Listen up!

I have always enjoyed making faces, especially when I was very young (and I guess I still do..). My mother used to say to me: "Stop! do you want your face to freeze like that"! Well, that's exactly what I thought of when I saw this picture; imagine if his face really did freeze in place like this? Parents say things to their children for many reasons, but I like to think the one they use the most is to just plain teach them something. As for children, they need to Listen up!

The Webster Bible puts it this way:

"Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Eph 6:2 Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise)
Eph 6:3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. "

Now, if I ever could just stop making faces.. who knows...

Lonely

If you have ever been laid off (for whatever reason) there are many days that seem like what this person must be feeling. When you don't know where you are going to get money for food or rent, it seems like no one else knows that you are even alive. One of the best aspects of being a Christian is the knowledge that you are never really alone because God is always there.
The Webster Bible says:"
Heb 13:5 Let your manner of life be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Its amazing to me that although I have been in the worst of financial circumstances many times, somehow, someway a provision for my real NEEDS was there. Bad times will pass; better days are ahead... remember Heb 13:5

Honor due

Honestly, I did not vote for him, but I hope that in the future I can look back on his presidency and say that he was a great president. At this point I am doubtful to say the least. However, as Americans we must pull together if this country is to succeed as a democracy. Whether a good president or not, his position DEMANDS RESPECT. The early Christians had to deal with leaders who opposed Christians so much that they ordered their death. Imagine yourself under those circumstances and then reading (or possibly just hearing) the words of the apostle Paul:

Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but from God: the powers that are, are ordained by God.
Rom 13:2 Whoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power; do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same:
Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou doest that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Rom 13:5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
Rom 13:6 For, for this cause ye pay tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
Rom 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. The Webster Bible

Whatever your political persuasion, I encourage you to reflect on these words of Paul and obey.

Withstanding the Storms

Finances and employment have been very difficult lately! Many people are hurting as never before, encountering seemingly overwhelming obstacles. Its nice to know that no matter how bad things are, we can withstand the Storms of Life if we have something solid to rely upon. Jesus puts it this way:

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out demons? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Mat 7:24 Therefore whoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house upon a rock:
Mat 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Mat 7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it. The Webster Bible

Be wise, be aware of the storms, but build on the rock!!!!!

Mirror, Mirror

Halloween may be past, but this image of a "vampire kitten" grabbed my attention today. I know its just a kitten, but if you look long enough it really does look sort of like a vampire. I guess we really do see what we want to see and that's that.

In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus discusses attitudes when he says:

Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and the measure which ye give, shall be measured to you again.
Mat 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thy own eye?
Mat 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thy eye; and behold, a beam is in thy own eye?
Mat 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thy own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Webster Bible

Its one thing to talk about a kitten, but quite another when we refer to ourselves. Do we see others one way and then make a whole set of standards when we think about what WE DO? When you look in the mirror, what sort of person is REALLY LOOKING BACK AT YOU?

Don't Worry, BE HAPPY!

Not a very good picnic spot, is it? Why? Because I would worry about it falling on me, that's why. Yet, its probably been there thousands upon thousands of years and will still be there hundreds of years after my great grandchildren are a dim memory. I like what Jesus had to say about worry, because it deals with a central issue of Christianity... status. IF we are the children of God, then GOD will take care of us and therefore worry is a lack of trust.

Matthew 6:24-34 says: "

24 'None is able to serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye are not able to serve God and Mammon.
25 'Because of this I say to you, be not anxious for your life, what ye may eat, and what ye may drink, nor for your body, what ye may put on. Is not the life more than the nourishment, and the body than the clothing?
26 look to the fowls of the heaven, for they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into storehouses, and your heavenly Father doth nourish them; are not ye much better than they?
27 'And who of you, being anxious, is able to add to his age one cubit?
28 and about clothing why are ye anxious? consider well the lilies of the field; how do they grow? they do not labour, nor do they spin;
29 and I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these.
30 'And if the herb of the field, that to-day is, and to-morrow is cast to the furnace, God doth so clothe — not much more you, O ye of little faith?
31 therefore ye may not be anxious, saying, What may we eat? or, What may we drink? or, What may we put round?
32 for all these do the nations seek for, for your heavenly Father doth know that ye have need of all these;
33 but seek ye first the reign of God and His righteousness, and all these shall be added to you.
34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow, for the morrow shall be anxious for its own things; sufficient for the day [is] the evil of it.YLT

In other words... Don't Worry, BE HAPPY!

Home

When I saw this picture I thought of upstate New York where I grew up. Florida is a nice place to live, but it really doesn't have a "fall" season, yet it feels like "home". Funny, but I feel a little confused about the concept of "home". I have lived in a quite a number of places and after awhile they all felt like home, but the best one is yet to come (heaven). Although Linda and I have been blessed with some nice dwellings, we never have lived in a mansion. I wonder how I will feel about Florida when I get there?

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." John 14:2

Enough already

When I saw this picture I immeadiately thought of politics. I don't know about you, but I am tired of listening to people talking politics. I do however, really like the current Einstein quote on the blog:

"If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut. "

Now, if I could only learn this.... I would be doing great!!!!!

Hello, are you listening?

When you have you mind made up about something, does it take something as powerful as a bolt of lightning to get you to change? I don't mean something trivial like what shoes you want to wear today (although for some of us this may seem very important). Instead, something foundational like your commitment to your spouse, your country or God? Saul of Tarsus had the belief he was absolutely right and did something about it; he was a zealot for the Jewish religion. God however, had other plans for him. I really like the story of God's intervention in Saul's (later Paul's) life because God knew his heart and didn't reject him even though Saul was doing something wrong.

The Bible says: "
Act 9:1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
Act 9:2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Act 9:3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
Act 9:4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
Act 9:5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Act 9:6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

This passage is quite dramatic, but think of God's intervention with Elijah where he spoke to him in a still small voice. Hummm, perhaps God knows you well enough to do whatever it takes to get your attention, whether it be large or small. Look around, God is speaking to us every day, in little things as well as the grand. The question is: Are we listening?

What now?

Please listen to the lesson "What do we do after the election?". It is on the Westside church podcast list on the right (down a page). I wish I had said this!