10/13/2010
The Inside Counts
1 Peter 3:4 states: Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. God doesn't look at how you appear to others to the outside; He pays attention to the inside! This shirt represents this verse by utilizing an unzipped zipper representing the inside of the wearer being exposed. A heart and peaceful colors are exposed by the zipper, representing that God looks at a person's heart and loves to see a gentle and quiet spirit.
Find "The Inside Counts" here: http://www.c28.com/shopping/productdetails.asp?recordid=14032
Hope, when life hurts most
Life isn't easy. We experience problems and setbacks every day. But during the hardest parts of life, when the bottom seems to fall out, where do we turn for peace? Although God doesn't offer any easy solutions, He does offer Himself and His cross as an anchor of hope no matter what we face in life. And more than simply enduring suffering, the hope we find in Him allows us to leverage our darkest moments for His fame. When life hurts most, the world listens most intently to our message, allowing us to broadcast through our pain the goodness of the One who loves us the most. Hope : When Life Hurts Most by Louie Giglio
Josh Hamilton, "Ginger Ale" Celebration...
Josh Hamilton included in celebration
By Richard Durrett
ESPNDallas.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Josh Hamilton's teammates weren't going to celebrate without him this time.
As soon as the Texas Rangers hugged on the field and headed for the tunnel following a 5-1 ALDS Game 5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the clubhouse attendants told Hamilton to get his goggles on.
"I was getting a little worried," Hamilton said. "I didn't know what was going on."
Hamilton, who has battled drug and alcohol addiction, said it's best for him not to be around champagne. So he walked into the clubhouse to find his teammates waiting on him and holding bottles of Canada Dry ginger ale.
"Everybody yelled 'Ginger ale!' and I just jumped in the middle of the pile and they doused me with it," Hamilton said. "It was the coolest thing for my teammates to understand why I can't be a part of the celebration, and for them to adapt it for me to be a part of it says a lot about my teammates."
When the club clinched the AL West title in Oakland in September, many of players grabbed water bottles and tried to find Hamilton to douse him. But he had already changed clothes and was ready to speak to some church groups in the stadium as part of Faith Day in Oakland. This time, he looked as wet as everyone else.
By Richard Durrett
ESPNDallas.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Josh Hamilton's teammates weren't going to celebrate without him this time.
As soon as the Texas Rangers hugged on the field and headed for the tunnel following a 5-1 ALDS Game 5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the clubhouse attendants told Hamilton to get his goggles on.
"I was getting a little worried," Hamilton said. "I didn't know what was going on."
Hamilton, who has battled drug and alcohol addiction, said it's best for him not to be around champagne. So he walked into the clubhouse to find his teammates waiting on him and holding bottles of Canada Dry ginger ale.
"Everybody yelled 'Ginger ale!' and I just jumped in the middle of the pile and they doused me with it," Hamilton said. "It was the coolest thing for my teammates to understand why I can't be a part of the celebration, and for them to adapt it for me to be a part of it says a lot about my teammates."
When the club clinched the AL West title in Oakland in September, many of players grabbed water bottles and tried to find Hamilton to douse him. But he had already changed clothes and was ready to speak to some church groups in the stadium as part of Faith Day in Oakland. This time, he looked as wet as everyone else.
10/11/2010
My Life Through Music
Songs that, for whatever reason, have had the most imprint on me in my life, so far...
Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence
Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
John Lennon - Jealous Guy
The Cranberries - Dreams
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
Haddaway - What Is Love
Lemonheads - Into Your Arms
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun
Casting Crowns - East To West
Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence
Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
John Lennon - Jealous Guy
The Cranberries - Dreams
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
Haddaway - What Is Love
Lemonheads - Into Your Arms
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Terry Jacks - Seasons In The Sun
Casting Crowns - East To West
10/10/2010
What Is The Meaning Of Life?
www.GotQuestions.org
Question of the Week
Question: "What is the meaning of life?"
Answer: What is the meaning of life? How can purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction in life be found? How can something of lasting significance be achieved? So many people have never stopped to consider these important questions. They look back years later and wonder why their relationships have fallen apart and why they feel so empty, even though they may have achieved what they set out to accomplish. An athlete who had reached the pinnacle of his sport was once asked what he wished someone would have told him when he first started playing his sport. He replied, “I wish that someone would have told me that when you reach the top, there's nothing there.” Many goals reveal their emptiness only after years have been wasted in their pursuit.
In our humanistic culture, people pursue many things, thinking that in them they will find meaning. Some of these pursuits include business success, wealth, good relationships, sex, entertainment, and doing good to others. People have testified that while they achieved their goals of wealth, relationships, and pleasure, there was still a deep void inside, a feeling of emptiness that nothing seemed to fill.
The author of the biblical book of Ecclesiastes describes this feeling when he says, “Meaningless! Meaningless! ...Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, had wealth beyond measure, wisdom beyond any man of his time or ours, hundreds of women, palaces and gardens that were the envy of kingdoms, the best food and wine, and every form of entertainment available. He said at one point that anything his heart wanted, he pursued. And yet he summed up “life under the sun”—life lived as though all there is to life is what we can see with our eyes and experience with our senses—is meaningless. Why is there such a void? Because God created us for something beyond what we can experience in the here-and-now. Solomon said of God, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men...” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In our hearts we are aware that the “here-and-now” is not all that there is.
In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we find that God created mankind in His image (Genesis 1:26). This means that we are more like God than we are like anything else (any other life form). We also find that before mankind fell into sin and the curse of sin came upon the earth, the following things were true: 1) God made man a social creature (Genesis 2:18-25); 2) God gave man work (Genesis 2:15); 3) God had fellowship with man (Genesis 3:8); and 4) God gave man dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). What is the significance of these things? God intended for each of these to add to our fulfillment in life, but all of these (especially man's fellowship with God) were adversely affected by man's fall into sin and the resulting curse upon the earth (Genesis 3).
In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, God reveals that He will destroy this present earth and heavens and usher in the eternal state by creating a new heaven and a new earth. At that time, He will restore full fellowship with redeemed mankind, while the unredeemed will have been judged unworthy and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). The curse of sin will be done away with; there will be no more sin, sorrow, sickness, death, or pain (Revelation 21:4). God will dwell with them, and they shall be His sons (Revelation 21:7). Thus, we come full circle: God created us to have fellowship with Him, man sinned, breaking that fellowship, God restores that fellowship fully in the eternal state. To go through life achieving everything only to die separated from God for eternity would be worse than futile! But God has made a way to not only make eternal bliss possible (Luke 23:43) but also life on earth satisfying and meaningful. How is this eternal bliss and “heaven on earth” obtained?
Meaning of life restored through Jesus Christ
Real meaning in life, both now and in eternity, is found in the restoration of the relationship with God that was lost with Adam and Eve's fall into sin. That relationship with God is only possible through His Son, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 1:12; 14:6). Eternal life is gained when we repent of our sin (no longer want to continue in it) and Christ changes us, making of us new creations, and we rely on Jesus Christ as Savior.
Real meaning in life is not found only in accepting Jesus as Savior, as wonderful as that is. Rather, real meaning in life is when one begins to follow Christ as His disciple, learning of Him, spending time with Him in His Word, communing with Him in prayer, and in walking with Him in obedience to His commands. If you are not a Christian (or perhaps a new believer), you might be saying to yourself, “That does not sound very exciting or fulfilling to me!” But Jesus made the following statements:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
What all of these verses are saying is that we have a choice. We can continue to seek to guide our own lives, which results in emptiness, or we can choose to pursue God and His will for our lives with a whole heart, which will result in living life to the full, having the desires of our hearts met, and finding contentment and satisfaction. This is so because our Creator loves us and desires the best for us (not necessarily the easiest life, but the most fulfilling).
The Christian life can be compared to the choice of whether to purchase the expensive seats at a sporting event that are close to the action, or pay less and watch the game from a distance. Watching God work “from the front row” is what we should choose but, sadly, is not what most people choose. Watching God work firsthand is for whole-hearted disciples of Christ who have truly stopped pursuing their own desires to pursue instead God's purposes. They have paid the price (complete surrender to Christ and His will); they are experiencing life to its fullest; and they can face themselves, their fellow man, and their Maker with no regrets. Have you paid the price? Are you willing to? If so, you will not hunger after meaning or purpose again.
© Copyright 2002-2010 Got Questions Ministries.
GotQuestions.org - Question of the Week
Question of the Week
Question: "What is the meaning of life?"
Answer: What is the meaning of life? How can purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction in life be found? How can something of lasting significance be achieved? So many people have never stopped to consider these important questions. They look back years later and wonder why their relationships have fallen apart and why they feel so empty, even though they may have achieved what they set out to accomplish. An athlete who had reached the pinnacle of his sport was once asked what he wished someone would have told him when he first started playing his sport. He replied, “I wish that someone would have told me that when you reach the top, there's nothing there.” Many goals reveal their emptiness only after years have been wasted in their pursuit.
In our humanistic culture, people pursue many things, thinking that in them they will find meaning. Some of these pursuits include business success, wealth, good relationships, sex, entertainment, and doing good to others. People have testified that while they achieved their goals of wealth, relationships, and pleasure, there was still a deep void inside, a feeling of emptiness that nothing seemed to fill.
The author of the biblical book of Ecclesiastes describes this feeling when he says, “Meaningless! Meaningless! ...Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). King Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, had wealth beyond measure, wisdom beyond any man of his time or ours, hundreds of women, palaces and gardens that were the envy of kingdoms, the best food and wine, and every form of entertainment available. He said at one point that anything his heart wanted, he pursued. And yet he summed up “life under the sun”—life lived as though all there is to life is what we can see with our eyes and experience with our senses—is meaningless. Why is there such a void? Because God created us for something beyond what we can experience in the here-and-now. Solomon said of God, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men...” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). In our hearts we are aware that the “here-and-now” is not all that there is.
In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, we find that God created mankind in His image (Genesis 1:26). This means that we are more like God than we are like anything else (any other life form). We also find that before mankind fell into sin and the curse of sin came upon the earth, the following things were true: 1) God made man a social creature (Genesis 2:18-25); 2) God gave man work (Genesis 2:15); 3) God had fellowship with man (Genesis 3:8); and 4) God gave man dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26). What is the significance of these things? God intended for each of these to add to our fulfillment in life, but all of these (especially man's fellowship with God) were adversely affected by man's fall into sin and the resulting curse upon the earth (Genesis 3).
In Revelation, the last book of the Bible, God reveals that He will destroy this present earth and heavens and usher in the eternal state by creating a new heaven and a new earth. At that time, He will restore full fellowship with redeemed mankind, while the unredeemed will have been judged unworthy and cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). The curse of sin will be done away with; there will be no more sin, sorrow, sickness, death, or pain (Revelation 21:4). God will dwell with them, and they shall be His sons (Revelation 21:7). Thus, we come full circle: God created us to have fellowship with Him, man sinned, breaking that fellowship, God restores that fellowship fully in the eternal state. To go through life achieving everything only to die separated from God for eternity would be worse than futile! But God has made a way to not only make eternal bliss possible (Luke 23:43) but also life on earth satisfying and meaningful. How is this eternal bliss and “heaven on earth” obtained?
Meaning of life restored through Jesus Christ
Real meaning in life, both now and in eternity, is found in the restoration of the relationship with God that was lost with Adam and Eve's fall into sin. That relationship with God is only possible through His Son, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 1:12; 14:6). Eternal life is gained when we repent of our sin (no longer want to continue in it) and Christ changes us, making of us new creations, and we rely on Jesus Christ as Savior.
Real meaning in life is not found only in accepting Jesus as Savior, as wonderful as that is. Rather, real meaning in life is when one begins to follow Christ as His disciple, learning of Him, spending time with Him in His Word, communing with Him in prayer, and in walking with Him in obedience to His commands. If you are not a Christian (or perhaps a new believer), you might be saying to yourself, “That does not sound very exciting or fulfilling to me!” But Jesus made the following statements:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10b). “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).
What all of these verses are saying is that we have a choice. We can continue to seek to guide our own lives, which results in emptiness, or we can choose to pursue God and His will for our lives with a whole heart, which will result in living life to the full, having the desires of our hearts met, and finding contentment and satisfaction. This is so because our Creator loves us and desires the best for us (not necessarily the easiest life, but the most fulfilling).
The Christian life can be compared to the choice of whether to purchase the expensive seats at a sporting event that are close to the action, or pay less and watch the game from a distance. Watching God work “from the front row” is what we should choose but, sadly, is not what most people choose. Watching God work firsthand is for whole-hearted disciples of Christ who have truly stopped pursuing their own desires to pursue instead God's purposes. They have paid the price (complete surrender to Christ and His will); they are experiencing life to its fullest; and they can face themselves, their fellow man, and their Maker with no regrets. Have you paid the price? Are you willing to? If so, you will not hunger after meaning or purpose again.
© Copyright 2002-2010 Got Questions Ministries.
GotQuestions.org - Question of the Week
Good Soil (Trailer)
Starring Shin Koyamada (The Last Samurai)
Written and Directed by Craig Shimahara
Ships from Europe brought Christianity to the shores of Japan in 1549. For nearly 100 years the seeds of faith grew under the watchful gaze of the shogun. But the fear of foreign influence eventually gave rise to persecution. By 1624 Japanese Christians had only a few more years of peace.
Masuda Jinbei, a Japanese Christian of the samurai class, draws his strength from his faith, family, and fencing. Life is good, until the shogun decrees a brutal policy of religious cleansing. Now Jinbei must choose between his family and his faith.
This short film combines a retelling the the parable of the sower with a glimpse of the plight of the Japanese converts to Christianity under the shogunate.
Otaiya: Japan's Hidden Christians
Purchase: http://der.org/films/otaiya.html In the sixteenth century Portuguese Catholic missionaries introduced Christianity to Japan, only to find the flourishing religion banned by 1614 by the Tokugawa government. About 150,000 believers, known as the "Hidden Christians", went underground. Through the occasion of this ceremony, the film tells the story of Japan's Hidden Christians. Made with the cooperation of contemporary Hidden Christians on the remote island of Narushima, the film features the only two remaining priests in the Goto Islands. The ceremonial and religious lives of these two men stand in stark contrast to the materialism of the younger generation.
10/09/2010
Testimony
What proof do we have that the Apostle's testimonies are true? Besides whatever outside sources there might be, the simple fact is: Why in the world would they go through everything they went through unless it was true? No one would go through all that is written of them in the Bible unless they were telling the truth. Either that or they were completely insane.
John 21:24 (Apostle John) This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them down. We know that his testimony is true.
2 Peter 1:16-21 (Apostle Peter) For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
Galatians 1:11-21 (Apostle Paul) 11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.
When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.
18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.
21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the Christians in the churches in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.
John 21:24 (Apostle John) This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them down. We know that his testimony is true.
2 Peter 1:16-21 (Apostle Peter) For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
Galatians 1:11-21 (Apostle Paul) 11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.
When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.
18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.
21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the Christians in the churches in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.
10/08/2010
Christian Goth
Just found what looks like a really cool site: Christian Goth, which states that it's "serving the Christian Gothic community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ." How cool is that?! Might want to check it out...
http://www.christiangoth.com/
http://www.christiangoth.com/
Evanescence - Good Enough
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)
10/06/2010
10/05/2010
Jamie Walters - Wonderland (live)
didn't find the lyrics on the internet so i tried to translate the lyrics from what i could hear in the song, but i didn't get it exactly...
and it's the place to
i need you i'm calling out to you
i need and i'm calling out to you
i need you
the way you smile...
...................
didn't want to say so much more
i was floating off the floor
now i'm back in wonderland
and it's the place to...
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you
lies again, my head lies again
somewhere inside but then there'll be some truth now
love again
i think i'm in love again
somewhere inside
but then there'll be...
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you and i'm calling out to you
i need you
9/30/2010
Very superstitious...no thanks
Don't give in to superstitions. Trust in God's Word for what it is. Don't be spooked by things like "bad luck" and horoscopes. Just because you feel something doesn't mean it will happen. Most of what we worry about never comes to take place. There is such as thing as the "placebo effect." You believe something will happen and by chance it might and you attribute it to luck and that "feeling" you got. Well, that might not have been the case at all. If we start trailing off into superstitions and get caught up in any which thing then it starts to take over our feelings, our lives even. I don't know about you, but I don't want to live my life in fear of superstitious feelings. I would rather trust in what God's Word says and stand on that. If I don't know something about something, then I need to go to what I do know - His written Word (The Bible) and what He has taught me.
9/29/2010
8/31/2010
F.A.I.T.H. Team
Okay, FAITH Team is basically an evangelism program that my church participates in. We learn a certain outline called F.A.I.T.H. which is an acronym that stands for Forgiveness, Available, Impossible, Turn and Heaven; and includes Bible quotes all which point to the Gospel message. We go out on visits in teams of three to various neighborhoods and people in our community, sometimes even in different nearby towns. We have ministry visits, evangelistic visits and "welcome wagon" visits. There are two "semesters" of Faith Team a year and each lasts for 12 weeks. This is my 5th time doing Faith and I am trying to report about my visits for each week during this semester...
Week 1: went to four houses, but no one at home (or at least no one answered the door)
Week 2: Got in some good visits. We were able to speak to a mother who seemed very interested in our church. Her daughter went to VBS (Vacation Bible School) at our church in the summer. She said that she was baptized at 15, but she gave a rather "works" answer when we gave her the F.A.I.T.H. outline.
Week 3: first we visited a family that comes to our church very often (though they are not yet members) that is in a serious situation as the wife/mother has a serious medical condition, and we were just stopping by to say hi, they were happy to see us, and actually the previous week whilst we were out making visits we saw the husband running and he flagged us down saying how he would like to see us hoping we would stop by soon so we did in fact stop by this week; we will probably go back and visit them in about a month; as for the rest of our visits tonight, well each team was assigned to a certain street in our area to go door knocking and promote the Back To Church Sunday event that our church is participating in which is on september 12th, we were able to pass out a few books to people about rediscovering church; got some sweat happening as we had to walk up a lot of steep street and driveways and steps on that street lol and it's still hot here this time of year very humid not very many mosquitos out tho so yh but anyway overall a good night, praise God
Week 1: went to four houses, but no one at home (or at least no one answered the door)
Week 2: Got in some good visits. We were able to speak to a mother who seemed very interested in our church. Her daughter went to VBS (Vacation Bible School) at our church in the summer. She said that she was baptized at 15, but she gave a rather "works" answer when we gave her the F.A.I.T.H. outline.
Week 3: first we visited a family that comes to our church very often (though they are not yet members) that is in a serious situation as the wife/mother has a serious medical condition, and we were just stopping by to say hi, they were happy to see us, and actually the previous week whilst we were out making visits we saw the husband running and he flagged us down saying how he would like to see us hoping we would stop by soon so we did in fact stop by this week; we will probably go back and visit them in about a month; as for the rest of our visits tonight, well each team was assigned to a certain street in our area to go door knocking and promote the Back To Church Sunday event that our church is participating in which is on september 12th, we were able to pass out a few books to people about rediscovering church; got some sweat happening as we had to walk up a lot of steep street and driveways and steps on that street lol and it's still hot here this time of year very humid not very many mosquitos out tho so yh but anyway overall a good night, praise God
8/29/2010
Good, Clean Comedy
I've just been listening to some old clips from Bill Cosby stand-ups. Man that stuff is funny and it's good, clean funny. Not that garbage "comedy" that is loaded with filthy language and perversion. One of the best things a person can do is laugh to something that is okay to laugh to. I love it!
8/25/2010
I firmly believe that a person's possessions, money, property, etc. belongs to that person and no one on principle has the right to tell them what to do with it or to force them to give it away just so that others can have a piece of the pie. I think that is wrong and that is what I'm talking about.
The early church written of in the book of Acts gave out of their generosity because God had been generous to them. They were not forced into giving to each other by some ruling dictate, they were each choosing to give out of the generosity of their hearts as they each felt compelled. Which is also my point in Acts 5 when the Apostle Peter states that it was Ananias's property and he could do whatever he wanted with it. He confronted Ananias because he lied about giving, not because he didn't give. There are numerous other Scripture references that I can think of that show it is not that we should be forced into giving and sharing equally, but that every person should decide for himself as he pleases what he/she wants to do with their own possessions. They should want to be so generous, but not forced to do it against their will. But, talking about the early church isn't exactly the same as talking about a civil, national government.
But, what exactly are we talking about here? What is socialism and how does it work, what are the advantages and disadvantages? Now talking about socialism can get very complicated, as there are different types of socialism and there's a difference between economic socialism and political socialism or national socialism. I've even heard the term democratic socialism. It's all good when everyone is getting something, but, the point that I've been trying to get at this whole time is that a system in which the government controls all businesses/companies is a system that is limiting personal freedom. The little guy gets brought up but the big guy gets shrunk down so that everyone is exactly at the same level. How is that fair? Is it not more fair to have equal opportunities, but to get what you actually earn? A system in which those who have more money by their own merits are forced into giving to those who have little money by their own merits is not fair. And a system in which those who are successful by their own merit have to be limited so that those who aren't by their own merit can be at the same level is not fair either. In society the majority people need to vote to agree to make things a certain way not be forced into it by a few elite.
It's the whole thing about limiting personal freedom, succession and property that I dislike. I don't want the government to end up controlling everything, especially a person's own property. I am against greed and I do not like people being robbed of their money and I do not like people being denied opportunities just because they're poor or something like that. But, is that because the system has failed or because people are corrupt? How does someone become poor or lose out on something, for example? If it's because they're being robbed of something or being discriminated against then yes of course that is wrong and that corruption needs to end. But, if it's of their own background or doing then that's their personal issue and other people shouldn't have to be forced to compensate for that. Everyone should have equal opportunities, but get something based on their own merits, their own work.
So what are we really against here? A corruption in the way things are being run or people being poor, for example? Is everyone supposed to make good money or make good grades in school and if they don't because that's just not happening then everyone else has to compensate for that? It doesn't make sense. It makes it seem like everyone is supposed to be living in some sort of Utopian state ideal or trying to do whatever it takes to make that happen and if it's not happening the bigger guy will get robbed - so to speak - in order to make that happen. That's as unfair and corrupt as the little guy getting robbed just because he's the little guy. But the reality is that not everyone is equal, not everyone has the same abilities, talents, connections, backgrounds, upbringings, beliefs, opportunities for whatever reasons. Everyone should have the right to make their own choices and have their own possessions as they please and give as they please.
When I think about the state of the nation, or even the world, and how corrupted and messed up it is, I feel a sense of hopelessness (not completely but somewhat) as if it is so bad that it's so hard to imagine that it can truly be fixed. There is hope, but I feel like there has to be such a major change and I don't know what it's going to take for people to make all of this happen. And it's not going to happen by constantly flip-flopping between political parties hoping that party will bring the "real change" whenever there's an election, because the problems always seem to be the same and they're never truly fixed no matter what party is in charge. I don't think that looking to the government to solve all our needs is the answer, but that to truly change things it all needs to start with turning to God primarily and I also think we as Americans need to get back to basics, get back to what our Founding Fathers intended for this nation.
The early church written of in the book of Acts gave out of their generosity because God had been generous to them. They were not forced into giving to each other by some ruling dictate, they were each choosing to give out of the generosity of their hearts as they each felt compelled. Which is also my point in Acts 5 when the Apostle Peter states that it was Ananias's property and he could do whatever he wanted with it. He confronted Ananias because he lied about giving, not because he didn't give. There are numerous other Scripture references that I can think of that show it is not that we should be forced into giving and sharing equally, but that every person should decide for himself as he pleases what he/she wants to do with their own possessions. They should want to be so generous, but not forced to do it against their will. But, talking about the early church isn't exactly the same as talking about a civil, national government.
But, what exactly are we talking about here? What is socialism and how does it work, what are the advantages and disadvantages? Now talking about socialism can get very complicated, as there are different types of socialism and there's a difference between economic socialism and political socialism or national socialism. I've even heard the term democratic socialism. It's all good when everyone is getting something, but, the point that I've been trying to get at this whole time is that a system in which the government controls all businesses/companies is a system that is limiting personal freedom. The little guy gets brought up but the big guy gets shrunk down so that everyone is exactly at the same level. How is that fair? Is it not more fair to have equal opportunities, but to get what you actually earn? A system in which those who have more money by their own merits are forced into giving to those who have little money by their own merits is not fair. And a system in which those who are successful by their own merit have to be limited so that those who aren't by their own merit can be at the same level is not fair either. In society the majority people need to vote to agree to make things a certain way not be forced into it by a few elite.
It's the whole thing about limiting personal freedom, succession and property that I dislike. I don't want the government to end up controlling everything, especially a person's own property. I am against greed and I do not like people being robbed of their money and I do not like people being denied opportunities just because they're poor or something like that. But, is that because the system has failed or because people are corrupt? How does someone become poor or lose out on something, for example? If it's because they're being robbed of something or being discriminated against then yes of course that is wrong and that corruption needs to end. But, if it's of their own background or doing then that's their personal issue and other people shouldn't have to be forced to compensate for that. Everyone should have equal opportunities, but get something based on their own merits, their own work.
So what are we really against here? A corruption in the way things are being run or people being poor, for example? Is everyone supposed to make good money or make good grades in school and if they don't because that's just not happening then everyone else has to compensate for that? It doesn't make sense. It makes it seem like everyone is supposed to be living in some sort of Utopian state ideal or trying to do whatever it takes to make that happen and if it's not happening the bigger guy will get robbed - so to speak - in order to make that happen. That's as unfair and corrupt as the little guy getting robbed just because he's the little guy. But the reality is that not everyone is equal, not everyone has the same abilities, talents, connections, backgrounds, upbringings, beliefs, opportunities for whatever reasons. Everyone should have the right to make their own choices and have their own possessions as they please and give as they please.
When I think about the state of the nation, or even the world, and how corrupted and messed up it is, I feel a sense of hopelessness (not completely but somewhat) as if it is so bad that it's so hard to imagine that it can truly be fixed. There is hope, but I feel like there has to be such a major change and I don't know what it's going to take for people to make all of this happen. And it's not going to happen by constantly flip-flopping between political parties hoping that party will bring the "real change" whenever there's an election, because the problems always seem to be the same and they're never truly fixed no matter what party is in charge. I don't think that looking to the government to solve all our needs is the answer, but that to truly change things it all needs to start with turning to God primarily and I also think we as Americans need to get back to basics, get back to what our Founding Fathers intended for this nation.
the importance of personal freedom and individuality
everyone needs to be their own individual and make their own choices, a person shouldn't be forced into this or into that; i'm not talking about a person going out and committing certain crimes which harm others, but when a person is forced to give to another against their will that is wrong, or when a person is forced to limit their abilities so that others can keep up, or when a person is forced to adhere to certain beliefs rather than by choice than that is wrong, which is why God gives us the choice of whether or not to believe in Him, we must not ever forsake the personal freedom of choice, whether we believe that person is right or wrong, people need to be able to be genuine
The way I approach that as a Christian in this world is that primarily I try to be a good influence in my behavior and lifestyle hoping that others will see how I live my Christian faith out in my life, through prayer, at certain times actually speaking to people about God in some way that I feel led to even if it's just something small, participating in an evangelism group connected through my church, inviting someone to church or some kind of church activity and through other things like Gospel tracts or other Christian material. I also have two blogs on the Internet and I often write about God on Facebook, as most of my posts have to deal with that.
Through all of that I am not forcing anyone to believe what I believe. And you cannot actually make someone believe something they don't want to believe anyway because you can't control that aspect of them and we are not meant to either. I am only displaying to them what I believe and inviting them. And I try to not make anyone feel pushed, just that I'm putting it out there for them.
I try to live my faith out in my life as it is really my whole life because when you put God #1 in your life then everything revolves around Him, not you or anything else. It's all about Him and you allow Him to lead you, guide you in your everyday life through the Holy Spirit inside you and through His Words in the Bible. That doesn't mean that you spend 24/7 praying or in church. It means that you are putting His desires, His will, His word, His principles, His plans for your life as #1 and then living that out day by day. Sometimes we go off course and sin which we should repent of and we can know that God forgives us through Jesus, or sometimes we might do things that aren't bad but it's just not what God has planned for you, and we need to get on the right course. When we say that God is our Lord, that means that He rules our life, He is the master of our life, we are His servants. We make our own choices, as He has given us personal freedom ("free will"), but it's all meant to be in line with His will, His principles.
The way I approach that as a Christian in this world is that primarily I try to be a good influence in my behavior and lifestyle hoping that others will see how I live my Christian faith out in my life, through prayer, at certain times actually speaking to people about God in some way that I feel led to even if it's just something small, participating in an evangelism group connected through my church, inviting someone to church or some kind of church activity and through other things like Gospel tracts or other Christian material. I also have two blogs on the Internet and I often write about God on Facebook, as most of my posts have to deal with that.
Through all of that I am not forcing anyone to believe what I believe. And you cannot actually make someone believe something they don't want to believe anyway because you can't control that aspect of them and we are not meant to either. I am only displaying to them what I believe and inviting them. And I try to not make anyone feel pushed, just that I'm putting it out there for them.
I try to live my faith out in my life as it is really my whole life because when you put God #1 in your life then everything revolves around Him, not you or anything else. It's all about Him and you allow Him to lead you, guide you in your everyday life through the Holy Spirit inside you and through His Words in the Bible. That doesn't mean that you spend 24/7 praying or in church. It means that you are putting His desires, His will, His word, His principles, His plans for your life as #1 and then living that out day by day. Sometimes we go off course and sin which we should repent of and we can know that God forgives us through Jesus, or sometimes we might do things that aren't bad but it's just not what God has planned for you, and we need to get on the right course. When we say that God is our Lord, that means that He rules our life, He is the master of our life, we are His servants. We make our own choices, as He has given us personal freedom ("free will"), but it's all meant to be in line with His will, His principles.
The driver, the convict and the skydiver. What do they all have in common?
1. The Driver
A driver was once stopped by a police officer. He was a good driver and as far ashe knew he had done nothing wrong.The police officer said, “I pulled you over because you were going 60 through a school zone. There were ten warning signs that the speed limit was 15 and you ignored them all.” Just like the driver had ten warning signs, God has given us ten clear warning signs in the Bible. They are called the Ten Commandments. Have you ever told a lie, stolen something or used God’s name as a cussword? If you’re like me the answer is ‘yes’. Listen to what the Bible says:
• Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:10 God is saying that by breaking one Commandment we have sinned and will be held accountable for breaking all of them, including adultery and murder.
• God’s judgment for our sin is death. (Banishment to hell because He will not allow sin in His presence). Romans 6:23a
If the story ends here, there is no hope for us…
2. The Convict
An innocent man approached a judge and volunteered to be executed in the place of a convicted murderer. The judge consented. The next day the judge told the convict he had adecision to make.“An innocent man has been put to death in your place. If you will accept his payment for your crime, you are free to go. If you will not accept his payment, you will be executed for your crime. Which do you choose?” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sinless but voluntarily gave his life to pay the penalty for your sins and mine. (God’s judgment for our sinis death). Three days later he rose from the dead.
• God showed his great love for us by sending Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8
• The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23b
As a result of Jesus’ death in your place, you have two choices: Receive both God’s pardon for your sins and eternal life by repenting (sensing your sinfulness and desiring to turn from it) and placing your trust in the Lord Jesus. (Acts 20:21) OR Reject both God’s pardon for your sins and eternal life by trusting in anyone or anything other than Jesus to make you acceptable to God, thus bearing the penalty for breaking God’s law yourself.
• Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,but whoever rejects the Son of God will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.John 3:36
Knowing about Jesus doesn’t mean you believe in Jesus…
3. The Skydiver
Skydivers demonstrate their belief in their parachutes when they jump from the plane. Followers of Jesus demonstrate their belief in Him when God’s Spirit changes their thoughts and desires.
• If anyone is in Christ, he is a newcreation; the old has gone, the newhas come! 2 Corinthians 5:17
• God says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.” Ezekiel 36:26
Just as entering a garage won’t make you a mechanic, attending a church won’t make you a Christian. If you would like to receive God’s pardon for your sins and the gift of eternal life, consider a prayer like this: “Jesus, I believe you paid the penalty for my sins when you died on the cross and rose from the dead. I want to turn from my sins and place my trust in you as my Lord. I am willing to follow you the rest of my life. Thank you for the gift of eternal life. Amen.”
• Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13
The desire of real followers of Jesus is to:
• Live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10
from On-Tract.com DOWNLOAD this message and other resources indozens of languages. They were created to help you know and follow Jesus. All resources are FREE.We would love to hear from you: ontract1@gmail.com
A driver was once stopped by a police officer. He was a good driver and as far ashe knew he had done nothing wrong.The police officer said, “I pulled you over because you were going 60 through a school zone. There were ten warning signs that the speed limit was 15 and you ignored them all.” Just like the driver had ten warning signs, God has given us ten clear warning signs in the Bible. They are called the Ten Commandments. Have you ever told a lie, stolen something or used God’s name as a cussword? If you’re like me the answer is ‘yes’. Listen to what the Bible says:
• Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:10 God is saying that by breaking one Commandment we have sinned and will be held accountable for breaking all of them, including adultery and murder.
• God’s judgment for our sin is death. (Banishment to hell because He will not allow sin in His presence). Romans 6:23a
If the story ends here, there is no hope for us…
2. The Convict
An innocent man approached a judge and volunteered to be executed in the place of a convicted murderer. The judge consented. The next day the judge told the convict he had adecision to make.“An innocent man has been put to death in your place. If you will accept his payment for your crime, you are free to go. If you will not accept his payment, you will be executed for your crime. Which do you choose?” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sinless but voluntarily gave his life to pay the penalty for your sins and mine. (God’s judgment for our sinis death). Three days later he rose from the dead.
• God showed his great love for us by sending Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8
• The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23b
As a result of Jesus’ death in your place, you have two choices: Receive both God’s pardon for your sins and eternal life by repenting (sensing your sinfulness and desiring to turn from it) and placing your trust in the Lord Jesus. (Acts 20:21) OR Reject both God’s pardon for your sins and eternal life by trusting in anyone or anything other than Jesus to make you acceptable to God, thus bearing the penalty for breaking God’s law yourself.
• Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,but whoever rejects the Son of God will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.John 3:36
Knowing about Jesus doesn’t mean you believe in Jesus…
3. The Skydiver
Skydivers demonstrate their belief in their parachutes when they jump from the plane. Followers of Jesus demonstrate their belief in Him when God’s Spirit changes their thoughts and desires.
• If anyone is in Christ, he is a newcreation; the old has gone, the newhas come! 2 Corinthians 5:17
• God says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.” Ezekiel 36:26
Just as entering a garage won’t make you a mechanic, attending a church won’t make you a Christian. If you would like to receive God’s pardon for your sins and the gift of eternal life, consider a prayer like this: “Jesus, I believe you paid the penalty for my sins when you died on the cross and rose from the dead. I want to turn from my sins and place my trust in you as my Lord. I am willing to follow you the rest of my life. Thank you for the gift of eternal life. Amen.”
• Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13
The desire of real followers of Jesus is to:
• Live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10
from On-Tract.com DOWNLOAD this message and other resources indozens of languages. They were created to help you know and follow Jesus. All resources are FREE.We would love to hear from you: ontract1@gmail.com
8/24/2010
8/21/2010
8/17/2010
Christ Is Supreme
Colossians 1:15-23
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.He made the things we can see and the things we can't see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullnesswas pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross.
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God's servant to proclaim it.
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.He made the things we can see and the things we can't see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullnesswas pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross.
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God's servant to proclaim it.
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