Paragraph by Paragraph: The InTangible August 20th, 2008

08:59 - Wednesday, August 20, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

Paragraph by Paragraph: The Tangible August 20, 2008

08:30 - Wednesday, August 20, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

ENTITLEMENT

07:55 - Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - comments {5} - post comment

The Indiana State Fair

08:05 - Friday, August 8, 2008 - comments {1} - post comment

Canned yesterday

07:59 - Friday, August 8, 2008 - comments {1} - post comment

Are you in to mood to build something??

The Pompeii Oven™: Plans to Build an Italian Brick Oven

Free Brick Barbeque Plans

07:13 - Sunday, August 3, 2008 - comments {1} - post comment

Isaiah 58........

Isaiah 58

True Fasting

 2 For day after day they seek me out;
       they seem eager to know my ways,
       as if they were a nation that does what is right
       and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
       They ask me for just decisions
       and seem eager for God to come near them.

This is me. "Seems eager" to know His Ways. "Seems eager to come near". The "seems" needs to be turned into an action word.

 3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
       'and you have not seen it?
       Why have we humbled ourselves,
       and you have not noticed?'
       "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
       and exploit all your workers.

Oh yeah. Me. "Well Lord, I do xyz and didn't you see"? Like He doesn't SEE everything. Sometimes I am so dumb.

 4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
       and in striking each other with wicked fists.
       You cannot fast as you do today
       and expect your voice to be heard on high.

I don't know what "quarreling and strife or wicked fists" is but I will tell you my 'fasting' will get the same results. Because its not good.

 5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
       only a day for a man to humble himself?
       Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
       and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
       Is that what you call a fast,
       a day acceptable to the LORD ?

For me God is saying "stop putting on a show and get real, knock off all the drama, and LISTEN to me"

 6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
       to loose the chains of injustice
       and untie the cords of the yoke,
       to set the oppressed free
       and break every yoke?

This is a huge verse. I 'fast' for silly stuff (oh it may seem big to me, but compared to verse 6? SILLY STUFF) and He is showing me that He is SO much more...........

 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
       and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
       when you see the naked, to clothe him,
       and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Hmmmmmm wow. No where do I see anything like what the 'world' tells me. No where in this verse does it say...."volunteer for this program, sign up to do this on Sunday, give X amount of money" It says........be ready, spot on. Be ready at any SECOND to give.

 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
       and your healing will quickly appear;
       then your righteousness ^[a] will go before you,
       and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

I love the word "then"..........

 9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
       you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
       "If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
       with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
       and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
       then your light will rise in the darkness,
       and your night will become like the noonday.

God says "ok, PAY ATTENTION........Verses 1-7, and now 8-12 He shows us our reward. It's all written down for me. How simple duh.

 11 The LORD will guide you always;
       he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
       and will strengthen your frame.
       You will be like a well-watered garden,
       like a spring whose waters never fail.

 12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
       and will raise up the age-old foundations;
       you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
       Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

 13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
       and from doing as you please on my holy day,
       if you call the Sabbath a delight
       and the LORD's holy day honorable,
       and if you honor it by not going your own way
       and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

 14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
       and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
       and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
       The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Ok........."IF you keep your feet from breaking Sabbath". That's huge. Understand this.........for 40+ years I have been conditioned, I have chosen, I have lived for Saturdays. I work on Saturdays (big money days) I do big projects on Saturdays. My kids play sports on Saturdays.................I do not honor "THE Sabbath". I do not honor it and the only "delight" in it is for myself. Not to honor or please God. I do what I want, go my own way.........I totally thumb my nose at God, and His Sabbath.......

It's no wonder I am in the condition, I am in.

Footnotes:

1. Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One

07:35 - Friday, July 18, 2008 - comments {1} - post comment

ONE REASON WHY I HOME EDUCATE!!!!

Why Christian Manhood MUST Prevail

There is an alarming rise in effeminacy amongst young men in our nation. And the increase has nothing to do with genetics. The issue is moral, cultural, and, most importantly, theological. The collective social conscience of the meaning of Christian manhood is quickly becoming the stuff of story books. The abandonment of teaching on family orthopraxy from the pulpit, and the exchange of fundamental moral issues for short term political victories by too many Christians who are engaged in culture wars, has created an environment where there is precious little practical difference between the way the church and the world view manhood and womanhood.

The fact is that our boys are confused because their fathers are confused. The gender-blending of the last twenty-five years is reaping an alarming toll on men, and the worst is yet to come.

The answer to the problem of effeminacy in boys and leaderless men is not going into the forest and beating a drum. Nor is the answer found in psychologically driven behavior modification theory.

Christian manhood must prevail. But for it to prevail we need a generation of men and women more concerned with the biblical vision of manhood than the prevailing view presented in the government schools, on MTV, and in too many pulpits across America. And we need men and women willing to stand — sometimes alone — against the wave of androgyny and social confusion.

The good news is that feminism in women and male effeminacy are self-defeating. They cannot be sustained. They are ultimately doomed to destruction. But along the way to their own self-annihilation, they can leave a devastating toll in the lives of our sons and daughters. They can wreak havoc on an entire culture. And this is where things stand now.

History is behind Christian manhood, which is why it must be studied both theologically and historically. In this important message, Why Christian Manhood Must Prevail, I explain the issue and seek to encourage fathers and mothers who aspire to raise their sons to stand against the tide of effeminacy and embrace a vision of noble manhood.

May we about the business of recovering biblical manhood in our time.

12:28 - Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - comments {1} - post comment

40 evidences that we may have left our first love......

40 Evidences That You May Have

Left Your First Love

1. You can go hours or days without having more than a passing thought of Him.

2. You don’t have a strong desire to spend time with Him.

3. You don’t have a strong hunger for the Word; Bible reading is a “chore” – something to

mark off your “to do” list.

4. Spending time in prayer is a burden/duty rather than a delight.

5. Your worship is formal, dry, lifeless, merely going through the motions.

6. Private prayer and worship are almost non-existent . . . cold and dry.

7. You are more concerned about physical health, well-being, and comfort than about the wellbeing

and condition of your soul.

8. You crave physical food, while having little appetite for spiritual food.

9. You crave human companionship more than a relationship with Christ.

10. You spend more time and effort on your physical appearance than on cultivating inner

spiritual beauty to please Christ.

11. Your heart toward Christ is cold and indifferent; not tender as it once was, not easily moved

by the Word, talk of spiritual things, etc.

12. Christianity is more of a checklist than a relationship with Christ.

13. You measure spirituality (yours/others’) by performance rather than the condition of the

heart.

14. Christianity is defined more what by what you “do” than who you “are” (“doing” vs.

“being”).

15. Your obedience and service are motivated and fueled by expectations of others or a desire to

impress others, more than by passion for Christ.

16. You are more concerned about what others think and pleasing them, than about what God

knows and pleasing Christ.

17. Your service for Christ and others is motivated by a sense of duty or obligation.

18. You find yourself becoming resentful over the hardships and demands of serving Christ and

others.

19. You can talk with others about kids, marriage, weather, and the news, but struggle to talk

about the Lord and spiritual matters.

20. You have a hard time coming up with something fresh to share in a testimony service at

church or when someone asks, “What’s God been doing in your life?”

21. You are formal, rigid, and up-tight about spiritual things, rather than joyful and winsome.

22. You are critical or harsh toward those who are doctrinally off-base or living in sin.

23. You enjoy secular songs, movies, and books more than songs or reading material that point

you to Christ.

© Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.com

Info@ReviveOurHearts.com

24. You prefer the company of people who don’t love Christ, to the company and fellowship of

those who do.

25. You are more interested in recreation, entertainment, and having “fun” than in cultivating

intimacy with Christ through worship, prayer, the Word, and Christian fellowship.

26. You display attitudes or are involved in activities that you know are contrary to Scripture, but

you continue in them anyway.

27. You justify “small” areas of disobedience or compromise.

28. You have been drawn back into sin habits that you put off when you were a young believer.

29. “Little” things that used to disturb your conscience, no longer do.

30. You are slow to respond to conviction over sin – or you ignore it altogether.

31. You enjoy certain sins and want to hang onto them. You are unwilling to give them up for

Christ.

32. You are not grieved by sin – it’s no big deal to you.

33. You are consistently allured by certain sins.

34. You are self-righteous--more concerned about sin in others’ lives than in your own.

35. You are more concerned about having the right position than the right disposition.

36. You tend to hold tightly to money and things, rather than being quick to give to meet the

needs of others.

37. You rarely give sacrificially to the Lord’s work.

38. You rarely have a desire or burden to give, when you hear of legitimate financial needs

within the Body, your church, or a ministry.

39. Accumulating and maintaining material “things” consumes more time and effort on your part

than seeking after and cultivating spiritual riches.

40. You have broken relationships with other believers that you are unwilling or have not

attempted to reconcile.

1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the

seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2"'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot

bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles

and are not, and found them to be false. 3I know you are enduring patiently and

bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you

did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place,

unless you repent. . . .

7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one

who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of

God.'

08:23 - Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

Bitterness

At Dictionary.com, this is the English explanation


Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This bit·ter    Audio Help   /ˈbɪtər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[bit-er] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, -er, -est, noun, verb, adverb –adjective

Footnotes:

07:58 - Saturday, July 12, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

Judge?

GLEANINGS FROM THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT

by Dr. Philip Bryan

Wordplay: Judgment and Condemnation

"Wordplay" or "punning" is a favorite literary device utilized in the Old and New Testaments, especially in Paul's letters. English often cannot communicate the force of a passage by means of wordplay in corresponding English words. Sometimes the most familiar English version even gives a false impression of the meaning. For example, because of wordplay and changes in English usage since the 17^th Century, the English words "judgment" and "condemnation" (or "damnation") often are interpreted in certain passages to mean something other than what the author intended, and at the same time something of the subtle "flavor" is lost. A typical example appears in 1 Cor. 11:29, which some have interpreted to teach that "eating unworthily" at the Lord's Supper will send a person to Hell: "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." To the contrary, Paul in this passage states that God judges a believer for eating and drinking unworthily so that he will not be condemned! Paul is very careful in his usage of the words translated "judgment" and "condemnation."

Basic Meanings

Three variations for judgment (and their cognates) are regularly employed by Paul in the New Testament: (1) krino, (2) diakrino, and (3) katakrino. The basic word krino includes primarily the ideas of "separating," "judging," and "reaching a decision." Sometimes this "judgment" may be a form of "condemnation," but that is not the basic meaning. Clearly related to krino is the word diakrino, with the ideas of "separating," "differentiating," "judging correctly," "discerning," etc. This word emphasizes proper judgment. The third pertinent form, katakrino, carries the related ideas of "condemning," "punishing," "damning," etc. Clearly, all of the ideas are closely related, both in Greek and English. Detailed analyses of these words are contained in the standard Greek lexicons.

Comparison and Contrast

In a number of New Testament passages, Paul uses two or more of these words (or their cognates) to compare and contrast different ideas and shades of meaning. See Rom. 2:1, 5:16, 18 for usage of krino and katakrino. Rom. 14:23 includes diakrino and katakrino. Analysis of 1 Cor. 11:27-34 gives some of the most fruitful benefits when distinction is maintained between all three words.

Analysis of 1 Cor. 11:27-34

These controversial verses in Paul's discussion of the Lord's Supper may be translated and interpreted as follows:

"(27) The result is: whoever should eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord."

Unworthy behavior at the Lord's Table is a serious matter because of what the elements represent -- the Lord's body and blood.

"(28) But let a man prove himself [or, show himself approved?], and so let him eat of the bread [or loaf] and let him drink of the cup; (29) for the one who eats and drinks eats and drinks judgment [krima, a cognate of krino] to [or for] himself, when he does not discern [diakrino] the body."

Failure to "discern the body" (i.e., the church; see v. 31) brings God's judgment (not damnation on that person (a believer, see v. 31).

"(30) Therefore, many among you are weak and feeble, and a number are sleeping."

God's judgment ("therefore") is illustrated by the fact that many of the Corinthians are "weak and feeble" (physically sick?) And not a few are "sleeping" (i.e., they are physically dead?).

"(31) But if we had discerned [diakrino] ourselves, we would not have been judged [krino]; (32) but when are judged [krino] by the Lord, we are chastened lest we should be condemned [katakrino] with the world."

So, if we discern (diakrino; judge correctly) ourselves (the body) we will not be judged (krino) by the Lord. He will judge (krino) His people when they need it (e.g., when they do not "discern the body"), but He does not condemn or damn (katakrino) them. It is "the world" that will be condemned (katakrino)!

"(33) The result is: my brethren, when you come together [or, assemble] in order to eat [the Lord's Supper], wait for one another. (34) If anyone should be hungry, let him eat at home, lest you should come together [or, assemble] for judgment [krima]. And the remaining things I will arrange whenever I come."

Proper discernment (judgment) of the Lord's body (the church) is evidenced by waiting for one another at the Table. Since the purpose of assembling is not because of hunger, observance of the ordinance will bring God's judgment (krima) if the participants eat and drink in an unworthy manner by not regarding one another. These verses probably explain why the Corinthian supper was not the Lord's Supper (v. 20). It was their own supper!

09:10 - Friday, July 11, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

What a great article........and MHO of it.

I saw this article at Hidden Creek Homstead....and baby, it hit a nerve with me!!

Are Rising Prices Scaring You?
by Jill Cooper
Living on a Dime

We are getting e-mails and it has been all over the news - "What do we do? They are rationing rice!!" Um, they did that because Chinese restaurants were coming in and buying bags and bags at a time because it was cheap. Duh.

I haven't decided if I should just laugh or start tearing my hair out. First everyone panicked over the price of gas... then it was the price of apples, then milk and now rice. What I find so amusing about the whole thing is a lot of those same people who are in a panic are still using their gas to go to the movies, to go on vacations, to travel for sports activities, to go shopping and to go most any place they want to go.They panic because they were brainwashed to panic. HELLO anyone who reads the newspaper daily, watches tv daily, or listens to the radio has been brainwashed with the message of 'recession' FOR MONTHS. If you tell a person a lie every day for months on end, eventually, they believe it. People are in a tizzy because they listened to lies...........

So many people complain about the price of gas when it costs $4.00 a gallon but don't bat an eye when going to Starbucks to pay $4.00 for one cup (8 oz. or 1/8 of a gallon) of coffee that they could have made at home for pennies. Despite all the fuss, most Americans have not substantially changed their lives because of gas prices. NOT only have they NOT changed their lifestyles.......but they STILL would rather hug a tree than to dig for our own oil. Stuuuuuupid. They whine about gas, but are more than willing to let the Middle East dictate how much we pay. Poor blind souls.

Then there is another whole group who complain about how they "aren't like other people". They don't spend a penny on anything and they still have nothing and, because their lot in life is so miserable, they have a right to be afraid of what is happening in the world and in their lives. They have a "What about me?" attitude all of the time.WELL GUESS WHERE THEY LEARNED THAT??? Hmmmmmmmm schools teach "what about me"......TV programs are all about ME. Magazines, ME, self help books (even christian ones) ME. The media in general ME ME ME ME ME. Walk into any place where people congregate. School, work, church.........everyone is too worried about what everyone ELSE is doing, dressing like, driving, living in.........Um, Scripture says: Mind your own business!!

The Bible says that God does not give us the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind. Even if you aren't a Christian, I want you to really think about those words because they apply to human nature in general.FEAR is from satan. Fear is a tool of the devil. Fear is a destroyer...........it is a tool of manipulators. Women who are beaten by their dh......fear is his greatest weapon against her. Children who are molested........fear is the greatest weapon used against them. Jesus said:John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My Peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. He told us in advance what to expect.........if we would pick up the Bible instead of the newspaper, People magazine, or turn on the tube, we'd know this!!

We are living in a world that is crazed with fear and because of that we have lost power over ourselves, our lives and our circumstances. Because of that fear we have very little love for anyone. When you love someone or something your main thoughts are focused on that person or thing that you love. What do you think about all the time? --Your spouse, your children, joyful things and happy things or do you focus on yourself and on how these terrible prices are going to affect you?It is the love of money that has driven us mad. We fear if we lack it, we can not buy. So many equate 'buying things' and "showing love". We think "oh my kid has to have an amazing b-day party, or an amazing b-day gift, or I have to take them on a vacation, or they have to have these clothes" Or ________ you fill in the blank.

Do you know how powerless you become when you give way to fear? When you're constantly afraid, you can't function properly at work which leads to not getting a pay raise or worse yet, getting fired. You can't get your mind off of that which you fear and it filters into every area of your life.AMEN AMEN AMEN. Have your child take your photo at different times of the day (when you don't expect it) or photograph your spouse. A face, doesn't lie. Fear drains you of life. It sucks you dry........and your face shows it. Your voice shows it. Your actions reveal it........

You become short and angry with your family when they try to talk to you, ask you something or want to spend time with you because they are interrupting your focus on your fear. "How am I going to get some rice (or gas, or milk or apples)", "If there's a shortage of rice now, I'm sure that is going to lead to a shortage on ALL food", "If there is a shortage of food, that will mean I can't go on vacation this summer or buy that new car." As my daughter says "oh ye of little faith". That is what fear is. We are getting caught with our pants down. Spend Spend Spend debt debt debt. Now we are called to pay the piper, and our pockets are a little short............I am reaping what I have sown. Again, this is all in the Word.......

You say but that's silly and doesn't even make sense. No it doesn't and that is where the sound mind comes in. Where there is fear there is total loss of rational reasoning or what I call "common sense".

When someone isn't of sound mind (not using common sense), they think there is going to be a shortage on rice and they panic. They tell everyone they know. The word spreads and then everyone panics and runs out to hoard rice. All that fear has a snowball effect which then creates a shortage of rice where there wasn't one.Guess what? Satan played us like a fiddle. We are so.........sheep BAAAAAA BAAAAAAAAA. Because woman are not home, minding their own business (as Scripture COMMANDS) and out being busy bodies, this is how this kind of insanity starts! It's one thing to be informed. Its another to be hysterical. I guess if we pulled our spines out of the closet and came along side the "siren" and corrected them and tried to train them.......or call sin a sin.........but no, we must consider the "feeling" or the "diversity" of it all. Gag. Another one of satans tricks.

If people had not given over to fear and had been of sound mind (using common sense) they would have thought, "No big deal, we'll have pasta instead or just do without rice for now." They would go about their daily business without giving it another thought and focus on more important things like how to be a kinder more loving spouse or parent.OR (now here's a concept) INVESTIGATE what the REAL reason is. Was there something that happened that caused the rice production to be less? Are Chinese restaurant owners buying it all up? Was their a disease that ate up the crop? Floods? Typhoons? What? Actually take the time to investigate truth!!!! Learn for yourself. Don't rely on others to "tell you what truth is".........That's how Hitler deceived a nation!

When people aren't consumed with fear they can think more rationally, which helps them make wiser and more practical decisions. When fear is gone they have peace and joy and patience and most of all they are more loving.When fear is REPLACED with the Peace that only Jesus Christ can give, then AND ONLY THEN, we will have peace, joy, patience, and love.

Think about it. How much of your life is ruled by fear? If you filter back through most negative emotions, most of them begin with fear of something. Do you buy things you can't afford because you are afraid of what people will think of you? Do you spend more on gifts for your friends and your children's friends because you fear that people won't love you?AMEN again. It's sickening, and maddening that I allow satan to manipulate me. I was breathless yesterday when I paid bills and then had to fill up the tank. Then I remembered.......um, (A) the mess I am in, I caused (B) Trust in the Lord with ALL my heart....(C) I chose not to do the evil ones bidding. I chose to have Faith in Christ! (d) BUT their are consequences to sin.......and this discomfort? Guess what.....I should be thankful that is ALL I am feeling.

Take a serious look at the things you obsess about. Do you obsess about them because of some kind of fear? I don't know how to tactfully and gently say this but lately I have seen quiet (and sometimes loud) fear in a new thing called "becoming green and saving the environment". This is really just another form of fear. When people become obsessed and overcome, it is usually out of fear and not out of rational thinking.CASE AND POINT: She says "tactfully and gently" Um, no, the word I would use is Idolatry. Call it what it is!!! Stop namby pambying around!!!!! So many books tell us how bad WE ARE for 'hurting mother earth'.(Last time I checked, we were Created in HIS Image?)  Um, could someone point out in Scripture where the Lord commands us to LOVE the earth? I think it's Love the Lord, Your God,and Love your neighbor as your self............I see nothing about the earth.

Worship the CreatOR not the creatED.

I'm not saying you shouldn't try to save the environment if you think that it needs saving. I'm simply saying don't let things that stem from fear of something control your life in such a way that you lose all of your life's joy and your capacity for reasonable and rational thinking.We cannot save it.Those ridiculous programs at school and church on how "kids can save the earth" are just teaching the babies how to be Idolaters!!!!  THE EARTH is doomed to a fiery end. Read Matthew 23-25, and Revelation. Anyone who thinks that (a) man has ruined the earth AND (b) man can save the earth, worships a different god. God Created it, God will Judge it, God will destroy it. And there is NOTHING man can do to 'speed that up' or 'slow that down'.

AND anyone who thinks they can........is blinded by satan, an idolater and worships man and earth, not God almighty.

Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of Living on a Dime.

As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own home business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income. They have helped thousands of people all over the world to save money and get out of debt.

07:36 - Friday, July 11, 2008 - comments {4} - post comment

Let me rave on about my local extension!

08:25 - Thursday, July 10, 2008 - comments {2} - post comment

ALL of life's answers are in the book of Proverbs.......really!!

Again, I am reading this book.......... and I am compelled to seek out Scriptures......to support or refute what I have read. Funny, I keep coming back to 'sin'. That is the root. Emotions are just a symptom of sin. Sickness is the outward manifestation (not all cases :-) of sins mutilation of the body.

Proverbs 2

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

 2 turning your ear to wisdom
       and applying your heart to understanding,

 3 and if you call out for insight
       and cry aloud for understanding,

 4 and if you look for it as for silver
       and search for it as for hidden treasure,

Look at that word "if".Wisdom, Understanding. Ok, where do I find it. THE WORD, ok, I have 3 Bibles in the house (maybe more) Verse 5. Look for it like it's TREASURE. Have you ever looked for treasure? I have........God says "IF", If I do these things..............

 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
       and find the knowledge of God.

 6 For the LORD gives wisdom,
       and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

 7 He holds victory in store for the upright,
       he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

 8 for he guards the course of the just
       and protects the way of his faithful ones.

 9 Then you will understand what is right and just
       and fair—every good path.

 10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
       and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

 11 Discretion will protect you,
       and understanding will guard you.

OK IF I do the first part, my part, the seeking part THEN.....THEN.......THEN.......not the other way around. I must seek, THEN I will understand, and know. THEN He will give me wisdom. THEN He will be my shield. THEN He will guard, protect me. THEN I will understand, have wisdom, and knowledge. ONLY THEN, after I do the "if's". Only then.............

 12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
       from men whose words are perverse,

 13 who leave the straight paths
       to walk in dark ways,

 14 who delight in doing wrong
       and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

 15 whose paths are crooked
       and who are devious in their ways.

 16 It will save you also from the adulteress,
       from the wayward wife with her seductive words,

 17 who has left the partner of her youth
       and ignored the covenant she made before God. 

 18 For her house leads down to death
       and her paths to the spirits of the dead.

 19 None who go to her return
       or attain the paths of life.

 20 Thus you will walk in the ways of good men
       and keep to the paths of the righteous.

 21 For the upright will live in the land,
       and the blameless will remain in it;

 22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
       and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Sin in verses 12-22. Peversion, walking in darkness, delight in sin, rejoice in evil, crooked paths, devious ways, adultery.

Delights in sin (gossip, slander,attracting the attention of other men,)

Rejoices in Evil (watching a movie or TV program Jesus would never watch and getting excited when the "bad guy gets his".) Reading People magazine and getting your emotions all stirred up there. Slandering a neighbor....

Crooked paths, devious ways? Manipulation in the form of pouting, tempertantrums, silent treatment, using your body to get what you want, Putting thoughts into others heads to get them to think the way you think. Lying.

All of these 'sins' can make me sick.

Sleeplessness, headaches, acid reflux, indigestion, irritable bowel, ulcers, unexplained aches and pains, blurred vision, panic attacks.And more!

Any of these 'symptoms' can lead to greater problems, cancer, high blood pressure, heart attack. It's like leaving an infection untreated. It starts off small, but could grow so much that you can loose a whole leg, or your life.

Sin, is the infection.

I have to rid myself of the sin......then the symptoms will go too!!

08:04 - Thursday, July 3, 2008 - comments {1} - post comment

SIn is the problem, duh

So I am reading this book....... Now I am searching the Scriptures. I have read the first chapter of the book..and the first Scripture that popped into my head was this. My thoughts are in blue. It's long........but.............

1 Samuel 25

David, Nabal and Abigai

1 Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Emotion, sadness.Then David moved down into the Desert of Maon.

4  While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.

5  So he sent ten young men and said to them, "Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. 6 Say to him: 'Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!

 7 " 'Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. 8 Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my young men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.' "Ok, David, he's got hungry troops. I know when I am hungry, I can go for happy to crazy in about 0.2 seconds. David is doing what he can to feed his hungry men.

 9 When David's men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David's name. Then they waited.

10  Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. 11 Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?"Ok, well, Nabal lives up to the description of himself. Everyone knows who David is. He is being a smarty pants. Then he accuses (falsely I might add) Then he displays his greed and selfishness. Yep, Nabal is full of ugliness.

 12 David's men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word.

13  David said to his men, "Put on your swords!" So they put on their swords, and David put on his. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.WHOOOAA gross over reaction here!! But, again, hot anger and an empty belly will cause you to say and do some crazy things.

14 One of the servants told Nabal's wife Abigail: "David sent messengers from the desert to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. 15 Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. 16 Night and day they were a wall around us all the time we were herding our sheep near them. 17 Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him."Ok, Nabal's servant: (A) He knows first hand Nabal's a bad dude, he's his servant. (B) He tells Abigail the TRUTH about David.(C) He knows that bad things are about to happen. Nabal is wicked, David is ticked off.  

18 Abigail lost no time. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she told her servants, "Go on ahead; I'll follow you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

20 As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them.

21 David had just said, "It's been useless—all my watching over this fellow's property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. 22 be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!" May God deal with David,WHOOOOOAAA David. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. Hot temper.......with a long burn. David stayed very very angry for a long time. This was not a 20 min ride.

 23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said: "My lord, let the blame be on me alone. Please let your servant speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25 May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name is Fool, and folly goes with him. But as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my master sent.

 26 "Now since the LORD has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, may your enemies and all who intend to harm my master be like Nabal. 27 And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you. 28 Please forgive your servant's offense, for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD's battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live. 29 Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. 30 When the LORD has done for my master every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel, 31 my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the LORD has brought my master success, remember your servant."Abigail! She is humble, she is generous, she is appreciative, she has a true, servants heart. 

 32 David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. 33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. 34 Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak."

 35 Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, "Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request."AHHHHHHHH but even hot tempered David, is teachable.

 36 When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until daybreak. 37 Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. 38 About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died."Like that of a king" hmmmmm rich foods, guttonous behavior, drunk. I am SURE this is not the first time Nabal has done this :-). "His heart failed"...........He's mean, surly, a smart aleic, selfish, greedy, fraud, (banquet LIKE a king) and now he's had heart failure. 10 days later, he's dead. He rotted himself, from the inside, out.

 39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise be to the LORD, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal's wrongdoing down on his own head." David let vengenance be the Lords. David was ready to go take matters into his own hands.........but because of one person's level head, David did not sin greatly.
      Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. 40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, "David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife."

 41 She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, "Here is your maidservant, ready to serve you and wash the feet of my master's servants." 42 Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David's messengers and became his wife. 43 David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

So sin is the root, the emotion that you see is a result of that sin. Nabal was mean, surly. So you see his sin of greed, false accusing, gluttony, drunkenness, wickedness is the root. What comes out of this mans mouth is the manifestation of that sin. David's sin was his hot temper. He was ready to slaughter all of the men that belonged to Nabal.

It's not the 'emotions' that kill us. They are just the symptom of the real disease. Sin.

Like a child with a high fever due to an infection, raunchy emotions are the symptom of sin.

Sin is the problem.

Ok, I get that.

07:24 - Wednesday, July 2, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

Faith

08:32 - Sunday, June 29, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

My diseased garden in photos...........I am in mourning!!!!

This is my funky tomato leaves.......Extension office said: Too much water, and possible bacteria from the dead leaves that I mulched into the soil.


And this is my egg plant. The leaf is YELLOW Again.....extension office said too much water. Dig down 2-3 inches to see how moist THAT soil is......don't base it on the topsoil that is dry and cracked.


This is my basil. It SMELLS WONDERFUL when you pick it but the leaves are YELLOW and have this brown crunchy stuff on it Again, bacteria and too much water.


This is my green peppers....YELLOW leaves, brown spots Too much water. The excess water drains the soil of nitrogen. He told me to give them a 'N' cocktail to boost the soil.


And this is my poor cilantro. It's a brownish rust color and it stinks when you rub your fingers on it. This is the bacteria and too much water......and lack of N. He also said I should NOT have put lime in my garden, as the soil has plenty of alkaline in it. When I soil tested, my tester thing said I was low............but.............I think the leaves I 'imported' into my garden may be the culprit. My gf gave me 8-10 bags of leaves........from untreated trees, falling onto untreated lawn.........but from a total different part of the county.
DUH DUH DUH.
Live and learn!!


H E L P!!!!!!

08:36 - Monday, June 23, 2008 - comments {2} - post comment

Tomatoes with brown crunchy spots.....and many other questions???

05:53 - Sunday, June 22, 2008 - comments {2} - post comment

SERVICE OF PASSIONATE DEVOTION

"Lovest thou Me? . . . Feed My sheep." John 21:16

Jesus did not say - Make converts to your way of thinking, but look after My sheep, see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Me.

We count as service what we do in the way of Christian work; Jesus Christ calls service what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on adherence to a belief or a creed. "If any man come to Me and hate not . . . , he cannot be My disciple." There is no argument and no compulsion, but simply - If you would be My disciple, you must be devoted to Me. A man touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says - "Now I see Who Jesus is," and that is the source of devotion.

To-day we have substituted credal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many are devoted to causes and so few devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is a source of deep offense to the educated mind of to-day that does not want Him in any other way than as a Comrade.

Our Lord's first obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of men; the saving of men was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father.

If I am devoted to the cause of humanity only, I will soon be exhausted and come to the place where my love will falter; but if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity though men treat me as a door-mat.

The secret of a disciple's life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of the life is its unobtrusiveness. It is like a corn of wheat, which falls into the ground and dies, but presently it will spring up and alter the whole landscape (John 12:24).

"Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, June 19, 2008"

08:19 - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - comments {0} - post comment

One of God's Great DON'TS !!!

"Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil doing." Psalm 37:8 (R.V.)

Fretting means getting out at elbows mentally or spiritually. It is one thing to say "Fret not," but a very different thing to have such a disposition that you find yourself able not to fret. It sounds so easy to talk about "resting in the Lord" and "waiting patiently for Him" until the nest is upset - until we live, as so many are doing, in tumult and anguish, is it possible then to rest in the Lord? If this "don't" does not work there, it will work nowhere. This "don't" must work in days of perplexity as well as in days of peace, or it never will work. And if it will not work in your particular case, it will not work in anyone else's case. Resting in the Lord does not depend on external circumstances at all, but on your relationship to God Himself.

Fussing always ends in sin. We imagine that a little anxiety and worry are an indication of how really wise we are; it is much more an indication of how really wicked we are. Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way. Our Lord never worried and He was never anxious, because He was not "out" to realize His own ideas; He was "out" to realize God's ideas. Fretting is wicked if you are a child of God.

Have you been bolstering up that stupid soul of yours with the idea that your circumstances are too much for God? Put all "supposing" on one side and dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about that thing. All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God.

Oswald Chambers: My Utmost for His Highest

Big fat eye opener for me. I was reading this the other night and about fell out of bed.

My oldest gets on me ALL the time for fretting..........funny enough, this entry? It's on her birthday, July 4th!!

03:00 - Wednesday, June 18, 2008 - comments {2} - post comment