They lie on the table, side by side,
The Holy Bible and the TV Guide.
One is well worn and cherished with pride.
No, not the Bible, but the TV Guide.
One is used daily to help folks decide.
No, not the Bible, but the TV Guide.
As the pages are turned, what shall they see,
Oh, what does it matter, turn on the TV.
So they open the book in which they confide,
No, not the Bible, but the TV Guide.
The Word of God is seldom read.
Maybe a verse before they fall into bed.
Exhausted and sleepy and tired as can be.
Not from reading the Bible, from watching TV
So then back to the table side by side,
Lie the Holy Bible and the TV Guide.
No time for prayer, no time for the Word,
The plan of Salvation is seldom heard.
But forgiveness of sin, so full and free,
Is found in the Bible, not on TV
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Memorial Day message
Happy Memorial day to all those who have served our fine country before me, those who currently are serving with me, and especially all those who never made it home. All of you are in my heart and prayers.
Remember, even when the sheep of our country would forsake us, we must stand strong to defend those who cannot defend themselves. WE are the sheepdogs, and it is our job to protect them. Sometimes that means making the hard call. It means doing the hard things that others just can't fathom. I thank all you that make those hard decisions. I do not envy those of you that make the choice.
For those of you that are the sheep: Just know that we make choices to protect the masses. We make the choices that you can't fathom so you can sleep safe in your beds at night. WE make the sacrifice so you can have your freedoms that you enjoy.
When WE sign the line on our enlistment, we didn't just sign a contract. WE wrote a blank check check to the United States and her people, that is payable up to our life.
If you see a Soldier, Airman, Marine, or Sailor...show them you care. Shake their hand. Let them know you support them.
GOD Bless all our Men and Women in uniform, and GOD bless the USA!!
Remember, even when the sheep of our country would forsake us, we must stand strong to defend those who cannot defend themselves. WE are the sheepdogs, and it is our job to protect them. Sometimes that means making the hard call. It means doing the hard things that others just can't fathom. I thank all you that make those hard decisions. I do not envy those of you that make the choice.
For those of you that are the sheep: Just know that we make choices to protect the masses. We make the choices that you can't fathom so you can sleep safe in your beds at night. WE make the sacrifice so you can have your freedoms that you enjoy.
When WE sign the line on our enlistment, we didn't just sign a contract. WE wrote a blank check check to the United States and her people, that is payable up to our life.
If you see a Soldier, Airman, Marine, or Sailor...show them you care. Shake their hand. Let them know you support them.
GOD Bless all our Men and Women in uniform, and GOD bless the USA!!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Forwarded Email - Wouldn't it be great...
Every day - at the same time - she waits for him...
He comes down ... and they go for a walk.
Wouldn't it be great if we all had friends like this ... no words needed ... we just intuitively recognize each other's value in our lives and act accordingly.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Forwarded Email - Isn't it strange?
Isn't it strange How a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount When you Donate it to church, But such a small amount when you go Shopping?
Isn't it strange How 2 hours seem so long when you're at church, And how Short they seem when you're watching a good Movie?
Isn't it strange That you can't find a word to say when you're praying but.. You have no trouble thinking what to talk about With a friend?
Isn't it strange How difficult and boring it is to read one Chapter of the Bible, but How easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel?
Isn't it strange How everyone wants Front-row-tickets to concerts or games but They do everything Possible to sit in the last row at Church?
Isn't it strange How we need to know about an event for Church 2-3 weeks In advance so we can include it in our agenda, But we can make Adjustments for other events at a moment's notice?
Isn't it strange How difficult it is to learn a fact about God and share it With others; But how easy it is to learn, understand, extend And repeat gossip?
Isn't it strange How we believe everything that magazines and newspapers Say but.... We question the words in
The Bible?
Isn't it strange How everyone wants a place in heaven but... They don't Want to believe, do, or say anything To get there?
Isn't it strange How we send jokes in e-mails and they are forwarded Right away but When we have messages to send about God, We think about It twice before we share it with others?
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Events leading up to Resurrection Sunday
Good Friday? What day did Jesus really die?
What we know about the day Jesus was crucified: While Church tradition commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday, there are several debates over which day of the week Jesus actually died. The biggest question being, did Jesus really die on Friday, or did he die earlier in the week?
The Friday concept is based on Mark 15:42, which says that Christ's death occurred "the day before the Sabbath". Since the Hebrew Sabbath is on Saturday, the Roman Church traditionally held that Jesus was crucified on Friday.
However, Jesus prophesied that he would be dead for three days and three nights before his resurrection: "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40). Now this may not mean literally 72 hours, but I do believe this means three times of light and three times of darkness.
There are obviously not three days and three nights between Friday evening and Sunday morning. The problem is resolved by a clarification of what Mark meant by "sabbath". Along with the weekly Sabbath day, the Jews had other "sabbaths" throughout the year, all holy days were considered to be a Sabbath day. In some translations of the Bible, the passage of Matthew 28:1, is translated to read as, "at the end of the sabbaths" or "on the eve of the sabbaths". This shows us that there had been more than one sabbath the previous week.
As with other holy days, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was also considered a "sabbath" (Lev. 23:6,7). This Feast begins on Nisan 15, the day after the Passover meal (Lev. 23:5-6). Jesus was crucified on the Passover and Mark 15:42-43 notes that Joseph of Arimathea desired to take Christ's body down from the cross before the high sabbath began.
Let's create a plausible timeline:
What if we break down what we know: If the Passover meal, being on the 14th of Nisan, was earlier in the week, the 15th could have been any day prior to Saturday, the weekly Sabbath. John 12:1 mentions that Jesus traveled to Bethany six days before the Passover meal. According to the Jewish calendar, days are counted from sundown to sundown, so that each "day" begins at sundown the evening before. We will track these "days" and I will show you how Jesus could have been crucified earlier in the week.
FRIDAY - The 9th of Nisan: We know from Luke 19:1 and Mark 10:46 that Jesus was in Jericho prior to traveling to Bethany. Jesus would have had to be in Bethany before sundown on Friday, since at sundown the Sabbath would start, and long-distance travel was not permitted on the Sabbath.
SATURDAY - The 10th of Nisan: "On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." - John 12:12-13. This is Jesus' Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem. In modern day, this is commemorated on Palm Sunday. This is in accordance with the Friday view, which put it 5 days before the crucifixion. However, it appears it occurred on a Saturday because His entry into Jerusalem on the 10th day of Nisan also corresponds with Passover tradition. Jesus is the Lamb of God, and in Exodus 12:3-6, we see that a lamb was separated from the flock and put on display as the lamb destined to be sacrificed on Passover. On this day, Jesus was put on display as he proceeded from Bethany down the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem.
SUNDAY - The 11th of Nisan: During this time, Jesus was teaching the people many things. Some of Jesus' most well-known parables and prophecies were made during these next several days.
MONDAY - The 12th of Nisan: A quiet day at Bethany - Matt 26:2-6 (spent in the house of Simon the Leper).
TUESDAY - The 13th of Nisan
WEDNESDAY - The 14th of Nisan: The Last Supper took place at the Passover meal (Luke 22:15-20, John 13-17). Jesus offered his disciples the broken bread and the wine as representing his own body and blood. He was arrested in the Garden after Judas' betrayal. After several trials, he was beaten and finally crucified on Wednesday afternoon. The preparations for burial were made before sundown (Mark 15:42-43) since at sundown would begin a Sabbath day since it is the First day of the Feast.
THURSDAY - 15th of Nisan: Jesus' first full night and day in the tomb beginning on the 15th of Nisan, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (A Sabbath day).
FRIDAY - 16th of Nisan: Jesus' second full night and day in the tomb.
SATURDAY - 17th of Nisan: Jesus' body lay in the grave for the third and final night and day after his crucifixion.
SUNDAY - 18th of Nisan: Sometime after sundown , the start of Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead. Thus, he had been in the grave three days and three nights as prophesied. On Sunday morning, when the women went to the tomb with burial spices, they found the tomb empty.
My Final Thought:
Now with many things that are in the Bible, this is all an argument of technicalities. To many times people obsess over the details and think that is what is ultimatly important. Over the centuries, to much blood shed has occured because people have argued over the minor details.
I do not believe that when it comes time to answer the ultimate questions, that this detail truly matters. The important thing is to keep the Word, witness whenever you can, and believe that Jesus is a our Rescuer. When someone presents you with an idea that contradicts your own, keep in mind the following, "does it really matter?" Don't sweat the small stuff, and in life there is a lot of small stuff.
I do not believe that when it comes time to answer the ultimate questions, that this detail truly matters. The important thing is to keep the Word, witness whenever you can, and believe that Jesus is a our Rescuer. When someone presents you with an idea that contradicts your own, keep in mind the following, "does it really matter?" Don't sweat the small stuff, and in life there is a lot of small stuff.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Forwarded Email - How the Internet was born
In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot. And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she was often called Amazon Dot Com.
And she said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why dost thou travel so far from town to town with thy goods when thou canst trade without ever leaving thy tent? And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said, "How, dear?"
And Dot replied, "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale, and they will reply telling you who hath the best price. And the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)."
Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever having to move from his tent.
To prevent neighboring countries from overhearing what the drums were saying, Dot devised a system that only she and the drummers knew.
It was known as Must Send Drum Over Sound (MSDOS), and she also developed a language to transmit ideas and pictures - Hebrew To The People (HTTP).
And the young men did take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Sybarites, or NERDS.
And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to that enterprising drum dealer, Brother William of Gates, who bought off every drum maker in the land. And indeed did insist on drums to be made that would work only with Brother Gates' drum heads and drumsticks.
And Dot did say, "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others." And Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel , or eBay as it came to be known. He said, "We need a name that reflects what we are."
And Dot replied, "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators." "YAHOO," said Abraham. And because it was Dot's idea, they named it YAHOO Dot Com.
Abraham's cousin, Joshua, being the young Gregarious Energetic Educated Kid (GEEK) that he was, soon started using Dot's drums to locate things around the countryside. It soon became known as God's Own Official Guide to Locating Everything (GOOGLE).
That is how it all began. And that's the truth.
And she said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why dost thou travel so far from town to town with thy goods when thou canst trade without ever leaving thy tent? And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said, "How, dear?"
And Dot replied, "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale, and they will reply telling you who hath the best price. And the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)."
Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever having to move from his tent.
To prevent neighboring countries from overhearing what the drums were saying, Dot devised a system that only she and the drummers knew.
It was known as Must Send Drum Over Sound (MSDOS), and she also developed a language to transmit ideas and pictures - Hebrew To The People (HTTP).
And the young men did take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Sybarites, or NERDS.
And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to that enterprising drum dealer, Brother William of Gates, who bought off every drum maker in the land. And indeed did insist on drums to be made that would work only with Brother Gates' drum heads and drumsticks.
And Dot did say, "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others." And Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel , or eBay as it came to be known. He said, "We need a name that reflects what we are."
And Dot replied, "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators." "YAHOO," said Abraham. And because it was Dot's idea, they named it YAHOO Dot Com.
Abraham's cousin, Joshua, being the young Gregarious Energetic Educated Kid (GEEK) that he was, soon started using Dot's drums to locate things around the countryside. It soon became known as God's Own Official Guide to Locating Everything (GOOGLE).
That is how it all began. And that's the truth.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
What is it...
What is it that drives you? What is it that gives you the strength to get thru your day? When you are having that really rough day...what is it that pushes you to the end of the day? It can be something different for each of us,
For me, it is my family. Specifically, it is my wife. She gives me the strength and conviction to do what i need to do and get thru my day. When i am dealing with stress from work, i stand back and think about getting home and giving my wife a big hug.
Now i know to some of you, this may just sound mushy, but sometimes that is what feelings are. Sometimes what we feel can only be described as mushy.
My wife is my rock. She is my anchor in the storm. She is the one that knows what i am saying before i even finish saying it.
We have made it thru much together. We have weathered many storms. When things have looked dark, we have found each other and found the light together.
All this has been possible because of our shared faith in Jesus. We understand that our marriage is a triune relationship between us and God. HE never gives us anything that we cannot handle. We understand that as long as we keep our faith, then we will get the strength we need to deal with anything that this life throughs at us.
I love you my Angel. I can never express how much i love you, and care for you, and would do anything for you!!
Happy Valentines day!!!!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Forwarded Email - Our Creator is an Artist
The Bible states that eyes have not seen the glory that God has for us who love Him. Enjoy!
Low clouds over a volcano.
The world going to sleep.
Very interesting patterns.
The world wakes up.
I want to live here.
Water at work.
Niagara Falls at night.
One most westerners are familiar with.
Bryce Canyon - How Majestic! It looks even better in the summer.
Like strokes of a paint brush
The High road and the Low road
Winter in the Smokies.
At first, looks like a flower
Quiet after the storm
Even on your darkest day, there is a silver lining!
So amazing
A dandelion covered with dew, Unimaginable
Wow!
I'm not sure why people want to climb these. Can you see the man on the peak?
What a Beautiful World God made for His Children!! Can you even imagine what HE must have in store for us in HEAVEN if He did THIS on earth?
Low clouds over a volcano.
The world going to sleep.
Very interesting patterns.
The world wakes up.
I want to live here.
Water at work.
Niagara Falls at night.
One most westerners are familiar with.
Bryce Canyon - How Majestic! It looks even better in the summer.
Like strokes of a paint brush
The High road and the Low road
Winter in the Smokies.
At first, looks like a flower
Quiet after the storm
Even on your darkest day, there is a silver lining!
So amazing
A dandelion covered with dew, Unimaginable
Wow!
I'm not sure why people want to climb these. Can you see the man on the peak?
What a Beautiful World God made for His Children!! Can you even imagine what HE must have in store for us in HEAVEN if He did THIS on earth?
Monday, January 16, 2012
MLK Jr. Quotes
Since today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I thought I would share some quotes from this amazing man, and my opinion on a few things.
MLK Jr fought for equality. He fought so that all people would be on the same playing field when it came to the opportunities of life. He was not trying to have the "colored" community become higher then the white community. He just wanted it to be the people's community.
It is hard to understand how people can complain about being treated unfairly, when this PC world we live in now has many organizations that give free college money to African Americans or other groups for different ethnic groups.....yet, if a group came out and said that they were only going to give college money to
Caucasians, then there would be a huge uproar about that group being racist. I do not believe this is what MLK Jr. wanted.
I honestly believe that he wanted everyone to be equal and fair. He wanted everyone to live in peace. He wanted everyone to put aside their hate, and i mean hate from both sides, and have love for their fellow man.
I hope everyone takes today to evaluate places in your life where you can show more love towards your fellow man. And please, take some inspiration from the following MLK Jr. quotes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”
"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."
"To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing"
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'”
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”
“I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land.”
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and consciencious stupidity.”
“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”
“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
"To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing"
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'”
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”
“I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land.”
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and consciencious stupidity.”
“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”
“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
Friday, January 13, 2012
The little things...
There are many times when life is just speeding passed us and we don't stop to remember those moments that make us who we are. We get so caught up in the day to day that we don't take the time to reflect on choices that have got us to where we are.
The moments that shape may be small to some, and in the big picture of our own lives, these moments normally are rather small. Something that has had an effect on how you look at life could have been something so small as a hug, or a story that someone told you.
I remember when I was little and I had a bad dream. I went out to the living room where my Mom was and told her about my dream. At the time, I was in little league baseball, and to cheer me up, my Mom told me that when I woke up from a bad dream, or had a negative thought that would keep me awake, to think about playing baseball with Jesus.
Now as an adult, this would probably do very little to comfort me if this was told to me today. But as a kid, that had a major impact on me. It was a small thought that was placed in my head, that has had an impact on how I look at life. And it wasn't even the story that had the impact. It was the emotion behind the story. The meaning of what my Mom was trying to share.
I believe the meaning on one level was just for my Mom to love me and calm her child's fears. On another level, whether intentional or not, I think there was a meaning to give up our problems to Jesus.
I try to live very much by that. Whenever life is weighing down on me, and when the deck seems stacked against me, I try to pause and give it all to Jesus. In a way, I still imagine playing baseball with Jesus. =D
Whenever life is bringing you down, I encourage you to pause and reflect on the little things that have affected your life. Remember that much needed hug, remember that much needed word of encouragement. You never know when that experience could give you insight and solace into what is currently bringing you down.
The moments that shape may be small to some, and in the big picture of our own lives, these moments normally are rather small. Something that has had an effect on how you look at life could have been something so small as a hug, or a story that someone told you.
I remember when I was little and I had a bad dream. I went out to the living room where my Mom was and told her about my dream. At the time, I was in little league baseball, and to cheer me up, my Mom told me that when I woke up from a bad dream, or had a negative thought that would keep me awake, to think about playing baseball with Jesus.
Now as an adult, this would probably do very little to comfort me if this was told to me today. But as a kid, that had a major impact on me. It was a small thought that was placed in my head, that has had an impact on how I look at life. And it wasn't even the story that had the impact. It was the emotion behind the story. The meaning of what my Mom was trying to share.
I believe the meaning on one level was just for my Mom to love me and calm her child's fears. On another level, whether intentional or not, I think there was a meaning to give up our problems to Jesus.
I try to live very much by that. Whenever life is weighing down on me, and when the deck seems stacked against me, I try to pause and give it all to Jesus. In a way, I still imagine playing baseball with Jesus. =D
Whenever life is bringing you down, I encourage you to pause and reflect on the little things that have affected your life. Remember that much needed hug, remember that much needed word of encouragement. You never know when that experience could give you insight and solace into what is currently bringing you down.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
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