Wow...
I've not touched this in a while. A lot has happened since I've posted on here. One thing has remained the same and that is the love of the King. He continues to come through time & time again for my family and I.
I can not say how much I am in love with Him. Because those words are not enough. I love you Father, you are so miraculous.
Maybe I'll do more with this, we'll have to wait and see. Stay alert, His arrival is soon. :)
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Birthday Reflection
40 years ago today, the world got darker or lighter... Depending on which family member you talk to. :)
I would have never imagined reaching this age. When I was little I thought I would have gone out in a blaze of nuclear fire as the mad men of the world pushed the button. Or some other calamity would have come along to take my life. OR my own natural stupidity would have splattered me all over a highway or canyon floor somewhere. I know that sounds pretty miserable, but I'm telling you the truth.
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D LIVE TO SEE MY 40TH BIRTHDAY!!!
And here it is. What have I seen in 40 years??? A LOT! I tell people that nothing surprises me in this world. I've seen miracles and horrors. I've seen small blessings and huge cursing. I would definitely say that I have seen a lot. I've not seen it all AND I don't know everything, but it's all good.
40 years ago in Greenwood, IN, I came into this world because... Well I don't know specifically why. I can say that I don't fully know my purpose in life, even at 40. I have one dream left in life and I am looking forward to it. I know I was at least wanted, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
40 YEARS.
wow.
Thank you Father for 40 years of life. I am 1/3 of the way through this life and I look forward to the next 80 years. OR until your Son comes and gets us. Both would be wonderful. I love you Lord. And thank you for all the blessings (wife, daughters, parents, in-laws, friends, acquaintances, etc...). I love you God. Thank you for letting me sit here and 'celebrate' this day.
I would have never imagined reaching this age. When I was little I thought I would have gone out in a blaze of nuclear fire as the mad men of the world pushed the button. Or some other calamity would have come along to take my life. OR my own natural stupidity would have splattered me all over a highway or canyon floor somewhere. I know that sounds pretty miserable, but I'm telling you the truth.
I NEVER THOUGHT I'D LIVE TO SEE MY 40TH BIRTHDAY!!!
And here it is. What have I seen in 40 years??? A LOT! I tell people that nothing surprises me in this world. I've seen miracles and horrors. I've seen small blessings and huge cursing. I would definitely say that I have seen a lot. I've not seen it all AND I don't know everything, but it's all good.
40 years ago in Greenwood, IN, I came into this world because... Well I don't know specifically why. I can say that I don't fully know my purpose in life, even at 40. I have one dream left in life and I am looking forward to it. I know I was at least wanted, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
40 YEARS.
wow.
Thank you Father for 40 years of life. I am 1/3 of the way through this life and I look forward to the next 80 years. OR until your Son comes and gets us. Both would be wonderful. I love you Lord. And thank you for all the blessings (wife, daughters, parents, in-laws, friends, acquaintances, etc...). I love you God. Thank you for letting me sit here and 'celebrate' this day.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Saved? Or not saved?
Here's a topic that has split many a church body & denominations too... Can a Christian loose their salvation? Is salvation something that even can be lost? What is the deal with 'once saved, always saved.'
This topic has perplexed me for a long time & I'm finally going to put my head into it to see where both sides of the argument go.
Now mind you at the end of this I'm not going to stand on my soap box and say who is right or wrong. However I will share my findings and let you all decide. Now as I type this I am NOT wondering about my own salvation. I think I'm still pretty tight with Jesus right now. I know I could always be tighter & I'm working on that. This is one of those 'touchy' areas of Christianity that causes big stirs ( like predestination, validity of the Word, women ministers, etc... ).
Take this for what it will be worth. Probably for most of you not much. For others? Who knows? Bless you!
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
Separation of Church and State
I am so tired of people using this phrase, its become ridiculously stupid... All because a group of Justices referred to it, EVERYONE thinks its in the Constitution... WELL IT'S NOT!!!!!!!!
Here allow me...
When un-educated people refer to this phrase, they are referring to a part of the Bill of Rights. IN particular it is the First Amendment. Here is what it says:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
In particular, those who use it point to this part of the above... "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." Let's break this down...
There are two key words here that has everyone confused...
First 'respecting'...
re·spect·ing: (preposition) about or relating to (something) : with respect to (something)
Gentlemen
The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem."
Here allow me...
When un-educated people refer to this phrase, they are referring to a part of the Bill of Rights. IN particular it is the First Amendment. Here is what it says:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
In particular, those who use it point to this part of the above... "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." Let's break this down...
There are two key words here that has everyone confused...
First 'respecting'...
re·spect·ing: (preposition) about or relating to (something) : with respect to (something)
So with that in mind let's begin to translate the sentence... Congress shall make no law about/relating to... Ok next key word. 'establishment'...
es·tab·lish·ment (noun) \i-ˈsta-blish-mənt\
1: something established: as
a: a settled arrangement; especially: a code of laws
b: established church
c: a permanent civil or military organization
d: a place of business or residence with its furnishings and staff
e: a public or private institution
2: an established order of society: as
a (often capitalized): a group of social, economic, and political leaders who form a ruling class (as of a nation)
b (often capitalized): a controlling group <the literary establishment>
3a: the act of establishing
b: the state of being established
1: something established: as
a: a settled arrangement; especially: a code of laws
b: established church
c: a permanent civil or military organization
d: a place of business or residence with its furnishings and staff
e: a public or private institution
2: an established order of society: as
a (often capitalized): a group of social, economic, and political leaders who form a ruling class (as of a nation)
b (often capitalized): a controlling group <the literary establishment>
3a: the act of establishing
b: the state of being established
OK translation continues... Congress shall make no law about/relating to any all-ready existing religion or creating/setting up a religion...
THIS DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT SEPARATING CHURCH AND STATE!!! In my own layman terms... This essentially says that Congress can not touch religion and it can not setup a religion, declaring it the "State's" religion. You all remember what country we fought the Revolutionary war against??? Does ANY of that sound familiar??? It should.
The phrase separation of church and state comes from Thomas Jefferson. The text of that letter is below:
"To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.
The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good as to express towards me, on behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the highest satisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful and zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents, & in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more and more pleasing.
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem."
(signed) Thomas Jefferson
Jan.1.1802.
Jan.1.1802.
A group of Supreme Court Justices used this above letter in their ruling. In the case Everson v. Board of Education (1947), the case was brought by a New Jersey taxpayer against a tax funded school district that provided reimbursement to parents of both public and private schooled children taking the public transportation system to school. The taxpayer contended that reimbursement given for children attending private religious schools violated the constitutional prohibition against state support of religion, and the taking of taxpayers' money to do so violated the constitution's Due Process Clause. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everson_v._Board_of_Education) In Everson v. Board of Education (1947), the United States Supreme Court was asked to interpret the First Amendment's prohibition on laws "respecting an establishment of religion." "In the words of Jefferson," the justices famously declared, the First Amendment "was intended to erect ‘a wall of separation between church and State'...[that] must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach." (http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2006/06/the-mythical-wall-of-separation-how-a-misused-metaphor-changed-church-state-law-policy-and-discourse)
I agree with these Justice's interpretation in that the Government can not say this religion is official and allowed and another is not. This DOESN'T have anything to do with Nativity scenes being on military bases or cross-memorials being on public land. This is about a Government, OURS, saying that this religion is the 'official' one OR creating laws that will prevent/harm religions that are already in existence. OH! And by the way, when it says religion, it's not just referring to just Christianity; it also means Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, etc... ALL RELIGION IS PROTECTED from being ruled by the Government OR being taken over by it.
So please educate yourself and others, don't let the less-informed make their silly attempts to conform you to lunacy. Don't check you brains at the door!
PEACE & Merry Christmas.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Choose.... WAS or IS...
Today I give you a challenge... One that does not require a lot of thought. There will not be a lot of murkiness either in this challenge. It will actually be very easy. You have to choose between WAS or IS. Do you want what WAS or do you want what IS? Real simple. Here let me give you some examples...
Muhammad - Muhammad's claim to his authority from God, according to the teachings of the Quran is based on the Old Testament scriptures Deuteronomy 18:18-22. However if you read these verses, verse 18 says that the prophet would come from among the 'brethren' of the Jews. So if this is true then Muhammad was a Jew. And most people have read enough about him to know that he definitely wasn't a Jew, so then the only logical conclusion is... He was a liar. So, will you choose to follow a liar???
Buddha - Buddha was a man. Though a lot of his followers attributed many supernatural traits to him, he was still only a man. And guess what, he died. I know that those who follow the Maker King's Son also believe that He was supernatural as well. And Jesus died too. However Buddha does not have one feat that Jesus did... Jesus came back from the dead. I don't mean re-incarnation, I mean His body came back to life after three days, and He walked out of the tomb. So, will you choose to follow a dead guy???
Confucius - Again Confucius was a man who lived in China a long time ago. I will admit, he was extremely smart. His ideas for law and organization was grand; he was even wise in agreeing with the King on how we should treat others. However Confucius worshiped his ancestors. Dead people, who could care less about you or I and really don't even know if their being worshiped or not. So, will you choose to follow someone who may have had great moral ideas but was lost following dead people???
Then there is the Maker King's Son, Jesus. Jesus did exactly everything He said He was going to do, exactly as He said He was going to do it and exactly at the time He said it would happen. Jesus fulfilled every prophecy that relates to the Jewish teachings of the Messiah. And as I stated about, HE CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD! And many witnesses witnessed him rise into Heaven, where He is still alive today and reaching out to us everyday. SO!!!
Will you choose someone who was a liar, someone who was alive, someone who was a confused moral teacher or someone who is ALIVE. Jesus is the way, is the truth and is the life... Choose Him today and find out for yourself.
Muhammad - Muhammad's claim to his authority from God, according to the teachings of the Quran is based on the Old Testament scriptures Deuteronomy 18:18-22. However if you read these verses, verse 18 says that the prophet would come from among the 'brethren' of the Jews. So if this is true then Muhammad was a Jew. And most people have read enough about him to know that he definitely wasn't a Jew, so then the only logical conclusion is... He was a liar. So, will you choose to follow a liar???
Buddha - Buddha was a man. Though a lot of his followers attributed many supernatural traits to him, he was still only a man. And guess what, he died. I know that those who follow the Maker King's Son also believe that He was supernatural as well. And Jesus died too. However Buddha does not have one feat that Jesus did... Jesus came back from the dead. I don't mean re-incarnation, I mean His body came back to life after three days, and He walked out of the tomb. So, will you choose to follow a dead guy???
Confucius - Again Confucius was a man who lived in China a long time ago. I will admit, he was extremely smart. His ideas for law and organization was grand; he was even wise in agreeing with the King on how we should treat others. However Confucius worshiped his ancestors. Dead people, who could care less about you or I and really don't even know if their being worshiped or not. So, will you choose to follow someone who may have had great moral ideas but was lost following dead people???
Then there is the Maker King's Son, Jesus. Jesus did exactly everything He said He was going to do, exactly as He said He was going to do it and exactly at the time He said it would happen. Jesus fulfilled every prophecy that relates to the Jewish teachings of the Messiah. And as I stated about, HE CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD! And many witnesses witnessed him rise into Heaven, where He is still alive today and reaching out to us everyday. SO!!!
Will you choose someone who was a liar, someone who was alive, someone who was a confused moral teacher or someone who is ALIVE. Jesus is the way, is the truth and is the life... Choose Him today and find out for yourself.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
My bride...
The King wires people in many different ways. One way that has been perverted over time is that of guys and gals; and our natural connections for each other. Of course, this old connection hasn't come to an end, because no kidding, I wouldn't be writing this and you won't be reading it either. Guys still go after the gals and visa versa.
Now for me, before I met my bride, I was a flaming heterosexual. I loved women. And I mean that exactly how it's spelled. L. O. V. E. Women. LOL I know I can't help it. Again this is the way I was wired. And I loved them in all shapes and sizes. Of course I have the pig in me (hey, I'm a man; all men are pigs, even the nice ones have lil'oinkers in them), and that pig blinded my choice and made me picky. AH! It made me an idiot. So many wonderful women that I could have had great relationships with, I passed right on by.
Then a little over 15 years ago, the King brought into my life this beautiful woman. OH MY STAR AND GARTERS is she beautiful... And I was hooked. I not only swallowed the hook, the line and the sinker; I also downed the bobber, rod and a large part of the arm of the fisherman (he's still not talking to me; in fact I don't know who he was, poor guy). And let me tell you the piggie in me was happy happy happy.
Ok, putting all the swine talk aside, my beautiful bride was, is and I'm fully expecting to be amazing. She is a great woman. She has become the most amazing mother for my children and I could dive into the subject about her being my lover... Well, let's just say that I'm still happy happy happy.
My wife is so awesome, and I'm not typing all of this to get brownie points (that's what doing the dishes yesterday was for). I looked through the Holy Word and I found an awesome verse to explain to you how beautiful she is to me...
Song of Solomn 2:2 "As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women."
With all the focus of the word today on sex, beauty and perfection... They have yet to reach the lever of my bride. And from what I've seen, they won't ever get close.
I love her so much. The you Maker King for allowing her to be my bride. I won't say that I don't deserve her, or else You would not have brought her to me. And I won't say that she deserves better, because you brought me to her. Thank you King for stoking the fire of our love for each other after 15 years. Thank you God for her.
Now for me, before I met my bride, I was a flaming heterosexual. I loved women. And I mean that exactly how it's spelled. L. O. V. E. Women. LOL I know I can't help it. Again this is the way I was wired. And I loved them in all shapes and sizes. Of course I have the pig in me (hey, I'm a man; all men are pigs, even the nice ones have lil'oinkers in them), and that pig blinded my choice and made me picky. AH! It made me an idiot. So many wonderful women that I could have had great relationships with, I passed right on by.
Then a little over 15 years ago, the King brought into my life this beautiful woman. OH MY STAR AND GARTERS is she beautiful... And I was hooked. I not only swallowed the hook, the line and the sinker; I also downed the bobber, rod and a large part of the arm of the fisherman (he's still not talking to me; in fact I don't know who he was, poor guy). And let me tell you the piggie in me was happy happy happy.
Ok, putting all the swine talk aside, my beautiful bride was, is and I'm fully expecting to be amazing. She is a great woman. She has become the most amazing mother for my children and I could dive into the subject about her being my lover... Well, let's just say that I'm still happy happy happy.
My wife is so awesome, and I'm not typing all of this to get brownie points (that's what doing the dishes yesterday was for). I looked through the Holy Word and I found an awesome verse to explain to you how beautiful she is to me...
Song of Solomn 2:2 "As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women."
With all the focus of the word today on sex, beauty and perfection... They have yet to reach the lever of my bride. And from what I've seen, they won't ever get close.
I love her so much. The you Maker King for allowing her to be my bride. I won't say that I don't deserve her, or else You would not have brought her to me. And I won't say that she deserves better, because you brought me to her. Thank you King for stoking the fire of our love for each other after 15 years. Thank you God for her.
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