North Korea Persecution of Christians

During prayer request time at church this morning, someone made a request for the communist country of North Korea. She related the story of how a Christian woman who was brutalized had made it to safety and then wanted to return to N. Korea with the good news of Jesus. I have read and heard that followers of Jesus face a tremendous amount of persecution because of their faith. Believers in the Western World need to lift them up in prayer. May we thank God for our freedom and prosperity and ask for His blessing on our brothers and sisters in North Korea.North Korea Christians

Gracious Uncertainty

Gracious Uncertainty

I LOVE THIS DEVOTION BY Oswald Chambers, be sure gk click on the link and read today's devotion from My Utmost for His Highest. Today's devotion talks about the uncertainties of the Christian life and the certainty of God. One thing is certain, we can depend upon God to be with us in life's uncertainties. Have a great day, God bless, and give God the praise.

Vampires of My Youth

Outside my darkened windowpane, lurking in the shadows, biding their time. Waiting for sleep to overcome my weary eyes, so they can creep their way inside. Perhaps it is my friend we buried upon the cemetery hill or maybe some unknown, undead soul raised to drink its fill. Its fill of the life that courses through my veins, that warm rich solution through which I am sustained. So I dare not sleep, nor close my eyes till the blessed rising of the sun. For we all well know that the blood sucking hounds of hell, the sunlight well do shun. When daybreak comes I shall at last, close my eyes and rest in peace. Until the darkness falls again and the cursed beings I fear are on the world released. On the other hand. How the daylight changes ones perspective. After a sleepless night, hoping against all odds that my nightmare did not become real. Late in the day, I took to some familiar woods, some game hoping to kill. No fear in those woods, only me and my shotgun and the querry I pursued. The fears of the night before were shoved in the back of my mind, from conscious thought removed. Lost in my quest, in my familiar woods I did not notice the shadows beginning to lengthen. But as dusk fell on the forest trees I soon realized what a mess that I was in. In the woods at sundown, away from any safety. Surely those whom I fear, in these woods would at last find me. So I crashed through the trees, heart beating fast down the woodland path that led to my sanctuary. Hoping to make it home before the sun went down and those whom I fear awoke to fall upon me.

What Do You Want?

What Do You Want?
It us real easy to want things from God or want Him to use His miraculous powers to work miracles or orchestrate our circumstances to our likingm. There is nothing wring with seeking God for our needs and depending upon Him to work out the details of our lives or to seek His blessings, in fact I think we ought to do that. But may we realize that the greatest, most important, most precious thing we can seek from God is to know Him bettter. The great blessing of God is not the things He gives us but God Himself is the great blessing! I like how Rich Mullins put if "Our God is an awesome God " or how an old hymn writer put it "How Great Thou Art"

Nothing wrong with asking for daily bread but do not forget to seek the "Living Bread " which is Jesus. With Jesus, the. Living Bread our soul can have a continual feast.

Joy in the Lord

I usually do not divulge too much of my personal life in my blog posts, but tonight I must post about the joy I feel. It is a joy that I have not experienced in a long while, a joy that thrills and scares me at the same time. It thrills because it is a joy that I feel comes from fellowship with Jesus, not that I have done anything meritorious of His fellowship, just been reminded of His amazing grace by the Memoirs of Brennen Manning. It scares me because sometimes when things are going good and you have mountaintop experiences you can have a fear that the rug is fixing to be pulled out from under your feet or that all hell is fixing to break loose. However, that is an unfounded fear that I am not going to let rob me of the joy and peace I have in Jesus.

I am reminded of the writings of the Apostle Paul towards the end of the 8th chapter of Romans:
³¹What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁶As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
³⁷Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Oh soul why worry, be happy and enjoy the joy that He has given you today.
For in Him you have been given sweet fellowship that will never pass away.
Trust in Jesus and don't you concern yourself for what the future may hold.
 But embrace it fiercely with a steadfast hope and do not fear but be thou bold.
For He has made a promise to you and me, a promise that the winds of time cannot erase
.Lo I  will be with you always, even to the end of the age.

Got to Get Going

Ouch, another sunrise, just want to close my eyes and cower inside
Hide inside myself, put life on the shelf, take a break from this crazy ride
Aches and pain wrack this earthen frame that carries my tired and lonesome soul
But life cries out to me, will not let me be, tells me that the show must go on.

Can a Saint Falsely Accuse God?

Can a Saint
Falsely Accuse God?
God has given us His Holy Spirit, may we say with the Apostle Paul, " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. As Christians we have been given so much, yet act like we have so little. Let us look to the hills of of Heaven, to the habitation of God and realize that our God is an awesome God who lives inside the heart of every child of God. May we realize that the same Spirit that worked through Jesus Christ and raised Him from the dead in dwelling inside of us as Christians. Praise God today for His awesome power and the incredible gift of His Holy Spirit.

Take advantage of the latest AT&T Phone Specials

Take advantage of the latest AT&T Phone Specials

Here are some deal from of the major providers of cellular and wireless services

Readiness Devotion by Oswald Chambers

Be sure to read today's devotional by Oswald. Chambers. In this devotion he writes of being ready to do God's bidding at all times. Not just when God asks us to do some seemingly big or important task, but also in the tasks that some would consider beneath them.

Consider the example of Jesus who being Lord and Master, humbled Himself and washed His disciples feet. Jesus told His followers afterwards that, "if you know these things, happy are you if you do them. "
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We should not seek to do menial tasks just for the sake of achieving a sense of personal fulfillment, but do whatever God asks sus for His glory. When we do whatever He wants us to, whether it seems insignificant or important, we will find true fulfillment that only comes from walking with God.

The Failure To Pay Close Attention

The Failure To Pay Close Attention
This is a great devotion to start your Sunday. On this day may we consent to allow God to have His way in our lives. God has so much in store for h's if we will let go and give him the reins of our lives.

Hunger Games Book versus Hunger Games Movie

After watching the Hunger Games movie and then reading the Hunger Games book and then seeing the movie a second time, I must say I believe the book is better. I liked the movie, it was a very well produced with great acting, but there was some interesting and critical elements left out that are in the Hunger Games book.

I found the movie captivating and very moving at times, but the book really draws you in. I am looking forward to reading the next too books and will probably buy them for my Kindle Fire, which is saying a lot since I am a cheapskate. I must admit that my first impression of the Hunger Games book was not very good, but the more I read the more I realized how cleverly crafted a novel the Hunger Games is.

I recommend this book for a interesting read for people of all ages. If you like the book, then check out the movie, as I mentioned earlier, there are some things left out, but not enough to keep you from enjoying the movie. The movie helps put a face on the Hunger Games characters, the cast matches the book characters well. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta are well represented on the big screen and are likable characters. However, Haymitch played by Woody Harrelson seems shallow after reading the book.

Read the book, see the movie and may the odds ever be in your favor.

What To Do When Your Burden Is Overwhelming

What To Do When Your Burden Is Overwhelming
WHAT IS THE BURDEN THAT YOU ARE CARRYING TODAY.CAST THE BURDEN ON THE LORD. Let Him help you with your load.

If you are bearing the burden of sin, cry out to Jesus asking for His forgiveness and cast that burden on Him.

If it is a burden of grief, give it to the Lord and receive His comfort.

If if is a heavy sense of duty, give that to Him and receive His strength.

If it be a burden of doubt and fear, trade for His boldness.

The point is. Do not carry around these terrible burdens that weigh you down, but let Jesus lighten your load. You will be glad you did.

Wedding Rings Offensive in Rhode Island High School Murial

Offensive Family Mural

It seems that even something as simple as a set of weddings rings painted on a mural is considered as something that could offend some people. Check out the video on The Five, where the panel discusses this controversial topic. It is indeed strange times we are living in when weddings rings on a painting, which symbolizes marriage is seen as something that some people may find offensive. The painting shows a progression of life through adulthood, which culminates with a man and women together as a family. The controversial part of the painting is the wedding rings painted above the man and women.

I do not know how people in Rhode Island believe about family and marriage and paintings of wedding rings. Maybe they believe that depicting a traditional family in a traditional marital relationship could be harmful to Rhode Island High School students. Perhaps, a high school student might be influenced in the wrong direction by seeing a painting portraying a traditional marriage in positive light. Maybe though it is just about the rings, maybe they just don't want students to be encouraged to wear rings. I am being facetious of course, I do not believe most Rhode Island people find traditional marriage offensive nor do they find rings offensive. I do believe that we the people should be outraged that something like this should even come up for debate. What kind of society have we become, when wedding rings on a painting are considered as something that might be offensive? What will be next, will married people be forbidden to wear their rings in public because it might offend someone? Will the mention of traditional marriage in school be forbidden because it could offend some students?

It is preposterous, unthinkable and totally out of touch with reality that someone would find something symbolizing marriage offensive. When the things that are good, decent and an integral part of our society are offensive to some, then let them be offended and deal with it.

Complete and Effective Divinity

Imy utmost for His Highest< In this devotion by the amazing Oswald Chambers, he speaks of the resurrection life we have in Jesus. Though I been trying to follow Him for over 25 years I feel that I have only caught brief glimpses of this life. However, I know that my relationship with Christ is not based upon my performance but His grace that I have entered into by faith in Him. who died for my sins and rose again. As read about the life that we have in Jesus and I realize my failures for not abiding in Him as I should, it gives me a goal to aim for. I can do as the apostle Paul said in Philippians and press forward and reach for the upward prize in Christ Jesus, unhindered fellowship with Him through His blessed Holy Spirit.

Complete and Effective Divinity

Why is it Good Friday?

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

In today's, devotion by Oswald Chambers (see link), we are reminded of the awesome feat that was accomplished on the cross for mankind. It was on the old rugged cross that Jesus our Saviour took all the of the world upon Himself and fully satisfied the judgement of God on sin. This is a pivotal point in history, the event that made it possible for sinful, unholy man to have a relationship with a sinless, holy God. Jesus' death on the cross brought man back into the relationship for which he was created, fellowship with the eternal God who created the universe.

As we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, may we realize the importance of what happened on the cross of Calvary and the blessings that it wrought for mankind:

• Payment for sins - The price for our sins has been paid in full  forever.
• He died so that we may have eternal life.
• Escape from an eternity in hell - Because He took the punishment for our sins, those who place their faith in Jesus do not have to suffer God's wrath against sin, which is being cast into a lake of fire for eternity.
• Reconciliation - The cross has reconciled us back to the relationship with God that was lost in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned.

So it is evident why it is called Good Friday, next we will celebrate Easter, the day on which Jesus came forth from the grave. That glorious day when death was shown to be a defeated foe, and God proved Jesus to be the Son of God by raising Him with His power. Now, praise His name, Jesus lives forevermore in heaven with God the Father to make intercession for you and me.

May we not take lightly what Jesus did through His death and glorious resurrection. For, upon these two events hinge the hope for all mankind. Do you believe? If you do and you have never called on His name, repented of your sins and openly confessed Him as Lord with yor mouth, then do so now and embrace what Jesus purchased for you on the cross, live everlasting with Him who truly loves your soul.

Fot more about a relationship with God visit my other blog where I write more about spiritual matters.

Youth and Abstinence

I went to a church tonight that was having a ceremony for some youth who had made commitment to sexual purity. They pledged to refrain from sexual activity until their Biblical wedding night. I applaud the church for helping these kids with this commitment and I applaud these kids who are going upstream against a culture that is sex crazy; a culture that believes that the norm is to have sex prior to marriage. A culture where single people speak unashamedly about hooking up, shacking up, or some even have cheapened the sex act by terming it "making booty calls." A culture that thinks having sex with you steady boyfriend or girlfriend is alright and while we are at it why don't we just live together.

Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-sex, I am pro-sex for those who have been joined together as husband and wife (men and women of course.) The bible plainly states that sex is reserved for a man and women in the bonds of holy matrimony. What people need to realize is that sex is a very special union between a man and woman; when sex is reduced  to just a matter of physical gratification between two consenting people the results can be disastrous and in the long run cause more pain than pleasure.

God who created us, created us as sexual beings; however, when we go against His instruction manual for how sex is to be used, our  lives will never be what they ought to be. By going contrary to His word we miss out certain blessing he has in store for us.

[Actual Police Video] ARRESTED DRUNK GUY SINGS BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY | 2012 VIDEO OF THE YEAR!

This is extremely funny. Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjCNZh41bw0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sent from my iPod