Delema

Proverbs 30:7-9 "Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."

I have been thinking of something the last couple of days, the situation has not been clear. This verse jumped out at me during my reading.

Keep me from self will and the lies it inevitably causes (either to myself or others) give me what I need. This seems to be a clear statement of how our Lord provides.

All the best to all who read this in the New Year, a second decade of this new millennium. js

... a Saviour...

Luke 2:8-11; "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Merry Christmas.  js

Times like these....

"And sex is no longer the reward women grant for a
proper courtship and marriage; it is the currency women use to get momentary
attention."

 http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=117320

"We have a friend named Bruce who is a family doctor. Recently he related a
startling experience.

"I walked into the exam room," he said, "to see a 14-year-old boy. He was
dressed in a collared shirt and nice pants. He jumped up to shake my hand
and introduce himself, then turned and introduced his mother."

The reason this experience was so unusual, related Bruce, is because most
teens slouch into his exam room in sloppy clothes, mumble responses to his
questions, and let their mothers do the talking (because they're busy
texting their friends).

In other words, this 14-year-old wasn't a teen. He was a Young Man...

One reason for the shortage of Young Men in this country is a lack of
fathers in the home, with the consequent masculine role models and strong
moral leadership. Another is the low expectation boys are given by society,
where chivalry is often seen as Neanderthalic.

But I believe one of the biggest reasons for the lack of Men is women.
Women are not training boys and men to be gentlemen; they're training them
to be barely-restrained beasts.

A tremendous amount of blame for the lack of True Men in this country today
is because women no longer require men to be Men. There was a time when
women's virtuous behavior meant men had better mind their p's and q's or
they didn't have a ghost of a chance for a date, let alone physical
intimacy. Nowadays women are considered virtuous if they wait until after
dinner to have sex...

Of course, one of the biggest prerequisites for men to act like Gentlemen is
for women to act like Ladies. And maybe that's the biggest problem of all.

When a woman becomes one of the guys, there's no longer a reason for a man
to treat her respectfully. Nor is there any reason for a man to change his
instinctive boorish behavior and tone it down in the presence of a woman.
Why should he, if she's just one of the guys? She's nothing special"

Men, who are men want to treat women with respect, men who have developed into animals (or just a step above), treat woman like meat.

The Word gives us clear direction as to how we are to treat women, either as a sister, a mother or a wife.  And the command is pretty stringent.

Ephesians 5:25  "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"


Just a short posting this morning, I am covering for Pastor so I must go get ready.  Put your trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ today.  js

An interesting (and long) but important read...

http://www.stennisstandards.com/2009/09/inside-look-out-on-59th-floor-of-wt2.html

We should not forget.  js

September 11, 2001

http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000663.html  js

The Lord has blessed

The summer as been slow work wise (paying work), but quite busy in the home renovation department. Things seem to be picking back up (it is in His hands). We are starting back up the "Kids Club" at church, our theme this year is "walking to Jerusalem". It will be a challenge for me to find stories about disciples and other who served the Lord while walking to 'the city of David'.
My dog is climbing all over me for her morning walk, have to save my thoughts until later.
Enjoy the day, serve the Lord. js

De-baptism

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-07-21-atheists-debaptism_N.htm

This comes as no surprise to me, those who 'baptise' children and babies, and or folks that have conducted some ritual to 'become' members of a church should not be surprised when they step away.

Baptism is only a outer show of what Christ did in my life, I died with Him, was buried with Him and rose again.

The act of Baptism means nothing spiritual in itself, it is only a show, a demonstration of what has happened, a first step of obedience to Jesus Christ.

Salvation happens upon my belief in what Christ did on my behalf on Calvary, I can unbelieve (my belief in this life will always be weak, a mere shadow of what my belief will be in my perfected body in glory) but I cannot unsave.  If I genuinely believed, then I am saved.  If I did not believe, then all of the baptisms and de-baptisms are meaningless.

Put your faith in Christ today.  He died for you.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotton son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

I have not posted either on this or my professional blog in quite some time.  I have continued to deal with a family matter that has eaten both my time but most importantly my thoughts and concentration.  Lord willing things will settle down, but if not, pray Lord that you give me the strength to pass through this in such a manner as to bring glory to your name.  js

Boast not thyself....

I turned 50 a couple of days back.

I'm OK with it, as much as I never really thought about it, when I saw the cards with '5' '0' on them I had to stop and think.

Praise God that I know where I am going when this is all done. I am just a pilgrim here.

This is the first day I have 'checked in' online since my birthday, Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett both dead on the same day. When I was in grade eight Michael Jackson was the biggest thing with the young ladies with I think 'Ben'. Farrah Fawcett Majors was a big hit with the boys with... I think it was called 'Charlies Angels'.

Everywhere you would see posters of them, the eighties were dominated by MJ.

No matter how rich and famous you become in this world, you must face the next.

The 2nd Epistle of the Apostle Peter 3:10 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

Not a lot on my mind today, just noticed that two 'important' people from the time of my youth have died. js

A Shelter in the Time of Storm...

Air Tindi on the way home.

A view of the drifting.

Looking out my tent door.  js

The Lord is my rock... How many times to we see that phrase in Scripture? Believe it or not, only two times is this exact wording utilized by the Lord in the King James Version (2nd Samuel 22:2 and Psalm 18:2).
However; the Scriptures as a whole continuously give us the notion that our Saviour and Lord is a Rock, that we can turn to both in times of trouble but also (and I believe most importantly) in times where peace abounds (either in our own life or nation).
In Matthew 16:18 our Lord himself when talking with the Apostle Peter stated "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Many have misunderstood this passage to mean that Peter was the Rock, when in fact Peter, or Cephas was only the pepple or as our Lord stated in John 1:42, 'a stone'.
Clearly the Lord is the Rock, the basis of all of our belief and our faith.
I am waiting out a little spring storm here in the barren area north of Yellowknife, near to the Lupin Mine in Nunavut. I am supposed to fly out tomorrow, of course the first thing you learn traveling in the north is to be patient, the weather dictates.
Truthfully however, the Lord dictates, not just when we fly, but when we learn, grow, marry, have children and die. He knew it all before the beginning. Yet He gave us the free will to choose, to choose life or death.

What is your choice? js

Edit: adding some pictures from the trip and day of the storm.  js

Things you see on the side of the highway...

Chello-henge?

Was drivin home the day before yesterday from Winnipeg.  Traveled through the USA, northern Minnesota on Hwy 11 about half-way from Baudette to International Falls.

Don't know what this was supposed to be, did resemble Stonehenge a little, there was a post in the centre, but was knocked down.  

Someone spent some time and money on this, was pretty cool to see.  js

It has been some time....

Since I posted here. I have been very busy with family responsibilities and work.  I am away from home for the moment and the time alone has given me pause to think.

I can only speak for myself, but as I get caught up in the daily battle I can lose sight of who the enemy is.

The bureaucrat who is carrying out his duties, as unreasonable as they seem, he is not the enemy.

The folks standing in the hallway of your hotel in the late evening drinking and talking loud, while their 'sports group' kids run around making noise, they are not the enemy.

Our flesh, though it can seem like an enemy, leading us astray, is not the enemy.

1Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

Satan has had 6-7k years to perfect his trade, he rebelled against an almighty God, which he knew was God.  There was no doubt, he served him and saw all of heaven under His glory.

You and I rebel but we don't see all.

I do not believe that Satan in omnipresent nor omnipotent, those characteristics are reserved for God.

But as we learn more about the human body, we know that our thoughts, feelings and things that we don't wish to show the world can be 'seen' in the patterns of our brain; which can be read by scanners.  Heat signals our body gives off and our gestures that we preform can develop into descernable patterns.

Satan, to use a phrase, 'reads us like a book'.  He only can do what God allows; but as we grow in Christ God the Father 'allows' Satan to sift us as wheat: Luke 22:31 "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:"

In our eyes we will 'fail' this sifting (or worse, we think we've mastered the situation).  We will fall short of the glory of God as long as we are on this earth we are still affected by sin.  But there is no need for dispair; God is beside us all the way: Hebrews 13:5b "for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Whether we realize it or not if we are still in this world; if the Lord has not taken us home: then He still has a purpose for us to be here.  A task that is for us only, something He wants only us to complete.

What is that thing?  Is it a big task, will everyone 'notice' us while we carry it out, will no one here on earth see or even notice that anything has happened at all.  Does it really matter... great or small it is our previlage to serve a great and powerful God.

If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ and His work on Calvary for your salvation, then you are an adopted child of God.

The promises in His book, the Holy Bible extend to you, you didn't earn them in fact you cannot earn them.  Yes some of them are conditional but if Jesus Christ had not saved you from well deserved eternity separated from God you would have no access to them.

It is all about Christ.

If you are preparing to do battle with the world, if you are setting up defences against this person or that, don't lose sight of who the actual enemy is.

Sometime in the future I would hope to follow up on this, our battle with Satan cannot succeed in our own strength.  

Don't know when I will get a chance to post again, the family issue, though under control, is still ongoing and consuming much of my time and thought.

If anyone is reading all of this, then know that I am praying for you, if you are not saved that you will recognise you lost condition and accept what the Lord has done for you.  

If you are saved, that you will not stumble.

Good night.  js

Been meaning to post....

I have been caught up in a family emergency.  The Lord provides and it is all in His hands.  

Psalm 111:7 "The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure."

We serve a great and powerful God.  I will post more when things slow down.  js

Be Ready...

1st Peter 3:15 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"

The key phrase I want to concentrate on is 'be ready always to give an answer'. I believe the Lord, through Peter is giving us clear direction, that we are to understand our faith sufficiently to always be prepared to share what He has done in our lives. Our hope is in the Lord, not in this world.

How do we accomplish this? By studying the Word, by memorizing scripture, by not forsaking the fellowshipping of the saints, by attempting to pattern our lives after the perfect pattern given us by our Lord and Saviour. Will we ever 'get' there, there being the perfection that is Christ? Not in this life, I fall short daily, but that is the goal, that is my goal.

We are living in interesting times, an old apparent Chinese curse (I am not sure, I just remember reading or seeing that somewhere), but truthfully times have been the same since the Lord left this world at the Ascension when the angels appeared to them watching. The early writer's of the Gospels and Epistles are obvious in their belief that the Lord would return in their lifetimes. To met Him in the beyond or in the air? The most important thing is are you ready?  

We will not perfect ourselves in this life, that is only possible by the Lord, but if we have not put our faith in Him alone then any 'perfection' that you are working for, hoping for salvation with is wasted. Without faith in Christ we (you) will be left behind.

We are in the 'end times', there is nothing prophetically that needs to be completed prior to our Lord returning for His own.

Have you put your faith in Christ, is your heart ready? js

Abortion funding back on....

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA_ABORTION_BAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

This is to our shame.  js

No comment from me....

the article speaks for itself.  js   

http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/testimonies/iregretmyabortion.htm

Hat tip: LaShawnBarber.  js

This is good...

Enjoy.  js

http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2009/photographing_bush/

Thank you...

President Bush, for your service.

http://www.mission1accomplished.com/ js

The last times

II Timothy 3:7 "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

As I have reviewed the news lately (the response to the 'financial crisis' and the renewed fighting in the Middle East) this verse 'jumped out' of the page to me during my Bible reading.  

This verse comes near the end of a short passage from the Apostle Paul to Timothy discussing the, then, future. Verse 2 through 4 give probably the clearest discription of our current times: "For men shall be lover of the own selves, covetious, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobediant to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God."

I know, the 'end times' have been predicted for several hundred years, many cases of people following charlatans and those willfully mislead out onto the ice (Sanikiluaq - Belcher Islands Nunavut) selling all their possessions (USA late 1900's) and more recent examples.

I believe we are to watch and be vigilant, the Lord is clear that those who know him will know when the end arrives though the deceiver will ‘almost’ fool the elect.

Hope your New Year is going grand, been a busy week here. Do not be discouraged, God is overall. js