Do I need a new computer or a new operating system

My computer is about 8 years old. It is freezing up because my memory is full and won’t run the latest Flash player.  I have added RAM and installed a newer operating system.  My battery won’t hold a charge anymore.  My power cord is covered in black electrical tape.  It’s just not cutting it.  It is a Mac PowerBook but it is behaving like a Mini powerless dime store novel.

When I look at the church in America(s), It appears to have similar problems.  It appears powerless, lacking of memory, in need of awakening, with a weak connection to its power source.

We are not lacking in the latest and best technology, the latest digital I.T., the biggest video screen, the best and loudest music, the softest pews, the best paid staff, the tallest steeple, the best A/C and heating systems, the best cappuccino and pastries that Starbucks has to offer.  We are “seeker” friendly, we are “purpose driven”, we are heterogeneous, we are diverse, we are family oriented, we have charisma.

 We have more programs than any other church.  We have more outreach ministries.  We have a women’s ministry, a men’s ministry, a single’s ministry, a young married’s ministry, a teen ministry, a ministry to parent’s of teens, a young adult ministry, a divorce ministry, a LGBT ministry, a golf ministry,  a 55+ ministry, an empty nester’s ministry, a senior’s ministry, a kid’s ministry, an infant ministry.

What more can we do?  Did anyone ever hear of a “going to hell”, LOST ministry, an invalid ministry, a hospital ministry, ministry to the those possessed and oppressed by the demons of alcohol, drugs, sex, bad choices, greed bitterness, jealousy, unforgiveness, fear and doubt, a ministry to the sick, a widow’s ministry, a widower’s ministry, a ministry for the unemployed, a ministry for the employed, a ministry to the homeless, a ministry to the bankrupt, a ministry to the near bankrupt, a ministry to those in credit card debt up to their eyeballs. 

Even there were these ministries, what would we have to offer?  We don’t believe in casting out demons. We don’t believe speaking in tongues.  We don’t believe in anointing with oil. We don’t believe in laying on of hands.  We don’t believe in divine protection.  (Mark 6:7-13, Mark 16: 15-18, Luke 10 1-20, Acts 3:6-8, Acts 5: 15-16, Acts 6 :8 Acts 8; 6-8,, Acts 19 :12, Acts 28: 3-6 and 8-9, James 5:14-16, Psalm 91.

BUT we believe the whole Bible!!!  Those things don’t happen any more!  

These men “turned the world upside down”. (Act 17:6).

The best we can do is make the dog turn over.

We ignore the part of the great commission in Mark 16 where it says:

these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

The churches today preach a powerless gospel, a different gospel than the disciples preached, taught and practiced.  They preach a “form of godliness but deny the power thereof”. (2 Timothy 3; 5)

Paul instructed Timothy:

²Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Tim. 4: 2-4)

I don’t suspect that I’ll get too many positive responses.  I am sick and tired of what I see going on in our churches.  People working their butts off trying to push the car uphill, never believing that they can turn the key and drive it uphill under God’s power. Jesus is the same yesterday, and to day, and forever. (Hebs 13:8)  His Father is still the same.  The Holy Spirit is the same.  His Power is still the same.  We have the same Holy Spirit.  God can and wants to use us in the same way, for HIS glory.

This is not manipulating God.  This is not some magic trick.  This is doing His work, the work that Jesus did.  We are operating in HIS Power, not our power.  We are taking God at HIS WORD!!  It’s His power.  It’s for His Glory

The only way that we can do what Jesus commanded:

²In most solemn truth I tell you that he who trusts in me—the things which I do he shall do also; and greater things than these he shall do, because I am going to the Father. ¹³And whatever any of you ask in my name, I will do, in order that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If you make any request of me in my name, I will do it. ¹⁵“If you love me, you will obey my commandments. John 14 12-15)

is to believe.

None of these things will happen to those who don’t believe.

 STOP WORSHIPPING A GOD THAT YOU HAVE CREATED BASED ON HALF TRUTHS!!

GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL OPERATING SYSTEM,  the one in the Gospels and the book of Acts of the apostles!

If any are offended, I am NOT sorry!  Read the Word and disprove me!

Does Spandex Make My Butt Big?

Does Spandex Make My Butt Big?

Truthful answer: Spandex has nothing to do with the size of your butt.  Your butt does not change based on what you wear. 

Wise answer: Honey, your butt is not big.   I don’t know why you think it is.

Spandex was designed in hell.  Ninety percent of the people wearing spandex should not be wearing it because those tiny stretch fibers are working way too hard.  The ten percent that look good wearing it are tempting the observers to violate the 7^th commandment.

Now that I have your attention, I don’t want to talk about “big butts” or “Spandex”.  I want to talk about big “But’s”.  The big “But’s” are those “but’s” that we say after we read something in the Bible or hear something that we know is true BUT don’t think it applies to me; or does not agree with my religion.  Now for those of you who don’t think you have religion, you have just violated the 9^th commandment.  Every Christian has created a view of God based on what they have read in the Bible, life experiences, past teachings (even from very sincere Christian preachers), past books, past devotionals.

Some of these views align better with scripture than others.  NO ONE has a complete understanding of the Word of God, or of God, for that matter.  Every person has violated every one of the 10 commandments.  Again if you deny this, you are lying.  WE all have and do violate the first commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  We all read the Word and filter the words we read through our experiences, rather than the WORD.  I challenge everyone, reading this, to read the Bible and when you come across something you find difficult to accept or want to dismiss based on your past experiences, past teachings or what your “local church” accepts; consider the big “BUT”.

I know that the Bibles says:

It is not you who chose me, but it is I who chose you and appointed you that you might go and be fruitful and that your fruit might remain; so that whatever petition you present to the Father in my name He may give you.

 John 15:16

BUT…………

I know the Bible says: 

Is any one ill? Let him send for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, after anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will restore the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up to health; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven. James 5:14-15

BUT………..

Filter the these verses through the context and promise of John 15:7-9

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. John 15:7-9.

AND

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. ⁸A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

Ask yourself, “Am I abiding in Him?, Is His Word abiding in me?  COMPLETELY?  FULLY?  NO DOUBT?  NO FEAR?  UNEQUIVICALLY?

REMEMBER:

There is, then, now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  Romans 8:1

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Filter the Words of James 5:14-15 through the context of Romans 8:1 and 28.  Part of us does not want to admit or realize that what God allows to happen to us, is always for our good, as He sees it; and His Glory.   He wants to transform us into the image of Christ for His glory.  Whatever it takes!  We are slow learners.

What IF?

What if!

What if Jesus had been living in your town during His 3 years of ministry?  What if He would have to pick His disciples from the people of your town, or maybe your church? Would he have chosen any pastors as His disciples?  What about the big car dealer that donates a car for the pastor to use?  Maybe instead it would be the used car dealer that finances cars by the week and a “low mileage car is the one with only a 100,000 miles on it?  Would He have chosen the car mechanic to follow Him?  Maybe He would pick the man picking fruit out in the field? Would He have picked the president of the big bank in town or the “pay day” loan shark located on MLK Street? (most every town has an MLK Street)  Would He have picked the owner of the pawnshop?  Would He have picked the head political leader in your town or the political activist always challenging the establishment?

What wedding would He have chosen for His first miracle?  Would He have transformed water to wine or grape juice? 

What kind of boat would he have been in when he fell asleep and the storm came up.  Would it have been a yacht or an old beat up fishing boat with the smell of fish guts and scales on the deck?

What church would have had to replace the roof after the “Four” tore a hole in it to let the lame man down?  Would there have even been a hole?  Would the church’s security been there to stop them from putting a ladder up to get on the roof?  Would the lame man have been healed in your church?  Would the “Four” have had to carry him out again because Jesus would have said, “I did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief”? (Matt 13:58)

Who would have been raised from the dead after being dead four days?  Would He have overturned any tables in your church?  Would any church pastors have confronted Him because He healed the lame man?  Would he have hung around the red light district with the prostitutes. Which prostitute would have anointed His feet with oil?

Where would He have preached the Sermon on the Mount?  At the big sports arena with the 7,370 square foot Daktronics video screen?  At the big church on the corner with the digital acoustic and video setup?  At the local high school football field?

Where would he have spent His days?  Playing a few rounds of golf at the private Golf Club, with the wealthy donors?  Or play bocce ball at the retirement center?  Would He spend His days out on the water fishing for trophy fish or hanging around the shrimp boats out in the bay?

Maybe He would serve food to the homeless at the homeless shelter?  Hand out food at the Food pantry?  Visit the Memory Center (irony of the name) filled with those whose lives are void of memories past, present or future?  Visit the children’s hospital, talking and sharing with kids hooked to IV tubes, PICC lines and feeding tubes?  Visit the VA home comforting veterans haunted by demons of alcohol, drugs, bad choices and past war experiences?

What if He would have had to acquire something to ride on or in for His triumphant entry?  Would it have been a fancy Lexus convertible donated by the wealthy dealer from the big church on the corner?  Would it been a beat up pickup truck from the guy who picked fruit? 

Where would He have had reserved a room for His Last Supper?  Would it have been at the 5 star resort or a room over a bar somewhere in the red light district?

Where would He have sweat blood when He was agonizing his imminent death? In the garden area at the 5 star resort or the neighborhood park over on MLK Street

Who would have claimed His body?  Who would have prepared His body for burial?  What cemetery would have provided a burial crypt?

WHAT IF?

Why is life not "candy and nuts"?

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We all like to quote Bible verses containing God’s promises; but most of these promises are accompanied by a condition.  We ignore the conditions that accompany these promises; and, when these promises don’t come to fruition, we explain it by claiming that God is sovereign and that we cannot understand His will.  We often misquote verses such as Isaiah 55:8-9:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Ignoring the fact that the previous verses say:

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD

Ignoring that in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul compares the natural man (unsaved) who does not have the mind of Christ with the saved man, who has the mind of Christ:

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.  2 Cor. 2:14-16

 

When a promise does not come to fruition, we would rather say it was God’s will rather than to examine our own lives and our own faith, or lack there of.  James tells us in James 1: 5-8:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

We ignore the commands that Jesus gave His disciples in Mark 16:15-18:

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. ¹⁷And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark then adds a P.S. in verse 19

They went forth and preached everywhere and the Lord worked them and confirmed His Word.

Did God change His Word?  Did the Lord quit working with them?  Did He quit confirming His Word?  Did He empower His disciples with a different Holy Spirit than we have today?  Is it possible that we are the ones who have changed?  Is it possible that we have been conformed to this world?  Is it possible we have not been transformed, that we have not renewed our minds? 

 Until we do, we will never prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God?

Romans 12:2

 Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

If’s and but’s

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If “ifs” and “buts” were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas

Don Meredith, former SMU and Dallas Cowboys                                                                         quarterback and Monday Night Football                                                                                     announcer

 

 

The devil is in the details.  The tempter’s “ifs”:

Matthew 4:3 NIV

The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Matthew 4:6 NIV

"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "

Matthew 4:9 NIV

"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

But your   Father   says:

Matthew 6:30 NIV

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 7:11 NIV

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 17:20 NIV

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. "

 Matthew 21:21 NIV

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.

Matthew 21:22 NIV

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Mark 11:23 NIV

"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

Luke 12:28 NIV

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!

Luke 17:6 NIV

He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

John 8:19 NIV

Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

John 14:7 NIV

If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.

John 14:23 NIV

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 15:5 NIV

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:7 NIV

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

Who you going to believe?

If “ifs’ were true, the church would be a powerful force in the world!!!!!

Why did the chicken lay the egg?

Now I realize that I have an unfair advantage over most people reading this because I spent the first 20 years of my life living on a chicken farm and spent one summer during college working in a hatchery cleaning incubators; but this is not a hard question.  Don’t over think this!  Don’t make it harder than it is.  You don’t need a college decree or doctorate in chickology!  That is from the Greek  Όρνιθα meaning “chicken” and λόγος, -logy, meaning "study of”.

 It is the same reason that cows give milk.

It is what they are!  It is what they do!  It is part of their DNA.  The chicken does not think about laying eggs, at least if they are female chickens (hens).  The cow does not think about giving milk if it is a female cow that has given birth to a calf recently.  It just happens!

Why do I bring this up?  Well, I just heard a Bible teaching on why Jesus healed.  Now let me first say that I liked the teaching.  I learned something; but the teacher tried to figure out why Jesus healed the sick.  He over thought it.  One of the first lessons that I learned in my matriculations through the education systems was: the most obvious answer is probably the right answer. 

In Exodus 15: 26, the Lord spoke to Moses at Marah, the place in the wilderness with the bitter water.  Note, this was three days after He, the Lord, had destroyed Pharaoh and his army in the sea.  The people were complaining to Moses and Moses cried out to the Lord.  God told him to cut down a tree and cast it into the water and it became sweet.  Moses was told to make a statute and God made a covenant with the people and said:

"If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, I will not inflict any illness on you I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you (Jehovah-rahpa)."

If He, the Lord, was Jehovah- rapha to the Israelites, and Christ was obtaining for us a new and better covenant with better promises (Hebrew 8), do you think that He was still Jehovah-rapha in the New Testament.  Jesus was healing because He was doing His Father’s work.  It was who He was and who He is, today.  God did stop being Jehovah-rapha once the last apostle died!  We were told to carry on with His work, doing the same and greater works:

The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. John 14:12  The Message

You don’t need a degree in theology to figure this one out.  The disciples did not have theology decrees but they could understand what Jesus told them. 

Remember, satan is the greatest theologian and he will burn in Hell, FOREVER!!!!!!

Child Like Faith?

What is child like faith? 

It is: trusting completely!  It is: believing everything!  It is: doubting nothing!  It is: anticipating hopefully!  It is: fearing nothing!  It is: thinking positively!  It is: ever living in the moment!  It is: taking no thought for tomorrow!   It is: taking no thought beyond the present!  It is: forgetting the past!  It is: never worrying!  It is not sarcastic!  It is not cynical!  It is not pessimistic!  It is not negative!

IT IS: THE WAY INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.

                                                 Mark 10 :15