Monday, July 31, 2017

STAND OUTS


Image courtesy of:www.Pixaby.com


I am sorry.  I missed the picture of the actual flowers and had
to rely on good old Pixabay.  The flowers I wanted to show
were absolutely beautiful yesterday.  But, I forgot to get my
camera.  Today -  well, you don't want to see them.

But the story.
Yesterday I went out to my scrap metal pile for something.
You know what I mean.  You do have a scrap metal pile
don't you?  You have to have a scrap metal pile to make
stuff.  Think about the grand kids if nothing else.  You
cannot whittle it all out of a tree.

So, here I am standing at the scrap metal pile behind the
shop.  To most people it would look plain old junky.  It is.
But out of that pile of junk stood two totally gorgeous
white morning glory flowers.

WHAT A CONTRAST.

Beauty in the midst trash.

You and I live in a trashy junk pile of a world.
I never have been and never will be good looking.
But I do not have to be like the old rotten world I
live in.

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless
and innocent, children of God above reproach in
the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you appear as lights in the world,..."
(Philippians 2:14,15 NASB)


Friday, July 28, 2017

THE CAT AND MOUSE GAME


Image courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com


You have seen it too.  Well, that is if your wife has a cat.
The cat may even be well fed.  Not hungry at all.  But 
explain that to the hapless mouse it catches.

The cat by nature is a hunter and when it catches the 
mouse - that mouse is in trouble.  The cat will throw the
mouse around, bat it around, pounce on it and antagonize
it every way possible.  It will ignore the mouse just daring
it to try getting away.

What's the point?

You and I have an enemy that wants to destroy us just
as the cat will ultimately destroy the mouse.  It is Satan
the enemy of our souls and every thing that is of God.
God sent us a warning saying;

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.
Your adversary, the devil, prowls
around like a roaring lion, seeking
someone to devour."
(1 Peter 5:8 NASV)

What are some of the traps the Devil sets for us?
The Bible describes some of Satan's traps as:

"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which
are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry
sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of
anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these,
of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned
you, that those who practice such things will not
inherit the kingdom of God."
(Galatians 5:19 - 21 NASB)

What can we do to avoid being destroyed by
the multitude of traps the Devil has for us.
I want to say - "Well nothing."  We do not
have the strength within our selves to fight 
back.  But God gives us the answer.

"Submit therefore to God.  Resist the
devil and he will flee from you."
(James 4:7 NASB)





Thursday, July 27, 2017

TODAY'S PROMISE




"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from
the dead dwells in you,  He who raised Christ 
Jesus  from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through His spirit who dwells in 
you."
(Romans 8:11 NASB)


Wednesday, July 26, 2017

HUMMING BIRD LESSON


Image courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com

This morning I was watching a humming bird feed outside
the kitchen window.  Utterly fascinating.  It tires me out
just watching them hover there in the air while feeding.

And just think, it had to take less than a million years to
learn to fly.  They do have to eat you know.  Perhaps it
only took a few thousand years to find their food this way.
Or, maybe they were "monkey" birds and climbed up the
flower stems until they learned to fly.

What can I say but, WOW!
I punched into eBay this morning.  Typed in "wow".
They had 363,097 "wow"'s on sale today.  Maybe
that is how many years it took the humming bird
to learn to fly.

Any way, rather than learn to fly, I think I will just eat 
vegetables.


Tuesday, July 25, 2017

TODAY'S QUOTE

Images courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com 


"By reading the scriptures I am so renewed
that all nature seems renewed around me
and with me.  The sky seems to be a pure,
cooler blue, the trees a deeper green.  The
whole world is changed with the glory of
 God and I feel fire and music under my feet."
-Thomas Merton


Monday, July 24, 2017

THE CRAFTSMAN'S WORK


Image courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com

A craftsman is known by his work.
Look at any product and it will tell you a lot about
the individual or manufacture producing it.  Is it 
cheaply made?  Or made with precision and quality
materials?

Even "the Good book" states;
"Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men."
(Proverbs 22:29 NASB) 

John Ruskin made an accurate assessment when he said:
"Quality is never an accident.  It is always the result of 
intelligent effort." 

Now that is an interesting truism.
Consider the image below.

Image courtesy of:www.bigfoto.com 

Now to me that looks like an accident if I ever saw one.
But you and I both know that "someone" designed and 
made that thing.  Even if it was only to confuse us.

Consider something much more precise.  With far 
greater quality and requiring infinitely more intelligence -
NATURE.
You know.  Trees, rocks, people, earth.
Truly;
"The fool has said in his heart,
'There is no God.
(Psalms 14:1 NASB)

When we try to excuse the work of God himself
and credit it to chance or an accident, or any other
cause we expose our own ignorance and rightly
anger the one who gives us life it's self.

Speaking of God we are told:
"For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly see, being understood through
what has been made so that they are without
excuse.  For even though they knew God, they
did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but
they became futile in their speculations, and
their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to
be wise, they became fools, ..."
(Romans 1:20 - 22 NASB) 

Some day every one of us is going to meet the 
master craftsman whether we like it or not.
May it be as His long time friend and servant
rather than as his opponent.







Friday, July 21, 2017

HEY STUPID, IT'S THE GEARS



Image courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com


There is one model of motorcycle out that is a good
solid motorcycle, EXCEPT, for it's starting system.
The motorcycle is notorious for this weak point.

After a little wear on the motorcycle, the gears begin
to sound like a bunch of marbles rattling in a can when
the starter button is pushed.  And of course the engine
does not turn over.  That should be obvious to anyone
listening as to the problem.  But, it's not.

I have a friend with one of these motorcycles.  That
means I have much more experience with them than
I want.  After working on this thing several times
and searching the internet over there seems to be
a dozen or more "fixes", none of which work.

However I have found that if I go into it and 
"dress up" the gear teeth with a die grinder it
will work just fine - for a while.  But nobody
seems to want to do this.  They want to put on
a new switch, or change the battery cable, or
put in a larger battery, or change the tail light
bulb or something.  ANYTHING but go down
into the gears where the trouble is.

That is just the way we humans are.  We are
a mess and we want to try to fix it with a  new
law, [And we need laws.] or a short course in 
how to be nice,  or a medicine, or a pat on the
back and a little encouragement, or a little love,
or, or, or.  But these do not work.  The problem
is down inside.

We need a complete redesign just like that motorcycle
starting system does.

Several thousand years ago, even before you and I
were born, king David of Israel messed up real bad.
He recognized it and also that it was just his nature 
to mess up.  [God calls it sin.]  So, he prayed:

"Create a pure heart in me O God,
and put a new and loyal spirit in me."
(Psalms 51:10 GNT)

God who give you life it's self said:

"I am telling you the truth: no one can see
the Kingdom of God without being born again." 
[Or, from above.]  (John 3:3 GNT)

Quit trying to fix yourself.  You cannot,  the 
trouble is to deep.  Jesus Christ died to fix it 
for you - if you will let him.  Turn to Jesus Christ
and ask him to take over your life.





Thursday, July 20, 2017

TODAY'S QUOTE


Images courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com  

"So our Lord God commonly gives riches
to those gross asses to whom He vouchsafes
nothing else." 
-Martin Luther 



TODAY'S PROMISE



"The reward of humility and
 the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor and life."
(Proverbs 22:4 NASB)



Wednesday, July 19, 2017

A SHORT MEDITATION


Images courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com

I am in the process of changing versions of the Bible
that I read from again.  Generally I will read from one
or the other versions for several years.  Hopefully this
gives me a little better understanding of the Scriptures.

This time when I changed the purpose was to have the
most accurate version in English, not the most readable.
[No, I am not trying to change your mind on the version
you read.  Read the one you like - and keep your nose in
it.]  It came in a few days ago so this morning I was reading
at random.  I ran across a thought I had never noticed.  So,
I had been thinking about it for several hours.  I was even
trying to find other Scriptures that completed the thought.
That did not work.

So, back to the passage of Scripture in mind.  OUCH!
For some reason I had no noticed three small letters.
The letters were: n, o, t.  Yes, the word "not".  That
changed the whole meaning of that passage of Scripture.

My point is, are we reading the whole thing?  Or just
reading the parts of Scripture we want to try to make it
say what we want?  Are we reading only those parts of
the Scriptures that make us feel good?









Tuesday, July 18, 2017

TODAY'S QUOTE


Images courtesy of: www.Pixabay.com

"A young man who wishes to remain a sound
atheist cannot be too careful of his reading."

- C. S.  Lewis



Monday, July 17, 2017

ANOTHER LESSON FROM NATURE



Notice how in this neglected garden spot
the garlic stalks are leaning - toward the sun.
That is because they need sun for life.



This poor old cedar tree grew to the right to get 
to the sun.  That is, before the two trees were cut
off the stumps to it's left.

Because it's life depends on the sun.




The main part of this tree - the trunk and main branches -
is just left of center on this tree.

But, the tree is growing toward the right which is South,
toward the sun.  It needs sun for life.

You and I are no different.
Jesus Christ the Son of God gives us physical
life.  And he alone can give us spiritual life.

If we want life, real life, we had better be
leaning toward the "Son", the Son of God.


"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does 
not have the Son of God does not have life."
(1 John 5:12 NIV)







Friday, July 14, 2017

FACTS

Image courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com

"FACTS"

Facts are stubborn things.
But if they keep changing,
are they facts?

No longer than you have lived you probably have
not noticed how "facts" change.  But at my age I
have noticed many changes in so called "facts" by
so called "science".

Do you want to trust something that keeps
changing?????

Especially when the changes always fit their
agenda??

As for this old man,
I chose to trust something that does not change.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and for ever."
(Hebrews 13:8 RSV)




Thursday, July 13, 2017

TODAY'S PROMISE




"But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my
deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God."
(Psalms 40:17 NKJV)

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

A SHORT MEDITATION



Images courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com

"A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but he who hastens to be rich will not go
unpunished."
(Proverbs 28:20 RSV)

Years ago a man came into the shop in his pickup
for something.  I would guess that the man was in 
his "fifties", a mature man.

The man was a machinist by trade.  And he explained
to me that he always went to the area that paid the 
highest wages in his trade.

He told me his wife had gotten tired of moving all
the time, so she was not with him.  All so, that every 
thing he owned was in the pickup.
So much for top pay.

You see it in the news all the time just like I do.
Some sports figure or celebrity who was worth
millions is now bankrupt.

"A miserly man hastens after wealth,
and does not know that want will
come upon him."
(Proverbs 28:22 RSV)



"The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but every one who is hasty comes only to want."
(Provers 21:5 RSV)

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

TODAY'S QUOTE


Images courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com


"It is God who is the ultimate reason of things,
and the knowledge of God is no less the beginning
of science than his essence and will are the beginning
of beings."

-Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
German philosopher



Monday, July 10, 2017

LOOK ALIKES






It looks like garlic.
It grows like garlic.
It smells like garlic.
It tastes like garlic.
It even has a garlic name,
Elephant garlic.

But the scientist, botanist and smart gardeners tell
us it is not.  It is a leek.

You may go to church.
Give to the church.
Sing in the choir.
Teach a class at church,
 drive the church bus, 
and call yourself a "Christian".

BUT, if you do not have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ
you are not a "Christian"
only a look alike.

"Jesus answered him,
'Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born anew,
he cannot see the kingdom of God."
(John 3:3 RSV)

And at another place said,

"Not every one who says to me, Lord,
Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of my Father who
is in heaven.  On that day many will say
to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy 
in your name, and cast out demons in your
name, and do many mighty works in your
name?  And then will I declare to them,
'I never knew you; depart from me,
you evildoers.'
(Matthew 7:21-23 RSV)

Friday, July 7, 2017

DO YOU WANT WHAT YOU PRAYED FOR?




Image courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com


Years ago I heard a song that said something like"
"... he got what he wanted . . . lost what he had."

It seemed to me that the idea was, he was worse
off for getting what he wanted.  That is not a new
thing.  At one time the nation of Israel faced a 
similar situation.  They complained to God for
something, BUT.

"he gave them what they asked,
but sent a wasting disease among them."
(Psalms 106:15 RSV)      

Looks like they lost out for wanting the wrong
thing.  I take that as a warning to myself about
what I want.  Would it be good for me, or bad
for me.

Another place we are told:

"You do not have, because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive, because you
ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions."
(James 4:2,3 RSV)

I do not know about you.  But I had better check
with God first about what I ask for.










Thursday, July 6, 2017

TODAY'S PROMISE



"Therefore whoever humbles himself
as this little child is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven."
(Matthew 18:4 NKJV)

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

A SHORT MEDITATION




"For I am the Lord who heals you."
(Exodus 15:26 NKJV)

Four years ago today [ July 4th. 2013] I was enjoying
 the weekend at Fort Rock Family Camp in good health -
I thought.  But it was only a week or two latter that I was
in the emergency room of the hospital.  My body had
quit making blood.  It looked like the end had come.

Yes, I "used" doctors.  When you are dying you will
take all the help God will send your way.  But it is
God who does the real healing.  The doctors can
only "assist" in the healing process. In fact my
oncologist insists God had more to do with my
healing than she did.

Today - at 83 years of age I again am enjoying July 
the 4th. - working in my shop on one of the daughter's
car and repairing the son-in-law's lawn mower. In fact,
might even have gone for a motorcycle ride - but it
rained most of the day.

PRAISE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST FOR THE
HEALING HE HAS GIVEN THIS OLD MAN.


TODAY'S QUOTE


Images courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com

"The most significant moment
of life is death."
- Maurice S. Rawlings, M.D.


Monday, July 3, 2017

WHAT AN AMAZING CREATURE

Image courtesy of:www.Pixabay.com

What an amazing creature.

Consider the chickens, and the hen in particular.
It only took the hen about a million years or so
to learn how to lay eggs and hatch them.  That is,
if I understand evolution correctly.

The chicken probably only became extinct about 
three times during the development process before 
learning how to reproduce it's self.

Absolutely stunning.