Traveling

~ Wash that sucker out with soap… ~

   “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

— Matthew 12:33-37 (NIV) —

     What kind of fruit do we bear? When a tree matures… it will bear fruit. And each tree can be easily recognized by its fruit. What kind of fruits do we bear? hatred, jealousy, rage, ambition, envy, drunkenness, sexual immorality and impurity? Or is it love, joy, patience, gentleness and self-control? (~ Gal 5:19-23) This tree is certainly evil. One evil is more than enough… just like a drop of oil can pollute gallons of pure water… one fruit of evil makes me an evil person and I know I have bore more than one… Convicted. Can anyone squirm past this one?

     “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” – This part sums it all up. The words comming out of your mouth identify the condition of your heart. Just like a doctor takes a tongue depressor and tells you to go aaaahhh…., Jesus says he can take a look at your tongue and see the sickness in your heart (sin…) Looking at my harsh words and how I revel in destroying the foundations that unbelievers stand upon… yes, I’ve got problems… serious problems, it’s called sin. And only God’s got the meds for this sickness.

     We store these things inside… hatred, love, jealousy, gentleness, drunkness, patience, and then through our actions/words, we bring these things to light. If we do not clean out the inside and only clean the outside (image of holiness) we are not fooling anyone… especially not God. (~Matt 23:27-28)

     The day of judgement, when everything comes out into the open and all things, good and evil… done publically and secretly will be brought before God for judgement. There is no doubt, all of us will be found lacking. But those who follow Jesus seek to follow perfection, so this is the standard, set by the Big Man himself: “men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word”. We need to take care to always speak the truth, and not just the truth by itself, but truth coupled with love and grace. Jesus was very careful of the words he spoke. Sometimes there was even lapses of silence before responses… Can Christians aim to do less?

Father, forgive me… my words that hurt and injure.. and not words that draw people closer to Your heart, Lord. Teach me about love, teach me about grace… and teach me to speak truth when I ought… and to temper it with the love and grace, so my words can be pleasing to You. Thank you for a brother who encourages and rebukes. Thank you for sisters who seek Your face. Thank you especially for the hope that I have, because you came for me… I pray all this in the name of the Master, Jesus, Amen.

~ When will the time come? ~

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plan and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

— Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV) —

Father, why does time seem to pass by so slowly? The trials seem to last forever… and the shame that comes from failure seems to go into eternity. What are you doing Lord? What is wrong with me? I’m like a plane, stalled out and falling… Help me move forward… I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

~ The doctor is IN ~
(Praise da LORD!)

   While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does the teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?
   On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

— Matthew 9:10-13 (NIV) —

   Jesus is such a crazy dude. Picture this… hanging out with the dregs of society… the earlier version of the IRS, prostitutes, gangsters, and other ungodly people. What the heck is He doing with company like that? And this is exactly what the Pharisees asked his followers. Bad company corrupts, yes? It’s so easy for me to put myself in the Pharisees shoes. Hey, Jesus, don’t you have better friends to hang with?

Jesus overhears, accidentally? Who knows… maybe the Pharisees had come to see what the commotion was about… and started questioning Jesus’ character… WHO hangs out with SCUM like these people??? Jesus answers them so everyone can hear: “… For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus acknowledges that these are imperfect people, but he has come for them…

Jesus has come to show God’s mercy to those who seek God. Those who have realized that there is nothing that can be done to save themselves… but there is only hope in God’s mercy and nothing else. Sacrificing something to God to appease him for your sins is not enough… we could kill every animal as a sin sacrifice to God and it would still not be enough.

I look at the quotes… and something interesting struck me. The book of Romans says there is no one righteous…(~3:10) yet Jesus spoke about the ‘righteous’… maybe Jesus is talking about ‘righteous’ like the Pharisees were talking about ‘sinners’ The book of Romans also says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (3:23). So there are no ‘righteous’, there are only those who consider themselves ‘righteous’ (Pharisees) but Jesus came not to save those who are proud and think themselves above others… but those who know who they are: sinners, and know that there is no other hope for them besides for the mercy of God.

Thank you, God, for making me a ‘sinner’… and not a ‘righteous’. Keep me from become self-righteous and proud. May the you pop my ego, and rip out that stone of a heart so I may be a follower in Christ’s footsteps. Help me to give mercy, instead of sacrifice. Thank you especially for the Great Doctor of our souls. To cure sicknesses that we cannot, to heal wounds that no man can heal, to remove things that hurt us and make us more like Love-incarnate, Christ. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

== Edit: Prayers ==

Father, You are doing work in my sister’s life. She’s confused, tired and frustrated. Give her soul rest in You, as you promised to those who will follow you. She is troubled by life and all the other distractions in her life, help her to see You and to remember the hope she has in Your ultimate sacrifice. Jesus, you didn’t come for the healthy, you came for the sick. Heal the sick, Lord, open her eyes and let her see what you are doing in her life, the blessings, the making of a mighty woman in Christ, the loving care you have for her, the grace & mercy that can only be found in Jesus and give her a faith that can withstand good times and bad, a faith in You and your promises, a faith that grows. Thank you for everything good that we often take for granted… May Your will be done! I ask this in the name of the only hope of sinners, Jesus, Amen.

~ The hour ~

   They went to a place called Gethsemane and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
  
   Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and pray that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
  
   Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray that so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
  
   Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
  
   Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come, Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

— Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV) —

During tough times, what do you do to cope? Do you think God will make sure you will only have good times and never have bad times? It seems pretty apparent that bad times will come… I mean look at Jesus… he was “deeply distressed and troubled” God allowed it to happen and not just to anyone… we’re talking about His one and only Son. Jesus took some of the disciples, I guess that ones that were closest to him (that’s the only conclusion I can come to…) and told them about his troubles. He then told his pals to keep an eye out for trouble…

He went to be alone and to speak with his father. His prayer is 3 parts. 1) He says God is in control. 2) He knows and does not want to be crucified. 3) He acknowledges that God is LORD in his life… When life gets you down, it’s time to talk to God. When things start getting troublesome, depressing, and blue, it’s time to talk to God. Time to get things straight between you and the Big Man..

Jesus comes back… and finds his watchmen asleep at their posts. Gah! Jesus is having a horrible time right now and all the disciples can do is fall asleep. So Jesus tells them a little bit about his situation: “Watch and pray that so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” When we get into bad situations, we need to watch our steps, follow our God, and not fall to temptation.

This scenario plays itself out repeatedly… kinda reminds me of how I keep screwing up and God keeps watching me screw up again… and again… and again. It gets to the point where there is nothing left to say. I’m a sinner (Read: Screw-up) and I need Jesus.

The period of temptation ends… And Jesus has won against this temptation. Then Jesus goes out to do His Father’s will. “…Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” So if we wish to win against temptations in our life, no matter how hard they may be, we have to be alert, keep an eye out for sin/temptation… and pray… repeatedly.

God blesses~ God, may Your will be done. Place our feet in your footsteps, so we may learn to live a holy life, pleasing to You. I ask this in LORD’s name, Amen.

~ Hypocrisy ~

You, therefore have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgement against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgement on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgement? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgement will be revealed. God “will give to eat person according to what he has done.” To those who persistence in doing good seek, glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.

— Romans 2:1-11 (NIV) —

   When you point the finger at others, God comes back and points His finger back at you… >_< When you go and place yourself above your fellow sinner by passing judgement, a seat reserved for God alone, God will pass judgement upon you in the same exact way, and you will not pass… now replace all the “you” with “me” and the meaning becomes crystal clear…

   God’s the judge, you are the sinner… you are saved by the grace of God. Nothing more, nothing less. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” ~ Romans 3:23 Brings back a parable of Jesus, where he speaks of debts being paid… and to remember to treat others as God treats you… (Matthew 18:23-35). God’s mercy and grace is why we are saved because of this we live out our lives as repentant sinners saved by grace and mercy. When we realize this, hypocrisy will lose its hold on us.

If we let hypocrisy harden our hearts and refuse to turn to God, we will have nothing left to us but wrath when Jesus comes back. “Away with you, evildoers!” ~ Luke 13:27 Have to talk the talk and walk the walk. The talk is love, grace, faith, hope, repentance, peace, and truth… so how’s the walk? *sigh* God, forgive my walk. Pitiful thing that it is… and all you asked was for me to follow… God doesn’t play favorites… One way, one truth, one life… Gotta get with the program, God’s program, or else.

Father God, forgive us our sins… as we forgive those who sin against us. Etch this upon our hearts. You came and died for us, those who were dead and without hope. Let us remember the example You set for us on the cross. Where God and man meets… let us keep this in our hearts, so that we may seek Your ways. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

~ Why I am not an atheist… ~ by Ravi Zacharias

Philosophies of life, reasons to live the way that you do… ( aka Can man live without God? )

Definitions:
Atheism means there is NO God. It means that an atheist affirms an absolute negative. In the entire world, there is no God. It’s like saying that you know of the entire world, hence, you can say there is no God. You have infinite knowledge? Doubtful.

Agnosticism means I don’t know whether God exists or not. From what I know, I do not know if there is enough evidence for either affirming or denying the existance of God.

4 Major points that make atheism a hard way to live:

This only addresses atheism and how life would be if atheism is true.

1) Ultimately, there is no absolute moral law in this universe. Any moral pronoucements are utilitarian pragmatic, subjective or immotive. Any ideas of good and evil come from our own culture and upbringing and contain no truth. There is nothing good, evil, bad, sacred, or holy. Morally, everything becomes subjective.

Example: The Holocaust cannot be judged… the soldiers being prosecuted were following the laws of the land, hence they were guilty of nothing wrong nor evil.

2) There is no ultimate hope. Death is the end of life and the consciousness becomes nothing. What then of justice? What justice can there be for those who die? There is none.

Illustration: There is no life after this. When we die, the seperation from the dead is permanent and forever, we return to the randomness from where we came… and we are all going to die.

3) There is no ultimate meaning to life. Overall, there is no unified theme or meaning to life. Science speaks of entropy (the second law of thermodynamics)… Everything left by itself goes from order to chaos. But somehow in evolution, biological particles pushes towards order and away from chaos (against the entropic steam). So somehow the rules that apply to the whole do not apply to the parts. Science teaches that life can have little meanings but overall, there is no meaning to the whole of life.

4) Pascal’s wage: Should a man be in error in supposing the christian religion to be true, he could not be a loser by mistake. But how irreperable is his loss and how inexplainable his danger who should err in supposing it is false.

If a christian is wrong and a christian dies,
he does not lose anything because dust does not regret.

If a atheist is wrong, then … <<fill in hellish concepts here>>

Any atheists or anyone out there who think there are good responses to these points, please feel free to speak up. I’d like to hear about it.

Why I Am Not an Atheist (part 1) (part 2) <mp3>

Other Broadcast Archives

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In retrospect, Ravi does a much better job of it. Much, much better… go listen to him instead ^_^;;

~ Words of wisdom ~

   The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings firmly embedded nails – given by one Shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
   Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

Now all has been heard;
   here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
   for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgement,
   including every hidden thing,
   whether it is good or evil.

— Ecclesiastes 12:11-14 (NIV) —

   There are many who say they seek out wisdom or truth, but how many seek out goads? Goads are the ancient day version of a cattle prod. They were usually sticks with sharp points on them to keep cattle and other animals moving in the right direction. How many of us would like a cattle prod applied to us? *ZAP* to the rear? I’d say that we’d be inclined to avoid the cattle prod like the plague. But read a bit further and we find that words of wisdom only come from one source, our Shepherd. I don’t think it could refer to any one other than Jesus himself. So the words of Jesus should guide us along our path.
  
   Not only are they what keeps us on the right path, they are the only thing that can do so. Anything in addition to them are suspect. That means the words I speak are suspect. The only thing real, without a doubt, is the Word of God himself. There will always be more books being written, more knowledge to shift through… but there seems to be no point in collecting all the knowledge and reading all these books… The only thing consistent is the wisdom of God.
  
   Finally the conclusion of the entire book of “Meaningless!” Fear (read respect) God and obey the word of God. Realize that all things will come to light… and that the purpose of man (or woman) is to obey God in all things, regardless of whether it is in the full light of day, or in the shadows of night, whether you are by yourself and no one is looking, or everyone is watching… Keep your eyes upon the judgement, where God will reveal what each of us has done, both publicly and secretly. All our defenses will be stripped away and there will be nothing hiding, from the depths of our black hearts, to the sins lurking within our minds… there will be nothing left to hide behind. What will we do then?
  
   Father God, thank you for the prods of wisdom… usually annoying, sometimes convicting, and always right. Keep us in Your paths, Lord. May we be careful of the spiritual food we eat and may we know the difference between poison and good spiritual food. Thank you, Jesus for comming and dying for me, a sinner before I knew you you and a sinner still. Thank you for dying for me, for a person without hope, except in you. May Your wisdom keep this truth close to my heart and teach me to show the grace that you showed to me, when you came here and died for me. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

~ Building up, yet Broken down ~

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of couse, you fail the test? And I trust you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even thought we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection. This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority – the authority the Lord gave to me for building you up, not for tearing you down.

— 2 Corinthians 13:5-10 (NIV) —

Look to the bible and see what is truth. God’s truth, not my perversion of it. I find that it is very easy for me to try and bring out my own interpretation of a verse, only to re-read it and find that the verse didn’t mean that at all… Hence why I’m always quoting the bible verses here. Helps to keep me from veering off-course. ^_^;;

Paul is writing to the church in corinth… in the best style of christian love: confronting sin with love and grace. I can’t even pretend to get close to that. Prayer is always a vital part of this relationship, prayer to keep from sin, prayer for God’s continual work on those whom he has chosen. Confront sin in a loving manner and also giving them a faith that will keep them on-track, even when you faulter and stumble.

When dealing with fellow brothers and sisters, this is the model: Pray for each other to keep growing in God and to keep away from sin. Seek to raise them up, even when the price is to lower yourself. Reach for not just learning about God’s love and accepting Jesus into their lives, but also to become spiritual mature and to bear fruit for God.

Father God, it is a hard line to walk, between defending truth and showing love and grace. But Jesus showed us this is possible, through God. Keep our walk in your paths, and bring us to spiritual maturity so we may bear Your fruits. I pray all this in the Master-Shepard’s name, Jesus, Amen.

~inspired by a conversation with acts_fellowship~

~ Praise: Bringing life into focus… ~

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name,
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits –
who forgives your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

— Psalm 103:1-5 (NIV) —

   There are so many different things we could focus ourselves upon. Pessimists focus on the bad/ugly side of life. Optimistics focus on the good side of life. Buddists focus on the desires of the heart and the elimination of them. Humanitarians focus on the “human” side of life. Hedonists focus upon the desires of the heart and the fulfillment of them. So what should Christians focus on?

   God. Why pray? To talk to God. Why read the bible? To learn about God. Why come together for church? To glorify and worship God. What is the life of a Christian all about? God. Our aim is to please God. How do you please God? Follow His commands: Love God, Love your neighbor. Act justly. Love mercy. Walk with God.

   The focus is not on ourselves, it is on God. When we lose focus, things get confusing fast. A lot like trying to see things with the wrong prescription of eyeglasses. You’d start bumping into stuff and everything looks fuzzy and indistinct.

Keep your eyes, your heart and your soul focused upon God. A Holy God. A forgiving God. A healing God. A loving and compassionate God. A God who answers our desires with good things… instead of things that will harm us. This is why we praise God… because He is, who He is.

Thank you God, for being You.

P.S. God just has a way of bringing stuff that seems fuzzy and indistinct into crystal clarity.

~ Sin, forgiveness and consequences… ~

Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
The LORD said to Gad, David’s seer, “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ “
So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Take your choice: three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD – days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

— 1 Chronicles 21:8-12 (NIV) —

What makes SIN so evil? It is harmful to not just yourself but also to those around you. David was the leader of kingdom. Many looked up to him and watched his actions and wanted to be him. So when David sinned, it affects David’s life, but it also has consequences for those who he was leading.

We are forgiven by the grace and mercy of God. The price for sin has already been paid. Paid in full by Jesus, redeemed by blood. So that we may sin, and yet still have eternal life. So then, if we have the gift of eternal life, why should we avoid sin and aim for holiness? Consequences. In the case of David, the consequences of his sin spread across the entire nation.

We are all connected, sin is not just something personal. It is something that must be dealt with both personally as well as publically. To do otherwise, would invite the horrible consequences of sin to destroy those around us.

“Love the sinner, hate the sin” makes more and more sense…. So if you see your brother, your sister, your friend sinning… Speak the truth in love and let them know… “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” Show me the love, brothers and sisters… ^_^

*waits patiently for a God-smack*

Thank you, Lord for opening my eyes. Help me to forgive as I forgive those who sin against me… because I was your enemy… and You died for me. I cannot follow Jesus and hold onto my “right” to be angry and show no mercy to my neighbor. I pray Your will be done in my life, Lord. One day at a time. Keep the mothers’ near Your heart today, Father. Show them your unconditional and compassionate love, so they may turn around and teach the little ones about You. In Jesus’ name where hope LIVES! Amen.

======== Into Jesus – DC Talk ========

I see the moon, a million stars are out tonight Gentle reminders of the way you are  A sea of glass, a raging storm has come to pass You show your face in an array of ways  My feet may venture to the ground But you will never let me down  Can't hold it in  My soul is screaming  CHORUS: Hey you, I'm into Jesus  Hey you, I'm into Jesus, oh yeah Hey you, I'm into Jesus Hey you, I know the truth And I believe  I know you're there  I feel your love though my despair You speak the words that ease away the pain My heart is free, my eyes are clear  My soul is healed Now that you have gota hold on me  My feet may venture to the ground  But you will never let me down  Can't hold it in My soul is screaming  CHORUS.

I still believe, I still believe

Hey you, this kid is back And I do declare that the son is shining
(REPEAT X 3)  CHORUS.