Whittling

Greetings to all:

Before computers, Ipods, Notebooks, and even television, there was a simple way to entertain ones self. Men and women alike, old or young, didn’t matter, would sit on the front porch and whittle. They would use a small knife which was generally kept very sharp, to peel small slivers of wood off a large branch or board. This wasn’t to create anything for the most part, but a past time to whittle away the day.
Most young people today wouldn’t understand doing something so simple and seemingly unproductive. They would argue, time would be better spent in front of a TV or playing a computer game, something like that, but not whittling. But, it wasn’t just whittling that was the goal; it was also a time of reflection, spending time thinking what it meant to be human, something many of our folks could do a lot more of. It had a practical side as well; it produced shavings for the wood stove to help start a fire for warmth or cooking, or used in the garden as mulch.
For me, whittling has a spiritual element as well; while shaving small slivers from the branch many scriptures come to mind. How we are grafted into the family of God according to Romans eight, and as I remove another sliver, it reminds me we can be broken off as well. Each shaving reminds me of the stripes Christ received for my sins. How each sin is removed one stroke at a time, until a very clean, shinny stick sits where a rough, dirty, swollen branch once was.
You see whittling wasn’t replaced by something better; it was replaced by something that helped us forget about Christ and the Father in heaven. Maybe we all could learn more, if we spent more time whittling. Our minds would be open with hardly any interference at all, and with each stroke of the knife, God could speak to us.

Great Works

Greetings:

Two ministers were rushing to catch a train. Afraid they were late, one looked at his watch but found it had stopped. “This is awful,” he said. “I’ve always put such faith in this watch.” “This is once,” said the other, “when good works would probably have served better.”
Why is there such turmoil over works in the religious community? Are we afraid of the implications of the word work? Without works, our declaration of faith has no grounding. We can proclaim from the highest mountaintop,” I have faith,” but it means very little in actuality, because we can proclaim anything. I can proclaim to be a Harvard professor, having no proof I earn any degrees or went through the training; I can’t substantiate my claim.
Works show our faith; they validate our heart, our willingness to follow Christ. And in truth, doesn’t the mainstream churches believe in works, they just don’t want to use that terminology because they may have to admit to a few things they reject. They believe if you do well you go to heaven, and if you’re bad, you go straight to hell. What determines whether you’re good or bad, your works of course!
Works are evident even where they’re dismissed. Leaders of great authority in the most popular churches say works are dead. The truth is, works have always been a fundamental structure of God’s church. Feeding the orphans, taking care of the widows, and obeying Christ, these are our greatest works. These are the efforts that show our faith, without one we lack the other. Don’t let the world fool you into believing works are nothing, when they’re everything when it comes to showing your faith.

Forgotten Words

Greetings

It is said, it takes a thousand words to paint a picture. Today I believe it would take many more words than a thousand to paint even the most basic of images. Words have become cheap so you get more for less. They’re often broken and unrecognizable so you have to use more to get the same results.
Many words today seemed lost to us, because they’re not used in everyday conversations like they once were. Words like honor, people on the streets have other words to replace its meaning; gangster seems to be the preferred slang. Words like dignity, respect, aspire; endeavor, resiliency, and courage are words that have great meaning, they’re words that we all can appreciate. But these words are mostly used in our nation’s military institutions; they’re very common within the ranks of those who defend our society. You won’t find them used on the streets of Detroit, Saint Louis, or Chicago except by those that battle daily the drugs, thieves, and murders who have a language of their own.
Forgotten words for forgotten peoples; does a nation first lose its morals or its language; or, are they both tied together? Do words lift us up, or pull us down? The answer is in the language of the Constitution of the United States, The Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. These are uplifting words ground in truth and dreams of a people. They’re words of a moral peoples willing to die for their convictions and give all they have for there very existence.
Read these words written by men of courage and conviction again, then listen to the language on the streets and you’ll soon come to realize why we suffer as a nation. We’ve forgotten these words; they don’t resonate as they once did. At one time in this nation these words were taught to every child old enough to read, now they are rarely spoken in the institution of learning, even colleges.
When we become ignorant as a nation, then those that have the reigns of power will become our dictators. Only through knowledge do we sustain our freedoms, only through words once spoken but now forgotten by many can we remain a nation of God.

Resurrections

Greetings:

Do you go straight to heaven when you die? The majority of the world and clergy would say absolutely, yes you do! I’ve heard countless sermons given in front of grieving family members telling them; their loved one was up in heaven at that very instance. People are taught the soul is eternal and it has to go somewhere when we breathe our last breath. It has to go to heaven or it will wind up in hell, or even worst yet be doomed to wander the earth scaring the hell out of everyone.
Where do we get this idea, this doctrine, because, it’s not taught anywhere in your bible. I heard that, “how would I know,” you ask. Scriptures give us unadulterated truth, man lies to us, can you believe that? If not; then, find eternal soul in the bible. Not there, am I right? Find where it says, “you go to heaven when you die.” That’s not there either, is it? You might want to say, in the scriptures it says, “Where I will be you will be also.” True enough, but where does the bible say Christ will spend the next thousand years after His return? Good old terra ferma is where, read Revelations 20, yea the whole chapter, it will be good for you, and add 21 if you get ten extra minutes in your day. We’ll spend a thousand years on this world with Christ as spiritual beings, doing His work, doesn’t sound like the heaven I’ve always heard about.
The bible speaks of resurrections John 5:29 says there are two resurrections of man, so where do we fit? Let me tell you a few more secrets, John 3:13 says, “No man has ascended into heaven, except the son of man.” Another one you can highlight 1Cor. 15:20 Christ first, then His church; after that, the rest of the dead are raised. Wow, add all that up and I’ll ask once more. Where do you get the idea from the bible, you go to heaven when you die, or your soul somehow lives on? Do you believe man, or do you believe scripture?

Saved by Grace, Maybe

Greeting:

Many years back, I was in a conversation with one of my college professors and we were discussing religion. He asked during the conversation why I did certain things different from his beliefs. My response was, because we are instructed to do them according to scripture. He replies back in no uncertain terms, “I’m saved by grace.” That was the end of the conversation, to him there was nothing more to discuss, being saved by grace was the end all of everything religious to him. There was nothing else he needs to do, or no other consideration needed to be examined. It was like being saved by grace gave him a license to disobey God when it didn’t suit his vision.
Does being saved by grace give one cart blanc to choose whether or not to obey God? Is there more to do after being saved by grace? Or do we just towing the line with man’s traditions? Does God expect more from us than just lip service? Last question, does being saved by grace means we have absolute salvation? Some might say you’re bound for hell if you keep sinning, how does that work?
We have a Father in Heaven that loves his children. If our physical father loves us but expects us to obey him, what then is the difference with God? Some Christians go out of their way to disregard God’s will. I’m saved by grace, but that’s not the end of the relationship with God, it’s the beginning. Christ said JH 14:15, “If you love, keep my commandments.” Guess he was just joking according to some, but if you are a true believer, being saved by grace is the entrance in the Fathers house. Sinners won’t make it through that door, because sin is the transgression of the law, 1JH 3:4. My Professor was saved by the grace of God, he claims. He didn’t need to follow God’s will any longer, mans was good enough. I’m not good enough for Christ, but I will follow his will, how do you feel about the grace of God, is that all you need?

FootsSteps

Greetings:

It said, we walk in the footsteps of our ancestors, and if you’re one of those that believe the human race evolves from apes, if you’re right, it could explain a lot. Its inconceivable the decisions being made by supposedly brilliant men and women in the name of humanity today. When you look at the chart of the evolution of man, it shows mans progression as becoming more and more intelligent. Now, the scientists are going to have to revise their charts and graphs showing a downward spike. Who knows maybe the huge brows and slopping head like the Neanderthal may emerge again in the human make-up.
I’m being facetious, but it’s almost to the point of ridiculous the decisions being made about things that are really a concern most Americans, especially the embola outbreak. I’m going to go through the litany of mistakes that have been made, but point to the one that is an overriding exclamation to a already gargantuan debacle. That would be putting someone with absolutely no medical background in charge of overseeing this epidemic. That is equivalent to putting someone in charge of blowing up a 50 story building downtown New York who has never seen explosives or what they can do, a single day of their lives.
We walk in the footsteps of those that came before us; we want those to be men of integrity and honor, men with common sense and an internal compass that guide them and keeps them on the right paths. We want our leaders of today to walk in the footsteps of Washington, Lincoln, Reagan, not in the steps of men we can barley remember their names. I would prefer they try walking in the footsteps of our creator, Jesus, the Christ.
I would like to hear them quote the bible instead of science journals. I would like to know they put God first instead of politics. I would like all of that in our leaders, but that leader is not due to arrive until, the current ones are finished destroying everything, pray for our nation.

Greetings:

It is said in order for man to survive, He must have something to believe in. We need something other than ourselves in which to place our faith. Believing is an uncompromising love to where one places their loyalty.
I believe in warm summer days, where the daylight hours are long so as to accomplish all the work one has to do. I believe in cool fall nights so the body can rest comfortably, able to wake up refreshed. I believe in the character of cats, because their interesting. I believe in Dogs because of their loyalty and friendship. I believe in a cool glass of tea on a hot summers day, and a cup of hot chocolate when its icy cold outside.
I believe in the selflessness of others, their ability to disregard their own safety in times of need and help others. I believe in long marriages and commitment between husband and wife. I believe in children raised in a home where love is first and growing up is fun. I believe in true justices; every man should be bound by the same laws and held accountable for his actions. I believe man can achieve all things, if he makes the right choices. I believe man has a higher calling, but I also believe he doesn’t understand that calling.
I believe in Christ, in every way and in every need. I believe Christ has a purpose for man, but man has no idea what that is. Its man’s destiny to be with Christ, but man has no idea where that will be either. I believe Christ can heal the sick, both then and now. I believe in the Father in Heaven and His son who died for our sins and rose again. I believe one day not too far off in the future, Christ will come again to retrieve His bride, the church.
I believe these things because they are the beliefs that I have faith in, that drive me forward daily. The question becomes, what do you believe in, and why? Have a wonderful feast, God Bless.

The Christian Experience

Greetings:

Harry Lieberman once wrote, an American is a guy that sips Brazilian coffee from an English cup while sitting on Danish furniture after coming home in his German car from an Italian movie, and then writes his congressman with a Japanese ball point pen, demanding he do something about all the gold leaving the country.
Kind of hits the nail on the head in describing an Americans. We’re a mix nation of different cultures coming together within a set boundary creating a powerful nation of peoples. Our heritage stems from our belief, “All men are created equal in the sight of God.”
Most of these folks call themselves Christians, but a Christian is much like the American as described earlier. He or she worships in buildings made by cheap labor supplied by the Mexicans who are mostly Catholic, using wood cut by Presbyterians, fastened to concrete poured by Baptist, decorated by stain glass windows from the Church of Scotland. Alters are fashioned by Episcopalians overlooking the pews built by Amish sitting within a building topped with a steeple built by the Assemblies of God. They all raise their voices to God in praise from hymnals written by Methodist, and read from bibles printed by non-denominationalist publishers. Church of Christ preachers use modern day Pentecostal sermons, which were first given by the Church of England ministers hundreds of years ago. All the parts are interchangeable as to who built what, or wrote what, but they all come together to create the Sunday worship experience; if I left one or two out just plug them in somewhere.
They all bring a slightly different view of God into their worship, He changes marginally from denomination to denomination, but they all agree on one thing, He changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament, even though He says, “I change not!” No matter what the buildings look like, or the seats we sit in, and songs we sing, Christ is and has always been the same yesterday, today and forever. He is one God with one heritage and one message, Repent.

Ringing True

Greetings:

 

            Hundreds of years ago our currency was mostly in the form of coins. Counterfeiters would use nickel or copper to make matching coins replacing the silver ones. In order to tell the difference, merchants would drop coins on a hard surfaces listening for the tones they would make. A counterfeit coin was believed to have a flat sound while the genuine coins tone would be sharp sounding. This was called ringing the Coin, and from that we get the phrase, “Rings True.”

            What rings true with most good hard working folks in this world today is honesty. We have a sever deficiency of honesty in our society today, especially in our government. In order for any culture to exist in harmony with its prospective leadership, the leaders must have an air of truthfulness surrounding them.            Its sort of like trusting your neighbor, you might not want to leave your house unguarded if there is no trust between you and them.

           What rings flat sounding are the constant promises of a utopian society where everyone is supported by Government. The more they promise on the campaign trail of give-a-ways, the flatter sounding politicians become. No politician can replace genuine sound of charity done by a friend or church. Truthfulness and charity comes from the heart and we all know politicians have no hearts, “just kidding.” Of course they have the heart of man, but not of Godly designs.

            What rings true is Jesus Christ, His words, and His promises. We must begin once more to listen for the sound of purity and honesty. We find those qualities only one place, in our bibles, and they give us the true wealth we seek as humans. Christ rings with truthfulness, and Satan’s world, (earthly governments) is flat with evil and dishonesty. If the pages in your bible say one thing, it rings with truthfulness. If any man, preacher, or government tells you scripture means something different from what it says, that is the flat ringing sound of deceit.

 

Cahoots

Greetings:

 

            To be in cahoots with a person is said to mean you’re in some kind of shady partnership or dealings that might not be perceived to be legitimate.  The word has its origin in medieval times and comes from the word (Kajuetes), which means “little Cabins.” During the medieval times little cabins were supposedly occupied by bandits or robbers, and over time people saw these “Kajuetes or Cahoots”, as places where bad people banned together to plan their bad intentions.

            These were places where bad folks came together with like minded interest and bad designs for so many others. Many with like minds today are in cahoots to silence the Christ people and His message. Satan owns the cabins they dwell within and do their deceitful scheming. Satan gives them purpose and direction and keeps the world on message.

            Some folks say God is evil and Christians are the ones in cahoots. Perhaps we are; would that be shocking to hear? We as Christians are in cahoots with God to the total defeat of Satan and his minions. It doesn’t mean we’re evil, or god is evil. It means we have like minds and a laser like purpose to see God’s will achieved here on earth.

            I like being in the “little cabins” with Christ, some might even call it a huppa. Because that is where Christ church (Bride), will be at His return. Then we will live together for an eternity in cahoots, but good cahoots.