Pastor Wrinikles: House On Fire Pt. 11

Posted on September 17, 2013 by joseph elon lillie under Pastor Wrinkles

The Word of God is a bridge that connects Earth with Heaven and Heaven with Earth.- Joseph Elon Lillie

Our study through the Book Of Acts is going strong. I am truly enjoying the on-line discussions I have been able to have with many of you. If you have missed any of the chats you can catch up and take part by going to my House on Fire Page here http://wp.me/P39vIx-Gh

Now on to today’s topic.

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. Acts 5:1-11

You must know that the enemy is never silent when God begins to work. The church always has to be vigilant that the Devil will try to come in. If we submit ourselves to God and resist the Devil he will flee but this calls for us to guard our ways daily.

What are some ways you guard your faith?

Share Your World With Cee Cee 2013 Week 32

Posted on September 16, 2013 by joseph elon lillie under For Family & Fun

Can you believe it’s week 32 of Share Your World 2013? Only 20 weeks left until we begin Share Your World 2014. Ok…Ok… before we frighten ourselves right out of blogging let’s just focus on the week we are on shall we? Please check out Cee’s other contributors at http://www.ceephotography.com/2013/09/16/share-your-world-2013-week-32/

Here are my answers:

If you could be a tree or plant, what would you be?

I would like to be a giant sequoia. This largest of trees only stands because it intertwines its roots with other sequoias and so is upheld most powerfully in community!

If you were an ice cream cone how many scoops and flavors would you be and why?

I would be two scoops of Rocky Road.Because I love chocolate nuts and marshmallows but too much of a good thing is just too much. Two scoops is more than enough.

What type of pets do you have or want?

I have two Maltese dogs and a puppy I am preparing for the mission field right now.

Where do you hide junk when people come over?

We don’t hide junk. People must take us as we are.

Heaven Pt. 128

Posted on September 16, 2013 by joseph elon lillie under Pastor Wrinkles

I started writing the “Heaven” posts on my previous blog in December of 2011. My goal was to look at every verse in the Bible that used the word Heaven and to bring forth a commentary on the place where God’s throne resides. In the last two years we have made much of Heaven together, dear readers. I have to admit it is not just Heaven I understand a bit better through these meditations but the God of Heaven as well. If you would like to read past “Heaven” posts you can find them under the Heaven page by clicking on the Pastor Wrinkles icon above.

The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” Neh. 2:4,5

As I started writing this morning I did what I usually do. I sat down at my computer looked at the next item on my list to write about and began ploughing into the subject. Then I read this Scripture and had to stop. I realized I was doing things backwards. You see, after my pattern, I make my plans, set them in motion and then I ask God to bless them.

As I read this morning I realized that is not what Nehemiah did. He was burdened with a God idea but when his opportunity came He didn’t just charge ahead in his own strength trying to accomplish the things of God . He first sent out an appeal for blessing from the God of Heaven. It may not have been anything more than a breath prayer but it was enough to cause Him to be cast upon the mercies of God for His future rather than upon his own weak arm of flesh.

It’s a lesson I have learned before and forgotten, apparently. We cannot work first and then pray. We must pray first and then work. This latter method is the key to gaining the Lord’s favor before we launch and therefore His direction and success in the project. The former is a chasing after wind and a sure method of ending up with only scatter shot victory.

Tell me about a time you sought the Lord before a project and He directed you to success.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside

Posted on September 15, 2013 by joseph elon lillie under Photography

This week’s photo challenge from the Daily Post is “INSIDE”. I am supposed to reveal the inside of something or show pictorially what I see on the inside! To see more “Inside” posts go to http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/photo-challenge-inside/

I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside.
Wayne Dyer

Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.
Sophia Loren

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.
Carl Jung

Caddo’s Seven Word Sundays 9-15-13

Posted on September 15, 2013 by joseph elon lillie under For Family & Fun

Recreating Silence come! I want to listen!

Weekly Travel theme: Multi-colored

Posted on September 14, 2013 by joseph elon lillie under Photography

This week’s travel theme from Ailsa is “MULTI_COLORED” . Check out all the “multi-colored” posts at http://wheresmybackpack.com/2013/09/13/travel-theme-multicoloured/

Here are my weekly travel pics:

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA

Keukenhof Gardens

Jaffrey NH

Pastor Wrinkles: The Power Of Words

Posted on September 14, 2013 by joseph elon lillie under Photography

This Post was written as a devotional thought from Pastor Wrinkles after reading the challenge concerning “WORDS” from “Across the Bored”. To Read more “Two Cents” challenges go to http://acrossthebored.com/2013/09/10/two-cents-tuesday-challenge-words/

I have just finished Orson Scott Card’s prize-winning book, Ender’s Game . The antagonist’s (sort of) of the book are a race of alien insects, called “the buggers”. The buggers are a hive race who need no words to communicate with each other. Communication is complete openness and to the buggers the inability to connect psychically is an indication of non-sentience. Of course to humans the inability to speak means the same thing. The book left me with a profound understanding that we humans take much for granted.

I got to thinking about all this in the context of my communication with the Almighty. He is not bound by words as I am. For example,He speaks through the breadth and depth of the creation

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Ro. 1:18-20

He speaks through a still small voice in the center of my heart which, though often framed into words, begins as little more than a strong inclination.

And then He bends to Earth and offers to use the clunky inadequate thing we call human language. When He does even that weak form is invested with such power it shakes the world throughout the generations.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire Isaiah 55:9-11

If His words translated through the mouths and pens of others can cause such a great stir in the histories of men, what will it be like when the whole world hears His true voice?

He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
    with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.[a]
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils. Psam. 18:11-15

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion[b] like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks[c]
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” Psam. 29: 3-9

I would love to hear your thoughts…

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: White & Purple

Posted on September 12, 2013 by joseph elon lillie under Photography

This week’s Fun Foto Challenge is about the colors white & purple. Check out Cee’s great colors at http://www.ceephotography.com/2013/09/10/cees-fun-foto-challenge-white-and-purple/

Here are mine for the week

Winchendon MA Sunset at Captain’s Farm

White & Purple Girls

Keukenhof

Pastor Wrinkles: House On Fire Pt. 10

Posted on September 12, 2013 by joseph elon lillie under Pastor Wrinkles

The Word of God is a bridge that connects Earth with Heaven and Heaven with Earth.- Joseph Elon Lillie

Now on to today’s topic.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. Acts 4:13-21

In verse 17 the leaders of the temple commanded the apostles not to preach any more in the “name” of Jesus…that is the “onoma” of Jesus. “Onoma” means “all that the name stands for”

You see this was more than a problem with Jesus’ name; It was also a question of doctrine. It is important to note that this group warning the apostles was the Sadducees, the rulers of the temple, not the Pharisees. The Sadducees were struggling specifically with the doctrine of the resurrection because they did not believe in it. In this passage they were insisting that the RESURRECTION not be preached even though they could not deny the miracle that happened to the lame man.

As a result of this intimidation from the Temple the believers gather in prayer. Here is what they prayed:

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“‘Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
against the Lord
    and against his anointed one

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4:23-31

Today’s questions for discussion:

What do the disciples pray for in light of the threat from the authorities?

Would you have added or left out anything from this prayer if you had prayed it?