So many unnecessary distractions, keep us from seeing the need all around us…..

When you run alone, you run fast.  When you run together, you run far

Zambian proverb

The Revival We Need” by Oswald J. Smith (1925) says…“Work among believers of itself will not suffice. It matters not how spiritual a church may profess to be, if souls are not saved something is radically wrong, and the professed spirituality is simply a false experience, a delusion of the devil. People who are satisfied to meet together simply to have a good time among themselves, are far away from God.

Convicting!

Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry.  Live simply, expect little, give much.  Fill your life with love.  Scatter sunshine.  Forget self, think of others.  Do as you would be done by others.  Try this for a week and you will be surprised.

The Power of Positive Thinking

You never know who may come by and read this blog.  It is amazing to me that what I am currently writing, some person in Australia could be reading this evening.

That being the case, I want to make the most of the opportunity to tell that possible drive by reader about the most important decision they could ever make.

Do you really know Jesus?  What do I mean by that?  First, I mean do you know Him as Savior?  As the Son of God, He came to earth, suffered cruelly at the hands of wicked men so that you and I can have our sins forgiven.  Have you put your faith in Him and asked Him to forgive all the wrongs you have done in the past?  Secondly, have you changed your way of living?  Instead of doing what you want, do you let the teaching of Jesus dictate how you will live your life?  Have you publicly confessed Jesus as Lord (Master)? Have you expressed this life change decision through water baptism?  Are you getting up every day saying, “I submit to your lead in my life dear Jesus?  Is your life lived, to the best of your ability, to love God and to love your fellow person?  Do you know Jesus as your friend?  Is He the deciding factor in all that you do?  Do you love Him?  Do you sense His love and presence?  Do you feel a need to share His friendship with others?  Do your fear death or do you long for the time you will spend in eternity with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit?

He is not far from you.  Jesus is as close as your breath on your face.  Talk to Him.  Invite Him to come and rule over your life.  Let Him lead you from here on out.  You will never be sorry that you did.  He will become your everything!

Another horrific and senseless killing of 6 innocent people at Northern Illinois University.   It almost is becoming something to expect on the news.  For the last 30 years I’ve watched this time and again.  The places change, but the tragic and cruel drama stays the same.   A disgruntled postal worker shots and kills fellow workers; a factory worker guns down his fellow laborers, someone puts poison in Tylenol bottles and several die, young students come to High School and gun down fellow students, bombs in the mail, a young man randomly shoots people from a hole in the trunk of his car, a massacre at Virginia Tech and now this latest in random murders.

What is the cause of all this?  Is there any thread that is common in each of these senseless killings?  How can so many people be so cold blooded?

I have a theory that I’ve put to the test for the last 30 years.  Even before committing my life to the lordship of Jesus, I knew that the taking of life was wrong.  I was taught from as early as I can remember that life, all life, was sacred and precious.  Life was valued highly.  Something drastically changed in January of 1973.  Roe v. Wade now made abortion on demand legal.  The change really started much earlier in the 1960’s during the sexual revolution, but culminated in the decision that was made by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973.  How we see life from that time has changed drastically.

 As young 16 year old kids in the later part of 1974 my soon to be wife and I were expecting our first child.  We now were faced with “a choice” that some were advocating we now legally could make.  Even though I had no knowledge of the bible;  I had made no allegiance to follow Jesus;  my wife and I both knew this to be intrinsically wrong and repulsive.  I would do anything in my power to protect this precious life from any who would harm him.  Why?  Because life is sacred and precious.  I am so thankful for all the people in my life who conveyed to me, and my wife, of how dear life is.

When people want to debate this topic they tend toward the the scientific or social issues.  What about incest?  What about rape?  Ectopic pregnancies and various other scenarios.  First of all, all of those situations combined do not account for even 1 percent of all abortions in the US.  Second of all, no matter what the situation, we need to view life in the womb as sacred and precious and base our actions on that value.  The nature of our world is messed up and bad things do happen even in the interest of good.  Babies do die.  Sometimes even before they are born.  That doesn’t mean we should stop trying to save them.  I personally have conducted funerals for such miscarriages.  Why?  Because life is sacred.

Abortion has opened Pandora’s box to the de-valuing of life.  Dr. Kevorkian and various others like him base what they do on a new, lowered value, of human life.  What we are currently experiencing with increasing random violence is also based on this diminished view of live, even our own, as proved by theses people in the taking of their own life in most cases.  I’ve been talking about this for over 30 years.  I believe what were are now experiencing, in a variety of ways, is the backlash from the choices we are making about how valuable is life.

Yes! We all do have a choice.  We always have.  I hope and pray that we will choose life!  We also have a choice who to vote for this fall.  There are many people, not just the president, who will be on the ballot.  These people are to represent us.  They will make laws that either support or diminish life.  When we go to the polls to vote this year,  let’s choose a candidate that supports life, all life. 

Somebody is clearly lying….

I think the Rocket would like a couple of minutes in the boys room with Mr. McNamee….what do you think?

I ask myself, self, who has the most to gain by lying in this situation?  Who has the most to lose from the truth?

I’m reminded of a bible verse, “humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been where Clemens is right now.  You know you are wrong.  You know you have messed up; but you are fighting to defend your pride at all cost. 

Brother Clemens needs to learn, like all of us, give it up, come clean bro….fly and be free!

Here are some simple guidlines from Norman Vincent Peale on how to have a more power-filled prayer life:

1.  Set aside a few minutes every day.  Do not say anything.  Simply practice thinking about God.  This will make your mind spiritually perceptive.

2.  Then pray out loud, using simple, natural words.  Tell God anything that is on your mind.  Don’t think you need to use sterotyped phrases.  Talk to God in your own words. 

3.  Pray as you go about your daily activities.  Take moments to close your eyes so that you can close out the world around you and concentrate on God’s presence. (Not recommended while driving!)  The more you do this every day the nearer you will feel God’s presence.

4.  Don’t always ask when you pray, but instead affirm that God’s blessings are being given, and spend most of your prayers giving thanks.

5.  Pray with the belief that sincere prayers can reach out and surround your loved ones with God’s love and protection.

6.  Never use a negative thought in prayer.  Only positive thoughts get results.

7.  Always express willingness to accept God’s will.  Ask for what you want, but be willing to take what God gives you.  It may be better than what you ask for.

8.  Practice the attitude of putting everything in God’s hands.  Ask for the ability to do your best and to leave the results confidently to God.

9.  Pray for people you do not like or who have mistreated you.  Resentment is blockade number one of spiritual power.

10.  Make a list of people for whom to pray.  The more you pray for other people, especially those not connected with you, the more prayer results will come back to you.