Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Worship is more than our heart, soul, and words offered to God. It's our posture. When we understand the grace he has given us to be called his children, what else can we do but bow down. We come to him as a conquering ruler in full submission, and he chooses to treat us tenderly, like a loving shepherd.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Psalm 119:137
Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and upright are Thy judgments.
In Scripture we see two sides to God: One is His loving, compassionate, caring side. He is the God who created us and made the supreme sacrifice to offer us eternal life.
Then there is the God of holiness, the God of wrath; the God who judges sin.
I'm afraid the Church today has lost the balance on the teeter-totter between these two sides to God's nature. Too often we emphasize His love and forget that He is just and righteous; He will not tolerate sin.
I don't think we talk enough today about sin and its consequences. The Bible tells us the penalty for sin is hell. These are not popular concepts in our culture of tolerance.
Hell isn't in style today because it represents a couple of things that are repugnant. It represents accountability to someone in authority, and we want to avoid authority. And it represents absolute eternal judgment. We have a difficult time believing that such a place could exist, and we don't want to really believe that everlasting punishment and torment is a reality. And when we no longer see the eternal retribution of our sins, we lose any urgency for repenting of those sins.
So we don't talk much about hell to our children, extended family or our friends.
But hell is real.
To the Greeks, the distance between the bull's-eye and where the arrow hit was known as "the sin." It meant to fall short of the ideal. To sin means to "miss the mark."
God is patient, but He is not tolerant. He is holy. His justice calls for an atonement (a payment, a penalty) for man's sins. Our children must have some understanding that their sins can keep them out of heaven. Their sins must be paid for. And that is what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.
In Scripture we see two sides to God: One is His loving, compassionate, caring side. He is the God who created us and made the supreme sacrifice to offer us eternal life.
Then there is the God of holiness, the God of wrath; the God who judges sin.
I'm afraid the Church today has lost the balance on the teeter-totter between these two sides to God's nature. Too often we emphasize His love and forget that He is just and righteous; He will not tolerate sin.
I don't think we talk enough today about sin and its consequences. The Bible tells us the penalty for sin is hell. These are not popular concepts in our culture of tolerance.
Hell isn't in style today because it represents a couple of things that are repugnant. It represents accountability to someone in authority, and we want to avoid authority. And it represents absolute eternal judgment. We have a difficult time believing that such a place could exist, and we don't want to really believe that everlasting punishment and torment is a reality. And when we no longer see the eternal retribution of our sins, we lose any urgency for repenting of those sins.
So we don't talk much about hell to our children, extended family or our friends.
But hell is real.
To the Greeks, the distance between the bull's-eye and where the arrow hit was known as "the sin." It meant to fall short of the ideal. To sin means to "miss the mark."
God is patient, but He is not tolerant. He is holy. His justice calls for an atonement (a payment, a penalty) for man's sins. Our children must have some understanding that their sins can keep them out of heaven. Their sins must be paid for. And that is what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Matthew 6:33
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
The stereotype of the executive in the three-piece pinstriped suit working long hours to make it to the top has been around for decades, but his female counterpart is a more recent development. Today, a growing number of men and women are more devoted to their careers than they are to their families. The siren call of careerism lures us away from intimacy and oneness.
Magazines carry articles on husbands and wives who pursue careers with brilliance, energy and drive. Somewhere in the article the wife mentions that she would like to have a child, but her career has been her all-consuming passion. Or she will lament the fact that she has to leave a small baby in some kind of day care situation while she zooms off to catch a jet to the next sales conference. These articles make these couples sound content, chic, sophisticated and totally fulfilled. In a word, they seem to have it all.
We seldom think of careerism as an "affair." But it is. What is an affair? It is breaking your marriage vows and giving yourself to someone or something else-a person, a career or material possessions.
Ironically, careers can be cruel lovers. In the end this kind of love affair is very unfulfilling. There is always another mountain to climb, another business victory to pursue; it's a life void of meaningful relationships. Those who put career above family are rarely satisfied. They are tragically addicted to riding the corporate escalator, and with no way to get off. They must ride it all the way to the top-only to find that at the top it's lonely.
Meanwhile, back at home the fires are slowly going out...
The stereotype of the executive in the three-piece pinstriped suit working long hours to make it to the top has been around for decades, but his female counterpart is a more recent development. Today, a growing number of men and women are more devoted to their careers than they are to their families. The siren call of careerism lures us away from intimacy and oneness.
Magazines carry articles on husbands and wives who pursue careers with brilliance, energy and drive. Somewhere in the article the wife mentions that she would like to have a child, but her career has been her all-consuming passion. Or she will lament the fact that she has to leave a small baby in some kind of day care situation while she zooms off to catch a jet to the next sales conference. These articles make these couples sound content, chic, sophisticated and totally fulfilled. In a word, they seem to have it all.
We seldom think of careerism as an "affair." But it is. What is an affair? It is breaking your marriage vows and giving yourself to someone or something else-a person, a career or material possessions.
Ironically, careers can be cruel lovers. In the end this kind of love affair is very unfulfilling. There is always another mountain to climb, another business victory to pursue; it's a life void of meaningful relationships. Those who put career above family are rarely satisfied. They are tragically addicted to riding the corporate escalator, and with no way to get off. They must ride it all the way to the top-only to find that at the top it's lonely.
Meanwhile, back at home the fires are slowly going out...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Psalm 107:2, 3
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
The missionaries were prepared to share the Word of God with the natives of the small isle off the North Africa coast. They were well stocked with crosses and Bibles, and they had become well versed in the native tongue. Nothing, however, prepared them for the shock when they deplaned and were greeted by a band of natives singing out, "God bless you; Jesus loves you!"
The reality of God has spread to the four corners of our globe. Voices sing out His praises continually, and it is often true that our poorer brothers and sisters have the clearest and loudest voices. We can learn a great deal from those people who live day to day in the shadow of poverty, who truly understand how fortunate they are to be alive. Let every woman, man and child sing forth in praise to God. He has been good to us all.
The missionaries were prepared to share the Word of God with the natives of the small isle off the North Africa coast. They were well stocked with crosses and Bibles, and they had become well versed in the native tongue. Nothing, however, prepared them for the shock when they deplaned and were greeted by a band of natives singing out, "God bless you; Jesus loves you!"
The reality of God has spread to the four corners of our globe. Voices sing out His praises continually, and it is often true that our poorer brothers and sisters have the clearest and loudest voices. We can learn a great deal from those people who live day to day in the shadow of poverty, who truly understand how fortunate they are to be alive. Let every woman, man and child sing forth in praise to God. He has been good to us all.
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Monday, August 24, 2009
Psalm 106:43
Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.
The agent folded his arms and shook his head. The offer was totally unacceptable. He wanted his ball player to receive top dollar. The team owners conferred and made another offer substantially higher than their previous one. Still the agent held out. To his dismay, the owners threw up their hands in disgust and closed the talks. The ball player would not play; the owners would look elsewhere.
Greed causes so many problems. We only want a little bit more, but each time we take a little, we leave less for others. God gives great things to His people, but when they continually look for ways to get more, then He is not so free to give. There are too many people who will appreciate what the Lord has to give. God will bring low those who try to take more than their share. His love is freely given, but it is given to be shared, not taken advantage of.
The agent folded his arms and shook his head. The offer was totally unacceptable. He wanted his ball player to receive top dollar. The team owners conferred and made another offer substantially higher than their previous one. Still the agent held out. To his dismay, the owners threw up their hands in disgust and closed the talks. The ball player would not play; the owners would look elsewhere.
Greed causes so many problems. We only want a little bit more, but each time we take a little, we leave less for others. God gives great things to His people, but when they continually look for ways to get more, then He is not so free to give. There are too many people who will appreciate what the Lord has to give. God will bring low those who try to take more than their share. His love is freely given, but it is given to be shared, not taken advantage of.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Bestbuy, Look here for SAVINGS!!!
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Articles
In the last 2 weeks I have had a fascination with articles. I was told that writing articles will be of a great benefit. I would like to continue writing them so that I can be better prepared in the future when I plan to write books.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
$100 Price Drop on PS3
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Psalm 104:24
Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
Timmy did not want to go on the science field trip. Science was so boring. They were going to climb around on rocks and look for fossils of animals dead a half a million years. Big deal! Nothing could interest Timmy less.
Then, an amazing thing happened. Timmy was one of the first to find fossilized remains. He held the rock in his hands and traced the fragile trilobite fossil with his finger. He was enthralled by the sight, and a new love was born in Tim's heart. Timmy saw the earth as a treasure house of wonders too magnificent to understand.
We ought to take time to study this wonderful world of ours. There is so much to behold. God has done so many wonderful things, and He has given them over to us to enjoy. Search out the riches of God's world, and you will never be poor.
Timmy did not want to go on the science field trip. Science was so boring. They were going to climb around on rocks and look for fossils of animals dead a half a million years. Big deal! Nothing could interest Timmy less.
Then, an amazing thing happened. Timmy was one of the first to find fossilized remains. He held the rock in his hands and traced the fragile trilobite fossil with his finger. He was enthralled by the sight, and a new love was born in Tim's heart. Timmy saw the earth as a treasure house of wonders too magnificent to understand.
We ought to take time to study this wonderful world of ours. There is so much to behold. God has done so many wonderful things, and He has given them over to us to enjoy. Search out the riches of God's world, and you will never be poor.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Affiliate Site
I also have a website for you to signup to start your own affiliate Website.
You are given the tools to start your own step by step online business.
Use clickbank...
http://www.dollarmonitor.com/affsites/afx/185091.html
You are given the tools to start your own step by step online business.
Use clickbank...
http://www.dollarmonitor.com/affsites/afx/185091.html
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Celebrate "Back to School" with NERO
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CompUSA
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New Project
For everyone who visits this blog, I have set up a new web page with a product for you to buy. It is a tutorial and training series to learn to use the Internet to make money to be more independant. You can see it at http://marketingmagnet.bravehost.com/ Come by anytime
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Psalm 103:2
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Clarence sat on his bed, pouting. His parents wouldn't let him go to the rock concert on a school night. He hated them sometimes for being so unfair. He hardly ever got what he wanted. He'd had to beg for his computer, and they had waited a whole year from the time he asked for his own VCR until they gave it to him. They made him come home from tennis camp a week early to go on a family vacation to Europe. Now the skis he bought last year had scratches on them, and his parents didn't act all that interested in replacing them. It just wasn't fair. Clarence wished he could have his own way at least some of the time.
Are we more thankful for what we have than we are bitter for what we have not? God has given us so much. Remember to praise Him for all He had done. Set aside the Clarence inside, and appreciate all that has been given. It is given in love.
Clarence sat on his bed, pouting. His parents wouldn't let him go to the rock concert on a school night. He hated them sometimes for being so unfair. He hardly ever got what he wanted. He'd had to beg for his computer, and they had waited a whole year from the time he asked for his own VCR until they gave it to him. They made him come home from tennis camp a week early to go on a family vacation to Europe. Now the skis he bought last year had scratches on them, and his parents didn't act all that interested in replacing them. It just wasn't fair. Clarence wished he could have his own way at least some of the time.
Are we more thankful for what we have than we are bitter for what we have not? God has given us so much. Remember to praise Him for all He had done. Set aside the Clarence inside, and appreciate all that has been given. It is given in love.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Where can we go when all the walls fall and all the armies crumble and all hope is lost? To the eternal God, who is our Father. He preserved Israel through the most difficult of times, protected the Bible from those who would eradicate it, and has led his Church through troubles and triumphs through the centuries. He will do the same with us until he brings us home to himself.
Where can we go when all the walls fall and all the armies crumble and all hope is lost? To the eternal God, who is our Father. He preserved Israel through the most difficult of times, protected the Bible from those who would eradicate it, and has led his Church through troubles and triumphs through the centuries. He will do the same with us until he brings us home to himself.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Psalm 99:9
Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.
Betty loved the old church. She had come to its sanctuary since she had been a young girl, and that was a long time gone, indeed. The place was special. Betty had always been filled with awe whenever she stood in the church. From the moment she entered the door, she felt God's presence. This church was a holy place. She felt closest to God when she felt the special magic of the old church. It was easy to worship God there.
We need reminders to help us understand God's holiness. Truly, only He is worthy to be praised, and yet we so often act as if there's nothing special about God at all. There is no life in our prayers, we decided to skip church, or we ignore opportunities to share Christ with those around us. Our actions say, "No big deal." It is a big deal. God is the biggest deal of our lives. Everything we do should exalt the Lord and show others just how important He is to us. Anytime we can experience the holiness and majesty of the Lord, we should jump at the chance. Nothing pleases God more.
Betty loved the old church. She had come to its sanctuary since she had been a young girl, and that was a long time gone, indeed. The place was special. Betty had always been filled with awe whenever she stood in the church. From the moment she entered the door, she felt God's presence. This church was a holy place. She felt closest to God when she felt the special magic of the old church. It was easy to worship God there.
We need reminders to help us understand God's holiness. Truly, only He is worthy to be praised, and yet we so often act as if there's nothing special about God at all. There is no life in our prayers, we decided to skip church, or we ignore opportunities to share Christ with those around us. Our actions say, "No big deal." It is a big deal. God is the biggest deal of our lives. Everything we do should exalt the Lord and show others just how important He is to us. Anytime we can experience the holiness and majesty of the Lord, we should jump at the chance. Nothing pleases God more.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
IWon Link-Check This out
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Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
Sometimes the right path is not so difficult to find, we just need to know where to begin our search -- the reading of God's words. The right way is very seldom just the property of the bright, wise, and scholarly. It is very clear if we will but look for it!
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Sometimes the right path is not so difficult to find, we just need to know where to begin our search -- the reading of God's words. The right way is very seldom just the property of the bright, wise, and scholarly. It is very clear if we will but look for it!
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Tuesday, August 4, 2009
HostGator-Visit and Signup!!!
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Monday, August 3, 2009
1 Samuel 16:7
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Have you ever wondered how many friends you may have lost simply by judging them on their first appearance or impression? I'm amazed at how the first impression very seldom tells us much of substance about another. We're not really going to be able to evaluate people properly until the Lord reveals at judgment what is really in their heart. Don't you think that we should give them time for their heart to show before we make a decision about them, too?!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Help Protect Preborn Life!!!
We've been hearing about President Obama's health care plan for weeks now, and it's clear we need health care reform. Too often we hear from families who have had their finances devastated by a serious illness or loss of health care coverage.
Congress is currently considering a bill to 'reform' health care, but, the fact is, the current version of the plan would actually hurt families by requiring them to pay for abortions through their tax dollars and their private insurance premiums. Not only that, but it would deny health care workers their rights of conscience to not participate in or perform abortions.
While congressional leaders have told their constituents that abortion is not included in the current healthcare reform bill, we know that if abortion is not specifically excluded, it will be required to the fullest extent possible. So far, every effort to explicitly remove abortion and include conscience protections for healthcare workers has been shot down.
Upholding the sanctity of human life is one of the pillars--the most foundational principles--of this ministry. Thousands of lives have been saved through our Option Ultrasound program, which provides ultrasound machines to pregnancy medical centers across the country so pregnant women can see their preborn babies.
If this health care bill is passed as it's currently written, we believe that this will be the biggest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade, and the pro-life cause will be set back years.
Will you prayerfully consider joining us in our efforts to preserve life, from conception to natural death, by making a donation to Focus on the Family? Your gift--whether a one-time or recurring gift--will help protect preborn life. To make a recurring gift, which allows us to best plan our efforts, select "Monthly" in the Frequency pull-down menu on our online donation page.
Congress is currently considering a bill to 'reform' health care, but, the fact is, the current version of the plan would actually hurt families by requiring them to pay for abortions through their tax dollars and their private insurance premiums. Not only that, but it would deny health care workers their rights of conscience to not participate in or perform abortions.
While congressional leaders have told their constituents that abortion is not included in the current healthcare reform bill, we know that if abortion is not specifically excluded, it will be required to the fullest extent possible. So far, every effort to explicitly remove abortion and include conscience protections for healthcare workers has been shot down.
Upholding the sanctity of human life is one of the pillars--the most foundational principles--of this ministry. Thousands of lives have been saved through our Option Ultrasound program, which provides ultrasound machines to pregnancy medical centers across the country so pregnant women can see their preborn babies.
If this health care bill is passed as it's currently written, we believe that this will be the biggest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade, and the pro-life cause will be set back years.
Will you prayerfully consider joining us in our efforts to preserve life, from conception to natural death, by making a donation to Focus on the Family? Your gift--whether a one-time or recurring gift--will help protect preborn life. To make a recurring gift, which allows us to best plan our efforts, select "Monthly" in the Frequency pull-down menu on our online donation page.