Friday, June 30, 2017

LOSING TOUCH WITH REALITY



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Politicians lose
touch with reality.

They think the way to prosperity is to take it away
from those who have, and give it to those who
have not.

You can see the proof that this does not work in the
countries and states that are going broke.  They
took it away from those who earned it, and gave it
to those who would not work.

But are we doing the same thing?

The real you, that is your soul. Are you feeding
and caring for it?  Or, are you only feeding and
caring for your body?  When your life on earth
is over, will your soul be bankrupt when you
have to give account to God?

How God looks at it.

  "So we do not lose heart.
Though our outer nature is wasting
away, our inner nature is being
renewed every day.  For this slight 
momentary affiliation is preparing
for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison, because we 
look not to the things that are seen 
but to the things that are unseen;
 for the things that are seen are 
transient, but the things that are 
unseen are eternal."
(2Corinthians 4:16-18 RSV)

 Are we working for the temporary 
things, or the eternal things?






Thursday, June 29, 2017

JOHN COOPER


JOHN,
DID I GET YOUR ATTENTION?


This is the table you ask about.
I am sorry about the poor lighting on the 
subject.  But I just snapped the picture to show a
friend the style my daughter choose,  Not to 
showcase the table.


The table is 7' long and 45 1/4" wide.  It was 
designed to fit her kitchen.  She is into "rustic"
decor.  The hardwood boarder, legs, frame 
material, glue, screws etc. only cost 29 times 
more than the pallets.


Being a father of daughters can be,
well, time consuming.
But I love them anyway.

TODAY'S PROMISE




"And this is the confidence which we have in him,
that if we ask anything according to his will he
hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in 
whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained  
the request made of him."
(1 John 5:14,15 RSV)



Wednesday, June 28, 2017

A SHORT MEDITATION





"Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed
in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not 
confess it, lest they should be put out out the 
synagogue: for they loved the praise of men
more than the praise of God."
(John 12:42,43 RSV)


OUCH!

Am I more concerned about the opinions of my 
fellow men than of God who made me, gives me
life and loved me enough to die for me?

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

TODAY'S QUOTE



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"When death is chasing you
in the emergency room
there is no atheist."
-Maurice S. Rawlings, M.D.


Monday, June 26, 2017

A FRIGHTENING EXPERENCE



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"Then people went out to see what had happened,
and they came to Jesus, and found the man  from
whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of
Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were
afraid." (Luke 8:35 RSV)


WOW!
Would that ever be frightening.

If Jesus went to Hollywood and started casting
out demons.  Can you imagine people actually
putting their clothes on and having a right mind?

That would scare the rest of them to death.
Would it scare you being around a sane
person?












Friday, June 23, 2017

PAYDAY


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About forty years ago, as a young man,  I wanted to 
think that God paid his managers very well.
[Guess what I had in mind.]

I was right.  I was right.  I was right.

But on payday.  

I was wanting it ahead of time.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

TODAY'S PROMISE




"For he who sows to his own flesh
will from the flesh reap corruption;
but he who sows to the Spirit will
from the Spirit reap eternal life."
(Galatians 6:8 RSV)

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

A SHORT MEDITATION



"A man's mind plans his way,
but the Lord directs his steps."
(Proverbs 16:9 RSV)

Many, many years ago I was just a "dumb" kid in
High School.  About the only things of interest to
me were my "hot rod" and girls.

One year wanting  to take a class in physics, because
I thought I might learn something in it I could use 
to make my "hot rod" faster, they would not let me
because the class was full.  So, the counselor talked
me into taking "typing" instead.  Why not.  There
would be no home work, very few of us had
typewriters at home.  No reading and studying, 
O.K.  I had to have another class so it sounded
good to me.

Now, about 67 years latter, I have seen time after
time that "typing" class has been of more value to
me than any other class I ever took in High School
or either College.

I thank God for directing my steps when I was
not smart enough to.

"I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not
in himself, that it is not in man who walks
to direct his steps."
(Jeremiah 10:23 RSV)

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

TODAY'S QUOTE



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"The power of prayer cannot be diminished
by distance; it is not limited by age, infirmity
political change or restrictions.  The power of
prayer in the life of an obedient Christian can
only be undermined by neglect."
-David Bentley Taylor



Monday, June 19, 2017

DO YOU HAVE A THORN?


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Many of us know about the apostle Paul's thorn in the flesh. 
And the Scriptures make it clear that because of the revelations
God gave him, the thorn was given to; 1.  Keep him humble.
2. Keep him dependent on God, not himself.  Good advise
for all of us.

Now I am not near as perfect as you.  I would expect that 
your thorn in the flesh is something as serious as not 
being able to pronounce "Zerubbabel" correctly.  That of 
course is to keep you from feeling "over  smart".  But me,
 I live in a briar patch.

This morning in my devotional period the Lord seemed
to reveal to me clearly, and gently, that one of those 
stickers in the briar patch is "my thorn in the flesh".
Believe it or not, knowing that is a relief.  It has kept
me from being "super spiritual".  And it sure keeps me
dependent on God.  God loves me enough to give me 
a problem to keep me in my place.

Does God love you enough to give you a problem to
help develop you???

"Count it all joy, my brethren, when you 
meet various trials, for you know that the
testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect,  
that you may be perfect and complete, 
lacking in nothing."
(James 1:2-4 RSV)






Friday, June 16, 2017

THANKS AGAIN LORD


THANKS AGAIN LORD

"A man's mind plans his way,
but the Lord directs his steps."
(Proverbs 16:9 RSV)



I have mentioned before purchasing a patch of woods
to go hide in when I need some peace and quite.  Being
a poor boy I purchased it at a state tax sale.  That allowed
me to get it very, very cheap.  That is, with just play
money.

I had my heart set on some woods that had about three
times the acreage of what I ended up with.  It had nothing,
nothing, nothing but trees on it.  My intent had been to drag by
hand lumber down into the middle and build a small shack
 to sleep in, if I wanted to.,

But I was out bid and very disappointed.  However one
small place simply would not sell at the sale. [This was
God's doing.]  So later I bought it from the state.

The place I ended up buying had an abandoned structure
on it.  With some patching up I had a place to sleep, to
cook and with a wood stove for warmth.  I have been
thanking God for that ever since.

But today, and the purpose of my thanksgiving, I looked
into the county assessors records out of curiosity.
Guess what!

The market value of the little place I bought is three and
one third times more than what I paid.

And, the market value of the place I wanted so bad is,
only one fifth of what the other man paid for it.
(Poor guy.)

Thank God he did not let me have what I wanted so bad.

THANK YOU JESUS.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

TODAY'S PROMISE




"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes
no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no 
deceit."
(Psalms 32:1,2 RSV)




Wednesday, June 14, 2017

A SHORT MEDITATION




"For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favor and honor,
No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts
blessed is the man who trust in thee!"
(Psalms 84:11,12 RSV)

Do you want God's blessing on your life?

The answer is in the above Scripture.
Observe it is when God is "Lord" in our life.
Three times we see the necessity of God 
being "Lord" in our life.  If we have 
submitted to God allowing him to be our 
"Lord"and follow his instructions  then the 
blessing follow; 
i.e.,
God's favor and honor.
God will not keep any good thing from us.
And if we trust him, rather than our selves,
then his blessing will be on us.


Tuesday, June 13, 2017

TODAY'S QUOTE



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 "You have made us for yourself,
O Lord,
and our heart is restless until it
rests in You."
-Augustine


Monday, June 12, 2017

O BOY. GOOD JUNK


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Last week I was donating some time at Fort Rock 
Family Camp.  Most of my time there is in maintenance,
you know "fixing stuff".   I was at the shop working when
one of the children from a family helping came to me 
wanting help to build a whistle.  She had picked out a 
piece of scrap tubing.  All I had to do was help her make
into a whistle. [Ha, ha, ha.]

We needed a piece of material to make the "fipple block"
with.  So, I pointed her at the scrap pile.  It is "fair game"
for anybody to use.  So with the help of her two smaller 
brothers they begin to dig in the scrap pile.  And I went 
back about my business.

Can you imagine my surprise when I came back out and
found that Lydia and each of her brothers had laid out
about a wheelbarrow load of scrap steel and old parts
 for each one of them.  Good stuff they had found in 
the scrap pile.  Three wheelbarrows of stuff.

But, their mother would not let them take all that good 
stuff home with them.

Just like you and me.  We spend a life time of  piling up 
a lot of "good junk" that we cannot take with 
us when we die and leave this old world.

One day every one of us is going to stand before
God in judgement whether we like it or not.
Consider his opinion on all this good "stuff" we
gather up for our selves.

"There is great gain in godliness with contentment;
for we brought nothing into the world, and we
cannot take anything out of the world, but if we
have food and clothing, with these we shall be
content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into
temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and 
hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and 
destruction.  For the love of money is the root of
all evils; it is through this craving that some have
wandered away from the faith and pierce their 
hearts with many pangs."
(1 Timothy 6:6-10 RSV)


Friday, June 9, 2017

SMART, OH SO SMART


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SMART, OH SO SMART

For  many years I worked as an automotive
technician in a university town.  It was a
Lincoln Mercury dealership.  This resulted 
in a good number of our customers being
"professors" or "administrators" from the
University.

One day I was sent up to the University to
help one of the "professors" get his car started.
[I do not know what he "professed".]

I had to show him how to turn the ignition
switch all the way over to the start position.

Give the man credit.  It did not take him
too long to grasp the concept.

"Be not wise in your own eyes;"
(Proverbs 3:7 RSV)   


I know another very very intelligent man.
BUT, he can not seem to do the simplest
task correctly.  Perhaps he is too smart.
Of course, he would not want that fact
pointed out to him.

"Claiming to be wise, they become 
fools,"
(Romans 1:22 RSV)


I am beginning to thank God that I am not
too smart.




Thursday, June 8, 2017

TODAY'S PROMISE



"He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might
he increases strength."
(Isaiah 40:29 RSV)

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

A SHORT MEDITATION



Many years ago, some where around 926 - 886 BC, there
was a king in Israel named Asa.  A good name even today.

Asa was a good king and God let him have peace in his
kingdom for the first ten years of his reign.  Then another
king came against him with a million man army.  But king
Asa only had an army of 580,000 to defend his kingdom 
with. 

So when king Asa went out to fight with his smaller 
army and he prayed out:

"O Lord, you can help a weak army as easily as 
a powerful one, Help us now, O Lord our God, 
because we are relying on you, and in your name
we have come out to fight against this huge army.
Lord, you are our God; no one can hope to 
defeat you."(2 Chronicles 14:11 GNT)

God helped Asa and his small army totally defeat
the much larger army.

About fifteen years latter another army came against
King Asa.  But this time he handled it differently.

Asa used some political manipulation and bribery.
It seemed to work.  But Asa did it his way and not
God's way.  And Asa's career went down from there.

When God was rebuking king Asa through the 
prophet Hanani we pick up this clue;

"The Lord keeps close watch over the whole
world, to give strength to those whose hearts
are loyal to him."
 (2 Chronicles 16: 9 GNT)  

Hey! That's you and me too.  Want strength
for that battle that is too big for you.  There
is your answer.

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

TODAY'S QUOTE



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"Christianity is not a religion.
It's a relationship!
-Dan E. Perry




Monday, June 5, 2017

PLAGIARISM



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Back in college, around 1958, a guest
speaker one day said something to this effect;

"The person who is original, is one who has
read so broadly that they forgot where they
read it."

Perhaps that is a polite way to say that none 
of us are original, or we just stole it from 
some one else.

Either way, it is one of the failures of 
human nature that is not new.

Back about AD 23-79
Pliny the Elder, the Roman statesman
and philosopher said;

"When collating authorities I have found 
that the most professedly reliable and 
modern writers have copied the old
authors word for word, without
acknowledgement."

God himself around 630 - 580 BC
through the prophet Jeremiah said,

"Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets,
says the Lord, who steal my words from one
another"  (Jeremiah 23:30 RSV)

Perhaps this last quote should be a 
warning to some of our modern preachers
and teachers.

Either way you have seen it on the internet
just as I have.  You see some things posted
by so many people that you do not know
who started it.

Or the thinking of most people.  It is the 
same as the masses who follow some stupid
leader shouting slogans.

It has been well said, "That the masses
are nearly always wrong."

Pardon me, but I want to try to do my
own thinking.



Friday, June 2, 2017

JUST LIKE THE DEVIL



Just like the devil.
It snuck in last night and was waiting 
at the back door this morning.

These "snappers" are a threat to everything 
around them, even animal lovers.

"Be sober, be watchful.  Your adversary the 
devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking some one to devour."
(1Peter 5:8 RSV)



Thursday, June 1, 2017

TODAY'S PROMISE



"God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear,
though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be
carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar
and be troubled, though the 
mountains shake with the swelling
thereof." (Psalms 46:1 - 3)