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Economy To Get Worse Before It Gets Better?


Feb 18

Posted: under News, Praise, Prophecy, Society and Culture, Teaching, prayer.
Tags: , , , ,

I shared an email with a friend recently. It was a quote from Charles Swindoll about Attitude Determining Altitude.

I was trying to share “HOPE”…

He replied with brief thanks for the encouragement……. … and then he went right on to share a link to a HORRIBLE VIDEO NEWS REPORT about how the economy is going to get worse before it gets better.

Now don’t get me wrong when I say this video news report is HORRIBLE.  It is actually well done, and probably accurate.  But it is so discouraging when such a HORRIBLE SET OF PREDICTIONS are made by some news pundit (currently playing on yahoo finance page).

SO MY QUESTION FOR YOU TODAY is - WHAT (or WHO) ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE?

I serve a risen savior, have access to the self same power that raised him from the dead, command an army of angels, and cannot be overcome.  I believe the author/creator of it ALL who said darkness cannot overcome light.

I encourage you to turn the news off and create your own future - independent of the herd!

OK…  OK… Reality does have to be dealt with. I know… But only by “EARTH PEOPLE” : )

Those of us who are spiritual can walk on water, part the red sea, feed thousands with little, and otherwise “bind and loose” with help from our Father in Heaven.  If you don’t know what this power is, “to bind and loose” then search an online bible or get your butt to a church that lives it and JOIN IN!

So… Soldier…  (In my best General Patton Voice) It’s time to get up, out of that bunker, and charge straight into the face of the enemy - just to prove it can be done.

This enemy might be called the NIGHTLY NEWS, or BAD NEWS (AKA “Troubling Spirits” in OT Lexicon). IT’S TIME TO TAKE SOME GROUND FOR THE KINGDOM, AND SHOW THE WORLD AND THE ENEMY THAT WE CAN DO WHAT MERE MORTALS CANNOT!

When we go forward with hope, that shines a light into a dark place.  People will want to know what drives us…  That’s when we can share a testimony with great result!

When it’s over, and the day is done, and you have accomplished your miracle…  Share - Teach - Show the WAY : )

Oh, yeah… LEST WE FORGET - Each day is new, so…. you get to win, and accomplish miracles, and share, teach, show the way - EVERY DAY : )

PS - I just did my part…..  NOW IT’S YOUR TURN : )

Comments (4)

Christiany ~ Spiritual Power ~ Do You Have It?


Feb 07

Posted: under Prophecy, Society and Culture, Teaching, Testimony, Uncategorized.
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Christianity teaches that believers have the help of a POWER not available to those who do not believe… right?  Or at least that we have more POWER than other spiritual disciplines…

Spiritual power… what is that?  Do you have it?

Can you know things others don’t?  Walk on water?  Heal the Sick?  Raise the Dead?

Is that what Spiritual Power means?

Your thoughts?

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Is the “Church” wrecking Christianity?


Feb 07

Posted: under Society and Culture.
Tags: , ,

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Is the “CHURCH” wrecking Christianity by corrupting the message of Christ?

Do denominations and pastors use a supposed superior knowledge of spiritual things to control and exploit the weak?

Is it all a control game to keep spiritual power away from the common person?

Or is it merely that the CHURCH is made up of imperfect people doing the best they can with what they have?

Do CHURCHES fulfill the great commission and make the world a better place

Your thoughts?

Comments (2)

One Nation, Under God - The Lincoln Bible, MLK, & Dreams


Jan 20

Posted: under News, Society and Culture.

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Today is a historic day in our U S of A.

We swear in a new President.  A Black President.

Barack Hussein Obama insists on using Lincoln’s Bible.  Lincoln was certainly the progenitor of Emancipation.  I imagine this is the impetus.  There is no escaping the references to Martin Luther King either.  His dream for racial equality in America seems to have matured into a reality.

It’s kind of odd, to be so focused on racial symbolism when this candidate all but avoided Race as in issue during his campaign.  Barack, like many before him, seems to have campaigned on one set of values and then changed his tune a bit once elected.  His budget and recovery package ideas are already set to cost double or triple what he spoke of during the campaign.  And now race is a big issue instead of a non-issue.

It’s obvious that this would be a proud moment for Black Americans, and I certainly marvel at it.  I don’t begrudge it in any way.  It just happens that I preferred it be a non issue.  Isn’t that the point of racial equality anyway?

But this is still America, and I trust that the race card will soon go back into the deck of cards Obama has been dealt, or is dealing from…  Whatever comes, Barack cannot permit race to be a lightning rod for criticism of his handling of the historical and monumental challenges facing his new Presidency.

And so I ask….  is race even an issue?  Really?  Don’t we all have a dream?

I have a dream for an America led by a servant of the Most High God.  I look for One who can bring favor and blessing of the Almighty on our land.  I dream of One who can marshall the angels from the four corners of the heavens, and bring healing, hope, spring rain to a parched land.

Oh, yes - let there be a recovery plan, a job corp, and international diplomacy.  But even more, let the fervent prayers of the Righteous rise to our Father in heaven like smoke of incense from the alter of uncut and living stones.

We who believe are the living stones.

We are ready, as a nation, for a new chapter in our mission to be a light on a hill.

And so, I pray - Let there be light!

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Pray for America


Dec 22

Posted: under Society and Culture, Testimonies, prayer.
Tags:

America needs prayer.  The economy is in worse shape than most realize.  Our president elect says it’s worse than we thought.  He plans on creating millions of jobs in a WPA type program.  That’s a good idea - but not enough…

American needs prayer.  Our sons and daughters are giving their lives for a war we don’t support at home.

America needs prayer.  We have little faith in our elected officials, as they clutter meaningful legislation with money for friends and trade favors instead of governing.

America needs prayer.  Poverty is growing, people are losing their homes, and good people are starving.

America needs prayer.  Homes provided to house victims of natural disasters are taken away before homes are built.

America needs prayer.  We are assaulting our teachers, and falling behind the world educationally.

America needs prayer.  We are killing our wives, children, brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents.

America needs prayer.  We may have gained the whole world but lost a soul in the bargain.

What to do?  BELIEVE in the power of God to overcome the world.

The powerful and effective prayers of a righteous man availeth much!

A little tiny bit of goodness wants to come into the world at Christmas.

If you make just a little room for hope, possibility, and miracles - then the baby Jesus, the spirit of Life, Truth, and Love can grow into a powerful force.  Welcome him! Make a fresh start!  Let the cure for America start with you!

America needs prayer…  Not just any prayer - but the prayer of the righteous.

We are made righteous by the gift of Christ.  Celebrate this and we are already celebrating the turnaround!

Comments (1)

Worshipping Christ - Not Capitalism


Dec 21

Posted: under Society and Culture, Teaching, Testimonies.
Tags: , ,

Who needs another tacky sweater or a way to watch video on a 2″ nano screen?

This Christmas, my family will worship Christ, not Capitalism.

The stores and merchants will just have to do without our annual spending spree.

Some family or village in Africa will get goats and chickens instead.

Jesus gave his life to us not his money.  Do him proud!

Try giving life and hope to somebody this Christmas instead of bling and hoopla!

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Who wants to be Deeper and Wider in their Faith?


Dec 09

Posted: under Society and Culture, Teaching, Testimony.

I used to want to go deeper, and wider, in my faith.

I admired the classic Christian art portrait - DAILY BREAD of an old man praying over a loaf of bread.

Having had a very richly blessed younger life, I was actually jealous of the kind of faith enjoyed by those who could accept a crust of bread and praise the Lord for it.  I wondered if I could.

God answered my prayers with challenges, crises, and delays.  Oh yes, my faith increased.  It is painful to be stretched that deep and that wide that fast.

Oh yes, I praised the Lord in those circumstances too. However, I assure you, I would rather go back to the happy bliss of being richly blessed ; )

Paul said something like he had been rich and he had been poor - and that all things being equal he would rather be rich… Sign me up  !!!!!

Knowing the Lord is what counts.  It takes a lot of faith for a rich man to look to heaven and give thanks, and then use his riches to serve the kingdom.  It can take just as much faith as for a poor man to thank God for bread.  You wouldn’t understand unless you had ever been rich.

Jesus said - it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to get into heaven.

Now I know envy is a sin.  I have been Guilty.

But now…  Let it rain gold and I will never envy the poor man again!

Comments (6)

Texting With God?


Dec 01

Posted: under Prophecy, Society and Culture, Teaching.

In our fractured, hurry up world, when do you find time for things of the Spirit?

We are so disconnected we don’t have time for friends in real time.  We have to relegate friends to our facebook page and have conversations without meeting because… well… we are just too busy.

Texting and facebook and myspace have taken over for what used to be real relationships.

Can you text with God? Sure…  No cell phone required! FREE!  But… Is it enough?  I used to call them Pop Tart Prayers.  Little quickies.  Problem is, this kind of relationship with God is about as sustaining and nutritious as a pop tart.

I want more of God.  I want to chew on God, gain the strength of the meat of the word, gnaw the protein out of the bones of His plans…  Get face to face and ask some questions - If only I could remember the questions when in His presence…

You can’t do that in a text or a “drive by” prayer.

But the time it takes to get in that space…  that place…  Is prohibitive to many believers today.  Many of the people you think of as spiritual giants are running on fumes too.

What can we do to find more time for our relationship with God?

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Does the NOISE drown out the SOUND ?


Nov 29

Posted: under Society and Culture, Teaching, Testimony.

While blogging around, I found an article that is well focused on one of the HUGE issues of our day:  Permalink below:

http://www.leadingsmart.com/leadingsmart/2008/11/are-you-tired-of-the-noise.html

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Are You Tired of the Noise?

The other day, in a rare moment of silence, I was thinking about all the noise. The non-stop, in-your-face, never-ending cacophony of noise.

When I’m in my car, I tend to flip between 170 channels of XM radio, usually settling on talk radio so I can hear what my favorite host thinks about the latest happenings on the campaign trail or in the stock market. I endure the commercials which entice me to clean the paste out of my colon or buy a CD so I can learn to process information ten times faster.

My iPhone buzzes in my pocket even as I drive telling me that I have a new text message or twitter alert or email. Or, as old fashioned as it sounds, perhaps someone is actually calling me.

At my desk, I struggle to focus as different types of beeps let me know that my attention is needed. I see hundreds of blog posts come through on the seventy-five RSS feeds that I track. I process more than 25,000 emails every year when I’m not answering the phone, leading meetings, making decisions and trying to be productive.

I finally get home…to the place I call a haven, and it starts all over again. The music in the background is ever-present, typically different types from multiple sources. One of my kids is practicing the piano, another is listening to her music, and a couple more might be tuned in to Hannah Montana or DinoSapien. Later on when it’s my turn, I flip the TV on to catch up on the latest thoughts from my favorite pundits on one of those “twenty-four-hour-we-make-up-the-news” channels.

My DVR allows me to never be without something to watch (which is awesome since I only have 300 channels to choose from), and if that’s not enough I can select from thousands of hours of fine viewing through the “on demand” service. With the push of a button, I can learn about war, automobiles, Obama, McCain, the stock market, Pamela Anderson, how stuff is made, how stuff works, how broken things get fixed, how to catch a very large fish, how to exercise, how to lose weight without exercise, and what the girls next door are up to.

The new season of TV makes the noise even greater. The series trailers convince me that must-watch-TV is not an option. I have to find out how The Mentalist made his Prison Break with the Gossip Girl and disappeared Without a Trace after stealing the Dirty Sexy Money from Chuck who was caught Dancing With a Star named Ugly Betty near the House of Eli Stone.

Some nights I’ll spend a few minutes killing bad guys on Xbox Live with eleven other people from around the world, listening to their incessant chatter through colorful words in various languages. I shut it down, check email one more time, pick up a magazine or put in the headphones before falling off to sleep—sometimes checking my iPhone again to see the latest news headlines.

And, the next day, it starts all over again.

It is the noise of life. And it never ends. And, if I’m not careful, the noise will keep me from hearing the sounds. You see, sometimes for me—the noise of life drowns out the sounds of life.

The noise keeps me from hearing the sound of my child’s voice and her tone that says, “Dad, I just need to talk for a few minutes.” The noise keeps me from taking the time for a hallway conversation that would communicate to a friend how much they really matter to me. Sometimes I don’t notice that my wife had a really tough day and she just needs to know I care—but instead I glaze right over the opportunity because of all the noise in my life.

It’s possible for the noise to keep me from hearing the sound of the still, small, unaggressive voice of the Spirit prompting me to hold my tongue or stop an action or take steps in a relationship. It is the noise of life that can cause me to forget a commitment, devalue a friendship, or underestimate the influence I have on those who are watching me.

The question I’m asking today: What can I do to minimize the noise of life so I can hear the sounds that really matter?

I need to spend some time thinking about this. That is what I’m going to do—right after I check my email, answer the phone, and finish last week’s episode of Heroes.

- By Tim Stevens from the November/December issue of Collide Magazine. 

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Christianity: Post Church Modern ?


Sep 25

Posted: under Ministries, News, Prophecy, Society and Culture, Teaching, Testimony.
Tags: , ,

Yes, you read that right.  POST CHURCH MODERN is the topic - and not POST MODERN CHURCH. But we will have to discuss the latter a bit in order to be clear about the former.

You may be more familiar with the phrase POST MODERN CHURCH. A POST MODERN CHURCH is one that serves a POST MODERN CULTURE.  A person who considers themselves as belonging to the POST MODERN culture is seeing themselves as beyond modern (beyond here means AFTER).  POST MODERN culture can be seen as a reaction to a modern culture, characterized by an ironic return to traditional materials and forms - as in architecture or literature.  It typically calls for a radical re-examination of basic beliefs about who we are and how we got here.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT THAT.

The POST CHURCH MODERN is something else. The Post Church Modern is an individual who is moving values forward after falling OUT of love with the Christian Church as we know it.  Notice the POST CHURCH MODERN Christian is not falling out of love with Christ, just with the church.

The POST CHURCH MODERN is NOT returning to traditional forms - not seeking comfort in the familiar, but is seeking intellectual and spiritual adventure and exploration in arenas once barred by judgmental, “traditional” opinions and belief systems.

To Sum: There is a very profound difference between the two.  Cynicism and a spirit ready to judge something as inadequate are both needed in order to belong to Post Modern movement.  Consider, if there was not something judged to be wrong with MODERN then the person would have no need to move beyond the modern view.  Contrast this with the Post Church Modern, who is simply so open, so ready for life and adventure, that he has no need for confining form, and especially no need for one that looks backwards as a solution.

“THAT DID NOT WORK” is what the POST MODERN CHURCH SAYS ABOUT MODERNITY.  IT’S TOO SHALLOW.  Hmmm….  This very same accusation is fairly made about the POST MODERN CHURCH itself.  The believer became tradition bound, afraid, held captive in a new form that was as rigid as the old form.  The promise of freedom is offered, but instead the new form traps him into being free only as long as he remains cynical and judgmental toward “MODERN” Believers.  This new trap really should come as no surprise.  By its nature of being unhappy with all things MODERN, the adherants end up fighting their own condition.  Since the Post Modern Church would attract a fairly cynical group of individuals, it can be expected that they will do what judgmental and cynical folk do.  Post Modern Churchgoers hang together, wax nostalgic, and become trapped in the worship of the past.  To maintain the facade of being special, they pronounce themselves in the right, and all others in the wrong.

Another viewpoint is possible.   After all, we worship a Creative God!

THIS COULD BE FUN” is the attitude of the POST CHURCH MODERN.  We could discover something useful, something powerful, something elevating, and we may end up cooperating with our own condition in a glorious explosion of what COULD BE!

Is it dangerous? Even blasphemous?  Will we lose sight of dry land and sail off to drown in a sea of egocentric me-ism?  Doubtful if you know that we continue to believe in and worship God.  This position extols the wonder of a Creator God and a Christ who came to model the entire idea.

CHRIST was POST CHURCH MODERN in his day. The church, in his day, was the synagogue. He was “DONE WITH ALL THAT” because of the hypocrisy and intellectualized, self serving pride and rigidity found there.

Now there you have it. The POST CHURCH MODERN IS A BELIEVER WHO IS DONE WITH ALL THAT CHURCH STUFF because of the hypocrisy and intellectualized, self serving pride and rigidity found there.

Now - I said it and you can believe it : )

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