“But, Mom, everyone is doing it.” I don’t know how many times I tried to use this excuse to try to convince to convince her that what I was asking to do was what everyone else was doing. Of course, her response was invariably, “If they jumped off a bridge, would that, too?” We all want to be like everyone else in our group or like the ones we idolize.
nn mmm
How often do we see children of dysfunctional families repeat that dysfunction in their own families? Children of substance abusers are much more apt to become substance abusers. Children whose parents read stories to them as infants, grow up to be better readers and actually enjoy reading. Yet Proverbs tells us to Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
I know I often write on the topic of love. However, I was contemplating do I even love? My answer as all humans is not nearly enough. This makes my life a paradox. I will explain what I mean. My heart has been burdened by this thought for quite some time. Now I am not merely being a social reform activist but this world is a paradox in the sense that people are living without purpose and hope when hope and purpose are right in front of them. I see myself as a paradox because in the very core of my being I have hope I can share the love I have but I let fear, and my lazy, lethargic, individualistic self hold it in as so many of us do. Quite frankly who can say they pray for the world out of love every day? Week? Or even month? I know I don’t.
I once heard Joyce Meyer preach a message in which she said that when you go to a bigger level you are going to face a bigger Devil. That is the truth. The enemy tends to oppose us in increasing strength as we grow closer to God. While I think there is some merit in recognizing this truth, so as not to be caught unawares; It is important to remember that this is only a part of the truth.
As we grow closer to God we may face greater attack or resistance from the Devil but we also receive more power from the presence of the Living God. if we are confronted by “bigger devils” then God will always be faithful to send us “bigger angels” to war on our behalf.
We have to remember that God and Satan are not coequal. However much power the Devil might have at His disposal, he is quickly outmatched by the power of God. In fact, comparing the devil’s power to God’s is like comparing a static electric shock to an atom bomb. And God’s power is dedicated to seeing us through every valley of shadow the Devil with his power creates.
However else it might sometimes feel, Christians never fight from a disadvantage. We always wage our warfare (which by the way looks different from any other warfare in the world) from the already-won victory of the cross and resurrection.
Bigger levels (growing closer to God) bring bigger devils, ’tis true. But the far more important info to cram into your head is that bigger levels also bring bigger angels.
Well, here we are crashing headlong into the second half of 2015 and man is this head-on collision at top speed!
I am still struggling, because of the schedule in ministry, with blogging daily. Still, I am posting just as often as I can and I am hoping that this work will also bare great fruit. You can find out how all Cee’s other contributors are faring by clicking on the “Share Your World” sticker above and beaming directly over to Cee’s site.
Here are this week’s questions:
For your blog do you basically use Mac or Windows applications. What type of device laptop, desktop,tablet, phone or pad?
I am currently writing on my desktop though I also frequently use my tablet to write from. I only have a dumb phone (the opposite of a smart phone) so I never use phone apps to read or write. That said I do most of my blog reading on my Kindle Fire.
If you were to treat yourself to the “finer things” what would you treat yourself to?
My son recently treated me to a dinner movie theater. I had never been to one and I thought it was neato cool. I loved watching the Avengers on a super jumbo screen from a leather recliner while eating a real meal. And my son used an app on his smart phone to buy the tickets! I admit though I kept wanting to push the little red button on my chair to see if the waitress would keep coming throughout the movie. Joe had to keep me under a tight reign. That may not be the finest thing in life but it was sure fun.
Can you change a car tire?
I can (which probably would surprise most of my family) but I now have Triple A so I wouldn’t.
The 4th question this week is answer this poll about “how you would like to see the question formats for Share Your World”. Feel free to answer the questions in your post too.
I love how Cee has been mixing it up lately. I think it’s good and keeps the challenge fresh. I loved the list thing and the complete the sentences. I hope to see these again and even other methods of asking questions! For instance I think questions that require photographic answers would be neat. Like “Show me a picture of your favorite place.” Or “Photograph a meal you ate this week.”
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I am grateful that I moved towards completing my latest deadline for my novel. July 1st is right around the corner! This week I launch into a season of concerts and shows. I am looking forward to the concert at LIfeskills tomorrow, leading worship for Special Touch on Saturday, Leading worship at Cornerstone on Saturday, the Concert at the GVNA next Thursday and the Art in the Park show and concert on Saturday June 20th!
I have been watching Hollywood’s growing penchant for the apocalypse with interest. First because I believe that the world is slated for apocalypse. Second because what Hollywood is disseminating about the biblical apocalypse is so inaccurate it goes beyond heresy (if there is such a thing). I know the writers of the apocalyptic shows currently crossing our airwaves would say that these offerings are just stories not meant in any way to depict a biblical theology; But the borrowing and redefining of Christian language is creating, at the very least, a pop theology based on misinformation that is actually polar opposite of what the Bible teaches.
Case in point the CW’s new show, “The Messengers” is about 7 people who are irradiated by a meteor and turned into “the seven angels of the apocalypse”. They are tasked with stopping Satan and holding back the apocalypse by stopping his four horsemen of the apocalypse from arising, thus cancelling “the rapture”.
The storyline is filled with so many inaccuracies it leaves me wondering if the writers were actually trying to create a line of misinformation about the Christian apocalypse. Please! Please! Please! If you actually watch the show understand there is no Christian anywhere on the face of the planet who actually thinks this is how the end of the world is going to go down!
First there are no angels of the apocalypse trying to stop Satan from ending the world. Satan cannot end the world. He doesn’t have that kind of power, and frankly he doesn’t want the world to end. He likes the way things are going. The apocalypse is not just about destroying the planet. The Tribulation (the Christian term for Apocalypse) is about God coming and setting things right in this fallen world by beginning the process of healing the darkness and evil that has overtaken our planet. It is God cutting out the cancer of sin.
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.a
11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.b That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 2 Pet. 3:3-11
Second, if there were angels of the apocalypse they would not be humans changed by radiation. Angels are not humans and humans are not angels. We are as different from angels as humans are different from elephants.
Third, the rapture is God’s plan not the Devil’s and therefore it cannot be stopped and should not be stopped. Christians throughout the centuries have looked for the rapture to come. It is understood as God’s escape plan from the Tribulation.
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thess. 4:13-18
Well my rant is almost done. I guess I believe that this surge of crazy Apocalyptic shows on the telly are really some entertaining form of propaganda geared to prepare the world at large for the very events the Bible predicts (such as the Rapture). I suppose if millions of people suddenly vanished off the Earth, shows like “The Messengers” would offer an explanation that could be readily adapted for public consumption however erroneous and even hokey those explanations might be.
I’ll end with the words of one of my Bible college professors. Reuben Hartwick said, ” When it comes down to a choice of choosing Hollywood’s version of things or the Bible’s version of things we must always choose THE BIBLE!”
Last week was my 100th blog entry. It certainly doesn’t seem that long. Nest week my wife and I will be celebrating our 43rd anniversary. That time seems even shorter. Yet there have been tough times along the way. Each of us has faced times when Jesus seemed far away and our prayers seemed to be bouncing off the covering of heaven. I think we all have had that experience at one time or another. Our solution? Find a quiet time and place to pray our way through it and then begin to do something to help others.
When Jesus had some of His most difficult times of trial, He often left everyone and went someplace alone. Whether it was to a mountain or to a garden, He needed to get to be alone to communicate with His Father
When Abraham was told by God to sacrifice Isaac, he took him up…
This picture may be black & white but the day stands out vivid in my memory. My daughter and I were stunned by the drive up into Moll’s gap and we stopped at one of the lakes to get these shots with the Mountains of Killarney as our backdrop.
My son, a teacher in South Korea
PINK
In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Vivid.”
Click on the word “Vivid” above to see other brilliant posts.
Here is my take on vivid:
Vivid-
of a picture, memory, etc. : seeming like real life because it is very clear, bright, or detailed
Lillie-Put 