In a previous universe, I served on a jury for a child molestation case in the Midwest. The accused was a schoolteacher. It was an emotionally demanding thing to sit and listen carefully to the testimony of adult children, experts, and friends of the accused. When we (the jury) wandered off into our room to sit and talk about what we had heard, what we thought, and render a decision, it was amazing to me how many different views of the truth existed within this body of twelve people. In the end we the jury became deadlocked. One person on the jury would not budge off their view that the accused was innocent, the other 11 (including me) felt the accused was guilty. After 2 weeks of deliberation, we told the judge we could not come to an agreement, and that ended my involvement. Continue reading “Choose The Right Path”
Psalms 1: 1-6
1 How well God must like you—
you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats,
you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings,
you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls.
2-3 Instead you thrill to God’s Word,
you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden,
bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
always in blossom.
4-5 You’re not at all like the wicked,
who are mere windblown dust—
Without defense in court,
unfit company for innocent people.
6 God charts the road you take.
The road they take leads to nowhere.
Psalms 1: 1-6
King David was the third king of the United Kingdom of Israel. In the Middle Ages, King David was the author of Psalms 1. Their words and illustrations were often linked to the story of David’s journey of redemption from shepherd and sinner to divinely chosen king.
Hank The Tank And O’Tooles Invention
O’Toole was making an invention. He made it from three very large paint cans, an old meat grinder, some bed springs, and the insides of a thrown away clock. O’Toole found all the stuff for his invention because his mother had asked him and Hank the Tank the wonder dog to clean up the backyard and make it look nice for visitors.
When O’Toole and Hank the Tank were all done with the invention there stood this beautiful large thing that they had created. Why it really was an invention. Hank the Tank was dancing all about the back yard. He was very very happy with the invention. Continue reading “Hank The Tank And O’Tooles Invention”
Don’t Slack Off – Oswald Chambers
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. — John 15:7
Am I fulfilling the ministry of the interior life, taking time alone with the Father to intercede for others in prayer? I need not worry that the moments I claim for prayer are selfish. There is no danger of infatuation or pride in intercession; it is a hidden ministry which brings forth the fruit that glorifies the Father. Am I slacking off in my spiritual life, allowing my spiritual energies to be frittered away? Or am I learning to remain in Jesus? To remain in Jesus is to concentrate my spiritual energies around a single point: the atonement of the Lord.
I must begin to realize this central point of power in my life. Do I give one minute out of sixty to concentrate upon it? “If you remain in me” means “If you continually act and think and work on the basis of my atonement.” What holds the most power over me right now? Is it my job? Serving others? Trying to work for God? It isn’t the thing I spend the most time on that shapes me the most; it’s the thing that exerts the greatest power over me. What ought to exert the greatest power over me is Jesus Christ. I must decide to be limited in my affinities, to choose carefully where I place my attention. If Jesus Christ is more and more my dominating interest, every phase of my life will bear fruit for him.
Jesus says that if we remain in him and his words remain in us, God will answer our prayers. Do we recognize this truth? “But,” you say, “suppose I ask for something not according to God’s will?” You won’t—not if you’re fulfilling Jesus’s wish that you remain in him. The disciple who remains in Jesus is the will of God. The choices this disciple makes, though they appear to be made freely, are actually God’s foreordained decrees. Mysterious? Yes. Logically contradictory and absurd? Yes. But a glorious truth to those who remain in him.
2 Chronicles 28-29; John 17
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
It is an easy thing to argue from precedent because it makes everything simple, but it is a risky thing to do. Give God “elbow room”; let Him come into His universe as He pleases. If we confine God in His working to religious people or to certain ways, we place ourselves on an equality with God.
Angelic Comfort
It was my observation when collecting intel on Angelic Operations that a singular impact of their effort appears often – comfort. God reigns in heaven surrounded by a heavenly host of angels. In 1 Kings we read – I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing beside him to the right and to the left of him (1 Kings 22:19). Angels are always looking after us. Moses says — Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared (Exodus 23:20). They clear the path for our progress so we can serve God unfettered by troubles.
Angels are messengers of God; they reinforce his active presence in our world, they add credence to God’s justice, love, comfort, and protection. God’s love is revealed as angels announce the ministry of grace conducted by Jesus. Angels announced the birth of Ishmael (see Genesis 16:11) and Samson (see Judges 13:3-5). Angels announced the birth of John the Baptist (see Luke 1:19), the birth of Jesus (see Luke 1:26), and Jesus’ resurrection (see Matthew 28:5). David says — The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and rescues them (Psalms 34:7). This is comfort. Continue reading “Angelic Comfort”
Psalm
I will praise the name of God
Your World View Matters
It has been my observation — At some point in our spiritual life, we all develop a world view. Simply stated, our world view is the perspective that defines how we observe and understand things around us. (implied in Exodus 9:16). Our world view sets the assumptions and perceptions we use to evaluate, understand ourselves, and assess our experiences. Our worldview is the blended composite of our church view, social view, family view, friendship choices, historical view, cultural view, personal view, job view, and our personality characteristics (implied in Jeremiah 29:11).
Our worldview influences everything we say and do (Proverbs 19:21). At its core, there are two basic paths for a world view — theistic or nontheistic. For those who know Jesus, the theistic worldview comes from scripture. The Bible presents a clear definition of the one true living God and sets out a powerful set of life principles used by Jesus to shape our life. The nontheistic worldview comes from all things secular. Often it becomes a life that gradually declines to quiet despair. Continue reading “Your World View Matters”
Shalom Talk 