Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Are You Too Busy For Christ?
Keep The Christians Busy
Satan called a worldwide convention.
In his opening address to his assembled demons he said:
"We cannot keep the Christians from going to church. We cannot keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We cannot even keep them from conservative values. Nevertheless, we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship with Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So, let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyle, but steal their time, so they cannot gain that relationship.
This is what I want you to do. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection!"
"How shall we do this?" shouted the demons.
"Keep them busy with the non-essentials of life. Invent schemes to occupy their time." he answered.
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 or 7 days a week, 10 - 12 hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work. Also:
* Super-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice.
* Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, and to keep the TV, VCR, CD players and PCs going constantly in their homes.
* See to it that every store and restaurant in the world blares secular music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.
* Fill their coffee tables with secular magazines and newspapers.
* Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.
* Invade their driving moments with billboards.
* Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogs, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering, free products, services, and false hopes.
* In their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week.
* Do not let them go out in nature to reflect on God' s wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts, and movies instead.
* When they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion.
* Let them be involved in soul-winning, but crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ in prayer. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."
Convention Aftermath
It was quite a convention. The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.
Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge.
How about this definition of BUSY: Being Under Satan's Yoke.
Author Unknown
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
What are your thoughts on this message?
A wonderful Message by George Carlin:
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much , and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...
Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
If you don't send this to at least 8 people....Who cares?
George Carlin
At LCMS Installation
In his sermon at the installation service, Dr. Loren Kramer, president emeritus of the Synod's Pacific Southwest District and chairman of the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations, asked those beginning their service to consider:
- "Whose church is it?" Not ours, Kramer said, but Jesus Christ's, who "not only planned it" but "paid for it" through His death on the cross.
- "Who's in charge" of the church? Not the president, vice presidents, or board and commission members -- "There can be only one head," he said, and that is "Jesus Christ."
- "Where are the headquarters of the church?" Not in St. Louis or any other earthly place, but "in heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father," Kramer said.
- "What are the orders" for us from our leader? To use the grace and gifts God gives each of us "for the common good and benefit of the whole body," Kramer said, and he encouraged those who are serving the Synod to "practice love and extend forgiveness."
Kramer urged them to "see with God's eyes" in order to "see His plan" for their service, and cautioned them not to compete with one another but to "complete each other."
"When each person does what they are gifted and called to do, the whole body is blessed and functions effectively so that God's work gets done," he said.
Kramer called service to the church "a high honor and a holy obligation," and said church positions are not about prestige but are about service. He encouraged those being installed to follow Jesus' example of servant leadership.
"Let His mind be your mind. Let His attitude be your attitude. Let His will be your will," he said.
He urged them to act not as "thermometers," simply gauging the climate of the church, but as "thermostats," helping to create "a healthy climate in which God's work gets done."
Monday, September 17, 2007
CaringBridge. Free Websites That Support And Connect Loved Ones During Critical Illness.
Zayla needs our prayers...CaringBridge. Free Websites That Support And Connect Loved Ones During Critical Illness.: "Day +59 Good evening all. Well, we didn’t get results until late today *sigh*, but all appears to be well with Zayla’s spinal fluid and bone marrow. We won’t have the results back from the MRD until later this week, but I am not too concerned about them at the moment. Zayla is feeling 100% better….no more fever and we have been home since late Thursday night (sorry I haven’t updated, computer is “acting” up…I HATE dial-up). This weekend was a very busy weekend for Zayla, and boy could I tell that the extra activity was doing a number on her. Her cousin Olivia came over Friday night (BIG surprise to her) and stayed until Sunday afternoon. They played so hard, and I have started to notice (and Zayla complains now too) that Zayla is walking/running differently and she says her legs hurt. Dr looked at them today extensively and says we will do bone density studies next week if she does not improve. I was shocked that he is being so aggressive (Alicia you would be impressed)…he is of course looking for osteoporosis, and other bone dimineralizations because of all the chemo and steroids she has been on. Gosh, I love our docs!!! Well, it is going to be a busy busy week here….I have two tests this week, and make up my clinical I "
counterproductive - definition of
counterproductive : "coun·ter·pro·duc·tive (kountr-pr-dktv) adj. Tending to hinder rather than serve one's purpose:"
Believing that we can please God through our own actions and merits is counterproductive. Believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ is productive for our salvation.
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - The Lutheran Witness
The Lutheran Witness: "Saved from Death Three Times—to Hear God’s Word One Final Time"
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Dear Lord
I thank you for being the dependable constant in my ever changing life. I can always depend on You to be the same loving God from my past, into my present and future. Thank-you for loving us.
Amen.
Helping children with prayer...
Dear God, Dear God,
We love you. We love you.
Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for Jesus.
Jesus helps us. Jesus helps us.
When friends need help, When friends need help,
We bring them to Jesus. We bring them to Jesus.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
In Jesus’ name. In Jesus’ name.
Amen. Amen.
From Kids Kount.
Words we should know...
nonjudgmental "nonjudgmental - refraining from making judgments especially ones based on personal opinions or standards; 'sympathetic and nonjudgmental'"