I just read this quote and wanted to encourage others to think about it, too.
This is a quote worth reading and holding onto...let it sink in!
"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by
legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person
receives without working for, another person must work for
without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody
anything that the government does not first take from
somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that
they do not have to work because the other half is going to
take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea
that it does no good to work because somebody else is going
to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the
end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing
it."
~~~ The late Dr. Adrian Rogers , 1931 to 2005, Former
Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis , TN ~~~
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Remember
I just counted in my Strong's Concordance 266 references to some form of the word remember...remembered....remembering....rememberest....remembereth...remembering...
remembrance.
Many of those were used as petitions from people to God asking Him NOT to remember certain things about them.......failures, sins, former things, etc. But, by far, the majority of verses are on the positive side of recalling to one's mind things that God has done. And it was often to be done with some sort of ceremony, marker, reminder, habit, celebration..........so that the person would not forget and have to learn things all over once again.
Such has been the case for me today as I have been remembering what happened one year ago tonight. I can go back and reread what I wrote down so that I would not forget the faithfulness of the LORD through all of the heart events that Monty had, beginning Feb 24th, 2008. I have not had to go and read it all, even though I am sure there are many details I have forgotten, because I have often called upon the LORD to bring to my mind the things He taught me over and over during those dark days. They were days blessed by the LORD, showing us His Presence with us in those hospital rooms, waiting rooms, emergency rooms.......going through the trials with us.
So tonight we are going to have a "surprise" praise party for Monty here at the house as we praise the LORD for His sovereign grace that brought us through the dark times and has sharpened our focus on Him and eternal things.........that really matter.
Many times last year, as I have posted before, we asked the LORD why He spared Monty's life, only to have been assured over and over that it was for Gwyneth and her children........ for continuing to spread His Word....... and to be better prepared for our final resting place with Him in heaven, being more and more conformed to the image of His Son, all for His glory.
Celebrate with us to the glory of the LORD Jesus Christ that our times are in His hands and it was through Him that everything was made, whether heavenly or earthly, seen or unseen. Through Him, and for Him, also, were created power and dominion, ownership and authority. In fact, all things were created through, and for Him. He is both the first principle and the upholding principle of the whole scheme of creation.
So, as the Scriptures says.......REMEMBER your Creator!!
remembrance.
Many of those were used as petitions from people to God asking Him NOT to remember certain things about them.......failures, sins, former things, etc. But, by far, the majority of verses are on the positive side of recalling to one's mind things that God has done. And it was often to be done with some sort of ceremony, marker, reminder, habit, celebration..........so that the person would not forget and have to learn things all over once again.
Such has been the case for me today as I have been remembering what happened one year ago tonight. I can go back and reread what I wrote down so that I would not forget the faithfulness of the LORD through all of the heart events that Monty had, beginning Feb 24th, 2008. I have not had to go and read it all, even though I am sure there are many details I have forgotten, because I have often called upon the LORD to bring to my mind the things He taught me over and over during those dark days. They were days blessed by the LORD, showing us His Presence with us in those hospital rooms, waiting rooms, emergency rooms.......going through the trials with us.
So tonight we are going to have a "surprise" praise party for Monty here at the house as we praise the LORD for His sovereign grace that brought us through the dark times and has sharpened our focus on Him and eternal things.........that really matter.
Many times last year, as I have posted before, we asked the LORD why He spared Monty's life, only to have been assured over and over that it was for Gwyneth and her children........ for continuing to spread His Word....... and to be better prepared for our final resting place with Him in heaven, being more and more conformed to the image of His Son, all for His glory.
Celebrate with us to the glory of the LORD Jesus Christ that our times are in His hands and it was through Him that everything was made, whether heavenly or earthly, seen or unseen. Through Him, and for Him, also, were created power and dominion, ownership and authority. In fact, all things were created through, and for Him. He is both the first principle and the upholding principle of the whole scheme of creation.
So, as the Scriptures says.......REMEMBER your Creator!!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Kingdom Living
Recently I have been thinking a lot about kingdom living. It could be the fact that everywhere I turn, people are talking about something that has to do with it. My pastor has been teaching a series on the parables in Matthew 13, which talks about kingdom living in various ways...........a wonderful series.
Then I happened to hear Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah about a week ago on the end of the world and the coming kingdom of Christ Jesus, which was on Feb 9&10. It seems like every time I open my email someone is sending me some link to something about the many crises going on around the world today that illustrate the facts that Scripture reveals will take place before He comes to set up His earthly kingdom.
I do wonder how so many Bible teachers say that God is through with Israel and that the Church has replaced Israel................when the whole world is focused on that tiny piece of real estate, about the size of New Jersey!!!! And why is it that Jewish people from all over the world are eager to go back to the land that was given to Abraham as an eternal covenant??? How come other nations (i.e. Iran) want to "push Israel into the Sea"? Is it not obvious that God is still about the business of keeping His promise and setting up the Kingdom He promised in Ezekiel, Isaiah, and many other Scriptures..........OT and NT.
So, believing ALL scripture to be profitable, I want to concern myself in "these last days" about Kingdom living.............making all things about His glory.
1 Cor 10:31 "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God." As I think about this verse, I come to one conclusion.......the point of life is to point to Him.
Then I happened to hear Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah about a week ago on the end of the world and the coming kingdom of Christ Jesus, which was on Feb 9&10. It seems like every time I open my email someone is sending me some link to something about the many crises going on around the world today that illustrate the facts that Scripture reveals will take place before He comes to set up His earthly kingdom.
I do wonder how so many Bible teachers say that God is through with Israel and that the Church has replaced Israel................when the whole world is focused on that tiny piece of real estate, about the size of New Jersey!!!! And why is it that Jewish people from all over the world are eager to go back to the land that was given to Abraham as an eternal covenant??? How come other nations (i.e. Iran) want to "push Israel into the Sea"? Is it not obvious that God is still about the business of keeping His promise and setting up the Kingdom He promised in Ezekiel, Isaiah, and many other Scriptures..........OT and NT.
So, believing ALL scripture to be profitable, I want to concern myself in "these last days" about Kingdom living.............making all things about His glory.
1 Cor 10:31 "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God." As I think about this verse, I come to one conclusion.......the point of life is to point to Him.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Lying
You know those thoughts that swirl around in your mind while taking a shower, or some other "mindless" activity??? Well, I have had a post swimming in my brain for the past week that is about lying. It started like this:
"Monty, why would you put the bedroom phone in your sock drawer?"
Let me back up as to why that was my opening post statement that day in the shower. We had some of our grandchildren spending the night with us. They had been playing in our closet (I know because I heard drawers opening and closing)!! A couple of hours later when getting ready for bed, I looked for the phone that sits on the night stand. I never could find it!! The next morning I asked the children about it...... no one knew where it was. When Monty was getting dressed, he found it in his sock drawer!! Thus, "Monty, why would you put the bedroom phone in your sock drawer?" He didn't! "Not me" did!
Sooooo, that started my brain-journey down the road of lying!! Why is it that lying comes so easily? What is the underlying sin of lying??? Or is there one? Does it stand alone? I know that one of the seven things God's hates is a lying tongue. (Pr 6:16-19) But the first one is a proud look.
Could that be it?? Do the rest fall in after pride for a reason?? Is it because of pride that we lie, so people won't know what we are really like?
As some of you who have been reading my blog for the past several months know, our family has been going through the worst "trial and sorrow" of our time thus far. It has been because of the choice of one "living a lie". The damage that can come from lying lips has new depth of meaning for me.
The previous verses in Proverbs 6 are indeed sobering:
12-15 "A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; he winks with his eyes, he shuffles his feet, he points with his fingers, perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually, he sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy."
So, back to my "phone in the sock drawer" and how it ties in with all of this...... 20-23 "My son, (daughter), keep your father's (mother's, poppi's, mimi's) command, and do not forsake the law of your mother (father's, poppi's mimi's). Bind them continually upon your HEART; tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life."
Because God hates lying, so do I. And because it is such a matter of the heart, I am committed to my children and grandchildren to remind them that "the commandment......the law....instruction" all identify the Word of God, which provides the wisdom leading to abundant and eternal life.
So, I press on "preaching the Word in season and out of season" with all who come across our threshold, especially our GRANDchildren so that they may learn to walk in the Light as children of Light and not in the darkness of a lying tongue.
"Monty, why would you put the bedroom phone in your sock drawer?"
Let me back up as to why that was my opening post statement that day in the shower. We had some of our grandchildren spending the night with us. They had been playing in our closet (I know because I heard drawers opening and closing)!! A couple of hours later when getting ready for bed, I looked for the phone that sits on the night stand. I never could find it!! The next morning I asked the children about it...... no one knew where it was. When Monty was getting dressed, he found it in his sock drawer!! Thus, "Monty, why would you put the bedroom phone in your sock drawer?" He didn't! "Not me" did!
Sooooo, that started my brain-journey down the road of lying!! Why is it that lying comes so easily? What is the underlying sin of lying??? Or is there one? Does it stand alone? I know that one of the seven things God's hates is a lying tongue. (Pr 6:16-19) But the first one is a proud look.
Could that be it?? Do the rest fall in after pride for a reason?? Is it because of pride that we lie, so people won't know what we are really like?
As some of you who have been reading my blog for the past several months know, our family has been going through the worst "trial and sorrow" of our time thus far. It has been because of the choice of one "living a lie". The damage that can come from lying lips has new depth of meaning for me.
The previous verses in Proverbs 6 are indeed sobering:
12-15 "A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; he winks with his eyes, he shuffles his feet, he points with his fingers, perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually, he sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy."
So, back to my "phone in the sock drawer" and how it ties in with all of this...... 20-23 "My son, (daughter), keep your father's (mother's, poppi's, mimi's) command, and do not forsake the law of your mother (father's, poppi's mimi's). Bind them continually upon your HEART; tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; when you sleep, they will keep you; and when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life."
Because God hates lying, so do I. And because it is such a matter of the heart, I am committed to my children and grandchildren to remind them that "the commandment......the law....instruction" all identify the Word of God, which provides the wisdom leading to abundant and eternal life.
So, I press on "preaching the Word in season and out of season" with all who come across our threshold, especially our GRANDchildren so that they may learn to walk in the Light as children of Light and not in the darkness of a lying tongue.
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