tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21862012690909956352024-03-05T09:58:52.049-08:00Fire on Your AltarPastor Maurice McCarthy with some thoughts to help keep the fire on your altar alive and vibrant.Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-58450472268212358072023-04-24T08:34:00.001-07:002023-04-24T08:34:50.332-07:00Time To Fatten Up<p> </p><h1 style="text-align: center;"> Time To Fatten Up</h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4_2myhMSAvXDW9yD0U6fGd4piOsGtMNzpleI1ngjiTxjYGx1E15WbXUWgWDKS5t4bINC8DoLlKSseYGBTOUGTm43azcC07w7nJHf6HKmHeyq3kUaDR6hFG74OfUvOWvRKC6-c9EnTX2DOyRFmJE6WSmFncrB-F-yiR6ofPk179M8sA24iG0AgvgWWw/s500/starving%20cow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4_2myhMSAvXDW9yD0U6fGd4piOsGtMNzpleI1ngjiTxjYGx1E15WbXUWgWDKS5t4bINC8DoLlKSseYGBTOUGTm43azcC07w7nJHf6HKmHeyq3kUaDR6hFG74OfUvOWvRKC6-c9EnTX2DOyRFmJE6WSmFncrB-F-yiR6ofPk179M8sA24iG0AgvgWWw/s320/starving%20cow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Carpe Diem is a Latin phrase that means, "seize the day." I sense that we are in a unique moment in time where we need to take advantage of it in a spiritual sense. Spurgeon once said, "hoist the sail when the breeze is favorable, and times of refreshing ought not to pass over us unimproved." In some ways the season we are in, is similar to one that is found in the book of Genesis. Here is part of a dream that was told to Joseph the son of Jacob, by Pharoah ruler of Egypt:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Genesis 41:17-21 So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. "Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.<br />"Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZH6Qhcu8GUJEbfD0iMr9m6T-wA96ZKB91tCcTHC3K9ZHzybrD5CqoqhSgcFWjIqKnnC-hic5XA68Mp1RUfSeh9PolOn7kne0yKJfj7FrMiVY_0MMwPlhZYJaH4BFzWxW_TnT69RsUvoeYNrYLyWJZvSu1pgHOwH_mDWpU4MlbeDda_7REJeJeKfe9aQ/s1590/Pharoah%20and%20Joseph.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1306" data-original-width="1590" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZH6Qhcu8GUJEbfD0iMr9m6T-wA96ZKB91tCcTHC3K9ZHzybrD5CqoqhSgcFWjIqKnnC-hic5XA68Mp1RUfSeh9PolOn7kne0yKJfj7FrMiVY_0MMwPlhZYJaH4BFzWxW_TnT69RsUvoeYNrYLyWJZvSu1pgHOwH_mDWpU4MlbeDda_7REJeJeKfe9aQ/s320/Pharoah%20and%20Joseph.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Jospeh would go on to interpret the dream, telling Pharoah that 7 good years would be followed by 7 bad years, those bad years would be so severe they would swallow up the 7 good years as if they never happened.<div><br /><div>Joseph then advises Pharoah that to avoid catastrophe he should use the 7 good years to store up as much as he can, and in that way, he would survive what was coming. Pharoah listened to Joseph and appointed him in charge of the storing up. Not only was Egypt saved, but the fledgling Jewish nation wound up being saved during the 7 famine years by going to Egypt and getting food.</div><div><br /></div><div>The point of this story for us, is that I believe, we are in a season of calm before the storm. It is a time to pray more, not less. A time to attend church more not less, a time to give more, not less. It is time to fatten up spiritually for what is ahead of us. Jesus clearly told us near the time of His return there would be 5 wise and 5 foolish. The wise are not those who stored up food, or hid money, but those who had their lamps filled with the oil of the Spirit. </div><div><br /></div><div>Every fall bears that hibernate fill themselves as much as they can to prepare for the winter ahead. It is such a time. Fatten up now, the time is coming when you will need to draw from the reserves you put away now. The church is going to face a season of testing such as never was before. To him that hath will more be given, and he that hath not, even what he has will be taken away. Little faith will not see you through what is coming. Time in His presence, and in His word are two things for which there are no spiritual substitutes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sow to yourselves in righteousness, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly. The world asks, "can your retire on what you have laid aside?" The age in which we are living asks, "can you survive on the spiritual stores you have laid up?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Fasten your seatbelts, we are in for a crazy ride. Keep your fire burning.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGO2NL9FBdzeBZgSI7NKA9xgeFK7NkiFxbIq6b5-NFHJv8wgPb4P8ZSB0wC1Itej1yt-VQ6YKm6wPNcf5ix2ebNJWd15Aw5xzQwqZ0pUp-aCEvN0ssFtgRdVl0eTMu_k4Y-HBz4QDyFwVFuroQ4r7uCfWj9eqlRQSATie0-KeozwZkjfuuJ2N9ddJcA/s403/heart-ablaze.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="403" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHGO2NL9FBdzeBZgSI7NKA9xgeFK7NkiFxbIq6b5-NFHJv8wgPb4P8ZSB0wC1Itej1yt-VQ6YKm6wPNcf5ix2ebNJWd15Aw5xzQwqZ0pUp-aCEvN0ssFtgRdVl0eTMu_k4Y-HBz4QDyFwVFuroQ4r7uCfWj9eqlRQSATie0-KeozwZkjfuuJ2N9ddJcA/s320/heart-ablaze.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div>Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-32175142757863978562023-03-01T08:06:00.000-08:002023-03-01T08:06:17.647-08:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"> Standing In The Counsel Of God</h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOXsVakrjdf4wnHgx5iXeGnLRS8tU_VOe0JTFua-yJTkT5VqCq1f5Om18Bn0E41x1O9uwlPVU1ZDKJiHtNwJepzB_Iwu7koih2MvVJRbAgEFp_-Pa0flULybM6GjyWOPwkYvnNpC1PKv-P7Fp1cyiOdJnQCuBySuxtx9FNimFJQOietZvxIQJtEQN/s666/stand%20firm.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="666" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOXsVakrjdf4wnHgx5iXeGnLRS8tU_VOe0JTFua-yJTkT5VqCq1f5Om18Bn0E41x1O9uwlPVU1ZDKJiHtNwJepzB_Iwu7koih2MvVJRbAgEFp_-Pa0flULybM6GjyWOPwkYvnNpC1PKv-P7Fp1cyiOdJnQCuBySuxtx9FNimFJQOietZvxIQJtEQN/s320/stand%20firm.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Jeremiah 23:18 But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?</div><div><br /></div><div>This passage speaks of taking time to get with God and hear what He is concerned with. God is using Jeremiah to rebuke false prophets who haven't been with God, and don't have a clue with what He is wanting to speak to the Jewish nation. </div><div><br /></div><div>I want to take the text in a slightly different direction. Standing in the counsel of God means remaining firm in the things He has said. Paul in Ephesians 6 speaking of the armor of God says: Ephesians 6:13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. After you have equipped yourself with armor, stand firm. It is one thing to put on armor it is another to stand firm when an enemy is attacking.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is one thing to claim a promise in the bible, it is another to stand firm in claiming it. That is exactly what the writer of Hebrews is saying in this passage: Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. That text tells that there is often a lag time between doing what God wants and getting what He has promised. The text implies God put some conditions on receiving, they were fulfilled but the promise has not yet come.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Standing in the counsel of God, is refusing to give up on His promises.</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Standing in the counsel of God is remaining firm even when we don't see results.</b> 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Standing in the counsel of God is remaining firm in the things God has taught you.</b> 2 Timothy1:13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Standing in the counsel of God, is not allowing your standards to slip</b>, or to go back to behaviors God delivered you from. God calls that returning to vomit.</div><div><br /></div><div>In short, having done all stand, and keep on standing.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-8086578049641367812022-08-10T07:33:00.001-07:002022-08-10T07:33:17.277-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k4HZWKRU-_pNYsKoNejU30e2-dzweTLSXiiU-_53mONRLBPoxd-LBlLg-SH_i_kWKO2V0JoUck7amLGabsmSYl0R_RFIpwb8YnK4Y6OTxWv6loc5mkJ_Ob_OpoxJ46EXVs1msKpyUTERpxXb-2UhSkhhZfteL757fjmKPqX4eXuc5PAgd8yTJQsq/s1227/the%20stage%20is%20set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="1227" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k4HZWKRU-_pNYsKoNejU30e2-dzweTLSXiiU-_53mONRLBPoxd-LBlLg-SH_i_kWKO2V0JoUck7amLGabsmSYl0R_RFIpwb8YnK4Y6OTxWv6loc5mkJ_Ob_OpoxJ46EXVs1msKpyUTERpxXb-2UhSkhhZfteL757fjmKPqX4eXuc5PAgd8yTJQsq/s320/the%20stage%20is%20set.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Revelation 14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe."<p></p><p>All the dominoes are lined up, they just need a little push. I believe we are on the verge of what will be known as the triggering event. A triggering event is a barrier that once breached sets off a cascading chain of other events. Covid was a foreshadowing of just how quickly life around the "world," can change.</p><p>We are one (super)natural disaster, one war, one plague, from the initiating of the great tribulation. I feel in my spirit it is close even at the door. This world is going to be rocked by an event that will trigger and quickly be followed by all the judgments written in the book of Revelation</p><p>For years I have felt that the word of the Lord was, "get ready, get ready, get ready." I heard it first from TD Jakes and he meant it as get ready for blessing. The Lord took it and applied it to me with the sense that I was to get ready, the Lord's coming is near! I no longer believe the word is get ready, but it is now - be ready! There has been a shifting in the timeline. The time is being shortened.</p><p>In Matthew 25 the virgins who tried to get ready were shut out, only those who were ready joined the bridegroom. In Exodus, at the first Passover, this is how the Jews were instructed to eat that meal:</p><p>Exodus 12:11 ‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: [with] your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste — it is the LORD’S Passover.</p><p>In other words, eat it, and be ready to move out. There will be no time for preparation when the Lord says it's time to leave Egypt, He comes in the twinkling of an eye - there will be no time for getting ready. You are ready or you are not. Any day now it will happen.</p><p>Jesus told this parable to His disciples:</p><p>Luke 12:35-40 "Be dressed in readiness, and [keep] your lamps alight. "And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open [the door] to him when he comes and knocks. "Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself [to serve,] and have them recline [at the table,] and will come up and wait on them. "Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds [them] so, blessed are those [slaves]. "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect."</p><p>Then He gave this warning and prophecy of what some will be like in that day:</p><p>Luke 12:45 "But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, [both] men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk Luke 12:46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect [him,] and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.</p><p>He describes someone who shrugged off the warnings that the time was near and began to regress spiritually. As goes the twig so goes the tree. It is not a time to regress, but to press in. If this day finds you slipping back, hear the voice of the Lord, and turn your ship around. Lest that day find you unprepared.</p><p>This world is going to be shaken like no other time in history. There will be tribulation such as never was since the world began, FEMA will be broke, too many catastrophes, and all the resources of man will fail because of the magnitude of judgments. There will be no bunkers to keep anyone safe. If this sounds scary, it is, because that is the way the bible presents it. We are only one triggering event away from it beginning. The chess pieces are all arranged, the board is set, it simply awaits God to make one final move to set it all in motion.</p><p>To all those who are fearful listen carefully to what Jesus advised:</p><p>Luke 12:4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.</p><p>More than ever, keep your fire burning</p><p><br /></p>Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-55527846273729724902020-12-15T04:59:00.000-08:002020-12-15T04:59:34.801-08:00Engraved With A Diamond Pointed Pen Of Iron<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf72COpwxeJk6V-udQe81My34XYTMnoY3e-C48_zimoJfx2ANIFCK0shdC_eO-Z5d_WyKPEx39CwJdZgQoCXmqvU3QtVp5mlQJvbrlHlgb1peAqK9Xp2R_eATbAVs4bma7z0Pog5IwOFA/s1362/Engraved+with+a+steel+chisel+thumbnail+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf72COpwxeJk6V-udQe81My34XYTMnoY3e-C48_zimoJfx2ANIFCK0shdC_eO-Z5d_WyKPEx39CwJdZgQoCXmqvU3QtVp5mlQJvbrlHlgb1peAqK9Xp2R_eATbAVs4bma7z0Pog5IwOFA/s320/Engraved+with+a+steel+chisel+thumbnail+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="DefaultText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWgU3DAqUmw8LvWzJ4oRxjzgg6ic72hI-n5mKjZ1DwlST0x8xFH0tRGxZDMqV6Q541ycdwkOuhSgDZnPySFhXo35wG5ZX1Yb1M4KhYwP9ztl0oRFIEv_aFlOIwIQUVO5Ydp5bC-DrEF0/s2048/3d-heart-desktop-background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWgU3DAqUmw8LvWzJ4oRxjzgg6ic72hI-n5mKjZ1DwlST0x8xFH0tRGxZDMqV6Q541ycdwkOuhSgDZnPySFhXo35wG5ZX1Yb1M4KhYwP9ztl0oRFIEv_aFlOIwIQUVO5Ydp5bC-DrEF0/w127-h80/3d-heart-desktop-background.jpg" width="127" /></a></div>How God took a man who was down on his luck, and wrote
into his heart and life, a message of love that he will never forget.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> <br /></o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;">David, one of the men in our church spoke this past Sunday
and shared a wonderful testimony of something amazing God did that he was
privileged to be a part of. In telling his story I need to back up a little and
put it in context.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;">David has always been intrigued by people who say,
"God told me this...", or "God spoke to me and said..." He
heard about people saying that had dreams and visions, but never felt God had
ever done anything like that with him. He knew God spoke to him through the
bible, his conscience, circumstances, and through others. Yet, he felt and
sensed there was more for him. That God wanted to communicate things
personally through the Holy Spirit. So he began praying and seeking to hear
God's voice. Not necessarily an audible voice, but that God would speak to him
in such a way that he could, "God told ME this..."</p><p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;">With much and prayer and seeking, little by little he
began to hear God speaking to him. What began as a trickle, developed into a
stream. With that as a background, here is his amazing testimony he shared with
our church yesterday.</p><p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;">David was on his way home from work in the Detroit area,
and stopped for gas in what many would call the rougher part of town. While
filling his car he noticed a man digging through the gas stations garbage can
looking for bottles and cans, but he seemed to be finding none. It was at this
point David felt the Lord speak to him and say, "Give him four
dollars." David rarely carries cash, he almost exclusively uses
debit/credit cards, so he pushed the thought aside, thinking he had no cash with him. He felt God speak to him
the second time, "Give him four dollars." He was starting to think
God was speaking to him, but said to the Lord, "I don't have four
dollars", so he pushed the voice aside again. For the third time, he felt God say, "Give him four
dollars."</p><p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;">Unable to resist the voice of the Lord anymore he reached
for his wallet, and to his utter amazement there were four one dollar bills in
his wallet, no more no less. Then he remembered a week or so earlier he needed
some cash and his wife Cathy gave him ten dollars. He bought something for six
dollars, put the change in his wallet, forgot about it, and there it sat until God called for
it.</p><p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;">David went over to the man, and was a little uncomfortable
giving him just four dollars. How could four dollars really make a difference
in his life after all? David introduced himself and said, "God really
loves you, and He wanted me to give your this four dollars." He gave him
the money, talked for a moment and then returned to his vehicle, but looking back at the man he saw he was now bent over and shuddering. David realized he was
crying and walked back to the man to talk to him some more.</p><p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUsIEK2BYRMyB1cyC7kuIzbjNMSLB2gUjYbDYO4fEhtQSnbHGP0pCnN1iL0K6Qm7sO1A3VCOvE2siRCQeYBN69qo4pqY61uhca0I0MLjOrFHWanrmmLcwLa-H_zH_5wibMgquDJI2PMk/s400/cutting-principles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="400" height="78" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUsIEK2BYRMyB1cyC7kuIzbjNMSLB2gUjYbDYO4fEhtQSnbHGP0pCnN1iL0K6Qm7sO1A3VCOvE2siRCQeYBN69qo4pqY61uhca0I0MLjOrFHWanrmmLcwLa-H_zH_5wibMgquDJI2PMk/w117-h78/cutting-principles.jpg" width="117" /></a></div><br />He then told David the most amazing thing. He said that
while he was digging for bottles and cans hoping to get some money for food, he became discouraged realizing there was nothing in the can. In desperation
he uttered this simple prayer, "God if you are real, let me have four
dollars." It was at that very moment, David showed up, and with the four
dollars in his wallet, turned that man's day around and left a permanent mark
in his life of God's faithfulness and care for him.<p></p><p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;">David encouraged him, and was able to pray with him about
some of the circumstances of his life. Though the man didn't get saved that
day, I am convinced he will because when God starts something He sees it
through to completion. Philippians 1:6
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who
started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing
finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.</p><p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;">David heard God speak, responded, and God made a mark on
that man's heart and life that is the equivalent to being engraved with a
diamond pointed pen of iron. We all wind up with marks in life that are made by
people. Some will be cherished memories, some will be scars and painful. But
when God marks a man or woman, He does it to be a permanent reminder of His
goodness and love. He marks us, in the same way He Himself is marked. We read
this in Isaiah 49:16 "Behold, I
have inscribed you on the palms <i>of My
hands..."</i></p><p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;">Like David I can point to many times in my life, where I
could say, "I felt the Lord tell me..." Hearing his testimony
yesterday burned in me a fresh fire to hear God like David did that day, so
that someone living in a desperate situation could have a token of God's love
deposited in their heart. Jesus said, "My sheep know My voice," May
God bless our spiritual hearing so that we can bring life giving words to others. Keep your fire burning!</p><p class="DefaultText" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-62470565609695696752020-08-06T08:25:00.000-07:002020-08-06T08:25:44.018-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;">Approaching The Point Of No Return<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBSUN_SCu1NEAW_iYrBDtypCtnq-wf_sPOzU_HEUbNJfPsbWBey8Vc081L-nwp0EJ4qIPcJWGoSrssnDy7lB7YzBVU0gLA2kvzRlYWhkvxWXXj1jfeLXi4Aqdt_2o-dLWX3KxzvD0O-o/s1350/are+we+at+the+point+of+no+return.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBSUN_SCu1NEAW_iYrBDtypCtnq-wf_sPOzU_HEUbNJfPsbWBey8Vc081L-nwp0EJ4qIPcJWGoSrssnDy7lB7YzBVU0gLA2kvzRlYWhkvxWXXj1jfeLXi4Aqdt_2o-dLWX3KxzvD0O-o/s640/are+we+at+the+point+of+no+return.jpg" width="640" /></a><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In my last blog I posted on the question, "How long O Lord?" and showed some verses where people told God they had enough and wanted a break. Today we are going to flip the script and look at the time where God says He has had enough.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Zechariah 7:12 <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"> "And they made their hearts <i>like</i>
flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts
had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came
from the LORD of hosts. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; line-height: 107%; text-align: center;">Zechariah 7:13 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"> "And it came about that just as He called
and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen," says
the LORD of hosts;</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;">The message version for verse 13 says in part: ...</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"So
[[this is what GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies said]] if they won’t listen to me, I won’t
listen to them.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If they won't list to me, I won't listen to them. The ramifications of this passage are enormous, it details a time when humanity has so closed it's ears to God, that He in turn, will close His ears to them. There comes a time when even II Chronicles 7:14 won't fully apply.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%; text-align: center;">2Ch 7:14 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"> If
my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and
seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This text was primarily directed at Israel, though many have claimed it for their nation. However if we have a crossed a line God never intended to be crossed, it wont be enough for His people to be praying, it won't suffice for the judgment looming over those who continue to harden their hearts. I know that sounds radical, but consider this passage concerning two of the greatest intercessors and men who changed the destiny of their nation because of their influence with God:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">Jeremiah 15:1 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Then the LORD said to me, "Even though
Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this
people; send them away from My presence and let them go!</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">We live in a time where evil is called good and good evil. We won't be able to pray away all the calamities that are coming. But as long as we are here, let us roll up our sleeves, pray for mercy, and hope that the midnight is not yet upon the earth, for our sakes, and the sakes of those in the world with us. While recognizing there is a time where God will simply say, "I have had enough!"</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OMl44mYpgyHeaT_Ib7qr4DXRNQagZct1P1a0KOD4l6aLcf3jOHy2yV3CN1OANEhrPvbgO41ZFDBALx_GepUtq93jQP3a0aKn0zgjDyvbMaiUE-i3fF89g5urClUlFO9c_bFZIi1cNWQ/s480/psalm-123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OMl44mYpgyHeaT_Ib7qr4DXRNQagZct1P1a0KOD4l6aLcf3jOHy2yV3CN1OANEhrPvbgO41ZFDBALx_GepUtq93jQP3a0aKn0zgjDyvbMaiUE-i3fF89g5urClUlFO9c_bFZIi1cNWQ/s0/psalm-123.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div></h1>Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-54570708766946172482020-08-05T10:45:00.001-07:002020-08-05T10:47:16.427-07:00<h1 style="text-align: center;">How Long O Lord?</h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAqV5VVHYGtB1VSCksFvUZCsgxtrMYRg80_d7x-qd48YsHlxOg_HZtDAAqOk8QT_2u3BaI4xdH9BEovFUc3yftegWNbiKx6ke2qr7WBmqEYdtdEbsd2ami7NrXQLRtkY14zehvw9MSfw/s1362/how+long+O+Lord+thumbnail.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAqV5VVHYGtB1VSCksFvUZCsgxtrMYRg80_d7x-qd48YsHlxOg_HZtDAAqOk8QT_2u3BaI4xdH9BEovFUc3yftegWNbiKx6ke2qr7WBmqEYdtdEbsd2ami7NrXQLRtkY14zehvw9MSfw/s640/how+long+O+Lord+thumbnail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Ps 6:1 Please, GOD, no more yelling, no more trips to the woodshed.</div><div>Ps 6:2 Treat me nice for a change; I’m so starved for affection. Can’t you see I’m black and blue, beat up badly in bones</div><div>Ps 6:3 and soul? GOD, how long will it take for you to let up?</div></div><div><br /></div><div>This type of prayer is repeated in several other places in the Psalms here are two more examples:</div><div><br /></div><div><div> Ps 13:1 Long enough, GOD—you’ve ignored me long enough. I’ve looked at the back of your head long enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ps 80:4 GOD, God of the angel armies, how long will you smolder like a sleeping volcano while your people call for fire and brimstone?</div><div><br /></div><div>When life is full of pain, it becomes doubly frustrating when you don't know why it is happening or how long it will go on for. And when that happens, please, please don't simply tell me to be patient. I know I have to wait on God, and I know that weeping lasts the night but joy comes in the morning. </div><div><br /></div><div>What I need, and what you need in moments like this is not much more than the comfort of a friend to help carry a load I am struggling with. Yes tell me what the bible says, just do it in a gentle uplifting way, that is what my soul needs in moments like this. Don't overly correct me if I say something stupid, God included the complaints of His people in the scriptures above without His annotations on how and why they were wrong. He just let them vent. Let's let people vent, and yes correct them if they really need it, but most of all let's love and encourage them. Isn't that what you would have others do for you?</div><div><br /></div><div>When someone's fires is burning low, don't discourage them any more, help them stoke it.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div></div>Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-71155671275266305762020-01-22T11:59:00.003-08:002020-01-22T11:59:15.912-08:00No Sweating Allowed<h2 style="text-align: center;">
No Sweating Allowed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ge 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.<br />
Eze 44:15 "But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary...<br />
Eze 44:16 "They shall enter My sanctuary; they shall come near to My table to minister to Me...<br />
Eze 44:18 "Linen turbans shall be on their heads, and linen undergarments shall be on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything which makes them sweat.<br />
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Man was originally placed in the garden to cultivate and keep it. (Genesis 2:15) There was work <br />
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involved but apparently it didn't produce the frustration, labor and sweat that would come as a result of the fall. Interesting side fact the name Noah means rest and Jewish authorities credit him with the invention of the plow which made farming a whole lot easier.<br />
Ge 5:29 Now he called his name Noah, saying, "This one shall give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed."<br />
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Now we jump ahead to the commandments given priests in the book of Ezekiel, specifically they could not wear anything that causes sweat. We know from 1 Corinthians 10:11 that many things that happened in the OT were to be examples to teach us. So what could possible be the reason God instructs His priests not to wear anything that causes sweat?<br />
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John 15 comes to mind, I am the vine you are the branches. The vine supplies what is necessary for the branches to produce fruit. It is also true that the branches in and of themselves are incapable of producing fruit so effort to produce fruit by themselves is foolish and will consume great deals of energy with no net effect. It is only as we rest in Christ, whose yoke is easy and His burden is light, that we avoiding sweating to do God's work.<br />
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So the admonition for God's priests to not wear anything that causes them to sweat is a reminder rest and rely on the Lord. Does that mean we shouldn't work? Absolutely not, but our work should always be tempered by trusting and relying on God to do the lion's share.<br />
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Remember this teaching of Jesus: Mt 6:27 -33 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'hat shall we eat?'or 'hat shall we drink?'or 'what shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (NIV)<br />
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In other words, don't sweat it. Worry is a garment you can put on,<br />
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refuse to wear, or wake up and take it off, if you have been sweating about things God says not to worry about. More specifically when it comes to Christian service, don't sweat it, Hebrews 4 teaches that there is a rest available for the people of God, but some seem to come short of it. (Hebrews 4:1ff) He is the vine that supplies, that is not your job. Blessings!Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-63059127508360114812019-08-09T10:38:00.004-07:002019-08-09T10:48:21.266-07:00Jesus Doesn't Save<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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20, 10, 5 years ago if someone would have said, "Jesus saves," I would have probably heartily said, "Amen!" Thinking I was in the company of a fellow believer. The problem is that the landscape of language and word meanings often shifts like sand dunes in the wind. Jesus doesn't save, before you stone me listen to what I have to say.</div>
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Jesus doesn't save, the Jesus of the bible saves. There is a world of difference between the two. There now exists in peoples' minds a Jesus who is nothing more than a figment of their imagination. </div>
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As an example a young "Christian," lady was recently on a reality TV series called the "Bachelorette". She slept with several of the contestants and when confronted her response was, (a) Jesus loves me, and (b) don't judge me I am forgiven. The Jesus she follows is not the Jesus of the bible. She has made up a version of Jesus that lets her do whatever she wants, that is not the Jesus who saves. Jesus said:<br />
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Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.</div>
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Luke 14:27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.</div>
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Part of that self denial involves being sexually pure, and only having sex inside of the confines of a biblical marriage:</div>
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Re 21:7 "He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.<br />
Re 21:8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."</div>
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We have a Jesus today who saves everybody and loves and approves of any/all lifestyles. That is not the Jesus of the bible. This is the first recording of Jesus' preaching:<br />
Mt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.</div>
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John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.</div>
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Mt 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.<br />
Mt 7:14 "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.</div>
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One of my favorite Doobie Bros songs is "Jesus is just alright." Lyrics include statements like, "I don't care what they may say, I don't care what them may know, Jesus is just all right oh yeah." Another line which they added to the original song is: "Jesus is my friend." That seemingly indicates a real and genuine faith. However in an interview with Tom Johnston, lead vocalist, he made it very clear they were just muscians playing a gig:</div>
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"The funny thing about that, we weren't anti-religious. We weren't anything. We were just musicians out playing a gig.* He later in that same interview spoke of the Christians who came to his concerts and would get all excited when that song played and started throwing scriptures on the stage, listen carefully to his response to that: </div>
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"They would throw scriptures on the stage, that sort of thing. Little did they know they were trying to enlist the support of the wrong guys."*</div>
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While faith in Jesus is all one needs to be saved, that faith cannot stand on its own, it must be practically demonstrated in a persons life.<br />
Mt 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,'will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."</div>
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Doing the will of the Father is following the Jesus of the bible not your own made up version of Jesus.</div>
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In the NT book of James he illustrates the folly of simply saying you believe in Jesus:<br />
James 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.<br />
James 2:20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?</div>
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Jesus does save, the Jesus of the bible that is, not the Jesus of popular culture.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DNc8NZMyfDhGfIK1Qs-MlZdohTJP5He-DgBfRiG3tdthf5pp5PNytDSeTZCUMzYXNrmVZc3g7UVIBR1AckXsbqbzyItLCtLLhxsJtYcuI6pPWMf3m_AePm5npjt5qzohH86j4SdbCFc/s1600/coals+of+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DNc8NZMyfDhGfIK1Qs-MlZdohTJP5He-DgBfRiG3tdthf5pp5PNytDSeTZCUMzYXNrmVZc3g7UVIBR1AckXsbqbzyItLCtLLhxsJtYcuI6pPWMf3m_AePm5npjt5qzohH86j4SdbCFc/s1600/coals+of+fire.jpg" /></a></div>
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Keep your fire burning.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DNc8NZMyfDhGfIK1Qs-MlZdohTJP5He-DgBfRiG3tdthf5pp5PNytDSeTZCUMzYXNrmVZc3g7UVIBR1AckXsbqbzyItLCtLLhxsJtYcuI6pPWMf3m_AePm5npjt5qzohH86j4SdbCFc/s1600/coals+of+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>*https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-doobie-brothers/jesus-is-just-alrightMauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-6593031746313879532018-10-10T11:00:00.001-07:002018-10-10T11:00:24.093-07:00No You Resurrect It!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4C6SbTZcc7hTXql_2S0Ud9_7EJsIkGrcurd7PgRSFKWShIAZhg-IJrQWwA1Oj-yOL5XjBN7KR7oFb8I1Vv1Jfh57AhMMQEmSnyXH3F0Id54MAN6-lFwsdDngyZDrT7h4CD_dy9Q0SmI/s1600/American-Standard-2889.216.020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4C6SbTZcc7hTXql_2S0Ud9_7EJsIkGrcurd7PgRSFKWShIAZhg-IJrQWwA1Oj-yOL5XjBN7KR7oFb8I1Vv1Jfh57AhMMQEmSnyXH3F0Id54MAN6-lFwsdDngyZDrT7h4CD_dy9Q0SmI/s320/American-Standard-2889.216.020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I have seen a lot of posts from people lately talking about people who don't add to their life. Get rid of them, walk away from them, flush them. As if the only thing that matters is that people should add to you, enhance you, increase your growth, make your life better. I suppose there is a time and place for that type of thinking, but maybe, just maybe you are supposed to pull them up instead of just walking away from them.<br />
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I used to enjoy listening to a preacher named R. W. Shambach, and one of the things he is known for is that at his meetings he would asked the crowd, "If something is dead, what do you do with it?" The crowd would invariably respond, "you bury it,". He would then say, "No! You resurrect it!"<br />
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I realize there are people that won't change, but we are too much of a throw away society. I think I read somewhere about doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. I for one can say, God didn't flush me, at my worst He loved me best. Keep your fire burning!Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-82279347244717064322018-05-29T08:36:00.000-07:002020-04-22T11:41:15.226-07:00The King Has Another Move<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-tMNiV8RG3yimUUP4MXA5YPuj7wPz88y4dVjPPyjVSFKgcwwq1j7dJTjWS2oof1B2HNd8NNM7-vmC0mz2UM9mSheSZj8x25HwkF9WJwuGtgvQ1bcjLwmGH-jZoQBa0qhxfSu5WjAryQ/s1600/Retzsch_Die-Schachspieler+checkmate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="601" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-tMNiV8RG3yimUUP4MXA5YPuj7wPz88y4dVjPPyjVSFKgcwwq1j7dJTjWS2oof1B2HNd8NNM7-vmC0mz2UM9mSheSZj8x25HwkF9WJwuGtgvQ1bcjLwmGH-jZoQBa0qhxfSu5WjAryQ/s320/Retzsch_Die-Schachspieler+checkmate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pictured above is a painting by Moritz Retzsch in 1831, it was based on a famous German play popularly know as "Faust." Faust tells the alleged story of Johann Georg Faust where his meets a demon named Mephistopheles and agrees to sell his soul in exchange for worldly and scientific success. The deal is signed and sealed with a drop of blood.<br />
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The painting is a depiction of Faust near the end of his life, and is depicted as a chess game. The devil is the man in green who is viciously looking at Faust, and is seemingly saying, "checkmate in two moves." Faust is anxiously looking over the chess board desperately seeking a way out of his predicament, but is appears to be resigning himself that all is lost. An angel watches over the situation and appears sad and unable/unwilling to provide any help. Soon the game of life will be over and all will be lost.<br />
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30 years later a colored engraving of the painting winds up in the home of Rev. R. R. Harrison, who has invited guests over for tea and to spend the evening together. Rev. Harrison had previously practiced law for many years and had gained many noteworthy friends. At dinner that night was (among others) Capt. Franklin Buchanan who would later become an Admiral in the Confederate Navy and captain the famous ship the Merrimac. Also in attendance was a lawyer named Paul Morphy who was well known as one of the best chess players of the day. There were several other exceptional chess players in attendance. After dinner the Rev. took his guests to view the engraving, where upon Mr. Morphy having carefully studied the picture, exclaimed: "I could take the young man's position and win the game." All those who were in attendance expressed disbelief that it could be done. They set up a chess board with the layout of the painting, and one by one Mr. Morphy took Faust's position and defeated all the guests who were well versed in chess and were confident in their ability to win with the devils' position on the board.<br />
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For 30 years that painting depicted satan wining the soul of a man who had sinned much, and all it took was a grand master better than the devil, to defeat and snatch from his grip a soul he was sure he had.<br />
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The bible is full of many such stories, where it looked like the devil was saying, "mate in 2 moves," but in each one of them God the greatest Grand Master of all stepped into the situation and won the game that seemed hopelessly lost.<br />
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3 Hebrew boys were headed to a fiery furnace, and the devil said, "mate in 2, but God turned it around. Daniel was thrown in the lions den, "mate in 2, but King had another move. The Jews were backed up against the Red Sea, "mate in 2," but the King had another move and split the Red Sea in two. A thief was hanging on the cross, the sentence of death was on him, and his life was just about to expire, "mate in 2," but the King had another move - "This day you will be with me in paradise."<br />
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How about you? Are you facing a "mate in 2," situation. No matter how desperate, no matter how far gone, no matter how many pieces you have lost on the chess board, there is a King who has another move and can turn it all around for you.<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-73724122001674002602017-10-16T09:45:00.001-07:002017-10-16T09:45:03.459-07:00Artificial Intelligence and the antichrist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_OtrdD6wwovXrpap4U_pj2NNRd9CrrbISEmi5WaTdcvDBL_Gj8IWPpRLyIX2f4nf4BHbWpZimTZAZIi1u6TnqKhkwh6HocT4TULXtr0eQkMVEDA7jybWV6n7_PsjjetnmMymTDZ_qBs/s1600/AI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_OtrdD6wwovXrpap4U_pj2NNRd9CrrbISEmi5WaTdcvDBL_Gj8IWPpRLyIX2f4nf4BHbWpZimTZAZIi1u6TnqKhkwh6HocT4TULXtr0eQkMVEDA7jybWV6n7_PsjjetnmMymTDZ_qBs/s320/AI.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Artificial Intelligence and the Antichrist</h2>
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Rev 13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.<br />Rev. 13:12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.<br />Rev. 13:13 And he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.<br />Re 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life.<br />Rev. 13:15 And there was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.</div>
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I read an article on CNN the other day about Jack Ma the billionaire owner of Alibaba (Chinese version of Amazon). (Link at the end of post.) In that article is this quote: "Like many billionaire tech founders, Jack Ma is a futurist. He predicts robots will eventually replace some the world's leading CEOs and believes artificial intelligence will fundamentally change the world." (End quote)</div>
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While some of the West's leading tech entrepreneurs are vociferously warning of the danger of AI, China's Ma seems to be embracing it. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking is quoted as saying, artificial intelligence ""could spell the end of the human race." Tesla's Elon Musk has said that AI is our biggest existential threat. </div>
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All this talk of AI got me thinking about the possible connection between it and Revelation 13. In the text cited above the evil ruler called the Antichrist has a henchman, whom most give the name of the false prophet. This henchman seems to have the job description of publicist for the antichrist, with a particularly evil twist, if you don't worship (bow down?) to the antichrist or his image he will have you killed. Of particular note for today is the fact he makes an image (representation? Robot?) of the antichrist and somehow causes it to come to life. The Greek text says he gives breath to the image. </div>
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We have to factor in the Apostle John's complete lack of a point of reference for understanding the technologies that would one day exist, and that he was trying to describe. I'm guessing, but could he be describing a robot that seemingly comes to life? It is interesting that he (false prophet) doesn't make the image himself, but he demands the people who dwell on the earth to make the image. Strange wording, huh? It almost sounds like the text is distinguishing between those who dwell on the earth and the false prophet and the antichrist, as if they are other worldly. (Aliens? I can't believe I just suggested that!) It could of course be simply a biblical euphemism for people who are of the world as opposed to those who are not of this world, ...the Christians.</div>
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The Japanese a have a robot maker who is perhaps the world leader in life like robots. Hiroshi Ishiguro is one of the most acclaimed builders of life like robots in the world. (See link below for an amazing short video on a robot he made to look just like himself) Granted these technologies are still in their infancy, but the advances of self-driving cars should show just how fast these technologies can advance quickly.</div>
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I could be like a thousand other would be interpreters of the book of Revelation, - completely wrong. I've just had a few things come across my research in the last few days that have made me think, "hmm". When looking at the book of Revelation I try to keep my wits about me and remind myself of the words of Christian rock group Petra. Poking fun at Christians getting freaked out about backward masking (secret messages that could only be heard when you played a song backwards) they did some backwards masking themselves in their song, "Judas' kiss, the message - "What are you looking for the devil for when you should be looking for the Lord." (Link below). I think the bible is clear that believers when they see these things come to past should be looking up, not looking for the antichrist. That bit of proper focus noted, there are still some things that make me say, "hmmm."</div>
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Keep your fire burning.</div>
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...Update while getting ready to post this blog I decided to do a google search on AI and the antichrist and came across the following: https://aiantichrist.blogspot.com/ that is a link to a guy who has researched and found out a group of atheists have founded a religion here is a short quote from his blog: "As Wired reported recently, Anthony Levandowski, a top Silicon Valley engineer formerly working for Google's self-driving car company Waymo and now at the center of the trade secrets lawsuit between Uber and Waymo, founded a religious organization called Way of the Future. Its goal? To "develop and promote the realization of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence." </div>
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Interesting. Makes me do a double "hmmm."</div>
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Jack Ma: http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/11/technology/alibaba-billion-investment-united-s "could spell the end of the human race."</div>
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Hiroshi Ishiguro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WijMCSfX0RA</div>
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Petra, Judas' kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MFFgbKwGhQ</div>
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Jack Ma: http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/11/technology/alibaba-billion-investment-united-s "could spell the end of the human race."</div>
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Hiroshi Ishiguro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WijMCSfX0RA</div>
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Petra, Judas' kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MFFgbKwGhQ<br />come to past should be looking up, not looking for the antichrist. That bit of proper focus noted, there are still some things that make me say, "hmmm."</div>
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Keep your fire burning.</div>
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Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-15488360414105498492016-12-05T08:47:00.002-08:002018-03-17T07:58:17.202-07:00Everything That Kills Me Makes Me Feel Alive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One Republic's song, "counting stars,"contains this clever and poignant lyric: "everything that kills me makes me feel alive." Their video of the song has been viewed more than 1.5 billion (yes billion) times on Youtube, meaning that it has resonated with a large swath of humanity. The lyrics are slightly cryptic and open to a thousand interpretations which many have put forth. Here is my spin on one part of that song.</div>
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First as a pastor and communicator I am fascinated and my interest is piqued by what it could be in this song that has connected with so many people. As a song it lends it self to inviting the listener to sing along, catchy, and enjoyable. Yet, I think it is the lyrics that have pushed it over the top. My observation is that the song addresses several common things many young people relate to. Detesting the need for and pursuit of money/things. Living outside of societies square box, and then what for me is the most interesting line of the song: "Everything that kills me, makes me feel alive".<br />
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In my late teens I had gotten heavily involved in drug use, I really enjoyed the way drugs made me feel. But, I slowly began to realize there was a bill to pay for all that "fun," and my life began to go steadily downhill. I was stealing to be able to buy drugs, I had gotten arrested, and I came to understand that I had a love/hate relationship with drugs. The fun came at an ever increasing cost, with an ever decreasing enjoyment. I struggled with suicide, hated myself, and battled depression. (At 18 I had very few life skills to deal with depression, it was a very dark time in my life.) The following picture is one of many like it that have been posted to the internet by suicide survivors, and it echoes the sentiments of many.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRphLMKEeRztdHGMLlFGHEDq6FUmtEBRAtNjWNJe2lupoBRZPU6r5no1qPjH-MYM5mz99gru2P9k-QXAL88pmNymAxld0HERp-tROqX7et3YKSVxbhf5MBXXav9h_rUR2jwJYZpUKeqR8/s1600/no+suicide.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="620" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRphLMKEeRztdHGMLlFGHEDq6FUmtEBRAtNjWNJe2lupoBRZPU6r5no1qPjH-MYM5mz99gru2P9k-QXAL88pmNymAxld0HERp-tROqX7et3YKSVxbhf5MBXXav9h_rUR2jwJYZpUKeqR8/s320/no+suicide.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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One night on LSD I tried to jump from the 6th floor of the apartment building I was living in. Friends stopped me, I was too high to understand what I was doing. They made me go to drug counseling, I went once, hated it. I was smart enough to realize that I needed more than words to change me. A short time later getting high on the roof of the same building, I looked to heaven and said to God, "I need some power to come inside me and help me." Desperate for change, I managed to join the US Navy, and was transferred to Japan. I soon realized that even though I changed locations, and my life situations, I still took, "me," with me. I continued taking drugs, and even got busted for that while in the service. I attempted suicide a few more times, and fell into greater depression because not only was I a failure, but I was a failure at committing suicide. (For which I an now very grateful to God about!)<br />
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Then on September 3rd, 1974 I had a dramatic encounter with the living God, and felt Him and His power come inside me. In the book of Revelation it says, "I stand at the door and knock, if anyone opens the door I will come in to him." My rooftop prayer was answered, I was radically changed, and the power of drugs over me was broken. I have since realized that everything that God calls sin, there is bill of suffering that comes along with those who dabble therein. One Republic, far from a Christian band, had enough life insight to say, "Everything that KILLS me, makes me feel alive." The bible puts it this way, "the wages of sin is death." Whether or not you believe in God, that fact remains. Whether or not you believe what the bible calls sin, is sin, that fact remains. Though you may party and laugh on the outside, on the inside the bill for sin will always cost you more than the pleasure sin brings you.<br />
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Perhaps, like One Republic, you recognize that everything that makes you feel alive, KILLS you. Perhaps you should consider answering that knock on the door of your heart. Jesus has the power to change you from the inside out. Personally I really enjoy scifi movies, and like many am a fan to the Star Wars series. In one of the first movies a whole planet (Alderann) is destroyed by something called the "Death Star," a Jedi Knight by the name of Obi Wan Kenobi, speaking of that event says: <span title="Source: Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope">"<i>I felt a
great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried
out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has
happened.</i>" In my heart, I have that kind of a sense for people who are overdosing, and those caught in all kinds of lifestyles that are killing them. Drugs, pornography, gambling, alternate sexual identities, they all come with a big price tag. God heard that cry before the world began and He sent His son Jesus to do something about it. Sin will always send you a bill, and then send the worst collection agents there are after you. Look up, reach up, and call out to God, He has the power to overcome the forces of the Empire.</span></div>
<br />Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-10241010439788020692016-09-19T06:49:00.002-07:002016-09-19T09:39:45.230-07:00666 A Novel Approach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Revelation 13:18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.<br />
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This one cryptic verse of scripture has been the basis for more wild theories than almost any other sentence ever written. Some say its a bar code, others give letters a numeric value and find a way to add up almost anyone's name to 666. For some it's Monster energy drink, for others it is the pope, or the imam mahdi, or the president, or Prince Charles yada yada yada, you get the idea.<br />
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For some reason while driving the other day I thought about that number, and I thought about the only verse in the bible that is a 6:66 - John's gospel chapter 6, verse 66. I pondered and wondered if the two could be related, probably not, but then again...<br />
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John 6:66 From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.<br />
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John 6:66 is a verse that talks about people turning their back on God. So my thought very simply is this - the antichrist will be a fallen Christian leader, perhaps a very famous one.<br />
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I was recently in Ireland, and one evening my family and I had dinner at a restaurant in Dublin, where you not only get food, you get entertained with a couple of hours of Irish history and folk tales. One historical insight shared that evening has stuck with me. Many years ago most of the Irish lived in mud homes, and Ireland, as you may know, is famous for the amount of rainfall it gets. It is that rain that causes the grass to be so lush, splashing the landscape with beautiful shades of green. The problem with mud homes and rain, is water. Water could wash your home away, but as long as you kept a fire going on the inside, it would keep the rain from destroying your home. It would keep the rain from washing away your walls.<br />
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Historically walls keep enemies out. Biblically one of the ways of looking at walls is to understand them as standards, the code by which you live. A line in your heart and mind, that you will not cross. Behavior that you will not walk in. The rain of this world is always trying to wash your standards away, it is always trying to eat at your walls. The solution is the one found in Ireland keep the fire burning and your walls will stay true. Christians who lose the fire of passion and love for God invariable also let their standards slip. Keep the fire burning, and your standards won't slip, if you don't the wind and rain will knock your house down. Perhaps that is what will happen to the man whose number is 666.<br />
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Keep your fire burning.Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-31490180303651382282016-04-21T07:31:00.000-07:002016-04-21T07:31:09.186-07:00Troublemaker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We live in a day and an age where the church is being shouted into silence. To express a view that runs contrary to where our culture is, is to open yourself up to ostracism, castigation, and verbal and legal assault. Make no mistake about it, this is not the land of free speech. Expressing a Christian viewpoint will bring out societies killer bees, and they do have a very sharp sting in their tail!<br />
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Because of that many have adopted a keep quiet approach. I am not saying that is without merit, I tend to think in terms of, choose your battles wisely. Will speaking up improve the situation, or only exacerbate it? Questions we should ask ourselves before we open our mouths. Yet, what we have to say is of extreme importance. In the picture at the top of this post, Nathan the prophet is confronting David about his sinning with Bathsheba. We see the prophets bony finger pointing at him and down through the corridors of time we here those penetrating words, "behold, thou art the man!" David had heard a story from the prophet about a rich guy who had stolen a lamb from a poor guy, and as king he was incensed and ready to issue judgment. That is when the prophet revealed to him the story was about David himself, who had stolen the wife and life of an honest and good man. </div>
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With that rebuke, David found his way back home to God. I don't think God wants us to point our bony finger in the face of everyone we think is living wrong, and yet there are those to whom we will be sinning if we don't help them turn their ship around. Consider what Ezekiel the prophet was told by God: <br />
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<br />Ezekiel 3:17 "Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.<br />Ezekiel 3:18 "When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die’; and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.<br />Ezekiel 3:19 "Yet if you have warned the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself.<br />
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I think the danger of this age is twofold, getting all up in someone's business when it is not the right time in their life to effect change. The other is being so afraid of the culture that we become scared into silence. May God give us wisdom! Of the two dangers I think the latter is the one the church is most succumbing to. For that reason I leave you with the words of Jeremiah the prophet:<br />
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Jeremiah 20:8 Every time I open my mouth I’m shouting, "Murder!" or "Rape!" And all I get for my GOD-warnings are insults and contempt.<br />Jeremiah 20:9 But if I say, "Forget it! No more GOD-Messages from me!" The words are fire in my belly, a burning in my bones. I’m worn out trying to hold it in. I can’t do it any longer! (MSG)<br />
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And always remember, keep your fire burning!<br />
<br />Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-38363421771107057272015-10-19T11:43:00.002-07:002015-10-19T11:43:08.203-07:00Tokens of Where You have been<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The other day my wife and I walked into and through a short section of woods on the edge of our yard. We have about 100 feet of yard and then a short 20 foot section of woods. We were there looking at some new construction that is taking place on the property behind ours. As we did so we were reluctantly facing the reality that we will soon have new neighbors 150 feet or so behind our house. Thankfully there is, as I said, a small section of woods between our yard and the property being developed. It only took us a few seconds to pass through those woods, we looked around on the construction site for a few moments and then returned to our home.<br />
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On the way back I felt something itchy on my right side. Reaching down I found a bur, and I meticulously removed it. Sometimes you have to pull them out piece by piece. Then I found another, and another, and then a group of five or six of them. My first thought was how the fact they attach themselves so easily to us led to the development of velcro. The burs have small hooks on the end of them that can attach to almost anything. The plants with burs use animals to transport their seed pods to new locations to spread the species. There are things in this world that are trying to attach themselves to you, and they are very good at what they do!<br />
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Now for the spiritual lesson, I was amazed how so little contact could leave such a large and almost unnoticed deposit on me. This can happen both positively and negatively. In a few moments walk I picked up burs, dirt on my shoes, pollen on my clothes, and God only knows what else. I have a man in my church who almost died from a mosquito bite, how long do you think that interaction took? We can have things attach themselves to us in the briefest of moments, that can have long lasting effects. You think you can watch hours of TV and not be influenced?<br />
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On a positive note, we can also have things attach themselves to us when we are in places that are healthy for our spirit. One of my all time favorite quotes is the following: "It is only by waiting before the throne of grace that we become endued
with the Holy Fire. He who waits there long and believingly will imbibe
that Fire and come forth from his communion with God bearing tokens of
where he has been." It always reminds me to be wary of bad burs and to earnestly seek Godly tokens of where I have been. What has attached itself to you? Keep your fire burning!Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-12764278621275481562015-09-28T08:07:00.001-07:002015-09-28T08:07:24.631-07:00A 911 Miracle and Lesson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the photo above are Rick Del Rio and Jack Lagatella. The photo was taken on September 20th, 2001 just a few days after the disaster and a few blocks from Ground Zero. Rick Del Rio was the evangelical liaison to Mayor Rudy Guiliani in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist bombings in NYC. I had traveled with Jack, and another pastor friend, Randy Anson, with the hopes of connecting with family members, firemen, police and others who were struggling in the aftermath of that disaster. Ground Zero was in lock down, but because Jack had been acquainted with Rick Del Rio, and the credentials he had from the mayor, we were able to get to the site passing 7 military and police checkpoints. (I never thought in my life I would see military personnel with machine guns on the streets of NY).<br />
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After meeting Rick we were getting ready to go to Ground Zero, when we were stopped by a phone call from some other pastors who had come to the area and wanted to go there also. <br />
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While waiting we were told the amazing story of one of the members of Rick's church. She had worked in the world trade center and was up for a promotion. She was the most senior, most qualified, and seemingly the person most likely to get that promotion. She was passed over for a man who was junior to her. As a black woman she got angry and felt color and gender played into the situation. She let God know that she wasn't happy about the situation. A few months later she was offered a better position with better pay than the one she originally had hoped to get. As a consequence of that promotion she was moved to a different location out of the World Trade Center. The man who got the job died in the WTC on 9/11. The lesson was simple, powerful, and poignant: the thing you may be complaining very loudly about, may be God's plan to save your life! That is why the bible says, "in everything give thanks." A lesson we need continual reminders of.<br />
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Also on that trip, my wife had arranged to get 100 copies of a CD entitled, "The Father's Love Letter." A compilation of scripture and music written as a love letter from God. (Link: http://www.fathersloveletter.com/) The author had donated them to us for distribution at Ground Zero. We spent the better part of the day at Washington Square passing them out, talking to people and praying for them. I met one man who eagerly accepted one with prayer, he told me his daughter was one of the people in Twin Towers who was among the missing, and he was praying that she would be recovered alive. I will never forget the sadness is his face and eyes, the sadness of a father looking for a missing child. I knew, that for him, there would be no rest until the matter was settled. In the same way, our heavenly Father, roams the streets, alleys, and highways of this world, looking for His missing sons and daughters. God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved.<br />
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So I heard of a miracle with a happy ending, and I was painfully reminded of the need to work while it is day for the night comes when no man can work. -Keep your fire burning.<br />
<br />Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-63941733239562221232015-07-28T06:06:00.000-07:002015-07-28T06:06:11.652-07:00A Sad Farewell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Psalm 72:20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.<br />
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In my bible reading I came across this portion of scripture and a wave of nostalgia seemed to sweep over me. Life is full of hello's and goodbye's, today's blog is for those who may be stuck on a goodbye. Usually at the end of one year, news articles proliferate with pics and stories of the "stars," we lost in the previous year. We only know most of these people from afar, but some still pull very hard on our heart strings, such as the death/suicide of comedian Robin Williams. He was known the world over for his humor, but that only masked his private pain. We can all relate to that in one degree or another.<br />
David is one of my biblical heroes, and though I have never met him personally, reading this text evoked in me a profound sense of loss. His life has rippled across time, bringing encouragement, inspiration and joy to multiplied millions. (He being dead yet speaketh.) Yet like all of us will one day experience, there came a time that chapter of his journey ended. Solomon could have used a few more of his daddy's prayers, a few more meals together, a little more time huddling about the challenges facing the kingdom, but that was not to be. There came a day when Solomon had to walk on without his daddy.<br />
I am part Irish, and the Irish often use the song Danny Boy at funerals. (Though written by an Englishman) In part the lyrics are:<br />
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Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling<br />
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side<br />
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling<br />
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.<br />
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But come ye back when summer's in the meadow<br />
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow<br />
It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow<br />
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.<br />
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Various interpretations have been given to the song, mine is simply that the lyrics connect with the deep sorrow we often feel associated with a sad farewell. Solomon was not left comfortless, he had a lifetime of memories of an awesome dad. Yet better than that, he had a hope that farewell was not forever. The Apostle Paul wrote that believers don't mourn the same as those who have no hope. Our goodbyes are really just, "I'll see you in a little bit." All of us are progressing to our own event horizon, beyond which we can no longer interact with those here until they also cross over. Mourning is a part of life as we now no it, how grateful I am to hold on to a promise that says there will be a day when there will be no more tears, no more farewells, no more sad parting. Because of that truth you don't have to live in the tears of loss, but you can live in the hope of reunion.<br />
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My daughter-in-law whose father is an accomplished photographer recently took a picture of my son walking on a stone pier. The picture which is below spoke to me of sorrow and peace (rough waters, calm waters) of loneliness and hope (walking alone, but walking to a joyful destination) and with her permission I have included it here and added some appropriate words. I pray that it will minister comfort to any and all who are living through loss, and waiting for reunion.<br />
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<br />Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-23523354891724773342015-04-15T08:41:00.001-07:002015-07-28T06:03:46.524-07:00I wish you were cold - Rev. 3:15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is what Jesus said in part to the church of Laodicea in the 3rd chapter of the book of Revelation. He is not speaking of a physical temperature, but a spiritual one. On the surface it seems a little bizarre at first glance. Surely, the Lord wants us all to be spiritually hot, doesn't He? Yes, He does. But in the passage Jesus is identifying 3 groups of people, 1 hot, 1 cold, 1 lukewarm. It seems He prefers cold to lukewarm, which seems odd when you think about it. I mean, wouldn't a little warmth be better than cold?</div>
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I want to give a reason why I think Jesus prefers cold to lukewarm. If you think about it, a cold man/woman are more open and likely to change. Take for example the idea of navigating through life. Some people will not accept any kind of guidance, until they come to the place where they realize they really need help.</div>
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We all joke about it, but it seems to be a somewhat universal truth that men won't listen to advice for directions until they realize they are really lost. As long as there is the possibility that he might be going in the right direction, he plows on. It is only when he comes to the realization that every move he makes, makes things worse that he reaches out for help. The prodigal son didn't think about going home till he hit rock bottom. Cold people are more than likely to ask for help.<br />
Lukewarm people think they are ok the way they are, so they go on their merry way and get to a place where God can no longer speak into their life because they think everything is all right. Lukewarm is the place of dulled conscience, of coasting, of one foot in the church and one foot in the world. God prefers someone spiritually cold with whom He has a possibility of bringing change, to those whom He cannot while they are deaf in their ease with living in/for the world.<br />
The lesson and warning is, its best to be spiritually on fire, but if you aren't God may send an arctic blast your way to get you to the place where change is possible.<br />
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<br />Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-76136023861885470132015-03-26T08:45:00.000-07:002015-03-26T08:45:31.585-07:00Until You Are IncreasedEx 23:30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.<br />
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Jabez prayed that God would enlarge his territory, and God gave him what he requested. (1 Chronicles 4:10) That seemed easy enough, but it doesn't always work out that way. Often before we can have increased territory we need to be personally increased, so the question becomes, "Are you waiting on God, or is He waiting on you?" In the text in Exodus, God clearly states that they needed to increase numerically to be able to possess what He had already given them. So the issue is not about getting more from God, but about being bigger in God to access what He has already made available.<br />
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Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of his spirit, and Elijah said he had asked for a hard thing. What made it hard, God's ability to give, or man's ability to receive? The answer is only too apparent. My question in this blog is, are you asking for hard (big) things, and are you willing to let God do what is necessary to get you there?<br />
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There are two primary ways that I believe God increases his people. The first is through struggle. Ps 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me [when I was] in distress... (KJV) When I was a young teenager I got a job in a store that among other things had a shoe shine business. Every now and then a customer would come complaining his shoes were a little too tight. We had a solution for that, it was called a shoe tree, here is a picture of one:<br />
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We would put it in the shoe and use the adjustment mechanism to make it a little larger than the shoe was. The leather would stretch over a couple of days, and then we would take it out and do it again. There were limitations, but in general leather has a certain amount of flexibility that can be utilized by stretching it. In the same way distressful situations can help you to grow by forcing you into situations which are bigger than what you normally could handle. Little by little we are increased.<br />
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The other way God increases people is much more pleasant. "Jude 1:20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; " Praying in the Spirit builds you up (spiritual muscles, increases your capacity), and makes you able to have increased territory. This is not painful but is the opposite of that, it is the grace of God working through and bringing you to a higher level. This is my preferred method, but in my life I have learned God tends to use both. If you are going to pray big prayers for expanded territory know that God will use these methods to get you where you need to be. If you want to have a double portion, you are going to have to become a larger vessel. Praying in the Holy Ghost is a good way to keep the fire on your altar burning. Blessings!<br />
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Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-58891368455521127782015-03-03T09:15:00.001-08:002015-03-03T09:15:05.242-08:00Stupid Bible Laws, you shall not wear garments made out of mixed materials.<br />
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De 22:11 Don’t wear clothes of mixed fabrics, wool and linen together. (MSG version)<br />
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This particular law is a favorite of those who would like to tell us the Old Testament has no application for today. It is most often bandied about by those trying to make the biblical injunctions against homosexual behavior as irrelevant or ridiculous. Often those who mention it do it a mocking type fashion. The argument runs something like this: "Yes the OT forbids homosexual behavior, but those laws are so archaic and stupid, for example in Deuteronomy 22:11 it says you can't mix fabrics, how stupid is that, nobody follows that law today do they?" Those who make such arguments turn a blind eye to Jesus who said: Mt 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.<br />
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So what should be our approach to these "archaic" laws that don't seem to make much sense. Since this is only a blog and not a place for a theological treatise, I will only briefly touch on the subject. First the Apostle Paul twice said the law is good, Romans 7:16; 1 Tim 1:8. But in this age in which we live, and being heavily influenced by western democratic ideals, we have our "modern," approach to the law. It runs something like this, if it makes sense, and I agree with it, than I will obey it. That type of living is summed up in this passage from the book of Judges: Judges 21:25 "In those days [there was] no king in Israel: every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes." History shows that to be one Israels most evil and backslid times. It sums up the theology of the age in which we live.<br />
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In our modern society there seems to be the opinion that the only parts of the bible we need to follow are the parts we understand and agree with. Every week it seems another megachurch pastor is coming out and saying he doesn't agree with hell, or that homosexuals if they get married are just as legitimate as heterosexual marriages. Jesus believed in hell, and very clearly taught it, but that matters little to these "enlightenend," ministers, because it doesn't fit with their idea of what a loving God is like. Clue for them: God doesn't have to fit in our box, as He told Moses, "I AM that I AM."<br />
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Getting back to the mixing of fabrics, on the surface it is a stupid law, but in point of fact it is genius. Let me explain. If God is omniscient, (and He is), then He understands how every activity and event ripples across the world and across time.<br />
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If we accept that God understands consequences that we have absolutely no ability to even remotely comprehend, than we must also accept that He will tell us to do things for which we can never fathom the reason behind. Somewhere along the line God must train us to trust, believe, and follow when things don't make sense, but are perfectly clear to Him. Look at this verse: De 8:2 "And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.<br />
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God made them walk in circles to test them to see if they would keep His commandments. How long will you follow God if it doesn't make sense to you? Why can't we mix wool and linen? It's a test to see if you will follow instructions that have no practical reason for you to follow. This is a very important principle: do you only follow the commands that make sense, that you agree with, that you understand the reasons behind, or do you trust God and do what He says.<br />
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If God tells you not to date someone, does He have to tell you why? If He says don't go into debt to buy a car, and your present job condition says you can easily make the payments, will you obey? What if He knows you are getting laid off in two month? Mixing fabrics seems like a silly rule to follow, unless you understand that it is teaches the principle that you are to follow God when it makes sense and when it doesn't. Can God make rules you don't like or understand, just to leave them as a test to see if you will obey Him? Why couldn't Jews eat a BLT? We used to try to explain that law by saying that pork was bad for us, playing again into the idea that for a rule to be from God it must have a logical and good reason we can understand behind it. If pork was bad for us and that was the reason for the law, then God should have banned a lot of other types of food, but He didn't. The pork law is a law that exists to test whether we obey God or we live by a rule that says we only obey when we agree and understand His laws.<br />
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The purpose of this post is not to tell people to live under all the OT laws, but rather I picked one law out that is often held up to scorn, and attempted to show through it, that we should follow God and not require Him to explain all the reasons for His decisions and leadings. Keep your fire burning.<br />
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<br />Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-27291134057868303902014-12-11T11:25:00.002-08:002014-12-20T06:59:35.422-08:00At The Scent of Water It Will Revive<br />
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There is a wonderful passage of scripture in the book of Job that says: Job 14:7-9 "For there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the ground, And its stump dies in the dry soil, At the scent of water it will flourish And put forth sprigs like a plant."<br />
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The picture above is from a tree in Tennessee that was right on the corner of a sharp bend in the road. Having been struck numerous times it finally was knocked down and cut up, but the stump remained, and as you can see new life is growing again.<br />
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Three thoughts have arrested my attention from that passage. The first is that it speaks of the despair of those whom life has continually whittled at till they are nothing more than a stump. There is a depth of hurt and sorrow in this world that is so deep and profound that a death like state is what it most resembles. This is not simple melancholy, or seasonal affective disorder, this is a sadness that is so overwhelming that suicide seems an attractive alternative. But hold on, there is more to the passage...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbvXKDQiC_mB1fjD4wVBIFWjOWQolWdmij-pGH8e6qlF3vevKcR9Y1MBur3bE-cFg1An8kyjOxZYl5q4aOFYFMNp4rKevxAk33_cStvkbHcdrUqakYUHJeF1R9ybZygdCOxTzcxGIT20/s1600/plant+in+desert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbvXKDQiC_mB1fjD4wVBIFWjOWQolWdmij-pGH8e6qlF3vevKcR9Y1MBur3bE-cFg1An8kyjOxZYl5q4aOFYFMNp4rKevxAk33_cStvkbHcdrUqakYUHJeF1R9ybZygdCOxTzcxGIT20/s1600/plant+in+desert.jpg" /></a>The second thing I see is hope. The tree above has been given a second chance, and while life will be different it is still beautiful life. One of the first lessons in the bible is that God makes beautiful things out of dust. You may be wondering how that could be done. Don't waste your time, it is not something to figure out, especially in a mind that cannot see a way out. It is just a fact that God reminds us of billions and billions of times a year. Rebirth. Look at the next picture and compare the dirt and the plant. We will never be able to fully fathom how such a thing can happen, but it is a wonderful message of hope for messed up lives. The passage in Job has a wonderful twin in the New Testament: 1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,..." Hope is the expectation that something good is going to come my way. Jesus can give you a, "living hope." Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, is ever His promise. From the cold dead soil of your life, though impossible in your own eyes, God can bring new life.<br />
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Third thing is for believers who will be reading this post, "at the scent of water it will revive." (KJV) It is God's purpose for us that we be the scent of water, to those in a dry and barren land. Others should seek refreshment in our presence because we bring a sense of the abundant life that Christ has given us. Let your light so shine before men... Keep your fire burning!<br />
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<br />Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-56855777644750012382014-07-07T08:27:00.002-07:002014-07-07T08:35:07.482-07:00Cute but Dangerous; the Hickory Caterpillar<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Beware the Hickory Caterpillar</h2>
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Recently a friend told of an encounter with one of these rascals, an encounter that perhaps saved his life. (At the end of this blog I have attached a link where you can find out more about the dangers of the Hickory Caterpillar.) I am not sure where he was, but one of these cute caterpillars got on him he brushed it off, and went about his business and thought nothing of the encounter. A short time later his neck began to really swell up in the area where the caterpillar had been. As the swelling increased so did their concern, and it wasn't long before he and his wife were off to the ER greatly concerned as to what was going on.<br />
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He got to the hospital and they began to do tests, and the doctor seemed to be ignoring the swelling on his neck. My friend kept saying to the doctor, "what about this swelling on my neck, what about this swelling on my neck." The doctor finally told him, he wasn't concerned about the swelling it was simply an allergic reaction, but what really concerned him was that he found out my friend had an enlarged heart which had resulted from years of having high blood pressure and it not being treated. The doctor was focusing on the true hidden danger my friend was facing, not the external visible one.<br />
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What a great lesson for me as a pastor. Yes external things need to be dealt with it, but often there are much larger issues of the heart we cannot see. So often as God said to Samuel the prophet, man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart. We tend to judge people by the externals we can see, but the truth is there are a lot of people with good externals, but very bad internals.<br />
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Jesus said it this way, Mt 23:27 "You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh.Mt 23:28 People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds. (Msg version)<br />
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God help us all, to be like that doctor, and though we may recognize an issue in the external, lets focus on the internal. There are a lot of people who live in very nice houses, and yet they are very depraved inside, I don't know about you but that is a lesson in life it seems I have to keep being reminded of. Keep your fire burning!<br />
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Here is the link for info on those caterpillars: http://www4.uwm.edu/fieldstation/naturalhistory/bugoftheweek/hickory-tussock-moth.cfm<br />
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Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-27726705993477120502014-04-24T08:03:00.002-07:002014-04-24T08:03:36.319-07:00Satisfying Sleep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Psalms 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To
eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved [even in
his] sleep. (NAS)<br />
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Sleep is as necessary to life as is eating. It allows the mind time to process the days events, gives the body opportunity to rejuvenate, the emotions are given some space to sort themselves out, so it is good for body soul and spirit. That is, if you have satisfying sleep. Without it we are as grumpy as two year olds, and we find that because we had fitful sleep we still have the same problems, but now we have even less strength to deal with them.<br />
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Charles Spurgeon described the dynamics of a stressed out mind at bed time, with word pictures better than I could ever attain to:<br />
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"You imagine if you fix your mind upon a certain subject until it shall engross your attention, you will then sleep; but you find yourself unable to do so. Ten thousand things drive through your brain as if the whole earth were agitated before you. You see all things you ever beheld dancing in a wild phantasmagoria before your eyes. You close your eyes, but still you see; and there be things in your ear and head, and brain,which will not let you sleep."<br />
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Hard work and hard worrying will have you eating what the text above calls the bread of painful labors. If you never learn how to process stress you will wind up sleepless in Seattle, turning to drugs, cranky, wore out, and nigh on to a nervous breakdown.<br />
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The bible has some sound advice that has stood the test of time, and helped many a weary pilgrim. First it tells us that worry is useless. (Mt. 6:27-33) Worry is not capable of doing anything to improve your situation, all it can do is rob you of strength, and take the wind out of your sails. In short it makes things worse.<br />
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The second piece of advice is to cast your care upon Him, because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7) I am not a very good fisherman. Whenever I cast a line out, I pull it in a few seconds later and see if I caught anything. That is not how its done, I know it, and that is why I hardly go fishing, I don't have the patience for it. Being aware of that part of my personality has helped me to realize I can't be the same way with prayer. You can't pray and then 2 minutes later say, "where's my answer?" That is not how it works (usually). Like the song says, take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there. Easier said then done, unless of course you REALLY DO TRUST the person you are leaving them with. Keep your fire burning, get rid of the weights that would dampen it.Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-25632967423512726632014-04-03T07:43:00.000-07:002014-04-03T09:16:01.760-07:00Anticipation. The thing was true, but the time appointed was long.<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Anticipation</h2>
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Dainel 10:1 ...and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long...<br />
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When you are enjoying life and having fun, time flies. But when we are looking forward to something, or really need something to happen, time seems to drag on and on, and becomes an enemy to our hopes and aspirations.<br />
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In my journey with God, there are times I had to walk down a long dark hallway, though surrounded by family and friends. Life doesn't always live up to our expectations, or seem to care one whit about our time schedule. In seasons like that I have often been cheered on by a promise from God. David, the Lord's giant killer, must have felt the same when he penned the following:<br />
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Psalms 119:49 Remember the word to Thy servant, In which Thou hast made me hope.<br />
Psalms 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, That Thy word has revived me. (NAS)<br />
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He says the promise given him aroused hope and even revived him back from the brink of despair. Here it is also in another translation :<br />
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Psalms 119:50 These words hold me up in bad times; yes, your promises rejuvenate me.<br />
Psalms 119:51 The insolent ridicule me without mercy, but I don’t budge from your revelation. (MSG)<br />
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David is recounting a promise that was given to him in a dark place that served to cheer him on. He called it a comfort in his affliction and something that rekindled the spark of life, that had grown dim. A promise can give you strength to hold on, it can lift you out of depression, it can dispel dark clouds of doubt, bring you up from the bed of affliction, it can revive dying embers of faith. A promise can hold you together when your mind feels like it is going to tear apart.<br />
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Is there a job for which you are longing, a breakthrough, a relationship?, the more dear it is to you the more agonizing wait time can seem to be. If you don't have a promise, ask God, He is a master at giving hope to the hopeless. If you have a promise don't let anything or anyone steal it from you.<br />
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I like the wording of v. 51 in the message where David is saying that he was being ridiculed and that is the sentiment of the KJV version also: ...The proud have had me greatly in derision... The idea seems to be that others may have been aware of the promise David claimed to have from God, and were mocking him because it hadn't yet been fulfilled. Thus it has been with all who have had a promise from God. If that describes you, I encourage you to do what David did, he used the promise as a solid argument to make for a plea for its fulfillment. God you told me something in a dark time, and it inspired me with hope, when I had none. That hope is the proof I carry inside myself that it was a true word from you, your word says hope deferred makes the heart sick, won't you still the voice of the mockers and bring to fruition what you promised, for I place my trust in You.<br />
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Sometimes as the prophet Daniel found out, a thing may be true, but the time appointed is long. The passing of time can never invalidate the word of the One who is always true. We shall reap if we do not faint. (Galations 6:9) Keep the fire burning. Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186201269090995635.post-20868288488629111362014-03-08T10:23:00.000-08:002014-03-08T10:27:30.536-08:00Beware of Pickpockets <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From the parable of the Sower:</div>
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Mr 4:4 As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it.<br />
Mr 4:13 He continued, "Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.<br />
Mr 4:14 "The farmer plants the Word.<br />
Mr 4:15 Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them. </div>
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It has been a sad observation of mine that Christians are vulnerable to spiritual pickpockets, and are naive enough to think that the thief only steals from "lost" people. I wish that were true, but experience teaches otherwise. I have seen people ripped off in church. How so, you ask?</div>
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Text messages, cell phones, distractions.</div>
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" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2186201269090995635" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Others are ripped off by a feeling of inapplicability, they hear a message about gossiping, or anger, and think it applies to everyone but themselves. Perhaps that is what Jesus had in mind when He said, "...my word has no place in you." Here was a group of people that God's word could not penetrate into their heart and take root, yet these were the very same people who claimed to be closest to God! (John 8:33 ...we are Abraham's seed) With God it is always better to be humble and broken, that is the best soil there is for the word of God to take root.</div>
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Here is a partial list of some of the things I try to pray over my preaching, sermons, and life, I present it that you might hear the heart of a pastor pleading for the benefit of the flock he has been called to serve:</div>
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I pray for the Word to have place in them.</div>
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For the Word to take root, continue in their minds, thoughts and actions.</div>
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For the Word to be heard without distractions.</div>
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For the ability to speak beyond myself.</div>
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For the ability to be able to ring the lost's bell.</div>
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To have greater gifts in pulling in and mending my nets.</div>
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To have no holes in our spiritual pockets.</div>
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These things I pray for me and for you. Keep your fire burning.</div>
<br />Mauricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16470561701020162193noreply@blogger.com0