This New Year

Somebody asked me if I had a new year's resolution the other day. I replied "It is good to have goals in this life so that you can intentionally be striving to reach them. I have goals, but that they are life goals."  We never have to wait for a new year to begin to begin again. We are give new opportunities every day. Life is so short! If we have no goals we'll waist our time quickly. I want to make the most of my time because the days are evil Ephesians 5:16. I want to live for God's glory. I can do nothing apart from God's grace and power John 15:5.


I want to glorify God in my thoughts, words, and actions. 1 Corinthians 10:31 That is how I will divide my list. Here are a few of my life goals.

Thoughts and Attitudes

*I am working towards having a meek and quiet spirit which is precious in God's sight. 1 Peter 3:4

*I want to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

*I desire to practice contentment. Discontentment lead to the first sin and leads to all others. Philippians 10:1

*It is my goal to have a humble submissive attitude as did Christ. Philippians 2:5-8

Actions

*I desire to study God's word daily. Matthew 4:4
*It is my goal to memorize scripture so that I might not sin against God. Psalm 119:11
*I want to boldly and humbly share the gospel. Mark 16:15

*I want to honor and obey my parents. Ephesians 6:1-3

*I don't want to keep a record of wrongs, but I want to forgive just as Christ forgave me.1 Corinthians 13:5, Collosians 3:13

*I own nothing, and I want to be a good steward of the earthly things God has given me. 1 Corinthians 10:26

*I want to serve others and consider them better than myself. Philippians 2:3, 1 Corinthians 13:5
*It is my goal to never pay back evil for evil, but to overcome it with good. 1Peter 3:9, Romans 12:17-21
*I want to speak for those who can not speak for themselves. Proverbs 31:8
*I am striving to flee youthful lust, deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and guard my heart. 2 Timothy 2:22, Titus 2:12, Proverbs 4:23
*I want to be hospitable. Hebrews 13:12, 1Peter 4:9
*I want to be patient and kind. 1 Corinthians 13:4
*I do not want to be educated in evil, but rather be mature in my thinking. 1 Corinthians 14:20

Words
*I want to rejoice in all circumstances and cease from complaining. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
*I want my words to be edifying to others, and I desire to become a better encourager. Ephesians 4:29

*I desire not to use sarcasm, coarse jesting, filthy language, silly talk, or idle words. Ephesians 4:29,       Ephesians 5:4, Matthew 12:36

*I will not misuse the name of the Lord my God. Exodus 20:7

*I want to let my yes be yes and my no be no. I need not swear. Matthew 5:33-37

*I do not want to gossip or slander. 1 Timothy 3:11

*I want to always be truthful. Leviticus 9:11

*I desire to boast in nothing but the Lord. 1 Corinthians 13:4
*It is my goal not to quarrelsome. 2 Timothy 2:22

What are your goals? Have you considered the ways you use your time. Are you seeking God's glory or your own? I hope you will live intentionally for the glory of God!

Headless

Without a head
I have never met a living headless person, nor a dead one for that matter. the fact is that if you are alive, you have a head. Your head contains a vital organ. Your brain. Without your brain, you cannot do anything. Your brain governs everything in your entire body.  For instance, your heart is important, but it would not beat without your brain telling it to beat. There is nothing that you do aside from your head. In Ephesians 5:^{23b says "}Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body." Christ is the head of every Christian. This means we should do nothing apart from Him.

Christ' Head
God is the head of Christ (1Corinthians 11:3). Christ did nothing apart from his head. Christ set the perfect example for every Christian. We will fail to submit to our head in everything while we are still in our fleshly, but submission should be our goal. We are still on a journey to sanctification, and we must walk by the spirit. We should ask before we act, " What would you have me to do Lord?". We are to have the attitude and mind of Christ. Philippians 2:5  says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:". Consider what Jesus' attitude was toward His head.

*In John 6:38 Jesus said, "'For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."

*John 5:19, 20, and 30 say,  "So then Jesus said to them,' Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgement is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me."

*John 4:34 Says, " Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work."

Who's Your Head?
Is Christ your head? Does He govern your life? To say He is your savior and not your Lord is ludicrous. There is no such thing as a headless Christian, and if you are your own head, you are not a Christian. God wants your whole heart, mind, soul, and life. Surrender to Him. Ask yourself if you are truly living with Christ as your head.

Great Sermon!

I just read a great sermon online by John Piper. It was entitled: "Final Judgement: Eternal Life Vs. Wrath and Fury (Romans 1:28-2:11)" It was not full of fancy analogies, funny jokes, or cute stories, but it was full of wisdom. I appreciated his straight-forwardness and boldness.

Death

"I'm dying! Quick! Save me!" I could hear my brother saying from the other room. My siblings like to play like they are fire-fighters. They will lock a door and then try to get in by using a hair pin or a little key to "rescue" the person in the burning building. A little bit latter I could hear my two year old brother trying to play the game too. He said "I Dyee!" It was very cute! The truth is though, that everyone really will die. Hebrews 9:27b says,"it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement." We will all have to stand  before God and give an account for every word, thought and deed we have ever done. The standard we will be judged by is God's law. Take this quick test to see how you will do on judgement day.

The Test:
*Have you ever told a lie? Even if it was a "white lie".
Scripture says that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. (Rev 21:8)

*Have you ever stolen anything? Regardless of its value? Listen to your conscience.
Thieves will not inherit the kingdom of god according to the bible. (1 Cor 6:10)


*Have you ever used God's name as a cuss word to express disgust? This is called blasphemy and is a serious sin. The Bible says that God will not hold anyone guiltless who takes his name in vain. (Ex 20:7)

* Have you ever looked with lust? Jesus said who whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her in his heart and it is breaking one of the ten commandments. (Mat 5:28) (Ex 20:14)

*Have you ever hated anyone? The Bible says whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and that breaks the sixth commandment. (1John 3:15, Exodus 20:13)

*Have you always honored and your parents implicitly? Dishonoring your parents is a sin. (Ex 20:12, Eph 6:2)

Innocent or Guilty?

These are only six of the ten commandments that we have looked at. How did you do? Will you be innocent or guilty on judgement day? We are all guilty of breaking God's law! According to scripture no one is righteous. We will all be found guilty on judgement day. Romans 3:10 says, "There is none righteous, not even one;". The Bible also says, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,". The law will not help you it will just leave you helpless and guilty before a Holy God exposing your sins. So what are the wages of sin? What happens when we are tried and found guilty? Scripture says the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).

Judgement

And so we are back to our topic, namely, death. We will all die and then we will be judged (Acts 17:31). After this some will go away to eternal judgement, but the righteous to eternal life. (Daniel 12:2) (Matthew 25:46) (Mark 9:48) So who can be saved if "no one righteous"?

Good News!

 ^{1 Corinthians 5:21 says, "}He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Because Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for or sin, we can be forgiven and made righteous through faith in him. 

God cannot overlook our sins because  He is a righteous judge. Justice had to be served. That is why Jesus paid the price for our sins. He died so that he could give us mercy. He died so that we could live. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;" Because of God's grace we can be saved through faith in Christ. Trust in Christ alone for your righteousness. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but through me." (John14:6) Also Acts 4:12 says " and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

You can only be saved through faith in Christ! When you put your faith in Christ, God gives you His righteousness's and a new heart. True faith is always accompanied by repententance. Scripture says even the demons believe that God is one. Yet the Holy spirit does not dwell in them. Trust Christ and repent, and God will fill you with his Holy Spirit and give you a new heart!

Freedom of Speech

In America we have laws that were set up to give us freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Other countries are not this way, and our country may not always have the same laws. Even I wonder how long it will be legal to openly speak about my beliefs, but what I'd like to remind you is that if you are a Christian, you are always free to speak the truth and the gospel. We are not free to speak things that would dishonor God, but we have freedom to obey God and honor him in every aspect of our lives. Remember that the apostles were often told to stop proclaiming the gospel, but they continued to do so. We must obey God rather than men. We do have to love and honor all men, but our highest authority is God. We must obey him first and other authorities second. Click Here for more thoughts on submission to government leaders.

Hiding In My Heart

The Challenge
I have a very difficult time memorizing things. In fact, I learned to skip count by singing a song, and I still sing songs in my head when I do my math. I can remember things for a small amount of time, but they just don't stick. When I don't use it, I loose it. I assumed I just couldn't memorize God's word either until one day something inspired me to try.

The Inspiration
I was conversing with a friend who told me of a teacher she had. He had memorized the whole book of Ephesians. The teacher challenged her, and she challenged me to memorize it. I began trying, but it wouldn't stick. Finally I made a melody up and recorded small portions of it on my Ipod. I listened to a few verses every night before I went to sleep until I had memorized them. I repeated this process until one day I had finished The whole book after about a year. As I was learning it, I went around singing it, and as a result many of my family members have memorized portions of it too.

The Benefits
It is so nice to always have large portions of scripture with you so that you can use them to meditate on if your thoughts begin to wander to sinful places. It is also good to have scripture in your heart when you are witnessing. I like the fact that if Bibles were ever illegal I'd still have some of it with me.  Not only that, but it gives me wisdom when I need to make decisions (Psalm 119:24). In Psalm 119:105 The psalmist compares Gods word to a lamp for our feet. I think this is such a wonderful picture of what scripture is. When God's word is in our hearts we have a light with us to guide our steps.

The Goal
Memorizing scripture for the sake of just knowing it will not profit you very much. You must hide it in your hearts so that you may not sin against God as the psalmist says in Psalm 119:11 "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Our goal for memorizing scripture should be to apply it to our lives. Scripture is one of our defenses against temtation. We need to hide it in our hearts not just in our heads.

The Charge
Do you have a hard time memorizing scripture? Pray God will help you. God has given our minds the capacity to memorize the entire Bible. Don't you think God would want us to use what He's given us well? Be creative and look into different methods for memorizing God's word. You may sing a song, write it on paper, or pace back and forth. Just find whatever helps you to hide it in your heart! God's word is precious! Read it, memorize it, meditate on it, and obey it!

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The Power of Rejoicing

Imagine...
Imagine it's midnight, you have just been beaten unjustly for doing the Lord's work, and you're in prison with your feet bound. What would you be doing? This is exactly where  Paul and Silas found themselves one midnight long ago.

Acts 16:22-34
"The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

"But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!' And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down beforePaul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'

"They said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.' And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household."

Staring Me in the Eyes
Honestly, if I were in this situation, I don't think I'd be rejoicing. I think I'd be crying out to God for relief, but as I read this passage I was amazed! Here were two men in a very trying circumstance, who were praising God! This passage was staring in my face. It made me ask myself, "Why do I ever complain if they rejoiced when their circumstances were much worse?"

Do Not Simply Cease! Rejoice!
The Israelites complained despite the many good gifts God had given them. God gave them manna, and they complained because they wanted meat. How often are we like them? God has given us so many gifts! Our goal should not be to simply cease from complaining. We should rejoice! Philippians 4:4 says "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Paul said it twice because rejoicing is so important!

What Would The World be Like?
When Paul and Silas were rejoicing, all the doors were opened and every one's chains fell off, not to mention the fact that an entire family was saved! Maybe we are missing out on miracles because we aren't rejoicing. I wonder what would be different in our lives if we rejoiced? What would the world be like if every Christian rejoiced? 

The Charge:
No matter where you are in life, let's follow the example of Paul and Silas in rejoicing. Let's just watch to see what God does!

You Can't Buy Insurance for Tomorrow

I think one day I'll meet the man
I've prayed for, and we'll united.
I think we'll buy a piece of land
And start our own home site.

I think we'll have many children
Who will run around my house.
I think God will graciously save them,
And they'll one day meet a spouse.

I think I will have many grandchildren,
And they'll ask what I believe.
I'll share the gospel with them, and then
I'll pray they will receive.

I that think I will watch them grow
And even raise their babies.
I think these things, but I can't know.
God may have other plans for me.

I think that I will live to be
As old as one hundred years.
I'll think that I'll be all wrinkly,
And may loose my ability to hear.

But God may have planned that I'd die
After one more year's gone by.
Maybe my life will be much harder.
Maybe He's planned I'll die a Martyr.

What if he wants to show his power
 In teaching me how weak I am.
Pain might teach to trust each hour
I may walk alone in this land.

I may not live until tomorrow!
I may die this very night!
There is no time that I can borrow!
No time to rest during this fight.

Christ could return before I die.
I want to be faithful in His sight.
We may not have much more time.
Christ will return as a thief in the night.

How old do you think you will live to be?
How long do you think you'll live?
You'll find you'll live accordingly
Wasting time if there's time to give.

You can't insure time on this earth,
But be sure if you trust Christ
He'll give you second birth.
In Him there's insurance for life.

Trust Christ and don't waste today counting on tomorrow.


Our Condition
*We are guilty before God of breaking his laws. (Romans 3:23)
* The just sentence for our sins,law breaking, is death. (Romans 6:23)
* We will go to "court" and stand before a righteous judge. (Hebrews 9:27)
* He cannot overlook our sins justice must be satisfied. (Isaiah 45:21)

Breaking News
BUT GOD IS MERCIFUL AND NOT JUST, JUST! How can God be both just (which is giving us what we deserve, hell) and merciful (which is giving us what we don't deserve, heaven) at the same time? He satisfied justice for us. The price still had to be paid, but He paid it in full for those who repent and place their faith in Him! By Jesus' death on the cross, He took our guilt upon Himself, He satisfied God's wrath against sinners, and He made a way to righteousness for us.  Righteousness means a right standing with God, the Judge. Jesus is the only way to salvation! (John14:6, Acts 4:12) If you put your faith in Christ and ask him to forgive you, you will be saved!( John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8, Acts 16:31)

Faith and Repentance are Inseparable
True faith is trusting in Christ alone for your righteousness, and it is always accompanied by repentance (forsaking and hating your sins and submitting to God). You will still sin sometimes as a Christian, but if you confess your sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive you your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9) However, there is a difference between believing in God's existence and true faith. James 2:19 says " You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe and shutter." Even Satan and the demons believe in God's existence, but they do not have a surrendered heart to Him. When you are saved, God gives you his Holy spirit to dwell in you. The holy spirit gives you power to overcome sin. Demons do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. You are not saved by turning from your sins, but turning from your sins is a result of salvation. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God's glory alone.

Your Servant in Christ,

Dallas

In a Pickle

Yesterday my mom had to take my grandmother to the doctor, and we were in charge of all the kids except the baby. Mommy took her with her. We had eaten our breakfast, and the dishes were dirty, The laundry needed to be done, schoolwork  needed to be accomplished, and all the little ducks (the children) would not stay in a row. It was right then that the shelf fell off of the refrigerator door, and a pickle jar shattered on the kitchen floor. Pickles and pickle juice covered the kitchen floor, and the juice was spreading under the fridge. I was in a pickle! Does this sound familiar to you?

Ahhh!

I like to think of it this way. God is the  teacher, and I am the student. Every day He gives me a sheet of problems to solve that go along with the lesson He wants to teach me. I have noticed that when I feel the tasks I must do are to many, or that I am incapable of doing them, often God wants to teach me something. It is easy to complain, but that profits nothing. Am I we willing to learn? Will I put in the effort it takes to grow? Are you facing a pickle? Maybe God is trying to teach you something. God will give us the stregnth we need when we're in a pickle if we ask Him and rely on Him for it!

I Fell In Love

I can't stop thinking about you.
One look and I can't forget
Such simplistic beauty,
And yet so intricate.

What a small thing to occupy
My time, my mind, my heart.
I thought none could love so dearly,
But that was only the start.

What makes you so beautiful?
Why do I love you so?
Perhaps that's a secret
That only you know.

Your smile delights my heart,
And sings music to my soul.
Oh, to hold your hand,
And never to let go!

Your peaceful breathing
Your warm cheeks
I could hold you for hours!
And stare for weeks!

You're growing so fast!
Slow down dear!
Sleep in my arms,
Linger longer here!

And I'll content myself
With watching you dream.
Oh you beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful thing!

I fell in love with you!

How Ironic

Is it Ironic ?

"Some $1.042 billion was spent online during Black Friday, a 26% increase on Black Friday 2011," according to statistics from comScore. Is it ironic that that Black Friday occurs right after Thanksgiving? I think not. We are in Satan's kingdom right now, and he wants to replace our thankfulness with a greedy and consumeristic spirit. As Christians, we are not citizens of this world.

Things to Keep in Mind:

*1 Peter 2:11 "Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war on the against the soul".

*Philippians 3:20 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord."

*1 Timothy 6:6-11 "But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness."

A Heart Issue, Not a Spending Issue

It is not wrong to shop on Black Friday. The question we must ask ourselves is, “What are we pursuing?” In which kingdom are we storing our treasure? Scripture tells us that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. Are we pursuing the American dream–riches and a luxurious lifestyle–or are we pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness? We must examine our hearts because that is where the problems really begin. You could refrain from spending even a penny on Black Friday and still have a greed issue in your heart. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us, "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." We should be thankful for what God has already given us, content where He has us, and willing to share. We can trust He will provide for us in the future.

A Surrendered Attitude

Job had a beautiful attitude even after he had lost practically everything. Job 1:21-22 “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said,'Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.' Through all this Job did not sin, nor did he blame God." We should also have this attitude. God is the Giver, but He can also take away. He is the One who makes our very hearts beat, but He can also take our life at any time. Have you surrendered everything to God? Is there anything you are holding back? It could be your plans, your possessions, or your very life. Just know that when you put something in God's hands, it could not be in a better place.

Who Do We Give Thanks to at Thanksgiving?

The Giver of all good gifts! God! God is the one we should acknowledge for everything we have. We should thank Him every day, not just on Thanksgiving!

This Year's Election

What is the Christian's Responsibility?
I don't know who you voted for, if you did vote, or even if you are able to vote. I commend all the Christians who voted against abortion and gay unions. Every eligible christian should have voted this way because we are bound by scripture to do so. Christian liberty is not a matter of freedom to do anything and everything we please. We are freed from slavery to sin and freed to do all that is in harmony with God's word. Scripture warns against using our freedom as a covering for evil(1 Peter 2:16, Galatians 5:13). We shouldn't vote with prejudice's to a different race. We should not vote for someone because of their amiable personalities or skilled speeches. We should vote for someone because they uphold the word of God as the standard by which to rule their own private lives and their country. If no such candidate is found, then as Christians we should vote for the candidate that at least upholds the constitution. If there is still no one who does this, than we must vote  for the candidate who has the most biblical principals and supports biblical laws. In this case it was Mitt Romney. Although he is not a Christian, he is pro-life and he stands for biblical marriage. Romney did not win though. So how should we view this election?

What Does This Say About America as a Nation?
If the votes were tallied honestly, then it is evident that our country no longer values what God values.
We must pray for revival and faithfully preach the gospel to all men. The president is a good mirror of America because she chose him. As the church this should motivate us to share the gospel when we see the fallen state of our nation! We need God's grace and intervention.

How Should Christians View Purposeful Miscounting and Voter Fraud?
The communist Tyrant and mass murderer Josef Stalin said" He who votes decides nothing. He who counts decides everything." This voices well the fear that many Americans feel. They feel that it is pointless to vote because their vote will not count. How should Christians view voter fraud and purposeful miscounting? Please consider these scriptures.
Proverbs 16:33 " The lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord."
Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is like channel's of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes."
Psalm 33:10-11"The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates  the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The plans of his heart from generation to generation"
Proverbs 16:9 " The mind of a man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps."
Ephesians 1:11"Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of his will."
John 19:11a " Jesus answered,'you would have no authority over me unless it had been given from you from above...'"
We can clearly see that neither the one who counts the votes, nor the one who votes elects our our president, but God elects the president. We are still responsible to vote, but God ultimately makes every decision.

Should Christians Submit To Non-Christian Leaders?
Where should we look for answers? In the Bible! First Peter 2:13-14 says"Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right." Authority is good. We should submit to every human institution unless they prohibit you from doing something God requires or require you to do something God prohibits. In Acts 4:19-20 "But Peter and John answered and said to them, ' Whether  it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.'" In this passage Peter and John had to obey God rather than men. When forced to choose, always obey God, but if you are able to obey your leader and God then do so. In Acts 5:29 Peter and the apostles said "We must obey God rather than men."

Will We Respond in Fear or Faith?
Over and over in scripture we are commanded not to fear. Perhaps You fear the possible persecution to come. This all boils down to fearing man. In an earlier post I spoke about this and will not focus on fearing man in this article. Instead, I will focus on how to overcome fear.

 Here is one of my favorite passages on fear: Philippians 4:6-8 says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by  prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And The peace which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." There are four points I would like to make about this text. First of all, we are commanded not to be anxious. Secondly, the first step to overcoming our fears is to give them to God in prayer. Thirdly, we must rejoice and give thanks to God. And lastly, we must redirect our thoughts to what is good.

If we give our fears to God in prayer we no longer have to carry them. If we are thankful, that helps us to remember all the ways God has been faithful in past, and that gives us courage to face the future. If we redirect our thoughts onto good things, we don't leave room for Satan to work.

Conclusions
God is faithful! Psalm 2:12b "Blessed are all who take refuge in him." I would like to end with this passage, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ' For Your Sake We Are  Being Put To Death All Day Long; We Were Considered As Sheep To Be Slaughtered.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I'm convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39

Reading The Bible Is...

Powerless to save

Do you have a Bible? Do you read it? Why? There are many reasons to read it, but if you read the Bible because you think it will give you life, you will be disappointed. In Mark 5:39 Jesus says" You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life: it is they that testify about Me;" The scriptures cannot give life; they can only point to the source of it. Jesus is the only way to eternal life! We read in Mark 14:6 "Jesus said to him, ' I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me'." The scriptures are powerless to save, your good works are powerless to save, and there is no other name except the name of Jesus by which you may be saved (Acts 4:12). For what purpose should we read scripture then? What is it useful for?

Useful for...

*Teaching, Reproof, Correction, Training in Righteous, and for Equipping

Second Timothy 3:16 says "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

*Direction Psalm 119:105 says " Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

*Conviction of sin Romans7:7

*Leading us to Christ Galatians 3:24"Therefore, the law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ , so that we may be justified by faith."

*Revealing God's character to us

*Renewing our minds Romans 12:1-2 

We should read God's word to know God and be conformed to his Image. It points you to a mighty savior and proclaims the good news, that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21)! Repent and trust in Christ alone for your righteousness!

Suprise! Surprise!

The news
   It was a casual Wednesday. I'd finished my studies, and I was at war once again with the tangles in my hair. Then Mommy called my name, so I came. She had a very interesting look on her face. Her smile and laugh portrayed that she had an enigmatic surprise. Perplexed, I asked "What is it?" She just kept laughing instead of replying. My suspense had heightened at this point, but I would never have even begun to speculate what  she was about to inform me of. Our dear friends, the Williams, had invited me to go to Kentucky with them to the Creation Science Museum!

   I'd been hoping to go to the museum ever since I'd heard of it. Upon receiving this announcement, I was thrilled! The decision to take this trip was very spontaneous! The Williams said they'd be arriving to pick  me up in about two hours, so I hastily packed for our five day trip.

Our First Stop
  On our way, we stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park and toured the cave. Of course we did not see all of it considering the fact that it spans hundreds of miles. We toured for two hours and still only saw a small fraction of the cave. Without our guide and without the lights in the cave we would be lost. For a few moments our guide turned off all the lights in the cave so that we could see just how dark it really was inside the cave. There was no light at all! It would be impossible to find your way around in the cave without lights. There were deep  pits and tiny passage ways. In many places crouching was necessary and in some places there were enormous rooms such as the Rotunda. God's word must be our guide and our light in this life. God's splendor was displayed in intricacies of the design of mammoth cave!

Memory Making
   Sleeping arrangements were quite comical. Anna Clair, Sarah Grace, and I all shared a queen sized bed one night. We decided to sleep horizontally on the bed so we'd have more room; our feet, however, hung off. I slept well every night because I was really tired, and we all enjoyed being together.

The Ride
   The car ride was pleasant and I enjoyed it! We watched videos on worldview, apologetics, and history. We had great conversations about politics, history, and religion. I learned a lot from their family just by traveling with them. It was in the car that we ate salt and vinegar flavored crickets, and I watched in disbelief as Anna Clair ate her lollipop with a real scorpion in it. We got lost a few times in Cincinnati, which was an adventure too.  I was glad that I wasn't responsible for getting us to the destination; I was just in for the ride. God should be in control of our lives. He never gets lost, but sometimes he takes our lives on a different course than we'd planned. This can be difficult if we're still trying to "drive"; there can be only one driver though. We just have to trust him and submit to his plans.

An Unexpected Visitor
One evening as we were eating our dinner, a man pulled up a chair and asked us about our modesty. We explained that we are Christians, and as Christians we value modesty, want to glorify God by the way we dress, and don't want to cause others to stumble. The way we dress sends others a message. In the same way that a Muslim  can easily be identified by his or her attire.

Leaving Bread Crumbs
We stayed in several hotels. Before we left, if I had time, I would gather all the towels, and remove the bedding and place it on the bed to make it easier for the maids to clean our room. I also left a tract for them. I wanted it to be obvious that a Christian had stayed. Leaving little acts of kindness is like leaving bread crumbs that lead the way to sharing the gospel.

The Museum
I greatly enjoyed the museum! It was very faith strengthening! There was so much to see and do! It dealt with a lot of the popular oppositions to the Christian faith, and "evidences" for evolution. I could have spent hours just looking at the books and resources in the gift shop! I would highly recommend this museum  to all people of all backgrounds. It simply lays out the evidence for God in creation, and shows why we can depend on God's word.

The Aquarium
We also visited the Newport Aquarium! It was amazing to see God's fingerprint and master craftsmanship in his creation that he made to inhabit the water! The creatures were so vibrant, elegant,  and intricate! I knew also that  I was only seeing a small fraction of his creation, and I was blown away! I enjoyed seeing yet another part of God's creation!

My Overall Thoughts
I was very grateful to the  Williams family for inviting me to join them. At each stop, I was able to observe, explore, and enjoy God's glorious creation, but how much more glorious is the Creator! I have rich memories and my faith was enriched! I know that everything God has planned for me is to conform me to his image. This was one of the more exciting and pleasant things that he used! God does use unpleasant things too. He is working all things together for the good of those who love God. I'm just excited to see what He is going to do next on this journey of becoming more like Christ.

 

Worthless

   All around us there are things to see, do, hear, taste, and touch. Sometimes we observe these things on accident, and sometimes we set them before ourselves purposely. For instance, when you walk into a store you may glance at a television that is playing as you walk by and turn your gaze away if it is not God honoring. If you, however, rent a movie and watch it that would be setting it before you. We cannot always control what we encounter; however, we can control what we set before our eyes.

  The Psalmist declares in psalm 101:3, " I will set no worthless thing before my eyes..." I find it interesting that he used the word worthless. In Hebrew the word translated as worthless actually means: "Without profit, worthlessness, (by extension) destruction,wickedness."How does this verse apply to us when evaluating what we put before ourselves? What sort of questions should we use to find out whether we should put something before us? When we evaluate what we are going to put before ourselves our question should be neither, " Does this have anything bad in it?"nor, " Does this have any thing good in it?". Here's why. It is very challenging to find movie, magazine, or book (besides the Bible) devoid of anything bad because corrupted people create corrupted matterials; on the other hand, just because there is one good thing in something, that does not make it valuable. The question we should ask is, "Is this valuable?".

  It is true that there may be nothing inherently wrong with playing a race car video game, but is there any value in it? Not all things are a sin, but not all things are a good use of our time. Our culture has given too much room for time wasting and labeled it entertainment. In Ephesians 5:15-17 we read " Therefore be careful how you walk not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is." You can almost hear Paul's urgency through the verses on this page. The days are evil. Satan is seeking whom he may devour. He wants to destroy you and use you in the destruction of others. We are in a war. It may not be a sin to be entertained, but we are on the front lines and cannot afford to be distracted. This is an old military tactic. You distract your enemy and sneak in on them. Do you not think Satan is doing just that? He has got us so distracted that we do not even have a hand on our weapons! Far too often, we are just relaxing and amusing ourselves! We will give an answer to God for how we use the time He has given us; therefore, we must not waste it!

  We should avoid wasting time by not setting worhtless things before us and seeking to glorify God in whatever we do. It is time for reformation in this area of our lives! We must be intentional with what God has given us including the time He's entrusted with us. This life is but a breath, but let it be a fragrant aroma to the Lord.

                                                                                 Your Servant in Christ,
                                                                                           Dallas

Never Smell a Cinnamon Tic-Tac

   They were so shiny and red. We had been told not to eat them, and we were quite bored while we sat waiting for our mom to find the right pair of shoes at the mall. My little sister and I sat under the chairs with mommy's purse and eyed the cinnamon tic-tacks. We rarely got to have candy because it was not healthy, and mommy cared more about health than we did. It was so tempting, but we knew we should not eat them, so we continued to stare at them. Next, we decided to just hold the container so we could see them better. Then, we decided that we should smell them so that we could better imagine how they would taste if we were eating them. Then, it happened. Gracie sniffed the tic-tack right up her nose. It began to sting because it was cinnamon and everyone in the mall knew it (including mommy). We ended up going to the hospital, and Gracie sounded so much like a siren that no ambulance was necessary. By the time we got there it had dissolved, but Gracie was in much pain!
I was feeling terrible because it had all been my idea!

   Now this true story took place a good ten years ago, but the lesson I learned from it is still applicable today. I learned that one should never smell a cinnamon tic-tack because chances are, one might end up with a stinging nose. No, I'm just kidding. Seriously though, we shouldn't taste, touch, handle, or "smell" temptations. In the scriptures Solomon instructs his son saying, "Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it; turn away from it and pass on."(Prov 4:14-15) We are supposed to avoid the evil path. We aren't even to go near it! (And yes, that means no smelling your mom's tic-tacks.)

   I remember when it would be my turn to empty the trashcans from around the house into the large kitchen trash can, and little things would fall on the floor during the process of dumping them. I was so disgusted with the thought of picking up the little pieces with my bare hands, that I would go and get  grocery sacks to use as gloves instead of just washing my hands afterwards (which I would have to do anyways). The fact is, most of us are clever enough to find ways around doing things we do not like. We should go to the same measures to avoid temptation. If it is a sin, our attitude should not be an attitude  that says, "How close can I come to doing it without doing it?", but an attitude that says " How can I go out of my way to avoid coming into contact with it?" Can we expect to handle hot embers in our bosom and not have our clothes burned?(Prov 6:27) When we get too close to temptation we will most likely get burned!

   Lastly, avoiding temptation is not enough. We must also pursue what is good. I would like to close with this charge to all of my readers: "Now flee from youthful lust and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on God from a pure heart." ( 2 Tim 2:22)

Another Great Book!

"Shepherding a Child's Heart " by Tedd Tripp was an enlightening book! In our culture, parents often deal with children's behavior rather than the reasons for their behavior. Tedd Tripp addresses the heart issues behind children's behavior and explains how to Shepherd and guide a child's heart. Whether you are parent or not, this book is a must read.

What To Be Afraid Of

Fear
Fear. Everyone fears something weather they know it or not. When we were little, we feared things like lions under the bed that wait for you to step off your bed before jumping out to eat you. (Even though there is no possible way that a lion could fit  under a bed. Especially considering how much junk is usually under a child's bed, and not to mention the fact that they are not even native to our continent.) As children we feared irrational things. We somehow thought things that were not there when the lights were on, appeared when they went off and so on. Yes, this kind of fear was the sort of terror we felt  when we imagined monsters in the closet.

However, fear is not merely an emotion you feel when something terrifies you. There is more to fear than that. In one sense fear is being scared of something, but it can also mean that you reverence or honor something or someone. That is the kind of fear that I am going to focus on today. Everyone honors or reverences something. This fear drives every decision we make. This fear drives even our very thoughts. It is at the core of our very being.

Idols:

Fearing man
For example, if you fear man, that fear will drive you. Every year Chick-fil-A has a national cow appreciation day, and if you dress like a cow you get a free sandwich. This year, when my Aunt asked my three year old cousin if she would like to wear some cow ears too, she replied "No! What would people think!" The truth is, if you fear man's opinion, that fear will drive what you decide to wear, do, say, watch, read etc. You might find yourself seeking others approval, flattering others with compliments that are not genuine, or getting highly defensive when you are accused by others because you crave their approval. When you get dressed you will ask, "What is in style?" rather than, "What do I like?" or "What would honor God?". When you speak you will ask yourself, "What does this person want to hear?" rather than, "What is true?" When no one is looking you will do whatever you want since there is no one there to disapprove.

There are many examples of men who did and who did not fear man in the Bible. Shadrack, Meshack, and Obednego did not bow to the shrine when they were commanded to by king Nebechudnezzer. They knew that to bow down would be disobedience to God, and they feared God more than they feared the threat of the king to throw them into the fiery furnace. Although they were thrown in, God delivered them! Daniel is another good example of a man who feared God, not men. Herod feared the crowd though, and turned Jesus over to be crucified although he found no fault with Him! Peter feared what man might do to him and denied Jesus three times! Fearing man is an idol and trap! We are told to fear and serve God only. Fearing man is wrong, and I too struggle with this fear.

Fearing money
We can also fear money, if we think of fear in terms of fear and reverence. As I have stated above fear drives our decisions. Many spend their lives chasing after money only to lose it when they die. According to the richest man who ever lived (Solomon), riches are all vanity and cannot satisfy (Ecclesiastes). You can fear money and have nothing, and you can not fear money and have many possessions.

Scripture tells us that a man's life does not consist of his possessions. It warns against fearing it, and tells us not to store our treasure on earth where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for money, is an example of one who feared money. True riches are not found in money but in fearing and serving the Lord.

  The fear of money is an Idol and sin too. Matthew 6:24-34 is a great passage on possessions, and I encourage you to study it yourself. It warns that you cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money. It also says that if you seek first God's kingdom, He will provide for you. What does a servant worry himself with? Only doing the will of his master. He does not worry about what he will wear or eat because his master provides those things. God is a loving master, and He made us to do His will and serve Him. Money is a harsh master who promises much but leaves you empty.

Fearing yourself
There are many things you can fear; I have only touched on a couple, but any fear besides the fear of the Lord pretty much boils down to this: Fearing yourself. If you do what is right in your own eyes or whatever feels good to you, you fear yourself.  The Scripture says in Prov 14:12 and in Prov16:25 "There is a way that seems right to man, but it's end is the way to death." This is a strong warning against fearing yourself. It is an Idol and a sin. Fearing yourself leads to death!

What do you Fear?
Everyone fears something. The question is will it be The Creator or creation; will it be God or man? Even those who fear God will still struggle with fearing other things, but God's grace is sufficient for all our needs. God is the one who we should fear!

In The Image of God (Written 1/18/12)

Created in His Image
Genesis 1:27 "God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

Did The Fall Change That?
God created man in his own image, but since the fall is man still a reflection of it? There is no unrighteousness in God. If we are unrighteous, (Romans 3;10-18) how can we reflect his image? Eph 4:22-24 says that "in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." (Emphasis added) The old self which being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, is certainly not a reflection of God's character but is totally depraved, unable to even chose good (Eph 2: 1-2). Psalm 51:5 says "Surely I was sinful from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." We sin because we are sinners not vise versa. However, even though man no longer reflects God's character he is still made in God's image.

Image Bearers vs. Character Reflectors
Even though our nature is not a reflection of God's character, we still posses something distinctive that all other creation doesn't, and that is a soul. Even though our nature has changed, our substance (or being) hasn't. If a dog develops rabies he doesn't become another animal or thing; he just has an extremely aggressive nature. He is still a dog though. Despite the fact that our desires and impulses are naturally evil now, and we are totally depraved apart from God's saving grace; we are just a corrupted  form of what God designed us to be. We are still humans and posses a soul even after the fall. James 3:9 is one place where the New Testament mentions us being made in the image of God. So the fall did not nullify that fact. All humans bear God's image, but only Christians are a reflection of his character and are in the likeness of God. Isn't that interesting. In fact Satan told Adam and Eve that eating the forbidden fruit would make them like God, and doing so did just the opposite. He is the father of lies and cannot tell the truth.The new self "in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Those whom God saves are a reflection of his character. The unregenerate are not a representation of God's character, but they still bear his image.

Not Exactly
Ultimately Jesus is "the exact representation of His nature" (Hebrews 1:3). Even with our new nature, we are not the exact representation of his glory or nature because we are still putting to death the deeds of the flesh by the spirit and learning to walk by the spirit (Galatians 5:16,25). Ephesians 5:1 goes on to say we should be imitators of God. We should imitate God's love to those who don't reflect his character.


The Value of Human Life
The fact that humans posses a soul is an important fact. We aren't animals. If you are a human you have a soul and you've had one from the moment you became one. People argue over when a fetus becomes a human. I believe the moment they where created, just as it was from the beginning, that a man is human and has a soul. I believe abortion is murder and that it is a sin.  When we kill a fly or mosquito that is not a sin. Those insects do not posses a soul. It is the same as when we pull a weed out of our garden and kill it. That is not a sin. God does not say "thou shalt not kill", but "thou shalt not murder."
I have never heard of a man being executed for squishing an ant. However, many times it has happened for killing a human. For the same reason, I think killing an old person or dissabled person who no longer contributes to society, is wrong. I have compassion for those who have had abortions, and I know often the mothers are decieved into doing so. God's grace can cover any sin, even murder. God created man in his own image. That puts value on man. We should value man as well, reflecting God's character to a fallen world in need of God's saving grace.