The End of 2012

Well this year is about over.  What a year it has been, we have seen the re-election of a President who is bent on the destruction of this country.  A man that is so obsessed with death and raising taxes and destroying our freedoms that I am still astonished that he even ran for the job, much less was elected.  Trouble and chaos was 2012.  The next year is always something we look forward to with anticipation, not this time.  I don't know or the Lord has not told me what will happen next year, but I can assure you we are in for a rough time.  Taxes will go up, unemployment will be up, freedoms will be lost, religion will be under attack, and war in the Middle East will be on every ones lips.  Watch carefully what happens with Israel. Watch also the social war of pitting one group of Americans against the other.  Left, right, black, white, haves, and have nots.   I have purposed that 2013 will become a great year for me, I am going to become a radical.  A radical for Jesus.  That my friends is what it is going to take to make in the coming years, either submit or live above it.  I choose freedom in Christ Jesus!!  "My God shall supply all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  Phl. 4:19

Mayberry RFD

Happened to turn on the TV this morning and got to see a portion of the old TV show Mayberry.  Interesting to see the old shows and see how far our society has regressed over the last 30 or 40 years.  The scene would never be played out today, it was a church service and the congregation was singing the old Hymn" Leaning on the Everlasting Arms."  Great old song of the Church, but way too much truth to be on TV today.  In fact sometimes it is way too much truth for the church of today.  Humbly leaning on Jesus is exactly what this world and the church needs.  God help us not to be so high and mighty that we forget how needy we actually are.     

Ah the Smells of Christmas

Oh what a joyous time of the year.  The birth of our Saviour and wishes of happiness and prosperity, etc.  Cookies baking, turkey in the oven, children running and laughing with joy.  Oh the smells and sounds of Christmas.  Making my favorite recipe of southern dressin, (dressing to my northern friends).   Smells of bleach as I cleaned the toilet, and the humming sound of the vacuum cleaner.  Dust this and that, move that over here, hurry company is on the way! 
Seriously though, Christmas is all about the new born King, Jesus.  Let's not forget the reason for the season.  There is no Christmas without Christ.  Gifts are nice, but the greatest gift is of eternal life. 

Evil

After the events of yesterday many are wondering how does God allow evil to happen.  Simple answer is that God has given mankind a free will to do as they generally please.  If we have a desire to push God away from our schools, government and life in general, then He steps back and lets us have our way.  One of the most profound ideas of the written word is that "we reap what we sow"  Unfortuantly we are reaping a just reward for our sins.  Does God care?  Yes.  Does God allow us the freedom to choose our own path?  Yes.  It seems very odd to me that on the approaching 40 year anniversry of Roe v Wade, that we show a great outrage at school violence, and we should for it is evil and contemtpable and needs to be stopped; however it woould be nice if we felt the same way about killing the unborn.  I know this may not be the time, but how can we love the newborn if the unborn is just an inconvienence.  How can we as a nation even look to God for comfort and solace if we have slaughtered untold millions of precious babies from the womb of their mothers.  Yes this was an unspeakable evil that killed some 20 young children in Conneticut, but what of the evil of killing millions over the last for decades?  Where does that rank?  I do pray for the families of those who have lost their small children, and hope that peace through Jesus Christ can be found.  That my friends is the answer. 

THE WAY

Many people today are searching for something.  What, many times they don’t know or understand.  A way of happiness or success or fame, it’s all about them and what pleases.  The Apostle Paul in Acts 24:14 writes about The Way.  That is a good description of the Kingdom of God.  The Way!  There really is no other way.  The Way is not a membership roll, but a relationship with a person.  The Way is knowing Jesus in a real and genuine way.  The Way is thinking of others first, caring for the needs of those who are hurting.  The Way is the Gospel, which means “Good News”.  The Way is spreading, conquering the lost with love and hope.  The Way is the only way to heaven and eternal life.  The Way is living a life that honors God and his Word.   The Way is the way I choose to live my life, won’t you join me?  Let’s make this world a better place. 

John 14:6 I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.     

An Old Hymn

On the way home from work today I was listening to a worship tape I had made and the old hymn came on the cd, "what can was away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus".  It got me to thinking about our churches today.  How often do we hear about the blood in today's church, or in our worship?  I wonder is it not time to bring it back, maybe singing and preaching and declaring the blood would energize us today.  What is wrong with the world is that the church has forgotten some of it's roots.  Let's bring the altar and the sense of sin and standing before a holy God back into our churches.  Yeah, I know it's old fashion, but it works.  There is something that happens when we sing about the price of our redemption.  O that precious blood, that covered my sins and failures.  I may be old fashioned and out of step, but give me the blood and the altar of God anyday of the week! 
What can wash away my sins?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.  Praise God!