bible

Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: Pettiness

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It is something that still surprises me. Seeing someone act and behave with petty i.e. immature behavior. I see more and more as I age why Jesus clearly showed how corrupt the natural state of humanity is. I lived in the south most my life. Now I am not saying that there is not petty immature people in the south, by mentioning this point. Why I mention it is that it has allowed me to gain an insight into behavior I may not have noticed living my entire life where I now live.
I also think it is due to my salvation that I can see things in a different light, or a better phrasing would be with the light of God shown upon those about me. I have had a very diverse image upon life that not all can say they have had so that too helps me look at things in this light of Christ as many may not or purposely turn their heads away from.
At this time, I am going through a little bit of bumpy road at work. The one at its center, well other than me, is one of my bosses. It is a large enough company that there are bosses over bosses. Well as I look upon the issue I start to understand what is going on, and so all I think I can do is do what I am supposed to do as is taught by Christ. As I type this, the realization hits me, just so you understand where I am coming from.
I need to pray for this man as well as another of the bosses. They suffer from the ideal that since they are management that everything must be done in such a way and in such a manner that it gives them the feeling of control of the situation. I wish I could go into more detail, but let us just say that each day is different from the previous one or the one that is to come, well at least in the area I work in. It is an area that is demanding. I had raised to the next level recently having become bored with the “regular” challenges and sought after some that would actually make me think.
The thing is they sent me on a shift that had no other peers equal to that new level to discuss issues with to gain their insight. Not anyone who says you can go straight into a job without someone to help you out at first is not telling you the truth; they are also lying to themselves. I can go no further other than to say that this one boss did not like that I acted in a certain way. To his satisfaction, even though the reason for my actions goes back to them not providing me with something I requested from them several times that night.
As I stated though this person does not see it this way, nor does he wish to see the truth, for it would shatter his illusionary world of power and control. Have I grown from it? I would say yes. Has he? I would say no. Thus the need to pray for him. For it is his soul that is in need of the help not mine.
It was stated best in the movie “Angel and the Badman” with John Wayne, when dealing with his future wife. She was a Quaker; their outlook on faith is one that I think all should have. When someone seeks to do harm to you it. You may suffer some injury, you may even die, but it is not you that is ultimately being hurt. It is them they are hurting.
Our reward is not promised on this earth but in the eternal life that is to come beyond this temporal life, we now live. How we live this life though is a determining fact upon our reward in the eternal. When you seek to do harm to another through violence or simply removing them from a job because you do not like them it is your reward you are taking from yourself. Each action of hate, each word said in anger. Each act that causes harm to someone else ultimately lies at your doorstep. It is something you must answer for before God. Many who now think themselves Christian will be stunned to find themselves standing before God on the days of the Great White Throne Judgment. They had thought they would be among the counted but instead find themselves being judged to see if they are worthy of being welcome to live an eternal life free to serve the Creator of the Universe within and throughout His creation. All that stand before Him will weep and plead, but what they do not fully understand is even though God will be the one that ultimately says if they are welcome. Their own actions and behavior are their judge. For we are given the Bible to teach us what is right and wrong and if we do not follow these rules even though we may have been saved we will find that we can be removed from Jesus and thus from God Himself.

The duel edge sword.

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There are times we go through trials and tribulations. As I have said before some may be a pruning by God to allow you to become a better tool for His glory. There will be some trials that confound and confuse you because they come at you from a direction you did not expect. Usually in these instances, there is another party involved. Someone outside that you do not know how or why they crossed your path and sent you into a trail and tribulation. When there is others involved it is always a test upon both parties or all those involved.
In many cases, it will be something that is testing you to see if you grow in your faith, and let me say on a personal note, that all our faiths including mine own have room to grow.
Here is my point of this post. Even though we end up growing and become closer to God in this time of tribulation we may not be the may target. I could be the other person in the situation that is being tested. It may be the other person having their faith in God worked upon by Him.
Our responses and actions to this person might be something that God can use to make this other person realize they need to change and come closer to God. Or they may just need to go through this trial in their own way, but still your reaction is important.
An example:
The other day I was behind a person on the road that was driving erratically. I noticed that he was more interested in looking on the screen of his cellphone then upon the road. I come to this conclusion by the mere fact that he crossed the double yellow line and had to come to a near stop several time to make a simple corner. I have seen drunk drives drive better. So as I get to a stop light I start honking my horn.
He jumps out of his car comes running to my window and proceeds to curse and me.
My respond. “Yes I have a problem with you. You are texting. Read Titus 3:1”
This reference to the Bible made his eyes widen, step back and then turn and leave to his car, which he suddenly started running to as it rolled driverless toward the car in front of it.
Was I being given a trail? I would say yes, if you knew me before Christ you would understand.
Was he being tested? I would say definitely.

Things found in SciFi and the Bible

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Higher beings

Teleportation

Terra forming

Celestial phenomena

Dinosaurs

Ascensions to a higher life form

Asteroids and comets hitting the earth

Immortality

Multiple dimensions

Creation

This is where those that wrote SciFi got their ideas.
Ideas that have been around thousands of years before someone decided to write science fiction. Think on that a moment. Things that were not “real” when written by Jules Verne are now “real.”
Things in the Bible called real are now called fiction by those that wish to deny God. Funny how that is working. If the trend continues that means that all within the Bible is real, oh wait, people have already been saying that. Time to wake up folks.

Don’t become a broken branch

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There are those that believe in the manmade doctrine of “once saved always saved.” I do not follow this doctrine for within the book of John, Christ states you can be removed from Him. This implies that you were are one time with Him since you cannot be removed from something you were not a part of. Many follow this doctrine without being aware that they are.
Christ clearly states that one must “abide” with Him.
Abide – 3306. meno men’-o a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):–abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own.
Dwell – 3 a: to keep the attention directed —used with on or upon
b: to speak or write insistently —used with on or upon
Endure – 1: to continue in the same state: last 2: to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding

This means you have to have an active relationship with Jesus. Just going to church on Sunday and then not spend the other 313 days of the year dwelling in Christ and His teaches is not abiding in Him. We are the bride and He is the Groom. Do you spend 52 days out of the year with your wife or husband? If you did, you will soon find yourself divorced.
Your branch must bear fruit and that God Himself will prune you so that in the end you will bear more fruit. I experienced this pruning personally in my year of Job. Now I am dedicated to writing these words in hopes that they shall bear the fruit of God.
I know without a doubt that I came close to being a branch that bore no fruit and knew again, without a doubt, that I was close to being removed from the vine of Christ and gathered up and burned within the fire. The symbolism is clearly stated in these verses by Jesus Himself.
Know Him.
Have an active relationship with Him. This means to be a living example of what He taught and to strive to do so. Not only through prayer, but actions. So you can be a bearer of Godly fruit.
If you do not bear fruit you will be cast off by God and join the world of man and be thrown into the fire.
John 15: 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Words – 4487. rhema hray’-mah from 4483; an utterance (individually, collectively or specially),; by implication, a matter or topic (especially of narration, command or dispute); with a negative naught whatever:–+ evil, + nothing, saying, word.

John 15: 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

The Two Greatest Commandments revisited

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In one of my other posts, I mentioned two great commandments given to us by Jesus. To love God with all your heart and all the time. The other was to love your neighbor as you love yourself. These two things Christ stated was above the Ten Commandments and yet if you look at it they are part of the Ten Commandments.
Like the Ten Commandments it is something that is ignored by most, be they non-Christian or even Christian. This is a sad statement when you ponder upon it some, but true. Could it be the times we live in? Possibly, but it does not need to be this way.
Also as I have stated in other posts is the need to be truly humble.

Per Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Humble is: not proud: not thinking of yourself as better than other people;: given or said in a way that shows you do not think you are better than other people;: showing that you do not think of yourself as better than other people

This is the building blocks on which loving your neighbor as you would yourself is built upon. In love of God first, placing Him first in all you do and being a humble person. Placing the actions and feelings of all others before yourself allows you to love them like yourself.
In Christianity there are many groups. All think that their vision of God is better than the other persons version. In reality the only vision we have of God is found within the entire Bible. It shows God is all knowing. It shows God as creator and Father. Yet many that call themselves Christian think of Him as some magical genie that will grant their wishes to become rich, a celebrity, important.
This is not what the Bible teaches and the mere fact that there are people that believe otherwise shows they have not truly read the Bible and understand it. As a result, they find it impossible to follow the two greatest commandments.

The truth behind the hate words thrown out by politicians

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Yesterday a light went on. This light shown into those about me and I realized something what has bothered me for years but know I understood. Time and again there are people that openly accuse falsehoods against others for their own gain. However, this is what not caused me the most problem. What does is that people believed them. It was this believing them that cause the light to come on.
Do you want to know why many believe these people?
It is these people that believe them are capable of doing what this person says the other did, because they do it themselves.
Therefore, when you hear some politician spout out that some group is racist. Those that believe them are themselves the ones that are racist.
Mark 10: 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
This not what is taught by Jesus within the Bible. His two Great commandments are first to love God and place Him above all else. Second, to love your neighbor as yourself, and that EVERYONE is your neighbor. (Mark 12: 29-31)
Remember this nation’s legal system was founded upon the principle of you are presumed innocent until you are found guilty with a preponderance of the evidence.
People need to realize that they are judging people when they allow people to manipulate them with these hot words like “racist.”
You are malleable because you have turned for the one book on this planet that can turn you into a clay sculpture of fine art. This book is the Bible, and within it is the truth of not only yourself, but of the world. Do not allow yourself to be the puppet on the strings of politicians that only seek to further wreak havoc upon this nation. Turn to those that at least give us a chance to not only return to a place of strength, but a place that is called pleasing to the creator of this very planet we live upon, God.

True faith in God results in Love

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The true message of the Bible. The true message of Jesus. The true message of the Bible is truly love.
The theme of Christ’s teachings was to love all. This is not the teaching others say. This is not the teachings even those within the church teach.
Many teach that self-glorification and self-satisfaction is the road to God. However, this is not the truth at all.
To truly love you must be willing to place all others before yourself. If you do not or cannot do this, than is what you believe really of God? The answer is no.
Do you take what men say the Bible says to be real? Have you truly read the Bible yourself?
Then how can you tell who is telling you the truth. I challenge you to pick up a Bible and read it. I challenge you to see that the words I now type are those based upon the teaching of the true Bible. I encourage you to see that what I say is true. That it is filled with the love of God and His Son Jesus Christ the living Savior of all that come to understand and accept the true. That to truly love yourself means to place ALL others before yourself and to love them no matter what they say or do.
Start with the New Testament. Once you read that then expand to the rest of the Bible. For the entire Bible aims you toward Jesus Christ.

The true goal of life to seek after and pass on.

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One of the things that I have had the hardest time doing was striving to be the head of a household. There are many reasons why this has been difficult. Primarily in today’s society has placed within women that they should dominate their men. There is also the fact that a true Biblical understanding of the rolls for both the husband and the wife within the marriage. In addition, the overall change in society as a whole because the society that existed when the Bible was originally written has changed. Also, I had a poor role model to learn from. Who in turn had a poor role model to learn from. This resulted in me being a poor role model and I do not deny this in anyway shape or form.
One thing I have always known is that being the head of the household does not mean to dominate and rule. You do not boss those in your home about like slaves. In fact, per the Bible the head of the household is the true servant. This does not mean you wait upon them as if you are a slave. As the head of the household, we are to team with your chosen partner when rearing the children we have been blessed with by God.
As the head of the household, we are to make sure that those in our care are fed, clothed and sheltered. We are to encourage them in their growth and cause them to love and honor God. This so they can be ready to pass on what is found pleasing the in the eyes of the Lord.
Too many generations, especially within the United States, have been told to know that you have done well is if your children exceed and prosper better then you had in your journey through life. This in turn has turned people away for what is truly worth pursuing. Instead they toward seeking after money and bigger and better houses. A race for an ever more distant goal that can never be truly reached has turned people to business, stores, and sports instead of what is truly good and glorious. What is this true goal? It is found within the teaching of the Bible. But what is it called? Love.
Who taught us to love in the Bible? Jesus Christ the living Messiah.

The Christian Crossroads called the Vote

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Those that call themselves Christian are at a crossroads. For too long they have set by quietly and allowed too much to happen that is now destroying the very society that once flourished within the borders of the United States.
The most powerful tool at their disposal is the ballot box, yet they do not bother to vote.
In the last major election, many that call themselves Christian refused to vote for the Republican candidate for president due to that fact that he is Mormon.
As a result, the current president was re-elected and the United States has stated its spiral into quickly become a third world country. This is the fault of those that refused to support a Mormon and instead did not vote or voted for the man now in office.
This is not how those that call themselves Christian should act. They should vote their values even if a person that is running does not follow theirs.
Those that call themselves Christian should know what their values are. Not only are they listed as the Ten Commandments but also we are supposedly taught to be like Christ.
Jesus taught many things. It took four book from four different apostles to gather the most of the view of how we should live and act as Christians. Yet many that call themselves Christian do not live their life’s like they should.
Many chose to live for themselves and think only of their own reward and glory upon this earth. This is totally opposite what Christ said is correct and righteous to the Christian faith and believes. Many seek out for the rewards offered in this temporal life we now live in. What they should be seeking is their reward beyond this life.
Right this moment someone who calls themselves Christian just said there is not reward beyond this life.
Then I say to those that just said that; then you are simply acting and not truly Christian.
Which explains why you have not voted for Biblical values, as you should, but for your own selfish desires and wants.
Christians are called to be humble, to place all others before themselves, especially if they seek to be a leader.
Christian values do not support those that wish to commit sin. So how in good conscience support those that wish to legalize anything that is called a sin within the Bible. You should not be able too if you vote your faith.
Yet time and again that is what happens and even more and more each year.
As a result, this nation is on decline, because those in power to not respect not only Christian values, but God Himself. Repeatedly we hear more and more of those wishing to replace Christian values with so-called values that actually discriminate against those that are Christian. Houston, TX is the most visible at this time, but many others are out there.
First and foremost, go vote. Then when you vote, vote for God.

President Obama in an interview with Al Sharpton – “These are folks who are strong allies and supporters of me, and I tell them, I said, ‘You know what, you do what you need to do to win. I will be responsible for making sure our voters turn out.’ ” (The man who has lied to America has ordered the Democrats running for office to lie.)

http://www.democrats.com/abortion-debate

http://www.democrats.org/people/lgbt_community

http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2012/09/04/democrats-drop-god-from-party-platform.aspx

It’s the simple things that count: common courtesy

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One thing that is lacking more and more in society is the acts of common courtesy. Why? Mainly because God has been removed from most people’s lives.
Why do I say this?
One simple word: Humility.
The true meaning of being humble is to place all others before yourself.
When you do that you do simple things like walking on the right side of the sidewalk in the US, most likely the left side in England (not sure on that never been there).
You also use the right side of the door when there is double doors.
Also, do not stand in front of doors.
When driving you yield the right of way. By the way, those with the “right of way” are those going straight. So if you want to turn onto the road. You wait for there to be no traffic. If you are turning, again you wait if there is someone going straight heading toward you.
Simple things like this show you are caring for the other person.
Will this guarantee you happiness? Doubtfully, mainly because most about you are self-absorbed and care only for themselves. That is their issue to handle if they do not change.
Those that wish to live a humble life truly do not seek out notoriety, but that does not mean not to do what is right.
In the Bible, it clearly states that those that are to lead must be a servant to all. To a large degree that means you must be humble.
We are also taught to live a modest life. This means not to go out and seek a fortune, it means to live a life that does not require much. You do not need to live in a million dollar home. Many may choose to just live in an apartment or a small house not worth a lot. This is again being humble.
When you do lead, you must be an example to all. If they see you lie, they will lie. If they see you living in expensive homes, they will seek this.
This causes the economy to become un-balanced and causes strife and misery. However, it can be avoided simply by being humble.
Jesus called being humble a blessing. He also taught that those that are rich are people that need to be pitied and felt sorrow for. For they have their reward, and when you really think on it. Who would want a reward from this world? I know I sure do not.
So start to look at the simple things in life. Simple actions of respect and concern for your fellow human being. For that is what Jesus wants us all to seek in this life. For in the next life we are promised much more.

It is like the movie “Brewster’s Millions” he must spend $30 million in thirty days. He learns to detest money; as a result, he is given $300 million. Well to those that follow Christ your “$300 million” awaits us all in the next and eternal life