H/T Chip!

The Chaplain's Corner




Guest blogger, Chaplain Paul, is one of the most effective chaplains in America today. He is an emergency responder to every situation.

Hey, this is the Chaplain again.

This past week I attended a funeral. I arrived early because I knew the church would be full; it always is when a young person dies.

As the usher offered to seat me I told him, "I'm on call, I need to stay close to the door." So I took a seat in the last row, close to the door. It was a beautiful service, sad but also hopeful as only a Christian's service can be.

But I've been thinking about what I told the usher, "I'm on call, I need to stay close to the door." That was not a premeditated declaration, just one of those things that came out. But as I thought about it I realized, that in a way, that really is a profound statement, and it rang a bell. Then I remembered a poem by Sam Shoemaker, "I Stand by the Door".

The poem says a lot about what I do as a Chaplain, but it should remind all of us as Christians we are always on call (2 Cor. 5:20) and how important it is to 'stand by the door'!

The poem is a little long for a Minute Message but I really want you to read it; so I have added a shortened version of it below, at the end of this week's email. I hope you'll take time to read it and that it will speak to your heart as it does
mine. God bless you.

I stand by the door.
I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out,
The door is the most important door in the world-
It is the door through which people walk when they find God.
There's no use my going way inside, and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where a door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind people,
With outstretched, groping hands.
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it ...
So, I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for people to find that door--the door to God.
The most important thing any person can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands,
And put it on the latch--the latch that only clicks
And opens to the person's own touch.
People die outside that door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter-
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live, on the other side of it-- because they have not found it.
Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him ...
So, I stand by the door.

Enjoying A Lack Of Shelter

Guest blogger, Stan Nussbaum, takes us on a journey through the messianic year calendar.



Welcome to the journey of our Messiah through the year with Dr. Nussbaum.

Oct. 31 – Enjoying a lack of shelter

"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy." James. 1:2 (NLT)

This is one of the most counter-intuitive and profound verses in all of Scripture. It goes against all conventional wisdom and all earthly desires. It goes against the grain of every religion except the one that has a crucified Messiah at its heart.

Ordinary humans can understand “Look on the bright side,” “The glass is half full not half empty,” or, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” but James is stretching us far beyond naïve optimism or toughness. He is talking about every trouble as an opportunity for joy. He is talking about shelter as something we can joyfully live without!

The normal human assumption is that trouble threatens life and shelter protects it, but James tells us just the opposite. When our shelter breaks down and trouble strikes us, the trouble promotes our life instead of taking it away. In other words things are not what they seem. This may be the most fundamental truth of the Season of Shelter.

The cross was not what it seemed. No one watching the Messiah die that afternoon could see what was really going on. They were totally preoccupied with what they thought the crucifixion meant—that Jesus had lost his shelter, his life, and his future as the Messiah. In reality something else was happening. As we saw two weeks ago, he was laying down his life rather than losing it. As we see now from James, laying down our shelter opens a great joyful future rather than prevents it.

James lets us in on the secret of how this works and why people miss it. Trouble does not seem to promote life. It is not the “parent” of life. However, it is the grandparent. Trouble is the parent of endurance, and endurance is the parent of life. “For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow,” (Jas. 1:3), and, “God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (v. 12) The sequence is trouble, endurance, (crown of) life.

The difference between reality and appearances becomes even clearer when we look at James’ other trio of grandparent, parent, and child in the same chapter. “Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death.” (v. 15, NET). Desire, sin, and death.

How different this reality is than what seems to be true to most people! Human desires are usually seen as natural, healthy, even God-given. Indulging or fulfilling a desire seems to be the way to a good life. Stifling or repressing a desire seems to be a bad idea.

James assumes that some human desires are evil. He explains that the evil ones only seem to lead to life because of the time lag between indulging the desire and reaping death as a consequence. An evil desire is not the parent of death. It is the grandparent. In between is sin, and it takes a while for sin to become “full grown” (v. 15). A tiny tumor or a lion cub may not seem to be a danger, but a full grown one is a killer.

These are literally matters of life and death. In both cases what seems to be true is an illusion. Let our Season of Shelter not be a quest for an illusion of shelter but for real shelter that leads to real life.

Welcome: Welcome, Jesus, scarred Savior of the world! Stay with us and shelter us not from scars but from confusing what is real with what seems to be real.

Affirmation: I will treat James 1:2 as if the Lord meant me to live by it. My troubles are not mysteries but opportunities.

Sunday, October 31st, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

"The whole person, with all his senses, with both mind and body, needs to be involved in genuine worship.” (Jerry Kerns)

Our God is worthy of all praise and worship; anything less is sin. To allow anything to take our focus off Him is sin. Join with the writer of Psalms 103:1-2 as he says,

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is with me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

"God, thank You for letting us enter into Your presence with praise.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Have a Blessed day!

What is "Repentance"

xtnyoda has been asked a question by a fellow pilgrim. I will share here as well the answer given.

"What is the spiritual definition of Repentance?"

Thanks for the question!

First allow me to address the question itself as stated, "What is the spiritual definition of Repentance?"

The question is confusing to me in and of itself because of the use of the word 'spiritual' as a qualifier of repentance? I know of no 'spiritual' definition of any scriptural word or teaching. The only way that I know of to describe, teach, or instruct any biblical word or concept is from the meaning of the word in scripture and the way it is used in scripture. To me, the biblical meaning and use of any word or concept is spiritual.

As Peter states in 1Peter 1:20-21, "First of all, you should know this: no prophecy of Scripture comes from one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, moved by the Holy Spirit, men spoke from God." (HCSB) I would think that speaking of a 'spiritual' meaning of any biblical concept would dangerously lend itself to one's personal interpretation... and the scriptures forbid this. Peter states that the scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit, therefore the scriptures are spiritual.

With that understanding I will move on to explain biblical repentance.

The word itself has a very simple meaning as defined by biblical linguists, that being simply to have a "change of mind"... and that idea holds uniform in both the Old and New Testaments. However, how one comes to this place of a "changed mind" is a world apart between the two testaments!

In the Old Testament, the call to 'repent' is a call for the individual to change their own mind... it is an individual choice and something the individual must do themselves. As the prophet Joel cried in 2:12-13 with Yahweh's call for repentance, "...Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the LORD your God." (HCSB)

But, this is NOT the case in the New Testament, for the New Testament clearly acknowledges that no individual can actually reach this place of a truly change mind apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in their mind. In the New Testament, repentance, is the work of the Holy Spirit in the mind and heart of the individual. If you will, the lesson of the Old Testament and the Law of God, is that no human is able to arrive at true repentance of mind by following the Law or any outward act of contrition.

A good place to understand this vital distinction is in Paul's 2nd letter to Pastor Timothy.

2 Tim 2:24-26 "The Lord's slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance to know the truth. Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil's trap, having been captured by him to do his will." (HCSB)

Notice the fact that Paul explains that it is God that "grants" repentance. The Greek word "grants" is exactly what it means in English... God is the one that "gives" repentance to an individual. That is a world of difference and is a basic reality in the far superior salvation between the Old and New Testaments. Repentance, or the changing of one's mind is fully the work of God in the mind and heart of man.

In Romans 2:4, Paul states that it is God's goodness that leads one to repentance.
In 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Paul states that it is a God given grieving or sorrow that leads to repentance.
In 2Peter 3:9, Peter states that it is only by God's patience that any come to repentance.

In conclusion, repentance itself means the same thing in both Old and New Testaments. However, between the two Testaments, the arriving at true repentance is an eternity apart.

In the Old Testament, repentance is totally the work of man.

In the New Testament, repentance is totally the work of God in man.

Thank you again for the question.

xtnyoda, shalomed

Saturday, October 30th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

"When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one man for another; it was the life of God poured out to redeem the world."
Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

How special we are that God loved us enough to send His Son to shed His blood to redeem us from the wages of sin which was death (Romans 3:23a) but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ His Son (Romans 3:23b). Aren’t you glad Romans 3:23 didn’t stop halfway through? I am glad Jesus went all the way to Calvary for me!

"God, thank You for as Abraham said, ‘Providing Yourself a sacrifice.’
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Have a Blessed day!

Connecting a Couple of Dots

We've all heard by now about the terrorist efforts to ship bomb laden packages from Yemen to cause mayhem on American soil the past couple of days... as shared in the following article.

Guradian UK story

Security services yesterday thwarted a terrorist attempt to send packages containing explosive material hidden in printer ink cartridges by air from Yemen to strike targets in the US.

Please notice where the packages were sent from... Yemen.

Now... take a close look at a subdued report just this past Monday where the President has quietly lifted sanctions against 4 countries that force children to serve as soldiers... sanctions that prevented the US from sharing military supplies with these 4 countries... and... pay special attention to the fourth country in the list.

FP Exclusive report last Monday

The secret Obama administration memo on child soldiers

....The internal document shows that the administration prepared detailed justifications for its decision to waive sanctions against countries that forcibly recruit child soldiers, arguing that working closely with troubled militaries is the best way to reform them and that U.S. security depends on such relationships. But the administration didn't share those justifications with anyone outside the administration until after the decision had been made.

On Wednesday, after The Cable reported that Obama had decided not to cut off military assistance -- as required under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act -- against Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Yemen, the White House offered only a terse explanation for the decision....

So... our President lifts military sanctions against Yemen... just days before two cargo planes take off from Yemen with cargo intended to kill Americans... on American soil... just around election day.

Does anybody see a problem here?

xtnyoda, shalomed

There is a great wisdom in the follwing article By SHELBY STEELE in the Wall Street Journal.

A Referendum on the Redeemer

Barack Obama put the Democrats in the position of forever redeeming a fallen nation rather than leading a great one....

... His coming of age paralleled exactly the unfolding of a new "counterculture" American identity. And this new American identity—and the post-1960s liberalism it spawned—is grounded in a remarkable irony: bad faith in America as virtue itself...

...Bad faith in America became virtuous in the '60s.... the crowning idea of the '60s: that America was characterologically evil. Thus the only way back to decency and moral authority was through bad faith in America and its institutions, through the presumption that evil was America's natural default position.

Among today's liberal elite, bad faith in America is a sophistication, a kind of hipness. More importantly, it is the perfect formula for political and governmental power. It rationalizes power in the name of intervening against evil—I will use the government to intervene against the evil tendencies of American life (economic inequality, structural racism and sexism, corporate greed, neglect of the environment and so on), so I need your vote.

"Hope and Change" positioned Mr. Obama as a conduit between an old America worn down by its evil inclinations and a new America redeemed of those inclinations. There was no vision of the future in "Hope and Change." It is an expression of bad faith in America, but its great ingenuity was to turn that bad faith into political motivation, into votes.

...The great weakness of bad faith is that it disallows American exceptionalism as a rationale for power. It puts Mr. Obama and the Democrats in the position of forever redeeming a fallen nation, rather than leading a great nation. They bet on America's characterological evil and not on her sense of fairness, generosity or ingenuity....

Our great presidents have been stewards... But he has functioned more as a redeemer than a steward, a leader who sees a badness in us from which we must be redeemed. Many Americans are afraid of this because a mandate as grandiose as redemption justifies a vast expansion of government. A redeemer can't just tweak and guide a faltering economy; he will need a trillion- dollar stimulus package. He can't take on health care a step at a time; he must do it all at once, finally mandating that every citizen buy in.

Next week's election is, among other things, a referendum on the idea of president-as- redeemer. We have a president so determined to transform and redeem us from what we are that, by his own words, he is willing to risk being a one-term president. People now wonder if Barack Obama can pivot back to the center like Bill Clinton did after his set-back in '94. But Mr. Clinton was already a steward, a policy wonk, a man of the center. Mr. Obama has to change archetypes.

I think Mr. Steele has hit the nail on the head... dead on.

Go read the entire opinion.

xtnyoda, shalomed

"It's absurd. We've lost our minds"

Rick is relishing the coming despair... and current frantic babblings... over the falling house of cards the progressives have tried desperately to construct over Americans.




I also wish to add for all the Vietnam Vets that this... Kerry... lied about and defamed... "You see Mr. Kerry... one's aberrant and self-serving mania... always catches up with them... and will be shouted from the house tops... for all to see and hear."

Brutally Honest

John Kerry is lamenting the "know-nothingness" of those of us who oppose him politically:

With his party braced for defeats in the midterm elections, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee told the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce that a Republican machine -- fueled by talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck -- has undermined progress and misled the public into believing Democrats created the country's current economic problems.

Kerry singled out attacks on an energy deal he was negotiating with Republicans, which fell apart amid criticism of an emissions-trading program. Some 20 Senate candidates are now opposing the proposed deal in their campaigns.

"It's absurd. We've lost our minds," said a clearly exasperated Kerry. "We're in a period of know-nothingism in the country, where truth and science and facts don't weigh in. It's all short-order, lowest common denominator, cheap-seat politics."

...

The Massachusetts Republican Party accused Kerry of displaying "astonishing arrogance by shifting blame for the failed policies jammed down our throats by his party."

Party Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour added in a statement: "Instead of listening to the concerns of voters upset about the reckless spending that has pushed our national debt to an all-time high; the failed stimulus that has not created jobs and the unpopular government takeover of our health care system that hurts our seniors, Senator Kerry chooses to insult the intelligence of Americans who believe that our country is headed down the wrong path."

The elite are running scared aren't they? And no one better represents the elitists in this country than John F'ing Kerry.

I look forward to the tsunami that's about to hit these arrogant bastards. Might they drown in their disdain, might they choke on their chutzpah, might they suffocate in their smugness, might they asphyxiate on their aloofness.

Thank God for the know-nothingness that's about to sweep these wandering dregs of political detritus away.

It's too bad Kerry won't be amongst them... this time.

I do trust you enjoyed your day of fame... Mr. Kerry.

One more thing... sir... do you understand that the enemy of justice and liberty... that used you like a whore... is now laughing in your face.

xtnyoda, shalomed

Friday, October 29th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

“The strength of a man’s virtue should not be measured by his special exertions, but by his habitual acts.”
Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)

You can fool some of the people some of the time and all of the people some of the time… Jesus throughout the New Testament is found is found teaching in the temple. Much of his acceptance to teach in the temple (even though most of the religious leaders were against him) is because from a boy he is found in God’s house. The writer of Luke 4:16 puts it this way,

“He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read”.

Truly our daily habits reveal who we really are.


"God, thank You for the example we have through Your son Jesus.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Have a Blessed day!

The cost of biofuels....

The Borg Conspiracy has a question for us.

So you thought that the price of gas was ridiculous when it hit $4 a gallon a couple of years ago. And you worry about the cost rising again. You also worry that enough time and money are not being invested by your government into alternative fuels and biofuels.

Guess again on all counts.



US Navy Tests Boat Powered by Algae

The U.S. Navy has developed what it calls a "mean, green riverine machine" -- a 49-foot camouflage gunboat capable of outracing destroyer fleets and powered in part by seaweed.

Swishing around in the vessel's fuel tank is a 50-50 mix of algae-based biofuel and diesel that powers high-performance vessels in a way the military says is indistinguishable from conventional fuels.

The boat is designed to be deployed in rivers and marshes and will eventually be used to guard oil installations in the Middle East, The Guardian reported. It's part of the Navy's first green strike force, a group of about 10 ships, submarines and planes that run on a mix of biofuels and nuclear power. They're expected to be developed by 2012 and deployed to the field by 2016.

Sponsored Links
Last month, the U.S. Navy ordered more than 150,000 gallons of ship and jet fuel from Solazyme, a California company that produces biofuels from algae, The Associated Press reported.

But those fuels are expensive. Last year, the Navy spent $424 per gallon to buy 20,055 gallons of algae-based biofuel from another company. That was a world-record price for fuel at the time, the Marine Corps Times reported.

Yep! That wasn't a typo. The US Navy paid $424 a gallon for this wondrous biofuel to fuel their experiments last year And they bought 20,055 gallons of the bio-juice at that price.

That works out to a little over 8.5 million dollars of your money that was spent pursuing the concept of politically correct biofuels last year, just by the US Navy.

How much was spent by the other branches of the military and the other branches of government? Do we really want to know?

What do you think friends... do we want to know?

xtnyoda, shalomed

Day 151

Yahweh

Contrasting Emptiness

"When I look, there is no one; there is no counselor among them; when I ask them, they have nothing to say. Look, all of them are a delusion; their works are nonexistent; their images are wind and emptiness."
Isaiah 41:28-29 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Jesus/YahShua presents a blessed alternative to the emptiness that the world and idols offers.

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit-the Father will send Him in My name-will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you."
John 14:26

The world's counselors are delusional and empty. Quite a contrast... but then... Yahweh sees the end from the beginning.

This is in The Name.

xtnyoda, shalomed

Thursday, October 28th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

I do not ever remember begging my mother to give me a spanking. I do remember, however, the feeling of impending shame and the dread of the consequences when she would give me the warning, “Just wait until your Dad gets home." Thinking back, I wonder why I never thought to ask her to go ahead and get it over instead of waiting in the shadow of shame.

Even now thinking back, I hurt to think how my sins cause me shame and how the consequences cause separation from God. The very thought drives me to confess my sins and come clean before God. I am proud we are able to find the remedy for cleansing in 1 John 1:9, in which we are told,

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

"God, thank You for the way to bring us right back into Your fellowship.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Have a Blessed day!

Day 150

Yahweh

The Challenge Issued

"Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell us the past events, so that we may reflect on it and know the outcome. Or tell us the future. 23 Tell us the coming events, then we will know that you are gods."
Isaiah 41:22 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

For those that desire to command the allegiance of humanity comes this challenge from The Creator of humanity. It is a simple and straight challenge.

"Tell us now... exactly what does the future hold? And... when will it happen?"

Yahweh still waits for the answer.

This is in The Name.

xtnyoda, shalomed

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

“God does not care What good you did But why you did it. He does not grade the fruit But probes the core and tests the root.”
Angelus Silesius (1624–1677)

It is good to stay in the Bible, God’s word so we can know what is going to be on the test. The writer of Hebrews 4:12 tells us the importance of using the word of God for our standard with these words,

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

"God, take away my pride and keep my desire to honor You and only You.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Have a Blessed day!

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

“He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that he would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain.”
(Douglas William Jerrold, 1803–1857)

As I read the quotation above, I was quickened in my spirit that this compliment would never be thrown my way. I pray that I will change. The writer of Psalms 145:8 says,

“The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.”

"God, cause my thoughts and actions to drive me to act more like You.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Have a Blessed day!

Judith Curry... a former global warming alarmist... has seen the light... and is speaking up... for conscience sake.

Tom Nelson picked it up.

Heresy and the creation of monsters | Judith Curry

When I first started reading the CRU emails, my reaction was a visceral one. While my colleagues seemed focused on protecting the reputations of the scientists involved and assuring people that the “science hadn’t changed,” I immediately realized that this could bring down the IPCC. I became concerned about the integrity of our entire field: both the actual integrity and its public perception.
...
In Autumn 2005, I had decided that the responsible thing to do in making public statements on the subject of global warming was to adopt the position of the IPCC. My decision was based on two reasons: 1) the subject was very complex and I had personally investigated a relatively small subset of the topic; 2) I bought into the meme of “don’t trust what one scientists says, trust what thousands of IPCC scientists say.” A big part of my visceral reaction to events unfolding after 11/19 was concern that I had been duped into supporting the IPCC, and substituting their judgment for my own in my public statements on the subject. So that is the “dupe” part of all this, perhaps not what Lemonick had in mind.

If, how, and why I had been duped by the IPCC became an issue of overwhelming personal and professional concern....

Thank you Judith for showing and sharing your integrity.

The AGW house of cards is falling... like an avalanche.

xtnyoda, shalomed

Call Me Senator

Call Me Senator from RightChange on Vimeo.

From Director David Zucker "Call Me Senator." A super funny but sad look at Barbara Boxer and her distaste for our Military.

Sen. Boxer is catching it.

Hoping you enjoy it Ms. Boxer... err... Mam.

xtnyoda, shalomed

Flagrant liar... is this Speaker Pelosi.

See for yourself... the solemn pledge of "No New Deficit Spending"... now in just three years she has led the leap into more deficit spending than all other American House Speakers COMBINED... in our nation's history.

CNS News
Debt Has Increased $5 Trillion Since Speaker Pelosi Vowed, ‘No New Deficit Spending’

When Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gave her inaugural address as speaker of the House in 2007, she vowed there would be “no new deficit spending.” Since that day, the national debt has increased by $5 trillion, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

"After years of historic deficits, this 110th Congress will commit itself to a higher standard: Pay as you go, no new deficit spending,” Pelosi said in her speech from the speaker’s podium. “Our new America will provide unlimited opportunity for future generations, not burden them with mountains of debt."

..... Pelosi, the 60th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has added more to the national debt than the first 57 House speakers combined.....

Consider and Ponder.

xtnyoda, shalomed

Monday, October 25th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

“If God had wanted me otherwise, he would have created me otherwise.”
(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749–1832)

Sometimes I wish I had this ability or that ability, and then I come to my senses when I remember these words of the writer of Psalms 139:14:

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

To be different might mean missing the one purpose for which God created me.

"God, You are my creator; let me be submissive to Your will.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

God loves you more than you know.

Shelter for some but not others

Guest blogger, Stan Nussbaum, takes us on a journey through the messianic year calendar.



Welcome to the journey of our Messiah through the year with Dr. Nussbaum.

Oct. 24 – Shelter for some but not others

”By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. . . Some died by stoning, and some were sawed in half; others were killed with the sword."
Hebrews 11:33, 39 (NLT)

We are approaching one of the two ancient Christian festivals that has become twisted and corrupted beyond all recognition—Halloween. (The other is Mardi Gras, the day before Lent begins.) Halloween (Oct. 31) should be a night of remembrance of the lives, witness, and deaths of millions of Christians martyrs. Instead it is demon, ghost, and zombie night. Its signature phrase, “Trick or treat,” is a bully’s threat, if we think about it. Why build that into a celebration?

Many churches now sponsor alternative fun nights to help families distance themselves from the ghoulish trappings of the day. That may be good, but let’s go one better. Let’s reclaim Halloween and put it back where it belongs in the big picture of the Messianic Year. Wouldn’t our society try to reclaim Veterans Day if it became perverted into a day of candy and spook-houses?

It is well known that Halloween (Holy Eve) is the night before All Saints Day. It is not so well known, at least by evangelicals, that All Saints Day did not begin as a celebration for all the lesser “saints,” those not important enough to warrant a personal festival day. The origins are far more serious.

In the earliest centuries the church celebrated a memorial day on each anniversary of the martyrdom of a prominent believer. As martyrdom increased, the calendar got too full. Not wanting all these martyrs to be totally forgotten, the Church added a new holy day for all of them together. In English we know this as All Saints Day but the label, “All Martyrs Day,” would give us a clearer picture of the original meaning.

The eve before such a day would naturally be a holy time (Hallow-eve), a somber time of remembrance and reflection on the courage and sacrifice of so many. It would also be a natural time for one of the mysteries in the Season of Shelter to come into our minds. Why do some heroes of the faith find shelter and others die as martyrs?

This is the question posed by the two verses quoted from Hebrews 11 above, and in fact by that whole chapter. Up to the middle of verse 35, nearly everything is a success story. People like Noah, Abraham, and Moses went through incredible trials but emerged with their faith rewarded and their lives intact. From the middle of verse 35 through verse 40 (the end of the chapter), everything is persecution and martyrdom. It is ghastly. If it were a movie, it would be X-rated due to violence.

The mystery in Hebrews 11 is that the victims at the end of the chapter are not described as having any less faith than the successful people earlier in the chapter. The point is just the opposite. They had the same faith, just not the same shelter. The first group already received what God promised them (v. 33); the second group has yet to receive it (v. 39). But God puts equal value on the faith of both groups.

Faith is something we must have without knowing which group we are in—those rewarded soon or those rewarded later. But we know what we need to know—sooner or later, our faith will be rewarded. And we know that meanwhile we belong to the Messiah’s movement along with all the sheltered people and all the martyrs. Surely one evening a year is not too much to spend respectfully remembering them.

Welcome: Lord Jesus, you are the Messiah worth dying for. We will welcome you here every day until you welcome us there.

Affirmation: I will never trivialize the day of memory of those who left their shelter in order to die for the Messiah. For me, Halloween will be Holy Eve.

Sunday, October 24th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

"There may be worship without words!"
James Russell Lowell (1819–1891)

Ponder the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 46:10,

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Worship Him in the stillness of each moment.

"God, let Your glory fall on us today!
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Our God is an awesome God.

The Chaplain's Corner




Guest blogger, Chaplain Paul, is one of the most effective chaplains in America today. He is an emergency responder to every situation.

Hey, this is the Chaplain again.

For this week's Minute Message I would like to consider the subject of marriage. The reason is because on 10-28-10 Blossom and I will celebrate our 44th Wedding Anniversary; P T L!

When I think about that I remember what it says in Proverbs.

"A truly good wife is the most precious treasure a man can find! Her husband depends on her, and she never lets him down. She is good to him every day of her life"
Proverbs 31:10-12 (CEV)

Of all the temporal blessings the Lord has given me, my wife is the best. Every day I realize more and more how special she is. A wedding anniversary is a good time to be reminded that it is imperative that we value and honor the institution of marriage.

Our world has forgotten what God's Word teaches about this foundation of society and we are paying a high price for forgetting. You cannot read a newspaper without reading about problems that can be traced back to the break-up of the family. God's
Word is plain,

"Have respect for marriage. Always be faithful to your partner, because God will punish anyone who is immoral or unfaithful in marriage."
(Hebrews 13:4 CEV)

Yes, there are exceptions to the rule, but those should be few and far between. Is marriage always easy, always a bed of roses? Of course not. But just because there are difficulties does not mean we can throw in the towel. Too many of us are looking for the easy way out - and that's always easy to find.

If you're interested in God's views on marriage here are some additional verses you can look up: Gen. 2:24, Mat. 5:32, Mark 10:9, Rom. 7:2, and 1 Cor. 7:10-11.

Does it get complicated? Sometimes. But I think it's really a question of 'Lordship'; am I willing to do what God tells me to do - even if it's hard? Or to put it another way, who's really calling the shots in my life, me or Him?

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

"Happy Birthday to you; Only one will not do. Born again means salvation; How many have you?

"The poem above is sung to the tune of "Happy Birthday," and was the “Birthday” song sang to members of a former church I attended.

Today is Doug’s (my brother) birthday. We have had much fun as brothers and many memories to go along with it. Some of my greatest memories are times of worshiping together and getting to hear Doug sing, sharing with others the talent God has given him. I am glad we are brothers by birth, but also proud to share a spiritual bloodline that means we will be able to spend an eternity praising God with each other.

The writer of Proverbs 17:17 says,

“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

Truly it is a blessing to have a brother that is both a brother and a friend.

"God, thank You for my brother and the time and fellowship You let us enjoy.  
Amen."      

Bro. Bill

Our God is an awesome God.

Day 149

Yahweh

The Name... Sovereign Of Time

"I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, or My praise to idols."
Isaiah 42:8 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Now we move into this aspect of God's very character of not just majesty... but now we will see and understand His... sovereignty... sovereignty not simply over the majesty of creation as it's creator... but sovereign over creation's and man's destiny.

For the next several days we will study these first 8 verses as Yahweh reveals these intimate truths... of Himself... for all to behold.

This is in The Name.

xtnyoda, shalomed

The Cats Out The Bag

Guess What!

The Illegal Insurgent/Immigrant insiders are letting it out of the bag that the president of the United States has a new "strategy" for making illegals... legal... without the consent of Congress... or Americans.

Keep in mind... this is from the insiders of the left... the cats out of the bag.

Phoenix Examiner

Proposed Dream Act will now include a wider group of migrants

Phoenix, Arizona—Chicanos Unidos Arizona has learned that Democrats will try and push through immigration reform before the likely takeover of the House by Republicans in January. An activist in Harry Reid's camp has sent us a proposed revised version of the Dream Act... It will include amnesty for a wider group of immigrants than previously thought....

..... Gina Gallagos, an Arizona La Raza political activist who has had several meetings with Obama’s administration, tells us that if Obama can’t get this legislation voted on, he has a “backdoor” amnesty planned that will be both legal, ethical, and fair. “Obama has made immigration reform one of the main issues of his campaign. He will not let Latinos down.”

OK... Mr. President... inquiring minds wish to know... just what is your "backdoor" amnesty plan?

xtnyoda, shalomed

Harry's A True Psychopath

vid via Brutally Honest



If you've ever wondered if a true psychopath would ever give themselves away... Harry does so in the video.

Below is a very good description of the psychopath... and as you read it you might shudder as many other politicians might come to mind... as well as other people in your lives.

Psychopath description

THE PSYCHOPATH - The Mask of Sanity

Special Research Project of the Quantum Future School

Imagine - if you can - not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern for the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken.

And pretend that the concept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden others seem to accept without question, like gullible fools.

Now add to this strange fantasy the ability to conceal from other people that your psychological makeup is radically different from theirs. Since everyone simply assumes that conscience is universal among human beings, hiding the fact that you are conscience-free is nearly effortless.

You are not held back from any of your desires by guilt or shame, and you are never confronted by others for your cold-bloodedness. The ice water in your veins is so bizarre, so completely outside of their personal experience, that they seldom even guess at your condition.

In other words, you are completely free of internal restraints, and your unhampered liberty to do just as you please, with no pangs of conscience, is conveniently invisible to the world....

You might want to take a close look at folks that you instinctively sense that they are just using you for their own benefit. They probably are... and the goodness of your heart doesn't want to think that about them... you feel guilty when you feel that way... you think they will finally change...

... they can't.

xtnyoda, shalomed

UPDATED BELOW!!!

Phoenix Examiner

Proposed Dream Act will now include a wider group of migrants

Phoenix, Arizona—Chicanos Unidos Arizona has learned that Democrats will try and push through immigration reform before the likely takeover of the House by Republicans in January. An activist in Harry Reid's camp has sent us a proposed revised version of the Dream Act, which may or may not make it to debate. It will include amnesty for a wider group of immigrants than previously thought....

Harry's Dream Act has already been defeated once... his desperate effort to attain more illegal voters for progressives... so his response? Come back with an even MORE aggressive Dream Act... in an effort to legalize even more illegals than the already defeated one.

True Psychopathy.

Friday, October 22nd, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

The great artist Michelangelo fastened a little lantern to his headpiece so that his shadow wouldn’t fall on the marble on which he was working. When self becomes obtrusive, it casts a shadow on all we do. This is true even in prayer.

John in writing John 3:30 says it well with these words,

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

"God, let Your glory come through in all we do.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Our God is an awesome God.

Bust the windows out your car for some chicken

H/T Nicki!

Nebraska has led our nation in a big step toward sanity with their new "Fetal Pain" law.

Fetal pain law called historic

Posted on Oct 20, 2010

WASHINGTON (BP)--A new law in Nebraska could prove to be historic in the battle against legal abortion in the United States, some pro-lifers are predicting.

The Nebraska law -- the Pain-capable Unborn Child Protection Act prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with narrow exceptions, -- took effect Oct. 15.

The law establishes a new standard in abortion bans: Rather than setting the benchmark at fetal viability, which can be 22 to 24 weeks, Nebraska's law utilizes evidence that an unborn child experiences pain at 20 weeks for its guideline.

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, described the new law's enforcement as "a historic and celebratory moment for those who work to protect mothers and unborn children. This is the first time in history that a law recognizing fetal pain has been enacted. This new law represents the next wave of momentum for the pro-life movement and is a major step toward a post-Roe future.

"The abortion industry tries to discredit efforts like this because the concept of fetal pain destroys their strategy of depicting a developing baby as a blob of tissue," Perkins said. "Acknowledging the truth of fetal pain recognizes the truth that a baby is an unborn person."

Abortion-rights advocates oppose the law, and American doctors appear divided on when unborn children can feel pain.

Mary Spaulding Balch, the National Right to Life Committee's director of state legislation, said, "At and after 20 weeks, unborn children have pain receptors throughout their body and nerves linking them to the brain. Continuing medical research has shown that the cortex is not essential to experience pain."

The law permits exemptions only for serious physical, not mental, threats. According to the law, it must be determined that "the pregnant woman had a condition which so complicated her medical condition as to necessitate the abortion of her pregnancy to avert her death or to avert serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, or the basis of the determination that it was necessary to preserve the life of an unborn child."

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, a Republican, signed the legislation into law in April after the legislature approved the bill in a 44-5 vote.

Sen. Mike Johanns, R.-Neb., and Rep. Chris Smith, R.-N.J., have introduced similar, though not as far-reaching, bills in Congress.
--30--
Compiled by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press.

I think I can hear groans coming from the "Culture of Death" right now.

xtnyoda, shalomed

Be your own hero

The Borg Conspiracy

Thursday, October 21st, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

"If you are not the lead dog the scenery never changes." (unknown)

I thought about that quote as I was traveling in a lane of heavy traffic this week. The reason the line came to my mind was I saw a car following a large truck. While others were passing, this person was willing to be a follower. That thought brought to mind a picture of a dogsled team, for even in a dogsled team, the leader must have members willing to follow.

The same is true in any organization, club, or church. Each member of the team--leader and follower--has different talents, and each member must use that talent as a gift God provided them to serve others.

Throughout Romans 12, the apostle Paul expresses the truth of the gifts given to each of us and of our responsibility in using those gifts, saying,

"...For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office....Having then gifts differing according to the grade that is given to us..." (Romans 12:5-6)

let us prophecy, minister, teach, serve one another in brotherly love.

"God, use me where ever You choose to place me.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Our God is an awesome God.

The rules haven't changed, only the players

The Borg Conspiracy.... as relevant as ever!

To those who may be following this blog, you may remember last year when I was in opposition to the naming of General Stanly McChrystal as military commander in Afghanistan. And you may also remember that I subsequently blogged and chastised the general over his idiotic rules of engagement. Rules that were (and still are) getting our soldiers and Marines killed.

You may also recall that I was no big fan or supporter of the appointment of McChrystal's replacement, General Petraeus. And there was and is a reason for that.....

Go and get a Marine's opinion.

xtnyoda, shalomed

If you want to get a handle on what's going on in the currency world wide... Tom Flake has an intriguing analysis.

The looming currency war

Posted by guest blogger Tom Flake.

Today the Dow dropped 165 points. This was 1.48% of it's value. Did it even register on your consciousness? Did you ask yourself why your retirement was today worth less than yesterday? ......

Go to Brutally Honest for the rest.

30,000 people line up today desperately attempting to sign up for government subsidized housing... 30,000 people... that is staggering to consider... 30 thousand people...

... and it wasn't in some 3rd world country... it was actually in... Atlanta, Georgia.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Housing crisis reaches full boil in East Point; 62 injured

Thirty thousand people turned out in East Point on Wednesday seeking applications for government-subsidized housing, and their confusion and frustration, combined with the summer heat, led to a chaotic mob scene that left 62 people injured.

At the Tri-Cities Plaza Shopping Center, emergency vehicles passed each other, transporting 20 people to hospitals. Medical and police command posts were set up on scene. East Point police wore riot gear. Officers from four other agencies supported them......

We hear about the civil unrest in many European countries... wake up America... we have been led to the very brink of massive civil disobedience.

We need the supplications of the People of Yahweh... on behalf on His Great Name... to avert the coming hysteria.

xtnyoda, shalomed

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

"It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes."
(Henry David Thoreau)

One day, we will all stand before the almighty God without the benefit of designer labels and the trappings of the rank this world has given us. With that in mind, we must learn to approach our limitations as did Job:

“Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21)

"God, help us to remember our only value comes from a relationship with You.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Our God is an awesome God.

Here is the song that got middle school coach Bryan Glover fired for writing and sharing. And here is
Bryan Glover's TV news story about his being fired over the song.

Just in time for election day.

xtnyoda, shalomed

H/T Kristen!!!

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

A nobleman once gave a celebrated actress a Bible, telling her at the same time that there was a treasure in it. She, thinking he meant religion, laid the Bible aside. She died, and all she had was sold. The person who bought the Bible, on turning over its leaves, found a note for $2,500 in it. Poor creature! Had she read the book, she might not only have found the note, but the “pearl of great price.”

This scenario has played out many times, almost always with the same results. However, greater than any dollar value, placed inside is the message of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life, which is infinitely more valuable than any amount of money. In the pages of God’s Word is the gift of life. John recorded that gift of God in these words of Jesus as found in John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The gift of eternal life--what a treasure to be discovered!

"God, thank You for loving me and for saving me.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Our God is an awesome God.

Monday, October 18th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

“Life lived without forgiveness becomes a prison.”
William Arthur Ward (1812–1882)

Not to be forgiven by someone can be a source of contention and make you feel uncomfortable. But to not forgive someone places you in your own prison. By not forgiving someone you are holding your own joy and peace hostage. In Matthew 6:14-15 Jesus puts it this way,

“If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

"God, forgive me as I have forgiven those have wronged me.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Our God is an awesome God.

Shelter as something to give up

Guest blogger, Stan Nussbaum, takes us on a journey through the messianic year calendar.



Welcome to the journey of our Messiah through the year with Dr. Nussbaum.

Oct. 17 – Shelter as something to give up

”No one can take my life from me. I lay down my life voluntarily.“
John 10:18 (NLT)

Shelter is something people naturally seek. Even animals are smart enough to do that. But shelter is also something that under certain circumstances can and should be given up.

The Messiah did not end up on the cross because his shelter broke down and he became a helpless victim, overpowered by his enemies. He ended up there because at Gethsemane he voluntarily gave up his shelter. Staggering as it sounds, he went to the cross by choice, a willing sacrifice. No one “took his life,” and no one could have.

We see a similar thing in some careers today. If shelter did not take second place when duty called, firefighters would remain in their nice safe stations and just let the phone ring. We would have to start calling them “fire-avoiders” instead of “fire-fighters,” and their employment would be short-lived.

So it is with us as God’s “firefighters,” followers of the crucified Messiah. Shelter and comfort cannot be our dominant concerns. We have to be ready to abandon our natural desire for shelter, get moving, and take the necessary risks when our calls come in.

The leader of the early church, Peter, is the one who shows us how not to do this. On the Mount of Transfiguration he volunteered to throw together three “shelters” (like those that Jews build for the “Feast of Shelters”) so Jesus, Moses, and Elijah would get comfortable and stay a while. He made no such suggestion in Gethsemane. He did not understand Jesus’ agony, he could not stick with him for even an hour of prayer, and he certainly did not want to prolong this eerie situation. He wanted to get it over with.

Then when he least expected it, his call came. Judas arrived with the armed officials to take the Messiah into custody. Peter’s reactions were classic human reactions, and all too often our reactions when our calls come.

First, incredulity—“This can’t be happening. Where is God’s shelter for us?”
Second, confrontation—trying anything to stop what is happening (slashing at the head of the high priest’s servant, Jn. 18:10).
Third, self-protection—running away from Jesus into the night, seeking shelter somewhere else.

In Peter’s three denials of Jesus a few hours later, he was continuing to try to shelter himself by distancing himself from Jesus. In other words, he got it just exactly wrong. Our true shelter depends on how close we can get to Jesus and his mission, not how far we can distance ourselves from him. Self-protection is no protection at all. Self-denial is the ticket to the “shelter” we really need and want.

Self-denial is not a matter of self-flagellation or self-deprecation. Jesus did none of that in Gethsemane. Far from focusing on ourselves, true self-denial works by forgetting about ourselves, especially our natural desire for shelter. We can easily forget ourselves when we become preoccupied with something more important—what our Father wants us to do. (Mk. 14:36)

Peter indulged his natural desire for shelter. Jesus denied his. It was agonizing preparation but when the call came, Jesus was ready and Peter was not.

What an unbelievable comfort it must have been to Peter later when Jesus gave the Great Commission in a way that directly counteracted his mistake. “I am with you always.” (Mt. 28:20) Peter had not stuck with Jesus in his hour of need but Jesus would stick with Peter in all his hours of need, and with us in all of ours.

“I am with you always.” What other “shelter” do we need?

Welcome: Thank you, Jesus, that we will never have to face anything without you. We are so glad you are here.

Affirmation: My shelter is not my highest priority because my life is not my highest value.

Sunday, October 17th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

A farmer came to a well-known clergyman, saying that the people in his neighborhood had built a new meeting-house, and that they wanted this clergyman to come and dedicate it. The clergyman, accustomed to participate in dedicatory services where different clergymen took different parts of the service, inquired: “What part do you want me to take in the dedication?” The farmer, thinking that this question applied to the part of the building to be included in the dedication, replied: “Why, the whole thing! Take it all in, from underpinning to steeple.”

That man wanted the building to be wholly sanctified as a temple of God, and that all at once. We too need to dedicate ourselves totally to God from the soles of our feet to the top of the hair on our head. And not just on Sunday, but throughout the week. Remember the question the apostle Paul uses to challenge us in 1 Corinthians 3:16,

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

"God, keep me humble and let the focus be on You.
Amen."

Bro. Bill

Our God is an awesome God.

The Chaplain's Corner




Guest blogger, Chaplain Paul, is one of the most effective chaplains in America today. He is an emergency responder to every situation.

Hey, this is the Chaplain again.

Blossom and I were in Texas several days this past week attending a church conference. It was a long drive; TX is a BIG place.

As we were driving home I was thinking about how great it was going to be to get home. When we drove into our driveway I whispered a prayer of gratitude. I thought, it sure is good to be home.

Later as I was thinking about how good it felt to be home I remembered Philippians 3:20,

"But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven"

I wondered if I was looking forward to getting to my heavenly home as much as I was my earthly home? I can't honestly say that is always true in my life. I like to talk about heaven occasionally. I know what the Bible says about it; how great it will be. But how anxious am I to get there?

Reading church history you find the early saints had a real anticipation of heaven; I don't see that much today. I think we are so blessed here and now that the hereafter has lost its luster.

1 Peter 1:3-4 says,

"What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven - and the future starts now!"

John 14:2 tells us there will be a specially prepared place for each Christian. That should be exciting.

Rev.21:27 says nothing impure, shameful or deceitful will be there, how great is that! But somehow it just doesn't have the effect it should have. Does it?

I'd like to know what you think.

"cultural relativism is a fancy phrase for what is, in practice, smug racism"

Following is to consider and ponder... very carefully.

Brutally Honest

This one from Bookworm needs to be read in full, more than once, and passed on with the same advice. What follows is but a small teaser:

Modern so-called liberals, of course, would never dream of saying that the brown people of the world are less than fully human because of their race. May’s point, however, is that, when it comes to Muslims, we still manage to treat them that way. (I’ll add that the same holds true for the low, low standards so-called liberals establish for black people.)

Sure, we in the West treat women well, but we certainly can’t expect that level of sophistication from the brown people. And sure, we treat gays well, but we have to understand that the brown people haven’t evolved to that point, and we should therefore just ignore their sins. And sure, we can tolerate free speech (or, at least, if we’re a so-called liberal, we pay lip-service to the notion of free speech), but we’re big enough to recognize that the brown people haven’t matured enough as a race to handle it.

The exceptionally low standards we allow for Muslims and blacks are always phrased in terms of “respect” for the “other” culture. “Respect,” however, is a misnomer. True respect is impossible if we consistently assert that the “others” (who invariably have skin darker than ours) cannot hold themselves to the normative behaviors of which we’re most proud.

...

I don’t see any of our liberals recognizing in Muslims the common humanity that the more enlightened English and Christians saw in the East Indians or Native Americans. Instead, our cultural relativists glory in their own superiority. Sure, they’ll bad-mouth their own culture left, right and center, but they know that their respect for women, for gays, and for other people who have traditionally been oppressed, makes them better than other cultures that continue to oppress those same people. In other words, cultural relativism is a fancy phrase for what is, in practice, smug racism....

xtnyoda, shalomed

Saturday, October 16th, 2010. Today's cherished Nugget from guest blogger Pastor Bill.

“Conceit is a weird disease—it makes everybody sick except the guy who has it. Or like the mother whale told her baby, “When you get to the surface and start to blow, that’s when you get harpooned!” James C. Dobson (1936– )

The apostle Paul in Philippians 2:3-4 said this about being conceited,

“Do nothing out of rivalry  or conceit, but in humility, consider others as more important than yourselves.  Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

"God, keep me humble and let the focus be on You.
Amen."       

Bro. Bill

Our God is an awesome God

Day 148

Yahweh

The Consequence On Our Part

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth."
Isaiah 40:27-30 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

We've looked for the last several days at the awesome presentation of Yahweh in Isaiah 40... now... the application.

"He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:29-31 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Is it any wonder that the Apostle asks... "If God be for us... who can be against us?"

This is in The Name.

xtnyoda, shalomed