forgiveness (parabasis).


Ok, with those definitions out there, I'd like to offer another take on Hebrews 6. Basically, if I understand them correctly, Mark and Dave are defending the idea that, since it's not obviously clear that the message of Hebrews 6 is directed at truly saved believers, that we shouldn't use that passage to defend conditional security. While I agree that the text may not be conclusively speaking to the saved, it's also not conclusively speaking to the unsaved. Can you "share in the Holy Spirit" and be unsaved?

With that said, here's how I think it could possibly fit into the concept of conditional security: Hebrews 6:4-6 4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

So one thought I had is this: What if, by "fall away", the writer is refering to those who have "Asebia'd" (see above for definition). In that case, wouldn't it be impossible to come back to repentance due to the very definition of Asebia? Can you repent to a God you reject?

However, the "because" clause in verse six makes me question that. Why would the author say it's impossible to repent for Asebia "because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again..." Regardless of this, I do believe that there is a distinct possibility that the Author of Hebrews is refering to a saved Christian and saying that if they should turn their back, and cease to believe in Christ, that there remaineth no hope for them. However, he expects better than this from the readers of this letter. He acknowledges their good works as evidence of a conversion and of a desire to follow God.So, my position is this: I believe in conditional eternal security with the condition being that, after conversion, you do not reject God.

The chances of a real believer walking away from God in rebellion and losing his own soul are remote. Remote, yet possible (I don't think the Bible conclusively points to an inability for a true Christian to walk away). There is no state of grace we can reach where we could not of our own free will decide to reject God and finally lose our own soul.

But the chances of a real Christian eventually losing his own soul are slim. Why? Because "His seed remains within us." At conversion we experienced a sort of "spiritual gene splicing." God's nature was planted inside us. We received a tendency to be Godly. Sure, it is possible for us to disobey Him. But spiritual rebellion—the hardened set-chin spiritual defiance that breaks a relationship—is a very unlikely happening for a truly born again Christian.

If I understand Mark and Dave's view correctly, we have a lot of similar beliefs, with one key difference. They believe that a true believer will show that they're a true believer by living a life of holiness. If someone professes to be saved, but at some point ceases living like a Christian, then they hold that that person never really had a saving faith.

I'm of the opinion that a true believer will show that they're a true believer by living a life of holiness, however I believe that it is possible for this true believer to be drawn away of their own lust and end up rejecting God and losing their salvation.I'll do a part three tomorrow with some "closing thoughts", so don't jump to conclusions or get upset until you hear the final word. *grin*

Eternally secure?

It seems like the subject of eternal security has come up in a lot of my conversations recently. Most of the discussions have been completely un-related and among different friends. These conversations have spurred me to dig a little deeper into what I believe and why I believe it. (always a good thing right?)

I'm really hoping to get some good feedback on this stuff (whether in comments or in discussions), because I definitely don't think I've exhausted what the Bible has to say on this subject.

Let me start off by saying that I feel our statement of faith is rather vague on this subject. It makes it clear that our church doesn't believe in unconditional eternal security, but it also leaves a lot of interpretation up to the reader. This is how it reads:Although the gift of eternal life is a present possession of every true believer, it is possible for a believer of his own free will to forsake his faith, return to sin, and consequently forfeit eternal life with Christ.I believe the vagueness comes into play as different readers have very different definitions of the word "sin". If I'm a believer and I lie to my brother, is that a sin? Does it cause me to lose my salvation? I'm a believer and I commit adultury, is that an automatic loss of salvation? What if I'm a believer and I know to do good and doeth it not? What if I'm a believer, and in a fit of anger, after just watching my child die, (God forbid) look up and cry "I hate you God."? As different people read these examples, I'm fairly confident they'll have all kinds of different responses to each situation.

Some try and draw a line between "willful" sin, and "caught in the moment" sin. Some people try and re-label the "small" sins as "failures". Some people say "a sin is a sin is a sin".

Different people having different definitions for the word sin is very understandable. The KJV Bible translates several different Greek words into the word "sin". They each have very different meanings and were meant to be understood differently based on the specific context the author was addressing.

Since this is already getting a little long, in the next post I'll try and get into the different meanings of the word sin and see if that sheds some light on if or how we can lose our salvation.

Lighten up.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.

The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

If you lined up all the cars in the world end to end, someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them, five or six at a time, on a hill, in the fog.

If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

The things that come to those who wait will be the things left by those who got there first.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries.

The shin bone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room.

A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

When you go into court, you are putting yourself In the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

Is it possible to be "Just Friends"?

Can Men and Women Be Just Friends?

Grant Langston
eHarmony.com

For many people, the idea of a man and a woman being friends is charming but improbable. "It always leads to something else," they argue, meaning that the relationship eventually becomes romantic or soon fizzles out.

Perhaps they are right. After all, in contrast to the countless love stories we see in the movies, male-female friendships are rarely acclaimed or depicted as an ongoing, freestanding bond. How many stories can you think of that richly portray or endorse the lasting, devoted friendship of a man and a woman as an end in itself?

Even the acclaimed film "When Harry Met Sally," which got a lot of people talking about cross-gender friendships, ultimately proved to be another tale of romantic love. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan's tumultuous and endearing friendship is only a stage in the development of the more celebrated attachment of falling in love.

On the other hand, there are those who are seemingly surprised by the question and argue that of course male-female friendships are possible; why wouldn't they be? These people's persuasiveness almost makes the romantic pull of such relationships seem unusual. They ignore it altogether. "One of my best friends is a woman," the male proponent of this perspective insists. "And it's never crossed my mind to consider her in a romantic way." Well, that takes care of that, I think. "My friendships with men are far less complex than my relationships with women," a female with this position might say. "We can play sports and just have fun."

In our informal survey of people who are "just friends" with someone of the opposite sex, we heard a number of positive remarks. Over and over, men spoke about how a woman's friendship provided them with a kind of nurturance not generally available in their relationships with men. They said things like, "I don't have to play the macho game with women. I can show my weaknesses to a woman friend and she'll still accept me." When we asked women about their friendships with men, we heard comments like, "He is a good sounding board for getting the male perspective, the kind I can't get from my women friends."

Interestingly, women do not report the same level of intimacy as men do with their cross-gender friendships. Even women who count men among their close friends feel barriers between them. Women will say things like, "I have fun with men, and they can even be supportive and helpful about some things, but it's just not the same. If I try to talk to my male friends the same way I talk to my female friends, I'm always disappointed." At first glance the payoff for men seems to be bigger than the payoff for women in cross-gender friendships, but that's not necessarily true. Women report great enjoyment from the diversity their friendships with men bring to their lives.

So, does all this mean the answer to the question about men and women being friends is yes? Few relationship issues are that plain and simple. The real answer is "it depends." So, you say, let's cut to the chase and get to the bottom line: What do these relationships depend upon? They depend upon how much each person in the relationship is willing to stretch and grow.

These friendships, you see, require both men and women to call upon parts of themselves that are usually less accessible when relating to their typical same-sex friends. For a man, a woman friend allows him to express his more emotional side, to experience his vulnerability, to treat himself and his friend more tenderly than is permissible with male friends. What is typically missing for him in this cross-gender relationship, however, is the kind of rough camaraderie he can have with another man.

For a woman, friendship with a man helps her express her independent, more reasoned, and tougher side-the harder edge that's kept under wraps in relationships with women. The downside for her is the relative absence of emotional reciprocity and intensity she normally shares with a female friend.

So, okay, twist our arms for a yes or no answer to this question and the answer will be yes. But we will quickly qualify it: men and women can enjoy friendship together, but not at the same level they do with friends of the same sex.

Baiting :-)

I came acrossed a really interesting article on male/female friendships today. However, I think I'm going to wait until Monday to post it. I like being able to see comments as soon as they come in, and I'm not going to be around a computer this weekend. :-)

I'm heading to Kansas City this weekend to help them with some work projects and to see old friends. Then, when I get back Sunday night, I'm going camping with my brothers and their kids. The kids don't have school Monday, so I'm taking the morning off to spend with them. I'm really looking forward to it.

Communication

Thanks for all the good comments on the previous post. It seems I always get a good response when the discussion turns to relationships. Any constructive thoughts on why there seems to be such a hunger for information/opinions on relationships? Is this hunger a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Do you not really care, and just wish I'd quit bringing it up? :-)

One of the questions I feel it's important to ask is, "Why am I entering into this relationship?"

Your purpose is to live for God. (2 Cor. 5:14-15) Are your life-goals designed to give God pleasure? Are you entering this relationship in order to increase God's pleasure or strictly your own?

Relationships will also give you a forum to show mercy in a way few other circumstances will. You will be called upon continually to be merciful to someone who you may feel doesn't deserve (and truly may not) mercy. You will be required to do what does not come naturally. Be forewarned that in the future people may at times bring out some very selfish and surprisingly sinful responses from your heart. Matt. 15:19)They may hurt you more deeply than you've ever been hurt before. Are you willing to be the personification of mercy to one who doesn't "deserve" it?

A gift

New Comments. Share your thoughts. I'd love to hear what you've learned about this topic.

Communication - Open, honest, loving communication is a beautiful thing. The bonds of friendship can be strengthen. The ties of Christian love can be tightened. Misunderstandings can be corrected. Assumptions can be laid to rest. Positive attributes can be raised to the surface. Beautiful change can begin.


Who said "Nothing good happens after midnight."?

God is good.

Tippecanoe and Taylor Too

I went to Taylor this weekend.

I love Taylor.

This weekend was no exception.

I'm horrible at identifying tree's.

Jake Heimer sounds like Larry the Cable Guy.

Joe Knochel has got to be one of the coolest guys I know.

Kent Heimer's focus on Jesus is inspiringly amazing.

Kansas girls are amazing volleyball players. (yes they beat us)

Being in the car for 3 hrs with just a 14 and a 15 year old girl was a new experience for me. (A good one)

I wish I took pictures.

When someone brings up Jeremy Haerr (a close friend who died 4 years ago at the age of 23) right before a group of 175 young adults sings "Light the Fire", you can get really emotional really fast.

Sometimes sobbing is good for your soul.

I'm having a really hard time re-adjusting to work.

Another Bright Message

By your own tradition, you nullify the direct commandment of God (Matthew 15:6, NLT).

Dear friends:

I love tradition and the old ways of doing things. However, if we are not careful, we can allow tradition to quench the work of the Holy Spirit.

Can you imagine church members protesting an invitation to receive Christ after an evangelistic sermon? Christian History, Volume III, says they did so in 1825. Not only did church members object to an invitation, but so did many of the ministers.

There was a new evangelist in town. Charles Finney had come on to the religious scene in America and by 1825 had become quite popular. He was reaching many Americans with the gospel by implementing what grumbling critics were calling "new measures."

Among these intolerable changes and new measures were: praying for people by name, having an invitation after the sermon, sharing the gospel by visiting in homes, allowing women to pray and testify, holding services on days other than the usual times for worship, and preaching in an informal manner that appealed to those who attended his services. By the way, these services were another outlandish idea he called "revival services."

Finney was perceived as a radical troublemaker, but his "wrong" approach introduced hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to Christ. He became one of the greatest evangelists in history, now widely respected.

Tradition just for the sake of tradition can be a bondage. Change is usually threatening yet its results can often be tremendous. Can you imagine the opposition there would be in Finny's day to the gospel being proclaimed via radio, television and films? Yet God has used these media to bring millions of souls into the Kingdom.

God is our great Creator. He conceived of and created more than 100 billion galaxies and innumerable creatures. Creativity is one of His attributes. He also gives creativity to His servants as they help to fulfill the Great Commission and seek Him for wisdom in performing the task in a changing world.

For example, in 1945 He put the idea of a film on the life of Christ on my heart. Approximately 33 years later, He enabled us to do a full-length movie on the life of our Lord, taken directly from the Gospel of Luke. Since its use began in 1980, there have more than 5.5 billion exposures to the gospel through this film, now seen in 236 countries and translated into over 827 languages. After viewing it, many hundreds of millions have indicated salvation decisions to trust and follow Christ.

Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,

Bill Bright

Bird Moonwalk

Coolest bird EVER.

Breathe

Here's another great message from Bill Bright.

Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you (Psalm 51:12, NLT).


Dear friends:

Jackie had been a Christian for several years, yet she was frustrated.

"I feel like I am on a spiritual roller coaster," she said. "For awhile I feel close to the Lord and excited about serving Him; then I give in to temptation and sin, and then I feel complacent and distant from God."

Jackie was describing a problem that plagues many Christians today -- how to live a more consistent, victorious life for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let me ask you: Have you been troubled by inconsistency, discouragement and defeat in your Christian life? Well, I have good news for you. You can get off that spiritual roller coaster and enjoy a victorious, consistent walk with the Lord Jesus.

Here is the secret: Keep short accounts with God through an exercise I call "spiritual breathing."

Think for a moment on how your body needs to breathe. When you exhale, you are ridding your lungs of carbon dioxide and other impurities that would cause disease if they stayed in your system. Then, when you inhale, you breathe in the oxygen that is crucial to maintaining a healthy body.

So it is with spiritual life. When we sin, our fellowship with God is broken. That is why we feel distant from God, and become complacent and discouraged.

Several days after Jackie learned how to breathe spiritually, she experienced hateful thoughts toward a neighbor. As soon as she realized what she was doing, Jackie "exhaled" by praying, "Lord Jesus, I have taken over the throne of my life through sin. I acknowledge to you my hatefulness for my neighbor. Thank you that you died for my sin. I repent of it and I give back to you the control of the throne of my life. Fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit of love."

Then, by faith, she "inhaled" a fresh infilling of the Holt Spirit. And by keeping a short account with God, Jackie's joy was restored within moments.

From the beginning of my Christian life, God gave me a strong desire to live a holy life and become a fruitful witness for our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, the harder I tried the more frustrated I became.

One day God graciously showed me the answer. It was through this concept of spiritual breathing. I know from many years of experience -- it works.

Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,

Bill Bright

Eternity

Did you ever think about the fact that, if your a Christian, you're currently living your "eternal life". Eternity doesn't suddenly start when you get to heaven. Eternity is already here, and the moment you're saved you begin.

What an amazing God we serve!

All Numbers Are Equal

Theorem: All numbers are equal.

Proof: Choose arbitrary a and b, and
let t = a + b. Thena + b = t

(a + b)(a - b) = t(a - b)

a^2 - b^2 = ta - tb

a^2 - ta = b^2 - tb

a^2 - ta + (t^2)/4 = b^2 - tb + (t^2)/4

(a - t/2)^2 = (b - t/2)^2

a - t/2 = b - t/2

a = bNow, we know that all numbers are not equal. So, can you figure out where this proof breaks down?

Falling

Fall is in the air, and I like it. There's just something special about being able to take a deep breathe of 45 degree morning air. It's exhilarating.

Plus I like the word exhilarating.

I'm pretty sure fall is the best season ever.

Why do we listen?

Why do we listen when we know they are lies?John 8:44
...[Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.Why are we so quick to trade long term joy for immediate satisfaction?Philippians 3:13-14
...forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Why do circumstances in this life tend to drag us down when they are so insignificant in the eternal scheme of things?Col 3:2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.Why do we struggle to keep that eternal perspective of the day to day?Php 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

How it should've ended

Here's how Lord of the Rings should've ended. I got a kick out of this.

Wonderful Lunch

Community parks are a great way to spend the taxpayer's money. Especially on sunny days with a high of 75 degrees.

The Roles of the Holy Spirit

I did some studying on the Holy Spirit this morning, and I thought I'd share some of what I found.

This is a small sample of what the Word has regarding the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost. One thing I noticed is ,when studying the Spirit, you have to make sure and differentiate between the spirit and the Spirit. The word "spirit" has many definitions. I think only the capitalized one is used in reference to the proper noun of the Holy Spirit. See the Strongs definitions for clarifications.

First off, I was encouraged by the word to beginning praying for the Spirit to fill me each and everyday.

Lu 11:13 - If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?I was also reminded, in Romans 5, that when people see the love of God in us, that it's important that we remember that it's not us, but it's the Spirit which shineth through us. We deserve no credit for our goodness, it is only by the righteousness of Christ that we do any good thing. Romans 5:1-5
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

In John 16:13, we see the Spirit of Truth as our teacher:

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.”In John 14:26, we learn that the Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Counselor, and teacher:“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”*note here that the "bring all things to your remembrance" is in reference to the Word of God, not necessarily work material, or school stuff...not that the Spirit couldn't do those things too, but just realize that that's not what Christ is saying in this particular passage.

In Romans 8:26, we learn that the Holy Spirit is there for us in times of weakness and prayer as our intercessor:

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”The Spirit also has a role in our sanctification and justification.1 Corinthians 6:11 - And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.The Spirit is our teacher/guide (guides by teaching from His Word), comforter, and intercessor. He also works in our sanctification and justification.

In closing, I found this verse really encouraging and great summary of why Christ came. So often I forget - lose sight of - the simplicity of Christ's purpose. I get caught up in the daily grind, and in my own problems which can seem so large. I need to remember that I'm the carrier of the best news the world has ever recieved!Lu 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Be encouraged New Believer. It will take time as you die to self and allow the Spirit to fill you completely, but God has some amazing promises for you in His Word. You've accepted Christ and have been set at Liberty!! Praise Him!

In Christ,
Luke

Engaging Culture

I've copied this from the STR blog.

Engaging Culture
A new Pew poll about religion and Christianity in the U.S. has soon good news and some bad news no matter who you are. Here are my thoughts on some of the responses in the poll.

I'm very glad to see that Americans can perceive the effort of to remove Christianity from the public square, and that it's not a matter of Christians inappropriately intruding in the public realm. All religions have a right to participate in the public square and it's contrary to a pluralistic society to try to vacate some or all religions from the public discussion.

Christians aren't trying to "impose" their views - they are vocally participating in the public square and the democratic process, like every other citizen and group with a stake in this country. It's really impossible to impose a view view the democratic process. After all, all candidates and propositions are up for vote for everyone to weigh in on. Some silly fears about imposing an American theocracy have appeared in print recently, but that is not at all what Christians are doing. They are doing what every American can and should do in the democratic process.

On most of the contentious and controversial social issues, Christians are on the defense not the offense. Christians are defending the status quo or the historically status quo from radical social change, very often being applied through the courts rather than the vote. Abortion, same-sex marriage, much going on in education are examples where proponents are aggressively advancing their views. Christians have not introduced "attacks" on homosexuals. They are responding to and defending the what has been the accepted norm in America.

Anytime a question involves "taking the Bible literally" it's unhelpful because different people read "literally" differently. This is often a way of phrasing it to make Christians look like back-woods ignoramuses against the modern world. We take the Bible as literally as the text indicates. The Bible has different kinds of literature - history, poetry, analogy, etc. - and it has to be interpreted as the author intended. The author and intent is the key to literalism.

Christians aren't imposing the will of God or the Bible on society. Those influence our values and views that we then exercise through our right to vote and engage in society. Every other citizen has background sources that influence their values and views that they also then use to inform how they vote.

Christians do need to exercise wisdom and charity because Christianity is not a political position, though it should influence our worldview and values that work out in our politics. But it's hardly a straight line all of the time. Thus different Christians have different political views. No one is trying to establish a church-state. We always have to be aware that these are two separate spheres, but they do interact in the real world.

God's Mercy

And once again I look upon the cross where you died.
I'm humbled by your mercy, and I'm broken inside.
Once again I thank you.
Once again I pour out my life.

I pour out my life.

Lamentations 2:19
...in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord:...