A Good New Year's Resolution:

During the coming year I will go nowhere I can't take Jesus Christ.

I will say nothing I would not want Him to hear.

I will do nothing I would not want Him to know about.

I will be the best example to others that I possibly can, for His sake.

Unknown

Oh, love the Lord, all of you who are his people; for the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but harshly punishes all who haughtily reject him. So cheer up! Take courage if you are depending on the Lord. Psalm 31:23-24 The Living Bible

Most People Think: VS Jesus Christ Said:

Most People Think:
Happy are the pushers: For they get on in the world.

Happy are the hard-boiled: For they never let life hurt them.

Happy are they who complain: For they get their own way in the end.

Happy are the blasé: For they never worry over their sins.

Happy are the slave-drivers: For they get results.

Happy are the knowledgeable men of the world: For they know their way around.

Happy are the trouble-makers: For people have to take notice of them.

Jesus Christ Said:
Happy are those who realize their spiritual poverty: They have already entered the kingdom of reality.

Happy are they who bear their share of the world’s pain: In the long run they will know more happiness than those who avoid it.

Happy are those who accept life and their own limitations: They will find more in life than anybody.

Happy are those who long to be truly “good”: They will fully realize their ambition.

Happy are those who are ready to make allowances and to forgive: They will know the love of God.

Happy are those who are real in their thoughts and feelings: In the end they will see the ultimate Reality, God.

Happy are those who help others to live together: They will be known to be doing God’s work.
J. B. Phillips

In reading this it sure does make one think of what you do believe. How you might live your life.
A day to day experience might be one of these.

Soon 2011
God Bless

Holidays

Well it has been a busy time of year. I have not posted anything because of holidays. So I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas.

Now looking forward to the NEW YEAR!
I will be almost a year since I started this blog. So keep on reading and if you would share it with people.

Now is the time to reflect on what happened in 2010. Start thinking and even create a list. Once your list is completed look at it and remember each event. Now if they were positive Thank God for them, if negative, Thank God you made it through and pray for those who that event had an impact.

When we wake up in the morning we need to thank God for the Year. This coming January 1st will begin 2011. (wow). Pray that this year will be a year of blessing, now only for yourself, but how can you bless others as well.

Keep the faith! As Paul and Silas did. I do as well.
1 Thessalonians 1

We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ

What would you do?

The character of the Creator cannot be less than the highest He has created, and the highest is that babe born to Mary on that first Christmas morning.A. Ian Burnett

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:18-21 The New International Version

If you look at this verse and contemplate what would take place today. Just imagine...
Your fiance and you are having a great engagement, but one day she comes to you to tell you that you will be a father, how would you handle this. In this day and age you would have thoughts of abortion, adoption, or just plain scared. How would you react? If you had a dream and an angel told  "it would be alright" would you listen? Do we listen to that voice of reason, or doubt?

If you are living the life that God had intended for you perhaps you would recognize the voice as one from the Creator and listen to that voice, but if you are not then perhaps you wont listen.
I would like to think that we all would recognize God talking to us, whether through an angel or an audible voice or just a thought and we would do what God intended.

Can you determine if you would do what Joseph did or would you seek an alternative.
Truly Joseph was an amazing person.

God Bless you this Christmas Season

WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE

When I was a young lad!!
When I was a little kid!
When I was young!
When I was your age!
In my day we never...!
How many of you have heard or even said these types of things. You know you are getting older when you are able to make reference to your age in this manner.
Example you ask?
Well when I was young and just got married gas prices were so much better. They were low.

You know perhaps we as adults need to realize that this day and age things are different. Does that mean there isn't respect? No, there should always be.

Just keep in mind that when Jesus is in your lives and hearts you will have a respect for Him and in turn that will flow out of you to others.

God Bless you

My experience is not what makes redemption real

I saw this and thought it was quite outstanding. Thought I would share!

We have received . . . the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God —1 Corinthians 2:12

My experience is not what makes redemption real— redemption is reality. Redemption has no real meaning for me until it is worked out through my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me beyond myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. If I am left only with my personal experiences, I am left with something not produced by redemption. But experiences produced by redemption prove themselves by leading me beyond myself, to the point of no longer paying any attention to experiences as the basis of reality. Instead, I see that only the reality itself produced the experiences. My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source of truth— Jesus Christ.

If you try to hold back the Holy Spirit within you, with the desire of producing more inner spiritual experiences, you will find that He will break the hold and take you again to the historic Christ. Never support an experience which does not have God as its Source and faith in God as its result. If you do, your experience is anti-Christian, no matter what visions or insights you may have had. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your experiences, or do you place your experiences above Him? Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord? You must allow Him to be Lord over you, and pay no attention to any experience over which He is not Lord. Then there will come a time when God will make you impatient with your own experience, and you can truthfully say, “I do not care what I experience— I am sure of Him!”

Be relentless and hard on yourself if you are in the habit of talking about the experiences you have had. Faith based on experience is not faith; faith based on God’s revealed truth is the only faith there is.
Oswald Chambers

This great benefaction exceeds by far all the other works of creation!

Ah, we poor people, to be so cold and sluggish in the face of the great joy that has clearly been prepared for us!  This great benefaction exceeds by far all the other works of creation; and yet our faith in it is found to be so weak, although it is preached and sung to us by angels, who are heavenly theologians and who were so glad for our sake!  Their song is very, very beautiful and describes the entire Christian religion.  For giving glory to God in the highest heaven is the supreme worship.  This they wish and bring to us in the Christ. Martin Luther

 

Are you week in your faith? Are you down in your belief? Do you find yourself in true denial and true disbelief? How do you see the end of life? Where will you be going? When will it end? What is after this life? Do we truly know with in ourselves what there might be?All these questions lead us to one answer that can give us the comfort and the everlasting knowledge of our eternity. One answer is tantamount to everlasting life. One answer is only a little proclamation can lead us to the path of true righteousness. Do you do this by acquiescing? No you need to be willing and submissive to the one who is calling you.  All you need and all I need to do is confess to the one who bore it all, to the one who gave His life for you.The answer to all these questions can be done by simple making Jesus the Lord and centre of you life.

Who Came To Earth Via a Virgin Birth

From now till the time that we all anticipate through out the year. We look forward to the wrapping the mystery and the surprise. Do we know that there is a reason for all this type of action that we do or have. Do we know there is a reason that we celebrate this time of the year. Do you know that there was a person who was selected from the beginning of time, to come to this earth via virgin birth. He did this willingly and without remorse. He came to this earth for you and for me. The pomp and ceremony that is put on for the white bearded fellow may be fun, but he did nothing to deserve our admiration and praise.

Jesus should be the center of it all. Jesus is the reason, yes for the Season.
Keep Jesus the Centre.

Day of Rest

Setting aside a day of rest is difficult. We are surrounded by too many things to do, too many places to go, and far too many distractions. What would it be like if we could ignore these distractions and spend an entire day every week with our family and friends, and our spiritual thoughts? An answer to this hypothetical question appears in the Talmud, which tells us that the world would be redeemed if everyone observed only two consecutive Sabbaths.  Robert Schoen
“O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name, but who am I and who are my people that we should be permitted to give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we only give you what is yours already! For we are here for but a moment, strangers in the land as our fathers were before us; our days on earth are like a shadow, gone so soon, without a trace. O Lord our God, all of this material that we have gathered to build a temple for your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! I know, my God, that you test men to see if they are good; for you enjoy good men. I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.”
1 Chronicles 29:13-17  The Living Bible

Just for You Lorie

Some Days I feel I dont express my Love to My beautiful Wife Lorie as much as I should. I wrote this little ditty a while ago and perhaps even shared it on here, but my feelings are stronger.

In my world there are many things

In my heart is a void that needs to be filled

In my eyes I could not see the ending or beginning of a love so deep

In my veins flows the blood the ever life giving blood I feel

In my mind are the thoughts of a love so dear and a love so pure

In my touch I feel nothing yet there is plenty of feeling there

I am so alone and my heart is still a void

My eyes I cannot see what love is like

My veins the blood goes so slow

My thoughts are being drowned by the constant nagging of no love

My touch I touch everything yet feel nothing

The void I have in my heart seems so deep like a never-ending drop

Until one day I met you Lorie, now I look and see the stars

I feel the love that fills the void and I feel the love so deep

The blood in my veins flows freely now

My thoughts are of you alone my love

My heart is no longer a void

I love you

Consideration-part 2

So when we are out and about in the world do you think that Christ will shine through?

or are we going to put on the cloak of self and let the world know.

Genuine or not something will come through. If we make our relationship with Jesus a secret then is it really a relationship?

Think of a newly engaged couple, how hard is it for them to keep the secret of being engaged? Usually they are busting at the seams wanting the world to know they have committed themselves to each other.

Or consider a child at Christmas time. They can’t wait until the presents are opened.

If they are like my kids at a young age when the present is opened and it turns out to be clothes, the clothes get tossed aside and the next present is opened and so on.

The excitement is invigorating.

So then Jesus has given us a gift, and we need to show the excitement that knowing Him personally brings, show it shout it tell people about Him.

So we count down to Christmas what a great time to share the love of Jesus. Let Him shine through you this season. Keep Him the Centre of your life.

God Bless

Consideration

Here is something that has been sitting on my heart for a while. This might be a couple of days worth.

Do you ever stop to think? Of the impact you might have on people Whether you are driving, good or bad
Whether you are shopping or whatever you may be doing.
Consider this, if we are Christians, that is to be Christ Like. Then, don’t you think that in everyday life people should be able to notice that you are a very special person. I mean when they look at you what do they see
A person with the dignity of Christ or just another individual struggling with everyday life. If we consider the impact we may have on people every time we step outside of our realm or our own world we may want to reconsider the way we have been representing ourselves. Do you have an impact by your walk or talk or presentation?
Or is it all a façade? Do people see right through you?
When people look at you can they see that you are living a Christ centered life and does Christ shine through?
Colossians 3:9-10
9. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
10. and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—

To Be Continued tomorrow.

Refiners Fire!

Oh Lord let the refiners fire come and purify my heart. Make me as gold Lord.
God I seek you to cleanse me from with in. Make my heart a new.

We all need to seek God and ask Him to refine us and make us pure, so that we may serve Him

Why must he be like a refiners fire?
The answer is implied in the word itself. He must be a like a refiners because we need to be refined. We were created in the image of God with the potential to reverence God and trust him and obey him and glorify him, but we were born in iniquity and in sin did our mothers conceive us. We are shot through with the impurity of rebellion and unbelief, and we fall short of God's glory again and again.
By going through the refiners fire we will have the potential to become pure before Him!

God Bless

Deeper

So the day begins and there may be a thought dancing in our head.

What to do today? Work then play? Play then work? Play at work? (haha)

If one has time for playing.

Perhaps through out your day you might consider what the Lord has done for you!
What has he given you?
Health?
Family?
Loved ones?

All of the above.

Is it time to be thankful? I say yes. Today there is only 17 days until Christmas, lets remember it is nice receive a gift, but let be the gift giver.
Not just a physical gift, but one that may bless someone.

Here is a bit of a story. My Wife and I were shopping at the Southland Mall, when we were leaving the mall I was driving and my wife said to me "look at how that elderly lady is struggling with walking on the icy road"
So she got out of the van and helped the lady walk over to the mall. This is truly a gift that she gave.

God Bless you today!

Today there is only 18 more days till Christmas.

Today there is only 18 more days till Christmas.
Have we forgotten the true meaning of Christmas? Is the real reason for the season gone astray?
When you go shopping for Christmas cards is it hard to find those pertaining to the birth of Jesus?

Is it hard to find a Nativity Scene?
The next time you go into the store take note, just to see if we are loosing what Christmas is suppose to stand for.

Remember that Jesus is the only reason to celebrate Christmas. He came to this world and He suffered for us so that we may have eternal life with Him.

Have a great day everyone.

To Lorie, I Love you

I was sitting here thinking about my wife. I heard this song and well I wanted to share it. She is my greatest gift in this world. I love you Lorie

It's not the flowers, wrapped in fancy paper
It's not the ring, I wear around my finger
There's nothing in all the world I need
When I have you here beside me, here beside me

So you could give me wings to fly
And catch me if I fall
Or pull the stars down from the sky
So I could wish on them all
But I couldn't ask for more
'Cause your love is the greatest gift of all

In your arms, I found a strength inside me
And in your eyes, there's a light to guide me
I would be lost without you
And all that my heart could ever want has come true

So you could give me wings to fly
And catch me if I fall
Or pull the stars down from the sky
So I could wish on them all
But I couldn't ask for more
'Cause your love is the greatest gift of all

You could offer me the sun, the moon
And I would still believe
You gave me everything
When you gave your heart to me

But I couldn't ask for more'
'Cause your love is the greatest gift of all

You could give me wings to fly
And catch me if I fall
Or pull the stars down from the sky
So I could wish on them all
But I couldn't ask for more
'Cause your love is the greatest gift of all
Your love is the greatest gift of all
Greatest gift of all

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path

A knowledge of the will of God is relative to one's desire to do the will of God. God does not reveal His will to those who are not gladly committed to it. A commission from God is relative to our commitment to God. Commitment is prerequisite to commission. There is no substitute for the bent knee, the surrendered heart, the open Bible, the listening ear and the voice of the Spirit in discovering the will of God.

Don Hillis

How true that is. Do you want to do the will of God, Are you committed to see His Glory fulfilled?
There is something we can all do to have this happen in our lives, bend your knee and start praying. Keep God the centre of your life, cast away all those worldly desires. Is it hared, yes it is, but if you are committed to keeping God the Centre of your life, then it will become natural to you.

Remember this verse:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105

The New International Version

LORD, THANK YOU

Lord, thank you for this sink of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.

Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.

And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last night.

I know that many have no bed.

My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mirrors, soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory; they are so convenient.

Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; It has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals.

Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today; it has baked so many things over the years.

The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that needs mowing, the lawn that needs raking; we all enjoy the yard.

Thank you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to run and play.

Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says You have richly blessed my family.

I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.

UNKNOWN