Something on my Mind

To the one who I care most about: Do you remember that bead necklace you made for me when we were dating? This might sound funny to you, but the Lord has been speaking to me about the attitude I had towards it. Oh, dear! What am I trying to say? Remember how I said it was nice and all, but “there are seven colors in the rainbow, not six”? Then I gave it back, as though it were a purchased item that needed to be reworked. I ought to have accepted the necklace just as you had made it, six colors and all, and said nothing, because of who it was from. God has been convicting me of how wrong I was to have such an attitude of superiority towards you and your gift. So I’m writing this post to ask, “Will you forgive me?”

Give us this day Our Daily Bread...

Thank you to whoever it was that signed me up to receive Our Daily Bread a couple of months or so ago. It’s been a real spiritual boost to me. I don’t know who you are, but whoever you are, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

On Our Society’s Basis

From what I can determine of the extensive list of quotes in the previous post’s comment, it appears that every last one of them has been taken out of context. I’d be more than happy to quote a counterexample of things that all of those men said in defense of the Biblical and Christian basis for society and the institution of government. I guarantee there’s at least two quotes that I can find to match every one quote of yours!

You’re welcome to get your own blog if you want to rant about religious relativism.

Return to Values

We need to return to the values on which our society has been based. Truth is eternal. Society and what behavior is tolerated may change, but God’s Word never changes. Laws may be repealed, go unenforced, or be struck down by courts, but God’s Law never changes. God doesn’t change with the times. We need to get back to some of the cold, hard, factual truths of Scripture, like “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Let’s stop trying to make each other feel better, straight into Hell. Instead, let’s rescue the perishing, and turn them from their wicked ways. We were all born sinners, and there’s no getting around that. But Jesus, the only Son of God, came into this world with no human father, lived a life of a human without sinning, died in our place on a literal cross, was actually buried, and did in fact resurrect from a state of physical death to a state of physical life. Belief of the Truth concerning the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life is vitally essential to salvation. “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31)

Katrina: God’s Judgment?

I recently got an email asking if I thought the hurricane known as Katrina was the judgment of God or not. Let me put this into perspective. Those who think every natural event or accident is somehow God’s judgment should be asking themseleves why something hasn’t yet happened to them. Rather than seeing each disaster as God’s wrath, let’s view it as a sign of his mercy when people are able to escape it, despite the few who didn’t. But there’s another perspective, as well. Read Luke 13:1-5.

That’s better!

Re: Wisdom Toothache, my mouth is no longer giving me much trouble! If you’ve been praying for me, thank you.

Wisdom Toothache

Wow! I didn’t know a little thing could cause so much trouble! My left upper wisdom tooth is falling apart, and I have pain in the entire left side of my mouth, including the upper and lower jaw, my cheek, and my tounge! It hurts to bite, and it hurts to chew. if you ever get a chance to let a wisdom tooth fall apart on you, you’ll know what this feels like. Ouch!

And why do they call them wisdom teeth, anyway?

Life is always changing.

I find that the better I do on my job, the more is expected of me. Now it is up to me to step up to the plate and hit better than my best, or lose the game. Filippo is counting on me; and I’ll either perform well or collapse trying. No more “X.Q. says.” ;-}

The Definition of a Know-It-All

I thought of this definition and thought I’d share it with you. It may not be original with me, but it bears repeating.

know-it-all

(n.) Someone who thinks he knows everything, but actually knows next to nothing.

Think about it.

In the Beginning...

We can believe the Bible when it says God spoke and created the world. We can also believe the story of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc. The Bible is 100% reliable, from the first verse and onward! And there is historical and scientific evidence to support this claim. To learn more, visit the AiG Website at answersingenesis.org.

Crucifiction?

What is both the most hotly debated and the best documented and well-proven fact of human history? The historical birth, life, crucifixion, burial, and physical resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. To find out more, you may order the booklet, Risen Indeed: Evidence for the Resurrection by D. James Kennedy. This booklet also dispels a lot of misinformation about the most hotly debated and well-researched and tested Christian relic, the Shroud of Turin. I promise you will not be bored. Go to the Coral Ridge Ministries site to order.

What you believe does matter.

I’ve heard a lot of stuff lately about Islam being a peaceful and coexistent religion, how they just want to live their lives like everybody else, how they’ll leave us alone if we leave them alone, etc, ad nausium. But history reveals a much darker, more sinister side to the religion that has become suddenly so fashionable.

When Muslims are the minority, they do tolerate; but look out when they get strong enough—they go a conquering. It’s part of their religion. That’s what they believe. The entire world must be converted to believe in Allah or face his wrath at their hand. So much for tolerance.

Islam seeks to assume all roles in society, including that of government. Some say we should never go to a Christian theocracy in this country; they value their personal freedom, they say. But which would you rather have? A Christian theocracy, with its tenets of love, respect, and dignity of the individual, law and order but personal freedom, being no one’s slave, and the list goes on; or an Islamarchy, with the absolute rule of the clerics, no personal freedom, everyone forced to believe the same thing, and I’m just warming up? Something to think about

I don’t have anything against the Muslims themselves; they are good people, just trapped in a bad religious system. For more information about the true dangers of Islam, go to www.perilofislam.com.

Be courteous and polite.

I’m starting to learn a very difficult lesson: be courteous and polite to people, even when you’re sure they’re wrong. After all, wouldn’t you want others to treat you with the same respect?

I’m Back

The trip was a resounding success, as I knew it would be. The kids are growing up fast! Ben’s 14, and he’s the oldest of the six. I still remember holding him as a baby! My, how time flies! Anyway, they always enjoy visits with Mom-mom, Pop-pop, and some aunt or uncle. On this trip I was that uncle.

On Thursday evening we went to see an Easter play at the church they attend. My brother-in-law played the part of the grandfather, even though he’s, like, 43? Guess they thought he was good for the part on account of his graying hair or something. The play was written by a member of that church.

Well, anyway, I had a great time!

Family

I’m going to Pennsylvania tomorrow. Going to see my nephews and nieces. I’m so excited! Pennsylvania is several hours away from Virginia, so we’ll be staying up there most of the week. We’ll be getting back on Friday.

It’s been a long time. Couple of years since I last saw them, perhaps? Well, something like that. Anywho, I’ll be away from the computer during that time. I’ll post again soon.

Welcome, Netscape Users

This page is now Netscape-friendly. Enjoy!

Pornography is Dead Wrong

I should know. I’ve tried it. It’s not the glamorous show that it’s been purported to be. Portayals of males and females in states of partial or complete immodesty and of acts which should be kept secret only appeal to our “baser instincts.” Why is this bad? Because we were made in God’s image, and He doesn’t wish for us to take the image of our Creator and misuse it to satisfy the flesh.

There are many scriptures that apply, but just a few examples are: “...thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife...” (Exodus 20:17); “...whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28); “...God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature...” (Romans 1:24,25); “...not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater...” (1 Corinthians 5:11); and “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” (Colossians 3:5).

Like I’ve said, I’ve viewed pornography myself. But I won’t do it again, because I see its damaging effects. God has delivered me from it, but the scars remain. Sin does have its price.

Absolute Truth

Two philosophers are having a discussion one day, and it goes something like this:

Philosopher 1:

Actually, it doesn’t matter what you believe. What matters is that it makes sense to you. Besides, there’s no such thing as absolute truth anyway, because everything’s relative.

Philosopher 2:

Is that true?

Philosopher 1:

Absolutely.

Think about it.

Are you saved?

Many of you have been living the outward life of a Christian for years, but you might not actually be saved. The Holy Spirit might not be living inside of you, producing His fruit for you to bear. What am I talking about? I’m talking about behavior and attitudes produced by the Spirit of God.

For instance, you could be the most moral person in the country, but if you hate your brother, God says in I John that you do not love Him. You could go to Church every Sunday and give more than your share in offerings, and even do deeds of kindness to strangers; but if you’re trusting that to win entrance into Heaven, you are denying Jesus, and you haven’t been born again. Or if you’re living just like the world and have no compunction against your behavior, chances are really good that you have never been saved.

You may have prayed to Jesus to save you. And I can’t be the one to convict you if you did it insincerely; only God can do that. Examine yourselves; are you in the Faith?

It’s true, whether or not it’s believed.

Truth is not defined by personal opinion. To say that truth is relative to the individual is to deny the very existence of it. But in fact truth comes from a solid basis in objective, observable facts. And facts can be verified by others who view the same information. It is the existence of facts and imperical analysis that makes scientific study possible. If nothing at all were unltimately true, we could never know anything, and so if relativism were true, how would you know it?

Guess I haven’t learned yet.

Last night at work I got soundly reprimanded by the restaurant owner. It seems I was getting a little heated because there were dishes that needed to be loaded and a dish rack was in the way of unloading the previous load. The co-worker I was dealing with did not speak very good English, and I was getting frustated trying to communicate with him. (He’s from Ecuador.) Anyhow, Filippo—that’s the owner—got angry at me, and rightly so, because I wasn’t behaving in the right way. I apologized, and the night was pretty tense after that, but I’m not fired.

I guess sometimes you learn and get to use that knowledge too!

An Encouraging Note

♬Be not dismayed, whate’er betide, God will take care of you.♬

Have a wonderful day.

Respect and Trust

As I’ve said before, respect is required if a marriage is to succeed. That said, though, it is not up to the individual to require respect from another. Trust is very important, too, but if trust is broken, it must be earned again unless the person doing the trusting voluntarily decides to trust again. This is a very important distinction to make, and I regret not having learned this lesson sooner—on the supply side, trust is given, and respect is given; but on the receiving end they should not be expected, but worked for instead.

And to the one I’ve offended: if you give me a chance, I promise to earn your trust and respect; and I’ll work very hard to do so. I know I haven’t been trustworthy and respectable in the past, but I want to make it up to you.

Don’t listen to me...

Don’t listen to me when I talk about how to save a marriage. Why do I say that? Because I’m divorced, and so I haven’t gotten a chance to try what I’m advocating and see it work for me. Now you wouldn’t put a water pump on your car off of a car that you knew had overheated, would you? So why take marriage advice from a divorcee? Obviously I’m not qualified to share ideas about how husbands and wives should behave toward each other—my marriage was a complete failure. All I can tell you is what hasn’t worked.

But there is someone who can tell you: God. He invented marriage, and He knows how it should work. Study the Bible, and take what you read personally. If we think the Word of God only applies to others, it cannot change us. And I include myself in that.

A thought

There’s a lot of controversy today about whether the Bible should be taken seriously... Just consider this: Ephesians 5:25b-27a reads, “...even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing...” When you get into the shower, do you let the water only wash part of you? Do you stand there watching the water fall and wonder what it all means? Do you pick and choose which drops are hitting your body? Of course not! We all just let the water freely flow over us, washing away all the dirt on our skin. But isn’t this exactly what some of us do with the Bible? Think about it.