Did you ever start a new job or go to a new school or church and feel overwhelmed by all that was going on? Everyone seems to have their particular role. Each piece of equipment has a set function. Your question is, “Where do I fit in???”  How do I become a part of this confusing spectacle in front of me? Many people will find someone they trust or has been assigned to them to show them around. Others will just stand there and go blank. After a while they will just turn around and wander off.

I’ve seen almost the same thing happen on the highway. Occasionally I’ve seen folks so overwhelmed by the prospect of merging into heavy traffic that they will just sort of drift to the end of an on-ramp and freeze. Sometimes a kind soul will see their predicament and slow down just enough to let them into traffic. Later they’ll tell a friend that they will never drive in that area again. The traffic is just too dangerous and confusing. “The drivers in that area are just crazy!”

In a new place most of the time a friendly face can act as a guide to help them focus on their new surroundings to show them what is important and what isn’t. In a new area with daunting traffic we need someone to lead us to go in front of us through those difficult merges, lane changes and around frightening vehicles.

Look for those people who are in need of our leadership. Guide them gently. God has placed you here to bring others with you.

And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.

(Luk 22:25-26 ESV)

FAITH THAT MOVES ME

Here's a song that's been on my mind lately...

FAITH THAT MOVES ME

 I read my bible almost every night 
 Say a quick prayer and then turn out the lights
 And just ignore that you want more

 I've been complacent in my walk with you
 Stuck in a valley I just won’t pass thru
 Lord it feels like I’m standing still 

 Chorus
 Give me faith…..a strong faith 
 Faith that listens to your heart and don’t need eyes to see
 I don’t need a faith that moves a mountain 
 I just need a faith that moves me 

 Take me to that place where there’s no doubt 
 Mold me and change me from the inside out 
 So when the world sees me they’ll say he believes 

 Chorus
 Give me faith…..a strong faith 
 Faith that listens to your heart and don’t need eyes to see
 I don’t need a faith that moves a mountain 
 I just need a faith that moves me 
 Monte Allen

Behold, God is my salvation!

You will say in that day: 

"I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. 

"Behold, God is my salvation; 

I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." 

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: 

"Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. 

"Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the 

Holy One of Israel." 

(Isa 12:1-6 ESV)

Why we need to be grounded in the scripture.......

It’s only through the confidence and assurance we gain through the study and application of the Word and the experience we gain through seeing God work through His Word in our lives that we gain a firm foundation and basis for true joy and assurance.

Not just happiness, JOY.

 
Happiness is a conditional feeling that depends on the happenstances of our lives. Joy comes through the calm assurance gained through watching God work in our lives in light of the scripture.

 
ASSURANCE – Big word, terribly misunderstood by most… 

Assurance cannot be given to you by man.

No one can walk up to you and tell you that you are saved.
Assurance does not come through emotional catharsis or special knowledge or mystical experience. These things can be counterfeited by both satan and man. The counterfeits can be used to keep a person from finding the real joy and confidence that comes from true repentance and trust in Christ.

gh

PRAY FOR THE LOST!

PRAY FOR THE LOST!

"Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."(Isaiah 59:1-2, John 9:31, Proverbs15:29, 1 Timothy 2:1-6, 2 Peter  3:9)

The compilation above sums up the position of the unrepentant. God does not listen to the prayers of sinners. Apart from the prayer of repentance and trust their prayers for help and comfort fall on non-listening ears... For example, if someone completely unrelated to you who had seen how well you had raised your children and/or  grandchildren, how you had provided for them, how you had protected them and loved them with abandon, would come to you and told you how they had observed your passionate love for your family. They are coming to you now to request that you would give them the same privilege without any family ties you would probably; definitely refuse their request on the basis of lack of familial rights. God has the same position. Until the sinner has been brought into the family He will hear their prayers but not listen to their requests.

Boredom-Day 14

Boredom-Day 14

 

I know that I’m getting ever closer to that magic age when those of us who have been active throughout our lives are supposed to slow down and take it easy (retirement) but I wasn’t prepared for the reality of being off for an extended period. I recently broke my foot while doing my pre-trip preparation at work.  The doctor said that the type of break I had would be a career ending injury for a professional athlete, (Good thing I’m not a professional athlete.) and that surgery would be required for my foot to heal properly. Well, as some of you know, there isn’t a simple process to get the medical and short term disability benefits started. Since it happened at work I had to go through all the Workers Comp rigmarole so that helped prolong the process. In any case it looks like I’ll be off work for almost ten weeks. That’s a lot of time. I find my unoccupied mind wandering from thought to thought and topic to topic. Every once in a while it lands on something.

[I compare this process to the actions observed when flies hitch a ride on a manure spreader. When the manure spreader hits a bump they all get up and fly around for a while and land somewhere completely different but still on the manure spreader. (A similar behavior happens with people in corporate management and in government.)  I guess that since I am the first person that I know of to record this phenomenon I get to name it. I’m trying to figure out what to call it. Here are some of the possibilities: “Manure Spreader Effect”, “Bumped Fly Syndrome”,” Hodges’ Distraction Paradigm”.]

But I digress…

The other day while my unoccupied mind was flying around I finally figured out why Valerie has been burning the microwave popcorn. It seemed that my darling lovely wife was having trouble completing this simple task without setting off the smoke detectors. You’re just supposed to put the bag in, close the door, push the “POPCORN” button, press the “START” button, wait until the microwave beeps, and take out the popped bag and enjoy…Right???  I even accused her of using the smoke alarms as timers. Obviously there is a missing factor at work here. Why is the popcorn burning even though published procedure is being followed? This was just the sort of puzzle I needed to occupy my mind. Upon closer examination I found what appears to be the underlying cause.  It seems that there are more than two sizes of microwave popcorn bags. We thought there were only two sizes 1.2 and 3.5. Someone in the Microwave Popcorn Cartel (MPC) has decided to package their delicious snack in an intermediate 2.4 oz. size bag without telling the Microwave Oven Cartel (MOC). I’m sure if the MPC had let the MOC know of their intention to do this the MOC would have placed another convenient button on the control panel for the intermediate popcorn bag (IPB).

 Problem identified… So what is the solution???

1.       We could be careful that in the future we purchase our microwave popcorn in only the prescribed 1.2 or 3.5 ounce packets.

2.       We could buy another microwave with an additional setting for the IPB (2.4 oz. intermediate popcorn bag)

3.       We could pop the corn on the 3.5 oz. setting and take it out before it burns.

4.       We could ask congress to make it illegal to sell microwave popcorn in any size but 1.2 and 3.5 ounce bags.

5.       We could ask congress to make it mandatory to purchase only the 3.5 ounce bags from a prescribed government exchange and fine us if we stop buying microwave popcorn.

I think I’ll just go with option 3 for now.

Next…

GH

The video linked below may be the most important nine minutes you ever spend!
http://wretchednetwork.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/steve-lawsons-impromptu-gospel-presentation/