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Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category

Pretend You’re Looking Through A Viewmaster

20 Dec

Pretend You’re Looking Through A View-Master

Do you know what a View-Master is?

When I was a little kid it was a neat toy.  You stuck the disks in the binocular looking toy and you could look at the pictures.  Then you could buy and rotate out the disks.  It was a great marketing idea back in its day.

So let’s pretend to take the View-Master and insert a disk in it.  You click the lever down and it goes back up and you see a picture of the earth.  You click again and it’s a pretty view of a seascape.  Continuing on you see a plush rainforest all green.  Very scenic and pretty place is the earth.

Let’s change the disk out now and take a look.  The new disk has a picture of a person lying on the ground after a car wreck.  You hit the lever and it’s of a soldier who’s died on the battle field because of a land mine.  The photo after that is of scientist trying to create a biochemical hazard that has no other purpose but to kill people with disease.  You keep clicking it seeing pictures of the Holocaust and people starved to death.  Others reveal slave camps where detestable things happen. 

Most of would want to take out the second disk and burn it, because that doesn’t bring the vision of what we want to see.  We want to see the heaven were trying to make on this earth.  Burn it all you want, but the reality is that man is a fallen, sinful, selfish, being.

Romans 3:12 –  12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

You see right now man’s biggest goal is to try and make everyone else respect each other.  Try to make this world come together and all get along to create a big happy place, create a one world government.  The problem is the ones at the top who are trying to make others do this; don’t even want to live under the same guidelines.  Why?  Because they are selfish people.

There isn’t a heaven on earth.  Even in all our riches there is stress like you can’t believe.  In many cases you have one person stabbing the back of another to get where they need to go.  Others swindling others to get ahead or stealing what they can.  This is what is going on is civilized countries.  In uncivilized it’s atrocious. 

What does God say about the subject?

1 John 2:15 – 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

Romans 12:2 – 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Our citizenship is in Heaven.  We are not supposed to be putting it all on the line to make our lives for this world the best in history.  The world hated Jesus and if you’re living for Him first it will probably hate you also.

John 15:18 – 18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

Take the View-Master again.  Plop in a disk of Heaven.  What does it look like? 

1 Corinthians 2:9 – 9 However, as it is written:

   “What no eye has seen,
   what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
   the things God has prepared for those who love him—

We can’t even fathom in our humans minds of how great Heaven is?  We are however, warned constantly throughout the New Testament especially, that we are to seek it and not ourselves or the world.

Have faith.  It will be greater than any worldly day of your life.  Seek the Lord first, not this world.

 
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Posted in Inspiration, Motivation, Reflections

 

Quote – A W Tozer

19 Dec

A Pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself.
A W Tozer

Why is a spiritual man harder on himself, because the most important thing to him is his relationship with the Lord.  He knows it’s the most important thing that exists.  He doesn’t want to discourage someone from finding the truth, but knows the truth must be spoken.  He prays for others, shares the Word, and wants others to find their Blessed King.

The Pharisee was a person that wanted to be recognized as the Godly figure he was trying to portray.  He would rather build himself up rather than a brother who also believed in God.   It was a position of prestige.  There was no forgiveness for wrongdoing, unless you were someone special, then they bent the rules.  It’s easy to understand, since that is the way man is.

One chases after the Heart of God.  The other chases at the idea of acting Godly for others to see.

 
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Posted in Opinion, Quotes

 

Love Is The Best Way To Spread The Word

16 Dec

Love is always the best way to approach those around you who are Christians or sharing with that you want to believe.  Love is not caving in on compromise or okaying ungodly behavior.  It’s a soft touch, because you care. 

Many people can be bold and outspoken.   When the love is absent, it becomes self righteous.  When love is present speaking with boldness helps God’s Word reach others.

Share the word in love and share it nonstop.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Inspiration, Motivation

 

Poor In The Eyes Of The World?

15 Dec

James 2:5 – 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

Poor in the eyes of the world? 

What comes to my mind when seeing these words?

Humility for one.  If the world is looking at someone like they are poor in the world I don’t sense a lot of worldly pride going on with these individuals.  The world is full of pride.  Satan was full of pride.

What’s the next thing I see when looking at poor in the eyes of the world in the above scripture?  I see people looking at those sacrificing for the Lord and thinking to themselves I have a taste for the finer things in life to settle for less while I’m here.  I am a hard worker and should be rewarded for being so while here on this earth.

Missionaries don’t bring in a lot of pay.  Neither do most pastors.  They should never get rich while they’re here and I think the ones who have will have a little chat with the Lord from what I read. 

Do I think we all should be pastors?  No.

Do I think we should all be missionaries?  Absolutely.  It starts with the home, your immediate family, and the ones you are close to.

I believe if you are capable of making a lot of money, you have two choices.  You can spend it on yourself, or you can commit most of it after your needs (not wants) to the Kingdom of God and be “rich in faith”, like the scripture says.  It does take a lot of faith to store away for what you cannot yet see.

Why do I bring up wealth?  Because money and positions of power are really considered the areas of being rich in the world.

The scripture definitely falls under the “choose God not the world” category.  We can’t serve two masters.

 
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Want The Lord Near To Our Land? We Need To Pray And Seek Him.

14 Dec

Deuteronomy 4:7 – 7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?

The verse is from Moses to the Israelites, but has history proven the verse to be correct?

Our nation is a shell of what it was not all that long ago. 

We’re kicking God out of our schools.  That must mean He was in there at one time.  He was, and the Bible was even part of the reading before Satan got a foothold in the system.  America was its most prosperous when it acknowledged Israel and offered support.  The Churches were full and there was still a conscience in the masses concerning a morality based on God’s Word. 

In the Church, take a look around in America.  After the youth take off for college the age group of 19 to 35 even up to 40 anymore is pretty scarce.  The world is teaching me, me, me.  God’s Word is teaching Him, Him, Him.  If I we love and obey Him, He in return takes care of us.

When a country gets away from God, it loses its blessing, its strength.  England was mighty not all that long ago.  During that time it sought God.  Don’t mistake seeking God and man being a swell guy as being the same thing.  Man has always been a mess since the fall in the Garden of Eden.  What God wants is for the leadership and the people to seek Him as a nation.  As individuals He wants this from all of us.

We are not a humble people as a whole in this country anymore.  God wants humble people to repent and pray to Him.  He wants us to pray to heal our land and He would.

2 Chronicles 7:14 – 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

If one is paying attention to the powers leading this country, they are doing everything in their power to remove God from anywhere near its leadership.

The Lord sees all and is in charge.  A day is coming when He will call His Church up to Heaven.  Then those who have been fighting for God to be removed from all leadership will have it their way for awhile.

At that time we’ll see how well the atheists do in trying to keep morality when there will be no one here to even support what morality even means.  We’ll see how those who are fighting Christianity tooth and nail today handle themselves when Islam starts giving them ultimatums. 

In the meantime we need to pray unceasingly, seek God, die to ourselves, spread the Good News, and keep looking for Jesus.  There is a Crown of Righteousness for those who are.

2 Timothy 4:8 –  8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

 
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Posted in Inspiration, Motivation

 

Don’t Reject Him As King

13 Dec

1 Samuel 8:4-8 – 4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

 6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

The people didn’t want God back at the end of the era concerning Judges.  They wanted a man.  They wanted to be like everyone else around them.

What did God say to Samuel?  They’re not rejecting you, they’re rejecting Me.  They have been doing it since I took them out of Egypt. 

God wants to be your King!  He didn’t make you to be your own king or chase after some other king.

So I asked you this?  When you vote for people and they don’t serve God or make them a part of their politics, how does that bode concerning the above scriptures?

We in a democracy have a chance to examine those running for office.  Should we ever vote for anyone who does not proclaim or reveal they are a person of Jesus Christ?  No, as Christians we shouldn’t.  A big part of why we are in such a mess in because of this very reason.

Is He number one in your life?  Then make Him number one in your decisions.

 
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Perspective On Buildings

09 Dec

When it comes to the Jews building housing in East Jerusalem, which is their capitol, President Obama indicates that such a move is bad for peace.

Back in America, when it comes to building a mosque near ground zero, he’s completely silent on that issue.

IRONIC?

 
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Posted in Reflections

 

Have You Ever Tuned People Out?

06 Dec

We’re almost all guilty of this and some more than others.

Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah Blah, Blahba, Blah, Blah.  (Hesitation)

During the pause you realize that someone was trying to communicate to you and you were:

  1. Thinking of something else
  2. Planning your shopping list
  3. Trying to listen to something else within an earshot
  4. Just not interested in the subject matter

It does happen, especially in the fast paced world we live in.  However, it does send a message.  You don’t matter as much as what I have on my mind right now.

Now there are people out there that love to talk.  It’s usually all about them or there really isn’t any content to the subject matter, etc.  This can make it challenging.

Most people including most Christians are guilty of tuning out the Holy Spirit.  Aha, you knew I was eventually get somewhere with all this.  If I didn’t you would have started reading blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, Jesus.

We don’t listen to the Holy Spirit and it’s usually because He’s not telling us about the selfish things we want to hear.  Oh yeah, there are church leaders out there saying the Holy Spirit is telling us great worldly stuff, but buyer beware on those words.

Matthew 7:15-16 –  15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

How do we know if their fruit is bad?

There is only ONE way to know what the fruit even is supposed to be and that’s by the Word of God!

Why do so many allow themselves to be deceived? 

Because when the Holy Spirit is telling them to read God’s Word, they hear blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 

When they go listen to certain pastors and ministers they hear God wants you to be rich.  He wants you to be successful.  Nothing about going out into the entire world and telling them about a Savior.  Nothing about getting out of your comfort zone.  So since they don’t know the Word, they figure this man of God should.

Matthew 7:20 – 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Amazingly enough, most people gauge the fruit of a pastor based on how it tastes to them.  The main reason is they don’t know the Word to even know if they are contradicting it.  Most people that won’t take any time to read God’s Word don’t deep down really care if they are going against it a little or not.  After all God gave them a brain to use on their own, didn’t He?

Actually no.  I’ll let you in on a little secret that I’ve discovered studying God’s Word.  You will never offend God if you try and allow the Holy Spirit and God Himself do His thinking for you.  It’s called being in the Spirit of God.  As humans it’s impossible for us to do it all the time, but when we do submit, He’s anything but disappointed.

Quit tuning out the Holy Spirit.  How do you know it’s the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart?  By knowing God’s Word.  The Holy Spirit doesn’t contradict God’s Word.  Know the Word, Know it’s the Holy Spirit speaking to you.

 
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Posted in Inspiration, Motivation

 

Quote – C. S. Lewis

04 Dec

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, “All right, then, have it your way.”
C. S. Lewis

In short you’re either living for God, or your living for yourself. 

If you’re living for yourself you’re probably not excited about the idea of Jesus coming back.

Put yourself in shoes of Jesus.  How would you feel if you were coming back to call your own at the rapture and there were people that weren’t excited about the idea of you coming back?

We’ve been living for ourselves long enough.  Time to say to God, “Thy will be done through me Lord.  I want to live for You, not selfishly for me.

 
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Posted in Quotes, Reflections

 

Life; The Decision – Lost Or Kept

30 Nov

John 12:25 – 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Wow. 

Matthew 10:39 – 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Wow again.

Luke 14:26-27 – 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Wait a minute.  If the two most important commandments from Jesus have to do with love where does the hate come in?

Matthew 22:37-39 – 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

The Lord doesn’t want you to hate anyone and “no” there is not a contradiction here.  The Lord doesn’t want you to put anything or anyone else in front of Him.  That includes you.

We get in the way of the Lord when it comes to Him working through us.  People who love themselves more than God, don’t have room or time to do the things God wants him to do.  He has in mind those things that he wants to do for himself.

Simply put, we need to die to ourselves so He may be able to live and work though us.

Jesus not only is God, but He is man.  He revealed how we are supposed to submit to the Father and live.  If Jesus is our example while on earth, where was his big house?  Where’s the big boat?  Where’s the vacation home and retirement accounts?

What about Paul and the Disciples when they were living right for the Lord and spreading the Good News?  They gave it all up for the Lord and the future Kingdom.

We don’t have to hate anybody or our life in reality, because God is Love.  We do need to make him first and not let anything or anybody hinder that.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Inspiration, Motivation

 
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