Just a few random thoughts about God

Tags

calling, character, comfort, family, lost causes, love, Love of God, relentless pursuit, unconditional love

1. How freeing it is to apprehend that God uses every circumstance (even though He does not cause them all) in our life to develop both our character and our calling (purpose!)

2. God is all about family. He is the good, good Father, and we (every human being) are fully and unconditionally loved by Him. (thank you Chris Tomlin) That’s it! Our purpose as human beings is so simple … yet we mess it up all the time. Our individual calling (purpose) is simply to receive the boundless love of God, then share it with each & every person we encounter. Simple!

3. Since God is all about family, He sees no rejects, no losers, no lost causes. Since the beginning of time, He has desired a family. His desire is for ALL to join His family to share His goodness and His love, and since the beginning or your life and mine, He has been working to bring us into His family for the purpose of loving us. That’s it! No rules. No obligations. Only love! But … such unconditional love is so foreign it frightens most of us. Why?

4. Perhaps the most difficult concept to understand @ God is that He is much more concerned with our character than our comfort. He works continuously to craft each of us into unique billboards that radiate His love, so all may come into His family. It is God’s love that comforts us,  corrects us, compels us & challenges us to share the love we so richly & abundantly receive. God is forever motivated by love, and so, too, we, as God’s sons and daughters are compelled to  act out God’s love in our own lives.

5.”What if you rejected everything about God that wasn’t God and accepted Him for who He is — God for you?”  This is from a powerful little book entitled, IF, by Mark Batterson
How much of what we attribute to God ought to actually be attributed to the words, attitudes, or deeds of certain believers? The single most radical concept of God is that He chooses in every case to love each person, AND He  continuously moves heaven and earth to draw each one into His forever family. Unfortunately, none of us get it right … even most of the time,but He never stops drawing us. e never stops teaching us. He never stops lov

Why not ask Him about it?

🎶 Good Good Father 🎶

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A Nation Divided … Part 2

Tags

amorality, chaos, compromise, constitution, courage, freedom, generosity, greed, honor, Intergity, kindness, lawlessness, moral compromise, moral gulf, rebellion, selfishness

A Nation divided against itself cannot stand …

Integrity. I hear a lot of banter around the political candidates concerning integrity. Who has it? Who fakes it? Why is integrity important?

Americans are angry and dissatisfied with the way business is done these days in Washington DC, and rightly so. We’ve been lied to and in many cases, deliberately misled. We are pandered to and patronized and treated like ignorant children by those high and mighty supposed “public servants.” But… what do we really want?

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

Uh oh! I see the problem. Do you?

A Nation divided against itself cannot stand …

We say we want integrity, but how can we have integrity without moral principles? If morality is subjective, how can integrity exist?

I don’t want to be subject to your morality, and you don’t want to be measured by my morality. We are at an impasse.

Divisions have always existed in civilizations. Rich/poor, tall/short, young/old, etc. and divisions are not necessarily a bad thing. But the division (singular) we are witnessing in America (and elsewhere,) goes much deeper.

Our Founders referred to “unalienable rights endowed by our Creator,” but it is not politically correct to “force” someone’s ambiguous concept of deity on a society. What Creator? God? Which god? So again, we are at an impasse. If we deny that our rights are endowed by our Creator, where did they come from?

There has been a deliberate hammering over the last few decades, yes decades, maybe longer, the driving of a wedge between people, between ideologies. It is not between rich and poor. It is not between Democrats and Republicans. It is not between races. It is not between the various religions. It is much simpler, much deeper, and much more sobering. It has been happening slowly throughout my lifetime. Look around at how values have changed. Americans once sought virtue, moral strength, character. Now, we seek comfort, leisure, and material gain.

When asked whether the “state of moral values in the country as a whole is getting better or worse,” 72 percent said that they believe that the paradigm is worsening, while, in contrast, just 22 percent said that it is improving. More HERE!

On one side of this moral gulf is chaos, greed, selfishness, lawlessness, rebellion. On the other is structure, kindness, generosity, courage, honor, lawfulness, and … Integrity.

Do you remember when then President Bill Clinton was caught with his pants down? America collectively gasped. “How dare he … in the White House, too!” Noise was made about his indecency, but with the help of our all-but-state-run-press, we came to accept it and moved on. Just one example of our moral compromise.

“What we are seeing in our politics is the predictable result of what occurs when institutions, philosophies and faiths that once united us have either died or have been so co-opted by other considerations that when they’re most needed they lack the power to come to our rescue.” More HERE!

A house divided … moral compromise

Will we watch America crumble because of our selfishness?

The media has its “champions,” the Democrat party backs Hillary, but who does the Republican party back? Logically, it should back the leader, but if that is repugnant to them, they ought to back #2. Why don’t they? Could it be because the party doesn’t like Cruz’s conservative values, and they don’t believe Trump is a conservative at all.

I suggest this indecision is authored and fed by the media pushing THEIR choices on us. People, we are in deep doo doo, and sinking fast into the pools of our our ignorance and willful blindness. Our leaders are simply a reflection of our own indecision. We cannot have both freedom and amorality. We must choose or Hillary will win … and may God help us!

A Nation divided against itself cannot stand …

Hey Folks, We Need to Talk

Tags

"the War on Poverty", Acheivement, compassion, dependency, fdr, general-welfare-clause, government freebies, great-depression, handouts, Individual rights, Indoctrination, limitations, limitless, Personal responsibility, The "New Deal", The Other America

All the images that pass before our eyes … starving babies, homeless Veterans or single moms, so many struggling to make it … No, not in some remote third world country RIGHT HERE, in America – the wealthiest nation ever! It’s virtually impossible to wrap our heads around it. It’s overwhelming and heart wrenching. Surely, we can do better! Something more has to be done, right? No question! But what?

In response to those who hold that the”General Welfare clause” of the Constitution means taking care of the people, America, as a government,  has tried several different programs over the past few decades to help those in need to find their way to the American Dream and alleviate suffering. “The New Deal,” inspired by the Great Depression, opened the hearts and minds of Americans under FDR (D), way back in 1933–1937.But did it solve the problem of poverty in America? Short answer, no!

Neither was the “War on Poverty” initiated under President Johnson a success. More recently, the policies and programs of President Obama have done exactly the opposite of their so-called intent. They have found more people, not fewer, in the unemployment lines, applying for food stamps and other social programs.

In his January 1964 State of the Union address, President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed, “This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America.” In the 50 years since that time, U.S. taxpayers have spent over $22 trillion on anti-poverty programs. Adjusted for inflation, this spending (which does not include Social Security or Medicare) is three times the cost of all U.S. military wars since the American Revolution. Yet progress against poverty, as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau, has been minimal, and in terms of President Johnson’s main goal of reducing the “causes” rather than the mere “consequences” of poverty, the War on Poverty has failed completely. In fact, a significant portion of the population is now less capable of self-sufficiency than it was when the War on Poverty began.

It’s a funny thing about human nature that philosophers seldom seem to consider well … There are specific things that motivate humans to productivity and achievement, and certain things which subdue those inclinations. The “war on poverty was a costly, tragic mistake,” the article, “Why the War on Poverty Failed: Handouts Provide the Wrong Incentives,” begins. “Possibly the most influential policy book in history, The Other America Michael Harrington’s The Other America, published in 1962. (Harrington died in 1989.) was cited again and again by the politicians, activists, and administrators who set up welfare programs in the 1960s. In it we find the fallacies that sent reformers down dark and tangled paths into today’s social tragedies.”

The tragic error of this thinking is in the assumption poverty is strictly a lack of material goods. “While the state of neediness we call poverty does involve a lack of material resources, it also involves a mass of psychological and moral problems, including weak motivation, lack of trust in others, ignorance, irresponsibility, self-destructiveness, short-sightedness, alcoholism, drug addiction, promiscuity, and violence.”  The article continues, “It was a perspective that led to intolerance. Since poverty was so simple to remedy—the activists reasoned—it was unethical not to act. “In a nation with a technology that could provide every citizen with a decent life,” Harrington thundered, “it is an outrage and a scandal that there should be such social misery.”⁴ For the activists, welfare programs did not involve complex relationships and intractable problems about which honest people could disagree. They were simple moral imperatives, and anyone who opposed them was seen as selfish and insensitive. (This dogmatic view has by no means disappeared from so-called liberal circles.)”

Yes, poverty is wretched wherever it appears, but the rational answer (contrary to the sentimental response) is not handouts or “freebies.” The answer is the proverbial “hand up,” instead of the “hand out!”

• Basic education and training, which sadly is no longer flourishing in our public schools, does more to cripple our children than prepare them for a productive adult life.
• Trade schools, long hidden by some pseudo-intellectual pride, hunger for eager students, but are shunned by a populace who want to start as CEO’s, rather than work their way up the ladder.
• Food banks, soup kitchens, and clothing closets are a great start to elp the hurting and many communities have such things, but more are needed, not from government, but from us … you and me.

The Biblical concept of compassion isn’t issued to the government, but to the individual. The Golden Rule (you remember, Do unto others …?) is not for governments, but people, whether people of faith or not … people helping people. Governments have no idea how to help as evidenced by 80 years of welfare programs initiated in an vain attempt to curtail poverty. The secret to overcoming poverty, in most cases, is personal responsibility, we all ought

Now, we have an avowed “democrat socialist”(whatever that is) asking for our votes so he can increase taxes on the wager-earner so he can also increase the number of programs handing out “stuff”to those now trapped in a unemployment and dependency on the government programs that were supposed to free them from poverty.

Isn’t 80 years of failure enough to make a statement to try another tact? It isn’t the rich that are the bad guys here. It is our own greed that as crippled the most successful, productive, innovative, creative, and compassionate culture it the world, and ALL of us are guilty of the same greed, both the have’s and the have not’s!

America, use your HEAD to choose our next president. Use your HEART to make a personal investment in your neighborhood and your neighbors. Vote for individual rights and personal responsibility!

Paul wrote, “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up” (Romans 15:1–2)

Excellent reading:

• Economic policies highlight partisan divide among governors
• Was the New Deal a success or failure?
• The War on Poverty After 50 Years
• Why the War on Poverty Failed
• What does the General Welfare Clause really mean?
• Allen West: Government Handouts a Form of Slavery
• Europeans Fear Crisis Threatens Liberal Benefits
• Uncovering the Bad Math (or Logic) of an Economic Analysis Embraced by Bernie Sanders

 

21st Century Manliness

Tags

America, American Heroes, Bravado, courage, sin, terrorist

Unrehearsed bravado! An example of Mt 11:12?

Here’s an article along this idea. What do you think? Who is the terrorist? Some would say the 3 heroes! What say you?

Manliness: An Unsung Trait of The Train Heroes

When a heavily armed man emerged from the bathroom of a European train and began what was clearly intended as a massacre of innocent, unsuspecting civilians, six men ranging in age from 22 to 62 sprang into action. A banker and a middle-aged academic, both French, were first on the scene. The sound of gunfire awakened three young American tourists: Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone and Anthony Sadler. In a moment evocative of the Flight 93 passengers’ shining courage on 9/11, Skarlatos saw Ayoub El-Khazzani struggling with one of his guns and leapt up, saying simply “Let’s go” to his friends.

The three Americans, two Frenchmen and one Briton who took on the terrorist were unarmed — though, thank God, in the case of two (the third was fit, too), their military training prepared them for violence. That’s right. For the world to be safe for most people, good people must learn the arts of war to prevent bad people from ruling through terror. It’s true of individuals, and it’s true of nations. More HERE

PREPARE!

Tags

America, faith, God, INTERCESSION, People of Faith, politically incorrect, prayer, truth, WAR ROOM, work

If you are paying attention to life and events around our nation and world, it is clear, something is coming. Something uncomfortable … unpleasant … uninvited. Are you prepared?
I am not necessarily talking about stockpiling food & water, although there is no harm in that type of preparation. I’m  more concerned with a general attitude.

9 Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men!
Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up!
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
And your pruning hooks into spears;
Let the weak say, “I am a mighty man.”

Some might have heard of the new film in theaters at the writing of this, War Room. This is the preparation I speak of. This is the greatest weapon believers have against the riding tide of selfishness and lawlessness.

Prayer. I am not talking about “bless me” prayers, but prayer that is violent against all that stands against our God and Creator. (Eph 6:10-20, Matt 11:12) We have been silent and ineffectual long enough! There is a time to turn the other cheek, but now is the time to take a stand, as unpopular or politically incorrect as it may be. It is God we should be concerned with pleasing, not man.
As we approach a turning point election, I challenge all people of faith to pray against the surge of evil that challenges traditional Biblical values in our nation and work diligently together to stem the attack on our families, our faith, and our freedoms, for the sake of our children and the children of the nations!

The Cost of Freedom

Tags

America, American history, application, compassion, First Responders, freedom, military personel, patriotism, sacrifice

During the last several years, I have been increasingly embarrassed by the number of Americans who have sold out to the well-intentioned but misguided concept of COMPASSION. It is an age-old deception passed down through the generations that says if we are to be kind, we must be willing to compromise our standards. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, true compassion, the self-sacrificing noble compassion can only be rooted in solid, absolute but merciful moral code.

COMPASSION: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

The question is, what is the best way to alleviate the suffering or hardship of others. Pain and suffering are part of life, and not necessarily the worst part. Though no one desires pain and hardship, many people around the world manage to endure it with joy, or at least acceptance knowing that good always follows pain … eventually.

It saddens me that in today’s America, we seem to have forgotten the benefits of struggle, or working toward a goal, of fighting through disease, of sacrificing for the good of others. This is the essence of compassion.

Instead, we have opted for the shortcuts. Problem is, “No pain – no gain” is completely accurate! We are left with a nation of Americans who have no idea what it cost to build America into a nation where, at least before the current administration, people of all races, religions, and backgrounds could live together in relative harmony. We are no longer taught of the price the Founding Fathers paid for their rebellion against the status quo. Of course, humans are imperfect, and today’s educators and political liberals choose to focus on their imperfections rather than the enormous gifts they gave and the heavy costs they paid.

Today is July 4, 2015. For any who are not aware, July Fourth in the U.S., is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress declaring that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and no longer part of the British Empire. During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain rule.

Now, there are many whose lives reflect the same selfless sacrifice in service to others. Recently, police have come under irrational scrutiny because of some ideologues political agenda. Of course, there are imperfections and abuses. As long as they are human, that will be the case. But we dare not overlook the tremendous personal sacrifices made by our first responders and military service members (and families.)

As we celebrate this weekend, I pray we remember … the tremendous cost of freedom that allows us the many choices we have, and it is my prayer that we will work to overcome evil with good…each of us…one kindness at a time!

Father God, many in our nation have turned away from You, but you know each one and love us still. Father God, please turn our hearts back to You in gratitude for all You have provided. Heal the divides between neighbors. Restore our yearning for self-reliance with You as our Source and our Guide … for the sake of the lost people of the world.

Are there now Two Americas?

Tags

Big Government, contradictions, Democrat, Enterprise America, history, Republican, think it though, truth, War on Poverty, welfare, Welfare America

Two Americas

By Greg Richards
Why did it take until 100 years after the Civil War, until 1964, to pass a Civil Rights Act? Because the Democratic Party would not take its boot off the neck of the black man until Martin Luther King made the black vote a political force. Dedicated to being in power above all else, the Democrats had to make a U-turn on their race policy in the 1960s and join the Republicans in passing the Civil Rights Act because they realized that after the black vote was counted, they were not going to win any more national elections without it.

But there was a problem. How was the Democratic Party going to overcome its deplorable record on race? It was the party of slavery, segregation, lynching, and the Klan.

What to do now? Get back in front of history with comprehensive rather than palliative welfare — the Great Society. The Democratic Party would become the friend of the black community by giving it things it wasn’t asking for, but were hard to resist.

But there is a big problem with comprehensive welfare: it destroys the role of men in the community and this was disproportionately true of the black community. There is nothing worse than taking away a person’s mission in life, making that person unnecessary and thus unwanted. That is evil. And today we see the results of that evil.

Single mothers can cope, but the family as a force in the community cannot flourish without men as a responsible presence. Without men, there is nobody to show boys how to behave, have someone to look up to and emulate, to set them straight when they go off the path, to show them how to be men. This has been true of every civilization in history.

But over the last 50 years, the Democratic Party wiped out the black family by wiping out the role of black men in order to stay in power. The black family had withstood 250 years of slavery and 100 years of Jim Crow, but was destroyed by 50 years of Liberalism. In 1960, the illegitimacy rate in the black community was 30%. Now it is 78%. And as Star Parker has pointed out, there is nothing unique about blacks. Whites are now where blacks were in 1960 and are on the same path.

What is the result of this devastation? There are now two Americas — Welfare America and Enterprise America.

The Democratic Party is the party of Welfare America and the Republican Party is the part of Enterprise America. Enterprise America is that part of America that is hands-on in its affairs. That does not mean the top managers of big business, which either out of necessity or out of temperament, in many cases cozy up to Big Government. There is also the billionaire effect, where billionaires, unaware of the wellspring of their own success, do not preach what they practice and support Welfare America for reasons of social standing.

Let’s compare the cultural attributes of Enterprise America and Welfare America.

READ MORE

The Contest for Pennsylvania

Tags

economy, education, election 2014, enery development, information, jobs, Pennsylvania, politics, reality, US Military Veterans

Don’t be fooled by the polls showing Corbett behind. Those are “soft” numbers that don’t reflect the reality. It is important to remember that in the 1980’s Republican Governor Dick Thornburg was 15 points behind his challenger at this point 5 weeks before the election and won. So there’s no need for us to give up.

A little info …

Tom Corbett won the first debate with his opponent last week. In that debate Tom Wolf showed that he has no specific plan or ideas for PA and that his high tax and big spending ideas will drive jobs and prosperity out of Pennsylvania. Why would a Pennsylvanian choose a man with no plan, no experience, and only bad ideas shared with the worst President in American’s history? The next 2 debates on Oct 1 and Oct 8 will further reveal that Tom Wolf is not qualified to be governor.

Compare & choose …

Tom Wolf is a millionaire’s son who spent 13 years after graduation from high school being a “professional student” in college and the Peace Corps to avoid the draft. When he finally started his first job at age 31 he took over his father’s company. He’s never run for elective office and served only 2 years as Revenue Secretary for Ed Rendell which was largely a political appointment. Tom Wolf will be Pennsylvania’s version of Barack Obama with no experience, no qualifications and radical left wing ideas. By the way, Wolf has maxed out his contributions to Barack Obama.

In contrast, Tom Corbett has had a long career of public service starting as township supervisor in Shaler and serving as assistant district attorney in Allegheny County, U.S. attorney, and then PA Attorney General. Not only is Corbett experienced and competent but he is honest and decent with humility that Wolf seems to lack. Please check out this link to Tom Corbett’s web site for more info – http://www.tomcorbettforgovernor.com/

PLEASE …

This election is so important for the future of Pennsylvania and for the quality of our lives and the future of our children. We cannot just sit on the sidelines and allow our state to fall into the hands of those who will destroy jobs and prosperity. Everyone seems to have high level strategic ideas for how the campaign should be run, but the best way that we can can really affect the outcome of this election is by rolling up our sleeves and doing the needed grassroots work in our community to persuade people to vote for Tom Corbett. This means talking with friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers about Tom Corbett. It also means bumper stickers and signs in your yard and canvassing and phone calls. Too many people are not willing to work for good candidates and that’s why we end up with so many unqualified and corrupt elected officials.

Is the future of Pennsylvania important to you? If so, then it’s time for us to stop complaining and pitch in.

READ MORE:

The Power of Education

Supporting Pennsylvania’s Veterans

Creating Jobs, Growing the Economy

Making Pennsylvania a Critical Energy Supplier

A Parable of Faith Activation

Tags

aide, community-service, compassion, faith, fear, government, government-programs, help, people, personal service to others, Self-sacrifice, service, The Little Dutch Boy, unselfishness, volunteers

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but YOU {emphasis bjb} do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2: 14- 17

“The dam is breaking! The dam is breaking! Emergency!!!” The screams of the people of Borderville frantically scurrying to get out of harm’s way echoed from the hillsides surrounding the town. Chaos everywhere! People watched in horror from hilltops and housetops as a wall of water rushed down the ravine sweeping over everything in its path. Thousands of homes gone in a moment. Families swept away. Utter and complete devastation in the wake with more tragedy ahead in its path.

Warnings had been given prior, but no one listened. There was a lot of talk, several plans were put forth, money had even been allocated, but nothing was done. Now, it was too late.

Emergency broadcasts flooded the airways urgently notifying people to seek higher ground. There was a cry, too, for volunteers to help tend the wounded and homeless.

It wasn’t long before the government issued a “warning” to local residents, and they began to organize shelters and supplies for the many victims. The Governor sought Federal assistance asking it be declared an “EMERGENCY!” Thousands of homes had already been destroyed. Many lives had been lost, and still the enormity of this tragedy was only beginning.

The water surged downhill wiping out everything in its path. Homes, schools, churches … businesses. It was ruthless.

Within a half hour of the breach, three or four helicopters peppered the sky. Whether journalists reporting the story or government agencies looking at the devastation was unclear. News bulletins resounded across the nation.

The hours began to roll by. The path of tragedy grew. The cry for help continued. Checks began to pour in from the American public. Emergency “#800” phones were organized. Government agencies brought supplies to nearby make shift shelters. Piles of blankets and cases of water grew.

The following weekend, pleas issued from pulpits in churches, tabernacles, mosques, as well as community outreach programs. Tons of building and survival supplies were quickly being gathered at points from coast to coast.

Hollywood celebrities and politicians issued calls for help from their walled-in mansions and executive offices. Photos flashed across TV screens and computer screens of the gorgeous celebs at fundraisers supporting the victims relief effort.

Hours and days passed. The flood continued to demolish town after town, home after home. Politicians chose sides: some pleaded for more money and supplies to tend the victims, and others wanted, first, to repair the dam.

“Oh no, we must let the water go and take care of the people first! That is the compassionate thing. To repair the dam is taking food out of the childrens’ mouths!” they said.

A handful of volunteers gathered at the local Red Cross. The size or their task was immeasurable. Money was plentiful. Supplies from the government were available, but volunteers were scarce. Seems everyone had a reason not to lend a physical hand to help the distraught and displaced survivors.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

There is a children’s story I recall – The Little Dutch Boy, by Mary Mapes Dodge. Peter Miller writes this synopsis of the tale:

“Dutch legend has it that there was once a small boy who upon passing a dyke (or dam) on his way to school noticed a slight leak as the sea trickled in through a small hole. Knowing that he would be in trouble if he were to be late for school, the boy poked his finger into the hole and so stemmed the flow of water. Some time later a passerby saw him and went to get help. This came in the form of other men who were able to effect repairs on the dyke and seal up the leak.

“This story is told to children to teach them that if they act quickly and in time, even they with their limited strength and resources can avert disasters. The fact that the Little Dutch Boy used his finger to stop the flow of water, is used as an illustration of self-sacrifice. The physical lesson is also taught: a small trickle of water soon becomes a stream and the stream a torrent and the torrent a flood sweeping all before it, Dyke material, roadways and cars, and even railway tracks and bridges and whole trains.”

The Bible teaches God is a personal God. He is interested in our individual growth and character. In America, and in our world today, there are several “dams breaking.” We have agency upon agency duplicating tasks and spending obscene amounts of money, and accomplishing little. President Johnson back in the 60’s declared a “War on Poverty,” establishing “Social Security (creating medicare & medicaid) and “Food Stamp Act.”

As noble as the “War on Poverty” idea is, we have MORE poverty today, not less. We’ve lost the “War on Poverty!” Look around! If these programs actually worked, wouldn’t the percentages decrease and the numbers of thriving Americans increase? Service programs abound, but people willing to volunteer their time and talents are few. Government not equipped to tend the needs of individual families or communities. Government cannot empathize or feel compassion. We can!

See, only we, as individuals and neighbors know the specific needs of one another and have the ability to feel compassion. The thing about helping others … not only does serving one another help them, the victims, but it activates us! There is something reciprocal that happens when we reach out to “care” for another human being. I’ve heard it from missionaries to go with the warm intention of helping others, but they return feeling more a recipient than a giver.

It’s about people, a “People Connection” that opens our hearts and drowns the fears we have of people, of strangers. We are free to serve, yes, but only in doing does the reverse become true – our service frees us! Only in service to our neighbors does our faith become activated. Regardless of whether our religion is Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism … it is our personal service to others that confirms, affirms, and activates our Faith.

Holding on to the Promises

Tags

faith, fruit of the Spirit, God is working, liberty, life, Philippians 4, promises

Around the beginning of the year, a new chapter began in my life, and I want to share some of it with you. It had to do with His WORD, His Promises, and my (us, as believers) position “In Christ!”

Every promise contained in the New Testament
belongs to every believer.

Everything God asks from us,
He first gives to us so He knows
we have it to give back to Him.

Woman taking refuge in the wings of God inspired by Psalm17:8

If something ugly is happening in our life, we must meet it with something GOOD because we “overcome evil with ________!!!” (GOOD Romans 12:21)

Find the Promise(S) God has assigned to your circumstances, and hold on tightly!!! Look for His GOODNESS!!!

“In every area of struggle in your life, God has granted you life and godliness. The truth is in every area of need and struggle, He has placed a promise there so that by the exercise of that promise, you would know the fullness of His affection for you and you would wake up to greater love.”

From FULLNESS NOW ~ Graham Cooke

Does this mean pulling the “cliche” promises into practice? The promises that so many of us quote without really apprehending their power? The ones we sometimes throw toward our friends when they’re in trouble and we don’t know what to say or do? Those promises?

OK So … I thank you, FATHER, for this opportunity to challenge the veracity of Your word and since I can do nothing, FATHER, I depend on You. Teach me how to “exercise” Your promises for Your glory! What is the promise(s) for my current situation?

• Phil 4: 6-7 NASB
  6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
• Phil 4: 8-9
  8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
• Phil 4: 11-13
  11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
• Phil 4:19
  19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
• 1 Cor 2:9
  But as it is written (Isaiah 64:4):
  “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
  Nor have entered into the heart of man
  The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
  Isaiah 64:4 For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
  Who acts for the one who waits for Him.

While the WORD has been familiar to me for decades, God is opening my eyes and my heart to … MORE!
More richness,
More abundant life,
More fullness,
More Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control!

GOD is GOOD, and every transaction with Him must result in GOODNESS!!! But I leave you to chew on this a while.

“There is no security is what God is doing.
There is only security in who GOD is!”
Graham Cooke