A Picture of Jesus

A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl. She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to her and said, "Go into the other room and see if you can put this back together.

After a few minutes, she returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. "Oh," she said, "On the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together."

Ignatius of Antioch

Just added a paper that I just finished on one of the founding church fathers: Ignatius of Antioch. Studying his life was very insightful for me. I have a new found appreciation for him, as well as many of the other ancient church fathers. They were in some uncharted waters, and much of what we know and believe today is because of them.

Dwayne Spearman.org: Why They Hate Us

Dwayne Spearman.org: Why They Hate Us: Ever wonder why the world hates Christians so much? The Bible says that it is because we are proof that they are going to be destroyed.

Dying Daily

Nothing But Jesus

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:1-8 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.  (2)  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  (3)  And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,  (4)  and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,  (5)  that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.  (6)  Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away.  (7)  But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.  (8)  None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Again, Paul didn't come with this great ability to make moving speeches. His ministry was simply to teach the Word of God simply. That's all any preachers call is.

That's comforting to me. My effectiveness isn't based on how articulate I am or how I have a deep, commanding speaking voice or how much education I have.

Zech. 4:6 "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord."

Heb. 4:12  says, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

The Word is alive and all I have to do is give it to you!

Almost There?

The Bible states that either God is your father or Satan is your father. Either you are in a relationship with Christ, or you're not; either you are born again, or you're not. You are either God's child, or you are God's enemy; you are either storing up wrath, or you are storing up mercy; you are either heaven-bound, or you are hell-bound. No one is in the middle. No one is "almost there."

Prayer

God does not want to get us to a place where we don't have to pray about anything, but instead to a place where we have to pray about everything.

Be Ye Separate

The world wants us to look like 'em and talk like 'em, and act like 'em, but the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 that we are to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  (15)  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  (16)  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  (17)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  (18)  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Dead Churches

I've come to understand that it takes spiritually dead people to maintain spiritually dead churches.

World Wants vs. God Wants

The world wants us to look like 'em and talk like 'em, and act like 'em, but God says through the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  (15)  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  (16)  What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."  (17)  "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."  (18)  "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

Jeremiah 8:11

What a warning this verse is for today.

Jeremiah 8:11 "They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. gPeace, peace,h they say,
when there is no peace."

Absolute Truth

Today, we are taught that truth is relative, subjective and that there are no absolutes. I wonder if they are absolutely sure about that?

Obama Campaign Sues in Bid to Suppress Military Vote

I am absolutely shocked at how we are letting this man get away with doing things like this!

Obama Campaign Sues in Bid to Suppress Military Vote

No New Commandment

1 John 2:7-11 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.  (8)  Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.  (9)  He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.  (10)  He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.  (11)  But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

We need to be honest with God and confess our feelings of hatred for another person, so that God can replace our hatred with His love.

Hate kills both the person who you hate, but also yourself as well. Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.

Bill Gate's Eleven Rules for Life

Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it! 

Rule 2 : The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

 
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: They called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were: So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room..

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.. 

Does Christianity Satisfy?

2 Corinthians 6:16-17 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM. I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE."  (17)  Therefore "COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND BE SEPARATE, SAYS THE LORD. DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN, AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU."

I am afraid that when we, as Christians live like the world, act like the world, dress like the world, drink alcohol like the world, listen to the world's music, read the world's books, etc....then we are in effect saying to the world, "There is not enough in Christianity to satisfy me, therefore I must copy you." -  Mark Agan

Hate Is Like Acid

Hate is like acid. It can damage the vessel in which it is stored as well as destroy the object on which it is poured.

Faithful to Forgive

The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

How does a worm get inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from inside. But how does he get in there? Simple! An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later, the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats his way out. Sin, like the worm, begins in the heart and works out through a person's thoughts, words, and actions.

He is Faithful to Forgive

The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

How does a worm get inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from inside. But how does he get in there? Simple! An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later, the worm hatches in the heart of the apple, then eats his way out. Sin, like the worm, begins in the heart and works out through a person's thoughts, words, and actions.