I once was blind…

Have you ever come to a point in your life where you look back at where you have been, seen how you looked at things, reacted to what you were told, etc.?  You look back and wonder what exactly you were thinking when events happened in your life?  I used to believe that all life on earth evolved from the “primordial soup” and that everything that exists, developed from the same thing.  If you truly examine the way things are and look at it rationally without just accepting what you are told is fact, you may begin to question what the establishment portrays as fact for what it truly is, just another fanciful thought.  I have found that there are things that I was taught in school that turned out to be wrong.  Some things made the news and others were simply things that the school taught as fact that are in actuality only a theory.  I never used to question things the way I do now.  I used to believe that everything that was presented in a classroom was fact.  I now realize that much of what is taught is influenced by someone’s beliefs.  You are taught something because someone else believes it to be true or wants you to believe their view.  Some of it is based on evidence and some on mere conjecture.  I urge everyone to do their research and look at all the evidence and to not simply be spoon fed from the establishment.

Almost 5 years ago, I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior.  I truly feel as if my eyes have been opened.  I feel as though I used to be plodding along with my head down just accepting what was taught.  I now feel as though I am standing on the shore of a river of people actually seeing what is happening.  The people in the river are plodding along as I used to with their heads down not truly seeing what is going on.  The everyday distractions of life keep their heads down and do not allow them to look up and see the truth.  There is much going on in the world.  The media will not tell you about what you need to know, just enough to influence your views and decisions.  Do not rely on the media to give you the unbiased truth as even their views are slanted.  Look around and see what is truly going in the world around you.  I used to be an atheist, now I am eternally His.

The problem with Perspective

Ever wonder why there is so much conflict in the world?  I have a theory that it could all boil down to one word: Perspective.  Every one of us has our own our own views, opinions, thoughts, etc. and we all think that we are right.  With that said; how can there not be conflict?  I am actually surprised that anyone gets along with anyone else.  We all act and react based on what we perceive to be true.  What we perceive to be true is based on our own opinions.  Right or wrong, every single act we do or action we take affects more people than we know.  I can look at a painting, read a poem, read an article, read anything written by another human being and still completely miss the subtleties, and intended meaning of the person who created the piece.  Even when speaking directly to a person we can misinterpret what is meant by what is being said.

For example: An artist paints a picture.  When looking at the picture, I see X.  You, looking at the picture see Y.  The artist that painted the picture actually was painting Z.  I may read something and say, ‘That’s about me!’, someone else may say ‘No, that’s definitely about me!’, when the person that wrote it may have been writing about a bird that fell out of a nest.

Unless someone explicitly spells out their thoughts and intentions, we cannot know for sure what they mean.  So instead of getting into conflict with someone over something they say or do, perhaps we should make an effort to look at things from someone else’s point of view and even make an effort to find out what exactly is the meaning behind the expression instead of making assumptions.  Remember we all know what happens when we “assume”.  (It makes an ass out of u and me – ASS-U-ME)

THE WORD OF GOD

I love listening to sermons and teachings on the radio and on the internet.  There are pastors that have their own websites and sell their sermons online.  I realize that they have expenses associated with their ministries and everything but I have an issue with charging for the word of God.  Jesus said “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15).  He did not say “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation and charge them for it.”.  I have visited many pastors’ web sites.  Some have their sermons available for free, some for as little as $2.00 some for as much as $9.00.  The one that I looked at for $9.00 was based off a passage of scripture that had 51 words in it.  That comes out to 17.6 cents per word.  Some of the words only had one letter in them.

                I also realize that there are printing costs involved in printing and manufacturing bibles.  Why is it that when I go to buy a bible for myself, they are $40 to $50 each when I have heard many times about bibles being needed for Asia and Africa that only cost $4 each? 

                It’s not exactly the same but when I think about these things I am reminded of Mark 11:15:

15  Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16 and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS’? But you have made it a ROBBERS’DEN.”  18 The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.

NASU

Any thoughts on charging for the word of God?

In the face of adversity

I have heard many people say that they do not understand how God could allow bad things to happen to good people.  How a drunk driver could crash into a family killing them all and walk away without a scratch.  The fact is that tragedy happens every day to a lot of people.  The Bible tells us that none is righteous on the whole earth.  Beyond this, I think that we are ignorant of the scope of what occurs.  We simply see the headline of the crash, the murder, the event or whatever has occurred and ask why.  We do not look at the complete picture before asking.  We cannot possibly see how or who the event affects.  Maybe the drunk driver changes his life and goes on to save thousands.  What about the countless people driving by, seeing the accident change their lives.  The paramedic, police, staff at the hospital, the wrecker driver, family, friends, etc.  There are countless people involved and affected by the smallest event.  We can never know how many people are affected, and how even the smallest event can change lives.  I believe that we are tested by such events.  It has always been easier to destroy than to create.  It is harder to forgive than to hate.  It is harder to overcome that which hurts you and to forgive than to give in to hatred, anger and resentment.  The world is full of angry people unwilling to forgive and the person they hurt the most is themselves.  To rise above the hatred is what we are commanded to do.  To be forgiven, we must forgive.

40 Days…

Our pastor ends his 40 day fast tonight.   He said that he learned a lot from his experience but it was not what he expected it to be.  Most things rarely are what we expect.  What I took away from the experience was to diligently seek the Lord. 

Isa 26:9
9  At night my soul longs for You,
Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently;
For when the earth experiences Your judgments
The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
NASU
1 Thess 5:16-22

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
NKJV

Anger Management – Part 2

OK, so this part of the post is not going to be as I had planned.  I planned to to this post with all sorts of information and factual statements and such.  I must confess that I was a bit overwhelmed with the information that I did find.  If you want, the information is readily available for you just by searching.  So this post will be a bit different from what I had intended.  Growing up and being the student, I believed and did not question what I was taught.  After all, this was the educational system.  Why would you teach lies to the population?  It is only now that I truly question what is fed to me that I become aware of what looks to be an agenda.  The systematic removal of God from the lives of citizens.  Anyway, evolution has no ground to stand on, has no real scientific evidence, is a lie and should be banned from being taught as fact.  The truth is out there!

Why Men (and retired officers)Shouldn’t Own Action Figures

This came to me in email.  I do not know the origin but I loved it and had to share…

I am not my past…

Someone recently used the word evil to describe someone close to me recently. I suspect that they do not truly know the meaning of the word. Five years ago I would simply have shown them the meaning of the word. I do not wish to visit my past.
From the Book of Matthew: 18:15
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
NIV
I pray that this is the type of road I now travel.

Anger Management…Part 1

There are a lot of things on this earth that make me angry.  I think that the one that really burns me the most is the lie of evolution.  I grew up in New York, now living in Georgia of all places.  Not that Georgia is a bad place to be but coming from NY, I never thought I’d be here.  I was taught the THEORY of evolution in school as fact.  As if this was proven and everything else was just fantasy.  I grew up in a non-believing household (although I am praying that God will change that).  I had friends that went to church but they were no better behaved than anyone else.  I simply thought it was a delusion.  Now I have come to know the truth about God and our little blue ball of dirt.  The media plays to the evolutionists, truth is suppressed, and the world becomes more ignorant of their true reality.  Despite the fact that even a single cell is mathematically impossible to have simply come about through randomness, the theory persists.  People look for anything to explain how we got here and have come up with some absurd ideas and still refuse to acknowledge God.  More to come…

The walk…

I have seen many people come and go at our church.  Some leave because they are tired of changes, some because they didn’t get enough attention.  I wonder if they know how their leaving affects those they leave behind.  Whatever the reason for leaving, there are some things to consider.  What are you trying to get out of your church?  Entertainment, fulfillment, what?  I think that the church is your home.  You are supposed to deal with your problems and your church families problems.  It’s supposed to me messy and you should be growing mentally and spiritually.  I also think that your pastor and church are a supplement to your own personal walk with God.  They can contribute to but not replace your own walk.  You are the one that needs to ask the Lord into your life, accept Him and take up His commandments, read His word.